The city of Los Angeles has issued just four rebuilding permits in the Pacific Palisades 75 days after a fire devastated most of the coastal community, highlighting the city's struggle with providing basic government services. After the city dedicated significant resources to tearing down a 20-year-old family treehouse earlier this month over permitting disagreements, many individuals highlighted their struggles with obtaining permits for building even simple structures. According to Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades, only four permits have been issued for rebuilding thus far after a fire destroyed 6,000 structures and leveled much of the community. read more
For the 13th consecutive year, the city of Chicago once again reigned as the nation's homicide capital in 2024 with 573 murders. Ted Dabrowski, the president of Wirepoints, believes that the illness has festered for too long. Even as overall murder rates across the country dipped, Chicago also claimed the top spot for the highest murder rate per capita among big cities at 21.5 per 100,000 population. That's three times the level of Los Angeles and nearly five times that of New York City. "It means we have a real problem and we're sick," Dabrowski told The Center Square. "Until we get serious, this murder problem is going to be a drag on the city in terms of attracting people, attracting businesses and, worse, it's going to keep chasing people away and chasing businesses away. It's something we have to get our hands around."
A luxury RV company is trying to evict a group of squatters who took over a storage lot of campers in the city of Industry. "We've noticed that several of the trailers have been burning," worker Marilyn Martinez said. "There's homeless here sometimes late at night. They're coming in and out." Martinez, who works near the lot, said a city of squatters started taking over the overflow storage area months ago. Since then, they've piled up massive mounds of trash and debris. The company, Black Series RV, said trespassers are now living in at least 50 campers, which are worth anywhere between $40,000 and $100,000. read more
The city of Shoreline canceled an upcoming "Coffee with a Cop" event at Pilgrim Coffee after community activists vowed to protest, upset that the owner is a conservative Christian. "Coffee with a Cop" allows residents to meet with officers at a local coffee shop as a way to strengthen the relationship between the police department and the community. But when Pilgrim Coffee was chosen, a small group of activists let the city know they were unhappy. After complaints, the city of Shoreline pulled the plug on the March 26 event. "It was neither the department's nor the City's intent to make any community member feel unwelcome based on the selection of the event venue and the values that the venue may or may not hold. When planning future events, we will be more intentional with our venue selection," the city said on Facebook, making it clear that the ownership of venues must pass a political and religious litmus test to be considered.
Bystander video of a woman launching into a MAGA hat wearer, literally, in the New York City subway has gone viral. The unidentified woman is caught on camera calling the man wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat a "racist." "If you f----ing voted for Trump, you're a racist!" she shouts in the video while pointing at the passenger wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat. "He's a racist!" she added. "How can I be racist?" asked the man in response, turning to his friend in the subway car. "Just watch the news," she added. The man replied, "I am highly educated." "Oh, are you? Then why are you wearing that hat?" she asked while pointing in the man's face. "Only uneducated people wear that hat." read more
Take it up with the Chicago news station, it's their report. And look at your progress, knee- grows to negroes.