October 4, 2021 Media Brief
Orange County
Voice of OC: Newport Beach closes harbor due to oil spill, ending last holdout of open coastline
Huntington Beach was the first city to shut down their coastline on Saturday night from the Huntington Beach pier to the Santa Ana, while Laguna Beach and Crystal Cove State Beach followed suit on Sunday night as the oil moved further south.
OC Register: Initial assessment is fewer birds affected by oil spill than feared, official said
Birds found will be triaged at the Wetlands & Wildlife Center and then taken to the International Bird Rescue Center, which has more specialized equipment and staff to treat them. The birds will be fully examined, information on the oil will be documented and then they will be washed with Dawn soap.
OC Register: Here’s what beaches and harbors are closed as officials work to contain massive oil spill
All county and city beaches in Laguna Beach have been closed to the public, and city officials are asking people to stay off the shore “and pay close attention to any closure or warning signs posted at or near beach areas,” a news release states. Oil had not yet been seen on its shoreline as of Sunday, though authorities were preparing for it.
Voice of OC: OC residents are speaking up on how $616 million in bailout money should be spent by County
Many are asking for homeless housing, vaccination campaigns, rental assistance for those who’ve lost jobs, public park improvements and bike trails. Instead, county officials are spending much of the money on Sheriff’s Department salaries and a government office complex.
Voice of OC: $11 million grant gets Banning Ranch closer to becoming public park
A piece of coastal land near Newport Bay is one step closer to reaching the $97 million dollars needed to turn the space into a public park and avoid it being sold for real estate development.
Voice of OC: Laguna Beach to discuss ending retail sales of tobacco and vaping products
The City Council is expected to begin discussions Tuesday on whether to ban such sales and consider directing staff to study the issue and potentially return with an ordinance for the council to consider at a later date, according to a city staff report.
Labor
KTLA: TV and film workers vote to authorize strike
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said nearly 99% of those who cast ballots voted in favor of a strike authorization. The turnout was unusually high, with 90% of eligible union members participating in the vote, IATSE said.
Nation
Associated Press: Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram suffer worldwide outage
The company did not say what might be causing the outage, which began around 11:45 ET. It is normal for websites and apps to suffer outages, though one on a global scale is rare. Users reported being unable to access Facebook in California, New York and Europe.
Bloomberg: Christmas at risk as supply chain ‘disaster’ only gets worse
The retail industry has seen this coming. Large firms with the financial wherewithal have been storing goods in their own warehouses or renting space to make sure they can start filling shelves over the next few weeks. Consumers might see news about port backups, but that won’t hit home until they try to buy the toy of the year and can’t get it. That’s when they’ll hit crisis mode.
Publication Date: October 4, 2021
