A.M. Brief: Warner Bros. Balks at $100M Hollywood Sign Tramway Investment

A big studio says “no so fast” to funding a tramway to the Hollywood Sign. California’s vaccination efforts hit their stride. Vanessa Bryant outs the deputies involved in her lawsuit against the LASD. It’s Friday. It’s another end-of-week news brief. Take it!

Morning News Rundown

Warner Bros. is having second thoughts about a proposed $100 million investment into an aerial tramway that would take passengers directly to the Hollywood Sign. The studio had previously pitched L.A. city officials on a tram system that could transport passengers from a parking structure near its Burbank lot to the top of Mt. Lee in about six minutes. [L.A. Times]

After a slow start, California’s vaccination efforts are ramping up. The state administered an average of over 300,000 doses per day last week, and in the last two days alone, gave out nearly 1 million shots. To date, California ranks 33rd in state distribution rates, with about 23% of residents receiving at least one dose. [L.A. Times]

Vanessa Bryant has publicized the names of four deputies who allegedly published photos of the crash site where her husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna perished, along with seven others. The move to make the names public comes after a U.S. District Court Judge rejected an attempt by the county to keep the identities of those involved sealed. [LA Mag]

As more and more people become eligible to be vaccinated, health workers at distribution sites in L.A. County have favored flexibility over rigidness when it comes to verifying eligibility. On average, only about 30 people per day are being turned away for showing up without the proper documentation. [LAist]

A study by Stop AAPI Hate found over 3,800 incidents of racially motivated violence against Asian Americans over the past year, but curiously, there have been zero such reports in the City of Long Beach, despite numerous incidents in surrounding cities. Is it an anomaly or are attacks simply going unreported? Some local officials aim to find out. [LB Post]