Koreatown

Oct 26 2011

Investigating credible tips

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—In the wake of a scandal at the city’s Housing Department involving Korean speakers, City Controller Wendy Greuel announced today that a hotline to report abuse can now handle whistleblower tips in 150 languages.

The waste, fraud and abuse hotline at (866) 428-1514 can accommodate reports in dozens of languages, including Armenian, Arabic, Cantonese, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Spanish and many more.

Oct 11 2011

Violating campaign finance laws

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The city Ethics Commission today found one of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s re-election campaign donors guilty of money laundering and fined him $183,750 for violating campaign finance laws.

The fine for real estate executive Alexander Hugh, the head of CIC Group, was the maximum under city law.

The commission voted 4-0 to support the case presented by investigators, who found Hugh illegally made $18,000 in contributions in June 2008 under “assumed names” and exceeding the limit of $1,000.

Oct 10 2011

Koreatown real estate developer

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The city Ethics Commission is expected to decide tomorrow if a prominent Koreatown real estate developer illegally laundered $18,000 for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s 2009 reelection campaign.

CIC Group Chief Executive Officer Alexander Hugh  is accused ofillegally making contributions in June 2008 under “assumed names” and exceeding the maximum $1,000 contribution to the campaign of a candidate for citywide office.

Jul 28 2011

Jobs-generating project

One of the greatest strengths of Los Angeles is our incredible diversity. We are the new melting pot of the United States, and L.A. is a true rainbow of cultures and ethnicities.

Just to pick a few examples, we have the largest Korean and Filipino populations outside Korea and the Philippines and the largest Latino population outside Latin America. The storied history and continued vibrancy of our African American community is often the inspiration for novels and movies.

Jun 15 2011

Jabaar Vincent Thomas charged with murder

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A second defendant was charged today with murder in the May 8 killing of an MTV music coordinator in the Mid-Wilshire area, along with the slaying of another man about a week earlier.

Jabaar Vincent Thomas, 26, pleaded not guilty during an appearance before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Upinder S. Kalra, who ordered Thomas and co-defendant Destiny Young, 30, to remain jailed without bail.

They are charged with the slaying of Gabriel Aron Ben-Meir, along with the April 30 killing of a 35-year-old man in the Pico-Union area.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.