Morning Brief: Water Usage, Mask Mandate Pause, Midsummer Halloween Convention

Good morning, L.A. It’s Friday, July 29.

First of all, happy #RenaissanceDay for all my fellow Beyoncé fans. Have you listened to the album yet? I actually ran to her seventh solo album early this morning — and it is FIRE! Beyoncé has given us exactly what we need headed into the weekend’s potentially monsoonal weather. Wait…what? Monsoonal? What is going on, Los Angeles?

The National Weather Service L.A. gave us a heads up on this earlier in the week, noting that any showers or storms will be confined to L.A. County.

On the bright side, this weekend just might be the perfect time to dance to our Queen Bey in the rain.

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Now to the flip side of precipitation: drought. According to my colleague Erin Stone’s latest story, there’s good news and bad news regarding the drought and our water usage. She reports on how “water cops” for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, or LADWP, are enforcing the twice-a-week outdoor irrigation rule.

Good news, Angelenos: the city hit a record low for June outdoor water use. We could even be on track to further lower use this month. Partly because Angelenos have been doing their part to complain about water waste to the LADWP. Complaints have risen 56% since the restrictions began. The bad news: it might not be enough.

The fact is, this climate crisis fueling the drought is just really keeping us dry. Our water supplies are extremely low.

Erin reports that if we don’t significantly drop our water usage from the current average of 112 gallons to an average of 105, we might just have an all-out ban of outdoor watering come fall. I know I’m not alone when I say I don’t want that to happen. But what else can we do?

Maybe Beyoncé will hear us dancing during the monsoon and she’ll come and save us.

But you know, as I do, that's the unlikeliest thing in the world. So keep on conserving and keep on speaking up to your local lawmakers to do work on climate policy, my friends!

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

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Los Angeles County put the pause on a return to masks, citing lower hospitalization rates over COVID. The reaction’s been mixed. While many are happy to not wear one, others are like L.A. resident Danny Lu, who told my colleague Caroline Champlin that he wears his 90 percent of the time indoors because “I think it just helps protects people, so I don't have a problem with that at all.” 
• Late last year, the infamous Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles reopened to house people experiencing homelessness, but the hotel remains mostly empty. 
• In Compton, a journalism class for English-learners has helped kids pick up the language faster. Students interviewed teachers, coaches and the principal, and one ten-year-old said it made her feel like they “were the bigger person.” 
• The Golden Girls have surely traveled up the road and back again. The Miami locals are headed to L.A.for the new Golden Girls restaurant pop-up. 
• Did you know it only takes 60 signatures for a candidate to qualify as a write-in on the ballot? It begs the question: is it too easy to do this in California elections? 
• You know the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates, but what does it actually mean for most Americans? Who wins and who loses? 
• Calling all Black animators! Peanuts Worldwide has started an initiative to support black artists, inspired by Franklin, the first Black character Charles M. Schulz introduced to the Peanuts gang comic strip back in 1968.
• Are you sick and tired of all that clutter in your Instagram feed - the reels and recs you do not want? Here are four steps you can take right now to improve your experience.

Before You Go...Take Your Four-Legged Friend To The Artisan Market OR Take Your Scariest Halloween Costume To Midsummer Scream

Midsummer Scream is a weekend-long event that will take place July 29-31 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

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Courtesy of Midsummer Scream

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I personally have a full weekend ahead of me and I really hope the tentative showers don’t ruin it. Tonight, I’ll be going to Summer Fridays with Studio Symoné (a digital platform, community and movement started by one of my FAVORITE L.A. writers, Darian Symoné Harvin) at Reparations Club, a Black woman-owned bookstore. On Sunday, I’ll be going to Black Market Flea with my team for a special project coming up. BUT, for YOU, LAist’s Christine Ziemba has some other FUN events to check out. As always, here are my two faves:

FREE.99 

Now you know this is my FAVORITE part of the newsletter. I love going to cool events around L.A. especially if it’s free (Between rent, gas and Beyoncé’s Renaissance gift box, life is way too expensive.) TOMORROW from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., enjoy live local bands, artisans, kids activities, doggy goodies and more at the Row DTLA X Creative Communal Artisan Market. It’s an open-air market featuring more than 30 local makers, DJ sets, photo ops and several activities for ALL ages. Leashed pets are welcome!

NOT SO FREE

Okay, raise your hand if Halloween is your absolute favorite holiday. Do you have a spare costume to throw on really quick? If so, head to Midsummer Scream: Halloween and Horror Convention this weekend to check out the spookiest exhibitions, vendors, short films and, of course, haunted houses. This sounds like a really terrifyingly great event so, if you have money to spare, be sure to check it out. 

This convention starts today and will be creeping everyone out through Sunday. 

The cost? $32 - $135.