Latest news with #NithyaRaman
CBS News
31-07-2025
- CBS News
Encino community leaders expected to present written demands to city officials for improved public safety
Community leaders in Encino are planning to present written demands to city officials for improved public safety Thursday morning. The demands come after a rise in home invasions, burglaries and the killing of "American Idol" executive Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, who were allegedly shot with their own gun, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. The written demands are expected to be presented at 10 a.m. in front of the Van Nuys City Hall. In a written letter, Encino community members allege the Los Angeles Police Department responded to two 911 calls at Kaye and Deluca's home but left the property after they didn't find any crime had been committed. They also claim that following the killing, several other "high-profile home invasions and burglaries, including a homeowner shooting an intruder." "These daily crimes have shaken our community and underscore the urgent need for action and improved protection of public safety in Encino," the community letter says. The letter is calling for an increase of LAPD resources in Encino, the enforcement of existing no-camping laws in the Sepulveda Basin and an accountability plan. Community members will also be holding a virtual meeting on Thursday evening with Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Nithya Raman, LAPD officials, State Senator Henry Stern and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Robert Clark.
Hindustan Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Is Los Angeles a sanctuary city? Here's what we know about the city's right to protect undocumented immigrants
Amid the anti-ICE riots taking over the streets of Los Angeles, many are wondering whether LA is a sanctuary city, which in general limits or denies cooperation when asked to help the national government enforce immigration laws. Notably, in November 2024, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a "sanctuary city" ordinance to protect immigrants who live in the city. The policy is meant to stop the use of city resources and personnel to carry out federal immigration enforcement. The move last year followed Donald Trump's promise to carry out mass deportations of immigrants. Before the vote, pro-immigrant protesters were seen speaking on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall, as reported by Reuters. They held up signs saying, "Los Angeles Sanctuary City Now!" They also chanted in Spanish, "What do we want? Sanctuary. When do we want it? Now." Nithya Raman, an immigrant who came to the US when she was just six years old, called it a 'common sense policy.' The Los Angeles City Councilmember for the 4th District since 2020 is a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America who defeated incumbent Councilmember David Ryu in 2020. She said in a newsletter last year, 'LA's new Sanctuary City Ordinance permanently enshrines sanctuary policies into municipal law and prohibits the use of City resources, including property and personnel, from being utilized for immigration enforcement or to cooperate with federal immigration agents engaged in immigration enforcement. The Ordinance also goes beyond our existing Sanctuary City Executive Directive in an important way: it prohibits the direct and indirect sharing of data with federal immigration authorities, an important gap to close in our city's protections for immigrants.' According to Britannica, 'A sanctuary city is an American municipality that limits local enforcement of federal immigration laws to protect undocumented immigrants. Such policies are established at a city, state, or county level and may be formally enforced or a de facto practice. Although there is no official definition of a sanctuary city, such cities typically enact one or more immigration-inclusive policies.' After the raids in Los Angeles, Andres Kwon, attorney and senior policy counsel at the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, issued a statement weighing in on the city's sanctuary status. 'Angelenos know that immigrants make up the fabric of this beautiful and diverse city. It is because of their strength and courage that our city leaders recently designated Los Angeles a sanctuary—promising to keep families together and defy the Trump administration's cruel and inhumane actions,' Kwon said. 'Today, city leaders broke their promise. LAPD officers assisted federal agents in terrorizing L.A. neighborhoods—impeding people from going to work, making their immigration court appearances, or attending their children's graduations,' the statement added, urging elected officials to to take 'all action necessary to grind this oppressive and vile paramilitary operation to a halt and keep our city safe and whole.' On Sunday morning, June 8, the first members of the National Guard arrived in Los Angeles following Trump's order to deploy 2,000 troops in the city. The US President has hailed the National Guard, and slammed LA Mayor Karen Bass and California Gavin Newsom for being 'unable to handle the tasks' of calming the city, according to the New York Post.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stay In L.A. Rally In Sun Valley Attracts Hundreds In Support Of Tax Incentives: 'We're Not Asking For A Handout, We Are Asking For The Chance To Work'
Hollywood workers threw themselves a pep rally on Sunday in hopes that their grassroots campaigning — not to mention their ability to lure hundreds of people into a hot warehouse in balmy Sun Valley — will be enough to keep production in Los Angeles. SirReel Studios on Lankershim Boulevard lent its large, production rentals property for the 2 p.m. rally, which featured food trucks and Stay in L.A. merch while local, state and national politicians — along with a few actors and writers — spoke about how their hometown has become a ghost town when it comes to film and TV production. More from Deadline L.A. Might Have Found A Local Solution To Stop Movies Being Made In Other States California Lawmakers Call On Experts To Help Weigh Newsom's Expanded Film & TV Tax Credit Proposal: 'A Serious Fiscal Matter' WGA Ratifies New 3-Year Contract With CBS News, Securing Key AI Protections The goal, of course, is to show support for Governor Newsom's proposed $750 million tax incentive plan, as detailed in recently introduced legislation AB 1138 and SB 630 which aims to stop the bleeding and keep studios from seeking cheaper locales to make their shows and films. But Newsom's proposal may not be a slam dunk, suggests LA. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman (District 4). 'I want to tell you, a lot of people are against the tax credit because they think Hollywood is full of rich people,' Raman told the crowd. 'It's a middle class industry of costumers, set decorators, drivers, camera operators, hair dressers and caterers. It's all of us, and to think this is a hand-out for rich people is patently false. We're not asking for a hand-out. We are asking for the chance to work. We want to work in L.A., we want to live in L.A., we want to raise our families in L.A.' L.A. City Councilwoman Imelda Padilla (District 6) called out her elected colleagues for not helping with the cause. 'Only 4 of the 15 councilmembers are talking about it,' she said. 'For everyone who lives in L.A., I highly encourage you to call all council members. The minimum you need is eight to get anything done. Make sure it's a priority. No one is going to say [they oppose] keeping jobs in Los Angeles, that I can assure you. Everyone wants a piece of this pie to help make this happen. Call every councilmember.' Director Adam Bhala Lough (Deepfaking Sam Altman) floated a provocative argument by saying 'there should be no cap on incentives' and that California should consider investing in the industry. 'This debate over caps is a distraction. It's the state's way of fighting over crumbs,' he said to the crowd. 'California is missing an opportunity to take bold action, to make a direct investment. The U.K., France and Canada invest cash in the industry. They take an equity stake. They profit when films succeed. California has a $3.9 trillion GDP, but it sticks with soft money tax credits and wonders why productions are leaving. We need to think bigger. I propose California becomes a financier or a co- financier by covering 50 percent or 100 percent on [everything from] micro-indies to blockbusters.' A recent report from Film in L.A. certainly drove home the point that the situation couldn't be more dire. Per the report, regional studios consistently had around 90% average occupancy from 2016 through 2022, before tanking to 69% average occupancy in 2023. In 2024, the average occupancy weakened even further to 63%. At its highest, in Q2 of 2024, occupancy was at 67%. Episodic television has been hit particularly hard by the production contraction, accounting for just 20% of all production happening on certified stages and backlots in 2023. In past years, episodic television consistently comprised around 30% of all stage-based filming in L.A. 'There is no place like home, am I right? We have to start meeting like this,' SAG-AFTRA's Joely Fisher shouted to the crowd. 'I feel a little nostalgic when we were marching and we fought corporate greed. They call us unserious and unreasonable people. Where are my unserious and unreasonable people at?' 'The nation, the world is at a crossroad. It's an existential crisis,' Fisher continued. 'We need to usher in a golden age and it starts with California.' Best of Deadline '1923' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far Everything We Know About 'Hacks' Season 4 So Far
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Motion to remove double staircase requirement in L.A. building code adopted
The Los Angeles City Council adopted a motion Wednesday that would remove a requirement for apartment buildings to have double stairwells. The motion, introduced by Councilmembers Nithya Raman and Katy Yaroslavsky, looks to create more space for more affordable family-sized units. 'These requirements, born out of early 20th century planning concerns – have since become a hindrance to creating larger units with greater natural light and ventilation and buildings with enhanced green space,' the councilmembers stated in a media release. California bill seeks to limit ICE presence on school campuses Wednesday's legislation begins the process of updating the city's building code to allow for multifamily residential buildings up to six stories to be built with a single stairwell instead of a double stairwell. This provides 'greater flexibility in housing construction across the city,' the councilmembers' release said. City lawmakers criticized L.A.'s current building code, calling it outdated and claiming it is a significant barrier to building larger units. The city's most recent Housing Element estimates that less than 15% of rental homes in Los Angeles have three or more bedrooms as compared to 70% of owner-occupied residences. 'As a majority renter city, the lack of available family-sized apartments has resulted in severe overcrowding, with most apartment units housing more people than there are rooms,' officials said. 'Studies have shown that increased safety features, like sprinklers and fire-resistant materials, have rendered the need for multiple staircases obsolete, and major cities across the country, such as New York and Seattle, now allow for the development of single-stairwell buildings over three stories.' Following Wednesday's vote, the L.A. Department of Building and Safety, Los Angeles Fire Department and Department of City Planning will have 90 days to present modifications to the city's building code in order to allow for single-exit, single-stairway multifamily unit residential buildings up to six stories. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
