July 20, 2025 • 36 mins
Michael's gives the latest on the vehicle that crashed into a crowd outside a nightclub in East Hollywood, leading to a shooting; the three LA County Sheriff's deputies killed in an explosion this week had long histories with the department and so do their families; LA Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom have scored victories this week over the Trump administration in the ongoing immigration battle, but that fight is far from over; and for the first time in years, LA Metro has seen a drop in ridership in June, which the agency blames on fears around immigration enforcement.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News with you for the next couple of hours live
in the studio tonight. So we want to hear from you.
Open up the iHeartRadio app, click on that talkback button.
When you hear something that makes you want to speak
out or share a thought, please do so. We're happy
(00:26):
to share them. Thanks for listening to a couple of
recorded programs that we did the previous weeks. Just a
quick insight on how some of the sausage is made
and the reason I do that. First, I want to
say I did see all of the talkbacks that came
in while we were doing two recorded shows over over
the past couple of weekends. You all are great and
so kind. Thank you for joining us every Saturday night.
(00:46):
But it's summertime and like any workplace, people take vacations
and while I was not the one lucky enough to
be away this time, folks were, and so there was
just a need to play my program not just on
Saturday night, but also on Sunday afternoon, and it's easier
if I just recorded. It's actually more work, but it's
easier technically because I don't slip up and talk about tonight,
(01:08):
or give you a Dodger score, or ask you to
send your talkbacks in so that they don't you get
people to respond on a Sunday afternoon when I was
only asking you on Saturday night. So just a little
bit of how the sausage was made. Great to be
back with you live on what has turned out to
be another beautiful day. What a streak we've had here
(01:28):
in Southern California over the past several days. I was thinking,
just this week as I paid my LADWP bill, I
haven't turned the air on much at all, maybe just
three or four days total so far this summer. I
know it's coming. I know it's coming, but we've been
pretty lucky so far. Right now, the Dodgers are trailing
(01:48):
the Brewers four to two in the bottom of the third,
and the Angels lost nine to five in Philly. They'll
try to rebound tomorrow night, ten thirty five our time.
And meanwhile, it has been just a very busy week
for news in Los Angeles, in southern California, and yesterday,
(02:11):
of course, was the most tragic that we've experienced in
recent weeks, and last night and this morning was another
terrible thing. So I want to start with this situation
that happened late last night early this morning in East Hollywood.
Thirty people injured, some critically when a car plowed into
(02:32):
a crowd outside a nightclub there in East Hollywood. The
driver was apparently shot by someone in that crowd. Then
that shooter fled the scene on foot. Here's a report
from ABC's Alex Stone.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
LAPD sources to LABC News, a driver will be arrested
for assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly driving down
a crowded sidewalk outside of a nightclub, hitting a food
vendor and people outside of that club. After crashing it
the crowd, the driver was pulled out of his car,
beaten by the crowd and was shot. The LAPD says
he is a suspect and a victim in surgery for
(03:08):
the gunshot wound. He has not yet been arrested, and
a motive for driving into the crowd is unclear. That,
like Stone, ABC News, Los Angele just an absolute bizarre
and dangerous situation here's more from ABC's Melissa Aiden.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
The Los Angeles Police Department, though, is looking for the
suspect that shot at that driver, and of course we're
looking further into what the motive of that driver why
essentially he decided to drive his car into this group
of people. What we've learned about that driver was that
essentially he when he crashed in the group of people,
(03:44):
bystanders took him out of that car, started attacking him,
and then that driver suffered a gunshot wound, so someone
took out a gun on him. This is where area
has been cleaned off and already reopened by police, but
essentially LA Fire reporting to US thirty people were injured
because they were outside of this music venue, the Vermont.
(04:04):
They had event last night with hip hop music. It
attracted a crowd that was outside nearby.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
There was a valet.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Attendant a stand, and then a nearby food truck also
a taco stand, so they had a big group of people.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
It just sounds like it was absolute chaos. I know
there are a lot of videos circulating on social media,
but imagine just going out for the night and being
a part of this. It shows you just how fragile
life can be La Fire Department Captain Eric Scott, who
was a spokesperson for the department, had this to say,
this was.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
A kurd on a sidewalk outside of a nightclub and
we had numerous individuals present because there was a taco
hot dog stand with people lined up for food. There
was a valet podium that was hit and destroyed. People
were lined up for that as well as others just
coming out of the nightclub. We came in force. We
had one hundred and twenty four firefighters that worked urgently
(04:58):
to triage, treat, and transport a large number of injured individuals.
We had thirty patients that we had to deal with
and twenty three of them had to be transported to
the hospital and seven in critical condition because of the injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Just terrible. And if you're wondering what it was like
to be there when this situation unfolded, this guy ulkrum
ALATORI was there. Here's what he saw.
Speaker 7 (05:24):
I made sure the people that came with weren't hurt,
and I was making sure the people around me, like
were good. There was people that were hit badly, you know,
that were unconscious kind of like everyone was looking for
their their items their people, their loved ones, their phones,
their lost friends. Everything was just scattered like no one
expected that car to come. There's hotdog stands that were
(05:45):
outside the bar, I mean the club.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
They got hit.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Just absolutely scary. Seven people in critical conditions, six seriously injured,
ten in fair condition, according to emergency responders on the scene.
Seven others were assessed and they refused to be treated
at the hospital. Now, this driver had reportedly been removed
from a nearby business, and what we're hearing is that
(06:17):
he tried to go back into the club after being
asked to leave and was upset that he was refused
re entry. And that is allegedly when this man got
into his car and plowed into this crowd and then
he was shot. But imagine all of that confusion, especially
for the first responders, and then especially for those of
(06:39):
us who have the responsibility of reporting to you, the public,
of what's happened, because you may have thought, and it
would have been fair to think this that, oh man,
this was a terrible crime that took place first, and
then a horrible accident that followed. This guy was driving
it or caught up in something. He was shot and
then plowed into this crowd, but that wasn't the case. Apparently,
(07:03):
it looks like had some trouble at the club, was
asked to leave, tried to go back, and was really
ticked off that they wouldn't let him back in, winning
got his car plowed into the crowd, injured all of
these people, some critically, and somebody in that crowd opened
fire on him. And now that person who allegedly opened
fire is being sought by police. Crazy chaotic scene in
(07:26):
East Hollywood, and another immediate reminder that we really didn't need,
especially after yesterday, of how fragile life can be. I
mentioned this as I was covering this terrible explosion at
the La County Sheriff's Department training facility in Monterey Park
all day yesterday on all of our shows, that it's
(07:49):
true for all of us that when we leave the house,
that could be the last time we see our home.
It's a horrible fact of life, but it's not really
top of mind. Ideally, if you're in law enforcement, it's
a different story. You're having that thought much more frequently
because it is your job to place yourself in volatile,
(08:12):
dangerous and tragic situations. But nevertheless, it is true for
all of us. So we saw that in Ease, Hollywood,
and then, of course not even twenty four hours before that,
we saw it really play out for the La County
Sheriff's Department in the deadliest day for that department in
(08:35):
almost one hundred and seventy years. Up next, we're going
to talk about what happened. We're learning more about the
three veteran members of the La County Sheriff's Department who
lost their lives and will explore who they were as
people still try to figure out what exactly led to
(08:56):
this tragedy, and we do have a busy two hours
ahead for that. We're going to get into the week
and immigration enforcement. It looks like La Mayor Bass and
Governor Newsom have scored a couple of victories over the
Trump administration, but that war is far from over, and
the immigration raids have apparently brought a halt to a
(09:18):
winning streak by La Metro. That's all coming up in
this first hour on Michael Monks Reports here live on
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Demand, KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News live here on a Saturday night in southern California.
With you for the next couple of hours. Thank you
for being with us. It was a tragic friday here
(09:51):
in La County. Three Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies
killed and an explosion at a training facility in Monoey Park.
These were gentlemen who worked on the explosives team and
something horrible happened yesterday morning on the scene of that.
(10:12):
We're going to talk about who these three guys were
just ahead, but first a recap of what happened.
Speaker 8 (10:21):
At fifty two forty Davis did report and explosion with
three down fires also notified to come from that related
to explosion at one grow six year Northeastern Avenue.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
All three deputies described as elite members of the Arson
Explosive Detail with decades of service.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
The sheriff addressed the media.
Speaker 9 (10:52):
I have met with two of the three families thus far,
and as you can imagine, those were extremely challenge conversations.
Investigators are not trying to retrace the steps of these
bomb squad members to try to better understand the devices.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
That they picked up on Thursday and still trying to
learn how they exploded.
Speaker 9 (11:11):
So it is a somewhat of a beautiful day to
day weatherwise, but there's definitely a black cloud hanging over
the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Tragically, they were three
sworn members who were fatally killed that were assigned to
our Arson Explosives detail. This is unfortunately the largest loss
(11:32):
of life for us as the LA County Sheriff's Department
since eighteen fifty seven. Our intent is to look at
this from the very beginning and figure out what is
it exactly that caused this tragic event.
Speaker 10 (11:48):
You know, this highlights the need for training and investment
in the Sheriff's Department, for us to have the best
possible facilities of training so that we get into the
best outcomes and not you know, obviously to day the
experience there's some of all possible outcomes.
Speaker 11 (12:02):
You do this job for a reason. You don't think
about it day to day until something like this happens
and then you realize how the interus it really is.
We don't think about it every day. We just come
to work, do our job, and like you said, when
something like this happens. It's just a tragedy.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
That tragedy claimed the lives of detectives Joshua Kelly Ecklund,
Victor Limis, and William Osborne. We'll talk about who they
were in just a moment, But as far as what
led up to that tragedy, it's still unclear, at least publicly.
This site where it happened in East La Monterey Park,
(12:40):
it was not deemed to be safe by investigators until
much later in the morning, before Sheriff Luna finally addressed
the media, clearly shaken up by what happened to his
members and after the conversations he had have with two
of their families, He says he would not confirm reports
suggesting the explosion involved unexploded ordnance that had been seized
(13:03):
on Thursday. But what we know is that on Friday yesterday,
Santa Monica police, along with county and federal investigators, were
seen searching an apartment complex in the eight hundred block
of Bay Street near Lincoln Boulevard.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
Now.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
A resident of that complex told KTLA that police and
Sheriff's officials had been at that building Thursday to retrieve
some old grenades. That a tenant found in a storage
unit apparently left behind by a previous tenant. The search
on Friday afternoon prompted an evacuation of at least part
of that apartment complex as investigators swept the property for
(13:45):
any additionally excuse me, additional potentially dangerous materials. The Sheriff's
Department is investigating the apartment complex in connection with the explosion,
according to a spokesperson who spoke to the Los Angeles Times.
Detective Kelly Eckland joined the Sheriff's Department in two thousand
and six. He worked at multiple stations, was promoted to
(14:08):
the rank of detective at the Narcotics Bureau in twenty sixteen,
assigned to the LA Impact Team, investigating complex crime, seizing
large quantities of narcotics, and assisting in the arrest of
murder suspects. In twenty twenty two, he became an arson
and explosive investigator with a special Enforcement Bureau and received
his bomb Tech certification, as well as other training accolades.
(14:33):
Detective Kelly Ecklund survived by his wife and their seven children,
and Victor Limis. Detective Victor Limis joined the LASD on
July first, two thousand and three as a security assistant.
He completed the Sheriff's Deputy Sheriff Academy in two thousand
and three before he was assigned to the Twin Towers
(14:55):
Correctional Facility, where he ran on the Baker to Vegas
running team, and following that he transferred to the lasd
Century Station, where he worked as a senior training officer
and detective. He transferred to the Special Enforcement Bureau in
twenty seventeen, where he was assigned as a canine handler
prior to becoming an arson and explosive investigator. Last year,
(15:15):
he received commendations for his ability to mentor and train
fellow deputies, as well as notable arrests involving career criminals.
He survived by his wife, also a Sheriff's Department detective,
Nancy Limis, and three daughters. He has three sisters who
are also in the department. Detective Osborne graduated from the
(15:36):
Sheriff's Academy in February nineteen ninety two. Originally assigned to
the Men's Central Jail, the transferred to the Pico Rivera
Station in ninety eight as a patrol deputy, then to
the Industry station in two thousand and one before he
was promoted to detective, where he received commendations for his
work recovering stolen vehicles. He transferred to the Training Bureau
(15:57):
as an Emergency Vehicle Operations Center instructor in twenty sixteen,
but he says it's said that his love for investigations
drew him back to detective work, and he joined the
Special Enforcement Bureau as an arson and Explosive investigator in
twenty nineteen, handling cases involving high dollar loss fires and
residential properties, as well as fires involving the loss of life.
(16:19):
He was described as one of the tenured bomb technicians
regularly relied upon when faced with a new challenge. He
has a broad range of experience and could be relied
upon to provide relevant insight on a broad range of subjects.
He survived by his wife, Detective Shannon Rincn, four sons
(16:39):
and two daughters. Those three men had more than seventy
years experience between them, sixteen children, and obviously some other
family members working in the Sheriff's department. Just an absolute
gut punch. That's too soft, but I can imagine a
(17:04):
lot of the La County Sheriff's Department and law enforcement
officials around southern California are absolutely wrecked by this, the
worst possible outcome. May they rest in peace When memorial
services are announced, We'll have that covered for you right
here on KFI and coming up here on Michael Monks Reports.
(17:31):
Lamhor Bass and Governor Newsom appear to have claimed a
couple of victories against the Trump administration as it relates
to their ongoing battle on the immigration front. We'll talk
about why they're happy, but cautious because those fights are
still not over. Meanwhile, it's been month after month after
month of La Metro touting higher ridership numbers on bus,
(17:56):
on rail. They're almost back to pre pandemic levels. Until
June a significant drop in ridership. I'll tell you why
they say that happened. As we conclude this first hour
of Michael Monk's reports here on KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Demand, KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI
News with until nine o'clock tonight. Thanks for being with us.
On what is really a beautiful Saturday night in southern California.
You may have noticed that the demonstrations against immigration enforcement
(18:36):
in our area have not been as large recently, and
you also haven't seen a lot of large scale immigration enforcement.
Things are not completely quiet, but they are certainly quieter,
and we are seeing Governor Newsome and La Mayor Bass,
(18:59):
while they are still a set with immigration enforcement at all,
they are happy about a couple of things that have
transpired this week, including one of them that may be
directly responsible for how much quieter it has become here.
A federal judge in Los Angeles last week told the
(19:19):
government that you can't have immigration agents just approach people
that you think are immigrants here illegally because they look Latino,
or because they're speaking Spanish, or because they're hanging out
at home depot or at a car wash. Basically, ethnicity, language,
and location. That's not a good enough reason to approach them.
(19:42):
This week, that same judge rejected a request by government
attorneys to pause her ruling barring immigration agents from detaining
people without reasonable suspicion beyond their race, ethnicity, or occupation.
Government attorneys have now turned to an Appeals Court to
issue a a stay of the order. Government lawyers for
(20:03):
the Trump administration contend this judge's order halting what they
call roving patrols of federal immigration agents in the LA
area is a straight jacket preventing President Trump from quote
ensuring that immigration laws are enforced. Just Thursday, this same
(20:24):
judge denied the government's request for a stay of the ruling,
writing that the government had not shown that it will
suffer any harm from the restraining orders she issued last week,
and because the federal government did not follow the rules
for making this request. So that is a legal battle
that is still ongoing. But right now the victors are
(20:45):
the ACLU, who first filed that suit with other avocacy
organizations and who were later joined by many local governments,
LA County, the City of Los Angeles, and other cities
in LA County. This week, in Orange County City decided
to join that lawsuit as well. The Santa Anna City
(21:06):
Council voted to join the city and the County of
LA and several other cities in a lawsuit seeking to
prevent US agents from conducting immigration enforcement raids without reasonable
suspicion or probable cause. This was a unanimous vote at
the Santa Anna City Council, So now Santa Anna is
part of this. The other thing that transpired that looks
like a short term win for elamare Bass and Governor Newsom,
(21:31):
who have spoken against this since the beginning, was the
federal government deciding to release two thousand California National Guard
troops from Los Angeles. There's still about two thousand of
them remaining here and seven hundred United States Marines who
were deployed here on the orders of President Trump. California
had sued over this issue, but President Trump prevailed in
(21:53):
that lawsuit, and now what we're hearing from the Trump
administration is that the lawlessness they called it in Los
Angeles has subsided. Here's what Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom
have had to say about it in recent days.
Speaker 12 (22:09):
I have said from the beginning that what is happening
in Los Angeles is we are being used as a
test case, and I am hoping that this experiment with
the lives of people ends here. This has been a
blow to the economy of the nation's second largest city.
We are an immigrant city, a city where they're sectors
of our economy that are dependent on immigrant labor. We've
(22:32):
had an important victory, I think because Los Angeles stood strong.
Speaker 13 (22:38):
They even realized the absurdity of this, and they're talking
about a demobilization of roughly two thousand of the seventy
ninth Infantry. The President of the United States decided to
advance his rote cruelty by utilizing the brave men and
women of the National Guard as ponds.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Now there is still another legal battle between the Trump
administration and local government officials because they have sued they
being The Trump administration has sued the city of La
over its sanctuary policy. That suit is still making its
way through the court system. But some of these orders
(23:22):
move quickly, and then so do the appeals, and then
so does the aftermath. But right now it just seems
like things are much quieter. What I thought was interesting
was we saw some pretty heavy immigration enforcement in the
Sacramento area. So I don't know if that's a clue
(23:42):
that perhaps because Sacramento is not part of this LA lawsuit,
that immigration officials have turned to other areas that have
not won this protection temporary though it may be. That's
what we'll be watching for next week to see how
things go on the Immigration Front, and you can weigh
(24:03):
in by opening up the iHeartRadio app, clicking on that
talkback button, and letting us know your thoughts. How do
you feel about these court orders? How do you feel
about the state of immigration enforcement in Los Angeles. I
know that activists against federal immigration enforcement in southern California
have been very outspoken, especially when it comes to the
(24:23):
role that the LAPD and the La County Sheriff's Department
have played, or have allegedly played in federal immigration enforcement.
Now Los Angeles is designated a sanctuary area. The law
enforcement agencies here know that you will hear LAPD Chief
Jim McDonnell. You will hear La County Sheriff Robert Luna
(24:47):
talk about what they do and don't do when it
comes to federal enforcement of immigration policies. It's a sensitive
topic for them. They continually reassure the public that we
are not here to grab illegal immigrants and throw them
back across the border. But the LAPD had gotten into
(25:10):
it at some of these protests try to restore some
peace when they got a little crazy, and they use
some of those less lethal or non lethal munitions and
they hit some journalists and so the LAPD was ordered
by a judge just last week. You can't be shooting
(25:32):
journalists like that anymore. US District Judge Hernan di Vera
noted that depress access to law enforcement actions during mass
protests plays a critical role in preventing constitutional violations. So
now the LAPD is directly prohibited from stopping a journalist
(25:53):
from entering or remaining in an area closed off due
to protest activity, from intentionally assaulting, interference with, or obstructing
working journalists covering protests, and citing, detaining or arresting a
journalist who is in a closed area for failure to disperse,
curfew violation, or obstruction of a law enforcement officer for gathering,
(26:14):
receiving or processing information. Meanwhile, Sheriff Robert Luna had to
come out just this week, a day before the tragedy
in East LA and explain why his deputies at his
jails have turned over twenty illegal immigrants from their bars,
from their cells to federal agents.
Speaker 9 (26:35):
That is consistent with California law and county policy. We
have and we will continue to honor federal judicial warrants.
We do not honor ice detainers or request for transfers.
We do not allow immigration officials to operate within our facilities.
(26:57):
These warrants are an effective and peaceful vehicle in transferring
individuals who have committed violent or serious crimes. Most of
these individuals have had serious or violent charges such as
attempted murder, robbery, rape, and sexual battery. The Department does
(27:19):
not ask, nor does it possess any information about citizenship
for the status of individuals in our custoday, I just
want to reemphasize that once we receive the letter, we
will absolutely review it to determine what information, if any,
we can legally provide.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
So what he's talking about there at the end is
the Department of Justice. The US Department of Justice has
said it is sending a letter to sheriffs across California.
They want all the information on all the illegal immigrants
in county jails. Sheriff Luna says, we can give you
a list of everybody who's in the jail, but we
do not keep track of people's legal status. We don't
even ask them that. The reason is we need folks,
(28:01):
regardless of their immigration status, to cooperate with us when
we are doing investigation. So if they're looking for a
killer or a thief, for some violent criminal or any
type of criminal investigation. They want people to feel comfortable
giving them information without fear of being deported for cooperating
with the Sheriff's department. Other immigration headlines from this week,
(28:26):
the La County Supervisors have discussed four possible motions, including
a cash aid fund for workers and families who have
been impacted by immigration raids that has not been approved yet.
They're basically asking for information on how that could work.
We heard La County Supervisor Jenis Hahn and La City
Councilman Tim Mcoscar, and some state lawmakers who represent the
(28:47):
Harbor area calling on federal agents to stop using Terminal
Island for immigration efforts. Now there is federal land there,
a prison there, the Coastguard has a base there, so
it seems like an unlikely or a request that is
unlikely to be granted by the federal government. And the
organizers of the annual festival chappein Los Angeles, they announced
(29:10):
this week that they have postponed their event due to
concerns over recent federal immigration enforcement activity in the region.
This is a celebration of Guatemalan culture through music, food, art,
and traditional dance that's gone on for eight years. Previously,
this would be the ninth edition. It was scheduled to
happen next month. They have pushed it back to October
at Lafayette Park in the Westlake area. But that's not
(29:33):
the only thing that has allegedly taken a hit because
of immigration enforcement around Los Angeles. The other is Writer's
Ship on Metro. We're going to get into that next.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monk's reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News with you live on this Saturday night in southern California.
Will be with you till nine o'clock. Thanks for being
with us. Now, if you follow the governance of the
buses and the trains in Los Angeles County, you got
(30:08):
to pay attention to who's running that show.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
Now.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
If you don't, that's why I'm here. That's why I
pay attention to the La Metro Board of Directors. Two
years ago, the chair of that board was La Mayor Bass.
For the past year it's been La County Supervisor Janis Han.
The new chair of the board. This always changes hands
in July is a man named Fernando Dutram. He's a
(30:36):
councilman in Wittier, so he doesn't necessarily have the name
recognition that the mayor of Los Angeles or a county
supervisor with a prominent political family name has, But he
is going to be wielding a gavel at meetings for
the board of directors of a very important organization. It
(30:57):
will be curious to see how his name recognition grows
and what his priorities are. He's a builder by trade,
and Ellie Metro is in the midst of a massive
building project, I should say, projects all over the region,
and this is something that I've often said, especially when
I'm on with Moe Kelly. He's very critical of Metro.
(31:19):
I'm a Metro user, especially the subway system and the
light rail system. On paper, the system is pretty good.
It could be better. Of course, they were really late
to the game for a major city, but on paper
it's a pretty good system. You can get to a
lot of places, and you're going to be able to
get to a lot more very soon. But it's still
a little grimy. It can be a little scary. Supervisor
(31:43):
Janis Hahn, who cheered the board for the past year,
had this to say about her year wielding that gavel.
Speaker 5 (31:49):
This was a year when Metro didn't just operate. We
showed up. When devastating wildfire swept through communities. We made Metro.
Speaker 14 (31:58):
Free for all of our riders and provided buses that
got our firefighters where they need it to be. We
even had Metro staff stationed for weeks in the recovery
centers to help fire victims in person. Over six thousand
flyer survivors enrolled in our Life program, providing them twenty
free rides.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
A month for six months so that they could focus
on rebuilding their lives.
Speaker 14 (32:22):
Another way Metro has shown up this year is for
the immigrant communities that we serve. In February, we made
know your Rights materials available on our buses and in
our stations, and now, as our communities face terrible and
dehumanizing ice sweeps, we will continue to support and protect
our riders as best we can. When I became chair,
(32:45):
I said I would ride Metro regularly, and I did.
In fact, even though my term as chair is ending,
I'm going to keep riding Metro. I learned what it's
like to ride the system, what it feels like when
a bus breaks down. It makes me late to my
own board meeting. What are rioters experience every day. Another
promise I made was to make safety my top priority.
(33:06):
We raised fairgates, we added lighting testations, and increase the
presence of ambassadors and visible security on our system.
Speaker 5 (33:15):
Although I've never seen them writing the Silver Line.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
A couple of things there. One that little remark she
added at the end, I've never seen them riding the
Silver Line. She's using the old name for the J
Line as it's known now. That's the one of those
specialized bus lines that can move quickly through the region
because of specialized lanes, And that's the bus line she
would ride from the Harbor area up to these Metro
board meetings. And even she, as chair would say, I
(33:38):
hadn't seen any of these new security guards on the system,
which is an odd thing to say so flippantly. Two,
you heard her mention the support that Metro has given immigrants.
Apparently it hasn't been enough to convince those folks to
keep writing. We've heard month after month at these board
meetings at Metro that writership is increasing The numbers that
they provide to back that up do show this. In fact,
(34:02):
weekend ridership is almost at pre pandemic levels. Weekday ridership
is on its way there. They are routinely meeting year
over year statistics. Until June, Metro saw a ten to
fifteen percent decline and ridership across its system, citing US
Immigration and Customs enforcement operations that sparked protest in early
(34:24):
June against that activity in the region. Over the course
of the month, Metro noted ridership improved and the agency
recorded a total twenty three point seven million boardings on
bus and rail. So it looks like they took a
hit early in the month, and then as the month
went on they got the numbers to trend back in
the direction that they want. But the immigration enforcement has
(34:49):
scared people away. They've also shut down the D Line subway,
which runs from Union Station through Koreatown because it's being expanded.
It's going to eventually go all the way to Westwood.
They're going to be opening up some stops later this
year as part of that effort. So the D Line
is shut down while they do some construction work on that.
But Metro saw its first decline in a long time
(35:09):
because of what they say is the fear that the
community is feeling over these immigration raids. We have a
whole other hour together here at Michael Monks Reports. I'm
so glad that you're with us, because there's a lot
more news to get to. LA County pushed through this
measure last November that will give us more supervisors. Right
(35:29):
now there are five, there will be nine. There will
also be a very powerful position, a county wide elected executive,
basically a county mayor. But when voters approved this, unbeknownst
to the county itself, it did away with another ballot
measure that voters approved five years earlier, and now the
(35:49):
county is scrambling to fix that. They don't even know
if they will be able to. Plus some words from
the in and out CEO. It's gotten a response from
the governor, but she's not the only one who's leaving California.
That's up next in the next hour of Michael Monks
Reports here on KFI AM six forty KFI
Speaker 1 (36:09):
AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News with you for the next couple of hours live
in the studio tonight. So we want to hear from you.
Open up the iHeartRadio app, click on that talkback button.
When you hear something that makes you want to speak
out or share a thought, please do so. We're happy
(00:26):
to share them. Thanks for listening to a couple of
recorded programs that we did the previous weeks. Just a
quick insight on how some of the sausage is made
and the reason I do that. First, I want to
say I did see all of the talkbacks that came
in while we were doing two recorded shows over over
the past couple of weekends. You all are great and
so kind. Thank you for joining us every Saturday night.
(00:46):
But it's summertime and like any workplace, people take vacations
and while I was not the one lucky enough to
be away this time, folks were, and so there was
just a need to play my program not just on
Saturday night, but also on Sunday afternoon, and it's easier
if I just recorded. It's actually more work, but it's
easier technically because I don't slip up and talk about tonight,
(01:08):
or give you a Dodger score, or ask you to
send your talkbacks in so that they don't you get
people to respond on a Sunday afternoon when I was
only asking you on Saturday night. So just a little
bit of how the sausage was made. Great to be
back with you live on what has turned out to
be another beautiful day. What a streak we've had here
(01:28):
in Southern California over the past several days. I was thinking,
just this week as I paid my LADWP bill, I
haven't turned the air on much at all, maybe just
three or four days total so far this summer. I
know it's coming. I know it's coming, but we've been
pretty lucky so far. Right now, the Dodgers are trailing
(01:48):
the Brewers four to two in the bottom of the third,
and the Angels lost nine to five in Philly. They'll
try to rebound tomorrow night, ten thirty five our time.
And meanwhile, it has been just a very busy week
for news in Los Angeles, in southern California, and yesterday,
(02:11):
of course, was the most tragic that we've experienced in
recent weeks, and last night and this morning was another
terrible thing. So I want to start with this situation
that happened late last night early this morning in East Hollywood.
Thirty people injured, some critically when a car plowed into
(02:32):
a crowd outside a nightclub there in East Hollywood. The
driver was apparently shot by someone in that crowd. Then
that shooter fled the scene on foot. Here's a report
from ABC's Alex Stone.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
LAPD sources to LABC News, a driver will be arrested
for assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly driving down
a crowded sidewalk outside of a nightclub, hitting a food
vendor and people outside of that club. After crashing it
the crowd, the driver was pulled out of his car,
beaten by the crowd and was shot. The LAPD says
he is a suspect and a victim in surgery for
(03:08):
the gunshot wound. He has not yet been arrested, and
a motive for driving into the crowd is unclear. That,
like Stone, ABC News, Los Angele just an absolute bizarre
and dangerous situation here's more from ABC's Melissa Aiden.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
The Los Angeles Police Department, though, is looking for the
suspect that shot at that driver, and of course we're
looking further into what the motive of that driver why
essentially he decided to drive his car into this group
of people. What we've learned about that driver was that
essentially he when he crashed in the group of people,
(03:44):
bystanders took him out of that car, started attacking him,
and then that driver suffered a gunshot wound, so someone
took out a gun on him. This is where area
has been cleaned off and already reopened by police, but
essentially LA Fire reporting to US thirty people were injured
because they were outside of this music venue, the Vermont.
(04:04):
They had event last night with hip hop music. It
attracted a crowd that was outside nearby.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
There was a valet.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Attendant a stand, and then a nearby food truck also
a taco stand, so they had a big group of people.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
It just sounds like it was absolute chaos. I know
there are a lot of videos circulating on social media,
but imagine just going out for the night and being
a part of this. It shows you just how fragile
life can be La Fire Department Captain Eric Scott, who
was a spokesperson for the department, had this to say,
this was.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
A kurd on a sidewalk outside of a nightclub and
we had numerous individuals present because there was a taco
hot dog stand with people lined up for food. There
was a valet podium that was hit and destroyed. People
were lined up for that as well as others just
coming out of the nightclub. We came in force. We
had one hundred and twenty four firefighters that worked urgently
(04:58):
to triage, treat, and transport a large number of injured individuals.
We had thirty patients that we had to deal with
and twenty three of them had to be transported to
the hospital and seven in critical condition because of the injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Just terrible. And if you're wondering what it was like
to be there when this situation unfolded, this guy ulkrum
ALATORI was there. Here's what he saw.
Speaker 7 (05:24):
I made sure the people that came with weren't hurt,
and I was making sure the people around me, like
were good. There was people that were hit badly, you know,
that were unconscious kind of like everyone was looking for
their their items their people, their loved ones, their phones,
their lost friends. Everything was just scattered like no one
expected that car to come. There's hotdog stands that were
(05:45):
outside the bar, I mean the club.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
They got hit.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Just absolutely scary. Seven people in critical conditions, six seriously injured,
ten in fair condition, according to emergency responders on the scene.
Seven others were assessed and they refused to be treated
at the hospital. Now, this driver had reportedly been removed
from a nearby business, and what we're hearing is that
(06:17):
he tried to go back into the club after being
asked to leave and was upset that he was refused
re entry. And that is allegedly when this man got
into his car and plowed into this crowd and then
he was shot. But imagine all of that confusion, especially
for the first responders, and then especially for those of
(06:39):
us who have the responsibility of reporting to you, the public,
of what's happened, because you may have thought, and it
would have been fair to think this that, oh man,
this was a terrible crime that took place first, and
then a horrible accident that followed. This guy was driving
it or caught up in something. He was shot and
then plowed into this crowd, but that wasn't the case. Apparently,
(07:03):
it looks like had some trouble at the club, was
asked to leave, tried to go back, and was really
ticked off that they wouldn't let him back in, winning
got his car plowed into the crowd, injured all of
these people, some critically, and somebody in that crowd opened
fire on him. And now that person who allegedly opened
fire is being sought by police. Crazy chaotic scene in
(07:26):
East Hollywood, and another immediate reminder that we really didn't need,
especially after yesterday, of how fragile life can be. I
mentioned this as I was covering this terrible explosion at
the La County Sheriff's Department training facility in Monterey Park
all day yesterday on all of our shows, that it's
(07:49):
true for all of us that when we leave the house,
that could be the last time we see our home.
It's a horrible fact of life, but it's not really
top of mind. Ideally, if you're in law enforcement, it's
a different story. You're having that thought much more frequently
because it is your job to place yourself in volatile,
(08:12):
dangerous and tragic situations. But nevertheless, it is true for
all of us. So we saw that in Ease, Hollywood,
and then, of course not even twenty four hours before that,
we saw it really play out for the La County
Sheriff's Department in the deadliest day for that department in
(08:35):
almost one hundred and seventy years. Up next, we're going
to talk about what happened. We're learning more about the
three veteran members of the La County Sheriff's Department who
lost their lives and will explore who they were as
people still try to figure out what exactly led to
(08:56):
this tragedy, and we do have a busy two hours
ahead for that. We're going to get into the week
and immigration enforcement. It looks like La Mayor Bass and
Governor Newsom have scored a couple of victories over the
Trump administration, but that war is far from over, and
the immigration raids have apparently brought a halt to a
(09:18):
winning streak by La Metro. That's all coming up in
this first hour on Michael Monks Reports here live on
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Demand, KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News live here on a Saturday night in southern California.
With you for the next couple of hours. Thank you
for being with us. It was a tragic friday here
(09:51):
in La County. Three Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies
killed and an explosion at a training facility in Monoey Park.
These were gentlemen who worked on the explosives team and
something horrible happened yesterday morning on the scene of that.
(10:12):
We're going to talk about who these three guys were
just ahead, but first a recap of what happened.
Speaker 8 (10:21):
At fifty two forty Davis did report and explosion with
three down fires also notified to come from that related
to explosion at one grow six year Northeastern Avenue.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
All three deputies described as elite members of the Arson
Explosive Detail with decades of service.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
The sheriff addressed the media.
Speaker 9 (10:52):
I have met with two of the three families thus far,
and as you can imagine, those were extremely challenge conversations.
Investigators are not trying to retrace the steps of these
bomb squad members to try to better understand the devices.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
That they picked up on Thursday and still trying to
learn how they exploded.
Speaker 9 (11:11):
So it is a somewhat of a beautiful day to
day weatherwise, but there's definitely a black cloud hanging over
the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Tragically, they were three
sworn members who were fatally killed that were assigned to
our Arson Explosives detail. This is unfortunately the largest loss
(11:32):
of life for us as the LA County Sheriff's Department
since eighteen fifty seven. Our intent is to look at
this from the very beginning and figure out what is
it exactly that caused this tragic event.
Speaker 10 (11:48):
You know, this highlights the need for training and investment
in the Sheriff's Department, for us to have the best
possible facilities of training so that we get into the
best outcomes and not you know, obviously to day the
experience there's some of all possible outcomes.
Speaker 11 (12:02):
You do this job for a reason. You don't think
about it day to day until something like this happens
and then you realize how the interus it really is.
We don't think about it every day. We just come
to work, do our job, and like you said, when
something like this happens. It's just a tragedy.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
That tragedy claimed the lives of detectives Joshua Kelly Ecklund,
Victor Limis, and William Osborne. We'll talk about who they
were in just a moment, But as far as what
led up to that tragedy, it's still unclear, at least publicly.
This site where it happened in East La Monterey Park,
(12:40):
it was not deemed to be safe by investigators until
much later in the morning, before Sheriff Luna finally addressed
the media, clearly shaken up by what happened to his
members and after the conversations he had have with two
of their families, He says he would not confirm reports
suggesting the explosion involved unexploded ordnance that had been seized
(13:03):
on Thursday. But what we know is that on Friday yesterday,
Santa Monica police, along with county and federal investigators, were
seen searching an apartment complex in the eight hundred block
of Bay Street near Lincoln Boulevard.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
Now.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
A resident of that complex told KTLA that police and
Sheriff's officials had been at that building Thursday to retrieve
some old grenades. That a tenant found in a storage
unit apparently left behind by a previous tenant. The search
on Friday afternoon prompted an evacuation of at least part
of that apartment complex as investigators swept the property for
(13:45):
any additionally excuse me, additional potentially dangerous materials. The Sheriff's
Department is investigating the apartment complex in connection with the explosion,
according to a spokesperson who spoke to the Los Angeles Times.
Detective Kelly Eckland joined the Sheriff's Department in two thousand
and six. He worked at multiple stations, was promoted to
(14:08):
the rank of detective at the Narcotics Bureau in twenty sixteen,
assigned to the LA Impact Team, investigating complex crime, seizing
large quantities of narcotics, and assisting in the arrest of
murder suspects. In twenty twenty two, he became an arson
and explosive investigator with a special Enforcement Bureau and received
his bomb Tech certification, as well as other training accolades.
(14:33):
Detective Kelly Ecklund survived by his wife and their seven children,
and Victor Limis. Detective Victor Limis joined the LASD on
July first, two thousand and three as a security assistant.
He completed the Sheriff's Deputy Sheriff Academy in two thousand
and three before he was assigned to the Twin Towers
(14:55):
Correctional Facility, where he ran on the Baker to Vegas
running team, and following that he transferred to the lasd
Century Station, where he worked as a senior training officer
and detective. He transferred to the Special Enforcement Bureau in
twenty seventeen, where he was assigned as a canine handler
prior to becoming an arson and explosive investigator. Last year,
(15:15):
he received commendations for his ability to mentor and train
fellow deputies, as well as notable arrests involving career criminals.
He survived by his wife, also a Sheriff's Department detective,
Nancy Limis, and three daughters. He has three sisters who
are also in the department. Detective Osborne graduated from the
(15:36):
Sheriff's Academy in February nineteen ninety two. Originally assigned to
the Men's Central Jail, the transferred to the Pico Rivera
Station in ninety eight as a patrol deputy, then to
the Industry station in two thousand and one before he
was promoted to detective, where he received commendations for his
work recovering stolen vehicles. He transferred to the Training Bureau
(15:57):
as an Emergency Vehicle Operations Center instructor in twenty sixteen,
but he says it's said that his love for investigations
drew him back to detective work, and he joined the
Special Enforcement Bureau as an arson and Explosive investigator in
twenty nineteen, handling cases involving high dollar loss fires and
residential properties, as well as fires involving the loss of life.
(16:19):
He was described as one of the tenured bomb technicians
regularly relied upon when faced with a new challenge. He
has a broad range of experience and could be relied
upon to provide relevant insight on a broad range of subjects.
He survived by his wife, Detective Shannon Rincn, four sons
(16:39):
and two daughters. Those three men had more than seventy
years experience between them, sixteen children, and obviously some other
family members working in the Sheriff's department. Just an absolute
gut punch. That's too soft, but I can imagine a
(17:04):
lot of the La County Sheriff's Department and law enforcement
officials around southern California are absolutely wrecked by this, the
worst possible outcome. May they rest in peace When memorial
services are announced, We'll have that covered for you right
here on KFI and coming up here on Michael Monks Reports.
(17:31):
Lamhor Bass and Governor Newsom appear to have claimed a
couple of victories against the Trump administration as it relates
to their ongoing battle on the immigration front. We'll talk
about why they're happy, but cautious because those fights are
still not over. Meanwhile, it's been month after month after
month of La Metro touting higher ridership numbers on bus,
(17:56):
on rail. They're almost back to pre pandemic levels. Until
June a significant drop in ridership. I'll tell you why
they say that happened. As we conclude this first hour
of Michael Monk's reports here on KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Demand, KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI
News with until nine o'clock tonight. Thanks for being with us.
On what is really a beautiful Saturday night in southern California.
You may have noticed that the demonstrations against immigration enforcement
(18:36):
in our area have not been as large recently, and
you also haven't seen a lot of large scale immigration enforcement.
Things are not completely quiet, but they are certainly quieter,
and we are seeing Governor Newsome and La Mayor Bass,
(18:59):
while they are still a set with immigration enforcement at all,
they are happy about a couple of things that have
transpired this week, including one of them that may be
directly responsible for how much quieter it has become here.
A federal judge in Los Angeles last week told the
(19:19):
government that you can't have immigration agents just approach people
that you think are immigrants here illegally because they look Latino,
or because they're speaking Spanish, or because they're hanging out
at home depot or at a car wash. Basically, ethnicity, language,
and location. That's not a good enough reason to approach them.
(19:42):
This week, that same judge rejected a request by government
attorneys to pause her ruling barring immigration agents from detaining
people without reasonable suspicion beyond their race, ethnicity, or occupation.
Government attorneys have now turned to an Appeals Court to
issue a a stay of the order. Government lawyers for
(20:03):
the Trump administration contend this judge's order halting what they
call roving patrols of federal immigration agents in the LA
area is a straight jacket preventing President Trump from quote
ensuring that immigration laws are enforced. Just Thursday, this same
(20:24):
judge denied the government's request for a stay of the ruling,
writing that the government had not shown that it will
suffer any harm from the restraining orders she issued last week,
and because the federal government did not follow the rules
for making this request. So that is a legal battle
that is still ongoing. But right now the victors are
(20:45):
the ACLU, who first filed that suit with other avocacy
organizations and who were later joined by many local governments,
LA County, the City of Los Angeles, and other cities
in LA County. This week, in Orange County City decided
to join that lawsuit as well. The Santa Anna City
(21:06):
Council voted to join the city and the County of
LA and several other cities in a lawsuit seeking to
prevent US agents from conducting immigration enforcement raids without reasonable
suspicion or probable cause. This was a unanimous vote at
the Santa Anna City Council, So now Santa Anna is
part of this. The other thing that transpired that looks
like a short term win for elamare Bass and Governor Newsom,
(21:31):
who have spoken against this since the beginning, was the
federal government deciding to release two thousand California National Guard
troops from Los Angeles. There's still about two thousand of
them remaining here and seven hundred United States Marines who
were deployed here on the orders of President Trump. California
had sued over this issue, but President Trump prevailed in
(21:53):
that lawsuit, and now what we're hearing from the Trump
administration is that the lawlessness they called it in Los
Angeles has subsided. Here's what Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom
have had to say about it in recent days.
Speaker 12 (22:09):
I have said from the beginning that what is happening
in Los Angeles is we are being used as a
test case, and I am hoping that this experiment with
the lives of people ends here. This has been a
blow to the economy of the nation's second largest city.
We are an immigrant city, a city where they're sectors
of our economy that are dependent on immigrant labor. We've
(22:32):
had an important victory, I think because Los Angeles stood strong.
Speaker 13 (22:38):
They even realized the absurdity of this, and they're talking
about a demobilization of roughly two thousand of the seventy
ninth Infantry. The President of the United States decided to
advance his rote cruelty by utilizing the brave men and
women of the National Guard as ponds.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Now there is still another legal battle between the Trump
administration and local government officials because they have sued they
being The Trump administration has sued the city of La
over its sanctuary policy. That suit is still making its
way through the court system. But some of these orders
(23:22):
move quickly, and then so do the appeals, and then
so does the aftermath. But right now it just seems
like things are much quieter. What I thought was interesting
was we saw some pretty heavy immigration enforcement in the
Sacramento area. So I don't know if that's a clue
(23:42):
that perhaps because Sacramento is not part of this LA lawsuit,
that immigration officials have turned to other areas that have
not won this protection temporary though it may be. That's
what we'll be watching for next week to see how
things go on the Immigration Front, and you can weigh
(24:03):
in by opening up the iHeartRadio app, clicking on that
talkback button, and letting us know your thoughts. How do
you feel about these court orders? How do you feel
about the state of immigration enforcement in Los Angeles. I
know that activists against federal immigration enforcement in southern California
have been very outspoken, especially when it comes to the
(24:23):
role that the LAPD and the La County Sheriff's Department
have played, or have allegedly played in federal immigration enforcement.
Now Los Angeles is designated a sanctuary area. The law
enforcement agencies here know that you will hear LAPD Chief
Jim McDonnell. You will hear La County Sheriff Robert Luna
(24:47):
talk about what they do and don't do when it
comes to federal enforcement of immigration policies. It's a sensitive
topic for them. They continually reassure the public that we
are not here to grab illegal immigrants and throw them
back across the border. But the LAPD had gotten into
(25:10):
it at some of these protests try to restore some
peace when they got a little crazy, and they use
some of those less lethal or non lethal munitions and
they hit some journalists and so the LAPD was ordered
by a judge just last week. You can't be shooting
(25:32):
journalists like that anymore. US District Judge Hernan di Vera
noted that depress access to law enforcement actions during mass
protests plays a critical role in preventing constitutional violations. So
now the LAPD is directly prohibited from stopping a journalist
(25:53):
from entering or remaining in an area closed off due
to protest activity, from intentionally assaulting, interference with, or obstructing
working journalists covering protests, and citing, detaining or arresting a
journalist who is in a closed area for failure to disperse,
curfew violation, or obstruction of a law enforcement officer for gathering,
(26:14):
receiving or processing information. Meanwhile, Sheriff Robert Luna had to
come out just this week, a day before the tragedy
in East LA and explain why his deputies at his
jails have turned over twenty illegal immigrants from their bars,
from their cells to federal agents.
Speaker 9 (26:35):
That is consistent with California law and county policy. We
have and we will continue to honor federal judicial warrants.
We do not honor ice detainers or request for transfers.
We do not allow immigration officials to operate within our facilities.
(26:57):
These warrants are an effective and peaceful vehicle in transferring
individuals who have committed violent or serious crimes. Most of
these individuals have had serious or violent charges such as
attempted murder, robbery, rape, and sexual battery. The Department does
(27:19):
not ask, nor does it possess any information about citizenship
for the status of individuals in our custoday, I just
want to reemphasize that once we receive the letter, we
will absolutely review it to determine what information, if any,
we can legally provide.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
So what he's talking about there at the end is
the Department of Justice. The US Department of Justice has
said it is sending a letter to sheriffs across California.
They want all the information on all the illegal immigrants
in county jails. Sheriff Luna says, we can give you
a list of everybody who's in the jail, but we
do not keep track of people's legal status. We don't
even ask them that. The reason is we need folks,
(28:01):
regardless of their immigration status, to cooperate with us when
we are doing investigation. So if they're looking for a
killer or a thief, for some violent criminal or any
type of criminal investigation. They want people to feel comfortable
giving them information without fear of being deported for cooperating
with the Sheriff's department. Other immigration headlines from this week,
(28:26):
the La County Supervisors have discussed four possible motions, including
a cash aid fund for workers and families who have
been impacted by immigration raids that has not been approved yet.
They're basically asking for information on how that could work.
We heard La County Supervisor Jenis Hahn and La City
Councilman Tim Mcoscar, and some state lawmakers who represent the
(28:47):
Harbor area calling on federal agents to stop using Terminal
Island for immigration efforts. Now there is federal land there,
a prison there, the Coastguard has a base there, so
it seems like an unlikely or a request that is
unlikely to be granted by the federal government. And the
organizers of the annual festival chappein Los Angeles, they announced
(29:10):
this week that they have postponed their event due to
concerns over recent federal immigration enforcement activity in the region.
This is a celebration of Guatemalan culture through music, food, art,
and traditional dance that's gone on for eight years. Previously,
this would be the ninth edition. It was scheduled to
happen next month. They have pushed it back to October
at Lafayette Park in the Westlake area. But that's not
(29:33):
the only thing that has allegedly taken a hit because
of immigration enforcement around Los Angeles. The other is Writer's
Ship on Metro. We're going to get into that next.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monk's reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News with you live on this Saturday night in southern California.
Will be with you till nine o'clock. Thanks for being
with us. Now, if you follow the governance of the
buses and the trains in Los Angeles County, you got
(30:08):
to pay attention to who's running that show.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
Now.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
If you don't, that's why I'm here. That's why I
pay attention to the La Metro Board of Directors. Two
years ago, the chair of that board was La Mayor Bass.
For the past year it's been La County Supervisor Janis Han.
The new chair of the board. This always changes hands
in July is a man named Fernando Dutram. He's a
(30:36):
councilman in Wittier, so he doesn't necessarily have the name
recognition that the mayor of Los Angeles or a county
supervisor with a prominent political family name has, But he
is going to be wielding a gavel at meetings for
the board of directors of a very important organization. It
(30:57):
will be curious to see how his name recognition grows
and what his priorities are. He's a builder by trade,
and Ellie Metro is in the midst of a massive
building project, I should say, projects all over the region,
and this is something that I've often said, especially when
I'm on with Moe Kelly. He's very critical of Metro.
(31:19):
I'm a Metro user, especially the subway system and the
light rail system. On paper, the system is pretty good.
It could be better. Of course, they were really late
to the game for a major city, but on paper
it's a pretty good system. You can get to a
lot of places, and you're going to be able to
get to a lot more very soon. But it's still
a little grimy. It can be a little scary. Supervisor
(31:43):
Janis Hahn, who cheered the board for the past year,
had this to say about her year wielding that gavel.
Speaker 5 (31:49):
This was a year when Metro didn't just operate. We
showed up. When devastating wildfire swept through communities. We made Metro.
Speaker 14 (31:58):
Free for all of our riders and provided buses that
got our firefighters where they need it to be. We
even had Metro staff stationed for weeks in the recovery
centers to help fire victims in person. Over six thousand
flyer survivors enrolled in our Life program, providing them twenty
free rides.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
A month for six months so that they could focus
on rebuilding their lives.
Speaker 14 (32:22):
Another way Metro has shown up this year is for
the immigrant communities that we serve. In February, we made
know your Rights materials available on our buses and in
our stations, and now, as our communities face terrible and
dehumanizing ice sweeps, we will continue to support and protect
our riders as best we can. When I became chair,
(32:45):
I said I would ride Metro regularly, and I did.
In fact, even though my term as chair is ending,
I'm going to keep riding Metro. I learned what it's
like to ride the system, what it feels like when
a bus breaks down. It makes me late to my
own board meeting. What are rioters experience every day. Another
promise I made was to make safety my top priority.
(33:06):
We raised fairgates, we added lighting testations, and increase the
presence of ambassadors and visible security on our system.
Speaker 5 (33:15):
Although I've never seen them writing the Silver Line.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
A couple of things there. One that little remark she
added at the end, I've never seen them riding the
Silver Line. She's using the old name for the J
Line as it's known now. That's the one of those
specialized bus lines that can move quickly through the region
because of specialized lanes, And that's the bus line she
would ride from the Harbor area up to these Metro
board meetings. And even she, as chair would say, I
(33:38):
hadn't seen any of these new security guards on the system,
which is an odd thing to say so flippantly. Two,
you heard her mention the support that Metro has given immigrants.
Apparently it hasn't been enough to convince those folks to
keep writing. We've heard month after month at these board
meetings at Metro that writership is increasing The numbers that
they provide to back that up do show this. In fact,
(34:02):
weekend ridership is almost at pre pandemic levels. Weekday ridership
is on its way there. They are routinely meeting year
over year statistics. Until June, Metro saw a ten to
fifteen percent decline and ridership across its system, citing US
Immigration and Customs enforcement operations that sparked protest in early
(34:24):
June against that activity in the region. Over the course
of the month, Metro noted ridership improved and the agency
recorded a total twenty three point seven million boardings on
bus and rail. So it looks like they took a
hit early in the month, and then as the month
went on they got the numbers to trend back in
the direction that they want. But the immigration enforcement has
(34:49):
scared people away. They've also shut down the D Line subway,
which runs from Union Station through Koreatown because it's being expanded.
It's going to eventually go all the way to Westwood.
They're going to be opening up some stops later this
year as part of that effort. So the D Line
is shut down while they do some construction work on that.
But Metro saw its first decline in a long time
(35:09):
because of what they say is the fear that the
community is feeling over these immigration raids. We have a
whole other hour together here at Michael Monks Reports. I'm
so glad that you're with us, because there's a lot
more news to get to. LA County pushed through this
measure last November that will give us more supervisors. Right
(35:29):
now there are five, there will be nine. There will
also be a very powerful position, a county wide elected executive,
basically a county mayor. But when voters approved this, unbeknownst
to the county itself, it did away with another ballot
measure that voters approved five years earlier, and now the
(35:49):
county is scrambling to fix that. They don't even know
if they will be able to. Plus some words from
the in and out CEO. It's gotten a response from
the governor, but she's not the only one who's leaving California.
That's up next in the next hour of Michael Monks
Reports here on KFI AM six forty KFI
Speaker 1 (36:09):
AM six forty on demand
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