Latest news with #MayorKarenBass
Khaleej Times
10-07-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
US: About 15 trapped in Los Angeles after industrial tunnel collapse
The collapse happened about six miles (10 km) south of the tunnel's only access, LAFD said, adding that more than 100 responders were assigned to the incident As many as 15 workers were trapped in an industrial tunnel collapse in Los Angeles' Wilmington area, the city's fire department said late on Wednesday. No injuries have been confirmed, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). The collapse happened about six miles (10 km) south of the tunnel's only access, LAFD said, adding that more than 100 responders were assigned to the incident. "The City of Los Angeles has mobilized resources to the tunnel collapse in Wilmington," Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Residents still shaken a day after federal authorities march through Los Angeles' MacArthur Park
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hector Velasquez was playing cards with friends at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles early Monday when a young man with a megaphone walked through announcing federal agents were on their way. Another man drove past in a car, shouting out the window, 'Immigration is coming!' The people in Velasquez's group who did not have legal status scattered. Others with U.S. citizenship — like Velasquez — lingered to see what would happen. Two hours later, federal authorities and National Guard troops arrived, with guns and horses. By then, the park that is normally bustling with vendors was mostly empty. Activists had also spread word about the raid on social media. After sweeping through the park, the convoy that included armored vehicles left as suddenly as it had arrived, Velasquez said. He described the scene Tuesday as he once again sat in the park playing cards — this time only with those who were citizens. 'I thought this was like a war,' said Velasquez, who was reminded of his home country of El Salvador. 'Only in war do you see the tanks.' The Department of Homeland Security wouldn't say what the purpose of the operation was, why it ended abruptly, or whether anyone had been arrested. The agency said in an email that it would not comment on 'ongoing enforcement operations.' But local officials said it seemed designed to sow fear. Mayor Karen Bass planned a Tuesday afternoon news conference to outline how Los Angeles will challenge what she says are unlawful immigration raids. Park is a center of immigrant life Immigration across the Los Angeles area have been on edge for weeks since the Trump administration stepped up arrests at car washes, Home Depot parking lots, immigration courts and a range of businesses. Rumors of an upcoming raid at MacArthur Park had been swirling. The park is in an area home to many Mexican, Central American and other immigrant populations that has been dubbed by local officials as the 'Ellis Island of the West Coast.' Just two miles west of downtown, MacArthur Park has a lake ringed by palm trees, an amphitheater that hosts summer concerts and sports fields where immigrant families line up to play soccer in the evenings and on weekends. A thoroughfare on the east side is often crammed with food stands selling tacos and other delicacies, along with vendors speaking multiple languages and hawking T-shirts, toys, knickknacks and household items. Fernando Rodriguez closed down his variety store near the park on Monday after seeing flyers in the Westlake neighborhood warning of immigration enforcement happening that day. 'You look Latino, they take you. Even if you show papers, they say they're fake," he said. 'What they're doing is evil." He was open again Tuesday but said nearby businesses including Peruvian and Thai restaurants have been quiet in the weeks since the federal crackdown began. 'There's no people anymore,' he said, gesturing to the street he said would usually packed with pedestrians on a sunny morning. Group warned of enforcement action Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesperson for the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, said there had been rumors that there could be an enforcement action around MacArthur Park, and the LA Rapid Response Network had volunteers monitor the area starting at 6 a.m. Monday. The network sends out observers who communicate via the messaging app Signal. Cabrera said the group does not post content to the public at large or run its own website. He said Tuesday that the streets surrounding the park have been unusually empty in recent weeks as many vendors have not been out. He wasn't sure if they left the area because of concerns about stepped-up immigration raids. 'This was a reality show to intimidate Los Angeles,' Cabrera said. 'This was an attempt to show the administration's military might, cause as much chaos as possible, remind Angelenos that the president is in charge and that he can cause terror at any moment's notice.' More than 4,000 California National Guard and hundreds of U.S. Marines have been deployed in Los Angeles since June — against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Last week, the military announced about 200 of those troops would be returned to their units to fight wildfires. Trump has pledged to deport millions of immigrants in the United States illegally and shown a willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other U.S. presidents have typically avoided. Melisa Doag, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala who sells jewelry from a stand near the park, said she doesn't plan to stay in the U.S. for much longer given the political climate. She would rather leave on her own terms than be deported, she said. 'I've only been here two years, and they already want to send me back,' Doag said. "I don't want to be treated as a criminal.' ___ Associated Press journalists Damian Dovarganes in Los Angeles and Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, contributed to this report.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Residents still shaken a day after federal authorities march through Los Angeles' MacArthur Park
Hector Velasquez was playing cards with friends at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles early Monday when a young man with a megaphone walked through announcing federal agents were on their way. Another man drove past in a car, shouting out the window, ' Immigration is coming!' The people in Velasquez's group who did not have legal status scattered. Others with U.S. citizenship — like Velasquez — lingered to see what would happen. Two hours later, federal authorities and National Guard troops arrived, with guns and horses. By then, the park that is normally bustling with vendors was mostly empty. Activists had also spread word about the raid on social media. After sweeping through the park, the convoy that included armored vehicles left as suddenly as it had arrived, Velasquez said. He described the scene Tuesday as he once again sat in the park playing cards — this time only with those who were citizens. 'I thought this was like a war,' said Velasquez, who was reminded of his home country of El Salvador. 'Only in war do you see the tanks.' The Department of Homeland Security wouldn't say what the purpose of the operation was, why it ended abruptly, or whether anyone had been arrested. The agency said in an email that it would not comment on 'ongoing enforcement operations.' But local officials said it seemed designed to sow fear. Mayor Karen Bass planned a Tuesday afternoon news conference to outline how Los Angeles will challenge what she says are unlawful immigration raids. Park is a center of immigrant life Immigrants across the Los Angeles area have been on edge for weeks since the Trump administration stepped up arrests at car washes, Home Depot parking lots, immigration courts and a range of businesses. Rumors of an upcoming raid at MacArthur Park had been swirling. The park is in an area home to many Mexican, Central American and other immigrant populations that has been dubbed by local officials as the 'Ellis Island of the West Coast.' Just two miles west of downtown, MacArthur Park has a lake ringed by palm trees, an amphitheater that hosts summer concerts and sports fields where immigrant families line up to play soccer in the evenings and on weekends. A thoroughfare on the east side is often crammed with food stands selling tacos and other delicacies, along with vendors speaking multiple languages and hawking T-shirts, toys, knickknacks and household items. Fernando Rodriguez closed down his variety store near the park on Monday after seeing flyers in the Westlake neighborhood warning of immigration enforcement happening that day. 'You look Latino, they take you. Even if you show papers, they say they're fake," he said. 'What they're doing is evil." He was open again Tuesday but said nearby businesses including Peruvian and Thai restaurants have been quiet in the weeks since the federal crackdown began. 'There's no people anymore,' he said, gesturing to the street he said would usually packed with pedestrians on a sunny morning. Group warned of enforcement action Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesperson for the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, said there had been rumors that there could be an enforcement action around MacArthur Park, and the LA Rapid Response Network had volunteers monitor the area starting at 6 a.m. Monday. The network sends out observers who communicate via the messaging app Signal. Cabrera said the group does not post content to the public at large or run its own website. He said Tuesday that the streets surrounding the park have been unusually empty in recent weeks as many vendors have not been out. He wasn't sure if they left the area because of concerns about stepped-up immigration raids. 'This was a reality show to intimidate Los Angeles,' Cabrera said. 'This was an attempt to show the administration's military might, cause as much chaos as possible, remind Angelenos that the president is in charge and that he can cause terror at any moment's notice.' More than 4,000 California National Guard and hundreds of U.S. Marines have been deployed in Los Angeles since June — against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Last week, the military announced about 200 of those troops would be returned to their units to fight wildfires. Trump has pledged to deport millions of immigrants in the United States illegally and shown a willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other U.S. presidents have typically avoided. Melisa Doag, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala who sells jewelry from a stand near the park, said she doesn't plan to stay in the U.S. for much longer given the political climate. She would rather leave on her own terms than be deported, she said. 'I've only been here two years, and they already want to send me back,' Doag said. "I don't want to be treated as a criminal.' ___
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Residents still shaken a day after federal authorities march through Los Angeles' MacArthur Park
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hector Velasquez was playing cards with friends at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles early Monday when a young man with a megaphone walked through announcing federal agents were on their way. Another man drove past in a car, shouting out the window, 'Immigration is coming!' The people in Velasquez's group who did not have legal status scattered. Others with U.S. citizenship — like Velasquez — lingered to see what would happen. Two hours later, federal authorities and National Guard troops arrived, with guns and horses. By then, the park that is normally bustling with vendors was mostly empty. Activists had also spread word about the raid on social media. After sweeping through the park, the convoy that included armored vehicles left as suddenly as it had arrived, Velasquez said. He described the scene Tuesday as he once again sat in the park playing cards — this time only with those who were citizens. 'I thought this was like a war,' said Velasquez, who was reminded of his home country of El Salvador. 'Only in war do you see the tanks.' The Department of Homeland Security wouldn't say what the purpose of the operation was, why it ended abruptly, or whether anyone had been arrested. The agency said in an email that it would not comment on 'ongoing enforcement operations.' But local officials said it seemed designed to sow fear. Mayor Karen Bass planned a Tuesday afternoon news conference to outline how Los Angeles will challenge what she says are unlawful immigration raids. Park is a center of immigrant life Immigrants across the Los Angeles area have been on edge for weeks since the Trump administration stepped up arrests at car washes, Home Depot parking lots, immigration courts and a range of businesses. Rumors of an upcoming raid at MacArthur Park had been swirling. The park is in an area home to many Mexican, Central American and other immigrant populations that has been dubbed by local officials as the 'Ellis Island of the West Coast.' Just two miles west of downtown, MacArthur Park has a lake ringed by palm trees, an amphitheater that hosts summer concerts and sports fields where immigrant families line up to play soccer in the evenings and on weekends. A thoroughfare on the east side is often crammed with food stands selling tacos and other delicacies, along with vendors speaking multiple languages and hawking T-shirts, toys, knickknacks and household items. Fernando Rodriguez closed down his variety store near the park on Monday after seeing flyers in the Westlake neighborhood warning of immigration enforcement happening that day. 'You look Latino, they take you. Even if you show papers, they say they're fake,' he said. 'What they're doing is evil.' He was open again Tuesday but said nearby businesses including Peruvian and Thai restaurants have been quiet in the weeks since the federal crackdown began. 'There's no people anymore,' he said, gesturing to the street he said would usually packed with pedestrians on a sunny morning. Group warned of enforcement action Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesperson for the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, said there had been rumors that there could be an enforcement action around MacArthur Park, and the LA Rapid Response Network had volunteers monitor the area starting at 6 a.m. Monday. The network sends out observers who communicate via the messaging app Signal. Cabrera said the group does not post content to the public at large or run its own website. He said Tuesday that the streets surrounding the park have been unusually empty in recent weeks as many vendors have not been out. He wasn't sure if they left the area because of concerns about stepped-up immigration raids. 'This was a reality show to intimidate Los Angeles,' Cabrera said. 'This was an attempt to show the administration's military might, cause as much chaos as possible, remind Angelenos that the president is in charge and that he can cause terror at any moment's notice.' More than 4,000 California National Guard and hundreds of U.S. Marines have been deployed in Los Angeles since June — against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Last week, the military announced about 200 of those troops would be returned to their units to fight wildfires. Trump has pledged to deport millions of immigrants in the United States illegally and shown a willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other U.S. presidents have typically avoided. Melisa Doag, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala who sells jewelry from a stand near the park, said she doesn't plan to stay in the U.S. for much longer given the political climate. She would rather leave on her own terms than be deported, she said. 'I've only been here two years, and they already want to send me back,' Doag said. 'I don't want to be treated as a criminal.' ___ Associated Press journalists Damian Dovarganes in Los Angeles and Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, contributed to this report.
CBS News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Former Los Angeles deputy mayor pleads guilty to fake bomb threat
Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Brian K. Williams pleaded guilty on Monday to a felony charge of threats regarding fire and explosives involving a fake phoned-in bomb threat to City Hall last year. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on Oct. 6 and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison. In a May 22 plea agreement, the 61-year-old admitted to allegations that he fabricated a bomb threat while serving as the city's Deputy Mayor of Public Safety, and while he was at work. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Williams was participating in a virtual meeting in an official capacity when he used Google Voice to call his city-issued phone on Oct. 3, 2024. He then called the Los Angeles Police Department, claiming that a man threatened to bomb City Hall. Williams lied to city officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, telling them that the man who called in the threat said he was "tired of the city support of Israel," leading to a bomb being placed in City Hall's rotunda, prosecutors said. This led to an LAPD bomb investigation, where nothing was found. Prosecutors said he then showed officers his phone records, which displayed a recent call from a blocked number. It was later revealed that the call came from his personal phone to his city-issued phone, via Google Voice. "Mr. Williams, the former deputy mayor of public safety for Los Angeles, not only betrayed the residents of Los Angeles, but responding officers, and the integrity of the office itself, by fabricating a bomb threat," Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said in a statement. At no time did Williams intend to carry out the threat, his plea agreement filed in Los Angeles federal court states. Williams quietly retired from city government in April and before that, when the FBI began an investigation into the bomb threat, he was placed on administrative leave. Williams was appointed as Deputy Mayor of Public Safety by Mayor Bass in February 2023. His job was to oversee the LAPD, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Port of Los Angeles Police, the Los Angeles World Airport Police, and the Emergency Management Department. "Williams will also work closely across the administration and city departments to increase public safety, advance prevention and intervention strategies, implement department reforms," Mayor of Karen Bass wrote on the official website of the City of Los Angeles at the time of his appointment.
