mercurynews--2020-08-23--Dear Abby: My new wife says she won’t speak for three days. Is that normal?

DEAR ABBY : I have been married a little over a year .
My wife took a trip to Florida to get some things out of storage and turned it into a two-week vacation .
She ’ s now traveling back with the in-laws , which I wasn ’ t expecting .
Yesterday she announced she doesn ’ t want to talk to anyone , including me , and will only text for the next three days during the trip because she ’ s too tired .
I feel rejected and like yesterday ’ s news because she hardly calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good night .
I don ’ t think this is healthy for our relationship , and I have separation anxiety to boot .
Is this normal ?
• Dear Abby : His affair was a shock , and so was the reason he gave • Dear Abby : He won ’ t tell her the real reason their affair is doomed • Dear Abby : My daughter thinks my abusive husband was a hero • Dear Abby : I make money from my hobby , and my wife thinks she gets half DEAR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your wife , and unless she is usually this uncommunicative , her unwillingness to talk with you is not normal .
Do not pressure her or make her feel guilty in order to alleviate your separation anxiety .
Give her the time she said she needs to decompress and get her thoughts together .
When she and her parents arrive , you will have plenty of time to clear the air .
DEAR ABBY : I am disabled and live about 2,000 miles from my best friend .
For months now she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vow renewal ceremony on her 10th wedding anniversary .
Although I am on a fixed income , I have been saving every dime so I can attend .
As it turns out , I ’ m not invited .
She ’ s requested online that everyone who has received their invitation and hasn ’ t sent their R.S.V.P .
should , so she ’ ll know how many people to tell the caterer to prepare for .
My invitation didn ’ t get lost in the mail or in cyberspace .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt by this because she has always claimed that I am her best friend .
How should I handle this ?
DEAR UNINVITED : You have a right to feel hurt .
“ Best ” friends don ’ t treat each other this way .
Handle it by asking her why you were left off the guest list .
She may not have invited you because she knows you are on a fixed income and assumed you couldn ’ t attend .
However , if that ’ s not the reason for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had as close a relationship as you assumed .
DEAR ABBY : My husband and I were invited by an older friend to lunch on his patio , while observing the social distancing rules .
Before we left his home , we thanked him profusely as we greatly appreciated the visit , especially given our lack of social interaction during the pandemic .
When we arrived home , I wrote a thank-you note and put it in the mail .
However , I ’ m wondering if I should also have sent an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend .
Are there new rules that cover immediate electronic communication vs. old-fashioned thank-you notes ?
DEAR WONDERING : Many people use immediate electronic communication as a way to avoid the “ hassle ” and expense of penning a handwritten thank-you note .
However , making the time and effort to show your appreciation the traditional way rather than doing both wasn ’ t a faux pas , so stop worrying .
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren , also known as Jeanne Phillips , and was founded by her mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .

DEAR ABBY: I have been married a little over a year. My wife took a trip to Florida to get some things out of storage and turned it into a two-week vacation. She’s now traveling back with the in-laws, which I wasn’t expecting.
Yesterday she announced she doesn’t want to talk to anyone, including me, and will only text for the next three days during the trip because she’s too tired.
I feel rejected and like yesterday’s news because she hardly calls me and she almost forgot to say good night. I don’t think this is healthy for our relationship, and I have separation anxiety to boot. Is this normal?
NEWLYWED GUY IN IOWA
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DEAR GUY: Something is going on with your wife, and unless she is usually this uncommunicative, her unwillingness to talk with you is not normal.
Do not pressure her or make her feel guilty in order to alleviate your separation anxiety. Give her the time she said she needs to decompress and get her thoughts together.
When she and her parents arrive, you will have plenty of time to clear the air.
DEAR ABBY: I am disabled and live about 2,000 miles from my best friend. For months now she has spoken about her plans to have a vow renewal ceremony on her 10th wedding anniversary. Although I am on a fixed income, I have been saving every dime so I can attend.
As it turns out, I’m not invited. She’s requested online that everyone who has received their invitation and hasn’t sent their R.S.V.P. should, so she’ll know how many people to tell the caterer to prepare for. My invitation didn’t get lost in the mail or in cyberspace. I was just not invited.
I am extremely hurt by this because she has always claimed that I am her best friend. How should I handle this?
UNINVITED IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR UNINVITED: You have a right to feel hurt. “Best” friends don’t treat each other this way.
Handle it by asking her why you were left off the guest list. She may not have invited you because she knows you are on a fixed income and assumed you couldn’t attend. However, if that’s not the reason for the omission, then you may not have had as close a relationship as you assumed.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I were invited by an older friend to lunch on his patio, while observing the social distancing rules. Before we left his home, we thanked him profusely as we greatly appreciated the visit, especially given our lack of social interaction during the pandemic.
When we arrived home, I wrote a thank-you note and put it in the mail. However, I’m wondering if I should also have sent an immediate text or e-mail message to our friend. Are there new rules that cover immediate electronic communication vs. old-fashioned thank-you notes?
WONDERING IN ALABAMA
DEAR WONDERING: Many people use immediate electronic communication as a way to avoid the “hassle” and expense of penning a handwritten thank-you note. However, making the time and effort to show your appreciation the traditional way rather than doing both wasn’t a faux pas, so stop worrying.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.


mercurynews--2020-08-23--In recordings, Trump’s sister says he ‘has no principles’

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump ’ s older sister , a former federal judge , is heard sharply criticizing her brother in a series of recordings released Saturday , at one point saying of the president , “ He has no principles.
” Maryanne Trump Barry was secretly recorded by her niece , Mary Trump , who recently released a book denouncing the president , “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man.
” Mary Trump said Saturday she made the recordings in 2018 and 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says she had heard a 2018 interview with her brother on Fox News in which he suggested that he would put her on the border to oversee cases of immigrant children separated from their parents .
“ His base , I mean my God , if you were a religious person , you want to help people .
Not do this , ” Barry says .
At another point she says : “ His goddamned tweet and lying , oh my God.
” She adds : “ I ’ m talking too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change of stories .
The lack of preparation .
The lying .
Holy shit.
” Barry can also be heard saying that she guesses that her brother has never read her opinions on immigration cases .
“ What has he read ?
” Mary Trump asks her aunt .
The recordings were first reported by The Washington Post .
The Associated Press then obtained the recordings .
The recordings came to light just a day after the late Robert Trump , brother to Maryanne and the president , was memorialized in a service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president was dismissive of the recordings .
“ Every day it ’ s something else , who cares .
I miss my brother , and I ’ ll continue to work hard for the American people , ” Trump said in a statement .
“ Not everyone agrees , but the results are obvious .
Our country will soon be stronger than ever before.
” In the weeks since the release of Mary Trump ’ s tell-all book about her uncle , she has been questioned about the source of some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does she say that she recorded conversations with her aunt .
On Saturday , Mary Trump revealed that she had covertly taped 15 hours of face-to-face conversations with Barry .
“ Mary realized members of her family had lied in prior depositions , ” said Chris Bastardi , a spokesman for Mary Trump .
He added : “ Anticipating litigation , she felt it prudent to tape conversations in order to protect herself.
” The president has frequently spoken highly of his sister ; the recordings are the first time a family member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been critical of him .
The recordings illuminate the tension between the president and his sister .
At one point Barry says to her niece : “ It ’ s the phoniness of it all .
It ’ s the phoniness and this cruelty .
Donald is cruel.
” Mary Trump ’ s book was filled with attacks on her uncle , including the assertion — he denied it — that he paid someone to take the SATs for him as he sought to transfer into the University of Pennsylvania .
In one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Joe Shapiro took the test for Trump .
The president was friends with a person at Penn named Joe Shapiro , who is deceased .
Shapiro ’ s widow and sister told have said he never took a test for anybody .
Bastardi said of Mary Trump : “ She never expected to learn much of what she heard , including the president ’ s sister , federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry , state that Donald Trump had paid someone to take an SAT exam for him .
”

By JONATHAN LEMIRE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s older sister, a former federal judge, is heard sharply criticizing her brother in a series of recordings, at one point saying of the president, “He has no principles.”
Maryanne Trump Barry was secretly recorded by her niece, Mary Trump, who recently released a book denouncing the president, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.” Mary Trump said Saturday she made the recordings in 2018 and 2019.
In one recording, Barry, 83, says she had heard a 2018 interview with her brother on Fox News in which he suggested that he would put her on the border to oversee cases of immigrant children separated from their parents.
“His base, I mean my God, if you were a religious person, you want to help people. Not do this,” Barry says.
At another point she says: “His goddamned tweet and lying, oh my God.” She adds: “I’m talking too freely, but you know. The change of stories. The lack of preparation. The lying. Holy shit.”
Barry can also be heard saying that she guesses that her brother has never read her opinions on immigration cases.
“What has he read?” Mary Trump asks her aunt.
Barry responds: “No. He doesn’t read.”
The recordings were first reported by The Washington Post. The Associated Press then obtained the recordings.
The recordings came to light just a day after the late Robert Trump, brother to Maryanne and the president, was memorialized in a service at the White House. Later, the president was dismissive of the recordings.
“Every day it’s something else, who cares. I miss my brother, and I’ll continue to work hard for the American people,” Trump said in a statement. “Not everyone agrees, but the results are obvious. Our country will soon be stronger than ever before.”
In the weeks since the release of Mary Trump’s tell-all book about her uncle, she has been questioned about the source of some of its information. Nowhere in the book does she say that she recorded conversations with her aunt. On Saturday, Mary Trump revealed that she had covertly taped 15 hours of face-to-face conversations with Barry.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday it was “really a sad day” when a family member secretly tapes 15 hours of a conversation with somebody, “obviously to promote an agenda.” Meadows said he had not met Maryanne Trump Barry but had hoped to see her at her brother’s funeral, where he said the president’s tribute showed his compassion and love for his family.
And Meadows, speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” dismissed the idea that the president was not well prepared, claiming Trump “reads so much that it causes me to have to read many times well into the night to catch up with him.”
The president has frequently spoken highly of his sister; the recordings are the first time a family member, outside of Mary Trump, has been critical of him.
“Mary realized members of her family had lied in prior depositions,” said Chris Bastardi, a spokesman for Mary Trump. He added: “Anticipating litigation, she felt it prudent to tape conversations in order to protect herself.”
The recordings illuminate the tension between the president and his sister. At one point Barry says to her niece: “It’s the phoniness of it all. It’s the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel.”
Mary Trump’s book was filled with attacks on her uncle, including the assertion — he denied it — that he paid someone to take the SATs for him as he sought to transfer into the University of Pennsylvania.
In one recording, the federal judge says that a Joe Shapiro took the test for Trump. The president was friends with a person at Penn named Joe Shapiro, who is deceased. Shapiro’s widow and sister told have said he never took a test for anybody.
Bastardi said of Mary Trump: “She never expected to learn much of what she heard, including the president’s sister, federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry, state that Donald Trump had paid someone to take an SAT exam for him.”


mercurynews--2020-08-23--SF Giants win fifth straight, Yastrzemski makes sensational catch to aid Anderson’s dominant complet

SF Giants win fifth straight, Yastrzemski makes sensational catch to aid Anderson’s dominant complete game

For the San Francisco Giants ’ rebuild to be successful , the organization needs the homegrown talent within a promising farm system to form a dynamic future core .
For the Giants ’ rebuilding process to be expedited , president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi must also surround the organization ’ s highly touted prospects with complimentary pieces who can turn the Giants into a sustainable winner sooner rather than later .
With a 5-1 series-clinching victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday at Oracle Park , the Giants extended their win streak to five games on the shoulders of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play pivotal roles in the years to come .
Starter Tyler Anderson tossed a dominant , 103-pitch complete game and became the second Giants starter in the last three seasons to go the distance , joining Chris Stratton who shut out the Rockies on September 14 , 2018 in a game that Anderson started for Colorado .
Anderson limited the D ’ backs to three hits and an unearned run while right fielder Mike Yastrzemski made a sensational run-saving catch and gave the Giants the lead with a bases loaded walk in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was acquired in a 2019 minor league trade with the Baltimore Orioles , drew his National League-best 23rd walk shortly after top prospect Joey Bart came off the bench to deliver a double off the top of the center field wall .
Bart ’ s third extra-base hit in three major league games set the tone for a four-run seventh inning that also featured a bases loaded walk from left fielder Alex Dickerson and RBI single from first baseman Brandon Belt .
The late offensive outburst made the night that much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a waiver claim last winter after being let go by the Colorado Rockies .
After undergoing major knee surgery last season , Anderson came to the Giants with an opportunity to reestablish himself in the big leagues and has capitalized since taking over a full-time job in the starting rotation .
“ An all-around gutsy performance and look , I think about the conversation I had with TA in spring training and that was like , look , ‘ I want an opportunity to start every time through the rotation , ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What I told him is if you ’ re dominant and you ’ re good every time through , we ’ re not going to take you out of the rotation.
” After allowing a one-out double to Ketel Marte in the top of the first , Anderson retired 16 consecutive D ’ backs hitters until he nicked the jersey of Arizona leadoff hitter Kole Calhoun with a pitch in the top of the sixth .
Anderson had yet to record an out in the sixth inning this year , but picked up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch by left fielder Alex Dickerson to open the inning .
Dickerson ’ s catch was practically forgettable within minutes thanks to an incredible leaping catch at the right field wall by Yastrzemski .
On the eve of his 30th birthday , Yastrzemski went ranging onto the warning track in straightaway right field while tracking a long flyball off Marte ’ s bat .
The Giants right fielder wound up jumping into the fence and snagging the ball in the air before crashing onto the dirt in front of the 24-foot wall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in the Giants dugout as the catch prevented Arizona from tying the game .
“ It was just flat out fearless , ” Kapler said .
“ There were a lot of guys remarking in the dugout that it was the best catch they had seen all year and I certainly think it was.
” For a Giants defense that ’ s ranked among the worst in the league this season , Yastrzemski ’ s catch was easily the most impressive play any member of the club has made in the field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that was kind of a big moment .
It was a 1-0 game and you just want to go make a play for that guy and make sure he can keep his momentum and keep rolling , ” Yastrzemski said .
The Giants ’ defense did hurt Anderson ’ s cause in the following inning as Starling Marte reached to open the inning on an uncharacteristic throwing error from shortstop Brandon Crawford .
Marte stole second base with ease and then scored on a David Peralta single that slipped through the shifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on left side of the infield .
That was the only damage the D ’ backs did against Anderson , who worked in harmony with Giants catcher Chadwick Tromp throughout the night .
“ He ’ s a very smart pitcher and sometimes smart pitchers try to think about the whole game instead of trying to get this guy out and then the next guy , but I ’ m very happy for him , ” Tromp said .
“ This is the first of many and I ’ m sure he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
Everybody here believes in him.
” With Kapler wanting to give Bart a breather behind the plate following back-to-back starts to open his career , Tromp started on Saturday and impressed for the first seven innings until Bart came in as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement .
Five days after the Giants fell to 8-16 , they ’ re now 13-16 and thinking about the excitement of the playoffs , not the dread of the trade deadline .
“ There ’ s a couple of little things here and there we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can win all the time and in a shortened season , we believe there ’ s an opportunity , ” Anderson said .
We Need Your Support !
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I ’ ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you ’ ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com .
Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer .
Thank you !
@ @ @

For the San Francisco Giants’ rebuild to be successful, the organization needs the homegrown talent within a promising farm system to form a dynamic future core.
For the Giants’ rebuilding process to be expedited, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi must also surround the organization’s highly touted prospects with complimentary pieces who can turn the Giants into a sustainable winner sooner rather than later.
With a 5-1 series-clinching victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday at Oracle Park, the Giants extended their win streak to five games on the shoulders of a few under-the-radar bargain additions who could play pivotal roles in the years to come.
Starter Tyler Anderson tossed a dominant, 103-pitch complete game and became the second Giants starter in the last three seasons to go the distance, joining Chris Stratton who shut out the Rockies on September 14, 2018 in a game that Anderson started for Colorado.
Anderson limited the D’backs to three hits and an unearned run while right fielder Mike Yastrzemski made a sensational run-saving catch and gave the Giants the lead with a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Yastrzemski, who was acquired in a 2019 minor league trade with the Baltimore Orioles, drew his National League-best 23rd walk shortly after top prospect Joey Bart came off the bench to deliver a double off the top of the center field wall.
Bart’s third extra-base hit in three major league games set the tone for a four-run seventh inning that also featured a bases loaded walk from left fielder Alex Dickerson and RBI single from first baseman Brandon Belt.
The late offensive outburst made the night that much sweeter for Anderson, who was acquired on a waiver claim last winter after being let go by the Colorado Rockies. After undergoing major knee surgery last season, Anderson came to the Giants with an opportunity to reestablish himself in the big leagues and has capitalized since taking over a full-time job in the starting rotation.
“An all-around gutsy performance and look, I think about the conversation I had with TA in spring training and that was like, look, ‘I want an opportunity to start every time through the rotation,'” manager Gabe Kapler said. “What I told him is if you’re dominant and you’re good every time through, we’re not going to take you out of the rotation.”
After allowing a one-out double to Ketel Marte in the top of the first, Anderson retired 16 consecutive D’backs hitters until he nicked the jersey of Arizona leadoff hitter Kole Calhoun with a pitch in the top of the sixth. Anderson had yet to record an out in the sixth inning this year, but picked up his first thanks to an impressive running catch by left fielder Alex Dickerson to open the inning.
Dickerson’s catch was practically forgettable within minutes thanks to an incredible leaping catch at the right field wall by Yastrzemski. On the eve of his 30th birthday, Yastrzemski went ranging onto the warning track in straightaway right field while tracking a long flyball off Marte’s bat.
The Giants right fielder wound up jumping into the fence and snagging the ball in the air before crashing onto the dirt in front of the 24-foot wall. Yastrzemski received a hero’s welcome back in the Giants dugout as the catch prevented Arizona from tying the game.
“It was just flat out fearless,” Kapler said. “There were a lot of guys remarking in the dugout that it was the best catch they had seen all year and I certainly think it was.”
For a Giants defense that’s ranked among the worst in the league this season, Yastrzemski’s catch was easily the most impressive play any member of the club has made in the field.
“TA pitched an unreal game and that was kind of a big moment. It was a 1-0 game and you just want to go make a play for that guy and make sure he can keep his momentum and keep rolling,” Yastrzemski said.
The Giants’ defense did hurt Anderson’s cause in the following inning as Starling Marte reached to open the inning on an uncharacteristic throwing error from shortstop Brandon Crawford. Marte stole second base with ease and then scored on a David Peralta single that slipped through the shifted Giants defense that had three players set up on left side of the infield.
That was the only damage the D’backs did against Anderson, who worked in harmony with Giants catcher Chadwick Tromp throughout the night.
“He’s a very smart pitcher and sometimes smart pitchers try to think about the whole game instead of trying to get this guy out and then the next guy, but I’m very happy for him,” Tromp said. “This is the first of many and I’m sure he’s going to continue to do that. Everybody here believes in him.”
With Kapler wanting to give Bart a breather behind the plate following back-to-back starts to open his career, Tromp started on Saturday and impressed for the first seven innings until Bart came in as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement.
Five days after the Giants fell to 8-16, they’re now 13-16 and thinking about the excitement of the playoffs, not the dread of the trade deadline.
“There’s a couple of little things here and there we can tighten up, but we believe we can win all the time and in a shortened season, we believe there’s an opportunity,” Anderson said.
We Need Your Support!
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I’ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you’ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com. Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer. Thank you! — Kerry Crowley


mercurynews--2020-08-24--California wildfires: SCU Lightning Complex fire staff bracing for impacts Sunday night

PLEASANTON — At the Alameda County Fairgrounds , nearly a dozen representatives with multiple agencies came forward with many updates on the fires burning in the Bay Area , but one message : heed official warnings , and prepare to head out .
Jake Hess , Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit chief , took pains to describe not only the unprecedented nature of recent blazes , but the threat posed by expected weather conditions through Tuesday .
“ This is an absolute marathon that we are embarking on , ” Hess said .
“ We are going to need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and set manageable paces .
This is going to be a very long-term incident as we get through this.
” Hess noted that the SCU Lightning Complex fire covered more than 300,000 acres spanning up to seven counties .
“ The No .
1 priority for this team is life safety , ” he said , adding that firefighters were “ also hyper-focused on the structure defense component , [ so ] please look at evacuation orders and listen to those we put those out there for a reason.
” Hess managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Our troops are exhausted , but at the end of the day we will put this fire out , one piece at a time.
” California Highway Patrol Lt. George Gori of the CHP ’ s San Jose office joined representatives from the Dublin and Hollister-Gilroy offices , saying that CHP officers were working 12-hour shifts and getting updates every four hours on areas in need of traffic controls , closure or evacuation assistance , with help from the emergency operations center in Vallejo .
Alameda County Sheriff ’ s Sgt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in efforts along the county ’ s rural areas near urban lines , especially in the Tri-Valley area and near Fremont , and logged long hours setting up an animal shelter for vulnerable ranch properties .
Kelly urged all county residents to sign up for the county ’ s AC Alert system to stay in the loop on changing conditions .

PLEASANTON — At the Alameda County Fairgrounds, nearly a dozen representatives with multiple agencies came forward with many updates on the fires burning in the Bay Area, but one message: heed official warnings, and prepare to head out.
Jake Hess, Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit chief, took pains to describe not only the unprecedented nature of recent blazes, but the threat posed by expected weather conditions through Tuesday.
“This is an absolute marathon that we are embarking on,” Hess said. “We are going to need to be here for the long term, and set manageable paces. This is going to be a very long-term incident as we get through this.”
Hess noted that the SCU Lightning Complex fire covered more than 300,000 acres spanning up to seven counties.
“The No. 1 priority for this team is life safety,” he said, adding that firefighters were “also hyper-focused on the structure defense component, [so] please look at evacuation orders and listen to those we put those out there for a reason.”
Hess managed to close with a note of grim resolve: “Our troops are exhausted, but at the end of the day we will put this fire out, one piece at a time.”
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Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds Crashes and Disasters | Cadaver dogs are in Maui to help find the dead. Here’s how it works and why it’s difficult California Highway Patrol Lt. George Gori of the CHP’s San Jose office joined representatives from the Dublin and Hollister-Gilroy offices, saying that CHP officers were working 12-hour shifts and getting updates every four hours on areas in need of traffic controls, closure or evacuation assistance, with help from the emergency operations center in Vallejo.
Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly said his department had put in efforts along the county’s rural areas near urban lines, especially in the Tri-Valley area and near Fremont, and logged long hours setting up an animal shelter for vulnerable ranch properties. He added that the sheriff’s office regularly hones and revises an evacuation plan that would rely in part on cities working with the county, Cal Fire and the CHP on possible measures like turning highways into one-way paths either toward San Joaquin County or toward the county’s western side.
Kelly urged all county residents to sign up for the county’s AC Alert system to stay in the loop on changing conditions.
SCULightningComplex – Press Conference – August 23, 2020 https://t.co/M4G7ciizoD — CAL FIRE SCU (@calfireSCU) August 23, 2020
In a social-media post Sunday evening, Alameda County firefighters said the department planned to staff three extra engines near the county’s rural eastern canyons and valleys for the next 36 hours “in addition to the usual 33 engines, 7 trucks, rescue and 4 battalion chiefs.”
In anticipation of tonight's weather advisory. The ACFD will be staffing additional units in the eastern portion of the County and canyons. Three extra engines will be staffed for 36 hours. This is in addition to the usual 33 engines, 7 trucks, rescue and 4 battalion chiefs. pic.twitter.com/OrLdD2k6dW — Alameda County Fire (@AlamedaCoFire) August 24, 2020
Check back for updates. Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.


mercurynews--2020-08-24--The Latest: Iowa sees first death of child linked to virus

By The Associated Press IOWA CITY , Iowa — A young child died due to complications from coronavirus in June , the first confirmed death of a minor in Iowa during the pandemic , the state health department belatedly announced Sunday evening .
The Iowa Department of Public Health said the state medical examiner ’ s office concluded its case investigation Aug. 6 into the death of the child , who was under the age of 5 .
But the death wasn ’ t reported in the state ’ s statistics until Saturday , more than two weeks later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicly reported this weekend after ensuring the individual ’ s identity would remain protected and notifying the family , ” the department said in a statement .
“ We have made every effort to protect the identity of this child , while the family grieves this devastating loss .
Again , we send our sincerest condolences.
” The confirmation of the state ’ s first child death comes one day before dozens of school districts are prepared to begin the school year on Monday — a development that has many educators and parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kim Reynolds has ordered schools to reopen for at least 50 percent in-person instruction , despite a pandemic that has already killed 1,036 people and seen infections soar in recent days .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK : — Pushing for breakthroughs in treatments for the coronavirus , White House officials are suggesting there are politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease .
— Florida slashed local health department staffing as its population grew over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a microcosm and a cautionary tale for America .
— India ’ s use of cheaper , faster but less accurate tests for the coronavirus highlights some of the inherent pitfalls of a strategy that the U.S. is now considering to scale up testing .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : MELBOURNE , Australia — Australia ’ s hard-hit Victoria state on Monday recorded its lowest tally of new coronavirus cases in eight weeks with the state capital Melbourne half way through a six-week lockdown .
Victoria reported 116 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lowest daily tall of new cases since 87 were reported on July 5 .
The daily count has been as high as 725 news cases in early August .
The state recorded 208 new cases on Sunday and 182 on Saturday .
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton had predicted on Sunday that numbers could dip below 150 this week .
He added although the daily case numbers had been “ jumping around , ” he expected they were on a downward trajectory .
But health authorities have warned that the daily tally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or low double digits before the Melbourne lockdown was relaxed .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says the Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients .
Trump , announcing the decision Sunday at the White House , called convalescent plasma a “ powerful therapy.
” He says the FDA ’ s action will expand access to the treatment , which is already being used .
The treatment involves transferring antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients to patients suffering from the disease .
The announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials of politically motivated delays by the FDA in approving a vaccine and treatments for the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Trump made the announcement on the eve of the Republican National Convention that will nominate him to run against Democrat Joe Biden .
PESHAWAR , Pakistan — Pakistani authorities have closed about two dozen hotels in a scenic tourist destination in the country ’ s northwest after dozens of hotel employees tested positive for the coronavirus .
According to Maqbool Hussain , a district government official , Sunday ’ s move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Naran and Kaghan under lockdown was aimed at containing the spread of the virus .
He said as many as 47 hotel employees who tested positive for COVID-19 were quarantined at the hotels where they worked .
The measures came hours after Pakistan reported only four new COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours , the fewest deaths reported in a day since March .
That announcement raised hopes that Pakistan is on the right path to fully containing the new virus despite having a fragile health system .
Pakistan has confirmed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths since reporting its first case in February .
ATHENS , Greece — Greek health authorities announced a daily record 284 new coronavirus cases Sunday .
There were also two new deaths .
The total number of confirmed cases is now 8,664 , with 242 deaths .
The average age of people getting sick from the virus is 39 , while the average age of people dying of the disease is 77 .
The government , alarmed by the fact that half of all coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the first three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social gatherings and the opening hours of restaurants , cafes and bars in 20 localities , including the capital Athens , until the end of the month .
It is also monitoring for violations more closely , and imposing fines .
In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki , Greece ’ s second largest , a groom was fined 3,000 euros ( $ 3,540 ) Saturday for having 80 guests at his wedding reception instead of the maximum of 50 allowed at social gatherings .
A 52-year-old Bulgarian citizen was fined 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a designated quarantine hotel in the same city , after testing positive for the virus .
He was arrested while engaging in contraband trade of toys , police said .
TALLAHASSEE , Fla. — Florida broke the 600,000 mark for confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday but reported one of its lowest daily totals in two months , continuing a downward trend that began five weeks ago .
Florida reported 2,974 new cases on Sunday , only the second time since June 22 that fewer than 3,000 new cases have been tallied in a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when 2,678 cases were reported .
Sundays and Mondays often have a low number of reports as not all hospitals report on the weekend .
The daily total peaked July 15 when more than 15,000 cases were reported , but has been declining since .
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have also been declining .
Late Sunday morning , 4,578 patients were being treated for the disease in Florida hospitals compared to Saturday ’ s 4,773 .
It is a drop of almost 800 since Thursday .
Hospitalizations peaked at above 9,500 on July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now reported 600,571 confirmed cases .
ROME — The day-to-day number of new coronavirus cases in Italy climbed for a seventh straight day , when 1,210 confirmed infections were registered on Sunday , the highest daily increase since May 12 .
With airports testing many arriving travelers , two regions with busy airports – Lombardy , which includes Milan , and Lazio which includes Rome — led the day ’ s new caseload numbers , according to Health Ministry figures .
Lombardy , where some 40 % of the nation ’ s known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered 239 new infections since Saturday , while Lazio counted 184 .
LONDON — The EU ’ s trade commissioner is coming under intense pressure to step down after attending a golf event despite a ban on public gatherings during the pandemic .
The job of Phil Hogan , an Irishman who is expected to play a key role in trade talks with the U.K. , is under threat amid a growing crisis stemming from a golf society dinner in the west of Ireland that was attended by more than 80 people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland to reimpose restrictions on public gatherings that were eased in early summer .
The agriculture minister and deputy speaker of the Senate resigned last week after confirming they were at the event .
Hogan offered a “ fulsome and profound apology ” over the incident .
The deputy head of government , Leo Varadkar , said he shared the public ’ s anger at the golf event , but said the apology helps .
He told RTE that Hogan may not have been as familiar with the coronavirus situation in Ireland because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Varadkar said that “ he also needs to account for himself and explain and answer any questions that might arise , not just in relation to the dinner but also his movements around the country.
” “ If he can not do that , he needs to consider his position , ” he said .
LONDON — Britain ’ s top medical officers say children are more likely to be harmed by staying away from school than from being exposed to the coronavirus .
England ’ s chief medical officer on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland and Wales in saying that children are less likely to contract the virus than adults and have “ an exceptionally low risk ” of dying from COVID-19 .
By contrast , they said studies show that not going to school limits children ’ s ability to succeed in life and may worsen physical and mental health problems .
“ Very few , if any , children or teenagers will come to long-term harm from COVID-19 due solely to attending school , ” they said in a statement .
“ This has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm to many children and young people from not attending school.
” The statement comes as parents and teachers express concern about reopening schools next month amid fears that social distancing measures won ’ t keep children safe .
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities on Sunday reported only four new COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours , the fewest deaths since March .
The announcement raises hopes that Pakistan is on the right path to fully containing the coronavirus despite having a fragile health system .
The National Command and Control Center also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s caseload to 275,836 , including 6,275 deaths .
Pakistan witnessed a sudden spike in infections and deaths in June , but confirmed cases and fatalities have gradually declined since then .
The latest development comes days after Pakistan ’ s drug regulatory agency approved final-phase testing of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine .
Pakistan hopes it will get the vaccine on priority from neighboring China if its clinical trials show success .
ROME — Sicily ’ s governor is ordering all migrants who reach the island by sea be transferred from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to combat the spread of COVID-19 .
The ordinance , signed by Gov .
Nello Musumeci , went into effect Sunday and stipulates that all centers housing migrants awaiting processing of asylum applications be shut down by the end of Monday .
His order , effective through Sept. 10 , also forbids any boat , including charity vessels , to bring migrants to the island .
While in past years the great majority of migrants reaching Italy were rescued at sea by humanitarian groups , cargo ships or military vessels , this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italian shores autonomously , most setting sail from Tunisia instead of Libya , where human traffickers are based .
Many come ashore on tiny Lampedusa island , but its migrant center is dangerously overcrowded .
So Italy has taken to quarantining the latest arrivals aboard chartered ferries offshore Sicily .
On Saturday , one-third of Sicily ’ s 48 one-day total of new confirmed coronavirus infections occurred in migrants .
MOSCOW — Yulia Tymoshenko , the former Ukrainian prime minister and a key figure in the 2004 Orange Revolution protests , has contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Sunday post on Facebook that Tymoshenko is in serious condition with a fever of 39 C ( 102 F ) , but did not specify if she has been hospitalized .
Tymoshenko captured attention worldwide for her speeches to huge crowds of protesters in the 2004 demonstrations that forced the rerun of a disputed presidential election .
After Viktor Yushchenko won the election rerun , Tymoshenko became prime minister , but was dismissed amid quarrels and then returned to the office .
Under subsequent President Viktor Yanukovych , she was imprisoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse of power .
BEIJING — China on Sunday reported 12 new confirmed coronavirus cases and no additional deaths .
The National Health Commission said 422 patients were being treated , including 16 in critical condition .
The death toll in China , where the outbreak began in December , stands at 4,634 .

By The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea counted its 11th straight day of triple-digit daily jumps in coronavirus cases as officials tighten social distancing restrictions nationwide to combat what they describe as the biggest crisis since the emergence of COVID-19.
The 266 cases reported by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Monday came after three consecutive days of over-300 increases, although infection numbers tend to be lower at the start of the week due to the lesser number of tests in weekends.
The KCDC said 202 of the new cases came from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, home to half of the country’s 51 million population, where health workers have struggled to track transmissions linked to various sources, including churches, restaurants, schools and workers.
Infections were also reported in major cities throughout the country, including Busan, Daejeon and Sejong.
KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong said it’s likely the country will continue to report huge infection numbers in coming days as health workers scramble to trace and test contacts of virus carriers.
The country since Sunday has banned larger gatherings, shut down nightspots and churches and removed fans from professional sports nationwide.
___
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— Emails show businesses held sway over state reopening plans
— As shoppers stay away, small stores seek refuge online
— Returning vacationers drive Italy’s surge in COVID cases
— Pushing for breakthroughs in treatments for the coronavirus, White House officials are suggesting there are politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease.
— Florida slashed local health department staffing as its population grew over the last decade. Now it’s a microcosm and a cautionary tale for America.
— India’s use of cheaper, faster but less accurate tests for the coronavirus highlights some of the inherent pitfalls of a strategy that the U.S. is now considering to scale up testing.
___
— Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
___
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
IOWA CITY, Iowa — A young child died due to complications from coronavirus in June, the first confirmed death of a minor in Iowa during the pandemic, the state health department belatedly announced Sunday evening.
The Iowa Department of Public Health said the state medical examiner’s office concluded its case investigation Aug. 6 into the death of the child, who was under the age of 5. But the death wasn’t reported in the state’s statistics until Saturday, more than two weeks later.
“The child’s death was publicly reported this weekend after ensuring the individual’s identity would remain protected and notifying the family,” the department said in a statement. “We have made every effort to protect the identity of this child, while the family grieves this devastating loss. Again, we send our sincerest condolences.”
The confirmation of the state’s first child death comes one day before dozens of school districts are prepared to begin the school year on Monday — a development that has many educators and parents already on edge.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered schools to reopen for at least 50 percent in-person instruction, despite a pandemic that has already killed 1,036 people and seen infections soar in recent days.
___
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia’s hard-hit Victoria state on Monday recorded its lowest tally of new coronavirus cases in eight weeks with the state capital Melbourne half way through a six-week lockdown.
Victoria reported 116 new cases and 15 deaths. That is the lowest daily tall of new cases since 87 were reported on July 5. The daily count has been as high as 725 news cases in early August.
The state recorded 208 new cases on Sunday and 182 on Saturday.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton had predicted on Sunday that numbers could dip below 150 this week.
He added although the daily case numbers had been “jumping around,” he expected they were on a downward trajectory.
But health authorities have warned that the daily tally would need to fall to single digits or low double digits before the Melbourne lockdown was relaxed.
___
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says the Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients.
Trump, announcing the decision Sunday at the White House, called convalescent plasma a “powerful therapy.” He says the FDA’s action will expand access to the treatment, which is already being used. The treatment involves transferring antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients to patients suffering from the disease.
The announcement follows days of suggestions by White House officials of politically motivated delays by the FDA in approving a vaccine and treatments for the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Trump made the announcement on the eve of the Republican National Convention that will nominate him to run against Democrat Joe Biden.
___
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani authorities have closed about two dozen hotels in a scenic tourist destination in the country’s northwest after dozens of hotel employees tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to Maqbool Hussain, a district government official, Sunday’s move to place high-risk areas of Shogran, Naran and Kaghan under lockdown was aimed at containing the spread of the virus.
He said as many as 47 hotel employees who tested positive for COVID-19 were quarantined at the hotels where they worked.
The measures came hours after Pakistan reported only four new COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours, the fewest deaths reported in a day since March. That announcement raised hopes that Pakistan is on the right path to fully containing the new virus despite having a fragile health system.
Pakistan has confirmed more than 275,000 coronavirus infections and nearly 6,300 deaths since reporting its first case in February.
___
ATHENS, Greece — Greek health authorities announced a daily record 284 new coronavirus cases Sunday. There were also two new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases is now 8,664, with 242 deaths. The average age of people getting sick from the virus is 39, while the average age of people dying of the disease is 77.
The government, alarmed by the fact that half of all coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the first three weeks of August, has imposed restrictions on social gatherings and the opening hours of restaurants, cafes and bars in 20 localities, including the capital Athens, until the end of the month.
It is also monitoring for violations more closely, and imposing fines. In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest, a groom was fined 3,000 euros ($3,540) Saturday for having 80 guests at his wedding reception instead of the maximum of 50 allowed at social gatherings. A 52-year-old Bulgarian citizen was fined 5,000 euros ($5,900) for leaving a designated quarantine hotel in the same city, after testing positive for the virus. He was arrested while engaging in contraband trade of toys, police said.
___
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida broke the 600,000 mark for confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday but reported one of its lowest daily totals in two months, continuing a downward trend that began five weeks ago.
Florida reported 2,974 new cases on Sunday, only the second time since June 22 that fewer than 3,000 new cases have been tallied in a day. The other time was Monday, when 2,678 cases were reported. Sundays and Mondays often have a low number of reports as not all hospitals report on the weekend.
The daily total peaked July 15 when more than 15,000 cases were reported, but has been declining since.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have also been declining. Late Sunday morning, 4,578 patients were being treated for the disease in Florida hospitals compared to Saturday’s 4,773. It is a drop of almost 800 since Thursday. Hospitalizations peaked at above 9,500 on July 23.
Overall, the state has now reported 600,571 confirmed cases.
___
ROME — The day-to-day number of new coronavirus cases in Italy climbed for a seventh straight day, when 1,210 confirmed infections were registered on Sunday, the highest daily increase since May 12.
With airports testing many arriving travelers, two regions with busy airports – Lombardy, which includes Milan, and Lazio which includes Rome — led the day’s new caseload numbers, according to Health Ministry figures.
Lombardy, where some 40% of the nation’s known cases have occurred in the pandemic, registered 239 new infections since Saturday, while Lazio counted 184.
Italy has tallied 259,345 COVID-19 infections, including 35,437 deaths.
___
LONDON — The EU’s trade commissioner is coming under intense pressure to step down after attending a golf event despite a ban on public gatherings during the pandemic.
The job of Phil Hogan, an Irishman who is expected to play a key role in trade talks with the U.K., is under threat amid a growing crisis stemming from a golf society dinner in the west of Ireland that was attended by more than 80 people. A surge in coronavirus cases recently prompted Ireland to reimpose restrictions on public gatherings that were eased in early summer.
The agriculture minister and deputy speaker of the Senate resigned last week after confirming they were at the event.
Hogan offered a “fulsome and profound apology” over the incident.
The deputy head of government, Leo Varadkar, said he shared the public’s anger at the golf event, but said the apology helps. He told RTE that Hogan may not have been as familiar with the coronavirus situation in Ireland because he was not based in the country.
Varadkar said that “he also needs to account for himself and explain and answer any questions that might arise, not just in relation to the dinner but also his movements around the country.”
“If he cannot do that, he needs to consider his position,” he said.
___
LONDON — Britain’s top medical officers say children are more likely to be harmed by staying away from school than from being exposed to the coronavirus.
England’s chief medical officer on Sunday joined his counterparts in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in saying that children are less likely to contract the virus than adults and have “an exceptionally low risk” of dying from COVID-19.
By contrast, they said studies show that not going to school limits children’s ability to succeed in life and may worsen physical and mental health problems.
“Very few, if any, children or teenagers will come to long-term harm from COVID-19 due solely to attending school,” they said in a statement. “This has to be set against a certainty of long-term harm to many children and young people from not attending school.”
The statement comes as parents and teachers express concern about reopening schools next month amid fears that social distancing measures won’t keep children safe.
___
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities on Sunday reported only four new COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours, the fewest deaths since March.
The announcement raises hopes that Pakistan is on the right path to fully containing the coronavirus despite having a fragile health system.
The National Command and Control Center also reported 591 new cases, increasing the country’s caseload to 275,836, including 6,275 deaths.
Pakistan witnessed a sudden spike in infections and deaths in June, but confirmed cases and fatalities have gradually declined since then. The latest development comes days after Pakistan’s drug regulatory agency approved final-phase testing of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine.
Pakistan hopes it will get the vaccine on priority from neighboring China if its clinical trials show success.
___
ROME — Sicily’s governor is ordering all migrants who reach the island by sea be transferred from the Mediterranean island as part of measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The ordinance, signed by Gov. Nello Musumeci, went into effect Sunday and stipulates that all centers housing migrants awaiting processing of asylum applications be shut down by the end of Monday.
His order, effective through Sept. 10, also forbids any boat, including charity vessels, to bring migrants to the island.
While in past years the great majority of migrants reaching Italy were rescued at sea by humanitarian groups, cargo ships or military vessels, this year, nearly 80% of arrivals reached Italian shores autonomously, most setting sail from Tunisia instead of Libya, where human traffickers are based.
Many come ashore on tiny Lampedusa island, but its migrant center is dangerously overcrowded. So Italy has taken to quarantining the latest arrivals aboard chartered ferries offshore Sicily. On Saturday, one-third of Sicily’s 48 one-day total of new confirmed coronavirus infections occurred in migrants.
___
MOSCOW — Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister and a key figure in the 2004 Orange Revolution protests, has contracted COVID-19.
Her spokeswoman Marina Soroka said in a Sunday post on Facebook that Tymoshenko is in serious condition with a fever of 39 C (102 F), but did not specify if she has been hospitalized.
Tymoshenko captured attention worldwide for her speeches to huge crowds of protesters in the 2004 demonstrations that forced the rerun of a disputed presidential election.
After Viktor Yushchenko won the election rerun, Tymoshenko became prime minister, but was dismissed amid quarrels and then returned to the office. Under subsequent President Viktor Yanukovych, she was imprisoned for three years on a conviction of abuse of power.


mercurynews--2020-08-23--Trump announces plasma treatment authorized for COVID-19

By Jonathan Lemire and Mike Stobbe | Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Sunday announced emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma — a move he called “ a breakthrough , ” one of his top health officials called “ promising ” and other health experts said needs more study before it ’ s celebrated .
The announcement came after White House officials complained there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump ’ s reelection chances .
On the eve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put himself at the center of the FDA ’ s announcement of the authorization at a news conference Sunday evening .
The authorization makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment but is not the same as full FDA approval .
The blood plasma , taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies , may provide benefits to those battling the disease .
But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works , when to administer it and what dose is needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorization , the chief scientist for the FDA , Denise Hinton , said : “ COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 .
Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing , well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.
” But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager to showcase good news in the battle against the virus , and the timing allowed him to head into his convention with momentum .
He and aides billed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and used the White House briefing room to make the announcement .
Trump also displayed some rare discipline in the evening news conference , sticking to his talking points , deferring to the head of the FDA , Stephen Hahn , and only taking three questions from reporters .
The White House had grown agitated with the pace of the plasma approval .
The accusations of an FDA slowdown , which were presented without evidence , were just the latest assault from Trump ’ s team on what he refers to as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House chief of staff Mark Meadows did not deal in specifics , but said that “ we ’ ve looked at a number of people that are not being as diligent as they should be in terms of getting to the bottom of it.
” “ This president is about cutting red tape , ” Meadows said in an interview Sunday on “ This Week ” on ABC .
“ He had to make sure that they felt the heat .
If they don ’ t see the light , they need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are suffering.
” During Sunday ’ s 18-minute press conference , Trump said he thought there had been a “ logjam ” at the FDA over granting the emergency authorization .
He alleged there are people at the FDA “ that can see things being held up … and that ’ s for political reasons.
” Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said the statement , and Hahn ’ s silence while Trump said it , “ was disgraceful.
” “ The FDA commissioner allowed basically allowed the president to mischaracterize the decision and attack the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrified , ” said Sharfstein , a vice dean at John Hopkins University ’ s school of public health who was a top FDA official during the Obama administration .
“ This is a promising therapy that has not been established , ” he said The push on Sunday came a day after Trump tweeted sharp criticism on the process to treat the virus , which has killed more than 175,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection chances .
The White House has sunk vast resources into an expedited process to develop a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on it being an “ October surprise ” that could help the president make up ground in the polls .
“ The deep state , or whoever , over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Obviously , they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd .
Must focus on speed , and saving lives !
” Earlier this month , Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected patients recover .
But it wasn ’ t considered proof .
More than 70,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma , a century-old approach to fend off flu and measles before vaccines .
It ’ s a go-to tactic when new diseases come along , and history suggests it works against some , but not all , infections .
The Mayo Clinic reported preliminary data from 35,000 coronavirus patients treated with plasma , and said there were fewer deaths among people given plasma within three days of diagnosis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest levels of virus-fighting antibodies .
But it wasn ’ t a formal study .
The patients were treated in different ways in hospitals around the country as part of an FDA program designed to speed access to the experimental therapy .
That “ expanded access ” program tracks what happens to the recipients , but it can not prove the plasma — and not other care they received — was the real reason for improvement .
Administration officials , in a call with reporters Sunday , discussed a benefit for patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a hospital and were not on a respirator and were given ‘ high-titer ’ convalescent plasma containing higher concentrations of antibodies .
They were then compared to similar patients who were given lower-titer plasma .
The findings suggest deaths were 35 % lower in the high-titer group .
There ’ s been little data on how effective it is or whether it must be administered fairly early in an illness to make a significant difference , said Dr. William Schaffner , an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University .
Aiming to ward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plasma after the announcement , government officials have been working to obtain plasma and to team with corporate partners and nonprofit organizations to generate interest among previously infected patients to donate .
Hahn , who called the development “ promising , ” said Trump did not speak to him about the timing of the announcement .
He said “ this has been in the works for several weeks.
” But some health experts were skeptical .
Benjamin Corb , of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , called it “ conspicuous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again putting his political goals ahead of the health and well-being of the American public , ” Corb said .
Rigorous studies are underway around the country , comparing similar patients randomly assigned to get plasma or a dummy infusion in addition to regular care .
But those studies have been difficult to finish as the virus waxes and wanes in different cities .
Also , some patients have requested plasma rather than agreeing to a study that might give them a placebo instead .
Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb dismissed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firmly reject the idea they would slow-walk anything or accelerate anything based on any political consideration or any consideration other than what is best for the public health and a real sense of mission to patients , ” Gottlieb told CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation.
” Trump , in news conferences , “ has made all kinds of therapeutic suggestions ” that have not proven to be supported by science — and are even dangerous , Schaffner said .
That includes statements about the possible value of treating COVID-19 patients with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also recently became enthusiastic about oleandrin , a plant extract derived from a toxic shrub that scientists immediately warned against .
But the president is perhaps best known for his early and ardent embrace of the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine .
Earlier this month , Hahn emphasized that routine evaluation procedures will remain in place to evaluate COVID vaccine candidates .
• The Latest : Iowa sees first death of child linked to virus • UK leader urges parents to let kids to return to school “ I think this administration has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drug Administration than I can remember ” ever happening in the past , Schaffner said .
“ Everybody is just a little bit nervous , ” he said .

By Jonathan Lemire and Mike Stobbe | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Sunday announced emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma — a move he called “a breakthrough,” one of his top health officials called “promising” and other health experts said needs more study before it’s celebrated.
The announcement came after White House officials complained there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances.
On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump put himself at the center of the FDA’s announcement of the authorization at a news conference Sunday evening. The authorization makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment but is not the same as full FDA approval.
The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling the disease. But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.
In a letter describing the emergency authorization, the chief scientist for the FDA, Denise Hinton, said: “COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.”
But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager to showcase good news in the battle against the virus, and the timing allowed him to head into his convention with momentum. He and aides billed it as a “major” development and used the White House briefing room to make the announcement.
[vemba-video id=”politics/2020/08/23/trump-fda-coronavirus-plasma-treatment-diamond-tsr-vpx.cnn”]
Trump also displayed some rare discipline in the evening news conference, sticking to his talking points, deferring to the head of the FDA, Stephen Hahn, and only taking three questions from reporters.
The White House had grown agitated with the pace of the plasma approval. The accusations of an FDA slowdown, which were presented without evidence, were just the latest assault from Trump’s team on what he refers to as the “deep state” bureaucracy. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows did not deal in specifics, but said that “we’ve looked at a number of people that are not being as diligent as they should be in terms of getting to the bottom of it.”
“This president is about cutting red tape,” Meadows said in an interview Sunday on “This Week” on ABC. “He had to make sure that they felt the heat. If they don’t see the light, they need to feel the heat because the American people are suffering.”
During Sunday’s 18-minute press conference, Trump said he thought there had been a “logjam” at the FDA over granting the emergency authorization. He alleged there are people at the FDA “that can see things being held up … and that’s for political reasons.”
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said the statement, and Hahn’s silence while Trump said it, “was disgraceful.”
“The FDA commissioner allowed basically allowed the president to mischaracterize the decision and attack the integrity of FDA employees. I was horrified,” said Sharfstein, a vice dean at John Hopkins University’s school of public health who was a top FDA official during the Obama administration.
“This is a promising therapy that has not been established,” he said
The push on Sunday came a day after Trump tweeted sharp criticism on the process to treat the virus, which has killed more than 175,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection chances. The White House has sunk vast resources into an expedited process to develop a vaccine, and Trump aides have been banking on it being an “October surprise” that could help the president make up ground in the polls.
“The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics,” Trump tweeted. “Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!”
Earlier this month, Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors helps other infected patients recover. But it wasn’t considered proof.
More than 70,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma, a century-old approach to fend off flu and measles before vaccines. It’s a go-to tactic when new diseases come along, and history suggests it works against some, but not all, infections.
The Mayo Clinic reported preliminary data from 35,000 coronavirus patients treated with plasma, and said there were fewer deaths among people given plasma within three days of diagnosis, and also among those given plasma containing the highest levels of virus-fighting antibodies.
But it wasn’t a formal study. The patients were treated in different ways in hospitals around the country as part of an FDA program designed to speed access to the experimental therapy. That “expanded access” program tracks what happens to the recipients, but it cannot prove the plasma — and not other care they received — was the real reason for improvement.
Administration officials, in a call with reporters Sunday, discussed a benefit for patients who were within three days of admission to a hospital and were not on a respirator and were given ‘high-titer’ convalescent plasma containing higher concentrations of antibodies. They were then compared to similar patients who were given lower-titer plasma. The findings suggest deaths were 35% lower in the high-titer group.
There’s been little data on how effective it is or whether it must be administered fairly early in an illness to make a significant difference, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.
Aiming to ward off a possible a run on convalescent plasma after the announcement, government officials have been working to obtain plasma and to team with corporate partners and nonprofit organizations to generate interest among previously infected patients to donate.
Hahn, who called the development “promising,” said Trump did not speak to him about the timing of the announcement. He said “this has been in the works for several weeks.”
But some health experts were skeptical. Benjamin Corb, of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, called it “conspicuous timing.”
“President Trump is once again putting his political goals ahead of the health and well-being of the American public,” Corb said.
Rigorous studies are underway around the country, comparing similar patients randomly assigned to get plasma or a dummy infusion in addition to regular care. But those studies have been difficult to finish as the virus waxes and wanes in different cities. Also, some patients have requested plasma rather than agreeing to a study that might give them a placebo instead.
Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb dismissed the suggestion of a slowdown.
“I firmly reject the idea they would slow-walk anything or accelerate anything based on any political consideration or any consideration other than what is best for the public health and a real sense of mission to patients,” Gottlieb told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Trump, in news conferences, “has made all kinds of therapeutic suggestions” that have not proven to be supported by science — and are even dangerous, Schaffner said. That includes statements about the possible value of treating COVID-19 patients with ultraviolet light and disinfectant. Trump reportedly also recently became enthusiastic about oleandrin, a plant extract derived from a toxic shrub that scientists immediately warned against.
But the president is perhaps best known for his early and ardent embrace of the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.
Earlier this month, Hahn emphasized that routine evaluation procedures will remain in place to evaluate COVID vaccine candidates.
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Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms Health | COVID Q&A: Can I use an expired test? Time to get boosted? How to cope with California’s sneaky summer surge “I think this administration has put more pressure on the Food and Drug Administration than I can remember” ever happening in the past, Schaffner said.
“Everybody is just a little bit nervous,” he said.
Stobbe reported from New York.


mercurynews--2020-08-23--A’s move to 5-0 in extra-inning games with win over LA Angels

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Mark Canha ’ s walk-off sac fly in the 10th inning sealed the A ’ s 5-4 extra-inning win Sunday afternoon over the Los Angeles Angels .
That ’ s it .
The A ’ s are done with the Los Angeles Angels .
The A ’ s took the series , 6-4 — and with it move to 4.5 games up on the Houston Astros in the American League West division .
Unless their AL West foes rally hard into a postseason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witness to any more monstrous Shohei Ohtani bombs .
No more wondering how and when Mike Trout might flip a game with one swing .
No automatic Anthony Rendon to worry about in the lineup right after .
An unexpected relief of ending the Angels series : the A ’ s won ’ t have to face Dylan Bundy again .
Third time ’ s the charm against Dylan Bundy For an inning , it looked like the A ’ s had finally cracked Angels starter Dylan Bundy .
The right-hander had faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already and held them to just one run over 13 2/3 innings .
It took an error by Angels rookie right fielder Jo Adell on Marcus Semien ’ s line drive gave them a needed nudge .
Matt Chapman ’ s RBI double scored Semien and Mark Canha ’ s single scored Chapman .
Two unearned runs was the most they ’ d ever taken from Bundy , but Bundy was still unconquered .
He mowed through the A ’ s for four more innings and two outs into the sixth , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a comfortable 4-2 lead — his manager , Joe Maddon , ejected somewhere in between for arguing balls and strikes .
Robbie Grossman caught Bundy on his 97th pitch , doubling into right field .
Then Stephen Piscotty tacked on his 21st RBI of the month with a single up the middle .
Against reliever Mike Mayers , powerful Sean Murphy eked a seeing eye single over second base to tie things up .
Bundy was an out away from owning the A ’ s this year .
The A ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a final say — still , Bundy holds a 1.43 ERA against the Oakland lineup .
Ohtani ’ s three-run home run blemished an iffy start for Montas , who was looking to bounce back from his worst career start in Arizona against the Diamondbacks in which he allowed nine earned runs in 1 2/3 innings .
He at least fared better Sunday .
He had better command and struck out five Angels .
But he walked three batters and navigated traffic through 4 2/3 tough innings .
Matt Chapman : Barrel king @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matt Chapman ’ s cold streaks can be utterly freezing ; he often looks like he ’ s guessing at the plate , his bat looks slow , and the strikeouts pile on .
But , his hot streaks aren ’ t just hot — they ’ re loud .
The crack of his bat is one of the loudest in the league .
Yes , there ’ s a stat for the crack of the bat : a barrel .
And Chapman ’ s averages 12.5 barrels anytime he makes contact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Boston Red Sox ’ s Mitch Moreland ranks first with 15.9 barrel average when he makes contact .
Chapman ’ s 101 mph double didn ’ t register as a barreled ball , per Statcast , but was indicative of the hard contact he makes .
When Chapman hits the ball , it ’ s hard .
His double in the first inning was his fifth-straight extra-base hit .

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Exhilarating wins at home are typically met moments later with deafening silence. That’s just a new reality: there are no fans to revel in victory long after the team has departed the dugouts for the showers. All the Oakland A’s successes — and failures — are less shared experience. Wins, more than ever, feel more like a simple means to an end.
Once “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang faded out following Mark Canha’s 10th inning walk-off sac fly that handed the A’s a 5-4 win Sunday afternoon over the Los Angeles Angels, this team could marinate on what they’ve accomplished half-way through this strange 2020 season.
They also might’ve had to drink a little extra water. They’d played an extra inning game in undesirable air that registered at a 168 air quality index at first pitch.
But, with that, they’ve gone 5-0 in extra inning games.
They’ve won 20 games and lost just nine — that’s the best record in the American League and second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers (22-8) for best in baseball.
A 4.5 game cushion lies between them, in first place in the American League West, and the Houston Astros, who lost Sunday to the San Diego Padres. It’s been two weeks since Oakland swept the Astros at the Coliseum, the A’s dominant closer crowned his team the new “Kings of the AL West.”
And, another thing: That’s it. The A’s are done with the Los Angeles Angels. The A’s barely took the series, 6-4.
Half-way through this season, it’s clear this A’s team has the means to get to the ends they desire. What’s scarier: They know they can kick themselves into another gear.
“Honestly, we haven’t been playing the best that we are able to play,” Frankie Montas, Sunday’s starter, said after the win.
After this 3-1 home stand, the A’s will embark on their longest road trip of the season: a three-series jaunt to play the Texas Rangers, Astros and Seattle Mariners. What have they proven, and what can they prove on this daunting trip?
Frankie Montas and a rotation looking to congeal
On paper, the A’s have one of the best rotations in the game. But — because of the time it took to ramp up some arms and a few injuries — that hasn’t come to fruition in practice.
Montas took the mound Sunday looking to bounce back from his worst career start in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. It was a start in which he allowed nine earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. He was out of sync after missing his turn in the rotation with some upper-back stiffness.
He at least fared better Sunday. He had better command of his splitter and slider, striking out five Angels. But his fastball command was iffy. He walked three batters and struggled to navigate traffic through 4 2/3 tough innings.
“Just, still trying to fight for that arm slot with the fastball,” manager Bob Melvin said. “But better.”
Montas has already flashed some of his brilliance. Before those back issues, he whittled his ERA down to a 1.57 with back-to-back seven-inning starts against the Astros and Mariners. The goods are there, but he has less time than ever to get back into groove.
Sean Manaea and Mike Fiers are also struggling to pitch deep into games. Manaea hasn’t been able to throw a fastball above 90 mph with any regularity, which won’t play unless his secondary pitches are perfect. They haven’t been, though his changeup has looked better of late. Fiers said he still didn’t have full feel for his stuff following his fifth start, a 5 1/3 inning, three-run start against the Angels. Chris Bassitt and Jesús Luzardo have found their stride.
Success has been found in spots, but can it all sync?
Can the bullpen keep this up?
Liam Henriks isn’t necessarily better than he was last year. But, guaranteed the closer role he earned to start this season off, he’s been utterly dominant. His nine saves leads the league, and he’s allowed just two earned runs with 21 strikeouts in 12 appearances.
He wasn’t supposed to go Sunday in extras, but he insisted he could take on the 10th inning. He’s become an expert at extinguishing the new ghost-runner threat. He retired the side with 11 pitches.
The bullpen’s adjusted unscathed to all the new obstacles. That new three-batter minimum rule? Unnoticeable.
We could run down the list of relievers to explain their strengths, but one stat from this home stand tells the story of their consistency. The A’s bullpen gave up one earned run over 18.2 relief innings. They’re scoreless over their last 17.
Offensive struggles against tough pitching
For an inning, it looked like the A’s had finally cracked Angels starter Dylan Bundy. The right-hander had faced the A’s twice this season already and held them to just one run over 13 2/3 innings.
They got a little help courtesy of an error by Angels rookie right fielder Jo Adell on Marcus Semien’s line drive in the first inning. For a few minutes, the A’s were one step ahead. The same devastating slider that crippled the A’s in previous starts, Bundy hung to Matt Chapman, who knocked it into left-center for an RBI double. Mark Canha’s single scored Chapman.
Two unearned runs was the most they’d ever taken from Bundy.
But, he mowed through the A’s for four more innings and two outs into the sixth, with his pitch count ramping into the 90s with a comfortable 4-2 lead.
Robbie Grossman caught Bundy on his 97th pitch, doubling into right field. Then Stephen Piscotty tacked on his 21st RBI of the month with a single up the middle. Against reliever Mike Mayers, Sean Murphy eked a seeing eye single over second base to tie things up.
Bundy was an out away from owning the A’s this year, Oakland waiting until his final out to have a final say. Still, Bundy holds a 1.43 ERA against them.
This A’s offense’s strength has been late-inning heroics. But tough pitching has been the A’s kryptonite. There’s no stat for this, but their experience with Bundy tells the story. The A’s saw Bundy three times and only managed two earned runs against him.
Bundy switched up his approach to keep things fresh. But the A’s, unable to pick up his slider, went into each game against him hoping he’d leave a little something over the plate.
He gifted Chapman a hanger. The A’s have found their spots — they don’t leave many mistakes unpunished. But, is that approach against the tough pitchers they’ll face down the stretch and into the postseason (maybe) sustainable?


mercurynews--2020-08-23--California wine country evacuees stuck in hellish limbo as fire rages on

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SANTA ROSA — As apocalyptic fires burn on in Northern California , many families that evacuated at the beginning of the week still have no idea when they ’ ll be able to return home — or if they ’ ll even have a home to return to when the blaze is finally contained .
Rhonda Hall fled her Guerneville apartment Tuesday with her teenage daughter , adult son and pets .
Her 70-year-old mother joined them from Rio Nido , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever since .
“ I just want this nightmare to be over , ” Hall said .
“ It ’ s been horrible.
” But when it will be over is anyone ’ s guess .
The forecast called for more dry lightning strikes Sunday evening and Monday , and firefighters and residents alike spent the weekend anxiously watching the skies , terrified that fire crews could lose the tentative progress they ’ ve made beating the LNU Lightning Complex fires back from towns including Healdsburg , Guerneville and Vacaville .
As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sonoma County alone were under an evacuation order , according to sheriff ’ s office spokeswoman Misti Wood , although those orders were downgraded to warnings in several areas , including Dry Creek Valley outside Healdsburg , and eastern Forestville .
Tens of thousands more people throughout the state are under evacuation orders spurred by hundreds of lightning-sparked fires .
Hall ’ s low-income apartment building near the center of Guerneville remained under a mandatory evacuation order , though as of Sunday afternoon , the fire had not entered the town .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her family will have to sit in a motel room , watching TV and trying not to think about the fire .
“ All you can go back to is : ‘ Is everything going to be OK ?
Are they going to get the fire out ? '
” Hall said .
It ’ s also hard not to think about what was left behind : When Hall and her kids evacuated , they took their two dogs and two cats — but weren ’ t able to take their beloved crested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter , 15-year-old Victoria Johnston , couldn ’ t even talk about Rocket on Sunday — every time the pet was mentioned , her eyes filled with tears .
There ’ s no one home to feed him crickets and mist him with water , and she worries what will become of him .
For Johnston , Hall and the rest of the family , the nightmare started with the terrifying evacuation order Tuesday evening .
They headed to a motel in Vacaville , but by the time they arrived , ash was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Within a few hours , they had to move again — without getting a refund on their room .
Finding a new place to stay wasn ’ t easy .
“ Everything was booked or on fire , ” Hall said .
So the family drove all the way to Reno , Nevada before securing another room .
After that , they spent two nights in Petaluma .
The uncertainty and stress are enough to push anyone to their breaking point , said Dr. Mark LaGrave , an emergency room doctor with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteering at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds evacuation shelter , where nearly 200 people are taking refuge from the fires .
For days , the most mundane issues — from getting stuck in traffic to having a cell phone battery die — have been pushing people over the edge , LaGrave said .
“ Everybody ’ s very emotionally strained , ” he said .
“ Everybody seems like they ’ re doing well , and then something small just tips you over.
” The coronavirus pandemic adds another layer of worry .
Sonoma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue by screening evacuees for virus symptoms and taking temperatures at the door of the county fairgrounds shelter .
And cots are spaced 6 feet apart .
• Video : “ Flames were fully around me , ” Alameda County firefighter says after “ burnover ” in bulldozer Those precautions weren ’ t enough to convince Hall to stay — both she and her daughter have asthma and could develop severe symptoms if they catch COVID-19 .
But money is drying up , and Hall is missing paychecks — the pizza place where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone .
So they came to the fairgrounds shelter on Sunday , hoping for help .
For a brief moment , it looked like she and her family might get spots in the Sonoma State University dorms , which have been reserved for medically vulnerable evacuees .
But those hopes were quickly dashed because the dorms don ’ t allow pets .
So the family and their animals got back in the car , headed to a Motel 6 in Santa Rosa where they would spend more of their dwindling savings .

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SANTA ROSA — As apocalyptic fires burn on in Northern California, many families that evacuated at the beginning of the week still have no idea when they’ll be able to return home — or if they’ll even have a home to return to when the blaze is finally contained.
Rhonda Hall fled her Guerneville apartment Tuesday with her teenage daughter, adult son and pets. Her 70-year-old mother joined them from Rio Nido, and they’ve bounced from motel to motel ever since.
“I just want this nightmare to be over,” Hall said. “It’s been horrible.”
But when it will be over is anyone’s guess. The forecast called for more dry lightning strikes Sunday evening and Monday, and firefighters and residents alike spent the weekend anxiously watching the skies, terrified that fire crews could lose the tentative progress they’ve made beating the LNU Lightning Complex fires back from towns including Healdsburg, Guerneville and Vacaville. As of early Sunday, about 32,000 people in Sonoma County alone were under an evacuation order, according to sheriff’s office spokeswoman Misti Wood, although those orders were downgraded to warnings in several areas, including Dry Creek Valley outside Healdsburg, and eastern Forestville.
Tens of thousands more people throughout the state are under evacuation orders spurred by hundreds of lightning-sparked fires.
Hall’s low-income apartment building near the center of Guerneville remained under a mandatory evacuation order, though as of Sunday afternoon, the fire had not entered the town. She has no idea how many more days her family will have to sit in a motel room, watching TV and trying not to think about the fire.
“All you can go back to is: ‘Is everything going to be OK? Are they going to get the fire out?'” Hall said.
It’s also hard not to think about what was left behind: When Hall and her kids evacuated, they took their two dogs and two cats — but weren’t able to take their beloved crested gecko, Rocket. Hall’s daughter, 15-year-old Victoria Johnston, couldn’t even talk about Rocket on Sunday — every time the pet was mentioned, her eyes filled with tears. There’s no one home to feed him crickets and mist him with water, and she worries what will become of him.
For Johnston, Hall and the rest of the family, the nightmare started with the terrifying evacuation order Tuesday evening. They headed to a motel in Vacaville, but by the time they arrived, ash was falling from the sky there, too. Within a few hours, they had to move again — without getting a refund on their room. Finding a new place to stay wasn’t easy.
“Everything was booked or on fire,” Hall said.
So the family drove all the way to Reno, Nevada before securing another room. After that, they spent two nights in Petaluma.
The uncertainty and stress are enough to push anyone to their breaking point, said Dr. Mark LaGrave, an emergency room doctor with Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa who has been volunteering at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds evacuation shelter, where nearly 200 people are taking refuge from the fires.
For days, the most mundane issues — from getting stuck in traffic to having a cell phone battery die — have been pushing people over the edge, LaGrave said.
“Everybody’s very emotionally strained,” he said. “Everybody seems like they’re doing well, and then something small just tips you over.”
The coronavirus pandemic adds another layer of worry. Sonoma County officials are attempting to address that issue by screening evacuees for virus symptoms and taking temperatures at the door of the county fairgrounds shelter. And cots are spaced 6 feet apart.
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Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds Crashes and Disasters | Cadaver dogs are in Maui to help find the dead. Here’s how it works and why it’s difficult Those precautions weren’t enough to convince Hall to stay — both she and her daughter have asthma and could develop severe symptoms if they catch COVID-19. But money is drying up, and Hall is missing paychecks — the pizza place where she works also is inside the evacuation zone. So they came to the fairgrounds shelter on Sunday, hoping for help.
For a brief moment, it looked like she and her family might get spots in the Sonoma State University dorms, which have been reserved for medically vulnerable evacuees. But those hopes were quickly dashed because the dorms don’t allow pets. So the family and their animals got back in the car, headed to a Motel 6 in Santa Rosa where they would spend more of their dwindling savings.