NEWHALL, Calif. - The Saugus Cafe in Newhall, built in 1886 as a train depot eatery, is the longest-running restaurant in LA County. It has survived earthquakes, floods, even a dam collapse, but COVID closures may shut it down. The cafe posted a dire message on its Facebook page, stating they would permanently close their business in a week if customers were not able to dine outside. They encouraged the community to order takeout to help keep their restaurant open. Owner Yesenia Mercado, overwhelmed by the help, says they are doing all they can, but they can’t hang on much longer without outdoor dining. Restaurant owners may have gotten a judge to overrule the LA County outdoor ban, but California’s latest restrictions won’t allow outside dining for at least two more weeks, maybe more.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cuyahoga County’s interim sheriff on Monday released dozens of inmates serving misdemeanor jail sentences or others held on parole violations to help stop the growing spread of the coronavirus in the county jail.

Interim sheriff David Schilling in two orders -- one sent to municipal courts and another to the state’s prison system -- said the release of inmates is necessary to stop the increase in coronavirus cases among inmates and corrections officers. Schilling called the steps “unprecedented.”

The inmates left the jail by 5 p.m. Monday, according to Schilling’s orders. Cuyahoga County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said state prison officials allowed the county to release 17 inmates held on parole violations Monday. Nine others are scheduled to leave at a still undetermined date.

Madigan estimated that about 35 inmates serving misdemeanor sentences could be released by Tuesday. She said the county expects to provide a more definitive count on Tuesday.

The move by Cuyahoga County comes at a time when coronavirus cases among inmates ballooned from two on Nov. 5 to 282 as of Monday morning, according to statistics released by the county.

Adam Chaloupka, an attorney for the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association union representing corrections officers, said 69 officers have the virus as of Monday. MetroHealth spokesman Mike Tobin said five healthcare workers at the jail could not work after contracting the virus.

Schilling, in his orders, said that MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros warned county officials on Nov. 13 and again Friday that the county must undertake drastic steps to prevent deaths at the jail.

Boutros warned Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish in a message that if the county did not reduce the jail population, “we could likely see an explosion of infections at the jail (and possibly deaths),” the order said.

Schilling’s order says that anyone sentenced for misdemeanor crimes other than domestic violence will be released and that any police agency can pick up inmates and find another jail to house them.

Anyone held on a parole violation, meaning they violated rules for those recently released from prison, will also be released. Schilling notified the state Adult Parole Authority that they too can pick up inmates and house them elsewhere if they choose to do so. Madigan said the Ohio Adult Parole Authority sent a bus on Monday to pick up some of the inmates and take them to state prisons.

The orders are the most recent step the county has taken to reduce the inmate population while balancing the need to keep violent offenders locked up. Bob Coury, Cuyahoga County’s Chief of Public Safety and Justice Services, said on Friday that the county could not release 75 percent of the inmates because they are accused of committing violence, sex crimes, or “other serious offenses.” City and county judges also can reduce or erase bonds for inmates.

Keeping the inmate population low allows jail staff to more easily quarantine and isolate inmates infected with the virus or those who have come into close contact with those who have tested positive, Coury said.

For months, county officials tried to keep the number of inmates at the jail low to prevent an outbreak. They released some 900 inmates in April, but the number of inmates steadily increased to about 1,500 in September. The number has since gone back down to 1,385 as of Monday morning.

Other than those set for release on Monday, county officials have also pointed to the state prison system refusing to accept inmates sentenced to prison as a reason for struggling to keep the jail’s numbers low.

The county filed a complaint on Dec. 2 in the Ohio Supreme Court asking the justices to force the state prison system to accept those inmates.

Meanwhile, in Colombia. Colombian cop chokes man. Nearly breaks his neck against the wall for not wearing a mask

Meanwhile, in Czech Republic. Man escapes two officers as they struggle to detain him.

Just hours after the Electoral College elected Joe Biden as the next president, formalizing the former Democratic vice president's win in the Nov. 3 election, Russia's leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday finally acknowledged Biden's victory, saying he "wished the president-elect every success" and was "ready for interaction and contact." The Kremlin, which has decried what it's called Biden’s "sharp anti-Russian rhetoric" but praised the president-elect's comments on arms control, previously said it preferred to wait until the election results were official before congratulating a winner. Putin was one of the last world leaders who had not acknowledged Biden's victory. In a telegram sent to Biden – published by Russian state media – Russia's longtime leader "expressed confidence that Russia and the U.S., who bear special responsibility for global security and stability, can facilitate resolution of many problems and challenges faced by the world now despite disagreements." (Read more.)

Meanwhile, in France. Entertainment industry employees gathered at the Place de la Bastille in Paris, on Tuesday, to protest against COVID-19 restrictions.

"Are you going to pay my rent ? says owner Anton Van Happen of 'Nick The Greek' to public health inspectors issuing him a citation for staying open after being issued a closure order. Things got tense

Quit being a pussy and open up your business. Are you an American or a serf?

Unseen Facebook Live Stream: ANTIFA vs Pro-Trumpers Riot in Olympia WA (12-12-2020). This is what BLM protests have degenerated into here. Watch a man get beat to within an inch of his life for simply...talking?!! #facepalm

A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was reported Tuesday morning at 6:58 a.m. Pacific time two miles from Morgan Hill, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was followed one minute later by a magnitude 3.6 quake that occurred a mile away from Morgan Hill in Northern California. The initial earthquake occurred three miles from San Jose, eight miles from Gilroy, Calif., 18 miles from Hollister, Calif., and 18 miles from Watsonville, Calif. The second quake was a mile closer to San Jose and Gilroy. In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby. An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.