A drastic increase in Los Angeles’ homeless population is reportedly putting Hollywood’s “progressive ideals to the test,” where tent cities and open-air drug use takes place just outside million-dollar mansions.
“With swelling transient encampments abutting seven-figure homes, the beachside enclave has emerged as a flashpoint for the inequality shaping Los Angeles — and a real-world test case for the liberal ideology of the area’s showbiz residents,” writes the Hollywood Reporter.
“It’s the worst human catastrophe in America,” said a local pastor.
Los Angeles officials allocated more than $100 million in 2018 alone to help combat the rising homeless population; increasing funds for affordable housing, addiction treatment, and healthcare.
“I can’t accept the idea that there is an inextricable link between crime and homelessness. It is wrong, it is not backed up by the data, and it leads to bad policy,” said a local council member.
Read the full report at the Hollywood Reporter.
CALIFORNIA CHAOS: Los Angeles Eyes LEGAL Drug Lounges
The nation’s second-largest metropolis is poised to issue permits for legal “pot lounges” in the coming weeks; paving the way for Amsterdam-style coffee shops across Los Angeles.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the City of Angels is prepared to join San Francisco and Oakland in allowing the European-inspired shops; permitting patrons to purchase and smoke marijuana in a “social setting.”
“Since California voters legalized cannabis in 2016, some cities have embraced marijuana dispensaries, while others have actively fought against pot sales. The state is home to the largest legal pot market in the country, and proponents see lounges as the next step in embracing pot sales and creating avenues for safe use,” writes the Times.
“Consumption lounges are important because marijuana has been legalized, but where can people go to safely consume?” asked a pro-pot business manager from West Hollywood.
The moves comes as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the decriminalization of marijuana nationwide; allowing states to decide whether to permit the drug or not.
BRAIN FREEZE: Record Setting LA ‘Heat Wave’ Likely Caused by ‘FAULTY’ Thermometers
The record-smashing “heat wave” that struck the Los Angeles area over the last several days may not have been as hot as previously thought, with a local meteorologist saying “faulty weather stations” rendered the data “worthless.”
According to the Daily Caller, local weatherman Anthony Watts now believes the record-setting temperatures were improperly recorded due to “heat sinks” and broken equipment, writing “In my opinion, the data from these stations is worthless.”
“I’ve done an investigation and found that every ‘all time high’ reported by the LA Times is from a station compromised by heat sources and heat sinks. In my opinion, the data from these stations is worthless,” he adds.
“Here’s the USC weather station that had ‘all time record high’ surrounded by cars and asphalt. I wonder what it looked like when original record was set?” he points out.
Read his full report here.