Tag: los angeles

Feds Take Back Notorious L.A. Open-Air Drug Market, Humiliating Karen Bass’ Failed Leadership


For years, MacArthur Park has been a glaring symbol of Los Angeles’s decline, an open-air drug market and a haven for crime hiding in plain sight.

Despite repeated denials and false assurances from Democrat officials like Mayor Karen Bass, the truth couldn’t be denied any longer.

Federal law enforcement finally stepped in and did what the city’s so-called leadership refused to do: take back control and clean up one of the most dangerous public spaces in Los Angeles.

Back in July, the park was already infamous for its heavy drug activity, rampant homelessness, and frequent violence.

When federal agents launched an immigration sweep at the time, Bass and then-Rep. Eric Swalwell jumped to condemn the operation, mocking concerns about safety and insisting the park was “family-friendly.”

Anyone who had actually been there or lived nearby knew that claim was laughable.

As locals complained about the needles, overdoses, and nonstop criminal activity, Bass secretly approved a multi-million-dollar “revitalization” project months later, quietly acknowledging the mess she had spent months pretending didn’t exist.

Her “solution,” like most Democrat urban policies, was more about optics than outcomes.

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Karen Bass refuses to give ‘yes or no’ answer on whether noncitizens should vote in LA: ‘It depends’

Los Angeles mayoral candidates clashed Wednesday night when a simple yes-or-no question on whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote in local elections exposed a sharp divide.

During a debate hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo, moderator Enrique Chiabra pressed candidates for a yes-or-no answer. Democrat Mayor Karen Bass declined to do so, while Republican challenger Spencer Pratt responded flatly, “No.”

Bass instead said, “It depends,” adding, “It’s not a yes or no.”

The exchange comes as a Los Angeles city councilmember has renewed debate on the issue and is pushing to put the question before voters on the November ballot.

While federal law bars noncitizens from voting in federal elections, some U.S. cities — including a few in California — allow limited forms of noncitizen voting in local races.

When explaining her answer, Bass said the term “noncitizens” can include legal residents.

“Well, first of all, when you say noncitizens, it doesn’t mean they’re here illegally. It doesn’t mean they’re undocumented. They can have green cards. They could be here perfectly legal,” Bass said. “And there’s a lot of states and cities that do that on very, very local elections. We have to see what the councilman is proposing.”

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300 Federal Agents Descend on LA’s MacArthur Park in Massive Raid Targeting Mexican Drug Cartels 

At least 300 federal agents descended on Los Angeles’s MacArthur Park in a massive drug raid targeting Mexican cartels.

At least 17 people were arrested and 19 kilos of fentanyl were seized.

The Sinaloa cartel brought the fentanyl and meth to the area controlled by the 18th street gang and rival MS-13, according to Fox News reporter Matt Finn.

Fox 11 reported:

Federal and local law enforcement are conducting a massive drug raid at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon.

The raid is spearheaded by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and also involves Los Angeles police, authorities said.

At least 17 people have been arrested, FOX LA confirmed. The raid is part of the Department of Justice’s Free MacArthur Park operation, which aims to address the park’s “open air drug market.”

The operation also included arrests in San Gabriel and Calabasas, authorities said.

Federal authorities say they have recovered 19 kilograms of fentanyl, worth more than $10 million.

The DEA says it’s targeting drug dealers related to cartels.

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Karen Bass: Palisades Fire Victim Spencer Pratt ‘Exploiting the Grief’ of Palisades Fire Victims

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused reality television star Spencer Pratt of “exploiting the grief” of Palisades fire victims as he seeks to oust her from office, completely ignoring that he was a victim of those fires.

Pratt, known for the TV series The Hills, received a helpful boost to his mayoral campaign last week when billionaire Jeanie Buss, governor of the Los Angeles Lakers, donated the maximum amount to his campaign, elevating his potential chances. His popularity with aggrieved voters also accelerated when his first campaign ad — in which he criticizes Bass for living in a multimillion-dollar home while Angelenos suffer — went viral with over 12 million views.

Part of the reason why Pratt’s message has resonated so strongly with voters mainly stems from the fact that his home, which he shared with reality television star Heidi Montag, burned to ash in the Palisades Fire of 2025, prompting his entry into public activism.

During an appearance on MSNOW with Katie Phang, Bass called Pratt “reprehensible,” accusing him of exploiting others’ grief, seemingly unaware of the very grief he personally experienced when his home burned down along with thousands of others in his neighborhood.

“Honestly, before this, I had never even heard of Spencer Pratt,” the mayor said.

“But the thing I am concerned about is that I feel like he’s exploiting the grief of people in the Palisades. And I think that’s reprehensible. That’s the main thing. And I think that he is about his own celebrity, he’s famous now again,” she added.

Bass even recommended that Pratt take a “basics civics course,” blaming the wildfires on “climate change.”

“He could benefit by a basic civics course, because I don’t think he understands the basics of how any government works,” she said. “For me, these fires, it was the worst natural disaster that we experienced in our city. At the root of it, we have to get adjusted to, just like everybody else in the nation, to different weather experiences because of climate change.”

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Kamala Harris Endorses Disastrous Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for Reelection – Claims She Stamped Out Crime and Homelessness

Failed Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris has endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for reelection, claiming that she stamped out crime and homelessness, a downright lie.

In addition to not stamping out either of those serious issues, Bass oversaw the disastrous response to the 2024 wildfires in southern California, which have left thousands of homes still sitting in piles of rubble, unable to rebuild almost a year and a half later.

If ever there was a city in desperate need of new leadership, Los Angeles is it.

The New York Post reports:

Kamala Harris endorses Karen Bass for LA mayor, claiming she’s stamped out crime and homelessness

Kamala Harris has weighed in on the LA mayor’s race and issued endorsements in several other contests — but refused to back a gubernatorial candidate.

The former VP, who now lives in Malibu, endorsed incumbent Karen Bass for mayor of the second-largest city in the US.

“She has my full support for re-election,” the Democrat said.

The two have known each other for more than two decades and were once rumored rivals for the vice presidency when Joe Biden pledged to select a woman as his running mate in 2020.

Bass, who is serving her first term, was sworn in as mayor while Harris was still serving as vice president…

“Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now. She has done what so many said couldn’t be done — the first-ever two-year decline in homelessness, reducing crime to levels this city hasn’t seen since the 1960s, and refusing to back down when the federal government came after our neighbors,” Harris said in a statement.

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LA Democrats Move to Use Illegal Aliens to Erase Citizens from Their Own Elections

A proposal introduced by Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez would ask voters to grant the City Council authority to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, including races for mayor, City Council, and the Los Angeles Board of Education.

Soto-Martínez, who represents a district spanning Echo Park to Hollywood, released the proposal on Wednesday.

If advanced, the measure would be placed before voters in the Nov. 3 election.

The proposal must first receive approval from the City Council to appear on the ballot.

If voters approve the measure, the council would then need to pass an ordinance revising city election laws to implement the change.

The proposal has been signed by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado and is scheduled to move to the council’s rules committee for consideration.

Soto-Martínez said the measure is intended to address concerns within immigrant communities.

He referenced his own family background while explaining the proposal.

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Los Angeles City Councilman Wants Illegals to be Able to Vote in City Elections

Los Angeles city councilman Hugo Martinez recently remarked that he wants illegals to be able to vote in city elections.

He claims that some of these people have lived in the city for years and pay taxes but they don’t have a say in the policies that affect their children. You know what? Tough.

If Democrats are ever given this concession, next year it’ll be state elections and then of course, federal elections. That’s how the left works. It’s baby steps from here all the way to presidential elections.

ABC 7 in Los Angeles reports:

LA councilmember wants to allow noncitizens to vote in city elections

A Los Angeles city councilmember is pushing to explore whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote in future city elections – a proposal still in its earliest stages but already drawing sharp criticism.

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez said he hopes his motion will make it onto the November ballot, claiming it could eventually open the door for noncitizen residents to participate in local elections.

Federal law bans noncitizens from voting in national races, but several U.S. cities – including some in California – and the District of Columbia allow limited forms of noncitizen voting. Eighteen states, however, have enacted outright bans.

Soto-Martinez said the idea is about fairness for longtime residents who contribute to the city but have no electoral voice.

“We have folks living in this country who have been here 20 years,” he said. “They started a family, they pay their taxes, many of them are homeowners, but they don’t have a say over the policies that affect their children and families on any given day.”

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Recording of Phone Call Reveals Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Was Warned About Danger of Wildfires Before Her Trip to Ghana

A newly resurfaced recording of a damning phone call has revealed that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was warned about the potential for the dangerous and destructive wildfires that swept through southern California more than a year ago.

She had all of this information before she left the country for a trip to Ghana. She went anyway.

It’s just another reminder of how incompetent Bass is as a mayor. The people of Los Angles were doomed before the fires even began.

PJ Media reports:

In the leaked audio, Bass was reportedly talking to John Alle, a local resident and property manager in the Santa Monica and Westlake areas. Alle himself confirmed this here.

Reports are that Elle called Bass on Jan. 4, 2025, warning her about the risks tied to the weather, the wind, and dry conditions. In the call, Alle said he tried to convince Bass not to leave for Africa, but in the secretly recorded audio, she told Elle she had no intention of canceling her trip in spite of all his warnings.

To be sure, we have not been able to verify with 100% certainty the validity of this leaked audio, but it is worth noting that neither Bass nor her office has disputed the call’s authenticity and the content of the audio.

This is the transcript of the call:

Bass says, “The situation is very dangerous, and I would never do… I will take the criticism before I do a publicity stunt, and frankly a press conference at this point in time would just be publicity.”

Elle interrupts with, “I think my neighbors, property owners, and the residents – 41,000 people live within a square mile here. Two families share a one-bedroom apartment…”

Bass then says, “But they wanna hear that something is gonna be done.”

Elle replies, “They want to know it’s recognized.”

Bass then gets creepily cryptic, “Exactly, but if I have a choice between that and compromising something, I just have to go along with it. It’s not my area of expertise. I wanna make sure that you are safe. And hopefully you can read in between the lines. But I would just appreciate… and it’s hard for me to tell you this, but um, hold tight. You will understand soon.”

The two then indicate they now understand each other, and Bass then adds, “And when I am able to talk, I will be happy to go into great detail.”

Elle reminds Bass, “You’ve got me on the street, and you’re welcome to call me at any time, I’ll call you right back.”

On the matter of her plans to travel to Ghana in the midst of this crisis, Bass tells Elle, “Just in terms of my trip, just so you know I’m missing two work days. That’s it. And if President Biden extends an invitation, I took it.”

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Trump to Probe Banks Regarding Los Angeles Wildfire Response

U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 23 that his administration will look into banks’ handling of payments and debts in the aftermath of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Two Los Angeles-area communities were devastated by wildfires in January 2025. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the Palisades fire caused 12 deaths, destroyed 6,845 structures, and damaged 975 more. The nearby Eaton fire, which ignited in Altadena on Jan. 7, 2025, claimed 19 lives. Combined, the fires have claimed 31 lives and destroyed more than 16,000 structures.

Last month, Trump said State Farm and other insurers should “get their act together,” following a meeting with California politicians.

Trump met with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Thursday and said he is now turning his attention to banks.

“Since my strong action and statements with respect to Insurance Companies, and the way they were treating the Home Owners, that aspect of this Disaster has proceeded well — Big progress has been made, and those Companies are ’stepping up to the plate,’ as they should be,” Trump ​said in a 23 April post on Truth Social.

“The Banks, however, have a long way to go, and we will be looking into their actions, effective immediately. Wells Fargo, in particular, has been very difficult to deal with. The Banks must treat those people, who so horribly lost their Homes in this tragic fire, very fairly and well. I will be working with the Mayor, Supervisor, and everyone else to help this tragic situation go smoothly.”

A Wells Fargo spokeswoman told The Epoch Times via email that the company did not have a comment to share.

In an April 23 joint statement, Bass and Barger said they had “a very positive discussion about FEMA and other rebuilding funds, as well as the support of the President to continue joining us in pressuring the insurance companies to pay what they owe – and for the big banks to step up to ease the financial pressure on LA families.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in January ​2025 that five major lenders, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, and Citigroup, would grant 90-day mortgage forbearance ​to homeowners in Los Angeles and Ventura fire zones. The relief included a pause in credit reporting and the potential for extended aid.

“After so much trauma, we hope this deal will provide thousands of survivors a measure of relief,” Newsom said at the time. “These financial protections will enable residents to concentrate on taking care of their immediate needs rather than worrying about paying their mortgage bills. I thank each of the financial institutions that are offering this help for Californians recovering from this catastrophic firestorm.”

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SAY WHAT? Los Angeles Proposes New TAX to Pay to Fix Street Lights Broken by Copper Wire Thieves

The city of Los Angeles has a major street light problem. Thousands of the lights are out because thieves strip them of copper wire which they then turn around and sell for cash.

To deal with this problem and fix the lights, the city government is proposing a new TAX on the law abiding citizens who did not steal the copper wire. Can you even believe this?

The city wants to punish the people who didn’t ruin the street lights and make them pay to fix it. Unreal.

FOX 11 in Los Angeles reports:

Los Angeles voters to weigh fee increase for streetlight repairs amid copper theft concerns

A citywide plan to replace thousands of broken streetlights across Los Angeles could come with a cost increase for property owners under a proposed Proposition 218 assessment.

Mayor Karen Bass is urging voters to approve the measure, which would raise property-owner fees by an estimated 120% to help fund a $125 million program aimed at replacing more than 200,000 streetlights citywide. City officials say the current system generates roughly $45 million and has not been significantly updated since the 1990s, when Proposition 218 was adopted by California voters to require property-owner approval for new or increased local assessments.

Under the law, the city cannot raise streetlighting fees without a majority vote from affected property owners, a process that has kept much of the funding system largely unchanged for decades.

Ballots are expected to be mailed this week.

Across Los Angeles, officials say copper theft continues to worsen infrastructure problems, with thieves stripping wire from underground fiber lines and disabling streetlights in neighborhoods across the city. More than 32,000 streetlight repair requests remain pending.

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