mercurynews--2020-09-14--Will 49ers’ receiving issues, Kittle’s knee sprain prompt roster move?

SANTA CLARA — George Kittle ’ s knee sprain from Sunday ’ s season-opening loss is yet another issue , albeit a major one , when it comes to who in the heck Jimmy Garoppolo can target , accurately or not .
Will Kittle be available for the next game , Sunday against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium , where the 49ers will return the following Sunday to face the Giants ?
“ He was a little sore today , but we ’ ll wait to see how he is Wednesday if he can practice and able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
“ We know there ’ ll be some question.
” The 49ers are already undermanned at wide receiver , and even though Shanahan said he would be surprised if rookie Brandon Aiyuk does not return from a hamstring this week , reinforcements are needed , especially after Richie James pulled a hamstring Sunday .
All that could prompt the 49ers to bring in a Shanahan favorite : Mohamed Sanu , who played in Shanahan ’ s system with the 2016 Atlanta Falcons ’ NFC-winning team .
Sanu got cut by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he has 92 starts in a career that began with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012 .
“ We ’ ll see how these injuries go but I love Sanu , ” Shanahan said Monday about the eight-year veteran .
“ He ’ s a heck of a player .
Him being out there is always a possibility .
“ … I wouldn ’ t rule that out at all .
I mean he ’ s available and definitely a guy I really respect and I think everyone in the league respects.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Arizona Cardinals , the 49ers ’ wide receivers accounted for only four of Garoppolo ’ s 19 completions , as Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor each had two catches while starter Dante Pettis had none with just one target in 45 snaps .
Aiyuk was inactive and Deebo Samuel was placed on injured reserve a day earlier .
Shanahan explained Monday that Samuel experienced lingering pain from a workout last week , prompting his move to IR , where the 49ers hope to activate him the first chance they get for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Oct. 4 .
On Sunday ’ s final comeback attempt , Shanahan acknowledged Garoppolo ’ s faults on throws to Bourne and Taylor , including a potential 21-yard touchdown to Bourne .
Shanahan said Bourne should have gone up harder to potentially draw a pass-interference penalty on Patrick Peterson , whose helmet deflected the ball into Bourne ’ s face before it fell incomplete .
Said Shanahan : “ It ’ s pretty simple , he underthrew it just a hair on both of them .
Guys still had chances and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they made it.
” Kittle , meanwhile , played all but one snap , and that came after his left knee sustained a hit by Cardinals safety Budda Baker after Kittle tried in vain to snag a high pass from Garoppolo just before halftime .
Shanahan said the injury did not result in Kittle getting shut out in second-half catches or targets .
“ It has more to do with how they ’ re playing and the people they ’ re putting on him , and when that happens you have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We were happy with Kittle .
When he tells you he ’ s alright and you watch him move , he was good to go in that game.
” If Kittle can not play , the 49ers could give Jordan Reed more action .
He had two receptions for 12 yards in 10 snaps in his 49ers debut , after missing last season with Washington .
Kevin White , Jauan Jennings and River Cracraft are practice-squad wide receivers who also could get promoted .
• ‘ That ’ s not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Jerry Rice rips lack of professionalism in season opener • The Deets : Overreactions and underreactions to the 49ers ’ Week 1 loss • 49ers report card : Doomed by mistakes at every level in opening loss Shanahan thought the 49ers defense overall “ played pretty well , ” and what made their task more difficult was a combination of bad penalties , miscommunication because of the Cardinals ’ up-tempo changes , and the mobility of Kyler Murray , who ran for 91 yards .
Once the 49ers wrestled back a fourth-quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed them to answer and that ’ s when they got real tired.
” The Cardinals converted 7-of-14 third-down plays , to which Shanahan noted : “ When you leave that quarterback out there for that long , you give him that many opportunities and give him 80 plays , he ’ s bound to make some and he did a lot of that in the fourth ( quarter ) .
” As for the unnecessary roughness penalties Dre Greenlaw and Kerry Hyder drew for hits on Murray after he gave himself up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , other than to note how hard it is to slow and judge as a defender .
“ I know they ’ re not the most aggressive fouls and they frustrate everybody , but it is the letter of the law and that is the rule , ” Shanahan said .
Shanahan raved at not only how Raheem Mostert fared in his first career start ( 56 rushing yards , 95 receiving yards ) but also at the long-awaited debut of fellow running back Jerick McKinnon ( 24 rushing yards , 20 receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jet played very well and just being out there was an accomplishment .
It had been almost 1,000 days since he played .
Everybody was pulling for him .
He ’ s a player who ’ s going to help us out a lot.
” Top draft pick Javon Kinlaw did not start but played almost half the game , and even though he was credited with just an assisted tackle , he made a positive first impression on his coach .
“ He ’ d been battling through camp , trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL , ” Shanahan said .
“ He had a hell of a game .
Made a number of plays against a tough team with their screens and the way their quarterback plays.
” Solomon Thomas , the 49ers ’ top pick in 2017 , had no tackles in 40 snaps starting inside next to D.J .
Jones .
Kwon Alexander got credited with one forced fumble but Shanahan said the starting linebacker actually forced three , none of which the 49ers recovered .
Alexander got beat on the Cardinals ’ first touchdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fits , too .
“ He still runs around and wants to hit , ” Shanahan said .
“ I don ’ t think it was his best game .
He will have better ones coming forward .
I ’ m not concerned.
” Defensive end Ziggy Ansah , who the 49ers looked at last month , will be brought in for a Tuesday tryout , Shanahan said .
“ I ’ ve always been a fan of Ziggy , playing against him , he ’ s always been a real good player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defensive line coach ) having such a good relationship with him , coaching him with Detroit , we ’ ve always kept in contact with him .
”

SANTA CLARA — George Kittle’s knee sprain from Sunday’s season-opening loss is yet another issue, albeit a major one, when it comes to who in the heck Jimmy Garoppolo can target, accurately or not.
Will Kittle be available for the next game, Sunday against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, where the 49ers will return the following Sunday to face the Giants?
“He was a little sore today, but we’ll wait to see how he is Wednesday if he can practice and able to go this week,” Shanahan said Monday. “We know there’ll be some question.”
The 49ers are already undermanned at wide receiver, and even though Shanahan said he would be surprised if rookie Brandon Aiyuk does not return from a hamstring this week, reinforcements are needed, especially after Richie James pulled a hamstring Sunday.
All that could prompt the 49ers to bring in a Shanahan favorite: Mohamed Sanu, who played in Shanahan’s system with the 2016 Atlanta Falcons’ NFC-winning team. Sanu got cut by the New England Patriots before the season, and he has 92 starts in a career that began with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012.
“We’ll see how these injuries go but I love Sanu,” Shanahan said Monday about the eight-year veteran. “He’s a heck of a player. Him being out there is always a possibility.
“… I wouldn’t rule that out at all. I mean he’s available and definitely a guy I really respect and I think everyone in the league respects.”
In Sunday’s 24-20 opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers’ wide receivers accounted for only four of Garoppolo’s 19 completions, as Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor each had two catches while starter Dante Pettis had none with just one target in 45 snaps.
Aiyuk was inactive and Deebo Samuel was placed on injured reserve a day earlier. Shanahan explained Monday that Samuel experienced lingering pain from a workout last week, prompting his move to IR, where the 49ers hope to activate him the first chance they get for their next home game, against Philadelphia on Oct. 4.
On Sunday’s final comeback attempt, Shanahan acknowledged Garoppolo’s faults on throws to Bourne and Taylor, including a potential 21-yard touchdown to Bourne. Shanahan said Bourne should have gone up harder to potentially draw a pass-interference penalty on Patrick Peterson, whose helmet deflected the ball into Bourne’s face before it fell incomplete.
Said Shanahan: “It’s pretty simple, he underthrew it just a hair on both of them. Guys still had chances and it would have been a real good play if they made it.”
Kittle, meanwhile, played all but one snap, and that came after his left knee sustained a hit by Cardinals safety Budda Baker after Kittle tried in vain to snag a high pass from Garoppolo just before halftime.
Shanahan said the injury did not result in Kittle getting shut out in second-half catches or targets. “It has more to do with how they’re playing and the people they’re putting on him, and when that happens you have to go different directions,” Shanahan said.
“We were happy with Kittle. When he tells you he’s alright and you watch him move, he was good to go in that game.”
If Kittle can not play, the 49ers could give Jordan Reed more action. He had two receptions for 12 yards in 10 snaps in his 49ers debut, after missing last season with Washington. Kevin White, Jauan Jennings and River Cracraft are practice-squad wide receivers who also could get promoted.
DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWNS
Shanahan thought the 49ers defense overall “played pretty well,” and what made their task more difficult was a combination of bad penalties, miscommunication because of the Cardinals’ up-tempo changes, and the mobility of Kyler Murray, who ran for 91 yards. Once the 49ers wrestled back a fourth-quarter lead, Shanahan noted: “We needed them to answer and that’s when they got real tired.”
The Cardinals converted 7-of-14 third-down plays, to which Shanahan noted: “When you leave that quarterback out there for that long, you give him that many opportunities and give him 80 plays, he’s bound to make some and he did a lot of that in the fourth (quarter).”
As for the unnecessary roughness penalties Dre Greenlaw and Kerry Hyder drew for hits on Murray after he gave himself up on scrambles, Shanahan had no beef, other than to note how hard it is to slow and judge as a defender. “I know they’re not the most aggressive fouls and they frustrate everybody, but it is the letter of the law and that is the rule,” Shanahan said.
RUNNING BACK REVIEW
Shanahan raved at not only how Raheem Mostert fared in his first career start (56 rushing yards, 95 receiving yards) but also at the long-awaited debut of fellow running back Jerick McKinnon (24 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards).
Said Shanahan: “Jet played very well and just being out there was an accomplishment. It had been almost 1,000 days since he played. Everybody was pulling for him. He’s a player who’s going to help us out a lot.”
KINLAW’S DEBUT
Top draft pick Javon Kinlaw did not start but played almost half the game, and even though he was credited with just an assisted tackle, he made a positive first impression on his coach. “He’d been battling through camp, trying to learn how to play D-line in the NFL,” Shanahan said. “He had a hell of a game. Made a number of plays against a tough team with their screens and the way their quarterback plays.” Solomon Thomas, the 49ers’ top pick in 2017, had no tackles in 40 snaps starting inside next to D.J. Jones.
UPBEAT ABOUT KWON
Kwon Alexander got credited with one forced fumble but Shanahan said the starting linebacker actually forced three, none of which the 49ers recovered. Alexander got beat on the Cardinals’ first touchdown and Murray’s scrambles gave him fits, too.
“He still runs around and wants to hit,” Shanahan said. “I don’t think it was his best game. He will have better ones coming forward. I’m not concerned.”
ANSAH AUDITION 2.0
Defensive end Ziggy Ansah, who the 49ers looked at last month, will be brought in for a Tuesday tryout, Shanahan said. “I’ve always been a fan of Ziggy, playing against him, he’s always been a real good player, and with Kris (Kocurek, the defensive line coach) having such a good relationship with him, coaching him with Detroit, we’ve always kept in contact with him.”


mercurynews--2020-09-14--Kurtenbach: Kyle Shanahan can’t hide Jimmy Garoppolo any longer

In both of the 49ers ’ NFC playoff games last year , Kyle Shanahan took the ball out of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo ’ s hands .
On Sunday , in the 49ers ’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals , Shanahan broke out the NFC playoffs playbook .
It didn ’ t work this time around .
San Francisco lost 24-20 .
In both cases , the run-first , second , and third tactic came under the guise that the 49ers ’ ground game was doing well .
But the subtext remains easy to read : Shanahan didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t seem to trust him on Sunday .
Of course , it ’ s easy to see why Shanahan could have trepidation .
Garoppolo played poorly in both those playoff games and in Sunday ’ s season opener .
The issue is that two of those three defenses weren ’ t particularly impressive , and the strategy of protecting the quarterback — or rather protecting the team from its quarterback — isn ’ t viable if the 49ers want to win the Super Bowl this year .
The Niners are going to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ championship campaign last year .
Regression is inevitable , particularly on defense — an area of the game where it is notoriously difficult to sustain elite-level play year-over-year .
If the Niners want to win their division and their conference again , they can not have regression at the quarterback position .
And that regression can not be in any way self-inflicted by a negative game plan .
Don ’ t get me wrong , Garoppolo deserves plenty of blame for Sunday ’ s loss .
It looked like he was lost after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence was poor , his third-down play ( usually a strength ) was abysmal , and of his 33 pass attempts against the Cardinals , he only completed three that traveled more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage .
Even long throws the sideline were problematic .
His far-too-high screen pass to George Kittle put the Niners ’ star tight end in a compromised position which nearly led to his knee exploding on a low tackle from Buddha Baker .
Garoppolo looked like the same quarterback we saw in Week 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance against the Buccaneers .
Or worse yet , the quarterback from his three-game 2018 season , where the game looked to be too fast for him .
Maybe it slows down in the weeks to come , like it did last year .
But if “ Bad Jimmy ” shows up again down the line — and it absolutely will — Shanahan can ’ t be so fast to take the ball out of his hands , save for literal two-minute drills .
Despite conceding the passing game in the late second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a chance to win Sunday ’ s game .
Other teams won ’ t be as gracious .
Shanahan said Garoppolo has “ got to play better.
” But while Garoppolo was the one missing throws , it ’ s hard to put it all of Sunday ’ s loss him .
How would you expect to perform if your boss showed little faith in you to execute but then expected to come through in the clutch ?
This is a good time to note that despite being a prime candidate for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freed up enough cap space to possibly keep Emmanuel Sanders , DeForest Bucker , or both in the Bay — the Niners didn ’ t touch Garoppolo ’ s contract this past offseason .
Instead , they openly flirted with 43-year-old Tom Brady before deciding that Garoppolo was “ their guy.
” At least for this season .
With the 49ers ’ all-around talent , this season is one where the Super Bowl is absolutely in reach , and Garoppolo — for all of his flaws — has won 23 of the 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career .
He might not be an elite player , but he ’ s a good quarterback .
And he ’ s the only winning quarterback this 49ers team has .
So let ’ s see what he has — let him rip it .
Worst-case scenario , it ’ ll make the team ’ s decision next offseason much easier to make .
If Shanahan has to abandon his beloved 21 personnel to give Garoppolo more comfort by spreading out the offense , so be it .
He ’ s an offensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle a bit of adaptation .
If it means dramatic changes to the wide receiver lineup ahead of Week 2 — like , say , adding a Mohamed Sanu — bring it on .
I don ’ t know what the exact answer is .
I only know whatever Sunday ’ s game plan isn ’ t viable .
There ’ s no universe where the 49ers ’ play-to-not-lose offense from Week 1 leads them to a Super Bowl win .
Right or wrong , Shanahan is going to have to trust Garoppolo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday ’ s .
The Niners will not be able to seriously contend by hiding their quarterback , dinking and dunking until the absolute last moment possible .
Of course , Garoppolo is going to have to play eons better than he played Sunday , too .
But he can get some help from receivers and coaches alike — poor performances are all connected .
What can change ahead of Sunday ’ s game in New Jersey must be changed .
Because the overarching truth is this : This Niners team will go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .

In both of the 49ers’ NFC playoff games last year, Kyle Shanahan took the ball out of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s hands.
It worked.
On Sunday, in the 49ers’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, Shanahan broke out the NFC playoffs playbook.
It didn’t work this time around. San Francisco lost 24-20.
In both cases, the run-first, second, and third tactic came under the guise that the 49ers’ ground game was doing well.
But the subtext remains easy to read: Shanahan didn’t trust Garoppolo then and he didn’t seem to trust him on Sunday.
Of course, it’s easy to see why Shanahan could have trepidation. Garoppolo played poorly in both those playoff games and in Sunday’s season opener.
The issue is that two of those three defenses weren’t particularly impressive, and the strategy of protecting the quarterback — or rather protecting the team from its quarterback — isn’t viable if the 49ers want to win the Super Bowl this year.
The Niners are going to take steps back from their 13-3, NFC championship campaign last year. Regression is inevitable, particularly on defense — an area of the game where it is notoriously difficult to sustain elite-level play year-over-year.
If the Niners want to win their division and their conference again, they cannot have regression at the quarterback position.
And that regression cannot be in any way self-inflicted by a negative game plan.
Don’t get me wrong, Garoppolo deserves plenty of blame for Sunday’s loss. It looked like he was lost after the first quarter Sunday. His pocket presence was poor, his third-down play (usually a strength) was abysmal, and of his 33 pass attempts against the Cardinals, he only completed three that traveled more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.
Even long throws the sideline were problematic. His far-too-high screen pass to George Kittle put the Niners’ star tight end in a compromised position which nearly led to his knee exploding on a low tackle from Buddha Baker.
Garoppolo looked like the same quarterback we saw in Week 1 of the 2019 season — a dud performance against the Buccaneers.
Or worse yet, the quarterback from his three-game 2018 season, where the game looked to be too fast for him.
Maybe it slows down in the weeks to come, like it did last year.
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49ers mailbag: Are rookie Moody’s kicking misses cause for concern? San Francisco 49ers | 49ers: Shanahan sees bright side of Trey Lance’s performance vs. Raiders But if “Bad Jimmy” shows up again down the line — and it absolutely will — Shanahan can’t be so fast to take the ball out of his hands, save for literal two-minute drills.
Despite conceding the passing game in the late second and entire third quarter, the 49ers had a chance to win Sunday’s game. Other teams won’t be as gracious.
Shanahan said Garoppolo has “got to play better.”
But while Garoppolo was the one missing throws, it’s hard to put all of Sunday’s loss on him. How would you expect to perform if your boss showed little faith in you to execute but then expected to come through in the clutch?
This is a good time to note that despite his being a prime candidate for an extension — one that would have freed up enough cap space to possibly keep Emmanuel Sanders, DeForest Bucker, or both in the Bay — the Niners didn’t touch Garoppolo’s contract this past offseason. Instead, they openly flirted with 43-year-old Tom Brady before deciding that Garoppolo was “their guy.”
At least for this season.
With the 49ers’ all-around talent, this season is one where the Super Bowl is absolutely in reach, and Garoppolo — for all of his flaws — has won 23 of the 30 games he’s started in his career. He might not be an elite player, but he’s a good quarterback. And he’s the only winning quarterback this 49ers team has.
So let’s see what he has — let him rip it.
Worst-case scenario, it’ll make the team’s decision next offseason much easier to make.
If Shanahan has to abandon his beloved 21 personnel to give Garoppolo more comfort by spreading out the offense, so be it. He’s an offensive genius, he should be able to handle a bit of adaptation.
If it means dramatic changes to the wide receiver lineup ahead of Week 2 — like, say, adding a Mohamed Sanu — bring it on.
I don’t know what the exact answer is. I only know Sunday’s game plan isn’t viable going forward. There’s no universe where the 49ers’ play-to-not-lose offense from Week 1 leads them to a Super Bowl win.
Right or wrong, Shanahan is going to have to trust Garoppolo to carry this team in games like Sunday’s. The Niners will not be able to seriously contend by hiding their quarterback, dinking and dunking until the absolute last moment possible.
Of course, Garoppolo is going to have to play eons better than he played Sunday, too.
But he can get some help from receivers and coaches alike — poor performances are all connected.
What can change ahead of Sunday’s game in New Jersey must be changed.
Because the overarching truth is this: This Niners team will go as far as their quarterback will take them.


mercurynews--2020-09-15--A tale of two Southern California nursing homes in the era of coronavirus

Administrator Hrag Bekerian felt confident , he said , that they were taking the right precautions at Gem Transitional Care Center before the coronavirus struck .
The four-star-rated nursing home on South Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena had closed its doors to visitors a week before the state ’ s guidance .
Managers held frequent training sessions , screened all entrants and ramped up hand-washing checks .
“ We believe we were well-prepared , ” said Bekerian , 31 .
• Sunday , Part One : What do Southern California nursing homes hard hit by COVID-related deaths have in common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home administrators and advocates to find out .
• Tuesday , Part Two : A tale of two Pasadena nursing homes .
One , Gem Transitional Care Center , hard hit by COVID deaths and another , Camellia Gardens , about four miles away , that wasn ’ t .
• Wednesday , Part Three : Highland Springs Care Center in Beaumont has one of the highest percentage of COVID-19 deaths per average daily number of residents of any skilled nursing home in Orange , Riverside or San Bernardino counties .
The series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SCNG staff writer Beau Yarbrough , participating in the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism ‘ s California Fellowship .
Yet since mid-April , nearly 55 residents at Gem Transitional tested positive for COVID , more than a dozen of whom died .
With typically around 65 daily residents , the nursing home has one of the highest COVID-related resident death rates in Los Angeles County for its population , according to a review by the Southern California News Group .
About four miles up the road is Camellia Gardens Care Center .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lowest possible overall rating on Medicare ’ s Nursing Home Compare .
The slightly larger home had three residents contract COVID and only one death , said Nelida Arlante , the home ’ s administrator .
Arlante believes their vigilance helped curb the virus there .
As a former physician in the Philippines , Arlante said , she may have had an edge .
More than 2,900 nursing home residents have died of COVID-19-related causes in Los Angeles , Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties , comprising about one-third of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to data from the California Department of Public Health .
Nursing homes across the region have touted early studies showing that location and size largely determine how they ’ ve fared with the virus .
But it ’ s becoming increasingly clear that several other factors can help seal a home ’ s fate .
Mass testing with quick results and adequate personal protective equipment are clearly important , experts say .
Nursing staff levels , infection-control practices , resident demographics , leadership and even a home ’ s for-profit status also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s all those factors , ” said Charlene Harrington , professor emerita at UC San Francisco and a registered nurse .
Bekerian believes the high death toll at his for-profit facility is due at least partly to the type of residents it serves .
“ We take high acuity patients , ” said Bekerian , whose Gem Transitional facility often accepts patients from neighboring Huntington Hospital .
“ We had residents in the building that had higher and severe chronic conditions.
” People of color , who are disproportionately affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 60 % of their residents , according to data Bekerian provided .
California nursing homes with overall quality ratings of four and five stars were less likely to have COVID-19 cases and deaths when adjusting for a home ’ s size and patients ’ race , according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association .
Nursing facilities with smaller white populations and for-profit ones were more likely to have higher cases and deaths .
Like with many homes , there were also hard lessons they learned in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , guidance from local , state and federal agencies kept changing .
He also realized it would have been best to quarantine staff working at multiple facilities at home for 14 days right away .
Instead , Gem Transitional had at first waited for COVID-19 cases to surface at an employee ’ s second facility before doing so .
The nursing home , which has a four-star rating for staffing , eventually told employees they had to pick one facility after the Pasadena Public Health Department directed nursing homes to avoid using employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible ” on April 12 .
“ I think it would have shown us good results if we had done it much , much earlier , ” Bekerian said , noting the facility was simply following the guidance given by local health officials .
The vast majority of their employees stayed , he said , and all received hazard pay .
He declined to say how much .
Sometimes , employees work at nursing homes with known COVID outbreaks and then are allowed by employers to work at a second facility , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ombudsman program that investigates concerns of residents in long-term care .
Along with a lack of adequate staffing and training , Davies believes this has been a main reason why some nursing homes have been harder hit .
“ Part of that is because facilities don ’ t want to pay overtime so they ’ d rather have you work even at another building because it starts the clock again , ” Davies said .
Arlante has pondered how the for-profit Camellia Gardens , which has below-average ratings for staffing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a harsher death toll .
“ Maybe ( it ’ s because ) we are strict with our employees and we watch them like a hawk , ” Arlante said .
“ Hand hygiene seems so simple but if you are lax , you will forget the steps and do the shortcut.
” Calming employees ’ fears with regular shift training was important , she said .
Being available to answer questions at any time was as well .
Arlante and Camellia Gardens ’ director of nursing slept on couches in the conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID case , she said .
They later often stayed until 10 or 11 p.m. at night to supervise the employees .
“ I treat the facility as family and these employees like children , ” she said .
“ If they are afraid , they can do something drastic unless the mother hen is there.
” Camellia Gardens also provided its employees with meals three times a day to reduce their trips and their exposure outside , Arlante said .
The home began requiring nursing staff to pick one facility in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses in the process .
But Camellia Gardens gave “ bonuses ” to all employees and allowed for overtime as well as double-time , which enabled them “ to get by.
” Bekerian believes the local health order directing facilities to avoid using employees who work at other facilities helped turn things around at his home .
Gem Transitional also learned to adapt to a new , stringent reality .
They had separate entrances for those caring for COVID patients , separate areas to put on their PPE and separate break rooms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ its staff put on and take off their masks , gloves and gowns .
It was “ being very strict with every policy and procedure we have put in place , ” Bekerian said .
In mid-August , the city gave the nursing home clearance to accept new residents again .
New residents are put in an observation unit for 14 days before they can go into the “ green zone ” with patients who don ’ t have the virus or have fully recovered from it .
As of Sept. 10 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home with 75 beds .
With all the different zones in the building , it has “ beds ready in case a breakdown happens , ” Bekerian said .
But ultimately , he would “ love to get back to full capacity.
” “ It ’ s a little challenging but that ’ s our goal down the road , ” he said .
“ We ’ re taking it day by day.
” Contributor Elissa Lee contributed to this report .
This article was produced as part of a project for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Fellowship .

Administrator Hrag Bekerian felt confident, he said, that they were taking the right precautions at Gem Transitional Care Center before the coronavirus struck.
The four-star-rated nursing home on South Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena had closed its doors to visitors a week before the state’s guidance. Managers held frequent training sessions, screened all entrants and ramped up hand-washing checks.
“We believe we were well-prepared,” said Bekerian, 31.
Eye of the Storm
Southern California Nursing Homes during the Coronavirus Pandemic
Latest installments in a continuing series
Part One: What do Southern California nursing homes hard hit by COVID-related deaths have in common? We spoke with experts, nursing home administrators and advocates to find out.
What do Southern California nursing homes hard hit by COVID-related deaths have in common? We spoke with experts, nursing home administrators and advocates to find out. Part Two: A tale of two Pasadena nursing homes. One, Gem Transitional Care Center, hard hit by COVID deaths and another, Camellia Gardens, about four miles away, that wasn’t.
A tale of two Pasadena nursing homes. One, Gem Transitional Care Center, hard hit by COVID deaths and another, Camellia Gardens, about four miles away, that wasn’t. Part Three: Highland Springs Care Center in Beaumont has one of the highest percentage of COVID-19 deaths per average daily number of residents of any skilled nursing home in Orange, Riverside or San Bernardino counties.
The series was produced by correspondent Brenda Gazzar and SCNG staff writer Beau Yarbrough, participating in the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s California Fellowship.
Yet since mid-April, nearly 55 residents at Gem Transitional tested positive for COVID, more than a dozen of whom died. With typically around 65 daily residents, the nursing home has one of the highest COVID-related resident death rates in Los Angeles County for its population, according to a review by the Southern California News Group.
About four miles up the road is Camellia Gardens Care Center. As a one-star facility, it has the lowest possible overall rating on Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare. The slightly larger home had three residents contract COVID and only one death, said Nelida Arlante, the home’s administrator.
Arlante believes their vigilance helped curb the virus there. As a former physician in the Philippines, Arlante said, she may have had an edge.
2,900 deaths in region
More than 2,900 nursing home residents have died of COVID-19-related causes in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, comprising about one-third of this region’s total coronavirus deaths, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.
Nursing homes across the region have touted early studies showing that location and size largely determine how they’ve fared with the virus. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that several other factors can help seal a home’s fate.
Mass testing with quick results and adequate personal protective equipment are clearly important, experts say. Nursing staff levels, infection-control practices, resident demographics, leadership and even a home’s for-profit status also can contribute to the death toll.
“It’s all those factors,” said Charlene Harrington, professor emerita at UC San Francisco and a registered nurse.
Behind the high death toll
Bekerian believes the high death toll at his for-profit facility is due at least partly to the type of residents it serves.
“We take high acuity patients,” said Bekerian, whose Gem Transitional facility often accepts patients from neighboring Huntington Hospital. “We had residents in the building that had higher and severe chronic conditions.”
People of color, who are disproportionately affected by the virus, also made up nearly 60% of their residents, according to data Bekerian provided.
California nursing homes with overall quality ratings of four and five stars were less likely to have COVID-19 cases and deaths when adjusting for a home’s size and patients’ race, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Nursing facilities with smaller white populations and for-profit ones were more likely to have higher cases and deaths.
Learning hard lessons
Like with many homes, there were also hard lessons they learned in real time.
First, Bekerian said, guidance from local, state and federal agencies kept changing.
He also realized it would have been best to quarantine staff working at multiple facilities at home for 14 days right away. Instead, Gem Transitional had at first waited for COVID-19 cases to surface at an employee’s second facility before doing so.
The nursing home, which has a four-star rating for staffing, eventually told employees they had to pick one facility after the Pasadena Public Health Department directed nursing homes to avoid using employees with multiple jobs “by any means possible” on April 12.
“I think it would have shown us good results if we had done it much, much earlier,” Bekerian said, noting the facility was simply following the guidance given by local health officials.
The vast majority of their employees stayed, he said, and all received hazard pay. He declined to say how much.
How to find nursing home ratings, deficiencies
Employees work at other facilities
Sometimes, employees work at nursing homes with known COVID outbreaks and then are allowed by employers to work at a second facility, said Molly Davies, who oversees L.A. County’s ombudsman program that investigates concerns of residents in long-term care.
Along with a lack of adequate staffing and training, Davies believes this has been a main reason why some nursing homes have been harder hit.
“Part of that is because facilities don’t want to pay overtime so they’d rather have you work even at another building because it starts the clock again,” Davies said.
Watch employees ‘like a hawk’
Arlante has pondered how the for-profit Camellia Gardens, which has below-average ratings for staffing and health inspections, had managed to escape a harsher death toll.
“Maybe (it’s because) we are strict with our employees and we watch them like a hawk,” Arlante said. “Hand hygiene seems so simple but if you are lax, you will forget the steps and do the shortcut.”
Calming employees’ fears with regular shift training was important, she said. Being available to answer questions at any time was as well.
Arlante and Camellia Gardens’ director of nursing slept on couches in the conference room for a week after their first COVID case, she said. They later often stayed until 10 or 11 p.m. at night to supervise the employees.
“I treat the facility as family and these employees like children,” she said. “If they are afraid, they can do something drastic unless the mother hen is there.”
Camellia Gardens also provided its employees with meals three times a day to reduce their trips and their exposure outside, Arlante said.
OT and double-time allowed
The home began requiring nursing staff to pick one facility in May, she said, and lost 15 nurses in the process. But Camellia Gardens gave “bonuses” to all employees and allowed for overtime as well as double-time, which enabled them “to get by.”
Bekerian believes the local health order directing facilities to avoid using employees who work at other facilities helped turn things around at his home. Gem Transitional also learned to adapt to a new, stringent reality.
They had separate entrances for those caring for COVID patients, separate areas to put on their PPE and separate break rooms. The nursing home became vigilant about watching its staff put on and take off their masks, gloves and gowns.
It was “being very strict with every policy and procedure we have put in place,” Bekerian said.
New residents accepted
In mid-August, the city gave the nursing home clearance to accept new residents again. New residents are put in an observation unit for 14 days before they can go into the “green zone” with patients who don’t have the virus or have fully recovered from it.
As of Sept. 10, Gem Transitional had 44 patients in a home with 75 beds.
With all the different zones in the building, it has “beds ready in case a breakdown happens,” Bekerian said. But ultimately, he would “love to get back to full capacity.”
“It’s a little challenging but that’s our goal down the road,” he said. “We’re taking it day by day.”
Contributor Elissa Lee contributed to this report. This article was produced as part of a project for the USC Center for Health Journalism’s California Fellowship.


mercurynews--2020-09-15--Editorial: Reelect Pilecki, Nejedly, Causey to standout sanitary board

Click here for a complete list of our election recommendations .
The Central Contra Costa Sanitary District has been transformed over the past decade from a poster child for pension abuse into a leading California advocate for controlling employee benefit costs .
Voters should reelect directors responsible for that reform : Paul Causey , Tad Pilecki and James Nejedly .
They ’ ve provided desperately needed leadership and demonstrated a willingness to make tough decisions that provide fair compensation to workers while being mindful of the burden on ratepayers .
They have been part of the board that cut the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan in half , from $ 142 million in 2012 to $ 73 million today .
In 2012 , the district plan had about 56 % of the assets it should have ; today it ’ s about 85 % funded .
Similarly , the district ’ s retiree health plan for workers , which had only 22 % of the needed assets in 2012 , now has 87 % .
And they ’ ve changed the district ’ s health plan administrator , saving $ 6.1 million annually .
These are fiscally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district ’ s operating and maintenance costs have remained roughly flat over the past six years .
Which is a good thing because the district over the next 20 years needs revenues to help cover close to $ 2 billion in major capital costs for replacement of its aging sewer collection system and to upgrade the treatment plant .
At the same time , the district was the only local agency in California to join former Gov .
Jerry Brown in his legal fight against pension spiking in 20 counties including Contra Costa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended this summer with a favorable ruling from the state Supreme Court .
No longer will employees be able to save large amounts of leave time so they can cash it out during their final year of work to spike their pensions .
Our 2009 analysis found that two-thirds of the departing sanitary district employees had increased their retirement pay by 25 % to 41 % by taking advantage of illegal spiking provisions .
Fortunately , those practices have been curbed .
Credit the sanitary district board for taking a righteous and principled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a consulting civil engineer first elected in 2012 ; Pilecki , a civil engineer first elected in 2012 , the year he retired after working more than 25 years for the sanitary district ; and Nejedly , a solid waste and recycling manager for Garaventa Enterprises who was first elected in 1996 .
Their opponents include Barbara Hockett , a registered nurse who had served on the board from 1992-2012 .
She was a member of the board ’ s Human Resources Committee during district negotiations with its labor unions and later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pension system worked .
While we respected her candor and endorsed her over Pilecki for one of three board seats in 2012 , we have seen Pilecki emerge and consider him a far-superior candidate now .
The other two candidates — Nathan Jáquez , an electrical and software engineer , and Mariah Lauritzen , a refinery process engineer — are a couple who live together and bring little knowledge of the district to their campaigns .
• Editorial : Prop .
22 would stop the assault on gig firms and workers • Editorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective to the Assembly They live in Concord and said that representation from their city is needed on the board .
Never mind that most of Concord is outside the district .
Clayton and most of Concord only contract with the district to provide wastewater treatment , but the cities maintain their own sewer lines .
The district does include part of Martinez and a small part of Concord , where Jáquez and Lauritzen happen to live , and then stretches from Pleasant Hill to Orinda and San Ramon .
The choice is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the district who care about its fiscal stability , the qualify of service and controlling costs : Reelect Causey , Pilecki and Nejedly .

Click here for a complete list of our election recommendations.
The Central Contra Costa Sanitary District has been transformed over the past decade from a poster child for pension abuse into a leading California advocate for controlling employee benefit costs.
Voters should reelect directors responsible for that reform: Paul Causey, Tad Pilecki and James Nejedly. They’ve provided desperately needed leadership and demonstrated a willingness to make tough decisions that provide fair compensation to workers while being mindful of the burden on ratepayers.
They have been part of the board that cut the shortfall in the district’s pension plan in half, from $142 million in 2012 to $73 million today. In 2012, the district plan had about 56% of the assets it should have; today it’s about 85% funded.
Similarly, the district’s retiree health plan for workers, which had only 22% of the needed assets in 2012, now has 87%. And they’ve changed the district’s health plan administrator, saving $6.1 million annually.
These are fiscally smart moves that help explain why the district’s operating and maintenance costs have remained roughly flat over the past six years. Which is a good thing because the district over the next 20 years needs revenues to help cover close to $2 billion in major capital costs for replacement of its aging sewer collection system and to upgrade the treatment plant.
At the same time, the district was the only local agency in California to join former Gov. Jerry Brown in his legal fight against pension spiking in 20 counties including Contra Costa and Alameda — a legal fight that ended this summer with a favorable ruling from the state Supreme Court.
No longer will employees be able to save large amounts of leave time so they can cash it out during their final year of work to spike their pensions. Our 2009 analysis found that two-thirds of the departing sanitary district employees had increased their retirement pay by 25% to 41% by taking advantage of illegal spiking provisions. Fortunately, those practices have been curbed.
Credit the sanitary district board for taking a righteous and principled stand against the abuse. Credit Causey, a consulting civil engineer first elected in 2012; Pilecki, a civil engineer first elected in 2012, the year he retired after working more than 25 years for the sanitary district; and Nejedly, a solid waste and recycling manager for Garaventa Enterprises who was first elected in 1996.
Their opponents include Barbara Hockett, a registered nurse who had served on the board from 1992-2012. She was a member of the board’s Human Resources Committee during district negotiations with its labor unions and later admitted she had no idea how the pension system worked.
While we respected her candor and endorsed her over Pilecki for one of three board seats in 2012, we have seen Pilecki emerge and consider him a far-superior candidate now.
The other two candidates — Nathan Jáquez, an electrical and software engineer, and Mariah Lauritzen, a refinery process engineer — are a couple who live together and bring little knowledge of the district to their campaigns.
They live in Concord and said that representation from their city is needed on the board. Never mind that most of Concord is outside the district. Clayton and most of Concord only contract with the district to provide wastewater treatment, but the cities maintain their own sewer lines. The district does include part of Martinez and a small part of Concord, where Jáquez and Lauritzen happen to live, and then stretches from Pleasant Hill to Orinda and San Ramon.
The choice is clear for voters who seek candidates knowledgeable about the district who care about its fiscal stability, the qualify of service and controlling costs: Reelect Causey, Pilecki and Nejedly.


mercurynews--2020-09-15--Details of fatal crash: South Dakota attorney general returned to scene, found body

SIOUX FALLS , S.D .
( AP ) — South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg said in a statement late Monday that he realized he had struck and killed a pedestrian on a rural stretch of highway only after returning to the scene the next day and finding the body .
The state ’ s top law enforcement officer said he initially thought he hit a deer while driving home from a Republican fundraiser on Saturday night .
He is under investigation by the South Dakota Highway Patrol .
Ravnsborg said he immediately called 911 after the crash on U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said he didn ’ t realize he had hit a man until he returned to the scene the next morning .
Authorities identified the dead man as 55-year-old Joseph Boever .
He had crashed his truck in that area earlier , according to relatives , and was apparently walking to it when he was hit .
Republican Gov .
Kristi Noem revealed Sunday that Ravnsborg had been involved in a fatal crash and asked the Department of Public Safety to investigate , but neither she nor the agency provided any details at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Safety issued a statement Monday saying only that Ravnsborg told the Hyde County Sheriff ’ s Office he had hit a deer .
Department spokesman Tony Mangan would not confirm whether Ravnsborg called 911 .
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is also participating in the investigation .
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation , which would normally be involved , is part of the attorney general ’ s office .
It is standard practice to request an outside agency to conduct an investigation when there may be a conflict of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ shocked and filled with sorrow.
” He released a second statement on Monday night detailing his account of the accident , saying it was necessary to dispel rumors .
Ravnsborg said he was driving the 110 miles from a Republican fundraiser Saturday night in Redfield to his home in Pierre .
About 70 miles into the drive , on Highway 14 just west of Highmore , his vehicle hit something he believed was a large animal .
Ravnsborg said he immediately stopped and called 911 .
He used his cellphone flashlight to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t see what he had hit .
Hyde County Sheriff Mike Volek arrived , and the two men filled out paperwork for Ravnsborg ’ s car to be repaired , the attorney general said .
With his own car wrecked , Ravnsborg said , he borrowed the sheriff ’ s personal car to return to his home .
The next morning , he and chief of staff Tim Bormann drove back to return the sheriff ’ s car .
They stopped at the spot of the accident , and Ravnsborg said he discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just off the shoulder of the road .
He said it was apparent Boever was dead .
Ravnsborg said he drove to Volek ’ s house and reported the body .
They both returned to the accident scene , where Volek said he would handle the investigation and asked Ravnborg to return to Pierre , according to Ravnsborg ’ s statement .
Ravnsborg said he was cooperating with the investigation , including providing a blood sample , agreeing to have both of his cellphones searched , and being interviewed by law enforcement agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they felt frustrated with and suspicious about the investigation , especially after investigators took nearly 22 hours to allow them to identify Boever ’ s body .
Boever had crashed his truck into a hay bale near the road on Saturday evening , according to his cousin , Victor Nemec .
Boever told Nemec that he had been reaching for some tobacco when he drove off the road .
Nemec said “ there was no indication whatsoever ” that his cousin had been drinking .
Nemec had given Boever a ride to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they made plans to retrieve the disabled truck and fix it on Sunday .
He left Boever after 9 p.m. Boever lived alone , said another cousin , Nick Nemec .
Victor Nemec , the last known person to see Boever , said that besides a few brief questions when he identified the body , investigators have not interviewed him about what happened .
“ A human doesn ’ t look like a deer , ” he said .
“ The whole thing stinks to me.
” When Boever ’ s cousins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home on Sunday and saw an accident being investigated near where Boever had left his truck , they grew fearful that he was involved .
Nemec said he contacted the sheriff around 10 a.m. and was told to wait .
As the hours ticked on , they grew more suspicious and called 911 and the Highway Patrol after 5 p.m .
They were allowed to identify his body after 8 p.m. on Sunday .
“ I don ’ t know if cousin Joe was laying on the highway for 22 hours or if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Nick Nemec said .
Ravnsborg had been at a fundraising dinner hosted by the Spink County Republicans at Rooster ’ s Bar & Grill .
The attorney general is known to be a frequent attendee of the fundraisers known as Lincoln Day Dinners , held by county GOP groups across the state .
Bormann said the attorney general drinks occasionally , but has made it a practice not to drink at the Lincoln Day events .
“ I didn ’ t see him with anything but a Coke , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended the dinner .
Ravnsborg has received six traffic tickets for speeding in South Dakota over the last six years .
He also received tickets for a seat belt violation and for driving a vehicle without a proper exhaust and muffler system .
In 2003 , Bill Janklow , a former four-term governor who was a congressman at the time , killed a motorcyclist after running a stop sign at a rural intersection .
Janklow was convicted of manslaughter , prompting his resignation .

By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg said in a statement late Monday that he realized he had struck and killed a pedestrian on a rural stretch of highway only after returning to the scene the next day and finding the body.
The state’s top law enforcement officer said he initially thought he hit a deer while driving home from a Republican fundraiser on Saturday night. He is under investigation by the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Ravnsborg said he immediately called 911 after the crash on U.S. Highway 14, around 10:30 p.m. He said he didn’t realize he had hit a man until he returned to the scene the next morning.
Authorities identified the dead man as 55-year-old Joseph Boever. He had crashed his truck in that area earlier, according to relatives, and was apparently walking to it when he was hit.
Republican Gov. Kristi Noem revealed Sunday that Ravnsborg had been involved in a fatal crash and asked the Department of Public Safety to investigate, but neither she nor the agency provided any details at that point.
The Department of Public Safety issued a statement Monday saying only that Ravnsborg told the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office he had hit a deer. Department spokesman Tony Mangan would not confirm whether Ravnsborg called 911.
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is also participating in the investigation. The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, which would normally be involved, is part of the attorney general’s office. It is standard practice to request an outside agency to conduct an investigation when there may be a conflict of interest.
Ravnsborg said Sunday he was “shocked and filled with sorrow.” He released a second statement on Monday night detailing his account of the accident, saying it was necessary to dispel rumors.
Ravnsborg said he was driving the 110 miles from a Republican fundraiser Saturday night in Redfield to his home in Pierre. About 70 miles into the drive, on Highway 14 just west of Highmore, his vehicle hit something he believed was a large animal.
Ravnsborg said he immediately stopped and called 911. He used his cellphone flashlight to look around the area but didn’t see what he had hit.
Hyde County Sheriff Mike Volek arrived, and the two men filled out paperwork for Ravnsborg’s car to be repaired, the attorney general said. With his own car wrecked, Ravnsborg said, he borrowed the sheriff’s personal car to return to his home.
The next morning, he and chief of staff Tim Bormann drove back to return the sheriff’s car.
They stopped at the spot of the accident, and Ravnsborg said he discovered Boever’s body in the grass just off the shoulder of the road. He said it was apparent Boever was dead.
Ravnsborg said he drove to Volek’s house and reported the body. They both returned to the accident scene, where Volek said he would handle the investigation and asked Ravnborg to return to Pierre, according to Ravnsborg’s statement.
Ravnsborg said he was cooperating with the investigation, including providing a blood sample, agreeing to have both of his cellphones searched, and being interviewed by law enforcement agents.
Boever’s family said Monday they felt frustrated with and suspicious about the investigation, especially after investigators took nearly 22 hours to allow them to identify Boever’s body.
Boever had crashed his truck into a hay bale near the road on Saturday evening, according to his cousin, Victor Nemec. Boever told Nemec that he had been reaching for some tobacco when he drove off the road. Nemec said “there was no indication whatsoever” that his cousin had been drinking.
Nemec had given Boever a ride to his home, about 1½ miles away, and they made plans to retrieve the disabled truck and fix it on Sunday. He left Boever after 9 p.m.
Boever lived alone, said another cousin, Nick Nemec.
Victor Nemec, the last known person to see Boever, said that besides a few brief questions when he identified the body, investigators have not interviewed him about what happened.
“A human doesn’t look like a deer,” he said. “The whole thing stinks to me.”
When Boever’s cousins couldn’t find him at his home on Sunday and saw an accident being investigated near where Boever had left his truck, they grew fearful that he was involved. Nemec said he contacted the sheriff around 10 a.m. and was told to wait. As the hours ticked on, they grew more suspicious and called 911 and the Highway Patrol after 5 p.m. They were allowed to identify his body after 8 p.m. on Sunday.
“I don’t know if cousin Joe was laying on the highway for 22 hours or if they had bagged him up before that,” Nick Nemec said.
Ravnsborg had been at a fundraising dinner hosted by the Spink County Republicans at Rooster’s Bar & Grill. The attorney general is known to be a frequent attendee of the fundraisers known as Lincoln Day Dinners, held by county GOP groups across the state.
Bormann said the attorney general drinks occasionally, but has made it a practice not to drink at the Lincoln Day events.
“I didn’t see him with anything but a Coke,” said state Sen. Brock Greenfield, who also attended the dinner.
Ravnsborg has received six traffic tickets for speeding in South Dakota over the last six years. He also received tickets for a seat belt violation and for driving a vehicle without a proper exhaust and muffler system.


mercurynews--2020-09-15--President Trump’s TikTok showdown is poised to reward his Silicon Valley political allies

President Donald Trump last month used his office to ignite an international business crisis that ’ s plunged into doubt the future of one of the world ’ s most popular social media platforms — a decision that ’ s now led to the apparent benefit of a major political backer .
As Oracle seeks US approval for a landmark partnership with the short-form video app TikTok , experts say questions will intensify over Trump ’ s political relationship with Oracle chairman and co-founder Larry Ellison .
One of the richest men in the world , Ellison has built extensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed support for the President and reportedly hosted a major fundraiser for him this year where donors who paid $ 100,000 were offered a chance to golf with Trump .
Nor will the scrutiny be limited to Ellison ; Oracle CEO Safra Catz shares close ties with Trump as well .
She has donated more than $ 130,000 to Trump ’ s reelection efforts this year , according to Federal Election Commission data .
Catz served on Trump ’ s presidential transition team in 2016 and was at one point considered for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ellison have served on Trump ’ s industry working groups devoted to economic revival .
Oracle didn ’ t respond to requests for comment .
The White House declined to comment .
Trump raised eyebrows last month when he publicly supported the prospect of a deal involving TikTok and Oracle .
At the time , Oracle and Microsoft had been competing to acquire TikTok , with Microsoft viewed widely as the frontrunner .
Oracle , experts said , lacked experience in consumer services and offers no products in the social media sphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told CNN that TikTok ’ s Chinese parent company , ByteDance , had sided with Oracle over Microsoft .
Oracle and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin confirmed the proposed deal on Monday .
In a statement , TikTok said it believed the proposal would “ resolve the Administration ’ s security concerns.
” Administration officials have complained for months that TikTok represents a risk to national security , due to its current ownership by a Chinese firm .
TikTok has rejected those claims , saying it stores all US users ’ data outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t subject to Chinese law ; cybersecurity experts have said there is no evidence that TikTok has been compromised by Chinese intelligence .
Oracle ’ s proposed partnership with TikTok must still be reviewed by the US government .
And it remains unclear if those discussions will be resolved before a Trump administration ban against TikTok takes effect on Sept. 20 , though Mnuchin said the government will be studying the deal this week .
Asked directly whether Ellison ’ s ties with Trump were a factor in the proposed deal talks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was “ a business decision , not a political one.
” But outside analysts said it is impossible to disentangle one from the other , given Trump ’ s personality .
Trump has a track record of injecting himself into ostensibly neutral public policy processes .
For example , Trump appeared to intervene in a multi-billion-dollar cloud contract decision many expected Amazon to win ; ultimately , and after a quiet pressure campaign by Oracle , the Pentagon awarded the deal to Microsoft .
In another closely scrutinized case , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s acquisition of Time Warner ( which is now WarnerMedia , CNN ’ s parent company ) .
The announcement took experts by surprise because antitrust reviews of mergers are expected to occur independently of presidential influence .
As the Oracle-TikTok negotiations progressed , some reports highlighted how Microsoft has savvily built its own relationships with the Trump administration .
Yet Microsoft ’ s connections were no match for Ellison ’ s , said Eric Schiffer , chairman of the Patriarch Organization , a tech-focused private equity firm .
“ Microsoft has done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up at a rally with a MAGA hat to win this , ” Schiffer said .
“ There ’ s no question that the conventional wisdom was that Microsoft was strategically positioned , having made great political inroads into the administration and having played the politics with Trump fairly well compared to most corporations .
But not as well as Larry.
” Other experts said that while Ellison ’ s ties to Trump may have given Oracle an edge , the proposal at the end of the day must still adequately resolve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sources have described the proposal as stopping short of an outright sale of TikTok to Oracle , a detail that could conflict with Trump ’ s Aug. 14 executive order that called for a full divestiture , said Harry Broadman , a partner at Berkeley Research Group and former member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States , the government body that vets certain deals that could give a foreign investor control of a US business .
“ Yes , Larry Ellison is friends with Trump , and maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know , ” Broadman said .
“ But there are executive orders out there , and people will be looking to see how this comports with what the executive orders say.
” Whether the Oracle deal passes security muster depends heavily on the specifics of the agreement , said Alex Stamos , the former chief security officer at Facebook .
“ A deal where Oracle takes over hosting [ of TikTok ’ s data ] without source code and significant operational changes would not address any of the legitimate concerns about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a deal would demonstrate that this exercise was pure grift , ” Stamos tweeted .

President Donald Trump last month used his office to ignite an international business crisis that’s plunged into doubt the future of one of the world’s most popular social media platforms — a decision that’s now led to the apparent benefit of a major political backer.
As Oracle seeks US approval for a landmark partnership with the short-form video app TikTok, experts say questions will intensify over Trump’s political relationship with Oracle chairman and co-founder Larry Ellison.
One of the richest men in the world, Ellison has built extensive bridges with Trump. He has vocally expressed support for the President and reportedly hosted a major fundraiser for him this year where donors who paid $100,000 were offered a chance to golf with Trump.
Nor will the scrutiny be limited to Ellison; Oracle CEO Safra Catz shares close ties with Trump as well. She has donated more than $130,000 to Trump’s reelection efforts this year, according to Federal Election Commission data. Catz served on Trump’s presidential transition team in 2016 and was at one point considered for a position inside the administration. Both Catz and Ellison have served on Trump’s industry working groups devoted to economic revival.
Oracle didn’t respond to requests for comment. The White House declined to comment.
Trump raised eyebrows last month when he publicly supported the prospect of a deal involving TikTok and Oracle. At the time, Oracle and Microsoft had been competing to acquire TikTok, with Microsoft viewed widely as the frontrunner. Oracle, experts said, lacked experience in consumer services and offers no products in the social media sphere.
But on Sunday evening, sources told CNN that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, had sided with Oracle over Microsoft. Oracle and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin confirmed the proposed deal on Monday. In a statement, TikTok said it believed the proposal would “resolve the Administration’s security concerns.”
Administration officials have complained for months that TikTok represents a risk to national security, due to its current ownership by a Chinese firm. TikTok has rejected those claims, saying it stores all US users’ data outside of China and that the information isn’t subject to Chinese law; cybersecurity experts have said there is no evidence that TikTok has been compromised by Chinese intelligence.
Oracle’s proposed partnership with TikTok must still be reviewed by the US government. And it remains unclear if those discussions will be resolved before a Trump administration ban against TikTok takes effect on Sept. 20, though Mnuchin said the government will be studying the deal this week.
Asked directly whether Ellison’s ties with Trump were a factor in the proposed deal talks, a person familiar with the negotiations insisted that it was “a business decision, not a political one.”
But outside analysts said it is impossible to disentangle one from the other, given Trump’s personality. Trump has a track record of injecting himself into ostensibly neutral public policy processes. For example, Trump appeared to intervene in a multi-billion-dollar cloud contract decision many expected Amazon to win; ultimately, and after a quiet pressure campaign by Oracle, the Pentagon awarded the deal to Microsoft. In another closely scrutinized case, Trump vowed to block AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner (which is now WarnerMedia, CNN’s parent company). The announcement took experts by surprise because antitrust reviews of mergers are expected to occur independently of presidential influence.
As the Oracle-TikTok negotiations progressed, some reports highlighted how Microsoft has savvily built its own relationships with the Trump administration.
Yet Microsoft’s connections were no match for Ellison’s, said Eric Schiffer, chairman of the Patriarch Organization, a tech-focused private equity firm.
“Microsoft has done everything they could possibly do except show up at a rally with a MAGA hat to win this,” Schiffer said. “There’s no question that the conventional wisdom was that Microsoft was strategically positioned, having made great political inroads into the administration and having played the politics with Trump fairly well compared to most corporations. But not as well as Larry.”
Other experts said that while Ellison’s ties to Trump may have given Oracle an edge, the proposal at the end of the day must still adequately resolve the US government’s national security concerns.
Sources have described the proposal as stopping short of an outright sale of TikTok to Oracle, a detail that could conflict with Trump’s Aug. 14 executive order that called for a full divestiture, said Harry Broadman, a partner at Berkeley Research Group and former member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the government body that vets certain deals that could give a foreign investor control of a US business.
“Yes, Larry Ellison is friends with Trump, and maybe that will mean something, I don’t know,” Broadman said. “But there are executive orders out there, and people will be looking to see how this comports with what the executive orders say.”
Whether the Oracle deal passes security muster depends heavily on the specifics of the agreement, said Alex Stamos, the former chief security officer at Facebook.
“A deal where Oracle takes over hosting [of TikTok’s data] without source code and significant operational changes would not address any of the legitimate concerns about TikTok, and the White House accepting such a deal would demonstrate that this exercise was pure grift,” Stamos tweeted.
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mercurynews--2020-09-15--SF Giants Gameday podcast: Why the Giants are counting on the lineup to will the team into the posts

SF Giants Gameday podcast: Why the Giants are counting on the lineup to will the team into the postseason

The words “ pitcher ” and “ elbow ” are never ones a major league manager wants to utter in the same sentence , because doing so almost always implies trouble .
Before Sunday ’ s doubleheader against the San Diego Padres , Giants manager Gabe Kapler had no choice .
When discussing his pitching plans for two games against the red-hot Padres , Kapler revealed that one of his top starters , Kevin Gausman , wouldn ’ t be available to face San Diego due to elbow tightness .
The Giants planned for Gausman to get a MRI and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extent of his injury , but the fact Gausman had to be scratched was only the latest reminder of how important the team ’ s offense is to its playoff hopes .
With No .
1 starter Johnny Cueto battling inconsistencies and the rest of the rotation following his lead , the Giants ’ ability to secure one of the National League ’ s final playoff spots is largely dependent on how the team ’ s lineup performs over the final two weeks of the regular season .
If the offense produces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekend , the Giants will be spending October watching baseball from their couches .
The team scored one run in three games at Petco Park and was shut down by nearly every Padres pitcher it faced .
The Giants ’ lineup entered the weekend with one of the top 10 offenses in baseball , but it left with questions as to whether its success this year is sustainable .
With 13 games left to play , the Giants can ’ t have their top hitters all sink into slumps at once .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s not a team that ’ s suddenly threatening to overtake the Giants , but there are several clubs within striking distance of San Francisco .
With an unsettled rotation and a top starter potentially headed to the injured list , it ’ s clear the Giants will need their offense to carry the club the rest of the way .
SF Giants Gameday : Listen to the Bay Area News Group ’ s daily San Francisco Giants podcast , hosted by our beat reporter Kerry Crowley .
We give you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season with soundbites from manager Gabe Kapler and your favorite Giants players plus the latest analysis on every move during an unprecedented season .
We Need Your Support !
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I ’ ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you ’ ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com .
Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer .
Thank you !
@ @ @

The words “pitcher” and “elbow” are never ones a major league manager wants to utter in the same sentence, because doing so almost always implies trouble.
Before Sunday’s doubleheader against the San Diego Padres, Giants manager Gabe Kapler had no choice.
When discussing his pitching plans for two games against the red-hot Padres, Kapler revealed that one of his top starters, Kevin Gausman, wouldn’t be available to face San Diego due to elbow tightness.
The Giants planned for Gausman to get a MRI and haven’t provided more details on the extent of his injury, but the fact Gausman had to be scratched was only the latest reminder of how important the team’s offense is to its playoff hopes.
With No. 1 starter Johnny Cueto battling inconsistencies and the rest of the rotation following his lead, the Giants’ ability to secure one of the National League’s final playoff spots is largely dependent on how the team’s lineup performs over the final two weeks of the regular season.
If the offense produces as it did in San Diego over the weekend, the Giants will be spending October watching baseball from their couches. The team scored one run in three games at Petco Park and was shut down by nearly every Padres pitcher it faced.
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SF Giants’ call-up of Wade Meckler only the latest chapter in outfield prospect’s storybook journey San Francisco Giants | SF Giants coach Nakken is pregnant, husband announces The Giants’ lineup entered the weekend with one of the top 10 offenses in baseball, but it left with questions as to whether its success this year is sustainable. With 13 games left to play, the Giants can’t have their top hitters all sink into slumps at once.
No NL Wildcard challengers are juggernauts and there’s not a team that’s suddenly threatening to overtake the Giants, but there are several clubs within striking distance of San Francisco. With an unsettled rotation and a top starter potentially headed to the injured list, it’s clear the Giants will need their offense to carry the club the rest of the way.
SF Giants Gameday: Listen to the Bay Area News Group’s daily San Francisco Giants podcast, hosted by our beat reporter Kerry Crowley. We give you an all-access look at the 2020 regular season with soundbites from manager Gabe Kapler and your favorite Giants players plus the latest analysis on every move during an unprecedented season.
We Need Your Support!
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I’ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you’ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com. Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer. Thank you! — Kerry Crowley


mercurynews--2020-09-15--Family of California boy who died after assault by 2 classmates sues school district

The family of Diego Stolz , a middle school student who died after being assaulted by two classmates , has sued the Moreno Valley Unified School District , alleging it failed to take their previous report of bullying seriously and is responsible for his death .
On Sept. 16 , 2019 , Stolz , 13 , was sucker-punched at Landmark Middle School in an incident captured on video and shared on social media .
His head hit a pillar and , after he fell to the ground , unconscious , his assailant and another boy continued punching him .
Stolz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having never awakened .
His two assailants have been charged with assault and voluntary manslaughter .
Stolz died Sept. 24 , 2019 , and the family announced a few weeks later its intention to pursue legal action against the district .
But the lawsuit was not filed until Friday , Sept. 11 , 2020 , because the family did not have legal standing to do so until state law changed Assembly Bill 2445 , introduced by Assemblywoman Eloise Gómez Reyes , D-San Bernardino , was signed by Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents were allowed to sue on behalf of someone who died “ due to the wrongful act or neglect of another.
” But since he was 1 year old , Stolz and his two brothers have been raised by his maternal aunt and uncle , Juana and Felipe Salcedo , after his mother died in 2007 .
After his father ’ s death in 2014 , the pair were appointed his legal guardians .
“ A legal guardian ’ s love and caring for a child , and the grief they feel from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different than that experienced by biological parents and the law should reflect that , ” Reyes wrote in an email Monday , Sept. 14 .
The lawsuit , filed by Manhattan Beach attorney David Ring , blasts Moreno Valley Unified , former Landmark Middle School administrators and the two boys who assaulted Stolz .
“ The real tragedy behind Diego ’ s death is that administrators at Landmark Middle School had been warned multiple times that Diego was being bullied by other students at Landmark Middle School , including as recently as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit reads , in part .
“ Administrators completely disregarded such warnings and did absolutely nothing to stop the bullying , despite assuring Diego ’ s aunt ( Juana ) and other family members that measures would be taken to address the bullying.
” The district “ blatantly ” ignored “ red flags that could have saved Diego ’ s life , ” the lawsuit continues .
“ We fully respect and appreciate the plaintiff ’ s right to bring this lawsuit , ” Moreno Valley Unified spokeswoman Anahi Velasco said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be forgotten , and we know that this is a very difficult time for the family.
” In addition to the district and the two boys who assaulted Stolz , the lawsuit also names Kamilah O ’ Connor , the former assistant principal at Landmark Middle School , whom the boy and his cousin Jazmin Salcedo reported an assault to , three days before the assault that took his life .
The lawsuit also names former Assistant Principal Pedro Gutierrez and former Principal Scott Walker .
None of the three now work at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley school administrators of allowing bullying to go “ unchecked ” at district campuses for decades , citing the 1998 death of Jerod Schroeder , also at Landmark Middle School .
“ Fights and bullying at MVUSD campuses are a weekly occurrence , ” the lawsuit reads , in part .
Velasco pointed to steps Moreno Valley has taken since Stolz ’ s death to prevent bullying and violence .
They include an intervention team that ensures complaints are handled in a timely fashion and guarantees communication with the family of students who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students to report bullying , including prominent links on the desktop of every student ’ s Chromebook and on school websites .
The district has also stepped up training for assistant principals , who handle student discipline issues , and encouraged them to ask for help when needed .
“ The safety and wellness of our students and staff continue to remain a top priority for the district , ” she concluded .

The family of Diego Stolz, a middle school student who died after being assaulted by two classmates, has sued the Moreno Valley Unified School District, alleging it failed to take their previous report of bullying seriously and is responsible for his death.
On Sept. 16, 2019, Stolz, 13, was sucker-punched at Landmark Middle School in an incident captured on video and shared on social media. His head hit a pillar and, after he fell to the ground, unconscious, his assailant and another boy continued punching him. Stolz died days later in a hospital, having never awakened. His two assailants have been charged with assault and voluntary manslaughter.
Stolz died Sept. 24, 2019, and the family announced a few weeks later its intention to pursue legal action against the district. But the lawsuit was not filed until Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, because the family did not have legal standing to do so until state law changed
Assembly Bill 2445, introduced by Assemblywoman Eloise Gómez Reyes, D-San Bernardino, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Previously, only parents were allowed to sue on behalf of someone who died “due to the wrongful act or neglect of another.” But since he was 1 year old, Stolz and his two brothers have been raised by his maternal aunt and uncle, Juana and Felipe Salcedo, after his mother died in 2007. After his father’s death in 2014, the pair were appointed his legal guardians.
“A legal guardian’s love and caring for a child, and the grief they feel from that child’s death is no different than that experienced by biological parents and the law should reflect that,” Reyes wrote in an email Monday, Sept. 14.
The lawsuit, filed by Manhattan Beach attorney David Ring, blasts Moreno Valley Unified, former Landmark Middle School administrators and the two boys who assaulted Stolz.
“The real tragedy behind Diego’s death is that administrators at Landmark Middle School had been warned multiple times that Diego was being bullied by other students at Landmark Middle School, including as recently as the Friday before the assault,” the lawsuit reads, in part. “Administrators completely disregarded such warnings and did absolutely nothing to stop the bullying, despite assuring Diego’s aunt (Juana) and other family members that measures would be taken to address the bullying.”
The district “blatantly” ignored “red flags that could have saved Diego’s life,” the lawsuit continues.
“We fully respect and appreciate the plaintiff’s right to bring this lawsuit,” Moreno Valley Unified spokeswoman Anahi Velasco said in a written statement. “Diego will never be forgotten, and we know that this is a very difficult time for the family.”
In addition to the district and the two boys who assaulted Stolz, the lawsuit also names Kamilah O’Connor, the former assistant principal at Landmark Middle School, whom the boy and his cousin Jazmin Salcedo reported an assault to, three days before the assault that took his life. The lawsuit also names former Assistant Principal Pedro Gutierrez and former Principal Scott Walker. None of the three now work at the school.
The lawsuit accuses Moreno Valley school administrators of allowing bullying to go “unchecked” at district campuses for decades, citing the 1998 death of Jerod Schroeder, also at Landmark Middle School.
“Fights and bullying at MVUSD campuses are a weekly occurrence,” the lawsuit reads, in part.
Velasco pointed to steps Moreno Valley has taken since Stolz’s death to prevent bullying and violence. They include an intervention team that ensures complaints are handled in a timely fashion and guarantees communication with the family of students who report being bullied and easier ways for students to report bullying, including prominent links on the desktop of every student’s Chromebook and on school websites. The district has also stepped up training for assistant principals, who handle student discipline issues, and encouraged them to ask for help when needed.
“The safety and wellness of our students and staff continue to remain a top priority for the district,” she concluded.


mercurynews--2020-09-15--Los Angeles deputy saved her partner’s life after Compton shooting while bleeding from a wound to he

Los Angeles deputy saved her partner’s life after Compton shooting while bleeding from a wound to her face

One of two Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s deputies attacked Saturday saved the life of the other by applying a tourniquet — all while bleeding from the gunshot wound to her face .
“ There ’ s no other way to put it , they ’ re amazing , ” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper in an interview on Monday as he described the bravery of the deputies .
Both deputies were shot four or five times by a gunman in Compton , California , Saturday night , Garcetti said .
Both are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ got through surgery well , ” Sheriff Alex Villanueva told KABC radio .
Garcetti said by an “ absolute miracle ” it looks like they will both survive .
Footage of the incident that appears to have been recorded from surveillance cameras shows a female deputy , who Garcetti identified as a 31-year-old mother , taking cover behind a pillar and rendering aid to her 24-year-old male partner and calling for help .
Both were bloodied .
“ These are two brave individuals who put their lives on the line , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified a suspect in the shooting , and — thanks to donations from two private donors — a reward has been increased to $ 175,000 , Villanueva said .
The shooting happened shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday at MLK Transit Center in Compton , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department said .
The gunman walked toward the passenger ’ s side of the deputies ’ vehicle , raised a pistol and shot both deputies , Capt .
Kent Wegener said .
The sheriff ’ s department tweeted surveillance video of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is just a somber reminder that this is a dangerous job , and actions and words have consequences .
Our job does not get any easier because people do not like law enforcement , ” Villanueva said .
“ It pisses me off .
It dismays me at the same time.
” Garcetti said “ there is no place in our society for the violence that we saw.
” He described Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s deputies as guardians of one of the city ’ s public transit lines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , the sheriff said .
“ When we find that person , we got to get much faster with our courts , and we got to get much tougher with our sentencing , ” Trump told a group of supporters in Las Vegas on Sunday .
• Reward for info in shooting of 2 L.A. County Sheriff ’ s deputies upped to $ 200,000 after Metro and anonymous contributions • Reporter arrested while covering shooting of two LA County deputies • LA Sheriff : Both deputies are likely to survive ; $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convict man who shot them • $ 100,000 reward offered to help find , convict man who shot LA deputies “ Acts of lawlessness and violence directed against police officers are unacceptable , outrageous , and entirely counterproductive to the pursuit of greater peace and justice in America — as are the actions of those who cheer such attacks on , ” Biden said in a statement .
Democratic US Rep. Adam Schiff , whose district includes parts of Los Angeles County , called the attack “ cowardly.
” “ Every day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect our community , ” Schiff tweeted .
“ I hope the perpetrator of this cowardly attack can be quickly brought to justice .
”

One of two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies attacked Saturday saved the life of the other by applying a tourniquet — all while bleeding from the gunshot wound to her face.
“There’s no other way to put it, they’re amazing,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in an interview on Monday as he described the bravery of the deputies.
Both deputies were shot four or five times by a gunman in Compton, California, Saturday night, Garcetti said. Both are in stable but critical condition after they “got through surgery well,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva told KABC radio. Garcetti said by an “absolute miracle” it looks like they will both survive.
[vemba-video id=”us/2020/09/14/manhunt-los-angeles-county-deputies-ambush-protesters-sidner-ebof-pkg-vpx.cnn”]
Footage of the incident that appears to have been recorded from surveillance cameras shows a female deputy, who Garcetti identified as a 31-year-old mother, taking cover behind a pillar and rendering aid to her 24-year-old male partner and calling for help. Both were bloodied.
“These are two brave individuals who put their lives on the line,” Garcetti said.
Detectives have not yet identified a suspect in the shooting, and — thanks to donations from two private donors — a reward has been increased to $175,000, Villanueva said.
How the attack unfolded
The shooting happened shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday at MLK Transit Center in Compton, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
The gunman walked toward the passenger’s side of the deputies’ vehicle, raised a pistol and shot both deputies, Capt. Kent Wegener said.
The sheriff’s department tweeted surveillance video of the shooting and the gunman running away.
“This is just a somber reminder that this is a dangerous job, and actions and words have consequences. Our job does not get any easier because people do not like law enforcement,” Villanueva said. “It pisses me off. It dismays me at the same time.”
Garcetti said “there is no place in our society for the violence that we saw.” He described Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies as guardians of one of the city’s public transit lines.
Both deputies were sworn in 14 months ago, the sheriff said.
Trump, Biden and Schiff denounce the attack
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden condemned the shooting.
“When we find that person, we got to get much faster with our courts, and we got to get much tougher with our sentencing,” Trump told a group of supporters in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Biden called the shooting “absolutely unconscionable.”
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Democratic US Rep. Adam Schiff, whose district includes parts of Los Angeles County, called the attack “cowardly.”
“Every day, law enforcement officers put themselves at risk to protect our community,” Schiff tweeted. “I hope the perpetrator of this cowardly attack can be quickly brought to justice.”
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