mercurynews--2020-11-14--‘Stop the Steal’ campaign has long ties to Roger Stone

It is an internet battle cry : Stop the Steal has swept across inboxes , Facebook pages and Twitter like an out-of-control virus , spreading misinformation and violent rhetoric — and spilling into real life , like the protest planned for DC this weekend .
But while Stop the Steal may sound like a new 2020 political slogan to many , it did not emerge organically over widespread concerns about voting fraud in President Donald Trump ’ s race against Joe Biden .
It has been in the works for years .
Its origin traces to Roger Stone , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trickster ” whose 40-month prison sentence for seven felonies was cut short by Trump ’ s commutation in July .
Stone ’ s political action committee launched a “ Stop the Steal ” website in 2016 to fundraise ahead of that election , asking for $ 10,000 donations by saying , “ If this election is close , THEY WILL STEAL IT.
” He first trotted out the slogan during the 2016 primaries — claiming a “ Bush-Cruz-Kasich-Romney-Ryan-McConnell faction ” was attempting to steal the Republican nomination from Donald Trump — before re-upping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Donald Trump thinks Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are going to steal the next election , ” his website said that October .
Stop the Steal briefly resurfaced around the midterms in 2018 — with Republicans employing the hashtag during a recount in a neck-and-neck Florida race for U.S. Senate — but it wasn ’ t until 2020 that it really caught fire .
A Stop the Steal Facebook group was managed by a loose coalition of right wing operatives , some of whom have worked with former Trump adviser Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of followers in little more than a day before Facebook shut it down on November 5 — the day after it was launched .
Also on November 5 , Bannon started his own “ Stop the Steal ” Facebook group ; he changed the name to “ Own Your Vote ” the following day .
It was not removed by Facebook , but the social media company did later remove several other pages affiliated with Bannon .
“ We ’ ve removed several clusters of activity for using inauthentic behavior tactics to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content , ” said Andy Stone , a Facebook spokesman .
“ That includes a group that was originally named Stop the Steal , which later became Gay Communists for Socialism and misled people about its purpose using deceptive tactics.
” Spinoff pages sprung up soon after like brush fires , with Facebook struggling to quickly snuff out the spreaders of bogus information .
All the while , Roger Stone and Bannon have been in full disinformation mode .
Stone has appeared on the show of far-right radio commentator Alex Jones to trumpet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steal the election ; Bannon is echoing similar conspiracy theories on his podcast , calling the election “ a mass fraud.
” “ We ’ re calling it a fraud or we ’ re calling it a steal — stop the steal , ” he said on a November 4 episode .
Despite efforts by Facebook to shut down the misleading content , it was too late .
The cluster of groups and pages — which altogether had amassed 2.5 million followers , according to an analysis by activist group Avaaz — had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being shared — and believed — by millions of Americans .
“ I would not consider this a grassroots movement by any means , ” said Ben Decker , the CEO and founder of Memetica , a digital investigations consultancy .
“ Stop the Steal is a highly coordinated partisan political operation intent on bringing together conspiracy theorists , militias , hate groups and Trump supporters to attack the integrity of our election.
” The movement has also migrated to in-person events , Decker said , manifesting itself “ in a variety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of participants that are often armed.
” Some of the violent rhetoric associated with the campaign has come from its own leaders .
“ Clean your guns , ” said Dustin Stockton , one of the administrators of the Facebook Stop the Steal group , on a Facebook Live Stream video to his followers .
“ Things are going to get worse before they get better.
” Stockton acknowledged CNN ’ s request for comment but didn ’ t respond to questions .
Stockton previously told CNN he did not see any messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside of what is common political hyperbole.
” He said Facebook ’ s removal of the page was “ out of line and they should restore it immediately.
” When Stone launched Stop the Steal in 2016 , it wasn ’ t just a campaign slogan and fundraising website — it also became a self-described “ vote protectors ” project that sought volunteers to monitor polling places .
Stone told CNN this week that the purpose of the group was “ to insure the integrity of the vote.
” The project triggered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day by Democratic parties in six battleground states accusing Stone and affiliates of trying to intimidate minority voters in the cities where he intended to send volunteers .
A federal suit filed in Ohio , for instance , accused Stone ’ s Stop the Steal project of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by “ conspiring to intimidate , threaten , harass , or coerce voters on Election Day.
” A judge granted a temporary restraining order against the group , but it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redirects to Stone ’ s personal web page , “ StoneColdTruth.com , ” where Stone has been posting conspiracy theories about “ widespread voter fraud.
” This week , he appeared on Alex Jones ’ s show , where Stone groundlessly pronounced that Biden ’ s election was a “ hoax ” and made a plug for Stop the Steal .
“ I think our headline is Join the Patriots in Washington , D.C. this weekend to protest the hoax that is the theft of this election and demand that we Stop the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ hashtag Stop the Steal.
” In an email , Stone responded pugnaciously to a question from CNN about whether the current Stop the Steal movement is a recycled version of the false narrative of mass voter fraud he led years before .
“ As for the lack of evidence that is the mantra of all you flying monkeys , ” he wrote .
“ It ’ s like denying the Holocaust .
The evidence is overwhelming and compelling , despite the framing of your question.
” Stone defended the recycling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to draw a parallel to other mass protests that share a theme , such as the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. ’ s March on Washington in 1963 and The Million Man March — a gathering of Black men in Washington , DC , in 1995 .
Stone distanced himself from Bannon , referring to him as an “ enemy of the people.
” Bannon didn ’ t respond to messages from CNN seeking comment .
This fall , as the 2020 election drew closer , there was talk in right wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steal campaign again — but not by Stone .
“ I ’ m thinking about bringing Stop the Steal out of retirement , ” said right wing activist Ali Alexander , formerly known as Ali Akbar , in a video he circulated on social media in September .
“ In the next coming days we are going to build the infrastructure to stop the steal.
” Alexander , a controversial figure on the right whose tweets about Jewish journalists have raised eyebrows , says he employed a successful Stop the Steal campaign during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , Alexander ’ s company registered another Stop the Steal website — StoptheSteal.us — on November 4 .
Alexander did not directly respond to CNN ’ s questions for this story .
Also on November 4 , the Stop the Steal Facebook group was launched by an organization led by a woman with ties to Stone ’ s ex-wife and managed by a team of several conservative activists , some with close connections to Bannon .
Amy Kremer is the chair of Women for America First — an organization which created the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Institute for Strategic Dialogue ( ISD ) , a London-based think tank that monitors online polarization and extremism .
Kremer was a lead Tea Party organizer who also started a super PAC with Stone ’ s ex-wife , Ann Stone , called Women Vote Trump .
In an emailed response to a set of questions from CNN , Kremer did not deny that Stop the Steal is a planned , recycled version of a similar gambit .
She declined to answer a question about the extent to which she was coordinating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing operatives , but said : “ We welcome the support and involvement of any individual who is concerned about the integrity of our elections and who supports President Trump.
” The administrators for the Stop the Steal Facebook group also included Dustin Stockton and Jennifer Lawrence , a couple who have both written for Breitbart — where Bannon once served as executive chairman , according to ISD .
Both also were part of Bannon ’ s core team for We Build the Wall , an ill-fated crowdfunding campaign for Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this summer of Bannon and three associates on suspicion of using hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds for personal expenses .
Stockton and Lawrence were not among those arrested and indicted in August , but their recreational vehicle was raided by federal agents as a part of the probe .
Bannon pleaded not guilty to the charges .
In an interview last week , Stockton told CNN that the Facebook group had had no contact with Bannon prior to its November 4 creation or while it was active .
“ We haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone from that circle since August and the indictments , ” he said .
The Stop the Steal Facebook group took off immediately .
Its size swelled at a dizzying pace , gaining some 300,000 followers in just 24 hours .
Some commenters on that Stop the Steal Facebook group and its knockoffs used “ threatening rhetoric anticipating a civil war , or talk from members about how they are locked and loaded , ” said Ciaran O ’ Connor , a disinformation analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue .
Citing one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across , O ’ Connor said a user on one of the Facebook groups said they would die fighting for what they believe .
“ Since then , this thread has over 450 comments in support of the original statement , with many saying that they would happily do the same , ” he said .
Decker of Memetica said he watched the Facebook group radicalize people in real time during the peak of its virality .
“ You had otherwise normal Trump supporters who suddenly wanted to understand what was being done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ And suddenly you see comments where people are asking , ‘ What is this QAnon thing ?
’ ‘ What is red pilling ?
’ And immediately you see all of these different users engage and share harmful , toxic conspiracy theories that they otherwise would have never seen had they not joined the group.
” The Stop the Steal hashtag has also spread widely on Twitter .
Seeded by a spate of tweets by Ali Alexander and others at least as early as September , the hashtag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 — with a tweet by a lawyer showing a video of a poll watcher in Philadelphia arguing with poll workers who wouldn ’ t let him in the building .
The man was indeed wrongfully turned away ; city officials told news outlets it was an “ honest mistake ” and that the poll watcher went to another polling site .
The tweet went viral , boosted by retweets from famous conservative firebrands such as Ann Coulter and Donald Trump Jr. Other conservative influencers picking up the hashtag on Twitter were Rudy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Souza , a conservative activist and filmmaker who pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions and was pardoned by Trump .
All told , the hashtag was tweeted 1.7 million times , mostly after November 5 , said Darren L. Linvill , an associate professor in the department of communications at Clemson University who tracks the spread of information online .
Meanwhile , many of those banned from or restrained by the two Big Tech companies have migrated to emerging platforms such as Parler , which became the most-downloaded free app in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of November 8 — the day major media outlets called the election for Biden .
Despite efforts by tech companies and fact checkers , the bogus charge that the election has been stolen has entered the bloodstream of American democracy .
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“ There are still groups active with tens of thousands of members , over 170 Facebook Stop the Steal events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” O ’ Connor said .
“ The horse has bolted at this stage.
” The hyper-polarized rhetoric around the election worries Steven Levitsky , a Harvard government professor and co-author of the 2018 book “ How Democracies Die.
” “ When people lose faith in the electoral process and don ’ t think elections are clean and legitimate , they are much more willing to accept violence , ” he said .
The onus , Levitsky said , is on Republicans in Congress to assure the public that the election was legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t happened .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to recognize Biden as the winner .
To date only a handful of GOP leaders in Congress have done so .

By Rob Kuznia, Curt Devine, Nelli Black and Drew Griffin | CNN
It is an internet battle cry: Stop the Steal has swept across inboxes, Facebook pages and Twitter like an out-of-control virus, spreading misinformation and violent rhetoric — and spilling into real life, like the protest planned for DC this weekend.
But while Stop the Steal may sound like a new 2020 political slogan to many, it did not emerge organically over widespread concerns about voting fraud in President Donald Trump’s race against Joe Biden. It has been in the works for years.
Its origin traces to Roger Stone, a veteran Republican operative and self-described “dirty trickster” whose 40-month prison sentence for seven felonies was cut short by Trump’s commutation in July.
[vemba-video id=”politics/2020/11/14/roger-stone-stop-the-steal-campaign-trump-drew-griffin-ebof-vpx.cnn”]
Video: Massive election disinformation campaign connected to Roger Stone
Stone’s political action committee launched a “Stop the Steal” website in 2016 to fundraise ahead of that election, asking for $10,000 donations by saying, “If this election is close, THEY WILL STEAL IT.”
He first trotted out the slogan during the 2016 primaries — claiming a “Bush-Cruz-Kasich-Romney-Ryan-McConnell faction” was attempting to steal the Republican nomination from Donald Trump — before re-upping Stop the Steal for the general election.
“Donald Trump thinks Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are going to steal the next election,” his website said that October.
Stop the Steal briefly resurfaced around the midterms in 2018 — with Republicans employing the hashtag during a recount in a neck-and-neck Florida race for U.S. Senate — but it wasn’t until 2020 that it really caught fire.
A Stop the Steal Facebook group was managed by a loose coalition of right wing operatives, some of whom have worked with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. The group amassed hundreds of thousands of followers in little more than a day before Facebook shut it down on November 5 — the day after it was launched.
Also on November 5, Bannon started his own “Stop the Steal” Facebook group; he changed the name to “Own Your Vote” the following day. It was not removed by Facebook, but the social media company did later remove several other pages affiliated with Bannon.
“We’ve removed several clusters of activity for using inauthentic behavior tactics to artificially boost how many people saw their content,” said Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesman. “That includes a group that was originally named Stop the Steal, which later became Gay Communists for Socialism and misled people about its purpose using deceptive tactics.”
Spinoff pages sprung up soon after like brush fires, with Facebook struggling to quickly snuff out the spreaders of bogus information.
All the while, Roger Stone and Bannon have been in full disinformation mode. Stone has appeared on the show of far-right radio commentator Alex Jones to trumpet groundless claims that Biden is trying to steal the election; Bannon is echoing similar conspiracy theories on his podcast, calling the election “a mass fraud.”
“We’re calling it a fraud or we’re calling it a steal — stop the steal,” he said on a November 4 episode.
Despite efforts by Facebook to shut down the misleading content, it was too late. The cluster of groups and pages — which altogether had amassed 2.5 million followers, according to an analysis by activist group Avaaz — had seeded a jungle of misinformation that is being shared — and believed — by millions of Americans.
“I would not consider this a grassroots movement by any means,” said Ben Decker, the CEO and founder of Memetica, a digital investigations consultancy. “Stop the Steal is a highly coordinated partisan political operation intent on bringing together conspiracy theorists, militias, hate groups and Trump supporters to attack the integrity of our election.”
The movement has also migrated to in-person events, Decker said, manifesting itself “in a variety of offline rallies and protests featuring a number of participants that are often armed.”
Some of the violent rhetoric associated with the campaign has come from its own leaders.
“Clean your guns,” said Dustin Stockton, one of the administrators of the Facebook Stop the Steal group, on a Facebook Live Stream video to his followers. “Things are going to get worse before they get better.”
Stockton acknowledged CNN’s request for comment but didn’t respond to questions. Stockton previously told CNN he did not see any messages within the group “calling for violence outside of what is common political hyperbole.” He said Facebook’s removal of the page was “out of line and they should restore it immediately.”
Stop the Steal triggered voter-intimidation lawsuits in 2016
When Stone launched Stop the Steal in 2016, it wasn’t just a campaign slogan and fundraising website — it also became a self-described “vote protectors” project that sought volunteers to monitor polling places. Stone told CNN this week that the purpose of the group was “to insure the integrity of the vote.”
The project triggered a slew of federal lawsuits just before Election Day by Democratic parties in six battleground states accusing Stone and affiliates of trying to intimidate minority voters in the cities where he intended to send volunteers.
A federal suit filed in Ohio, for instance, accused Stone’s Stop the Steal project of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by “conspiring to intimidate, threaten, harass, or coerce voters on Election Day.”
A judge granted a temporary restraining order against the group, but it was lifted on appeal.
Today, StopTheSteal.org redirects to Stone’s personal web page, “StoneColdTruth.com,” where Stone has been posting conspiracy theories about “widespread voter fraud.”
This week, he appeared on Alex Jones’s show, where Stone groundlessly pronounced that Biden’s election was a “hoax” and made a plug for Stop the Steal.
“I think our headline is Join the Patriots in Washington, D.C. this weekend to protest the hoax that is the theft of this election and demand that we Stop the Steal,” he said, adding, “hashtag Stop the Steal.”
In an email, Stone responded pugnaciously to a question from CNN about whether the current Stop the Steal movement is a recycled version of the false narrative of mass voter fraud he led years before.
“As for the lack of evidence that is the mantra of all you flying monkeys,” he wrote. “It’s like denying the Holocaust. The evidence is overwhelming and compelling, despite the framing of your question.”
Stone defended the recycling of the slogan in his email, attempting to draw a parallel to other mass protests that share a theme, such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington in 1963 and The Million Man March — a gathering of Black men in Washington, DC, in 1995.
Stone distanced himself from Bannon, referring to him as an “enemy of the people.” Bannon didn’t respond to messages from CNN seeking comment.
This fall, as the 2020 election drew closer, there was talk in right wing circles of dusting off the Stop the Steal campaign again — but not by Stone.
“I’m thinking about bringing Stop the Steal out of retirement,” said right wing activist Ali Alexander, formerly known as Ali Akbar, in a video he circulated on social media in September. “In the next coming days we are going to build the infrastructure to stop the steal.”
Alexander, a controversial figure on the right whose tweets about Jewish journalists have raised eyebrows, says he employed a successful Stop the Steal campaign during the 2018 midterms in Florida.
This year, Alexander’s company registered another Stop the Steal website — StoptheSteal.us — on November 4.
Alexander did not directly respond to CNN’s questions for this story.
Also on November 4, the Stop the Steal Facebook group was launched by an organization led by a woman with ties to Stone’s ex-wife and managed by a team of several conservative activists, some with close connections to Bannon.
Amy Kremer is the chair of Women for America First — an organization which created the Stop the Steal Facebook group, according to Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a London-based think tank that monitors online polarization and extremism. Kremer was a lead Tea Party organizer who also started a super PAC with Stone’s ex-wife, Ann Stone, called Women Vote Trump.
In an emailed response to a set of questions from CNN, Kremer did not deny that Stop the Steal is a planned, recycled version of a similar gambit. She declined to answer a question about the extent to which she was coordinating the Stop the Steal efforts with high-profile right wing operatives, but said: “We welcome the support and involvement of any individual who is concerned about the integrity of our elections and who supports President Trump.”
The administrators for the Stop the Steal Facebook group also included Dustin Stockton and Jennifer Lawrence, a couple who have both written for Breitbart — where Bannon once served as executive chairman, according to ISD. Both also were part of Bannon’s core team for We Build the Wall, an ill-fated crowdfunding campaign for Trump’s border wall that led to the arrest this summer of Bannon and three associates on suspicion of using hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds for personal expenses. Stockton and Lawrence were not among those arrested and indicted in August, but their recreational vehicle was raided by federal agents as a part of the probe. Bannon pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In an interview last week, Stockton told CNN that the Facebook group had had no contact with Bannon prior to its November 4 creation or while it was active.
“We haven’t been able to speak to anyone from that circle since August and the indictments,” he said.
‘The horse has bolted’
The Stop the Steal Facebook group took off immediately. Its size swelled at a dizzying pace, gaining some 300,000 followers in just 24 hours.
Some commenters on that Stop the Steal Facebook group and its knockoffs used “threatening rhetoric anticipating a civil war, or talk from members about how they are locked and loaded,” said Ciaran O’Connor, a disinformation analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
Citing one of the most extreme comments he came across, O’Connor said a user on one of the Facebook groups said they would die fighting for what they believe.
“Since then, this thread has over 450 comments in support of the original statement, with many saying that they would happily do the same,” he said.
Decker of Memetica said he watched the Facebook group radicalize people in real time during the peak of its virality.
“You had otherwise normal Trump supporters who suddenly wanted to understand what was being done against President Trump in this election,” he said. “And suddenly you see comments where people are asking, ‘What is this QAnon thing?’ ‘What is red pilling?’ And immediately you see all of these different users engage and share harmful, toxic conspiracy theories that they otherwise would have never seen had they not joined the group.”
The Stop the Steal hashtag has also spread widely on Twitter.
Seeded by a spate of tweets by Ali Alexander and others at least as early as September, the hashtag took off on Election Day — November 3 — with a tweet by a lawyer showing a video of a poll watcher in Philadelphia arguing with poll workers who wouldn’t let him in the building. The man was indeed wrongfully turned away; city officials told news outlets it was an “honest mistake” and that the poll watcher went to another polling site.
The tweet went viral, boosted by retweets from famous conservative firebrands such as Ann Coulter and Donald Trump Jr. Other conservative influencers picking up the hashtag on Twitter were Rudy Giuliani, Michelle Malkin and Dinesh D’Souza, a conservative activist and filmmaker who pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions and was pardoned by Trump.
All told, the hashtag was tweeted 1.7 million times, mostly after November 5, said Darren L. Linvill, an associate professor in the department of communications at Clemson University who tracks the spread of information online.
Meanwhile, many of those banned from or restrained by the two Big Tech companies have migrated to emerging platforms such as Parler, which became the most-downloaded free app in the Apple app store on the weekend of November 8 — the day major media outlets called the election for Biden.
Despite efforts by tech companies and fact checkers, the bogus charge that the election has been stolen has entered the bloodstream of American democracy.
“There are still groups active with tens of thousands of members, over 170 Facebook Stop the Steal events, the last time I counted,” O’Connor said. “The horse has bolted at this stage.”
The hyper-polarized rhetoric around the election worries Steven Levitsky, a Harvard government professor and co-author of the 2018 book “How Democracies Die.”
“When people lose faith in the electoral process and don’t think elections are clean and legitimate, they are much more willing to accept violence,” he said.
The onus, Levitsky said, is on Republicans in Congress to assure the public that the election was legitimate.
So far, that hasn’t happened. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to recognize Biden as the winner. To date only a handful of GOP leaders in Congress have done so.


mercurynews--2020-11-14--Moraga schools backtrack on opening after increased COVID numbers

MORAGA — Although schools in Moraga were set to reopen in a hybrid model Monday , the school board backtracked in an 11th-hour decision in an emergency meeting late Friday afternoon .
Moraga School District Superintendent Bruce Burns learned Friday morning from the Contra Costa County public health department that the county would likely go from the current red tier to the stricter purple tier on Nov. 24 and no later than Dec. 1 .
As the county ’ s number of coronavirus cases increases , the restrictions the county health department places shifts the county from different colored tiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The board had recently decided that if the county would go back to the purple tier , it would trigger the schools closing again .
This would mean that if schools reopened Monday , and the county went to purple tier the next week , schools would only be open for a week .
On Monday , only transitional kindergarten through second-graders would have been back to in-person learning ; about 70 students at three of the four campuses .
Those families who wish to remain in distance learning could so .
About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have committed to staying in distance learning , according to the district .
The board ultimately decided to not reopen on Monday , with the caveat that once the county went back to the red tier , the district would make quick moves to reopen as soon as possible .
Under the district ’ s original plan , other grades would have been phased back into in-person learning : third through fifth grades in December and sixth- through eighth-graders in January , after the winter break .
The district agreed to a hybrid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend in-person classes every other week .
At least 21 people , mostly parents , spoke at the emergency board meeting Friday during public comment .
Of those , about a third did not want schools to reopen on Monday .
The majority , however , said that their children were excited to return to school on Monday , and some said that it was vital to their children ’ s social-emotional well-being .
The board members seemed to struggle with the decision on whether o stop Monday ’ s reopening .
Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong desire to reopen schools for in-person instruction , but acknowledged there was no benefit to turning around and closing again when the county reached the purple tier .
“ We are in a moment to come good to the commitment we made , to pivot , even if it feels coming at the 11th hour , ” said board President Heather Davis .
“ To me , it seems like this is a place to pause .
I do think we ’ ve done a lot of prep , but I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in vain , ” she said .

MORAGA — Although schools in Moraga were set to reopen in a hybrid model Monday, the school board backtracked in an 11th-hour decision in an emergency meeting late Friday afternoon.
Moraga School District Superintendent Bruce Burns learned Friday morning from the Contra Costa County public health department that the county would likely go from the current red tier to the stricter purple tier on Nov. 24 and no later than Dec. 1. As the county’s number of coronavirus cases increases, the restrictions the county health department places shifts the county from different colored tiers; purple is the most restrictive.
The board had recently decided that if the county would go back to the purple tier, it would trigger the schools closing again. This would mean that if schools reopened Monday, and the county went to purple tier the next week, schools would only be open for a week.
On Monday, only transitional kindergarten through second-graders would have been back to in-person learning; about 70 students at three of the four campuses. Those families who wish to remain in distance learning could so. About 28% of the elementary school parents have committed to staying in distance learning, according to the district.
The board ultimately decided to not reopen on Monday, with the caveat that once the county went back to the red tier, the district would make quick moves to reopen as soon as possible.
Under the district’s original plan, other grades would have been phased back into in-person learning: third through fifth grades in December and sixth- through eighth-graders in January, after the winter break. The district agreed to a hybrid model, where groups of children would attend in-person classes every other week.
At least 21 people, mostly parents, spoke at the emergency board meeting Friday during public comment. Of those, about a third did not want schools to reopen on Monday. The majority, however, said that their children were excited to return to school on Monday, and some said that it was vital to their children’s social-emotional well-being.
The board members seemed to struggle with the decision on whether o stop Monday’s reopening. Board member Jon Nickens said there was a strong desire to reopen schools for in-person instruction, but acknowledged there was no benefit to turning around and closing again when the county reached the purple tier.
“We are in a moment to come good to the commitment we made, to pivot, even if it feels coming at the 11th hour,” said board President Heather Davis.
Board member Jennifer Chng agreed.
“To me, it seems like this is a place to pause. I do think we’ve done a lot of prep, but I don’t think any of that is in vain,” she said.


mercurynews--2020-11-14--Five games that show what PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can do

The next-gen consoles fit snugly in the entertainment center .
They have a quiet hum when turned on .
The controllers have that fresh-out-of-the-box smell and feel cool in hand .
Everything is ready .
The only thing players need now are some snacks and some games .
But which ones are best ?
That ’ s the big question .
There are several titles out but few that show off the potential of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X .
Most next-gen offerings arrived in my mailbox toward the system launches .
It was a deluge of titles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time with most of them .
Here are the ones that best stand out and highlight what the new machines can do .
“ Demon ’ s Souls ” : Sure this is a remake , but this precursor to the legendary “ Souls ” series shows the outstanding graphics that the PS5 can push out .
From the outset , the detail and atmosphere will impress players .
At times , “ Demon ’ s Souls ” nearly looks like the Blur Studio trailers that the company made for the “ Dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more than a decade old , the design of director Hidetaka Miyazaki holds up , showing how influential and forward-thinking the project was .
Despite all the eye candy , “ Demon ’ s Souls ” won ’ t be for everyone .
Its difficulty and diabolical level design will demand perfection from gamers .
At the same time , though , few experiences are as rewarding .
“ Marvel ’ s Spider-Man : Miles Morales ” : This is another showcase title for the PS5 but it ’ s wrapped in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built on the bones of the 2018 “ Spider-Man , ” but Insomniac sets this biracial version of Spidey in Harlem during holiday season .
Those decisions , along with the power of the console , creates an experience that sets “ Miles Morales ” apart from the previous adventures .
The ray tracing and improved visuals jump off the screen , while Miles ’ venom strikes and invisibility make the gameplay different .
All this is tied together with a story that ’ s big on personal drama and backed by one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
“ Watch Dogs : Legion ” : The third entry to the series is biggest departure from a formula established in 2014 .
The reason this is high on my list is that it shows off the Xbox Series X ’ s ray tracing abilities .
With its neon lights and rainy weather , London is a perfect showcase that shows some of the visual fidelity that can be achieved on next-gen consoles .
With ray tracing , light is modeled on every surface so that reflections cast on glass .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ see billboard advertisements mirrored on the surface puddles .
Backing up the nice-looking graphics , the revamped gameplay led by creative director Clint Hocking gives you a reason to play and explore as you recruit nearly anyone in the city to join DedSec , a squad of hacking misfits .
“ Assassin ’ s Creed Valhalla ” : Although it ’ s not a ray-tracing spectacle , this entry to Ubisoft ’ s flagship series highlights other Xbox Series X features .
Most notably , players will appreciate the silky-smooth 4KFrame rates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adventure through Norway and England is a huge quest and will take hours to complete .
With speedy load times , players will spend less time waiting between fast travel jumps across the map .
The flowing frame rate jumps off the screen , though the light may not be as impressive as “ Legion.
” If players are looking for a beautiful and long saga to wade through over the holidays , “ Valhalla ” should be a top candidate .
“ Astro ’ s Playroom ” : This short but sweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s the best way to understand the magic behind the DualSense controller .
This love letter to the PlayStation brand takes players through the history of the console family , and it ’ s littered with references to first party titles , old mascots and even game of the year candidates .
Although longtime fans will appreciate the details , the innovative use of the DualSense is the star of the experience .
Using a bow and arrow , players can feel the tension in the string via the adaptive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun will give players a sense of recoil that comes with firing heavy weapons .
The level design shows off how the haptics and microphone can add to the immersive experience .
It ’ s a game that feels heavily influenced by Nintendo and shows how Sony can borrow that magic and incorporate it into its own console .

The next-gen consoles fit snugly in the entertainment center. They have a quiet hum when turned on. The controllers have that fresh-out-of-the-box smell and feel cool in hand. Everything is ready. The only thing players need now are some snacks and some games.
But which ones are best? That’s the big question. There are several titles out but few that show off the potential of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Most next-gen offerings arrived in my mailbox toward the system launches. It was a deluge of titles, but I was able to get time with most of them. Here are the ones that best stand out and highlight what the new machines can do.
The "Demon's Souls" remake is coming the PlayStation 5. (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The "Demon's Souls" remake was the best launch title on the PlayStation 5. It was my No. 7 game of the year. (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
"Spider-Man: Miles Morales" is coming the PlayStation 5 this year. (Sony Interactive Entertainment))
In "Spider-Man: Miles Morales," players will earn different suits that each have their own unique mods. (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
If players recruit a spy to the fold, they can have access to a car that shoots rockets in "Watch Dogs: Legion." (Ubisoft)
Construction workers have a wrench as a heavy weapon to bludgeon foes in "Watch Dogs: Legion." (Ubisoft)
Ivar Ragnarsson is a historical figure who is represented an aggressive and intimidating viking in "Assassin's Creed Valhalla." (Ubisoft)
Eivor will travel to some famous locations in England including Stonehenge in "Assassin's Creed Valhalla." (Ubisoft)
"Astro's Playroom" is a platformer that comes preloaded with every PlayStation 5. It shows off the promise of Sony's new video game consol. (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
"Astro's Playroom" may be short but it packs a punch that shows off what the DualSense controller can do. (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
“Demon’s Souls”: Sure this is a remake, but this precursor to the legendary “Souls” series shows the outstanding graphics that the PS5 can push out. From the outset, the detail and atmosphere will impress players. At times, “Demon’s Souls” nearly looks like the Blur Studio trailers that the company made for the “Dark Souls” games.
Although the game is more than a decade old, the design of director Hidetaka Miyazaki holds up, showing how influential and forward-thinking the project was. Despite all the eye candy, “Demon’s Souls” won’t be for everyone. Its difficulty and diabolical level design will demand perfection from gamers. At the same time, though, few experiences are as rewarding.
“Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales”: This is another showcase title for the PS5 but it’s wrapped in more mainstream packaging. The game is built on the bones of the 2018 “Spider-Man,” but Insomniac sets this biracial version of Spidey in Harlem during holiday season.
Those decisions, along with the power of the console, creates an experience that sets “Miles Morales” apart from the previous adventures. The ray tracing and improved visuals jump off the screen, while Miles’ venom strikes and invisibility make the gameplay different. All this is tied together with a story that’s big on personal drama and backed by one of the best video game soundtracks this year.
“Watch Dogs: Legion”: The third entry to the series is biggest departure from a formula established in 2014. The reason this is high on my list is that it shows off the Xbox Series X’s ray tracing abilities. With its neon lights and rainy weather, London is a perfect showcase that shows some of the visual fidelity that can be achieved on next-gen consoles.
With ray tracing, light is modeled on every surface so that reflections cast on glass. Walking on the sidewalk, players can see billboard advertisements mirrored on the surface puddles. Backing up the nice-looking graphics, the revamped gameplay led by creative director Clint Hocking gives you a reason to play and explore as you recruit nearly anyone in the city to join DedSec, a squad of hacking misfits.
“Assassin’s Creed Valhalla”: Although it’s not a ray-tracing spectacle, this entry to Ubisoft’s flagship series highlights other Xbox Series X features. Most notably, players will appreciate the silky-smooth 4KFrame rates and super-fast loading times.
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What to play: ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ will keep gamers busy during August Entertainment | ‘First Descendant’ crossplay beta delayed until September but will be open to all Eivor’s adventure through Norway and England is a huge quest and will take hours to complete. With speedy load times, players will spend less time waiting between fast travel jumps across the map. The flowing frame rate jumps off the screen, though the light may not be as impressive as “Legion.” If players are looking for a beautiful and long saga to wade through over the holidays, “Valhalla” should be a top candidate.
“Astro’s Playroom”: This short but sweet platformer comes preloaded on PS5 consoles,and it’s the best way to understand the magic behind the DualSense controller. This love letter to the PlayStation brand takes players through the history of the console family, and it’s littered with references to first party titles, old mascots and even game of the year candidates.
Although longtime fans will appreciate the details, the innovative use of the DualSense is the star of the experience. Using a bow and arrow, players can feel the tension in the string via the adaptive triggers. Meanwhile, firing a machine gun will give players a sense of recoil that comes with firing heavy weapons. The level design shows off how the haptics and microphone can add to the immersive experience.
It’s a game that feels heavily influenced by Nintendo and shows how Sony can borrow that magic and incorporate it into its own console.


mercurynews--2020-11-14--Nevada governor reports he is positive for COVID-19

By Sam Metz | Associated Press/Report for America CARSON CITY , Nev. — Nevada Gov .
Steve Sisolak on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 as the virus surges to record levels in the state and across the U.S .
The 66-year-old Democrat is the fifth governor to report testing positive for the coronavirus this year .
Three governors , two Republicans in Missouri and Oklahoma , and one Democrat in Virginia contracted COVID-19 this year .
Ohio ’ s Republican Gov .
Mike DeWine tested positive in August but received a negative test a few hours later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test before testing negative later that day after using a more sensitive laboratory-developed test .
Sisolak said on a call with reporters he was not experiencing any symptoms and was swabbed for a rapid test on Friday morning as a matter of routine .
After it yielded a positive result , he also underwent molecular testing and his sample is still being processed .
“ I ’ m a little tired , but I ’ ve been tired since March when we started fighting COVID , ” Sisolak said .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that you can take all the precautions that are possible and you can still contract the virus .
I don ’ t know how I got it , but we ’ re going to quarantine and get through it.
” Sisolak is the third person in his office to test positive for the virus .
Last week , the governor ’ s office announced an unnamed Carson City-based staffer who had not been in close contact with Sisolak but had tested positive for the virus .
In early October , Sisolak ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive .
The governor ’ s wife , Kathy Sisolak , tested negative for the virus on Friday .
Carson City ’ s Health and Human Services Department has begun investigating the origins of the case and notifying anyone who may have come into contact with the governor , he said , adding that he plans to work from home for at least 10 days per their recommendation .
Sisolak ’ s announcement comes on a day that Nevada reported 1,857 additional coronavirus cases , the highest single-day total since the start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 116,737 cases and 1,893 deaths throughout the pandemic .
The governor said he tested negative for the virus on Nov. 2 and 6 .
He has limited his appearances as the virus has surged .
Apart from his residence and the Capitol , he only appeared in public twice this week — at a press conference Tuesday in Carson City and at the opening of a Department of Motor Vehicles Office in Reno on Monday , with Mayor Hillary Schieve , U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei and state Sen. Ben Kieckhefer .
Sisolak warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing “ alarming ” trends of the virus climbing and threatened to impose stricter measures in two weeks if the spread of the virus does not decrease .
He urged residents only to go out for essential activities , rely on take-out instead of dining in restaurants and to avoid spending time indoors with people from outside their households .
“ With my case , I want to underscore the importance of Nevadans to stay at home as much as they possibly can at this time , ” he said .
AP writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vegas .
Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

By Sam Metz | Associated Press/Report for America
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 as the virus surges to record levels in the state and across the U.S.
The 66-year-old Democrat is the fifth governor to report testing positive for the coronavirus this year. Three governors, two Republicans in Missouri and Oklahoma, and one Democrat in Virginia contracted COVID-19 this year. Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine tested positive in August but received a negative test a few hours later. DeWine tested positive using a rapid test before testing negative later that day after using a more sensitive laboratory-developed test.
Sisolak said on a call with reporters he was not experiencing any symptoms and was swabbed for a rapid test on Friday morning as a matter of routine. After it yielded a positive result, he also underwent molecular testing and his sample is still being processed.
“I’m a little tired, but I’ve been tired since March when we started fighting COVID,” Sisolak said. “I think this just puts a spotlight on the fact that you can take all the precautions that are possible and you can still contract the virus. I don’t know how I got it, but we’re going to quarantine and get through it.”
Sisolak is the third person in his office to test positive for the virus. Last week, the governor’s office announced an unnamed Carson City-based staffer who had not been in close contact with Sisolak but had tested positive for the virus. In early October, Sisolak’s COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage also tested positive. The governor’s wife, Kathy Sisolak, tested negative for the virus on Friday.
Carson City’s Health and Human Services Department has begun investigating the origins of the case and notifying anyone who may have come into contact with the governor, he said, adding that he plans to work from home for at least 10 days per their recommendation.
Sisolak’s announcement comes on a day that Nevada reported 1,857 additional coronavirus cases, the highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic. Nevada has reported 116,737 cases and 1,893 deaths throughout the pandemic.
The governor said he tested negative for the virus on Nov. 2 and 6. He has limited his appearances as the virus has surged. Apart from his residence and the Capitol, he only appeared in public twice this week — at a press conference Tuesday in Carson City and at the opening of a Department of Motor Vehicles Office in Reno on Monday, with Mayor Hillary Schieve, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei and state Sen. Ben Kieckhefer.
Sisolak warned earlier this week that the state is seeing “alarming” trends of the virus climbing and threatened to impose stricter measures in two weeks if the spread of the virus does not decrease. He urged residents only to go out for essential activities, rely on take-out instead of dining in restaurants and to avoid spending time indoors with people from outside their households.
“With my case, I want to underscore the importance of Nevadans to stay at home as much as they possibly can at this time,” he said.
AP writer Michelle L. Price contributed reporting from Las Vegas. Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


mercurynews--2020-11-14--Johnson, Thomas among Masters leaders, while DeChambeau is in danger of going home

This was the day that Bryson DeChambeau learned the flip side of hitting a golf ball out of sight .
DeChambeau ’ s crusade to redefine driving length in professional golf has not put a dent in this Masters .
On the 350-yard , par-4 third hole on Friday , he crushed a drive that landed just short of the green in left rough .
But neither DeChambeau nor anyone else could find it , and he trudged back to the tee for his third shot after the lost-ball penalty and struggled to a triple-bogey seven .
DeChambeau ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 holes .
He is 11 strokes behind the leaders as the Masters heads into the weekend , and two strokes off the projected cut of even par .
Dustin Johnson , the world ’ s top-ranked player and a driving machine who was the runner-up here in 2019 and has four consecutive top 10 finishes , is tied for the lead at 9-under .
He is joined by Justin Thomas , Abraham Ancer of Mexico and Cameron Smith of Australia .
Just behind them is Patrick Cantlay of Long Beach and UCLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 66 in the official second round .
Tiger Woods couldn ’ t find his first-round mojo after his 68 on Thursday .
He was even par for the day and has eight holes to make up before his third round .
Augusta National dried out and played quicker , but its general softness has frustrated veterans who rely on their experience .
“ You can throw all that out the window , ” Rory McIlroy said .
“ You play this course by memory .
The greens are so much slower that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t used before.
” Of the top eight players on the leaderboard , none have won the Masters .
Ancer and Sungjae Im are playing here for the first time , Smith for the third and Cantlay and Jon Rahm for the fourth .
Eighteen players are within three strokes of the lead , and Phil Mickelson , the 50-year-old three-time champ , is four behind .
“ I ’ m hitting the ball exceptional and I ’ m putting horrific , ” Mickelson said .
“ I ’ m driving it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my putting straightened out I ’ m going to make a run.
” Johnson had a three-stroke lead after four holes in his second round , but he didn ’ t make another birdie until his 18th .
His 2-under-par 70 still impressed McIlroy , one of his partners .
“ It ’ s ‘ see ball , hit ball , see putt , hit putt , ’ ’ ’ McIlroy said .
“ He makes it so simple .
I can ’ t compare him to anybody else .
He has one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the game.
” Cantlay hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation Thursday and then needed only 24 putts on Friday .
He has not suffered a three-putt green yet and , in his past four Masters rounds , is 20-under .
“ I birdied all the par-5s today and I didn ’ t get any of them yesterday , ” Cantlay said .
“ The same guys play well every year because they have good memories and they come back every year .
I ’ m trying to build those memories.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 63 , illustrated that by making the cut at 3-under-par , even though he is using woods to get to par-4 greens and is driving it 74 fewer yards than DeChambeau .
Thomas and Im lead the field with 14 birdies each , and Thomas shook off a bogey on No .
13 , the easiest hole on the course , and a double-bogey on No .
1 to catch Johnson .
“ I have a tendency to get long and slow with my putts , ” said Thomas , who hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here , “ and sometimes I putt skittish and scared .
A lot of things you know about this place can hurt you this week , at least so far.
” Those who feared DeChambeau would reduce Augusta National to the world ’ s most elegant Top Golf chalet have been somewhat reassured .
A poor sand shot cost DeChambeau a bogey on No .
7 , and on Thursday he drove into the trees at No .
1 and double-bogeyed .
He has missed 12 greens out of 30 .
• The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who ’ s the betting favorite , and why Collin Morikawa has a shot But if fans had been on the grounds , it ’ s hard to imagine one of them wouldn ’ t have spotted DeChambeau ’ s ball on No .
3 .
The same thing happened on Sunday at the U.S. Open when no one could find Harris English ’ s first tee shot .
That became a double bogey .
Perhaps more fairway scouts are needed , preferably bespectacled .
It did not help DeChambeau ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few minutes after the group left the hole , and after the three-minute limit had expired .
DeChambeau has had dust-ups with rules officials this year .
On this occasion , he merely said , “ Rules are rules.
” They have survived DeChambeau through 30 holes , as have physical laws .

This was the day that Bryson DeChambeau learned the flip side of hitting a golf ball out of sight.
DeChambeau’s crusade to redefine driving length in professional golf has not put a dent in this Masters. On the 350-yard, par-4 third hole on Friday, he crushed a drive that landed just short of the green in left rough.
But neither DeChambeau nor anyone else could find it, and he trudged back to the tee for his third shot after the lost-ball penalty and struggled to a triple-bogey seven.
DeChambeau’s second round was interrupted by darkness after 12 holes. He is 11 strokes behind the leaders as the Masters heads into the weekend, and two strokes off the projected cut of even par.
Dustin Johnson, the world’s top-ranked player and a driving machine who was the runner-up here in 2019 and has four consecutive top 10 finishes, is tied for the lead at 9-under.
He is joined by Justin Thomas, Abraham Ancer of Mexico and Cameron Smith of Australia. Just behind them is Patrick Cantlay of Long Beach and UCLA, after a 27-hole day that featured a 66 in the official second round.
Tiger Woods couldn’t find his first-round mojo after his 68 on Thursday. He was even par for the day and has eight holes to make up before his third round.
Augusta National dried out and played quicker, but its general softness has frustrated veterans who rely on their experience.
“You can throw all that out the window,” Rory McIlroy said. “You play this course by memory. The greens are so much slower that they’re using pins they haven’t used before.”
Of the top eight players on the leaderboard, none have won the Masters. Ancer and Sungjae Im are playing here for the first time, Smith for the third and Cantlay and Jon Rahm for the fourth.
Eighteen players are within three strokes of the lead, and Phil Mickelson, the 50-year-old three-time champ, is four behind.
“I’m hitting the ball exceptional and I’m putting horrific,” Mickelson said. “I’m driving it like a stallion. When I get my putting straightened out I’m going to make a run.”
Johnson had a three-stroke lead after four holes in his second round, but he didn’t make another birdie until his 18th. His 2-under-par 70 still impressed McIlroy, one of his partners.
“It’s ‘see ball, hit ball, see putt, hit putt,’’’ McIlroy said. “He makes it so simple. I can’t compare him to anybody else. He has one of the best attitudes in the history of the game.”
Cantlay hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation Thursday and then needed only 24 putts on Friday. He has not suffered a three-putt green yet and, in his past four Masters rounds, is 20-under.
“I birdied all the par-5s today and I didn’t get any of them yesterday,” Cantlay said. “The same guys play well every year because they have good memories and they come back every year. I’m trying to build those memories.”
Bernhard Langer, a two-time champ who is 63, illustrated that by making the cut at 3-under-par, even though he is using woods to get to par-4 greens and is driving it 74 fewer yards than DeChambeau.
Thomas and Im lead the field with 14 birdies each, and Thomas shook off a bogey on No. 13, the easiest hole on the course, and a double-bogey on No. 1 to catch Johnson.
“I have a tendency to get long and slow with my putts,” said Thomas, who hasn’t finished in the top 10 here, “and sometimes I putt skittish and scared. A lot of things you know about this place can hurt you this week, at least so far.”
Those who feared DeChambeau would reduce Augusta National to the world’s most elegant Top Golf chalet have been somewhat reassured. A poor sand shot cost DeChambeau a bogey on No. 7, and on Thursday he drove into the trees at No. 1 and double-bogeyed. He has missed 12 greens out of 30.
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Holes-in-one: Aces carded from around Bay Area golf courses Golf | Brian Harman unstoppable in drama-free British Open win at Hoylake But if fans had been on the grounds, it’s hard to imagine one of them wouldn’t have spotted DeChambeau’s ball on No. 3. The same thing happened on Sunday at the U.S. Open when no one could find Harris English’s first tee shot. That became a double bogey. Perhaps more fairway scouts are needed, preferably bespectacled.
It did not help DeChambeau’s fortunes when an official found the ball a few minutes after the group left the hole, and after the three-minute limit had expired.
DeChambeau has had dust-ups with rules officials this year. On this occasion, he merely said, “Rules are rules.”
They have survived DeChambeau through 30 holes, as have physical laws.


mercurynews--2020-11-14--Mexican lawmakers take up marijuana legalization bill

MEXICO CITY – Mexican senators on Friday began weighing a sweeping initiative to legalize recreational use and sale of marijuana , a proposal that could create the world ’ s largest weed market in a country battered by a violent war against drug gangs .
The Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that recreational marijuana should be permitted , and lawmakers in 2017 legalized the use of medicinal marijuana .
But the country has yet to pass laws that would legalize its recreational use , or regulations for medicinal marijuana .
Lawmakers are now rushing to try to meet a Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for legalization , with the support of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who has aimed to removing the drug as a source of income for violent drug gangs .
Discussed by the Senate ’ s health , justice , and legislative studies commissions on Friday , the marijuana bill would allow licensed sale of pot , let users carry up to 28 grams of the drug and grow as many as four cannabis plants in their homes .
It would also create the Mexican Institute for Regulation and Cannabis Control within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children and teenagers would be prohibited from smoking pot or being at all involved in its cultivation and sale , and the drug would not be allowed while driving .
The possible legalization of hemp , a product derived from marijuana , for industrial use in sectors such as construction or food production , has not yet been hammered out , a legislative staffer told Reuters .
However , the bill does propose allowing the sale , import and export of non-psychoactive cannabis products for industrial use .
Major companies are positioning themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what would be the world ’ s biggest legal cannabis market in terms of population , where the drug can be lawfully cultivated and sold .
• As virus spikes , officials show little appetite for restrictions Pro-marijuana activists have called for the passage of the bill in recent weeks with a cannabis “ garden ” next to the Senate , where police have turned a blind eye to recreational users freely lighting up joints .

By Raul Cortes | Reuters
MEXICO CITY – Mexican senators on Friday began weighing a sweeping initiative to legalize recreational use and sale of marijuana, a proposal that could create the world’s largest weed market in a country battered by a violent war against drug gangs.
The Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that recreational marijuana should be permitted, and lawmakers in 2017 legalized the use of medicinal marijuana. But the country has yet to pass laws that would legalize its recreational use, or regulations for medicinal marijuana.
Lawmakers are now rushing to try to meet a Dec. 15 deadline set by the Supreme Court for legalization, with the support of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who has aimed to removing the drug as a source of income for violent drug gangs.
Discussed by the Senate’s health, justice, and legislative studies commissions on Friday, the marijuana bill would allow licensed sale of pot, let users carry up to 28 grams of the drug and grow as many as four cannabis plants in their homes.
It would also create the Mexican Institute for Regulation and Cannabis Control within the Health Ministry.
Among the restrictions, children and teenagers would be prohibited from smoking pot or being at all involved in its cultivation and sale, and the drug would not be allowed while driving.
The possible legalization of hemp, a product derived from marijuana, for industrial use in sectors such as construction or food production, has not yet been hammered out, a legislative staffer told Reuters.
However, the bill does propose allowing the sale, import and export of non-psychoactive cannabis products for industrial use.
Major companies are positioning themselves for a time when Mexico opens up what would be the world’s biggest legal cannabis market in terms of population, where the drug can be lawfully cultivated and sold.


mercurynews--2020-11-14--Lori Loughlin’s Dublin prison faces ‘dangerous’ COVID-19 outbreak

So much attention has been focused on Lori Loughlin , who surrendered to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin on Oct. 30 .
But since then , the prison has grappled with an outbreak of COVID-19 that has infected “ numerous ” inmates and created conditions that are crowded , “ dangerous ” and legally questionable , attorneys and prisoner advocates say .
Loughlin is certainly the most high-profile of the nearly 900 women who are incarcerated in Dublin , which has a low-security main facility and a minimum-security satellite camp .
But the “ Full House ” star is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her unit .
Because of the outbreak , Loughlin , who was convicted in the college admissions scandal , had to immediately go into quarantine .
As of this Monday , the disgraced TV actress , 56 , is housed in a storage building that ’ s been converted into a makeshift isolation unit , with temporary showers and toilets , but with no heat or hot water , and inmates forced to sleep on mats on a cold concrete floor , said prison consultant Holli Coulman .
If anyone among the 50-some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID , they will be given no medication to alleviate symptoms , said Coulman .
Treatment only becomes available when a person ’ s condition becomes life-threatening .
“ The human rights violations are off the charts for taking inmates from the current environment that ’ s bad and putting them into these makeshift areas , which are worse , ” said Coulman , a former federal inmate who has several clients in the Dublin prison .
“ They wouldn ’ t pass any type of inspection , and the ( U.S. Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Friday , 11 inmates and six staff members have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and recovered , while 325 inmates have been tested , said Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Justin Long .
There currently are no positive cases among inmates or staff , he said .
But nearly 60 major legal organizations and immigrant and prisoner rights groups are challenging the bureau ’ s handling of the crisis .
In two letters sent to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons , the groups also question the numbers the bureau is providing to the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern California , West Coast-based federal and county public defenders , the Immigrant Legal Resource Center of San Francisco and a number of Bay Area nonprofits .
In letters sent Aug. 11 and Nov. 2 , the groups said they were aware of a total of 14 confirmed cases among inmates and staff , who had been diagnosed in the past few months .
But in late October , the groups learned from prisoners about the outbreak and the mass testing , which found positive results for “ numerous ” people .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman , who was quarantined in the special housing unit , to return to the general population before her positive COVID-19 test had been confirmed .
Long defended the BOP ’ s “ careful and diligent response to this health crisis.
” He said the bureau couldn ’ t comment on a specific inmate ’ s conditions or offer information relating to specific housing areas .
But when the crisis began , BOP instituted a nationwide multi-phase plan that included limits on facility-to-facility transfers and implemented quarantines , medical isolation and screening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also suspended family visits ; those have since been restored but they are non-contact .
It also limited inmate movements within each facility , but Long wouldn ’ t characterize this situation as a “ lockdown.
” But the letters paint a picture of widespread misery , uncertainty and unhealthy conditions in a federal prison that has failed during the outbreak to “ adopt procedures to safeguard the welfare of individuals incarcerated at Dublin.
” The bureau , they said , has “ statutory and moral duties to provide for the safekeeping of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ units , women are crowded into four-person cells or cubicles , with no room to create a safe , six-foot barrier .
Inmates also haven ’ t been able to leave the units to go outside and move around , which creates a unique kind of stress , said Laura Polstein , managing attorney for Oakland-based Immigrant Legal Defense , one of the letters ’ signatories .
The groups said testing remains inadequate , staffers use masks inconsistently and inmates can ’ t obtain adequate cleaning supplies , soap or personal hygiene products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash themselves or their clothes or to disinfect their living areas .
Also alarming , the groups said , is that the prison cited the lockdown as a reason to halt family visits and phone calls , including calls with inmates ’ attorneys .
Some women have cases pending before San Francisco Immigration Court , so limiting their contact with attorneys raises “ due process concerns ” and could put their post-prison futures in peril .
Phone privileges have been restored , possibly in response to the Nov. 2 letter , Polstein noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel remains a paramount requirement ” for the prison .
But Polstein said she has only had one truncated phone chat with one client , insufficient time to prepare her for a fast-approaching hearing .
Her client faces deportation , and prison staff did not respond to a request for additional time to prepare by phone .
And losing even temporary phone contact with families is devastating .
“ People need to be able to reach out and say , ‘ I ’ m alive , ' ” Polstein said .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something like this don ’ t realize how quickly that sense of isolation can kick in.
” As for Dublin ’ s most famous inmate , some tabloids have reported that Loughlin is “ a wreck , ” but Coulman has been told she ’ s doing “ OK. ” The ex-Hallmark Channel star has been able to make three phone calls , although it ’ s not known whether she connected with her husband , Mossimo Giannulli , or her daughters , Olivia Jade and Isabella , 20 .
Loughlin and Giannulli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealthy parents convicted in the college admissions scandal .
They pleaded guilty in May to paying $ 500,000 to have Olivia Jade and Isabella fraudulently admitted to the University of Southern California on the pretense of being crew team recruits .
Giannulli was sentenced to five months , while Loughlin received a two-month sentence .
The couple could have avoided COVID-19 prison risks altogether if they had taken an early plea deal — like Felicity Huffman , the other Hollywood parent implicated in the college scandal .
Huffman completed her 11-day sentence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic swept through the United States and its prisons and county jails .
Loughlin likely is not eligible for the compassionate release program for inmates at high risk for COVID-19 because she ’ s not known to have serious health conditions , Coulman said .
Loughlin is on track to be released by Christmas , but her next six weeks will be tough .
The outbreak means she will probably spend her entire time confined to a unit , with no breaks in the monotony to attend a program or exercise outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , ” Coulman said .
“ This is such a bad experience for anybody .
”

So much attention has been focused on Lori Loughlin, who surrendered to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin on Oct. 30. But since then, the prison has grappled with an outbreak of COVID-19 that has infected “numerous” inmates and created conditions that are crowded, “dangerous” and legally questionable, attorneys and prisoner advocates say.
Loughlin is certainly the most high-profile of the nearly 900 women who are incarcerated in Dublin, which has a low-security main facility and a minimum-security satellite camp. But the “Full House” star is not spared the realities of life on her unit.
Because of the outbreak, Loughlin, who was convicted in the college admissions scandal, had to immediately go into quarantine. As of this Monday, the disgraced TV actress, 56, is housed in a storage building that’s been converted into a makeshift isolation unit, with temporary showers and toilets, but with no heat or hot water, and inmates forced to sleep on mats on a cold concrete floor, said prison consultant Holli Coulman.
If anyone among the 50-some women living with her tests positive for COVID, they will be given no medication to alleviate symptoms, said Coulman. Treatment only becomes available when a person’s condition becomes life-threatening.
“The human rights violations are off the charts for taking inmates from the current environment that’s bad and putting them into these makeshift areas, which are worse,” said Coulman, a former federal inmate who has several clients in the Dublin prison. “They wouldn’t pass any type of inspection, and the (U.S. Bureau of Prisons) knows that.”
As of Friday, 11 inmates and six staff members have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and recovered, while 325 inmates have been tested, said Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Justin Long. There currently are no positive cases among inmates or staff, he said.
But nearly 60 major legal organizations and immigrant and prisoner rights groups are challenging the bureau’s handling of the crisis. In two letters sent to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, the groups also question the numbers the bureau is providing to the public. Those groups include the ACLU of Northern California, West Coast-based federal and county public defenders, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center of San Francisco and a number of Bay Area nonprofits.
In letters sent Aug. 11 and Nov. 2, the groups said they were aware of a total of 14 confirmed cases among inmates and staff, who had been diagnosed in the past few months. But in late October, the groups learned from prisoners about the outbreak and the mass testing, which found positive results for “numerous” people. They also learned that Dublin officials apparently allowed a woman, who was quarantined in the special housing unit, to return to the general population before her positive COVID-19 test had been confirmed.
Long defended the BOP’s “careful and diligent response to this health crisis.” He said the bureau couldn’t comment on a specific inmate’s conditions or offer information relating to specific housing areas. But when the crisis began, BOP instituted a nationwide multi-phase plan that included limits on facility-to-facility transfers and implemented quarantines, medical isolation and screening. For a time, the bureau also suspended family visits; those have since been restored but they are non-contact. It also limited inmate movements within each facility, but Long wouldn’t characterize this situation as a “lockdown.”
But the letters paint a picture of widespread misery, uncertainty and unhealthy conditions in a federal prison that has failed during the outbreak to “adopt procedures to safeguard the welfare of individuals incarcerated at Dublin.” The bureau, they said, has “statutory and moral duties to provide for the safekeeping of people in its custody.”
In some units, women are crowded into four-person cells or cubicles, with no room to create a safe, six-foot barrier. Inmates also haven’t been able to leave the units to go outside and move around, which creates a unique kind of stress, said Laura Polstein, managing attorney for Oakland-based Immigrant Legal Defense, one of the letters’ signatories.
The groups said testing remains inadequate, staffers use masks inconsistently and inmates can’t obtain adequate cleaning supplies, soap or personal hygiene products from the prison or the commissary to wash themselves or their clothes or to disinfect their living areas.
Also alarming, the groups said, is that the prison cited the lockdown as a reason to halt family visits and phone calls, including calls with inmates’ attorneys. Some women have cases pending before San Francisco Immigration Court, so limiting their contact with attorneys raises “due process concerns” and could put their post-prison futures in peril.
Phone privileges have been restored, possibly in response to the Nov. 2 letter, Polstein noted. Long said “access to legal counsel remains a paramount requirement” for the prison. But Polstein said she has only had one truncated phone chat with one client, insufficient time to prepare her for a fast-approaching hearing. Her client faces deportation, and prison staff did not respond to a request for additional time to prepare by phone.
And losing even temporary phone contact with families is devastating. “People need to be able to reach out and say, ‘I’m alive,'” Polstein said. “People who haven’t had to confront something like this don’t realize how quickly that sense of isolation can kick in.”
As for Dublin’s most famous inmate, some tabloids have reported that Loughlin is “a wreck,” but Coulman has been told she’s doing “OK.” The ex-Hallmark Channel star has been able to make three phone calls, although it’s not known whether she connected with her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, or her daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, 20.
Loughlin and Giannulli, 57, were among two dozen wealthy parents convicted in the college admissions scandal. They pleaded guilty in May to paying $500,000 to have Olivia Jade and Isabella fraudulently admitted to the University of Southern California on the pretense of being crew team recruits. Giannulli was sentenced to five months, while Loughlin received a two-month sentence.
The couple could have avoided COVID-19 prison risks altogether if they had taken an early plea deal — like Felicity Huffman, the other Hollywood parent implicated in the college scandal. Huffman completed her 11-day sentence in Dublin in October 2019, months before the pandemic swept through the United States and its prisons and county jails.
Loughlin likely is not eligible for the compassionate release program for inmates at high risk for COVID-19 because she’s not known to have serious health conditions, Coulman said. Loughlin is on track to be released by Christmas, but her next six weeks will be tough. The outbreak means she will probably spend her entire time confined to a unit, with no breaks in the monotony to attend a program or exercise outside.
“The trauma will never leave her,” Coulman said. “This is such a bad experience for anybody.”


mercurynews--2020-11-14--Senior Living: Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and living a fulfilling life after diagnosis

Your body and mind go through many different changes as you age .
Most older adults will begin to experience some form of normal age-related changes in thinking and memory , however , some experience more severe forms of memory loss , called dementia .
According to the Alzheimer ’ s Association , dementia is a general term for loss of memory , language , problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life .
Dementia isn ’ t a single disease , it is an overall term that covers a range of medical conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Alzheimer ’ s disease , which accounts for 60 % to 80 % of all dementia cases .
Alzheimer ’ s disease is a progressive disease that begins with mild memory loss and gradually worsens over the years due to irreversible loss of function in the brain .
The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer ’ s is increasing age .
Most people with the disease are 65 and older .
After 65 , the risk of Alzheimer ’ s doubles every five years .
However , the disease is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that while age increases risk , it is not a direct cause of Alzheimer ’ s .
The early signs of Alzheimer ’ s disease include forgetting recent events or conversations .
As the disease progresses the individual can experience loss of recognition and memory .
Late stage symptoms include : • None Repeating the same questions or stories • None Changes in mood or personality , especially getting easily upset • None Misplacing items and losing the ability to retrace steps Loved ones play a huge part in recognizing and seeking help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Should symptoms arise and continue , it ’ s important to talk to a doctor to determine the cause .
Although there is no single test that can determine if someone has Alzheimer ’ s disease , doctors will review a person ’ s medical history and perform a physical and neurological exam to be able to diagnose a patient .
During these exams , a doctor will closely evaluate the patient for brain disorders by reviewing his or her reflexes , speech , eye movement , coordination , as well as inspecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organs .
A thorough examination can help rule out other treatable health conditions that can show similar symptoms as Alzheimer ’ s disease .
If a doctor doesn ’ t suspect the patient has other health conditions that are causing symptoms , he or she may perform additional laboratory , brain-imaging or memory tests .
These tests will provide doctors with extra information for an accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer ’ s disease .
Life after the diagnosis of Alzheimer ’ s disease Although there currently is no cure for Alzheimer ’ s disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can help manage the symptoms and improve overall quality of life .
These include : • None Medications that can help treat changes in behavior , such as anxiety and irritability • None Cognitive therapies that are designed to improve memory and problem-solving skills • None Consistently visiting a doctor to review medications and symptoms , and provide family members with education and support One of the most important things to do following a diagnosis is to stay close to and communicate with family members and loved ones .
Spending time with loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gym for the brain.
” Talking about things and events from the past has shown to improve moods and overall well-being .
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , it ’ s especially important to find ways to keep a consistent communication .
Some ways to do so include : • None Schedule an hour or so each day to call a loved one to talk about their day • None Use video chat applications and websites to share your favorite photos , books or music • None Tell stories from your past to young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journal each night about your day If you or a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer ’ s disease , it ’ s important to support one another during this difficult time .
Family members must remain patient and help their loved one get the care and support they need to live a happy and long life together .
Should you notice memory-loss issues or are noticing a loved one is experiencing these symptoms , find a primary care provider who can help at memorialcare.org/Providers .

Your body and mind go through many different changes as you age. Most older adults will begin to experience some form of normal age-related changes in thinking and memory, however, some experience more severe forms of memory loss, called dementia.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia isn’t a single disease, it is an overall term that covers a range of medical conditions.
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60% to 80% of all dementia cases. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that begins with mild memory loss and gradually worsens over the years due to irreversible loss of function in the brain.
The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age. Most people with the disease are 65 and older. After 65, the risk of Alzheimer’s doubles every five years. However, the disease is not a normal part of aging. This means that while age increases risk, it is not a direct cause of Alzheimer’s.
Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
The early signs of Alzheimer’s disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. As the disease progresses the individual can experience loss of recognition and memory. Late stage symptoms include:
Memory loss that disrupts everyday life
Repeating the same questions or stories
Difficulties completing familiar tasks
Changes in mood or personality, especially getting easily upset
Misplacing items and losing the ability to retrace steps
Loved ones play a huge part in recognizing and seeking help for the person experiencing these symptoms. Should symptoms arise and continue, it’s important to talk to a doctor to determine the cause.
Diagnosing a patient with Alzheimer’s disease
Although there is no single test that can determine if someone has Alzheimer’s disease, doctors will review a person’s medical history and perform a physical and neurological exam to be able to diagnose a patient.
During these exams, a doctor will closely evaluate the patient for brain disorders by reviewing his or her reflexes, speech, eye movement, coordination, as well as inspecting the heart, lungs and other vital organs. A thorough examination can help rule out other treatable health conditions that can show similar symptoms as Alzheimer’s disease.
If a doctor doesn’t suspect the patient has other health conditions that are causing symptoms, he or she may perform additional laboratory, brain-imaging or memory tests. These tests will provide doctors with extra information for an accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Life after the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease
Although there currently is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there are treatments and habits that can help manage the symptoms and improve overall quality of life. These include:
Medications that can slow memory-loss symptoms
Medications that can help treat changes in behavior, such as anxiety and irritability
Cognitive therapies that are designed to improve memory and problem-solving skills
Cognitive rehabilitation that helps with performing everyday tasks
Consistently visiting a doctor to review medications and symptoms, and provide family members with education and support
One of the most important things to do following a diagnosis is to stay close to and communicate with family members and loved ones. Spending time with loved ones and reminiscing can be considered “gym for the brain.” Talking about things and events from the past has shown to improve moods and overall well-being. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s especially important to find ways to keep a consistent communication. Some ways to do so include:
Schedule an hour or so each day to call a loved one to talk about their day
Use video chat applications and websites to share your favorite photos, books or music
Tell stories from your past to young family members
Write in a journal each night about your day
Send a handwritten letter to a loved one
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s important to support one another during this difficult time. Family members must remain patient and help their loved one get the care and support they need to live a happy and long life together.
Should you notice memory-loss issues or are noticing a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, find a primary care provider who can help at memorialcare.org/Providers.


mercurynews--2020-11-14--Audit says it’s ‘unlikely’ radioactive waste was dumped at Keller Canyon Landfill

PITTSBURG — An independent audit has revealed that it is “ very unlikely ” that radioactive waste materials from the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard were disposed of at Keller Canyon Landfill in Pittsburg .
The audit , which was completed in 2019 but only released to the public recently , was the subject of a virtual community meeting Nov. 9 during which Contra Costa Environmental Health presented the findings from the independent contractor , TRC Solutions .
Local officials in April of 2018 called for an investigation after learning of allegations that contaminated soil from San Francisco had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company certifying the soil as non-hazardous , was the same one that had mishandled and falsified tests at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard .
Both Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover and Congressman Mark DeSaulnier , D-Concord , whose districts include Pittsburg , in 2018 called for more testing at the Pittsburg landfill , which they said had taken the “ lion ’ s share ” of the potentially radioactive soil from the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard .
Glover said on Friday he was pleased with the audit ’ s results and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s board of supervisors in the next month .
“ There was a real fear factor that some radioactive material may have come from Hunters Point , ” Glover said .
“ We had to make sure people ’ s safety was not at risk and look into it right away .
I think people are relieved there was nothing reported and that we had a set of eyes paying attention to the details.
” Some residents , however , dismissed the study , saying it did not go far enough and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised rather than merely relying on data and documents .
One of those was former Pittsburg Mayor Frank Aiello who years ago founded Citizens United , a group of Pittsburg and Bay Point residents who live near the landfill and earlier asked for the site to be shut down as well as called on officials to establish a citizens oversight board .
Aiello no longer lives near the landfill but is still active in the group now called East County Citizens for a Cleaner , Safer Environment , and on Friday said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I thought it was inevitable because no one has been watching the hen house , ” Aiello said of the 2018 reports that radioactive waste might have been sent to Keller Canyon Landfill .
Aiello also criticized the independent team ’ s findings and urged actual soil sampling be done in the entire area where the questionable Hunters Point waste had been dumped in 2018 .
“ They don ’ t know how deep it is ; they would have to test at multiple depths and it would all cost a hell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ But my question is , how much is a life worth ?
” From 2011 to 2017 , Keller Canyon accepted 223,000 tons of material from Hunters Point .
On two occasions , material from Hunters Point had to be returned , including in 2015 when 218 tons were shipped from Hunters Point to Keller Canyon without being cleared for radioactive contamination .
It was later disposed of as low-level radiological waste , according to the U.S. Navy .
Rick King , general manager of Republic Services , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied any radioactive materials had been dumped in Pittsburg , noting it has a thorough , detailed process for accepting any materials at the site .
The county , however , still called for an investigation into the Navy consultant ’ s data certifying the soil as “ non-hazardous ” and later giving it to Republic Services .
Officials also asked for a surface survey of Keller Canyon Landfill .
Begun in October 2018 and completed in May 2019 , the forensic audit by a team of geologists , landfill experts , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents and data such as soil analytical reports and special waste authorizations , concluding that it was unlikely radiological contaminants from the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard had been dumped in Pittsburg .
To be certain there is no toxic soil , though , the audit team recommended in its report that limited environmental field sampling be performed at the Keller Canyon Landfill , but it is yet unclear if this will happen .
Aiello said none of this would have to be done had the county installed an air and dust monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group had been asking for for years .
If monitors had been in place , any toxic materials would have been discovered , he said .
“ The air monitors could catch it and the county could see what was in the landfill and test it , or they could be on the homes , ” he said .
“ We asked for them for so long to protect the neighborhood.
” Aiello added that Keller Canyon Landfill mitigation funds , which are supposed to offset the impact of the landfill , could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that hasn ’ t happened .
The community activist said his group will continue to fight for more testing and will consult with Pittsburg to encourage it to step up and do something more to protect its residents .
“ We don ’ t have the financial resources that Republic Services or the county has , but we will take them to court if we have to , ” he said .
“ I will continue to harp on this until the residents are protected .
”

PITTSBURG — An independent audit has revealed that it is “very unlikely” that radioactive waste materials from the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard were disposed of at Keller Canyon Landfill in Pittsburg.
The audit, which was completed in 2019 but only released to the public recently, partly due to delay from the pandemic, was the subject of a virtual community meeting Nov. 9 during which Contra Costa Environmental Health presented the findings from the independent contractor, TRC Solutions.
Local officials in April of 2018 called for an investigation after learning of allegations that contaminated soil from San Francisco had been shipped to Pittsburg. Tetra Tech, the company certifying the soil as non-hazardous, was the same one that had mishandled and falsified tests at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.
Both Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover and Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, whose districts include Pittsburg, in 2018 called for more testing at the Pittsburg landfill, which they said had taken the “lion’s share” of the potentially radioactive soil from the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.
Glover said on Friday he was pleased with the audit’s results and plans to bring them before the county’s board of supervisors in the next month.
“There was a real fear factor that some radioactive material may have come from Hunters Point,” Glover said. “We had to make sure people’s safety was not at risk and look into it right away. I think people are relieved there was nothing reported and that we had a set of eyes paying attention to the details.”
Some residents, however, dismissed the study, saying it did not go far enough and should have included soil sampling as earlier promised rather than merely relying on data and documents.
One of those was former Pittsburg Mayor Frank Aiello who years ago founded Citizens United, a group of Pittsburg and Bay Point residents who live near the landfill and earlier asked for the site to be shut down as well as called on officials to establish a citizens oversight board. Aiello no longer lives near the landfill but is still active in the group now called East County Citizens for a Cleaner, Safer Environment, and on Friday said he still thinks more tests are warranted.
“I thought it was inevitable because no one has been watching the hen house,” Aiello said of the 2018 reports that radioactive waste might have been sent to Keller Canyon Landfill.
Aiello also criticized the independent team’s findings and urged actual soil sampling be done in the entire area where the questionable Hunters Point waste had been dumped in 2018.
“They don’t know how deep it is; they would have to test at multiple depths and it would all cost a hell of a lot of money,” he said. “But my question is, how much is a life worth?”
From 2011 to 2017, Keller Canyon accepted 223,000 tons of material from Hunters Point. On two occasions, material from Hunters Point had to be returned, including in 2015 when 218 tons were shipped from Hunters Point to Keller Canyon without being cleared for radioactive contamination. It was later disposed of as low-level radiological waste, according to the U.S. Navy.
Rick King, general manager of Republic Services, which manages Keller Canyon Landfill, in 2018 denied any radioactive materials had been dumped in Pittsburg, noting it has a thorough, detailed process for accepting any materials at the site.
The county, however, still called for an investigation into the Navy consultant’s data certifying the soil as “non-hazardous” and later giving it to Republic Services. Officials also asked for a surface survey of Keller Canyon Landfill.
Begun in October 2018 and completed in May 2019, the forensic audit by a team of geologists, landfill experts, a radiation health physicist and others, reviewed documents and data such as soil analytical reports and special waste authorizations, concluding that it was unlikely radiological contaminants from the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard had been dumped in Pittsburg.
To be certain there is no toxic soil, though, the audit team suggested in its report that limited environmental field sampling could be performed at the Keller Canyon Landfill, but it is yet unclear if this will happen.
Aiello said none of this would have to be done had the county installed an air and dust monitoring system around the landfill, which his group had been asking for for years. If monitors had been in place, any toxic materials would have been discovered, he said.
“The air monitors could catch it and the county could see what was in the landfill and test it, or they could be on the homes,” he said. “We asked for them for so long to protect the neighborhood.”
Aiello added that Keller Canyon Landfill mitigation funds, which are supposed to offset the impact of the landfill, could be used to pay for the filters, but that hasn’t happened.
The community activist said his group will continue to fight for more testing and will consult with Pittsburg to encourage it to step up and do something more to protect its residents.
“We don’t have the financial resources that Republic Services or the county has, but we will take them to court if we have to,” he said. “I will continue to harp on this until the residents are protected.”
Check back for updates.