Latest news with #UnifiedSchoolDistrict
11 hours ago
- Politics
Los Angeles' image is scuffed since ICE raids and protests
LOS ANGELES -- This isn't the image Los Angeles wanted projected around the globe. Clouds of tear gas wafting over a throng of protesters on a blocked freeway. Federal immigration agents in tactical garb raiding businesses in search of immigrants without legal status. A messy war of words between President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photos captured several Waymo robotaxis set on fire and graffiti scrawled on a federal detention center building, while videos recorded the sounds of rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades hitting crowds. In a city still reeling from January's deadly wildfires — and with the World Cup soccer championships and the 2028 Olympics on the horizon — Mayor Karen Bass has been urging residents to come together to revitalize LA's image by sprucing up streets, planting trees and painting murals so LA shows its best face to nations near and far. 'It's about pride,' she's said. 'This is the city of dreams.' Instead, a less flattering side of Los Angeles has been broadcast to the world in recent days. Protests have mostly taken place in a small swath of downtown in the sprawling city of 4 million people. As Trump has activated nearly 5,000 troops to respond in the city, Bass has staunchly pushed back against his assertions that her city is overrun and in crisis. Bass, in response to Trump, said she was troubled by depictions that the city has been 'invaded and occupied by illegal aliens and criminals, and that now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming our federal agents. I don't know if anybody has seen that happen, but I've not seen that happen.' The series of protests began Friday outside a federal detention center, where demonstrators demanded the release of more than 40 people arrested by federal immigration authorities. Immigration advocates say the people who were detained do not have criminal histories and are being denied their due process rights. Much like New York, Los Angeles is an international city that many immigrants call home. The city's official seal carries images referencing the region's time under Spanish and Mexican rule. Over 150 languages are spoken by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. About half of the city's residents are Latino and about one-third were born outside the U.S. Bass faulted the Trump administration for creating "a chaotic escalation' by mobilizing troops to quell protests. "This is the last thing that our city needs," Bass said. Los Angeles resident Adam Lerman, who has attended the protests, warned that protests would continue if the Trump administration pushes more raids in the city. 'We are talking about a new riot every day,' Lerman said. 'Everybody knows they are playing with fire." It's not the publicity LA needs as it looks to welcome the world for international sporting events on a grand scale. 'At this stage in the process, most host cities and countries would be putting the final touches on their mega-event red carpet, demonstrating to the world that they are ready to embrace visitors with open arms,' said Jules Boykoff, a Pacific University professor who has written widely on the political and economic impacts of the Olympic Games. The scenes of conflict are 'not exactly the best way to entice the world to plan their next tourist trip to the U.S. to watch a sports mega-event.' The federal raids and protests have created another dicey political moment for Bass, who has been struggling with a budget crisis while trying to recover from political fallout from the wildfires that ignited when she was out of the country. She's been careful not to discourage protests but at the same time has pleaded for residents to remain peaceful. The mayor will likely face backlash for involving the Los Angeles Police. And she needs to fight the perception that the city is unsafe and disorderly, an image fostered by Trump, who in social media posts has depicted Bass as incompetent and said the city has been 'invaded' by people who entered the U.S. illegally. Los Angeles is sprawling — roughly 470 square miles (750 square kilometers) — and the protests were mostly concentrated downtown. "The most important thing right now is that our city be peaceful," Bass said. 'I don't want people to fall into the chaos that I believe is being created by the (Trump) administration.' On Monday, workers were clearing debris and broken glass from sidewalks and power-washing graffiti from buildings — among the structures vandalized was the one-time home of the Los Angeles Times across the street from City Hall. Downtown has yet to bounce back since long-running pandemic lockdowns, which reordered work life and left many office towers with high vacancy rates. Trump and California officials continued to spar online and off, faulting each other for the fallout. At the White House, Trump criticized California leaders by saying 'they were afraid of doing anything' and signaled he would support Newsom's arrest over his handling of the immigration protests. If Los Angeles' image was once defined by its balmy Mediterranean climate and the glamor of Hollywood, it's now known 'primarily for disaster,' said Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney. 'A lot of perception depends on images," Pitney added. Right now, the dominant image "is a burning Waymo.'
Boston Globe
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Los Angeles' image is scuffed since ICE raids and protests, with World Cup and Olympics on horizon
Advertisement 'It's about pride,' she's said. 'This is the city of dreams.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Instead, a less flattering side of Los Angeles has been broadcast to the world in recent days. Protests have mostly taken place in a small swath of downtown in the sprawling city of 4 million people. As Trump has activated nearly 5,000 troops to respond in the city, Bass has staunchly pushed back against his assertions that her city is overrun and in crisis. Bass, in response to Trump, said she was troubled by depictions that the city has been 'invaded and occupied by illegal aliens and criminals, and that now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming our federal agents. I don't know if anybody has seen that happen, but I've not seen that happen.' Advertisement The series of protests began Friday outside a federal detention center, where demonstrators demanded the release of more than 40 people arrested by federal immigration authorities. Immigration advocates say the people who were detained do not have criminal histories and are being denied their due process rights. An international city Much like New York, Los Angeles is an international city that many immigrants call home. The city's official seal carries images referencing the region's time under Spanish and Mexican rule. Over 150 languages are spoken by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. About half of the city's residents are Latino and about one-third were born outside the U.S. Bass faulted the Trump administration for creating 'a chaotic escalation' by mobilizing troops to quell protests. 'This is the last thing that our city needs,' Bass said. Los Angeles resident Adam Lerman, who has attended the protests, warned that protests would continue if the Trump administration pushes more raids in the city. 'We are talking about a new riot every day,' Lerman said. 'Everybody knows they are playing with fire." It's not the publicity LA needs as it looks to welcome the world for international sporting events on a grand scale. 'At this stage in the process, most host cities and countries would be putting the final touches on their mega-event red carpet, demonstrating to the world that they are ready to embrace visitors with open arms,' said Jules Boykoff, a Pacific University professor who has written widely on the political and economic impacts of the Olympic Games. The scenes of conflict are 'not exactly the best way to entice the world to plan their next tourist trip to the U.S. to watch a sports mega-event.' Advertisement A mayor under pressure The federal raids and protests have created another dicey political moment for Bass, who has been struggling with a budget crisis while trying to recover from political fallout from the wildfires that ignited when she was out of the country. She's been careful not to discourage protests but at the same time has pleaded for residents to remain peaceful. The mayor will likely face backlash for involving the Los Angeles Police. And she needs to fight the perception that the city is unsafe and disorderly, an image fostered by Trump, who in social media posts has depicted Bass as incompetent and said the city has been 'invaded' by people who entered the U.S. illegally. Los Angeles is sprawling — roughly 470 square miles (750 square kilometers) — and the protests were mostly concentrated downtown. 'The most important thing right now is that our city be peaceful,' Bass said. 'I don't want people to fall into the chaos that I believe is being created by the (Trump) administration.' On Monday, workers were clearing debris and broken glass from sidewalks and power-washing graffiti from buildings — among the structures vandalized was the one-time home of the Los Angeles Times across the street from City Hall. Downtown has yet to bounce back since long-running pandemic lockdowns, which reordered work life and left many office towers with high vacancy rates. Trump and California officials continued to spar online and off, faulting each other for the fallout. At the White House, Trump criticized California leaders by saying 'they were afraid of doing anything' and signaled he would support Newsom's arrest over his handling of the immigration protests. Advertisement If Los Angeles' image was once defined by its balmy Mediterranean climate and the glamor of Hollywood, it's now known 'primarily for disaster,' said Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney. 'A lot of perception depends on images,' Pitney added. Right now, the dominant image 'is a burning Waymo.' Associated Press writer Jason Dearen contributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lack of parking makes flying out of SLO dicey
I am very glad to have our San Luis Obispo airport become busier, adding more flight options. However, the parking availability has not kept up with the passenger growth. Recently, my wife had a 6 a.m. flight and arrived at 5 a.m. to find all the four parking lots already full! She drove around and finally found someone pulling out of a space, but was by then nearly late for her flight. Are there plans for more parking at SBP? Please expedite! Ed Cox Nipomo Thank you for covering events at our school boards on the transgender rights front, educating the public on our laws, the economic impacts and how federal and state governments work. Conservative Christians have misled the public into believing that a female athlete's right to safety was violated when the opposite is true. They have gotten away with this because it has been a long time since we were inside a school locker room. We assume they are like they were when we were in school; one open room with lockers in rows. No privacy for anyone. No adults around if someone bullied or shamed you. Time to pull the curtains back and let the public see the facilities at AG high. The public needs to meet the adults who are present in these spaces protecting our kids. We need to hear more about current policies and staff members already in place who support all students having both access and safety. I hope that's The Tribune's next Reality Check. We can't have a community-based discussion on protecting our kids without all the facts. Jennifer Stover Founder of Caring Adults of Lucia Mar, C.A.L.M. My husband and I moved to SLO a couple of years ago. We were lured in by the beauty of the area and the kindness of the people. Now I am starting to wonder if that's a facade, given the hateful and intolerant discussions at the Lucia Mar Unified School District and the recent decision by the Morro Bay City Council to allow hatred to permeate a town we used to visit weekly. When we moved here, the Nazis, apparently from another county, were spreading their racist ideology, and it was wonderful to band with others to stand against them. Now a number of local residents seems to be more aligned with a racist, misogynistic president than the laws that have been laid down by California. As someone who grew up in Texas, I never imagined I would find this repugnant reminder of the home I wanted to escape from here on the Central Coast of California. I am hopeful that stores in these communities will have Pride and transgender flags year-round so those of us who believe in justice, compassion and human decency can shop with a conscience. Lauren Ornelas San Luis Obispo Currently the federal government spends about $7 trillion a year but only takes in about $5 trillion, thus going into deficit by about $2 trillion. The really bad thing is that this deficit has been added to for decades and is now reaching an astounding national debt of $37 trillion dollars. That $37 trillion is borrowed dollars that we pay interest on to the tune of nearly $2 trillion a year. So, we've been spending money for government programs and services that we could never quite afford. I may not like it, but I understand that the Republican president and Republican-controlled Congress feel the need to cut back and save. What I can't excuse is that, while cutting programs that benefit the poor, they are reducing taxes to benefit their supporters. And here's the kicker: The Republican's 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill will actually be making the deficit worse not better. Frank Merrill Morro Bay The Martin Luther King Jr. High School Memorial Scholarship Fund, now in its 56th, year honored 16 high school seniors with scholarships that will support them as their pursue their dreams. Their possibilities are limitless, thanks to our community's generosity. Mary Matakovich, board president San Luis Obispo I've been driving an electric car for almost 10 years, and love it. But sales of EVs in California are not rising fast enough to reach our goals. Surveys say that the primary reason people don't buy an EV is 'range anxiety.' But having gone 10 years down the EV road, my range anxiety is now almost non-existent. Why? High-speed chargers are ubiquitous across California. Tesla has placed superchargers about 100 miles apart on major highways, and by the end of this year, nearly all EVs will be able to charge at many of the Tesla charging stations. Furthermore, Electrify America and ChargePoint are working to place chargers every 30-50 miles apart on major highways. True, it takes a bit longer to charge my battery (20 minutes) than to fill up a gas tank, but honestly, I appreciate the extra time. It gives me a chance to stretch my legs, walk around, maybe have a bite to eat. I also feel better about spewing less pollution and carbon dioxide into the air, while I save significant money on fuel and maintenance. So let your range anxiety chill out; we're living in an EV-friendly world now. Don Gaede San Luis Obispo
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers gather in De Pere to discuss impact and importance of educational funding
DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – The Unified School District of De Pere has seen its past two referendums approved by voters, both providing funding for various aspects of the education system in the area. In April 2024, a $4.75 million operational referendum was passed and then seven months later in November 2024, a $22 million critical maintenance, safety and security referendum was approved by voters. But many other communities have not seen such success. Shawano native and U.S. Army Air Forces Private killed in World War II accounted for On April 1, 2025, 89 school referendums were on the ballot statewide, and a majority of them failed to receive enough votes to go through. On Tuesday evening, multiple legislators hosted a discussion with parents, local leaders, school district representatives and teachers to give thoughts on educational funding and its impact on the communities, beyond just students. District 30 State Senator Jamie Wall said that public schools are the foundation of our society, adding that the state can do better at ensuring schools can succeed. Cellcom CEO addresses outage: 'We experienced a cyber incident' 'Everybody in this room and almost everybody in our community cares about public schools,' Sen. Wall (D-Green Bay) said. 'At the state level, we can do a better job than we have to make sure schools have the tools and resources they need to succeed.' Sen. Wall added that he personally wants to ensure class sizes are smaller so that students can get better educations while also lessening the burden of property taxes on communities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
LA school therapist accused of abusing, taking student to her home
The Brief A mother is suing the L.A. Unified School District, alleging a speech therapist groomed and sexually abused her 13-year-old son. The lawsuit claims the therapist took the boy to her home without permission and continued to communicate with him on social media. LOS ANGELES - A mother is suing the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging a district-assigned speech therapist groomed and sexually abused her 13-year-old son in 2022. "I kind of figured it was something weird going on, but I didn't know for sure it was sexual," said Daphne Smith. According to the lawsuit, the speech therapy sessions were supposed to take place at Marina Del Rey Middle School. Instead, Smith says the therapist took her son, who has learning disabilities, to her home without permission. When her son didn't return as expected, Smith says she repeatedly tried to contact the therapist. "I tried calling her at 8:30. She didn't answer. I sent her a text. She didn't respond," Smith recalled. She says her son wasn't brought home until nearly midnight. Smith immediately reported the incident to school officials and told the therapist to stay away. But she later discovered the woman was still allegedly communicating with her son on Instagram. "She told my son she couldn't call him because she could get in trouble," Smith said. "So she was messaging him privately on social media." When her son later went missing again, Smith filed a police report but says she knew exactly where he was. "I knew he was with her. The phone he was carrying pinged at her address," she said. "This case is about child sex abuse as well as grooming," said Dominique Westmoreland, the family's attorney. "The mother reported the therapist's conduct as early as July 2022, but it appears no one at LAUSD or law enforcement took her concerns seriously." The lawsuit accuses LAUSD of negligence, negligent hiring, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and sexual battery. Smith says her son has since admitted to having a sexual relationship with the speech therapist and that he continues to struggle with the emotional toll. "He knows what she did was wrong. At the time, he felt like she cared for him, like she loved him—but he's a kid," Smith said. LAUSD declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Smith says she is now urging the LAPD to conduct a full investigation into the allegations.
