Drew University receives $50 million state grant

L.A. DIGEST

Staff and Wire Reports

SOUTH LOS ANGELES — Officials at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science have welcomed a $50 million state grant for their new four-year medical degree program, which they said would increase the diversity of California’s medical community.

The funding was first approved by the state Legislature in early June.

Drew University shares a longstanding relationship with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA via the Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program, which has trained 28 medical students per year since 1979. The upcoming independent four-year medical education program at Drew is an addition to that partnership and will begin training 60 students annually starting in fall 2023.

L.A. Care Health Plan recently announced a $5 million grant for the new medical degree program.

Construction is set to begin in spring or summer 2022 on a new building that will house the program, featuring classrooms, virtual and standard anatomy laboratories, staff and faculty offices, and common spaces to support all students in the university’s three schools and colleges.

We are deeply appreciative of this support from Governor Newsom and the state Legislature,” Drew University President and CEO Dr. David Carlisle said. With this funding, CDU aims to increase the number of Black doctors practicing in the state of California by more than 30% and the number of Latino graduates by nearly 20%.”

Radio host enters governor’s race

NORWALK — Conservative radio host Larry Elder joined the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the upcoming recall election July 13, officially submitting paperwork at the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office.

A crowd of supporters gathered at the office to greet Elder, many of them waving American flags.

We have a state to save!” Elder proclaimed on his Twitter page after his appearance.

Elder joins a slate of Republican hopefuls that already includes former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox, reality television personality Caitlyn Jenner, former Rep. Doug Ose and Assemblyman Kevin Kiley.

The governor and his supporters have repeatedly derided the recall effort as a partisan attack by Republican extremists and backers of former President Donald Trump.

The recall election is set for Sept. 14.

Foo Fighters postpone concert at Forum

INGLEWOOD — Due to a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the band’s organization, the Foo Fighters have postponed a scheduled concert July 17 at the Forum.

Despite having made every effort to follow CDC COVID protocols and local laws, there has been a confirmed COVID-19 case within the Foo Fighters organization,” the band tweeted July 14.

The tweet did not specify if the diagnosis was for a member of the band or the band’s staff.

The show was postponed out of an abundance of caution and “concern for the safety of the band, crew and most of all the fans,” the Twitter post said.

A new date for the show was pending, and tickets for the July 17 show will be honored at the rescheduled performance.

Entrants sought for art competition

LEIMERT PARK — The Leimert Park Jazz Festival Art Competition is seeking local artists to enter the competition.

The winner will be recognized as the Official Visual Artist of the 2021 Leimert Park Jazz Festival and will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

The deadline to enter the competition is 11:59 p.m. July 16. Artists should submit their work to http//tinyurl.com/LPJFArt2021.

Judges will be Aziz Diagne, artist and gallery owner; Ben Caldwell, owner of Kaos Network; Tod Hawkins, board president of the California African American Museum; and Wendell Wiggins, the winner of the 2020 competition.

The judges will choose three finalists and the competition winner will be selected by a community vote on social media.

The Leimert Park Jazz festival will be held at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza from 2 to 8 p.m. Aug. 28.

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