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Morning Briefing: Pulling The Emergency Brake On Reopening
A person wearing a face mask walks in front of a store in Hollywood Boulevard amid the Coronavirus pandemic, November 16, 2020. (Photo by Valerie Macon / AFP)
Good morning, L.A.
Is it March again? Are we all living in some kind of Groundhog Day nightmare where public officials say “things are bad” over and over, ad infinitum, rinse and repeat?
How do you motivate people to stay home when it’s been more than eight months of living with a pandemic? We’re all tired, we miss our friends and loved ones, we’re dying to do something/anything to escape the Zoom call hell we’ve all been trapped in. Even Gavin Newsom had a momentary lapse, attending a birthday dinner in Napa with several other couples. (He apologized.)
I’m not usually one to use our mayor’s quotes as words to live by, but today he said it’s time to fire up those Netflix queues again. And I think we can do it, Los Angeles. Let’s spend the next few weeks watching more TV. It’s for the public good.
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Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.
Coming Up Today, November 17
LAist Contributor Sofia James found that Black students at USC face disproportionate profiling by campus officers. Incidents range from minor to severe, but they end up having lasting effects on these students' well-being.
Freelance writer Cesar Hernandez visits Bakers and Baristas, the Cerritos cafe that’s fused Filipino cuisine, fine dining and Fruity Pebbles to stay afloat during the pandemic.
On Friday, the general public will have one last chance to weigh in on the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, which seeks to improve the state's complicated and underfunded programs for the youngest Californians and their families. Reporter Mariana Dale has the lowdown.
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The Past 24 Hours In LA
The surge is surging: California's daily COVID-19 cases have doubled in the past 10 days, the fastest increase seen in the state since the start of the pandemic. Gov. Newsom said he is “pulling the emergency brake on reopening.” And Mayor Garcetti warned that the city will expand its enforcement efforts against businesses that break the rules.
There’s no place like home: Health officials are begging you not to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, but if you MUST and it is ESSENTIAL, we have some tips. A group of unhoused families is reclaiming 13 vacant Caltrans-owned homes in El Sereno, in an unprecedented partnership between the state transit agency and the city. We broke some heat records yesterday … in November.
The race for a coronavirus vaccine is heating up, with a second company releasing data showing efficacy above 90%. But will we really be able to distribute those vaccines in January 2021? When and if LAUSD schools open any time soon, here’s who’ll get to go back first.
Hospital homicide: A report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's office found that 38-year-old Nicholas Burgos' death inside a UCLA hospital was a homicide. He was shot last month by an L.A. County Sheriff’s deputy during a mental health crisis.
We get by with a little help from our friends: The city of Long Beach will provide $500 monthly stipends to 150 artists who are struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic. A new emergency homeless shelter will open in Huntington Beach this month, with enough beds for 174 adult men and women.
Self Care: You deserve it. Here are some fun things to do this week.
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Photo of the Day
Tapsilog i.e. marinated sirloin, garlic rice, atchara and a fried egg with a side of banana ketchup, at Bakers & Baristas in Cerritos. (Photo by Chava Sanchez/LAist)
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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