Morning Brief: Angelenos stressed as rent, gas and groceries hit new highs

gHello the Today is Tuesday, June 14.

You must be joking – $2,106 for 500 square feet?! It was the rent and the size of an apartment that I considered before deciding it was a bad deal. I’m sure you’re nodding your head right now, my friend Angeleno. You also experienced it in this beautiful, but extremely expensive city. The the median asking rent in Los Angeles is now $3,400according to NPR but, as you all know, this pricing puzzle isn’t just about housing costs. Inflation hits its highest level in 40 years. The price of a gallon of gasoline is over $6 in LA County. And in the past 12 months, food prices rose 8.4 percent.

What’s to blame? The COVID-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine. Although I understand it, I feel like we’ve lost control. Can others identify themselves? I asked Angelenos how they’re doing and talked to a few people who tried to make a dollar out of 15 cents.

Aspen Evans is a photographer who lives in East Hollywood. She moved to Los Angeles from Atlanta six months before the pandemic hit to pursue her dreams. Evans told me she was STRESSED. “It really hit me once you moved here, like no amount of money you saved was really enough,” Evans says. “Whatever cushion I saved is gone now.”

So how does Evans manage her life here?

She had a full-time job, but quit in April before inflation was in full swing. She had just started freelancing again when prices really started to skyrocket. “I just picked the worst time of my life because I feel like a lot of brands and companies are closing the purse strings and cutting marketing budgets,” Evans says. “It’s definitely been a slower summer than what we’re used to.”

Evans cut back on luxuries like Uber Eats and her favorite skincare products. She tries to cook more at home and shop in more profitable places. Every time her friend goes to Costco she joins so they can share things. Evans is also looking to find a roommate.

The price of food hurts, but it’s the gas that really makes it difficult for people.

Burbank’s Alessandro Signorini says they’ve started driving less with current gas prices. “I’ve been following the news pretty closely, especially with the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Signorini says. “It helped me understand what was going on even though I know we don’t get gas from Russia, but it drives up prices everywhere.”

It’s the same for Natalia Ruiz of Echo Park. “I pay close to $100,” she says. “I try to use the car as little as possible but, you know, every two weeks is a lot of money for me.”

She also cooks a lot more at home. “Mostly vegetables. The meat is a treat,” she says. “I make a lot of food and freeze it to try not to waste it at all.”

In the meantime, I will always be looking for an apartment at a reasonable price. My requests are simple: I just want a refrigerator and a bathtub.

As always, stay happy and healthy, friends (or at least try to). There’s more news below the fold.

What else you need to know today

• The LA City Council will vote later today on an ordinance to prohibit the assembly, sale or storage of bicycles (and parts) on public property. But some say this will only make the harassment of homeless people worse.
• At least 200 screenwriters, producers and directors have pledged to reexamine how firearms are used on screen and in storytelling. An open letter, initiated by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violencewas signed by creators like Judd Apatow, Shonda Rhimes and Jimmy Kimmel.
• Firefighters bring sheep fire under control near Wrightwood, despite dry ground. Check the latest here.
• As wildfires escalate each year, California firefighters struggle with fatigue, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. This report captures some of their stories.
• There is a long history of racist medical malpractice when it comes to how doctors have treated people of color. Doctors, legislators and scientists are now talk about changing the way race is viewed as a medical shortcut.
• Researchers say the billions in pandemic funding available for ventilation upgrades in US schools offers a unique opportunity to fight covid-19as well as making the air more breathable for students with allergies, asthma, and chronic wildfire smoke.

Before You Go…Tonight: Check Out the Rare Strawberry Supermoon

Angelenos, get ready to see what some call the lunar event of the year: the super full and super shiny Strawberry Supermoon! Here’s why it’s cool. The other advantage is that you don’t need a high-tech telescope or binoculars to see it. You can see it with the naked eye between sunset and moonrise tonight. So set your alarms! The sun sets at 8:05 p.m. and the moon rises at 8:57 p.m.

If you WANT to get excited (and I most certainly would!), get some binoculars or a telescope so you can see craters, mountains, and other things that might be on the moon. There will also be a free live streaming of the virtual telescope project in Ceccano, Italy.

Enjoy!