mercurynews--2020-11-26--Bay Area’s DoorDash to pay $2.5 million after being accused of stealing drivers’ tips

Bay Area restaurant-delivery firm DoorDash has agreed to pay $ 2.5 million to settle a government lawsuit alleging it stole drivers ’ tips and deceived customers into thinking their tip money was going to drivers .
Washington , D.C. attorney general Karl Racine filed the civil suit last year , and in a news release accused the San Francisco company of “ lowering labor costs by swiping tips left for workers.
” Racine claimed “ DoorDash led consumers to believe that any tips would go directly to food delivery workers , while instead effectively treating this money as extra profit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District of Columbia Superior Court alleged DoorDash would reduce drivers ’ pay for each job by the amount of any tip .
For example , if a customer left no tip on a job that was to pay $ 10 to the driver — called a “ Dasher ” by the company — DoorDash would pay the driver $ 10 , but if a customer tipped $ 9 , DoorDash would pay $ 1 , the suit claimed .
“ The only thing the consumer ’ s tip changed was DoorDash ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the suit alleged .
The San Francisco company , in the settlement order released Tuesday , denied the allegations .
In an emailed statement Wednesday , the company said it was pleased to have the issue resolved .
“ Our focus is on continuing to support Dashers , restaurants , and customers in D.C. and around the country , ” DoorDash said .
The company added that the allegations concerned its former pay model , which it abandoned in September 2019 , replacing it with a new model giving drivers 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48 million in the successful $ 200 million campaign by “ gig economy ” companies including Uber , Lyft , Instacart and Postmates to pass Proposition 22 this year and overturn state law mandating that their drivers be treated as employees entitled to minimum wage and benefits .
Under the Washington , D.C. settlement , DoorDash is to pay $ 1.5 million to D.C. drivers , make $ 250,000 in donations to two D.C. charities , and pay the D.C. government $ 750,000 .
• People are luring Instacart shoppers with big tips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Instacart ‘ shoppers ’ to walk off the job in protest of company ’ s tip policy The company also agreed to give consumers ’ entire tips to drivers , with tips having no effect on driver pay , and to provide consumers with a summary of charges for each order , including item costs , tips paid , service fees , and taxes .
DoorDash , valued at $ 16 billion in June , issued a filing this month to go public .
Instacart , which offers grocery pickup-and-delivery service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit by shopper/drivers over alleged improprieties with tips , expense reimbursement , and a service fee said to look like a tip .
The company admitted no wrongdoing .

Bay Area restaurant-delivery firm DoorDash has agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a government lawsuit alleging it stole drivers’ tips and deceived customers into thinking their tip money was going to drivers.
Washington, D.C. attorney general Karl Racine filed the civil suit last year, and in a news release accused the San Francisco company of “lowering labor costs by swiping tips left for workers.”
Racine claimed “DoorDash led consumers to believe that any tips would go directly to food delivery workers, while instead effectively treating this money as extra profit for the company.”
The suit in District of Columbia Superior Court alleged DoorDash would reduce drivers’ pay for each job by the amount of any tip. For example, if a customer left no tip on a job that was to pay $10 to the driver — called a “Dasher” by the company — DoorDash would pay the driver $10, but if a customer tipped $9, DoorDash would pay $1, the suit claimed. “The only thing the consumer’s tip changed was DoorDash’s share of the worker’s pay,” the suit alleged.
The San Francisco company, in the settlement order released Tuesday, denied the allegations. In an emailed statement Wednesday, the company said it was pleased to have the issue resolved. “Our focus is on continuing to support Dashers, restaurants, and customers in D.C. and around the country,” DoorDash said. The company added that the allegations concerned its former pay model, which it abandoned in September 2019, replacing it with a new model giving drivers 100% of tips.
DoorDash spent $48 million in the successful $200 million campaign by “gig economy” companies including Uber, Lyft, Instacart and Postmates to pass Proposition 22 this year and overturn state law mandating that their drivers be treated as employees entitled to minimum wage and benefits.
Under the Washington, D.C. settlement, DoorDash is to pay $1.5 million to D.C. drivers, make $250,000 in donations to two D.C. charities, and pay the D.C. government $750,000.
Related Articles Technology | People are luring Instacart shoppers with big tips — and then changing them to zero
People are luring Instacart shoppers with big tips — and then changing them to zero Technology | Instacart ‘shoppers’ to walk off the job in protest of company’s tip policy
Instacart ‘shoppers’ to walk off the job in protest of company’s tip policy Technology | Gig work measure Prop 22 comfortably ahead, business property tax increase Prop 15 in tight race The company also agreed to give consumers’ entire tips to drivers, with tips having no effect on driver pay, and to provide consumers with a summary of charges for each order, including item costs, tips paid, service fees, and taxes.
DoorDash, valued at $16 billion in June, issued a filing this month to go public.
Instacart, which offers grocery pickup-and-delivery service, in 2017 agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit by shopper/drivers over alleged improprieties with tips, expense reimbursement, and a service fee said to look like a tip. The company admitted no wrongdoing.


mercurynews--2020-11-26--Bay Area college basketball roundup: Teams return to hardwood amid COVID pandemic

The Bay Area ’ s college basketball teams played their first games in more than eight months Wednesday , after the coronavirus ended their 2019-20 seasons during conference tournaments .
The Stanford men had their game with Utah Valley canceled , while Cal switched opponents from Colorado State to Oregon State .
Here is a roundup of the games that were played Wednesday : Memphis 73 , Saint Mary ’ s 56 > > Junior center Matthias Tass scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds to pace the Gaels in their season-opening loss at the Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all scorers with a career-high 24 points , including 20 in the first half , to lead the Tigers .
Ellis made a career-high-tying six 3-pointers .
After Saint Mary ’ s scored the game ’ s first eight points , Memphis outscored the Gaels 43-18 the rest of the half .
Memphis , which missed its first six shots from the field , didn ’ t score until Ellis split a pair of free throws just under four minutes in .
The Tigers didn ’ t make a field goal until Ellis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon State 71 , Cal 63 > > Warith Alatishe scored 16 points , Ethan Thompson added 15 , and the Beavers opened the season with a win over the Pac-12 rival Bears in what counts as a nonconference road game .
The matchup materialized because of the COVID-19 scramble when Colorado State was unable to play in the four-team pod .
Northwest University is the fourth team and will play the Pac-12 teams over the next two days in Corvallis .
Cal and Oregon State will clash twice more this season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Berkeley .
UMass Lowell 76 , USF 68 > > The Dons got a combined 46 points from guards Khalil Shabazz and Jamaree Bouyea in their season-opening loss at the Bubbleville Tournament in Uncasville , Connecticut , at the Mohegan Sun Arena .
Shabazz scored 31 points , one shy of his career-high , while Bouyea finished with 15 points and four assists .
No .
2 Stanford 108 , Cal Poly 40 > > Haley Jones scored on a layup 14 seconds into the game and wound up with 16 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in more than 10 months since a knee injury ended her freshman season early , leading the second-ranked Cardinal over the visiting Mustangs in the teams ’ season opener .
Hall of Fame Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer began her 35th season on The Farm by moving to 1,095 career wins — four from passing the late Pat Summitt ’ s 1,098 victories to become the all-time winningest NCAA Division-I women ’ s basketball coach .
Stanford ( 1-0 ) , one of four Pac-12 teams in the preseason Top-10 rankings and five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26-2 run to end the first half and build a 51-18 lead then kept pushing as the entire roster gained valuable minutes .
• Are you ready for some college basketball ?
Bay Area teams open season next week Stanford senior and returning leading scorer Kiana Williams scored 13 points after she averaged 15 points per game as a junior before the Cardinal missed out on the NCAA Tournament because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Cameron Brink , a 6-foot-4 freshman , contributed 17 points and nine rebounds in her collegiate debut while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3-pointers .
Davis 82 , USF 75 > > The Dons ( 0-1 ) were led by freshman guard Ioanna Krimili , who scored a game-high 22 points in the loss on the road .
Amalie Langer added a career-high 17 points .
The Aggies ( 1-0 ) balanced attack was led by Evanne Turner ’ s team-high 19 .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

The Bay Area’s college basketball teams played their first games in more than eight months Wednesday, after the coronavirus ended their 2019-20 seasons during conference tournaments.
The Stanford men had their game with Utah Valley canceled, while Cal switched opponents from Colorado State to Oregon State.
Here is a roundup of the games that were played Wednesday:
MEN’S HOOPS
Memphis 73, Saint Mary’s 56 >> Junior center Matthias Tass scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds to pace the Gaels in their season-opening loss at the Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Boogie Ellis led all scorers with a career-high 24 points, including 20 in the first half, to lead the Tigers. Ellis made a career-high-tying six 3-pointers.
After Saint Mary’s scored the game’s first eight points, Memphis outscored the Gaels 43-18 the rest of the half. Memphis, which missed its first six shots from the field, didn’t score until Ellis split a pair of free throws just under four minutes in. The Tigers didn’t make a field goal until Ellis’ bucket at the 15:25 mark.
Oregon State 71, Cal 63 >> Warith Alatishe scored 16 points, Ethan Thompson added 15, and the Beavers opened the season with a win over the Pac-12 rival Bears in what counts as a nonconference road game.
The matchup materialized because of the COVID-19 scramble when Colorado State was unable to play in the four-team pod. Northwest University is the fourth team and will play the Pac-12 teams over the next two days in Corvallis.
Matt Bradley led the Golden Bears with 21 points.
Cal and Oregon State will clash twice more this season, Jan. 2 in Corvallis and Feb. 25 in Berkeley.
UMass Lowell 76, USF 68 >> The Dons got a combined 46 points from guards Khalil Shabazz and Jamaree Bouyea in their season-opening loss at the Bubbleville Tournament in Uncasville, Connecticut, at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Shabazz scored 31 points, one shy of his career-high, while Bouyea finished with 15 points and four assists.
USF returns to action Thursday against Towson.
Santa Clara 62, Idaho State 49 >> The Broncos, fresh off a 20-13 mark last season, their first 20-win season in seven years, opened with a win in their Bronco Invitational at Leavey Center.
Josip Vrankic, a three-year starter and the team’s returning leading scorer, paced the Broncos with 24 points. Jalen Williams added 13.
San Jose State-Simpson canceled >> The Spartans’ game against the Redhawks originally scheduled for Wednesday was canceled. There are currently no plans to reschedule. The cancelation came due to an issue preventing Simpson from adhering to Mountain West COVID-19 testing protocols.
The Spartans will now look to begin the season on Dec. 2 at Pepperdine.
WOMEN’S HOOPS
No. 2 Stanford 108, Cal Poly 40 >> Haley Jones scored on a layup 14 seconds into the game and wound up with 16 points and 10 rebounds playing for the first time in more than 10 months since a knee injury ended her freshman season early, leading the second-ranked Cardinal over the visiting Mustangs in the teams’ season opener.
Hall of Fame Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer began her 35th season on The Farm by moving to 1,095 career wins — four from passing the late Pat Summitt’s 1,098 victories to become the all-time winningest NCAA Division-I women’s basketball coach.
Stanford (1-0), one of four Pac-12 teams in the preseason Top-10 rankings and five among the top 18, used a 26-2 run to end the first half and build a 51-18 lead then kept pushing as the entire roster gained valuable minutes.
Stanford senior and returning leading scorer Kiana Williams scored 13 points after she averaged 15 points per game as a junior before the Cardinal missed out on the NCAA Tournament because of the coronavirus pandemic. Cameron Brink, a 6-foot-4 freshman, contributed 17 points and nine rebounds in her collegiate debut while Lexie Hull had 21 points with four 3-pointers.
Stanford’s scheduled game Sunday with Pacific has been canceled. Pacific suspended team activity following a positive COVID-19 test.
Davis 82, USF 75 >> The Dons (0-1) were led by freshman guard Ioanna Krimili, who scored a game-high 22 points in the loss on the road. Amalie Langer added a career-high 17 points.
The Aggies (1-0) balanced attack was led by Evanne Turner’s team-high 19.
San Jose State 56, Cal 48 >> Tyra Whitehead scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Spartans in their opener at Haas Pavilion. Leilani McIntosh, Dalayah Daniels and ,Evelien Lutje Schipholt all scored 10 for the host Bears.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-11-26--It’s Christmas in the Park like you’ve never seen before

In a year that ’ s seen more than its share of tragedy and disaster , at least Christmas in the Park found a way to hold on to its magic .
Now , the beloved San Jose holiday tradition , which opens Friday at 4 p.m. and runs through Jan. 3 , has undergone a lot of change this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
To begin with , it ’ s a drive-thru event at History Park on Senter Road .
You ’ ll need to make reservations in advance , you can ’ t visit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an admission charge for the first time .
But the ride through the park , which takes about 30 minutes , is an experience like Christmas in the Park has never seen .
Click here if you are having trouble viewing the slideshow on a mobile device .
That ’ s largely because of the addition of more than 150,000 colorful lights , which illuminate displays , guide drivers along their way and bring a festive atmosphere to the historic buildings and structures around the park .
While there ’ s some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Vasona Lake County Park , it ’ s set apart by History Park ’ s 100-foot light tower and Christmas in the Park ’ s 300-plus decorated trees and charming animatronic scenes .
“ This is a new type of show that no one has ever seen before , ” said J.R. Mattos , who was hired this year as Christmas in the Park ’ s exhibit engineer .
“ The drive-thru was created as a way to help deal with the COVID-19 situation , while still bringing Christmas in the Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than that.
” He ’ s not kidding .
The show actually starts in History Park ’ s huge parking lot on Phelan Avenue , where many traditional and familiar animatronic scenes are on display , including the Jazz Trolley Car , Bear Pond Ice Rink , the Christmas Ornament Mine , Penguin Flight School and Happy Hollow ’ s Danny the Dragon .
There ’ s some new stuff , too , like LED candy canes and illuminated archways decorated with snowflakes and leaping reindeer .
The lighting is programmed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can play in your car ( tune the radio to 93.1 FM ) , an effect that ’ s really impressive as you drive through a 325-foot-long tunnel of lights .
And that ’ s just getting out of the parking lot .
Inside History Park , several buildings including the blacksmith ’ s shop , the print shop and Dashaway Stables — repurposed for Santa ’ s reindeer , of course — are decorated in holiday lights .
Be sure to look in the windows of the Pacific Hotel and O ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are filled with Christmas decor .
A pair of 96-foot-long lighted “ curtains ” keep people going in the right direction toward the replica of the San Jose Light Tower , where New Ballet has created a new installation — a scene from “ The San Jose Nutcracker ” with a huge Queen of Snow statue made by artist Lacey Bryant .
Dancers from the ballet will also be there on select nights , so keep your eyes peeled for Mousima or the Nutcracker Prince .
Of course , it wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Claus , and the jolly old elf is there waving to people in cars from his giant sleigh as they pass by .
Here ’ s a tip : Santa will be on your left side , so make sure the little ones know to start watching for him after you go through the light tower .
The last part of the trip is highlighted by the hundreds of Christmas trees — decorated by community organizations and businesses — that line the narrow streets inside the park .
At a speed of 2.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can get a pretty good look at their favorites .
Reservations are available from 4 to 10 p.m. every day , with a $ 20 charge per vehicle , at www.christmasinthepark.com .
It ’ s only $ 10 if you go between 4 and 5 p.m. , and while you lose some of the lighting effects because of the fading daylight , some displays and tree decorations are easier to see .
“ We know that people are used to our event having free admission , but due to lost revenue , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Christmas in the Park Executive Director Jason Minsky said , adding that it was the “ best one-year solution for us.
” • Giving Tuesday : Bay Area performing arts groups band together on campaign • With COVID-19 spiking , SJ SHIP Kits ’ mission more important than ever The thousands of families like ours who have made Christmas in the Park a tradition during the 40 years it was downtown at Plaza de Cesar Chavez will no doubt miss walking around the park with hot chocolate and churros , enjoying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sounds of Downtown Ice and the Winter Wonderland carnival rides — both canceled this year .
But this year , just having Christmas in the Park in any form feels like a gift .
And , it turns out , this is an even cooler gift than we expected .

In a year that’s seen more than its share of tragedy and disaster, at least Christmas in the Park found a way to hold on to its magic.
Now, the beloved San Jose holiday tradition, which opens Friday at 4 p.m. and runs through Jan. 3, has undergone a lot of change this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin with, it’s a drive-thru event at History Park on Senter Road. You’ll need to make reservations in advance, you can’t visit in person with Santa, and there’s an admission charge for the first time. But the ride through the park, which takes about 30 minutes, is an experience like Christmas in the Park has never seen.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A car drives through a light tunnel display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A car drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Hudson Martinez, 2, stands up in the sunroof of his families truck during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Santa waves at a car during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A minivan drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Cars drive through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Santa waves and talks to a car as it drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A car drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Santa waves and talks to a car as it drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A minivan drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A car drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A car drives past decorated Christmas trees, about 300 of trees are on display, during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A car drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Jason Minsky, executive director of Christmas in the Park, directs traffic during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A minivan drives through a light tunnel display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Signage at the entrance to "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" during a preview at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A car drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A car drives through a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A truck drives past a display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A truck drives through the beginning of a light display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: A sign on display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: The moon can be seen during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: An oversized ornament on display during a preview for "Christmas in the Park - A Drive-Thru Holiday" at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Click here if you are having trouble viewing the slideshow on a mobile device.
That’s largely because of the addition of more than 150,000 colorful lights, which illuminate displays, guide drivers along their way and bring a festive atmosphere to the historic buildings and structures around the park. While there’s some similarity to the Fantasy of Lights show at Vasona Lake County Park, it’s set apart by History Park’s 100-foot light tower and Christmas in the Park’s 300-plus decorated trees and charming animatronic scenes.
“This is a new type of show that no one has ever seen before,” said J.R. Mattos, who was hired this year as Christmas in the Park’s exhibit engineer. “The drive-thru was created as a way to help deal with the COVID-19 situation, while still bringing Christmas in the Park cheer, but it will be much more than that.”
He’s not kidding. The show actually starts in History Park’s huge parking lot on Phelan Avenue, where many traditional and familiar animatronic scenes are on display, including the Jazz Trolley Car, Bear Pond Ice Rink, the Christmas Ornament Mine, Penguin Flight School and Happy Hollow’s Danny the Dragon. There’s some new stuff, too, like LED candy canes and illuminated archways decorated with snowflakes and leaping reindeer.
The lighting is programmed to change in sync with Christmas music you can play in your car (tune the radio to 93.1 FM), an effect that’s really impressive as you drive through a 325-foot-long tunnel of lights. And that’s just getting out of the parking lot.
Inside History Park, several buildings including the blacksmith’s shop, the print shop and Dashaway Stables — repurposed for Santa’s reindeer, of course — are decorated in holiday lights. Be sure to look in the windows of the Pacific Hotel and O’Brien’s Candy Shop, which are filled with Christmas decor. A pair of 96-foot-long lighted “curtains” keep people going in the right direction toward the replica of the San Jose Light Tower, where New Ballet has created a new installation — a scene from “The San Jose Nutcracker” with a huge Queen of Snow statue made by artist Lacey Bryant. Dancers from the ballet will also be there on select nights, so keep your eyes peeled for Mousima or the Nutcracker Prince.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas in the Park without Santa Claus, and the jolly old elf is there waving to people in cars from his giant sleigh as they pass by. Here’s a tip: Santa will be on your left side, so make sure the little ones know to start watching for him after you go through the light tower. The last part of the trip is highlighted by the hundreds of Christmas trees — decorated by community organizations and businesses — that line the narrow streets inside the park. At a speed of 2.5 mph (or less), passengers can get a pretty good look at their favorites.
Reservations are available from 4 to 10 p.m. every day, with a $20 charge per vehicle, at www.christmasinthepark.com. It’s only $10 if you go between 4 and 5 p.m., and while you lose some of the lighting effects because of the fading daylight, some displays and tree decorations are easier to see.
“We know that people are used to our event having free admission, but due to lost revenue, having a pre-paid ticketed event is necessary,” Christmas in the Park Executive Director Jason Minsky said, adding that it was the “best one-year solution for us.”


mercurynews--2020-11-26--Oakland man charged with murder in connection with March shooting

OAKLAND — A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with a fatal shooting in March , and police say they matched shells at that scene to another shooting three hours later , in which a 9-year-old boy was injured .
The allegations were made in charging records against Melvin Hines III , who is facing charges of murdering Eric Chavis-Reshard Jr. , 32 , and wounding another man during the same shooting .
Hines is not facing any charges related to the shooting that injured the boy in another part of Oakland , hours later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed around 5 p.m. on March 3 , on the 1800 block of 88th Avenue .
Surveillance footage showed a green Pontiac leaving the scene , investigators wrote in court records .
Hours later , Hines was detained after getting into a police chase with officers who ’ d spotted him in another car leaving the scene of a shooting on the 8800 block of Plymouth Street , where a 9-year-old boy was injured , police wrote in court records .
• Oakland man charged with murdering man during a robbery , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man was beaten to death in East Bay jail months ago , and officials never announced it .
Suspect was hours away from being released • Rally calls for attention to medical case of East Bay murder defendant Authorities say shell casings found at that shooting matched those at the Chavis-Reshard shooting , as well as casings found in a subsequent search of Hines ’ home .
When interviewed , Hines denied being involved in the shooting or driving the Pontiac that night .
Hines has pleaded not guilty and remains in Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold .
His next court date is a preliminary hearing , where a judge will review evidence against him and decide if there is enough to let the case go on .
That has been tentatively set for Jan. 13 .

OAKLAND — A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with a fatal shooting in March, and police say they matched shells at that scene to another shooting three hours later, in which a 9-year-old boy was injured.
The allegations were made in charging records against Melvin Hines III, who is facing charges of murdering Eric Chavis-Reshard Jr., 32, and wounding another man during the same shooting. Hines is not facing any charges related to the shooting that injured the boy in another part of Oakland, hours later.
Police say Chavis-Reshard was shot and killed around 5 p.m. on March 3, on the 1800 block of 88th Avenue. Surveillance footage showed a green Pontiac leaving the scene, investigators wrote in court records.
Hours later, Hines was detained after getting into a police chase with officers who’d spotted him in another car leaving the scene of a shooting on the 8800 block of Plymouth Street, where a 9-year-old boy was injured, police wrote in court records.
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East Bay man gets 35 years to life for murdering his uncle before police shot him Crime and Public Safety | Teen shot at Oakland outdoor memorial dies from wounds Authorities say shell casings found at that shooting matched those at the Chavis-Reshard shooting, as well as casings found in a subsequent search of Hines’ home. When interviewed, Hines denied being involved in the shooting or driving the Pontiac that night.
Hines has pleaded not guilty and remains in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on a no-bail hold. His next court date is a preliminary hearing, where a judge will review evidence against him and decide if there is enough to let the case go on. That has been tentatively set for Jan. 13.


mercurynews--2020-11-26--Raiders’ Derek Carr keeping defenses and viewers guessing with ‘Purple Walrus’ and other audibles

Derek Carr may be even more creative before the snap than he is after it .
Carr has earned raves from Raiders coach Jon Gruden for his ability to turn nothing into something when plays break down .
His choice of audibles , however occasionally leaves Gruden scratching his head .
“ You think I came up with Purple Walrus ?
” Gruden said Wednesday in a teleconference .
“ I don ’ t know here he comes up with some of this.
” Quarterbacks use audibles to change plays at the line of scrimmage based on the way the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magic word or words and change their assignment on the fly .
With small crowds or no fans at all in the stands due to the coronavirus pandemic , television microphones have been able to pick up Carr ’ s colorful cadence .
In the Raiders ’ 35-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs , NBC broadcaster Al Michaels got a chuckle out of “ Purple Walrus.
” In the Raiders ’ first meeting with the Chiefs , Carr barked out “ Bruce Springsteen ” and “ Joe Montana.
” A big NBA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Harden , ” “ Pistol Pete ” and Chris Mullin .
He even used “ Cindy Gruden ” — the name of his head coach ’ s wife .
When the Raiders visit the Atlanta Falcons Sunday , Carr could have an entirely different list of calls .
“ I ’ ve had some good ones , ” Carr said .
“ I ’ ve been able to have fun with it and throw certain players ’ names in there .
I ’ ve got some new ones obviously for this game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , coming up with stuff , but don ’ t get it twisted .
I don ’ t come up with all of them .
I ’ m not that smart.
” Amateur sleuths on social media have taken their best shot at deciphering the Carr code .
“ Some of my best friends , they ’ ll send me some tweets of people trying to figure out what it means , ” Carr said .
“ It ’ s so funny how wrong people are , but it ’ s fun to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re trying to figure it out.
” Part of the verbal game is covering your tracks with dummy , or fake audibles .
Words that mean nothing at all with Carr running the same play that was called in the huddle .
“ You can give people a list of our audibles and things that I ’ ve said and they still have to memorize that list and know what I ’ m saying it and know what it means , ” Carr said .
Gruden wasn ’ t about to divulge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a baseball manager would give out instructions for a bunt or hit and run .
“ Just so you know , a lot of it is fake chatter .
It ’ s like a baseball coach at third base , giving signals , ” Gruden said .
“ You know what it means ?
Nothing.
” A baseball sign is typically live after an “ indicator ” is given , like for instance , the first sign after tipping the bill of the cap .
They can also include “ wipeoffs ” where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Football audibles can operate in the same way only with words .
“ I ’ ve used probably 20 of ’ em where I say the same word and sometimes it means something , sometimes it means nothing , ” Carr said .
“ There are ways to protect it.
” Gruden is looking forward to getting fans back in the stands so the roar of the crowd drowns out the game within the game on the field .
“ It ’ s a shame now we ’ re giving access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plays on live TV , ” Gruden said .
“ I don ’ t know what the world is coming to.
” Vic Beasley , an edge rusher signed to the practice squad , participated in his first practice .
Takk McKinley , who was claimed on waivers is on a roster exemption but not on the field .
The Kennedy-Richmond product failed physicals in both Cincinnati and with the 49ers before the Raiders got their chance to bring him in and he has yet to be cleared medically .
Both players represent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rejuvenate players who had fallen out of favor with their previous teams .
McKinley , a former first-round draft pick , was released by Atlanta .
Beasley was cut by Tennessee after playing in Atlanta from 2015 through 2019 .
“ I learned that from Al Davis when I was here , ” Gruden said .
“ Learned that from Bill Walsh with the 49ers .
Bring in a Hacksaw Reynolds , bring in a Fred Dean .
.
.
Matt Millen , Ronnie Lott , guys that have played great before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can play great again .
Sometimes a change of scenery is what these guys need.
” — Linebacker Cory Littleton was back at practice after spending 12 days on the COVID-19 reserve list .
Gruden said he hopes defensive end Clelin Ferrell will return Thursday .
Also on the list are nickel cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and practice squad running back Theo Riddick .
“ We have a lot of moving parts right now , ” Gruden said .
— Rookie cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Amik Robertson were ill and not at practice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned to practice and was limited .
Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst , who hasn ’ t played since Oct. 25 against Tampa Bay , was a full participant .
Said Gruden of Arnette : “ We like the makeup , we like the talent , but we have to get these guys out here .
I don ’ t know enough about him as a player yet , I just know he has great potential .
But I do not like that word at all .
Potential means you haven ’ t done @ @ @ @

Derek Carr may be even more creative before the snap than he is after it.
Carr has earned raves from Raiders coach Jon Gruden for his ability to turn nothing into something when plays break down. His choice of audibles, however occasionally leaves Gruden scratching his head.
“You think I came up with Purple Walrus?” Gruden said Wednesday in a teleconference. “I don’t know here he comes up with some of this.”
Quarterbacks use audibles to change plays at the line of scrimmage based on the way the defense is aligned. Teammates hear the magic word or words and change their assignment on the fly. With small crowds or no fans at all in the stands due to the coronavirus pandemic, television microphones have been able to pick up Carr’s colorful cadence.
In the Raiders’ 35-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, NBC broadcaster Al Michaels got a chuckle out of “Purple Walrus.”
In the Raiders’ first meeting with the Chiefs, Carr barked out “Bruce Springsteen” and “Joe Montana.”
A big NBA fan, Carr has used James Harden,” “Pistol Pete” and Chris Mullin.
He even used “Cindy Gruden” — the name of his head coach’s wife.
When the Raiders visit the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Carr could have an entirely different list of calls.
“I’ve had some good ones,” Carr said. “I’ve been able to have fun with it and throw certain players’ names in there. I’ve got some new ones obviously for this game. My mind’s always working, coming up with stuff, but don’t get it twisted. I don’t come up with all of them. I’m not that smart.”
Amateur sleuths on social media have taken their best shot at deciphering the Carr code.
“Some of my best friends, they’ll send me some tweets of people trying to figure out what it means,” Carr said. “It’s so funny how wrong people are, but it’s fun to read for us, because they’re trying to figure it out.”
Part of the verbal game is covering your tracks with dummy, or fake audibles. Words that mean nothing at all with Carr running the same play that was called in the huddle.
“You can give people a list of our audibles and things that I’ve said and they still have to memorize that list and know what I’m saying it and know what it means,” Carr said.
"Purple Walrus L-A, James Harden, Chris Mullin!" Derek Carr's audibles are something else 🤣 (🔊: ON)#nfl #Raiders pic.twitter.com/hsjo1wZ7GC — Tim and Sid (@timandsid) November 23, 2020
Gruden wasn’t about to divulge the language of changing plays any more than a baseball manager would give out instructions for a bunt or hit and run.
“Just so you know, a lot of it is fake chatter. It’s like a baseball coach at third base, giving signals,” Gruden said. “You know what it means? Nothing.”
A baseball sign is typically live after an “indicator” is given, like for instance, the first sign after tipping the bill of the cap. They can also include “wipeoffs” where a sign is given and then removed. Football audibles can operate in the same way only with words.
“I’ve used probably 20 of ’em where I say the same word and sometimes it means something, sometimes it means nothing,” Carr said. “There are ways to protect it.”
Gruden is looking forward to getting fans back in the stands so the roar of the crowd drowns out the game within the game on the field.
“It’s a shame now we’re giving access to our snap count and our inventory of plays on live TV,” Gruden said. “I don’t know what the world is coming to.”
Gruden on reclamation projects Beasley, McKinley
Vic Beasley, an edge rusher signed to the practice squad, participated in his first practice. Takk McKinley, who was claimed on waivers is on a roster exemption but not on the field. The Kennedy-Richmond product failed physicals in both Cincinnati and with the 49ers before the Raiders got their chance to bring him in and he has yet to be cleared medically.
Both players represent the Raiders’ long-standing tradition of attempting to rejuvenate players who had fallen out of favor with their previous teams. McKinley, a former first-round draft pick, was released by Atlanta. Beasley was cut by Tennessee after playing in Atlanta from 2015 through 2019.
“I learned that from Al Davis when I was here,” Gruden said. “Learned that from Bill Walsh with the 49ers. Bring in a Hacksaw Reynolds, bring in a Fred Dean . . . Matt Millen, Ronnie Lott, guys that have played great before. There’s a chance they can play great again. Sometimes a change of scenery is what these guys need.”
ETCETERA
— Linebacker Cory Littleton was back at practice after spending 12 days on the COVID-19 reserve list. Gruden said he hopes defensive end Clelin Ferrell will return Thursday. Also on the list are nickel cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and practice squad running back Theo Riddick.
“We have a lot of moving parts right now,” Gruden said.
— Rookie cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Amik Robertson were ill and not at practice. Running back Jalen Richard (chest) returned to practice and was limited. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, who hasn’t played since Oct. 25 against Tampa Bay, was a full participant.
Said Gruden of Arnette: “We like the makeup, we like the talent, but we have to get these guys out here. I don’t know enough about him as a player yet, I just know he has great potential. But I do not like that word at all. Potential means you haven’t done it yet.”


mercurynews--2020-11-26--$6,000 a week: Demand for nurses amid COVID surge has hospitals bracing for staffing shortages

In the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic , it was unceasing demand for masks , face shields and other protective gear for health care workers that strained the system .
Now , as the deadly virus spreads out of control across the entire country , the dominant concern is over a shortage of medical workers themselves .
Already , traveling nurse companies are seeing a record number of job openings — and skyrocketing pay rates — as hospitals scramble to staff up to meet the need brought on by soaring COVID-hospitalization rates .
Medical systems , such as UCSF , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hotspots such as New York City are now refusing to part with their staff , mindful that they , too , may need all hands on deck .
And the pleas from public health officials to stay home over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend are becoming increasingly urgent , with social distancing and masking being the primary way to prevent hospitals from filling up in the absence of a vaccine .
“ We are on our own , and our hospitals are hurting at this point , ” said Marty Fenstersheib , Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the last several days , California has recorded more cases than ever — topping 20,000 new cases on Monday alone .
Across the U.S. , more than 178,000 new cases and 2,200 deaths were recorded Tuesday .
More than 88,000 people are in the hospital with the coronavirus this Thanksgiving , including nearly 700 in the Bay Area — the most since August .
Across the state , with more than 1,550 people in the ICU , fewer than 2,000 ICU beds remain open and , according to the state hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruz and Sonoma , have none or just a few available .
“ All options are on the table if necessary , including a field respite center , ” Santa Clara County said Wednesday in response to a question about whether it planned to re-convert the Santa Clara County Convention Center into a medical facility .
“ We hope this is not required and ask everyone to continue to do their part by wearing face coverings , social distancing and not traveling.
” ICU patients , by nature , require intensive care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one or two patients per nurse .
But meeting those staffing levels is becoming increasingly difficult .
“ Right now , demand is three times what it normally is , ” said Dan Weberg , head of clinical innovation at Trusted Health , a three-year-old startup that matches nurses to jobs in the Bay Area and across the country .
“ There might be enough physical hospital beds , but there ’ s just not enough staff.
” And while in past years and even earlier in the pandemic , all hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same time , that ’ s changed .
Hospitals are drawing from the same finite pool of nurses and , in some cases , extending contracts — meaning other hospitals are left scrambling .
In the Golden State , demand is especially high in Los Angeles right now .
But , Weberg said , “ across the board , we ’ re seeing California prepping for the worst and getting ready.
” Renowned hospital systems , such as UC San Francisco , that sent doctors and nurses to New York and the Navajo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close .
“ We simply can ’ t risk it this time , when we could be slammed ourselves in 1-2 weeks , ” tweeted Bob Wachter , chair of UCSF ’ s Department of Medicine .
Traditional traveling nurse agencies are also experiencing growing demand , with hospitals offering $ 6,000 or more a week to woo workers .
Trusted Health is seeing nurses who took time off return to the workforce , and those who had joined the faculty at nursing schools headed back into the trenches .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — but not every effort to expand the pool has succeeded .
While Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s call for retired or out-of-work medical workers to join what he called the California Health Corps resulted in more than 90,000 volunteers , only a tiny fraction have actually been dispatched , with many stymied by expired medical licenses and other bureaucratic issues .
“ There are approximately 900 California Health Corps cadre members available to support California ’ s response , ” the California Department of Public Health told this news organization Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s high profile call to arms this spring .
Health corps members have worked more than 2,500 shifts supporting 109 facilities statewide .
The state has some of the strictest licensing requirements in the country , which affect even active medical workers .
According to Trusted Health ’ s Weberg , it takes weeks for out-of-state nurses to become licensed in California , while the process takes just hours or days in other states such as New York .
• What we ’ re learning Wednesday at 49ers HQ ahead of visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swap : Why the NFL moved Ravens-Steelers , but not 49ers-Packers All of it has meant months of strain for all medical workers , temporary and longtime staff alike .
“ There are sometimes lulls where people can step back and say , ‘ Oh great , this isn ’ t such a crazy day after all , ’ and there isn ’ t that lull anymore , ” said Deborah Burger , a Kaiser Santa Rosa nurse and co-president of the union National Nurses United .
“ There isn ’ t time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief from the day-to-day stress of going into work and knowing that you ’ re exposing yourself to a deadly disease.
” The crush of work is compounded by the knowledge that there ’ s no end in sight to the pandemic , at least not yet .
Burger ’ s husband recently showed her a flight tracker displaying planes crisscrossing the country in real time ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday .
“ Nurses see what ’ s coming , ” she said .
“ Christmas is going to be one big funeral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

In the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, it was unceasing demand for masks, face shields and other protective gear for health care workers that strained the system. Now, as the deadly virus spreads out of control across the entire country, the dominant concern is over a shortage of medical workers themselves.
Already, traveling nurse companies are seeing a record number of job openings — and skyrocketing pay rates — as hospitals scramble to staff up to meet the need brought on by soaring COVID-hospitalization rates. Medical systems, such as UCSF, that once dispatched their nurses and doctors to hotspots such as New York City are now refusing to part with their staff, mindful that they, too, may need all hands on deck. And the pleas from public health officials to stay home over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend are becoming increasingly urgent, with social distancing and masking being the primary way to prevent hospitals from filling up in the absence of a vaccine.
“We are on our own, and our hospitals are hurting at this point,” said Marty Fenstersheib, Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 testing officer.
In the last several days, California has recorded more cases than ever — topping 20,000 new cases on Monday alone. Across the U.S., more than 178,000 new cases and 2,200 deaths were recorded Tuesday. More than 88,000 people are in the hospital with the coronavirus this Thanksgiving, including nearly 700 in the Bay Area — the most since August.
Across the state, with more than 1,550 people in the ICU, fewer than 2,000 ICU beds remain open and, according to the state hospital dashboard, some counties, including Santa Cruz and Sonoma, have none or just a few available.
“All options are on the table if necessary, including a field respite center,” Santa Clara County said Wednesday in response to a question about whether it planned to re-convert the Santa Clara County Convention Center into a medical facility. “We hope this is not required and ask everyone to continue to do their part by wearing face coverings, social distancing and not traveling.”
ICU patients, by nature, require intensive care, and in non-COVID conditions, that means just one or two patients per nurse. But meeting those staffing levels is becoming increasingly difficult.
“Right now, demand is three times what it normally is,” said Dan Weberg, head of clinical innovation at Trusted Health, a three-year-old startup that matches nurses to jobs in the Bay Area and across the country. “There might be enough physical hospital beds, but there’s just not enough staff.”
And while in past years and even earlier in the pandemic, all hospitals didn’t need nurses at the same time, that’s changed. Hospitals are drawing from the same finite pool of nurses and, in some cases, extending contracts — meaning other hospitals are left scrambling. In the Golden State, demand is especially high in Los Angeles right now.
But, Weberg said, “across the board, we’re seeing California prepping for the worst and getting ready.”
Renowned hospital systems, such as UC San Francisco, that sent doctors and nurses to New York and the Navajo Nation in April now are keeping staff close.
“We simply can’t risk it this time, when we could be slammed ourselves in 1-2 weeks,” tweeted Bob Wachter, chair of UCSF’s Department of Medicine.
Traditional traveling nurse agencies are also experiencing growing demand, with hospitals offering $6,000 or more a week to woo workers.
Trusted Health is seeing nurses who took time off return to the workforce, and those who had joined the faculty at nursing schools headed back into the trenches.
That’s happening at the state level, too — but not every effort to expand the pool has succeeded. While Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for retired or out-of-work medical workers to join what he called the California Health Corps resulted in more than 90,000 volunteers, only a tiny fraction have actually been dispatched, with many stymied by expired medical licenses and other bureaucratic issues.
“There are approximately 900 California Health Corps cadre members available to support California’s response,” the California Department of Public Health told this news organization Wednesday in response to questions about the governor’s high profile call to arms this spring. Health corps members have worked more than 2,500 shifts supporting 109 facilities statewide.
The state has some of the strictest licensing requirements in the country, which affect even active medical workers. According to Trusted Health’s Weberg, it takes weeks for out-of-state nurses to become licensed in California, while the process takes just hours or days in other states such as New York.
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“There are sometimes lulls where people can step back and say, ‘Oh great, this isn’t such a crazy day after all,’ and there isn’t that lull anymore,” said Deborah Burger, a Kaiser Santa Rosa nurse and co-president of the union National Nurses United. “There isn’t time to recharge your batteries, to get relief from the day-to-day stress of going into work and knowing that you’re exposing yourself to a deadly disease.”
The crush of work is compounded by the knowledge that there’s no end in sight to the pandemic, at least not yet. Burger’s husband recently showed her a flight tracker displaying planes crisscrossing the country in real time ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Nurses see what’s coming,” she said. “Christmas is going to be one big funeral, and it’s really disheartening.”


mercurynews--2020-11-25--Outbreak: Fauci worries about deadly post-Thanksgiving toll

Dr. Anthony Fauci ’ s final pre-Thanksgiving plea is to keep any indoor holiday gatherings as small as possible as the country endures record numbers of Covid-19 hospitalizations and daily cases , he told ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America ” on Wednesday .
With the US seeing unprecedented numbers of recorded infections now , he ’ s worried about how much the virus will spread in holiday celebrations — and what the pandemic will look like in three weeks when those new infections will have manifested .
“ What we don ’ t want to see is yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) surge … which we ’ ll realize three ( to ) three and a half weeks from now ” if people aren ’ t careful , Fauci , director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told ABC .
Video : The question Dr. Fauci wants you to consider this Thanksgiving Public health officials have generally urged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving only with members of the same household , or at least gather outdoors , to avoid further virus spread .
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel for Thanksgiving .
Those warnings come as medical staff around the country say they ’ ve struggled to keep up with the surging number of hospital patients .
More than 88,000 Covid-19 patients were in hospitals nationwide on Tuesday , the 15th straight day that figure set a record for the pandemic , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
The federal government ’ s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ( CMS ) announced a plan Wednesday to deliver acute hospital care at home and relax regulations on surgical care outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase care capacity as coronavirus hospitalizations surge around the nation .
The centers will make it possible for vulnerable people to access critical non-coronavirus care without entering a setting where they may be exposed to the virus .
“ We ’ re at a new level of crisis response with Covid-19 , ” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement .
“ With new areas across the country experiencing significant challenges to the capacity of their health care systems , our job is to make sure that CMS regulations are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Covid-19 and beyond.
” Cases and deaths are soaring .
The average number of new daily cases across a week in the US was 174,225 on Tuesday — the highest on record , and more than two and a half times greater than the previous peak in late July .
More than 2,100 Covid-19 deaths were reported in the US on Tuesday — the highest one-day coronavirus death toll the country has reported since early May , Johns Hopkins University data show .
Still , air travel is robust compared to previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest day for air travel since March 16 , with 1.05 million people screened while more than 900,000 people were screened Tuesday , the Transportation Security Administration said .
The country ’ s average daily death toll across a week now stands at 1,601 — higher than the summer ’ s summit average of 1,138 on August 1 , but below the country ’ s peak pandemic average of 2,241 in late April , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
Physician fears ‘ the darkest days in modern American medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current numbers may seem , physicians and officials throughout the country are projecting an even harder next few weeks .
In Houston , Dr. Joseph Varon , chief of staff at United Memorial Medical Center says he has been working for 251 straight days because of the pandemic .
He says he suspects caseloads at the hospital will get worse as the country awaits a vaccine , especially if people don ’ t take public health officials ’ exhortations to socially distance and wear masks seriously .
“ My concerns for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we don ’ t do things right , America is going to see the darkest days in modern American medical history , ” Varon told CNN Wednesday .
“ My hospital is full .
I just opened two new wings so that I can accommodate for the next few days , because I know that a lot of people are going to get sick after Thanksgiving , ” he said .
“ My nurses in the middle of the day , they will start crying , because they are getting so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never-ending story , ” Varon said .
“ When they finish finally getting a patient in , they get a phone call from the ER that there is another patients getting admitted.
” More restrictions were announced in Nashville this week , where Mayor John Cooper said restaurants and bars will be limited to a maximum of 50 % capacity , with social distancing .
Additionally , there will be a 10 p.m. last call and service for food and beverages and no entry to establishments after that time .
The new limits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The additional modifications are being made in response to the continued spike in Covid cases and concerns about hospital capacity , ” Cooper wrote on Twitter .
In New York City , which closed schools last week because local test-positivity rates rose above 3 % , Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday that he and the governor were working on a plan to reopen the buildings .
The plan will include increased testing in schools , which had been once a month .
“ We want to have every child able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” de Blasio said .
In the hard-hit Texas community of El Paso , County Judge Ricardo Samaniego announced Tuesday a partial curfew that would work to address social and recreational activities but does not apply when residents are out for essential or nonessential business .
The curfew will run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and will expire Monday .
“ You will be able to be purchasing , shopping , whatever it is that you need to do of any essential or nonessential businesses under the conditions that are placed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re trying to create a balance on the health of our community and the economy.
” “ But let me emphasize the following , ” the judge said .
“ It is a shelter at home order .
Residents are strongly urged to shelter at home .
If leaving home to obtain essential or nonessential service , this order strongly recommends that only one person per family participate in obtaining goods and services.
” In Louisiana , Gov .
John Bel Edwards announced the state was imposing more restrictions starting Wednesday , amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Restaurants , gyms , barber shops , nail salons , movie theaters and nonessential businesses are limited to 50 % capacity .
• $ 6,000 a week : Demand for nurses amid COVID surge has hospitals bracing for staffing shortages • What we ’ re learning Wednesday at 49ers HQ ahead of visit to Los Angeles Rams • Thursday night swap : Why the NFL moved Ravens-Steelers , but not 49ers-Packers “ There is not a single region of our state that is not seeing increases in new cases , hospitalizations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am incredibly concerned by Louisiana ’ s trajectory and our ability to continue to deliver health care to our people if our hospitals are overrun with sick patients , ” Edwards said .
“ Now is the time to make changes , ” he added .

By Jason Hanna and Christina Maxouris | CNN
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s final pre-Thanksgiving plea is to keep any indoor holiday gatherings as small as possible as the country endures record numbers of Covid-19 hospitalizations and daily cases, he told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday.
With the US seeing unprecedented numbers of recorded infections now, he’s worried about how much the virus will spread in holiday celebrations — and what the pandemic will look like in three weeks when those new infections will have manifested.
“What we don’t want to see is yet another surge superposed upon the (current) surge … which we’ll realize three (to) three and a half weeks from now” if people aren’t careful, Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC.
[vemba-video id=”us/2020/11/25/fauci-thanksgiving-warning-nr-sot-vpx.cnn”]
Video: The question Dr. Fauci wants you to consider this Thanksgiving
Public health officials have generally urged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving only with members of the same household, or at least gather outdoors, to avoid further virus spread. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommended last week that Americans should not travel for Thanksgiving.
Those warnings come as medical staff around the country say they’ve struggled to keep up with the surging number of hospital patients.
More than 88,000 Covid-19 patients were in hospitals nationwide on Tuesday, the 15th straight day that figure set a record for the pandemic, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
The federal government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a plan Wednesday to deliver acute hospital care at home and relax regulations on surgical care outside of hospitals as part of an effort to increase care capacity as coronavirus hospitalizations surge around the nation.
The centers will make it possible for vulnerable people to access critical non-coronavirus care without entering a setting where they may be exposed to the virus.
“We’re at a new level of crisis response with Covid-19,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. “With new areas across the country experiencing significant challenges to the capacity of their health care systems, our job is to make sure that CMS regulations are not standing in the way of patient care for Covid-19 and beyond.”
Cases and deaths are soaring. The average number of new daily cases across a week in the US was 174,225 on Tuesday — the highest on record, and more than two and a half times greater than the previous peak in late July.
More than 2,100 Covid-19 deaths were reported in the US on Tuesday — the highest one-day coronavirus death toll the country has reported since early May, Johns Hopkins University data show.
Still, air travel is robust compared to previous weeks during the pandemic. Sunday saw the biggest day for air travel since March 16, with 1.05 million people screened while more than 900,000 people were screened Tuesday, the Transportation Security Administration said.
The country’s average daily death toll across a week now stands at 1,601 — higher than the summer’s summit average of 1,138 on August 1, but below the country’s peak pandemic average of 2,241 in late April, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Physician fears ‘the darkest days in modern American medical history’ are coming
As grim as the current numbers may seem, physicians and officials throughout the country are projecting an even harder next few weeks.
In Houston, Dr. Joseph Varon, chief of staff at United Memorial Medical Center says he has been working for 251 straight days because of the pandemic.
He says he suspects caseloads at the hospital will get worse as the country awaits a vaccine, especially if people don’t take public health officials’ exhortations to socially distance and wear masks seriously.
“My concerns for the next six to 12 weeks is that if we don’t do things right, America is going to see the darkest days in modern American medical history,” Varon told CNN Wednesday.
“My hospital is full. I just opened two new wings so that I can accommodate for the next few days, because I know that a lot of people are going to get sick after Thanksgiving,” he said.
“My nurses in the middle of the day, they will start crying, because they are getting so many patients, and it’s a never-ending story,” Varon said. “When they finish finally getting a patient in, they get a phone call from the ER that there is another patients getting admitted.”
To curb spread, more restrictions
More restrictions were announced in Nashville this week, where Mayor John Cooper said restaurants and bars will be limited to a maximum of 50% capacity, with social distancing.
Additionally, there will be a 10 p.m. last call and service for food and beverages and no entry to establishments after that time. The new limits will go into effect on November 30.
“The additional modifications are being made in response to the continued spike in Covid cases and concerns about hospital capacity,” Cooper wrote on Twitter.
In New York City, which closed schools last week because local test-positivity rates rose above 3%, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday that he and the governor were working on a plan to reopen the buildings.
The plan will include increased testing in schools, which had been once a month. “We want to have every child able to be tested at every point,” de Blasio said.
In the hard-hit Texas community of El Paso, County Judge Ricardo Samaniego announced Tuesday a partial curfew that would work to address social and recreational activities but does not apply when residents are out for essential or nonessential business. The curfew will run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and will expire Monday.
“You will be able to be purchasing, shopping, whatever it is that you need to do of any essential or nonessential businesses under the conditions that are placed,” he said. “We’re trying to create a balance on the health of our community and the economy.”
“But let me emphasize the following,” the judge said. “It is a shelter at home order. Residents are strongly urged to shelter at home. If leaving home to obtain essential or nonessential service, this order strongly recommends that only one person per family participate in obtaining goods and services.”
In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the state was imposing more restrictions starting Wednesday, amid an “aggressive third surge of Covid-19.” Restaurants, gyms, barber shops, nail salons, movie theaters and nonessential businesses are limited to 50% capacity.
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Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms National News | COVID Q&A: Can I use an expired test? Time to get boosted? How to cope with California’s sneaky summer surge “There is not a single region of our state that is not seeing increases in new cases, hospitalizations and growing positivity of Covid tests, and I am incredibly concerned by Louisiana’s trajectory and our ability to continue to deliver health care to our people if our hospitals are overrun with sick patients,” Edwards said.
“Now is the time to make changes,” he added.


mercurynews--2020-11-25--Homeless Oaklanders get $2,500 cash to vacate private property

Ending a two-year battle over privately owned land in West Oakland , homeless residents squatting on the property agreed to leave this month — in exchange for $ 2,500 each in cash .
It ’ s an unusual resolution they and the activists who backed them are calling a victory for the rights of unhoused people everywhere .
But others say it ’ s a troubling sign of the decline of property rights in Oakland and beyond .
“ I felt like it was definitely a win , ” said 39-year-old Chad “ Bulldog ” Elliott , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Because they didn ’ t want to give us nothing .
And we made them.
” As the homelessness crisis continues to spiral out of control in Oakland and other Bay Area cities , tensions are growing between the region ’ s housed and unhoused residents .
Oakland leaders are struggling to manage massive encampments , and recently passed a controversial new policy that declares certain areas off-limits to camping .
At the same time , groups of activists increasingly are joining forces with unhoused residents and low-income tenants , fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re really trying to demonstrate is the power of the people when they ’ re united in struggle , ” said 27-year-old activist Cassidy Taylor , who moved to Oakland from Massachusetts this year to get involved in Wood Street and other local struggles .
“ What we ’ re really trying to demonstrate is we can ’ t just depend on different ways of working within the system in order to make real change for people .
We have to actually put pressure on the people in power.
” The Wood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 Housing victory earlier this year , where a group of homeless and insecurely housed mothers and activists squatted in an empty , investor-owned property for two months .
The group and its supporters ultimately pressured the owner into selling the home to a community land trust for use as homeless housing .
“ I think what you ’ re experiencing is the slow creep of a potential attack on property rights in light of the existing poverty that we see throughout the Bay Area , ” said Daniel Bornstein , a landlord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerning.
” Another point that ’ s concerning to some involved in the Wood Street dispute : The property owner intends to convert the space into a temporary , city-sanctioned safe parking site , and the protracted fight over the land has delayed those efforts by a year .
The saga started in 2016 , when the lot was purchased from BNSF Railway by local venture capitalist Fred Craves , through Game Changer LLC .
The following year , he bought the lot next door .
Craves originally wanted to turn the property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Game Changer ’ s lawyer , Patricia Smith .
As the Bay Area ’ s homelessness crisis intensified in the years after Game Changer ’ s purchase , an encampment grew on the lot .
And when Game Changer tried to remove them , the people living there refused to leave .
An activist group called the United Front Against Displacement , which describes itself as “ anti-gentrification ” and is distrustful of government-sanctioned solutions to homelessness , rallied around the unhoused residents , fighting for their right to stay put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
By the fall of 2019 , about 100 people were camped on the Game Changer land .
Craves reversed course and leased the property to the city for a safe parking site , where people living in their vehicles would have a stable place to stay , and access to showers and other services .
“ Game Changer can ’ t cure homelessness in Northern California , ” Smith said .
“ But I think providing that large a property to the city for an extended period of time is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are there.
” This time , when the Game Changer team told the campers to leave , most did — moving to an adjacent empty lot owned by Caltrans , or to the edge of Wood Street .
Game Changer said many could likely come back and get a spot in the safe parking site .
But a handful of holdouts remained , wary of the promised parking site .
Among them was a group of five friends living in old city buses and growing marijuana .
Over the course of nearly five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compound home , erecting a large fence around the perimeter and installing solar power .
“ We wanted to stay there , ” Elliott said .
“ We had so much work in there , and we ’ d built it from the ground up.
” Law enforcement declined to get involved until Game Changer took the matter to court , Smith said .
Delayed by the pandemic , Alameda County Superior Court Judge Patrick McKinney issued an order evicting the campers at the end of August .
Even so , the remaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elliott and his friends initially demanded $ 10,000 each .
On Nov. 16 , they settled for $ 2,500 each and moved to the Caltrans lot .
“ The alternative , ” Smith said , “ is continuing to pay over $ 13,000 a month in security and having more people move back and starting the whole process over again .
It ’ s pretty wild out there right now.
” Now , the city is moving forward with its promised safe parking site .
Oakland has an agreement to lease the property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t pay rent , but will reimburse Game Changer for property taxes up to $ 100,000 .
Supporters of the program hope it will help the dozens of people in RVs , cars and make-shift shacks on Wood Street , just outside the Game Changer land .
• San Jose church stabbing : Suspect ’ s jail release was revoked at time of attack • East Bay homeless man who died in mysterious homicide is identified • Judge rejects Milpitas group ’ s bid to block sale of hotel for homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom pledges another $ 62 million to prop up COVID hotel program Tyu Walker , who has been living in a dilapidated RV on Wood Street since the summer , would love to move into a safe parking site .
“ It would be a whole lot cleaner , ” he said , looking helplessly at the piles of trash surrounding him .
“ We would have all the amenities and everything.
” Walker , 44 , understands why the holdouts fought to remain on the Game Changer lot .
But he wishes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council meetings instead .
What they did , he said , delaying progress on the safe parking site , “ helps nobody .
”

Ending a two-year battle over privately owned land in West Oakland, homeless residents squatting on the property agreed to leave this month — in exchange for $2,500 each in cash.
It’s an unusual resolution they and the activists who backed them are calling a victory for the rights of unhoused people everywhere. But others say it’s a troubling sign of the decline of property rights in Oakland and beyond.
“I felt like it was definitely a win,” said 39-year-old Chad “Bulldog” Elliott, one of the people who was living on the property. “Because they didn’t want to give us nothing. And we made them.”
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OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Chad "Bulldog" Elliott shows his auction-bought SamTrans bus at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Bruce, who preferred to not give his last name, carries Ralphie the puppy as he walks past Cam McKeel's refurbished SamTrans bus that he lives in at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Cam McKeel hangs out in his refurbished SamTrans bus that he lives in at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Activist Cassidy Taylor plays with Ralphie the puppy at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: A man walks with parts of a bicycle at a homeless encampment along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Cam McKeel lights a joint in his refurbished SamTrans bus that he lives in at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Activist Cassidy Taylor looks for a resident at a homeless encampment along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Tyu Walker hangs out near his recreational vehicle at a homeless encampment along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Cam McKeel hangs out with Ralphie the puppy at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Activist Cassidy Taylor takes a break before looking for a resident at a homeless encampment along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Chad "Bulldog" Elliott takes a phone call as he leaves his auction-bought SamTrans bus at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Cam McKeel, right, hangs out with Bruce, left, who preferred to not give his last name, at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Activist Cassidy Taylor takes a break before looking for a resident at a homeless encampment along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Cam McKeel smokes a joint outside of his refurbished SamTrans bus that he lives in at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: A woman looks through items at a homeless encampment along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Cam McKeel, center, talks with outreach workers at a homeless encampment on Caltrans property along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. The owner of a nearby private parcel recently gave $2,500 in cash to each of the 5-7 people still on his land to have them move. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Activist Cassidy Taylor looks for a resident at a homeless encampment along Wood Street in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
As the homelessness crisis continues to spiral out of control in Oakland and other Bay Area cities, tensions are growing between the region’s housed and unhoused residents. Oakland leaders are struggling to manage massive encampments, and recently passed a controversial new policy that declares certain areas off-limits to camping. At the same time, groups of activists increasingly are joining forces with unhoused residents and low-income tenants, fighting back against displacement.
“What we’re really trying to demonstrate is the power of the people when they’re united in struggle,” said 27-year-old activist Cassidy Taylor, who moved to Oakland from Massachusetts this year to get involved in Wood Street and other local struggles. “What we’re really trying to demonstrate is we can’t just depend on different ways of working within the system in order to make real change for people. We have to actually put pressure on the people in power.”
The Wood Street outcome calls to mind the Moms 4 Housing victory earlier this year, where a group of homeless and insecurely housed mothers and activists squatted in an empty, investor-owned property for two months. The group and its supporters ultimately pressured the owner into selling the home to a community land trust for use as homeless housing.
“I think what you’re experiencing is the slow creep of a potential attack on property rights in light of the existing poverty that we see throughout the Bay Area,” said Daniel Bornstein, a landlord attorney who called the trend “absolutely concerning.”
Another point that’s concerning to some involved in the Wood Street dispute: The property owner intends to convert the space into a temporary, city-sanctioned safe parking site, and the protracted fight over the land has delayed those efforts by a year.
The saga started in 2016, when the lot was purchased from BNSF Railway by local venture capitalist Fred Craves, through Game Changer LLC. The following year, he bought the lot next door.
Craves originally wanted to turn the property into a music venue and brew pub, said Game Changer’s lawyer, Patricia Smith.
As the Bay Area’s homelessness crisis intensified in the years after Game Changer’s purchase, an encampment grew on the lot. And when Game Changer tried to remove them, the people living there refused to leave. An activist group called the United Front Against Displacement, which describes itself as “anti-gentrification” and is distrustful of government-sanctioned solutions to homelessness, rallied around the unhoused residents, fighting for their right to stay put, and physically blocking efforts to remove them.
By the fall of 2019, about 100 people were camped on the Game Changer land. Craves reversed course and leased the property to the city for a safe parking site, where people living in their vehicles would have a stable place to stay, and access to showers and other services.
“Game Changer can’t cure homelessness in Northern California,” Smith said. “But I think providing that large a property to the city for an extended period of time is going to be good for the people who are there.”
This time, when the Game Changer team told the campers to leave, most did — moving to an adjacent empty lot owned by Caltrans, or to the edge of Wood Street. Game Changer said many could likely come back and get a spot in the safe parking site.
But a handful of holdouts remained, wary of the promised parking site. Among them was a group of five friends living in old city buses and growing marijuana. Over the course of nearly five years, they’d made the compound home, erecting a large fence around the perimeter and installing solar power.
“We wanted to stay there,” Elliott said. “We had so much work in there, and we’d built it from the ground up.”
Law enforcement declined to get involved until Game Changer took the matter to court, Smith said. Delayed by the pandemic, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Patrick McKinney issued an order evicting the campers at the end of August.
Even so, the remaining campers refused to leave without compensation. Elliott and his friends initially demanded $10,000 each. On Nov. 16, they settled for $2,500 each and moved to the Caltrans lot.
“The alternative,” Smith said, “is continuing to pay over $13,000 a month in security and having more people move back and starting the whole process over again. It’s pretty wild out there right now.”
Now, the city is moving forward with its promised safe parking site. Oakland has an agreement to lease the property for at least two years, and won’t pay rent, but will reimburse Game Changer for property taxes up to $100,000.
Supporters of the program hope it will help the dozens of people in RVs, cars and make-shift shacks on Wood Street, just outside the Game Changer land.
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“It would be a whole lot cleaner,” he said, looking helplessly at the piles of trash surrounding him. “We would have all the amenities and everything.”
Walker, 44, understands why the holdouts fought to remain on the Game Changer lot. But he wishes they’d spoken up at City Council meetings instead. What they did, he said, delaying progress on the safe parking site, “helps nobody.”


mercurynews--2020-11-25--Warriors’ Klay Thompson undergoes surgery to repair Achilles

Warriors guard Klay Thompson underwent surgery in Los Angeles Wednesday to repair his torn right Achilles tendon , according to a team release .
The five-time All-Star is expected to make a full recovery .
As first reported by ESPN , the surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Ferkel in Los Angeles .
Ferkel has worked with other NBA players , including Ricky Rubio , DeMarcus Cousins , Joel Embiid , Wesley Matthews and Steph Curry .
Thompson was on pace to return for the start of the 2020-21 season next month after he missed all of last season with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2019 NBA Finals .
Instead , he is looking at another extended rehabilitation after suffering the Achilles injury last week during a workout in Southern California .
One of the top shooters of his generation , Thompson will go two years between games .
It ’ s a crushing blow not only for Thompson , but for a Warriors team seeking to return to title contention .
To replenish their depth , the Warriors traded for forward Kelly Oubre Jr. and signed guards Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker in free agency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ player exception in response to Thompson ’ s injury .
The exception would be worth $ 9.3 million and would allow the team to sign a player to a one-year deal or trade for a player with one year left on his contract without using cap space .
If the exception is granted by the NBA , the Warriors would most likely use it in the regular season .

Warriors guard Klay Thompson underwent surgery in Los Angeles Wednesday to repair his torn right Achilles tendon, according to a team release. The five-time All-Star is expected to make a full recovery.
As first reported by ESPN, the surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Ferkel in Los Angeles. Ferkel has worked with other NBA players, including Ricky Rubio, DeMarcus Cousins, Joel Embiid, Wesley Matthews and Steph Curry.
Thompson was on pace to return for the start of the 2020-21 season next month after he missed all of last season with a torn left ACL he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals. Instead, he is looking at another extended rehabilitation after suffering the Achilles injury last week during a workout in Southern California.
One of the top shooters of his generation, Thompson will go two years between games. It’s a crushing blow not only for Thompson, but for a Warriors team seeking to return to title contention. To replenish their depth, the Warriors traded for forward Kelly Oubre Jr. and signed guards Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker in free agency.
The Warriors also applied for a disabled player exception in response to Thompson’s injury. The exception would be worth $9.3 million and would allow the team to sign a player to a one-year deal or trade for a player with one year left on his contract without using cap space. If the exception is granted by the NBA, the Warriors would most likely use it in the regular season.


mercurynews--2020-11-26--Commercial Dungeness crab season again delayed to protect endangered whales

Commercial Dungeness crab season is delayed until at least mid-December , the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced .
The original opening date of Dec. 1 is delayed to Dec. 16 due to various factors including whale presence and low-quality crab meat .
In the CDFW ’ s central management area , from Point Arena to the Mexico border , whales remain in the crab fishing area resulting in a potential for entanglement .
In early December , the department will reassess entanglement risk and whale presence .
In addition to whale presence , meat quality testing in crabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area has shown that the crabs will not be ready to be fished until mid-December .
• Fishermen in Monterey Bay hit with new wave of Dungeness crab season delays • Dungeness crab won ’ t be on the Thanksgiving menu this year “ Our hope is both quality testing and additional marine life survey data will support a unified statewide opener on Dec. 16 , just in time to have crab for the holidays and New Year.
” CDFW director Charlton Bonham said .
More information on Dungeness crab can be found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Bay City News , Inc. — Republication , Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News , Inc. is prohibited .

Commercial Dungeness crab season is delayed until at least mid-December, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.
The original opening date of Dec. 1 is delayed to Dec. 16 due to various factors including whale presence and low-quality crab meat.
In the CDFW’s central management area, from Point Arena to the Mexico border, whales remain in the crab fishing area resulting in a potential for entanglement. In early December, the department will reassess entanglement risk and whale presence.
In addition to whale presence, meat quality testing in crabs in the CDFW’s northern management area has shown that the crabs will not be ready to be fished until mid-December.
“Our hope is both quality testing and additional marine life survey data will support a unified statewide opener on Dec. 16, just in time to have crab for the holidays and New Year.” CDFW director Charlton Bonham said.
More information on Dungeness crab can be found online at www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab.
Copyright � 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. — Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse
without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.