The Brief

Watch the Women of Wrestling take it to the mat. Listen to Killer Mike backed by a full Gospel choir. Dream a dream at the latest staging of Les Miz. Plus, take in a little hip hop history at On Point LIVE.

Events

Monday, July 31; 8 p.m.

Killer Mike and the Midnight Revival: The High & Holy Tour
Theatre at Ace Hotel
929 S. Broadway, downtown L.A.
Killer Mike — Run the Jewels’ MC — plays a solo show with a full gospel choir, The Midnight Revival. The artist just released his sixth studio album Michael on June 16. Trackstar the DJ and Clyde Guevara are also on the bill.
COST: $35 - $127; MORE INFO 

Monday, July 31; 7:30 p.m. 

Not for Hire
Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
Watch TV writers and actors who also double as stellar standup comedians perform at this benefit for The Union Solidarity Coalition. The lineup features Brett Gelman (Stranger Things, Fleabag), Naomi Ekperigin (Mythic Quest, Broad City), Will Miles (South Side , Grown-ish) and Dylan Akira Adler (The Late Late Show with James Corden). Hosted and produced by Eliot Glazer (New Girl, Broad City). Ages 18+.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

Various dates through Thursday, Aug. 17

Barbie at Rooftop Cinema Club
Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA
888 S. Olive St., downtown L.A.
The Rooftop Cinema Club is the first open-air cinema to screen the pink juggernaut. Each screening includes a costume contest and Barbie-themed trivia before the film. Dress in your favorite Barbie-themed outfit of the night and try your luck in the costume contest. Winners receive two free tickets to a future screening. This event is 18+.
COST: Tickets start at $19.50; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Aug. 1; 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

National Night Out (NNO)
Various Locations
A number of Southern California communities are participating in the annual NNO, a night out that promotes police-community partnerships through safe neighborhood gatherings, music, food and family-friendly activities. Participating cities include Santa Monica, San Gabriel, Northridge and hundreds of others.
COST: FREE with registration; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Aug. 1; 8 p.m.

Fred Armisen: Comedy For Musicians But Everyone is Welcome 
Beverly O'Neill Theater
Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center
300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach 
Armisen brings a night of comedy and music to everyone, featuring tunes, musician humor and special guests. Singer/songwriter Annie Hart of Au revoir Simone opens.
COST: Tickets start at $36; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Aug. 1 - Sunday, Sept. 10

Les Misérables
Pantages Theatre 
6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
The beloved musical set in 19th century France, Les Misérables, returns to L.A. this week. It has romance, tragedy, humor, action, and a timeless score. The show has a run time of nearly three hours and is recommended for ages 10 and older.
COST: Tickets start at $45; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Aug. 1 - Wednesday, Aug. 2; 8 p.m.

Local Natives
The Ford
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood Hills
L.A.’s own Local Natives play two nights to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their second album Hummingbird by playing it in its entirety.
COST: Varies through third-party sites; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 2; 8 p.m.

Alicia Keys: Keys to the Summer Tour
Kia Forum
3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood
Before the Eras tour moves into town, the spotlight’s on singer, songwriter and classically trained pianist Alicia Keys. The tour features Keys in a 360-degree, round staging. The Nigerian singer-songwriter and actor Simi opens the night.
COST: Tickets start at $49; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 2 - Friday, Aug. 4 

WOW - Women of Wrestling Unleashed!
The Belasco
1050 S. Hill St., downtown L.A.
Watch women head to the mat in a battle of strength, wills and wits. The all-female wrestling league — which counts Jeanie Buss of the Lakers as one of its owners — holds three nights of live wrestling events that will be taped for TV.
COST: $40 - $225; MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 3; 8 p.m.

JazzPOP 2023
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood
The 16th season of the JazzPop series — a celebration of West Coast jazz and improvised music — features standout ensembles led by three California bandleader-composers. This week, JazzPop kicks off with the Hafez Modirzadeh Quartet, featuring Modirzadeh (saxophones), Tim Volpicella (guitar), Stan Poplin (bass) and Keshav Batish (drums).
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 3 - Wednesday, Aug. 9. 

Taylor Swift: Eras Tour
SoFi Stadium
1001 Stadium Dr., Inglewood
Attention Swifties! Get those bracelets ready. Taylor wraps the U.S. leg of her massive tour with six nights in L.A. If you’re one of the masses without tickets (like us), beware of Taylor jams in and around the stadium. Haim joins the bill all nights, with Gracie Adams, Owenn and Gayle opening on varied dates.
COST: Don’t ask; MORE INFO

Upcoming On Point LIVE event

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On Point

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Thursday, Aug. 3; 7 p.m. 

On Point LIVE with Meghna Chakrabarti
The Crawford Family Forum 
474 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena 
On Point host Meghna Chakrabarti discusses the birth of hip-hop and its 50 years of cultural influence with curator/historian Tyree Boyd-Pates and original Soul Train dancer and hip-hop pioneer Damita Jo Freeman. After the show, DJ R-Tistic takes the audience on a sonic journey through the years. Artist Man One creates graffiti art live on site, starting at 6 p.m. Come early and grab a drink.
COST: FREE - $25; MORE INFO

Viewing Pick

Thursday, Aug. 3; 8 p.m.

A Live Presentation of 2001: A Space Odyssey
Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood
The Hollywood Bowl joins in the celebration of Warner Bros.'s 100th anniversary with a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi classic A Space Odyssey. Caleb Young conducts the LA Phil with vocals provided by the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The soundtrack includes classical music including pieces from György Ligeti, Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra and Johann Strauss Jr.’s The Blue Danube. Recommended for ages 12 and older. There will be an intermission after 90 minutes.
COST: $12 - $77; MORE INFO

Debbie Lee of the forthcoming restaurant Yi Cha in Highland Park pops up at Melody wine bar on July 31, and Aug. 1 and 2.

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Stan Lee

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Courtesy of Yi Cha

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Dine and Drink Deals

Here are a few dine and drink options to indulge in this week.

• Gracias Madre continues its pop-up dinner series on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at its Newport Beach location. From 7 to 10 p.m., chef Michael Reed of Poppy & Seed joins chef Diana Briscoe for a four-course, plant-based dinner that celebrates Mexican and contemporary cuisine. The menu features crispy barbacoa squash blossom, roasted spiced celery Root, charred leeks and a white peach tart. Tickets are $130.
• Be Bright Coffee’s new summer menu features seasonal-flavored drinks including the sweet corn latte, corn on the coffee (with sweet corn cream), orange blossom espresso tonic and orange blossom matcha tonic, with house-made orange blossom syrup. Find the drinks at Be Bright Smorgasburg, Be Bright on Melrose Ave. and Paloma Venice.
• Attend a preview of the Halloween pop-up Black Lagoon before it comes to L.A. in October. On Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 8 p.m., check out the immersive experience at Lost Property in Hollywood. The bar will be transformed into a dark, dungeon-like space with skulls, life-size coffins and other odd surprises. 
• Chef Debbie Lee of the forthcoming restaurant Yi Cha in Highland Park pops up at Melody wine bar on July 31, and Aug. 1 and 2. Lee serves up her signature modern “K-Grub” (aka Korean gastropub fare) with new takes on the dishes she prepared on Roku’s Morimoto’s Sushi Master. Service starts at 5 p.m.
• Ginza Nishikawa continues its first-anniversary celebration by teaming with Interstellar in Santa Monica to sell a one-day, limited-edition menchi katsu sando ($25). The sandwich includes ground beef, pork, grilled onions, parmesan aioli and citrus cabbage on toasted Ginza Nishikawa shokupan. There are only 50 sandwiches available for pickup at Interstellar on Tuesday, Aug. 1. 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.

Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are not allowed to collect information about a child's or family member’s immigration status, unless necessary under state or federal law. Bonta’s office says there currently is no such requirement, though that could change with federal programs like Head Start.

“Childcare and preschool facilities should be safe and secure spaces so children can grow, learn and simply be children,” Bonta said in a statement.

His office says daycare centers also should not keep information about a formerly enrolled child longer than is required by state law.

The new law also requires facilities to inform the attorney general’s office and the state’s licensing agency if they get any requests for information from law enforcement related to immigration enforcement.

Facilities also must ask families to regularly update a child’s emergency contact information to make sure someone can be reached in case a parent is detained by federal immigration officials.

The Santa Ana winds are here to welcome us into the weekend, bringing warmer temperatures.

The winds will reach Point Mugu to the Santa Clarita Valley, down to Orange County and parts of the Inland Empire valleys and foothills east of the 5 Freeway.

Peak gusts are expected to reach 35 to 55 mph. The western San Gabriel Mountains, Highway 14 corridor, Santa Susana Mountains and the western Santa Monica Mountains are under a high wind warning until 6 p.m., when gusts could reach 65 mph.

As for temperatures, highs for L.A. County beaches will reach the upper 70s and up to the low 80s for inland areas.

Parts of Orange County and Coachella Valley will see temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s, with the warmest areas expected to reach 88 degrees.

Getting together with friends at a bar or pub tends to get a lot harder when children and needy pets enter the mix. One solution — Breweries! Beer gardens! Brewpubs!

Because parents (of kids and pets) want to go out, too — and not necessarily to a fast food restaurant with an indoor playground and no beer.

Thankfully, the Orange County suburbs where I live have gotten on board with my family- and pet-friendly craft brewery dreams. The key ingredients for me are spacious patios, a water bowl for the pooch, and food — either made onsite or, at the least, easy and quick to order and get delivered from somewhere else. Board and pub games are an added bonus.

Plus, of course, great beer from small, independent, local breweries. On the beer front, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of beer I encountered on my self-arranged tour of breweries in the Costa Mesa-Huntington Beach area.

Gone are the dark, dank days of nothing but IPA (IYKYK); now, you can find everything from pickle-tinged blondes, to mild sours, to rich and creamy stouts. If you’re not a big beer fan, every place I visited also had their own craft-made hard seltzers on the menu, as well as some non-alcoholic beverages.

Here are some of my favorites:

Riip (Huntington Beach)

Riip in Huntington Beach has two spots with full kitchens specializing in pizza and a wide variety of IPAs and other beer styles.

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Riip has been a family favorite since the company opened its first tasting room in Sunset Beach in 2015, with board games and tables the kids could write on. They have since expanded a lot, with a pizzeria next door and another location near Fountain Valley, which also serves excellent pizza, and has a small arcade to keep the kiddos busy.

One thing they do especially well: For serious IPA drinkers, Riip is your place. They usually have at least half a dozen different IPAs on tap, along with a decent variety of other beers, lighter and darker.

This place is great for … dinner after the kids’ [insert sport] game. Also for date night.

At Flashpoint Brewing Company in Huntington Beach, you can check out the brewing vats and other machinery up close while enjoying the results.

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Flashpoint Brewing Co. (Huntington Beach)

I only recently discovered Flashpoint, which opened in 2020 on an industrial street near Huntington Beach Central Park. I actually love this aspect of craft brewery taprooms: they’re often located outside of trendy food and retail areas because they need to be able to actually brew beer there as well as serve it.

Flashpoint has a big patio lit with fairy lights. The tall doors of their brewing area, and an adjacent room with the taps and more tables are rolled up during opening hours, giving it a spacious, indoor-outdoor feel.

One thing they do especially well: All the beers I tried were highly drinkable. In other words, not crazy hoppy or overly heavy on flavors. The nectarine sour was especially good, refreshing with just the right amount of tartness.

This place is great for … An early evening toast, watching the clouds turn pink.

Green Cheek Beer Co. in Costa Mesa serves great beer and food, including shareable, snackable items like pad thai cauliflower.

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Green Cheek Beer Co. (Costa Mesa)

Green Cheek Beer Co. now has three locations in Orange County and one in Oceanside. Their Costa Mesa spot is conveniently located not far from the city’s Bark Park. So, naturally, after my pooch has fun, I deserve a cold one.

Green Cheek has a huge covered patio filled with long picnic tables. My dog, Ace, was very happy to find a bowl of water set out for their canine visitors, and lots of pets from the humans.

One thing they do especially well: Green Cheek makes great beer. But what I love most about their Costa Mesa spot is that you can soak up the alcohol with food, including smash burgers, tots, and pad thai cauliflower, from their good and reliably fast kitchen.

This place is great for … reading a book, or making a new friend! Their long picnic tables make it easy to opt in or out of the surrounding social scene.

Bootlegger's Brewery outside the LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa has a quiet patio for day drinking, and a lively trivia night scene.

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Bootlegger’s Brewery (Costa Mesa)

Within walking distance of Green Cheek is Bootlegger’s Brewery. Bootlegger’s started in Fullerton, and now also has tasting rooms in Costa Mesa and Redlands.

Their Costa Mesa spot is on the outskirts of the LAB Anti-Mall, a collection of small businesses and restaurants, at least one of which will deliver food to your table. A section of the parking lot has been turned into a nice outdoor patio with sun shades for daytime and heat lamps for chillier evening hours.

One thing they do especially well: Their Kosher Crusher pickle blonde ale. They debuted it last fall and it is seriously good — light, refreshing, and just a little bit zesty.

This place is great for … “working” on a Friday afternoon (I was not the only one there typing one-handed on my laptop with a beer in the other), and then inviting friends to join you for happy hour.

There's an ambiance for everyone at Salty Bear Brewing Co. in Costa Mesa.

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Salty Bear Brewing Company

Salty Bear is part of The Camp, an uber-cool retail and restaurant complex also within walking distance of Green Cheek and Bootlegger’s (you can do a tasting tour!).

Salty Bear is worth a visit for the aesthetics alone. It has a great bar with midcentury tiling and dimpled red leather. The sprawling, leafy outdoor patio provides plenty of room for the kids to wander.

One thing they do especially well: Their Coastline Strawberry Blonde made me nostalgic for the fruity beers that got me hooked on craft beer in my 20s — but so much better.

This place is great for … Kickin’ it on the patio with friends, either listening to live music, or letting your kids practice performing on the teepee-themed outdoor stage.

Other options in OC south of the 405:

Steady Kitchen and Taps, 18055 Magnolia St, Fountain Valley

Synth Beer Company, 2960 Randolph Av, Costa Mesa

Brewing Reserve of California, 2930 College Ave D, Costa Mesa

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers