Morning Brief: FDA Authorizes Boosters, Mark Ridley-Thomas Suspended, And Brazilian Coffee

Good morning, L.A. It’s Oct. 21.

We’ve been standing by with information on how to get a coronavirus vaccine booster shot, and now, it appears as though the time is just about nigh for folks who aren’t already eligible; yesterday, the FDA authorized booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

Relatedly, the administration also authorized mixing and matching vaccines, meaning that a person who got the Moderna shot, for example, could receive a Pfizer or J&J booster.

The administration had already authorized booster shots made by Pfizer, so these new rulings will make it much easier for people to get a third shot, regardless of which one they received initially.

Experts are largely on board and excited about the decisions.

"I'm sold already," Dr. Mark Sawyer, a committee member from Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, "and that's because I agree completely ... that we need flexibility and improved access for everybody, which the flexibility of being able to mix and match will allow."

The rulings are especially beneficial for disseminating booster shots in nursing homes, where many residents are high-risk but may not have all received the same immunizations originally.

A committee of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet today to discuss booster shots and develop recommendations for their use. From there, the CDC director must sign off on them, and then the rollout can begin. 

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• The L.A. City Council voted 11-3 to suspend Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, barring him from voting on items, spending his office’s discretionary funds, or providing constituent services.
• Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that any L.A. city worker not vaccinated by Dec. 18 will be fired.
• More than 100 people rallied outside the offices of Netflix yesterday to protest the company's release of comedian Dave Chappelle's standup special, "The Closer."
• The California Attorney General is “concerned” about Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco’s defense of Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group. 
• A powerful odor lingering in Carson has prompted a recommendation that residents avoid prolonged outdoor activity between certain hours.
• Montebello Unified is offering bilingual classes to independent study students.
• The White House is ready to quickly roll out COVID vaccines for kids ages 5 to 11 if a Pfizer vaccine for that age group is authorized.
• A coalition of pediatric health experts has issued an urgent warning declaring the mental health crisis among children so dire that it has become a national emergency.
• How can adults teach toddlers about winning, losing and good sportsmanship during games like the Dodgers playoffs when the adults themselves are having All The Feels?

Before You Go ... Artisanal Brazilian Coffee In LA

The exterior of Aquarela, a cafe in Chinatown.

(Courtesy of Aquarela)

Aquarela is a small café located between Chinatown and downtown. The owners, Eliscu Kipling and Otávio Shih, are passionate about Brazilian coffee — and about changing its reputation in the U.S.. To do so, they import beans from independent, artisanal farmers, and hope to spread the word among aficionados in L.A. and beyond.