‘Irangeles’ Erupts In Joy Over Ayatollah Killing, But Politcos Worry

The Western Los Angeles area is home to more than one-third of the nearly 400,000 Iranian immigrants in the United States. 

Westwood erupted in noisy celebration on Saturday, with some supporters of Donald Trump claiming vindication. 

The corner in front of the Wilshire Federal Building, a frequent spot for demonstrations, became an impromptu block party Saturday.

Congressman Brad Sherman appeared at an anti-Kameini rally two weeks ago … campaigning for regime change in Tehran.

We know of no anti-war rallies in Southern California … but large demonstrations were reported in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday acknowledged what he called a “corrupt and repressive Iranian regime,” but said it didn’t justify the risks to American lives.

Senator Adam Schiff said “Trump is drawing our country into yet another foreign war that Americans don’t want and Congress has not authorized.”

Senator Alex Padilla said “This decision to strike Iran without Congressional approval stands in stark contrast to a President who promised to put Americans first and end foreign wars.”

And Malibu resident Kamala Harris said … quote: “ Let me be clear: I am opposed to a regime-change war in Iran, and our troops are being put in harm’s way for the sake of Trump’s war of choice.”

$5 Billion In Federal Disaster Money Handed Out, But Not One Penny For California, Malibu Still Out Millions

The White House handed out 5 billion dollars in disaster relief money late last week … but only to red states.

Mississippi … Louisiana … et cetera.

California is still waiting on more than 1 billion dollars in FEMA aid to help its recovery from several disasters like last year’s deadly wildfires … including funding for debris removal and power restoration.

Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California said in a statement, “Donald Trump and his Administration continue to play political games while disaster survivors and local governments are forced to wait for desperately needed federal resources.”

About 22 million dollars of that is due to Malibu.

The money is now being held hostage in a beetle between the White House and congressional democrats.

Many Democrats on Capitol Hill have proposed fully funding FEMA and other parts of DHS … while holding back money for Immigration and Customs Endforcvement … ICE …  and Customs and Border Protection. But top Republicans continue to reject that idea.

Los Angeles city and county … and other cites hosting World Cup games this summer … are asking for the had been asking for the 625 million dollars that FEMA is supposed to distribute for security ahead of the international sporting event.

Republicans in Congress promised the $625 million for security funding for cities hosting World Cup games.

The Trump administration told host cities they would hear back by the end of January about how much assistance they are getting. 

None of the promised money is coming yet from Washington. 

Viewpoint School Teacher Accused Of Taking and Possessing Child Porn

A teacher at Viewpoint School has been charged with possessing child sexual abuse material … and annoying or molesting four female students who were allegedly secretly photographed.

Travis Takeshi Shojinaga was arrested on one million dollars bail … last Wednesday at the school..

The 39 year old resident of Sylmar faces one felony count and four misdemeanor counts.

Shojinaga had taught at Viewpoint School for 10 years.  

The school on Mulholland Highway attracts a large number of Malibu parents. 

An 11-year-old student reported that he was secretly taking inappropriate photographs of female students, according to the L-A District Attorney’s Office.

SMMUSD Overhauls Policies On ICE, CBP On Campus

The Santa Monica school board has overhauled its policies on immigration enforcement.

Last week … the school board established new protections for students and staff.

The school board set a new policy on what district employees may do when federal immigration agents seek access to schools or school records.

Late last year … the Department of Homeland Security rescinded its longstanding policy that had limited immigration enforcement activities in schools and other “sensitive locations.” 

The state legislature then required school board to adopt local policies that reject federal agents on school campuses.

The new Santa Monica-Malibu board policy has a administrative regulation.

Employees may not solicit or collect information about the citizenship or immigration status of a student or their family members. 

They may not disclose personal records or other confidential employee information. And they may not grant an immigration enforcement officer permission to enter a school bus, district-provided transportation, or any non-public area of district property or facilities.

But teachers and staff are also prohibited from obstructing or impeding an officer who enters district property or a school bus. 

The policy sets out specific protocols staff must follow should that occur, as well as procedures for responding if an officer requests student information or if a student’s parent or guardian has been detained or deported.

The new school board policy explicitly extends immigration enforcement protections to district employees as well as students.

Malibu’s Safety Element Faces Planning Commission And Council

Malibu is trying to catch up with a state law that requires the city’s general plan to have a safety element … an in-depth study of what the dangers to the public are … and how the city will react. 

Malibu has not updated its safety element since 1995.

A 216-page study has been working its way thru the bureaucracy and has emerged for comment by the Planning Commission tonight … and by the city council next week.

State law requires the plan to plot out on maps where landslides or liquefaction might happen … or arenas subject to  flooding.

It has to identify all residences that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes.

It has to identify dangers from ocean level increases … a matter of particular danger to Malibu.

To be sure … Malibu’s city hall has been compiling data on this and other dangers for years. 

But it has not updated the General Plan with all of the separate items.

The proposed General Plan is up for public comment tonight at the Planning Commission meeting… and next week at the city council meeting. 

Texas Oil Company Loses Again In State Court, But Fweds May Allow Leaky Pipes To Resume Carrying Crude

In news from up the coast … a state judge is standing firm against claims by a Texas oil company that it has legal authority to resume oil drilling ay three leaky oil platforms off Santa Barbara.

Judge Donna Geck has refused to lift her temporary restraining order against Sable Offshore Oil … 

That is the Exxon Mobil spinoff in Houston … that claims to have rights to the Los Flores oil field … off US 101 near Gaviota. 

Sable claims that the Trump administration has declared the facility to be an interstate pipeline … and this exempt from California coastal protection laws.

But California points to a federal court ruling in 2015 … a consent decree signed by federal and state regulatory agencies after an oil spill contaminated the California coast as far as Malibu.

The state argues that this is a legally binding court document that explicitly gave the state the power to make the final restart decision.

Sable has lost ts bid to get out of state oversight in state court. 

It has a parallel federal lawsuit now pending in the US Court of Appeals … where the White House is trying to get the Texas company’s oil to flow thru the California ocean pipelines once again. 

A decision is expected on that … this summer. 

Prominent Doctor Admits Paying For Coverage By Malibu ‘News’ Reporter

Rebecca Grossman is in state prison … convicted of murdering two little boys as she and her boyfriend sped down a road in separate cars in Westlake Village. 

Her husband … Doctor Peter Grossman …  is fighting to free her from prison.

And Doctor Grossman is fighting to avoid paying damages to the mother and father who saw their sons run down and killed by his wife. 

The parents … Nancy and Karim Iskander … are suing Rebecca and Peter Grossman for damages … 

And this is again news in Malibu because of how Doctor Grossman is trying to sway the jury pool.

Grossman has testified in a sworn deposition that he paid a Malibu blogger as much as 50 thousand dollars.

And that blogger … Cece Woods … is admitting that she took some money from the doctor … as she wrote articles that allege the courts got the wrong person. 

In a statement posted online, Woods said that when she “is approached too cover a story in an investigative capacity, (she) vets the project and, when appropriate, assesses a project fee to research, write, and publish across (her) platforms,.”

Woods claims “this is not ‘favorable’ or slanted coverage” … and maintains her independence. 

The Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics says journalists refuse fees from sources. 

Period.

The story about Cece Woods getting paid by a source has broken wide open … with coverage in the Ventura County Star and the Agoura Hills Acorn.

Doctor Grossman has been ordered to answer questions about his efforts to buy favorable publicity … 

Also … his efforts to transfer the family’s money and mansion to a trust to possibly shield it from the family’s lawsuit. 

The trial is going on over in Van Nuys. 

Our story is based on reporting by the Ventura County Star and the Acorn newspaper . … and on documents admitted into open court.

Reporters are thus privileged to refer to them in their articles.

THIS STORY HAS BEEN EDITED TO CLARIFY  that the documents are admitted into open court and that the public is thus “privileged” to use them.

Board Of Supes To Consider Policy On Road Work During Red Flags

Residents living in and near the mountains count on roads through the mountains .,.. especially whenREd Flag Warnings are upend evacuations might be needed.

L A County Public works usually cancels construction during peak fire damger.

Now … county supervisor Lindsay Horvath wants the Board of Supervisors to enact that as an official policy … that LA County will not do road work during red flags.

And … that other agencies … like Southern California Edison … get their road closures out of the way during red flags.

Howrvath has asked there Board of Supervisors to adopt that as an official county policy.

She says … “it is critical that all activities that could result in sparks or limit evacuation access in our High FireSeverity Zones be limited or postponed during Red Flag conditions.”

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