palestine flags waving behind tree

KEEPING OUR EYES ON GAZA

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In the midst of everything else going in the world, yes, it takes work to remain engaged.

Yes, it’s not fair to you.

Nonetheless, yes, simply remembering is still one of the most important acts we can take part in as citizens of the world.

Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to be connected to Shmily Shatha, an artist from none other than Gaza whose life has been upended going on nearly two years now, yet who still finds a way to express hope through her artwork. Along with her friends in Los Angeles, Shmily is selling her original illustrations, one sticker and tee shirt at a time. To learn more about her and how you can support, please find her heartfelt message below.

A map of historic Palestine overseen by a white dove. Shmily Shatha, November 2024.
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J.T.

FROM L.A. TO KHAN YUNIS: ALL EYES ON GAZA

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You can also watch this episode via YouTube.

In this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, guest David Cowen and I discuss his being diagnosed with bipolar disorder as early as when he was 21 years old, Kabbalah and Zionism, Israel’s genocide through forced starvation in Gaza, as well as rising homelessness in Los Angeles and California.

We also shout out a special fundraising campaign for Khaled, only five months old as his family flees south from Gaza to the border with Sudan due to Israel’s latest campaign against the Palestinian people, known as “Operation Gideon’s Chariots II.” To learn more about Ibrahim and Nagham’s campaign for Khaled, please do so here.

From David: “Dave Cowen turns the religious into humor, finds the ​s​piritual in the digital, and makes serious comics fun. His popular series of comedy Haggadahs for the Jewish holiday of Passover have been featured in The New York Times and include parodies of Trump, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mel Brooks, Kanye West, and The Office. His debut graphic novel, 11 years in the making, AN IMPERFECT UNION, is available on his Substack SerioComics, which also includes Q&As with the best makers of ​g​raphic literature today such as Pulitzer Prize winner Tessa Hulls, Eisner winner Shannon Wheeler, ​Melissa Chan and Badiucao, Sina Grace, Yasmeen Abedifard​, etc.​ Follow his stories and more on Instagram at (@_davecowen_).”

Thank you also to Nicolas Jara (@nicthejara) for video, Jacob on Sound (@fuller.sound), and Esteban (@marsbuiltstudio) for sharing his space for this discussion.

J.T.

RAISING OVER $1,000 FOR STREET VENDORS IN A SINGLE DAY

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On Sunday, August 3rd in East Hollywood, Mark Casas and his partner Angel Maria Zavala spearheaded a special pop-up with Ondo Coffee in support of Who Is Your Neighborhood, also known as Quien Es Tu Vecindario. The pop-up featured home-style chilaquiles as well as horchata, with proceeds from the event going directly to street vendors in our community.

In this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast we speak with Mark and Angel Maria as to just how we did it, including the way that growing up in Los Angeles and observing our family traditions inspired us into action.

For more on this story, sign up for Making a Neighborhood, the newsletter, here: https://makinganeighborhood.substack.com

To support our ongoing Vendor Buyout campaign, please do so here: https://onevecindario.org/buyout.

J.T.

3,000 ARRESTS PER DAY BUT NOT ENOUGH TIME TO WARRANT THEM

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You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

It’s Friday, August 1st, and for this installment of the podcast my goal is get you up to speed on all things on so-called “IMMIGRATION REFORM” as it pertains to Los Angeles, most of all for the people of Los Angeles.

In case this is your first time checking in about “THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE” in L.A., what you need to know is that since June 6th of this year, the city has found itself under siege on a totally racial basis, with ICE and Border Patrol in particular running rampant, by and large unconstitutionally arresting and detaining at least 3,000 people so far, including U.S. CITIZENS.

ON JULY 2ND AND JULY 3RD, the ACLU and PUBLIC COUNSEL FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST “THE DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.”

ON JULY 11TH, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE FRIMPONG GRANTED THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER ON ICESTAPO.

ON JULY 13TH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FILED AN AN APPEAL.

ON JULY 16TH, THIS REQUEST WAS DENIED.

NONETHELESS, THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS SCHEDULED A HEARING FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO SHOW JUST WHAT “IRREPARABLE HARM” WAS CAUSED BY THE RESTRAINING ORDER’S REQUIREMENT THAT ICE AND BORDER PATROL ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION.

THIS IS THAT HEARING, AND IN TURN, OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.

***To support a Local Vendor Buyout campaign for East Hollywood, Virgil Village and Silver Lake, please do so via Quien Es Tu Vecindario HERE.***

J.T.