State Government websites value user privacy. To learn more, view our full privacy policy A lock icon or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the official website Esparza Secretary of the NC Department of Administration and part of his inaugural cabinet team Esparza oversees the state agency whose mission is to serve as the business manager for North Carolina state government and a voice for traditionally underserved communities through its advocacy programs and boards and commissions The Administration Department oversees government operations spanning from building construction The agency also provides programs and services for North Carolina’s diverse populations including women and youth American Indians and historically underutilized businesses Secretary Esparza is the first Latino to head a cabinet department in the state’s history Esparza joined DOA as a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience leading both public and private entities from government agencies and large corporations to nimble start-ups and local non-profit organizations Small Business Administration's Associate Administrator for International Trade where he helped to create jobs provide expanded access to capital and advocate for American small businesses around the world Esparza spent 13 years in various leadership capacities at American Express including Vice President of Global Business Development in their Commercial Payments business Gabe served on the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission and is currently a trustee for Central Piedmont Community College Esparza holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in International Relations from Stanford University The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Los Angeles, According to Eater Editors The Hottest New Restaurants in Los Angeles The Best Places to Eat Near Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, According to an Eater Editor and specialization as America’s best taco scene and hidden South LA carne asada destinations frequented by those in the know Los Angeles is rife with amazing vendors doing what they love and serving their communities precisely where they’re at New to the map this round are pescado zarandeado specialist Mariscos Los Corchos; La Salsa Tacos de Canasta for Mexico City-style tacos de canasta; and the Sinaloan home restaurant La Sinaloense Here are the 38 essential taco spots to try in greater Los Angeles Note: Many points in this map reflect street vendor operations or temporary setups so check hours and locations on social media before visiting Bill Esparza is a James Beard award-winning food journalist and onscreen food television personality covering food in United States and Latin America It’s well worth the drive to the semi-rural town of Muscoy for the only Northern Mexican spit-roasted young goat in the state of California prepared by Francisco Salinas and his wife Vanessa Sánchez In front of a tire shop each Sunday morning the couple serves spit-roasted cabrito that’s cooked in the tradition of Torreón an intricate macrame of innards twisted around a metal rod and slowly cooked over fire Los Angeles’s best pescado zarandeado vendor relocated to Bloomington with a tricked out food trailer for grilling whole fish over mesquite has created a one-of-a-kind tacos de pescado zarandeado recipe — served in a car dealership parking lot Plascencia’s signature dish gets marinated in a homemade adobo that has a base of salsa huichol to bring out the natural flavors of mesquite-grilled sea bream Order pescado zarandeado “estilo Los Corchos” for an add-on of octopus and shrimp zarandeado that offers a true taste of the beach in Bloomington Find the stand Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m Sinaloa-style tacos de cabeza de res have long been an underground weekend breakfast, but the competition for succulent plates of assorted beef head cuts is on the rise traditional cook Berenice Suffo (La Sinaloense) and her husband opened La Sinaloense in their Pomona backyard garnering a fast following for their rich beef cuts of tongue Regulars order bowls swarming with chunks of delicate beef in a swirl of crystal clear consomé to dress with chopped onions and cilantro As in so many Mexican breakfast traditions that call for indulgence an order of corn tortillas spread with asiento (unrefined lard) and melted cheese to wrap your beef cuts is reason alone to rise early on a Sunday morning The spot operates Thursday through Monday from 8 a.m Northern Mexican burritos (a regional style of taco) filled with savory stews were as much an innovation when the Bañuelos family opened Burritos La Palma in Jerez Zacatecas in 1980 as they were when the first U.S The beef birria burrito drips with simply seasoned meat juices and a light smear of refried beans whose fragrant flavors permeate the fresh flour tortilla Try the chile verde-topped burritos for something special The Best Places to Eat on the Drive Between Los Angeles and Palm Springs The couple behind Los Angeles’s best chilaquiles are the only game in town when it comes to Mexico City-style tacos a la plancha The meats are expanded over a pair of warm corn tortillas The key to these formidable tacos are complex salsas such as salsa siete chiles Tacos Baja is one of the original fish taco stands in Southern California opened in 1998 by co-founders Lourdes Toscano and Martin Vásquez secret tempura batter recipe for Ensenada-style fish and shrimp tacos runs three busy locations alongside her daughters on the strength of the taquería’s golden Don’t forget to grab the flavorful chiles güeros dressed with lime and chile powder and for a taste of the restaurant’s Sonoran roots From the Esquivel family comes a prominent taquería franchise boasting seven locations in Tijuana with its newest location here in East LA the taquería offers the same menu using the chain’s proprietary recipes created by founder Antonio Esquivel Tacos de carne asada come dressed with chopped onions and cilantro The exceptional adobada has a unique touch of crema de adobada and Mexican cream sauce seasoned with chives The East LA outlet offers a family-friendly Originally part of a second wave of Baja California-themed carne asada trucks the Pérez family has added tacos made with northern Mexican guisados: steak and potatoes grab a stack of handmade flour tortillas made by Melva Pérez Asadero Chikali opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Inglewood just a few blocks from Intuit Dome The 17 Essential Restaurants on the Eastside of Los Angeles With Poblano roots from Huehuetlan el Grande Puebla and Coatzingo Puebla — the land where Tijuana taqueros are forged — father-and-son team Don Cuco and Jonathan Rios have crafted one of Los Angeles’s best taco spots and tostadas topped with tender chunks of well-chopped shoulder-clod steaks Carved from the trompo outside the canopy is a spiral of tangerine-colored adobada — sweet lightly marinated pork kissed by the flavors of cinnamon and dried fruit and a heaping spoonful of creamy guacamole on a warmed corn tortilla The family restaurant has three branches and a pair of street stands in East LA and Boyle Heights A post shared by Los Dorados LA (@losdoradosla) while the family’s homemade herbed green chorizo tacos take their customers on a flavor journey between heaven and hell The shop is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m A post shared by Evil_Cooks Food Co. ЭС™️ (@evil_cooks) Nayarit — where taquero David Delfin grew up — are the only thing on the menu at his street cart located in a dirt lot across from an industrial park in Cudahy pork pulled from the carcass onto corn tortillas with a piece of golden The dish is not complete with the traditional salsa de mostaza (mustard salsa) 15 Fantastic Restaurants to Try in Southeast LA Carolina Valenzuela started selling caguamanta (stingray soup) and tacos de caguamanta The taco de caguamanta is a meal unto itself heaped with plump shrimp and tender stingray soaked in bichi (soup stock) and even ketchup (a popular topping back home) who has run a successful cart in Ciudad Obregón in southern Sonora for 15 years Valenzuela moved to a sidewalk stand to the East Rancho Dominguez an unincorporated area east of Compton (and also called East Compton) Carlos Pardo’s backyard beef head taco destination is back in action at a new location after a few years away Pardo has been slowly building his business back with a handful of picnic benches and a steady stream of to-go orders out of his Compton home dressed with the same condiments and served alongside corn tortillas It would be easy for a customer from one of Los Angeles’s Mexican communities to see wayfaring taquero Walter Soto a Tijuana native with culichi roots who has worked in Sinaloa and his wife Julia Silva’s truck as curators of LA taco hits with a menu of tacos about LA taco and tortilla trends Sonora-influenced carne asada with Sinaloan condiments and Sonoran burritos wrapped in sobaqueras — made by Silva from Baja Californian wheat filled with chile colorado — reflect a menu that could only happen in LA Jalisco is the gold standard when it comes to goat birria followed by respected traditions in Aguascalientes and Zacatecas just three miles from the Jalisco state line Their Boyle Heights outpost serves an austere rendition of braised goat in stock made from the drippings with only a hot chile de árbol salsa A post shared by BIRRIERIA NOCHISTLAN ZAC. (@birrierianochistlan) on Aug 9 Tacos árabes aren’t possible without the special tortillas Most vendors will place the roasted pork — cooked on a vertical spit just like al pastor but with a different marinade — on a corn tortilla which is called tacos orientales in Puebla The Villegas family brings in traditional products from Puebla and prepares its tacos with tender pork and a tangy chipotle salsa There’s nothing more welcoming on a Sunday morning than the sight of Héctor Ramírez’s modified pizza oven as he removes baking sheets full of blistered slabs of birria tatemada de chivo Ramírez’s recipe comes from the northwestern highlands of Jalisco charred goat birria comes in tangy consomé or separately to make your own tacos with corn tortillas A post shared by BIRRIA EL JALICIENSE (@birriaeljaliciense) The best way to have carnitas at Romulo “Momo” Acosta’s shrine to Mexican confit-style pork cuts is to skip the onions and cilantro and squeeze in some juices from a pickled jalapeño chasing each bite of moist pork with some chile — that’s the way it’s done in Salamanca Find Mulita Perfection at These 9 Los Angeles Spots Has there ever been a time when chef Jonathan Pérez and his sister weren’t running to their next pop-up location hyping a constantly evolving menu of modern Mexican American tacos they have a steady gig at Milpa Grille in Boyle Heights where devoted fans can bite into umami-rich mushroom al pastor tacos and fried chicken tacos with hibiscus slaw The most talked about item is a hefty pork belly breakfast burrito From backyard barbacoa in Boyle Heights to Baldwin Park and even a residency in Santa Monica veteran barbacoa master Petra Zavaleta offers one of the most unique barbacoa styles in Los Angeles from her hometown of Tepeaca Though the Santa Monica and Baldwin Park locations have ceased operations Barba Kush is back with an ongoing engagement in Boyle Heights (check Instagram for the location) and cheeks attached for making tacos along with warming lamb consommé iron-flavored lamb menudo called mole de panza enchilada the secrets of flavorful shrimp are tucked into a corn tortilla and accentuated by the frenetic blistering of hot fat Los Angeles hides its treasures in plain sight under the fleeting shade doled out by rows of iconic fan palms but on East Olympic Boulevard it’s the taco dorado de camarón from San Juan de Los Lagos that is an indelible image Los Angeles's 18 Most Iconic Restaurant Dishes Let These 12 Fabulous Restaurants Cater Your Big Fat LA Wedding Taquero Yasmany Mendoza’s popular food truck is one of the big winners in Los Angeles’s birria wars always commanding a long line of taco devotees that show up for goat and beef birria Mendoza serves the most requested Tijuana-style taco dishes Angelenos crave: tacos mulitas (taco sandwiched in between two tortillas) quesatacos (tacos with melted-fried cheese) vampiros (taco on a toasted corn tortilla) and quesadillas dripping with birria juices With birria trucks on practically every corner of LA herbal stew with streaks of animal fat at Tacos Y Birria La Unica’s birria that keeps crowds coming back for more 14 Busy Stops to Dive Into LA’s Enduring Birria Scene Taquero Juan Carlos Guerra has opened a stylish taquería on a busy corner in Cypress Park distinguished by a mustard yellow marquee He’s using recipes that he developed with his father a Tijuana-based chain that opened in East LA in 2024 The stars of the menu are tacos de carne asada and tacos de adobada made from a 20-spice adobo and vegetarian options on a variety of vessels that include tacos The Best Dishes Eater LA Editors Ate This Year Chef Enrique Olvera’s industrial-hip back patio taquería operates under the direction of chef de cuisine Chuy Cervantes The destination taquería serves a concise menu of upscale traditional tacos on phenomenal handmade corn tortillas The star attraction is the in-house nixtamal program that makes corn tortillas for Ditroit and Damian Grab a margarita or michelada and order as many tacos as you can eat A thin-cut taco de suadero (beef cut from the belly) comes with a chunky salsa roja and guacachile (a spicy avocado salsa) Tender carnitas are topped with crumbled chicharrón The vegetarian taco of the day could be a papas al pastor with chunks of pineapple or beer-battered tempura eggplant covered in fine-shredded cabbage delicious corn tortillas that are among the best in town Cool Off With a Paleta at These 10 Los Angeles Shops In the ebb and flow of carnitas stands along the Mercado Olympic (which occupies parts of the street in a Downtown area known as the Piñata District) A line of diverse customers comes to the bustling street food hub just for Guadalupe Baez’s pork confit tacos whose charm is part of her taquería’s popularity began her carnitas business during the pandemic she’s planning to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant A post shared by Martin Rubalcava (@martin.rubalcava.5) There’s much to love about Jennifer Feltham and Teodoro Diaz-Rodriguez’s warm storefront taquería — its menu of regional Sonoran tacos carne asada tucked into Sonoran wheat flour tortillas Best Los Angeles Restaurants for Takeout and Delivery Get Into the Guts of LA Dining With 19 Delectable Offal Dishes One of the latest contemporary Mexican seafood trucks to draw a crowd comes from Oaxacan chef Francisco Aguilar’s bright blue lonchera and an impressive lineup of modern Mexican seafood tacos and placed on a corn tortilla with grilled pineapple but follow them up with a crispy soft shell crab taco dotted with smoky chintexle aioli Dip into the colorful array of homemade salsas like a blistering hot habanero-garlic salsa called “no mames” (which roughly translates to “you’re fucking kidding”) to spice up Aguilar’s inventive tacos that evoke the multilayered flavors of Oaxaca A post shared by Simón | Mexican Seafood Truck (@simonfoodla) one of Los Angeles’s most celebrated contemporary Mexican seafood stands whose family also runs the next-door Yucatán-cuisine institution Chichen Itza like delicately smoked kanpachi tacos; grilled Maine scallop tacos with bright spicy chile x’catic; or grilled octopus in a briny bed of squid ink sofrito The Best Gluten-Free Restaurants in Los Angeles Founded in 1992 by primos (cousins) Eduardo Fernandez and Mariano Zenteno, one of LA’s original tire shop taquerías slices off LA’s best tacos al pastor onto warm corn tortillas beneath the flutter and roar of the 110 Harbor Freeway A pair of seasoned taqueros work their magic carving delicate rows of white pork outlined by brick-red lines of cooked adobo that accent the lean meat The tacos are dressed with chopped cilantro Step up to the podium placed in front of a glossy black food trailer and order a plate of Mexico City-style tacos al pastor that has been bearing the standard here in LA for over three decades The Single Best Dish to Try in 18 Different LA Neighborhoods 41 Essential Cheap Eats Destinations in Los Angeles Los Angeles doesn’t have many restaurants representing the Yucatán peninsula but the Burgos family has been delivering the (baked) goods since 1971 where shredded turkey is cooked in a black achiote paste contrasted with pickled red onions and creamy guacamole Chasing each bite with a whole raw habanero is conventional 20 Tacos to Try Before You Die in Los Angeles Maria Ramos is a third-generation Oaxacan barbacoa master with deep roots in the Mercado de Tlacolula in Oaxaca on her father’s side of the family or pit-roasted lamb in a chile-based marinade spicy taste of pre-Hispanic tacos de barbacoa and silky enfrijoladas scented with avocado leaf are made to order just like back home in Valles Centrales de Oaxaca Gish Bac is esteemed for its barbacoa and traditional Oaxacan cooking The restaurant is open Monday thorough Thursday 8 a.m The Best Sit-Down Mexican Restaurants in LA Connie Cossio’s Nayarit-style seafood mecca is known for tacos de marlin yet the pescado zarandeado tacos have always been the showstopper at its two locations where grilled snook imported from Mexico are always cooked to perfection then add the house dressing of purple onions pickled in lime and Worcestershire sauce The result is a blackened fish taco that melts in your mouth you’re transported to a balmy beach in San Blas The Best Places to Eat Near Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium Al pastor’s second wave was ushered in by the Oaxacan brothers behind a Mexico City-style food truck strategically placed on Venice and La Brea within striking distance of a crossover audience Food blogs were soon filled with tales of mercenary taqueros and massive crimson mounds of sweet marinated pork symmetrically trimmed off of vertical spits finished with the spectacle of flying chunks of pineapple snagged with Ozzie Smith-like precision onto a tortilla Leo’s now has a fleet of trucks spreading the gospel of traditional al pastor to all Angelenos Where to Eat the Best Oaxacan Food in Los Angeles the recipe he learned from his grandfather in Atotonilco El Grande roasts large cuts in a cylindrical pit wrapped in maguey spines tender lamb barbacoa tacos across from the DMV in Arleta on Sunday mornings only Order a mix of barbacoa; herbaceous stewed moronga (blood sausage); pancita (offal stuffed stomach) a stock made from the lamb drippings that taste like the smoldering essence of the pit Teddy Vasquez is making good on his dream to put a delicious quesabirria taco into as many hands in Los Angeles as possible His taco shop in Venice sits by the beach in a prime location and serves up the same delicious birria de res tacos with signature bright red consomé as his original Slauson truck Eater 38 Restaurants That Are Still Open for Top-Notch Takeout and Delivery in LA bringing together top collegiate players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and national teams from across Southern Africa.  a libero/defensive specialist from Chandler is grateful and excited about the opportunity “My coach offered me the opportunity to represent Morgan at this tournament and I was honored to accept,” Esparza said “It is a privilege to be chosen for such a significant event and I am truly grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me.” Her selection highlights not only her talent and dedication but also the growing international presence of HBCU athletics As she prepares to showcase her skills on a global platform the Cybersecurity Intelligence Management major and American Sign Language (ASL) minor remains focused on proudly representing her team “I was incredibly excited and honored when I got the news,” she recalled “I got emotional—I even shed a few tears Having the opportunity to represent my university and compete internationally is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Morgan’s Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Dena Freeman-Patton emphasized the significance of Esparza’s participation in the tournament “We are incredibly proud of Mikaela and what this opportunity represents for Morgan State Volleyball,” said Freeman-Patton “Competing on an international stage is not only a tremendous personal achievement for Mikaela but also a milestone for our program It aligns with our commitment to providing student-athletes with transformative experiences that extend beyond the court.” Head Volleyball Coach Xiomara Ortiz echoed these sentiments underscoring Esparza’s growth and dedication “Mikaela has worked a lot on being open to feedback and making intentional changes to her serve this spring,” Ortiz said “It means the world to support my athletes and with the help of AD Dena Freeman-Patton we are giving Mikaela a life-changing experience Playing internationally expands a player's global perspective—not only in terms of the cultural experience but also by highlighting the differences in resources and opportunities available in volleyball worldwide.” The Ditsala International Cup will serve as the first leg of the U.S delegation’s multi-country African tour which includes visits to local youth volleyball clinics the expedition to South Africa is an invitation to study abroad The cohort of HBCU student-athletes will embark on many experiential activities comprising educational and cultural exchange Among the highly anticipated events of this immersive experience is a scheduled visit to the U.S Embassy in Botswana to meet with diplomats and engage in discussions on sports diplomacy This visit underscores how athletics serve as a bridge for international collaboration and development learning how to navigate different cultures Esparza looks forward to the entire experience A recent recipient of the Alston Award for her academic achievement Esparza attributes her selection to her hard work and dedication and will likely use the funds from the award to support portions of the expenses related to her travel to Botswana “I am eager to immerse myself in the culture build friendships with athletes from around the world and compete at the highest level,” she said “This is more than just volleyball; it’s about growing as an athlete and a person.” Joining Esparza and Morgan at this year’s 2nd annual tournament are teams comprising student-athletes from Alabama State University Morgan State University and the Lady Bears volleyball program are proud to support Esparza as she takes this significant step in her athletic career proving that the reach of HBCU talent knows no bounds Office of Public Relations & Strategic Communications1700 East Cold Spring LaneMcMechen Hall Rm pr@morgan.edu A Carnegie "High Research" University a spectacular collision of land and tradition Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos •   •   • an exhibition of work by rafa esparza and Beatriz Cortez at the Americas Society The first is an asteroid’s collision with Earth sixty-six million years ago leaving a two-hundred-kilometer-wide crater off the Yucatán Peninsula near what is now the town of Chicxulub Pueblo The impact triggered an extinction-level event wherein 75 percent of life on the planet was wiped out thanks to waves of earthquakes and clouds of dust and ejecta—space matter—that blanketed the planet in a thick layer of clay The second was the eruption of the Ilopango volcano in El Salvador somewhere around the fifth or sixth century CE sent a volcanic plume fifty kilometers into the air contributing to a climate shift; rivers of lava coming from deep within the earth’s mantle hardened into basalt stone when they reached the surface These two disasters are a compelling starting point for an exhibition dominated by the materials associated with those events—dust basalt—and that delves into both geological and cosmological understandings of time But the framing becomes even more fitting in light of the artists’ engagement with a long-standing and utterly perverse reality: even as empire-builders of the Global North have tried so hard to abscond with art and artifacts from around the world they have taken extraordinary measures to ensure that the descendants of those objects’ makers are held at bay by borders and walls tend not to respect the limits of the nation-state The show opens spectacularly with esparza’s Hyperspace: -100 km + ∞ (2024) a sculpture based on an Olmec colossal head The artist has fashioned it out of his preferred medium adobe—which he learned to work with from his father a master of the craft—and adorned it with basalt the stone the Olmec used for these monuments back in the first millennium BCE the piece nods in many directions: to lava’s status as a connection between the Earth’s core (or underworld as the Olmecs and other Mesoamerican cultures understood it) and its surface; to the thousands-of-years-long Indigenous tradition of adobe building; to the cosmic dust–infused clay out of which that adobe is made too: the head is an homage to the one that was brought to New York in 1965 for the World’s Fair lowered by crane onto the plaza in front of the Seagram Building This was the first time an Olmec head was displayed in New York Though esparza conceived of his project in 2021 when he was short-listed for the High Line plinth commission it is fitting that it has finally been realized at the Americas Society: only two years before the head landed like an alien on Fifty-Third and Park David Rockerfeller had founded the Council of the Americas the sister organization of the Americas Society both of which were (and still are) housed up the street on Sixty-Eighth and Park He did so at the request of President John F who hoped such an organization could limit the spread of Fidel Castro’s political influence in Latin America via trade agreements—it’s an organization entrenched in the economic and political policies that kick-started the waves of migration that we see today If esparza’s piece encodes the past and present it also points to the future: unlike the one on which it is based his head twists and morphs as if caught in a wormhole like a science-fiction traveler who has not quite settled into their next location on the time-space continuum This futurism is a strategy to counteract the way Indigenous cultures are often cast as lost civilizations But the glitching of the form serves another purpose esparza explained in an interview—preventing the work from being consumed “as a foreign and exotic cultural object,” as it was back in 1965 by short-circuiting the viewer’s too easy visual grasp of it Gift of the Artist to the Ancient Object Labeled as Human Head Emerging from Monster Jaws Cortez regards the Mesoamerican sculptures that have made their way into American collections through excavation and looting as “forced migrants.” A stony-hued now located in the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) sits on a geometric welded-steel armature that in turn rests on a platform of adobe bricks fabricated by esparza Cortez titles the armature Gift of the Artist to the Ancient Object Labeled as Human Head Emerging from Monster Jaws in Memory of your True Name and your Land (2022–23 or sculpted building element—was stolen by Williams College students during an expedition to Honduras and Belize in the early 1870s While Cortez’s pedestal was shown with the actual artifact at WCMA in 2023 irony that the museum did not allow it to travel the roughly hundred and fifty miles to New York City for this show is a collection of four other Mayan pieces gifted to WCMA in 1914 by an alum but these replicas announce their ersatz nature more baldly Cortez does not re-present these stolen objects simply as an expression of loss or a rallying cry for cultural restitution; she identifies them as migrants like her aligning them with contemporary Central American diasporas members of communities dispersed across the world not so different from all those particles of Ilopango volcano dust that can be found everywhere Altar de Kaqjay (2021) makes such community ties tangible: the hammered and welded-steel facsimile of a Mayan altar was produced in collaboration with Kaqjay a Mayan Kaqchikel collective that runs a communitarian museum in the Guatemalan town where the artifact is sited an independent publishing platform in Mexico The piece’s genesis creates a human chain that stretches across borders at the same time as it enables objects to remain in place while the spiritual and cultural ideas that subtend them are able to travel wherever the inheritors of those ideas exist in the world as we all migrate,” the artist says in the exhibition brochure “these particles are here and elsewhere to receive us to help us build a new home where our fruits and corn can also grow.” platform surface beneath replicas: rafa esparza The adobe bricks on which Cortez’s pieces are set contain within them seeds and plant matter; esparza has often been asked by museums to treat the material with chemicals or to irradiate it to make sure the organic matter doesn’t pose a threat to other artworks—so that fruits and corn cannot grow esparza draws a parallel between such requests—which the Americas Society did not make—and the Bracero Program (1942–64) in which Mexican migrant workers were routinely fumigated with DDT when they entered the United States In the face of such attempts—museological and carceral—to contain the people and forms of material knowledge that migrate to this country esparza’s adobe surfaces enact their own subtle form of resistance: as viewers walk across the room-width platform on which Altar de Kaqjay sits and particles are tracked around the whole exhibition—an uncontrollable Aruna D’Souza is a writer and critic based in New York She contributes to the New York Times and 4Columns was published by Floating Opera Press last summer Photo Caption: New Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) faculty member Kranthz Esparza brings more than 30 decades of experience to South Texas College For new South Texas College Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) faculty member Kranthz Esparza his experience in the industry has culminated in a journey that has gone from shop floor to the classroom where Esparza said he felt an attraction to machines and engineering Esparza said he was fascinated by the way a product was designed and then rolled out From the smell of the machine shop to the tooling and operation of the various parts Esparza said he said he found his calling early in life and never looked back.  Now after spending nearly 3 decades in industry Esparza is the newest faculty member within the AMT program at STC “I’ve been working in a machine shop all of my life and I am happy to begin sharing my experience with STC students,” Esparza said Beginning in his father’s shop as a teenager in the ‘90s Esparza said he then opened his own machine shop creating products for the produce industry “I was only 14 years old when I started working in a machine shop with my dad It was tough and it wasn’t the same as having a college instructor but it paved the way for my career in business and then through my education,” Esparza said “He was always drilling into my head and into my brother’s head that we had to become better than he was but my brother is now working at Lockheed-Martin building F-35s (jets).” I’ve been working in a machine shop all of my life and I am happy to begin sharing my experience with STC students Growing up within the industry in the early ‘90s was a unique moment according to Esparza who said he witnessed the dawn of computer numerical control (CNC) machines and software that is now standard in the industry Esparza said manufacturing students are at the dawn of another great moment as artificial intelligence (AI) begins to make its impact felt Now we have Fusion and SolidWorks and so many other software programs that this new generation can take advantage of We even have AI starting in manufacturing that is going to change everything,” he said “Students are doing projects that used to take six weeks to complete in half the time We couldn’t even dream of the technology back then that students have now.” Graduating from STC with a degree in Engineering enabled him to dive head first into the technology being utilized by the industry The college also streamlined his transition into a bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) He is currently pursuing his master’s degree from the same university “STC gave me opportunities that I never knew I could receive,” Esparza said I am sure to tell my own students about the same opportunities that I qualified for while inspiring them with my own journey and the sacrifices I had to make to get where I am This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Editor's note: This story has been updated after an interview with former U.S Attorney Jaime Esparza and social media post by President Donald Trump Esparza resigned from the position after serving more than two years as the lead federal prosecutor in West Texas Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas officials announced Tuesday "It was an honor to serve the United States as the U.S Attorney for this district," Esparza told the El Paso Times and it's a great compliment to my years of service as the district attorney in El Paso." presidents to appoint their own candidates to fill U.S No information was released on when President Donald Trump could announce a new nomination for U.S Attorney for the Western District of Texas More: Jaime Esparza formally sworn in as US attorney for Western District of Texas in El Paso Trump confirmed he dismissed all Biden-appointed U.S attorneys in a statement posted on social media attorneys have resigned since Trump took office the Department of Justice has been politicized like never before," Trump said in a Wednesday I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining 'Biden Era' U.S America's Golden Age must have a fair Justice System — THAT BEGINS TODAY!" Esparza is a Democrat originally from El Paso Esparza oversaw the handling of more than 41,000 federal criminal prosecutions— including immigration and violent crime — and more than 10,000 civil cases the civil section defended the United States in numerous civil actions and sought and obtained civil penalties against numerous individuals and entities under the False Claims Act," U.S Attorney for the Western District of Texas officials said in a news release his team of asset recovery lawyers obtained millions of dollars in restitution for victims and forfeited millions of dollars in property that were used to commit crimes or were obtained with proceeds of crime." The Western District of Texas over sees 68 counties with division offices in El Paso "I have totally enjoyed representing Texas the United States and my hometown of El Paso," Esparza said "I'm currently living in San Antonio for this position but my wife and I still have our home in El Paso I always knew I would go home and so now after two years of service I'll be going home to El Paso and I'm thrilled." Esparza's next career move is still up in the air "It is a little early to think about that," Esparza said "I like working and I still think I have some years to work and I just enjoy my work in the law I'll wrap things up here and go home and then figure out what's the next step." Margaret Leachman to take over as interim US AttorneyFirst Assistant U.S Leachman has been with the Western District of Texas for more than 30 years Leachman has served as senior litigation counsel Attorney in the appellate and major crimes sections Esparza said he is confident Leachman will continue to carry on the legacy and success the Western District of Texas has seen under his tenure "Margaret is going to be great," Esparza said She is great and is going to be awesome as the acting U.S Attorney for the Western District of Texas." Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico officials announced Uballez's departure in a Monday “I say farewell to a department that I love,” Uballez said in a statement we have made our community safer by delivering swift and certain justice to the most prolific violent offenders We have saved lives by intervening to prevent violence and by supporting those who strive to return to our community from incarceration we fought to build a community united in the pursuit of justice for all by choosing prevention before punishment Uballez was nominated by Biden in January 2022 and confirmed by the U.S Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico First Assistant U.S Attorney until a successor is nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on X/Twitter @AMartinezEPT Icon DONATE the Linda Schele Drawing Collection (SD-508) Photo courtesy Ancient Americas at LACMA (ancientamericas.org) Art at Americas Society is pleased to present Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos an exhibition that highlights the ongoing conversations and collaborations between the Los Angeles-based artists Beatriz Cortez (b.1970 Cortez and esparza have over the years engaged in conversations about ancient and contemporary ideas of the Earth and the knowledge developed by ancient Indigenous people These discussions inform their practices and have also led to numerous co-created projects such as Nomad 13 Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos presents works selected by the artists that speak to the movement of this ancient knowledge through the flow of all beings and matter across the cosmos The exhibition is centered around the idea of ancient objects traveling across space and time appearing distorted as if on the edge of a wormhole The work is made from the artist's family adobe recipe mixed with basalt the volcanic stone that original Olmec heads were carved out of rafa charts the journey molten magma can travel from the depths of the Earth's crust to when it erupts onto the surface and the infinite journeys and forms the basalt can take as a stone Alongside esparza’s work will be two steel sculptures produced by Cortez and Gift of the Artist to the Ancient Object Labeled as Human Head Emerging from Monster Jaws which evoke looted ancient objects and examine how people and matter travel across land The exhibition will also include Altar de Kaqjay This steel work evokes an altar that has not been moved from the ceremonial center where it was located in ancient times the artists leave the original ancient carved stone in its original siting and bring to the diaspora the steel altar that evokes its powers and ancient use The works in the exhibition will be placed atop an adobe brick installation by esparza which will be placed across the entire space of the gallery to allow the works to meet the Earth and the soil from where they are removed Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos inaugurates a series in which Americas Society invites two artists who are friends and collaborators to jointly explore how they influence each other's work This new approach shares insight into a vital part of artistic production that is seldom the subject of exhibitions: the conversations that artists have with colleagues and companions that inform and enrich their practice Americas Society will offer a series of free public programs and a catalogue that features a conversation between the artists El Salvador; lives and works in Los Angeles and Davis) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores memory time-traveling forms of communication and community building Her sculptures function as metaphors of long temporalities Her installations construct possible interventions in the chronological order of time and nonhuman temporalities and perspectives Her collaborations with others explore the emergence of collective subjectivities as well as transborder and transtemporal forms of being She teaches sculpture at the University of California Pasadena; lives and works in Los Angeles) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work reveals his interests in history his own relationship to colonization and the disrupted genealogies that it produces Using live performance as his main form of inquiry and what he calls (non)documentation as primary tools to investigate and expose ideologies and binary forms of identity that establish narratives esparza’s recent projects are grounded in laboring with land and adobe-making the artist invites Brown and Queer cultural producers to realize large-scale collective projects gathering people together to build networks of support in and outside of traditional art spaces mediarelations@as-coa.org The presentation of Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos is made possible by support from Liana Krupp as well as by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.  The presentation of Cortez's work is supported by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant We thank Kibum Kim and everyone at Commonwealth and Council without whom this project would not be possible Americas Society acknowledges the generous support from the Arts of the Americas Circle members: Amalia Amoedo Marco Pappalardo and Cintya Poletti Pappalardo Beatriz Cortez and rafa esparza will share insights into their work in conversation with Carin Kuoni Beatriz Cortez and rafa esparza will discuss their art practices in the context of their exhibition at Americas Society on May 6 The art website describes the show as "a spectacular collision of land and tradition The works included in the show "honor antiquity from the ancient Americas not unlike the artist’s past collaborations," says the art magazine "Beatriz Cortez and rafa esparza imagine ancient artifacts flying through time and space in this exhibition," says the online arts magazine focuses on the artists' conversations over the years La muestra explora "las conversaciones que los artistas tienen con colegas que informan y enriquecen sus proyectos" © 2025 Americas Society/Council of the Americas The UFC's first women's strawweight champion is calling it a career Following a unanimous decision loss to Tecia Pennington at UFC 307 on Saturday, Carla Esparza retired from mixed martial arts It was a close fight with a bittersweet ending that many fans at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City believed Esparza won "Can't leave it to the judges," Esparza said following the loss but I'm honored to go out fighting a veteran." A video package of Esparza's career was shown in the arena as she held her son in the Octagon Carla Esparza retires as a two-time UFC women's strawweight champion a former Invicta FC strawweight champion and winner of season 20 of "The Ultimate Fighter." Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC"It's been an amazing journey the last 15 years," a tearful Esparza said There are ups and downs in this sport but I wouldn't have done it any other way The retirement did not come as a shocker -- Esparza (19-7 MMA 10-5 UFC) announced in August on Instagram that her MMA career would end with the fight against Pennington "I've actually felt better and better about my decision as we go," Esparza told ESPN earlier in the week if she had reconsidered "Being a mom and fighting is definitely possible but for me I feel like I'm in a place to take this next chapter and give all that passion and focus to being a mother." retires as a two-time UFC women's strawweight champion a former Invicta FC strawweight champion and winner of Season 20 of "The Ultimate Fighter." Known for her exceptional wrestling ability Esparza holds the record for most takedowns landed in strawweight history with 44 Before transitioning to an MMA career, Esparza was an NAIA All-American in women's wrestling at Menlo College in Atherton, California, in 2008 and 2009. Esparza made her professional MMA debut in 2010 and went 3-0 before getting the call to compete in Bellator against legendary mixed martial artist Megumi Fujii she made her debut in Invicta FC and won the title a year later as the inaugural Invicta FC strawweight champion She vacated the title to compete on "The Ultimate Fighter," where the winner would be crowned the inaugural UFC women's strawweight champion Esparza went 9-3 over the next seven years before she was awarded a shot to regain the title against then-champion Namajunas Esparza pulled off a split decision victory to reclaim the title on May 7 setting the record for the longest time between title reigns in UFC history at 2,612 days Esparza dropped the title to Zhang Weili six months later Esparza took a hiatus from the sport to start a family Esparza and her husband welcomed a baby boy to the world the former champion decided to have one last fight before bidding the sport farewell "This felt like everything coming full circle," Esparza said of concluding her career against someone she shared time with on "The Ultimate Fighter." "We're now both mothers and this shows how far women in MMA have come Being a mom is starting to be a common thing in MMA You don't have to stop fighting once you become a mother Esparza leaves the sport as one of the pioneers of women's MMA and will likely be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame "Fighting has made all of my dreams come true," she said "It set me up in life and gave me a lifestyle I never thought I could have I literally got to do what I love every single day and make a living off of it I couldn't be more grateful for what this sport has given me Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application at UnityPoint Health – Trinity Bettendorf "Damma," as her grandkids would call her or "Mama Bear Brenda" by her kids and their friends A LeClaire born and raised and Pleasant Valley social butterfly spent her early years babysitting strong-willed woman who would do anything for the ones she loved She spent her days with her grandbabies watching her girls (call of the midwife) and putting her green thumb to use Preceded in death were grandparents Randolph Sadly leaving behind her husband Carlos Esparza  Condolences may be shared at CremationQC.com This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Ana Laura Esparza to the late Benito Esparza and Ofelia Garcia Ana was also a proud aunt to her nieces and nephews: Marysol Herrera She found great joy in her work at Sam's Club where she built countless friendships with both her colleagues and customers caring deeply for her two beloved niñas who brought her happiness and companionship A memorial service will be held in her honor at Hillside Funerals and Cremations on Saturday from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm with a prayer service commencing at 5:30 pm where family and friends will gather to celebrate her life and the mark she left on everyone she encountered The family kindly requests that attendees wear white to honor Ana's spirit and love for life Arrangements are under the care and direction of Hillside Funerals and Cremations; 310 W Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text Award-winning chef Silvana Salcido Esparza has spent her life breaking barriers and challenging the status quo In a new fearless and deeply personal memoir Esparza pulls back the curtain on her journey not just as a chef navigating a culinary industry and a society often hostile to her very existence Esparza is best known for her groundbreaking restaurant She closed it in 2024 and moved to Mexico with her wife She is a James Beard Award® Semi-finalist and a finalist a total of nine times Esparza joined us on “Arizona Horizon” to discuss “I come from 800 years of baking from Spain through Colonial Mexico but the importance of Unesco’s world heritage food like Mexican is and you can intertwine both as one panaderia y cocinar,” Esparza said she knew she wanted to cook for her career because she had a carnitas business at her father’s bakery and decided to go to culinary school later “I backpacked through Mexico for a greater part of a year and when I came back after getting the traditional blessing of the cooks I had to correct the erroneous perception North Americans have of what Mexican food or cuisine is as well as the culture and I set out to do it one plate at a time,” Esparza said Esparza said she wrote a rough draft of the book last year and decided to self-publish the book this year If you would like to see Esparza speak and sign her books she will be at the Phoenix location of Changing Hands Bookstore on Friday Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza's memoir 'La Hija de la Chingada' How Arizona is preparing for an early and intense wildfire season U.S. Health Secretary pushes reevaluation of fluoride in water A community service of Arizona State University and an affiliate of ASU Media Enterprise, Arizona PBS is one of the nation’s leading public media organizations reaching viewers across five broadcast channels and an array of digital platforms Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents We hear all the time that Phoenix is the fastest growing city in the country it’s the kind of place where you can really make your mark those people who really make an impact here — leave That is where we turn today, to one of Phoenix’s most famous chefs, Silvana Salcido Esparza, who stayed here her entire career. Until, after 22 years, she closed her beloved restaurant Barrio Café last year Salcido Esparza joined The Show to talk about why SILVANA SALCIDO ESPARZA: Not for the Barrio GILGER: Today she lives on the other side of the border in Rosarito where she's getting ready to release her autobiography But she told me she'll never really leave Phoenix I'm still very much involved in Phoenix as a whole GILGER: But Phoenix hasn't always been easy for Esparza She's opened and closed beautiful restaurants like Barrio Gran Reserva and parted ways with the investors of her concept And the James Beard Award nominee has often found herself at the center of politics in some of the most divisive times in our state's history She joined the charge against former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the name of the Latino community and found artists who covered walls and fences near her restaurant with murals that told the story of their oppression.  where she thought a young person like her might be “too distracted” in the 1990s I went to Scottsdale to check out the school and I didn't see people of color except at the motel and I went I'm definitely not gonna get in trouble there.” So here I came GILGER: She spent some years at the Phoenix Convention Center and then nearly a year backpacking through Mexico ESPARZA: And when it was time to come back Too cold.” And basically it all brought me back to Phoenix her mother had passed away from cancer and she told me her heart was broken ESPARZA: So I came here and something very healing about the desert and the rain and how it washes off and it doesn't saturate the ground And the vastness of the Valley and those hills that we can hike and meditate GILGER: Barrio Cafe was a revelation in Mexican cuisine in Phoenix in the early 2000s my only opportunity to really showcase Mexico in a different light than what we're accustomed to And while she got a lot of questions about where the sopapillas were on the menu or a bias or even racism that occurs in Mexican food or towards Mexican food It's probably the most appropriated cuisine out there honor my start as a Taquera inside my dad's bakeries and to help change those erroneous perceptions that North Americans have about Mexican food and later on but this has been a theme I think in your career in the last decade or so like sort of pushing back against appropriation I swore to the little ancestral cooks that I encountered and had the privilege to be with in Mexico And they were teaching me their ancestral ways And when I told them the way North Americans perceive the food and the culture and the people they said I'm just kind of a responsible person and I have a thing that my parents taught me: integrity So I mean a lot of people know that I had my hands around and created a big concept that's right down the street from here It's a tough road when you have to pick capitalism versus your values and your beliefs Let's talk about one of the big things that happened in your career and in your life in general which was your role in the battle against SB 1070 This is when you found artists to paint the murals on the walls around your restaurant that are so poignant Tell us about why you felt it was important to take a stand right then I'm gonna say something.” The newspaper called and left a message and my business partner said and I would like to ask you to measure your words,” because I was very agitated “Barrio chef speaks out against SB 1070,” the headline I got instead of the continued support and accolades I got from death threats to less than love letters what I learned about myself is that anything adverse fuels me y'all wait until you see what I've got next,” and that's where somebody came by We were having a mural painting behind the restaurant just coincided that the artist was finishing right that July of SB 1070 He was out there at five in the morning finishing the mural when some guy in a pickup truck pulls up says “we don't like your kind doing that to our walls,” and showed him a gun Artists came out and we started including kids from the neighborhoods Principals were bringing those troubled kids and next thing Those kids were learning the origins of the murals from the making of the colors from annatto from nopal To painting on the frescoes of the pyramids It's all related and that's what Calle Dieciseis GILGER: She wants to create a culinary district along 16th Street and her old Barrio Café space has an exciting future too and I have rented them out to a Mexican chef that's going to just absolutely follow the tradition that we left behind Chef Silvana Salceda Esparza's new book is out this month and she'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books this weekend to talk more about it Esparza was sworn in as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration the first Latino to head a cabinet department in the state’s history Esparza was sworn into office this morning by Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell at the county’s government center The ceremony was originally scheduled to be held in conjunction with Governor Stein’s inaugural celebration in Raleigh but was moved to Charlotte due to inclement weather Esparza joins the list of members from Governor Josh Stein’s inaugural cabinet to be sworn into office this week Esparza will oversee government operations spanning from building construction He also will oversee programs and services for North Carolina’s diverse populations including women and youth He will be supported by Chief Deputy Secretary Mark Edwards and Deputy Secretaries David Elliott and Noelle Talley Esparza served on the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission and is currently a trustee for Central Piedmont Community College To learn more about the department and its new leadership team, visit the NCDOA website That all changed after he won NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2010. He leveled up, began touring the country, then the world, and never looked back. Since his big break, Esparza has also ventured into acting, with roles in such movies as “You People,” “Daddy Daughter Trip” and “Guest House.” He has also appeared on TV shows including “Gentrified” and “The Eric Andre Show.” His raw, personal narrative-like jokes delve into topics that are dark and taboo, like domestic violence, the sex lives of married couples, drug and alcohol abuse and other dysfunctions growing up in a Mexican family. Esparza also hosts the comedy podcast “What’s Up Fool?” which has been one of the top comedy podcasts for the last 10 years. Esparza recently spoke with The Times about his fifth full comedy special, “Raging Fool,” which premieres Tuesday on Netflix. Before he could afford his own car, Esparza relied on public transit for years to get to gigs around town. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Tell us about your new special, “Raging Fool,” and how it differs from your last Netflix special in 2020. You’re touring the U.S. now, as part of the At My Leisure Tour, but last year you were international. What was it like touring outside the country as a stand-up? Did you find there to be any differences in audiences? “The jokes are different but I’m still dealing with the same topics. Family issues, marriage, drugs, sex,” Esparza said of his new special, “Raging Fool.” (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) You made some jokes in your last special about being a vegan, but are you really a vegan? Comedy is therapeutic for Esparza: “I am still alive because of my stand-up comedy, for sure. I speak about some really dark twisted stuff in my life in my comedy onstage.” (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Your wife works with you producing your podcast and comedy specials, so how do you balance family personal time and work? I don’t know how we balance it but it just happens organically. Naturally, we just make it work. She produces my podcast and also my comedy specials, which is hard work behind the scenes. We’ve been together since 2006 so she saw me and knew me before I won “Last Comic Standing,” and before I was famous. She knows the rhythm of my jokes she helps me write. Your comedy contains some dark personal stories. Do you find stand-up comedy to be therapeutic? “I think as a comedian, you can make a joke about anything you want. But you gotta be prepared to take the consequences of your words,” Esparza said. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) How do you feel about censorship as a comedian? Do you think comedians have total freedom of speech to joke about any topic? Do current events and politics play into your stand-up comedy routines at all? Aside from your tour, are there any other acting roles or movie parts on the horizon for you? Oh yeah, I am gonna be on the ABC series “Shifting Gears” with Tim Allen. It’s an episode where I play a mechanic. It’s very cool, because it’s a paying acting gig. ... The funny thing is I don’t know anything about tools or cars. Sometimes in Hollywood it’s not who you know, it’s who you smoke weed with in the back of the Improv. Entertainment & Arts Hollywood Inc. Television Music Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map F | F | 5-Day Forecast °F Now | Forecast Rafa Esparza [From a photo by Hart Leshkina] “Please help us continue to build on our legacy of mindful engagement with the communities we serve,” stated Side Street Projects “Our community and staff have been severely impacted by the Eaton Fire Your support now will help us help our beautiful community recover.” The Phantom Ball operates with a unique pricing strategy designed to encourage early support Supporters pre-order the exclusive print at half price without seeing it first adding an element of anticipation to the fundraising process All proceeds support Side Street Projects’ free public art programs and education services with artwork shipping to supporters in June after the June 1 revelation His art explores relationships to colonization and disrupted genealogies using live performance as his primary form of inquiry and non-documentation to question ideologies and power structures The accomplished artist has performed in numerous spaces including AIDS Project Los Angeles and various public sites throughout Los Angeles His accolades include a 2014 California Community Foundation Fellowship for Visual Arts and a 2015 Rema Hort Mann Foundation Emerging Artist Grant Esparza participated in the 2016 Made in L.A Biennial at the Hammer Museum and the 2017 Whitney Biennial Side Street Projects describes itself as “a mobile artist-run organization that supports artists and programs to foster leadership in our community through a DIY (do-it-yourself) & DIT (do-it-together) ethos.” Their mission is to “give artists of all ages the ability and means to support their creative endeavors.” The organization is “devoted to community-centered artists through community-led programming that promotes creativity and the potential for collective growth” and is specifically “centered and led by the justice-impacted communities of Pasadena and LA County.” The Phantom Ball has become a cornerstone of Side Street Projects’ fundraising strategy over three decades the organization invites supporters to purchase tickets to an event that never happens “We’ll understand if you can’t attend Nobody ever does.” This approach eliminates overhead costs while generating substantial support for their various initiatives including a mobile woodworking program the Phantom Ball has featured a different contemporary artist each year Previous Phantom Ball artists have included Cathy Opie The significance of the Phantom Ball was previously highlighted in a retrospective exhibition titled “Phantom Ball: 23 Years of Side Street Projects’ Print Editions,” which showcased benefit print editions by 26 contributing artists XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Esparza brings nearly 25 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry to his new role in JLL Work Dynamics as Solutions Development Principal Your browser doesn't support speech synthesis NEW YORK CITY, April 11, 2025 – JLL Work Dynamics announced today the appointment of Raul Esparza as Solutions Development Principal for the Financial Services division he boasts more than two decades of financial services and commercial real estate expertise he began his career at JLL where he spent 13 years in various leadership roles including His extensive background at JLL includes leadership in corporate finance regional operations and specialized account management “Raul is a collaborator and innovator who is incredibly knowledgeable of the needs of financial and professional service organizations,” said Bobby Magnano “As he joins the team in this very active industry Raul’s experience will provide the unique guidance necessary to achieve our clients’ development objectives He will manage collaboration with other consulting expertise in the industry on behalf of our clients and leverage our already robust expertise in managing complex enterprise engagements.” Esparza creates and carries out new real estate and workplace services strategies These programs help financial services organizations grow their business and get better results He focuses on setting up and managing real estate portfolios technology and workplaces services for clients “I am thrilled to be rejoining JLL’s robust team of industry experts,” added Esparza “I look forward to working with this global team creating and implementing innovative solutions to drive the success of the organizations JLL serves By aligning an organization's physical assets with its operational needs proper real estate strategies enable companies to optimize costs attract talent and create environments that support innovation and growth.” According to recent JLL research on Financial Services trends to watch the coming year will be pivotal for the financial services industry From the race for top tech talent to meet the growth in artificial intelligence and digitization reshaping the industry to demographic trends driving evolution of wealth management spaces commercial real estate is a key driver of organizational success JLL works to align commercial real estate strategies with business strategies so financial services organizations can continue to innovate In an industry that is rapidly transforming JLL Financial Services offers the right alchemy of integrated technology sustainability strategies and a forward-thinking approach to our banking Whether clients are looking for us to optimize their real estate portfolios or manage their retail banking facilities we serve as a trusted partner by developing real estate and advisory solutions to help accelerate growth while balancing risk Armed with unmatched industry-focused intelligence and a dedicated understanding of the complexities of this highly regulated business our experts deliver a consultative approach to clients with a spectrum of services and products throughout all stages of their real estate lifecycle Our ethos towards hiring and training top talent and providing a seamless value-driven client experience has positioned JLL as a domestic and global market leader within the financial services commercial real estate business. Visit us.jll.com/financialservices to learn more For more news, videos and research resources on JLL, please visit JLL’s newsroom insights and opportunities from global commercial real estate markets straight to your inbox will become North Carolina’s first Latino Cabinet member when he's sworn in with Gov.-elect Josh Stein on Jan Stein selected Esparza earlier in December to lead the Department of Administration which oversees state government operations "I am super-honored to have been chosen by the governor-elect," Esparza said "I appreciate the time he and his transition team have put into considering me as a part of the potential team and very much look forward to serving the people of North Carolina over the next four years." The Department of Administration is responsible for building and maintaining state-run facilities and managing state vehicles Esparza says he can’t say if he is prepared to change things because he hasn't seen anything yet “What is it that’s going on?" Esparza asked who are the people that are a part of the team who are the partners and the relationships that are important including the legislative relationships as we work with the North Carolina General Assembly?” Esparza has plans to focus on helping western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene “I look forward to not only seeing how the Department of Administration can be of service to the people of Western North Carolina as they recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene but also to be present in Western North Carolina," Esparza said Esparza has over 25 years of experience leading public and private entities Small Business Administration and the Civil Service Commission and was also vice president of Global Business Development at American Express but I am much more fulfilled by being in public service and able to give back to people and communities that I live in," Esparza said Esparza launched a run for state treasurer in 2024 He says his run on the campaign trail made him more aware of the most pressing issues for North Carolinians “The greatest thing for me was literally getting to as many parts of the state as possible meeting people from all walks of life," Esparza said I ended up listening more than talking in most of those interactions.” Other firsts in Stein’s Cabinet include the state’s first Indian American member who will head the Department of Health and Human Services Stein will also be the first Jewish governor of the state Over 1.1 million Latinos live in North Carolina making them the fastest-growing demographic in the state there are no Latino elected officials currently in the state legislature or statewide offices That will change this year with the elections of Rep.-elects like Jordan Lopez and Brian Echevarria While Esparza sought to become the first Latino statewide elected official in North Carolina with his run for state treasurer he will now be the state’s first Latino Cabinet member there’s a piece of me that wishes it didn’t have to be me would have brought along other Latino leaders earlier in the game," Esparza said He hopes to make the Latino community proud but at the forefront is representing all North Carolinians in this role “These roles are about serving the entirety of the people of North Carolina," Esparza said so I look forward to being as effective and transparent in all that we do — not only for the Latino community — but for all North Carolinians.” the man who was at the center of several investigations has been moved to the Fabian Dale Dominguez State Jail after being sentenced to two years in prison on October 24 His projected release date is September 12 was sentenced to five years of probation in March 2023 after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance His probation was revoked after failing to report and refusing to comply with probation officers during a motion to revoke hearing in the 347th District Court back on October 24 Prosecutor Will Greenlee asked Medary to violate Esparza's probation and sentence him to the maximum allowed by law Greenlee also said there are seven new pending criminal charges four of which the office abandoned for purposes of the motion to revoke the hearing and a parallel federal investigation into Esparza Esparza pleaded guilty to the remaining allegations and a litany of other probation violations KRIS 6 News been reporting on Esparza since April 2018 when "No Child Goes Hungry Corpus Christi" was accused of sending a string of bad checks A local store told KRIS 6 News that three checks they received from Esparza bounced in March 2018 KRIS 6 News also investigated Esparza after receiving calls from viewers who said Esparza's group promised them a $10,000 home repair grant in exchange for a $150 fee Dozens of people called the KRIS 6 newsroom to say they never received the money they were promised KRIS 6 News learned Esparza was at the center of another lawsuit after a woman claimed he stole more than $41,000 from her who owns the Ayers Center strip mall said in 2019 Esparza claimed he was with Helping Hands Corpus Christi She alleged that Esparza asked to rent a space and promised to renovate it in exchange for payment The Lubbock woman claimed he would call her and detail the work that was done and that's when she would send him money to reimburse him for his work another tenant told her Esparza never used the space Esparza is also being sued in civil court and is accused of forging an elderly woman's signature to transfer properties into his name Socorro Rodriguez filed a police report in Sept She told KRIS 6 Investigates that the properties are her only source of income including an apartment complex she intended to pass down to her daughters For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App. Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page sits at his office in Albuquerque on Tuesday Esparza will be chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City An Albuquerque businessman will be pulling double duty on two influential economic boards in 2025 was designated as chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City He is also the chair of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce this year Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content it provides narrative coverage of local trends going beyond the headlines to keep you informed Ryan Boetel is the business editor for the Albuquerque Journal. 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password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Texas (KTEP) - The Trump administration removed Jaime Esparza as the top prosecutor for the federal government in a district that includes 68 counties along the U.S Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas announced the change effective Tuesday Senate and appointed to the position by President Joe Biden in December 2022 so you expect that,” Esparza told KTEP News “I am hoping that the justice department will continue to serve as a model for prosecutors across the country on doing what is right and knowing how to apply the law and the facts in every case is required to do what is right and fair.” The along with the termination of top prosecutors in South Carolina and Arizona this week attorneys removed by the Trump administration were also appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021 and 2022 Attorney’s Office oversaw more than 41,000 federal criminal prosecutions and more than 10,000 civil cases His office also oversaw the federal prosecution of the Walmart mass shooting case that ended with the gunman pleading guilty to 90 charges and sentenced to 90 consecutive life in prison Esparza says he’s concerned about pending cases “There are quite a few vacancies in the office and if there is a further reduction in force it will make it very difficult for that office.” Attorney for the Western District of Texas as required by law Attorney is appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S Americas Society Presents – Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos The exhibition inaugurates a series in which two artists who are friends and collaborators jointly explore how they influence each other's work Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos  La exposición es la primera de una serie en la que dos artistas que son amigos y colaboradores exploran cómo se influencian el uno al otro en su trabajo Opening at Americas Society on January 29, 2025, the exhibition Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos highlights the conversations and collaborations between two artists and their shared interest in ancient cultures of the Americas The Los Angeles-based artists Beatriz Cortez (b.1970 Pasadena) have over the years talked about ancient and contemporary ideas of the Earth Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos presents works selected by the artists that show how this knowledge flows around all beings and matter across the cosmos I don’t always know if they are coming here from the past or from the future but I know that they are spaces of generosity and knowledge of ancient peoples and celebrate their survival in the future," said Cortez in the exhibition’s publication esparza talked about his collaboration with Cortez "It feels empowering to be boundless in our conversations and in our creative journeys and to work in ways that are reciprocal and not unilateral," he said The curatorial team at Americas Society acted as coordinators and facilitators of these artists’ dialogues while minimizing their intellectual input “in order to allow the artists to fully tell their own story,” said Aimé Iglesias Lukin Director and Chief Curator of Art at Americas Society "Beatriz Cortez × rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos is not only an opportunity for the artists to reflect on their individual and collaborative work but is also a way to expand what curating means," said Iglesias Lukin it will draw viewers’ attention to the fluid boundaries of authorship and the collective spirit inherent in artmaking by exposing the networks of personal relations that inform artistic creation and animate culture.” one of the earliest known civilizations in Mesoamerica The sculpture shows an Olmec head that appears distorted as if on the edge of a wormhole It charts the journey molten magma can travel which evoke looted ancient objects and examine how people and matter travel across land.  which will occupy part of the gallery to allow the works to meet the Earth and the soil from where they are removed Press contact: mediarelations@as-coa.org as well as by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and the video of Canadian baritone Jonathon Adams' 2025 concert in New York A new documentary looks back at the remarkable cinema that came out of the island’s midcentury moment of optimism Show Breaking News BarCloseHouston LifeSabiha Mahmood HOUSTON – Known for winning NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing’ in 2011 Mexican-born comedian Felipe Esparza will bring his down-to-earth humor to Houston tonight at NRG Arena including NBC’s ‘Superstore,’ recently on ABC’s ‘Shifting Gears,’ and even in the movie ‘Blue Beetle.’ get to know him in the video player tonight He stopped by ‘Houston Life’ with some jokes that had the hosts rolling in laughter Connect with Felipe Esparza » here Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved Favorite quote: “Not all those who wander are lost.” Embracing life’s adventures TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Meet the Team Careers at KPRC Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 Click2Houston.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group It’s the little things sometimes that tell you everything about who a person is Carla Esparza had just won the UFC strawweight title for the first time in 2014 Her title-winning effort over Rose Namajunas was on a Friday night Now making deadline from the writing end was no issue a fighter who just won her first world title is not looking to do interviews on the weekend after a big victory Order UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr.  And as I sat in a Barnes and Noble parking lot in Langhorne So when she announced that her UFC 307 bout against Tecia Pennington will be her last because while you want her to stick around as long as she’s able you’re also happy that she’s leaving on top and on her own terms.  “I'll be 37 soon (October 10) and just putting my body through so much over the years with competitive wrestling on the college level and fighting it really takes it out of you,” Esparza said “I feel very blessed to be walking out of this sport in one piece because being a professional athlete in any sport is not easy on your body I don't want to be forced out of the sport and walk out on crutches; I just want to feel good and I want to have longevity in my life and just always have my body feel good.” How To Watch UFC 307 In Your Country And with Donovan having just turned a year old her and her husband Matthew get to enjoy the time with their son without the grind of training camps anymore and Esparza has been putting in the work for her meeting with Pennington who she defeated in the quarterfinals of The Ultimate Fighter 20.  “This camp has definitely been very unique who hasn’t fought since giving birth in 2023 but it's this intense grind; it's hard to replicate it with anything else.” It has to be even harder knowing that she still has something to give Her last fight in November of 2022 saw her second reign as champion end at the hands of Zhang Weili she was beating Namajunas a second time for the belt That was the cap on a six-fight winning streak from 2019 to 2022 “I think it's about not just giving something up but it's choosing my family and choosing my body,” Esparza said I wish I could do it forever and I wish I didn't have to sleep and I could just be there for everyone and do it all There's just not that much to give and I don't look at it as giving up early on the sport I just know when the time is to close this chapter and I’m feeling in a good place about it I won’t want to be forced out and I don't want to make people cringe to watch me leave the sport like that's hard to watch one of our favorites get beat up like that fight after fight we just get to watch her take a victory lap this week and then go get into one last fight on Saturday It’s the perfect way to end a career to be proud of she’s taking this fight as seriously as she’s taken all the others MORE UFC 307: Fight By Fight Preview “I'm really trying not to get too sentimental,” Esparza said though and I'm thinking I'm going to bring my Invicta shirt; I'm bringing a couple of my TUF shirts to wear but I'm really trying not to think too hard on it We’d forgive her if there was a tear or two shed; she’s earned it if she looks spectacular against Pennington this weekend and feels like a million bucks will this be the shortest retirement on record “Even if I came out and had a ten second knockout I think it's the right call to make right now.”  Preview The Key Matchups On UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr Go Through All The Heavyweight Title Winners In UFC History An Overview Of Every UFC Weight Class And How UFC Weigh-Ins Operate A conversation with the director of digital product strategy and design at Duke Learning Innovation and Lifetime Education You have /5 articles left.Sign up for a free account or log in director of digital product strategy and design I asked Quentin if he’d be willing to answer my questions about his role Q: Tell us about your role at Duke Learning Innovation and Lifetime Education initiatives and services that you collaborate on and lead A: My role as a product strategist is a unique and new position within LILE It reflects LILE’s intention to recenter Duke’s digital education portfolio on a customer-driven strategy Our approach to developing courses or programs starts by understanding our learners and then designing education that meets their needs My team and I develop new digital programs through strategic planning market research and learning experience design I work with Duke’s professional schools and academic units to refine their digital learning strategy This includes defining their learner audience crafting a learner-centered value proposition and identifying the right program type I lead market research projects to validate learner and employer demand for program topics and skills I oversee a learning experience (LX) design team that collaborates with Duke faculty the LX design team and faculty create high-quality inclusive and engaging courses and programs aligned with our goals and market data I truly couldn’t do this work without them I constantly adapt to shifting priorities and opportunities but I’ll share two major initiatives I am focused on right now I am working with two campus partners—the Office of Climate and Sustainability and the Nicholas School of the Environment—to develop a nondegree portfolio strategy for sustainability education Our goal is to equip professionals across industries to be leaders in sustainability within their fields and organizations I am managing a learner demand survey that will help Duke better understand our learners—their educational preferences My hope is that this analysis will shape Duke’s future priorities for professional education Q: Can you help those of us outside Duke understand the history and mission of LILE What might someone interested in pushing for an institutional approach to promoting learning innovation learn from its organizational structure and capacities A: LILE’s history goes back to two different units: Duke Learning Innovation and Duke Continuing Studies Both had a rich history of exploring new ways to serve learners Duke Learning Innovation supported faculty to improve teaching through technology new pedagogical approaches and data and research Duke Learning Innovation also played a key role in online learning at Duke launching the university’s partnership with Coursera Duke’s Coursera portfolio is arguably Duke’s largest effort to increase access to education with between 40,000 and 50,000 learners actively participating in Duke Coursera courses each month Duke Continuing Studies was founded in 1969 it created educational experiences for learners beyond traditional university students Duke Continuing Studies strengthened the university’s ties to the local community while also reaching learners around the world In 2022, these two units were brought together under the leadership of Yakut Gazi Duke’s first-ever vice provost of learning innovation and digital education I believe that our merger as LILE created two valuable opportunities for the university where continuing education may have been more on the periphery of the university’s work LILE now advances a central university strategy to educate learners from precollege to postcareer learning innovation can serve as a catalyst for increased access to education our teams have the expertise to transform Duke’s learning experience education technologies and business models to enable greater access to education that enriches people’s lives I believe this work of innovating towards greater educational access is paramount to colleges and universities demonstrating our value and role in society Expanding access to education is where universities have the greatest opportunity to support social mobility through education foster leadership across organizations and civil society and nurture learning that empowers people to address the challenges of our day—from AI to the global climate challenge what advice might you have for early-career educational professionals interested in working toward a leadership position in digital learning A: I will share a few ideas that have driven me in my own career take initiative and volunteer to tackle new challenges in your department Many growth opportunities in my career began with me identifying ways in which I could help leadership achieve their goals or mission which allowed me to turn a departmental need into an opportunity to demonstrate my abilities and build greater trust with managers and colleagues regularly explore job descriptions in your field This could be looking at open job postings or exploring staff listings at other organizations When you find more senior roles that interest you—maybe even your dream job—identify the competencies you will need to develop in order to be qualified for that future position create performance goals in your current role that allow you to cultivate those skills and experience identify a couple bigger goals that you want to accomplish in your work Consider what work is of the highest value to your department or organization break it down into shorter monthly goals so that you can make consistent progress Higher-level goal setting like this will allow you to build a résumé of high-impact strategic accomplishments (versus a list of generic responsibilities) We need to distinguish between good DEI and bad DEI How the roots of economic inequality help to explain the assault on higher education Applying Ethan Mollick’s four principles to our work designing Reading Nate Silver’s pre-election book through post-election higher ed eyes Subscribe for free to Inside Higher Ed’s newsletters opinion and great new careers in higher education — delivered to your inbox View Newsletters Copyright © 2025 Inside Higher Ed All rights reserved. | Website designed by nclud Get San José Spotlight headlines delivered to your inbox Chris Esparza always wanted to run a nightclub in his hometown of San Jose friends and business partners told San José Spotlight — and not only did he make it happen he went on to shape the city’s cultural image through decades of event organizing within the growing Mexican American community He was the community development director for the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza The people who knew Esparza best said they have no doubt his legacy will be kept alive by those who came up under his wing Esparza founded his flagship business management consulting firm Giant Creative Services at the turn of the century. He told San Jose State’s Mosaic Atlas in 2022 that he had 10 to 15 clients per year before deciding to sell the company in favor of a more permanent position with the School of Arts and Culture post-pandemic said she and her colleagues held a healing circle for the team Monday morning after learning of Esparza’s passing kind heart and meant so much to so many people,” she told San José Spotlight this man had his hand in all of it and it’s a huge loss for the Mexican Heritage Plaza Esparza’s friends and business partners said he was always finding ways to advance the culture in San Jose He worked as bouncer at concert venues in cities such as San Francisco throughout the late 1980s before meeting a DJ from England named Chris Elliman The two would run nightclubs together just a few years later but he wanted to do it back in his hometown of San Jose,” Elliman told San José Spotlight said he hired Esparza to work as a bouncer at his club and he helped ensure the safety of the club goers by working in collaboration with nearby venues In a time when San Francisco was seen as the hub of nightlife Maresca said Esparza lit up the SoFA district and put San Jose on the map “He was always committed with making San Jose a better place,” Maresca told San José Spotlight Along with running the jazz club Ajax Lounge and throwing events at Plaza de Cesar Chavez Elliman and Esparza would go on to co-own Fuel 44 at the corner of Post Street and Almaden Boulevard in downtown The club closed in 2001 when Elliman said their rent rose exponentially amid the dot-com boom in Silicon Valley That’s when the two men met their forks in the road and the longtime business partners transitioned into longtime friends Elliman said he goes back to the city where it all started once a year and coffee with Esparza became a regular custom It’s been a long friendship and partnership so it’s a personally sad loss for me,” Elliman told San José Spotlight “There’s a saying out there that if you don’t end up with a few good stories I’m going to tell you that in just the time Chris and I shared — he has more than enough stories.” Contact Vicente Vera at [email protected] or follow @VicenteJVera on X Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" his heart for the Community can never be matched again without success to get the City to create a REAL ALUM ROCK URBAN VILLAGE UNTIL CHRIS PUT HIS SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL!! Chris talked with Mike Brillot at City Hall Mike came to hear the Community and started us down a new path for the Alum Rock Urban Village Plan Chris is the driving force behind the Cultural District for the Alum Rock Area Chris was fighting for the Small Businesses on Alum Rock Avenue and East Santa Clara to succeed Chris was working on a better transportation plan for our area Chris was the person to go to with questions – not because we could not reach the Staff at the Mexican Heritage Plaza but because he wanted the outside connection to the Community a local Small Business called Knight Sounds DJ WE HAVE LOST A GREAT INSPIRATION TO NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY – BUT CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT CHRIS WAS A BRIDGE THAT CARRIER THE ENORMOUS WEIGHT OF THE E VERY LACKING EAST VALLEY they will not know all of the thousands of ideas Chris brought to another idea called My heart is crushed for the loss here in the East Valley To me Chris is going to be missed like Deacon Sal Alvarez and drive to protect the little people of our Community I only hope that I can be as strong an advocate as he was You must be logged in to post a comment San José Spotlight is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom dedicated to fearless journalism that disrupts the status quo holds power to account and paves the way for change We’re changing the face of local journalism by building a community-supported newsroom that ignites civic engagement educates residents and strengthens our democracy 408.206.5327[email protected] Submit a News TipSubscribe to our newsletters San José Spotlight is a project of the San José News Bureau a 501(c)(3) charitable organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128 ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Comedian Felipe Esparza met his wife Lesa at a comedy club Gabe Esparza will become North Carolina’s first Latino Cabinet member in Gov.-elect Josh Stein’s Cabinet Gov.-elect Josh Stein announced Esparza and six other members of his Cabinet on Monday Stein’s team said Esparza will lead the Department of Administration Small Business Administration and the Civil Service Commission He was also vice president of Global Business Development at American Express Esparza graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Business School Felipe Esparza is a stand-up comedian and actor who has come a long way since winning NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2010 While that may have opened doors and helped build his fan base around the country his hard work and focus in more recent years has brought him longevity With three successful stand-up specials on Netflix and HBO Podcast” holding steady as one of the top comedy podcasts for the last eight years and his sold out tour dates all over the country Felipe is now at a point where he is moving more into TV and film He has been a recurring favorite on TV Shows such as “Superstore” as well as appearing in films including “Guest House” with Pauly Shore “Daddy Daughter Trip” with Rob Schneider and “You People” with Eddie Murphy and Jonah Hill Felipe is currently on tour and working on his fourth stand-up special This city center is home to some of Chicago’s most iconic attractions and architecture Return to events calendar More info Sign up Get the guide Contact us © 2025 Choose Chicago. All rights reserved.Privacy policy | Your privacy choices | Terms of use | Sitemap Esparza Honored with Big Ten Weekly Awards March 18 Felipe Esparza is one of the most sought-after stand-up comedians in the United States. After winning Last Comic Standing in 2010, he's gone on to appear in films like You People on Netflix and TV shows such as Superstore on NBC. Never one to rest on his success, Felipe is gearing up to release his highly anticipated Netflix special Before the special drops, Esparza is bringing his comedy to Connecticut for four shows this weekend. He'll be performing at the NY Comedy Club in Stamford We had the chance to chat with this incredibly funny and talented comedian and here’s our favorite moment from the conversation Felipe: "I’d probably say George Carlin Eddie Murphy walks in—he has two stunt doubles and a look-alike with him whenever you see a movie and you see the back of Eddie Murphy’s head When you’re reading lines to Eddie Murphy you’re actually reading to his stand-in because he only reads his lines and then splits they’re all waiting for him to come in and start his scenes you’re a funny motherf****r.' Bro I almost crapped my pants right there." You can listen to our complete interview with Felipe Esparza below Check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast on Apple and Spotify Felipe Esparza is one of the most sought-after stand-up comedians in the United States. After winning Last Comic Standing in 2010, he's gone on to appear in films like You People on Netflix and TV shows such as Superstore on NBC. Never one to rest on his success, Felipe is gearing up to release his highly anticipated Netflix special Before the special drops, Esparza is bringing his comedy to Connecticut for four shows this weekend. He'll be performing at the NY Comedy Club in Stamford Check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast on Apple and Spotify CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Daniel Esparza was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday after pleading true to several allegations that he had violated his probation. Esparza, who also goes by Daniel Saenz, was sentenced to five years probation in March 2023 after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance. A probation officer testified Thursday that Esparza, who was going by Saenz at the time, admitted to using cocaine, failed to report, and refused to comply with probation officers during a motion to revoke hearing in the 347th District Court on Thursday. Following that hearing, Judge Missy Medary said she believed Esparza had played the system and that probation had tried to get him help. Defense attorney Michelle Ochoa argued that Esparza had made repeated admissions of drug use to the probation department but did not receive help, nor were those admissions communicated to the court. She also argued that he needs mental health assistance and that he has mental health diagnoses, including schizophrenia and is bipolar. Prosecutor Will Greenlee asked Medary to violate Esparza's probation and sentence him to the maximum allowed by law, which is two years. Greenlee also said there are seven new pending criminal charges, four of which the office abandoned for purposes of the motion to revoke the hearing and a parallel federal investigation into Esparza. Esparza pleaded guilty to the remaining allegations and a litany of other probation violations. Following the judgment issued Thursday, Esparza will have an opportunity to appeal the ruling. KRIS 6 News been reporting on Esparza since April 2018 when "No Child Goes Hungry Corpus Christi", a local group Esparza was a part of, was accused of sending a string of bad checks. A local store told KRIS 6 News that three checks they received from Esparza bounced in March 2018. In the Fall of 2022, KRIS 6 News also investigated Esparza after receiving calls from viewers who said Esparza's group, 361 Grants, promised them a $10,000 home repair grant in exchange for a $150 fee. Dozens of people called the KRIS 6 newsroom to say they never received the money they were promised. In Feb. 2023, KRIS 6 News learned Esparza was at the center of another lawsuit after a woman claimed he stole more than $41,000 from her. Dr. Annette Martin, from Lubbock, who owns the Ayers Center strip mall said in 2019, Esparza claimed he was with Helping Hands Corpus Christi. She alleged that Esparza asked to rent a space and promised to renovate it in exchange for payment. The Lubbock woman claimed he would call her and detail the work that was done. According to the lawsuit, he would send her phony invoices and that's when she would send him money to reimburse him for his work. Eventually, another tenant told her Esparza never used the space. Esparza is also being sued in civil court and is accused of forging an elderly woman's signature to transfer properties into his name. Socorro Rodriguez filed a police report in Sept. 2023. She told KRIS 6 Investigates that the properties are her only source of income, including an apartment complex she intended to pass down to her daughters. Wind gusts of 30+ mph along with afternoon and evening blowing dust, could reduce visibility. Weather MapsRadarJaime Esparza departs as U.S Attorney for Western District of Texasby Renne Estrada Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Jaime Esparza has stepped down as the U.S the United States Attorney’s Office announced in a press release on Tuesday previously served as the District Attorney for the 34th Judicial District of Texas in El Paso from 1993 to 2020 Esparza oversaw more than 41,000 federal criminal prosecutions during his time as U.S "But I will say that I'm proud of the work that I did while I was the US attorney especially proud of all of the prosecutors and staff that work at the US attorney's office," said Esparza We work in conjunction with local DAs and police departments we made a difference in people's lives and I was proud of the work I did as for the Department of Justice," he said According to the statement sent from the United States Attorney’s Office Esparza prioritized efforts to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations such as gangs Esparza also enhanced outreach programs to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl and raised awareness about domestic violence issues The Western District of Texas spans 93,000 square miles and covers 660 miles of the U.S./Mexico border with offices in El Paso The statement also said that following Esparza's departure Attorney Margaret Leachman has assumed the role of Acting U.S Leachman has been with the Western District of Texas for over 30 years Attorney in the Appellate and Major Crimes sections RECOMMENDED: 3 people displaced after mobile home fire in Las Cruces Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox 2025The newest North Carolina cabinet member has been sworn in.CHARLOTTE (WTVD) -- The newest North Carolina cabinet member has been sworn in Esparza was sworn in Sunday in Charlotte as the secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration He's the first Latino to head a cabinet department in the state's history The ceremony was originally scheduled to be held in conjunction with Governor Stein's inaugural celebration in Raleigh but was moved to Charlotte due to the winter storm. Esparza was joined by his wife and two children. As the DOA secretary, Esparza will oversee government operations spanning from building construction, facility maintenance, purchasing and contracting of state vehicles to mail service surplus, state properties, and parking. Politics 101 reported her consideration several weeks ago She said she wants to “continue fighting” for healthcare “That’s why I’m stepping up to run for Senate District 14 — to continue fighting for our families and small businesses and to ensure that the Central Valley gets the resources and representation we deserve We need strong leadership to tackle the challenges ahead and I’m ready to keep delivering for our community,” Soria said in an email announcement The district covers much of the city of Fresno Fresno City Council candidate Nelson Esparza already announced his run for state Senate Esparza and Soria served together on the city council from 2019 through 2022 “This is a democracy — and as such — I respect the Assemblymember’s choice to run and welcome my old friend Esmeralda to the race,” Esparza told Politics 101 Esparza said he is running “because the people of our Valley demanded a voice — someone who will go to Sacramento and shake things up.” “I look forward to having a series of spirited debates and a wide ranging dialogue about the issues impacting working families across our region,” Esparza said Soria is in her second term representing Assembly District 27 she will vacate her Assembly seat after the 2026 November general election One other candidate has filed to run so far for the Assembly seat in 2026 — former Merced mayor Michael Murphy Esparza, D-Fresno, reported $275,195 in his campaign account as of Dec. 31. Soria reported $15,000 as of Dec She pulled in $2 million for calendar year 2024 Soria also established a separate legal defense fund account in February — with a $5,000 contribution from her campaign account and $7,500 from the California State Council of Service Employees Small Contributor Committee She is embroiled in a defamation lawsuit from her 2022 run against Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi Soria also announced the endorsement of the woman she wants to succeed Caballero is termed out of the state Legislature after 2026 “Esmeralda Soria is the fighter that the Central Valley needs in the Senate she’s proven that she can bring resources home I know she will continue that leadership in the Senate and I am proud to support her,” Caballero said in a news release Tyler Maxwell and Karbassi endorsed Esparza; Miguel Arias and Annalisa Perea endorsed Soria Even the two Democrats on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors are split — Brian Pacheco for Soria and State Center trustee Destiny Rodriguez The state Democratic Party is expected to make its official endorsement at a convention later this year is getting early financial support for the Assemblymember she wants to succeed Arambula, D-Fresno, and his mother, Amelia Arambula, contributed $5,900 each Fresno attorney Ampara Cid also gave $5,900 Reyes is currently the chief communication officer for The California Endowment Celedon is the president and CEO of nonprofit Fresno Building Healthy Communities including a 2020 “burn it down” social media post after the Twin Cities riots First elected to the Assembly in a 2016 special election Arambula believes he would be termed out next year anyway Trump Orders the Reopening of Alcatraz Prison There has been much discussion about the budget shortfall at Coachella Valley Unified School District I want to take a moment to share the facts address any misconceptions and explain the steps the district is taking to move forward let me express my deep gratitude for the extraordinary educators and staff in our district Since I began serving as superintendent six months ago I have been inspired by their unwavering dedication to our nearly 16,000 students and families The budget challenges facing the district are serious but do not overshadow the remarkable successes happening in our schools every day Our current budget challenges stem from several factors CVUSD received $199 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to address urgent needs such as the purchase of products to keep students and staff safe − this included maintaining a standard air quality and following social distance protocols This also included the support for online learning These funds supported temporary staff positions the temporary positions were not reduced nor eliminated The board of trustees approved eliminating these positions but necessary actions were not fully implemented while the board directed the elimination of these positions was approved Human Resources personnel failed to initiate the necessary paperwork for the termination process In addition to the end COVID-19 relief funds reduced state funding further compounded the district’s financial challenges the Cost-of-Living Adjustment was reduced to 1.07% a sharp decline from the earlier projection of 3.94% This was due to a drop in corporate and personal income taxes that support the state’s budget this change meant a nearly $15 million loss in anticipated revenue in the multiyear financial projection when the district closed the books for 2022-23 there was a 17% reserve balance this reserve was not sustainable over multiple fiscal years due to an ongoing structural deficit first identified in 2019 CVUSD continued to calculate their budget without factoring in the deficit identified in 2019 so the district wasn’t aware of the need to make cutbacks and potentially make layoffs until last year after an audit by the Riverside County Office of Education coupled with the drop in the state COLA and not fully implementing board approved layoffs has resulted in a shortfall of approximately $60 million dollars including: a hiring freeze across all departments repurposing redevelopment dollars to support the General Fund and reducing external afterschool and mental health contracts while preserving core services for students and families The board of trustees has approved a fiscal stabilization plan This difficult decision is part of a broader strategy that eliminates $52 million of the budget shortfall in the next fiscal year To support those who will be directly affected by the reduction in force including workshops on unemployment benefits a hiring fair to assist with exploring and applying for positions within and outside the district and emotional and mental health support services to help navigate this transition To ensure CVUSD does not repeat the mistakes that brought us to this point New fiscal management systems to strengthen accountability and transparency are being implemented Communication protocols are being put in place to ensure all staff have a clear and common understanding of financial matters and decision-making processes New internal control procedures have been developed to ensure that directives by the board of trustees are implemented as approved While we cannot minimize the impact of these cuts – $60 million represents nearly 15% of CVUSD’s budget – this is a necessary step to rebuild and secure our district’s future Coachella Unified is one of the most resilient and resourceful communities in the nation We have shown time and again our ability to overcome challenges There is no doubt CVUSD will rise above this moment and continue to provide a quality education inspiration and leadership for the thousands of students and families who trust us with their futures Frances Esparza is the superintendent of the Coachella Valley Unified School District She can be reached at frances.esparza@cvusd.us.