LA's Mayor's Race Tightens While Sheriff's Race Widens

Like I’ve mentioned before, it’s going to take a while to get the final election results for many races. We've been following turnout and the new vote tallies closely.

Election Updates

• The Los Angeles County race we are closely watching is the one for Sheriff. Thursday evening, challenger Robert Luna moved out to a bigger lead on incumbent Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
• The L.A. mayoral race got a little tighter. Rick Caruso had a razor thin lead over Karen Bass, who originally had a lead on Tuesday night.  
• Election officials still need to count nearly 900,000 ballots as of Thursday night and there may be more mail-in ballots coming in. Remember the 23% registered voters percentage I initially gave you? That's already gone higher as tallying continues. 
• In Orange County, officials have a little more than 350,000 ballots they need to process. 

Continue to check here for the latest election results.

Eviction Protections

One of the top issues voters in L.A. care about most is housing insecurity and homelessness. But despite the record-breaking inflation and a scandal that involved three council members discussing limits on renters’ power, the L.A. City Council is moving forward with its plan to end pandemic-era eviction protections.

My colleague David Wagner wrote about how pressure from tenant groups is not enough to cause the council to delay the move even though organizers have pointed out one of the council members caught up in the scandal, former council President Nury Martinez, made anti-tenant remarks.

But there are some new rules that could help tenants. Read David’s story for more.

As always, stay happy and healthy, folks. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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• The L.A. County District Attorney has charged a Sheriff’s deputy with assault in the fatal shooting of a man who was having a mental health crisis at home. 
• Cases of COVID-19 are rising in L.A. County; yet people are still not signing up to get the newest booster. 
• Climate activists from the Extinction Rebellion have a serious issue with the ultra-wealthy’s use of private jets, as these planes carry a large carbon footprint. Activists showed their anger by blocking the entrance of a private jet company outside Van Nuys Airport on Thursday morning. 
• On Wednesday night, a mountain lion was hit by a car and killed on the 405 freeway. The mountain lion wasn't a part of the National Park Service’s study in the Santa Monica Mountains, but it is the fourth big cat to die in this manner this year. Between 2002 and 2017, 17 bobcats were killed on roads. 
• In Orange County, three Mission Viejo City Council members who overstayed their terms by more than two years must step down immediately. That’s according to a state appeals court ruling Thursday.
• The California Justice Department is lagging when it comes to investigating cases in which law enforcement officers have shot and killed an unarmed person. It’s been struggling to meet goals set by a new law. Here are the details.
• A growing number of high school students are dual enrolled in college courses but access is uneven. Latino and Black students are disproportionately underrepresented in those classes in many areas of California, according to EdSource. 
• We are watching the demise of Twitter as we speak and I’m not going to lie, my friends, I am really sad. But now people are flocking to a new social network called Mastodon.
• Imagine winning $2 billion in the lottery. What is the first thing you’d do? Well, hopefully you wouldn’t announce you won billions of dollars to anyone. No, seriously. NPR has some expert tips on what you should (and shouldn’t do) if you just so happen to win the lottery. 

Wait! Two More Things...

Build Up Your Plant Parent Skills

Wildflowers bloom in abundance near Gorman, California on April 28, 2003.

(David McNew/Getty Images

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Getty Images North America)

Are you an aspiring plant mama or daddy who wants to be a better, responsible nurturer to your babies, especially in California’s dry, unique habitat? For me, it honestly seems like the only plants I can keep alive are succulents like aloe vera (which are my favorite because I can use the gel for my hair AND for mosquito bites!).

Well, there’s a native plant sale tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Monrovia Historical Museum. While you’re there shopping for plant babies, you can consult with local gardening experts who can pick the right plants that fit your way of life. According to the California Native Plant Society, the native plants on sale use less water, create habitat and support the ecology of our state. Check out more here and, for more information, read LAist’s native plants guide.

Visit The Upside Down

You know how we all have that ONE SHOW or BOOK that becomes such a part of our culture and lives? For some people my age, back in the day, it was Harry Potter (I was a Series of Unfortunate Events girl). But now? I gotta say it’s Stranger Things for me. Even though we have to wait for the series finale, we can still take a quick trip to the Upside Down with the Stranger Things Experience which is going on now through February. Youth tickets are as low as $37, adult tickets are as low as $49.

Check out more fun things to do this weekend in LAist’s events guide.