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Governor Newsom has signed AB 150 – a budget trailer bill – which includes the groundbreaking California Homeless Hiring Tax Credit. State officials said the tax credit "simultaneously confronts the homelessness crisis facing California while also addressing the job losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic that have disproportionately harmed low-income communities." Under this plan, a qualified employer can claim up to $30,000 in tax credits annually, assisting both individuals experiencing ho...
The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) thanks Governor Gavin Newsom for signing the Higher Education trailer bill yesterday, which in conjunction with the main budget bill, delivers unprecedented resources for the state’s community colleges, including dedicated funding for longtime LACCD priorities such as student housing and basic needs, workforce programs and ethnic studies. This is in many ways the largest and most comprehensive higher education budget in the history of California, and represents the forward-looking approach o...
By Polly Hansen Two bears found some relief from the Southern California heat in a backyard pool in Glendale. A backyard pool provided a much-needed break from the Southern California heat for a playful bear cub and its mom. In video of the bear family pool day, the cub dog-paddled around in the pool while mom seemed content to relax in the cool water Friday at the home on the northern edge of Glendale. The bears stayed for about 10 minutes before wandering off. Bear sightings aren't unusual in...
By David Ganezer Conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder has won his fight to be on the September 14th recall ballot. The son of a restaurant owner, Elder has electrified Republicans with the possibility that they could defeat Gov. Gavin Newsom and replace him with the first statewide Republican officeholder since Arnold Schwarzeneggar. Elder sent out the following email: "Huge news, fellow conservative! We won our lawsuit against the California Secretary of State and are back on the governor ballot in the recall election! "This is a...
Rat Birth Control for LA Los Angeles is on its way to becoming the nation’s “rattiest” city. Downtown LA in particular has a rat problem, centered on the homeless encampments located throughout the area. A new rat contraceptive is being promoted to control and reduce the rat population The pandemic and the growing homeless population along with the ban of many rodenticides in California has propelled L-A in to the number two spot of the cities with the worst rat infestations. In a year, two rats can produce 5-thousand-plus rat babies, grand...
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Wednesday that provides an extra $330 million for the film and TV industry, and also carries a new incentive to promote diversity on sets. Newsom signed the bill at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood. The bill includes a new $150 million tax credit aimed at promoting the construction of new soundstages. That provision will be earmarked for productions that shoot at least 50% of their schedule on at a newly built studio facility. The bill also includes $90...
A draft petition has been filed and approved on 07July 13 for circulation to recall Mike Bonin Los Angeles City Councilmember. In accordance with Charter Section 431(a RECALL), to qualify for presentation to the City Council, the petition must contain 27,317* valid signatures of qualified registered voters of Council District 11 in the City of Los Angeles. The deadline for filing the petition is November 10, 2021. website: https://clerk.lacity.org/elections or by contacting the Election...
Legislation to address the growing epidemic of hate crimes has just passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill, AB 1126, authored by Assembly member Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), would establish the first statewide commission in California to not only accurately monitor and track hate crimes and incidents, but to formally recommend policy to the Governor and State Legislature. The bill – supported by groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, Equality California, and Islamic Networks G...
House Fire in Pacific Palisades A fire destroyed a hillside Pacific Palisades house at 766 North Paseo Miramar early Thursday morning, reports the Los Angeles Fire Department. A resident called in the fire at 3:49 a.m. Thursday. LA Firefighters arrived to find the large, one story home with heavy fire showing, with LAFD's Margaret Stewart saying firefighters were limited in their ability to fully attack all sides of the fire "due to the instability of the structure and hillside location.” Crews continued with a defensive position, and a k...
6/2: An afternoon on the lake unexpectedly turned into a close encounter with wildlife for beachgoers in California. A large adult black bear and three cubs took to a South Lake Tahoe beach on Sunday to run and play in the water as about a dozen onlookers watched in awe. The cubs wrestled in the lake as they beat the high temperatures, which hit 90 degrees in South Lake Tahoe that day. The four bears - along with a few wild geese - made a day at the lake resemble a spontaneous day at the zoo...
LA County Says Masks Up On Monday, health officials in Los Angeles County followed suit, recommending that “everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places as a precautionary measure.” Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, said the new recommendation was needed because of upticks in infections, a rise in cases due to the worrisome Delta variant, and persistently high numbers of unvaccinated residents, particularly children, Black and Latino residents and essential workers. NIH head Dr. Anthony Fauc...
Busses Won’t take Coins Bus riders will no longer be able to pay for their rides in cash. Starting Monday July 12, the Big Blue Bus Co. has announced that it will no longer accept cash from writers. Customers must pay with TAP cards purchased from machines at train stations, or they will have to buy mobile tickets online. During the pandemic, both MTA and BBB buses were free to all. Both companies have since started taking fares again, in another sign that pandemic restrictions are ending in LA County. Earthquake Near LAX A magnitude 3.4 earthq...
A magnitude 3.4 earthquake rumbled through southern California on Wednesday afternoon, centered just northeast of Los Angeles International Airport. The mainshake which hit at 5:11 pm PST, was felt across a wide area of southern California, East to downtown LA and North to Van Nuys. USGS seismographic data showed that the earthquake was felt over a wide area of Los Angeles County. The Santa Monica Police Dept and Fire Depts reported no damages or injuries connected to the earthquake. Minor...
Southern California Hospital officials this week called the new "hero pay" mandate as an "arbitrary and inequitable" law and expressed hopes the Culver City Council will revisit the issue before its takes effect later month. Two weeks, the Council approved by a 3-2 vote the $5 per hour bonus pay for clinicians, nurses, aides, technicians, janitorial and housekeeping staff, security guards, food services workers, laundry workers, pharmacists, and non-managerial administrative staff at the local h...
By Jack Simon The Justice Department has reached an agreement with a California landlord to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed female tenants for two decades, including offering “to reduce their rental payments in exchange for sex.” Under the consent order – entered by the U.S. District Court on Thursday – Larry Nelson of San Diego must pay at least $230,000 to $205,000 in damages to 13 tenants harmed by his harassment and a $25,000 civil penalty to the United States. A judgment for an additional $350,00...
By Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer Courtesy of the brainiac who is pushing to densify our neighborhoods, California State Senator Scott Wiener, Senate Bill 519 to legalize psychedelic drugs, including LSD, was approved by the state's upper house. It will now move to the State Assembly where a similar vote is likely. Citing numerous studies touting the potential health benefits of methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), Wiener said "it makes no sense to...
Summer Travel Ramps Up Unlike last summer where the entire country was stuck at home, millions of Americans are expected to travel this summer. Many will be expected to travel to Los Angeles, where the Santa Monica Pier of course is a favorite destination. In recent years, LAX has become so crowded that it can be impossible to park or even to stop. The Los Angeles Airport Authority, which runs 5 local airports, has been building a metro train line into the airport, which adds to the confusion and the tangle of ramps and concrete. JetBlue...
Article by Cara Duggan, SF Chronicle The Western monarch butterfly is disappearing before our eyes. The number of graceful, black-and-orange winged insects overwintering in coastal California this year dropped to under 2,000, compared with more than 29,000 the year before. And that was already a fraction of its previous population. While dire, the butterflies' dramatic decline has led to an urgent response: a $1 million state-funded project to rebuild habitat for Western monarchs on over 600...
Disneyland Opens Avengers Theme Park As Covid retreats, Disney is advancing with the world's very first Avenger's theme park. The Avengers Campus will open on June 4 at Disney California Adventure Park. "In just a few days, you'll be invited to team up with the Avengers and their allies to live out your Super Hero dreams as Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure park!" Said Disneyland in a press release. The avengers campus was dedicated and opened for a press preview, in a ceremony that included Ironman captain America, Spider-Man,...
(AP) - California no longer will require social distancing and will allow full capacity for businesses when the state reopens on June 15, the state's top health official said Friday. "We're at a place with this pandemic where those requirements of the past are no longer needed for the foreseeable future," Secretary of California Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly said. He said dramatically lower virus cases and increasing vaccinations mean it's safe for California to remove nearly all...
2 Acre Brush Fire in LA LA County Firefighters responded to the area of 15820 Pacific Coast Highway around 6 p.m. Monday May 21, as flames burned in medium to heavy brush. About an hour later, crews established a perimeter around the 2-acre fire. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said no structures were threatened and no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is unknown. The small brush fire comes after another blaze in Pacific Palisades erupted May 14, and charred more than 1,100 acres. An arson suspect was...
By Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer Mike Bonin and the City of Los Angeles is sending out an online survey for residents and others who work in the city soliciting opinions on what types of calls armed police should answer and what should instead by answered by "trained, unarmed responders." The survey may be found online. The proposal to create an unarmed response team was first floated in June, 2020, following the sensational death of George Floyd, who was apparently high on drugs at the time of his arrest for trying to pass a...
The Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) has launched its annual CalFresh Awareness Month campaign to publicize the CalFresh Nutrition Program and acknowledge community partners throughout the month of May for helping to raise public awareness year-round. "Hunger impacts all aspects of human life from healthcare to education, and it is essential that we increase awareness of CalFresh," said DPSS Director Antonia Jiménez. "Families who were just barely getting by paycheck-to-paycheck...
As acts of violence and threats towards code enforcement officers rise, two California Senate bills aimed at increasing safety measures have stalled after being placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s suspense file. At a time when violent acts against code enforcement officers are on the rise, stalling these two bills on the suspense file is particularly alarming. In many jurisdictions, code enforcement officers are now tasked with enforcement of various violations traditionally addressed by sworn police/ sheriff personnel. These v...
A California fire that killed two people last year was intentionally set to cover up a murder, investigators revealed in a press briefing. The Markley Fire was started in Northern California's Solano County on Aug. 18, 2020 near where police found the burned body of 32-year-old missing person Priscilla Castro. Authorities had previously said Castro was reported missing after she went on a date with Victor Serriteno two days before the fire. She was not seen again. "Based on an extensive, eight-month investigation, we believe Serriteno deliberat...
