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#  Dear Gov. DeSantis: You're a History Grad. Please Tell Me When Systemic Racism Ended

February 27 2023

Written by Jeff Cohen.

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RACIAL RECKENINGS - When Ron DeSantis was asked by a Fox News host two years ago if the United States is “systemically racist,” the Florida governor quickly [responded](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thewrap.com%2Fron-desantis-racism-fox-news%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567264583%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3a%2BMt9amYj3EI7m6XPkp%2F3GwjYH1EVjraWgDr88xu10%3D&reserved=0): “It’s a bunch of horse manure.” He went on to boast that he had banned such ideas in Florida’s schools.

Boisterously banning [books](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenation.com%2Farticle%2Fpolitics%2Fdesantis-florida-book-bans%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567264583%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HLloLZhN2INUbCJg%2BUwWGlNSoFDptdNR0WBnn1bf4GE%3D&reserved=0), [educational curricula](https://prospect.org/education/02-22-2023-desantis-education-teacher-vacancies/) and [college programs](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/24/politics/ron-desantis-florida-universities-gender-studies/index.html) that address racism or [LGBTQ dignity](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpopular.info%2Fp%2Fthis-book-is-considered-pornography&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567264583%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=NoMgQrYTUxtSBL7YY1XEW2qVhW7eZaw18v4s0NxmZ4s%3D&reserved=0) – or both (with added bigotry toward writers like [James Baldwin and Audre Lorde](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fequalityfl%2Fstatus%2F1617629575311405056&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567264583%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oTijNx2TLxZ6CYb4m243NzG3hXDxumpteBT6ZdLWevA%3D&reserved=0)) – DeSantis is building his national “anti-woke” profile as he seems to be readying a presidential campaign against [his former hero](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnews%2Fpowerpost%2Fwp%2F2018%2F07%2F30%2Fbuild-the-wall-florida-gubernatorial-candidate-tells-his-young-daughter-in-campaign-ad%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567264583%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=R1sMgp%2BrHBk5PUym9DDlIIbEuqiP6cF9bRR0hHdVau0%3D&reserved=0) Donald Trump.

DeSantis is a Yale history and Harvard law graduate, who [taught high-school history](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2022%2F11%2F05%2Fus%2Fdesantis-high-school-teacher-georgia.html&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567264583%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UXZscasFee8NM8Z2iInsBMlRPs18s5E41P3oVtFs77w%3D&reserved=0) after Yale. Even DeSantis probably agrees that U.S. slavery was systemic racism. And I’m somewhat certain he agrees that legally enforced Jim Crow racial discrimination in the U.S. South was systemic racism, including Florida’s toxic [racial-oppression-by-law](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fau.edu%2Fartsandletters%2Fpjhr%2Fchhre%2Fpdf%2Fsjc-map-jim-crow-america-florida.pdf&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=90QS6ydhuF%2F8O0RrriWOZ7YRqg3ir9wI8DofQJAKCjs%3D&reserved=0) that lasted for 100 years after the Civil War.

As late as 1967, sixty miles from where DeSantis would later grow up, this law was enacted by the city of Sarasota, Florida:

"*Whenever members of two or more…races shall…be upon any public…bathing beach within the corporate limits of the City of Sarasota, it shall be the duty of the Chief of police or other officer…in charge of the public forces of the City...with the assistance of such police forces, to clear the area involved of all members of all races present*."

Gov. DeSantis, who dislikes questioning from actual journalists (as opposed to [Fox News hosts](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2023%2F02%2F16%2Fbusiness%2Fmedia%2Ffox-dominion-lawsuit.html&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=I8ENH7gYjaHLoo5IN2lVX3CIMh0Xh7bOwc3X%2F%2B7ew%2Fo%3D&reserved=0)), seems bent on riding white fragility, anger and [grievance](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pewresearch.org%2Ffact-tank%2F2021%2F03%2F18%2Fmajorities-of-americans-see-at-least-some-discrimination-against-black-hispanic-and-asian-people-in-the-u-s%2Fft_2021-03-18_discrimination_02%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Af6hmOzLJwWbiUvIde6sbR%2FuqMbh4i6UxJT2%2B6OgArQ%3D&reserved=0) into the White House. He should be confronted at every opportunity to answer a simple question: If it’s currently “horse manure,” **when did systemic racism end in our country**?

If his answer is 1964, when Congress passed the landmark Civil Rights Act, DeSantis should be directed to Sarasota’s 1967 city ordinance. If his answer is that it ended with the 2008 election of biracial Barack Obama, he should be asked to explain persistent patterns of racial discrimination that outlived the Obama presidency.

For example: [racial segregation in housing](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fthink%2Fopinion%2Fu-s-neighborhoods-are-more-segregated-generation-ago-perpetuating-racial-ncna1276372&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=b2Ppk66hbRxqDlJczQJzD0aXQ4eT2%2FrdVhptW88otvw%3D&reserved=0) and wide-ranging barriers to black home ownership like [redlining](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fredlining-what-is-history-mike-bloomberg-comments%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=uKb8ZzqhUn51W1Io4AKgQM3a%2BbsJgOcpLipz9SoNSvA%3D&reserved=0) and [predatory bank lending](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2011%2F09%2F08%2Fopinion%2Ffair-lending-and-accountability.html&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MMdNrYchsywO%2FtDL9dlHuYzEoMcfvZirdh0V6mZgQiQ%3D&reserved=0). That’s also systemic racism and it’s happened in both North and South -- as *Newsday* showed recently in its [exhaustive study](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprojects.newsday.com%2Flong-island%2Freal-estate-agents-investigation%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3mcc8IQnVcZT6pihnyVw9HhAL8L0nsi7xqAIu6wB%2B74%3D&reserved=0) of discrimination faced by minority potential homeowners on Long Island, New York.

Today, racially segregated neighborhoods lead to segregated schools, with people of color systemically offered inferior educational opportunities. The highest percentage of predominantly single-race schools in the 2020/21 school year were found not in the South, but in the Northeast and Midwest, according to a [study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2022%2F07%2F14%2F1111060299%2Fschool-segregation-report&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iL68L1glwcA%2Fi%2FjCIuWbmHzrteCQ2gbkFRGmShUQYAE%3D&reserved=0).

Environmental racism is long-standing and enduring in our country as [pollution](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgreenlining.org%2F2019%2Fenvironmental-racism-killing-people-of-color%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SxYwrdmpnq5U1BYZaC7zXFyBoSosjsHQDv4cFpy2BHQ%3D&reserved=0) and [cancer-causing industries](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fpolitics%2Fpolitics-features%2Flouisiana-cancer-alley-getting-more-toxic-905534%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rUY2EidofP6Lc8xkPmmmnINEo%2B9hMJb0x%2BUYiP5VyoU%3D&reserved=0) hit communities of color [disproportionately](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftexashousers.org%2F2019%2F03%2F21%2Fstudy-black-latino-pollution-consumption-exposure%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MSBxSi13pWodhcwqZKEdJ43%2Bsv8dEcLWc8McfDtThZo%3D&reserved=0), causing [death and disease](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Flouisiana-cancer-alley-photos-oil-refineries-chemicals-pollution-2019-11&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MD9BbJ1XHSisJAxAu57jCzEIx4hw0BR%2BBVqwf6NjDVc%3D&reserved=0) – compounded by pervasive racial disparities in [the provision of medical care](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bu.edu%2Fsph%2Ffiles%2F2015%2F08%2FJAMA-Viewpoint-Williams-Wyatt-2015.pdf&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=a5H1SzHB3VK0ZkeTrVOg9u%2BhTNseh5HpA%2BOFK6Q3kJo%3D&reserved=0).

DeSantis hopes to run for president as a “law-and-order” candidate with the endorsements of police unions. He should be asked about criminal justice and [police practices](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sentencingproject.org%2Freports%2Freport-to-the-united-nations-on-racial-disparities-in-the-u-s-criminal-justice-system%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=a9Uhd1iOR%2BIyBRHi%2BlDsJVmXsPo88dHSYp5Xmp1j%2Fcs%3D&reserved=0) that systematically treat black citizens and other people of color differently and worse than whites. That’s a present-day problem, as shown in [study after study](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fgraphics%2F2020%2Fopinions%2Fsystemic-racism-police-evidence-criminal-justice-system%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EXrZm%2FkqBvq39sqvli7L5daO8mI5hDUk5Kaet6gV9Kc%3D&reserved=0) across the country. After the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, for example, the U.S. Justice Department [investigated](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov%2Fopa%2Fpr%2Fjustice-department-announces-findings-two-civil-rights-investigations-ferguson-missouri&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FYA03RgiiY6yFtALIGBjX%2F6pS6kSQrc3ysKdHgkluq4%3D&reserved=0) the Ferguson, Missouri, police department and found that racial bias and the city’s need for revenue resulted in routine Constitutional violations that disproportionately affected African Americans – with officers “stopping people without reasonable suspicion, arresting them without probably cause, and using unreasonable force against them.”

When DeSantis was reelected governor last November in a landslide, he received only 13 percent of the black vote, according to [exit polls](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Felection%2F2022%2Fexit-polls%2Fflorida%2Fgovernor%2F0&data=05%7C01%7Cjcohen%40ithaca.edu%7C11cec097a9cf4f99264208db1534c8e9%7Cfa1ac8f65e5448579f0b4aa422c09689%7C0%7C0%7C638127089567420795%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=z%2Bw9EqFR52B3vecma1Ox2HBjaFERyRtJkqdZoHK74HU%3D&reserved=0). I’ve been spending my winters in Florida, where it’s hard not to see black poverty, despair, and segregated neighborhoods. Yet DeSantis looks away.

When I attended public elementary and middle schools in Detroit in the 1960s, we didn’t learn much of any black history. Today’s champions of white victimhood claim that the teaching of ethnic history and ongoing/systemic racism stokes guilt feelings among white students and anger between students of different racial groups. If we’d had such teaching back in Detroit, I think it would have indeed prompted anger among black and white students -- not at each other, but at the persistent patterns of racism in our country . . . with many motivated to activism.

But greater unity around a shared understanding of history is exactly what DeSantis fears. He’s a divide-and-conquer politician, in the tradition of George Wallace, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and he has the Ivy League degrees to prove it.

*(Jeff Cohen is an activist and author. Cohen was an associate professor of journalism and the director of the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College, founder of the media watch group FAIR, and former board member of Progressive Democrats of America. In 2002, he was a producer and pundit at MSNBC. He is the author of "Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media" - and a co-founder of the online action group, www.RootsAction.org. His website is jeffcohen.org. This article was first published by CommonDreams.org.)*

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 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/20/070h-20f29015.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33277:trump-world-from-assassination-abroad-to-chaos-at-home&catid=395)

### [Trump World. From Assassination Abroad to Chaos at Home](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33277:trump-world-from-assassination-abroad-to-chaos-at-home&catid=395)

GELFAND’S WORLD - We’re at a moment when all sorts of political questions are coming to a head. And if that old phrase…

 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/4b/070i-4ba64015.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33283:newsoms-next-immigration-gamble-defy-federal-law-and-dare-washington-to-fight-back&catid=375)

### [Newsom’s Next Immigration Gamble: Defy Federal Law And Dare Washington To Fight Back](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33283:newsoms-next-immigration-gamble-defy-federal-law-and-dare-washington-to-fight-back&catid=375)

MY THOUGHTS - Gov. Gavin Newsom is about to decide whether California should take another extraordinary gamble with fed…

 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/27/070e-279910b9.png) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33275:nithya-raman-has-yet-to-address-hasan-pikers-antisemitism-controversy&catid=375)

### [Nithya Raman Has Yet to Address Hasan Piker’s Antisemitism Controversy](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33275:nithya-raman-has-yet-to-address-hasan-pikers-antisemitism-controversy&catid=375)

THE VIEW FROM HERE - While it was outrageous that in May 2026 CD 4 councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman end…

 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/88/068h-88c43353.jpeg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33266:california-cant-insure-its-homes-now-sacramento-wants-to-insure-the-trees&catid=385)

### [California Can’t Insure Its Homes. Now Sacramento Wants to Insure the Trees](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33266:california-cant-insure-its-homes-now-sacramento-wants-to-insure-the-trees&catid=385)

INSURANCE EMERGENCY - California homeowners are struggling to find affordable coverage while Sacramento explores a new…

---

##  [ IMPORTANT READS ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=9)

 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/065i.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33221:netanyahu-needed-an-enemy-mamdani-volunteered&catid=9)### [Netanyahu Needed an Enemy - Mamdani Volunteered](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33221:netanyahu-needed-an-enemy-mamdani-volunteered&catid=9)

 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/064m3.jpeg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33192:should-unsafe-property-conditions-lead-to-injury-claims&catid=9)### [Should Unsafe Property Conditions Lead to Injury Claims?](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33192:should-unsafe-property-conditions-lead-to-injury-claims&catid=9)

 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/061q.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33155:how-electrical-hazards-put-workers-at-risk&catid=9)### [How Electrical Hazards Put Workers at Risk](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33155:how-electrical-hazards-put-workers-at-risk&catid=9)

 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/July-2026/058i.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33091:metro-doesnt-have-a-transit-problem-it-has-a-leadership-problem&catid=9)### [Metro Doesn't Have a Transit Problem—It Has a Leadership Problem](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33091:metro-doesnt-have-a-transit-problem-it-has-a-leadership-problem&catid=9)

 [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/July-2026/060o.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33139:wrongful-death-claims-after-a-serious-accident-and-what-families-need-to-know&catid=9)### [Wrongful Death Claims After a Serious Accident and What Families Need to Know](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33139:wrongful-death-claims-after-a-serious-accident-and-what-families-need-to-know&catid=9)
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