Top Los Angeles Official Calls On County To “Do Away With Blanket Covid Masking Policies” After Newsom Images Surface

Facing a recall effort and a rising tide of resentment on the mounting crime wave in Los Angeles County, District Attorney George Gascon is revising his approach – but keeping his opposition to the death penalty.

Paul McCartney will launch a 13-city U.S. tour in April – his first since 2019 – with a May 13 stop at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on the roster.

Lauren Lane, a former contestant on "The Bachelor" and the wife of country music star Chris Lane, called mask mandates for young children in schools "cruel" in a series of social media posts. Lauren, known to Bachelor Nation fans by her maiden name Lauren Bushnell for her appearance on Season 20 of "The Bachelor," took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday to share her opposing views related to children wearing masks in school amid the coronavirus pandemic. She began by sharing the perspective of another Instagram user who called out Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and implied it's hypocritical to mandate masks for kids while allowing stadiums to be filled with unmasked adults for events.

“It seems like when we have something high-profile, like the Super Bowl or the Emmys, the rules just don’t seem to matter any more,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn at a board meeting on Tuesday.

Sasha Urban editorThe Hollywood sign is getting a temporary makeover following last night’s hometown Super Bowl win. Until Wednesday, the sign will read “Rams House” in honor of the Los Angeles team’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.The installation is a collaboration between the Rams, the City of Los Angeles, the Hollywood Sign Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

The Hollywood sign is getting a facelift today, with the iconic letters being altered to read “Rams House.” The move is meant to celebrate the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last night.

Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall have been set to host the 94th Oscars, which is returning to an emcee format. Deadline confirmed the news Monday.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was among the tens of thousands at SoFi Stadium yesterday who decided to doff their masks. A shot of the mayor maskless in his Rams gear at the game began circulating online on Sunday afternoon, prompting criticism from many who pointing out that L.A. County’s mask mandate for outdoor mega-events is still in effect.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a nearly perfect first half. But the Cincinnati Bengals refused to lay down, and the team headed into the lockerroom hot on the heels of the Rams, trailing just 13-10.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterBillionaire developer Rick Caruso filed to run for mayor of Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, ending months of speculation and shaking up the crowded race to succeed Eric Garcetti.A onetime Republican, Caruso is best known as the builder of the Grove and the Americana at Brand shopping centers, among others. He is also a former Los Angeles city commissioner, and has flirted with a run for mayor for the better part of two decades.

Every fan attending Sunday’s Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium will be given a KN95 mask and, according to L.A. County Public Health and SoFi Stadium officials, they’re expected to wear it. But will they? That remains to be seen.

UPDATED on Tuesday: Los Angeles Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer today explained to the County Board of Supervisors the decision today to maintain a mask mandate even though California announced it is relaxing its requirement.

It’s ok to take off your mask, California — unless you’re unvaccinated. That’s according to the state’s public health department which announced today that the requirement for vaccinated people in most indoor settings will end on February 15. Unvaccinated Californians will still have to mask up in most indoor settings.

Naomi Seligman, the former communications director to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, has filed a complaint with prosecutors claiming that Garcetti committed perjury when he denied under oath that he did not know about allegations of misconduct by a top aide and adviser.

Less than a week after a photo surfaced of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Magic Johnson maskless at SoFi Stadium, County Supervisor Katheryn Barger has ratcheted up the pressure on health officials to modify L.A.’s strict mask mandate for outdoor mega-events before the Super Bowl kicks off there on February 13.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe stir over photos showing him and politicians maskless over the weekend are much ado about nothing, Johnson said on Friday during Apple TV Plus’ portion of the Television Critics Assn. press tour. Johnson was there to promote “They Call Me Magic,” a new four-part docuseries that premieres on April 22.“I wore my mask in, I wore my mask out,” Johnson said.

Magic Johnson addressed the controversy over photos he shared Sunday of himself at the NFC Championship game alongside, among others, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. They were all maskless.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer today outlined a framework for reducing Covid mitigation measures as the current Omicron surge falls. She warned however that, even after the surge, the threat level would still be considered “high” and numbers would need to come down further before restrictions are lifted.