TODAY’S ESSENTIAL NEWS
» L.A. County Board Approves Regulations on Sale and Possession of Guns Following the recent rash of fatal mass shootings throughout the state, members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a series of new laws tightening regulations on the sale and possession of guns in unincorporated areas. Board Chair Janice Hahn proposed many of the new ordinances in conjunction with Supervisor Hilda Solis. One such ordinance banned the sale of guns or ammunition of .50 or more and the carrying of firearms except by sworn officers on county property, such as parks. The board also called for the development of an ordinance that would create a 1,000-foot buffer zone between gun stores and “child-sensitive areas” such as schools. It also requested the drafting of an ordinance that would require all privately owned firearms to be kept under lock and key and one to explore the feasibility of developing a county gun database. [NBC]
» In A Dramatic Spike, 36.3 Million Trees Died In California Last Year Roughly 36.3 million dead trees were counted across California in 2022, a dramatic increase from previous years that experts are blaming on drought, insects and disease, according to a report by the U.S. Forest Service. The same survey for 2021 counted 9.5 million dead trees in the state, but the effects of last year’s dramatic die-off are more severe and spread across a wider range, according to the report released Tuesday. From mid-July to early October, researchers surveyed nearly 40 million acres, including federal, state and private land. They found dead trees spread across 2.6 million acres. [L.A. Times]
» Child Abuse Reports By Medical Staff Linked To Children’s Race, Stanford Medicine Study Finds Black children are over-reported as suspected victims of child abuse when they have traumatic injuries, even after accounting for poverty, according to new research from the Stanford School of Medicine. The study drew on a national database of nearly 800,000 traumatic injuries in children. It also found evidence that injuries in white children are under-reported as suspected abuse. The study highlights the potential for bias in doctors’ and nurses’ decisions about which injuries should be reported to Child Protective Services, according to the researchers. [Stanford]
» Gustavo Dudamel, Star Maestro, To Leave L.A. for New York Philharmonic Gustavo Dudamel, the charismatic conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, whose fiery baton and bouncy curls have made him one of classical music’s most recognizable figures, will leave his post in 2026 to become the music director of the New York Philharmonic, both orchestras announced on Tuesday. His departure is a significant loss for Los Angeles, where since 2009 Dudamel has helped build a vast cultural empire and helped turn the orchestra into one of the most innovative and financially successful in the United States. [N.Y. Times]
» La La Land Musical Set To Open On Broadway The Oscar-winning musical La La Land is to be transformed into a stage show. The 2017 hit, which made over $470m worldwide at the box office, will be heading to Broadway, with music by Justin Hurwitz and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the same team who worked on the film. Marc Platt, who produced the film, has called the show “the next exciting chapter in its evolution”–a concert version of the film has been touring the world for six years. The stage musical will be directed by Bartlett Sher, who won a Tony award for 2008’s South Pacific. [Guardian]
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ONE MORE THING
Love Is In the Air at Chinois on Main this Valentine’s Day
We’ve lived through years of pandemic crises, white-knuckled Dry January and detoxed from holiday calories, but now it’s nearly Valentine’s Day. It’s a moment made for courtship, canoodling in public and celebrating our love lives. It’s also an evening to eat something delectable, have a tipple or two and relax the dessert boycott. Valentine’s Day is set aside for foolish hearts to unite, but really any evening suits.
Of all the romantic dinners in Los Angeles, one of the most memorable is at Chinois on Main, Wolfgang Puck’s venerable Asian fusion restaurant in Santa Monica. Decorated by his now ex-wife, it’s a destination restaurant to consecrate all of life’s precious moments. On Valentine’s, the much loved partner-manager Bella goes all out, decorating with hearts, flowers, swags of red and gold. One and all get a sweet greeting from Bella, who seems to know everyone who comes in as well as enveloping newcomers in her loving hospitality.
