mercurynews--2020-09-18--Civilian watchdogs, 2 LA County supervisors call on Sheriff Alex Villanueva to resign

Several members of a civilian watchdog commission , and later two Los Angeles County supervisors , called on Sheriff Alex Villanueva to resign on Thursday , saying he has refused to cooperate with oversight efforts and mishandled the aftermath of the response to the shooting of two deputies , including failing to fire a deputy who tweeted racist stereotypes .
The county ’ s inspector general also accused Villanueva of making “ false ” statements about the circumstances surrounding his deputies ’ arrest of a KPCC reporter on Saturday night .
Speaking at the Civilian Oversight Commission on Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of incidents that he said showed Villanueva “ demonstrated a lack of judgment and an inability to assess and reconsider his actions.
” Bonner criticized Villanueva for instituting a policy banning deputy cliques at stations in Compton and East L.A. , but then doing “ little or nothing to enforce that policy.
” He was also critical of Villanueva ’ s handling of the investigation into whether deputies shared photos of the dead bodies of victims from the Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant , his daughter and seven others .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies who inappropriately took photos and/or shared photos of the Kobe Bryant accident scene , ” Bonner said , according to a transcript of his remarks .
“ The list goes on.
” The broadside added to an already testy relationship between Villanueva and the commission , which has sought to reign in the sheriff for much of his short tenure but has few enforcement powers .
Bonner joined the Oversight Commission after a lengthy career in the federal government , including stints as a U.S. District Court Judge and the commissioner of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Priscilla Ocen , a law professor at Loyola Marymount University who earlier in the meeting butted heads with Bonner , said she agreed with Bonner ’ s statement .
“ I am very surprised to hear this very eloquent statement , ” Ocen said .
“ I agree with it.
” Earlier in the meeting , Bonner had sought specifically to amend a resolution to condemn the shooting .
He said he believed Villanueva ’ s handling of the aftermath was flawed .
He criticized Villanueva for “ baiting ” Lebron James , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reward for information for James ’ comments on the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality .
Bonner also noted a tweet from Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez , a department spokeswoman , that used racist stereotypes to advertise a reward for information , saying “ neighborhood homies and enemies ‘ bout to come up ’ on that $ 100,000.
” “ His handling of this after the fact is not what one would expect from a mature law enforcement leader , I am sorry to say this , ” Bonner said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ridiculous .
That a deputy spokesperson tweeted racially loaded comments and evidently and unexplainably still works for the Sheriff ’ s Department is mind-boggling.
” In a statement , Villanueva called Bonner ’ s resignation demand “ morally repugnant and emblematic of the political animosity of the politically-appointed commission , ” in light of the recent ambush attack on two deputies at the Compton Metro station that left them severely injured .
He also said that he is an elected official and is not beholden to the commission .
A reward for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased to $ 530,000 on Thursday , Villanueva said .
That was after the Board of Supervisors approved a $ 100,000 ; Metro kicked in $ 25,000 , and two private donors contributed $ 75,000 .
Villanueva said more money poured in from other donors since then .
On Wednesday night , the male deputy who was shot was released from the hospital but faced “ a long road to recovery , ” Villanueva said .
Another deputy , a mother to a 6-year-old boy , was still recovering in an intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Villanueva ’ s most vocal critics , said she joined the Oversight Commission in the call for the sheriff to step down .
“ I do believe it ’ s time for the sheriff to resign , ” Kuehl said in an interview with KNX 1070 , calling him a “ rogue sheriff.
” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas , who represents much of South L.A. , also called on Villanueva to resign late on Thursday .
“ Like the members of the Civilian Oversight Commission , I remain troubled by the Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interfered with advancing reform and enhancing accountability , ” he said in a statement .
The calls to resign came after the county ’ s inspector general asked for an official review after Sheriff ’ s deputies were seen interfering with journalists in the field over the last week .
Deputies arrested KPCC reporter Josie Huang late on Saturday following a small protest outside St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood .
Huang ’ s cell phone was still recording as deputies took her to the ground while she yelled that she was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrest Thursday ’ s meeting , warning that the county risked being sued over violating reporters ’ First Amendment rights to do their jobs .
“ I think we ’ re going to find litigation against the county if we don ’ t step in , ” Huntsman said .
“ So it would be appropriate for the county counsel to analyze these incidents.
” On Wednesday , a Fox 11 reporter filmed with her cell phone as another deputy shined a flashlight at her cameraman , apparently attempting to prevent them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an East L.A. fire .
Villanueva said in a tweet Wednesday that he apologized to the Fox 11 reporter , Gigi Graciette , for what he said were the deputy ’ s “ wrongful actions.
” Graciette confirmed Thursday in a message that Villanueva called her to apologize .
In a press conference Monday , Villanueva blamed Huang for her arrest .
Villanueva said Huang was arrested when she got too close to deputies who were arresting one of the protesters who showed up to St. Francis at around midnight on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounds were recovering .
“ This is where we ’ re crossing the line between journalism and activism , ” Villanueva said on Monday .
Huntsman , however , described Villanueva ’ s description of the arrest as misleading .
“ Unfortunately , all evidence we have currently gathered suggests that significant parts of the claims made by the ( sheriff ’ s ) department may have been false , ” he said .
Speaking at the Oversight Commission meeting , Karlene Goller , an attorney for KPCC said , Huang was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist , trying to record the protests that were occurring after the press conference she attended.
” Goller said a review of the Sheriff ’ s Department manual outlined that journalists are allowed to record arrests happening in public .
“ She was brutally arrested for doing exactly what ( the Sheriff ’ s manual ) says she should be able to do , ” Goller said .
“ If they have problems with that , they should ’ ve called their supervisor.
” Whether KPCC was considering legal action against the Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
A KPCC editor did not return a request for comment .
Hunstman asked for investigations into Huang ’ s arrest , but he noted that the Sheriff ’ s Department is not cooperating with several current investigations .
He said deputies turned off terminals inside Sheriff ’ s facilities that his investigators need to access internal documents .
“ I don ’ t believe we are going to be able to effectively investigate all these instances of misconduct if we don ’ t receive compliance to the law from the Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said County Counsel Mary Wickham ’ s office should review the incidents .
Her office did not respond to a request for comment .
Ocen said the deputies ’ actions ’ appeared to be part of a wider trend of law enforcement silencing protests over police brutality .
“ We ’ re hearing about these frivolous arrests , essentially to intimidate people from protesting , ” she said .

Several members of a civilian watchdog commission, and later two Los Angeles County supervisors, called on Sheriff Alex Villanueva to resign on Thursday, saying he has refused to cooperate with oversight efforts and mishandled the aftermath of the response to the shooting of two deputies, including failing to fire a deputy who tweeted racist stereotypes.
The county’s inspector general also accused Villanueva of making “false” statements about the circumstances surrounding his deputies’ arrest of a KPCC reporter on Saturday night.
Speaking at the Civilian Oversight Commission on Thursday, Commissioner Rob Bonner launched into a list of incidents that he said showed Villanueva “demonstrated a lack of judgment and an inability to assess and reconsider his actions.”
Bonner criticized Villanueva for instituting a policy banning deputy cliques at stations in Compton and East L.A., but then doing “little or nothing to enforce that policy.” He was also critical of Villanueva’s handling of the investigation into whether deputies shared photos of the dead bodies of victims from the Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others.
“Unexplained and unexplainable was his mishandling of deputies who inappropriately took photos and/or shared photos of the Kobe Bryant accident scene,” Bonner said, according to a transcript of his remarks. “The list goes on.”
The broadside added to an already testy relationship between Villanueva and the commission, which has sought to reign in the sheriff for much of his short tenure but has few enforcement powers.
Bonner joined the Oversight Commission after a lengthy career in the federal government, including stints as a U.S. District Court Judge and the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Commissioner Priscilla Ocen, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University who earlier in the meeting butted heads with Bonner, said she agreed with Bonner’s statement.
“I am very surprised to hear this very eloquent statement,” Ocen said. “I agree with it.”
Earlier in the meeting, Bonner had sought specifically to amend a resolution to condemn the shooting. He said he believed Villanueva’s handling of the aftermath was flawed.
He criticized Villanueva for “baiting” Lebron James, asking the basketball star to contribute to a reward for information for James’ comments on the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality.
Bonner also noted a tweet from Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez, a department spokeswoman, that used racist stereotypes to advertise a reward for information, saying “neighborhood homies and enemies ‘bout to come up’ on that $100,000.”
“His handling of this after the fact is not what one would expect from a mature law enforcement leader, I am sorry to say this,” Bonner said. “The baiting of a professional basketball player is ridiculous. That a deputy spokesperson tweeted racially loaded comments and evidently and unexplainably still works for the Sheriff’s Department is mind-boggling.”
In a statement, Villanueva called Bonner’s resignation demand “morally repugnant and emblematic of the political animosity of the politically-appointed commission,” in light of the recent ambush attack on two deputies at the Compton Metro station that left them severely injured. He also said that he is an elected official and is not beholden to the commission.
A reward for information on a suspect in that shooting increased to $530,000 on Thursday, Villanueva said. That was after the Board of Supervisors approved a $100,000; Metro kicked in $25,000, and two private donors contributed $75,000. Villanueva said more money poured in from other donors since then.
On Wednesday night, the male deputy who was shot was released from the hospital but faced “a long road to recovery,” Villanueva said. Another deputy, a mother to a 6-year-old boy, was still recovering in an intensive care unit.
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, one of Villanueva’s most vocal critics, said she joined the Oversight Commission in the call for the sheriff to step down.
“I do believe it’s time for the sheriff to resign,” Kuehl said in an interview with KNX 1070, calling him a “rogue sheriff.”
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who represents much of South L.A., also called on Villanueva to resign late on Thursday.
“Like the members of the Civilian Oversight Commission, I remain troubled by the Sheriff’s conduct and the way he has interfered with advancing reform and enhancing accountability,” he said in a statement.
The calls to resign came after the county’s inspector general asked for an official review after Sheriff’s deputies were seen interfering with journalists in the field over the last week.
Deputies arrested KPCC reporter Josie Huang late on Saturday following a small protest outside St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. Huang’s cell phone was still recording as deputies took her to the ground while she yelled that she was a journalist.
Inspector General Max Hunstman described the arrest Thursday’s meeting, warning that the county risked being sued over violating reporters’ First Amendment rights to do their jobs.
“I think we’re going to find litigation against the county if we don’t step in,” Huntsman said. “So it would be appropriate for the county counsel to analyze these incidents.”
On Wednesday, a Fox 11 reporter filmed with her cell phone as another deputy shined a flashlight at her cameraman, apparently attempting to prevent them from filming the arrest at the scene of an East L.A. fire.
Villanueva said in a tweet Wednesday that he apologized to the Fox 11 reporter, Gigi Graciette, for what he said were the deputy’s “wrongful actions.” Graciette confirmed Thursday in a message that Villanueva called her to apologize.
In a press conference Monday, Villanueva blamed Huang for her arrest.
Villanueva said Huang was arrested when she got too close to deputies who were arresting one of the protesters who showed up to St. Francis at around midnight on Saturday, where the two deputies with gunshot wounds were recovering.
“This is where we’re crossing the line between journalism and activism,” Villanueva said on Monday.
Huntsman, however, described Villanueva’s description of the arrest as misleading.
“Unfortunately, all evidence we have currently gathered suggests that significant parts of the claims made by the (sheriff’s) department may have been false,” he said.
Speaking at the Oversight Commission meeting, Karlene Goller, an attorney for KPCC said, Huang was “there performing an essential service as a journalist, trying to record the protests that were occurring after the press conference she attended.”
Goller said a review of the Sheriff’s Department manual outlined that journalists are allowed to record arrests happening in public.
“She was brutally arrested for doing exactly what (the Sheriff’s manual) says she should be able to do,” Goller said. “If they have problems with that, they should’ve called their supervisor.”
Whether KPCC was considering legal action against the Sheriff’s Department wasn’t clear Thursday. A KPCC editor did not return a request for comment.
Hunstman asked for investigations into Huang’s arrest, but he noted that the Sheriff’s Department is not cooperating with several current investigations. He said deputies turned off terminals inside Sheriff’s facilities that his investigators need to access internal documents.
“I don’t believe we are going to be able to effectively investigate all these instances of misconduct if we don’t receive compliance to the law from the Sheriff’s Department,” he said.
He said County Counsel Mary Wickham’s office should review the incidents. Her office did not respond to a request for comment.
Ocen said the deputies’ actions’ appeared to be part of a wider trend of law enforcement silencing protests over police brutality.
“We’re hearing about these frivolous arrests, essentially to intimidate people from protesting,” she said.


mercurynews--2020-09-19--Alameda County has reported a huge COVID-19 death total in recent weeks. Here’s why.

Over the past month , the most alarming coronavirus numbers coming out of the Bay Area have been in Alameda County , where double-digit death totals reported on multiple days propelled the region as a whole to break several death records .
The onslaught of reported deaths made for frightening statistics .
Since the start of September , nearly half of all Bay Area recorded deaths were reported in Alameda County , according to data compiled by this news organization , which tracks deaths by the date they were reported .
It turns out the county ’ s reports on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if not wrong .
Despite reporting double-digit deaths on multiple days , Alameda County has not had a single day with more than eight deaths , and it averages no more than two deaths a day .
But for reasons that aren ’ t entirely clear , this month the county has been reporting older deaths along with its current total .
The numbers snafu illuminates one of the most challenging — and for the public , maddening — parts of the coronavirus crisis : The struggle to track data accurately , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation and can gauge the appropriate response .
“ I think it ’ s important especially in terms of messaging so the public understands there is a risk , ” said Dr. Noha Aboelata , who runs Roots Community Health Center in East Oakland , which serves an area of the city with the highest rate of cases in Alameda County .
The nearly 100 deaths reported in Alameda County since Sept. 1 — an influx that made for two of the deadliest COVID-19 weeks in the Bay Area — actually date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Alameda County has done nothing to explain that publicly .
On Tuesday , for example , it added 24 deaths to its count — 16 percent of the total for the entire state — without an alert or explanation .
The county is now backdating the deaths to make its site more accurate and includes this notation next to its charts : “ Data from last five days especially subject to change.
” Health and coroner officials were unable to explain exactly why this is happening .
This week they said variously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the county catching up , snafus with the statewide reporting system , or a flood of cases of Alameda County residents who died elsewhere and whose county of residence has only recently been determined .
But it is also clear that some of the confusion stems from the three different agencies that collect death data for Alameda County — the health department ; the sheriff ’ s office , which oversees the county coroner , and the state .
This three-headed collection process exists in other counties too , but for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — it has not wreaked such havoc with the numbers .
Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern suspects about 50 of the newly reported cases originate with other counties .
In a pre-pandemic world , when someone died in Alameda County , the death was recorded in Alameda County .
A San Francisco resident shot and killed in San Leandro , for example , would be counted as a San Leandro homicide .
Motorists crushed to death on the Cypress Freeway in the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 similarly were added to Alameda County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths is a more complicated and never-before-used process .
Under federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance , it matters not where a coronavirus victim dies but rather where they lived and most likely contracted the virus .
It is up to county health officials to determine a victim ’ s last known address , then notify the state , which assigns the death to the county of residency .
With 14,812 deaths as of Friday and 58 counties in the state , log jams and human error can account for misleading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alameda County ’ s dashboard reported 24 new deaths , Sheriff/Coroner Ahern knew that number was much higher than his office ’ s figure and alarmingly higher than the county ’ s average of 1.5 to 2 deaths a day since the start of the pandemic .
“ We believe some of the counties are not reporting the deaths in a timely fashion , ” the sheriff/coroner said .
“ When those counties are late in reporting , they are calculated at the same time ; it comes as a surge.
” Ahern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these newly reported deaths to bring the numbers down .
For instance , six San Quentin State Prison inmates who died at local hospitals were recently counted in Alameda ’ s numbers .
Now they ’ re being put in Marin County where they belong .
Neetu Balram , the public information manager for the Alameda County Public Health Department , pointed to another part of the problem Friday : delays in testing to see if a deceased person has the virus .
She said that issue is compounded by the way batches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting system , CalREDIE .
Once a laboratory has processed a test , it reports that result to CalREDIE , and then the test result is sorted into the county dashboards .
If a person associated with that case dies , it ’ s immediately logged as a COVID-19 death in the state system and sent on to the county where that person lived .
However , for a person who may not have access to medical care — someone who didn ’ t test positive for the virus prior to passing — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus until it was later uncovered by the coroner .
That test must then be logged in CalREDIE before it ’ s processed into the county dashboard , officials said .
What isn ’ t clear is why that process would result in delays of more than a month to report Alameda County deaths , as Balram suggested .
Aboelata of the Roots clinic said frontline workers rely on timely data to inform the residents they see on a daily basis .
Any delay causes her concern .
“ Everything needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We have to respond in a way that we know this is an emergency .
”

David DeBolt, Evan Webeck, Harriet Blair Rowan

Over the past month, the most alarming coronavirus numbers coming out of the Bay Area have been in Alameda County, where double-digit death totals reported on multiple days propelled the region as a whole to break several death records.
The onslaught of reported deaths made for frightening statistics. Since the start of September, nearly half of all Bay Area recorded deaths were reported in Alameda County, according to data compiled by this news organization, which tracks deaths by the date they were reported.
It turns out the county’s reports on its public dashboard have been misleading, if not wrong. Despite reporting double-digit deaths on multiple days, Alameda County has not had a single day with more than eight deaths, and it averages no more than two deaths a day. But for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, this month the county has been reporting older deaths along with its current total.
The numbers snafu illuminates one of the most challenging — and for the public, maddening — parts of the coronavirus crisis: The struggle to track data accurately, so leaders and residents understand the gravity of the situation and can gauge the appropriate response.
“I think it’s important especially in terms of messaging so the public understands there is a risk,” said Dr. Noha Aboelata, who runs Roots Community Health Center in East Oakland, which serves an area of the city with the highest rate of cases in Alameda County.
The nearly 100 deaths reported in Alameda County since Sept. 1 — an influx that made for two of the deadliest COVID-19 weeks in the Bay Area — actually date back as far as Aug. 7, though Alameda County has done nothing to explain that publicly. On Tuesday, for example, it added 24 deaths to its count — 16 percent of the total for the entire state — without an alert or explanation.
The county is now backdating the deaths to make its site more accurate and includes this notation next to its charts: “Data from last five days especially subject to change.”
Health and coroner officials were unable to explain exactly why this is happening. This week they said variously that the influx of deaths is either due to the county catching up, snafus with the statewide reporting system, or a flood of cases of Alameda County residents who died elsewhere and whose county of residence has only recently been determined.
But it is also clear that some of the confusion stems from the three different agencies that collect death data for Alameda County — the health department; the sheriff’s office, which oversees the county coroner, and the state. This three-headed collection process exists in other counties too, but for some reason — perhaps better communication elsewhere — it has not wreaked such havoc with the numbers.
Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern suspects about 50 of the newly reported cases originate with other counties.
In a pre-pandemic world, when someone died in Alameda County, the death was recorded in Alameda County. A San Francisco resident shot and killed in San Leandro, for example, would be counted as a San Leandro homicide. Motorists crushed to death on the Cypress Freeway in the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 similarly were added to Alameda County’s death toll.
Reporting coronavirus deaths is a more complicated and never-before-used process. Under federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, it matters not where a coronavirus victim dies but rather where they lived and most likely contracted the virus. It is up to county health officials to determine a victim’s last known address, then notify the state, which assigns the death to the county of residency.
With 14,812 deaths as of Friday and 58 counties in the state, log jams and human error can account for misleading numbers. On Sept. 15, when Alameda County’s dashboard reported 24 new deaths, Sheriff/Coroner Ahern knew that number was much higher than his office’s figure and alarmingly higher than the county’s average of 1.5 to 2 deaths a day since the start of the pandemic.
“We believe some of the counties are not reporting the deaths in a timely fashion,” the sheriff/coroner said. “When those counties are late in reporting, they are calculated at the same time; it comes as a surge.”
Ahern said officials are already reclassifying some of these newly reported deaths to bring the numbers down. For instance, six San Quentin State Prison inmates who died at local hospitals were recently counted in Alameda’s numbers. Now they’re being put in Marin County where they belong.
Neetu Balram, the public information manager for the Alameda County Public Health Department, pointed to another part of the problem Friday: delays in testing to see if a deceased person has the virus.
She said that issue is compounded by the way batches of cases are routed through the statewide reporting system, CalREDIE.
Once a laboratory has processed a test, it reports that result to CalREDIE, and then the test result is sorted into the county dashboards. If a person associated with that case dies, it’s immediately logged as a COVID-19 death in the state system and sent on to the county where that person lived.
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Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms News | COVID Q&A: Can I use an expired test? Time to get boosted? How to cope with California’s sneaky summer surge However, for a person who may not have access to medical care — someone who didn’t test positive for the virus prior to passing — their death wouldn’t be associated with the virus until it was later uncovered by the coroner.
That test must then be logged in CalREDIE before it’s processed into the county dashboard, officials said. What isn’t clear is why that process would result in delays of more than a month to report Alameda County deaths, as Balram suggested.
Aboelata of the Roots clinic said frontline workers rely on timely data to inform the residents they see on a daily basis. Any delay causes her concern.
“Everything needs to be more timely,” she said. “We have to respond in a way that we know this is an emergency.”


mercurynews--2020-09-19--Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a diminutive yet towering women ’ s rights champion who became the court ’ s second female justice , died Friday at her home in Washington .
She was 87 .
Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer , the court said .
Her death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether President Donald Trump should nominate , and the Republican-led Senate should confirm , her replacement , or if the seat should remain vacant until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden is known .
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said late Friday that the Senate will vote on Trump ’ s pick to replace Ginsburg , even though it ’ s an election year .
Chief Justice John Roberts mourned Ginsburg ’ s passing .
“ Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature .
We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague .
Today we mourn , but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ginsburg announced in July that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver , the latest of her several battles with cancer .
Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court ’ s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirers .
Young women especially seemed to embrace the court ’ s Jewish grandmother , affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG , for her defense of the rights of women and minorities , and the strength and resilience she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and health crises .
Those health issues included five bouts with cancer beginning in 1999 , falls that resulted in broken ribs , insertion of a stent to clear a blocked artery and assorted other hospitalizations after she turned 75 .
She resisted calls by liberals to retire during Barack Obama ’ s presidency at a time when Democrats held the Senate and a replacement with similar views could have been confirmed .
Instead , Trump will almost certainly try to push Ginsburg ’ s successor through the Republican-controlled Senate — and move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right .
Ginsburg antagonized Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign in a series of media interviews , including calling him a faker .
She soon apologized .
Her appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1993 was the first by a Democrat in 26 years .
She initially found a comfortable ideological home somewhere left of center on a conservative court dominated by Republican appointees .
Her liberal voice grew stronger the longer she served .
Ginsburg was a mother of two , an opera lover and an intellectual who watched arguments behind oversized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ditched them for more fashionable frames in her later years .
At argument sessions in the ornate courtroom , she was known for digging deep into case records and for being a stickler for following the rules .
She argued six key cases before the court in the 1970s when she was an architect of the women ’ s rights movement .
She won five .
“ Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books , ” Clinton said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She has already done that.
” On the court , where she was known as a facile writer , her most significant majority opinions were the 1996 ruling that ordered the Virginia Military Institute to accept women or give up its state funding , and the 2015 decision that upheld independent commissions some states use to draw congressional districts .
Besides civil rights , Ginsburg took an interest in capital punishment , voting repeatedly to limit its use .
During her tenure , the court declared it unconstitutional for states to execute the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , she questioned the quality of lawyers for poor accused murderers .
In the most divisive of cases , including the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000 , she was often at odds with the court ’ s more conservative members — initially Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O ’ Connor , Antonin Scalia , Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas .
The division remained the same after John Roberts replaced Rehnquist as chief justice , Samuel Alito took O ’ Connor ’ s seat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Brett Kavanaugh joined the court , in seats that had been held by Scalia and Kennedy , respectively .
Ginsburg would say later that the 5-4 decision that settled the 2000 presidential election for Republican George W. Bush was a “ breathtaking episode ” at the court .
She was perhaps personally closest on the court to Scalia , her ideological opposite .
Ginsburg once explained that she took Scalia ’ s sometimes biting dissents as a challenge to be met .
“ How am I going to answer this in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” she said .
When Scalia died in 2016 , also an election year , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to act on Obama ’ s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the opening .
The seat remained vacant until after Trump ’ s surprising presidential victory .
McConnell has said he would move to confirm a Trump nominee if there were a vacancy this year .
Reached by phone late Friday , Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , the chairman of the Judiciary Committee , declined to disclose any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailblazer ” and said , “ While I had many differences with her on legal philosophy , I appreciate her service to our nation.
” Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer tweeted : “ The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice .
Therefore , this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.
” Ginsburg authored powerful dissents of her own in cases involving abortion , voting rights and pay discrimination against women .
She said some were aimed at swaying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were “ an appeal to the intelligence of another day ” in the hopes that they would provide guidance to future courts .
“ Hope springs eternal , ” she said in 2007 , “ and when I am writing a dissent , I ’ m always hoping for that fifth or sixth vote — even though I ’ m disappointed more often than not.
” She wrote memorably in 2013 that the court ’ s decision to cut out a key part of the federal law that had ensured the voting rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minorities was “ like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.
” Change on the court hit Ginsburg especially hard .
She dissented forcefully from the court ’ s decision in 2007 to uphold a nationwide ban on an abortion procedure that opponents call partial-birth abortion .
The court , with O ’ Connor still on it , had struck down a similar state ban seven years earlier .
The “ alarming ” ruling , Ginsburg said , “ can not be understood as anything other than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right declared again and again by this court — and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women ’ s lives.
” In 1999 , Ginsburg had surgery for colon cancer and received radiation and chemotherapy .
She had surgery again in 2009 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and in December 2018 for cancerous growths on her left lung .
Following the last surgery , she missed court sessions for the first time in more than 25 years on the bench .
Ginsburg also was treated with radiation for a tumor on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintained an active schedule even during the three weeks of radiation .
When she revealed a recurrence of her cancer in July 2020 , Ginsburg said she remained “ fully able ” to continue as a justice .
Joan Ruth Bader was born in Brooklyn , New York , in 1933 , the second daughter in a middle-class family .
Her older sister , who gave her the lifelong nickname “ Kiki , ” died at age 6 , so Ginsburg grew up in Brooklyn ’ s Flatbush section as an only child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was to be an opera singer .
Ginsburg graduated at the top of her Columbia University law school class in 1959 but could not find a law firm willing to hire her .
She had “ three strikes against her ” — for being Jewish , female and a mother , as she put it in 2007 .
She had married her husband , Martin , in 1954 , the year she graduated from Cornell University .
She attended Harvard University ’ s law school but transferred to Columbia when her husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg went on to become a prominent tax attorney and law professor .
Martin Ginsburg died in 2010 .
She is survived by two children , Jane and James , and several grandchildren .
Ginsburg once said that she had not entered the law as an equal-rights champion .
“ I thought I could do a lawyer ’ s job better than any other , ” she wrote .
“ I have no talent in the arts , but I do write fairly well and analyze problems clearly .
”

By MARK SHERMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87.
Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said.
Her death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether President Donald Trump should nominate, and the Republican-led Senate should confirm, her replacement, or if the seat should remain vacant until the outcome of his race against Democrat Joe Biden is known. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said late Friday that the Senate will vote on Trump’s pick to replace Ginsburg, even though it’s an election year.
Trump called Ginsburg an “amazing woman” and did not mention filling her vacant Supreme Court seat when he spoke to reporters following a rally in Bemidji, Minnesota.
Biden said the winner of the November election should choose Ginsburg’s replacement. “There is no doubt — let me be clear — that the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider,” Biden told reporters after returning to his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, from campaign stops in Minnesota.
Chief Justice John Roberts mourned Ginsburg’s passing. “Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice,” Roberts said in a statement.
Ginsburg announced in July that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver, the latest of her several battles with cancer.
Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court’s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirer s. Young women especially seemed to embrace the court’s Jewish grandmother, affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG, for her defense of the rights of women and minorities, and the strength and resilience she displayed in the face of personal loss and health crises.
Those health issues included five bouts with cancer beginning in 1999, falls that resulted in broken ribs, insertion of a stent to clear a blocked artery and assorted other hospitalizations after she turned 75.
She resisted calls by liberals to retire during Barack Obama’s presidency at a time when Democrats held the Senate and a replacement with similar views could have been confirmed. Instead, Trump will almost certainly try to push Ginsburg’s successor through the Republican-controlled Senate — and move the conservative court even more to the right.
Ginsburg antagonized Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign in a series of media interviews, including calling him a faker. She soon apologized.
Her appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1993 was the first by a Democrat in 26 years. She initially found a comfortable ideological home somewhere left of center on a conservative court dominated by Republican appointees. Her liberal voice grew stronger the longer she served.
Ginsburg was a mother of two, an opera lover and an intellectual who watched arguments behind oversized glasses for many years, though she ditched them for more fashionable frames in her later years. At argument sessions in the ornate courtroom, she was known for digging deep into case records and for being a stickler for following the rules.
She argued six key cases before the court in the 1970s when she was an architect of the women’s rights movement. She won five.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books,” Clinton said at the time of her appointment. “She has already done that.”
Following her death, Clinton said, “Her 27 years on the Court exceeded even my highest expectations when I appointed her.”
On the court, where she was known as a facile writer, her most significant majority opinions were the 1996 ruling that ordered the Virginia Military Institute to accept women or give up its state funding, and the 2015 decision that upheld independent commissions some states use to draw congressional districts.
Besides civil rights, Ginsburg took an interest in capital punishment, voting repeatedly to limit its use. During her tenure, the court declared it unconstitutional for states to execute the intellectually disabled and killers younger than 18.
In addition, she questioned the quality of lawyers for poor accused murderers. In the most divisive of cases, including the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000, she was often at odds with the court’s more conservative members — initially Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas.
The division remained the same after John Roberts replaced Rehnquist as chief justice, Samuel Alito took O’Connor’s seat, and, under Trump, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined the court, in seats that had been held by Scalia and Kennedy, respectively.
Ginsburg would say later that the 5-4 decision that settled the 2000 presidential election for Republican George W. Bush was a “breathtaking episode” at the court.
She was perhaps personally closest on the court to Scalia, her ideological opposite. Ginsburg once explained that she took Scalia’s sometimes biting dissents as a challenge to be met. “How am I going to answer this in a way that’s a real putdown?” she said.
When Scalia died in 2016, also an election year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to act on Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the opening. The seat remained vacant until after Trump’s surprising presidential victory. McConnell has said he would move to confirm a Trump nominee if there were a vacancy this year.
Reached by phone late Friday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, declined to disclose any plans. He called Ginsburg a “trailblazer” and said, “While I had many differences with her on legal philosophy, I appreciate her service to our nation.”
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer tweeted: “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”
Ginsburg authored powerful dissents of her own in cases involving abortion, voting rights and pay discrimination against women. She said some were aimed at swaying the opinions of her fellow judges while others were “an appeal to the intelligence of another day” in the hopes that they would provide guidance to future courts.
“Hope springs eternal,” she said in 2007, “and when I am writing a dissent, I’m always hoping for that fifth or sixth vote — even though I’m disappointed more often than not.”
She wrote memorably in 2013 that the court’s decision to cut out a key part of the federal law that had ensured the voting rights of Black people, Hispanics and other minorities was “like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”
Change on the court hit Ginsburg especially hard. She dissented forcefully from the court’s decision in 2007 to uphold a nationwide ban on an abortion procedure that opponents call partial-birth abortion. The court, with O’Connor still on it, had struck down a similar state ban seven years earlier. The “alarming” ruling, Ginsburg said, “cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this court — and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women’s lives.”
In 1999, Ginsburg had surgery for colon cancer and received radiation and chemotherapy. She had surgery again in 2009 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and in December 2018 for cancerous growths on her left lung. Following the last surgery, she missed court sessions for the first time in more than 25 years on the bench.
Ginsburg also was treated with radiation for a tumor on her pancreas in August 2019. She maintained an active schedule even during the three weeks of radiation. When she revealed a recurrence of her cancer in July 2020, Ginsburg said she remained “fully able” to continue as a justice.
Joan Ruth Bader was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, the second daughter in a middle-class family. Her older sister, who gave her the lifelong nickname “Kiki,” died at age 6, so Ginsburg grew up in Brooklyn’s Flatbush section as an only child. Her dream, she has said, was to be an opera singer.
Ginsburg graduated at the top of her Columbia University law school class in 1959 but could not find a law firm willing to hire her. She had “three strikes against her” — for being Jewish, female and a mother, as she put it in 2007.
She had married her husband, Martin, in 1954, the year she graduated from Cornell University. She attended Harvard University’s law school but transferred to Columbia when her husband took a law job there. Martin Ginsburg went on to become a prominent tax attorney and law professor. Martin Ginsburg died in 2010. She is survived by two children, Jane and James, and several grandchildren.
Ginsburg once said that she had not entered the law as an equal-rights champion. “I thought I could do a lawyer’s job better than any other,” she wrote. “I have no talent in the arts, but I do write fairly well and analyze problems clearly.”


mercurynews--2020-09-19--Pac-12 football will be back in 2020, but the specifics remain a mystery

Pac-12 football in 2020 remains on hold , at least officially .
The university presidents and chancellors did not vote Friday on a return to competition but will reconvene late next week for a final decision .
“ The Pac-12 CEO Group had an informative and productive meeting earlier today , ” the conference said .
“ We plan to reconvene this coming Thursday , September 24 to make a decision regarding possible return to play prior to January 1 .
“ The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports will continue to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our decision making.
” It is widely expected that they will approve a fall season with Nov. 7 as the start date and the conference championship on Dec. 19 .
The CEOs also declined Friday to approve a return for Pac-12 basketball , which has been postponed through 2020 .
However , with the NCAA pushing the season back two weeks , to Nov. 25 , the conference likely will revise its calendar to align with the rest of major college basketball .
Meanwhile , the Pac-12 is the only member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The ACC and Big 12 are underway .
The SEC ’ s season starts next week , and the Big Ten announced Wednesday that it will open the weekend of Oct. 23-24 .
The Pac-12 has been dealt a more difficult course back to the field with the wildfires across the west , the level of coronavirus spread in some regions of the conference and , until this week , the state health restrictions in California and Oregon .
The conference ’ s medical experts believe that point-of-care antigen tests , scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will keep the players safe .
Another issue central to any revised calendar is the time required for the players to prepare physically for a season .
The medical advisors have indicate six weeks would be needed .
In order to play on Halloween , teams would have to start training next week .
Given that the presidents haven ’ t officially approved a restart — and won ’ t do so until Sept. 24 — there is little chance of playing at the end of October .
For teams with large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sports shutdown — players who must quarantine upon returning to campus — the Nov. 7 is more reasonable .
Teams would have six weeks of regular-season play prior to the championship game .
The conference could consider boosting schedules by allowing each team to play an eighth game on the weekend of the championship , just not at the same time as the title game .
*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference , and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the @ @

Pac-12 football in 2020 remains on hold, at least officially.
The university presidents and chancellors did not vote Friday on a return to competition but will reconvene late next week for a final decision.
“The Pac-12 CEO Group had an informative and productive meeting earlier today,” the conference said.
“We plan to reconvene this coming Thursday, September 24 to make a decision regarding possible return to play prior to January 1.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports will continue to be our number one priority in all of our decision making.”
It is widely expected that they will approve a fall season with Nov. 7 as the start date and the conference championship on Dec. 19.
The CEOs also declined Friday to approve a return for Pac-12 basketball, which has been postponed through 2020.
However, with the NCAA pushing the season back two weeks, to Nov. 25, the conference likely will revise its calendar to align with the rest of major college basketball.
Meanwhile, the Pac-12 is the only member of the Power Five currently in football purgatory.
The ACC and Big 12 are underway. The SEC’s season starts next week, and the Big Ten announced Wednesday that it will open the weekend of Oct. 23-24.
The Pac-12 has been dealt a more difficult course back to the field with the wildfires across the west, the level of coronavirus spread in some regions of the conference and, until this week, the state health restrictions in California and Oregon.
The conference’s medical experts believe that point-of-care antigen tests, scheduled to arrive at the end of this month, will keep the players safe.
Another issue central to any revised calendar is the time required for the players to prepare physically for a season.
The medical advisors have indicate six weeks would be needed. In order to play on Halloween, teams would have to start training next week.
Given that the presidents haven’t officially approved a restart — and won’t do so until Sept. 24 — it’s unlikely the season will start at the end of October.
For teams with large numbers of players living at home during the sports shutdown — players who must quarantine upon returning to campus — the Nov. 7 is more reasonable.
Teams would have six weeks of regular-season play prior to the championship game.
The conference could consider boosting schedules by allowing each team to play an eighth game on the weekend of the championship, just not at the same time as the title game.
*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline
*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.


mercurynews--2020-09-19--There’s live theater to see in the East Bay — all you need is GPS

With coronavirus safety precautions in place since March , it ’ s been six months since actors , dancers , musicians and other performers had a venue in which to perform in front of a live audience — at least not in any way that ’ s safe for both themselves and their audiences .
Online performances of various kinds have popped up in the interim , which is great but a very different thing .
Neighborhood Stories comes out of that unsated hunger for live performance .
People sign up to drive around Oakland watching music , dance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the safety of their cars , learning the location of the next act as soon as the preceding one ends .
Tickets are strictly limited to three cars per time slot , to avoid too much competition for places to park and watch the show .
The whole experience lasts a little under two hours , including seven very different performances .
Producing a live show in a time of plague seems like a huge challenge , especially when the skies are often filled with smoke , but the given limitations were really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merritt , a longtime East Bay director and founder of the late all-women Shakespeare company Woman ’ s Will .
“ This seemed like a perfect opportunity to say , ‘ OK , but what can we do ?
’ ” Merritt says .
“ Rather than looking at what we can ’ t do , let ’ s look at what we can do and figure that out.
” “ I was trying to look at what performance styles don ’ t work except live and how can we keep people safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I take COVID precautions incredibly seriously .
I only leave my house once a week , and that ’ s to get groceries.
” Curating a show like this , featuring a fluctuating mix of everything from clowning and playwriting to dance and Gamelan music , provided its own enticing challenge .
“ I wanted to make sure I had a really wide range of types of performance , ” Merritt says .
“ The performers need to be people who have a lot of presence on their own and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either could work alone comfortably or who are in a quarantine pod with somebody else that they could work with .
And then it was just about finding a variety of people who have something that they wanted to say about right now.
” Keeping the whole event deeply rooted in a sense of place was part of the idea from the beginning .
“ I ’ m interested in how people stay connected or feel disconnected within their neighborhoods — how disconnected everybody feels right now , how they ’ re really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
“ Artists are in every neighborhood around the Bay Area , and people don ’ t know that they have artists as neighbors .
They don ’ t think of us as just other people that live in a neighborhood and that are working people like they are .
And this is a time that ’ s really important for us .
This is a time when we have something to say that might be of comfort to people .
It ’ s a time that people are really craving entertainment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we might be to them right now , and a time that we ’ re really , really vulnerable , because nobody has any work.
” Producing in uncertain times requires a great deal of flexibility and thinking on your feet .
“ Neighborhood Stories ” was originally scheduled to start Sept. 12 , but hazardous air conditions from the fires all along the West Coast necessitated pushing the opening back a week to the 19th .
If the Oakland round proves a success , Merritt hopes to do a subsequent round in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own neighborhood of El Cerrito .
“ I just really want to make some art , and I feel like art is the best responder to this time , ” she says .
“ I don ’ t judge anybody else who doesn ’ t want to make art right now , but I know I feel better when I ’ m exercising that .
That ’ s the way that I express my relationship to the world.
” Contact Sam Hurwitt at shurwitt @ gmail.com , and follow him at Twitter.com/shurwitt .

With coronavirus safety precautions in place since March, it’s been six months since actors, dancers, musicians and other performers had a venue in which to perform in front of a live audience — at least not in any way that’s safe for both themselves and their audiences.
Online performances of various kinds have popped up in the interim, which is great but a very different thing.
Neighborhood Stories comes out of that unsated hunger for live performance. People sign up to drive around Oakland watching music, dance and theater performances all around the city from the safety of their cars, learning the location of the next act as soon as the preceding one ends.
Tickets are strictly limited to three cars per time slot, to avoid too much competition for places to park and watch the show. The whole experience lasts a little under two hours, including seven very different performances.
Producing a live show in a time of plague seems like a huge challenge, especially when the skies are often filled with smoke, but the given limitations were really part of the inspiration for producer Erin Merritt, a longtime East Bay director and founder of the late all-women Shakespeare company Woman’s Will.
“This seemed like a perfect opportunity to say, ‘OK, but what can we do?’” Merritt says. “Rather than looking at what we can’t do, let’s look at what we can do and figure that out.”
“I was trying to look at what performance styles don’t work except live and how can we keep people safe while doing it,” she adds. “I take COVID precautions incredibly seriously. I only leave my house once a week, and that’s to get groceries.”
Curating a show like this, featuring a fluctuating mix of everything from clowning and playwriting to dance and Gamelan music, provided its own enticing challenge.
“I wanted to make sure I had a really wide range of types of performance,” Merritt says. “The performers need to be people who have a lot of presence on their own and an act that works outdoors, people who either could work alone comfortably or who are in a quarantine pod with somebody else that they could work with. And then it was just about finding a variety of people who have something that they wanted to say about right now.”
Keeping the whole event deeply rooted in a sense of place was part of the idea from the beginning.
“I’m interested in how people stay connected or feel disconnected within their neighborhoods — how disconnected everybody feels right now, how they’re really craving connection right now,” Merritt says.
“Artists are in every neighborhood around the Bay Area, and people don’t know that they have artists as neighbors. They don’t think of us as just other people that live in a neighborhood and that are working people like they are. And this is a time that’s really important for us. This is a time when we have something to say that might be of comfort to people. It’s a time that people are really craving entertainment and might be sensitive to how valuable we might be to them right now, and a time that we’re really, really vulnerable, because nobody has any work.”
Producing in uncertain times requires a great deal of flexibility and thinking on your feet. “Neighborhood Stories” was originally scheduled to start Sept. 12, but hazardous air conditions from the fires all along the West Coast necessitated pushing the opening back a week to the 19th.
If the Oakland round proves a success, Merritt hopes to do a subsequent round in the near future with artists around her own neighborhood of El Cerrito.
“I just really want to make some art, and I feel like art is the best responder to this time,” she says. “I don’t judge anybody else who doesn’t want to make art right now, but I know I feel better when I’m exercising that. That’s the way that I express my relationship to the world.”
Contact Sam Hurwitt at shurwitt@gmail.com, and follow him at Twitter.com/shurwitt.
NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES
Through: Oct. 4
Where: Various locations, Oakland
Tickets: $25-$50 per car; www.neighborhood-stories.com


mercurynews--2020-09-19--Pac-12 football: Cal, Stanford working to return but local health officials must sign off

Cal and Stanford are working to receive clearance for the return of full contact , full-squad practices and formulating safety plans that will be acceptable to local health officials .
The Bay Area teams are hoping for the same approval their peers in Southern California received earlier this week , when Los Angeles County announced it would not impose restriction on USC and UCLA that are more severe than those of the state .
“ We have not placed other local restrictions or requirements so that means as long as the institution is implementing its athletic program in compliance with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( which also includes a requirement to adhere to all NCAA directives ) , it is permitted in Los Angeles County , ” the health department said in a statement published by ESPN .
In Santa Clara County , where the 49ers have been practicing for weeks , Stanford must submit a proposal to the public health department .
“ The state orders and guidelines permit collegiate contact sports only if there is an approved safety plan , ” Jeff Smith , the Santa Clara County CEO , told the Hotline on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health Office ) is currently awaiting such a plan proposal from Stanford.
” Stanford did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the timeline to submit a proposal .
In Berkeley , the Bears and city officials are making progress on raising the restrictions on cohort size , according to a source .
The state guidelines had limited cohorts to stable groups of no more than 12 , creating an unworkable situation for a football team that must practice 11 vs. 11 with full contact .
However , Governor Gavin Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop the Pac-12 teams from practicing and indicated that the state cohort sizes would be expanded .
The Hotline source did not know when Cal would be cleared by local officials for full-squad workouts .
The City of Berkeley Public Health Department did not respond to a request for comment .
*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference , and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference .

Cal and Stanford are working to receive clearance for the return of full contact, full-squad practices and formulating safety plans that will be acceptable to local health officials.
The Bay Area teams are hoping for the same approval their peers in Southern California received earlier this week, when Los Angeles County announced it would not impose restriction on USC and UCLA that are more severe than those of the state.
“We have not placed other local restrictions or requirements so that means as long as the institution is implementing its athletic program in compliance with all the guidelines within the state document (which also includes a requirement to adhere to all NCAA directives), it is permitted in Los Angeles County,” the health department said in a statement published by ESPN.
In Santa Clara County, where the 49ers have been practicing for weeks, Stanford must submit a proposal to the public health department.
“The state orders and guidelines permit collegiate contact sports only if there is an approved safety plan,” Jeff Smith, the Santa Clara County CEO, told the Hotline on Friday.
“The County PHO (Public health Office) is currently awaiting such a plan proposal from Stanford.”
Stanford did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the timeline to submit a proposal.
In Berkeley, the Bears and city officials are making progress on raising the restrictions on cohort size, according to a source.
The state guidelines had limited cohorts to stable groups of no more than 12, creating an unworkable situation for a football team that must practice 11 vs. 11 with full contact.
However, Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said he wouldn’t stop the Pac-12 teams from practicing and indicated that the state cohort sizes would be expanded.
The Hotline source did not know when Cal would be cleared by local officials for full-squad workouts.
The City of Berkeley Public Health Department did not respond to a request for comment.
*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline
*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.


mercurynews--2020-09-18--After surgery, A.J. Puk on pace to pitch in spring training 2021

Amid an up-and-down year , A ’ s have to be pleased with the post-surgery news for left-handed pitcher A.J .
Puk .
Wednesday , Dr. Neal ElAttrache had a debridement of his left labrum and rotator cuff , as well as a full clean out of his shoulder due to some bursitis , A ’ s head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta told reporters Friday afternoon .
Puk is expected to need 10-to-12 weeks of recovery , which puts him on pace to return to the team for spring training in 2021 .
“ We would hope to have him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pitchers along the same progression program with those guys as spring training starts , ” Paparesta said .
Puk will get his stitches out next Monday , so he will be in Los Angeles for the week .
He ’ s already started physical therapy .
• Can Jake Lamb be revived with the Oakland A ’ s ?
• A ’ s whittle down magic number to clinch division with win over Rockies • Oakland A ’ s happy to be ( almost ) through with treacherous road trip • After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing left for Rockies • A ’ s Melvin happy to escape smoky Seattle : “ You felt it , for sure ” “ He ’ s just excited that this thing is finally taken care of and he can get rolling next year , ” Paparesta said .
This shoulder injury has nagged Puk since early March .
He was shut down mid-way through spring training 1.0 with a shoulder strain , and rehabbed it during the COVID-19 hiatus .
The 25-year-old returned for spring training 2.0 throwing 95 mph — nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking finally ready to join the rotation , but the shoulder injury returned to haunt him just days before the regular season began .
“ This is just going to be a breath of fresh air for him going into the offseason , knowing that ’ s behind him , ” Paparesta said .
Daniel Mengden , who tested positive for the coronavirus on Aug. 28 , cleared joint committee protocols and has been cleared to pitch at the alternate site in San Jose .

Amid an up-and-down year, A’s have to be pleased with the post-surgery news for left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk.
Wednesday, Dr. Neal ElAttrache had a debridement of his left labrum and rotator cuff, as well as a full clean out of his shoulder due to some bursitis, A’s head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta told reporters Friday afternoon.
Puk is expected to need 10-to-12 weeks of recovery, which puts him on pace to return to the team for spring training in 2021.
“We would hope to have him in spring training with the rest of the pitchers along the same progression program with those guys as spring training starts,” Paparesta said.
Puk will get his stitches out next Monday, so he will be in Los Angeles for the week. He’s already started physical therapy.
“He’s just excited that this thing is finally taken care of and he can get rolling next year,” Paparesta said.
This shoulder injury has nagged Puk since early March. He was shut down mid-way through spring training 1.0 with a shoulder strain, and rehabbed it during the COVID-19 hiatus. The 25-year-old returned for spring training 2.0 throwing 95 mph — nearly his peak velocity on his fastball — looking finally ready to join the rotation, but the shoulder injury returned to haunt him just days before the regular season began.
“This is just going to be a breath of fresh air for him going into the offseason, knowing that’s behind him,” Paparesta said.
Daniel Mengden, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Aug. 28, cleared joint committee protocols and has been cleared to pitch at the alternate site in San Jose.


mercurynews--2020-09-18--Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a stalwart liberal on the court, is dead at age 87


mercurynews--2020-09-18--Satellite images show what happens when wildfire smoke meets hurricanes

The catastrophic wildfires on the West Coast have generated an enormous amount of smoke that have darkened skies across the Bay Area and ruined the air quality around other cities .
Prevailing winds have carried that smoke across the United States where it ran into another hazard — Hurricanes Paulette and Sally .
Over a three-day span shown in these images that started Sept. 14 , the hurricanes initially kept the skies on the East Coast clear , but as the smoke moved forward , Paulette blocked the smoke and kept it in the Northeast , according to NASA ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the storm system dissipated and the plume moved farther into the Atlantic .
Elsewhere , the NASA images show Hurricane Sally pushing the smoke northward as it flooded the Southeastern United States .
The NASA images above show an abundance and distribution of black carbon .
NASA says it is a type of aerosol found in wildfire smoke and the darker colors show higher density of the substance .
Although the smoke swept through the eastern seaboard , the air quality wasn ’ t as bad compared to the West Coast because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the atmosphere , ” according to the NASA observatory post .

(Images courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory)
The catastrophic wildfires on the West Coast have generated an enormous amount of smoke that have darkened skies across the Bay Area and ruined the air quality around other cities. Prevailing winds have carried that smoke across the United States where it ran into another hazard — Hurricanes Paulette and Sally.
Over a three-day span shown in these images that started Sept. 14, the hurricanes initially kept the skies on the East Coast clear, but as the smoke moved forward, Paulette blocked the smoke and kept it in the Northeast, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory. By Sept. 16, the storm system dissipated and the plume moved farther into the Atlantic. Elsewhere, the NASA images show Hurricane Sally pushing the smoke northward as it flooded the Southeastern United States.


mercurynews--2020-09-18--Walnut Creek settles lawsuit with family of man killed by police

WALNUT CREEK — The city has agreed to pay $ 4 million to settle a lawsuit by the family of Miles Hall , a Black 23-year-old Walnut Creek resident killed by police officers last year .
The settlement will end a lawsuit filed last September by civil rights attorney John Burris on behalf of Hall ’ s family alleging that officers did not properly de-escalate the encounter despite knowing he suffered from mental illness .
The lawsuit claimed 23-year-old Hall ’ s death was preventable when police responded June 2 , 2019 to 911 calls from Hall ’ s family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being shot by two of the five officers who went to the home .
“ No amount of money brings justice to them , to this ongoing nightmare they ’ re having.
” Burris said in an interview Friday .
“ But the settlement at least allows them to put this portion to rest .
This is one step toward closure.
” In a statement , city leaders confirmed the $ 4 million settlement , with City Attorney Noah Blechman noting , “ We recognize that protracted litigation is not in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement adds “ both parties agree that this agreement shall not constitute an admission of liability or fault by any employees of the City.
” Hall ’ s family , friends , neighbors and other supporters have persistently questioned the use of force by police since he was killed , attending city council meetings and community rallies to call for changes to how the city responds to people having mental health crises , as Hall was on the day he was killed .
Hall ’ s mother , Taun Hall , had warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mental illness well before that episode .
She said police had encouraged her to call for help in a crisis and indicated they would handle it appropriately .
When she and Miles ’ grandmother called police on June 2 , 2019 , five officers responded to the area near the Hall home on Sandra Court and found Miles Hall carrying a metal rod — city officials call it a pry bar , while his family has said it was a garden tool .
Police say they first tried to stop him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to set it down .
Body camera footage from the officers show Hall collapsing as police shoot him from the side .
While his family has said they believe he was running past officers in the direction of his home , the city ’ s statement issued Friday contends that Hall “ ignored ” police commands and ran toward the officers .
The settlement doesn ’ t put an end to the matter .
The Contra Costa County District Attorney ’ s Office is still investigating the case , an office spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s impact continues to reverberate around the city , with Hall family supporters calling for it and other cities to change how they respond to mental health crises .
“ This really highlighted how police deal with the mentally impaired , ” Burris said Friday .
“ This was a family who tried to do everything right , ” he said of their efforts to warn police and neighbors about Hall ’ s mental illness .
“ And even with all that , their son was killed.
” Walnut Creek ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been meeting with friends of the Hall family to get their input on steps going forward .
The statement also says the city “ will continue work underway to identify regional delivery gaps in mental health services , ” including by reaching out to the county and neighboring cities to develop systems for responding to mental health crises .
But those efforts are still early in their stages , and Hall ’ s family and supporters continue to push for what they want : a non-police response to mental health crises that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they want the city to include the input of city residents when it chooses its next police chief , as Chief Tom Chaplin prepares to retire .
Their efforts have resonated nationally , as the movement for public safety reform continues , Burris said .
“ These families are real advocates .
”

WALNUT CREEK — The city has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a lawsuit by the family of Miles Hall, a Black 23-year-old Walnut Creek resident killed by police officers last year.
The settlement will end a lawsuit filed last September by civil rights attorney John Burris on behalf of Hall’s family alleging that officers did not properly de-escalate the encounter despite knowing he suffered from mental illness.
The lawsuit claimed 23-year-old Hall’s death was preventable when police responded June 2, 2019 to 911 calls from Hall’s family members. Hall died later that day after being shot by two of the five officers who went to the home.
“No amount of money brings justice to them, to this ongoing nightmare they’re having.” Burris said in an interview Friday. “But the settlement at least allows them to put this portion to rest. This is one step toward closure.”
In a statement, city leaders confirmed the $4 million settlement, with City Attorney Noah Blechman noting, “We recognize that protracted litigation is not in the best interest of anyone involved.”
The statement adds “both parties agree that this agreement shall not constitute an admission of liability or fault by any employees of the City.”
Hall’s family, friends, neighbors and other supporters have persistently questioned the use of force by police since he was killed, attending city council meetings and community rallies to call for changes to how the city responds to people having mental health crises, as Hall was on the day he was killed.
Hall’s mother, Taun Hall, had warned both police and neighbors about her son’s mental illness well before that episode. She said police had encouraged her to call for help in a crisis and indicated they would handle it appropriately.
When she and Miles’ grandmother called police on June 2, 2019, five officers responded to the area near the Hall home on Sandra Court and found Miles Hall carrying a metal rod — city officials call it a pry bar, while his family has said it was a garden tool. Police say they first tried to stop him by shooting non-lethal bean bags when he refused to set it down. Body camera footage from the officers show Hall collapsing as police shoot him from the side.
While his family has said they believe he was running past officers in the direction of his home, the city’s statement issued Friday contends that Hall “ignored” police commands and ran toward the officers.
The settlement doesn’t put an end to the matter. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is still investigating the case, an office spokesman confirmed Friday.
Meanwhile, the shooting’s impact continues to reverberate around the city, with Hall family supporters calling for it and other cities to change how they respond to mental health crises.
“This really highlighted how police deal with the mentally impaired,” Burris said Friday.
“This was a family who tried to do everything right,” he said of their efforts to warn police and neighbors about Hall’s mental illness. “And even with all that, their son was killed.”
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But those efforts are still early in their stages, and Hall’s family and supporters continue to push for what they want: a non-police response to mental health crises that is available 24 hours per day. Additionally, they want the city to include the input of city residents when it chooses its next police chief, as Chief Tom Chaplin prepares to retire.
Their efforts have resonated nationally, as the movement for public safety reform continues, Burris said. “These families are real advocates.”


mercurynews--2020-09-18--‘Powerless’ Kim Kardashian supposedly thought Kanye West was back on his medication

On “ the brink of divorce ” this summer , Kim Kardashian believed Kanye West ’ s promise that he would get back on his medication for his bipolar disorder , People is reporting .
Kardashian , 39 , therefore had “ zero clue ” that West , 42 , was gearing up to go on more disturbing Twitter rampages , which this time included him posting a video of himself urinating on one of his Grammy awards and then tweeting and deleting about being murdered and his oldest daughter , North West , being taken away from him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the source said .
“ He promised he ’ d stay on them .
The last time , part of his negotiation with Kim was that he ’ d get back on his medication and he would work very hard to control his impulses .
He made a lot of promises .
And now those promises are broken , less than a month later.
” Representatives for Kardashian and the billionaire rapper declined to say anything publicly to People , but anonymous sources are pushing the message that she can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s behavior .
West also was suspended by Twitter for 24 hours this week for sharing the personal contact information for a Forbes editor whom he accused of being a “ white supremacist.
” After West got his Twitter privileges back on Friday , he went on another tirade , the Daily Mail reported , which included a quickly deleted message in all caps : “ NORTHY I AM GOING TO WAR AND PUTTING MY LIFE ON THE LINE AND IF I AM MURDERED DON ’ T EVER LET WHITE MEDIA TELL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PEOPLE THREATEN TO TAKE YOU OUT OF MY LIFE JUST KNOW I LOVE YOU.
” A source told People : “ She can ’ t force feed him medication .
She can ’ t make him do anything he doesn ’ t want to do.
” Kardashian said as much in a lengthy Instagram Story post in July , when she acknowledged that he was in the throes of a bipolar episode .
She asked her fans for “ compassion ” while describing their “ complicated and painful ” situation .
Her post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bizarre rant at his presidential campaign rally in South Carolina .
Running on the “ Birthday Party ” ticket , West bashed Harriet Tubman and revealed that he and Kardashian had considered her getting an abortion when she was pregnant with their first child , North West .
West followed his campaign rant with a Twitter tirade , during which he alleged that Kardashian and her mom , Kris Jenner , had tried to “ lock him up ” and that he was considering divorcing his wife .
That prompted Kardashian to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health issues by writing on her Instagram Story : “ Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor .
People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.
” Some people have questioned whether Kardashian was simply trying to avoid taking any responsibility for West ’ s attention-grabbing antics , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality TV family have long learned the art of using publicity — both good and bad — to keep their names trending .
They noted that she has enabled her husband by defending his most controversial behavior .
Over the years , Kardashian has taken to social media and given interviews to clarify her husband ’ s political comments or to argue that he ’ s a “ free thinker ” and entitled to his own opinions .
Last year , in an interview with Vogue , she suggested she was fine with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , being on medication is not really an option , ” Kardashian said at the time .
“ Because it just changes who he is.
” This summer , when West tweeted out an announcement that he was running for president , Kardashian publicly indulged him , in this case with a subtle , supportive reply in the form of an American flag emoji .
Kardashian ’ s alleged complicity in her husband ’ s outrageous behavior has taken on added urgency in this presidential election year .
Forbes , the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of other outlets reported that West appeared to be running a spoiler campaign to benefit President Donald Trump by drawing votes in several swing states away from Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Those outlets reported that allies and supporters of Trump were working on the ground to advance West ’ s campaign , with many Democrats viewing his campaign as a dirty trick by Republicans .
West has denied running a spoiler campaign including in an interview this week with the New York Times .
He talked about his opposition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and communities that are “ in general to be supporting of families.
” West ’ s political aspirations are not “ top of mind ” for Kardashian , the source told People .
Kardashian vocally supported Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election but has since worked with Trump ’ s son-in-law , Jared Kushner , and his daughter , Ivanka Trump , on prison reform .
The source insisted that Kardashian would like to be a supportive wife and keep the marriage together for their sake of their four children : North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago , 2 , and Psalm , 16 months , but Kardashian , the People source said , is “ feeling she can only take so much .
”

On “the brink of divorce” this summer, Kim Kardashian believed Kanye West’s promise that he would get back on his medication for his bipolar disorder, People is reporting.
Kardashian, 39, therefore had “zero clue” that West, 42, was gearing up to go on more disturbing Twitter rampages, which this time included him posting a video of himself urinating on one of his Grammy awards and then tweeting and deleting about being murdered and his oldest daughter, North West, being taken away from him.
“He’s off his meds,” the source said. “He promised he’d stay on them. The last time, part of his negotiation with Kim was that he’d get back on his medication and he would work very hard to control his impulses. He made a lot of promises. And now those promises are broken, less than a month later.”
Representatives for Kardashian and the billionaire rapper declined to say anything publicly to People, but anonymous sources are pushing the message that she can only do so much to control her husband’s behavior. West also was suspended by Twitter for 24 hours this week for sharing the personal contact information for a Forbes editor whom he accused of being a “white supremacist.”
After West got his Twitter privileges back on Friday, he went on another tirade, the Daily Mail reported, which included a quickly deleted message in all caps: “NORTHY I AM GOING TO WAR AND PUTTING MY LIFE ON THE LINE AND IF I AM MURDERED DON’T EVER LET WHITE MEDIA TELL YOU I WASNT A GOOD MAN… WHEN PEOPLE THREATEN TO TAKE YOU OUT OF MY LIFE JUST KNOW I LOVE YOU.”
A source told People: “She can’t force feed him medication. She can’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to do.”
Kardashian said as much in a lengthy Instagram Story post in July, when she acknowledged that he was in the throes of a bipolar episode. She asked her fans for “compassion” while describing their “complicated and painful” situation.
Her post was prompted by West going on a bizarre rant at his presidential campaign rally in South Carolina. Running on the “Birthday Party” ticket, West bashed Harriet Tubman and revealed that he and Kardashian had considered her getting an abortion when she was pregnant with their first child, North West.
West followed his campaign rant with a Twitter tirade, during which he alleged that Kardashian and her mom, Kris Jenner, had tried to “lock him up” and that he was considering divorcing his wife.
That prompted Kardashian to break her usual silence on West’s mental health issues by writing on her Instagram Story: “Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor. People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.”
Some people have questioned whether Kardashian was simply trying to avoid taking any responsibility for West’s attention-grabbing antics, with critics pointing out that she and her reality TV family have long learned the art of using publicity — both good and bad — to keep their names trending. They noted that she has enabled her husband by defending his most controversial behavior.
Over the years, Kardashian has taken to social media and given interviews to clarify her husband’s political comments or to argue that he’s a “free thinker” and entitled to his own opinions. Last year, in an interview with Vogue, she suggested she was fine with him not taking medication. “For him, being on medication is not really an option,” Kardashian said at the time. “Because it just changes who he is.”
This summer, when West tweeted out an announcement that he was running for president, Kardashian publicly indulged him, in this case with a subtle, supportive reply in the form of an American flag emoji.
Kardashian’s alleged complicity in her husband’s outrageous behavior has taken on added urgency in this presidential election year. Forbes, the New York Times, New York Magazine and a number of other outlets reported that West appeared to be running a spoiler campaign to benefit President Donald Trump by drawing votes in several swing states away from Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Those outlets reported that allies and supporters of Trump were working on the ground to advance West’s campaign, with many Democrats viewing his campaign as a dirty trick by Republicans.
West has denied running a spoiler campaign including in an interview this week with the New York Times. He talked about his opposition to abortion and his wish to build orphanages and communities that are “in general to be supporting of families.”
West’s political aspirations are not “top of mind” for Kardashian, the source told People. Kardashian vocally supported Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election but has since worked with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, on prison reform.
The source insisted that Kardashian would like to be a supportive wife and keep the marriage together for their sake of their four children: North, 7, Saint, 4, Chicago, 2, and Psalm, 16 months, but Kardashian, the People source said, is “feeling she can only take so much.”


mercurynews--2020-09-19--Editorial: Elect White and Codiga for Alameda City Council integrity

As Alameda struggles with serious financial challenges , the island city needs ethical City Council members who put the good of residents ahead of their political loyalties to the powerful firefighters union .
Voters in the Nov. 3 election should shore up the integrity of the council by electing Amos White , an environmental nonprofit executive and marketing consultant , and Gig Codiga , a former Alameda schools trustee and business strategist with an MBA .
Voters should oust misfit incumbents Malia Vella and Jim Oddie , whom the grand jury said committed malfeasance and violated the city charter by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a union-backed applicant for fire chief .
This is a critical time for Alameda .
The city faces tough fiscal challenges exacerbated by the coronavirus economic downturn .
City officials expect a 10 % drop in general fund revenues this fiscal year compared with last and significant drops in tax funding for capital projects .
This in a city that even before the pandemic had huge shortfalls for its badly underfunded employee pension and retiree health programs .
The debt , at last count , totals a whopping $ 379 million , roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general fund revenues .
Sixty percent of that debt is attributable to benefits for the city ’ s firefighters and police .
Now , more than ever , Alameda needs ethical leaders who are willing to stand up for professionalism , transparency and the fiscal health of the city .
That ’ s White and Codiga , who understand and promise to address the city ’ s serious financial challenges , are outraged by the two incumbents ’ behavior and promise to restore integrity to the City Council .
That ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ballot who had her own history of meddling during her disastrous term as mayor and now wants to return to the City Council .
And that ’ s certainly not Vella and Oddie , who ran roughshod over the city charter .
Their fiasco cost the city well over $ 1 million , resulted in the loss of multiple talented and hard-to-replace senior staff , and severely damaged the reputation of the municipal organization .
Adding insult to taxpayer injury , Oddie collected about $ 15,000 from the city to help cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improper behavior .
And Vella has collected $ 22,500 from the city for her legal bills .
While Oddie has dropped his claim for more money from the city , as of last week , Vella continued to preserve the option of court action to force taxpayers to cover the rest of her $ 115,000 claim .
Neither Oddie nor Vella would have needed their high-priced lawyers if they had obeyed the city charter , which forbids council members from interfering with the city manager ’ s hiring authority .
Since they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The improper meddling was first reported here in October 2017 .
Subsequent inquiries by a city-commissioned investigator , District Attorney Nancy O ’ Malley and then the grand jury all recounted the same events .
Then-City Manager Jill Keimach was trying to recruit the best-qualified candidate , the city firefighters ’ union was heavily lobbying for a fire captain and former union president who was underqualified for the top job .
Oddie wrote a letter of support for the union ’ s candidate on city stationery and told the police chief that Keimach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if she didn ’ t make the right selection .
Then , Oddie and Vella met with Keimach to discuss the hiring — a meeting the city manager legitimately recorded .
“ While the councilmembers were careful not to make any direct threats , their message was clear , ” the grand jury concluded .
“ They supported the labor-backed candidate and pressed the city manager on that point.
” Many Alamedans are probably wondering what Oddie is still doing on the City Council after they voted him out of office just two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his re-election bid in 2018 .
But , under the city charter , because he was the election runner-up , he automatically filled the remaining two years of the term of Councilwoman Marilyn Ashcraft , who was elected mayor in the same election .
That ’ s why he ’ s on the ballot yet again — and why voters need to oust him again .
The last thing Alameda needs is four more years of Oddie or Vella , neither of whom would participate in our endorsement interview process .
For candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

As Alameda struggles with serious financial challenges, the island city needs ethical City Council members who put the good of residents ahead of their political loyalties to the powerful firefighters union.
Voters in the Nov. 3 election should shore up the integrity of the council by electing Amos White, an environmental nonprofit executive and marketing consultant, and Gig Codiga, a former Alameda schools trustee and business strategist with an MBA.
Voters should oust misfit incumbents Malia Vella and Jim Oddie, whom the grand jury said committed malfeasance and violated the city charter by improperly pressuring the city manager to hire a union-backed applicant for fire chief.
Fiscal troubles
This is a critical time for Alameda. The city faces tough fiscal challenges exacerbated by the coronavirus economic downturn. City officials expect a 10% drop in general fund revenues this fiscal year compared with last and significant drops in tax funding for capital projects.
This in a city that even before the pandemic had huge shortfalls for its badly underfunded employee pension and retiree health programs. The debt, at last count, totals a whopping $379 million, roughly the equivalent of nearly four years of general fund revenues. Sixty percent of that debt is attributable to benefits for the city’s firefighters and police.
Now, more than ever, Alameda needs ethical leaders who are willing to stand up for professionalism, transparency and the fiscal health of the city.
That’s White and Codiga, who understand and promise to address the city’s serious financial challenges, are outraged by the two incumbents’ behavior and promise to restore integrity to the City Council.
That’s not Trish Spencer, the fifth candidate on the ballot who had her own history of meddling during her disastrous term as mayor and now wants to return to the City Council. And that’s certainly not Vella and Oddie, who ran roughshod over the city charter.
Oddie, Vella fiasco
Their fiasco cost the city well over $1 million, resulted in the loss of multiple talented and hard-to-replace senior staff, and severely damaged the reputation of the municipal organization.
Adding insult to taxpayer injury, Oddie collected about $15,000 from the city to help cover his legal bills resulting from his own improper behavior. And Vella has collected $22,500 from the city for her legal bills. While Oddie has dropped his claim for more money from the city, as of last week, Vella continued to preserve the option of court action to force taxpayers to cover the rest of her $115,000 claim.
Neither Oddie nor Vella would have needed their high-priced lawyers if they had obeyed the city charter, which forbids council members from interfering with the city manager’s hiring authority. Since they were caught, neither has acknowledged wrongdoing.
The improper meddling was first reported here in October 2017. Subsequent inquiries by a city-commissioned investigator, District Attorney Nancy O’Malley and then the grand jury all recounted the same events.
Then-City Manager Jill Keimach was trying to recruit the best-qualified candidate, the city firefighters’ union was heavily lobbying for a fire captain and former union president who was underqualified for the top job.
Oddie wrote a letter of support for the union’s candidate on city stationery and told the police chief that Keimach’s job was on the line if she didn’t make the right selection.
Then, Oddie and Vella met with Keimach to discuss the hiring — a meeting the city manager legitimately recorded. “While the councilmembers were careful not to make any direct threats, their message was clear,” the grand jury concluded. “They supported the labor-backed candidate and pressed the city manager on that point.”
Oddie redux
Many Alamedans are probably wondering what Oddie is still doing on the City Council after they voted him out of office just two years ago.
Indeed, he lost his re-election bid in 2018. But, under the city charter, because he was the election runner-up, he automatically filled the remaining two years of the term of Councilwoman Marilyn Ashcraft, who was elected mayor in the same election. That’s why he’s on the ballot yet again — and why voters need to oust him again.
The last thing Alameda needs is four more years of Oddie or Vella, neither of whom would participate in our endorsement interview process. For candidates with integrity, elect White and Codiga.