mercurynews--2020-11-23--14 charged in suspected fraud scheme tied to alleged ‘sham’ schools in Southern California

Fourteen Southern California residents have been charged by the Riverside County District Attorney ’ s Office in three cases of suspected workers ’ compensation fraud related to two alleged “ sham ” schools that caused a loss to insurance carriers in excess of $ 22 million .
The investigation involved two for-profit vocational schools , Ryon College in Riverside and Sutech School in Los Angeles .
The investigation was initiated by the DA ’ s office in January 2019 regarding supplemental job displacement benefits provided by workers ’ compensation insurance carriers .
The defendants are charged with a variety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ capping ” and receiving kickbacks , the DA ’ s office said in a news release on Friday .
Oswaldo Forero , 65 , of Irvine , and Melbe Zepeda , 41 , of Bellflower , are charged in the first case after an investigation revealed both operated the two “ sham ” schools that were primarily funded by workers ’ compensation vouchers , the DA ’ s office said .
The vouchers ranged in value from $ 6,000 to $ 10,000 and were intended for injured workers to be re-trained or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accommodate their disabilities , enabling them to re-enter the workforce .
The two are also alleged to have employed “ cappers ” to illegally recruit students to the schools .
The “ cappers ” were paid to sign up as many students as possible to attend the schools , even if the student didn ’ t have a high school diploma or equivalent , the news release said .
“ The priority of the defendants was to make money using various tactics such as over-billing for laptops and tools , collecting lucrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended the school , faking admission tests and giving students cash for their vouchers , ” said the DA ’ s office in the news release .
Their co-defendants charged in the two related cases are : Lopez is scheduled to be arraigned Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Hall of Justice in Riverside , the DA ’ s office said .
Gonzalez is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday and Dimas is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 25 .
All other defendants have arraignments scheduled in December and March 2021 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Department of Insurance and the California Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education assisted in the investigation .
Officials at the two schools named in the complaint could not immediately be reached for comment .

Fourteen Southern California residents have been charged by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office in three cases of suspected workers’ compensation fraud related to two alleged “sham” schools that caused a loss to insurance carriers in excess of $22 million.
The investigation involved two for-profit vocational schools, Ryon College in Riverside and Sutech School in Los Angeles. The investigation was initiated by the DA’s office in January 2019 regarding supplemental job displacement benefits provided by workers’ compensation insurance carriers.
The defendants are charged with a variety of counts including conspiracy, insurance fraud, “capping” and receiving kickbacks, the DA’s office said in a news release on Friday.
Oswaldo Forero, 65, of Irvine, and Melbe Zepeda, 41, of Bellflower, are charged in the first case after an investigation revealed both operated the two “sham” schools that were primarily funded by workers’ compensation vouchers, the DA’s office said. The vouchers ranged in value from $6,000 to $10,000 and were intended for injured workers to be re-trained or to assist them in learning new skills to accommodate their disabilities, enabling them to re-enter the workforce.
The two are also alleged to have employed “cappers” to illegally recruit students to the schools. The “cappers” were paid to sign up as many students as possible to attend the schools, even if the student didn’t have a high school diploma or equivalent, the news release said.
“The priority of the defendants was to make money using various tactics such as over-billing for laptops and tools, collecting lucrative vouchers for students that never or rarely attended the school, faking admission tests and giving students cash for their vouchers,” said the DA’s office in the news release.
Their co-defendants charged in the two related cases are:
Karla Mariela Arevalo, 29, of Fullerton.
Estrella Juana Calix, 39, of Sylmar.
Mariela Cardenas, 36, of Moreno Valley.
Manuel Alberto Dimas, 40, of Costa Mesa.
Sandy Lissette Flores, 43, of Lakewood.
Jose Luis Gamas, 55, of Pomona.
Juan Francisco Leal Gonzalez, 52, of Diamond Bar.
Mauricio Giovanni Hernandez, 46, of Sherman Oaks.
Edward Holguin, 36, of Norwalk.
Jose Nicasio Lara, 58, of South Gate.
Sarvia Ofelia Lopez, 53, of San Diego.
Araceli Soto, 38, of Ontario.
Lopez is scheduled to be arraigned Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Hall of Justice in Riverside, the DA’s office said. Gonzalez is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday and Dimas is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 25. All other defendants have arraignments scheduled in December and March 2021, the DA’s office said.
The California Department of Insurance and the California Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education assisted in the investigation.
Officials at the two schools named in the complaint could not immediately be reached for comment.


mercurynews--2020-11-23--Los Angeles County shutting down all in-person dining amid coronavirus surge

Los Angeles County surpassed public health officials ’ benchmarks for triggering tougher anti-coronavirus business restrictions , as 2,718 new infections were reported Sunday , Nov. 22 .
The new rules , which will begin Wednesday at 10 p.m. , will restrict dining at restaurants , breweries , wineries and bars to takeout , drive-thru or delivery service .
Sunday ’ s statistics pushed the county ’ s five-day average caseload of infections to 4,097 , with a staggering 20,487 new cases reported since Wednesday .
In-person dining will not be allowed , at minimum , for the next 3 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can continue their retail operations , however , to masked , socially distanced clientele .
Hospitalizations , too , are posting dramatic increases , up to 1,401 on Sunday — the highest since August — representing a major increase from a month ago when daily hospitalizations were around 730 and falling .
The number of hospitalized patients increased by about 35 % over the past seven days .
Under thresholds released in response to the relentless surge in cases , health officials last week said restaurants , wineries and breweries would be closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a five-day average of 4,000 or more cases , or if hospitalizations topped 1,750 .
If the climb continues , expect even tougher restrictions : If the county ’ s five-day daily case average exceeds 4,500 , or if hospitalizations top 2,000 , the county will issue a strict “ Safer At Home ” order — much like the one imposed at the onset of the pandemic .
The order would allow only essential workers to leave home , or people who are accessing essential services .
The county also reported nine additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have tested positive for COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County , with a total of 7,438 deaths .
“ As we modify our Thanksgiving holiday celebrations , we are reminded of the many families who will miss their loved ones who have passed away from COVID-19 .
We send wishes for healing and peace , ” said Barbara Ferrer , director of public health .
“ The persistent high number of cases requires additional safety measures that limit mixing in settings where people are not wearing masks .
We hope individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wineries by ordering for take-out or delivery .
We also fervently hope every L.A. County resident supports all our businesses by following the public health directives that we know work to slow spread .
Unfortunately , if our cases and hospitalizations continue to increase , we will need to issue further restrictions to protect our healthcare system and prevent more deaths.
” Testing results are available for more than 3,542,000 people , officials said , with 10 % of them testing positive .
County health officials reported 4,522 new coronavirus infections on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county reported its worst single-day report since the pandemic began , with more than 5,000 infections posted on Thursday .
Sunday ’ s county update did not include new figures from Long Beach or Pasadena , which operate their own health departments .
Pasadena ’ s 63 new cases raised its total since the pandemic began to 3,374 ; its death toll of 131 did not change .
Long Beach did not update its dashboard Saturday ; as of Friday , the city had reported 14,999 cases and 270 deaths .
LA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most restrictive “ purple tier , ” began a curfew Saturday night , from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 21 .
People are allowed to shop for groceries , pick up food and walk their dogs .
All the new restrictions could prove to be setbacks for the region ’ s economy , and signals an inability to contain the spread after months of hope that L.A. County could maintain relatively lower case rates and hospitalizations , even as the middle of the country was seeing a major surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to be at hand .
The stunning rise prompted local business leaders to urge people to mask up and physical distance to avoid another shutdown .
“ The curfew is challenging enough .
But shutdown would be the final death of too many businesses .
And with that goes vital jobs then food on the table , ” said Tracy Hernandez , CEO and founding president of Los Angeles County Business Federation ( BizFed ) .
“ All people need to wake up .
Wear your masks , don ’ t gather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet apart.
” But Hernandez , and many business owners across the region , were already bracing for this .
Just last week — propelled by the rising numbers — county officials had already reduced the number of customers allowed for many businesses .
Restaurants , breweries and wineries had to cap occupancy to 50 % of their outdoor seating .
Indoor retail stores , personal care business and offices could have no more than 25 % occupancy .
Cardrooms and outdoor entertainment centers were limited to 50 % .
No more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathering , and such groups should be limited to three households .
Vic Chouchanian , co-owner of the popular San Fernando Brewing Co. with his brother , Joe , was not wholly surprised when he got Sunday ’ s news .
Still , you could hear it hit hard , by the tone of disappointment in his voice .
“ We knew it was coming , ” he said , adding that he ’ d now have to lay off nine of his tap crew workers .
“ We ’ re just tired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open .
You ’ re closed .
If you ’ re going to close , shut it all down and let us reeopen ….
” when it ’ s safe .
“ You just feel they are playing God with who gets to live and who gets to die.
” Nonethless , Chouchanian acknowledged the seriousness of the health issues .
He said he ’ s doing all he can at his business to adhere to county health rules .
Like his business counterparts across the county , he ’ ll now look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holidays to keep the business afloat .
He said he also said he ’ ll look forward to Christmas for more orders .
“ If that even happens this year , ” he said .
Meanwhile , he was also bracing for even more drastic measures — which Ferrer foreshadowed .
“ If we can ’ t get this back under control , that is unfortunately where we ’ re headed , ” Ferrer said .
“ I still hope that we don ’ t have to go to Safer At Home and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next few days to start turning this around .
But it really at this point means that things we did last week were part of a solution to turn things around .
“ The other hope I have is that if that wasn ’ t possible and people didn ’ t make changes last week , that they ’ re making them today so that this is of short duration , ” she said .
“ I know how exhausting that is for everyone , to continue to have to abide by rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhausted our health care workers are , our essential workers are .
And for all of their sakes , we need to slow down the spread and we need to do that rapidly.
” Dr. Angelique Campen , emergency room physician at Provident Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank , said she and her colleagues were bracing for another jump in infections after Thanksgiving .
“ Definitely , ” she said Sunday night .
“ My concern is those asymptomatic ( people ) that feel gathering ( outside their households ) at Thanksgiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also a clinical professor of emergency medicine at UCLA .
Campen said what ’ s been concerning is the number of asymptomatic people who come into the ER for a non-Covid-19 ailment only to be tested and then find out they are positive .
Those numbers are rising at the hospital , she said .
While she emphasized that there ’ s still plenty of room for patients who who have medical issues other than the virus , the hospital has gone from treating an average of 20 to 30 coronavirus patients in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rising .
“ There ’ s no doubt about it that it ’ s spreading , ” she said , expressing some better news that physicians have a stronger footing to treat the virus .
But still , she said : “ People don ’ t know they have it .
They are asymptomatic and they ’ re spreading it.
” Ferrer noted that the surge in cases is not just the result of increased testing .
She said the county ’ s rising rate of positive tests shows that the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s seven-day average daily positivity rate among those tested for the virus was 3.9 % on Nov. 1 , but it rose to 5.1 % by Nov. 8 and it now stands at 7.1 % .
The county modified its health order Friday to impose some initial restrictions , most notably requiring restaurants , wineries , breweries and non-essential businesses to close between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Other restrictions that took effect Friday were : • Indoor “ nonessential ” businesses such as retail stores , offices and personal care services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; • Outdoor service at restaurants , wineries and breweries will be limited to 50 % of the maximum outdoor capacity ; • Outdoor cardrooms , miniature golf sites , go-kart tracks and batting cages will be limited to 50 % of maximum outdoor capacity ; • Customers at personal-care businesses must make advance appointments , and no services that require customers to remove their face masks can be offered ; and • Outdoor gatherings must be limited to no more than 15 people from a maximum of three households .
The county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ households , but there was no numerical limit on attendees .
Back on March 19 , Gov .
Gavin Newsom issued the first statewide stay-home order , and LA County and city quickly followed suit , setting off a roller-coaster year of easing and tightening of directives that has paralleled the extent to which people began gathering again and businesses began ramping up again .
Each time , particularly after holidays , the numbers have shown particular spikes in L.A. County , ultimately keeping the county in the state ’ s most restrictive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and non-business sectors .
This time , officials began seeing rises in October , and have been warning about a double-whammy of flu season mixed with the potential for more holiday gatherings at the end of the year .
The bright spot ahead is a vaccine , though widespread delivery is likely months away .
Pfizer , the drug company , formally asked U.S. regulators Friday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine , starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And U.S. health officials Saturday agreed to allow emergency use of a second antibody drug to help the immune system fight COVID-19 , an experimental medicine that President Donald Trump was given when he was sickened last month .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , the state ’ s Health and Human Services secretary , said the order is not a hard curfew , indicating that people can still go outside of their homes , but they just shouldn ’ t gather with others .
He noted that he still plans to take his dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said there is no definitive cause for the state ’ s sudden surge in cases .
“ There is no single culprit , ” Ghaly said .
“ It ’ s a combination of factors .
It ’ s certainly the colder weather , more mixing , which comes with more opening .
… And of course greater travel .
We ’ ve enjoyed some events over the last many weeks — in my home county of Los Angeles , the Dodgers , the Lakers .
We had Halloween .
We just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking forward to other future events and activities as we go into the winter.
” Asked about how restrictions will be enforced — in light of Southern California sheriffs stating they won ’ t be actively cracking down on health-order violations — Ferrer said the county isn ’ t relying on law enforcement , but rather hoping residents will take the urgency to heart .
“ We really appreciate that the best enforcement is voluntary compliance , ” she said .
“ We ’ ve all done really well when we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community and gotten behind it .
I can ’ t think of anybody at this point who ’ s going to argue with the fact that we need to take some action to slow the spread , because this level of acceleration threatens our health care system .
“ And that threatens care for every single person in this county —for people who have a heart attack , for people who need emergency surgery , for people who need scheduled surgery , for people who are victims of car accidents or trauma.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Officer , Dr. Muntu Davis , lashed out at those who have questioned the danger of COVID-19 , or even deemed it a hoax .
• US Rhodes Scholars chosen virtually for the 1st time • Raiders ’ Joyner rejoins COVID-19 list , won ’ t face Chiefs , seven others expected to be available • Aptos church provides more than 1.7 million meals in six-week holiday food drive “ The cases that we ’ re seeing , all of the science — this is across the world , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody engineered a hoax to be worldwide in terms of a pandemic , let alone across the state , let alone across the region , let alone across the whole United States .
These are real , these are scientific tests that are being done .
The virus has been isolated from early on in the pandemic.
” “ It ’ s unfortunate that someone thinks that this isn ’ t real , ” he said .
He also bashed notions that the virus is less dangerous than the flu , noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019-2020 flu season in the county .
COVID-19 has caused 7,363 deaths between March and November , despite only infecting about one-third as many residents as the flu .
“ I worry about the effects that the closures have on businesses and the economy , and on mental health , ” she said .
“ It ’ s very disappointing we have to have thes restrictive measures to get people to pay attention… .
I wish people would be more responsive and just heed those warnings .
”

Los Angeles County surpassed public health officials’ benchmarks for triggering tougher anti-coronavirus business restrictions, as 2,718 new infections were reported Sunday, Nov. 22. The new rules, which will begin Wednesday at 10 p.m., will restrict dining at restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars to takeout, drive-thru or delivery service.
Sunday’s statistics pushed the county’s five-day average caseload of infections to 4,097, with a staggering 20,487 new cases reported since Wednesday.
In-person dining will not be allowed, at minimum, for the next 3 weeks, officials said. Wineries and breweries can continue their retail operations, however, to masked, socially distanced clientele.
Hospitalizations, too, are posting dramatic increases, up to 1,401 on Sunday — the highest since August — representing a major increase from a month ago when daily hospitalizations were around 730 and falling. The number of hospitalized patients increased by about 35% over the past seven days.
Under thresholds released in response to the relentless surge in cases, health officials last week said restaurants, wineries and breweries would be closed for in-person dining if the county reached a five-day average of 4,000 or more cases, or if hospitalizations topped 1,750.
If the climb continues, expect even tougher restrictions: If the county’s five-day daily case average exceeds 4,500, or if hospitalizations top 2,000, the county will issue a strict “Safer At Home” order — much like the one imposed at the onset of the pandemic. The order would allow only essential workers to leave home, or people who are accessing essential services.
The county also reported nine additional deaths on Sunday. More than 364,520 people have tested positive for COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, with a total of 7,438 deaths.
“As we modify our Thanksgiving holiday celebrations, we are reminded of the many families who will miss their loved ones who have passed away from COVID-19. We send wishes for healing and peace,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of public health. “The persistent high number of cases requires additional safety measures that limit mixing in settings where people are not wearing masks. We hope individuals continue to support restaurants, breweries and wineries by ordering for take-out or delivery. We also fervently hope every L.A. County resident supports all our businesses by following the public health directives that we know work to slow spread. Unfortunately, if our cases and hospitalizations continue to increase, we will need to issue further restrictions to protect our healthcare system and prevent more deaths.”
Testing results are available for more than 3,542,000 people, officials said, with 10% of them testing positive.
County health officials reported 4,522 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, Nov. 21, just days after the county reported its worst single-day report since the pandemic began, with more than 5,000 infections posted on Thursday.
Sunday’s county update did not include new figures from Long Beach or Pasadena, which operate their own health departments. Pasadena’s 63 new cases raised its total since the pandemic began to 3,374; its death toll of 131 did not change. Long Beach did not update its dashboard Saturday; as of Friday, the city had reported 14,999 cases and 270 deaths.
LA County, like others in the state’s most restrictive “purple tier,” began a curfew Saturday night, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 21. People are allowed to shop for groceries, pick up food and walk their dogs.
All the new restrictions could prove to be setbacks for the region’s economy, and signals an inability to contain the spread after months of hope that L.A. County could maintain relatively lower case rates and hospitalizations, even as the middle of the country was seeing a major surge.
Containment, however, does not appear to be at hand.
The stunning rise prompted local business leaders to urge people to mask up and physical distance to avoid another shutdown.
“The curfew is challenging enough. But shutdown would be the final death of too many businesses. And with that goes vital jobs then food on the table,” said Tracy Hernandez, CEO and founding president of Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed). “All people need to wake up. Wear your masks, don’t gather in big groups, and keep 6 feet apart.”
But Hernandez, and many business owners across the region, were already bracing for this.
Just last week — propelled by the rising numbers — county officials had already reduced the number of customers allowed for many businesses. Restaurants, breweries and wineries had to cap occupancy to 50% of their outdoor seating. Indoor retail stores, personal care business and offices could have no more than 25% occupancy. Cardrooms and outdoor entertainment centers were limited to 50%. No more than 15 people should attend any outdoor social gathering, and such groups should be limited to three households.
Vic Chouchanian, co-owner of the popular San Fernando Brewing Co. with his brother, Joe, was not wholly surprised when he got Sunday’s news. Still, you could hear it hit hard, by the tone of disappointment in his voice.
“We knew it was coming,” he said, adding that he’d now have to lay off nine of his tap crew workers. “We’re just tired of the game. You’re open. You’re closed. If you’re going to close, shut it all down and let us reeopen ….” when it’s safe. “You just feel they are playing God with who gets to live and who gets to die.”
Nonethless, Chouchanian acknowledged the seriousness of the health issues. He said he’s doing all he can at his business to adhere to county health rules.
Like his business counterparts across the county, he’ll now look to out-the-door and online sales during the holidays to keep the business afloat. He said he also said he’ll look forward to Christmas for more orders.
“If that even happens this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, he was also bracing for even more drastic measures — which Ferrer foreshadowed.
“If we can’t get this back under control, that is unfortunately where we’re headed,” Ferrer said. “I still hope that we don’t have to go to Safer At Home and that we’re able in the next few days to start turning this around. But it really at this point means that things we did last week were part of a solution to turn things around.
“The other hope I have is that if that wasn’t possible and people didn’t make changes last week, that they’re making them today so that this is of short duration,” she said. “I know how exhausting that is for everyone, to continue to have to abide by rules and restrictions. I also know how exhausted our health care workers are, our essential workers are. And for all of their sakes, we need to slow down the spread and we need to do that rapidly.”
Dr. Angelique Campen, emergency room physician at Provident Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, said she and her colleagues were bracing for another jump in infections after Thanksgiving.
“Definitely,” she said Sunday night. “My concern is those asymptomatic (people) that feel gathering (outside their households) at Thanksgiving is safe,” said Campen, also a clinical professor of emergency medicine at UCLA.
Campen said what’s been concerning is the number of asymptomatic people who come into the ER for a non-Covid-19 ailment only to be tested and then find out they are positive.
Those numbers are rising at the hospital, she said. While she emphasized that there’s still plenty of room for patients who who have medical issues other than the virus, the hospital has gone from treating an average of 20 to 30 coronavirus patients in recent months to now 40 to 50 and rising.
“There’s no doubt about it that it’s spreading,” she said, expressing some better news that physicians have a stronger footing to treat the virus. But still, she said: “People don’t know they have it. They are asymptomatic and they’re spreading it.”
Ferrer noted that the surge in cases is not just the result of increased testing. She said the county’s rising rate of positive tests shows that the virus is spreading more rapidly. The county’s seven-day average daily positivity rate among those tested for the virus was 3.9% on Nov. 1, but it rose to 5.1% by Nov. 8 and it now stands at 7.1%.
The county modified its health order Friday to impose some initial restrictions, most notably requiring restaurants, wineries, breweries and non-essential businesses to close between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Other restrictions that took effect Friday were:
Indoor “nonessential” businesses such as retail stores, offices and personal care services will be limited to 25% occupancy;
Outdoor service at restaurants, wineries and breweries will be limited to 50% of the maximum outdoor capacity;
Outdoor cardrooms, miniature golf sites, go-kart tracks and batting cages will be limited to 50% of maximum outdoor capacity;
Customers at personal-care businesses must make advance appointments, and no services that require customers to remove their face masks can be offered; and
Outdoor gatherings must be limited to no more than 15 people from a maximum of three households.
The county previously issued guidance limiting gatherings to three households, but there was no numerical limit on attendees.
Back on March 19, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the first statewide stay-home order, and LA County and city quickly followed suit, setting off a roller-coaster year of easing and tightening of directives that has paralleled the extent to which people began gathering again and businesses began ramping up again.
Each time, particularly after holidays, the numbers have shown particular spikes in L.A. County, ultimately keeping the county in the state’s most restrictive tier for re-opening schools and other business and non-business sectors.
This time, officials began seeing rises in October, and have been warning about a double-whammy of flu season mixed with the potential for more holiday gatherings at the end of the year.
The bright spot ahead is a vaccine, though widespread delivery is likely months away.
Pfizer, the drug company, formally asked U.S. regulators Friday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month and eventually an end to the pandemic.
And U.S. health officials Saturday agreed to allow emergency use of a second antibody drug to help the immune system fight COVID-19, an experimental medicine that President Donald Trump was given when he was sickened last month.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s Health and Human Services secretary, said the order is not a hard curfew, indicating that people can still go outside of their homes, but they just shouldn’t gather with others. He noted that he still plans to take his dog on its normal 11 p.m. walk.
He said there is no definitive cause for the state’s sudden surge in cases.
“There is no single culprit,” Ghaly said. “It’s a combination of factors. It’s certainly the colder weather, more mixing, which comes with more opening. … And of course greater travel. We’ve enjoyed some events over the last many weeks — in my home county of Los Angeles, the Dodgers, the Lakers. We had Halloween. We just exited Veterans Day. We’re looking forward to other future events and activities as we go into the winter.”
Asked about how restrictions will be enforced — in light of Southern California sheriffs stating they won’t be actively cracking down on health-order violations — Ferrer said the county isn’t relying on law enforcement, but rather hoping residents will take the urgency to heart.
“We really appreciate that the best enforcement is voluntary compliance,” she said. “We’ve all done really well when we’ve set for ourselves a goal as a community and gotten behind it. I can’t think of anybody at this point who’s going to argue with the fact that we need to take some action to slow the spread, because this level of acceleration threatens our health care system.
“And that threatens care for every single person in this county —for people who have a heart attack, for people who need emergency surgery, for people who need scheduled surgery, for people who are victims of car accidents or trauma.”
On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Health Officer, Dr. Muntu Davis, lashed out at those who have questioned the danger of COVID-19, or even deemed it a hoax.
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“It’s unfortunate that someone thinks that this isn’t real,” he said.
He also bashed notions that the virus is less dangerous than the flu, noting that an estimated 3,133 people died during the 2019-2020 flu season in the county. COVID-19 has caused 7,363 deaths between March and November, despite only infecting about one-third as many residents as the flu.
Dr. Campen echoed Davis.
“I worry about the effects that the closures have on businesses and the economy, and on mental health,” she said. “It’s very disappointing we have to have thes restrictive measures to get people to pay attention…. I wish people would be more responsive and just heed those warnings.”


mercurynews--2020-11-24--Biden’s transition gets green light as Trump at last relents

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The federal government recognized President-elect Joe Biden as the “ apparent winner ” of the Nov. 3 election on Monday , formally starting the transition of power after President Donald Trump spent weeks testing the boundaries of American democracy .
He relented after suffering yet more legal and procedural defeats in his seemingly futile effort to overturn the election with baseless claims of fraud .
Trump still refused to concede and vowed to continue to fight in court after General Services Administrator Emily Murphy gave the green light for Biden to coordinate with federal agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Trump did tweet that he was directing his team to cooperate on the transition .
Monday ’ s fast-moving series of events seemed to let much of the air out of Trump ’ s frantic efforts to undermine the will of the people in what has amounted to a weekslong stress test for American democracy .
But Trump ’ s attempts to foment a crisis of confidence in the political system and the fairness of U.S. elections haven ’ t ended and are likely to persist well beyond his lame-duck presidency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results.
” She acted after Michigan on Monday certified Biden ’ s victory in the battleground state , and a federal judge in Pennsylvania tossed a Trump campaign lawsuit on Saturday seeking to prevent certification in that state .
It also comes as an increasing number of Republicans were publicly acknowledging Biden ’ s victory , after weeks of tolerating Trump ’ s baseless claims of fraud .
The president had grown increasingly frustrated with the flailing tactics of his legal team .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ its ) results , Joe Biden has over 270 electoral college votes , ” tweeted Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy .
“ President Trump ’ s legal team has not presented evidence of the massive fraud which would have had to be present to overturn the election .
I voted for President Trump but Joe Biden won.
” Yohannes Abraham , executive director of the Biden transition , said in a statement that the decision “ is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation , including getting the pandemic under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He added : “ In the days ahead , transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response , have a full accounting of our national security interests , and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration ’ s efforts to hollow out government agencies.
” Murphy , a Trump appointee , has faced bipartisan criticism for failing to begin the transition process sooner , preventing Biden ’ s team from working with career agency officials on plans for his administration .
The delay denied Biden access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hindered his team ’ s ability to begin drawing up its own plans to respond to the raging coronavirus pandemic .
Murphy insisted she acted on her own .
“ Please know that I came to my decision independently , based on the law and available facts .
I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official—including those who work at the White House or GSA—with regard to the substance or timing of my decision , ” she wrote in a letter to Biden .
Trump tweeted moments after Murphy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep up the good fight and I believe we will prevail !
Nevertheless , in the best interest of our Country , I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols , and have told my team to do the same.
” Max Stier , president and CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service , criticized the delay but said Biden ’ s team would be able to overcome it .
“ Unfortunately , every day lost to the delayed ascertainment was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help President-elect Joe Biden prepare to meet our country ’ s greatest challenges , ” he said .
“ The good news is that the president-elect and his team are the most prepared and best equipped of any incoming administration in recent memory.
” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the GSA action “ is probably the closest thing to a concession that President Trump could issue.″ Noting that the nation “ faces multiple crises that demand an orderly transition , ″ Schumer urged Democrats and Republicans to “ unite together for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit America.″ Murphy ’ s action came just 90 minutes after Michigan election officials certified Biden ’ s 154,000-vote victory in the state .
The Board of State Canvassers , which has two Republicans and two Democrats , confirmed the results on a 3-0 vote with one GOP abstention .
Trump and his allies had hoped to block the vote to allow time for an audit of ballots in Wayne County , where Trump has claimed without evidence that he was the victim of fraud .
Biden crushed the president by more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden claims all 16 electoral votes .
Biden won by 2.8 percentage points — a larger margin than in other states where Trump is contesting the results like Georgia , Arizona , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania .
Some Trump allies had expressed hope that state lawmakers could intervene in selecting Republican electors in states that do not certify .
That long-shot bid is no longer possible in Michigan .
“ The people of Michigan have spoken .
President-elect Biden won the State of Michigan by more than 154,000 votes , and he will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat , said in a statement , saying it ’ s “ time to put this election behind us.
” The Trump legal team dismissed the certification as “ simply a procedural step ” and insisted it would continue to mount legal challenges .
Trump ’ s efforts to stave off the inevitable — formal recognition of his defeat — have faced increasingly stiff resistance from the courts and fellow Republicans with just three weeks to go until the Electoral College meets to certify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again , Trump ’ s baseless allegations of widespread conspiracy and fraud have been met with rejection as states move forward with confirming their results .
Trump was increasingly frustrated by his legal team , led by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani , whose erratic public performances drew bipartisan mockery in recent weeks .
Still , the legal challenges were expected to continue , as Trump seeks to keep his supporters on his side and keep his options open for opportuntities post-presidency .
In Pennsylvania on Saturday , a conservative Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s biggest legal effort in the state with a scathing ruling that questioned why he was supposed to disenfranchise 7 million voters with no evidence to back their claims and an inept legal argument at best .
But the lawyers still hope to block the state ’ s certification , quickly appealing to the 3rd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia , which ordered lawyers to file a brief Monday but did not agree to hear oral arguments .
The campaign , in its filings , asked for urgent consideration so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before they are certified next month .
If not , they will seek to decertify them , the filings said .
Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes .
Pennsylvania county election boards were voting on Monday , the state deadline , about whether to certify election results to the Department of State .
The boards in two populous counties split along party lines , with majority Democrats in both places voting to certify .
After all counties have sent certified results to Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar , she must then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all races .
The law requires her to perform that task quickly but does not set a specific deadline .
In Wisconsin , a recount in the state ’ s two largest liberal counties moved into its fourth day at a slow pace , with election officials in Milwaukee County complaining that Trump observers were hanging up the process with frequent challenges .
Trump ’ s hope of reversing Biden ’ s victory there depends on disqualifying thousands of absentee ballots —- including the in-person absentee ballot cast by one of Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Associated Press writers Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia , Jonathan Lemire in New York , Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg , Pa. , Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta and John Flesher in Traverse City , Mich. , contributed to this report .

By ZEKE MILLER, DAVID EGGERT and COLLEEN LONG
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government recognized President-elect Joe Biden as the “apparent winner” of the Nov. 3 election on Monday, formally starting the transition of power after President Donald Trump spent weeks testing the boundaries of American democracy. He relented after suffering yet more legal and procedural defeats in his seemingly futile effort to overturn the election with baseless claims of fraud.
Trump still refused to concede and vowed to continue to fight in court after General Services Administrator Emily Murphy gave the green light for Biden to coordinate with federal agencies ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration. But Trump did tweet that he was directing his team to cooperate on the transition.
Monday’s fast-moving series of events seemed to let much of the air out of Trump’s frantic efforts to undermine the will of the people in what has amounted to a weekslong stress test for American democracy. But Trump’s attempts to foment a crisis of confidence in the political system and the fairness of U.S. elections haven’t ended and are likely to persist well beyond his lame-duck presidency.
Murphy, explaining her decision, cited “recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results.”
She acted after Michigan on Monday certified Biden’s victory in the battleground state, and a federal judge in Pennsylvania tossed a Trump campaign lawsuit on Saturday seeking to prevent certification in that state.
It also comes as an increasing number of Republicans were publicly acknowledging Biden’s victory, after weeks of tolerating Trump’s baseless claims of fraud. The president had grown increasingly frustrated with the flailing tactics of his legal team.
In recent days, senior Trump aides including chief of staff Mark Meadows and White House counsel Pat Cipollone had also encouraged him to allow the transition to begin, telling the president he didn’t need to concede but could no longer justify withholding support to the Biden transition.
Yohannes Abraham, executive director of the Biden transition, said the decision “is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track.”
Murphy, a Trump appointee, has faced bipartisan criticism for failing to begin the transition process sooner, preventing Biden’s team from working with career agency officials on plans for his administration. The delay denied Biden access to highly classified national security briefings and hindered his team’s ability to begin drawing up its own plans to respond to the raging coronavirus pandemic.
Murphy insisted she acted on her own.
“Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official—including those who work at the White House or GSA—with regard to the substance or timing of my decision,” she wrote in a letter to Biden.
Trump tweeted moments after Murphy’s decision: “We will keep up the good fight and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”
Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, criticized the delay but said Biden’s team would be able to overcome it.
“Unfortunately, every day lost to the delayed ascertainment was a missed opportunity for the outgoing administration to help President-elect Joe Biden prepare to meet our country’s greatest challenges,” he said. “The good news is that the president-elect and his team are the most prepared and best equipped of any incoming administration in recent memory.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the GSA action “is probably the closest thing to a concession that President Trump could issue.″ Noting that the nation “faces multiple crises that demand an orderly transition,″ Schumer urged Democrats and Republicans to “unite together for a smooth and peaceful transition that will benefit America.″
Murphy’s action came just 90 minutes after Michigan election officials certified Biden’s 154,000-vote victory in the state. The Board of State Canvassers, which has two Republicans and two Democrats, confirmed the results on a 3-0 vote with one GOP abstention. Trump and his allies had hoped to block the vote to allow time for an audit of ballots in Wayne County, where Trump has claimed without evidence that he was the victim of fraud. Biden crushed the president by more than 330,000 votes there.
Some Trump allies had expressed hope that state lawmakers could intervene in selecting Republican electors in states that do not certify. That long-shot bid is no longer possible in Michigan.
“The people of Michigan have spoken. President-elect Biden won the State of Michigan by more than 154,000 votes, and he will be our next president on January 20th,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said, adding it’s “time to put this election behind us.”
Trump was increasingly frustrated by his legal team, led by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose erratic public performances drew bipartisan mockery in recent weeks. Still, the legal challenges were expected to continue, as Trump seeks to keep his supporters on his side and keep his options open for opportuntities post-presidency.
In Pennsylvania on Saturday, a conservative Republican judge shot down the Trump campaign’s biggest legal effort in the state with a scathing ruling that questioned why he was supposed to disenfranchise 7 million voters with no evidence to back their claims and an inept legal argument at best.
But the lawyers still hope to block the state’s certification, quickly appealing to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, which ordered lawyers to file a brief Monday but did not agree to hear oral arguments.
The campaign, in its filings, asked for urgent consideration so it could challenge the state election results before they are certified next month. If not, they will seek to decertify them, the filings said.
Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes.
Pennsylvania county election boards voted Monday, the state deadline, on whether to certify election results to the Department of State. The boards in two populous counties split along party lines, with majority Democrats in both places voting to certify. After all counties have sent certified results to Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, she must then tabulate, compute and canvass votes for all races. The law requires her to perform that task quickly but does not set a specific deadline.
In Wisconsin, a recount in the state’s two largest liberal counties moved into its fourth day, with election officials in Milwaukee County complaining that Trump observers were slowing down the process with frequent challenges. Trump’s hope of reversing Biden’s victory there depends on disqualifying thousands of absentee ballots —- including the in-person absentee ballot cast by one of Trump’s own campaign attorneys in Dane County.
___
Associated Press writers Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia, Jonathan Lemire in New York, Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pa., Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta and John Flesher in Traverse City, Mich., contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-11-24--Kelly Oubre Jr. on his Warriors future: ‘I see myself able to fit in and make this place home’

Before learning he was headed to the Warriors , Kelly Oubre Jr. was watching “ The Last Dance , ” the ESPN documentary chronicling Michael Jordan ’ s Bulls that Steve Kerr helped to three championships .
The next day , Oubre got a text from Kerr , now the head coach of the Warriors .
“ Mutual excitement , ” Oubre said of their first conversation .
“ He ’ s a legend .
I ’ ll loosen up a little bit ( around him ) .
I ’ m just in shock.
” But Oubre hopes that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
After a one-year stint at Kansas , Oubre was drafted by the Wizards in 2015 , traded to the Suns in 2018 , and traded twice this month , to the Thunder and then to the Warriors .
Fittingly , his Twitter profile picture is of Goku , the world-hopping hero of the anime television series “ Dragon Ball Z , ” hooked up to the tubes of a healing machine .
Like Goku , Oubre feels battered by his journeyman status .
“ My dad calls me a journeyman because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole lives , ” Oubre said in a conference call with reporters Monday .
“ We ’ ve found comfortability in the uncomfortable .
But I ’ m trying to be comfortable .
“ I ’ ve been trying to do that my whole life , fighting to be able to find a stable home.
” With the Warriors , Oubre hopes to find an environment that caters to his strengths .
Oubre , a 6-foot-7 forward with a track sprinter ’ s body , thrives in transition .
His length helps him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and calmly shoot over opponents unperturbed .
Playing with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will help Oubre level up both on offense and defense .
As a skilled cutter , playing with Curry should give Oubre more space .
Green will hold him accountable on defense , where he ’ s a stout one-on-one defender but can be susceptible to mental lapses .
But Oubre , 24 , has come a long way since a skirmish in October 2017 between his Wizards and Warriors resulted in ejections for Bradley Beal and Green .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ went unpunished despite the replay showing he had hit Klay Thompson in the back of the head with his fist .
Despite having earned the ire of Warriors fans , he will now slide into the starting lineup after Thompson suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon .
“ There ’ s a lot of maturing and growing that had to happen in my career and my life , ” Oubre said .
“ I definitely still think about things like that and I ’ m very remorseful about all the antics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in the day .
But we move forward .
We grow , we live and we learn .
We ’ re here now .
I ’ m a Warrior.
” Last season was a career year for Oubre , who averaged 18.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in the regular season .
A knee injury prevented him from playing in the NBA bubble this summer , where the Suns went 8-0 and pushed for the playoffs .
Seeing his team ’ s success without him motivated Oubre to return stronger but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Oklahoma City in a package for Chris Paul .
“ I got nothing handed to me in Phoenix , ” Oubre said , alluding to the Suns ’ organizational issues .
“ Although I made it look good , I got nothing handed to me at all.
” • Five offseason takeaways : How will Warriors play in 2021 with Oubre , Wiseman — and without Klay again ?
• Second-round surprise : How former top recruit Nico Mannion can help the Warriors win immediately In Phoenix , Oubre grew discontent with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt didn ’ t care enough about the organization ’ s culture .
Although his experience in Oklahoma City was short-lived , it was refreshing .
Thunder general manager Sam Presti called Oubre soon after acquiring him and let him know he ’ d likely be on the move again , and that the Warriors could be a landing spot .
Oubre appreciated the transparency .
Not a day after news of Thompson ’ s injury and selecting James Wiseman with the No .
2 pick in the draft , the Warriors traded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oubre into their $ 17.2 million trade exception .
Having already started working out at Chase Center this week , Oubre has gotten a sense of the culture Curry , Kerr , general manager Bob Myers and owner Joe Lacob have established .
“ It ’ s been really exciting to see the city , to come in and get some work in with the staff and on the court , ” Oubre said .
“ It ’ s just been amazing to feel the culture and feel the energy around the area.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will increase the Warriors ’ luxury tax bill to upwards of $ 80 million , will expire at the end of the season .
If he proves to be a good fit , they could opt to re-sign him .
If not , he will be on the move again and join his fifth team in five years .
“ I ’ m optimistic so I definitely see myself able to fit in and make this place home , ” Oubre said .
“ This is a great opportunity for me to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established and just fit right along with them .
”

Before learning he was headed to the Warriors, Kelly Oubre Jr. was watching “The Last Dance,” the ESPN documentary chronicling Michael Jordan’s Bulls that Steve Kerr helped to three championships.
The next day, Oubre got a text from Kerr, now the head coach of the Warriors. “Mutual excitement,” Oubre said of their first conversation. “He’s a legend. I’ll loosen up a little bit (around him). I’m just in shock.”
But Oubre hopes that when he loosens up, he can settle down. After a one-year stint at Kansas, Oubre was drafted by the Wizards in 2015, traded to the Suns in 2018, and traded twice this month, to the Thunder and then to the Warriors.
Fittingly, his Twitter profile picture is of Goku, the world-hopping hero of the anime television series “Dragon Ball Z,” hooked up to the tubes of a healing machine. Like Goku, Oubre feels battered by his journeyman status.
“My dad calls me a journeyman because we’ve been moving around our whole lives,” Oubre said in a conference call with reporters Monday. “We’ve found comfortability in the uncomfortable. But I’m trying to be comfortable.
“I’ve been trying to do that my whole life, fighting to be able to find a stable home.”
With the Warriors, Oubre hopes to find an environment that caters to his strengths. Oubre, a 6-foot-7 forward with a track sprinter’s body, thrives in transition. His length helps him finish at the rim with explosive dunks and calmly shoot over opponents unperturbed.
Playing with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will help Oubre level up both on offense and defense. As a skilled cutter, playing with Curry should give Oubre more space. Green will hold him accountable on defense, where he’s a stout one-on-one defender but can be susceptible to mental lapses.
But Oubre, 24, has come a long way since a skirmish in October 2017 between his Wizards and Warriors resulted in ejections for Bradley Beal and Green. Oubre, 21 at the time, went unpunished despite the replay showing he had hit Klay Thompson in the back of the head with his fist.
Despite having earned the ire of Warriors fans, he will now slide into the starting lineup after Thompson suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon.
“There’s a lot of maturing and growing that had to happen in my career and my life,” Oubre said. “I definitely still think about things like that and I’m very remorseful about all the antics and all the nonsense that I was in back in the day. But we move forward. We grow, we live and we learn. We’re here now. I’m a Warrior.”
Last season was a career year for Oubre, who averaged 18.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in the regular season. A knee injury prevented him from playing in the NBA bubble this summer, where the Suns went 8-0 and pushed for the playoffs. Seeing his team’s success without him motivated Oubre to return stronger but, months later, Phoenix traded Oubre to Oklahoma City in a package for Chris Paul.
“I got nothing handed to me in Phoenix,” Oubre said, alluding to the Suns’ organizational issues. “Although I made it look good, I got nothing handed to me at all.” Related Articles Golden State Warriors | Here’s the Warriors’ schedule for NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament
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In Phoenix, Oubre grew discontent with Suns owner Robert Sarver, who he felt didn’t care enough about the organization’s culture.
Although his experience in Oklahoma City was short-lived, it was refreshing. Thunder general manager Sam Presti called Oubre soon after acquiring him and let him know he’d likely be on the move again, and that the Warriors could be a landing spot. Oubre appreciated the transparency.
Not a day after news of Thompson’s injury and selecting James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Warriors traded a protected future first-round pick to take Oubre into their $17.2 million trade exception.
Having already started working out at Chase Center this week, Oubre has gotten a sense of the culture Curry, Kerr, general manager Bob Myers and owner Joe Lacob have established.
“It’s been really exciting to see the city, to come in and get some work in with the staff and on the court,” Oubre said. “It’s just been amazing to feel the culture and feel the energy around the area.”
Oubre’s contract, which will increase the Warriors’ luxury tax bill to upwards of $80 million, will expire at the end of the season. If he proves to be a good fit, they could opt to re-sign him. If not, he will be on the move again and join his fifth team in five years.
“I’m optimistic so I definitely see myself able to fit in and make this place home,” Oubre said. “This is a great opportunity for me to come in with the guys who are already established and just fit right along with them.”


mercurynews--2020-11-24--12 holiday TV must-sees: When Rudolph, Grinch and others return

Every winter , the TV networks and streamers deliver a sleigh load of new holiday-themed fare .
And while some of it certainly will pique our interest , we still yearn to lean into our go-to seasonal programming — evergreen specials and movies that have become annual fixtures on our screens .
It just wouldn ’ t be Christmas , after all , without Rudolph , Frosty , the Grinch and good ol ’ George Bailey .
With that in mind , here ’ s the schedule for 12 holiday favorite holiday TV must-sees : — “ Dr .
Seuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 8 p.m. Nov. 27 and Dec. 25 , NBC ) — “ A Charlie Brown Christmas ” ( Dec. 4 , Apple TV+ ; The classic “ Peanuts ” special is available free to non-subscribers for three days starting Dec. 11 ; it also airs commercial-free at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 on PBS and PBS KIDS ) — “ A Christmas Carol , ” 1938 version ( 8 p.m. Dec. 8 , 9 p.m. Dec. 21 , Midnight Dec. 25 , TCM ; Can also be streamed on HBO Max ) — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( 8 p.m. Dec. 11 , USA ; 8 p.m. Dec. 24 , NBC ; Can also be streamed on Amazon Prime ) ( Note : Programs on Freeform air multiple times throughout December .
Go here for a complete schedule of Freeform ’ s Christmas-themed programming ) .

Related Articles Entertainment | Hallmark holiday movies deliver comfort and joy in dark times
Hallmark holiday movies deliver comfort and joy in dark times Entertainment | Holiday TV: 15 new offerings to make your spirits bright Every winter, the TV networks and streamers deliver a sleigh load of new holiday-themed fare. And while some of it certainly will pique our interest, we still yearn to lean into our go-to seasonal programming — evergreen specials and movies that have become annual fixtures on our screens.
It just wouldn’t be Christmas, after all, without Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch and good ol’ George Bailey.
With that in mind, here’s the schedule for 12 holiday favorite holiday TV must-sees:
— “Frosty the Snowman” (8 p.m. Nov. 27, CBS; 8:45 p.m. Dec. 5, Freeform)
— “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (8 p.m. Nov. 27 and Dec. 25, NBC)
— “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (8 p.m. Nov. 27, ABC; 6:35 p.m. Dec. 5, Freeform)
— “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (8 p.m. Dec. 1, CBS; 7:40 p.m. Dec. 5, Freeform)
— “Home Alone” (5:50 p.m. Dec. 3, Freeform)
— “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (Dec. 4, Apple TV+; The classic “Peanuts” special is available free to non-subscribers for three days starting Dec. 11; it also airs commercial-free at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 on PBS and PBS KIDS)
— “Love Actually” (3:30 p.m. Dec. 7, Freeform; 10 p.m Dec. 18, 5 p.m. Dec. 22 and 12:30 p.m. Dec. 23, AMC)
— “A Christmas Carol,” 1938 version (8 p.m. Dec. 8, 9 p.m. Dec. 21, Midnight Dec. 25, TCM; Can also be streamed on HBO Max)
— “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (6:40 p.m. Dec. 10, Freeform)
— “It’s a Wonderful Life” (8 p.m. Dec. 11, USA; 8 p.m. Dec. 24, NBC; Can also be streamed on Amazon Prime)
— “A Christmas Story” (8 and 10 p.m. Dec. 21, TNT; Annual 24-hour marathon begins at 8 p.m. Dec. 24, TBS)
— “White Christmas” (Airs back-to-back eight times beginning at 2 p.m. Dec. 24, Sundance TV)
(Note: Programs on Freeform air multiple times throughout December. Go here for a complete schedule of Freeform’s Christmas-themed programming).


mercurynews--2020-11-24--Antioch couple found guilty of murder in 2019 road rage shooting

MARTINEZ — A husband and wife have been convicted of first-degree murder charges in the September 2019 fatal shooting that police say was sparked by a road-rage incident and car chase .
Tearri Richard , 25 , and his wife , Lakia Poles , 24 , were found guilty Monday of murdering Raul Garcia , 57 , of Antioch , after Poles allegedly chased Garcia ’ s car around Pittsburg and Antioch .
Prosecutors said she told Richard the victim ’ s location , leading to Richard opening fire on a car containing Garcia and his brother .
Additionally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Richard ’ s murder conviction , making him eligible for life without the possibility of parole .
Poles faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison .
During trial , the defense argued that someone in Garcia ’ s car fired at Richard first , and disputed the prosecution ’ s theory that Poles was chasing Garcia .
Prosecutors said the motive was an earlier argument between Garcia , his brother , Poles , and Richard , in which Richard allegedly threatened to “ spray ” them with bullets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurors who made sure justice was done in these difficult times , ” Aron DeFerrari , the deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case , said in a written statement .
“ We would also like to commend the Antioch police department on an outstanding investigation , they went above and beyond to making sure Raul Garcia ’ s killers were brought to justice.
” Jurors heard closing arguments on Friday , and announced a verdict Monday afternoon .
During closing arguments , defense attorneys argued Garcia ’ s brother and friends who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were lying , describing them as the true aggressors in the situation .
“ It is a fact that ( Poles ) is calm and peaceful , ” Poles ’ attorney , Adam Burke , told jurors .
He later added , “ ( Raul ) is the type of guy who will jump out of his car and accost a woman .
He had no idea Tearri Richard was there .
What kind of person does that ?
” DeFerrari told jurors Poles and Richard had worked together to kill Garcia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ them onto the freeway and into Antioch , Richard went and retrieved a gun from a nearby apartment , he said in court Friday .
“ Without Lakia Poles , we ’ re not here today .
Raul Garcia would still be hearing , walking around , ” DeFerrari said .
This is the second time in three years Richard has gone through a murder trial .
In 2017 , Richard was found not guilty in the deaths of Bryan Lang and his father , Keith Michael Lang .
They were fatally shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducting on Sept. 23 , 2014 , in their South San Jose home on Rancho Drive .
Prosecutors conceded Richard wasn ’ t the shooter , but charged him under the felony murder rule , which allows accomplices to felonies to be charged with murder .
The law has since been amended to exclude people who didn ’ t intend for the victim to get hurt .
Richard ’ s acquittal was aided by popular Oakland hip-hop artist Boots Riley , who testified as a defense expert that police had misinterpreted a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the homicide .

MARTINEZ — A husband and wife have been convicted of first-degree murder charges in the September 2019 fatal shooting that police say was sparked by a road-rage incident and car chase.
Tearri Richard, 25, and his wife, Lakia Poles, 24, were found guilty Monday of murdering Raul Garcia, 57, of Antioch, after Poles allegedly chased Garcia’s car around Pittsburg and Antioch. Prosecutors said she told Richard the victim’s location, leading to Richard opening fire on a car containing Garcia and his brother.
Additionally, jurors found special circumstances and gun enhancements on Richard’s murder conviction, making him eligible for life without the possibility of parole. Poles faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
During trial, the defense argued that someone in Garcia’s car fired at Richard first, and disputed the prosecution’s theory that Poles was chasing Garcia. Prosecutors said the motive was an earlier argument between Garcia, his brother, Poles, and Richard, in which Richard allegedly threatened to “spray” them with bullets.
“We would like to thank the jurors who made sure justice was done in these difficult times,” Aron DeFerrari, the deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case, said in a written statement. “We would also like to commend the Antioch police department on an outstanding investigation, they went above and beyond to making sure Raul Garcia’s killers were brought to justice.”
Jurors heard closing arguments on Friday, and announced a verdict Monday afternoon. During closing arguments, defense attorneys argued Garcia’s brother and friends who testified that Poles had followed them around were lying, describing them as the true aggressors in the situation.
“It is a fact that (Poles) is calm and peaceful,” Poles’ attorney, Adam Burke, told jurors. He later added, “(Raul) is the type of guy who will jump out of his car and accost a woman. He had no idea Tearri Richard was there. What kind of person does that?”
DeFerrari told jurors Poles and Richard had worked together to kill Garcia. While Poles followed the victims, chasing them onto the freeway and into Antioch, Richard went and retrieved a gun from a nearby apartment, he said in court Friday.
“Without Lakia Poles, we’re not here today. Raul Garcia would still be hearing, walking around,” DeFerrari said.
This is the second time in three years Richard has gone through a murder trial.
In 2017, Richard was found not guilty in the deaths of Bryan Lang and his father, Keith Michael Lang. They were fatally shot during a marijuana deal Bryan Lang was conducting on Sept. 23, 2014, in their South San Jose home on Rancho Drive. Prosecutors conceded Richard wasn’t the shooter, but charged him under the felony murder rule, which allows accomplices to felonies to be charged with murder. The law has since been amended to exclude people who didn’t intend for the victim to get hurt.
Richard’s acquittal was aided by popular Oakland hip-hop artist Boots Riley, who testified as a defense expert that police had misinterpreted a key phrase that investigators had claimed linked him to the homicide.


mercurynews--2020-11-24--Why a negative COVID test doesn’t give you the green light for Thanksgiving

As the coronavirus pandemic soars to new heights across California just days before Thanksgiving , testing in the Bay Area is similarly surging — a trend that is raising some alarms for public health officials who fear that negative results will give people a false sense of security .
“ The value of testing is that if you ’ re positive , you won ’ t gather , and that will avoid an infection , ” said Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo , a professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also should not convince you that you ’ re risk-free or not infectious.
” Public health officials up and down the state are hammering home that just because someone gets a negative result from a COVID-19 test , that doesn ’ t mean they have the green light to travel or gather for Thanksgiving .
Pandemic conditions are steadily getting worse , and on Monday the state broke a new record for the most coronavirus cases reported in a single day — 18,643 — and recorded it ’ s highest seven-day average yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures compiled by the Bay Area News Group .
Hospitalizations are rising faster than ever around the state , and over the weekend , California ’ s daily average of new cases climbed to its highest point of the pandemic .
Compared to two weeks ago , California is reporting more than twice the number of new cases each day , its positivity rate has increased by more than two full points , and 78 % more people are currently hospitalized around the state .
When it comes to testing , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a test and what kind , according to Peter Chin-Hong , an infectious disease expert at the University of California .
“ It has to be like Goldilocks — not too early and not too late , ” Chin-Hong said .
That ’ s because the incubation period — or time between your exposure and the onset of symptoms — can range from two to 14 days , with a median time of four to five days , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
If someone gets tested a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the results may come back negative but the virus may still be building up undetected in the body .
The period just before someone starts showing COVID-19 symptoms likely is when they are also at their most infectious state .
On top of that , there are two testing options .
Viral tests known as PCR are known to be more accurate , but the results often take a day or more to return ; and Antigen , or rapid tests , can produce results within an hour but produce a higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s nothing wrong with getting tested , but the key is not to be “ falsely reassured by a negative test.
” “ If you ’ re quarantining , then it ’ s more likely that the test will reflect the likelihood that you ’ re really not infected , ” Bibbins-Domingo said .
“ But you still have to remember to do all the public health measures , and gathering with people you haven ’ t been around is just not that.
” By Monday , appointments at Santa Clara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the end of the week — a level of demand for COVID-19 testing never seen before , according to spokesperson Betty Duong .
In Contra Costa County , where appointments are also booked solid , officials temporarily stopped offering flu vaccines at testing sites to free up more staff to increase COVID testing .
Meanwhile , the website of a private company called Covid Clinic , which offers rapid testing for $ 150 at a site in Pleasant Hill , was inoperable Monday due to an “ unusually high volume of traffic.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ since we ’ ve always asked the public to make testing a part of their routines , ” Duong said .
“ But there is also some concern , given the timing , that folks are testing solely for the purpose of holiday travel.
” At Emmanuel Baptist Church on the east side of San Jose — the only Santa Clara County site to offer no-appointment walk-up testing on Monday — dozens of people gathered in lines outside the church to take COVID-19 tests ahead of Thanksgiving .
About three hours before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared it had run out of tests for the day .
Rufina Perez , 60 , who was able to get tested before the site ran out , said she was planning to have a small Thanksgiving reunion of family members at her house and wanted to know she was not infected before going through with it .
“ We want to make sure that both our families are good before we meet because there are small children and elderly people , ” she said .
“ Everyone is telling us not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our reunion small .
I think everyone should be getting tested to make sure they ’ re OK. ” If Californians do not heed the warnings about avoiding traditional holiday celebrations , public health officials worry the state could experience similar repercussions as Canada did after its Thanksgiving celebration earlier this month .
Nearly two weeks after Thanksgiving , the two most populous provinces in Canada set records for the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded .
“ With vaccines on the horizon , we have a light at the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our job is to figure out what we can do to get through this very risky period with Thanksgiving and the winter holidays to get to the end of this pandemic as safely as possible.
” AstraZeneca on Monday became the third major drug company to report promising results for a potential COVID-19 vaccine as the world anxiously waits for scientific breakthroughs that will bring an end to the pandemic .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state committee tasked with independently reviewing vaccines for safety and efficacy on top of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial vaccine data from Pfizer and Moderna and have “ no concerns so far .
”

As the coronavirus pandemic soars to new heights across California just days before Thanksgiving, testing in the Bay Area is similarly surging — a trend that is raising some alarms for public health officials who fear that negative results will give people a false sense of security.
“The value of testing is that if you’re positive, you won’t gather, and that will avoid an infection,” said Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco. “But the challenge is that a negative test also should not convince you that you’re risk-free or not infectious.”
Public health officials up and down the state are hammering home that just because someone gets a negative result from a COVID-19 test, that doesn’t mean they have the green light to travel or gather for Thanksgiving.
Pandemic conditions are steadily getting worse, and on Monday the state broke a new record for the most coronavirus cases reported in a single day — more than 20,000 — and recorded it’s highest seven-day average yet, at least 12,163, according to figures compiled by the Bay Area News Group.
Hospitalizations are rising faster than ever around the state, and over the weekend, California’s daily average of new cases climbed to its highest point of the pandemic. Compared to two weeks ago, California is reporting more than twice the number of new cases each day, its positivity rate has increased by more than two full points, and 78% more people are currently hospitalized around the state.
When it comes to testing, there are big variables depending on when you get a test and what kind, according to Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California.
“It has to be like Goldilocks — not too early and not too late,” Chin-Hong said.
That’s because the incubation period — or time between your exposure and the onset of symptoms — can range from two to 14 days, with a median time of four to five days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If someone gets tested a day or two after they were exposed, the results may come back negative but the virus may still be building up undetected in the body.
The period just before someone starts showing COVID-19 symptoms likely is when they are also at their most infectious state.
On top of that, there are two testing options. Viral tests known as PCR are known to be more accurate, but the results often take a day or more to return; and Antigen, or rapid tests, can produce results within an hour but produce a higher rate of false negatives.
Bibbins-Domingo said there’s nothing wrong with getting tested, but the key is not to be “falsely reassured by a negative test.”
“If you’re quarantining, then it’s more likely that the test will reflect the likelihood that you’re really not infected,” Bibbins-Domingo said. “But you still have to remember to do all the public health measures, and gathering with people you haven’t been around is just not that.”
SAN JOSE - NOVEMBER 23: People wait in line at the COVID-19 test center at Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. Due to the angle of the photo some people may appear to be closer than they are. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE - NOVEMBER 23: Montserrat Ayala, left, and Carlos Jimenez, right, wait in line to get tested at the COVID-19 test center at Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE - NOVEMBER 23: People wait in line at the COVID-19 test center at Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE - NOVEMBER 23: Glen Buschbaum, right, and his son Mark, left, wait in line to get tested at the COVID-19 test center at Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE - NOVEMBER 23: People wait in line at the COVID-19 test center at Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. Due to the angle of the photo some people may appear to be closer than they are. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)
PLEASANT HILL, CA - NOVEMBER 23: A worker administers a COVID-19 test to a passenger in a vehicle at a testing site on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, in Pleasant Hill, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
PLEASANT HILL, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Vehicles line up at a COVID-19 testing site on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, in Pleasant Hill, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
By Monday, appointments at Santa Clara County’s testing sites were booked through the end of the week — a level of demand for COVID-19 testing never seen before, according to spokesperson Betty Duong. In Contra Costa County, where appointments are also booked solid, officials temporarily stopped offering flu vaccines at testing sites to free up more staff to increase COVID testing. Meanwhile, the website of a private company called Covid Clinic, which offers rapid testing for $150 at a site in Pleasant Hill, was inoperable Monday due to an “unusually high volume of traffic.”
“It’s certainly encouraging since we’ve always asked the public to make testing a part of their routines,” Duong said. “But there is also some concern, given the timing, that folks are testing solely for the purpose of holiday travel.”
At Emmanuel Baptist Church on the east side of San Jose — one of the only Santa Clara County site to offer no-appointment walk-up testing on Monday — dozens of people gathered in lines outside the church to take COVID-19 tests ahead of Thanksgiving. About three hours before the site was scheduled to close, officials declared it had run out of tests for the day.
Rufina Perez, 60, who was able to get tested before the site ran out, said she was planning to have a small Thanksgiving reunion of family members at her house and wanted to know she was not infected before going through with it.
“We want to make sure that both our families are good before we meet because there are small children and elderly people,” she said. “Everyone is telling us not to go out, so we are keeping our reunion small. I think everyone should be getting tested to make sure they’re OK.”
If Californians do not heed the warnings about avoiding traditional holiday celebrations, public health officials worry the state could experience similar repercussions as Canada did after its Thanksgiving celebration earlier this month. Nearly two weeks after Thanksgiving, the two most populous provinces in Canada set records for the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded.
“With vaccines on the horizon, we have a light at the end of the tunnel,” Bibbins-Domingo said. “Our job is to figure out what we can do to get through this very risky period with Thanksgiving and the winter holidays to get to the end of this pandemic as safely as possible.”
AstraZeneca on Monday became the third major drug company to report promising results for a potential COVID-19 vaccine as the world anxiously waits for scientific breakthroughs that will bring an end to the pandemic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state committee tasked with independently reviewing vaccines for safety and efficacy on top of the federal approval process has begun reviewing initial vaccine data from Pfizer and Moderna and have “no concerns so far.”
Staff writer Evan Webeck contributed to this story.


mercurynews--2020-11-24--A Pittsburg man allegedly chucked a bag of meth, pot, tobacco, and a cellphone into an East Bay jail

A Pittsburg man allegedly chucked a bag of meth, pot, tobacco, and a cellphone into an East Bay jail yard. Now he’s in jail too

CLAYTON — A Pittsburg man has been arrested after investigators identified him as the person who lobbed a bag containing @ @ @ @ @ Detention Facility , authorities said .
The arrest stems from an October incident when Contra @ @ @ @ @ jail discovered a bag on jail property containing a cellphone , two ounces of meth @ @ @ @ @ , some tobacco , and unspecified hand tools .
There was a clue to the @ @ @ @ @ : the initials of a 37-year-old inmate handwritten onto the bag , police said in @ @ @ @ @ official allows Biden transition to officially begin In a subsequent phone call on the jail @ @ @ @ @ by police — the two discussed their plan and the thrower apologized for not getting @ @ @ @ @ jail , authorities said .
He allegedly explained it was heavier than he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ was arrested in mid-November .
Both are still in the county jail , court records @ @

CLAYTON — A Pittsburg man has been arrested after investigators identified him as the person who lobbed a bag containing contraband into the Marsh Creek Detention Facility, authorities said.
The arrest stems from an October incident when Contra Costa deputies at the Clayton jail discovered a bag on jail property containing a cellphone, two ounces of meth, an ounce of marijuana, some tobacco, and unspecified hand tools. There was a clue to the intended recipient’s identity: the initials of a 37-year-old inmate handwritten onto the bag, police said in court records.
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Giuliani: Legal quagmires have left him broke Crime and Public Safety | Oakland nonfatal shooting suspect hit with federal gun possession charges In a subsequent phone call on the jail’s landline — recorded by police — the two discussed their plan and the thrower apologized for not getting the bag further into the jail, authorities said. He allegedly explained it was heavier than he’d anticipated.
The 29-year-old man was arrested in mid-November. Both are still in the county jail, court records show.


mercurynews--2020-11-24--Critter Corner: How to get the new pup holiday ready

Dear Miss Behavin ’ : We will be having close family over this year for the Thanksgiving holiday .
This will be our pups first family gathering , what are some things we can do to ensure that the gathering goes well and he is on his best behavior ?
What a great question as so many families have recently added new members to their household and this will most likely their first holiday gathering .
There are a few things you can do with your pup to ensure that he is on his best behavior .
If he begs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cue ‘ place ’ or ‘ go to mat ’ for mealtimes .
You will be able to give him a place to go during the meal so that he can ’ t practice the unwanted behavior .
You can teach this by reinforcing him anytime he is lying on his bed or mat .
You can train this by reinforcing him for stepping onto the mat and work up to having him lie down on the mat for a period of time .
You will want to occasionally reinforce him for remaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your pup loves to greet your guests by jumping on them , you can teach him to offer a ‘ sit ’ for attention from guests or family members .
Having him on leash will help you have better control of him and prevent him running around the guests and jumping from multiple sides .
Keeping a small treat jar close by will make it easy to reinforce desired behaviors .
Make sure that your pup has been properly exercised shortly before guests are to arrive so that he will be tired and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can also give a stuffed Kong or other type of food dispensing toy to occupy him during arrival and meal time .
We are also currently offering in-person classes and consults ; you can view the current schedule of classes on our website or contact our Behavior Department .
Tasha Suda is the Lead Dog Trainer for the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA Behavior Department .
For more information , please visit www.phs-spca.org , call 650-340-7022 or email tsuda @ phs-spca.org .

Dear Miss Behavin’: We will be having close family over this year for the Thanksgiving holiday. This will be our pups first family gathering, what are some things we can do to ensure that the gathering goes well and he is on his best behavior?
What a great question as so many families have recently added new members to their household and this will most likely their first holiday gathering. There are a few things you can do with your pup to ensure that he is on his best behavior. If he begs during mealtimes, I would teach the cue ‘place’ or ‘go to mat’ for mealtimes.
You will be able to give him a place to go during the meal so that he can’t practice the unwanted behavior. You can teach this by reinforcing him anytime he is lying on his bed or mat. You can train this by reinforcing him for stepping onto the mat and work up to having him lie down on the mat for a period of time. You will want to occasionally reinforce him for remaining there during your mealtimes too. If your pup loves to greet your guests by jumping on them, you can teach him to offer a ‘sit’ for attention from guests or family members. Having him on leash will help you have better control of him and prevent him running around the guests and jumping from multiple sides. Keeping a small treat jar close by will make it easy to reinforce desired behaviors.
Make sure that your pup has been properly exercised shortly before guests are to arrive so that he will be tired and not have excessive amounts of energy. You can also give a stuffed Kong or other type of food dispensing toy to occupy him during arrival and meal time. We are also currently offering in-person classes and consults; you can view the current schedule of classes on our website or contact our Behavior Department.
Tasha Suda is the Lead Dog Trainer for the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA Behavior Department. For more information, please visit www.phs-spca.org, call 650-340-7022 or email tsuda@phs-spca.org.


mercurynews--2020-11-24--After criticism, Sen. Feinstein to step down from Judiciary spot

By Mary Clare Jalonick and Matthew Daly | Associated Press WASHINGTON — California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Monday she will step down from her role as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee , giving up the powerful spot after public criticism of her bipartisan outreach and her handling of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett ’ s confirmation hearings .
Feinstein , 87 , said in a statement that she would not seek the position in the next Congress .
She did not say why , but said she would instead focus on wildfire and drought issues and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are important in her home state .
She plans to continue to serve on the Judiciary , Appropriations and intelligence panels , but said she will not seek the role of top Democrat on any of those committees .
“ I will continue to do my utmost to bring about positive change in the coming years , ” she said in the statement .
She has held the post since 2017 .
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin , the Senate ’ s No .
2 Democrat , has expressed interest in the Judiciary post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feinstein and Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy , who is expected to remain as top Democrat on the powerful Appropriations committee .
A spokeswoman for Durbin did not have immediate comment .
But his office has said there is nothing in Democratic caucus rules that blocks him form serving in his leadership post and also as the top Democrat on Judiciary .
Feinstein , first elected in 1992 , has been a powerful force in the Democratic Party and is the former chairwoman of the intelligence panel .
She has not shied from bipartisanship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polarized .
That tension came to a head at the hearings for Barrett , when Feinstein closed out the proceedings with an embrace for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , publicly thanking the chairman for a job well done .
Democrats had fiercely opposed Barrett ’ s nomination to replace the late liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
“ This has been one of the best set of hearings that I ’ ve participated in , ” Feinstein said at the end of the hearing .
Those actions put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential liberals who had been questioning for some time whether she was right for the job .
“ It ’ s time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee , ” said Brian Fallon , the executive director of Demand Justice , which opposes conservative nominees to the courts .
“ If she won ’ t , her colleagues need to intervene.
” Feinstein also irked some of her fellow Democrats at Barrett ’ s first confirmation hearing , in 2017 for an appeals court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s opposition to abortion must be rooted in her religion and questioned if it would influence her rulings on the bench , saying the “ dogma lives loudly within you.
” Republicans seized on the phrase , saying it was offensive to Catholics .
The backlash helped Barrett rise in the ranks of Supreme Court hopefuls .
In a statement , Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he was “ grateful for Senator Feinstein ’ s leadership and contributions to our caucus and country ” in the Judiciary post .
Feinstein ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , and leadership on so many issues will continue to be an asset for our caucus , California , and the country as we begin a new term with the new president , ” said Schumer , D-N.Y .
It is still unclear which party will hold the majority in the Senate next year .
If Democrats win two runoff elections in Georgia , they could take the Senate very narrowly .
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is expected to reclaim the top Republican spot on the panel next session after leaving for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee .

By Mary Clare Jalonick and Matthew Daly | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Monday she will step down from her role as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, giving up the powerful spot after public criticism of her bipartisan outreach and her handling of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings.
Feinstein, 87, said in a statement that she would not seek the position in the next Congress. She did not say why, but said she would instead focus on wildfire and drought issues and the effects of climate change, which are important in her home state. She plans to continue to serve on the Judiciary, Appropriations and intelligence panels, but said she will not seek the role of top Democrat on any of those committees.
“I will continue to do my utmost to bring about positive change in the coming years,” she said in the statement. She has held the post since 2017.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, has expressed interest in the Judiciary post. Durbin is third in seniority after Feinstein and Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, who is expected to remain as top Democrat on the powerful Appropriations committee.
A spokeswoman for Durbin did not have immediate comment. But his office has said there is nothing in Democratic caucus rules that blocks him form serving in his leadership post and also as the top Democrat on Judiciary.
Feinstein, first elected in 1992, has been a powerful force in the Democratic Party and is the former chairwoman of the intelligence panel. She has not shied from bipartisanship even as both parties have become increasingly polarized.
That tension came to a head at the hearings for Barrett, when Feinstein closed out the proceedings with an embrace for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., publicly thanking the chairman for a job well done. Democrats had fiercely opposed Barrett’s nomination to replace the late liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“This has been one of the best set of hearings that I’ve participated in,” Feinstein said at the end of the hearing.
Those actions put her immediately in the crosshairs of some influential liberals who had been questioning for some time whether she was right for the job.
“It’s time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee,” said Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice, which opposes conservative nominees to the courts. “If she won’t, her colleagues need to intervene.”
Feinstein also irked some of her fellow Democrats at Barrett’s first confirmation hearing, in 2017 for an appeals court, when she said that Barrett’s opposition to abortion must be rooted in her religion and questioned if it would influence her rulings on the bench, saying the “dogma lives loudly within you.”
Republicans seized on the phrase, saying it was offensive to Catholics. The backlash helped Barrett rise in the ranks of Supreme Court hopefuls.
In a statement, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he was “grateful for Senator Feinstein’s leadership and contributions to our caucus and country” in the Judiciary post.
Feinstein’s “experience, decades-long relationship with President-elect Biden, and leadership on so many issues will continue to be an asset for our caucus, California, and the country as we begin a new term with the new president,” said Schumer, D-N.Y.
It is still unclear which party will hold the majority in the Senate next year. If Democrats win two runoff elections in Georgia, they could take the Senate very narrowly.
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is expected to reclaim the top Republican spot on the panel next session after leaving for two years to head the Senate Finance Committee.