TODAY’S ESSENTIAL NEWS
» L.A. City Council Passes Law To Give Retail Workers With Erratic Hours More Stability On Tuesday, the Council passed a new law that requires large retailers to give workers their employment schedule at least two weeks in advance—a move designed to give laborers more certainty about their work hours. The law, known as the “Fair Work Week” ordinance, also requires businesses to give workers at least 10 hours of rest between shifts or provide extra pay for that work. Software used by retail stores can predict consumer demand, allowing employers to boost or pare back on staff. But that can also mean erratic schedules for workers, according to labor leaders and activists. [L.A. Times]
» Colorado Springs Gay Nightclub Shooter Born In Orange County The 22-year-old man accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding 18 others at a Colorado Springs gay bar has been identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich. Aldrich was born Nicholas Franklin Brink to Laura Voepel and Aaron Brink in Orange County. The couple separated a little over a year after their child’s birth. Brink, an MMA fighter turned porn star named Dick Delaware, has been arrested on charges such as burglary, being under the influence of a controlled substance and violating parole. Additionally, Voepel was previously arrested for arson and failing to complete her probation in Texas. The gunman’s grandfather is California Assemblyman Randy Voepel, who represents part of Riverside and San Diego counties—and supported the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Voepel lost his reelection bid earlier this month. [KTLA]
» Karen Bass To Declare A State Of Emergency On L.A. Homelessness On Her First Day As Mayor Los Angeles Mayor-elect Karen Bass starts the top job at City Hall in three weeks. She knows Angelenos are expecting results right away and in a one-on-one interview with ABC7, Bass said she’ll work extremely hard and not disappoint. “We are definitely going to identify some of the most challenging encampments and make sure that we can get those people housed,” Bass said. “But declaring a state of emergency really allows us to rally, bring together the city agencies and allows us to look at, especially city-owned land and fast track things.” That state of emergency on homelessness will happen on day one. Bass says she is currently drafting a plan for her first 100 days as mayor of Los Angeles. [ABC]
» Kobe Bryant’s Daughter Seeks Restraining Order Natalia Bryant, the 19-year-old daughter of the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant, filed a request Monday for a restraining order against an alleged stalker, according to multiple reports citing court documents. In the filing, Bryant, who attends the University of Southern California, alleges that the 32-year-old man from Sun Valley, California, began harassing her on social media in 2020 when she was only 17 years old. Bryant also alleged that the 32-year-old, a “gun enthusiast” who “has been arrested for misdemeanors involving a firearm,” tried to track her down on her college campus. [FOX]
» It’s Past Time To Reopen the Ronni Chasen Murder Investigation Nov. 16 was the 12th anniversary of the murder of renowned film awards publicist Ronni Chasen. Hardly anyone has spoken publicly of it in years, but at the time it was national news. She was gunned down in her car while waiting at a traffic light in a quiet stretch of Beverly Hills, on her way home from the premiere of Burlesque. A frenzy of speculation broke out: road rage or random drive-by; connections to shady film finance and bad art deals and gambling debts. The Beverly Hills Police Department eventually declared it found its culprit in Harold Smith, a poor Black man with a criminal record who detectives had found at his Hollywood flophouse, the encounter ending with Smith dead on the floor. [THR]
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ONE MORE THING
The Best Holiday Light Displays Across Southern California
With the calendar ticking closer toward 2023 and the holiday season about to overtake everything, it’s time to turn on the lights—millions of them, twinkling all across the Southland, summoning revelers to flock to the many magnificent displays in L.A. and beyond.
From the 30th Annual Festival of Lights out in San Bernardino County (deemed the best by USA Today) to the stunning mile-long stretch to stroll through at Descanso Gardens Enchanted Forest of Lights, SoCal is one of the best regions for holiday light displays in the nation—which is why LAMag compiled 16 of the very best to see in 2022.
