LOS ANGELES

DEEGAN ON LA-A relatively new category of low-wage independent contract workers -- the “gig” workers -- are on the front lines of suffering as their employers, giants like Amazon/Whole Foods and Instacart, resist demands to give them major benefits. 

BCK FILE-As the total of coronavirus cases in the U.S. has spiked to over 300,000, with over 8,000 deaths as of Saturday, April 4, the Trump Administration appears to be taking at least some notice.

GUEST WORDS-The poet Langston Hughes once wrote, “I wish the rent was heaven sent.” With 10 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Hughes’ words resonate now more than ever.

ALPERN AT LARGE--As stated in my previous piece, Uber/Lyft, online working from home, and online school (from K-12 through college) has its benefits--and the freeways are much lighter as of late for reasons that go way beyond fear. 

ANIMAL RIGHTS-The City of Shenzhen is the first city in China to ban the production and consumption of dog and cat meat.

AT LENGTH-Sam at my local hardware store has a supply of N95 masks that he’s not price gouging on but limits the purchase to three per customer.

@THE GUSS REPORT-Every minute that local governments like the Los Angeles City Council spend on anything other than matters directly related to the deadly, global Coronavirus epidemic is political malfeasance. That is corrupt in its own unique way. 

ONE MAN’S OPINION-Here in the United States, there are three main components that make up the current pandemic: a virulent virus, mental illness, and political cowardice. 

THE TRUTH ABOUT LACERS-We didn’t know if it would happen in 2020.

OTHER WORDS-The second highest office-holder of the great state of Texas, Republican Lieutenant General Dan Patrick, recently proclaimed on Fox News that lots of senior citizens would be willing — or should be, anyway — to sacrifice their lives to coronavirus in order to save the economy for their grandchildren. 

PLANNING WATCH-Last week I wrote about the dubious exemption of construction projects from the State of California’s and City of LA’s shelter-in-place orders.

GUEST WORDS--What if the vaccine that’s eventually developed is so large in scope it includes the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Pope Francis?

ELECTION VOICES-Herb Wesson knew his 13-year reign as Councilmember for District 10 and City Council President (eight years) was coming to an end but he was not ready to give up the reins of power yet.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLITICS-For years, activists and experts have been saying, repeatedly, that housing is not only a human right, but also a serious public health issue.

EASTSIDER-As we shall see later, I think that the Coronavirus just may do what citizens have not been able to do -- kill off the odious Casitas Lofts Project which seeks to destroy the old Bow Tie Yard over by the LA River, and give special “access” to the river for the wealthy who buy. 

CONNECTING CALIFORNIA--Not one day.

CALBUZZ--Thoughtful people who have witnessed President Trump’s ignorant, incompetent, idiotic news conferences on the Coronavirus find themselves ready to slit their wrists when they see that the president’s approval rating has gone up to 49% in the latest Gallup Poll.

ALPERN AT LARGE--One good thing about this terrible COVID-19 pandemic is that we're all evolving and (hopefully!) getting smarter and more aware of what good science and business practices should be for our nation (and always were), while becoming less tolerant of sensationalism.

@TheGussReport – Last year, I reported in this column that the LAPD was ordered by a Los Angeles judge to pay me roughly $2,000 (about $100 of which was for my expenses) due to its ongoing abuses of my 1^st Amendment and Civil Rights for continually threatening me as I reported on corruption and failure in Los Angeles government.

COUNTER PUNCH-The United States has become the new center of the global coronavirus pandemic, with over 80,000 cases, more than China or Italy. 

GELFAND’S WORLD--At some point, we will look back and try to rate the performance of our city’s institutions, including not only the government but the private and the volunteer sectors.