» Western states including California are bracing for a possible official declaration of a water shortage–the first declaration of its kind. New projections could indicate shortages in all seven states that depend upon the Colorado River. [ABC News]
» A recall of Gavin Newsom might provide an unlikely opening for former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. He has publicly opposed the pro-recall movement, but won’t confirm that, if it happens, he would sit it out. [Los Angeles Times]
» Only a small number of L.A. County schools have seen large numbers of students return for in-person instruction. Schools with high rates of students coming back to campus appear to be concentrated in higher-income westside neighborhoods. [Los Angeles Times]
» West Hollywood officials hope a new “pedestrian zone” will reinvigorate local shops and restaurants. During the pilot program, a stretch of Robertson between Santa Monica and Melrose will be closed off to car traffic from Saturday evenings until Sunday nights. [ABC Los Angeles]
» On Saturday, L.A. County reported its lowest daily positivity rate since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The rate of positive tests has dropped to just 0.9 percent and the county reported just 527 new cases. [KTLA]
TOP STORIES FROM L.A. MAG
» How Triller Became Ryan Kavanaugh’s Big Comeback The businessman and movie producer rose from the ashes of Relativity Media with a video app—and some big boxing matches
» The Broad Is Reopening in May with Lots of New Things to See One of L.A.’s most popular museums is ready to welcome you back
» A Fellowship Is Fostering Diverse Documentarians—and Reaping Oscar Nods The Artist-in-Residence program at Concordia Studio is building a network for filmmakers like Garrett Bradley, whose film ’Time’ is up for an Academy Award this year
ONE MORE THING
A New Book on L.A.’s Historic Places Is Eye-Opening Even for Longtime Angelenos
Buildings carry the stories of the city. Howard Hughes’s aircraft hangar is now creative space for Google; a streamlined gas station restored by Starbucks now offers a different kind of fuel. Los Angeles has had a preservation ordinance since 1962, before New York, Chicago, or San Francisco began their efforts. For the last 15 years, the city’s Office of Historic Resources has been headed up by Ken Bernstein, and in his new book Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America’s Cities (out via Angel City Press on April 20) he shows off some of L.A.’s 1,200 designated Historic-Cultural Monuments and explains how preservation has propelled the city forward while respecting its past.
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