TODAY’S ESSENTIAL NEWS
» L.A. Unified Data Breach Last Year Includes At Least 2,000 Student Records The Los Angeles Unified School District disclosed Wednesday that “approximately 2,000 student assessment records” were posted on the dark web as a result of a recent cyberattack, including those for 60 who are currently enrolled. The posted records also included an unspecified number of driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers. The acknowledgment came in the wake of an article by The74 website exposing that sensitive mental health records of “hundreds—and likely thousands—of former Los Angeles students” were published on the dark web. [L.A. Times]
» California Bill Penalizing Oil Profits Makes Little Progress After gas prices in California spiked to more than $6.40 per gallon last summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom led a charge against an industry he says is “ripping you off.” Months later, it’s not clear if California’s Legislature is following him Newsom called lawmakers into a rare special session in December to pass what would be the nation’s first penalty on excessive oil company profits. But the bill is still sitting in the Democratic-controlled Legislature three months later, with no details on how much the penalty would be or when oil companies would have to pay it. [AP]
» Tesla To Build Engineering HQ In California Tesla is making California the home of its global engineering headquarters. CEO Elon Musk and California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that Tesla’s new engineering HQ will be at the former offices of Hewlett-Packard. The sudden rekindling of Tesla’s relationship with California may be surprising given that the company moved its corporate headquarters from Fremont, California to Austin, Texas in 2021 after disputes with the state over COVID-19 restrictions. Musk has also repeatedly criticized California for being over-regulated and burdened with high taxes. [TechCrunch]
» Nipsey Hussle’s Killer Sentenced To 60 Years In Prison Eric Holder Jr., the man convicted of murdering Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle in a 2019 shooting in South Los Angeles, was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years to life in prison with credit for the 1,423 days already served. Holder’s sentencing hearing had been postponed several times since last September. In December, Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke rejected a defense motion to reduce Holder’s conviction to second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter and turned down the defense’s bid for a new trial. [Fox]
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ONE MORE THING
Academy ‘Crisis Team’ to Handle Oscars Disasters After Will Smith Smack
It’s been 11 months since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, and the organization behind Hollywood’s most prestigious awards show is preparing for the worst ahead of next month’s broadcast.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer told Time in a new interview that they have implemented a “crisis team” to more effectively handle and respond to incidents, such as Smith storming the Oscars stage to rattle the host’s teeth for cracking a joke about his wife’s bald head.
“We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place. We’ve run many scenarios,” Kramer said when asked if the Academy was putting any additional measures in place this year in case of further unforeseen surprises. “So, it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”
