Morning Brief: As Drought Conditions Return, Much Needed Rain Is in the Forecast

» SoCal has been sliding back into drought conditions, but some valuable rain is in the forecast. Expect showers and cooler temperatures through the weekend.  [KTLA]

» Eagle Hospitality, the operator of the Queen Mary, has filed for bankruptcy. The ship itself is owned by the City of Long Beach, which will now have to determine next steps for the popular attraction. [ABC Los Angeles]

» A specific batch of Moderna vaccine that had been temporary pulled from distribution after a cluster of possible allergic reactions has been deemed safe to go back into circulation. The state’s top epidemiologist concluded there was “no scientific basis” for concern over the doses.  [Los Angeles Times]

» President Biden wants his administration to be tougher on employers who allow workers to be exposed to COVID-19. OSHA has been ordered to look into setting a new ’emergency temporary standard’ regarding the pandemic. [HuffPost]

» Amazon cannot be forced to offer web hosting services to extremist app Parler, a judge has found. Parler was booted from Amazon Web Services after the company concluded that the app was used to share violent content. [CNBC]

TOP STORIES FROM L.A. MAG

» Trump’s Last-Minute Pardon of a College Scandal Dad Has ‘Supporters’ Scratching Their Heads USC trustee Tom Barrack and billionaire businessman Sean Parker were named in Robert Zangrillo’s pardon—but both say they weren’t involved

» LAPD Reports a Sharp Increase in Violent Crime. So What’s Behind It? There’s no consensus, but analysts have some theories

» 3 in 10 People in L.A. County Still Don’t Wear Masks Around Non-Household Members, Study Finds Still, those stats indicate we’re being more cautious than the country as a whole

ONE MORE THING

Women Restaurant Owners in L.A. Band Together for a Festival–with Takeout Specials Galore

A group of women restaurant owners and other hospitality businesses in L.A. are getting together to help each other address the crisis at hand–and prepare to bounce back even stronger. RE:Her kicks off with a food festival you can enjoy from home right now, with tons of special dishes and collaborations to sample.

 [FULL STORY]

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