Greater LA

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Monday that international students will not be allowed to stay in the U.S. if they cannot take in-person college courses this fall. The policy change has tremendous impacts on foreign students at UCLA, USC, and other colleges and universities nationwide.

As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Southern California, there’s no telling when live music performances will come back. That leaves musicians wondering how to make a living with the tools they have at home. And music venues are left without many options as they drain savings accounts with the hope of holding out through the pandemic.

The Fourth of July is typically spent watching parades, enjoying fireworks, and grilling food with friends and family. The coronavirus pandemic has put the kibosh on many events, but you still have some options for safe celebrations.

Governor Gavin Newsom says the state is shutting down indoor operations at restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, movie theaters, museums and more in 19 counties to curb the spread of COVID-19. This adds more economic pain to the dining and tourism industries.

The funeral for Robert Fuller was today at a church in Palmdale. Fuller was found hanging from a tree across the street from Palmdale City Hall on June 10. KCRW’s Jerome Campbell attended Monday’s wake. He spoke to people about how they were processing Fuller’s death as the country grapples with racial injustice.

Many camps decided not to reopen this summer. Some are going all virtual, while others are going bankrupt. But camps that are able to meet outdoors, where public health officials say coronavirus contagion is less likely, are trying to make it work.

A Facebook post looking for Black video editors sparked hateful comments and allegations of “anti-white racism,” drawing attention to Hollywood’s lack of diversity and reluctance to change.

What to do with the LAUSD police department? The Los Angeles school board found themselves deeply divided over that issue when they met on Tuesday. Activists and the teachers union (UTLA) have called for the school police force to be eliminated. KCRW hears from two school board members with differing opinions. 

Today the FBI arrested LA City Councilman Jose Huizar. Huizar chaired the powerful Planning and Land Use Committee. In a press conference today, U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna announced an indictment accusing the councilman of running a pay-to-play scheme, in which he took big bribes from developers to make sure their projects got favorable treatment during the city approval process. Federal prosecutors have been circling the councilman ever since the feds raided his offices two years ago.

There’s a move to get thousands of Angelenos off the streets and into shelters. A judge ordered it. The City and County of LA agreed to it. But homeless advocates say it’s only a start. “We need to have the shelter capacity to move people indoors. But most importantly, we need to have the housing on the backend, so the people can move out of shelter[s] and into housing,” says Heidi Marston, executive director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. What happens after unhoused people get roofs over their heads? Why is homelessness getting worse in LA?