Swalwell response, Baywatch stays in LA, Marlboro Man billboard on Sunset — Saturday Edition

The Marlboro Man, once a towering symbol of rugged masculinity on the Sunset Strip, was abruptly removed in 1999 after a landmark tobacco settlement banned outdoor cigarette advertising. The 70-foot billboard, which featured a brooding cowboy with steam rising from his cigarette, became a global icon overnight thanks to a 1954 campaign by ad man Leo Burnett that rebranded Marlboro from a women's luxury cigarette to a man's brand. Its fall wasn't just a victory for public health— it was a cultural reckoning. The sign’s final days were marked by irony: a replacement billboard mocked the original with a limp, smoking cowboy labeled 'impotent,' a biting commentary on the brand’s legacy. Meanwhile, the California gubernatorial race is in turmoil after Representative Eric Swalwell faced multiple sexual assault allegations, leading to the resignation of key campaign leaders and loss of major endorsements. In a twist of local pride, the Baywatch reboot is staying in L.A., expanding its footprint despite earlier rumors of departure. And in a heartwarming contrast, a farmer’s market-style food bank in San Fernando is restoring dignity to food access with fresh, organic produce—proving that even in a city of billboards and power struggles, community-driven change still thrives.