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Morning Briefing: Housing the Homeless, Seniors-Only Shopping And The Truth About Advil
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As much of the city settles into a new, indoors, Netflix-binging reality, some of us may still feel confused, concerned or downright scared. With that said, our newsroom would like to bring you this good news: A lot of people are doing a lot of nice things for each other out there.
For instance: The city is implementing a plan to bring 7,000 unhoused Angelenos indoors. Grocery stores are opening early for an hour of seniors-only shopping. L.A. County Library is offering digital library cards to folks who don’t already have them. And the list of organizations and individuals helping out those in need is very long, and growing.
It’s looking like we might be in this situation for longer than originally anticipated, but we’ll make it through. In the meantime, here’s what else we’re following...
First a quick break from COVID-19 news (because we need one, too):
- You’re stuck at home – here are some new recipes to try, courtesy of L.A.’s best chefs.
- This is the story of how L.A.-based musician Laser Malena-Webber made a name for herself on YouTube.
- How filmmakers created Blade Runner's fictional flash forward — and what they think about how reality turned out.
- Judge David Carter, famous for compelling Orange County cities to shelter their homeless, is now overseeing a case against L.A. City and L.A. County, reports Matt Tinoco.
And now, your moment of Zen
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In Beverly Hills, where even the famous shops on Rodeo Drive have shuttered, a sign at a theatre closed to customers has a sentiment, we hope we can all embrace. Remember the goal: stem the spread of the virus.
Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/)
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And now your daily coronavirus briefing. Look for these stories later today:
- Adolfo Guzman-Lopez looks into a “call to action” sent by a UC student association to administrators regarding the new coronavirus.
- Long-planned weddings are being cancelled, and not because of cold feet. Sharon McNary explores the option of just getting a marriage certificate from a municipality.
- Family visitation has been suspended at SoCal jails. Emily Elena Dugdale talks to a relative of an inmate.
- Commercial tenants will not be evicted if they cannot pay their rent this month, reports Emily Guerin.
- Governor Gavin Newsom has mentioned help for nursing homes in confronting coronavirus. Jackie Fortiér asks, what is that help, exactly?
In Case You Missed It:
- 190 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in L.A. County, and this week county officials started piloting drive-through testing at three sites.
- L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti activated an emergency power to redeploy city workers to help homeless people, and said the city will rapidly provide 7,000 beds for unhoused people.
- State officials promised to suspend K-12 standardized testing this year in the wake of school closures. They're also expanding care for younger children, but some daycare and preschool providers are questioning whether they should stay open.
- For Chinese immigrants living 10 or 15 people to an apartment in overcrowded local boarding houses, social distancing is impossible. Stress is running high for other low-income renters, too.
- Some grocery stores are letting seniors shop an hour before everyone else, and L.A. County Library is offering temporary digital library cards.
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is suspending all foreclosures and evictions until the end of April.
- Here’s the case for not panic-buying a gun. Bottom line: People are generally kind in a crisis.
- After creating widespread confusion on Tuesday, OC officials tell residents that they’re not on lockdown.
- As of Wednesday, officials at the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority say there are currently no plans to shut down ( a pointed reiterated last night by Garcetti.)
- Scientists are still determining whether there's a link between COVID-19 and ibuprofen (found in Advil and other drugs), so the World Health Organization suggests taking alternative medications until a conclusion has been reached.
Nominate a hometown hero:
Do you know of someone who is dropping off supplies to seniors, single parents, or others in need? We are starting a series on the radio at 89.3 KPCC and here on LAist highlighting the everyday hero who is helping others during this time. Click here to nominate a hero >>
Help Us Cover Your Community:
- Got something you’ve always wanted to know about Southern California and the people who call it home? Is there an issue you want us to cover? Ask us anything >>
- Have a tip about news on which we should dig deeper? Let us know >>
The news cycle moves fast. Some stories don't pan out. Others get added. Consider this today's first draft.
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