Good morning, Long Beach. It’s Monday, July 14. Here’s what you need to know to start your day. Get this in your inbox every Monday by signing up at lbpost.com/newsletters.

City meetings

The City Council wasn’t planning to gather this week, but that changed over the weekend when the mayor announced he was calling a special closed session to talk about taking a more aggressive legal stance against the Trump Administration’s recent deportation raids. We don’t know exactly what they’ll consider, but this comes after several Los Angeles County cities joined a lawsuit trying to block immigration operations they say are targeted based on little more than someone’s skin color. Notably, Long Beach was not among them, and soon after, the city — and the mayor — got some pointed criticism from our state senator about not being more outspoken. We’ll be watching this one for any developments.

Elsewhere, the Police Oversight Commission on Wednesday will receive training on how to interpret data reports compiled in police investigations, the Airport Advisory Commission on Thursday will create a planning party to drum up ideas to boost attendance at this year’s Festival of Flight and the Planning Commission will look to approve permits for an expanding McDonalds at 1705 West Pacific Coast Highway and the operation of tattoo and massage parlors at the Marketplace Shopping Center at Second Street and PCH.

Planning commissioners will also hold a study session on the Open Space and Recreation Element update, which determines how the city uses, designs and expands its parkland. To offer your thoughts on the update, residents can fill out a survey that runs through Aug. 15. 

Across the yard, the city Harbor Commission will hear an update on the Port of Long Beach Green Port Policy. Adopted in 2005, the policy is a series of goals set by the seaport’s leaders to cut emissions in and around the Port, and to reduce its carbon footprint on air and water quality. 

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors will look to dole out $5.7 million in remaining funds to supplement the operations of science firms that employ workers from underrepresented or impoverished communities. Supervisors will also throw in their support for state and federal legislation that looks to limit or make transparent operations conducted by immigration enforcement in the region, as well as call for more stringent enforcement against price-gouging goods during a state of emergency.

At the recommendation of Supervisor Janice Hahn, the board will explore ways to pay for 988 Suicide Prevention hotline service tailored for LGBTQ+ youth following a federal directive in April to cut funding.

Business events and information

  • More than 45,000 unionized grocery workers at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions voted on Friday to ratify new contracts with their employers, bringing to a close months of negotiations and stifling any chance of a regional strike. The three-year contract includes “substantial” wage increases, a new supplemental pension plan for retiring workers, increased health benefits and policy changes to increase minimum staffing at stores. In a joint statement, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442 celebrated their new contract: “Only by rising up together were grocery workers able to make a change in their workplaces that will benefit all grocery workers and customers in the future.”
  • The Wilmore City Historic District will host the next downtown neighborhood mixer for business owners on Tuesday at 10 a.m. For more information, click here. And the next Mug to Mug networking event will be held at the same time at Green Wisdom Herbal Studies (702 Cedar Avenue). 
  • And the Long Beach Young Professionals will host a beach cleanup on Saturday, July 19. It’s a monthly, 30-minute cleaning period where volunteers meet at 1 Granada Ave. For more information, click here. 

ICYMI — California and national news

  • Port celebrates $365 million terminal expansion that will net half million containers annually (Long Beach Post)
  • TikTok reportedly prepping new app in the U.S. as potential sale looms (Los Angeles Times)
  • LA County warns of immigration attorney fraud. Here’s what to know (LAist)
  • California, epicenter of the nation’s housing crisis, is finally getting a housing agency (CalMatters)