A.M. Brief: Beverly Hills Votes to Oppose Outdoor Dining Ban

Beverly Hills has joined numerous other incorporated cities in the county in opposing the latest order from Public Health. Also this morning: Gusty Santa Anas bring more fire danger, an indictment in the tragic accident aboard the dive boat Conception, and L.A. City Council votes to resume homeless encampment cleanups.

Morning News Rundown

The list of incorporated cities in Los Angeles County that oppose the Public Health Department’s latest order seems to be growing by the day. On Tuesday, Beverly Hills City Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution opposing L.A. County Public Health’s recent order prohibiting outdoor dining. Last week, officials in the City of Whittier said they were considering a break with Public Health. Other cities, including Lancaster, Hawaiian Gardens, and West Covina, have floated the idea of either starting their own health departments or contracting another existing health department, such as Pasadena’s. [CBS Los Angeles]

Strong Santa Ana winds and increasingly dry conditions have prompted the National Weather Service to warn of critical fire danger in Southern California from Wednesday night through Saturday. Southern California Edison has warned that customers across multiple counties could experience power shutoffs to mitigate the danger, including over 34,000 customers in L.A. County alone. [Weather.com]

A federal grand injury has indicted Jerry Boylan, the captain of the dive boat Conception, on 34 counts of manslaughter stemming from a fire incident off the coast of Santa Barbara last year. It has been called one of the worst maritime disasters in recent U.S. history. [L.A. Times]

Yesterday, L.A. City Council approved a motion to resume the controversial CARE+ encampment cleanups at sites in the San Pedro and Harbor City areas. PATH, an area homeless services provider, released a statement criticizing the decision, saying the practice goes against CDC guidance and increases the risk of COVID-19 spread. [Daily News]

The test for U.S. citizenship is now harder to pass and decidedly more subjective to score. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made changes at the behest of the Trump administration last month. For example, now test takers must explain why a Supreme Court Justice serves a life-long term, and then it’s up to the discretion of USCIS officer who scores the test to determine whether or not their answer is correct. [LAist]