Category: Los Angeles County

Doctor Calls to Elect LA County Health Director

A medical doctor is calling for more accountability within Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health, saying its current director has too much power, as she single-handedly enacted COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. Ophthalmologist Dr. Houman Hemmati is requesting the county’s Board of Supervisors to make the public health director position an elected office, and…


Ferrer: LA County Not Ready to Lift Indoor Mask Mandate Feb. 15

As Los Angeles County will not follow the state’s guideline to lift the mask mandate for vaccinated individuals next week, the county’s Department of Public Health outlined the criteria to drop masks in the coming weeks, if not months.  On Feb. 7, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks indoors starting Feb. 15…


LA County to Terminate Unvaccinated Sheriff’s Deputies, Thousands More

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4–0 to terminate all unvaccinated county employees on Feb. 8, after dozens of residents called in to oppose the measure. The move would terminate about 18,000 county employees in various departments, with 4,000 of those workers being deputies in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD)….


Vote Centers Open for San Gabriel Valley’s 49th Assembly District Special Election

LOS ANGELES—Vote centers are open for the Feb. 15 special election in the western San Gabriel Valley’s 49th Assembly District. The vote centers will remain open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting or to drop off completed vote-by-mail ballots, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said on Feb. 5….


Newsom Visits LA County Facility to Highlight Behavioral Health Investment

LOS ANGELES—Gov. Gavin Newsom Jan. 31 visited the site of a future behavioral health and transitional housing facility in Los Angeles County to highlight the state’s $3 billion investment in behavioral health infrastructure, housing, and supportive services. Newsom said facilities like the one being developed in Los Angeles County—which received about $12.8 million from the…


LA County Extends Pandemic Eviction Protections Through End of the Year

LOS ANGELES—Despite vehement opposition from one of its members, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted on Jan. 25 to extend eviction protections for many pandemic-impacted tenants in unincorporated areas through the end of the year. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl championed the extension of the eviction protection and associated freeze on rent hikes, insisting that…


Robberies, Homicides on the Rise in Los Angeles

Los Angeles law enforcement reported sharp increases in murders and robberies as a bevy of crimes continues to hit the area. The county has seen a 94 percent increase in homicides in 2021, compared to 2019, according to Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva. The pandemic-related crime increases are not unique to LA County, but the…


LA County COVID-19 Cases Drop Slightly

LOS ANGELES—The total number of COVID-19 cases reported in Los Angeles was over 25,000 on Jan. 24, the lowest in the past six days, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The county’s positivity rate remains at 13.5 percent. COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers and residents at skilled nursing facilities have dropped significantly…


LA County Unemployment Rate Dips in December

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.4 percent in December, down from a revised 8.9 percent in November, according to figures released on Jan. 21 by the state Employment Development Department. The December unemployment rate was down from 12.6 percent in December 2020. In Orange County, where seasonally adjusted numbers were…


Train Robberies Cause Union Pacific, Shipping Companies to Consider Avoiding LA

Instead of making train robbers think twice by threatening jail time, Los Angeles County has made Union Pacific reconsider sending its goods through the area, a letter from the company states. Union Pacific (UP), the nation’s largest rail freight company, sent a letter to Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon stating that train robberies in…