Morning Brief: Business As (Un)usual

Good morning, L.A.

It’s no secret that 2020 was devastating for many businesses. In L.A., the distribution of federal relief loans was both extremely limited and extremely unequal. The city’s attempts to provide relief weren’t much better.

Many businesses were forced to fend for themselves. Speaking with local entrepreneurs, my colleague Emily Guerin found that those who were able to pivot their operations or offer a new product were more likely to stay afloat; those who couldn’t, or didn’t, faced a higher likelihood of closure.

For instance, like many other local eateries, the owners of Wanderlust Creamery in Santa Monica quickly turned to online ordering, shipping pints of ice cream all across the country. Other restaurants opened ghost kitchens. In fact, pandemic-related innovation goes on and on and on.

Still, most are hoping to return to their usual business practices soon — like everything else these days, it’s just a question of when.

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

What You Need To Know Today

L.A.’s Surge: L.A. County health officials on Tuesday reported 11,994 new cases of coronavirus and 288 new deaths.

The Housing Crisis: Freshman L.A. City Councilman Kevin de León announced a motion for L.A. to double the housing inventory for homeless people to 50,000 units by 2025.

The Vaccine: Gov. Gavin Newsom may adapt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines to everyone ages 65 and up, in effort to speed up vaccine rollout.

Money Matters: Labor groups representing some L.A. city employees have agreed to a tentative deal that would prevent layoffs and furloughs for the next six months.

Policing The Police: The details of LAUSD’s plan to cut its school police department’s budget are still in limbo, after six months.

Before You Go… Here Are LA’s Most Epic Breakfast Burritos

A birria breakfast burrito at Macheen. (Cesar Hernandez for LAist)

Breakfast burritos are pure comfort. They're cheap. They're filling. They offer the maximum bang for your caloric buck. They're a blank slate for creative line cooks. And they're delicious.

In Southern California, the home of the fast food industry, the breakfast burrito is a pillar at burger joints, many of which are immigrant-owned. Scan their menus and you're likely to find burritos coexisting alongside gyros, tacos, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes.

We could all use a bit of comfort, especially in the pandemic era. So read on.

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