Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Morning Briefing: Use Of Force In LA
()
Never miss a morning briefing. Subscribe today to get our A.M. newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Data on police use of force is notoriously hard to come by. But in an investigation for LAist, Aaron Mendelson found and broke down the numbers — and his report should surprise exactly no one. According to the state of California, law enforcement officers in L.A. used force on Black Angelenos at a higher rate than any other racial group.
"The racial disparities are a natural outcome of this entire system that we've created," civil rights attorney Connie Rice told Aaron.
Police shootings tend to get the most attention, but the most common type of force used against Black people in L.A. is physical force, including kicks and punches.
Support for LAist comes from
And lest you think that somehow doesn't sound as bad, in order to qualify for the state database that Aaron combed, those kicks and punches have to represent "substantial risk of death, unconsciousness, protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ.”
Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today.
Coming Up Today, July 8
A new Bridge Shelter opened in San Pedro to provide temporary housing for homeless Angelenos. Matt Tinoco reports on its progress.
Never miss an LAist story. Sign up for our daily newsletters.
Support for LAist comes from
The Past 24 Hours In LA
L.A. Law Enforcement: Police in L.A. County use force on Black people at hugely disproportionate rates, and at higher rates than any other racial group. County officials voted to study how to close Men’s Central Jail within a year, and invest the funds in mental health programs.
From COVID-19 To TB: L.A. County moved everyone who was doing contact tracing for tuberculosis to COVID-19. Now the chief medical officer is worried about a potential TB outbreak.
Today In Education: The LAUSD board reelected Richard Vladovic to a second consecutive term as board president. International students could lose their visas if they don't attend in-person classes, but that's a serious problem with many schools going online this fall.
The Devil’s Gate: A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit against L.A. County to reduce the scope of a project attached to the Devil’s Gate Dam.
Support for LAist comes from
To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
Photo Of The Day
The Laugh Factory unveiled a 148-foot-long mural as a tribute to Black Lives Matter, believed to be the largest tribute to BLM in the nation. Five artists were involved in the project.
(Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
()
Help Us Cover Your Community
- Got something you’ve always wanted to know about Southern California and the people who call it home? Is there an issue you want us to cover? Ask us anything.
- Have a tip about news on which we should dig deeper? Let us know.
The news cycle moves fast. Some stories don't pan out. Others get added. Consider this today's first draft, and check LAist.com for updates on these stories and more. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Support for LAist comes from
DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS
Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines.
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline.
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist