Downtown Steel

WDCH

WDCH

CalTrans building.

CalTrans building.

The new steel buildings of 1st Street in downtown L.A.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2010

McCourt Trial Day 4.

Day 4 of the McCourt v McCourt trial.

Frank McCourt tipped a panhandler a $20 bill as he left the L.A. Superior courthouse today.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2010

McCourt Trial Day Three. It's A Tie.

Frank McCourt.

Frank's shuttle van.

A blue tied Steve Susman.

The red tie team for Jamie McCourt.

A cheery Frank McCourt left the L.A. Superior Court today after a long day testifying on the stand today in his divorce trial.

Frank and his team of lawyers all wore Dodger blue ties and his female attorney wore a blue top today, as Jamie's lawyers all went with red ties again.

One of Frank's lawyers handed out L.A. Dodger baseball caps to the media, yes I received one.

The post court press conference was very interesting. Attorney's on both sides went after each other with lots of sarcasm and verbal jabs.

It's back on the stand for Frank on Thursday, were he will face a friendly cross examination.

Photos by Ted soqui © 2010

McCourt Divorce Trial Day One

Frank McCourt with counsel.

Jaime McCourt.

Jaime McCourt's lawyers Michael Kump and David Wasser.

Lawyer for Frank McCourt Steven Susman.

Day one of the McCourt divorce trial at the Superior Courthouse on Hill St. in Los Angeles.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2010

Katrina 5 Years ago

Horse in tree, Plaquemines Parish.

New Orleans skyline.

5th Ward.

Lower 9th Ward.

1st post Katrina Mardis Gras celebration, New Orleans.

Flooded New Orleans.

Lower 9th Ward.

Waiting for the Zulu King.

Lower 9th Ward.

Lower 9th Ward.

I first arrived to New Orleans as the dark waters that flooded the city began to recede, revealing a broken city that would change it forever.

Hurricane Katrina just battered the area, and the antiquated levees were left mangled. New Orleans was totally evacuated, with the exception of a hardy few, turning it in to a massive urban ghost town.

The last thing I heard from a New Orleans taxi cab driver taking me to the airport was "Bill Clinton wouldn't have left us hanging." New Orleans and southern Louisiana was left hanging. With or without FEMA or the Bush administration, New Orleans is bouncing back.

We back!

Ted Soqui © 2005-2006

Today On Wilshire Blvd.

Today's photos from the entrance areas of LACMA and the 5900 Wilshire Bldg.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2010

Today's Sunset View

A view of today's sunset from a bridge over the L.A. River in Los Feliz.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2010

Station Fire One Year Ago

This is the first year anniversary of Los Angeles' largest wild fire, the Station Fire, which burned over 250 square miles of land and destroyed several mountain homes and structures.

Two L.A. County firefighters also lost their life.

Inquiries by L.A. citizens into why the fire was not contained within the first 48 hours with aerial water drops, there was no high-wind event or excessive heat that drove the slow burning flames, still remain unanswered. The Station fire is believed to be caused by arson.

The fire amazed L.A. citizens with the 25,000 foot giant pyrocumulus clouds that hovered above the city for days making the mountains look like giant volcanoes.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2010

Pro-Union Labor Rally In L.A.

AFL-CIO union president Richard Trumka

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

Hundreds of union members from all over the U.S.A. attended a pro-union labor rally on the south lawn of L.A. City Hall today. Most of the laborers were U.S. Postal workers fighting to keep their 6 day a week mail service jobs. Postal administrators are looking to cut mail service to 5 days a week, down from six, to help cut cost and meet budget concerns.

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer along with AFL-CIO union president Richard Trumka spoke to the crowd of laborers.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2010

"A" Yacht Anchored Off Of The Bu

Russian billionaire Andrey Melinchenko's 300 million dollar monster "A" yacht, designed by Phillpe Stark, is anchored off of Malibu's coastline. The "A" has several high tech features, 44 security cameras, a night vision system, a rounded hull that makes entry form the sea very difficult, and a rumored anti-missile system. The futuristic yacht is the main topic of conversation on Malibu's twin pier, with several folks wondering if it is a submarine.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2010

Same Sex Marriage to Resume in California

The ruling.

Waiting.

...and waiting.

Same sex marriage in California is set to resume August 18, 2010, by order of US District Judge Vaughn Walker.

Photos By Ted Soqui © 2010

Prop 8 Overturned

Lance Black

Sandy Stier and Kris Perry.

Theodore "Ted" Olson.

Hundreds of people showed up to West Hollywood park to celebrate the California Supreme Court's decision to overturn Proposition 8.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2010

Anti SB 1070 Protest in L.A.

L.A.P.D. calling out a dispersal order.

L.A.P.D. arrest a protester.

A female protester chained to each other.

An empty Wilshire Blvd.

L.A.P.D. making arrest.

A hundreds of protesters shut down the corner of Highland Ave. and Wilshire Blvd. with an act of cilvil disobedience over the Arizona law SB 1070.

The L.A. office of Wackenhut, a Arizona based security firm, is located next to the corner where 10 protesters, 9 women and 1 man, handcuffed themselves to each other in the middle of the intersection. All 10 were arrested by L.A.P.D.

The protest shut down the intersection for over 4 hours and caused traffic havoc in the area.

The protesters vowed to return to the intersection.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2010

Bell Residents Speak

Hundreds of boisterous Bell residents filled the Bell community center to voice their feelings at the current members of city council and their mayor. The Bell mayor, city council, and police chief all had super high salaries with several making more than than President Obama. Many of the residents of Bell live close to poverty levels.

Several residents called for the city officials to resign and give tax refunds. Others attempted to shame the city officials into resigning and verbally abused the politicians. The meeting ended at midnight.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2010