Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Alissa Walker

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 13h

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.

150 4K 8.7K

Reposted by Alissa Walker

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 12h

Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here.

Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race

southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children

Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.

southsideweekly.com

130 2.6K 5K

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 9h

Proposed activities for the city's 2028 program include cultural festivals in each council district, murals, viewing parties, transit corridor programming, and community activations — but there's no funding yet in place to do many of these things. Only $15 million has been budgeted so far

Programming
A
B
C
15 Council District-Specific Cultural Festivals
Arts Development Fee Projects
Mural Conservation & Legacy Enhancement Mural Works - New Murals, Conservation, and
Apprenticeship Program
New Community Activation Grant Category
Community Arts Celebrations & Exhibitions
Youth Arts Education & Engagement
←、<
Make Music LA
New Olympic & Paralympic Murals Community Celebrations - Cultural Activation (ie.
viewing parties)
くくくくく^
Cultural/Neighborhood Hubs & Community
Activations
<くくくく
Disability Arts & Paralympic Celebration
LA-Brisbane Cultural Exchange
Transit Corridor Cultural Programming
Games Venue Cultural Activation
Olympic/Paralympic Arts Festival
International Artist Exchange
LA River Cultural Activation

Framework A - Base Level ($15 Million) • Programming items labeled Framework A only (These are core, essential programs within
existing budgeted funds)
Framework B — Expanded Level ($30 Million)
• All items under Framework A • PLUS all items labeled Framework B only (This tier adds additional programs, projects,
and events as funding allows)
Framework C — Full Level ($40 Million)
• All items under Frameworks A and B • PLUS all items labeled Framework C (Complete programming, with all components
fully funded)

1 6

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 10h

LA's Department of Cultural Affairs just released its planning framework "intended to serve as a complementary plan to LA28’s Cultural Olympiad Strategic Plan."

Where is LA28’s Cultural Olympiad Strategic Plan? Good question.

Read here: culture.lacity.gov/2028-cultura...

Purpose:

The purpose of the 2028 Cultural Program for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Cultural Program) Framework is to provide a blueprint for the planning efforts related to the Host City’s arts and cultural activities of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Games). The Games agreement between the City and LA28 requires coordination between both organizations for the arts and cultural program for the Games, and requires a program that features local events, festivals, and cultural experiences that engage and showcase Los Angeles–based artists, neighborhood and arts organizations, and cultural producers, while utilizing existing arts and cultural facilities. The City’s Cultural Program will feature a wide range of disciplines including, but not limited to -– visual arts, exhibitions, music, dance, theater, film, literary arts, fashion, design, culinary arts, and multidisciplinary art forms—reflecting the breadth and depth of creativity across the City.

The City will collaborate with LA28, LA County, and a broad network of partners to deliver this vision through its Cultural Program, intended to serve as a complementary plan to LA28’s Cultural Olympiad Strategic Plan. The Cultural Program will actively build upon and engage with DCA’s extensive network of grantees, artist rosters and arts/cultural organizations, partners, and other artists across every region of Los Angeles to maximize participatory and engagement opportunities for City-based artists and organizations. These partnerships will have varying levels of commitments to maximize engagement—from direct programming and grant funding to partial support, affiliated initiatives, and coordinated programming—all unified through common branding, publicity, and cooperative outreach efforts.

Acting as a central hub for this work on behalf of the Host City, the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) will foster and grow partnerships that spark creativity, increase cultural connections, and generate a lasting i…

2 4 15

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 18h

Not that LA necessarily needs any help from ICE to surveil the people attending their megaevents

Joey Scott @joeyneverjoe.bsky.social · 5d

The LAPD justified this purchase, along with other digital surveillance technologies, by citing the Olympics and other major events coming to Los Angeles. The events are an excuse to grow the depts surveillance tech that they're using right now, including for protests. @nolympicsla.bsky.social

OUTCOMES AND IMPACT STATEMENT
Provide a clear description of existing capability levels that will support identified goals and objectives and whether the project is sustaining and
maintaining current capabilities as opposed to building new capabilities.
Describe the current state (baseline or starting point) of the project at the beginning of the FY 2022 UASI period of performance. Discuss major milestones,
purchases, training activities, or other implementation steps that have been or will have been started and/or completed before the application of FY 2022
UASI funds.
The goal of further developing these capabilities is not only to address all-crimes/all-hazards, but also prepare for large scale events such as the Super
Bowl, All-Star Game, World Cup, and Olympics -- all of which will be present in the City of Los Angeles in the next several years. Preparation for these
events from a digital perspective has to be appropriately measured and scaled in terms of both human analytic talent as well as technology. This project will
continue to build toward the Olympics 2028. All technologies have a myriad of public safety uses beyond major events, and will be utilized to their fullest
potential.

1 1 8

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 18h

When I shared this I really thought we'd see at least one or two local leaders saying this would not be the way LA would host the Super Bowl in 2027 but I guess not 🙃

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 2d

“There will be,” adding that federal immigration officers would be “all over” the event.

People should not attend the event, she went on, unless they are “law-abiding Americans who love this country”

Kristi Noem Says ICE Will Be ‘All Over’ the Super Bowl

www.nytimes.com

2 4 11

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 21h

Reminder also that the adjacent swim stadium in Expo Park will be closed for an indefinite amount of time in both 2027 and 2028 as the pool is upgraded to “international standards” then used as a staging area during the games

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 22d

City leaders are framing this as a win for the neighborhood, but, to be clear, this upgrade is not for local families — it's for training athletes. This benefits LA28 so they can use the pool as a staging ground for the summer, not necessarily the community, which apparently was never asked

1 7

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 21h

A temporary track and field venue being installed by LA28 will kick the Trojans out of their football stadium for the 2028 season, concludes Rich Perelman.

“There is — barring an engineering miracle — no chance that USC will play any of its 2028 home schedule in the Coliseum”

LOS ANGELES 2028: The temporary Olympic track in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum will surely send USC’s football team elsewhere in 2028 - The Sports Examiner

LOS ANGELES 2028: The temporary Olympic track in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum will surely send USC’s football team elsewhere in 2028 - The Sports Examiner - Your all-in-one coverage of Olympic-sports ne...

www.thesportsexaminer.com

3 9 20

Reposted by Alissa Walker

David Weiskopf believes in you @dave.bzky.team · 1d

Offsets can't cut carbon *even in theory*

The whole point of offsets is to create permission to *not* cut carbon.

So when they don't even live up to their own standard, they are so much worse.

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 1d

News that shocks no one: Carbon offsets do nothing for climate.

Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says

Analysis of 25 years of evidence shows most schemes are poor quality and fail to lower emissions

www.theguardian.com

3 62 170

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

THE COUCH IS GONE #couch2028

But I actually don’t know if the city picked it up because my 311 request is still open

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 5d

Maybe we can hold table tennis on this couch I reported to 311 nearly a month ago since I’m fairly certain it will still be here in 2028 even if the new convention center is not

The same couch from the quoted post on the sidewalk although now it’s turned upside down so you can see the springs

1 1 17

Reposted by Alissa Walker

sick public transit, gloria @seung.bsky.social · 1d

this dissonance is most pronounced in Koreatown, where so many of the working class in restaurants, grocery stores, small shops, etc. do not drive but the #1 political issue that makes residents and visitors go crazy alike is the lack of (free street) parking thanks to its high density

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

2 7 61

Reposted by Alissa Walker

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 1d

Infuriating: "Walking back the 'car-free' games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets."

Reminds me that "jaywalking" was coined by the auto industry in the early 20th century, trying to shift blame for street deaths.

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

4 13

Reposted by Alissa Walker

Ben @urbanistben.bsky.social · 1d

This place is both the most hostile to car ownership and most necessary place to own a car I've ever been

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

2 16

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Who wants to get creative with charter reform

4

Reposted by Alissa Walker

Carter Rubin @carterrubin.com · 1d

Angelenos Who Don't Drive would be the third largest city in California.

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

1 10 36

Reposted by Alissa Walker

redrum scare(d) corncob (no one said it made sense) @inquiline.myatproto.social · 1d

I know tons of nondrivers here but I didn't realize there are so many!

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

1 7 35

Reposted by Alissa Walker

Leslie, the Collab Auntie @lesliemuse.bsky.social · 1d

I’m part of that one-third. I can drive but don’t own a car and choose not to most of the time.

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

1 1 3

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Highly recommend diving into NRDC's study on car access, which @keawilson.bsky.social wrote about here: usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/02/report-16-million-have-no-car-access-at-all

Where Nadir was killed, 14% of LA households are car-free. But the infrastructure does not match that reality

A map of Los Angeles showing a breakdown in congressional districts with one highlighted district that reads "driving age people in households with no car" 14.74%

1 17

Reposted by Alissa Walker

David Weiskopf believes in you @dave.bzky.team · 1d

ONE IN THREE LOS ANGELES RESIDENTS DO NOT DRIVE

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

18 63

Reposted by Alissa Walker

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups @maximalistac.bsky.social · 1d

Highly recommend reading the story and following up by watching the video of the artist adding to Crosswalk Collective’s memorial crosswalk bar. www.instagram.com/reel/DNWB1xS...

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

2 4

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Also this part 😭

(Can we, just for a moment, acknowledge that the $100 million in annual liability payouts is the EXACT SAME AMOUNT we're now paying in annual convention center debt service and just briefly imagine another reality where the mayor held a flashy press conference announcing a $2.6 billion plan to save $100 million a year by repairing all of LA's sidewalks?)

2 35

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

3 43 160

Reposted by Alissa Walker

NOlympics LA @nolympicsla.bsky.social · 2d

As you see propaganda from the mayor’s office about the Convention Center remodel, remember this:

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · Apr 2

Many people don't know that LA is the host city. If the Olympics go over budget, here's who pays:

💰 First $270 million: City of LA
💰 Next $270 million: State of California
💰 Next $270 million: City of LA

For perspective, LA currently has a billion-dollar hole in its budget. It's a huge gamble

Bahrad Sokhansanj @bahrad.bsky.social · Apr 2

I legit had no idea that the City of LA itself is the host. I think a lot of people would have been a lot more hesitant to buy in if they were aware of the degree of risk being undertaken by the city itself absent a real plan on burden sharing by non city hosts.

8 21

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 2d

“There will be,” adding that federal immigration officers would be “all over” the event.

People should not attend the event, she went on, unless they are “law-abiding Americans who love this country”

Kristi Noem Says ICE Will Be ‘All Over’ the Super Bowl

www.nytimes.com

3 6

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 2d

New rule, all literary readings should feel like union rallies.

Thanks to @nyreviewofarch.bsky.social and all the architects, advocates, policymakers, and impacted families who shared their stories with me. (No thanks to Spencer Pratt.) LARA #2 available soon at nyra.nyc

It’s me wearing a leopard print jumpsuit standing on top of a very tall ladder reading from a newsprint publication to a large group of people in what looks like a factory

A closeup of me wearing that leopard print jumpsuit holding a microphone and reading from a newsprint publication on top of a tall ladder with a cluster of lighting fixtures behind me

Me standing with four other women at the same event but now on the ground: Jia Yi Gu, Joanne McNeill, Chelsea Kirk and Mimi Zeiger, and Chelsea is holding a copy of the Los Angeles Review of architecture showing an illustration of two rats in the iconic Julius Shulman photo of the Stahl House looking out over LA

A page from the publication impaled on a hook from the ceiling. The text reads Angeles Ashes
Postfire redevelopment could help long-term Altadena residents regain their footing — or hasten their exit. Alissa Walker
The illustration shows a burned home with a for sale sign plastered over with a SOLD sign

4 26