Good morning and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday October 21st. I’m justin ray
And now this is happening across California:
In-N-Out Burger is in the spotlight, but not because people are debating whether the valued patty supplier is overrated.
Officials in San Francisco announced earlier this month that an In-N-Out Burger location had to be temporarily closed after no evidence of COVID-19 vaccinations was required.
Arnie Wensinger, In-N-Out’s chief legal and business officer, previously told the Times that the restaurant at 333 Jefferson St., Fisherman’s Wharf had posted “neat and clear” signs informing diners of local vaccine requirements. However, public health officials told employees to “take action” and require proof of vaccination and photo identification from each customer.
Wensinger reacted violently to the shop closing.
“As a company, In-N-Out Burger is a firm believer in the highest form of customer service and that means serving all customers who visit us and making all customers feel welcome,” he said. “We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government.”
Communities across California have set a number of vaccine verification requirements to help stop the virus from spreading. But the state has seen several agencies fight the state over COVID mandates. Here are some examples:
- Perhaps the most famous incident is Basilicos Pasta e Vino in Huntington Beach. When officials ordered facilities to require facial covers to contain the spread of the virus, the Orange County eatery declared itself a mask-free zone and requested that guests remove them before entering. It even went so far as to declare that proof of the unvaccinated was required for entry. A staff member confirmed that the restaurant did not actually check the guests’ vaccination status, but signs that appeared on the restaurant’s storefront were meant to serve as a sting in the eye of those who support vaccinations and other measures to curb the growing spread of the virus.
- The city of Burbank put chain-link fence around a restaurant that has repeatedly defied the county health regulations. The fence around Tinhorn Flats Saloon & Grill was designed to keep owners from reopening in unsafe conditions. The restaurant owner’s 20-year-old son was taken into custody after Burbank police said he was seen removing sandbags that had been placed in front of the building to prevent anyone from entering. Tinhorn Flats owner Baret Lepejian, who lives in Thailand while his children run the restaurant, told the Times that he supported his son’s actions and vowed to end the roughly $ 50,000 fines imposed on the business. Dollars not to be paid. The restaurant has been vacated.
- Advisories seen outside the Apple Bistro in Placerville warned that social distancing is not practiced and that “deoxygenation” masks and “dirty germ-disperser” gloves are not worn. The directive contains a clear message: “This may not be for you.” One employee who did not identify herself said on the phone to a Times reporter before hanging up: “We do not discriminate against anyone with masks. We give people the choice. ”
The question is, what will happen next month when the city of Los Angeles puts in place strict rules on vaccine verification. Businesses must request proof of vaccination when customers enter indoor facilities including cafes, gyms, museums, bowling alleys, spas, and various other venues. Meanwhile, restaurants that abide by this risk still risk protests.
We explored the in-n-out burger situation and a lot more here.
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Migrants are making increasingly dangerous journeys to enter California via the coast. Encounters at sea are still much lower than on land, but experts say the shift to sea crossings – in response to restrictive border policies and the devastation caused by COVID-19 across the hemisphere – increases the risk these migrants face when trying to make this happen The United States. As of October 1, 2020, Customs and Border Protection agents in the San Diego area, which stretches along the California coast from Imperial Beach to the Oregon border, have intercepted more than 330 ocean-going vessels carrying 1,751 people. The number includes the intercepted migrants and US citizens suspected of smuggling them. Los Angeles times
Marine interdiction agents from the San Diego Customs and Border Protection Air and Naval Operations are conducting maritime patrols in a 41-foot coastal interceptor in San Diego.
(Ana Ramirez / San Diego Union Grandstand)
LA STORIES
Transgender Netflix employees and their allies gathered on Vine Street in Los Angeles Wednesday morning to protest the streaming giant’s decision to release Dave Chappelle’s controversial new comedy special. Some supporters of the comedian also showed up. Chappelle fans with signs with sentences like “Jokes are funny” and “Dave is funny” in a square with people taking part in strikes with posters saying “Support, Raise, Protect Trans Voices” and “Gender is NOT a fact.” Educate yourself. “Reporter Christi Carras was there describing everything that was happening. Los Angeles Times
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POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
LA City Council votes to suspend Mark Ridley-Thomas amid federal charges. Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday for the suspension of Ridley-Thomas, a week after the veteran LA politician was charged on federal charges, including bribery and other charges. Ridley-Thomas recently announced that he would “step down” from attending city council meetings and committees. Ridley-Thomas, who has denied any wrongdoing, has announced not to resign and to fight federal charges against him. Los Angeles times
CRIME AND COURTS
The trial of the father and son, who are charged with the murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, begins April 25, 2022, a judge said Wednesday morning. Prosecutors in San Luis Obispo charged Paul Flores with the murder involved in Smart’s disappearance in 1996. His father Ruben is accused of being an accomplice for allegedly helping to bury her body. The men pleaded not guilty on Wednesday morning. KCRA
Police arrest the husband of Chula Vista’s mother, who disappeared in January. Maya “May” Millete wanted to get a divorce. Your husband didn’t. Authorities say Larry Millete sought help from magicians – he wanted magic to make his wife stay. In January, 39-year-old May Millete disappeared. On Tuesday, nine months after his wife went missing, Larry Millete was arrested on suspicion of murder. No body was found, but prosecutors said they had enough evidence to charge him with the murder. San Diego Union Tribune
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide drought emergency urging all Californians to do more to save water in the face of one of the worst droughts in the state ever recorded. “With the western United States facing a potential third year of drought, it is critical that Californians across the state redouble their water-saving efforts in every possible way,” Newsom said. While most of California’s 58 counties have been in a drought emergency since July, Newsom’s proclamation added the last eight counties remaining and underpinned its call to everyone to voluntarily reduce water use by 15%. Los Angeles times
CALIFORNIAN CULTURE
The artist Karla Diaz transforms insomnia into dreamlike paintings. Diaz, a Los Angeles based artist, is known for her performance and social practice. Together with fellow artist Mario Ybarra Jr. (who is also her husband), she founded Slanguage Studio, a hybrid community art organization / art collective, in 2002. Diaz has also worked as an activist-leaning performance artist – most notably on a longstanding project called Prison Gourmet where she recreated some of the impromptu meals prepared from detective officers by prison inmates. But her new watercolors, which can be seen until next week at the Luis De Jesus Los Angeles in downtown LA, emerge from a more intimate space. In 2017, Diaz suffered a stroke that left her with persistent insomnia. She began to use the late hours of the night to paint. Los Angeles times
Karla Diaz sits in her studio in Wilmington in front of a wall covered in her watercolors.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
How do tourists perceive Angelenos? More specifically, to what extent is tourists’ perception of Angelenos influenced by the expectations they bring? Is it even possible to separate the two? Rachel Schnalzer tried to answer these questions. Here’s one opinion: “People really expect everyone to be in showbiz in some form or another,” said Dara Mihaly, general manager at the tour company ExperienceFirst. “When people come to LA and we actually show them the different neighborhoods and they see how diverse it is, it’s kind of a surprise.” Los Angeles Times
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CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles: 78 San Diego: 72 San Francisco: I can’t believe this cat made that jump! Rain, 68.San Jose: Rain, 74. Fresno: 80 Sacramento: Rain, 69.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California memory is from Morton Saltzman:
It was a few days before Christmas 1964, and I was a reporter for KIEM-TV and KRED Radio in Eureka, covering a school board meeting that evening. It was raining incessantly when I drove to the district headquarters. Los Angeles was my hometown and I’d never seen anything like it. I woke up early the next morning to talk about the “1000 year flood”. Southern Humboldt County in particular was flooded. The flood signs on Highway 101 are still there.
If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please limit your story to 100 words.)
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