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Los Angeles Mansion Named ‘The One’ Could Become The Most Expensive Home Sold In The US At $295 Million 

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The One is a mansion in Bel-Air that was once valued at $500 million. Now, the megamansion is being sold for $295 million and will be available on the open market until it’s auctioned off from February 28th to March 3rd. Concierge Auctions is the online auction marketplace responsible for the listing. 

The home will be sold without reserve, which essentially means the highest bidder gets the house. Even if it sells close to the listing price, it will likely break US real estate records. Currently billionaire Ken Griffin’s $238 million New York penthouse holds the record as the most expensive US home ever sold when it was purchased back in 2019.  

The One took more than 10 years to build and bring to life. Nile Niami developed the property, however, after his development company, Crestlloyd, filed for bankruptcy last year, the home has been redirected to auction as part of the bankruptcy proceedings. The home still has about 12 months of work left, meaning the buyer will have to put down around $340,000 as a deposit. 

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Aaron Kirman of Compass and Branden and Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates are partnering with Concierge Auctions to market the home:

“As the real estate community knows, there are a very limited number of $300 million homes and it often takes one to five years to sell ultra high-end mega mansions. An auction is the best way to sell the home in a specific period of time. The team is open to receiving offers prior to the auction, based on price and terms. It is highly probable that the auction will happen in order for buyers to compete to own the world’s ultimate estate,” Kirman explained. 

The One is one of the largest homes ever built. It’s twice the size of the White House at 105,000 square feet on a property of over 3.8 acres. Outside of the property there;s a moat of water covering three sides of the home, five pools, a 10,000 square foot deck, and a 400-foot outdoor running track. 

“What we have learned from the pandemic is that a home is one of the most important aspects of life. The property provides an extravagant life, where one doesn’t need to leave their home.”

“It has everything one can imagine, including five swimming pools; a wellness center with a juice bar; large salon and spa; game rooms; bars; bowling alley; a full-size theater; golf simulator;  rooftop; cigar lounge;  a charity pavilion or special event space; and numerous other astonishing amenities,” Kirman says. 

The home has 21 bedrooms, 42 full bathrooms, and seven half bathrooms. Within the home there is artwork that has been custom curated from artists Mark Fields, Stephen Wilson, and Simoe Cenedese. 

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“The One earns its moniker because a home of this size and magnitude simply can never be built again due to anti-mansionization laws that were passed in Los Angeles during The One’s construction. To have 3.8 acres at the top of Bel-Air with unobstructed 360-degree views from every single room is unparalleled,” says co-listing agent Branden Williams. 

The home also includes a putting green, 10,000 bottle wine cellar, tennis court, and night club. 

“The private gala event space with 360-degree views of the city and floating pod seating was an important vision to realize for the developer. He envisioned a home that would be the buyer’s own private resort and have the ability to host the world’s top philanthropists for charity events without ever leaving your estate. It’s obvious why the home holds value, but in a time when metaverse real estate is in the conversation, there’s something to be said about the importance of physical property,” Williams says. 

“These virtual assets have a value based on how much a consumer is willing to pay backed by a specific commodity, typically money, gold, property, etc.,” Kirman says. 

“Real property is an indefinite necessity with proven market values over time, so buying one of the most unique properties ever built in Los Angeles is an investment that cannot be quantified and will be worth it. Comfort is an invaluable resource, so purchasing a property with virtually every amenity available is impossible to quantify since it has never been done before. Supply and demand helps determine something’s value and this is one of one. The supply couldn’t be more limited.”

The home is expected to sell without reserve by March 3rd.

Covid Outbreaks Among Unvaccinated LA County Children Linked To School Sports

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Health officials in Los Angeles County are reporting an increased spread of Covid-19 among unvaccinated children. As of right now, the officials are mainly connecting the increase to the start of school sports.

Barbara Ferrer, LA County’s Health Director, held a media briefing last week in which she called the initial increases in infections among unvaccinated children “somewhat sobering.” 

“While coronavirus case rates amongst almost all other age groups in the county declined in recent weeks, cases among unvaccinated children rose from 73 per 100,000 in May to 307 cases per 100,000 by August 14th.”

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“Though it’s still low, the COVID-19 hospitalization rate for unvaccinated children is also much higher than the virtually nonexistent hospitalizations among vaccinated children. We anticipate an upward trend in outbreaks as our schools have reopened, but we’re continuing to work hard to prevent, investigate, and manage them as they happen,” Ferrer said.

Between August 16th and August 22nd there were 3,186 new Covid cases reported at K-12 schools, according to the county health department. A large portion of those cases have come from the LA Unified School District, where children are required to be tested weekly. 

LA County has been reporting three Covid-19 outbreaks a week, and each outbreak impacts dozens of students. Ferrer claims that of the 14 school outbreaks the county saw this month about half could be directly tied to school sports. 

Between July 30th and August 20th there were nine different outbreaks among high school dance and cheerleading teams that involved 131 students. Ferrer says that these outbreaks were tied to multi-day indoor camps “which took place outside L.A. County and brought together students from different schools that each abided by different masking policies,” she added.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that LA County cancel all high-risk sports and extracurricular activities, or hold them virtually. However, LA County is seeming to ignore that advice.

As of right now, LA County is relying on masking, quarantine, and testing policies in its schools among students and faculty. Ferrer did say that the county would be changing its guidance to require a negative Covid-19 test from all athletes and staff members within 72 hours of competition. 

“Masks are also required for all participants indoors, regardless of vaccination status. And the county has also been encouraging schools to move practices and games outdoors whenever feasible, and reduce capacity indoors. I do join with you in wishing that it was a lot simpler, and that rules didn’t need to change, but the virus has changed, and we all need some flexibility to adapt to this more dangerous variant,” Ferrer said.

At LAUSD, 6,500 students had to miss school during the first week due to Covid-19 outbreaks. If an unvaccinated student gets infected, the district’s current policy states that the student must quarantine for 10 days, or seven days if they test negative six days after exposure and have no symptoms.  

Currently, only children aged 12 and up can get vaccinated against COVID-19. L.A. County or other city sites make it easier for residents to get the shot without an appointment.

Medical Face Masks

Los Angeles Reinstates Mask Mandate As Delta Variant Cases Continue To Rise 

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Los Angeles County has reinstated its indoor mask mandate this weekend due to the continued spreading of the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus. The reinstatement also comes just one year after Governor Gavin Newsom initially instated an order that closed down most schools in LA County. 

On July 17th 2020, Newsom issued health and safety guidelines that closed down all schools unless a certain list of criteria were met for in-person learning. Exactly one year later on the same date, he reinstated the mask mandate. 

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A majority of California’s public and private k-12 schools had to close, and many critics called out the government for neglecting families that rely on support provided by schools; specifically working parents. 

Reopen California Schools is a social media movement that has spoken out about the disruptions to social development that these children are enduring due to a lack of organization from the government in regards to schooling during the pandemic. 

“Newsom’s decision to close our schools will go down as one of the darkest times in California and U.S. history, as other ‘special interests’ were taken into consideration over children.”

Republican assemblyman Kevin Kiley, who is running in the recall election to replace Newsom this fall, said that Newsom’s school shutdowns did a lot of harm that many don’t even realize. 

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“Today is the one year anniversary of Gavin Newsom’s school shutdown order. You’d be hard-pressed to find any action by any governor that did more harm or for worse reasons.”

Los Angeles County Officials announced last week that they would be reviving the requirement to wear masks in all public settings regardless of vaccination status due to a “rapid rise in Delta variant cases.” 

According to LA County data, the 7-day daily average positivity rate is at 3.17%; about 1,000 new cases a day. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently confirmed that Delta variant cases were on the rise all throughout the US, and that more serious mask mandates should be enforced nationally. 

The CDC reported that the most recent seven-day moving average of daily new cases for the Delta variant in the US is 26,306. This marks a nearly 70% increase when compared to the previous seven-day average (15,541).

Positive Coronavirus

LA County Now Has 8 Confirmed Cases Of UK Covid-19 Variant 

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Los Angeles County recorded another five cases of the UK coronavirus variant this past Tuesday, bringing the total number of variant cases up to eight for the county. Officials are currently expected to enforce measures to prevent citizens from traveling, however, the past month has left residents hopeless after numerous public establishments that promote close contact have remained open despite California being one of the world’s hot spots for Covid-19. 

The variant is scientifically referred to as B117, and the reason its presence is so concerning is because its more transmissible than the standard Covid-19 virus that we’ve been fighting for the past year, which as we know, is already extremely contagious. Health experts do believe that all current vaccines being distributed in America will likely work against B117, however, curbing the spread is top priority so that we can get everyone vaccinated. 

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California was just beginning to recover after a post-holiday increase in cases, but now the presence of this variant and lack of lockdown procedures being enforced is a major cause for concern. 

Statewide about 159 cases of the UK variant have been detected, but those aren’t the only Covid-19 mutation cases that are raising some red flags among healthcare workers. Around 1,200 cases of two different “west coast variants” of Covid-19 have been reported in the state, according to Governor Gavin Newsom.

LA County Health Director Barbara Ferrer also recently spoke with tht media about the South African coronavirus variant, stating that even though California hasn’t reported any cases of that variant, “that doesn’t mean it’s not there. There’s just no way that the state doesn’t have a fair amount of variants circulating, it’s more of a question of how much and will any of them become dominant.” 

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“It’s unlikely LA County’s latest surge was due to the UK variant, it’s possible there were mutations that were circulating in the state that were already more infectious. We know that at least 50% of our samples have shown the ‘California variant’ already.”

LA County Department of Public Health posted a memo regarding the new mutations and the virus response in general: “COVID-19 surged after Thanksgiving and Christmas travel in November and December. The more people travel, the more interactions they have with individuals outside of their household, the greater the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. Shared transportation, including travel by air, bus, or rail, can not only put travelers at risk but also all members of the community if infected travelers spread COVID-19 to others after returning to Los Angeles County.”

The B117 variant has been found already in dozens of states; 932 cases have been reported nationwide according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We are only weeks away from reducing transmission in L.A. County to a level where elementary schools will be allowed by the state to offer in-class instruction, provided they adhere to all State and County directives… Please do your part to continue to slow the spread so that our recovery journey does not suffer a setback,” Ferrer said in a statement. 

Ambulance

LA County Ambulance Crews Told Not To Transport Patients With ‘Little Chance Of Survival’ 

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Los Angeles County has been a hot spot for Covid-19 within the past six months, and now, it’s the worst it’s ever been. About one in five residents in the county are now testing positive for Covid-19, meaning within one month the county doubled its number of infections; around 40,000 cases on November 30th to more than 800,000 on January 2nd. 

The amount of new infections appearing is causing hospitals to be completely overwhelmed. In fact, all intensive care units throughout the region are now at maximum capacity. 7,600 residents of LA county are currently hospitalized and battling the virus, and 21% of those residents are in the ICU.

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With no hospital beds available, ambulance crews in LA county have been given guidance to not transport patients with little chance of survival, as the patients who are transported often have to wait hours before a bed can be made available. Hospital supervisor Hilda Solis recently spoke with the media about the current situation, calling it a “human disaster.” 

“Hospitals are declaring internal disasters and having to open church gyms to serve as hospital units, we have people dying from this virus every 15 minutes.” 

Officials are also extremely worried because they know it’s about to get so much worse with new cases appearing from the holidays due to an excess in travel that still occurred despite all of the warnings against it. 

“The increases in cases are likely to continue for weeks to come as a result of holiday and New Year’s Eve parties and returning travelers. We’re likely to experience the worst conditions in January that we’ve faced the entire pandemic, and that’s hard to imagine,” said Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer.

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Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMS) specifically directed ambulance crews not to transport patients with little to no chance of survival due to the need to conserve oxygen supplies. Los Angeles hospitals are at a capacity they never thought possible in the past. The county EMS said patients whose hearts have stopped despite efforts of resuscitation should no longer be transported to hospitals. 

“Effective immediately, due to the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on EMS and 9-1-1 Receiving Hospitals, adult patients (18 years of age or older) in blunt traumatic and non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) shall not be transported [if]return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is not achieved in the field,” the agency said in a memo sent to ambulance workers.

If there are no signs of breathing or a pulse, EMS will continue to perform resuscitation for at least 20 minutes, and if the patient becomes stabilized after that period of resuscitation, they would be taken to the hospital. If a patient is declared dead at the scene or no pulse is able to be restored, paramedics will no longer be able to transport the body to the hospital. 

Some EMT’s told the press that even when they are able to bring patients into the hospitals they can be waiting between two to four hours almost every time. While these ambulances and crew members are waiting at hospitals, there are fewer healthcare employees and resources available to respond to other 911 calls. For now, no further lockdown efforts have been made to curb this spread in LA.

Heat Wave Temps

Heat Waves And Thunderstorms In California Spark Multiple Wildfires

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This past Sunday a rare summer thunderstorm in Los Angeles, California brought on an obscene amount of lightning that has now led to several small fires to break out in Northern California, and a huge wildfire that caused hundreds of individuals to evacuate their homes in northern Los Angeles. 

Firefighters are continuing to fight the fire in northern LA which is now burning towards the Angeles National Forest. The forest is known for being extremely dense, thick, and dry, which is the perfect condition for a wildfire to spread and expand to an unfathomable level. More than 4,500 buildings are also currently under threat of burning due to their close vicinity to the forest. 

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Reports claim firefighters are struggling to manage not only the steep, and rugged terrain of the hot forest, but also 15 mph winds and continued lightning, which is pushing the fire even further north. Fire spokesperson Jake Miller recently spoke with the press about what safety measures they currently have in place while they try to contain the fire further. 

“We set up a containment line at the top of the hills so the fire doesn’t spill over to the other side and cause it to spread, but it was obviously difficult given the erratic wind and some other conditions.” 

So far, The Lake Fire has been 12% contained as of Sunday, and has already burned through 28 square miles of dry brush and trees. 33 buildings, including at least a dozen homes, have been completely destroyed. Fire spokesman Tom Ewald claimed that temperatures reached more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit, creating an even more deadly environment for the wildfire to grow and spread. 

The thunderstorms and excessive heat wave only further fueled the now 4 square miles of fire in the foothills above LA. That particular fire was thought to be accidentally started by a homeless individual on Thursday, and is currently only 3% contained due to the environmental conditions in LA right now. 

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A majority of the state saw triple-digit temperatures this past weekend, which when combined with the heat and smoke of the fires created an atmosphere of increased ozone pollution; which has apparently now reached levels not seen in a decade for some areas. This also means that air quality may reach very unhealthy levels in many regions of Southern California specifically, where ozone pollution is already a major problem. 

The tropical storms in Northern California knocked out power for a majority of the San Francisco Bay Area with wind speeds up to 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist, claimed that the conditions have become extremely deadly in parts of California, creating an environment of complete natural destruction. 

“This is probably the most widespread and violent summer thunderstorm event in memory for the Bay Area, and it’s also one of the hottest nights in years.”

A massive fire cloud, scientifically known as a pyrocumulonimbus, formed over a fire that was started east of the town of Loyalton, near the California-Nevada border. This cloud collided with the intense winds of the storm to create a “tornado of fire,” which burned through 45 square miles of land and triggered evacuation orders all along State Route 395. 

None of the fires have been fully contained as of Monday morning, and strong winds and storm patterns continue to threaten firefighters’ efforts to stop the spread.

Anxiety in Head

Willow Smith Explores Mental Health In Performative Exhibit, “The Anxiety”

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From 9 pm on Wednesday March 11th to Thursday at 9pm the next day, Willow Smith and Tyler Cole remained within the box in the Geffen space they rented from MOCA. The exhibit was free and completely open to anyone to come and observe.

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Los Angeles California

Underrated Things To Do In Los Angeles

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The East and West Coasts of the United States hold a lot of notoriety. Los Angeles versus New York is a tale as old as time, however, both coasts and both cities are a hub for diversity, culture, and entertainment. While New York City is the city that never sleeps, Los Angeles is the city referred to as La La Land (no, not the movie, but the concepts are similar), but it’s often overlooked as just a city of Hollywood snobs and Beverly Hills housewives. However, there’s plenty to do in LA beyond just TMZ bus tours and posting pictures of smoothie bowls on Instagram.

One of the most underrated parts of Los Angeles is the fact that it’s home to over 150 museums. One of the most notable museums would have to be the Getty Center, which is basically LA’s version of the MET in NYC. The center holds art from a whole slew of artists/artistic periods that defined our world’s culture throughout history; such as pieces by Van Gough, and sculptures from Ancient Greece. Other museums, that hold historical artifacts beyond the art world include LA’s own Museum of Natural History, the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Hollywood Bowl Museum, and Madame Tussauds Hollywood; for the more whimsical celebrity-obsessed LA resident inside us all. 

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From coast to coast, most Americans can agree that if you’re going to visit either NYC or LA, you’re going to need to go shopping. LA especially is known for its wealthy, elitist, high-profile residents, so why not join that same status for the time being on your visit? The “treat yourself” mentality should always be activated on a vacation, but especially when that vacation is to the City of Angels. 

The Beverly Center in LA is over 800,000 square feet of store upon store upon store. It’s basically a super-mall that has retailers ranging from high-end designers, such as Gucci and Balenciaga, to more affordable and feasible options, such as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. Beyond the center, the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica is an outdoor pedestrian mall that has a multitude of shopping, dining, and entertainment options to fill your day. 

For more family-friendly daily activities, you really can’t go wrong with a trip to Legoland or Universal Studios. These are the obvious mainstream choices, but they’re popular for a reason, especially amongst kids. Both options range between $100-$200 per day depending on the activities within each, and each also offers places to stay on your visit. 

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Another more underrated experience that’s perfect for the constantly moving traveler is a multi-day California tour. These tours begin in Los Angeles, but show you a whole range of experiences in the Golden State that you wouldn’t have access to if you just stayed in LA. One 3-Day California Coast tour takes you on a three-day, two-night journey along the west coast where you’ll stop in other famous California cities such as Santa Barbara, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, and more! This specific tour costs $500, and most are around the same range. 

According to Tripadvisor, other multi-day tours include a longer 8-day tour that covers the same cities as mentioned above and an extra state; the tour starts in Los Angeles, and ends in Las Vegas, Nevada. In fact, Las Vegas is the destination for a few of the multi-day tours California and LA has to offer.

If you want to lead a more active life while on your trip, there’s yet again a whole bunch of activities that the city has to offer. Some stereotypical California experiences you can sign up for include surfing lessons, helicopter tours that stretch beyond just LA, and hiking/biking groups that will show you the more hidden, natural side of an otherwise extremely metropolitan area. 

Regardless of your coastal preferences, both LA and NYC have plenty of activities that any kind of vacationer would want to embark on. 

New York City

Casey Neistat: The Original Lifestyle Vlogger

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Anyone who has seen any of Casey Neistat’s hundreds of YouTube videos knows the man lives an active lifestyle.

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