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Since September, more than 1,000 artists and labels including Lorde, Björk and Massive Attack have joined an international initiative to remove their music from Israel. The boycott, called No Music for Genocide, is straightforward: artists are asking their labels and distributors to geo-block their music so it cannot be streamed in Israel.
According to the movement's website, this act is"just one step toward honoring Palestinian demands to isolate and delegitimize Israel." Despite a fragile ceasefire currently in place, No Music for Genocide organizers say they're continuing the boycott amidst additional airstrikes in Gaza.The No Music for Genocide movement, which is a decentralized volunteer network of musicians and labels, cites the success of cultural boycotts against South Africa during apartheid as a major inspiration. While artists like Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba made music a core tenet of anti-apartheid activism, international artists also played an important role. In 1985, E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt led dozens of musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis and Rubén Blades, in the Artists United Against Apartheid effort to record"Sun City." The hit single referred to a luxury whites-only resort where artists including Queen and Linda Ronstadt had performed; the song's lyrics criticized their actions and pledged to avoid playing there until the end of apartheid.have joined an international initiative to remove their music from Israel. The boycott, called No Music for Genocide, is straightforward: Artists are asking their labels and distributors to geo-block their music so it cannot be streamed in Israel. According to the movement's"Boycott is one of the most effective and enduring efforts that one can take to fight a militarized, overtly violent, three-headed monster of a system," blues poet, one of the participants, tells NPR."We're in a place where capitalism rules everything. The most effective thing we can do is to be strategic about where we put our resources."that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and that countries helping to arm the Israeli government, like the United States, are complicit in the violence. Israel strongly denies that it is committing genocide — and some Israelis say the artists' efforts are misguided, because the boycott affects even those who oppose the war. In a statement to NPR, the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. condemned the musician-led protest. "The attempt to boycott Israeli culture under the banner of 'No Music for Genocide' is discriminatory, immoral and misguided," reads the statement."Such boycotts do nothing to advance peace or improve the lives of either Israelis or Palestinians. On the contrary, they deepen division and harm the very people they claim to support." Although the State Department also rejected the U.N. report, some American musicians are demanding action and accountability over the U.S. government's role in the attacks. "As a U.S citizen, I have a connection to this genocide that is happening using my tax dollars. As a musician, I am sensitive — I think that is necessary for making art," composer and singer-songwriter, another participant in the campaign, said in a statement shared with NPR."Every day for over a year and a half now, we have seen horror stories abound in Gaza, and every malnourished baby I see with horrific injuries, every mother or father I see hovered over their child targeted by a sniper makes me think of my child, makes me think of anyone I have ever loved. I feel a responsibility to do something, however small it may be."The No Music for Genocide movement, which is a decentralized volunteer network of musicians and labels, cites the success of cultural boycotts against South Africa during apartheid as a major inspiration. While artists likemade music a core tenet of anti-apartheid activism, international artists also played an important role. In 1985, E Street Band guitaristamidst the conflict in Gaza, but No Music for Genocide is a musician-led boycott. In a statement shared with NPR, vocalist, guitarist and boycott participant Marisa Dabice of the band"Without the participation of major label artists, this boycott cannot grow in the way it needs to make the largest possible impact," she wrote."We live in a day and age where unified direct action can make an impact —- we just have to be focused and unrelenting." The No Music for Genocide website notes that all three major U.S. labels — Sony Music, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group —in Russia shortly after the invasion of Ukraine and pledged to support humanitarian relief efforts. The group argues the same should be done on behalf of Palestinians. Yasir Razak of the shoegaze band Nabeel, one of the artists geo-blocking his music from Israel, says he sees a link between the war in Gaza and the way Western powers have historically intervened in the Middle East. Razak was born in Baghdad around the time of the first Gulf War and grew up in the U.S. during the Iraq War. Although the Iraq War and the current conflict are markedly different, he says, they're not entirely separate. "What makes me most sad is the idea that folks in other countries can't be seen," he says, adding that this is often the case with people from the Middle East."We've gone to great lengths to dehumanize them to the point where we can carry out these kinds of attacks against the majority popular opinion."that a majority of American voters oppose continued U.S. economic and military support for Israel in the war, a reversal from public opinion shortly after the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on Oct. 7 in 2023, which killed 1,200 people according to the Israeli government. In July, a Gallup pollthat 60% of Americans disapprove of Israel's military actions in Gaza which have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Razak says he has mostly received positive feedback from his fans for participating in the boycott. One downside, he notes, is that some digital service providers include Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories in the geo-block as part of Israel. After hearing directly from an affected listener, Razak found a workaround to provide free downloads of his music on the music distribution platform Bandcamp. But he says beyond the logistics of where the music is or isn't accessible, there is an underlying anxiety that comes with publicly voicing his stance against the Israeli state. . "Ultimately, this is a humanitarian issue. We've all been seeing videos coming out of Gaza. We've heard members of the Israeli government speaking about what their intentions are. I think any right-minded person would look at that and say this is something to take a stand against," Razak says."But the attempt to conflate that in any way with hatred or antisemitism has been so dangerous and paralyzing, and fear-inducing for those of us who really feel like there's a moral obligation for us to stand against.", University President Michael I. Kotlikoff wrote that Kehlani"espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media." Kehlani has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians; thefor their 2024 song"Next 2 U" features a quote from Palestinian-American poet Hala Alyan, along with the phrase"Long Live the Intifada." (The Arabic word generally translates to"uprising" and has a— the traditional Arab headdress that's become a symbol for Palestinians — and stopped to address the audience."I want to take a second to say: Free Palestine. Free Congo. Free Sudan. Free Yemen. Free Hawaii. Free Guam," Kehlani said."It's deeper than this. I need everybody that's here right now, everybody that's watching, to step up, to use their voices.", who is participating in No Music for Genocide, curates an annual hip-hop festival in partnership with SummerStage. He tells NPR he cancelled this year's edition in solidarity with Kehlani. "You have to sacrifice for a bigger purpose," he says."One of the things that I see people trying to do with hip-hop is further detach it from its political foundation, its anti-establishment foundation." MIKE says music played a key role in shaping his political awareness, and he hopes his involvement in the geo-block movement stirs something in listeners. He's already received messages from fans in Israel over the removal of his music; he says he hopes the boycott inspires deeper reflection on the oppression of Palestinians and all peoples.based in Tel Aviv, says that while most participating artists' music has been pulled from SoundCloud, several discographies are still available on other streaming platforms like Spotify. Dayan says blocking the music is"just a punishment" for the many Israelis who have long-opposed the war in Gaza. "I think if really do want to make an impact, they should be putting their money behind their morals when it comes to either donating to initiatives that ensure that Gazans can get the aid that they so badly need, and organizations — especially within Israel — who are doing this work on the ground, who are organizing these protests," Dayan says., a grassroots organization of Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel working to promote peace and unity. Dayan says she worries that instead of bringing people together, the boycott could further alienate Israelis. "There is a really big narrative among the Netanyahu government and among factions of the right: 'They don't hate you because of what we do, they hate you because of who you are,'" Dayan says."These boycotts that target wide swathes of people without considering the work that they're personally doing with Palestinians, the work that they are doing against the government or toward a just peace is giving credence to that idea." For several participating artists, No Music for Genocide is not an end-all solution, but they say it's an important form of nonviolent action. Aja Monet says the boycott is only one part of a much larger collective resistance. "Just as much as we're talking about what's happening in Palestine, we're talking about the rising state of fascism in this country," she says."We're talking about poverty. We're talking about the books that are being banned. We're talking about the immigrant community that's being attacked and kidnapped from their homes in their street corners. All of this is from the same arm of violence and threat and terror. All of those things concern us and we want an end to it."The governing board of LAX voted unanimously Thursday to appropriate more than $1 billion to build a long-planned elevated roadway officials said will separate vehicles headed to the airport from local traffic and ease traffic.The project involves constructing or replacing 4.4 miles of roads that enter and exit LAX. The total cost is $1.5 billion.Some have questioned the need for the project amid lower-than-projected passenger levels and urged airport officials to first finish the automated people mover, the train that has been beset by delays and racked up millions in cost overruns.The governing board of LAX voted unanimously Thursday to appropriate more than $1 billion to build long-planned elevated roadways officials said will separate airport-bound vehicles from local traffic.“We have multiple paths in and out of the airport, and each and one of those creates pinch points and traffic jams, particularly along Sepulveda ,” Emery Molnar, an LAX executive, said to the airport Board of Commissioners before the vote. Before the vote, commissioners heard from advocates and people living near the airport who questioned the need for the project amid“I think this a project that was maybe well conceived 10 years ago, but it’s not necessary,” Cord Thomas, a Westchester resident, said to the commissioners during the public comment period. They also urged airport officials to first finish the Automated People Mover, the train that has been beset by delays and racked up hundreds of millions in cost overruns.The project involves constructing or replacing 4.4 miles of roads that enter and exit LAX.The total cost is $1.5 billion, according to airport officials. Before today’s vote, the Board had previously approved more than $600 million for early construction work. Overall, it’s a small amount of LAX’s massive $30 billion investment in capital improvements to the airport. Molnar said the roads entering the airport are scheduled to be finished in the months before the 2028 Games but roads exiting the airport, landscaping and other project elements won’t be done until spring of 2030.In addition to lower levels of passenger traffic, critics point to LAX estimates that the roadways will induce more driving, likening the potential impacts of the project to those seen when the 405 Freeway was expanded. Kenneth Ehrenberg, a captain of the U.S. Space Force and resident of Westchester, told airport commissioners that the project doesn’t address the principle bottleneck for cars, which he said is the pick-up and drop-off areas in the horseshoe. Public commenters during the meeting also said if the history of the Automated People Mover is any indicator, the project won’t finish on time and will end up costing more than airport officials planned.One of the two companies selected to build the roadways, FlatironDragados, is also a member of the consortium of companies known as LINXS that the city hired back in 2018 to design and build the train that will eventually shuttle travelers between the airport terminals, car rental center and newly opened LAX Metro Transit Center.that has delayed the train from its scheduled opening in 2023 to some time next year and resulted in the project costing nearly $880 million more than initially planned to settle disputes. After today’s vote, it’s unclear what a path forward looks like for people who were urging the commissioners to pause the project. The roadways project has support from the local council district, labor groups and the business district that represents hotels and parking facilities adjacent to LAX.A Waymo car drives along a street on March 1, 2023, in San Francisco. The company now is offering select freeway rides in Los Angeles.Los Angeles residents who want to take Waymo’s autonomous taxis beyond the city streets can do so now that the company is offering select trips on freeways throughout the L.A. area. The move comes after Waymo conducted test rides in the region with company employees forPeople who use the Waymo app can now opt into a “freeway list” of riders interested in “being among the first to experience a freeway ride directly in the app,” according to the company. Waymo said riders will be matched with freeway routes when they're “meaningfully faster” than the surface streets. Before a trip is confirmed in the app, users will receive a notification if the route they’ve selected doesn’t involve freeways.Dmitri Dolgov, co-CEO of Waymo, said fully autonomous freeway rides are easy to conceive but “hard to truly master.” He said the company is proud to begin offering the option.Freeway routes will gradually roll out to more users over time, according to the company. Waymo didn’t immediately respond to LAist’s request for an interview.L.A. County’s top lawyer has announced an investigation into State Farm after months of complaints over its handling of January fire claims.County Counsel Dawyn Harrison said the investigation is about making sure State Farm customers are being treated fairly. Her office is looking at multiple complaints, including whether the insurer is creating delays by switching adjusters and failing to reimburse living expenses.Fire survivors have reported major issues with State Farm, including higher rates of denials, lowball estimates and poor communication. It comes as the state also is investigating the insurer for the same issues.State Farm is facing another investigation into its handling of Eaton and Palisades fire insurance claims, Los Angeles County’s top attorney announced Thursday.“We are committed to thoroughly investigating State Farm’s actions and making sure they are treating claimants fairly and resolving their claims quickly and in full compliance with the law,” County Counsel Dawyn Harrison said in a statement.“In the absence of state leadership, today's county investigation is a major step forward,” the Eaton Fire Survivors Network said in a statement. “It matters not only for Los Angeles fire survivors but for every Californian who pays premiums and expects the protection they paid for when disaster strikes.” Customers have reported much higher rates of denials, lowball claim estimates, poor communication and challenges with multiple adjusters, according to ain the state earlier this year. The company told officials it was in financial distress and expected to pay more than $7 billion in January fire claims.In response to the investigation, State Farm said it has been"cooperating fully" with the California Department of Insurance. "The goals of this investigation by L.A. County are unclear, but what is clear is that it will be another distraction from our ongoing work in California to help our customers recover from this tragedy," the companyNot reasonably investigating smoke damage or paying for testing and remediation County officials have given State Farm until Nov. 20 to respond. As California’s largest private insurance provider, State Farm manages more than 2.8 million residential and commercial policies statewide.covers Orange County and its 34 cities, watching those long meetings — boards, councils and more — so you don’t have to.In the latest culture war to hit Westminster city hall, the City Council on Wednesday voted to rename a street after Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was shot and killed in September, and designate Oct. 14 in his honor.The vote came despite the majority of public speakers at the meeting calling it a political move meant to serve congressional ambitions at a time when city leaders should be focusing on serious ongoing financial challenges.Westminster has flirted with filing for bankruptcy numerous times in the last few years and one reason observers and residents say they haven't been able to address the issues is because City Council meetings get pulled intoIn the latest culture war to hit Westminster city hall, the City Council on Wednesday voted to rename a street after Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was shot and killed in September, and designate Oct. 14 in his honor. The vote came despite the majority of public speakers at the meeting calling it a political move meant to serve congressional ambitions at a time when city leaders should be focusing on serious ongoing financial challenges. Westminster has flirted with filing for bankruptcy numerous times in the past few years, and one reason observers and residents say they haven't been able to address the issues is because City Council meetings get pulled into Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen, who proposed changing All American Way to Charlie Kirk Way, said it would “honor someone who has encouraged a new generation to care about their country, to get involved and to speak up for what they believe in.” “This is freedom of speech,” he said. “Charlie Kirk’s message has inspired countless young Americans to think critically, serve their communities and appreciate the freedom we enjoy.” In September, Kirk, a right-wing activist and ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot during an outdoor speaking event at Utah Valley University. Kirk rose to fame for espousing right-wing Christian values and connecting with young people on college campuses. But Councilmember Carlos Manzo, the sole voice of dissent on the dais against the street renaming, said the move was just “exploiting a tragedy for political gain.” He pointed out that Nguyen and Councilmember Amy Phan West are running for Congress in 2026 and using their nonpartisan council seats to spotlight “national divisive issues” that they can use to campaign on a Republican platform.A cross section of city residents, including self-identified conservative Republicans, spoke out against the proposals, calling them a waste of money and time. “ I am against spending tax dollars to name the street after Charlie, as much as I like him,” said Michael Verrengia, a longtime Westminster resident and veteran. “He didn't live in Westminster. He didn't do anything for Westminster.”“You guys are putting this stuff on there to get the word out to your party leaders,” she said. Westminster residents approved increasing the city’s sales tax in 2022 and again in 2024 to save the city from filing for bankruptcy. Hamill said residents reluctantly voted for those tax increases to save the city from filing bankruptcy, not to spend on “pet projects.” Others suggested the council use the $3,000 allocated to renaming the street toward youth programming or honoring the Mendez family. In the 1940s, the Mendez family in Westminster successfully challenged the segregation of Mexican American children in California schools, which was used as a precedent for the
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