Morning Brief: L.A. County Supervisors’ Sheriff Vote, Concessions Workers Authorize Strike, Deep Look at Our Universe

Good morning, L.A. It’s Tuesday, July 12.

Wow it’s the middle of July already. Are you having a great summer yet? I hope so! As a huge astronomy nerd (I love sci-fi!), I have a really cool picture to share with you later on in this newsletter. BUT FIRST, let’s talk about some sheriff business.

Could voters soon give the L.A. County Board of Supervisors the power to remove an elected sheriff?

TODAY, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors are deciding on a proposal that would ask voters to decide in November if a supermajority of the board could oust a sheriff for various types of misconduct.

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While this would apply to any sheriff, the move clearly comes as a response to the board’s long-running battles with Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who has vigorously resisted oversight, launched a criminal investigation into his main watchdog, and pushed back on allegations that he’s not doing enough to deal with deputy gangs, among other things.

Here’s an interesting tidbit from today’s story:

“Establishing meaningful checks and balances on the County Sheriff is long overdue,” states a motion co-authored by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Holly Mitchell. Supervisor Janice Hahn has said she also supports the motion, providing the necessary third vote to place a measure on the ballot. The motion says ‘"abuse of power has been able to thrive unchecked with few, if any, meaningful consequences.’”

Villanueva released a letter to the supervisors late Monday slamming the motion, saying,

“The board is attempting to cheat the system and create a ‘fast track’ pathway to remove a duly elected sheriff, one which circumvents the law and the foundational principles of due process enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment.”

If the board passes the Solis-Mitchell motion Tuesday, county counsel will draft language for the ballot measure and return to the board for a final vote on July 26.

As always, stay happy and healthy, folks. There’s more news below the fold.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Ahead of next week’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game, concessions workers at Dodger Stadium voted to authorize a strike.
• Illegal drones are getting in the way of wildfire response efforts. Amidst a challenging wildfire season the L.A. County Fire Department has teamed up with the FBI to launch a drone deterrent program.
• ICYMI: Monday marked 100 years since the first L.A. Philanthropic concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Go back in time to see how we got here.
• Pulse oximeters have become a regular sight in every household since the pandemic began. But a new study reveals that they are more likely to be inaccurate for people with dark skin tones.
• It’s never too late to reinvent yourself, but if you’re looking for inspiration, NPR spoke to people who made the leap.

Before You Go...Check Out 'Just One Little Speck of the Universe'

The first image released from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals thousands of galaxies, including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared.

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(Courtesy of NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI)

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(Courtesy of NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI)

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Are you ready for this?

No, you’re not looking at some teenage boy's bedroom wall or a close-up of your auntie’s newest pair of LuLaRoe leggings. This is the deepest, sharpest view into our universe. NASA just unveiled the image, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope at a White House news conference on Monday.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said something truly fascinating about this snapshot in ancient history.

“If you held a grain of sand on the tip of your finger at arm’s length, that is the part of the universe that you’re seeing — just one little speck of the universe,” Nelson said (as reported in the Los Angeles Times).

Looks like I need to make a trip to Griffith Observatory with my nieces and my nephew to get lost in the universe soon!