Merriam-Webster Names ‘Gaslighting’ Their Word of the Year for 2022; Rain and Cold Weather Expected in L.A.

Welcome to L.A. TACO’s daily news briefs, where we bring our loyal members, readers, and supporters the latest headlines about Los Angeles politics and culture. Stay informed and look closely.

—Los Angeles: Expect cold weather this week, with temperatures dropping below freezing in the Antelope and San Fernando Valleys. There's also a good chance we'll see some rain come Thursday or Friday. [LAT]

—Merriam-Webster dictionary named "gaslighting" their word of the year for 2022. Merriam-Webster’s top definition for gaslighting is the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that “causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, the uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.” [Kyle Griffin/Twitter]

—California: Students are falling behind in school due to the ongoing University of California strike. [LAT]

—Santa Fe Springs: A man's body was found at a recycling facility on Monday. Employees told ABC 7 they were sent home for the day. [ABC 7] 

—Have you received an "inflation relief" payment from the state? The payments (which range from $200 to a little over $1,000) have hit the bank accounts of more than half of those who qualify, according to officials. [KTLA]

—Inglewood: Terrell Owens briefly KO'd a man outside of a CVS in Inglewood on Saturday. The 6'3" former NFL wide receiver claims he was acting in self-defense. "The guy I ended up fighting, he was basically threatening a guy, a fan of mine that was in the store," Owens told TMZ on Monday. [NBC]

—Children's hospitals across the country are seeing a surge in upper respiratory patients. In L.A., Children's Hospital Los Angeles isn't always able to accept emergency room patients from other locations, The Times reports. [LAT]

—Beverly Hills: After being caught on camera pushing a student earlier this month, a wrestling coach at Beverly Hills Highschool was fired last week according to school officials. [LAT]