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Boston Globe
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
10,000 pages of records about Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 assassination are released, on Trump's order
The files included pictures of handwritten notes by Sirhan. Advertisement 'RFK must be disposed of like his brother was,' read the writing on the outside of an empty envelope, referring to Kennedy's older brother, President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. The return address was from the district director of the Internal Revenue Service in Los Angeles. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Sirhan also filled a page of a Pasadena City College notebook with variations of 'R.F.K must die,' and 'R.F.K must be killed.' In a note dated May 18, 1968, he wrote: 'My determination to eliminate R.F.K. is becoming more of an unshakable obsession.' In another of the documents, the assassin said he advocated for 'the overthrow of the current president.' Democrat Lyndon Johnson was in the White House at the time of Robert F. Kennedy's death. 'I have no absolute plans yet, but soon will compose them,' wrote Sirhan, who pledged support for communist Russia and China. Advertisement The files also included notes from interviews with people who knew Sirhan from a wide variety of contexts, such as classmates, neighbors, and coworkers. While some described him as 'a friendly, kind, and generous person,' others depicted a brooding and 'impressionable' young man who felt strongly about his political convictions and briefly believed in mysticism. According to the files, Sirhan told his garbage collector that he planned to kill Kennedy shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The sanitation worker, a Black man, said he planned to vote for Kennedy because he would help Black people. 'Well, I don't agree. I am planning on shooting the son of a bitch,' Sirhan replied, the man told investigators. FBI documents describe interviews with a group of tourists who had heard rumors about Kennedy being shot weeks before his death. Several people who visited Israel in May 1968 said a tour guide told them Kennedy had been shot. One person said he heard that an attempt on Kennedy's life had been made in Milwaukee. Another heard that he was shot in Nebraska. The National Archives and Records Administration posted 229 files containing the pages to its public website. The release comes a month after unredacted files related to the assassination of President Kennedy were disclosed. Those documents gave curious readers more details about Cold War-era covert US operations in other nations, but did not initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK. Trump, a Republican, has championed in the name of transparency the release of documents related to high-profile assassinations and investigations. But he hasalso been deeply suspicious for years of the government's intelligence agencies. His administration's release of once-hidden files opens the door for more public scrutiny of the operations and conclusions of institutions such as the CIA and the FBI. Advertisement Trump signed an executive order in January calling for the release of government documents related to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and King, who were killed within two months of each other. Lawyers for Kennedy's killer have said for decades that he is unlikely to reoffend or pose a danger to society, and in 2021, a parole board deemed Sirhan suitable for release. But Governor Gavin Newson rejected the decision in 2022, keeping him in state prison. In 2023, a different panel denied him release, saying he still lacks insight into what caused him to shoot Kennedy. Kennedy remains an icon for liberals, who see him as a champion for human rights and who also was committed to fighting poverty and racial and economic injustice. They often regard his assassination as the last in a series of major tragedies that put the US and its politics on a darker, more conservative path. He was a sometimes divisive figure during his lifetime. Some critics thought he came late to opposing the Vietnam War, and launched his campaign for president in 1968 only after the Democratic primary in New Hampshire exposed President Johnson's political weakness. While Kennedy's campaign inspired hope among some Democrats, he still trailed Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey for the party's presidential nomination after winning the California primary. Kennedy's older brother appointed him US attorney general, and he remained a close aide to him until JFK's assassination in Dallas. In 1964, he won a US Senate seat from New York and was seen as the heir to the family's political legacy. Advertisement One of his sons, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now serves as health and human services secretary. He commended Trump and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, for their 'courage' and 'dogged efforts' to release the files. 'Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government,' the health secretary said in a statement.
The Guardian
18-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
US releases thousands of files related to Robert F Kennedy assassination
About 10,000 pages of records related to the 1968 assassination of Robert F Kennedy, including handwritten notes by the assassin, who said the US senator and Democratic presidential candidate 'must be disposed of' and acknowledged an obsession with killing him. The release continued the disclosure of national secrets ordered by Donald Trump after he began his second presidency in January. It comes a month after unredacted files related to the 1963 assassination of president John F Kennedy were disclosed. The earlier documents gave curious readers more details about cold- war era covert US operations in other nations but did not initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK, RFK's brother. Robert Kennedy was fatally shot on 5 June 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, moments after giving a speech celebrating his victory in California's presidential primary. His assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison. The files included pictures of handwritten notes by Sirhan. 'RFK must be disposed of like his brother was,' read the writing on the outside of an empty envelope with the return address from the district director of the Internal Revenue Service in Los Angeles. Sirhan also filled a page of a Pasadena City College notebook with variations of 'RFK must die' and 'RFK must be killed.' In a note dated 18 May 1968, he wrote: 'My determination to eliminate RFK is becoming more of an unshakable obsession.' In another of the newly released documents, the assassin said he advocated for 'the overthrow of the current president'. The Democrat Lyndon Johnson was in the White House at the time of RFK's death. 'I have no absolute plans yet, but soon will compose them,' wrote Sirhan, who pledged support for communist Russia and China. The newly released files also included notes from interviews with people who knew Sirhan from a wide variety of contexts, such as classmates, neighbors and coworkers. While some described him as 'a friendly, kind and generous person', others depicted a brooding and 'impressionable' young man who felt strongly about his political convictions and briefly believed in mysticism. According to the files, Sirhan told his garbage collector that he planned to kill Kennedy shortly after Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on 4 April 1968. The co-worker, a Black man, said he planned to vote for Kennedy because he would help Black people. 'Well, I don't agree,' Sirhan replied, the man told investigators. 'I am planning on shooting the son of a bitch'. FBI documents describe interviews with a group of tourists who had heard rumors about Kennedy being shot weeks before his death. Several people who visited Israel in May 1968 said a tour guide told them Kennedy had been shot. One person said he heard that an attempt on Kennedy's life had been made in Milwaukee. Another heard that he was shot in Nebraska. The National Archives and Records Administration posted 229 files containing the pages to its public website. Many files related to the assassination had been previously released – but others had not been digitized and sat for decades in federal government storage facilities. Trump, a Republican, has championed in the name of transparency the release of documents related to high-profile assassinations and investigations. But he's also been deeply suspicious for years of the government's intelligence agencies. His administration's release of once-hidden files opens the door for additional public scrutiny and questions about the operations and conclusions of institutions such as the CIA and the FBI. Trump signed an executive order in January calling for the release of government documents related to the assassinations of Robert F Kennedy and King after their killings within two months of each other. Lawyers for Kennedy's killer have said for decades that he is unlikely to reoffend or pose a danger to society. And in 2021, a parole board deemed Sirhan suitable for release. But California governor Gavin Newson rejected the decision in 2022, keeping him in state prison. In 2023 , a different panel denied him release, saying he still lacks insight into what caused him to shoot Kennedy. The late senator's son Robert F Kennedy Jr, who now serves as Trump's health and human services secretary, commended the president and his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, for what he called their 'courage' and 'dogged efforts' to release the files. 'Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government,' Kennedy Jr said in a statement.
Los Angeles Times
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
10,000 pages of records about Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 assassination released on Trump's order
WASHINGTON — About 10,000 pages of records related to the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy were released Friday, including handwritten notes by the gunman, who said the Democratic presidential candidate 'must be disposed of' and acknowledged an obsession with killing him. The release continued the disclosure of national secrets ordered by President Trump. Kennedy was fatally shot on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after giving a speech celebrating his victory in California's presidential primary. His assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison. The files included pictures of handwritten notes by Sirhan. 'RFK must be disposed of like his brother was,' read the writing on the outside of an empty envelope with the return address from the district director of the Internal Revenue Service in Los Angeles. Kennedy's brother was John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States who was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. Sirhan also filled a page of a Pasadena City College notebook with variations of 'R.F.K. must die' and 'R.F.K. must be killed.' In a note dated May 18, 1968, he wrote: 'My determination to eliminate R.F.K. is becoming more of an unshakable obsession.' In another of the newly released documents, the assassin said he advocated for 'the overthrow of the current president.' Democrat Lyndon Johnson was in the White House at the time of RFK's death. 'I have no absolute plans yet, but soon will compose them,' wrote Sirhan, who pledged support for communist Russia and China. The newly released files also included notes from interviews with people who knew Sirhan from a wide variety of contexts, such as classmates, neighbors and co-workers. While some described him as 'a friendly, kind and generous person,' others depicted a brooding and 'impressionable' young man who felt strongly about his political convictions and briefly believed in mysticism. According to the files, Sirhan told his garbage collector that he planned to kill Kennedy shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The co-worker, a Black man, said he planned to vote for Kennedy because he would help Black people. 'Well, I don't agree. I am planning on shooting the son of a bitch,' Sirhan replied, the man told investigators. FBI documents describe interviews with a group of tourists who had heard rumors about Kennedy being shot weeks before his death. Several people who visited Israel in May 1968 said a tour guide told them Kennedy had been shot. One person said he heard that an attempt on Kennedy's life had been made in Milwaukee. Another heard that he was shot in Nebraska. The National Archives and Records Administration posted 229 files containing the pages to its public website. Many files related to the assassination had been previously released, but others had not been digitized and sat for decades in federal government storage facilities. The release comes a month after unredacted files related to the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy were disclosed. Those documents gave curious readers more details about Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations, but did not initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK. Trump, a Republican, has championed in the name of transparency the release of documents related to high-profile assassinations and investigations. But he's also been deeply suspicious for years of the government's intelligence agencies. His administration's release of once-hidden files opens the door for additional public scrutiny and questions about the operations and conclusions of institutions such as the CIA and the FBI. Trump signed an executive order in January calling for the release of government documents related to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and King, who were killed within two months of each other. Lawyers for Kennedy's killer have said for decades that he is unlikely to reoffend or pose a danger to society, and in 2021, a parole board deemed Sirhan suitable for release. But California Gov. Gavin Newson rejected the decision in 2022, keeping him in state prison. In 2023, a different panel denied him release, saying he still lacks insight into what caused him to shoot Kennedy. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a son of the New York senator who now serves as Health and Human Services secretary, commended Trump and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, for their 'courage' and 'dogged efforts' to release the files. 'Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government,' the Health secretary said in a statement. Funk and Panjwani write for the Associated Press. Funk reported from Omaha. AP writers Eric Tucker in Washington, Juan Lozano in Houston, John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., and Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Ala., contributed to this report.
The Guardian
15-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘Baseball was their glue': Jackie Robinson's deep bond with LA's Japanese Americans
Everyone from Jackie Robinson's home town has a story about the baseball legend. Stick around long enough in his southern California neighborhood and Jackie's name will bubble up in a story about a distant relative who once struck out the future Hall of Famer on a dusty field that now bears his name. Over the years, these stories gather layers – part memory, part myth – until they sound like home-town folklore. George Ito was one of those storytellers. A second-generation Japanese American who grew up in Pasadena, California, a few doors down from the Robinson family, George loved to remind his children about his friendship with Jackie. On jogs with his son, Steven Ito, he would rattle off tales of all the times he outran his legendary friend. 'Did I ever tell you about the time I beat Jackie Robinson in a tennis match?' he'd ask. 'Many times,' Steven would reply, his voice dripping with skepticism. In 1986, at George's funeral, members of the Robinson family made a surprise appearance. The gesture revealed what George's stories only hinted at: the Robinson and the Ito families were more than one-time neighbors – they were lifelong friends. Through the Great Depression and the second world war, when Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes for incarceration camps, the Robinsons stood by their side. Turns out, George's stories were true, said Steven, 77. Many Japanese Americans from Pasadena have similar stories about the Robinsons. They were the kind of family that showed generosity and neighborliness. Before Jackie made history for breaking the racial barrier in Major League Baseball and cemented himself as a sports icon, he and his older brother Mack Robinson formed deep bonds with Japanese American families – a legacy forged in an era of restrictive housing covenants. That quiet solidarity, some say, is as enduring as Jackie's home-run legacy. 'That was the essence of the Robinsons,' said Edward Robinson, 58, Mack's son. 'We looked into the community and tried to always uplift.' In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, fear and suspicion swept across the US as the government ordered the incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans. Many residents thought it was an unjust act, said Susie Ling, an associate professor of history and Asian American Studies at Pasadena City College. There are many documented cases of people who during this time asked themselves: what can I do to help my friend? Few of those stories, however, involved world-class athletes. The Pasadena of Mack and Jackie's youth was a multicultural enclave, said Wayne Robinson, 68, Mack's son. Especially in parts of north-west Pasadena, where racially restrictive housing covenants confined most residents of color. This is where the Robinsons put down roots in 1922. Their home at 121 Pepper Street anchored a tight-knit block. A little over two miles away, Shigeo 'Shig' Takayama lived at 310 Green Street. Shig, a second-generation Japanese American, often walked home from school with Jackie and his siblings, said Joan Takayama-Ogawa, Shig's niece. For an after-school snack, they collected free misshapen potato chips from a nearby factory. During the war, while Shig and his older brother served in the US military, their father, Shichitaro Takayama, was incarcerated at Gila River in Arizona. In the family's absence, neighbors including the Robinson family helped care for the Takayama home. Facing mass incarceration, many Japanese American families turned to their neighbors to help safeguard their properties. Many were betrayed. Hasty promises were broken. Some properties were robbed or vandalized. In Pasadena, the Takayama home remained pristine. 'It was as if they walked out one day and then after world war two, came back home,' said Takayama-Ogawa, 70. She credits the Robinsons and other neighbors who stepped in to care for the property during the family's forced absence. Shig and Jackie's friendship was forged out of the love of baseball. They played on the same high school team and again at Pasadena Junior College (now called Pasadena City College), where Shig – a scrappy third baseman just over five feet tall – stayed an extra year just to share the field with his friend. 'I was just lucky to play with him,' said Shig about Jackie in a 2003 interview. 'I really enjoyed him. He was really a nice person.' Despite his small stature, Shig could hit with power and run with speed, said Kerry Yo Nakagawa, founder of the Nisei Baseball Research Project. 'Baseball was their glue,' said Nakagawa, 70, about Shig and Jackie. The families' friendship created cultural transmissions – especially through food. For years, the Takayama family ate black-eyed peas and collard greens on top of white rice. 'To me, that tells me more about the relationships and community relationships than anything,' said Takayama-Ogawa. That solidarity extended beyond Pasadena. In 1937, while traveling with the team for a baseball game in Fresno, Shig and Jackie were denied hotel rooms because of their race. The hotel staff set up two cots in a broom closet instead. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion The two friends bunked side-by-side, then got up the next morning and played ball. On Pepper Street, the neighborhood kids formed a tight-knit friend group. In Jackie's own words from his 1972 autobiography, I Never Had It Made, the group had a name – the Pepper Street Gang. 'Our gang was made up of Blacks, Japanese, and Mexican kids,' said Jackie in his book. 'All of us came from poor families and had extra time on our hands.' The ragtag group didn't fit into the modern definition of a gang. They were just a group of neighborhood friends, said Kathy Robinson-Young, 66, Mack's daughter. George Ito, who lived at 273 Pepper Street, often recalled how the gang felt like a band of brothers. After school, if the Robinson siblings were chased home by rock-throwing kids, they would run to Ito's house and mount their defense. The Pepper Street Gang held regular evening meetings, George told his family. Each meeting always started with a ritual: every kid would share the best thing that happened to them that day. It almost sounds too wholesome to be true. 'That's why it was kind of hard for me to believe when I first heard the story, right?' said Steven. But for a group of kids of color growing up in Depression-era Pasadena, it was a deliberate act of optimism – a survival tactic disguised as a childhood routine. 'It's a testament to what friendship really meant back then,' said Steven. 'Even though you would get in the middle of this kind of hatred, it didn't matter. You would defend your friends. That's all you had.' The Pepper Street Gang eventually disbanded. Most members have passed. Mack remained in Pasadena and became a tireless community advocate for youth and civil rights until he died in 2000. Jackie's legacy, of course, towers over baseball history. But to those who knew the Robinsons – and those whose families lived on the same block – it's these quieter stories that reveal the fuller picture. 'There's something wrong with the writing of our history if this story is little known,' said Ling. Tall tales or not, these stories carry universal and timeless lessons: kind gestures can ripple across generations. Be neighborly. Stand up for your friends. Check on each other. Small acts of humanity can change lives.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Jewish families channel Passover story after devastating losses in Los Angeles wildfires
PASADENA, California (AP) — Aty Rotter lost her family home and her spiritual home in the ravenous fire that scorched a large swath of Los Angeles County earlier this year. The house her late father built in Pasadena more than 60 years ago is gone to the fire that charred more than 21 square miles (54 square kilometers). So is the 104-year-old Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center where she has worshipped since she was a child. The January fire destroyed the menorahs she lit for Hanukkah and the growing collection of dreidels she planned to pass down to her granddaughters. Also lost forever are the candlesticks and brassware her family carried while fleeing Nazi Europe, and the Seder plates she would have used for the upcoming ritual Passover meal this weekend. 'Only their spirit and memory of those things remain with me now,' Rotter said. 'The memories of when I used them and who was with me.' A sobering Passover She's not alone. Thirty of the synagogue's 435 families lost their homes and even more were displaced. As the major Jewish festival approaches, it's hard not to see the Passover story reflected in this post-fire reality, said Melissa Levy, the temple's executive director. Passover, which begins at sundown Saturday, commemorates the Israelites' liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt, including their 40-year journey through the desert. It is celebrated with a special meal called a Seder, the eating of matzo or unleavened bread, and the retelling of the Exodus story. 'The synagogue itself and our people are doing a lot of wandering right now, and having to focus on togetherness and resiliency is a theme that hits home harder than usual this year,' Levy said. The congregation has received overwhelming support from the community. First United Methodist Church opened its doors so they could continue to hold weekly Shabbat services, their Passover Seders will be held at Pasadena City College, and a synagogue member is sponsoring the second night's dinner. 'The outpouring of support we've received reminds us that we're not alone and we're not wandering alone,' Levy said. 'It's a good reminder that we all are part of one human family and that the purpose of religion is to make ourselves the best we can be so we can repair the world and take care of each other.' While the sanctuary adorned with stained glass panels completely burned down, all 13 Torah scrolls were saved, including a Persian scroll retrieved by a congregant from Iran. Speaking about trauma and loss Cantor Ruth Berman Harris, who leads the congregation in lieu of a full-time rabbi, said she channeled her Polish grandmother who survived the Holocaust as she and others fought to save the sacred scrolls from the approaching flames. 'When I heard the fire was getting closer to the synagogue, that was no time to feel. It was time to step up and take action,' she said. Time and again, Jewish people 'have been forced to pack up and move, go somewhere else and experience something new,' often not of their own volition, Harris said. The Haggadah, a book that leads participants through a Seder, serves as a reminder of Jewish resilience. But the trauma of the fire is recent and raw. 'It's not easy to talk about this sense of loss when it just happened,' she said. 'But also, it's Passover, and so I need to talk about it.' Harris is preparing for this task even as she processes her own trauma. She changed the background of her Apple watch from fire – a reminder 'of the internal fire we carry that is connected to God' — to water. Levy said the community currently uses three locations – one where they pray, another that serves as office quarters and a third that houses their school. They are looking for rental space where they can consolidate all of their programs and settle down while planning a major fundraising effort to rebuild. Replacing lost sacred items As Passover approaches, this theme of replenishing and rebuilding continues with various efforts in the area's Jewish communities to replace sacred items, also known as Judaica, that were lost in the fire. Last month, Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles hosted an event featuring thousands of new and used Judaica items where Rotter and others affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires were able to obtain them for free. Rotter said she found Seder plates, covers for matzo and challah breads and kiddush cups, which hold wine or grape juice that is used in sanctifying prayers recited to mark the beginning of the Jewish holiday. Rachel Neumann, a congregant since 2017, said much of her Judaica was ruined in the fire, though her Altadena home survived. 'I lost my Shabbat items and various heirlooms, including things from my late father,' she said, her voice thick with emotion. 'To see this room full of Jewish ritual items donated by individuals or Judaica companies was so beautiful to me. It felt very special to be cared for in this way.' A way to repair and replenish Emily Kane Miller, a board member at the Kehillat Israel synagogue in Pacific Palisades, founded an organization called Heart and Hamsa with actress and activist Noa Tishby. It's a free registry and marketplace for Judaica for Jewish families affected by the wildfires. While her synagogue survived the fire, Miller's home did not. She lost heirlooms handed down from her great-grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. The site has received numerous donations, including many items from precious Judaica collections. 'We've received hundreds of Judaica items, which represent hundreds of stories,' Miller said. 'There are hundreds of miracles that brought those pieces to affected families that then become opportunities to reverberate that miracle every time a family uses an item.' While giving away items that have been handed down over generations can be difficult, even painful, it's also a 'loving act of kindness in a time of struggle,' Miller said. Launching this site along with Tishby has helped her cope with a low moment in her life, she said. 'I didn't just lose my house,' Miller said. 'My entire community burned down. To still be able to appreciate and feel the sacred in our world is such a gift. It's my medicine in this moment.' Alisa Bromberg, who lost her Pacific Palisades home, said she has felt a sense of tranquility after bringing the Judaica to her rental. She deliberately picked items that appeared old or used. 'The new things are lovely, but they did not speak to me in the same way that the older ones did,' she said. 'So much of Jewish history is storytelling. I feel so empowered by the people who came before me.' In her home, Bromberg had a wall display dedicated to her ancestors. Since that burned down, Bromberg has created a new one decorated with Seder plates she recently received. 'The wall talks to me and I feel like it protects and envelops me,' she said. 'With this Judaica now in my home, I have felt relief for the first time in three months.' Now the fire is part of her Jewish story and her history. That's why nestled in the display are two charred kiddush cups — the only items she managed to retrieve from her burned-out home. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
