TODAY’S ESSENTIAL NEWS
» States Miss Deadline To Address Colorado River Water Crisis, Pressure Builds On California The seven states that depend on the Colorado River have missed a Jan. 31 federal deadline for reaching a regionwide consensus on how to sharply reduce water use, raising the likelihood of more friction as the West grapples with how to take less supplies from the shrinking river. In a bid to sway the process after contentious negotiations reached an impasse, six of the seven states gave the federal government a last-minute proposal outlining possible water cuts to help prevent reservoirs from falling to dangerously low levels, presenting a unified front while leaving out California, which uses the single largest share of the river.[L.A. Times]
» Native American “Deaths Of Despair” Are Overlooked In Health Policy Discussion An increase in mortality among middle-aged Americans—largely attributed to “deaths of despair” from suicide, drug overdoses and alcoholic liver disease—has been frequently portrayed as a phenomenon affecting white communities. Under a common narrative, these deaths have been explained by the perceived loss of status felt by many less-educated white Americans as their economic opportunities declined and their social standing diminished. However, a new analysis led by UCLA researchers and published in the Lancet shows that Native American people aged 45 to 54 actually have had the biggest increases in mortality in recent decades, and are now dying at twice the rate of white people of the same age. Further, Native American communities collectively have the highest rates of mortality from each of the causes of deaths of despair. [UCLA]
» LGBTQ+ Community Center Opens In L.A. There is a new home for the LGBTQ+ community in downtown Los Angeles. The DTLA PROUD Community Center opened over the weekend at The Bloc in downtown L.A. The A+R=T Center was named by organizers who say their focus is on creating accessibility and representation in order to help the community thrive cohesively. [ABC]
» Arizona’s Havasupai Falls Is Reopening to Tourists for First Time in 3 Years The northern Arizona falls, which sit on the Havasupai reservation, will reopen on Feb. 1 for current permit holders, according to the Havasupai Tribe. The falls have remained shut to tourists since they first closed in 2020 to protect against the spread of COVID-19. Currently, only travelers who were impacted by the COVID-19-related closure will be allowed to make a reservation for 2023, according to the tribe’s official tourism Facebook page. Reservations for 2024 will then open in February 2024. The opening also comes months after the area experienced severe flooding, which destroyed several bridges and trails, but the tribe said it was ready to welcome visitors. [Travel&Leisure]
» First Police Report In Tyre Nichols Case Does Not Match Video Of Deadly Beating An initial police report filed in the hours after the Tyre Nichols traffic stop suggested he was violent and made claims that were contradicted by video later released by police. Nichols was subdued on the ground yet continuously beaten after the stop by Memphis police on January 7. He died three days later. The initial police report said Nichols “started to fight” with officers and at one point grabbed one of their guns. But neither claim was substantiated by police videos released last week. [CNN]
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ONE MORE THING
Unveiled: Eric Garcetti’s Official Portrait by Street Artist Shepard Fairey
Most people are unaware that Los Angeles has a mayoral portrait gallery. It’s on the 26th floor of City Hall and is reached by taking two elevators (transfer on 22). The walls hold a compendium of images of L.A.’s legendary and largely forgotten leaders, from a debonair depiction of Tom Bradley (mayor from 1973-1993, prior to the introduction of term limits) to the fantastically mustachioed Fred Eaton (1898-1900).
The images are, by and large, flat and two-dimensional—not just physically, but in feel. They reveal mostly men in dark suits and ties, often with a vague background meant to focus attention on the figure’s serious facial expression.
