Top News Stories You Might Not Have Heard About This Week

Here are the top news stories you might not have heard about this week:

Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, indicted on federal corruption charges this week, announced Friday that he will not step down from his post on the Los Angeles City Council. Federal prosecutors claim he gave a $100,000 donation to the University of Southern California Dean of Social Work in exchange for his son Sebastian's acceptance to the graduate school program. Ridley-Thomas is also accused of sending millions of dollars worth of county contracts to USC.

McDonald's will roll out a meatless McPlant burger at their El Segundo and Manhattan Beach locations on November 3. The Southern California cities are among eight U.S. locations that will serve the new menu item, which is already available in some European countries. The McPlant was co-developed with El Segundo-based Beyond Meat and is made from peas, rice and potatoes.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel is giving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster vaccine a thumbs up. It is recommending emergency use authorization for the booster shot for people 18-years and older who have already received the J&J vaccine. The panel said it's safe to get the booster as long as it has been more than two months since receiving the first vaccine.