🌱 Gramercy Park McDonald’s Shooting + Who Smuggles Live Centipedes?

Morning, people of Los Angeles; today is National May Ray Day, which is the brainchild of comedian Richard Ankli, who came up with it in 1977! Sylvia here with your Thursday Los Angeles Daily.

Two women are suspected of shooting a man sitting in his wheelchair. Also, what’s with the influx of prohibited flora and fauna? Finally, why aren’t we housing the homeless in vacant public buildings?

First, today's weather:

Clouds yielding to sun. High: 76 Low: 59.

Poll:
Who should be the next Los Angeles Mayor? Please share your thoughts! (As of today, Rick Caruso leads the pack with 48.1% of your votes, and Karen Bass is in second place with 28.2%. Kevin De Leon comes in third with 10.7%.)

Here are the top five stories today in Los Angeles:

1. A 75-year-old double-amputee in a wheelchair was shot in the head at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night. The shooting happened outside the McDonald’s “near the intersection of South Western Avenue and West Century Boulevard in the Gramercy Park neighborhood.” “At least one of two women who arrived in a vehicle opened fire on him.” (KTLA)
2. Why are folks trying to smuggle in “live centipedes labeled as ‘earphones’ and dried sea cucumbers declared as ‘dried food’?” As of Wednesday, the Customs and Border Protection local field office “saw a 73% increase from 2020 to 2021 in people trying to ship prohibited animal products into the United States.” (NBC)
3. L.A. Controller Ron Galperin went on record Wednesday that the city should “use vacant public properties for homeless housing” to offer shelter to the estimated 41,000 people sleeping on the sidewalks and in parks. “Galperin recently identified more than two dozen city-owned properties that could be made available immediately to house thousands of people experiencing homelessness.” The controller previously pointed out “bureaucratic inefficiencies that caused some permanent housing costs to exceed $800,000 per unit.” (LA Controller)
4. We’re number 1! In a compilation of the best and worst cities for basketball fans, a recent report shows that Los Angeles is clearly number one, beating out 289 other cities. The worst-performing California city is Berkeley at number 281. (WalletHub)
5. The Hideaway, an upscale steakhouse with distinctly Mexican flavors, is coming to 421 North Rodeo Drive. A Wednesday write-up explained that “many of the details behind the project remain shrouded in a bit of mystery.” Apparently, the garden-level restaurant will feature “a service button at the tables that actually reads, ‘Push for Tequila.’” (Eater L.A.)

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Today in Los Angeles:

• City Council Finance & Budget Subcommittee Meeting Teleconference (9 a.m.)
• Barnes & Noble/The Grove welcomes Dale Perelman to celebrate the release of DEATH AT THE CECIL HOTEL (7 p.m.)
• The Elliott Caine Quartet at The Historic Lobby (7 p.m.)
• Live Music & DJ Nights in Lilly Rose (10 p.m.)
• TigerHeat - Lady Gaga tribute night at the Vermont Hollywood (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• L.A. City Hall is lit up orange in memory of the victims of the tragic hate crime in Buffalo, N.Y. We stand strong with the Buffalo community. (Instagram)
• Save water by upgrading to a more water efficient clothes washer. The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power offers a $500 cash rebate so you can save water AND money on your bills. (Facebook)
• A WeHo MidCity-South neighbor is issuing a PSA: Pugs, bulldogs, Frenchies and smoosh faces alike cannot go on long jogs with humans! They can’t breathe so good, that’s why they snort and snore so much! If your dog is resisting to go any further, it’s probably because they can’t breathe. (Nextdoor)
• Our Hollywood Blvd. neighbor lost their dog in Tarzana. He is a male French bulldog. Color: black brindle, he has a white line in the center of his forehead and white chest. He was wearing a red collar. (Nextdoor)
• A Mount Washington North neighbor is looking for a recommendation for dog daycare around NELA or Pasadena. (Nextdoor)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday off right. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Los Angeles Daily? Contact me at losangeles@patch.com