Controversial Proposal Would Dramatically Expand Diversion for Major Crimes, Undermining Overwhelming Support for Proposition 36 SACRAMENTO – Today, law enforcement officials across California raised urgent concerns about Assembly Bill 1231 (Elhawary), calling it a dangerous rollback that undermines accountability, weakens public safety protections, and directly defies the will of California voters who overwhelmingly supported Proposition 36. “AB 1231 will create an open highway of felony diversion cases that will undermine our existing justice system at the expense of community safety,” states Chief Jason Salazar, President of the California Police Chiefs Association. “Make no mistake, this is a dangerous bill and the…
Author: 2UrbanGirls Wire Reports
Read More
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined Grammy Award winner James Fauntleroy, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and community leaders to mark the construction kickoff of Creators @ Laboratory, a transformative workforce development and entertainment production hub located in South Los Angeles’ Crenshaw Empowerment District. “New jobs and new opportunities in the creative industry are coming to South Los Angeles, allowing community members to gain experience in the industry so that they can succeed,” said Mayor Bass. “The entertainment industry is core to our local economy and to our city’s identity, and Creators @ Laboratory is ensuring that South LA will continue to be…
LONG BEACH – Since July 14, 2025, detectives conducted a coordinated operation leading to the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of seven vehicles involved in a commercial burglary and illegal street racing takeover incident. Detectives have been investigating a July 14, 2025, incident at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Harding Street in which a commercial burglary took place in conjunction with an illegal street racing takeover. Burglary detectives conducted a detailed investigation that included speaking with business owners, reviewing security footage, and canvassing for additional evidence related to the crimes, which ultimately lead to identifying a suspect…
LONG BEACH – Long Beach is swinging for the fences. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson announced a bold new effort to bring professional baseball back to the city, directing staff through a City Council resolution, approved on July 22, to work collaboratively with California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and the Long Beach Baseball Club (LBBC) on a potential agreement that would allow Blair Field to serve as the home for a new independent professional baseball team. While there is no formal deadline associated with the effort, the goal is to begin play in the 2026 season. This is more…
A new study by the College Futures Foundation and The HEA Group ranks Cerritos College #1 in Los Angeles County and #10 in California for the return on investment (ROI) in higher education. According to the report “Golden Returns: A Regional Look at the Return on Investment of California’s Community and Career Colleges,” Cerritos College outperforms other two-year public institutions, with graduates recouping their investment in as little as two months, compared to the average of 2.6 years for the L.A. region. With an average two-year program cost of $1,386, Cerritos College alumni earn a median salary of $9,000 more…
LOS ANGELES – Members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Evghenia Scripnic, 27, of Los Angeles, on federal stalking charges, the FBI announced today. At her August 14 arraignment, Scripnic pleaded not guilty to one count of stalking. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on bond and scheduled an October 7 trial date in this case. According to the indictment, beginning in about March 24, 2024, and continuing to at least on or about June 17 in Los Angeles County and elsewhere, Scripnic used e-mail, the Internet and the telephone to intimidate victims described in court papers as Victim…
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has released the following details in response to their ongoing investigation into the death of Sheylla Cabrera. “On August 12, 2025, Lancaster Station took a missing Person report on Sheylla Cabrera, a 33-year-old female. During Lancaster Station’s follow-up investigation on August 13, 2025, they discovered additional video surveillance of the missing person’s husband dragging a large object in a large piece of material from the apartment complex in the 500 block of Lancaster Boulevard, where the missing person, her husband, and three young sons lived. Based on their additional information, they suspected foul play…
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that LATOYA CANTRELL (“CANTRELL”), age 53, and JEFFREY PAUL VAPPIE, II (“VAPPIE”), age 52, both residents of New Orleans, were charged in a superseding indictment today on federal charges concerning wire fraud and obstruction of justice. CANTRELL and VAPPIE were both charged in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, as well as a conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(k). VAPPIE is also charged with twelve counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and CANTRELL is charged in six…
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) released the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s decision to invoke Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 to seize control of the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC.”Trump is continuing to advance his racist agenda against Black folks. He is now using his executive privilege to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC, claiming he’s doing this to reduce crime, even though statistics show crime is at a 30-year low. He’s invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973. This emergency authority allows the…
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has filed two new public corruption charges against Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price after uncovering evidence that the city’s housing authority and LA Metro paid Price’s wife more than $800,000 total at the same time Price voted to award the agencies multimillion-dollar contracts. “Embezzling public funds and awarding contracts for your own financial gain is the antithesis of public service,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “Our communities expect and deserve better from their public officials. I thank our investigative team and prosecutors in the Public…
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office today filed its 132-page detailed response to a 2023 petition for writ of habeas corpus submitted on behalf of Lyle and Erik Menendez, demonstrating the manifest failure, both factually and legally, in the Menendez brothers’ effort to obtain a new trial. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman emphasized the strength of the original convictions and the lack of any legitimate basis for retrial. “After completing a thorough and exhaustive review of the Menendez brothers’ habeas corpus petition and the alleged ‘new’ evidence presented, we have concluded that this…
Athletes First, a premier sports representation and marketing agency, and Sinclair, a diversified media company and leader in local news and sports, today announced a landmark events and media partnership. This new collaboration will unite Athletes First’s best-in-class events and world-renowned talent with the top-tier sports properties and vast national audience of Sinclair and AMP Sports, Sinclair’s growing portfolio of digital content and original podcasts. “This partnership with Sinclair is a major step forward in how we amplify the impact of our events and our athlete clients,” said Matt Shulman, Head of Properties at Athletes First. “By combining our curated…
VENTURA — In a searing legal rebuke to corporate exploitation in the aftermath of one of Southern California’s most devastating wildfires, a victim of the November 2024 Camarillo Mountain Wildfire has filed a bombshell lawsuit against ServPro franchisee, One Silver Serve, LLC, doing business as ServPro Global DRT, alleging a brazen campaign of fraud, elder abuse, property destruction, emotional abuse, and attempted extortion. The lawsuit, filed in Ventura County Superior Court (Case No. 2025CUBC044025) by Craig M. Crosby, individually and as Trustee of the Craig M. Crosby Living Trust, is not just a legal complaint; it is a cry for…
Following continuous and growing public concern, the Torrance Mayor and City Council continue to urge Los Angeles County and its partner Weingart Center to reconsider a controversial proposal that would convert the Extended Stay America Hotel on 3525 Torrance Boulevard into permanent supportive housing under the State of California’s Homekey+ program. “We hear our community, and we share your concerns. The Homekey+ proposal was advanced without collaboration, and it places a complex and sensitive use in a location that is simply not right for Torrance. While we remain deeply committed to addressing homelessness with compassion and integrity, we urge Los Angeles County and Weingart…
Expanding Actum’s Leadership in California Through Strategic Communications, Advocacy, and Community Engagement Actum, a global consulting firm built to solve complex problems for clients around the world, today announced that Elevate Public Affairs, a female-owned California-based communications firm is joining Actum. Elizabeth Hansell and Becky Warren who co-founded Elevate join Actum as Partners. “Elizabeth and Becky are two of the most talented and impactful communications leaders in California, intensely focused on delivering measurable business wins for their clients,” said Fabian Núñez, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Actum. “They have built Elevate into a great firm with an exceptional team organized…