mercurynews--2020-11-15--Me & My Car: 1934 Bentley once owned by country singer Roy Orbison

Editor ’ s note : David Krumboltz ’ s regular column is on hiatus until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
In its place , we ’ re running some of Dave ’ s favorite past columns .
This one originally ran in July 2018 .
• Me & My Car : Rare , near-perfect Ford De Luxe woody made even better • Me & My Car : Pontiac Ventura pricey but fun for owner to get fixed up • Me & My Car : ’ 61 Austin-Healey better than new after restoration Bentley ’ s founder was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He left school at the age of 16 to work as an apprentice railway engineer and later briefly studied engineering at King ’ s College in London .
He started his first company at age 24 , primarily selling a French car , DFP ( Doriot , Flandrin & Parant ) .
A little later he started manufacturing aluminum alloy pistons for the DFP engines .
In 1919 , Bentley and a brother , Horace Millner Bentley , started Bentley Motors Limited in northern England ’ s Cricklewood .
But it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bentley initially earned their excellent reputation through racing .
A Bentley won the Le Mans endurance race in 1924 , 1927 , 1928 and 1930 , but the company was undercapitalized and in financial trouble .
However , the 1924 the victory convinced investor Woolf Barnato to help with the finances of the company and while that saved the company , Walter Bentley became just an employee of Barnato .
Evidently in 1931 , Barnato decided enough was enough and refused to financially support the company further .
This was after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed , and the company was purchased by Rolls-Royce .
For a second time , founder Bentley became an employee , and not a happy one , this time for Rolls-Royce until his contract expired in 1935 .
For a while , Bentley and Rolls-Royce vehicles were identical in appearance except for the traditional Bentley grill and the squared-off radiator of Rolls-Royce .
There have been a number of mergers , acquisitions and receiverships regarding Rolls-Royce and Bentley up till today , with Rolls-Royce owned by Volkswagen and Bentley by BMW .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and as of recent years China was their largest market .
This edition ’ s Bentley started off as just a chassis with all the running gear plus the distinctive Bentley radiator and grill .
The beautiful body is one of 12 built by Kellner , a French company that built auto bodies before World War II but not after .
“ During the War , they were part of the underground in France , and the Germans caught and killed them , ” explained Gordon Johnson , of Alamo , who owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1934 3½-liter Derby Bentley .
This edition ’ s vehicle was the Paris show car in 1934 for Bentley and Kellner .
This drop-head coupe has three positions for the top : top up , top down or top folded back to open over the front seats .
After the Paris car show , the ownership varied from European nobility to Roy Orbison in 1967 , the country music singer from Tennessee .
While there , the car deteriorated and then passed through a number of owners , with one Ohio owner paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2014 , Johnson acquired the Derby Bentley ( Derby , the English town where the car body was built , is pronounced “ Darby ” ) .
“ I was just looking for something I could work on , ” Johnson said .
“ It was drivable and was in reasonable condition but could use some help .
It was not a show car at all .
We personally restored the interior and the engine compartment .
This included upholstery and a new top by Ken Nemanic of Vintage Automotive Upholstery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I reworked the engine to some extent .
I repainted everything except the body myself.
” The total restoration took Johnson about three years .
The retired stock broker even made bows to support the convertible top .
The Bentley was completely repainted professionally , brought down to bare metal and the colors changed .
The original color was red , with fire-engine-red seats .
When Johnson bought the car , it was painted dark green .
Calling Johnson a perfectionist is an understatement .
He has restored eight classic cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Concours d ’ Elegance , considered by many to be the world ’ s best car show .
He hopes to show this Bentley there .
The mid-1930s were the glory years in the automobile business .
New innovations were happening constantly , along with frequent styling and improved luxury features .
This Bentley is a four-passenger car , has suicide doors , a windscreen that opens up , an elegant wood dashboard , a thermostat that controls the grill bars for ideal engine temperature and is right-hand drive .
This 1934 car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early power brake system sometimes called a brake booster .
I asked what he paid for the car , his total investment and current market value .
Johnson ’ s reply was , “ too much ” for the first two questions , and “ not enough ” for the last question .
“ I think I paid too much for this car , I think I have done a little more than I should , and also Bentley prices have gone down dramatically in the last three years , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you the current market value , but I ’ m pretty sure his Bentley is worth a lot more than what I have sitting in my garage .
Have an interesting vehicle ?
Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly @ yahoo.com .
To view more photos of this and other issues ’ vehicles or to read more of Dave ’ s columns , visit mercurynews.com/author/david-krumboltz .

Editor’s note: David Krumboltz’s regular column is on hiatus until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its place, we’re running some of Dave’s favorite past columns. This one originally ran in July 2018.
Related Articles Local News | Me & My Car: Rare, near-perfect Ford De Luxe woody made even better
Me & My Car: Rare, near-perfect Ford De Luxe woody made even better Local News | Me & My Car: Pontiac Ventura pricey but fun for owner to get fixed up
Me & My Car: Pontiac Ventura pricey but fun for owner to get fixed up Local News | Me & My Car: ’61 Austin-Healey better than new after restoration Bentley’s founder was Walter Owen Bentley, born in 1888. He left school at the age of 16 to work as an apprentice railway engineer and later briefly studied engineering at King’s College in London.
He started his first company at age 24, primarily selling a French car, DFP (Doriot, Flandrin & Parant). A little later he started manufacturing aluminum alloy pistons for the DFP engines. In 1919, Bentley and a brother, Horace Millner Bentley, started Bentley Motors Limited in northern England’s Cricklewood. But it was 1921 before the first Bentley was sold.
Bentley initially earned their excellent reputation through racing. A Bentley won the Le Mans endurance race in 1924, 1927, 1928 and 1930, but the company was undercapitalized and in financial trouble. However, the 1924 the victory convinced investor Woolf Barnato to help with the finances of the company and while that saved the company, Walter Bentley became just an employee of Barnato.
Evidently in 1931, Barnato decided enough was enough and refused to financially support the company further. This was after the stock market crash of 1929. Receivership followed, and the company was purchased by Rolls-Royce. For a second time, founder Bentley became an employee, and not a happy one, this time for Rolls-Royce until his contract expired in 1935.
For a while, Bentley and Rolls-Royce vehicles were identical in appearance except for the traditional Bentley grill and the squared-off radiator of Rolls-Royce. There have been a number of mergers, acquisitions and receiverships regarding Rolls-Royce and Bentley up till today, with Rolls-Royce owned by Volkswagen and Bentley by BMW.
Most Bentleys are still manufactured in England, and as of recent years China was their largest market. This edition’s Bentley started off as just a chassis with all the running gear plus the distinctive Bentley radiator and grill. The beautiful body is one of 12 built by Kellner, a French company that built auto bodies before World War II but not after.
“During the War, they were part of the underground in France, and the Germans caught and killed them,” explained Gordon Johnson, of Alamo, who owns this issue’s vehicle, a 1934 3½-liter Derby Bentley.
This edition’s vehicle was the Paris show car in 1934 for Bentley and Kellner. This drop-head coupe has three positions for the top: top up, top down or top folded back to open over the front seats. After the Paris car show, the ownership varied from European nobility to Roy Orbison in 1967, the country music singer from Tennessee. While there, the car deteriorated and then passed through a number of owners, with one Ohio owner paying just $17,500 for this Bentley. In 2014, Johnson acquired the Derby Bentley (Derby, the English town where the car body was built, is pronounced “Darby”).
“I was just looking for something I could work on,” Johnson said. “It was drivable and was in reasonable condition but could use some help. It was not a show car at all. We personally restored the interior and the engine compartment. This included upholstery and a new top by Ken Nemanic of Vintage Automotive Upholstery. I did the restoration of the woodwork, and I reworked the engine to some extent. I repainted everything except the body myself.”
The total restoration took Johnson about three years. The retired stock broker even made bows to support the convertible top. The Bentley was completely repainted professionally, brought down to bare metal and the colors changed. The original color was red, with fire-engine-red seats. When Johnson bought the car, it was painted dark green. Calling Johnson a perfectionist is an understatement. He has restored eight classic cars and showed one at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, considered by many to be the world’s best car show. He hopes to show this Bentley there.
The mid-1930s were the glory years in the automobile business. New innovations were happening constantly, along with frequent styling and improved luxury features. This Bentley is a four-passenger car, has suicide doors, a windscreen that opens up, an elegant wood dashboard, a thermostat that controls the grill bars for ideal engine temperature and is right-hand drive. This 1934 car has Servo brakes, a kind of early power brake system sometimes called a brake booster.
I asked what he paid for the car, his total investment and current market value. Johnson’s reply was, “too much” for the first two questions, and “not enough” for the last question.
“I think I paid too much for this car, I think I have done a little more than I should, and also Bentley prices have gone down dramatically in the last three years,” he said.
So I can’t tell you the current market value, but I’m pretty sure his Bentley is worth a lot more than what I have sitting in my garage.
Have an interesting vehicle? Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly@yahoo.com. To view more photos of this and other issues’ vehicles or to read more of Dave’s columns, visit mercurynews.com/author/david-krumboltz.


mercurynews--2020-11-15--LaMelo Ball is a one-of-a-kind prospect for a unique NBA Draft

Why wouldn ’ t LaMelo Ball go No .
1 ?
He ’ s “ 1 of 1 , ” as he likes to say ; using the phrase as his bio on an Instagram profile with 5.6 million followers and counting .
He has a winged No .
1 – his jersey number – tattooed on his chest .
The much-hyped 19-year-old prospect ’ s non-traditional journey – from Chino Hills to Lithuania to Ohio to Australia – has made him the headliner of a draft process unlike any before in the NBA .
And that ’ s fitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of like how it ’ s like the first time we ’ ve ever seen it , ” Ball said during a Zoom call with reporters in late September .
“ It ’ s all unique , ( and ) I feel like I ’ m like that , too.
” His pops , to absolutely no one ’ s surprise , is sure the youngest of the Ball brothers is “ gon na go No .
1.
” As LaVar Ball recently told Sports Illustrated , “ You can say what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skilled and the most popular ( player ) .
” LaVar isn ’ t alone in thinking LaMelo , a deft-passing , 6-foot-7 , 180-pound point guard , is the most desirable prospect in this year ’ s draft , which will emanate Wednesday evening from ESPN ’ s headquarters in Bristol , Conn. , but otherwise be held virtually , with draftees spread far and wide instead of converging at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn .
Ball has emerged as the popular choice among those predicting whom the Minnesota Timberwolves will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an event that will tip off a flurry of NBA activity , with free agency , trades and training camp all crammed into a few weeks ahead of opening night Dec. 22 .
For his part , Ball was busy this past week , reportedly participating in individual workouts in Southern California for the T-wolves on Wednesday , and then Thursday for the Golden State Warriors , Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons , who have the Nos .
2 , 3 and 7 picks , respectively .
Like his oldest brother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unlike their loquacious father , LaVar – LaMelo is not a man of many words , at least not for the media , but during the video conference with reporters , he was quick to acknowledge how meaningful it would be to be picked first .
“ Yeah , ever since I was little , when you do little projects and stuff , ” LaMelo said .
“ That was one of my goals , go to the NBA , be the No .
1 pick.
” Ball is poised to perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t a perfect prospect .
There are questions about the accuracy of his quick-trigger shot and about his defensive commitment .
If he is first off the board , it will be because he ’ s possibly the best distributor in the draft , capable of using both hands to deliver pinpoint passes to teammates .
He ’ s also a smooth ball handler , a good rebounder for his size , and a confident playmaker whose on-court savvy – and , yes , star power – is the result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s doorstep .
Ball grew up playing up , competing against his older brothers and their friends .
Lonzo , LiAngelo and LaMelo dominated on LaVar ’ s Big Ballers AAU team and played together for their hometown Chino Hills High , helping turn the Huskies into a national power .
When LaMelo was a freshman in 2016 , the splashy trio led Chino Hills to a CIF State Open Division title , finishing the season 35-0 and earning the consensus national No .
1 ranking .
As a sophomore , LaMelo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on one occasion by dribbling the ball up the court , calling his shot by pointing at the midcourt logo and burying the half-court basket as if it was nothing .
And then , in another game , he scored 92 points .
He verbally committed to UCLA at 13 , but in 2017 , when LaVar launched the Big Baller Brand and put out a signature shoe named for his youngest son , it curtailed his son ’ s college opportunities .
( Last month , LaMelo signed on to serve as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left Chino Hills before the start of his junior season and , at 16 , became the youngest American professional basketball player ever , signing on for a three-month stint with BC Vytautas , a middling club team in Lithuania .
He resumed his high school career at SPIRE Institute in Ohio and served as the face for LaVar ’ s short-lived Junior Basketball Association , but he really began to legitimize himself as an NBA prospect after signing with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australia-based National Basketball League in June of 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just 12 regular-season games there , but before that , he impressed against high-level competition , averaging 17 points , 7 assists , 7.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game .
He became the first NBL player since 2005 to record consecutive triple-doubles and earned recognition as the league ’ s Rookie of the Year .
All those varied experiences , LaMelo said , add up to the prospect who has positioned himself at or near the top of a draft board that has been compiled without the benefit of tournaments , combines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrimmages .
“ I feel like that ’ s how I am now , with any team that picks me , I ’ m good , just ’ cause being over there , it ’ s just a whole different world , ya know ?
” Ball said .
“ Something you got ta see .
Even with Lithuania , been through that too .
So it ’ s just a whole lot of stuff I ’ ve been through to make me who I am today.
” He spoke to reporters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of his time during the pandemic with his manager Jermaine Jackson , preparing for his future to a steady soundtrack of popular rappers such as Gunna , Young Thug , Drake , Lil Baby , Future , BabyFace Ray and Baby Smoove .
“ When I was real young , I thought it was gon na be that traditional route , but then when I made that first move to Lithuania , then that ’ s damn near when I grew up and stuff , realized what was going on and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And I wouldn ’ t change my journey ; it ’ s one of one , I like it.
” The Ball family is familiar with the draft process , of course .
The Lakers selected Lonzo second overall in 2017 , making real one of LaVar ’ s bold prophecies .
In March of this year , LaVar seemed intent on willing LaMelo to the New York Knicks , saying during an appearance on FS1 ’ s “ Undisputed ” that the team that hasn ’ t made the playoffs since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my eyes.
” Conversely , LaVar told NBC Sports Bay Area that LeMelo wouldn ’ t be a good fit on the Warriors because of the presence of superstars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson , who already occupy Golden State ’ s backcourt : “ … don ’ t be like Melo got to ( wait ) his turn and wait for two or three years to go by and learn from the veterans , ” LaVar said .
LaMelo brushed off his father ’ s analysis : “ My old man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the son said .
“ He has his opinions , I have mine .
I feel like I can play on any team , do good anywhere I go .
So anything that happens , I ’ m positive.
” Positive and , he said , committed to doing it his way .
That ’ s the type of advice he said he gets from Lonzo , who “ gives me a lot of little hinters , ” including , “ just be yourself.
” One of one .

Why wouldn’t LaMelo Ball go No. 1?
He’s “1 of 1,” as he likes to say; using the phrase as his bio on an Instagram profile with 5.6 million followers and counting.
He has a winged No. 1 – his jersey number – tattooed on his chest.
The much-hyped 19-year-old prospect’s non-traditional journey – from Chino Hills to Lithuania to Ohio to Australia – has made him the headliner of a draft process unlike any before in the NBA. And that’s fitting, he thinks: “I kind of like how it’s like the first time we’ve ever seen it,” Ball said during a Zoom call with reporters in late September. “It’s all unique, (and) I feel like I’m like that, too.”
His pops, to absolutely no one’s surprise, is sure the youngest of the Ball brothers is “gonna go No. 1.” As LaVar Ball recently told Sports Illustrated, “You can say what you want, but you take the most skilled and the most popular (player).”
LaVar isn’t alone in thinking LaMelo, a deft-passing, 6-foot-7, 180-pound point guard, is the most desirable prospect in this year’s draft, which will emanate Wednesday evening from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., but otherwise be held virtually, with draftees spread far and wide instead of converging at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Ball has emerged as the popular choice among those predicting whom the Minnesota Timberwolves will take with the top pick in the draft, an event that will tip off a flurry of NBA activity, with free agency, trades and training camp all crammed into a few weeks ahead of opening night Dec. 22.
Multiple NBA front offices are “under the assumption” that LaMelo Ball is going No. 1 to the T-Wolves or a team trades up to take him, per @DraftExpress pic.twitter.com/iIXMXsDaKo — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 9, 2020
For his part, Ball was busy this past week, reportedly participating in individual workouts in Southern California for the T-wolves on Wednesday, and then Thursday for the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons, who have the Nos. 2, 3 and 7 picks, respectively.
Like his oldest brother, New Orleans point guard Lonzo Ball – and unlike their loquacious father, LaVar – LaMelo is not a man of many words, at least not for the media, but during the video conference with reporters, he was quick to acknowledge how meaningful it would be to be picked first.
“Yeah, ever since I was little, when you do little projects and stuff,” LaMelo said. “That was one of my goals, go to the NBA, be the No. 1 pick.”
Ball is poised to perhaps go No. 1, but he isn’t a perfect prospect. There are questions about the accuracy of his quick-trigger shot and about his defensive commitment.
If he is first off the board, it will be because he’s possibly the best distributor in the draft, capable of using both hands to deliver pinpoint passes to teammates. He’s also a smooth ball handler, a good rebounder for his size, and a confident playmaker whose on-court savvy – and, yes, star power – is the result of a uniquely circuitous route to the NBA’s doorstep.
Ball grew up playing up, competing against his older brothers and their friends. Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo dominated on LaVar’s Big Ballers AAU team and played together for their hometown Chino Hills High, helping turn the Huskies into a national power. When LaMelo was a freshman in 2016, the splashy trio led Chino Hills to a CIF State Open Division title, finishing the season 35-0 and earning the consensus national No. 1 ranking.
As a sophomore, LaMelo got basketball fans across the country talking on one occasion by dribbling the ball up the court, calling his shot by pointing at the midcourt logo and burying the half-court basket as if it was nothing. And then, in another game, he scored 92 points.
He verbally committed to UCLA at 13, but in 2017, when LaVar launched the Big Baller Brand and put out a signature shoe named for his youngest son, it curtailed his son’s college opportunities. (Last month, LaMelo signed on to serve as a Puma brand ambassador).
LaMelo left Chino Hills before the start of his junior season and, at 16, became the youngest American professional basketball player ever, signing on for a three-month stint with BC Vytautas, a middling club team in Lithuania.
He resumed his high school career at SPIRE Institute in Ohio and served as the face for LaVar’s short-lived Junior Basketball Association, but he really began to legitimize himself as an NBA prospect after signing with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australia-based National Basketball League in June of 2019.
A foot injury sidelined Ball after just 12 regular-season games there, but before that, he impressed against high-level competition, averaging 17 points, 7 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. He became the first NBL player since 2005 to record consecutive triple-doubles and earned recognition as the league’s Rookie of the Year.
All those varied experiences, LaMelo said, add up to the prospect who has positioned himself at or near the top of a draft board that has been compiled without the benefit of tournaments, combines, group workouts, in-person interviews and scrimmages.
“I feel like that’s how I am now, with any team that picks me, I’m good, just ’cause being over there, it’s just a whole different world, ya know?” Ball said. “Something you gotta see. Even with Lithuania, been through that too. So it’s just a whole lot of stuff I’ve been through to make me who I am today.”
He spoke to reporters in September from Detroit, where he spent much of his time during the pandemic with his manager Jermaine Jackson, preparing for his future to a steady soundtrack of popular rappers such as Gunna, Young Thug, Drake, Lil Baby, Future, BabyFace Ray and Baby Smoove.
“When I was real young, I thought it was gonna be that traditional route, but then when I made that first move to Lithuania, then that’s damn near when I grew up and stuff, realized what was going on and all that stuff,” Ball said. “And I wouldn’t change my journey; it’s one of one, I like it.”
The Ball family is familiar with the draft process, of course. The Lakers selected Lonzo second overall in 2017, making real one of LaVar’s bold prophecies.
If you could pick a spot for LaMelo Ball to go first overall in the draft… "The best fit in my eyes is the New York Knicks… It's time for something good to happen to them." — @Lavarbigballer pic.twitter.com/Sme7PfMD01 — UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) March 3, 2020
In March of this year, LaVar seemed intent on willing LaMelo to the New York Knicks, saying during an appearance on FS1’s “Undisputed” that the team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2013 was “the best fit in my eyes.” Conversely, LaVar told NBC Sports Bay Area that LeMelo wouldn’t be a good fit on the Warriors because of the presence of superstars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, who already occupy Golden State’s backcourt: “… don’t be like Melo got to (wait) his turn and wait for two or three years to go by and learn from the veterans,” LaVar said.
LaMelo brushed off his father’s analysis: “My old man, he’s his own man,” the son said. “He has his opinions, I have mine. I feel like I can play on any team, do good anywhere I go. So anything that happens, I’m positive.”
Positive and, he said, committed to doing it his way.
That’s the type of advice he said he gets from Lonzo, who “gives me a lot of little hinters,” including, “just be yourself.”
One of one.


mercurynews--2020-11-15--Elon Musk’s rapid-tests for coronavirus (2 positive, 2 negative) raise questions

Tesla ’ s Elon Musk could have COVID-19 .
He could also be a high-profile example of accuracy concerns that have emerged around a new type of rapid tests that are starting to be used more widely .
That ’ s the early assessment of experts who have studied the rapid antigen tests that detect a protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 .
They caution that more information is needed , including how and why the tests were performed on Musk .
Elon Musk , founder of SpaceX and chief executive officer of Tesla , listens during a discussion at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C. , U.S. , on Monday , March 9 , 2020 .
The event comprises important topics facing both satellite industry and end-users , and brings together a diverse group of thought leaders to share their knowledge .
The controversy arose Friday when Musk tweeted that he had been tested four times using Becton , Dickinson & Co. ’ s rapid antigen test , receiving two negative results and two positive findings .
Musk , who traveled to Berlin last week on his private jet , said he had been experiencing cold-like symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , ” Musk wrote .
He went on to suggest without evidence in a subsequent tweet that such problems could account for the surge in virus cases that has been building in the U.S. since September .
Rapid tests have become more widely used in the fight against Covid-19 , expanding access to testing because they provide results quickly and cheaply , and don ’ t need to be sent out to a laboratory .
But the tests are also known to be less accurate than the more common , gold-standard polymerase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bogus is going on .
Was tested for covid four times today .
Two tests came back negative , two came back positive .
Same machine , same test , same nurse .
Rapid antigen test from BD.
” — Elon Musk ( @ elonmusk ) November 13 , 2020 Musk ’ s contradictory test results could mean the Tesla leader is at the start or end of infection , with a just barely detectable amount of virus in his system for the test to pick up , said Andy Pekosz , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pekosz last month co-authored a study , paid for by the company , that reported Becton Dickinson ’ s test was very good at detecting infectious individuals , though the sample size was small .
If Musk is at the start or end of an infection , the scenario could be similar to what happened at the White House this fall , when President Donald Trump and other officials and guests fell ill with Covid-19 despite being screened with a rapid antigen test made by another manufacturer .
But it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false positives for Musk , something known to occur with antigen tests .
This can happen for a variety of reasons , including when they ’ re used in populations with low virus prevalence and when a test is improperly performed , as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned earlier this month .
“ That would be the scenario of most concern , ” according to Pekosz .
With false positives , “ one would be of concern , ” he said .
“ To have two is very concerning.
” Becton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaching out to learn more but that it stood behind its product , noting that the scientific community agrees no diagnostic test is perfect .
“ There are many factors that could lead to a discordant result , including a low viral load , ” the company said in its statement .
“ As we clearly state in our instructions for use , negative results should be considered in the context of a patient ’ s specific situation and confirmed with a molecular PCR assay if necessary for patient management.
” Musk said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results of a PCR test .
There are also unanswered questions about why Musk received four of the tests in one day .
Because the rapid tests are still in relatively short supply , it ’ s unlikely that someone who is not a celebrity businessman would have received that kind of treatment .
Pekosz said he imagined Musk received a positive result initially and then had other tests done to try and confirm the result .
It ’ s also unclear whether the swab was taken correctly and the sequence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harvard epidemiologist who has advocated for wide use of antigen tests .
“ Did he get two positives and then ‘ use up ’ the virus in his nose but continue swabbing ?
” Mina said in an email .
“ Point is , he didn ’ t give enough information to know if the test results are real or how to interpret it.
” There are major differences between the performance of different antigen tests , Mina said , which is why he ’ s been calling on the FDA to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way each should be used .
Even the best-performing antigen tests will return false positives , according to Mina .
One way to combat that , he said , is to sell antigen tests in a pack that also includes a few highly reliable rapid tests from another company , which can be used to double-check results .
• Elon Musk gets mixed coronavirus tests on eve of SpaceX crew launch • Historic SpaceX launch to be covered in-depth by Discovery and Science Channels • Tesla just rolled out its own tequila .
@ @ @ @ @ @

By Emma Court | Bloomberg
Tesla’s Elon Musk could have COVID-19. He could also be a high-profile example of accuracy concerns that have emerged around a new type of rapid tests that are starting to be used more widely.
That’s the early assessment of experts who have studied the rapid antigen tests that detect a protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2. They caution that more information is needed, including how and why the tests were performed on Musk.
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and chief executive officer of Tesla, listens during a discussion at the Satellite 2020 Conference in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, March 9, 2020. The event comprises important topics facing both satellite industry and end-users, and brings together a diverse group of thought leaders to share their knowledge.
The controversy arose Friday when Musk tweeted that he had been tested four times using Becton, Dickinson & Co.’s rapid antigen test, receiving two negative results and two positive findings. Musk, who traveled to Berlin last week on his private jet, said he had been experiencing cold-like symptoms.
“Something extremely bogus is going on,” Musk wrote. He went on to suggest without evidence in a subsequent tweet that such problems could account for the surge in virus cases that has been building in the U.S. since September.
Rapid tests have become more widely used in the fight against Covid-19, expanding access to testing because they provide results quickly and cheaply, and don’t need to be sent out to a laboratory. But the tests are also known to be less accurate than the more common, gold-standard polymerase chain reaction tests.
“Something extremely bogus is going on. Was tested for covid four times today. Two tests came back negative, two came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. Rapid antigen test from BD.” — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2020
Musk’s contradictory test results could mean the Tesla leader is at the start or end of infection, with a just barely detectable amount of virus in his system for the test to pick up, said Andy Pekosz, a professor of microbiology at Johns Hopkins University. Pekosz last month co-authored a study, paid for by the company, that reported Becton Dickinson’s test was very good at detecting infectious individuals, though the sample size was small.
If Musk is at the start or end of an infection, the scenario could be similar to what happened at the White House this fall, when President Donald Trump and other officials and guests fell ill with Covid-19 despite being screened with a rapid antigen test made by another manufacturer.
But it’s also possible that the assays used returned false positives for Musk, something known to occur with antigen tests. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including when they’re used in populations with low virus prevalence and when a test is improperly performed, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned earlier this month.
‘Very concerning’
“That would be the scenario of most concern,” according to Pekosz. With false positives, “one would be of concern,” he said. “To have two is very concerning.”
Becton Dickinson said in a statement it was reaching out to learn more but that it stood behind its product, noting that the scientific community agrees no diagnostic test is perfect.
“There are many factors that could lead to a discordant result, including a low viral load,” the company said in its statement. “As we clearly state in our instructions for use, negative results should be considered in the context of a patient’s specific situation and confirmed with a molecular PCR assay if necessary for patient management.”
Musk said in a tweet that he is awaiting results of a PCR test.
There are also unanswered questions about why Musk received four of the tests in one day. Because the rapid tests are still in relatively short supply, it’s unlikely that someone who is not a celebrity businessman would have received that kind of treatment. Pekosz said he imagined Musk received a positive result initially and then had other tests done to try and confirm the result.
Correctly used
It’s also unclear whether the swab was taken correctly and the sequence of the tests, said Michael Mina, a Harvard epidemiologist who has advocated for wide use of antigen tests.
“Did he get two positives and then ‘use up’ the virus in his nose but continue swabbing?” Mina said in an email. “Point is, he didn’t give enough information to know if the test results are real or how to interpret it.”
There are major differences between the performance of different antigen tests, Mina said, which is why he’s been calling on the FDA to provide ratings for them and describe the best way each should be used.


mercurynews--2020-11-15--Former California death row inmate pleads guilty to 1981 strangulation, prompting his release

A 68-year-old man who spent a decade on Death Row for the 1981 killing of a Newport Beach retiree is set to walk free , after accepting a plea bargain following multiple trials and more than a decade of legal battles .
James Andrew Melton , who has been behind bars for 39 years , earlier this week agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder for the slaying of Anthony Lial DeSousa , while pending burglary and robbery charges were dismissed .
In exchange for his guilty plea , a 25-years-to-life sentence for the murder was stayed , with Melton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probation .
Paperwork clearing the way for his release from county jail , where he had remained in recent years awaiting trial , was expected to be finalized by Saturday .
DeSousa , who had come out as a gay man following his wife ’ s death and had placed ads in magazines looking for partners , was found dead in his bedroom on Oct. 13 , 1981 .
Prosecutors have long alleged that Melton used advertisements in gay magazines to meet rich , older men whom he could rob .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ad , then robbing and strangling the 77-year-old at his Newport Beach condo .
Johnny Boyd , a former prison lover of Melton ’ s , told authorities that the two of them had hatched the scheme to target rich , older men during their time together in 1980 at the California Men ’ s Colony in San Luis Obispo .
Boyd said he set up a dinner date between DeSousa and Melton , alleged that Melton admitted to him that he killed DeSousa , and claimed to have seen Melton wearing DeSousa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Melton ’ s arrest , authorities said he had DeSousa ’ s car , watch , suitcase , movie projector and pawn slips .
Attorneys representing Melton have denied Boyd ’ s allegations , describing him as a spurned lover with a history of lying .
The defense attorneys also contended that the DNA found at the crime scene did not match Melton ’ s .
• Convicted killer confesses to East Bay murder of classmate 36 years later • Human remains found on Bay Area shoreline are those of mother who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest in 1996 killing of 17-year-old California girl found in ravine Melton has been behind bars since his 1981 arrest , was sentenced to death in 1982 and spent more than a decade on Death Row at San Quentin .
A federal judge threw out the initial conviction in 2007 , finding that Melton was over-medicated during his trial , which prevented him from understanding the proceedings .
Since then , the question of Melton ’ s competency leading up to and during his death penalty trial has hung over more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Melton ’ s second trial ended in a deadlocked jury .
For his third trial , prosecutors opted not to seek the death penalty , partly due to the case ’ s age .
In 2018 , Melton was once again convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole .
That conviction – Melton ’ s second – was again overturned on appeal last year .

A 68-year-old man who spent a decade on Death Row for the 1981 killing of a Newport Beach retiree is set to walk free, after accepting a plea bargain following multiple trials and more than a decade of legal battles.
James Andrew Melton, who has been behind bars for 39 years, earlier this week agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder for the slaying of Anthony Lial DeSousa, while pending burglary and robbery charges were dismissed.
In exchange for his guilty plea, a 25-years-to-life sentence for the murder was stayed, with Melton instead being placed on 99 years of probation. Paperwork clearing the way for his release from county jail, where he had remained in recent years awaiting trial, was expected to be finalized by Saturday.
DeSousa, who had come out as a gay man following his wife’s death and had placed ads in magazines looking for partners, was found dead in his bedroom on Oct. 13, 1981.
Prosecutors have long alleged that Melton used advertisements in gay magazines to meet rich, older men whom he could rob. He was accused of meeting DeSousa through such an ad, then robbing and strangling the 77-year-old at his Newport Beach condo.
Johnny Boyd, a former prison lover of Melton’s, told authorities that the two of them had hatched the scheme to target rich, older men during their time together in 1980 at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo.
Boyd said he set up a dinner date between DeSousa and Melton, alleged that Melton admitted to him that he killed DeSousa, and claimed to have seen Melton wearing DeSousa’s jewelry. At the time of Melton’s arrest, authorities said he had DeSousa’s car, watch, suitcase, movie projector and pawn slips.
Attorneys representing Melton have denied Boyd’s allegations, describing him as a spurned lover with a history of lying. The defense attorneys also contended that the DNA found at the crime scene did not match Melton’s.
Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | Videos show longtime Tylenol murder suspect James Lewis discussing the crime with undercover agents
Videos show longtime Tylenol murder suspect James Lewis discussing the crime with undercover agents Crime and Public Safety | Monterey County cold case murder solved after 32 years, but suspect died in 2021
Monterey County cold case murder solved after 32 years, but suspect died in 2021 Crime and Public Safety | New DNA analysis helps solve mystery of 2 decomposed bodies found in Monterey apartment
New DNA analysis helps solve mystery of 2 decomposed bodies found in Monterey apartment Crime and Public Safety | Northern California man to face trial in 1995 Santa Cruz County slaying
Northern California man to face trial in 1995 Santa Cruz County slaying Crime and Public Safety | Suspect arrested in 2009 Monterey County rape case Melton has been behind bars since his 1981 arrest, was sentenced to death in 1982 and spent more than a decade on Death Row at San Quentin. A federal judge threw out the initial conviction in 2007, finding that Melton was over-medicated during his trial, which prevented him from understanding the proceedings.
Since then, the question of Melton’s competency leading up to and during his death penalty trial has hung over more than a decade’s worth of legal wrangling.
Melton’s second trial ended in a deadlocked jury. For his third trial, prosecutors opted not to seek the death penalty, partly due to the case’s age. In 2018, Melton was once again convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. That conviction – Melton’s second – was again overturned on appeal last year.


mercurynews--2020-11-15--JetBlue follows Delta, Southwest in ending era of blocked seats

JetBlue Airways Corp. is joining rivals in opening all previously blocked seats , citing increased evidence that cabins are safer from the spread of coronavirus even as U.S. case loads surge .
The airline will make all seats available for sale starting Jan. 8 , JetBlue President Joanna Geraghty said Thursday in a memo to employees .
The decision follows a similar move by Southwest Airlines Co. , which will sell the entire cabin after November .
Delta Air Lines Inc. and Alaska Air Group Inc. plan to bar some seats through at least Jan. 6 .
Carriers have moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which had been intended to reassure passengers by allowing more social distancing — as travel demand has increased and cabin cleaning has improved .
JetBlue said recent studies , including by Harvard ’ s T.H .
Chan School of Public Health and the U.S. Defense Department , have shown that the chance of coronavirus transmission on board “ is extremely low , ” aided by hospital-grade air filters .
“ Our phased approach has offered a thoughtful path forward while giving us the time needed to understand the science and stay true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety , ” Geraghty said .
U.S. coronavirus infections and hospitalizations have surged to record levels in the last week .
But airlines , which are losing millions of dollars a day as travel remains depressed by the coronavirus and changing travel restrictions , have said it wouldn ’ t be financially feasible to hold open seats indefinitely .
American Airlines Group Inc. resumed selling all middle seats on July 1 , ending a policy of blocking half of them “ when possible.
” United Continental Holdings Inc. never blocked seats due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open empty middle or adjacent aisle seats on Oct. 15 , but allowed for some spacing on board by limiting sales to 70 % of capacity through Dec. 1 .
Starting Dec. 2 through Jan. 7 , during the busier holiday season , it will book flights up to 85 % full .
The New York-based airline already is allowing passengers to make changes and cancellations without fees .
Customers who booked travel on Nov. 13 or before for travel on Jan. 8 or later are eligible for a full refund if requested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• California man convicted of sexual assault on Norwegian Air flight gets prison

By Mary Schlangenstein | Bloomberg
JetBlue Airways Corp. is joining rivals in opening all previously blocked seats, citing increased evidence that cabins are safer from the spread of coronavirus even as U.S. case loads surge.
The airline will make all seats available for sale starting Jan. 8, JetBlue President Joanna Geraghty said Thursday in a memo to employees. The decision follows a similar move by Southwest Airlines Co., which will sell the entire cabin after November. Delta Air Lines Inc. and Alaska Air Group Inc. plan to bar some seats through at least Jan. 6.
Carriers have moved away from keeping some seats off limits — which had been intended to reassure passengers by allowing more social distancing — as travel demand has increased and cabin cleaning has improved. JetBlue said recent studies, including by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the U.S. Defense Department, have shown that the chance of coronavirus transmission on board “is extremely low,” aided by hospital-grade air filters.
“Our phased approach has offered a thoughtful path forward while giving us the time needed to understand the science and stay true to our No. 1 priority — safety,” Geraghty said.
U.S. coronavirus infections and hospitalizations have surged to record levels in the last week. But airlines, which are losing millions of dollars a day as travel remains depressed by the coronavirus and changing travel restrictions, have said it wouldn’t be financially feasible to hold open seats indefinitely.
American Airlines Group Inc. resumed selling all middle seats on July 1, ending a policy of blocking half of them “when possible.” United Continental Holdings Inc. never blocked seats due to coronavirus.
JetBlue moved away from guaranteeing open empty middle or adjacent aisle seats on Oct. 15, but allowed for some spacing on board by limiting sales to 70% of capacity through Dec. 1. Starting Dec. 2 through Jan. 7, during the busier holiday season, it will book flights up to 85% full.


mercurynews--2020-11-15--We watched Foo Fighters concert livestream from the Roxy: Here’s what it was like

Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters had big plans this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the band .
“ That ’ s right , 2020 was going to be the best year ever !
” he said from the stage of the Roxy Theater in West Hollywood on Saturday evening .
Here , playing a live-streamed concert for fans around the world , a show both thrilling and strange , but for fans and Foo Fighters alike , a welcome relief from the drudgery of this unexpected year .
Part of the proceeds also are headed to Sweet Relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music industry struggling financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
In many ways , it was a typical Foo Fighters show .
The band rocked hard on the cream of its catalog , opening the set with “ All My Life , ” ending it with it “ Everlong.
” Grohl rambled on about various tangents as he might have at any arena or stadium show .
In other ways , though , it was unique .
Not so much for the intimate Roxy stage that held the six guys in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Grohl ’ s 14-year-old daughter Violet .
After all , they ’ d played there in 1995 when the Foo Fighters were just starting out , and more times over the years , including a KROQ-FM/106.7 show exactly six years earlier than Saturday ’ s show .
The absence of any fans made for a strange moments between songs .
After the second song , “ The Pretender , ” the audio went so quiet and still I thought for a minute I ’ d lost the feed .
Nope !
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ band stops playing and the room is devoid of fans .
“ This is usually the moment in the song where everybody sings along , ” Grohl said near the finish of “ My Hero.
” “ But that requires people actually to be here .
“ So if you hate your ( bleepin ’ ) neighbor , and you hate your ( bleepin ’ ) roommate , I want everybody to sing here by yourself to your iPad , ” he continued .
“ If that feels awkward , imagine what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretending there are people here.
” It was also shorter than the typical Foo Fighters show , a tight 12-song set over 90 minutes instead of something on the other side of the two-hour mark as you ’ d typically expect .
“ Listen , if I was in your living room right now we ’ d be up until 5 o ’ clock in the morning , ” Grohl before a terrific take on “ Best Of You , ” the penultimate song of the night .
“ I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Other highlights included the back-to-back performance of “ Times Like These ” and “ Shame , Shame , ” a new song off their forthcoming album “ Medicine At Night , ” the same tunes they played a week earlier as guests on “ Saturday Night Live.
” At one point Grohl acknowledged that he and the band hadn ’ t been interested in doing live-streamed or drive-in shows like some bands have since the pandemic forced the closure of music venues everywhere .
“ And then I realized , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring a little joy and happiness , ” he said .
Later , after wondering out loud , “ What is a virtual encore ?
” he urged everyone watching at home to stay safe , stay healthy , and look to the future when live shows can resume .
“ I think if everyone looks out for the other guy , and everyone gets it together , a little care , a little compassion , we can do this together soon .
”

Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters had big plans this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the band.
“That’s right, 2020 was going to be the best year ever!” he said from the stage of the Roxy Theater in West Hollywood on Saturday evening.
“And here we are.”
Here, playing a live-streamed concert for fans around the world, a show both thrilling and strange, but for fans and Foo Fighters alike, a welcome relief from the drudgery of this unexpected year.
Part of the proceeds also are headed to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to help those in the music industry struggling financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
In many ways, it was a typical Foo Fighters show. The band rocked hard on the cream of its catalog, opening the set with “All My Life,” ending it with it “Everlong.” Grohl rambled on about various tangents as he might have at any arena or stadium show.
In other ways, though, it was unique. Not so much for the intimate Roxy stage that held the six guys in the band and four backing vocalists, including Grohl’s 14-year-old daughter Violet. After all, they’d played there in 1995 when the Foo Fighters were just starting out, and more times over the years, including a KROQ-FM/106.7 show exactly six years earlier than Saturday’s show.
The absence of any fans made for a strange moments between songs. After the second song, “The Pretender,” the audio went so quiet and still I thought for a minute I’d lost the feed. Nope! There’s just no sound when the band stops playing and the room is devoid of fans.
“This is usually the moment in the song where everybody sings along,” Grohl said near the finish of “My Hero.” “But that requires people actually to be here.
“So if you hate your (bleepin’) neighbor, and you hate your (bleepin’) roommate, I want everybody to sing here by yourself to your iPad,” he continued. “If that feels awkward, imagine what it’s like being on this stage pretending there are people here.”
It was also shorter than the typical Foo Fighters show, a tight 12-song set over 90 minutes instead of something on the other side of the two-hour mark as you’d typically expect.
“Listen, if I was in your living room right now we’d be up until 5 o’clock in the morning,” Grohl before a terrific take on “Best Of You,” the penultimate song of the night. “I’m not sure that’s how this works.”
Other highlights included the back-to-back performance of “Times Like These” and “Shame, Shame,” a new song off their forthcoming album “Medicine At Night,” the same tunes they played a week earlier as guests on “Saturday Night Live.”
At one point Grohl acknowledged that he and the band hadn’t been interested in doing live-streamed or drive-in shows like some bands have since the pandemic forced the closure of music venues everywhere.
“And then I realized, you know what, the most important thing is to bring a little joy and happiness,” he said.
Later, after wondering out loud, “What is a virtual encore?” he urged everyone watching at home to stay safe, stay healthy, and look to the future when live shows can resume.
“I think if everyone looks out for the other guy, and everyone gets it together, a little care, a little compassion, we can do this together soon.”


mercurynews--2020-11-17--Newsom pledges another $62M to prop up COVID hotel program

Gov .
Gavin Newsom poured another $ 62 million into his waning Project Roomkey program Monday , part of an ongoing effort to prevent any of the more than 22,000 homeless Californians sheltering in pandemic hotels from ending up back on the street .
The money , which comes from the state ’ s Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account , will go to counties that have put up homeless Californians in hotels during the pandemic .
The emergency cash injection comes as the pandemic hotels are starting to close in the Bay Area and beyond .
The bulk of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go toward rehousing Project Roomkey residents .
That money is for rental subsidies , case management , housing navigation and landlord incentives , and other housing expenses .
Another $ 24 million will help prop up the existing Project Roomkey program , allowing residents to remain in their hotel rooms until they can obtain permanent housing .
The last $ 3 million will go toward technical assistance — helping counties contract with experienced housing providers and create rehousing plans .
“ Alameda County welcomes the Governor ’ s announcement of additional support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our homeless residents into housing , ” Kerry Abbott , director of homeless care and coordination at the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency , wrote in a news release .
“ This takes time and resources and California ’ s leadership continues to excel by partnering with counties to shelter and house homeless people during COVID-19.
” Newsom launched Project Roomkey in April , pledging FEMA funding and federal CARES Act money to reimburse counties that used hotels to shelter homeless residents considered vulnerable to COVID-19 .
But with that funding set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay Area are winding down the program and either closing or planning to close the hotels — causing activists to worry residents displaced by the closures will end up back on the streets .
To avoid that , Newsom has doled out $ 800 million to cities and counties so they can buy hotels , apartments and other buildings and turn them into long-term homeless housing — an effort dubbed Project Homekey .
But that won ’ t create enough housing for everyone , and many of the units will take months to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is intended to fill some of the gaps .
• RV dwellers fear displacement after Mountain View voters decide they can ’ t park on narrow streets “ Project Roomkey exceeded all expectations , providing safe shelter to more than 22,300 Californians experiencing homelessness , ” Newsom said , according to a news release .
“ But this pandemic is very much still with us – and we can ’ t take our eye off the ball .
That ’ s why we ’ re supporting our counties with this new money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roomkey mission and help clients transition into more stable , permanent housing .
At the end of the day , our top objective for this new funding is keeping everyone – including people experiencing homelessness – safe from COVID-19.
” Newsom ’ s administration has expressed hope that the legislature may consider further expanding the Project Homekey program when it reconvenes in January .
“ While allocating more funding for Project Roomkey helps in the short-term , ” said Budget Committee Chair Assemblymember Phil Ting ( D-San Francisco ) , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to collaborative budget discussions with the administration about reducing homelessness , focusing on smart investments and long-term housing solutions .
”

Gov. Gavin Newsom poured another $62 million into his waning Project Roomkey program Monday, part of an ongoing effort to prevent any of the more than 22,000 homeless Californians sheltering in pandemic hotels from ending up back on the street.
The money, which comes from the state’s Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account, will go to counties that have put up homeless Californians in hotels during the pandemic. The emergency cash injection comes as the pandemic hotels are starting to close in the Bay Area and beyond.
The bulk of the funds — $35 million — will go toward rehousing Project Roomkey residents. That money is for rental subsidies, case management, housing navigation and landlord incentives, and other housing expenses. Another $24 million will help prop up the existing Project Roomkey program, allowing residents to remain in their hotel rooms until they can obtain permanent housing. The last $3 million will go toward technical assistance — helping counties contract with experienced housing providers and create rehousing plans.
“Alameda County welcomes the Governor’s announcement of additional support for Project Roomkey leased hotels and for moving our homeless residents into housing,” Kerry Abbott, director of homeless care and coordination at the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, wrote in a news release. “This takes time and resources and California’s leadership continues to excel by partnering with counties to shelter and house homeless people during COVID-19.”
Newsom launched Project Roomkey in April, pledging FEMA funding and federal CARES Act money to reimburse counties that used hotels to shelter homeless residents considered vulnerable to COVID-19. But with that funding set to dry up, counties around the Bay Area are winding down the program and either closing or planning to close the hotels — causing activists to worry residents displaced by the closures will end up back on the streets.
To avoid that, Newsom has doled out $800 million to cities and counties so they can buy hotels, apartments and other buildings and turn them into long-term homeless housing — an effort dubbed Project Homekey. But that won’t create enough housing for everyone, and many of the units will take months to complete.
Monday’s new funding is intended to fill some of the gaps.
Related Articles Housing | Mold, roaches, security issues at San Jose homeless housing heighten broader concerns
Mold, roaches, security issues at San Jose homeless housing heighten broader concerns Housing | Opinion: Homelessness crisis will haunt Newsom in debate with DeSantis
Opinion: Homelessness crisis will haunt Newsom in debate with DeSantis Housing | Study shows drop in homelessness in Santa Cruz County in past year
Study shows drop in homelessness in Santa Cruz County in past year Housing | New San Jose law would ban homeless encampments and RVs near schools
New San Jose law would ban homeless encampments and RVs near schools Housing | Home sweet parking lot: Some hospitals welcome RV living for patients, families, and workers “Project Roomkey exceeded all expectations, providing safe shelter to more than 22,300 Californians experiencing homelessness,” Newsom said, according to a news release. “But this pandemic is very much still with us – and we can’t take our eye off the ball. That’s why we’re supporting our counties with this new money, so they can continue this critical life-saving Roomkey mission and help clients transition into more stable, permanent housing. At the end of the day, our top objective for this new funding is keeping everyone – including people experiencing homelessness – safe from COVID-19.”
Newsom’s administration has expressed hope that the legislature may consider further expanding the Project Homekey program when it reconvenes in January.
“While allocating more funding for Project Roomkey helps in the short-term,” said Budget Committee Chair Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), according to the news release. “I look forward to collaborative budget discussions with the administration about reducing homelessness, focusing on smart investments and long-term housing solutions.”


mercurynews--2020-11-17--US official: Trump asked about attacking Iran last week

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump asked for options on attacking Iran ’ s main nuclear site last week but ultimately decided against taking the dramatic step , a U.S. official said on Monday .
Trump made the request during a meeting on Thursday with his top national security aides , including Vice President Mike Pence , his new Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller , and General Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , the official said .
The official confirmed the account of the meeting in The New York Times , which reported that the advisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strike because of the risk of a broader conflict .
“ He asked for options .
They gave him the scenarios and he ultimately decided not to go forward , ” the official said .
Trump has spent all four years of his presidency engaging in an aggressive policy against Iran , withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his Democratic predecessor , Barack Obama , and imposing economic sanctions against a wide variety of Iranian targets .
Trump , who is challenging the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20 .
His request for options came a day after a U.N. atomic watchdog report showed that Iran had finished moving a first cascade of advanced centrifuges from an above-ground plant at its main uranium enrichment site to an underground one , in a fresh breach of its nuclear deal with big powers .
Iran ’ s 2.4 tonne stock of low-enriched uranium is now far above the deal ’ s 202.8 kg limit .
It produced 337.5 kg in the quarter , less than the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two quarters by the International Atomic Energy Agency .
In January , Trump ordered a U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian military General Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad airport .
• Here are 7 Donald Trump health care measures that Joe Biden will likely overturn • Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are poised to return to a Manhattan social scene that no longer welcomes them But he has shied away from broader military conflicts and sought to withdraw U.S. troops from global hotspots in keeping with a promise to stop what he calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran ’ s main nuclear site at Natanz could flare into a regional conflict and pose a serious foreign policy challenge for Biden .

By Steve Holland | Reuters
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump asked for options on attacking Iran’s main nuclear site last week but ultimately decided against taking the dramatic step, a U.S. official said on Monday.
Trump made the request during a meeting on Thursday with his top national security aides, including Vice President Mike Pence, his new Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, and General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the official said.
The official confirmed the account of the meeting in The New York Times, which reported that the advisers persuaded Trump not to go ahead with a strike because of the risk of a broader conflict.
“He asked for options. They gave him the scenarios and he ultimately decided not to go forward,” the official said.
The White House declined comment.
Trump has spent all four years of his presidency engaging in an aggressive policy against Iran, withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, and imposing economic sanctions against a wide variety of Iranian targets.
Trump, who is challenging the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election, is to hand over power to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.
His request for options came a day after a U.N. atomic watchdog report showed that Iran had finished moving a first cascade of advanced centrifuges from an above-ground plant at its main uranium enrichment site to an underground one, in a fresh breach of its nuclear deal with big powers.
Iran’s 2.4 tonne stock of low-enriched uranium is now far above the deal’s 202.8 kg limit. It produced 337.5 kg in the quarter, less than the more than 500 kg recorded in the previous two quarters by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In January, Trump ordered a U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian military General Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad airport.
But he has shied away from broader military conflicts and sought to withdraw U.S. troops from global hotspots in keeping with a promise to stop what he calls “endless wars.”
A strike on Iran’s main nuclear site at Natanz could flare into a regional conflict and pose a serious foreign policy challenge for Biden.


mercurynews--2020-11-17--‘Pokemon Go’ celebrates Pokemon Home integration with rare chance at shiny Meltan

It ’ s taken almost a year but Niantic has finally integrated “ Pokemon Go ” into the Pokemon Home app .
For hard-core players of the main series of games , this is a huge development .
Players can now transfer the pocket monsters they catch on the mobile platform to titles such as “ Pokemon Sword ” and “ Pokemon Shield.
” Doing this is more cumbersome than normal .
Players won ’ t find an interface on the to-level menus Instead , they ’ ll have to go into their Settings and scroll down to the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Poke Ball Plus and Nintendo Switch .
Beneath all that is , the Pokemon Home option .
Before sending Pokemon on their one-way journey , players have to make sure they ’ re connecting the right “ Pokemon Go ” account to the right Pokemon Home one .
They can not send any favorite pocket monster so make sure that ’ s clicked off .
After that , players can send their Pikachu or Mewtwo to the cloud service .
The move generates a candy of the transferred Pokemon , and if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afterward on the iOS , Android or Nintendo Switch , they ’ ll eventually find a message that the transfer went through .
From there , players can move the supported pocket monster to the main game but there is a huge catch .
Players must have already caught species of that pocket monster beforehand or it needs to be registered to the in-game Pokedex .
Interestingly enough , the “ Pokemon Go ” mons are given a Nature and Characteristic .
They also drop in at level 20 and they receive a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Pokemon Go ” end , transferring a creature from the mobile game to the app will activate the Mystery Box , which spawns the mythical Pokemon Meltan when opened .
For the main game side , players will be gifted a Gigantimax Melmetal that ’ s at level 100 .
They can use it in either “ Sword ” or “ Shield ” games .
For players without much Pokemon storage space , the option to transfer legendaries and the like is a blessing .
It lets players create more room while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pokemon Home transferring has limits .
The GO Transporter has to fill up with energy and it usually takes a day to be functional after sending a non-shiny Pokemon .
If players want to send legendary shinies , it can wipe out the energy and it may take a week to work again .
Niantic will charge it back up but it will cost PokeCoins .
The company is going to make money from this feature one way or another .
My best advice is to keep the legendary shines on “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over regular legendary and mythical creatures that you don ’ t have in your Pokemon Home pokedex .
Thankfully , the service does have tons of space for subscribers with the option to hold up to 6,000 Pokemon overall .
To mark this occasion , Niantic is holding a celebration from 8 a.m. Nov. 17 to 10 p.m. Nov. 23 .
Players will see more of the following Pokemon Alolan Sandshrew ( shiny available ) Zubat ( shiny available ) Alolan Diglett ( shiny available ) Slowpoke ( shiny available ) Magnemite ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available ) Hoothoot Remoraid Whimsur Lileep ( shiny available ) Anorith ( shiny available ) Cottonee Foongus Out of this batch , I recommend going all out to find a shiny Alolan Sandshrew , Alolan Diglett and Magnemite .
Those don ’ t appear often in the wild .
The event is also the debut for shiny Slowpoke , which has a palette that ’ s hard to distinguish from the normal one .
Double check the shiny marker next to the name if you get one .
Its evolutions stand out more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tint or highlights .
Avoid the 5km eggss for this event .
Nidorans , Slowpokes , Omayntes , Kabutos , Lileeps and Anoriths aren ’ t too exciting though all of them have a chance to be shiny .
The Timed Research could be worth a player ’ s time .
Trainers can earn Pidgeot Mega Energy , which will come in handy in battles against a particular legendary boss .
The reward encounters of Slowpoke and Gible is nothing to sneeze at , especially because both will have their shiny forms available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have another chance at the Sword of Justice trio — Cobalion , Terrakion and Virizion .
The shiny version of each Pokemon will be available as well .
Cobalion will be especially sought-after given that it was released during the beginning of the pandemic when many Discord and raiding groups shut down .
Lastly , the biggest incentive to check out the “ Pokemon Go ” integration with Pokemon Home is the Mystery Box activation tied to the transfer .
Using the Meltan box during event — again I can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the event — will give players a chance at shiny Meltan .
This variant is available rarer than normal because of the hoops players must jump through .
That makes it fairly difficult to get .
Also even if you open a Mystery Box , there ’ s no guarantee that a shiny Meltan will be available .
Players need to stay focused on catching for 30 minutes .
On average , it ’ s likely you ’ ll get one shiny from every Mystery Box opening but again , it ’ @ @ @ @

It’s taken almost a year but Niantic has finally integrated “Pokemon Go” into the Pokemon Home app. For hard-core players of the main series of games, this is a huge development. Players can now transfer the pocket monsters they catch on the mobile platform to titles such as “Pokemon Sword” and “Pokemon Shield.”
Doing this is more cumbersome than normal. Players won’t find an interface on the to-level menus Instead, they’ll have to go into their Settings and scroll down to the last panel that has options to connect to the Poke Ball Plus and Nintendo Switch. Beneath all that is, the Pokemon Home option.
Before sending Pokemon on their one-way journey, players have to make sure they’re connecting the right “Pokemon Go” account to the right Pokemon Home one. They cannot send any favorite pocket monster so make sure that’s clicked off. After that, players can send their Pikachu or Mewtwo to the cloud service.
The move generates a candy of the transferred Pokemon, and if players open up the Pokemon Home app afterward on the iOS, Android or Nintendo Switch, they’ll eventually find a message that the transfer went through. From there, players can move the supported pocket monster to the main game but there is a huge catch. Players must have already caught species of that pocket monster beforehand or it needs to be registered to the in-game Pokedex.
Interestingly enough, the “Pokemon Go” mons are given a Nature and Characteristic. They also drop in at level 20 and they receive a full complement of moves. On the “Pokemon Go” end, transferring a creature from the mobile game to the app will activate the Mystery Box, which spawns the mythical Pokemon Meltan when opened. For the main game side, players will be gifted a Gigantimax Melmetal that’s at level 100. They can use it in either “Sword” or “Shield” games.
For players without much Pokemon storage space, the option to transfer legendaries and the like is a blessing. It lets players create more room while still keeping that Pokemon usable. Unfortunately, Pokemon Home transferring has limits. The GO Transporter has to fill up with energy and it usually takes a day to be functional after sending a non-shiny Pokemon. If players want to send legendary shinies, it can wipe out the energy and it may take a week to work again. Niantic will charge it back up but it will cost PokeCoins. The company is going to make money from this feature one way or another.
My best advice is to keep the legendary shines on “Pokemon Go” and try to move over regular legendary and mythical creatures that you don’t have in your Pokemon Home pokedex. Thankfully, the service does have tons of space for subscribers with the option to hold up to 6,000 Pokemon overall.
To mark this occasion, Niantic is holding a celebration from 8 a.m. Nov. 17 to 10 p.m. Nov. 23. Players will see more of the following Pokemon
Alolan Sandshrew (shiny available)
Zubat (shiny available)
Alolan Diglett (shiny available)
Slowpoke (shiny available)
Magnemite (shiny available)
Ditto
Porygon (shiny available)
Hoothoot
Remoraid
Whimsur
Lileep (shiny available)
Anorith (shiny available)
Cottonee
Foongus
Out of this batch, I recommend going all out to find a shiny Alolan Sandshrew, Alolan Diglett and Magnemite. Those don’t appear often in the wild. The event is also the debut for shiny Slowpoke, which has a palette that’s hard to distinguish from the normal one. Double check the shiny marker next to the name if you get one. Its evolutions stand out more with Slowbro and Slowking having a bluish tint or highlights.
Avoid the 5km eggss for this event. Nidorans, Slowpokes, Omayntes, Kabutos, Lileeps and Anoriths aren’t too exciting though all of them have a chance to be shiny.
The Timed Research could be worth a player’s time. Trainers can earn Pidgeot Mega Energy, which will come in handy in battles against a particular legendary boss. The reward encounters of Slowpoke and Gible is nothing to sneeze at, especially because both will have their shiny forms available.
Related Articles Entertainment | Review: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X meshes comfort with performance
Review: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X meshes comfort with performance Entertainment | What to play: Enhanced ‘Quake II,’ ‘Stray’ for Xbox and ‘Stray Gods’ are the top picks
What to play: Enhanced ‘Quake II,’ ‘Stray’ for Xbox and ‘Stray Gods’ are the top picks Entertainment | Review: With ‘Pikmin 4,’ Nintendo finally nails the right controls for a strategy game
Review: With ‘Pikmin 4,’ Nintendo finally nails the right controls for a strategy game Entertainment | What to play: ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ will keep gamers busy during August
What to play: ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ will keep gamers busy during August Entertainment | ‘First Descendant’ crossplay beta delayed until September but will be open to all Speaking of legendary raids, players will have another chance at the Sword of Justice trio — Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion. The shiny version of each Pokemon will be available as well. Cobalion will be especially sought-after given that it was released during the beginning of the pandemic when many Discord and raiding groups shut down.
Lastly, the biggest incentive to check out the “Pokemon Go” integration with Pokemon Home is the Mystery Box activation tied to the transfer. Using the Meltan box during event — again I can’t repeat this enough open the Mystery Box during the event — will give players a chance at shiny Meltan. This variant is available rarer than normal because of the hoops players must jump through. That makes it fairly difficult to get. Also even if you open a Mystery Box, there’s no guarantee that a shiny Meltan will be available. Players need to stay focused on catching for 30 minutes. On average, it’s likely you’ll get one shiny from every Mystery Box opening but again, it’s not guaranteed.


mercurynews--2020-11-17--Coronavirus: What you can and can’t do under California’s new restrictions

More than nine in 10 Californians will wake up Tuesday to a new round of pandemic restrictions affecting their day-to-day life , thanks to a sweeping move backward by Gov .
Gavin Newsom as he attempts to quell the state ’ s fastest-growing COVID-19 surge yet .
The state had been progressing along Newsom ’ s color-coded reopening plan , and Bay Area counties were gradually allowing customers back to restaurants ’ indoor dining rooms , indoor gyms , offices and more .
But over the past week , several counties announced plans to scale back .
And on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom forced even more closures and restrictions by moving most of the Bay Area back into his most restrictive purple tier .
It amounted to lot of shakeup in a little time .
We ’ re here to guide you through it .
Not every county in the state reverted to the purple tier , but nearly all of them moved backward .
Throughout California , 41 of the state ’ s 58 counties now are in the most restrictive purple tier — up from 13 last week .
In the Bay Area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the most severe restrictions : San Francisco , San Mateo and Marin .
But each of those counties moved into the red “ substantial ” risk tier .
Can I still go to restaurants ?
Most everywhere in California , diners will no longer be served indoors .
Restaurants will be limited once again to outdoor and takeout service only in all but the handful of counties not in the purple tier .
That means restaurants that had just recently opened their indoor dining rooms — Alameda County , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to close them again .
San Francisco , Santa Clara , Contra Costa and Marin counties already announced plans to stop indoor dining last week .
For now , San Mateo County is the only place in the Bay Area where you can dine inside .
But as it moves from the orange tier to the more restrictive red tier , the county has to shutter all bars , breweries and distilleries that don ’ t serve food .
Wineries , which had been allowed to serve guests inside , will go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this mean my kids ’ school will close again ?
No .
If they were attending in-person classes before Tuesday , they can continue doing so .
But if your kids attend a school in Alameda , Contra Costa , Santa Clara , Napa or Santa Cruz counties that was planning to start bringing students back to campus in the next few weeks , you ’ ll have to wait a little while longer .
Counties must be in the red tier for at least 14 days before they can reopen schools for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person lessons while in the red tier may continue to do so even if they have moved back into the purple tier .
If a school was in the process of a phased reopening when it moved back into the purple tier ( say ninth and 10th graders had started classes but 11th and 12th graders hadn ’ t ) it can continue to phase in more students as scheduled .
The state also allows elementary schools in counties that have not reached the red tier to apply for waivers that would allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as local health officials sign off .
But some counties , including Alameda , are not allowing those waivers .
What else is different ?
Under Newsom ’ s new orders , the few offices that had reopened in the Bay Area will go back to remote work .
San Francisco , for example , had just opened non-essential offices at 25 % capacity on Oct. 27 .
Those will need to close .
Fitness centers in San Francisco , San Mateo and other red-tier counties must reduce their indoor capacity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the rest of the Bay Area , gyms and fitness centers are back to outdoor operations only .
The same goes for movie theaters and places of worship .
Retail stores , including shopping malls , can remain open — but throughout most of the Bay Area , they must operate at 25 % capacity .
In San Francisco , San Mateo and Marin counties , they can hit 50 % .
Indoor hair salons and other personal care services can remain open with safety precautions in place .
When does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom ’ s prior orders , which have come with a 72-hour waiting period , the latest changes are effective Tuesday .
• Watch : Santa Clara County officials on moving to the highest-risk purple tier as coronavirus cases rise , Nov. 16 • What did Gov .
Newsom mean by a coronavirus curfew ?
If you travel out of state for the holiday , California officials recommend you self-quarantine for 14 days when you get back .
And while you ’ re encouraged to stay home this Turkey Day , if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask you to keep it short , wear a mask and remain outdoors .
I thought things were getting better .
Why are we doing this ?
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases is growing faster now than it was during July ’ s peak , prompting Newsom to call for swift , immediate action .
As of Monday , more than 1 million COVID cases have been confirmed across California , and the virus has killed more than 18,200 people .
In the past two weeks , the average number of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of patients hospitalized statewide has increased by nearly 50 % .
The percentage of COVID-19 tests returning positive results also has increased from 3.2 % to 4.6 % over the past two weeks , according to state data .
What will it take to move forward again ?
The simple answer : contain the virus and reduce case rates .
Newsom ’ s office has promised the state will reassess COVID data “ continuously .
”

More than nine in 10 Californians will wake up Tuesday to a new round of pandemic restrictions affecting their day-to-day life, thanks to a sweeping move backward by Gov. Gavin Newsom as he attempts to quell the state’s fastest-growing COVID-19 surge yet.
The state had been progressing along Newsom’s color-coded reopening plan, and Bay Area counties were gradually allowing customers back to restaurants’ indoor dining rooms, indoor gyms, offices and more. But over the past week, several counties announced plans to scale back. And on Monday, 24 hours ahead of schedule, Newsom forced even more closures and restrictions by moving most of the Bay Area back into his most restrictive purple tier.
It amounted to lot of shakeup in a little time. We’re here to guide you through it.
Who’s affected by the rollbacks?
Not every county in the state reverted to the purple tier, but nearly all of them moved backward. Throughout California, 41 of the state’s 58 counties now are in the most restrictive purple tier — up from 13 last week.
In the Bay Area, only three counties are not subject to the most severe restrictions: San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. But each of those counties moved into the red “substantial” risk tier.
Can I still go to restaurants?
Most everywhere in California, diners will no longer be served indoors. Restaurants will be limited once again to outdoor and takeout service only in all but the handful of counties not in the purple tier.
That means restaurants that had just recently opened their indoor dining rooms — Alameda County, for example, allowed indoor dining Oct. 23 — will have to close them again. San Francisco, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Marin counties already announced plans to stop indoor dining last week. For now, San Mateo County is the only place in the Bay Area where you can dine inside. But as it moves from the orange tier to the more restrictive red tier, the county has to shutter all bars, breweries and distilleries that don’t serve food. Wineries, which had been allowed to serve guests inside, will go back to outdoor seating only.
Does this mean my kids’ school will close again?
No. If they were attending in-person classes before Tuesday, they can continue doing so. But if your kids attend a school in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Napa or Santa Cruz counties that was planning to start bringing students back to campus in the next few weeks, you’ll have to wait a little while longer.
Counties must be in the red tier for at least 14 days before they can reopen schools for in-person instruction. Classrooms that started offering in-person lessons while in the red tier may continue to do so even if they have moved back into the purple tier. If a school was in the process of a phased reopening when it moved back into the purple tier (say ninth and 10th graders had started classes but 11th and 12th graders hadn’t) it can continue to phase in more students as scheduled.
The state also allows elementary schools in counties that have not reached the red tier to apply for waivers that would allow them to open in-person classes, as long as local health officials sign off. But some counties, including Alameda, are not allowing those waivers.
What else is different?
Under Newsom’s new orders, the few offices that had reopened in the Bay Area will go back to remote work. San Francisco, for example, had just opened non-essential offices at 25% capacity on Oct. 27. Those will need to close.
Fitness centers in San Francisco, San Mateo and other red-tier counties must reduce their indoor capacity to 10%, down from 25%. In the rest of the Bay Area, gyms and fitness centers are back to outdoor operations only. The same goes for movie theaters and places of worship.
Retail stores, including shopping malls, can remain open — but throughout most of the Bay Area, they must operate at 25% capacity. In San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties, they can hit 50%.
Indoor hair salons and other personal care services can remain open with safety precautions in place.
When does all this go into effect?
Unlike Newsom’s prior orders, which have come with a 72-hour waiting period, the latest changes are effective Tuesday.
Is there new guidance on face masks?
In announcing these rollbacks Monday, Newsom also strengthened the state’s mask rules. He specified wearing a face mask is mandatory at all times when outside the home, with a few exceptions, such as during socially distant eating and drinking.
Since June, Californians have been required to wear a cloth face mask or other face covering while in certain public, high-traffic places. That includes while waiting for or riding public transit, inside or in line to enter any business or indoor public space, or while obtaining health services. The new rules are more strict. And while you’re not required to wear a mask if you’re outside and at least 6 feet away from people not within your household, you must carry a mask with you at all times and put it on if that 6-foot gap closes.
What about Thanksgiving?
If you travel out of state for the holiday, California officials recommend you self-quarantine for 14 days when you get back. And while you’re encouraged to stay home this Turkey Day, if you do attend a gathering, health officials ask you to keep it short, wear a mask and remain outdoors.
I thought things were getting better. Why are we doing this?
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases is growing faster now than it was during July’s peak, prompting Newsom to call for swift, immediate action. As of Monday, more than 1 million COVID cases have been confirmed across California, and the virus has killed more than 18,200 people. In the past two weeks, the average number of cases reported each day has nearly doubled and the number of patients hospitalized statewide has increased by nearly 50%. The percentage of COVID-19 tests returning positive results also has increased from 3.2% to 4.6% over the past two weeks, according to state data.
What will it take to move forward again?
The simple answer: contain the virus and reduce case rates. Newsom’s office has promised the state will reassess COVID data “continuously.”
Staff writer Maggie Angst contributed.


mercurynews--2020-11-17--Airplane strikes, kills brown bear on Alaska runway

In an unusual collision , an airplane hit and killed a brown bear while landing at the Yakutat Airport in Alaska on Saturday .
Alaska Airlines Flight 66 was arriving from Cordova into Yakutat when the flight crew saw two bears crossing the runway , according to a statement by Alaska Airlines .
“ The nose gear missed the bears , but the captain felt an impact on the left side after the bears passed under the plane , ” the airline ’ s statement said .
Pilots then spotted a bear lying several feet off the center of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for parking .
The left engine cowl of the plane was damaged in the collision and maintenance technicians are currently working to repair the aircraft .
Six passengers were on the flight at the time , but no injuries were reported .
After being informed of the incident , airport maintenance and operations crews removed the bear ’ s carcass and brought it to a storage warehouse , according to Sam Dapcevich , a public information officer for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities .
The Alaska Department of Fish and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disposal of the bear .
“ It ’ s a rare occurrence for something like this to happen , ” Dapcevich told CNN .
“ I ’ ve been in Alaska my whole life and we ’ ve had aircraft strike birds and other animals … but this is the first instance of a bear that I ’ ve ever heard of.
” The airport is partially fenced .
The airport ’ s operations crews are trained by the US Department of Agriculture to use pyrotechnics and vehicles to deter animals from coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations , Dapcevich said .
Crews had previously seen two bears in the area and believed them to be a female bear and a cub .
On the day of the incident , crews had not seen any wildlife during snow removal operations , according to Dapcevich .
Local photographer and biologist Robert Johnson said he was surprised by the incident .
He went out to capture the scene after speaking with his neighbors who were passengers on the flight .
“ It was an unusual occurrence , actually a first in Alaska @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ ve worked with bears most of my adult life up here.
” In 1987 , another unlikely collision occurred between wildlife and an Alaska Airlines airplane — but that aircraft hit a fish .
• Do we need to change how we feed Bay Area birds in the winter ?
• Trump administration ends gray wolf protections across most of US • What are the squirrels in a San Jose oak tree talking about all day ?
• Environment , wildlife and parks measures win big across the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juneau when a large fish hit the Boeing 737-200 aircraft just behind the cockpit window .
An eagle that had crossed paths with the flight had been gripping the fish in its talons .
“ In the process , the eagle either voluntarily released its meal or the rapid turn ripped it out of its claws , ” Anchorage-based Alaska Airlines pilot Captain Mac af Uhr wrote in a 2005 story about the incident , according to an Alaska Airlines blog post .
Dapcevich said it was too soon to say what steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident like the bear collision from happening in the future .

By Kelsie Smith | CNN
In an unusual collision, an airplane hit and killed a brown bear while landing at the Yakutat Airport in Alaska on Saturday.
Alaska Airlines Flight 66 was arriving from Cordova into Yakutat when the flight crew saw two bears crossing the runway, according to a statement by Alaska Airlines.
“The nose gear missed the bears, but the captain felt an impact on the left side after the bears passed under the plane,” the airline’s statement said. Pilots then spotted a bear lying several feet off the center of the runway while taxiing the Boeing 737-700 aircraft for parking.
The left engine cowl of the plane was damaged in the collision and maintenance technicians are currently working to repair the aircraft. Six passengers were on the flight at the time, but no injuries were reported.
After being informed of the incident, airport maintenance and operations crews removed the bear’s carcass and brought it to a storage warehouse, according to Sam Dapcevich, a public information officer for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game was contacted to arrange for proper disposal of the bear.
“It’s a rare occurrence for something like this to happen,” Dapcevich told CNN. “I’ve been in Alaska my whole life and we’ve had aircraft strike birds and other animals … but this is the first instance of a bear that I’ve ever heard of.”
The airport is partially fenced. The airport’s operations crews are trained by the US Department of Agriculture to use pyrotechnics and vehicles to deter animals from coming near the runway and interfering with aircraft operations, Dapcevich said.
Crews had previously seen two bears in the area and believed them to be a female bear and a cub. On the day of the incident, crews had not seen any wildlife during snow removal operations, according to Dapcevich.
Local photographer and biologist Robert Johnson said he was surprised by the incident. He went out to capture the scene after speaking with his neighbors who were passengers on the flight.
“It was an unusual occurrence, actually a first in Alaska at least,” Johnson told CNN. “I’ve worked with bears most of my adult life up here.”
In 1987, another unlikely collision occurred between wildlife and an Alaska Airlines airplane — but that aircraft hit a fish.
Related Articles National News | 13 Canada geese die after landing in La Brea Tar Pits; 2 are recovering
13 Canada geese die after landing in La Brea Tar Pits; 2 are recovering National News | Pythons become an obsession: A night out with the hunters who caught that record-breaking 19-foot snake
Pythons become an obsession: A night out with the hunters who caught that record-breaking 19-foot snake National News | How birdlife in the East differs from the West
How birdlife in the East differs from the West National News | Otter attacks in Sierra Nevada: Panicked swimmer scrambles onto stranger’s paddleboard
Otter attacks in Sierra Nevada: Panicked swimmer scrambles onto stranger’s paddleboard National News | Colorado asked 4 states to share their gray wolves. So far, it’s received 3 maybes and a hell no. An Alaska Airlines flight was departing from Juneau when a large fish hit the Boeing 737-200 aircraft just behind the cockpit window. An eagle that had crossed paths with the flight had been gripping the fish in its talons.
“In the process, the eagle either voluntarily released its meal or the rapid turn ripped it out of its claws,” Anchorage-based Alaska Airlines pilot Captain Mac af Uhr wrote in a 2005 story about the incident, according to an Alaska Airlines blog post.
Dapcevich said it was too soon to say what steps would be taken to prevent a rare incident like the bear collision from happening in the future.


mercurynews--2020-11-17--Feds charge San Ramon woman with selling meth

SAN RAMON — Federal prosecutors have charged a San Ramon woman with distribution of methamphetamine , stemming from a traffic stop where nearly one pound of the drug was recovered , court records show .
Angela Bartoni was charged with possessing meth with intent to distribute , according to a recently unsealed criminal complaint .
The charging documents allege that San Ramon police pulled Bartoni over back in January and found 13.7 ounces of meth , and more than an ounce of heroin .
According to prosecutors , Bartoni told the San Ramon cop who pulled her over that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time of the stop .
She initially denied having anything illegal and told the officer she didn ’ t want her car searched .
When he informed her that her parole terms allowed police to search her vehicle , she replied , “ ’ Well I don ’ t have a choice , right ?
, ’ ” according to the complaint .
• California could decriminalize magic mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs • Oregon becomes the first state to decriminalize small amounts of heroin and other street drugs • Man charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco Bartoni then allegedly admitted to having “ illegal stuff ” and referred the officer to a Raiders bag .
The officer found the meth , heroin , and more than $ 1,600 in cash , according to the complaint .
The Contra Costa District Attorney has filed an asset forfeiture case against Bartoni , an office spokesman said .
Bartoni was arrested in October in connection with the federal complaint , and subsequently released from pretrial detention .
She was scheduled to appear in court Monday morning , but her arraignment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show .

SAN RAMON — Federal prosecutors have charged a San Ramon woman with distribution of methamphetamine, stemming from a traffic stop where nearly one pound of the drug was recovered, court records show.
Angela Bartoni was charged with possessing meth with intent to distribute, according to a recently unsealed criminal complaint. The charging documents allege that San Ramon police pulled Bartoni over back in January and found 13.7 ounces of meth, and more than an ounce of heroin.
According to prosecutors, Bartoni told the San Ramon cop who pulled her over that she was on her way to church at the time of the stop. She initially denied having anything illegal and told the officer she didn’t want her car searched. When he informed her that her parole terms allowed police to search her vehicle, she replied, “ ’Well I don’t have a choice, right?,’ ” according to the complaint.
Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | A California woman spent money that was left at her house. Then she was told she owed the Aryan Brotherhood a favor
A California woman spent money that was left at her house. Then she was told she owed the Aryan Brotherhood a favor Crime and Public Safety | FBI-led task force targeting major Bay Area fentanyl operation underway
FBI-led task force targeting major Bay Area fentanyl operation underway Crime and Public Safety | Colorado will consider capping the price of these 5 widely prescribed drugs
Colorado will consider capping the price of these 5 widely prescribed drugs Crime and Public Safety | Massachusetts pot boss apologizes as state’s weed sales hit all-time high
Massachusetts pot boss apologizes as state’s weed sales hit all-time high Crime and Public Safety | Redwood City drug deal ends in double shooting Bartoni then allegedly admitted to having “illegal stuff” and referred the officer to a Raiders bag. The officer found the meth, heroin, and more than $1,600 in cash, according to the complaint. The Contra Costa District Attorney has filed an asset forfeiture case against Bartoni, an office spokesman said.
Bartoni was arrested in October in connection with the federal complaint, and subsequently released from pretrial detention. She was scheduled to appear in court Monday morning, but her arraignment was postponed to mid-December, court records show.