www.CopBlock.com www.TheFreeThoughtProject.com

Russian rap meat mix - #1

(KPFK News - Southern California) Anaheim's City Council struck a deal with Disneyland.  It's now impossible to collect taxes from its ticket sales, until 2045, after the corporation promised to expand its theme park - the contract legally cannot be overturned, even by general vote.  The city meanwhile has $560 million of public pensions to pay.
Pacifica KPFK reporter Henry Klapper has more on the story. 


Anaheim City Loophole Means No Taxes for Disney

LA Thai community leaders held a retrospective Wednesday, 20 years after the liberation of an LA-area Thai labor slave camp, they identify progress since 1995 but call for much more to be done. 
KPFK Reporter Henry Klapper

Ex-slaves Remind LA, Slavery is Still a Gruesome Reality

California representatives returned to LA celebrating social security's 80th. birthday, though republican spending cuts prompted concerns from politicians like Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-CA.  

Fears of Social Security's Future Overshadow its Anniversary

State senator, Ben Allen, with several California Assembly members propose tax increases generating $900 million annually for the state's transit systems- in the face of an expected $72 billion shortfall CA will face over the next 10 years.    

Politicians Call for Increased Transit Spending

When Lily, the magellanic penguin hatched her way out of her shell on June 5th, she became the 20th penguin of her kind at the Aquarium of the Pacific, their oldest Henry, is 20.  

LA Sees a New Penguin, Lily

(KPFK News - Los Angeles) More than a hundred people gathered in Boyle Heights last night to remember Jesse Romero, a 14 year-old boy who was killed by LAPD officers on Tuesday. 

Many in the crowd disputed claims by at least one witness who said Romero shot at officers while running away. 

LAPD officials held a press conference where they confirmed the boy was carrying a loaded weapon that appeared to be fired in the officer’s direction. 

Pacifica’s Ernesto Arce files this report from Los Angeles.
 
Residents of Boyle Heights and activists fighting police killings gathered for a vigil near the corner of Cesar Chavez Ave and Breed St., the site of yet another tragic loss to the community.

They came to memorialize the brief life of a 14 year-old youth from the neighborhood who was shot dead after engaging LAPD officers in a foot pursuit. 

The LA County Coroner’s Office identified the boy as Jesse James Romero, evoking visions of a Midwest outlaw from yesteryear. 

Blanca Duenas says law enforcement in the city treat youth as if it were the Wild West. The local resident and activist whose own son, Arturo, was killed by LAPD in April, said officers shoot first, investigate later.

LAPD officials held a press conference to discuss what they call a fatal OIS, officer-involved shooting. 

LAPD Deputy Chief Robert Arcos said officers received a call that a group of youth were engaged in tagging graffiti near Cesar Chavez Ave. 

Officers attempted to apprehend two youth one of them Romero. Police said Romero led officers on a foot chase and as the boy approached Breed Street, he turned and fired at officers. One officer fired back, instantly killing him. 

Antonio Rodriguez is a civil rights attorney who said officers are trained to use lethal force only as a last resort. 

Deputy Chief Arcos said a fully loaded firearm was found at the scene. Forensic tests should reveal whether Romero was the last to carry it or not. 

Many at the vigil said they doubt Romero would have turned around as he ran away, while firing at officers. They said a witness mentioned in a LA Times report said Romero threw the weapon during the foot chase and it went off upon ricocheting off the wall or sidewalk. 

Anthony, a close friend of Romero’s who asked us not to use his real name, said everyone in the neighborhood is talking about the tragedy.

Boyle Heights is facing internal schisms over gentrification, fast encroaching super developments, and of course, police abuse of authority. 

It seems every resident has a different solution to the many challenges facing the community. 

In the aftermath of Romero’s killing, many took to social media to blame the boy’s parents for not having done enough to steer him from trouble.  

Resident Josof JoJo Sanchez says he’s over the blame game. He wants to help parents who are struggling to help their children in an environment lacking opportunity and rife with violence.

Romero is a native of Puebla, Mexico who arrived in the U.S. as a one year old with his single mother. They eventually settled in the working class neighborhood overlooking downtown LA. 

Although not everyone agrees that police should have shot at the boy, most agree that he had taken a wrong turn in life.

Romero’s death was an emotional trigger for a community fighting against police violence and harassment, the uprooting of working families, and the struggle of undocumented residents trying to make their way out of the shadows. 

The family and its attorney as well as local activists are calling for an independent and thorough investigation into Romero’s killing. 


In Los Angeles, I’m Ernesto Arce, Pacifica Radio, KPFK. 


Residents Doubt That 14 Year-Old Shot At LAPD in Boyle Heights

KPFK Radio Host Ruben Luengas interviews Tatiana Clouthier, who is a spokesperson for Andres Manuel Lopez-Obredor’s campaign to be the next President of Mexico.  
Lopez-Obredor, a left-progressive, is currently well ahead in the polls with less than two months until election day on July 1. 
The interview is conducted in Spanish.

Contragolpe with Ruben Luengas guest Tatiana Cloutheir

KPFK (90.7 FM) is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, United States, which serves the Greater Los Angeles Area, and also streams 24 hours a day via the Internet.

KPFK runs an eclectic schedule, including world music, talk radio,politics, interviews and public affairs programming. KPFK airs some national Pacifica programming , including Democracy Now!  KPFK program producers are accorded the maximum amount of editorial freedom possible.

Residents Doubt That 14 Year-Old Shot At LAPD in Boyle Heights

KPFK

Recent comments

Echelon Mockingbird

Related tracks