mercurynews--2020-12-12--COVID vaccine rollout raises data privacy questions in California

As California prepares to administer its first doses of the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccine , some experts and officials worry the federal government is asking for too much information about people who get immunized .
To support the national rollout of the new coronavirus vaccines , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking states to sign a “ data use and sharing agreement ” that allows the federal government access to personally identifiable information about people being vaccinated , such as names and addresses .
California has joined other states in saying it will not provide that identifying information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrant rights advocates .
But experts say the debate highlights the tension between the conflicting desire to protect people ’ s information and the critical need to track how well the vaccine works .
“ One always has concerns about sharing any data in this era that we ’ re living in .
That said , it ’ s critical that we get the best data that we can about these vaccines , ” said Dr. John Swartzberg , a clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccinology at the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweet spot has to be found between protecting the individual and making certain we have adequate data to make the proper assessments about how the vaccines are working and their side effects.
” Otherwise , he cautioned , people leery of handing over personal information to the federal government — including undocumented immigrants — may decline to get vaccinated , potentially jeopardizing the program ’ s success and efforts to control the virus .
To the relief of residents weary of lockdowns and social distancing , California is expected to receive 327,000 doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and another 600,000 to 700,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine the following week .
Health care workers and people living in nursing homes and other live-in facilities will be first in line for those doses .
The CDC has asked states to submit identifiable data — such as names and addresses — of people getting vaccinated so the government can verify people are taking both vaccine doses and assess the safety and effectiveness of the shots .
But in California , that ’ s not happening .
Only “ de-identified data ” will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Robert Schechter , chief of the state health department ’ s immunization branch , said earlier this week during a meeting of the state ’ s community working group on vaccines .
In an emailed statement , a representative of the California Department of Public Health said the state agency has entered into a data-use agreement with the CDC that protects vaccine participants ’ identities .
The state agency said in addition to withholding names and addresses , it would also limit demographic data in some cases to protect participants ’ identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details on exactly what information would be shared .
During the meeting , Jacob Snow of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California called Schechter ’ s promise “ very good news.
” “ California can and should protect the health and safety of its communities by ensuring that any personal information gathered as part of the vaccine distribution is only used for public health , and is not needlessly shared with other agencies , including the CDC , ” Snow , a technology and civil liberties attorney , wrote in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Department of Public Health to formally commit to ensuring that when people receive the vaccine , their private information will be handled securely and with care.
” The CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment .
But White House spokesman Michael Bars told The New York Times that information gathered from states ’ vaccine programs would be used only to support national efforts to combat coronavirus .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and dozens of other groups also pushed back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , arguing that information could be shared with federal immigration officials and put New York ’ s undocumented residents at risk .
This week , the governor ’ s office announced an agreement with the CDC that allows New York to refrain from sending data that could be used to document someone ’ s immigration status .
There are similar concerns in California , which has a large population of undocumented immigrants and where officials have a tendency to distrust President Donald Trump ’ s administration .
“ I ’ m very concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or whether it will be too invasive or not , ” said Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith .
The Board of Supervisors plans to discuss the issue at its meeting next week .
The CDC ’ s data agreement is unusual — when states work with the federal government on national health initiatives , typically they send aggregate or anonymized data , said Dr. Shaun Grannis , vice president for data and analytics at the Regenstrief Institute , a research organization based in Indianapolis , Ind .
Grannis , who has advised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past , can ’ t see why in this case the agency would need patients ’ identifiable information .
• Superspreader event : One conference in Boston tied to 300,000 global coronavirus cases Under the data-sharing agreement , it ’ s also unclear which agencies would have access to what data and whether the data would be encrypted , he said .
Even so , Grannis assumes the federal government is following best security practices , and therefore the risk of a hack is low .
The agreement seems to mandate that data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used for immunization administration purposes only — meaning it shouldn ’ t be shared with other agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
But the key is getting people to believe that and take the vaccine .
And for that to happen , there needs to be more transparency about how people ’ s data will be collected and used , Grannis said .
To Swartzberg , the privacy concerns illustrate how rushed the COVID immunization program has been .
“ We ought not to be having this discussion on the eve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ This discussion should have been had well before this .
”

As California prepares to administer its first doses of the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccine, some experts and officials worry the federal government is asking for too much information about people who get immunized.
To support the national rollout of the new coronavirus vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking states to sign a “data use and sharing agreement” that allows the federal government access to personally identifiable information about people being vaccinated, such as names and addresses.
California has joined other states in saying it will not provide that identifying information, a move applauded by privacy and immigrant rights advocates. But experts say the debate highlights the tension between the conflicting desire to protect people’s information and the critical need to track how well the vaccine works.
“One always has concerns about sharing any data in this era that we’re living in. That said, it’s critical that we get the best data that we can about these vaccines,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, a clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccinology at the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program. “And so a sweet spot has to be found between protecting the individual and making certain we have adequate data to make the proper assessments about how the vaccines are working and their side effects.”
Otherwise, he cautioned, people leery of handing over personal information to the federal government — including undocumented immigrants — may decline to get vaccinated, potentially jeopardizing the program’s success and efforts to control the virus.
To the relief of residents weary of lockdowns and social distancing, California is expected to receive 327,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine by Dec. 15 and another 600,000 to 700,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine the following week. Health care workers and people living in nursing homes and other live-in facilities will be first in line for those doses.
The CDC has asked states to submit identifiable data — such as names and addresses — of people getting vaccinated so the government can verify people are taking both vaccine doses and assess the safety and effectiveness of the shots. But in California, that’s not happening. Only “de-identified data” will be shared with the federal government, Dr. Robert Schechter, chief of the state health department’s immunization branch, said earlier this week during a meeting of the state’s community working group on vaccines.
In an emailed statement, a representative of the California Department of Public Health said the state agency has entered into a data-use agreement with the CDC that protects vaccine participants’ identities. The state agency said in addition to withholding names and addresses, it would also limit demographic data in some cases to protect participants’ identity. The agency did not provide further details on exactly what information would be shared.
During the meeting, Jacob Snow of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California called Schechter’s promise “very good news.”
“California can and should protect the health and safety of its communities by ensuring that any personal information gathered as part of the vaccine distribution is only used for public health, and is not needlessly shared with other agencies, including the CDC,” Snow, a technology and civil liberties attorney, wrote in a statement. “We encourage the Governor and the Department of Public Health to formally commit to ensuring that when people receive the vaccine, their private information will be handled securely and with care.”
The CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment. But White House spokesman Michael Bars told The New York Times that information gathered from states’ vaccine programs would be used only to support national efforts to combat coronavirus.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and dozens of other groups also pushed back against the CDC’s data demands, arguing that information could be shared with federal immigration officials and put New York’s undocumented residents at risk. This week, the governor’s office announced an agreement with the CDC that allows New York to refrain from sending data that could be used to document someone’s immigration status.
There are similar concerns in California, which has a large population of undocumented immigrants and where officials have a tendency to distrust President Donald Trump’s administration.
“I’m very concerned about whether it will scare people away or whether it will be too invasive or not,” said Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith.
The Board of Supervisors plans to discuss the issue at its meeting next week.
The CDC’s data agreement is unusual — when states work with the federal government on national health initiatives, typically they send aggregate or anonymized data, said Dr. Shaun Grannis, vice president for data and analytics at the Regenstrief Institute, a research organization based in Indianapolis, Ind. Grannis, who has advised the CDC on data gathering in the past, can’t see why in this case the agency would need patients’ identifiable information.
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Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms Health | COVID Q&A: Can I use an expired test? Time to get boosted? How to cope with California’s sneaky summer surge Under the data-sharing agreement, it’s also unclear which agencies would have access to what data and whether the data would be encrypted, he said.
Even so, Grannis assumes the federal government is following best security practices, and therefore the risk of a hack is low. The agreement seems to mandate that data collected by the CDC is to be used for immunization administration purposes only — meaning it shouldn’t be shared with other agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
But the key is getting people to believe that and take the vaccine. And for that to happen, there needs to be more transparency about how people’s data will be collected and used, Grannis said.
To Swartzberg, the privacy concerns illustrate how rushed the COVID immunization program has been.
“We ought not to be having this discussion on the eve of rolling out the vaccine,” he said. “This discussion should have been had well before this.”


mercurynews--2020-12-12--Groups renew pressure on San Jose school district to end on-campus police

SAN JOSE — Teachers , students and police-reform activists staged a car caravan and circled the San Jose Unified School District offices Thursday afternoon to re-energize their efforts to get district leaders to move toward removing the contracted presence of police officers on district campuses .
Some of San Jose Unified ’ s peer districts in the city , including the Alum Rock Union and East Side Union High school districts , have moved not to renew contracts with police .
The action Thursday was timed to a board of trustees meeting and continued a campaign launched in the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s killing by Minneapolis police .
Ultimately , the board of trustees approved renewing a school-police cooperation agreement but put off further discussions about keeping on-campus police officers .
CLICK HERE if you ’ re having trouble viewing the slideshow on your mobile device .
“ Any role that a police officer is doing at a school can be done better by someone else , ” said Jennifer Alva Lewis , 34 , a parent of two young students in the district .
“ We need to prioritize actual school safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small number of students.
” Tension between the group demanding the change , aligning themselves as the San Jose Unified Equity Coalition , and the board reached a new level when Board President Teresa Castellanos reported that protesters had staged outside her home , which she said represented “ lines being crossed.
” “ We are not in school .
There are no police officers on campus .
I understand the urgency of the moment , I understand the historical context and in many arenas I agree with what you ’ re asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I do not appreciate the aggression that is starting to cross boundaries.
” Castellanos suggested the demonstration was taking place at her home rather than the district offices , though there was ample evidence of a protest at the headquarters .
It was not immediately clear whether the people Castellanos mentioned were from the same group .
Organizer Derrick Sanderlin , who was at the district offices , said later that he could not speak to what Castellanos described , and saw its mention as a deflection .
“ If a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact just a protest , to me that sounds like a community that is begging to be heard and is actively not being heard , ” he said .
During a special session on the campus officer issue in August , administrators in San Jose Unified asserted that having on-campus officers is a vital protective measure helped to “ maintain a sense of community ” that allows for more effective responses to potential safety issues .
Those who support ending the police presence — which has cost the district upwards of $ 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — point to the city ’ s Guardian Program that has officers on-call for potential active-shooter scenarios as a reason the district can change .
Steering that money toward avenues like trauma-informed counseling , ethnic-studies requirements , and behavioral-health support , they say , would yield far greater benefits for troubled students than police officers could .
Outside the district building , coalition member Latoya Fernandez said enforcement-oriented measures like suspensions and police at schools inflict more trauma on students already beset by trauma .
As a recent dean of students at Downtown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school , she said she successfully phased out suspensions altogether .
“ Students don ’ t need police , they need guidance that gets to the root of the issue , ” Fernandez said .
“ Students need to know they ’ re welcome and safe to make mistakes , and feel supported through that.
” The equity coalition , made up of students , parents , teachers and residents , has gathered more than 1,800 signatures on an online petition in support of steering funds away from a police contract toward support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to agendize a resolution — named after Sanderlin , who was injured on the first day of George Floyd protests in late May when a San Jose police officer shot him in the groin with a rubber bullet — that would turn the petition into formal policy .
Several board members voiced sympathy toward the aims of the coalition , which called in dozens of comments at the teleconference meeting Thursday evening and submitted numerous letters , all supporting their proposed resolution .
What took up most of that portion of the meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrators about renewing a Memorandum of Understanding between the district and San Jose Police Department governing conduct and guidelines for officers when they are on San Jose Unified campuses .
The board and administration stressed in the meeting that the MOU discussion was divorced from the issue of school-resource and on-campus officers , who are not currently contracted to provide services due to the pandemic shutting down in-person learning .
They voted 5-0 to keep guidelines for police conduct on campuses in place .
Additionally , Castellanos and trustee Carla Collins were among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off on approving a new police contract for the current school year until more research could be done about the work and impact of on-campus officers .
“ In making that decision , what we are all committing to is taking care of each other , ” Castellanos said .
That did not appease the coalition members , who argued that focusing on the memorandum as a literal document distracted from its role in upholding a framework that puts police officers in schools .
“ They either aren ’ t aware that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the MOU , or it means they know it and continue to delay or ignore what we ’ re asking for , ” Sanderlin said .
“ It ’ s really frustrating .
”

SAN JOSE — Teachers, students and police-reform activists staged a car caravan and circled the San Jose Unified School District offices Thursday afternoon to re-energize their efforts to get district leaders to move toward removing the contracted presence of police officers on district campuses.
Some of San Jose Unified’s peer districts in the city, including the Alum Rock Union and East Side Union High school districts, have moved not to renew contracts with police.
The action Thursday was timed to a board of trustees meeting and continued a campaign launched in the summer following national and local protests of George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police. Ultimately, the board of trustees approved renewing a school-police cooperation agreement but put off further discussions about keeping on-campus police officers.
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: A caravan of demonstrators drives past the San Jose Unified School District office on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Demonstrators urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: Signs posted by demonstrators are visible during a demonstration in front of the San Jose Unified School District office on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Demonstrators urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: Abraham Lincoln High School graduate Lili Valladares, 22, speaks during a demonstration in front of the San Jose Unified School District office on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Demonstrators urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: A caravan of demonstrators drives past the San Jose Unified School District office on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Demonstrators urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: Demonstrators gather in front of the San Jose Unified School District office during a demonstration on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. They urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: Laurie Valdez of Santa Clara speaks during a demonstration in front of the San Jose Unified School District office on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Demonstrators urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: Jeffie Khalsa of San Jose speaks during a demonstration in front of the San Jose Unified School District office on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Demonstrators urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: Mallory Debartolo of San Jose watches over her 3-year-old daughter, Ruby, during a demonstration in front of the San Jose Unified School District office on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Demonstrators urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 10: A sign posted by demonstrators is visible during a demonstration in front of the San Jose Unified School District office on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Demonstrators urged leaders in the San Jose Unified School District to cease the contracted presence of officers at their campuses. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
CLICK HERE if you’re having trouble viewing the slideshow on your mobile device.
“Any role that a police officer is doing at a school can be done better by someone else,” said Jennifer Alva Lewis, 34, a parent of two young students in the district. “We need to prioritize actual school safety over the feeling of safety for a small number of students.”
Tension between the group demanding the change, aligning themselves as the San Jose Unified Equity Coalition, and the board reached a new level when Board President Teresa Castellanos reported that protesters had staged outside her home, which she said represented “lines being crossed.”
“We are not in school. There are no police officers on campus. I understand the urgency of the moment, I understand the historical context and in many arenas I agree with what you’re asking us to do,” Castellanos said. “I do not appreciate the aggression that is starting to cross boundaries.”
Castellanos suggested the demonstration was taking place at her home rather than the district offices, though there was ample evidence of a protest at the headquarters. It was not immediately clear whether the people Castellanos mentioned were from the same group.
Organizer Derrick Sanderlin, who was at the district offices, said later that he could not speak to what Castellanos described, and saw its mention as a deflection.
“If a protest outside of her house was in fact just a protest, to me that sounds like a community that is begging to be heard and is actively not being heard,” he said.
During a special session on the campus officer issue in August, administrators in San Jose Unified asserted that having on-campus officers is a vital protective measure helped to “maintain a sense of community” that allows for more effective responses to potential safety issues.
Those who support ending the police presence — which has cost the district upwards of $1 million annually over the past few years — point to the city’s Guardian Program that has officers on-call for potential active-shooter scenarios as a reason the district can change. Steering that money toward avenues like trauma-informed counseling, ethnic-studies requirements, and behavioral-health support, they say, would yield far greater benefits for troubled students than police officers could.
Outside the district building, coalition member Latoya Fernandez said enforcement-oriented measures like suspensions and police at schools inflict more trauma on students already beset by trauma. As a recent dean of students at Downtown College Prep El Camino, a middle school, she said she successfully phased out suspensions altogether.
“Students don’t need police, they need guidance that gets to the root of the issue,” Fernandez said. “Students need to know they’re welcome and safe to make mistakes, and feel supported through that.”
The equity coalition, made up of students, parents, teachers and residents, has gathered more than 1,800 signatures on an online petition in support of steering funds away from a police contract toward support services. They want the school board to agendize a resolution — named after Sanderlin, who was injured on the first day of George Floyd protests in late May when a San Jose police officer shot him in the groin with a rubber bullet — that would turn the petition into formal policy.
Several board members voiced sympathy toward the aims of the coalition, which called in dozens of comments at the teleconference meeting Thursday evening and submitted numerous letters, all supporting their proposed resolution.
What took up most of that portion of the meeting was a discussion between the board and administrators about renewing a Memorandum of Understanding between the district and San Jose Police Department governing conduct and guidelines for officers when they are on San Jose Unified campuses. The board and administration stressed in the meeting that the MOU discussion was divorced from the issue of school-resource and on-campus officers, who are not currently contracted to provide services due to the pandemic shutting down in-person learning.
They voted 5-0 to keep guidelines for police conduct on campuses in place. Additionally, Castellanos and trustee Carla Collins were among those who supported the idea of holding off on approving a new police contract for the current school year until more research could be done about the work and impact of on-campus officers.
“In making that decision, what we are all committing to is taking care of each other,” Castellanos said.
That did not appease the coalition members, who argued that focusing on the memorandum as a literal document distracted from its role in upholding a framework that puts police officers in schools.
“They either aren’t aware that we know the difference between the contract and the MOU, or it means they know it and continue to delay or ignore what we’re asking for,” Sanderlin said. “It’s really frustrating.”


mercurynews--2020-12-12--Car plows into Manhattan protest, injuring several

A car plowed into a crowd of about 50 people at a protest that spilled into the streets of Manhattan on Friday afternoon , injuring several people , according to New York City police and local news media reports .
The woman behind the wheel of the BMW sedan was detained for questioning by law enforcement , the New York City Police Department said .
The incident occurred just after 4 p.m. at the corner of 39th Street and Third Avenue in the Murray Hill neighborhood adjacent to Midtown Manhattan , police said .
None of the injuries appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved remained at the scene , police said .
Few other official details were immediately available .
Local media reports said six people were struck by the car , but it was unclear as to how many people were taken to hospitals .
Some accounts on social media described a chaotic scene around a stopped car surrounded by protesters , before the vehicle lurched into the crowd , sending some people and bicycles tumbling .
Those reports could not immediately be confirmed by Reuters .
Police and several local media outlets said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group Black Lives Matter .
• Judge rules that the DACA program must be restored • Letters : Supervisors must act | Tragic policy | Moral obligation | One game isn ’ t enough A Reuters photographer at the scene and at least one media outlet said that demonstration was held in solidarity with nine undocumented immigrants staging a hunger strike in a New Jersey lockup , in custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency .

By Rich McKay | Reuters
A car plowed into a crowd of about 50 people at a protest that spilled into the streets of Manhattan on Friday afternoon, injuring several people, according to New York City police and local news media reports.
The woman behind the wheel of the BMW sedan was detained for questioning by law enforcement, the New York City Police Department said. The incident occurred just after 4 p.m. at the corner of 39th Street and Third Avenue in the Murray Hill neighborhood adjacent to Midtown Manhattan, police said.
None of the injuries appeared to be life threatening, and the motorist involved remained at the scene, police said. Few other official details were immediately available.
Local media reports said six people were struck by the car, but it was unclear as to how many people were taken to hospitals.
Some accounts on social media described a chaotic scene around a stopped car surrounded by protesters, before the vehicle lurched into the crowd, sending some people and bicycles tumbling. Those reports could not immediately be confirmed by Reuters.
Police and several local media outlets said the protest was sponsored by the racial justice group Black Lives Matter.


mercurynews--2020-12-12--Defendant whose jury hung on murder charges takes plea deal in East Bay rapper’s killing

MARTINEZ — A 25-year-old man who was implicated in two Richmond-area murders before his 18th birthday accepted a prison term of 20 years as part of a plea deal over charges related to the shooting death of the Richmond rapper Rene Garcia , also known as Lil G the Great .
Gabriel Schroeder accepted a conviction of manslaughter in the 2012 killing of 25-year-old Rene Garcia , who was gunned down at Shields Reid Park during a robbery attempt .
Police have called Garcia ’ s homicide a gang killing , and prosecutors argued at Schroeder ’ s trial this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had put him at odds with a Sureño subset gang called Varrio Frontera Locos , or VFL .
Schroeder ’ s 20-year sentence will run concurrently with a 10-year prison term he accepted in 2015 for the shooting death of 20-year-old Juan Medrano two years earlier .
He will be formally sentenced in Garcia ’ s killing next month , according to court records .
Both of Schroeder ’ s co-defendants , Jonathan “ Black ” Barrera and Marcos Figueroa were convicted of murder charges and are expected to receive life sentences sometime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder charges against Schroeder , which put his attorneys and county prosecutors at the plea bargaining table .
Garcia was a rising rapper in West Contra Costa at the time of his death .
Though a Pinole resident , he dubbed himself the “ Prince of Richmond ” and began collaborating with rappers in the central Richmond area .
This angered some of his former friends in VFL , which exists in the North Richmond community , prosecutors said .
The night he was killed , Figueroa arranged for Garcia to purchase a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia arrived with his girlfriend , the pair were robbed .
Garcia ran off through the park , yelling at his girlfriend to drive away .
That ’ s when prosecutors say Barrera , Schroeder , and a third man — Jose “ Vato ” Rodriguez , pursued Garcia a short distance , stood in a line , and opened fire at him dozens of times .
He was struck by gunfire and died there at the park .
The following year , Rodriguez was killed in an unrelated shooting in Vallejo .

MARTINEZ — A 25-year-old man who was implicated in two Richmond-area murders before his 18th birthday accepted a prison term of 20 years as part of a plea deal over charges related to the shooting death of the Richmond rapper Rene Garcia, also known as Lil G the Great.
Gabriel Schroeder accepted a conviction of manslaughter in the 2012 killing of 25-year-old Rene Garcia, who was gunned down at Shields Reid Park during a robbery attempt. Police have called Garcia’s homicide a gang killing, and prosecutors argued at Schroeder’s trial this year that Garcia’s rap lyrics had put him at odds with a Sureño subset gang called Varrio Frontera Locos, or VFL.
Schroeder’s 20-year sentence will run concurrently with a 10-year prison term he accepted in 2015 for the shooting death of 20-year-old Juan Medrano two years earlier. He will be formally sentenced in Garcia’s killing next month, according to court records.
Both of Schroeder’s co-defendants, Jonathan “Black” Barrera and Marcos Figueroa were convicted of murder charges and are expected to receive life sentences sometime next year. But jurors hung on murder charges against Schroeder, which put his attorneys and county prosecutors at the plea bargaining table.
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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 Garcia was a rising rapper in West Contra Costa at the time of his death. Though a Pinole resident, he dubbed himself the “Prince of Richmond” and began collaborating with rappers in the central Richmond area. This angered some of his former friends in VFL, which exists in the North Richmond community, prosecutors said.
The night he was killed, Figueroa arranged for Garcia to purchase a gun at Shields Reid Park. When Garcia arrived with his girlfriend, the pair were robbed. Garcia ran off through the park, yelling at his girlfriend to drive away.
That’s when prosecutors say Barrera, Schroeder, and a third man — Jose “Vato” Rodriguez, pursued Garcia a short distance, stood in a line, and opened fire at him dozens of times. He was struck by gunfire and died there at the park. The following year, Rodriguez was killed in an unrelated shooting in Vallejo.


mercurynews--2020-12-12--Newark caps delivery app fees to 15 percent during pandemic

NEWARK — Following the lead of many other Bay Area cities , the Newark City Council has voted unanimously to cap the fees food delivery apps charge to restaurants , hoping to slow the bleeding on local businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic restrictions .
“ We ’ re in a war .
And the victims of the war , for a lot of that is our restaurants , ” Mayor Al Nagy said of the pandemic at a council meeting Thursday night .
Effective immediately , all third party food delivery services such DoorDash , GrubHub , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they charge restaurants in Newark to a maximum of 15 percent per order .
The cap will stay in effect until the council ends the state of local emergency it declared in March .
The vote to approve the rule was 4-0 .
Councilwoman Maria Collazo recused herself from the vote because she owns the Mexico Tortilla Factory in Newark .
City staff reports said prior to the ordinance going into effect , the companies running the apps were routinely charging businesses 25 percent or more of each order in fees , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some cases .
Roman Espinoza , the owner of Cal Eats Fresh Mexican Grill on Cedar Boulevard , said in an interview Friday the cap imposed by the city will offer some welcome relief .
“ It ’ s definitely affecting the bottom line , ” he said of the high fees charged by delivery apps .
The roughly 30 percent per order he was being charged was a cost he was able to offset with other dine-in and direct take-out business prior to the pandemic , since only about 20 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
And for a restaurant like his that has only been open for six years , he looked at the apps more as a way to gain potential new customers in the area .
“ The way they present it to you is , ‘ We ’ re going to put you in front of millions of customers , ’ ” he said .
But due to pandemic restrictions on dining , including recent Alameda County health orders that have restricted restaurants to delivery and take-out only , business from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 percent ” of his orders , and the fees take a big bite out of his profits .
“ At this point , if you don ’ t have a personal delivery that you offer from the store level , you have to use these third party apps .
We ’ re kind of pressured into this situation unfortunately , ” Espinoza said .
The fees have only worsened a situation caused by pandemic restrictions in a year where he was forced to cut half his staff .
“ I just have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ These are typically smaller operations , mom-and-pop type operations who hire local people to work in those restaurants , ” Nagy said at the meeting of who the cap is intended to help .
“ We don ’ t like to interfere with the free enterprise system , but in some cases you have to do that .
And I think this is one of those times when we have to do that , just to protect our businesses.
” City staff estimated the cap could save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 750 per week .
Espinoza said that kind of savings could help his business through the pandemic , and provide more profit to help pay the wages of the minimal employees he has on right now , or his rent .
Delivery companies found violating the cap in Newark could be cited by the city , and restaurants would be able to file a civil action against them if they choose to , city staff said .
Within the first 14 days of the order going into effect , there will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the overcharge above the cap limit is refunded within 15 days , the city said .
Many other cities in the region , state , and nation have already enacted similar caps , including Fremont , Hayward , San Leandro , San Francisco , Los Angeles , and New York City .
San Jose and Santa Clara County officials are considering approving caps soon .
City staff reports said some delivery service companies have raised concerns about the caps , claiming they could reduce restaurant marketing services leading to reduced sales , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised the possibility they could be forced to leave a market like Newark altogether due to loss of revenue .
“ We are trying to save our businesses to make sure that they ’ ll be here and save your businesses , ” Councilman Mike Bucci said , echoing city staff ’ s viewpoint .
“ I feel like this is a no-brainer .
And we ’ re certainly not going to leave our restaurants at a competitive disadvantage to Fremont .
That ’ s not going to happen , ” Bucci said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately respond to a request for comment .
As he prepared for opening his business for service Friday morning , Espinoza struck an optimistic tone .
“ We ’ re hopeful to be busy , ” he said .

NEWARK — Following the lead of many other Bay Area cities, the Newark City Council has voted unanimously to cap the fees food delivery apps charge to restaurants, hoping to slow the bleeding on local businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
“We’re in a war. And the victims of the war, for a lot of that is our restaurants,” Mayor Al Nagy said of the pandemic at a council meeting Thursday night.
Effective immediately, all third party food delivery services such DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats, must limit the fees they charge restaurants in Newark to a maximum of 15 percent per order.
The cap will stay in effect until the council ends the state of local emergency it declared in March.
The vote to approve the rule was 4-0. Councilwoman Maria Collazo recused herself from the vote because she owns the Mexico Tortilla Factory in Newark.
City staff reports said prior to the ordinance going into effect, the companies running the apps were routinely charging businesses 25 percent or more of each order in fees, with DoorDash charging up to 33 percent in some cases.
Roman Espinoza, the owner of Cal Eats Fresh Mexican Grill on Cedar Boulevard, said in an interview Friday the cap imposed by the city will offer some welcome relief.
“It’s definitely affecting the bottom line,” he said of the high fees charged by delivery apps.
The roughly 30 percent per order he was being charged was a cost he was able to offset with other dine-in and direct take-out business prior to the pandemic, since only about 20 percent of his orders came through the apps, he said.
And for a restaurant like his that has only been open for six years, he looked at the apps more as a way to gain potential new customers in the area.
“The way they present it to you is, ‘We’re going to put you in front of millions of customers,’” he said.
But due to pandemic restrictions on dining, including recent Alameda County health orders that have restricted restaurants to delivery and take-out only, business from the apps now make up “80 to 90 percent” of his orders, and the fees take a big bite out of his profits.
“At this point, if you don’t have a personal delivery that you offer from the store level, you have to use these third party apps. We’re kind of pressured into this situation unfortunately,” Espinoza said.
The fees have only worsened a situation caused by pandemic restrictions in a year where he was forced to cut half his staff.
“I just have to put in a lot more hours,” he said.
“These are typically smaller operations, mom-and-pop type operations who hire local people to work in those restaurants,” Nagy said at the meeting of who the cap is intended to help.
“We don’t like to interfere with the free enterprise system, but in some cases you have to do that. And I think this is one of those times when we have to do that, just to protect our businesses.”
City staff estimated the cap could save restaurants they surveyed between $375 and $750 per week. Espinoza said that kind of savings could help his business through the pandemic, and provide more profit to help pay the wages of the minimal employees he has on right now, or his rent.
Delivery companies found violating the cap in Newark could be cited by the city, and restaurants would be able to file a civil action against them if they choose to, city staff said.
Within the first 14 days of the order going into effect, there will be no penalty for violations, as long as the overcharge above the cap limit is refunded within 15 days, the city said.
Many other cities in the region, state, and nation have already enacted similar caps, including Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. San Jose and Santa Clara County officials are considering approving caps soon.
“Pricing regulations could cause us to increase costs for customers, which could lead to fewer orders for local restaurants and fewer earning opportunities for Dashers,” DoorDash said Friday afternoon in an emailed statement.
“Pricing regulations can also remove options available to restaurants by limiting their ability to opt-in to additional services to help their business. We remain focused on working with policymakers to reach solutions that better support restaurants, customers, and Dashers,” the statement read.
“We are trying to save our businesses to make sure that they’ll be here and save your (delivery) businesses,” Councilman Mike Bucci said, echoing city staff’s viewpoint.
“I feel like this is a no-brainer. And we’re certainly not going to leave our restaurants at a competitive disadvantage to Fremont. That’s not going to happen,” Bucci said with a chuckle.
As he prepared for opening his business for service Friday morning, Espinoza struck an optimistic tone.
“We’re hopeful to be busy,” he said.


mercurynews--2020-12-12--Monterey facing major impact from sea level rise

MONTEREY — There will be major effects from sea-level rise on Monterey ’ s transportation systems , causing entire road closures , including shutting down the Lighthouse Tunnel to some 55,000 cars that make daily trips , experts explained to the city ’ s Planning Commission this week .
“ This is going to be a slow-motion train wreck , ” said Commissioner Michael Dawson about the massive infrastructure damage the rising seas could cause .
Frederik Venter of Kimley-Horn Associates and Rebecca Verity of GEI Consultants have been working with Fernanda Roveri , a senior associate planner with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the years 2030 , 2060 and 2100 that project what sea-level rise will do to the city ’ s transportation network and possible solutions to thwart massive damage that can cost hundreds of millions of dollars .
Data for the current study were generated by Revell Coastal in 2017 , and the future wave impact analyses in the study were conducted by Moffatt and Nichol in 2019 .
Tuesday ’ s meeting was designed to brief commissioners on work that has been developed over a matter of months and then to solicit public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of this decade , sea-level rise is projected to be in the neighborhood of 8 inches , enough to regularly flood Del Monte Avenue in the vicinity of Del Monte Beach .
By 2060 , the seas will have projected to rise by 2.4 feet and Del Monte will be completely underwater and the Lighthouse Tunnel will be little more than a freeway for fish .
And by 2100 , the sea will have risen 5.2 feet , forcing the closure of Fremont Street , creating tremendous congestion and a significant decline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It will cause a domino effect with cars piled up on Highway 1 and one scenario has motorists wanting to go to Cannery Row squeezing onto Highway 1 then circling around on Holman Highway through Pacific Grove .
It ’ s not just surface streets .
Sewer lines and storm drains will be severely damaged .
Sinkholes will erupt where wave action undercuts surface strata .
Water inundating electrical systems will spark fires .
There will be an increase in traffic accidents , as well as injuries and deaths along with delayed time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would need to relocate .
Monterey will be a less attractive place for tourists and an economic downturn would cascade .
“ It would be a less attractive place to work and play , ” Venter said .
On the most basic level the city is faced with two options : let the sea come in and let it take what it will , or try to keep it out with a number of measures — none of them cheap .
One option is to elevate the current coastal Recreation Trail by 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-ton boulders to mitigate the wave action that would pound its base .
In today ’ s dollars that would cost roughly $ 57.9 million .
Another option the city could explore is to anchor massive piles in underlying bedrock and construct a 17-foot-tall seawall on the ocean side of the Rec Trail as well adding smaller rip-rap boulders .
The downside to this strategy is for roughly three-quarters of a mile pedestrians would not have a view of the ocean .
It ’ s also the most expensive seawall option at $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seawalls , another option would be to construct a viaduct to the tune of $ 300 million that would take traffic over the top of the advancing surf line .
Or , Del Monte could be diverted inland and cross newly constructed bridges across a swollen El Estero .
The study notes that Monterey is perhaps better naturally prepared than many of California ’ s at-risk cities .
With hills rising steeply from the sea , granite rather than sandstone cliffs and its most at-risk region already centered around El Estero , Monterey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may also provide unique opportunities .
• Becker : Climate change won ’ t stop on its own any more than COVID-19 has “ By creating a tidal bay in an area not much larger than the existing Lake El Estero , Monterey could restore a coastal estuary , add rather than lose beaches , bike trails , and waterfront businesses , and create sheltered marshlands or harbors for fishing , swimming , and small boats , ” a section of the study reads .
In the short-term , the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 400,000 grants with the help of the state Office of Emergency Services and the state Coastal Conservancy to move planning into the next phase that by 2025 will require a decision about the best strategy to pursue .
The city of Monterey couldn ’ t come close to generating the funding needed for some of the options and would rely on state and federal funding .
The problem with that is Monterey is only one of thousands of coastal communities that would face the same fate by the time grandchildren today are facing @ @ @ @ @ @

MONTEREY — There will be major effects from sea-level rise on Monterey’s transportation systems, causing entire road closures, including shutting down the Lighthouse Tunnel to some 55,000 cars that make daily trips, experts explained to the city’s Planning Commission this week.
“This is going to be a slow-motion train wreck,” said Commissioner Michael Dawson about the massive infrastructure damage the rising seas could cause.
Frederik Venter of Kimley-Horn Associates and Rebecca Verity of GEI Consultants have been working with Fernanda Roveri, a senior associate planner with the city, to develop staged timelines for the years 2030, 2060 and 2100 that project what sea-level rise will do to the city’s transportation network and possible solutions to thwart massive damage that can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Data for the current study were generated by Revell Coastal in 2017, and the future wave impact analyses in the study were conducted by Moffatt and Nichol in 2019.
Tuesday’s meeting was designed to brief commissioners on work that has been developed over a matter of months and then to solicit public feedback about proposed solutions.
By the end of this decade, sea-level rise is projected to be in the neighborhood of 8 inches, enough to regularly flood Del Monte Avenue in the vicinity of Del Monte Beach. By 2060, the seas will have projected to rise by 2.4 feet and Del Monte will be completely underwater and the Lighthouse Tunnel will be little more than a freeway for fish.
And by 2100, the sea will have risen 5.2 feet, forcing the closure of Fremont Street, creating tremendous congestion and a significant decline in economic activity in the city. It will cause a domino effect with cars piled up on Highway 1 and one scenario has motorists wanting to go to Cannery Row squeezing onto Highway 1 then circling around on Holman Highway through Pacific Grove.
It’s not just surface streets. Sewer lines and storm drains will be severely damaged. Sinkholes will erupt where wave action undercuts surface strata. Water inundating electrical systems will spark fires. There will be an increase in traffic accidents, as well as injuries and deaths along with delayed time from first responders. Homes and businesses would need to relocate. Monterey will be a less attractive place for tourists and an economic downturn would cascade.
“It would be a less attractive place to work and play,” Venter said.
On the most basic level the city is faced with two options: let the sea come in and let it take what it will, or try to keep it out with a number of measures — none of them cheap.
One option is to elevate the current coastal Recreation Trail by 13 feet and pack the seaward side with two-ton boulders to mitigate the wave action that would pound its base. In today’s dollars that would cost roughly $57.9 million.
Another option the city could explore is to anchor massive piles in underlying bedrock and construct a 17-foot-tall seawall on the ocean side of the Rec Trail as well adding smaller rip-rap boulders. The downside to this strategy is for roughly three-quarters of a mile pedestrians would not have a view of the ocean. It’s also the most expensive seawall option at $88.9 million.
In the absence of seawalls, another option would be to construct a viaduct to the tune of $300 million that would take traffic over the top of the advancing surf line. Or, Del Monte could be diverted inland and cross newly constructed bridges across a swollen El Estero.
The study notes that Monterey is perhaps better naturally prepared than many of California’s at-risk cities. With hills rising steeply from the sea, granite rather than sandstone cliffs and its most at-risk region already centered around El Estero, Monterey may find that adapting to rising seas may also provide unique opportunities.
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Can luxury real estate help fight climate change? Environment | Judge sides with young activists in Montana climate change trial “By creating a tidal bay in an area not much larger than the existing Lake El Estero, Monterey could restore a coastal estuary, add rather than lose beaches, bike trails, and waterfront businesses, and create sheltered marshlands or harbors for fishing, swimming, and small boats,” a section of the study reads.
In the short-term, the city’s Planning Department has applied for two $400,000 grants with the help of the state Office of Emergency Services and the state Coastal Conservancy to move planning into the next phase that by 2025 will require a decision about the best strategy to pursue.
The city of Monterey couldn’t come close to generating the funding needed for some of the options and would rely on state and federal funding. The problem with that is Monterey is only one of thousands of coastal communities that would face the same fate by the time grandchildren today are facing the consequences of sea-level rise.


mercurynews--2020-12-12--California files to join U.S. antitrust lawsuit against Google

WASHINGTON – California asked to join the U.S. Department of Justice ’ s antitrust lawsuit against Google on Friday , making the state ’ s attorney general the first Democrat to openly support the litigation .
The department in October accused the $ 1 trillion California-based company of illegally using its market muscle to hobble rivals , and was joined by 11 other states when it was filed .
“ California is not making substantive changes to the complaint .
In particular , California is not seeking to add any new facts or claims , ” Attorney General Xavier Becerra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would not delay the case .
Google has denied wrongdoing , and the company has said that its search engine and other products are dominant because consumers prefer them .
“ People use Google because they choose to , not because they ’ re forced to , or because they can ’ t find alternatives , ” a Google spokeswoman said .
“ We ’ ll continue to make our case in court.
” The company must respond to California ’ s request to join the lawsuit by Dec. 18 , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District Judge Amit Mehta .
The Justice Department welcomed California ’ s entry to the case , which says Google broke antitrust law to build and maintain dominance in search and search advertising .
“ This landmark antitrust case reflects broad and bipartisan concerns that Google … has maintained its monopoly power by cutting off its competition , ” said spokesperson Brianna Herlihy .
• Despite shuttered campuses , some Silicon Valley tech firms still paying cafeteria workers , janitors In November , Reuters reported a separate bipartisan group of states plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , made up of Colorado , Iowa , Nebraska , New York , North Carolina , Tennessee , and Utah , plans to combine its case with the federal government ’ s case .
California ’ s Becerra has been picked by President-elect Joe Biden as his nominee for secretary of health and human services – a prominent member of the health team to lead the response to the coronavirus pandemic .

By David Shepardson and Nandita Bose | Reuters
WASHINGTON – California asked to join the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Google on Friday, making the state’s attorney general the first Democrat to openly support the litigation.
The department in October accused the $1 trillion California-based company of illegally using its market muscle to hobble rivals, and was joined by 11 other states when it was filed.
“California is not making substantive changes to the complaint. In particular, California is not seeking to add any new facts or claims,” Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in the filing, adding that it would not delay the case.
Google has denied wrongdoing, and the company has said that its search engine and other products are dominant because
consumers prefer them.
“People use Google because they choose to, not because they’re forced to, or because they can’t find alternatives,” a Google spokeswoman said. “We’ll continue to make our case in court.”
The company must respond to California’s request to join the lawsuit by Dec. 18, said the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta.
The Justice Department welcomed California’s entry to the case, which says Google broke antitrust law to build and maintain dominance in search and search advertising.
“This landmark antitrust case reflects broad and bipartisan concerns that Google … has maintained its monopoly power by cutting off its competition,” said spokesperson Brianna Herlihy.
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Magid: Google’s back in the game with its new Pixel Tablet Business | UC Santa Cruz team makes final round of Google app challenge In November, Reuters reported a separate bipartisan group of states plan to file a related lawsuit. The group, made up of Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah, plans to combine its case with the federal government’s case.
California’s Becerra has been picked by President-elect Joe Biden as his nominee for secretary of health and human services
– a prominent member of the health team to lead the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Additional reporting by Diane Bartz


mercurynews--2020-12-12--California father indicted for torture and murder of missing 8-year-old son

A Riverside County grand jury has indicted Bryce Daniel McIntosh , the Corona man accused of killing his 8-year-old son , in a move that prosecutors hope will speed up the case .
McIntosh , 34 , already had been charged by the District Attorney ’ s Office with murder with a special circumstance of torture that makes him eligible for the death penalty .
But delays in moving the case toward a preliminary hearing , where a judge would determine whether there was sufficient evidence to hold McIntosh for trial , prompted the DA ’ s Office to seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a finding by a judge at a preliminary hearing or an indictment by a grand jury are equally acceptable to hold a defendant over for trial , ” DA ’ s spokesman John Hall said in a news release .
McIntosh has pleaded not guilty .
District Attorney Mike Hestrin has not announced whether he plans to seek the death penalty .
• California father of four charged with decapitating teen son , 12-year-daughter • California man gets 25-year prison sentence for producing child pornography through social media • CHP : Mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 101 after car broke down • East Bay man arrested in Pacifica on suspicion of child endangerment A trial readiness conference has been scheduled for Feb. 18 , but it ’ s unclear how soon a trial could commence .
The grand jury returned its indictment on Nov. 19 , but on Dec. 4 Deputy Public Defender Brian Cosgrove surprised prosecutors by declaring an unexplained conflict with his office representing McIntosh and said his client needed a new attorney .
Richard V. Swanson , a private lawyer who has won life sentences for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointed by the court on a county-paid contract to represent McIntosh .
Noah ’ s body has not been found .
Detectives have said in court documents that his father purchased acid and a trash can before Noah disappeared and that investigators used evidence from his cellphone to trace his movements to Aguanga , where they say they found a trash can , paper with “ Noah M. ” written on it , several purple latex gloves and parts of a blender .

A Riverside County grand jury has indicted Bryce Daniel McIntosh, the Corona man accused of killing his 8-year-old son, in a move that prosecutors hope will speed up the case.
McIntosh, 34, already had been charged by the District Attorney’s Office with murder with a special circumstance of torture that makes him eligible for the death penalty. But delays in moving the case toward a preliminary hearing, where a judge would determine whether there was sufficient evidence to hold McIntosh for trial, prompted the DA’s Office to seek the indictment.
“By California law, a finding by a judge at a preliminary hearing or an indictment by a grand jury are equally acceptable to hold a defendant over for trial,” DA’s spokesman John Hall said in a news release.
McIntosh has pleaded not guilty. District Attorney Mike Hestrin has not announced whether he plans to seek the death penalty.
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Richard V. Swanson, a private lawyer who has won life sentences for clients facing the death penalty, was appointed by the court on a county-paid contract to represent McIntosh.
Noah’s body has not been found. Detectives have said in court documents that his father purchased acid and a trash can before Noah disappeared and that investigators used evidence from his cellphone to trace his movements to Aguanga, where they say they found a trash can, paper with “Noah M.” written on it, several purple latex gloves and parts of a blender.


mercurynews--2020-12-12--California GOP Rep. Devin Nunes said he has tested positive for Covid-19

Rep. Devin Nunes of California , the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , on Friday told KMJ , @ @ @ @ @ , California , that he has Covid-19 antibodies .
Nunes , who is a close @ @ @ @ @ , was seen by reporters earlier this week on Capitol Hill wearing a face mask @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus brings CNN ’ s tally of members of the House of Representatives who @ @ @ @ @ , including 11 Democrats and 24 Republicans .
Eleven members of the US Senate , @ @ @ @ @ , have also tested positive for the virus or antibodies since the start of the @ @ @ @ @ comes amid the latest surge in coronavirus cases , which appears to hitting all parts @ @ @ @ @ than 200,000 new infections were reported Thursday in the US .
Congress is trying to @ @ @ @ @ relief package it can attach to a spending bill that must pass by December 18 @ @ @ @ @ deal has eluded negotiators .

Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, on Friday told KMJ, a radio station in Fresno, California, that he has Covid-19 antibodies.
Nunes, who is a close ally of President Donald Trump, was seen by reporters earlier this week on Capitol Hill wearing a face mask.
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Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms California Politics | COVID Q&A: Can I use an expired test? Time to get boosted? How to cope with California’s sneaky summer surge Nunes’ exposure to the coronavirus brings CNN’s tally of members of the House of Representatives who have had Covid-19 to 35, including 11 Democrats and 24 Republicans. Eleven members of the US Senate, two Democrats and nine Republicans, have also tested positive for the virus or antibodies since the start of the pandemic.
Nunes’ announcement comes amid the latest surge in coronavirus cases, which appears to hitting all parts of the country. More than 200,000 new infections were reported Thursday in the US.
Congress is trying to find consensus for a Covid relief package it can attach to a spending bill that must pass by December 18, but so far a deal has eluded negotiators.
The-CNN-Wire
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mercurynews--2020-12-12--After 51 years, the Zodiac Killer’s cipher has been solved by amateur codebreakers

More than 50 years after the so-called Zodiac Killer first began terrorizing the streets of Northern California , a code-breaking team is believed to have finally cracked one of the killer ’ s mysterious coded messages sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969 .
Dubbed the “ 340 cipher , ” the message was unraveled by a trio of code breakers — David Oranchak , a software developer in Virginia , Jarl Van Eycke , a Belgian computer programmer , and Sam Blake , an Australian mathematician .
Decoding the cipher revealed the following message .
It was sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included the misspelling of paradise : “ I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me That wasn ’ t me on the TV show which brings up a point about me I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice all the sooner Because I now have enough slaves to work for me where everyone else has nothing when they reach paradice so they are afraid of death I am not afraid because I know that my new life will be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV show the message refers to is “ The Jim Dunbar Show , ” a Bay Area television talk show .
The cipher was sent two weeks after a person claiming to be the Zodiac Killer called into the show .
“ It was incredible .
It was a big shock , I never really thought we ’ d find anything because I had grown so used to failure , ” Oranchak , who ’ s been working on solving the killer ’ s messages since 2006 , told CNN .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get excited when I would see some words come through — they were like false positives , phantoms .
I had grown used to that .
It was a long shot — we didn ’ t even really know if there was a message , ” he said .
• Former Bay Area woman recalls her sister murdered by the Zodiac killer 50 years ago this weekend • Bay Area author reveals familiar name as Zodiac killer suspect in new book • Police trying to find DNA match for Zodiac Killer • Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Zodiac killer ’ s coded messages • Vallejo says goodbye to Lyndon Lafferty , author of Zodiac Killer book The trio took their findings to the FBI a week ago , but didn ’ t reveal their breakthrough until the FBI ’ s confirmed cleared by the authorities , they said .
The Zodiac Killer is most known for leaving a trail of five unsolved murders between 1968 and 1969 .
He was never caught , but he gained notoriety by writing letters to police and local media up until 1974 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killings .
Bloody bits of clothing were included with his letters as proof of his actions .
He claims he killed as many as 37 people .
The FBI said in a statement that the case remains an ongoing investigation for the bureau ’ s San Francisco office and its local law enforcement partners .
“ Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation , and out of respect for the victims and their families , we will not be providing further comment at this time , ” the statement read .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made aware of the solved cipher , and said the information has been sent to the department ’ s cold case homicide investigators .
Oranchak detailed the process for cracking the cipher on his website and in a YouTube video , where he used a specifically developed decryption software and a bit of luck to finally make the connection .
The team used a unique program to sift through 650,000 variations of the message .
In one , a couple of words appeared .
“ We got really lucky and found one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wasn ’ t obvious , ” Oranchak said , explaining that they then had to handpick their way through to decipher the rest of the message .
The only disappointing part , Oranchak said , is that the missive contained no personally identifying information .
Oranchak holds out no hope for solving the two remaining ciphers .
He described the mission as “ almost hopeless , ” as both are very short , with thousands of different names and phrases that could fit .

More than 50 years after the so-called Zodiac Killer first began terrorizing the streets of Northern California, a code-breaking team is believed to have finally cracked one of the killer’s mysterious coded messages sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969.
Dubbed the “340 cipher,” the message was unraveled by a trio of code breakers — David Oranchak, a software developer in Virginia, Jarl Van Eycke, a Belgian computer programmer, and Sam Blake, an Australian mathematician.
Decoding the cipher revealed the following message. It was sent in all capital letters without punctuation and included the misspelling of paradise:
“I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me
That wasn’t me on the TV show which brings up a point about me
I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice all the sooner
Because I now have enough slaves to work for me where everyone else has nothing when they reach paradice so they are afraid of death
I am not afraid because I know that my new life will be an easy one in paradice death.”
The TV show the message refers to is “The Jim Dunbar Show,” a Bay Area television talk show. The cipher was sent two weeks after a person claiming to be the Zodiac Killer called into the show.
“It was incredible. It was a big shock, I never really thought we’d find anything because I had grown so used to failure,” Oranchak, who’s been working on solving the killer’s messages since 2006, told CNN.
“When I first started, I used to get excited when I would see some words come through — they were like false positives, phantoms. I had grown used to that. It was a long shot — we didn’t even really know if there was a message,” he said.
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The Zodiac Killer is most known for leaving a trail of five unsolved murders between 1968 and 1969. He was never caught, but he gained notoriety by writing letters to police and local media up until 1974, sometimes in code, boasting of the killings.
Bloody bits of clothing were included with his letters as proof of his actions. He claims he killed as many as 37 people.
The FBI said in a statement that the case remains an ongoing investigation for the bureau’s San Francisco office and its local law enforcement partners.
“Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, and out of respect for the victims and their families, we will not be providing further comment at this time,” the statement read.
The San Francisco Police Department has also been made aware of the solved cipher, and said the information has been sent to the department’s cold case homicide investigators.
Oranchak detailed the process for cracking the cipher on his website and in a YouTube video, where he used a specifically developed decryption software and a bit of luck to finally make the connection. The team used a unique program to sift through 650,000 variations of the message. In one, a couple of words appeared.
“We got really lucky and found one that had part of the answer, but it wasn’t obvious,” Oranchak said, explaining that they then had to handpick their way through to decipher the rest of the message.
The only disappointing part, Oranchak said, is that the missive contained no personally identifying information.
Oranchak holds out no hope for solving the two remaining ciphers. He described the mission as “almost hopeless,” as both are very short, with thousands of different names and phrases that could fit.
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mercurynews--2020-12-12--‘Ma Rainey’ star recalls working with Chadwick Boseman: ‘His loss is truly profound’

It was first known for being August Wilson ’ s first Broadway play .
Then when Denzel Washington decided to produce a film version for Netflix , it became known as the second of Wilson ’ s 10-play American Century Cycle that Washington had brought to the screen .
Now , tragically , the film will be known as Chadwick Boseman ’ s final screen performance before his death from cancer this summer at the age of 43 .
Boseman ’ s fiery portrayal of Levee , a flamboyant trumpeter chafing at the strictures of the institutionalized racism of 1927 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire film is a showcase for Black talent and storytelling .
Two-time Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe directs an adaptation by Ruben Santiago-Hudson , who as an actor and director has become the preeminent interpreter of Wilson .
Jazz legend Branford Marsalis wrote the score .
Viola Davis , who won an Oscar playing opposite Washington in the 2016 film of Wilson ’ s “ Fences , ” plays Ma Rainey , an indomitable blues singer in Chicago for a recording session .
She refuses to give an inch to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her place .
In addition to Boseman ’ s Levee , her band features Glynn Turman as the philosophizing piano player Toledo and Michael Potts as the good-time bass player Slow Drag .
( Both actors are best known from “ The Wire , ” though Turman ’ s career dates back to the 1959 Broadway premiere of “ A Raisin in the Sun ” when he was just 12 . )
Trying to hold it all together is Cutler , the trombonist and Ma ’ s bandleader .
“ Cutler has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s proxy when she ’ s not there , but he ’ s one of the boys .
And he ’ s the face that the white institutions see at a recording session or performance , ” says Colman Domingo , who plays him in the film .
“ Like every African American , he has pain and anguish under the surface ; he knows the system and he ’ s trying to navigate it.
” Domingo is a playwright who has acted in and directed Wilson ’ s plays ; as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known for “ Fear of the Walking Dead , ” but he has become a go-to character actor in ambitious period Black dramas , including “ Selma , ” “ The Birth of a Nation , ” and “ If Beale Street Could Talk.
” ( He even had a small part in “ 42 , ” appearing with Boseman but his scene was cut . )
“ I want my work to be impactful , ” Domingo says .
“ That ’ s why I started acting .
When you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you feel like you ’ ve won the lottery.
” The film was released theatrically on November 25th and comes to Netflix on December 18th .
Domingo spoke by phone about his experiences , and the conversation has been edited for length and clarity .
Q .
Was being part of this adaptation a privilege or a responsibility ?
It was an absolute privilege and a tremendous responsibility .
When you land yourself in an August Wilson play , you have to get it right — these people are not just drawn from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawn from real-life experiences of African Americans .
My portrayal of Cutler includes not only those who played the role before but also my grandfather , my uncles and all the other men who were Cutlers in their lives , so I ’ m responsible to them as well .
You want to get Wilson ’ s language exactly right so audiences can hear how African Americans speak to each other when White folks aren ’ t in the room .
Q .
How does the timing of this film ’ s release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s an examination of Black Lives Matter — Black folks are wrestling with having agency in a racially charged institution , the music business .
Ma Rainey is formidable and truly hellbent on breaking barriers and smashing the glass ceiling in 1927 as an openly gay blues singer .
She walks into a room and says don ’ t just take my sound — if you want me , take all of me as a human being .
We want this film to inspire the hard conversations ; we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oh , that was a good film ” and walk away .
Examine this , people ; talk about it with your family .
It ’ s about moving the dial after everything we ’ ve been hit with this year .
It ’ s about the exposure of racial injustice and trying to gain more parity .
This film is a grace note for the year .
Q .
How involved was Denzel Washington as a producer ?
What ’ s so impressive is at this point in his career Denzel can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s choosing to tell these stories to lift up other people .
On-set , he was a great ally .
He ’ s such a great leader and he wanted his cast to be empowered and have a voice , which is incredible for someone with so much power in the industry .
He made sure we were cared for and that we had the resources to do the work — he ’ d hand me a spiritual text and ask me as the bandleader to share it with the band .
Q @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shorter than the play .
How did you handle the trimming and tweaking ?
We had two weeks of rehearsal and we all read the play itself — it was helpful to know the characters and their history .
Ruben had to take out monologues and we ’ d have to convey what was missing in a look or a gesture — something about Cutler ’ s relationship with Slow Drag and how long we ’ ve known each other just comes out in how we pal around or smoke some weed together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instruments ?
We became proficient .
Will we be touring with Branford Marsalis ’ band soon ?
No .
But I learned my slide positions and mouth placements .
Branford also took us out to watch a jazz band and we ’ d watch how they played off each other ; we learned the culture of a band .
As bandleader , I made sure I hosted dinners and I took the band out to dinner to have the reality that we eat together and talk about our families .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted our performances to feel lived in and not performative .
I looked at my instrument as a symbol for my character .
He holds onto the bottom notes so the trumpet can flourish and the voice can go all over the map .
I can slide up or slide down but I ’ m the bandleader so I ’ m holding it steady so everyone else can fly .
Q .
Were you aware that Boseman was sick ?
Not one bit .
We ’ re both Sagittarius , November 28th and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very private person and Chad was as well .
I think Chad just wanted to do his work to help him get through it .
He wanted to work as often as he could with as much strength and conviction as possible .
He had the spirit of a powerful leader .
I think that ’ s why he played so many kings and legends .
Q .
Does his death change how audiences will see the film ?
• ‘ Real Housewives of Orange County ’ star Braunwyn Windham-Burke comes out as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the first cut in May and I just watched it two nights ago .
There are certain lines that feel more significant now , knowing what he was dealing with .
I believe art saves and transforms lives and sometimes you need to work through something in a role at a particular moment in your life and I think Chad had that with this role .
Whether it ’ s wrestling with questions of faith or other questions , it feels more profound .
I think of how vivid and funny he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was .
The film shows Chad truly alive which makes watching it more painful .
I shed tears watching it .
When you see the film , his loss is truly profound .

f”Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is many things.
It was first known for being August Wilson’s first Broadway play. Then when Denzel Washington decided to produce a film version for Netflix, it became known as the second of Wilson’s 10-play American Century Cycle that Washington had brought to the screen. Now, tragically, the film will be known as Chadwick Boseman’s final screen performance before his death from cancer this summer at the age of 43.
Boseman’s fiery portrayal of Levee, a flamboyant trumpeter chafing at the strictures of the institutionalized racism of 1927, is powerful and poignant, and the entire film is a showcase for Black talent and storytelling. Two-time Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe directs an adaptation by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who as an actor and director has become the preeminent interpreter of Wilson. Jazz legend Branford Marsalis wrote the score.
Viola Davis, who won an Oscar playing opposite Washington in the 2016 film of Wilson’s “Fences,” plays Ma Rainey, an indomitable blues singer in Chicago for a recording session. She refuses to give an inch to the White executives who think she should know her place. In addition to Boseman’s Levee, her band features Glynn Turman as the philosophizing piano player Toledo and Michael Potts as the good-time bass player Slow Drag. (Both actors are best known from “The Wire,” though Turman’s career dates back to the 1959 Broadway premiere of “A Raisin in the Sun” when he was just 12.) Trying to hold it all together is Cutler, the trombonist and Ma’s bandleader.
“Cutler has a balancing act. He’s Ma’s proxy when she’s not there, but he’s one of the boys. And he’s the face that the white institutions see at a recording session or performance,” says Colman Domingo, who plays him in the film. “Like every African American, he has pain and anguish under the surface; he knows the system and he’s trying to navigate it.”
Domingo is a playwright who has acted in and directed Wilson’s plays; as an actor, he’s best known for “Fear of the Walking Dead,” but he has become a go-to character actor in ambitious period Black dramas, including “Selma,” “The Birth of a Nation,” and “If Beale Street Could Talk.” (He even had a small part in “42,” appearing with Boseman but his scene was cut.)
“I want my work to be impactful,” Domingo says. “That’s why I started acting. When you’re reaching people’s minds and hearts you feel like you’ve won the lottery.”
The film was released theatrically on November 25th and comes to Netflix on December 18th. Domingo spoke by phone about his experiences, and the conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q. Was being part of this adaptation a privilege or a responsibility?
It was an absolute privilege and a tremendous responsibility. When you land yourself in an August Wilson play, you have to get it right — these people are not just drawn from August’s imagination, they are drawn from real-life experiences of African Americans. My portrayal of Cutler includes not only those who played the role before but also my grandfather, my uncles and all the other men who were Cutlers in their lives, so I’m responsible to them as well.
You want to get Wilson’s language exactly right so audiences can hear how African Americans speak to each other when White folks aren’t in the room.
Q. How does the timing of this film’s release enhance its text and subtext?
It’s an examination of Black Lives Matter — Black folks are wrestling with having agency in a racially charged institution, the music business. Ma Rainey is formidable and truly hellbent on breaking barriers and smashing the glass ceiling in 1927 as an openly gay blues singer. She walks into a room and says don’t just take my sound — if you want me, take all of me as a human being.
We want this film to inspire the hard conversations; we don’t want people to just say, “Oh, that was a good film” and walk away. Examine this, people; talk about it with your family. It’s about moving the dial after everything we’ve been hit with this year. It’s about the exposure of racial injustice and trying to gain more parity. This film is a grace note for the year.
Q. How involved was Denzel Washington as a producer?
What’s so impressive is at this point in his career Denzel can do anything he wants and he’s choosing to tell these stories to lift up other people. On-set, he was a great ally. He’s such a great leader and he wanted his cast to be empowered and have a voice, which is incredible for someone with so much power in the industry. He made sure we were cared for and that we had the resources to do the work — he’d hand me a spiritual text and ask me as the bandleader to share it with the band.
Q. The film is about an hour shorter than the play. How did you handle the trimming and tweaking?
We had two weeks of rehearsal and we all read the play itself — it was helpful to know the characters and their history. Ruben had to take out monologues and we’d have to convey what was missing in a look or a gesture — something about Cutler’s relationship with Slow Drag and how long we’ve known each other just comes out in how we pal around or smoke some weed together.
Q. You all learned your instruments?
We became proficient. Will we be touring with Branford Marsalis’ band soon? No. But I learned my slide positions and mouth placements. Branford also took us out to watch a jazz band and we’d watch how they played off each other; we learned the culture of a band. As bandleader, I made sure I hosted dinners and I took the band out to dinner to have the reality that we eat together and talk about our families. That’s not shown on the screen but I wanted our performances to feel lived in and not performative.
I looked at my instrument as a symbol for my character. He holds onto the bottom notes so the trumpet can flourish and the voice can go all over the map. I can slide up or slide down but I’m the bandleader so I’m holding it steady so everyone else can fly.
Q. Were you aware that Boseman was sick?
Not one bit. We’re both Sagittarius, November 28th and 29th, and I’m a very private person and Chad was as well. I think Chad just wanted to do his work to help him get through it. He wanted to work as often as he could with as much strength and conviction as possible. He had the spirit of a powerful leader. I think that’s why he played so many kings and legends.
Q. Does his death change how audiences will see the film?
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SAG-AFTRA working to cover reality stars in its contract TV Streaming | The writers strike has hit 100 days with no end in sight I hadn’t seen it since the first cut in May and I just watched it two nights ago. There are certain lines that feel more significant now, knowing what he was dealing with. I believe art saves and transforms lives and sometimes you need to work through something in a role at a particular moment in your life and I think Chad had that with this role. Whether it’s wrestling with questions of faith or other questions, it feels more profound.
I think of how vivid and funny he was, what a great comrade he was. The film shows Chad truly alive which makes watching it more painful. I shed tears watching it. When you see the film, his loss is truly profound.