A.M. Brief: LAPD Officer Who Attended D.C. Trump Rally Ordered to Talk to FBI

For your Wednesday brief: The FBI will question an LAPD officer who was at the pre-insurrection rally in D.C., the forecast for increased homelessness is bleak, a Whittier City Councilmember is getting blowback for her D.C. rally attendance, and Bruce Willis won’t mask up while shopping at Rite Aid. Here is your news rundown. As usual, take it!

Morning News Rundown

A Los Angeles police officer who attended the pro-Trump rally in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6 has been ordered to speak with the FBI about his participation in the event. The officer says he was back at his hotel when the mob breached the Capitol. [KTLA]

The non-profit organization Economic Roundtable released a new report that forecasts a dramatic increase in homelessness throughout California over the next four years. Using data from the 2008 recession, the report predicts homelessness could rise by as much as 86% by 2024. [ABC 7]

On Tuesday, Whittier City Council considered a motion to censure Councilmember Jessica Martinez for attending a pro-Trump rally that preceded the insurrection at the Capitol. Despite the support of two councilmembers, the motion ultimately failed. However, an online petition to remove Martinez from office is now circulating. So far, it’s garnered more than 6,000 signatures. [CBS Los Angeles]

Live free or mask hard? This past Sunday, actor Bruce Willis was asked to leave a Los Angeles Rite Aid store after refusing to put on a mask while doing some light afternoon shopping. Willis, who was described by onlookers as disgruntled, ultimately left the store before completing a purchase. [TMZ]

Driven by a lack of affordable housing, Los Angeles County experienced a net loss of 74,000 people over the fiscal year that ended in July 2020. Some moved to other counties with a lower cost of living while others departed the state altogether. [L.A. Times]

Driven by the pandemic and Stay at Home orders, the LA County Library system tallied a record-breaking number of digital book checkouts in 2020. In total, people checked out 3,109,225 audiobooks and ebooks, an increase of 34% from 2019. [We Like L.A.]