Black Legislative & Community Knowledge

Four women have accused actor and musician Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct that allegedly occurred when they were teenagers between 2002 and 2016, while Leto was in his 30s and 40s. The accusations include sexual assault, threats of sexual assault, statutory rape, and grooming of minors through sexually explicit phone calls, with one victim allegedly receiving a non-disclosure agreement she refused to sign. A BBC documentary features ten women total sharing experiences with Leto, including inappropriate interactions and sexual phone calls, with accounts corroborated by friends, family, photographs, and messages. Former band staff members also described their discomfort with Leto's interactions with teenage girls backstage and at recording locations. Despite multiple contact attempts from the BBC, the 54-year-old Oscar winner has not responded to these allegations.

A Filipino American performer visiting Winnipeg, Canada learned about Arthur Mar, a Chinese immigrant who paid a $500 head tax in the 1920s before successfully building restaurants and becoming a community fixture through his Good Way Café. This personal story highlighted parallels between Canadian and American anti-Chinese discrimination, particularly exclusion acts in both countries. The writer draws connections to a recent Trump administration report that reframes the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act as primarily about national security rather than racism. The article argues this represents a broader pattern of sanitizing racist policies throughout history by relabeling them with terms like "national security," "public safety," or "law and order." # Key Takeaways

California Assemblymember Tina McKinnor is pushing forward legislation that would ban unauthorized drones from flying within 400 feet of major outdoor ticketed entertainment venues. The proposed bill, which has received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Assembly and passed a Senate committee, would allow local law enforcement to enforce airspace restrictions at venues with at least 1,000-person capacity, with violators facing $500 fines. McKinnor emphasizes the legislation addresses both public safety concerns and intellectual property protection for artists, particularly as California prepares to host the 2028 Olympics. While Live Nation Entertainment supports the measure, a drone industry trade association is requesting exemptions for legitimate commercial operations like cargo delivery and infrastructure inspections before the bill advances further. # Key Takeaways

Detroit City Council discovered that city officials had submitted a $2.2 million federal grant application for a police drone program without obtaining required council approval, violating city code. The Justice Department grant would fund a "drone as first responder" program to handle low-risk calls, but the application was rushed to meet a June 10 deadline without notifying council members beforehand. Council President Tate and other members expressed frustration over being bypassed in the process, particularly since the police department still lacks an approved drone use policy. City officials apologized for the procedural violation, and the council voted against authorizing the application, with officials now considering withdrawing it entirely.

Detroit has seen nearly 1,000 residents participate in early voting during the initial days leading up to the August primary election, representing a significant increase from the previous year's first-day turnout. City officials are promoting voter participation through various initiatives, including a competition where the council district with the highest early voting turnout will receive a block party celebration. Meanwhile, religious leaders have publicly urged city council members to protect voting rights and resist potential federal interference, particularly as the Justice Department plans to send election monitors to Detroit and other Michigan cities that are Democratic strongholds. To remove transportation barriers on Election Day, both SMART and DDOT transit systems will provide completely free bus service throughout the region for a full 24-hour period.

Schetrone Collier, who recently retired after serving as president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, was honored by Detroit City Council with a Spirit of Detroit Award for his advocacy work on behalf of bus drivers. During his tenure as union president starting in 2022, he successfully negotiated significant wage increases that brought Detroit Department of Transportation driver pay in line with neighboring transit systems, addressing long-standing compensation disparities. His leadership helped stabilize DDOT's workforce, which had declined dramatically from 1,200 drivers before the pandemic to just 250, and has since recovered to approximately 650 drivers. Collier, who began his career with DDOT in 1989 earning minimal wages, dedicated over three decades to improving working conditions and achieving pay equity for Detroit transit workers before retiring on July 1.