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Morning Briefing: District Attorney Race Heats Up
L.A. County DA Jackie Lacey. (Screenshot from LA County DA's Office video)
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Good morning, L.A.
L.A. County’s district attorney race this year has been contentious, with incumbent Jackie Lacey drawing the ire of Black Lives Matter activists, and one particularly volatile incident in which her husband drew a gun on protesters outside their home.
Lacey has been criticized for not prosecuting law enforcement officials who use deadly force, and for only sentencing non-white people to death. (According to the L.A. Times, since taking office Lacey has secured the death penalty for 13 Latino defendants, eight Black defendants and one defendant of Asian descent.) The primary election in March resulted in a runoff, meaning that instead of holding onto her seat at that time, Lacey was forced to continue to defend it until voters hit the polls again next month.
Now, she’s been dealt another blow; L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti withdrew his support of Lacey on Sunday and threw it behind her challenger, former San Francisco D.A. George Gascón.
“[Gascón] knows how to promote public safety through partnerships with and beyond law enforcement,” Garcetti said in a statement. “[He] will help our county shift the burden from the criminal justice system and jails toward diversion, intervention, and re-entry programs that save money and save lives.”
Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.
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Coming Up Today, October 5
After a decade in the making, the Gerald Desmond Replacement Bridge is open to the public, reports Sharon McNary. It’s higher, so there’s more clearance underneath for the largest cargo ships, and that opens up more Port of Long Beach berths to additional shipping business.
Only 9% of special education is informed through the census, but that funding is needed to fill opportunity gaps for students from low-income homes. Dana Amihere has more.
Carla Javier explains the process L.A. County schools must follow to apply for waivers to reopen in-person instruction for grades TK-2. She also examines why, three months after the LAUSD board voted to make cuts to the school police, there's been little movement on how and when to implement the cuts.
Watch two film festivals from the comfort of your car or couch, learn about the history of Bunker Hill, view Self Help Graphics' annual Día de los Muertos exhibition, and more. Christine N. Ziemba has this week’s best online and IRL events.
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The Past 24 Hours In LA
Wildfires: The Bobcat Fire is 84% contained, with a few remaining spots of brush continuing to burn themselves out around Mount Wilson.
Policing The Police: The Long Beach Police Department says it is investigating how a Trump flag emblazoned with "Make America Great Again" ended up flying over headquarters this weekend.
Coronavirus Updates: L.A. County public health officials on Sunday confirmed 933 new cases of the coronavirus and five new deaths attributed to the disease. As more people within President Trump's circle test positive for COVID-19, the way in which the White House has handled the pandemic all along has come under sharp scrutiny.
The D.A. Race: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has withdrawn his support for incumbent L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and announced his endorsement of challenger George Gascón.
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Photo Of The Day
Supporters of President Trump took part in a caravan rally for his reelection in Glendale on Sunday.
(Photo by DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images)
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This post has been updated to reflect changes in what's coming up for today.
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