Los Angeles County on Friday began administering Pfizer booster shots shortly after the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved third doses of the vaccine for certain groups, including frontline workers. L.A. County's director of public health, Barbara Ferrer, said the county is prepared to offer boosters for those over 65, residents of long-term care facilities, those who are immunocompromised in addition to those working in high-risk industries. Here's what you need to know if you want to get one.
♻️ Mi Terro, an L.A.-based startup that uses ag waste to make packaging materials, is among those participating in The Yield Lab's inaugural global innovation challenge involving the U.N.
🚗 A new California law will require all light-duty autonomous vehicles in the state to emit zero emissions starting in 2030.
🚫 Robocalls may begin to drop next week as a Sept. 28 deadline approaches for phone companies to block calls from potential illegal robocallers identified by the FCC.
⚠️ China has banned all cryptocurrency transactions, delivering a blow to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
📱 Bumble, the dating app, says it is partnering with TikTok in Europe to encourage users to engage via live streaming on both apps.
📸 Google is in talks with ByteDance and Facebook to index and rank TikTok and Instagram videos.
💉 L.A. Times owner and biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong has agreed to invest in a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing plant in South Africa.
Booster Shot Demand Expected to Be High
The approval of the Pfizer booster shot set the stage for a massive inoculation campaign with millions in California expected to become eligible for a third shot. In Los Angeles County, health officials estimate slightly over 1 million people got two doses of Pfizer before April 1 and about 420,000 of them were 65 years old and older.
Still, as more and more people seek a booster shot, clinics are likely to experience another flood of vaccine demands at a time where large vaccination sites like Dodgers Stadium have reverted back to their original purpose.
Meet the California Legislator Upending Big Tech
Lorena Gonzalez, the California legislator from San Diego, is gaining recognition as the state's author of several laws that are taking aim at big tech. This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that Gonzalez authored targeting Amazon's surveillance of warehouse employees. On his desk sits another one of her bills that makes delivery app orders more transparent.
LA's Karman Missile & Space Systems Buys Systima
Karman Missile & Space Systems, an L.A.-based aero tech company, acquired Systima Technologies as part of Karman's push into the markets for space and hypersonic system infrastructure. In the wake of the acquisition, Systima's leadership team will continue as equity holders and senior leaders of Karman.
Nominate Innovators for dot.LA's Startup Awards
Nominate Innovators for dot.LA's 2021 Startup Awards
We are thrilled to announce the dot.LA Startup Awards 2021, a celebration of the most innovative people and companies in the L.A. startup and tech community. The event will be hosted live on Friday, October 29th, during the dot.LA Summit.
Nominations are open for company submissions in six categories. Get involved and nominate a startup or an individual to win an award by clicking here.
Nominations Are Open for Our Summit LA Pitch Showcase
We're looking for Southern California startups that have a product on the market and have raised less than $1 million in funding to pitch at dot.LA's Summit on Thursday, October 28th at 6:00pm PT on the main stage at Fairmont Miramar.