The problem is not press unable to identify themselves properly. The problem is LAPD shooting us with kinetic munitions and interfering with our work. Ysabel Jurado and Eunisses Hernandez would have us meet LAPD on LAPD’s terms when LAPD is the one breaking the law and shooting people.

This is an attempt to shift the blame from LAPD to the journalists and to let LAPD gatekeep who gets to be considered a real journalist and who gets shot.

Once again, it is not up to the police department to determine who is and isn’t press, nor do I have any faith that possessing an LAPD press pass will actually keep journalists safe. In fact, it’s likely to do the opposite, and drive a wedge between LAPD sanctioned “press” and indies w/out the pass

My opinion? The issue isn't press passes, the issue is police behavior. When the police attack journalists who are clearly identified, including wearing press passes, giving out more of them won't help.

This sort of mentality wouldn't exist, and we wouldn't have to try and undo it through awkward application of injunctive relief, if people could just sue officers for damages.

This really hasn’t gotten enough attention this week. @wired.com #ICE www.wired.com/story/fbi-wa...

To answer one obvious question: Los Angeles Press Club was not contacted in advance. I first heard from Joey (thank you!). I’m very glad City Council’s attention is on this. I’m also very concerned about misconceptions, several already flagged by Joey and in replies. More when there’s more …

New from me: The police are defunding our cities. In LA, LAPD’s growing liability lawsuits are costing taxpayers millions of dollars in payouts. $400m in payouts since 2019. The biggest culprits: protests, police shootings, and car collisions. More👇 lapublicpress.org/2025/11/lapd...

"The top brass at the LA Sheriff’s Department don’t want their deputies to be accountable to the public they serve. The Sheriff’s Department fights all Public Records Act cases. It’s a knee-jerk reaction," attorney @susanseager.bsky.social says about LASD's stonewalling of @cerisecastle.bsky.social

Someone tell Trump that Richard Roundtree had breast cancer. Shaft. Literally SHAFT had breast cancer. "The black private dick that’s a sex machine to all the chicks." All 1970s machismo in one manly man. Breast cancer. Abomination how we treat our veterans. Breast cancer can happen to ANY man.

At least three news outlets had photo/video stollen by DHS to make an ICE propaganda video this week. (Also a Coldplay song?) Was your IP stolen by DHS? Get in touch! I'm with @freedom.press and we're concerned. Also, anyone work with content ID tools that do copyright matching at scale?

Madison Yamamoto

100 days until pitchers and catchers report.

This is really game 9 of the World Series. They already played 8 full games before this went to extras. Baseball is beautiful.

It's a beautiful day for a ballgame, let's play two!

So sketchy how ICE hasn't released all the video they have of Richard Noticias LA incidents. Whenever we do find new video it keeps contradicting ICE. Hmm. Meanwhile, it's come up in TWO court hearings this week how he's not getting prescribed pain meds in jail for his gunshot wound. WTF?!?

An hour before this story published, I happened to email two members of the Police Commission to warn them of misleading statements being made by LAPD. But those were from several OTHER incidents. Just ... so many. Anyway, what I've been calling out for 5 years is being called out from inside too.

Culture of LAPD

After Trump spokesperson posted infamous “Your mom” texts to a HuffPost reporter, the site's membership revenue jumped 66% next day. As a former HuffPost employee (we call ourselves HuffGhosts), I remember Trump cared what we wrote about him. This was Apprentice days. He sent notes in Sharpie.

This was just posted by a CBS News producer on their Instagram stories.

New circle of hell I didn’t think existed. Guy reposts a meme on Facebook showing Trump hypocrisy. Sheriff in Tennessee throws him in jail for over a month because he won’t delete it. Can’t afford bond at $2m. Won’t get a bond reduction hearing for another month. Holy …

Guzy set out to photograph a parade. "Then I’m like, well maybe I should check it (immigration court) out for a day or two — and here I am, almost five months later." "I’m 100% sure that things are done differently because eyes are on the scene." Photojournalism can impact both sides of the lens.

I’ve been shouting for 5 years that we need to do more to protect independent (a.k.a. creator) journalists. Especially when police try to dismiss them as “fake” press. That category now makes up a third (!) of all journalists. And half of those have been doing it for more than 5 years.

One of my favorite "IYKYK" public art projects in Los Angeles is Sunstar. A prism atop Mt. Wilson (home to broadcast towers) beams sparkle from a rainbow out to points across LA, aimed so only some people see it at once. www.mtwilson.edu/sunstar/ Today it found me 30 miles away in Venice Beach:

It's funny that people think of California (and especially Los Angeles) as some extreme progressive bastion. Our public officials keep fighting effectively to have secret police. And not just like a few undercover officers, but the nation's largest sheriff's department.

They've used Chicago as a testing/training ground for this roving army of BP dipshits after doing the same in LA. Feels pretty crucial that everyone not in Chicago continue paying attention to Chicago to know exactly what to expect when they move elsewhere.

Look at everyone in the background of the photos. Once you see it you can't unsee it. At least three dudes thought, "Man, it's so warm, I'll go to work in a short sleeve shirt." Meanwhile Bovino put on a costume trench coat like it's Halloween.

Richard Noticias LA is the TikTok livestreamer shot last week by ICE in Los Angeles. Today was his initial hearing in court. His teenage son hasn't been allowed to see him in a week, not even in hospital. Lawyer asked judge if they could hug before leaving court. Judge said no. Heartbreaking. 🧵👇

Ugh. Fascist playbook. We went to a lecture given by Timothy Snyder at UCLA last week. Significant points made about authoritarian controls on journalism. He stressed the importance of supporting on-the-ground local journalists and outlets. They put their bodies on the line to bring us truth.

DHS is also about to change rules on visas for foreign journalists visiting US. The i-visa has traditionally been valid 5+ years (potentially indefinitely). They plan to slash it to 270 days. Practically unworkable. Also clear feds will scrutinize work of foreign press every 9 months.

Ninth journalist I'm aware of ICE has targeted in apparent retaliation for exercising Constitutionally protected rights. Nothing damages American more than being so small/weak/petty that you abuse government resources to target speech. Hard to imagine something more unpatriotic and un-American.

The Reagan footage belongs to NARA, not the foundation. It’s worth asking how Trump might retaliate against others whose use of official government records contradicts the story he wants to tell. This could include disappearing ostensibly benign historical records from public facing websites.

This was a really great discussion. Things are quite bad for reporters, protesters and the First Amendment. But newsrooms and civil society can develop defensive tools and plans to fight attacks on expression. Watch for more ⬇️

What are journalists dealing with on the front lines covering DHS and ICE? @attorneynora.bsky.social @writeralejandra.bsky.social @plasticjesusart.bsky.social @mvtopic.bsky.social and I had a lot of ground to cover in this 1-hour panel hosted by @exposedbycmd.bsky.social and @acslaw.bsky.social!

Gustavo Arellano is in the pantheon of great LA chroniclers. Must-read column on how little credibility ICE and their enablers have. It's their own fault. Empty lies don't hide how often they only have themselves to blame. tl;dr = These aren't professionals. They're pendejos.

This paragraph seems pretty important ...

At this point I hope they do build a ballroom at the White House. And starting in an administration soon, every month they throw an epic party for different immigrants. Their music. Their dancing. Their food. Their culture. All they brought. Celebrate their contributions that make America great.

For the record, on this day and every day I’m a proud Block Club reader. blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/24/f...

I cannot recommend this enough. Please read it all. I've been on the ground a couple times at LA protests this year and reviewed endless hours of footage. Mel's account perfectly and beautifully captures all the humanity, the exasperation, and the chaos when protesters encounter LAPD. Bravo.

WILD development in Chicago Headline Club case vs DHS. Border Patrol's Gregory Bovino caught on video this morning throwing tear gas at protesters. Lawyers filed TRO violation: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... Coincidentally, this morning he was also ordered to be deposed for 5 hours!

The City of Los Angeles and @mayor.lacity.gov are getting more international pressure to reign in LAPD's use of force on journalists. The world will be watching when the Olympics, World Cup and Super Bowl are here. If LA wants to continue to be a global city, we need to put an end to this madness.

Journalists aren't the only ones with the right to film police, @adamrose.bsky.social told @latimes.com. The First Amendment protects everyone — including cop watchers like Carlitos Ricardo Parias, who documented immigration raids and is now in federal custody.

Quite a nugget deep in LA Times story about ICE shooting Richard Noticias. Feds also pointed guns at LAPD. On top of ICE shooting U.S. Marshall. On heels of ICE teargassing 27 Chicago PD. On top of LASD shooting LAPD at protests. 🫠 Videos in thread 🧵👇 www.latimes.com/california/s...

Sure, this sounds bad ... but once the ice caps melt all the onshore oil wells will be offshore anyway.

Federal immigration agents shot and wounded a man identified by local officials as 44-year-old Carlitos Ricardo Parias, “Richard LA,” in South Los Angeles early Tuesday morning while surveilling a street near Santee Education Complex, an LAUSD school. latenfour.com/2025/10/21/i...

Really dangerous time for journalists to act like stenographers. That ain't doing your job. DHS is the department who cried wolf. Regurgitating their talking points unquestioned risks your own credibility. Until we see evidence, we don't know what happened with ICE shooting Richard Noticias in LA.

There are wildly conflicting accounts about ICE shooting Richard Noticias in Los Angeles. EXACTLY why Judge Ellis in Chicago is trying to make agents there use bodycams. For months I've closely checked photos of DHS (ICE, CBP, FPS, etc.) personnel for this, very few ever wear them.

Here it is, your moment of zen ...

Previous story by @jqwritesstuff.bsky.social explains why you don't bring a gun to a car fight. “All you can do is take an aimed missile and turn it into an unaimed missile,” said a retired LASD commander. “It doesn’t really stop the vehicle.” www.latimes.com/local/califo...