Today on AirTalk, we review Black Lives Matter's proposed shifts in the Los Angeles budget. Also on the show, we get the latest on COVID-19; examine the legal questions behind the case against the four officers involved in the murder of George Floyd; and more.
The ‘People’s Budget’ And Mayor Garcetti’s Move To Allocate Funds From LAPD To Other Services
Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, along with Councilmembers Herb Wesson and Curren Price, introduced a motion yesterday to request $100 to 150 million in budget cuts for the Los Angeles Police Department.
The motion is designed to redirect the money to disadvantaged communities and communities of color.
The proposed cuts would amount to a relatively small fraction of the overall LAPD budget of $3.1 billion, but the motion is still a victory for a coalition of activists, led by Black Lives Matter-LA, who have been pushing the city to defund the police department and adopt a "People's Budget" proposal that invests in mental health care, housing and other social services.
Then yesterday evening, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said he had directed the city staff to identify $250 million in cuts from "every department, including the police department," to be redirected to health and education in the black community and other communities of color. That $250 million in cuts would include the $100 to 150 million in cuts for the LAPD that L.A. City Councilmembers called for earlier in the day.
Read more on LAist.
With files from LAist.
Guests:
Charisse Bremond, president and CEO of Brotherhood Crusade, a 51-year old community grass root organization in South Los Angeles
Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Los Angeles City Councilmember representing the 8th District, which encompasses parts of South Los Angeles and spans from Baldwin Hills to the border of Watts; he opposes the bill; he tweets
Frank Stoltze, KPCC public safety correspondent; he tweets
Parsing The Legal Questions Behind The Prosecution Of The Four Officers Involved In The Murder Of George Floyd
Prosecutors charged three more police officers Wednesday in the death of George Floyd and filed a new, tougher charge against the officer at the center of the case, delivering a victory to protesters who have filled the streets from coast to coast to fight police brutality and racial injustice.
The most serious charge was filed against Derek Chauvin, who was caught on video pressing his knee to Floyd’s neck and now must defend himself against an accusation of second-degree murder. The three other officers at the scene were charged for the first time with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
What is the difference between first-degree, second-degree and third-degree murder? And what are the strategic implications for how a prosecutor might determine those charges? We dive into these legal questions.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Shan Wu, former federal prosecutor based in Washington D.C.; he tweets
Richard Frase, a criminal law professor at the University of Minnesota Law School
Vegas Reopens, But What Does That Look Like Amid Nationwide Anti-Racism Protests And A Pandemic?
After 78 days of historic quiet, cards will be cut, dice will roll and jackpots can jingle again 12:01 a.m. Thursday at casinos in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada. There will be big splashes — even amid ongoing protests over the death of a man in police custody in Minnesota — and big hopes for recovery from an unprecedented and expensive shutdown prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Casino resorts that had been famously always open were shuttered in mid-March — idling Nevada’s key tourism and hospitality industry nearly 89 years to the day since gambling was legalized in 1931. Gov. Steve Sisolak’s emergency order closed non-essential businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Now, property owners, state regulators and Sisolak, a Democrat who has been criticized for the closure, are balancing those concerns against the loss of billions of dollars a month in gambling revenue and almost half a million unemployed workers. They are betting that safety measures — disinfected dice; hand sanitizer and face masks everywhere; limited numbers of players at tables; temperature checks at entrances to some resorts; touchless cellphone check-ins — will lure tourists back. So how did the roll out of reopening turn out?
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Chris Sieroty, producer for KNPR in Las Vegas who’s been covering this and veteran gaming reporter; he tweets
Killing of George Floyd At Center Of National Conversation, But For Many Black Americans, It's About More Than Just Him
The cell phone video of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for nearly nine minutes as he begged for air sparked protests against police brutality and systemic racism across the country, as chants of "Say his name!" and "I can't breathe!" have become oft-heard rallying cries at demonstrations and photos and murals of his face have been plastered on walls and signs in cities everywhere.
But as much as the protests and anger are about this one incident, for black Americans especially, it's about more than just George Floyd. It's about the other black men and women who have become household names because they died at the hands of -- Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, and others. It's about the black men and women whose names aren't commonly known but still died in police custody. It's about Christian Cooper, the Central Park birdwatcher who had the police called on him after he asked a white woman to leash her dog (because it’s the law), Ahmaud Arbery who was shot to death in Georgia while out for a run by two white men who thought he was a burglar and everyone who has also had whiteness weaponized against them but hasn't made national news.
It's been a reminder for black Americans about their own interactions with systemic racism and the painful, often dehumanizing feelings that stirs up. Our colleage, KPCC's Austin Cross shared his personal story in an essay he wrote for LAist this week about the first time he realized he was black and the first time he experienced racism with law enforcement.
Today on AirTalk, we're opening up our phones for our black listeners to share how they're processing the last few days -- we want to hear your personal stories. What are the feelings this has brought to the fore for you? How has it reminded you of your own encounters with racism in society, both in law enforcement and outside? If you have been part of the protests, peaceful or otherwise, what are your specific reasons for protesting?
Guest:
Jody Armour, professor of law at USC; he tweets