Local Briefs

Local Beach Warning

An ocean water use warning is underway for several Los Angeles County beaches. These include Santa Monica beach, the LA County Department of Public Health announced Thursday night.

"The warning has been issued due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested," public health officials said.

Swimmers and surfers were cautioned before visiting the following beaches: Mother's Beach in Marina Del Rey

• Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica

• Wilshire Blvd. Storm Drain at Santa Monica Beach. Santa Monica North Tower 12

• Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro

• Pulga Storm Drain at Will Rogers State Beach. Will Rogers Tower 5

Recorded information on beach conditions is available 24- hours a day on the county's beach closure hotline: 1-800- 525-5662, or online.

Staples Center to Be Renamed

Staples Center will be renamed the Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Eve. Crypto.com is a rival to Coinbase, a website where one can purchase and own bitcoin and other crypto currencies.

The Staples Center is the home of the Los Angeles Lakers. Owned by AEG, the naming rights will go to Crypto.com. The sports venue, part of "LA LIVE!" is the home to the Sparks, the Hockey Kings, and the LA Clippers as well.

The LA Times broke the story at 9:05 pm on Thursday: The downtown Los Angeles venue - home of the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Sparks - will wear the new name for 20 years under a deal between the Singapore cryptocurrency exchange and AEG, the owner and operator of the arena, both parties announced Tuesday. Crypto.com paid more than $700 million for the naming rights, according to sources familiar with the terms, making it one of the biggest naming deals in sports history.

Staples Center is a multi-purpose arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999, says Wikipedia

New Booster Guidance

As of Thursday, everyone 18 and older can use MyTurn to book an appointment to get a booster shot if six months have passed since getting the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or at least two months if they got Johnson & Johnson.

Previously, as state officials were telling all residents to get the boosters. But myturn.com asked anyone making an appointment for a booster shot whether they fall into one of the eligibility requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These included being 65 years old or older, having underlying medical conditions, or working or living in high-risk settings.

This created confusion for residents who were trying to get boosters to shore up their protection from COVID-19 following calls from state officials.

The update to the state’s appointment website came after the California state health officer Dr. Tómas Aragón last week sent a letter to vaccine providers throughout the state, telling them: “Do not turn a patient away who is requesting a booster.”

Gasoline Prices Hit High

California gas prices hit an average price of $4.676 Sunday, setting the highest recorded average price for regular gasoline, according to AAA.

America’s largest state by population has the highest gas prices in the country. The national average dropped slightly to $3.413 Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metropolitan area, the average gas price was $4.665 on Sunday — a few pennies short of the highest recorded average of $4.705 set in October 2012.

Gas prices have been increasing steadily throughout the year as fuel demand grows around the globe. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, crude oil costs account for slightly more than half of the pump price.