A.M. Brief: Unmasked Man Steals Chicken From Roscoe’s

In the new pandemic world, employees wear masks and robbers refuse facial coverings. Go figure. Also this morning: COVID-19 long haulers struggle to regain their sense of smell, a Prop 22 lawsuit is rejected, and another large-scale vaccine site is opening in L.A. This is your morning news brief. Take it!

Morning News Rundown

“Put the chicken in the bag.” That’s what an unmasked man holding a gun allegedly told an employee at Roscoe’s House of Chicken ’N Waffles in Pasadena before walking out of the store with the food. According to a witness, the man became agitated after being asked to put on a mask. That initial conflict escalated, leading to the eventual food robbery. [NBC Los Angeles]

Loss of smell is a hallmark symptom of COVID-19. While most people recover the ability after a few weeks, a sizable minority still haven’t months after infection. Some long haulers are throwing a kitchen sink of homeopathic cures at the problem in hopes of regaining their sense of smell. [L.A. Times]

The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) is putting together an environmental impact report to assess a daily passenger-rail service between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley. In theory, the planned 145-mile route could transport passengers from the L.A. area to the Coachella Valley in about 3.5 hours. [Planetizen]

Voters passed Prop 22 in November, cementing independent contractor status for app-based ride-hailing and delivery drivers. Prop 22 opponents have been trying to overturn the measure in court, but they suffered a blow on Wednesday when the California Supreme Court threw out a lawsuit challenging the proposition’s constitutionality. The ruling does not preclude further litigation from being filed. [KTLA]

Another mega-vaccine site is scheduled to open on Feb. 16, this time on the Cal State Los Angeles campus. The new site will be equipped with a pair of mobile vaccination clinics, which officials say will offer greater flexibility in reaching vaccine recipients with mobility issues, including those without access to transportation. [LAist]