Morning Brief: Eviction Relief — For Now

Good morning, L.A.

The pandemic has resulted in staggering financial losses for many Angelenos. Among those who are renters, the question of eviction has loomed large since March.

As with some other orders handed down from on high, the city, county and state have all issued different-but-similar eviction moratoriums designed to keep people in their homes. Landlords in L.A. pushed back by filing a lawsuit over the summer, saying that they were being forced to absorb their tenants’ financial hardships.

But yesterday, L.A. County’s Board of Supervisors doubled down on renter protections, extending the existing eviction moratorium until Feb. 28. The move comes as the state of California considers a bill that would extend its existing eviction moratorium until the end of 2021.

“This could be a real tsunami of evictions if the county did not step up,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who proposed the bill along with Hilda Solis. “No one should be threatened with eviction or made homeless by the pandemic.”

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: Health officials reported that 224 more people have died from complications of the virus, one of the deadliest days on record.

EMTs Overwhelmed: As COVID-19 patients continue to overwhelm hospitals, a new directive instructs ambulances not to transport people whose hearts have stopped.

Hero Pay: Larger grocery chains would have to pay many of their workers an extra $5 per hour in temporary “hero pay” under a plan taken up yesterday by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

Higher Education: College students can appeal their financial aid packages, which may be inaccurately based on their family’s pre-pandemic income.

Going Batty: The L.A. Natural History Museum is asking residents to help track local bats as part of a conservation effort.

Final Goodbyes: Native American leader Marshall McKay, a long time member of the tribal council of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the first Indigenous board chairman for the Autry Museum of the American West, has died at the age of 68 after contracting COVID-19.

Before You Go… Eat Some Pizza

Pomodoro Pizza from DeSano Pizza in East Hollywood. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)

Los Angeles is not having a pizza renaissance.

There has been no revolution in local tap water, no magic-fingered transplant bringing new knowledge. We haven't crossed some imaginary rubicon beyond which we are now, finally, worthy of a clap on the back from a flour-dusted, thick-calloused hand. Because regardless of what you may have heard, L.A. has had good pizza for a very long time.

What has happened, however, is a broadening of our collective pizza consciousness. Whether you've just awakened to The Way Of The Pizza or you're a long-suffering seeker, it doesn't hurt to have a spirit guide. That is, a detailed enumeration of the most popular pizza styles, and where to find them in L.A.

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