Jacko Pleads Not Guilty in Molestation Case
SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Michael Jackson pleaded not guilty Friday to all 10 counts of a grand-jury indictment, including a surprising charge of conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. The indictment, unsealed Friday, also charged Jackson with four counts of lewd acts involving a minor, one count involving an attempted lewd act upon a child and four counts of administering an intoxicating agent. After the arraignment, Jackson and his new chief lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, Jr., made brief statements outside the courthouse in Santa Maria. Read the story here. Read the actual indictment here.
Licenses for illegal residents hung up
SACRAMENTO —Locked in delicate negotiations, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Sen. Gil Cedillo have struggled to narrow their differences over divisive legislation to give illegal immigrants the right to have drivers’ licenses. Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, and the governor’s negotiating team are pondering background checks, including requiring applicants to submit a full set of fingerprints, at least two identification documents and a proof of address. In addition, the two sides are looking at withholding licenses from illegal immigrants who have criminal records. Those from countries considered state sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran, Sudan and Syria, also would be ineligible. Read the story here.
Protesting Truckers Jam Freeway
A coordinated protest by truckers over fuels prices briefly closed down one major Los Angeles area freeway this morning during rush hour and slowed traffic on another. The northbound Santa Ana Freeway reopened this morning after four truckers blocked all the lanes about 8 a.m., stalling traffic for hours. A California Highway Patrol spokesman said three trucks were towed and the fourth drove away about 9. Traffic was expected to start flowing again about 10 a.m. The California Trucking Association said a similar protest occurred this morning in Oakland, but the group, which is opposed to the cost of diesel fuel in California, distanced itself from the protests. Read the story here.
Don’t smoke with kids in car, bill says
California lawmakers are considering a bill that would make California the first state in the nation to prohibit smokers from lighting up in a private car when children are present. The proposal by Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh, D-South Gate, has drawn the ire of Republican lawmakers who say it goes too far in attempting to police personal behavior. Read the story here.
Lawmakers weigh in on obesity
Public policies are not the only weighty issues members of the Legislature wrestle with in the Capitol. Hazards of the trade include the pounds lawmakers invariably pile on in a sedentary environment of endless meetings and fund-raisers, where food is as ubiquitous as the lobbyists who curry their favors. It’s time to shed the winter accumulation, 14 Assembly members and Sen. Deirdre Alpert, D-Coronado, proclaimed Thursday at a group weigh-in to launch a personal weight-loss campaign and focus attention on obesity as a public health crisis. Read the story here.
Arab TV Shows Iraq Prisoner Photos
The images, which document alleged abuses that have led to charges against six American soldiers, were first broadcast Wednesday night in the United States on CBS’ “60 Minutes II.” The images shown on Dubai-based Al-Arabiya and the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera channels blurred the nudity of the prisoners. The images were potentially inflammatory in an Arab world already angry at the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Arabs consider public nudity as dishonorable. Read the story here.
Jacko Pleads Not Guilty in Molestation Case
SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Michael Jackson pleaded not guilty Friday to all 10 counts of a grand-jury indictment, including a surprising charge of conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. The indictment, unsealed Friday, also charged Jackson with four counts of lewd acts involving a minor, one count involving an attempted lewd act upon a child and four counts of administering an intoxicating agent. After the arraignment, Jackson and his new chief lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, Jr., made brief statements outside the courthouse in Santa Maria. Read the story here. Read the actual indictment here.
Licenses for illegal residents hung up
SACRAMENTO —Locked in delicate negotiations, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Sen. Gil Cedillo have struggled to narrow their differences over divisive legislation to give illegal immigrants the right to have drivers’ licenses. Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, and the governor’s negotiating team are pondering background checks, including requiring applicants to submit a full set of fingerprints, at least two identification documents and a proof of address. In addition, the two sides are looking at withholding licenses from illegal immigrants who have criminal records. Those from countries considered state sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran, Sudan and Syria, also would be ineligible. Read the story here.
Protesting Truckers Jam Freeway
A coordinated protest by truckers over fuels prices briefly closed down one major Los Angeles area freeway this morning during rush hour and slowed traffic on another. The northbound Santa Ana Freeway reopened this morning after four truckers blocked all the lanes about 8 a.m., stalling traffic for hours. A California Highway Patrol spokesman said three trucks were towed and the fourth drove away about 9. Traffic was expected to start flowing again about 10 a.m. The California Trucking Association said a similar protest occurred this morning in Oakland, but the group, which is opposed to the cost of diesel fuel in California, distanced itself from the protests. Read the story here.
Don’t smoke with kids in car, bill says
California lawmakers are considering a bill that would make California the first state in the nation to prohibit smokers from lighting up in a private car when children are present. The proposal by Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh, D-South Gate, has drawn the ire of Republican lawmakers who say it goes too far in attempting to police personal behavior. Read the story here.
Lawmakers weigh in on obesity
Public policies are not the only weighty issues members of the Legislature wrestle with in the Capitol. Hazards of the trade include the pounds lawmakers invariably pile on in a sedentary environment of endless meetings and fund-raisers, where food is as ubiquitous as the lobbyists who curry their favors. It’s time to shed the winter accumulation, 14 Assembly members and Sen. Deirdre Alpert, D-Coronado, proclaimed Thursday at a group weigh-in to launch a personal weight-loss campaign and focus attention on obesity as a public health crisis. Read the story here.
Thursday, April 29th, 2004
Alleged Vendetta?
ABCNEWS has exclusively viewed documents that raise potentially troubling questions about the investigation into the child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson as the “King of Pop” prepares to face his arraignment on the charges brought by a grand jury. Jackson, 45, faces seven counts of performing a lewd act upon a child for alleged inappropriate conduct with a now-14-year-old cancer survivor who spent time at his Neverland ranch. Last week, a grand jury hearing evidence in the child molestation case against him decided to indict him and he is scheduled to be formally arraigned Friday in Santa Barbara county court. Read the story here.
Threat Prompts Tighter Security at L.A. Malls
Los Angeles police increased patrols around malls in the West Los Angeles area today after federal Homeland Security officials received an unspecified threat from an anonymous caller, authorities said. The threat, which was passed on to Los Angeles police and other local authorities, warned of a potential attack today against a mall in the vicinity of the Federal Building on Wilshire Boulevard. The threat was being investigated by the local Joint Terrorism Task Force. Read the story here.
Dennis Miller
Emmy-award-winning comedian Dennis Miller is the host of CNBC’s “Dennis Miller” (M-F, 9-10 p.m. ET/PT), a topical interview talk show featuring reasoned discourse, opinion and humor. Miller also serves as executive producer of the program, which is produced by NBC Studios. It’s been said that Miller is “one of the premiere comedy talents in America today…” While others are blunt assessing Miller’s comedic stature, Dennis himself makes a virtue of understatement, but there is nothing low-key about his career. Miller is a five-time Emmy-award winner for his critically acclaimed half-hour live talk show “Dennis Miller Live,” which recently ended its nine-year run after 215 episodes. He has also been cast in films, usually in dramatic roles, most notably in 94’s “Disclosure,” 1995’s “The Net” and 1996’s “Murder at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” Read more about Dennis here. Today at 5pm, John & Ken will speak to Dennis Miller and get his thoughts all current events.
Lawsuits spur GOP lawmakers to urge repeal of new labor law
SACRAMENTO —California businesses—and the state Legislature—could be fined millions under a labor law that took effect in January, Republican lawmakers warned Wednesday as they called for the law’s repeal. The law, signed last fall by then-Gov. Gray Davis, lets workers sue to enforce labor violations, such as safe workplace or minimum wage regulations. Its supporters say it’s needed because the state regulators are chronically understaffed and many violations go uncorrected.
Wednesday, April 28th, 2004
Hated HOV lanes eliminated in N.J.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Carpool-only high occupancy lanes on two heavily traveled northern New Jersey roadways were opened to all traffic Monday as politicians rejoiced and took bows. New Jersey thus became the first state in the nation to abolish a carpool lane without having to refund federal highway money to Washington. Removing the HOV lanes was cheered by motorists who said they simply didn’t work. Environmentalists, however, fear the move will lead to fewer HOV lanes nationwide and prompt more air pollution from cars with only one passenger. New Jersey politicians were quick to take credit as the carpool lane signs came down on Interstates 80 and 287 in northern New Jersey. Gov. Christie Whitman dismantled a ground-mounted HOV sign amid morning rush-hour traffic. Read the story here.
Carpool Lanes – Simply a Waste of Time
California’s transportation crisis is no mystery. It is the result of a critical shortage of highway lanes. California’s highway system, once the finest in the world, has not merely been neglected. A 25-year ideological war has been waged against it. The average car-pool lane carries only 7 percent of freeway traffic, yet it consumes 25 percent of the capacity on a four-lane freeway. This means the remaining 93 percent of the traffic is crammed into 75 percent of the freeway space. Read the story here.
COUNCIL AGENDA - CITY OF BURBANK
APPEAL OF THE HOME DEPOT FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. 2002-6, SIGN VARIANCE NO. 2002-1 AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW NO. 2002-12. Find out what happened at the Burbank City Council meeting last night over the illegal alien lounge in front of Home Depot here.
Kobe Bryant’s Defense Wants Police Tape Thrown Out
EAGLE, Colo. (Reuters) – Lawyers for Kobe Bryant fought on Wednesday to keep out of his upcoming rape trial a secretly-made tape of an interview the basketball star had with police after a 19-year-old woman accused him of rape. Bryant’s lawyers, Hal Haddon and Pamela Mackey, want the judge to throw out the interview, which was taped about 24 hours after the incident. Police had accosted Bryant outside the hotel where he was staying and where the young woman worked to ask him about her accusations. Read the story here.
Nation of Islam May Be Out of Michael Jackson’s Inner Circle
The Nation of Islam has been advising the beleaguered “King of Pop” and providing security for him as he battles child molestation allegations. Jackson, 45, faces seven counts of performing a lewd act upon a child for alleged inappropriate conduct with a now-14-year-old cancer survivor who spent time at his Neverland ranch. Last week, a grand jury hearing evidence in the child molestation case against him decided to indict him, and over the weekend, Jackson parted with his high-profile defense team of Benjamin Brafman and Mark Geragos. He replaced them with Thomas Mesereau Jr., who represented actor Robert Blake in his murder case until the two parted over irreconcilable differences. Read the story here. Today at 5pm, John & Ken will have Firpo in studio to get to the bottom of the Jackson case.
Tuesday, April 27th, 2004
U.S. Launches Attack on Fallujah Insurgents
FALLUJAH, Iraq — A U.S. military gunship and coalition tanks waged a heavy attack Tuesday on suspected insurgent positions in Fallujah, attacking weapon storage sites used by anti-American forces. The fierce attack — captured on television cameras using night-vision technology — produced a series of around 25 explosions. An AC-130 gunship flying above Fallujah targeted its 105 mm howitzer guns on two positions 150-yards apart from each other on the ground, sending showers of sparks and flames into the air. The strike coincided with the deadline U.S. military officials imposed on insurgents in Fallujah to turn in their weapons. Read the story here.
Illegal Entry From Mexico to U.S. Spikes
SASABE, Mexico – After a four-year decline, illegal immigration from Mexico is spiking as several thousand migrants a day rush across the border in hopes of getting work visas under a program President Bush proposed. Many also are trying to beat tighter security to come in June. The U.S. border patrol told The Associated Press that detentions — which it uses to judge illegal migration rates — jumped 25 percent to 535,000 in the six months ending March 31 compared to a year ago. Near Sasabe, a town bordering the Arizona desert that’s the busiest illegal border crossing area, an average 2,000 people arrive daily. Read the story here.
Two Burbank, Calif., Residents Appeal Approval of Proposed Home Depot
BURBANK, Calif. – The City Council will have to review the Planning Board’s approval of a proposed Home Depot on the border with Glendale because of an appeal by residents Howard Rothenbach and Mike Nolan. The appeal was filed March 18, and voids a plan the City Council approved two days earlier in which Home Depot agreed to pay $94,000 a year for the city to operate a day-labor facility at the store at 1200 S. Flower St. Read the story here.
Monday, April 26th, 2004
Michael Jackson replaces attorneys just days before arraignment
Less than a week before his next arraignment, Michael Jackson said Monday he has replaced his high-profile legal team in his child molestation case because “my life is at stake.” Attorneys Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman “decided to step down” from representing the pop star, Brafman said Sunday. He would not reveal exactly what prompted the move.
Jackson, however, said he had terminated their services. Read the story here.
Human tsumani
LOS ANGELES- Ines Netkin lives in a neat, ranch-style home in middle-class Los Angeles County, but she worries that her neighborhood is starting to look like it belongs south of the border.”It used to be nice to live around here, but it’s deteriorating. We have dirty streets, traffic jams, more crime. It’s not the way it used to be,” Mrs. Netkin said. “I feel like it’s going to become like Mexico City. Right now, if you closed your eyes and opened them in downtown Los Angeles, you would think that you were in Mexico City.” Read the story here.Movie Billboard Opens, Closes on Same Day After Bad Review
A billboard meant to pique interest in a mockumentary-style movie about the role of Mexicans in California did just that — and then some. Installed early Friday in a Sav-on Drugs parking lot in Hollywood, the block-lettered ad read: “On May 14th there will be no Mexicans in California.” A Web address directed passersby to a mock news page for the coming movie, “A Day Without a Mexican,” which was co-written and directed by Mexican filmmaker Sergio Arau. The flick, which opens May 14, surmises what would happen if all the Mexicans in California suddenly disappeared.”It is a Mexican movie made by Mexicans, and we just want to entertain,” said Eckehardt von Damm, chief executive of Mexico City-based Televisa Cine, which produced the film. “Of course there’s a message: We are here; we are part of the country.” But by 9 a.m. Friday, a complaint had been lodged at the Sav-on and forwarded to Televisa Cine and Viacom Inc.’s Viacom Outdoor unit, which owns the ad space. Read the story here.
