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You can also watch this episode via YouTube.

In this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, guest David Cowen and I discuss his being diagnosed with bipolar disorder as early as when he was 21 years old, Kabbalah and Zionism, Israel’s genocide through forced starvation in Gaza, as well as rising homelessness in Los Angeles and California.

We also shout out a special fundraising campaign for Khaled, only five months old as his family flees south from Gaza to the border with Sudan due to Israel’s latest campaign against the Palestinian people, known as “Operation Gideon’s Chariots II.” To learn more about Ibrahim and Nagham’s campaign for Khaled, please do so here.

From David: “Dave Cowen turns the religious into humor, finds the ​s​piritual in the digital, and makes serious comics fun. His popular series of comedy Haggadahs for the Jewish holiday of Passover have been featured in The New York Times and include parodies of Trump, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mel Brooks, Kanye West, and The Office. His debut graphic novel, 11 years in the making, AN IMPERFECT UNION, is available on his Substack SerioComics, which also includes Q&As with the best makers of ​g​raphic literature today such as Pulitzer Prize winner Tessa Hulls, Eisner winner Shannon Wheeler, ​Melissa Chan and Badiucao, Sina Grace, Yasmeen Abedifard​, etc.​ Follow his stories and more on Instagram at (@_davecowen_).”

Thank you also to Nicolas Jara (@nicthejara) for video, Jacob on Sound (@fuller.sound), and Esteban (@marsbuiltstudio) for sharing his space for this discussion.

J.T.

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On Sunday, August 3rd in East Hollywood, Mark Casas and his partner Angel Maria Zavala spearheaded a special pop-up with Ondo Coffee in support of Who Is Your Neighborhood, also known as Quien Es Tu Vecindario. The pop-up featured home-style chilaquiles as well as horchata, with proceeds from the event going directly to street vendors in our community.

In this installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast we speak with Mark and Angel Maria as to just how we did it, including the way that growing up in Los Angeles and observing our family traditions inspired us into action.

For more on this story, sign up for Making a Neighborhood, the newsletter, here: https://makinganeighborhood.substack.com

To support our ongoing Vendor Buyout campaign, please do so here: https://onevecindario.org/buyout.

J.T.

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It’s Friday, August 1st, and for this installment of the podcast my goal is get you up to speed on all things on so-called “IMMIGRATION REFORM” as it pertains to Los Angeles, most of all for the people of Los Angeles.

In case this is your first time checking in about “THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE” in L.A., what you need to know is that since June 6th of this year, the city has found itself under siege on a totally racial basis, with ICE and Border Patrol in particular running rampant, by and large unconstitutionally arresting and detaining at least 3,000 people so far, including U.S. CITIZENS.

ON JULY 2ND AND JULY 3RD, the ACLU and PUBLIC COUNSEL FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST “THE DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.”

ON JULY 11TH, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE FRIMPONG GRANTED THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER ON ICESTAPO.

ON JULY 13TH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FILED AN AN APPEAL.

ON JULY 16TH, THIS REQUEST WAS DENIED.

NONETHELESS, THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS SCHEDULED A HEARING FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO SHOW JUST WHAT “IRREPARABLE HARM” WAS CAUSED BY THE RESTRAINING ORDER’S REQUIREMENT THAT ICE AND BORDER PATROL ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION.

THIS IS THAT HEARING, AND IN TURN, OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.

***To support a Local Vendor Buyout campaign for East Hollywood, Virgil Village and Silver Lake, please do so via Quien Es Tu Vecindario HERE.***

J.T.

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The answer is probably not, but his father, Fred Trump, sure was!

In 1905 Donald Trump’s grandfather Friedrich Trump, originally born in Kallstadt, was threatened with deportation for failing to report for military services in the 1880s. When he nonetheless pleaded to be allowed to return permanently to Bavaria from the U.S., he was denied and forced to return to New York, where they’d give birth and raise Fred Trump, the 45th President’s father; should the administration explore the possibility of revoking citizenship, then, based on these facts they just may have to line the president up for a deportation hearing as well.

Back to Bavaria to live out Grandpa Friedrich’s dream, perhaps? This + a little primer on the Bill of Rights, Sections 1 – 5, for the latest installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast.

(00:00) Introduction and Overview
(01:11) The Importance of the U.S. Constitution
(03:20) Exploring the Second Amendment
(04:39) Rights of People vs. Citizens (hardly such a thing)
(05:47) ICE Raids and Constitutional Violations
(09:46) Intro to Friedrich Trump’s Letter
(10:37) Reading Friedrich Trump’s Letter
(14:20) Friedrich Trump’s status as a deportee means Trump’s citizenship is also questionable
(16:35) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

***To support a Local Vendor Buyout campaign for East Hollywood, Virgil Village and Silver Lake, please do so via Quien Es Tu Vecindario HERE.***

J.T.

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2,000 National Guard troops are to return to base immediately, while another 2,000 are to remain, so in this installment we consider just what the administration’s deployment of National Guard personnel—after wresting control of them from Newsom—has actually meant for communities across Los Angeles and Southern California. In other words, what has the deployment actually achieved, and for whom? We also consider the recent injunction by U.S. District Judge Frimpong in favor of a civil lawsuit against ICE alleging the use of racial profiling to conduct raids and abduct people, including U.S. citizens.

***To support a Local Vendor Buyout campaign for East Hollywood, Virgil Village and Silver Lake, please do so via Quien Es Tu Vecindario HERE.***

J.T.

LET THE CITY KNOW:

You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

***To support a Local Vendor Buyout campaign for East Hollywood, Virgil Village and Silver Lake, please do so via Quien Es Tu Vecindario HERE.***

J.T.

LET THE CITY KNOW:

You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

I. Family shaken after Huntington Park home raided, KTLA: https://youtu.be/-os0_WGcLKU

II. South L.A. fireworks explosion likely caused by miscalculations from bomb technicians, LAPD chief says: https://youtu.be/Xr0yAlbGvKY?si=YKtDIalypLr6YLVA

III. LA Black Panther member recalls shootout with LAPD’s newly formed SWAT in 1969 on Central Avenue, StreetTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze2oAR-gS7k&ab_channel=StreetTV

IV. The 1969 raid that changed policing, LA TIMES: https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=6e943b58-a0b0-4ff7-9142-43cd01a099e4

J.T.

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This round-up can also be viewed on YouTube.

So much to read, yet, such little time. This reality notwithstanding, here are four articles I think you should check out this weekend and why.

1. Aryan Brotherhood members found guilty of ordering L.A. County murders from prison – Matthew Ormseth, L.A. Times

2. LADWP paying up to $1,975 an hour to Munger, Tolles & Olson, to defend against lawsuits from the Palisades – Matt Hamilton & David Zahniser, L.A. Times

3. Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan Hits Its Own Wall – Brittany Gibson, Axios

4. Revisiting Obama‘s Presidency and its Impact on the Democratic Party – Yeva Nersisyan, The Hill

Let The City Know!

(And please refer any typos in the captions to your local A.I. committee.)

J.T.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube. In this first installment of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast for 2025 I’m pleased to introduce the Los Cuentos Listenership to Anneliese Hanson, better known as My Goth Therapist!

Official show-notes coming soon. For now, stay vigilant and stay tuned.

And Let The City Know!

J.T.

2024 has been an incredible year, but today I’ve got one more present for the Los Cuentos listenership before it’s over: The 150th episode of the Social Primate Podcast featuring yours truly, which aired live on Tuesday, December 17th, 2024. In the special program, as noted by Eddie Aguirre, my colleague and podcaster from another broadcaster:

“Together, we dive into the untold stories of Los Angeles, including captivating listener-submitted pieces that bring the city, its people and our shared human experiences to life. If you love authentic storytelling and hearing the voices of LA’s vibrant communities, this episode is for you. Don’t miss it!”

Enjoy it, and until the next one, Los Angeles!

J.T.