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The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Inside ‘world's zombie capital' Skid Row where thousands of crack addicts torch each other's tents and OD on sanitiser
'I THINK he OD-ed, they are trying to bring him back right now,' a passerby nonchalantly shrugs as a team of paramedics battle to save a man lying motionless on the street in downtown Los Angeles. After several frantic minutes emergency workers manage to revive the middle-aged victim, while homeless folk continue to walk past barely acknowledging the harrowing scene. Advertisement 11 Rows of makeshift tents line the rat-infested streets of Skid Row, one of LA's most notorious neighbourhoods Credit: JDMC 11 A man passed out on the scorching hot sidewalk at 11.30am Credit: JDMC 11 The homeless on Skid Row have to rely on fire hydrants for their water Credit: JDMC With their patient now lightly breathing, a Los Angeles Fire Department supervisor announces into his radio: 'I don't know what he has taken.' Shockingly, these distressing incidents have become part of everyday life for the thousands who reside in the City of Angels' infamous Skid Row - dubbed the "zombie zone of the apocalypse" and "the closest thing to hell on earth" - and things are getting worse. Advertisement The neighbourhood for those of 'no fixed abode' is within walking distance of the city's thriving banking district and the Crypto Arena - home to the LA Lakers basketball team, for whom The ground will also play host to music superstars Sabrina Carpenter and Lil Wayne later this year, as well as the interactive Disney Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour . Over on Skid Row, an area of roughly 0.4 square miles, made up of 50 blocks, there is barely a street corner where people are not passed out cold, seemingly tripping or battling deep-seated issues. In a radius of just a few hundred metres, The Sun witnessed dozens of down-and-outs who appeared ravaged by the effects of drug addiction, alcoholism and mental illness. One disturbed woman in the grip of a terrifying breakdown, wearing only one shoe, violently scratching her skin - a common side effect of - and howling "get away from me" forces drivers to detour away from her. Advertisement Closeby a young hispanic man goes ignored as he smacks his chest violently, yelling 'water, water, water', while a 20-something man who'd been swigging from a vodka bottle lies sprawled on the filthy sidewalk, which often hits scorching summer temperatures of 115 degrees fahrenheit. Many tented spots had visible signs of heavy street drug use , with b rown-burned tin foil sheets and balls strewn on pavements - likely used to smoked heroin and crack cocaine. One recovering addict claims a hit of cocaine costs just 74p ($1), Homeless use furniture dumped by rich escaping coronavirus-hit NYC to build huge camp in plush district angering locals Huddled behind an abandoned rental truck, a couple in their twenties crouch beside an upturned bucket clutching three brown-charred pipes and several lighters. Their friend begged us: 'Please don't take no photos, man.' Advertisement Another breathless man lies collapsed against a gate with a bottle of hand sanitiser at his feet. Since the Covid pandemic there has been a huge rise in sanitiser consumption by addicts chasing an alcoholic high, with potentially fatal results. Meanwhile, scantily clad men and women offer sexual services, in a bid to attract potential sex tourists. One 20-something guy, dressed in hot pants and a short top, provocatively thrusts his groin and twerks beside a drain pipe. 'It's like a toilet bowl' 11 Long term street survivor Zo Webb says 'only the strong survive' in Skid Row Credit: JDMC LA County's 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count stated 4,400 people are experiencing homelessness in the Skid Row neighbourhood - but locals claim that figure is at least 25 per cent higher. Advertisement Officials labelled it 'the epicentre of homelessness in the nation', adding: 'Skid Row also experiences the highest overdose mortality rate in LA County.' It's estimated that 60,000 people live without a permanent roof over their head in greater LA. Long term street survivor Zo Webb, 55, tells us 'only the strong survive" in that environment. 'You wouldn't want your animals to live in this situation. It is dangerous out here. You got a lot of killers and molesters. It is like a toilet bowl ," he says. You wouldn't want your animals to live in this situation. It is dangerous out here. You got a lot of killers and molesters. It is like a toilet bowl Webb, who has battled addiction, PTSD and mental illness since his teenage years, adds that he is on the streets 'by choice' because his family cannot deal with his problems . Advertisement Compton-born Webb, 55, proudly declares he had been off cocaine for four days, but admits dealers target him aware of his instability. 'You know it's here," he says, noting that the price can be 'anywhere from a dollar'. Rocking back and forward he continues: 'That isn't going to have an effect on me.' Webb has vowed to stay clean and 'communicate with my family', expressing his thanks to charities and LA City resources for assistance during the day. But overnight those safe havens close, leaving many vulnerable to dealers and armed violent gangs. Advertisement 'It is what it is. I am not going into that. There are a lot of addicts here from all around the world ," he adds. 'I have seen kids take drugs.' In 2020 official California state figures stated more than 5,000 Californians died from opioid overdoses, and 3,946 died due to fentanyl overdose. Katherine White, Director of Operations and Patient Care for medical non profit , which provides free health clinics, tells The Sun: 'Drugs are cheap. Five bucks a day is a pretty solid habit. 'And if you're hungry, you can get high on fentanyl cheaper than you can eat. 'Between what you can beg, borrow, steal, sell yourself and sell whatever you can come across, the compulsion to continue using is so overwhelming - that is going to take precedence over everything else.' Advertisement Violent attacks 11 Dozens of down and outs appear ravaged by the effects of drugs, addictions, alcoholism and mental illness Credit: JDMC 11 There is barely a street corner where people are not out cold seemingly tripping or dealing with deep seated issues Credit: JDMC 11 Tracy Gollo, 53, shared a shocking insight into her terrifying existence, surviving daily violent attacks and thefts - including being punched in the face that very morning Credit: JDMC Ex-hairstylist Tracy Gollo, 53, lives a terrifying existence, enduring daily violent attacks and thefts. 'This morning I got punched in the face," she tells us. "They stole all my wigs." Advertisement 'I have been jumped on nine times in the last two weeks. I have gone through four tents. Stuff gets stolen daily.' Teary-eyed, she recalls how after getting a new tent, 'they burned that tent up the first night with me and my dogs in it… they poured lighter fluid all over it.' Tracy is targeted by criminals, gangs or drug addicts 'whenever somebody needs money". Showing us bruises on her arms and legs, she says: 'My teeth are like this because my ex-wife abused me... in her defence she was overly medicated and was schizophrenic.' If you're hungry, you can get high on fentanyl cheaper than you can eat Katherine White New York born Tracy admits her beloved dogs are her "babies" who "give me hope' amid desperate moments. Advertisement Tracy, who has battled a brain tumour, mental health issues, diabetes and high blood pressure, is upset at not being put up in a city housing facility, having been interacting with officials for two years. 'Things are not getting better. They are not housing people. They (the city) only house people when they need to show off," she says. Tracy navigates life barefoot, dodging piles of putrid-smelling trash including dog and human excrement and used toilet paper. She moans: "You can't get anyone to clean up anything.' 'People disappear all the time' 11 It's estimated 60,000 live without a permanent roof over their head in greater LA Credit: JDMC Advertisement 11 Official figures state 4,400 people are experiencing homelessness in the Skid Row neighbourhood - but the number is believed to be much higher Credit: JDMC A friendly private security guard, who works with one of the charity missions caring for the homeless, said the city's efforts to regularly house the homeless, clean streets and remove tents are "short term". He said: "Honestly, many of those Skid Row streets are getting worse, because it feels more people are addicts because of the cheap drug prices and many low income folk are facing financial ruin and ending up homeless, because of high rents and the increased cost of living. "For every person that gets housed, it feels like two more turn up in tents." The family man, who wishes to remain anonymous, insists city officials have little concept of the real dangers on the street. Advertisement He added: 'People disappear all the time. Any female is seen by gangs as someone to use for sex trafficking or prostitution. 'When they go home, after 10 at night people living here have no idea whether they are going to survive the night," he says. "There is so much criminality that it's impossible for law enforcement to monitor.' When she and her WoundWalk team visit, Ms White says they try to offer medical aid, treatments and advice to hundreds on the street, but she admits females remain extremely vulnerable. "I don't think I've talked to hardly any women out here that haven't been assaulted," she says. Advertisement 'They don't bother trying to complain because who's going to do anything? Who's actually going to stand up and who's going to investigate? "The sex trafficking is also part of this. So if you're participating in this, then if you're raped, does it even count? Yes, of course it counts. 'But that's the attitude that they get treated with. Having the choice over your body is an important part of life.' I don't think I've talked to hardly any women out here that haven't been assaulted Katherine White A former Las Vegas security guard, who identifies as TL, lives out of a giant blue suitcase packed with neatly folded clothes. He tells us: 'I am not a drug addict. I've had five bedroom houses, sports cars and been to nice places. There is nobody I can call to help me get back on my feet. Advertisement 'I can stay in a shelter where I may get a staph infection or be robbed; or I can move around in the streets where nobody knows where I am. 'But people get killed out here all the time. People get hit in the head here with hammer and all kinds of s***, so you have to keep moving.' The 50-year-old, who grew up in South Central LA, says sexually transmitted diseases are rife. 'I don't have unprotected sex with weirdos," he says. 'There are dangers everywhere.' TL claims that a couple of months ago he was protecting world famous superstars including Mariah Carey, Advertisement 'Imagine, I had the best seat in the house and then I had to go to sleep behind a garbage can," he says. 11 Katherine White, from medical non profit says 'If you're hungry, you can get high on fentanyl cheaper than you can eat' Credit: JDMC 11 Local florist Hadder Gala, whose family have worked there for a decade, admitted: 'People do not like coming here because they are scared' Credit: JDMC Incredibly many businesses attempt to survive amid this human devastation, but it's hard. Many hire security guards, or unite to deal 'on the street' with problematic vagrants - such as inside America's largest wholesale flower market, known as The Flower District. Advertisement Local florist Hadder Gala, whose family have worked there for a decade, admits: 'People do not like coming here because they are scared.' He adds that troubling incidents occur 'every day' and homeless numbers are 'growing". Hadder expresses his upset at seeing so many mentally unwell people, adding: 'I don't like how people are going through that. "For all this to get better… the government has to help these people." Ms White also raises questions about the battle to assist the homeless. Advertisement 'I don't want to ever call this normal," she says. 'When you consider the amount of billions of dollars that have been set aside for service, we should be flooded with social workers and counselling.' LA County has attempted for the last decade to reduce the crises with a raft of initiatives and collaboration with city, state and governmental agencies and arms. Private businesses are also involved. Officials point to successes such as the 19-story high-rise Weingart Center apartment building which will house almost 300 homeless in Skid Row. The recently opened Skid Row Care Campus, offering a raft of services including showers, counselling, employment assistance and food, has been deemed a success. Advertisement In June 2023, Housing for Health and partners were awarded a £44m ($60m) state grant to provide housing and services to an estimated 2,500 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness on Skid Row. The funding served as a catalyst for the Skid Row Action Plan, a £205m ($280m) initiative developed in collaboration with community members, business owners and service providers. Traumatic history Libby Boyce, senior manager at the Homeless Initiative for the County of Los Angeles and former-deputy director of Housing for the city, is optimistic about the future. She admits Skid Row's residents have 'traumatic histories' but insists the area is "a vibrant and special community' with 'arts all over the place". "Even though it looks to the naked eye, the way it looks, it's a beautiful place. Working there taught me that," she says. Advertisement 'When you sit down and talk to people, if you have any empathy in your heart, you go, 'Wow, I can't believe that they're still alive.' 'So at the end of the day, that's what I think the misunderstanding is.' Boyce, speaking at the 16th Thirst Gala at the SLS Hotel in LA, believes the Skid Row Campus has made a difference already. 'We have a real problem in LA with the lack of affordable housing, and we also have a huge rental burden," she says. "You can't get an apartment for under $2,000 [£1,471] in Los Angeles. So it's really about economics. Advertisement 'People who have very traumatic histories who maybe don't handle stress the same way. Somebody who doesn't have a traumatic history, and then they land up un-housed and it just spirals from there.' She adds: 'We've housed so many people. Unfortunately, the new administration is cutting our housing, which is a bummer, but we'll just keep on housing people as much as we can and hope that we can keep people from falling into homelessness." Boyce urged for more investment in police officers on the streets to assist vulnerable groups.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
LeBron James Exposes The Flaw In The 'Retirement Crisis' Narrative
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 22: LeBron James #23 and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers ... More on defense during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Arena on October 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) There's no retirement crisis. Those promoting the notion that Americans don't have enough money to retire will eventually regret their expressed pessimism. Contemplate the happy fact that LeBron James recently announced a plan to return for his 23rd NBA season. James's decision helps expose the flaw in a 'retirement crisis' narrative that just won't die. James plainly doesn't need to work, which is the point. That he's still playing has to do with the happy fact that he's by all accounts the most intelligent basketball player alive. James can't not play. Which is just a comment that for James to retire would be for the world's most intelligent basketball player to stop doing what reinforces his genius more than any other activity. What's important is that there are more and more LeBron James-type people all around us. Evidence supporting this claim can be found in the estimates from retirement experts that Americans don't have enough money to retire. The experts are incorrect. Worse, at least for the experts, is that in promoting the fiction that future American retirees face substantial challenges in retirement owing to insufficient funds, they're intimating that markets aren't just stupid, but ferociously so. They're implying that most future retirees are whistling past a future inevitability that apparently includes not working, and they're whistling while not saving. More realistically, a growing number of future retirees view their work in the way that James views his. Exactly because it showcases their own unique genius, they have no intention of quitting work anytime soon in much the same way that James continues to push not working into the future. Which means the 'retirement crisis' promoted by retirement experts promises to continue to grow. It's a bullish signal. It's a sign that artificial intelligence, robots and other job destroyers will more than live up to their much-hyped potential. Assuming the proliferation of robots and machines that can think for us in addition to doing for us, the number of people staving off retirement a la James will multiply at a much greater rate. That which erases the work of the past and present doesn't put us out of work as much as it elevates our work. Figure that automation is just a sign of how much human potential was wasted in the past. To grasp this, contemplate how many 19th century Americans worked six days per week, from dawn to dusk, on farms. Talk about the suffocation of potential. What was true about farms is true about the factories and mills that Americans romanticize to this day. What a waste! Bringing it back to LeBron James and the growing number of Americans fighting off retirement, that's why they don't have as much saved as the experts think they should. Notable here is that even the retirement experts are approaching work in the way that James does, along with the Americans who supposedly don't have enough money for when they're not working. See Alicia Munnell, and her decision to helm Boston College's Center for Retirement Research right into her 80s. She loved the work, so why retire? Munnell, like James, is evidence of a trend that can only grow if AI achieves even a fraction of its potential. If so, Americans will save even less for a time when they're not working precisely because their goal will be to work until they die. Why not, if work is life? People who live to work don't need as much for when they're not working, which may be never.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LeBron James Addresses Cavs Trade Rumors After Viral Photo
LeBron James Addresses Cavs Trade Rumors After Viral Photo originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There has been a ton of recent chatter about LeBron James potentially departing from the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. Advertisement The four-time champion is set to enter his 23rd season and just picked up his $52.6 million player option earlier this week. According to James and his agent, the Lakers front office has made it clear that they have their eye on the future, so he is considering requesting a trade. Naturally, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the first team that people linked the 21-time All-Star to. However, James recently took to social media and shunned a page who tried to link him back with his hometown team. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at A. Vasquez-Imagn Images The X/Twitter account posted a picture of James after a workout at the Cavs facility, seemingly implying that a reunion was in the works. Advertisement The king then replied, telling the world that he has trained at that gym every summer since the building opened. While this furious rebuttal doesn't necessarily mean that a James and Cleveland partnership is no longer possible, it certainly dims a flame that could once illuminate an entire room. Both the Cavaliers and the Lakers would need to pull off some salary cap acrobatics to make the money work in a potential trade, so that is another clear roadblock. James is one of only three players in the NBA that possess a no-trade clause in his contract, so he ultimately holds all the cards if he wants to be dealt. Advertisement There has been no formal trade request yet, but the media posturing by James gives credence to its possibility. Related: LeBron James Fuels Rumors About Cavs Reunion Amid Lakers Trade Talk This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luka Doncic contract decision ‘most important' domino in NBA offseason: insider
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Arena. Luka Dončić's future is hanging over the NBA offseason. During an appearance on 'NBA Today' Thursday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said all eyes are on the Lakers superstar, who is due for a contract extension this summer. Advertisement 'I almost would argue the most important thing in the whole NBA this summer is Luka Dončić, whether he extends or not, because that frames so much of what the Lakers are going to do, and frankly, the whole league would do,' Windhorst said. 'So, I don't want to put too much pressure on it, but the Lakers really need to get him locked down, even if it's for a couple of years to verify that he's bought into what they're doing,' added Windhorst. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect In early August, Doncic will become eligible to sign a four-year, $228 million extension with the Lakers. He will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026-27 if the two sides can't come to terms on a deal, setting up what could be a historic sweepstakes for Dončić's services. Advertisement The Dončić decision looms as fellow Lakers star LeBron James' name is swirling in trade rumors. James opted into his $52.6 million deal for next season, but his agent Rich Paul hinted that he could push for a trade if he doesn't like what he sees from Lakers GM Rob Pelinka this offseason. The Lakers have filled in their roster around Dončić and James, signing center Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia to free agent deals. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) moves the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) and center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The franchise is also facing an uncertain future with guard Austin Reaves, who declined a max extension worth $89.2 million over the next four seasons with the team last month. On top of everything going on with the roster, the Lakers were sold for approximately $10 billion — the largest sale ever of a U.S. pro sports franchise — to businessman Mark Walter, ending 46 years of majority ownership by the Buss family.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Link Angel Reese With WNBA Legend in New Post
Chicago Sky Link Angel Reese With WNBA Legend in New Post originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky overcame the Los Angeles Sparks 92-85 at Arena on Sunday, led by star Angel Reese, who notched a season‑high 24 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and a steal. Advertisement This marked her fourth straight game with at least 15 rebounds, the most all-time. On Tuesday, the WNBA honored Reese as its Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the past week, a stretch in which she averaged 19.7 points, 17.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, shooting 48.9% from the field and 92.3% from the line. Later on in the day, the Sky took to X with their "Stat of the Week," noting that Reese's 647 career rebounds already rank in the franchise's top 10. With that, she joins the company of many Sky greats, including eight-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP Sylvia Fowles, who remains Chicago's all-time leading rebounder with 1,832 boards. Reese arrived in Chicago as the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft out of LSU. In her rookie campaign, she smashed the league's single‑season rebounding record, hauling in 446 boards (13.1 per game). Advertisement She was the fastest player in WNBA history to reach both 400 rebounds and 400 points, and she strung together 26 double‑doubles in just 34 games, the most ever by a rookie. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5)David Gonzales-Imagn Images In Year 2, Reese has continued asserting herself as the WNBA's premier rebounder. She currently leads the league in rebounds per game (12.6) and has become the fastest player ever to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds, doing so in just 38 games. She also notched her first career triple‑double on June 15, pouring in 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, and remains the face of the Sky franchise. Related: WNBA Responds to Big Caitlin Clark News on Sunday Related: Chicago Sky's Kamilla Cardoso Shares New Photo With Indiana Fever Player This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
