Roy Jurgens Nipsey News
Sadly, there was more chaos and tragedy following the tragic murder of Nipsey Hussle last Sunday. Monday’s memorial at Slauson and Crenshaw was marred by violence and a panicked stampede, which saw 19 people injured. Tuesday saw the suspect in the murder, 29-year-old Eric Holder, apprehended in Bellflower after an intense manhunt in which police were racing to get to Holder before street justice was meted out. Holder is being held in solitary confinement in a South Los Angeles jail, with bail set at $7 million.
For those of who have been living under a rock, Hussle was a Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist, businessman and philanthropist, well loved and admired for his positive efforts in rebuilding his community. It is believed that Hussle was killed in a bout of toxic masculinity, by a man who felt he had been disrespected. Such a painful irony that a man who did so much to dispel the stereotype of violence eventually died violently.
Hussle was a transformative figure. After all, how often does one see the chief of the LAPD, along with street gangs, openly mourn someone? The rapper's brother shared his final moments with the L.A. Times yesterday, and it's a tough read, but it does provide some insight that fans may want to know.
Pride will be big on the pier.; Credit: Tyler Hagen
Swimming With Pride
Pride Week blooms across West Hollywood for a week in early June, and now it's going to blossom all the way to the Pacific for a whole month. SaMo Pride, a collaborative including the Santa Monica Pier, Downtown Santa Monica and Santa Monica Place, will be hosting an inaugural Pride celebration. Throughout the month of June, the Pier and high-traffic shopping areas will celebrate Pride with rainbow light installations, called “Miles of Pride.” The lights will serve as a backdrop for multiple events, including art displays, food festivals, happy hours, storytelling time for kids, silent discos and more. For details, subscribe to the SaMo PRIDE newsletter and view a calendar of events at smpride.com.
Obey mural in Los Feliz, aka District D; Credit: Courtesy Dan McNamara
D Is for District
While all the air is being sucked out of the room by President Trump and an endless array of Democratic candidates lining up to defeat him in 2020, it could be argued that local politics — you know, the politics people ignore — have more of an impact on one’s personal life than the glorified junior prom that is the presidential campaign. This Saturday, April 6, voters (anyone who lives, works, owns property or belongs to a community group) will go to the polls to elect Neighborhood Council board members in Los Feliz (two districts), Silver Lake, Atwater Village and Echo Park. Thirty-three candidates are running for 10 seats in five districts, with two representatives chosen from each (A through E) in tomorrow's Local District Elections. Voters are welcome to remain and meet local firemen, Girl Scout leaders and representatives from various community organizations. On Facebook, anyway, several candidates have used a personal touch to get votes, with potluck invites and in-home meet-and-greets. The candidate for the District D vice president seat re-election, Dan McNamara, is making himself known with a snazzy slogan, “District D for Dan,” and an appealing platform focused on rent control. He also made a pretty funny promo clip for April Fools' Day that got our vote. For more information on the election, visit losfelizvotes.org.
The Ducks are done.; Credit: Ticketmaster
Hockey Halts
The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks both close out their seasons this weekend, effectively ending the hockey season in Southern California. It will be the first time that both Southland teams have been frozen out of the playoffs since the 2002-03 season. Both franchises made the playoffs last year and entered this season in the hopes that their aging corps of veterans still had enough in the tank, while also praying that their kids would mature in time to make one more playoff run. Alas, that would not be the case, as both squads were well out of contention by February and both head coaches were sent packing. All is not bleak, however, as both teams have a deep stock of exciting young developing talent, to be bolstered when the NHL draft takes place in June. Stay up to date on NHL news in the meantime at nhl.com.
Temple burn at Burning Man 2018; Credit: Gennan Shippen
Burning Questions
On Nov. 13, 2015, 90 people lost their lives in a terrorist attack during an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris. On Oct. 1, 2017, 58 people lost their lives when a gunman opened fire on patrons at the Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas. It’s the sort of scenario that gives festival and concert organizers nightmares. In the case of Burning Man’s promoters, it may also be costing them millions in addition to lost sleep. According to the Associated Press, as the organizers propose to bring the festival’s capacity to over 100,000, the Bureau of Land Management is proposing stipulations that require certified building inspections, maintenance of a county road and air quality mitigation, and, for the first time ever, an analysis of possible terrorist threats in a just-released study.
“Several vulnerabilities exist,” the 372-page study warns. It speculates that the “iconic status of Burning Man and widespread media coverage of the event could make the festival an attractive target for an individual or team of attackers.” Given the remoteness of the site, an attack could overwhelm on-site law enforcement and medical resources. At Coachella, security employs drones to keep an eyes on any potential problems. Given the state of the world, it is surprising when a large-capacity venue doesn’t have metal detectors or visible security, as was the situation at the Yost Theater for the Peter Murphy show on Tuesday. Here in L.A. proper, however, metal detectors are as ubiquitous as step-and-repeat photo op walls.
Felicity Huffman; Credit: Aurelia D’Amore Photography
Mommies With Money
Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin made their first appearances in federal court in Boston on Wednesday, along with 10 other parents charged in the college admissions fraud investigation. While any potential trial dates are still to be announced, the two actresses and 31 others charged in the scandal have already had their day in the court of public opinion. The fascination and schadenfreude over this case is substantial, with both actresses having become easy punching bags. From the “Department of Unpopular Opinion,” we’d suggest that the scandal is far more indicative of America’s crass culture of winning at all costs. Huffman and Loughlin are indeed rich, but what they are not is wealthy. You see, the wealthy don’t need to fake an athletic scholarship to get their kids into the right school. “Donate” a building with your name on it (Dr. Dre, for example, has stated his daughter got into USC “all on her own,” but his building there surely didn't hurt) and your brood gets into that Ivy League school for generations while no one bats an eye. But bribe the soccer coach and you’ll go to prison. So what we’ve learned here is be wealthy, not just merely rich. And pay off the right people. MSN.com has the latest on the hearing.
Mac Sabbath; Credit: Paul Koudounaris
Unhappy Meal
It’s fundraising time again, which is why President Trump is arriving at LAX Friday, making this the third Los Angeles visit of his presidency. By comparison, Barack Obama visited Los Angeles and Orange counties 21 times during the first two years of his presidency, attending fundraisers on 18 of those visits. Thankfully, Angelenos are being spared one of Trump’s pep rallies for the great unwashed masses, as a much loftier tax bracket is being feted. A mere $15,000 gets you dinner (it probably won't be Big Macs, but suggesting it could be lets us get away with using a shot of Mac Sabbath instead of the Donald, above), $50,000 gets picture with Trump (we'll refrain from commentary) and $150,000 gets you the opportunity to personally befuddle him in a round-table discussion. Because we all know that a person who can spend $150,000 to get five minutes with the president must certainly be someone who speaks for the concerns of the common man. Deadline Hollywood has more deets on 45's L.A. visit.
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