Is the Moratorium on Murals Killing an LA Tradition?
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The local tradition of outdoor murals started in East LA, and it's moved all the way to fashionable West Hollywood. In between, the City of Los Angeles tries to preserve older works as relics of culture. But new ones have run afoul of the anti-billboard ordinance, and City Hall paints them over, often at taxpayer expense. We try to unravel the contradictions. Also, two cops face criminal charges in the beating death of a homeless, mentally-ill man in Fullerton. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, President Obama addresses the United Nations as Palestinians seek UN membership.
Banner image: Artist Saber works on his 'Predators Wall'
Making News
OC DA Files Murder Charges in Kelly Thomas Beating ()
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has charged two Fullerton police officers with second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. The victim was 37-year old Kelly Tomas, who was homeless and mentally ill. On July 5, he was beaten and repeatedly shocked with a Taser at a downtown bus station. He was taken off life support and died of his injuries five days later. The officer facing murder charges is Manuel Ramos. Gustavo Arellano is managing editor of the OC Weekly.
Guests:
- Gustavo Arellano: OC Weekly, @GustavoArellano
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Main Topic
Is LA Squelching Public Art? ()
On Monday of this week, no less than five skywriting airplanes spelled out the words, "End Mural Moratorium. Art is Not a Crime. Twitter at End Mural Moratorium." Along with the names of several street artists, those words were very clear and visible over City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. It was one of those artists, Saber, who commissioned what might be called airborne graffiti. Meanwhile, in West Hollywood, the new city library is about to open at the intersection of Melrose and San Vicente across from the Pacific Design Center. Its walls are covered with murals by street artists Shepard Fairey, Retna and Kenny Scharf.
Guests:
- Saber: Los Angeles artist
- Eduardo Reyes: Los Angeles City Councilman
- Beverly Denenberg: West Hollywood Commission on Arts and Cultural Affairs
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Main Topic
Obama Addresses the UN as Palestinians Seek UN Membership ()
Last year, President Obama called for a Palestinian State with membership in the United Nations. Today, in a speech at the UN where US and European leaders are struggling to head off a confrontation over Palestinian demands for statehood, he conceded that hasn't happened, and repeated the phrase, "peace is hard." We hear about the President's address to the General Assembly and some frantic diplomacy.
Guests:
- Colum Lynch: Washington Post, @columlynch
- Mohammed Shtayyeh: Fatah Central Committee
- Aaron David Miller: Woodrow Wilson Intrenational Center for Scholars, @aarondmiller2
- Alon Liel: Israeli Foreign Ministry (formerly)
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Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
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