latimes--2020-08-17--With Kamala Harris as VP pick, Gavin Newsom's White House hopes have stalled

Maybe you ’ ve noticed : Gov .
Gavin Newsom no longer looks like a promising future presidential prospect .
He has been leaped over and left behind by a California ally , Sen. Kamala Harris .
Since Newsom was elected governor in 2018 , the expectation has been that he would seize the first opportunity after this year to run for president .
Newsom , 52 , wasn ’ t ready this year .
But if President Trump won reelection , the Oval Office would be open in 2024 .
And if a Democrat ousted Trump , there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California governors have long had their eyes on the White House .
After all , this is the state with by far the biggest blocs of convention delegates and electoral votes .
Democrat Jerry Brown ran three times for president .
Republican Pete Wilson ran once .
Ronald Reagan finally won on his third attempt .
The late Assembly Speaker Bob Moretti of Van Nuys candidly told me after losing the 1974 gubernatorial primary to Brown that the only reason he ran for governor was to gain a launching pad for the presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any liftoff for Newsom .
His potential route to the White House has been abruptly blocked by Harris ’ ascent to the Democratic vice presidential slot .
“ Kamala is smart .
She ’ s tough , ” presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden told a TV audience of millions in explaining why he chose her as his running mate .
“ She ’ s ready to do this job … .
“ As the child of immigrants , she knows personally how immigrant families enrich our country , as well as the challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black and Indian American in the United States … .
Her story is an American story.
” That ’ s a priceless public introduction by the man who ’ s likely to become the next president .
Harris , 55 , undoubtedly will run for president again at her next opportunity , which will be when Biden , 77 , isn ’ t running — either in 2024 or 2028 .
It isn ’ t like Newsom to run against her .
He and Harris have been political stablemates , operating as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top offices .
In running for governor and the Senate , they shared the same political strategist , Ace Smith .
When former California Sen. Barbara Boxer retired in 2016 , then-Atty .
Gen. Harris and then-Lt. Gov .
Newsom quickly agreed : She ’ d seek the Senate seat that year and he ’ d run for governor in 2018 .
And even if Newsom did attempt to compete against Harris for the presidency , he probably wouldn ’ t get far .
“ No matter what happens in November , Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list in the next presidential race , ” says Rose Kapolczynski , a longtime Democratic consultant who managed Boxer ’ s Senate campaigns .
“ If somehow the Biden-Harris ticket loses to Trump , Kamala Harris will be the front-runner for 2024 .
“ And if they win … you can see Kamala Harris dominating Democratic politics for the next 16 years — as vice president and then as the elected president.
” Bob Shrum , a veteran Democratic consultant who is director of the Center for the Political Future at USC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond Newsom ’ s reach .
“ Obviously Kamala Harris , especially if she and Biden win , which I think they will , becomes the front-runner in 2024 or 2028 , ” Shrum says .
“ And that makes any path to the White House for Newsom more difficult … .
“ California political power and resources would unite behind Harris because she ’ s the vice president.
” Shrum points out that a sitting vice president hasn ’ t lost a nomination for president since Democrat Alben Barkley in 1952 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1960 , Democrat Hubert H. Humphrey in 1968 , Republican George H.W .
Bush in 1988 and Democrat Al Gore in 2000 .
“ Kamala ’ s a charismatic candidate now , ” Shrum says .
“ She ’ ll become a deeper and even better candidate if she runs for president ” after being VP .
Newsom may also have another problem : He ’ s a white male in a party in which power is trending toward women and people of color .
“ I think it ’ s very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Democratic ticket again , ” Kapolczynski says .
In selecting a woman of color as his running mate , she says , Biden “ cast his vote for the future of the Democratic Party.
” Actually , there hasn ’ t been an all-male white Democratic ticket since 2004 .
“ We ’ ve been seeing a major cultural shift over the last several years , ” Kapolczynski says .
Newsom is the only white male holding elective statewide office .
Both U.S. senators have been women for nearly 28 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most powerful members of Congress : U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco .
An estimated 61 % of the state ’ s likely Democratic voters are women , the Public Policy Institute of California reported last year .
Roughly half are white and half are people of color .
On Thursday night , he needs to take full advantage of an invaluable gift : a prime-time speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention .
Newsom ’ s speech must be concise and hard-hitting , unlike many of his ramblings .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Winning should be a snap , assuming some big “ ifs ” — if he can bring the spread of the coronavirus under control , reboot California ’ s economy and fix state government ’ s computer mess that has plagued seemingly everything , including COVID-19 data collecting , DMV renewals , payment of unemployment benefits .
Then he should take a hard look at running for Sen. Dianne Feinstein ’ s Senate seat when she ’ s up for reelection in 2024 .
Feinstein will be 91 and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or maybe Harris can find Newsom a Cabinet job .

Sen. Kamala Harris endorsed then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in the California governor’s race in an appearance at USC’s Ronald Tutor Campus Center on Feb. 16, 2018.
Maybe you’ve noticed: Gov. Gavin Newsom no longer looks like a promising future presidential prospect. He has been leaped over and left behind by a California ally, Sen. Kamala Harris.
Since Newsom was elected governor in 2018, the expectation has been that he would seize the first opportunity after this year to run for president.
Newsom, 52, wasn’t ready this year. But if President Trump won reelection, the Oval Office would be open in 2024. And if a Democrat ousted Trump, there’d be another opportunity in 2028.
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California governors have long had their eyes on the White House. After all, this is the state with by far the biggest blocs of convention delegates and electoral votes.
Democrat Jerry Brown ran three times for president. Republican Pete Wilson ran once. Ronald Reagan finally won on his third attempt.
The late Assembly Speaker Bob Moretti of Van Nuys candidly told me after losing the 1974 gubernatorial primary to Brown that the only reason he ran for governor was to gain a launching pad for the presidency.
But now you can forget about any liftoff for Newsom. His potential route to the White House has been abruptly blocked by Harris’ ascent to the Democratic vice presidential slot.
“Kamala is smart. She’s tough,” presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden told a TV audience of millions in explaining why he chose her as his running mate. “She’s ready to do this job ….
“As the child of immigrants, she knows personally how immigrant families enrich our country, as well as the challenges of what it means to grow up Black and Indian American in the United States …. Her story is an American story.”
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That’s a priceless public introduction by the man who’s likely to become the next president.
Harris, 55, undoubtedly will run for president again at her next opportunity, which will be when Biden, 77, isn’t running — either in 2024 or 2028.
It isn’t like Newsom to run against her. He and Harris have been political stablemates, operating as a team, dividing up California’s top offices. In running for governor and the Senate, they shared the same political strategist, Ace Smith.
When former California Sen. Barbara Boxer retired in 2016, then-Atty. Gen. Harris and then-Lt. Gov. Newsom quickly agreed: She’d seek the Senate seat that year and he’d run for governor in 2018.
And even if Newsom did attempt to compete against Harris for the presidency, he probably wouldn’t get far.
“No matter what happens in November, Kamala Harris goes to the top of the list in the next presidential race,” says Rose Kapolczynski, a longtime Democratic consultant who managed Boxer’s Senate campaigns. “If somehow the Biden-Harris ticket loses to Trump, Kamala Harris will be the front-runner for 2024.
“And if they win … you can see Kamala Harris dominating Democratic politics for the next 16 years — as vice president and then as the elected president.”
Bob Shrum, a veteran Democratic consultant who is director of the Center for the Political Future at USC, agrees that Harris has been elevated probably beyond Newsom’s reach.
“Obviously Kamala Harris, especially if she and Biden win, which I think they will, becomes the front-runner in 2024 or 2028,” Shrum says. “And that makes any path to the White House for Newsom more difficult ….
“California political power and resources would unite behind Harris because she’s the vice president.”
Shrum points out that a sitting vice president hasn’t lost a nomination for president since Democrat Alben Barkley in 1952.
The winning VPs: Republican Richard Nixon in 1960, Democrat Hubert H. Humphrey in 1968, Republican George H.W. Bush in 1988 and Democrat Al Gore in 2000.
“Kamala’s a charismatic candidate now,” Shrum says. “She’ll become a deeper and even better candidate if she runs for president” after being VP.
Newsom may also have another problem: He’s a white male in a party in which power is trending toward women and people of color.
“I think it’s very unlikely we will see two white men on the Democratic ticket again,” Kapolczynski says. In selecting a woman of color as his running mate, she says, Biden “cast his vote for the future of the Democratic Party.”
Actually, there hasn’t been an all-male white Democratic ticket since 2004.
“We’ve been seeing a major cultural shift over the last several years,” Kapolczynski says.
California is a leading example.
Politics The progressive Indian grandfather who inspired Kamala Harris With P.V. Gopalan, an upright civil servant and doting patriarch, Kamala Harris forged one of the defining relationships of her life.
Newsom is the only white male holding elective statewide office. Both U.S. senators have been women for nearly 28 years. So is one of the two most powerful members of Congress: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco.
An estimated 61% of the state’s likely Democratic voters are women, the Public Policy Institute of California reported last year. Roughly half are white and half are people of color.
Newsom’s political future?
On Thursday night, he needs to take full advantage of an invaluable gift: a prime-time speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention. Newsom’s speech must be concise and hard-hitting, unlike many of his ramblings.
In 2022, Newsom will run for reelection. Winning should be a snap, assuming some big “ifs” — if he can bring the spread of the coronavirus under control, reboot California’s economy and fix state government’s computer mess that has plagued seemingly everything, including COVID-19 data collecting, DMV renewals, payment of unemployment benefits.
Then he should take a hard look at running for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat when she’s up for reelection in 2024. Feinstein will be 91 and it’s a good bet she’ll retire.
Or maybe Harris can find Newsom a Cabinet job.


latimes--2020-08-17--Death Valley hits 130 degrees, thought to be highest temperature on Earth in over a century

Temperatures in Death Valley skyrocketed to a blistering 130 degrees on Sunday — possibly the highest mercury reading on Earth since 1913 .
If the National Weather Service ’ s recording is correct , it would also be among the top-three highest temperatures to have ever been measured in Death Valley , as well as the highest temperature ever seen there during the month of August .
The temperature in Death Valley hit 130 degrees at 3:41 p.m. Sunday , the National Weather Service said in a tweet .
Death Valley holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1913 , according to Guinness World Records .
That reading has been disputed , however .
Since then , a 129-degree reading was recorded in Death Valley in 2013 .
The reading comes amid an epic heat wave that continues to grip most of the southwestern U.S .
Multiple daily heat records were set Saturday .
The National Weather Service reported a high of 112 in Woodland Hills , breaking the record of 108 set in 1977 , and a high of 92 at UCLA , breaking the record of 90 set in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degrees , tying a record set in 1994 .

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park. The temperature recorded Sunday could be among the top three highest temperatures ever measured in Death Valley.
Temperatures in Death Valley skyrocketed to a blistering 130 degrees on Sunday — possibly the highest mercury reading on Earth in almost 90 years.
The National Weather Service recording, which is awaiting confirmation, is among the top three highest temperatures ever measured in Death Valley, as well as the highest temperature seen there during the month of August, according to park and weather service data.
For the record: An earlier version of this article stated Sunday’s preliminary temperature in Death Valley was possibly the highest mercury reading on Earth since 1913, when Death Valley recorded a high of 134 degrees. A temperature of 131 degrees was recorded in Tunisia in 1931. Both readings have been disputed.
The temperature in Death Valley hit 130 degrees at 3:41 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service said in a tweet.
Per the climate data in xmACIS2, this is the first time since 1913 that Death Valley has reached 130F. In July 2013, it last reached 129F. If valid, it would be the hottest August temperature at the site by 3F. @NWSVegas pic.twitter.com/gZNBW4NXI4 — NWS WPC (@NWSWPC) August 16, 2020
Death Valley holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded on the planet: 134 degrees in 1913, according to Guinness World Records. That reading has been disputed, however.
In 1931, the mercury hit 131 degrees in Kebili, Tunisia, according to the World Meteorological Organization, but that reading also is disputed.
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Since then, a 129-degree reading was recorded in Death Valley in 2013.
Sunday’s reading comes amid an epic heat wave that continues to grip most of the southwestern U.S.
Multiple daily heat records were set Saturday. The National Weather Service reported a high of 112 in Woodland Hills, breaking the record of 108 set in 1977, and a high of 92 at UCLA, breaking the record of 90 set in 2003. Downtown Los Angeles hit 98 degrees, tying a record set in 1994.


latimes--2020-08-16--L.A. schools announce massive COVID-19 testing, tracing initiative for all students and staff

The Los Angeles Unified School District announced Sunday that it is launching an ambitious coronavirus testing and contact tracing program for all students , staff and their families — aiming to create a path to safely reopening campuses in the nation ’ s second-largest school district .
If the plan unfolds as described , it could be one of the most detailed to date for an American school district , involving nearly 500,000 students and 75,000 staff members .
It appears to be the most sizable , at least until the larger New York City school system clarifies how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The L.A. testing program is not an immediate prelude to reopening campuses .
No date has yet been set , and plans for offering distance learning will proceed as the school year formally begins this week .
But what the testing and contact tracing program will offer is a scientifically based confidence builder leading up to the day campuses are able to reopen , providing a road map for safely managing renewed school operations and data to assemble a valuable base of knowledge .
“ Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary actions , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unprecedented , it is necessary and appropriate , ” said L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner in remarks prepared for broadcast on Monday morning .
“ This program will provide public health benefit to all in the school community as well as the greater Los Angeles area .
It will also provide significant education benefits for students as it will get them back to school sooner and safer and keep them there.
” The spread of COVID-19 in the Los Angeles area still far exceeds state guidelines governing the possible return of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not yet safe to return to campuses even as this plan is launched .
“ The level of new cases in Los Angeles are still two and a half times the state guidelines , and while the portion of those testing positive is below state thresholds , it ’ s still considerably higher than the World Health Organization standards and those in place for New York , ” Beutner said .
The superintendent referenced the New York school system because that district is planning to open campuses in a modified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September .
Beutner also outlined the plan for testing and contact tracing in an opinion article in The Times published Sunday .
The district hopes to be able to test all students and staff as part of a partnership that includes UCLA , Stanford and Johns Hopkins University , Microsoft , Anthem Blue Cross and HealthNet , among others — with a price tag of roughly $ 300 per student over a year , close to $ 150 million .
The superintendent did not immediately identify the source of the funding , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state and federal dollars for its coronavirus response efforts .
District officials also have said they could use additional funding .
The testing logistics are currently being fine-tuned and tests will first be administered to teachers and staff who are choosing to work from schools as well as any of their children enrolled in day care provided by the district , Beutner wrote in the opinion piece .
“ Tests will then be provided for all staff and students over a period of weeks to establish a baseline , ” he wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sample testing based on epidemiological models will be done for each cohort of staff and students.
” The district ’ s announcement comes amid growing concerns from parents about a fall semester of online learning .
A Times survey published last week showed students from low-income families generally fare much worse than students from more affluent families .
This month , the Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously that will restore structure to the academic schedule while also allowing for an online school day that is shorter than the traditional one .
Members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agreement .
The distance learning schedule leaves some L.A. Unified parents and advocates wanting more teaching hours .
There also are parents who want fewer mandatory screen-time hours for their young children — a reflection of the complexities of distance learning and the over the start of the school year at home and online .
Beutner has long called for widespread testing of students and staff , saying such protocols were key to safely reopening schools .
Public health experts have said that such a plan seemed impractical .
“ At this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Claire Garrido-Ortega , an epidemiology lecturer at Cal State Long Beach , told The Times in July .
“ Testing doesn ’ t necessarily reduce risk.
” Beutner pointed to the success seen by South Korea , Denmark , Germany and Vietnam in fighting the virus , noting that those countries ’ contact tracing operations could be applied to L.A. County schools .
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explicitly “ does not recommend ” comprehensive school-based testing , citing a lack of evidence that it would reduce transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consent and student privacy .
It is not yet clear how often LAUSD students will be tested .
It was not clear Sunday when the first testing would begin .
It ’ s also not clear whether certain provisions of the plan would involve negotiations with employee unions .
School nurses are likely to play a central role in the plan .
They are represented by United Teachers Los Angeles .
Union leaders said they are preparing to negotiate over issues related to a return to campus .
So , far , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of distance learning , ” said Arlene Inouye , the union ’ s elected secretary .
“ Our next negotiations will be about the physical return to schools.
” She pointed out that members of UTLA are not required to work from campus , although members of some other unions must do so .
Researchers at UCLA and Johns Hopkins University , who are providing services pro bono , will use the testing data to analyze the effects of reopening campuses , the district said .
Researchers hope the program can be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the program , researchers will determine a schedule for the frequency of testing for students and staff , the district said .
“ Determining an ideal testing strategy involves the application of epidemiologic principles and modeling informed by all available information , ” Dr. Kristan Staudenmayer , an associate professor at Stanford who is spearheading the university ’ s contribution , said in a prepared statement .
Staudenmayer , in an interview with The Times on Sunday night , said the plan pursues “ a very noble cause : continuing to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School District.
” Experts at UCLA will study Los Angeles Unified ’ s reopening plans and also share findings from this effort worldwide , Dr. Steven M. Dubinett , director of the school ’ s Clinical & Translational Science Institute , said in a statement .
Other key players include Microsoft , which will provide an app that families and employees can use to report symptoms — and which will be used to gather data districtwide that will guide the district ’ s ongoing response .
The application also is intended to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information .

LAUSD staff member Adrian Pacheco demonstrates the use of sanitizing tools as Supt. Austin Beutner tours Burbank Middle School. As the school year looms, preparations have been underway to make campuses safe.
The Los Angeles Unified School District announced Sunday that it was launching an ambitious coronavirus testing and contact-tracing program for all students, staff and their families — aiming to create a path to safely reopening campuses in the nation’s second-largest school district.
If the plan unfolds as described, it could be one of the most detailed to date for a U.S. school district, involving nearly 500,000 students and 75,000 staff members. It appears to be the most sizable, at least until the larger New York City school system clarifies how it will manage testing and contact tracing.
The L.A. testing program is not an immediate prelude to reopening campuses. No date has yet been set for reopening, and plans for offering distance learning will proceed as the school year formally begins this week.
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But what the testing and contact-tracing program will offer is a scientifically based confidence builder leading up to the day campuses are able to reopen, providing a road map for safely managing renewed school operations and the data needed to assemble a valuable base of knowledge.
“Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary actions, and while this testing and contact-tracing effort is unprecedented, it is necessary and appropriate,” said L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner in remarks prepared for broadcast on Monday morning. “This program will provide public health benefit to all in the school community as well as the Greater Los Angeles area. It will also provide significant education benefits for students as it will get them back to school sooner and safer and keep them there.”
The spread of COVID-19 in the Los Angeles area still far exceeds state guidelines governing the possible return of students to campuses.
Beutner reiterated that it was not yet safe to return to campuses even as this plan launched.
“The level of new cases in Los Angeles are still 2½ times the state guidelines, and while the portion of those testing positive is below state thresholds, it’s still considerably higher than the World Health Organization standards and those in place for New York,” Beutner said.
The superintendent referenced the New York school system because that district was planning to open campuses in a modified fashion when its school year started in September.
Beutner also outlined the plan for testing and contact tracing in an opinion article in the Los Angeles Times published Sunday.
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The district hopes to be able to test all students and staff as part of a partnership that includes UCLA, Stanford and Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, Anthem Blue Cross and HealthNet, among others — with a price tag of roughly $300 per student over a year, close to $150 million.
The superintendent did not immediately identify the source of the funding, but the district has received hundreds of millions of state and federal dollars for its coronavirus response efforts. District officials also have said they could use additional funding.
The testing logistics are currently being fine-tuned, and tests will first be administered to teachers and staff who are choosing to work on school campuses as well as any of their children enrolled in day care provided by the district, Beutner wrote in the opinion piece.
“Tests will then be provided for all staff and students over a period of weeks to establish a baseline,” he wrote. “On an ongoing basis, sample testing based on epidemiological models will be done for each cohort of staff and students.”
The district’s announcement comes amid growing concerns among parents about a fall semester of online learning. A Times survey published last week showed students from low-income families generally fared much worse than students from more affluent families.
This month, the Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously approved a plan to restore structure to the academic schedule while also allowing for an online school day that is shorter than the traditional one. Members of the teachers union also have approved the agreement.
The distance learning schedule leaves some L.A. Unified parents and advocates wanting more teaching hours. There also are parents who want fewer mandatory screen-time hours for their young children — a reflection of the complexities of distance learning and the widespread parent angst over the start of the school year at home and online.
Beutner has long called for widespread testing of students and staff, saying such protocols are key to safely reopening schools.
Public health experts have said that such a plan seems impractical.
“At this point, we need to reduce risk,” Claire Garrido-Ortega, an epidemiology lecturer at Cal State Long Beach, told The Times in July. “Testing doesn’t necessarily reduce risk.”
Beutner pointed to the success seen by South Korea, Denmark, Germany and Vietnam in fighting the virus, noting that those countries’ contact-tracing operations could be applied to L.A. County schools.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explicitly “does not recommend” comprehensive school-based testing, citing a lack of evidence that it would reduce transmission, plus concerns about resources, parental consent and student privacy. It is not yet clear how often LAUSD students will be tested.
It was not clear Sunday when the first testing would begin. It’s also not clear whether certain provisions of the plan would involve negotiations with employee unions.
School nurses are likely to play a central role in the plan. They are represented by United Teachers Los Angeles. Union leaders said they were preparing to negotiate over issues related to a return to campus.
So, far, “we only negotiated the impact and effects of distance learning,” said Arlene Inouye, the union’s elected secretary. “Our next negotiations will be about the physical return to schools.”
She pointed out that members of UTLA were not required to work from campus, although members of some other unions must do so.
The plan for contract tracing underscores the unusual nature of the school year that is about to begin. Idled bus drivers, for example, may be asked to “support” the contact-tracing process under a temporary distance-learning agreement reached between the school district and Local 99 of Service Employees International, which was announced Monday morning.
Researchers at UCLA and Johns Hopkins University, who are providing services pro bono, will use the testing data to analyze the effects of reopening campuses, the district said. Researchers hope the program can be a national model.
During the first phase of the program, researchers will determine a schedule for the frequency of testing for students and staff, the district said.
“Determining an ideal testing strategy involves the application of epidemiologic principles and modeling informed by all available information,” Dr. Kristan Staudenmayer, an associate professor at Stanford who is spearheading the university’s contribution, said in a prepared statement.
Staudenmayer, in an interview with The Times on Sunday night, said the plan pursued “a very noble cause: continuing to give education to the children of L.A. Unified School District.”
Experts at UCLA will study Los Angeles Unified’s reopening plans and also share findings from this effort worldwide, Dr. Steven M. Dubinett, director of the school’s Clinical & Translational Science Institute, said in a statement.
Other key players include Microsoft, which will provide an app that families and employees can use to report symptoms — and which will be used to gather data districtwide that will guide the district’s ongoing response. The application also is intended to help people register for testing and obtain needed information.


latimes--2020-08-17--Firefighters combat several blazes in Butte County

Firefighters worked Monday to battle several fires in Butte County , Calif .
The largest of them , called the @ @ @ @ @ north of Oroville and was more than 100 acres as of about 1:30 p.m. , @ @ @ @ @ said .
Another fire , north of the community of Centerville , was 75 acres @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Office ordered evacuations about 3:45 p.m. for all residents living on Potters Ravine @ @ @ @ @ , west to Cherokee Road , and all roads in between , south to the @ @ @ @ @ announced mandatory evacuations for people living on the north side of Orange Avenue from a @ @ @ @ @ , as well as for residents living on the north side of Long Bar Road @ @ @ @ @ .

Firefighters worked Monday to battle several dozen fires in Butte County, Calif.
The largest of them, the Potters fire, is burning north of Oroville and was at least 600 acres as of about 7 p.m., according to John Gaddie, a spokesman for Cal Fire-Butte County Fire Department. It is 0% contained.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuations about 3:45 p.m. for all residents living on Potters Ravine Drive and Oregon Gulch Road, west to Cherokee Road, and all roads in between, south to the Feather River.
The Sheriff’s Office later announced mandatory evacuations for people living on the north side of Orange Avenue from a roundabout to Long Bar Road, as well as for residents living on the north side of Long Bar Road up until the Feather River.
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A temporary evacuation point has been designated in the parking lot for the Church of the Nazarene at 2238 Monte Vista Ave. in Oroville. Large animals will be accepted until 8:30 p.m. at the Camelot Equestrian Park at 1985 Clark Road in Paradise. Small animals can be taken overnight to a shelter at the Old County Hospital at 2279 Del Oro and Mono, Suite E.
The fires in the county are presumed to have been started by lightning, but are all under investigation, Gaddie said.


latimes--2020-08-17--As California clears backlog of COVID-19 cases, deaths hit a low for the month

California received a batch of mostly positive pandemic-related developments on Monday with data showing that the number of people dying of COVID-19 is beginning to decline and hospitalization rates continue to fall steadily .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom also announced that San Diego County , the state ’ s second largest , has made enough progress against the novel coronavirus that it could be removed from the watch list as early as this week .
In one of the key pandemic metrics , the seven-day daily rolling average of fatalities fell to fewer than 130 deaths per day on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a Times analysis of state data .
The number of hospital patients with COVID-19 has declined steadily for a month , the data show .
Community spread appears to be falling , too : The share of Californians who tested positive over a two-week period dipped to 6.5 % Monday , an early indication that California is “ stabilizing , and moving broadly in the right direction , ” Newsom said .
The promising data come two weeks after Newsom touted a falling infection rate , then backtracked after officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been reported .
On Monday , for the first time since the data breakdown , the state updated its watchlist of areas with high case rates , offering a mixed picture around the state .
Although Santa Cruz was taken off the list , four small counties — Amador , Mendocino , Inyo and Calaveras — were added and must close businesses by Thursday .
The infection rate in San Diego has stayed beneath 100 cases per 100,000 residents for nearly a week .
“ It ’ s extraordinarily good news , speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the state of California , ” Newsom said .
The state uses the watchlist to monitor surges in coronavirus cases , hospitalizations and community transmissions and to guide decisions on allowing counties to open certain sectors , including schools and in-person services at places of worship .
Los Angeles County continues to make progress toward getting off the watchlist , with the average daily number of infections , hospitalizations and deaths falling steadily , said Barbara Ferrer , the head of the Department of Public Health .
The county meets five of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the pandemic , including testing more than 150 people per 100,000 residents per day , and maintaining a healthy margin of available intensive-care beds and ventilators .
The county continues to make progress on reducing community transmission to meet the most stubborn benchmark : a 14-day average of fewer than 100 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents for three consecutive days .
Last week , the county reported 335 cases per 100,000 residents ; on Sunday , the rate was 298 cases per 100,000 .
Daily hospitalizations in Los Angeles County have fallen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,219 cases per day in mid-July , to 1,388 cases in mid-August , Ferrer said .
The average number of daily deaths has fallen from 43 to 30 over the same time period , she said .
The hospitalization rate data is “ one of our best indicators that our efforts over the last few weeks are actually working , ” Ferrer said , in part because it was not affected by the data reporting errors .
The fallout from the data glitches remains unclear .
As many as 300,000 records , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not been uploaded to the Sacramento database that local officials use to receive test results from laboratories .
That led to inaccurate summaries of infection rates and confirmed cases .
The county added between 1,500 and 1,600 coronavirus cases after the state data error , Ferrer said Monday .
But the state is still working to determine how many lab results for L.A. County have not yet been reported , and the county will have to revise the rolling averages for testing rates and case counts , she said .
With that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that the average number of people testing positive for COVID-19 per day has fallen from 3,200 in mid-July to a little more than 2,000 people per day in mid-August .
“ We do still have a ways to go to reduce community transmission enough to be able to have confidence that the timing would be right to reopen our schools and get more people back to work , ” Ferrer said .
“ We don ’ t want infections from the community coming back into our schools and creating an increase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimism , but does not mean that life can immediately return to normal , officials caution .
California saw a similar decline in cases , and then a surge of new infections , at the start of June after the state began reopening .
“ We ’ re just not getting back to normal right now , ” Ferrer said .
“ We are creating a new normal .
It will continue to have , and request of all of us , the ability to make some modifications .
It will have some @ @ @ @ @

Ian Roistacher and his brother Mitch Roistacher, 4, walk back to their hotel room after picking up back-to-school supplies for Ian’s three younger brothers during a fair Monday at the Vagabond Inn in Sylmar.
California received a batch of mostly positive pandemic-related developments on Monday with data showing that the number of people dying of COVID-19 is beginning to decline and hospitalization rates continue to fall steadily.
Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced that San Diego County, the state’s second largest, has made enough progress against the novel coronavirus that it could be removed from the watch list as early as this week.
In one of the key pandemic metrics, the seven-day daily rolling average of fatalities fell to fewer than 130 deaths per day on Sunday for the first time since last month, according to a Times analysis of state data. The number of hospital patients with COVID-19 has declined steadily for a month, the data show.
Community spread appears to be falling, too: The share of Californians who tested positive over a two-week period dipped to 6.5% Monday, an early indication that California is “stabilizing, and moving broadly in the right direction,” Newsom said.
The promising data come two weeks after Newsom touted a falling infection rate, then backtracked after officials found errors in how the data had been reported. On Monday, for the first time since the data breakdown, the state updated its watchlist of areas with high case rates, offering a mixed picture around the state.
Although Santa Cruz was taken off the list, four small counties — Amador, Mendocino, Inyo and Calaveras — were added and must close businesses by Thursday.
The infection rate in San Diego has stayed beneath 100 cases per 100,000 residents for nearly a week. “It’s extraordinarily good news, speaking on behalf not just of the county but the state of California,” Newsom said.
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The state uses the watchlist to monitor surges in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and community transmissions and to guide decisions on allowing counties to open certain sectors, including schools and in-person services at places of worship.
Los Angeles County continues to make progress toward getting off the watchlist, with the average daily number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths falling steadily, said Barbara Ferrer, the head of the Department of Public Health.
The county meets five of the six metrics used to measure progress against the pandemic, including testing more than 150 people per 100,000 residents per day, and maintaining a healthy margin of available intensive-care beds and ventilators.
The county continues to make progress on reducing community transmission to meet the most stubborn benchmark: a 14-day average of fewer than 100 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents for three consecutive days.
Cars line up at a COVID19 test site at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Last week, the county reported 335 cases per 100,000 residents; on Sunday, the rate was 298 cases per 100,000.
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Daily hospitalizations in Los Angeles County have fallen 37% over a month, from 2,219 cases per day in mid-July, to 1,388 cases in mid-August, Ferrer said. The average number of daily deaths has fallen from 43 to 30 over the same time period, she said.
The hospitalization rate data is “one of our best indicators that our efforts over the last few weeks are actually working,” Ferrer said, in part because it was not affected by the data reporting errors.
The fallout from the data glitches remains unclear. As many as 300,000 records, including tens of thousands of test results, had not been uploaded to the Sacramento database that local officials use to receive test results from laboratories. That led to inaccurate summaries of infection rates and confirmed cases.
The county added between 1,500 and 1,600 coronavirus cases after the state data error, Ferrer said Monday. But the state is still working to determine how many lab results for L.A. County have not yet been reported, and the county will have to revise the rolling averages for testing rates and case counts, she said.
With that caveat, Ferrer said, health officials believe that the average number of people testing positive for COVID-19 per day has fallen from 3,200 in mid-July to a little more than 2,000 people per day in mid-August.
“We do still have a ways to go to reduce community transmission enough to be able to have confidence that the timing would be right to reopen our schools and get more people back to work,” Ferrer said. “We don’t want infections from the community coming back into our schools and creating an increase of outbreaks.”
The data are cause for optimism, but does not mean that life can immediately return to normal, officials caution. California saw a similar decline in cases, and then a surge of new infections, at the start of June after the state began reopening.
“We’re just not getting back to normal right now,” Ferrer said. “We are creating a new normal. It will continue to have, and request of all of us, the ability to make some modifications. It will have some restrictions in place.”


latimes--2020-08-17--California's top court caps penalties on nursing homes to $500 for certain lawsuits

As COVID-19 continues to ravage nursing homes , the California Supreme Court ruled Monday that a state law allowing residents to sue facilities limits compensation to $ 500 .
The ambiguous 1982 statute was aimed at allowing nursing home residents to sue on the grounds their rights had been violated , but in a 5-2 decision , the state ’ s highest court interpreted the law to mean that residents may collect no more than $ 500 for violations , regardless of how many .
The two dissenting justices argued the law actually intended to set a $ 500 cap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s rights , not for the entire suit .
The decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by John Jarman , who was 91 in 2008 when he slipped and fractured his hip .
After surgery , he was transferred to ManorCare of Hemet , CA , a skilled nursing facility of HCR ManorCare Inc .
While there , he developed bed sores that took a year to heal after his release , the suit said .
ManorCare staff allegedly often left him in soiled diapers and ignored nurse call lights .
He died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried on his suit .
At issue before the California Supreme Court was the meaning of a provision in the 38-year-old Long-Term Care , Health , Safety , and Security Act .
“ We do not find that limiting an award to $ 500 per lawsuit would render the statute ' `` ` toothless , ’ ” Justice Ming W. Chin , author of the majority decision , wrote .
He noted that lawyers for nursing home residents were still entitled to collect their legal fees from the defendants and injunctions could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also may sue under different laws , including the Elder Abuse Act , which provides substantially more compensation , Chin said .
But Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar , joined by Justice Goodwin Liu , said the $ 500 cap was “ plainly insufficient to fulfill the statute ’ s purpose to deter and remedy violations of nursing home patients ’ rights.
” “ It makes little difference that the majority leaves a few teeth awkwardly hanging in the mouth after pulling most of them out , `` Cuéllar wrote .
He cited the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissent , which was longer that the majority ruling .
“ Nowhere has the pain of the COVID-19 virus been more acutely felt than in our state ’ s nursing homes , ” he wrote .
In a Walnut Creek facility owned by ManorCare , he said , 130 people were infected , and 12 have died .
The majority ’ s decision “ deprives nursing home residents of an important tool to deter and vindicate violations of their rights , ” he said .
Cuéllar noted that the Elder Abuse Act allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ by clear and convincing evidence ” that a nursing home was liable for physical abuse , neglect or abandonment and also guilty of “ recklessness , oppression , fraud or malice in the commission of this abuse.
” “ This is not an insubstantial burden , ” he said .
In Jarman ’ s case , a jury in 2011 awarded the daughter $ 100,000 in punitive damages under a different law that was not at issue in Monday ’ s decision .
Under the 1982 law , the jury found the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various violations , an amount that will now likely be reduced to $ 500 .
The trial court eventually struck down the punitive damages , but a court of appeal reinstated them .
Anthony M. Chicotel , staff attorney for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform , called the decision extremely disappointing and said his group would urge the Legislature to rewrite the law .
The pandemic has prevented ombudsmen for nursing home patients from entering the facilities , he said , and residents now are in need of more protection than ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a significant blow , ” said Chicotel , who filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Jarman .
He likened their predicament to being on a floating , melting iceberg that gets smaller and smaller .
Barry S. Landsberg , who represented ManorCare in the case , said the company was “ pleased that the Supreme Court correctly interpreted the resident rights statute ” to limit damages to no more than $ 500 in a civil action .
“ That is what the statute says and what the Legislature intended , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and when it amended the law years later , ” Landsberg said .

California Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar dissented in Monday’s ruling, arguing that residents of nursing homes were entitled to more compensation for the violation of their rights.
As COVID-19 continues to ravage nursing homes, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday that a state law allowing residents to sue facilities limits compensation to $500.
The ambiguous 1982 statute was aimed at allowing nursing home residents to sue on the grounds their rights had been violated, but in a 5-2 decision, the state’s highest court interpreted the law to mean that residents may collect no more than $500 for violations, regardless of how many. The two dissenting justices argued the law actually intended to set a $500 cap for each violation of a patient’s rights, not for the entire suit.
The decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by John Jarman, who was 91 in 2008 when he slipped and fractured his hip. After surgery, he was transferred to ManorCare of Hemet, CA, a skilled nursing facility of HCR ManorCare Inc. While there, he developed bed sores that took a year to heal after his release, the suit said.
ManorCare staff allegedly often left him in soiled diapers and ignored nurse call lights. He died before the trial, and his daughter carried on his suit.
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At issue before the California Supreme Court was the meaning of a provision in the 38-year-old Long-Term Care, Health, Safety, and Security Act.
“We do not find that limiting an award to $500 per lawsuit would render the statute ‘toothless,’” Justice Ming W. Chin, author of the majority decision, wrote.
He noted that lawyers for nursing home residents were still entitled to collect their legal fees from the defendants and injunctions could be issued to prevent future abuse. Residents also may sue under different laws, including the Elder Abuse Act, which provides substantially more compensation, Chin said.
But Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, joined by Justice Goodwin Liu, said the $500 cap was “plainly insufficient to fulfill the statute’s purpose to deter and remedy violations of nursing home patients’ rights.”
“It makes little difference that the majority leaves a few teeth awkwardly hanging in the mouth after pulling most of them out, “ Cuéllar wrote.
He cited the pandemic in the first paragraph of his 26-page dissent, which was longer that the majority ruling.
“Nowhere has the pain of the COVID-19 virus been more acutely felt than in our state’s nursing homes,” he wrote.
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Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
In a Walnut Creek facility owned by ManorCare, he said, 130 people were infected, and 12 have died. The majority’s decision “deprives nursing home residents of an important tool to deter and vindicate violations of their rights,” he said.
Cuéllar noted that the Elder Abuse Act allows victims compensation only if they can prove “by clear and convincing evidence” that a nursing home was liable for physical abuse, neglect or abandonment and also guilty of “recklessness, oppression, fraud or malice in the commission of this abuse.”
“This is not an insubstantial burden,” he said.
In Jarman’s case, a jury in 2011 awarded the daughter $100,000 in punitive damages under a different law that was not at issue in Monday’s decision. Under the 1982 law, the jury found the nursing home liable for $95,000 for various violations, an amount that will now likely be reduced to $500.
The trial court eventually struck down the punitive damages, but a court of appeal reinstated them.
Anthony M. Chicotel, staff attorney for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, called the decision extremely disappointing and said his group would urge the Legislature to rewrite the law. The pandemic has prevented ombudsmen for nursing home patients from entering the facilities, he said, and residents now are in need of more protection than ever.
“For residents rights, this is a significant blow,” said Chicotel, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Jarman. He likened their predicament to being on a floating, melting iceberg that gets smaller and smaller.
Barry S. Landsberg, who represented ManorCare in the case, said the company was “pleased that the Supreme Court correctly interpreted the resident rights statute” to limit damages to no more than $500 in a civil action.
“That is what the statute says and what the Legislature intended, both when it enacted the law in 1982 and when it amended the law years later,” Landsberg said.


latimes--2020-08-17--California's first plague case in 5 years is confirmed in South Lake Tahoe

Health officials have confirmed a case of plague at South Lake Tahoe — the first in California in five years .
El Dorado County officials said Monday that the California Department of Public Health had notified them of the positive test of a resident who is under medical care while recovering at home .
Plague bacteria are most often transmitted by fleas that have acquired it from infected squirrels , chipmunks and other wild rodents .
Dogs and cats may also carry plague-infected fleas .
Health officials believe the South Lake Tahoe resident may have been bitten by an infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Truckee River corridor or in the Tahoe Keys area on Tahoe ’ s south shore .
The last reported human cases of plague in California were in 2015 when two people were exposed to infected rodents or their fleas in Yosemite National Park .
Both were treated and recovered .
No human cases have been reported since , but authorities did find evidence that a total of 20 ground squirrels or chipmunks around South Lake Tahoe had been exposed to the plague bacterium from 2016 to 2019 .
Those rodents were identified near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Campground or Taylor Creek Visitor Center .

The Truckee River corridor is one possible source of plague infection.
Health officials have confirmed a case of plague at South Lake Tahoe — the first in California in five years.
El Dorado County officials said Monday that the California Department of Public Health had notified them of the positive test of a resident who is under medical care while recovering at home.
Plague bacteria are most often transmitted by fleas that have acquired it from infected squirrels, chipmunks and other wild rodents. Dogs and cats may also carry plague-infected fleas.
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Health officials believe the South Lake Tahoe resident may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking a dog along the Truckee River corridor or in the Tahoe Keys area on Tahoe’s south shore.
The last reported human cases of plague in California were in 2015 when two people were exposed to infected rodents or their fleas in Yosemite National Park. Both were treated and recovered.
No human cases have been reported since, but authorities did find evidence that a total of 20 ground squirrels or chipmunks around South Lake Tahoe had been exposed to the plague bacterium from 2016 to 2019. Those rodents were identified near the Tallac Historic Site, Fallen Leaf Campground or Taylor Creek Visitor Center.


latimes--2020-08-17--Flex alerts: Ways to conserve power and stay cool

A heat wave has settled over California , and with it , a power shortage the governor described as “ unacceptable.
” Rolling blackouts could be necessary over the next 72 hours while state officials work to mitigate the deficit .
The California Independent System Operator issued a statewide flex alert on Thursday and another one on Sunday .
It declared a Stage 3 emergency on Friday , ordering utilities to reduce usage by 1,000 megawatts .
The massive reduction — the first time such a drastic step has been taken since 2001 — led to rolling blackouts across California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people are running air conditioners at home instead of using shared resources in offices and schools .
By the time the emergency was declared on Friday , California was in its most severe power shortage in two decades .
The flex alert is in place through Thursday .
In order to help conserve power , the state recommends : • Setting your air conditioner to 78 degrees or higher between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. • Using fans instead of running the air conditioner .
• Avoiding using major appliances such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. and 10 p.m .
The National Weather Service ’ s excessive heat warning for California is in effect through 9 p.m. Thursday .
Normally , when the mercury rises , people go to movie theaters , malls and beaches to cool off .
But as with so many aspects of life , coronavirus complicates that .
Some options for cooling down that don ’ t involve crowds or upping your electrical usage : • Freeze a washcloth and put it on your face and neck .
• Put ice packs on pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the backs of your knees .
• Stick your sheets in the freezer for a few minutes , then put them back on your bed right before you go to sleep .
• Put a tray of ice cubes in front of your fan .
• Go to one of the city ’ s cooling centers .
See more tips and cooling center locations on the L.A. Department of Emergency Management ’ s website .

An excessive heat warning is in effect through Thursday evening this week. Temperatures were in the triple digits around Southern California, including in Woodland Hills on Monday.
A heat wave has settled over California, and with it, a power shortage the governor described as “unacceptable.”
Rolling blackouts could be necessary over the next 72 hours while state officials work to mitigate the deficit.
The California Independent System Operator issued a statewide flex alert on Thursday and another one on Sunday. It declared a Stage 3 emergency on Friday, ordering utilities to reduce usage by 1,000 megawatts. The massive reduction — the first time such a drastic step has been taken since 2001 — led to rolling blackouts across California.
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Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are running air conditioners at home instead of using shared resources in offices and schools. By the time the emergency was declared on Friday, California was in its most severe power shortage in two decades.
The flex alert is in place through Thursday. In order to help conserve power, the state recommends:
Setting your air conditioner to 78 degrees or higher between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Turning off unnecessary lights.
Unplugging electrical devices you’re not using.
Closing blinds and drapes.
Using fans instead of running the air conditioner.
Avoiding using major appliances such as dishwashers, washers and dryers between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The National Weather Service’s excessive heat warning for California is in effect through 9 p.m. Thursday.
Normally, when the mercury rises, people go to movie theaters, malls and beaches to cool off. But as with so many aspects of life, coronavirus complicates that. Some options for cooling down that don’t involve crowds or upping your electrical usage:
Visit one of L.A.’s shady parks.
Stay hydrated.
Freeze a washcloth and put it on your face and neck.
Put ice packs on pressure points such as your wrists, ankles and the backs of your knees.
Take a cool bath or shower.
Stick your sheets in the freezer for a few minutes, then put them back on your bed right before you go to sleep.
Put a tray of ice cubes in front of your fan.
Go to one of the city’s cooling centers.
See more tips and cooling center locations on the L.A. Department of Emergency Management’s website.
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latimes--2020-08-17--Prosecutors challenge Golden State Killer's apparent frailty, say he chooses not to show remorse

In his court appearances , the man known as the Golden State Killer sits with a slack face , hunched in his wheelchair , thin and pale .
At a hearing in June where he formally admitted his crimes , the 74-year-old was barely able to utter “ guilty ” and “ I admit ” to charges of 13 murders and 50 rapes .
But prosecutors allege that video recordings of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. while behind bars show a much different man , one they want to show the public .
“ The defendant has come to court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head cocked to the side , his hands twisted and held in an awkward angle , ” Sacramento County Deputy Dist .
Atty .
Thienvu Ho told a judge Monday .
“ The blank stare , the halting answers that sometimes burst forth in gasps of breath , might lead some to suspect or later contend that he is physically or mentally deficient , ” Ho said .
“ He has portrayed himself as being feeble and frail , as someone who is physically unable to express remorse ... .The fact of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so.
” But a Sacramento County Superior Court judge on Monday denied a request by prosecutors to unseal the jailhouse tapes and play them in court , calling evidence of a fitter , even agile DeAngelo meaningless to the 26 life sentences the judge is scheduled to hand to him Friday .
“ Whether or not he can stand up on his bunk or not stand up on his bunk is of little relevance , ” Judge Michael Bowman said in a brief pre-sentencing court hearing held by video chat and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouTube channel .
Monday ’ s hearing marked the start of an extraordinary week in the criminal case , when dozens of the Golden State Killer ’ s victims or their relatives are expected to confront DeAngelo in court and deliver victim impact statements .
DeAngelo , a former police officer , terrorized California for more than a decade .
His crimes ran from at least 1973 to 1986 and involved attacks on some 106 children , men and women in 11 counties , ranging from Sacramento to Orange .
Some 50 women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murdered , including couples bludgeoned to death in bed .
Shortly after his arrest in April 2018 , DeAngelo was placed in one of the few jail cells that allow video monitoring .
Prosecutors told Bowman that public defenders were aware of the recordings , intended in part to ensure that no harm came to the jail ’ s most notorious occupant .
Prior to his arrest , DeAngelo was active , riding a racing bike through his suburban Sacramento neighborhood , or his motorcycle on the freeway .
But since then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has shed a dramatic amount of weight .
In June , during an eight-hour proceeding held at a university ballroom to accommodate both COVID-19 safety measures and a throng of victims and their family members , sheriff ’ s deputies rolled DeAngelo onto the elevated platform in a wheelchair .
His defense lawyers said DeAngelo requires a cane but could walk — the wheelchair was used at the request of court security officers who sought a quick way to remove DeAngelo from the room if needed .
Prosecutors and some victims allege @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frail old man in an effort to evoke sympathy from the court and perhaps better prison housing .
They say it is an affront to those who seek to see the former cop and family man who lived a double life as a serial killer show some measure of remorse .
But while they point out sharp disparities in DeAngelo ’ s appearance in and out of court , prosecutors have stopped short of openly accusing him of fakery .
“ If you were to put that evidence in front of a jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing .
And I think those victims know exactly what ’ s going on in Mr. DeAngelo ’ s head , ” Sacramento County Dist .
Atty .
Anne Marie Schubert said after the June hearing .
“ I would love to know who he really is , ” said Kris Pedretti , who was 15 in 1976 when she was repeatedly raped by DeAngelo .
“ Like , I know it ’ s an act.
” Victims already have heard their own stories of a dual DeAngelo .
A jail official , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeAngelo joking one day with his guards , until three people from the district attorney ’ s office walked into the room .
“ When he saw them , he reverted right back to not being able to speak and being weak , ” she said the officer told her .
At the June hearing , DeAngelo entered guilty pleas to 13 murders and 13 counts of kidnapping for robbery — each carrying a life sentence .
In addition , he admitted raping 50 women and girls , and threatening and torturing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to not seek the death penalty .
Instead , in a measure of the extraordinary nature of the crimes , they ask that DeAngelo be sentenced to 11 consecutive life without parole sentences , plus 15 more life sentences to be served at the same time .
DeAngelo ’ s public defenders did not object to the prosecutor providing the court with sealed copies of the videos to be considered by the judge during sentencing , but they opposed a public showing .
“ There ’ s nothing about his demeanor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said one of his lawyers , Alice Michel .
She called the tapes “ completely irrelevant .
It ’ s a grotesque violation of his privacy.
” Ho attempted to enter at least a description of what is on the sealed tapes into the court record , saying they include an incident when DeAngelo climbed up on something in his cell in order to adjust the lighting .
He also attempted to tell the judge that other tapes show DeAngelo “ committing a sexual act while watching someone outside of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off .

Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., who recently pleaded guilty to murders and other crimes connected to the Golden State Killer, in court in 2018.
In his court appearances, the man known as the Golden State Killer sits with a slack face, hunched in his wheelchair, thin and pale.
At a hearing in June where he formally admitted his crimes, the 74-year-old was barely able to utter “guilty” and “I admit” to charges of 13 murders and 50 rapes.
But prosecutors allege that video recordings of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. while behind bars show a much different man, one they want to show the public.
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“The defendant has come to court, oftentimes with his mouth agape, his head cocked to the side, his hands twisted and held in an awkward angle,” Sacramento County Deputy Dist. Atty. Thienvu Ho told a judge Monday.
“The blank stare, the halting answers that sometimes burst forth in gasps of breath, might lead some to suspect or later contend that he is physically or mentally deficient,” Ho said. “He has portrayed himself as being feeble and frail, as someone who is physically unable to express remorse....The fact of the matter is, he consciously chose not to do so.”
But a Sacramento County Superior Court judge on Monday denied a request by prosecutors to unseal the jailhouse tapes and play them in court, calling evidence of a fitter, even agile DeAngelo meaningless to the 26 life sentences the judge is scheduled to hand to him Friday.
“Whether or not he can stand up on his bunk or not stand up on his bunk is of little relevance,” Judge Michael Bowman said in a brief pre-sentencing court hearing held by video chat and streamed live on the court’s YouTube channel.
Monday’s hearing marked the start of an extraordinary week in the criminal case, when dozens of the Golden State Killer’s victims or their relatives are expected to confront DeAngelo in court and deliver victim impact statements.
DeAngelo, a former police officer, terrorized California for more than a decade. His crimes ran from at least 1973 to 1986 and involved attacks on at least 106 children, men and women in 11 counties, ranging from Sacramento to Orange. Some 50 women and girls were raped and 13 people murdered, including couples bludgeoned to death in bed.
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Shortly after his arrest in April 2018, DeAngelo was placed in one of the few jail cells that allow video monitoring. Prosecutors told Bowman that public defenders were aware of the recordings, intended in part to ensure that no harm came to the jail’s most notorious occupant.
Prior to his arrest, DeAngelo was active, riding a racing bike through his suburban Sacramento neighborhood, or his motorcycle on the freeway. But since then, he has looked frail and feeble, and has shed a dramatic amount of weight.
In June, during an eight-hour proceeding held at a university ballroom to accommodate both COVID-19 safety measures and a throng of victims and their family members, sheriff’s deputies rolled DeAngelo onto the elevated platform in a wheelchair. His defense lawyers said DeAngelo requires a cane but could walk — the wheelchair was used at the request of court security officers who sought a quick way to remove DeAngelo from the room if needed.
Prosecutors and some victims allege DeAngelo has cultivated an image as a frail old man in an effort to evoke sympathy from the court and perhaps better prison housing.
They say it is an affront to those who seek to see the former cop and family man who lived a double life as a serial killer show some measure of remorse. But while they point out sharp disparities in DeAngelo’s appearance in and out of court, prosecutors have stopped short of openly accusing him of fakery.
“If you were to put that evidence in front of a jury, I think they could conclude one thing. And I think those victims know exactly what’s going on in Mr. DeAngelo’s head,” Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert said after the June hearing.
“I would love to know who he really is,” said Kris Pedretti, who was 15 in 1976 when she was repeatedly raped by DeAngelo. “Like, I know it’s an act.”
Victims already have heard their own stories of a dual DeAngelo. A jail official, for instance, told Pedretti of watching DeAngelo joking one day with his guards, until three people from the district attorney’s office walked into the room. “When he saw them, he reverted right back to not being able to speak and being weak,” she said the officer told her.
At the June hearing, DeAngelo entered guilty pleas to 13 murders and 13 counts of kidnapping for robbery — each carrying a life sentence. In addition, he admitted raping 50 women and girls, and threatening and torturing their male companions. In return, prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty. Instead, in a measure of the extraordinary nature of the crimes, they ask that DeAngelo be sentenced to 11 consecutive life without parole sentences, plus 15 more life sentences to be served at the same time.
DeAngelo’s public defenders did not object to the prosecutor providing the court with sealed copies of the videos to be considered by the judge during sentencing, but they opposed a public showing.
“There’s nothing about his demeanor in court that shows a lack of remorse,” said one of his lawyers, Alice Michel. She called the tapes “completely irrelevant. It’s a grotesque violation of his privacy.”
Ho attempted to enter at least a description of what is on the sealed tapes into the court record, saying they include an incident when DeAngelo climbed up on something in his cell in order to adjust the lighting. He also attempted to tell the judge that other tapes show DeAngelo “committing a sexual act while watching someone outside of the cell” before Judge Bowman cut him off.


latimes--2020-08-17--Earthquake: 3.3 quake reported near Fremont, Calif.

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported at 1:27 p.m. Monday two miles from Fremont , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred two miles from Milpitas , Calif. , four miles from San Jose , Calif. , seven miles from Alum Rock , Calif. and eight miles from Santa Clara , Calif..
In the last 10 days , there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a depth of 2.6 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported two miles from Fremont, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported at 1:27 p.m. Monday two miles from Fremont, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred two miles from Milpitas, Calif., four miles from San Jose, Calif., seven miles from Alum Rock, Calif. and eight miles from Santa Clara, Calif..
In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 2.6 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-08-17--More California counties make state coronavirus watchlist as Santa Cruz is removed

Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday that four new counties would be required to close hair salons , gyms and other businesses , marking the first time the state has updated its list of areas experiencing high transmission of COVID-19 in more than two weeks since a massive data flub skewed the count of positive cases .
The state uses the list to monitor surges in coronavirus cases , hospitalizations and community transmissions and to guide decisions on allowing counties to open certain sectors , including schools and in-person services at places of worship .
Officials paused the list at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state worked to correct problems with its electronic disease reporting and surveillance system , known as CalREDIE .
The data issues caused a backlog of 295,000 coronavirus test results and preceded the sudden departure of the state ’ s public health officer , Dr. Sonia Angell , who oversaw the reporting system .
Santa Cruz County is now off the list , while Amador , Mendocino , Inyo and Calaveras were added and must close businesses by Thursday .
Sierra County was added two days ago and could also be subject to closures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a third day .
The governor said he expected San Diego would come off the list this week .
“ This is a dynamic list , ” Newsom said Monday .
“ People come on , people come off .
The numbers shift every single week .
I anticipate this week , the numbers to shift again.
” The state ’ s watchlist continues to cause confusion .
A county ’ s removal from the list does not immediately allow sectors there to operate without restrictions , and state officials have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving forward .
If a county remains off the list for 14 days , local officials would be allowed to open schools for kindergarten through 12th grade .
But indoor operations at shuttered businesses and other affected places would not be allowed to reopen until the state health officer issued a new mandate .
The state informed Santa Cruz County ’ s health officer Sunday night that it would be removed from the list Monday , an action that has little immediate effect.. “ It doesn ’ t change anything — you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days , ” county communication officer Jason Hoppin said .
Officials in San Diego County , which is expected to be removed from the watchlist Tuesday , noted that California Health and Humans Services Director Dr. Mark Ghaly said Monday that the state is still updating its guidance and planned to release further information to the counties this week .
“ The state is looking at what they ’ re going to do , but there are no guidelines at this time , ” San Diego County Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We need to be patient and wait for guidance to come from the state.
” Inyo County was placed on the list for the first time Monday after cases there spiked following an outbreak at a care center , Assistant County Administrative Officer Leslie Chapman said .
Businesses have until midnight Wednesday to make adjustments to their operations .
“ We ’ re just shutting down and trying to help people by expediting permits so people can move their businesses outside , ” Chapman said .
Meanwhile , case numbers lost during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county .
Newsom said that 14,861 backlogged COVID-19 cases have been retrieved , but that counties are still waiting to receive their individual totals .
In Los Angeles County , where health officials announced 19 new coronavirus-related deaths and 1,185 new cases on Monday , officials said they believe that the data would mirror the overall trend in declining cases and hospitalizations .
“ We still think we ’ re missing cases , ” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday during a news briefing , adding that local officials are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurate count .
“ That will obviously affect the rolling averages and our testing positivity rate.
” The breakdown of CalREDIE , which state officials blamed on a mix of technical and human errors , raised concerns about the Newsom administration ’ s response to the pandemic as California topped more than 625,000 cases of the virus .
The problem also magnified the state ’ s communication issues with county officials , who were left in the dark as to when they might be taken off the list .
“ We do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the watchlist , that these numbers don ’ t necessitate that type of extreme action by the state in this case and especially because these numbers are in dispute and remain in dispute at this point in time , ” San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy said during a news briefing last Wednesday .
“ We don ’ t know a clear path off this list.
” The decision to freeze the monitoring list frustrated counties across the state that had seen drops in cases and in the rates of positive test results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen businesses again but were forced to wait for the state to fix the system .
Officials in Orange and San Diego counties thought they had reached the threshold to be removed from the watchlist last week but said they did not know if or when that might occur .
In Orange County , Supervisor Michelle Steel said Thursday that although the local outlook was promising , the data problems and their consequences had been of concern .
“ For months now , [ the Board of Supervisors ] has asked questions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steel said of Orange County ’ s request for information on how the data were recorded .
“ Our cities rely on this data to best determine how to respond to the change in case count and COVID-19-related deaths.
” The California Department of Public Health said counties were removed from the monitoring list and allowed to reopen businesses once they met the state ’ s thresholds for three consecutive days .
Although the state ’ s COVID-19 website has no description of how counties are removed from the list , a spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes daily in phone calls or emails to local health departments .

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a Feb. 27 news conference in Sacramento. With him are state Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci and Sonia Angell, former director of the Public Health Department.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that four new counties would be required to close hair salons, gyms and other businesses, marking the first time the state has updated its list of areas experiencing high transmission of COVID-19 in more than two weeks since a massive data flub skewed the count of positive cases.
The state uses the list to monitor surges in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and community transmissions and to guide decisions on allowing counties to open certain sectors, including schools and in-person services at places of worship.
Officials paused the list at 38 counties on July 31 as the state worked to correct problems with its electronic disease reporting and surveillance system, known as CalREDIE. The data issues caused a backlog of 295,000 coronavirus test results and preceded the sudden departure of the state’s public health officer, Dr. Sonia Angell, who oversaw the reporting system.
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Santa Cruz County is now off the list, while Amador, Mendocino, Inyo and Calaveras were added and must close businesses by Thursday. Sierra County was added two days ago and could also be subject to closures if it failed to meet state thresholds for a third day. The governor said he expected San Diego would come off the list this week.
“This is a dynamic list,” Newsom said Monday. “People come on, people come off. The numbers shift every single week. I anticipate this week, the numbers to shift again.”
The state’s watchlist continues to cause confusion. A county’s removal from the list does not immediately allow sectors there to operate without restrictions, and state officials have not yet presented further guidance to counties for moving forward. If a county remains off the list for 14 days, local officials would be allowed to open schools for kindergarten through 12th grade. But indoor operations at shuttered businesses and other affected places would not be allowed to reopen until the state health officer issued a new mandate.
The state informed Santa Cruz County’s health officer Sunday night that it would be removed from the list Monday, an action that has little immediate effect..
“It doesn’t change anything — you have to be off the watch list for 14 days,” county communication officer Jason Hoppin said.
Officials in San Diego County, which is expected to be removed from the watchlist Tuesday, noted that California Health and Humans Services Director Dr. Mark Ghaly said Monday that the state is still updating its guidance and planned to release further information to the counties this week.
“The state is looking at what they’re going to do, but there are no guidelines at this time,” San Diego County Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said during a news briefing. “We need to be patient and wait for guidance to come from the state.”
Inyo County was placed on the list for the first time Monday after cases there spiked following an outbreak at a care center, Assistant County Administrative Officer Leslie Chapman said. Businesses have until midnight Wednesday to make adjustments to their operations.
“We’re just shutting down and trying to help people by expediting permits so people can move their businesses outside,” Chapman said.
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Meanwhile, case numbers lost during the CalREDIE glitch were still trickling in to the county. Newsom said that 14,861 backlogged COVID-19 cases have been retrieved, but that counties are still waiting to receive their individual totals.
In Los Angeles County, where health officials announced 19 new coronavirus-related deaths and 1,185 new cases on Monday, officials said they believe that the data would mirror the overall trend in declining cases and hospitalizations.
“We still think we’re missing cases,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday during a news briefing, adding that local officials are still working with the state to gain an accurate count. “That will obviously affect the rolling averages and our testing positivity rate.”
The breakdown of CalREDIE, which state officials blamed on a mix of technical and human errors, raised concerns about the Newsom administration’s response to the pandemic as California topped more than 625,000 cases of the virus. The problem also magnified the state’s communication issues with county officials, who were left in the dark as to when they might be taken off the list.
“We do not feel we should have been put on the watchlist, that these numbers don’t necessitate that type of extreme action by the state in this case and especially because these numbers are in dispute and remain in dispute at this point in time,” San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy said during a news briefing last Wednesday. “We don’t know a clear path off this list.”
The decision to freeze the monitoring list frustrated counties across the state that had seen drops in cases and in the rates of positive test results. They believed they were eligible to reopen businesses again but were forced to wait for the state to fix the system.
Officials in Orange and San Diego counties thought they had reached the threshold to be removed from the watchlist last week but said they did not know if or when that might occur.
In Orange County, Supervisor Michelle Steel said Thursday that although the local outlook was promising, the data problems and their consequences had been of concern.
“For months now, [the Board of Supervisors] has asked questions and raised concerns about the data,” Steel said of Orange County’s request for information on how the data were recorded. “Our cities rely on this data to best determine how to respond to the change in case count and COVID-19-related deaths.”
The California Department of Public Health said counties were removed from the monitoring list and allowed to reopen businesses once they met the state’s thresholds for three consecutive days. Although the state’s COVID-19 website has no description of how counties are removed from the list, a spokeswoman for the agency said the state communicated changes daily in phone calls or emails to local health departments.


latimes--2020-08-17--Trump sought to withhold California fire aid because of politics, former official says

The former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security claims in a political ad released Monday that President Trump tried to withhold disaster relief money for California ’ s wildfires because voters in the state opposed him politically .
“ He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down from a wildfire because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn ’ t support him and that politically it wasn ’ t a base for him , ” Miles Taylor , who left the Trump administration in 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of the time , the things he wanted to do not only were impossible but , in many cases , illegal , ” Taylor said , recalling how Trump “ didn ’ t want ” to hear aides inform him that his policies wouldn ’ t stand up to legal challenges .
“ These were his words : He knew that he had ‘ magical authorities , ’ ” Taylor said , recalling a phrase he said Trump used to brush off questions from aides .
The Department of Homeland Security oversees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t say which wildfires he is referring to , but the group running the ad confirmed it was the Camp fire of 2018 , and Trump toured the devastation in Paradise that year .
No evidence has surfaced to show that federal aid was withheld , despite public threats from Trump at the time , who said he would withhold money because he disapproved of the state ’ s forest management practices .
Taylor took a job at Google after leaving the Trump administration and is on leave , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , promoted by a group called Republican Voters Against Trump , follows sharp criticism from several former top White House aides and others , including former National Security Advisor John Bolton , who have questioned Trump ’ s fitness to serve a second term .
The ad was released on the first day of the Democratic National Convention , which will nominate former Vice President Joe Biden to run against the incumbent .
In the video , Taylor calls his 2½ years in the Trump administration “ terrifying ” and says that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues , he is “ confident Joe Biden will protect the country .
I ’ m confident he won ’ t make the same mistakes as this president.
” “ This individual is another creature of the D.C .
Swamp who never understood the importance of the president ’ s agenda or why the American people elected him and clearly just wants to cash in , ” said Judd Deere , a White House spokesman .
A senior administration official questioned why Taylor served so long if he had such qualms about Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s public threats to withhold money and the fact that the money was not ultimately withheld .
The allegation that Trump tried to stop California from getting FEMA assistance serves as the most emotional attack on Trump ’ s leadership in the testimonial .
But there are others .
“ We would go in to try to talk to him about a pressing national security issue — a cyber attack , terrorism threat — he wasn ’ t interested in those things .
To him they weren ’ t priorities , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Trump “ wanted to go further ” with his family separation policy to send a stronger message of deterrence to would-be asylum seekers fleeing Central American countries for the United States .
“ I came away completely convinced , based on firsthand experience , that the president was ill-equipped and wouldn ’ t become equipped to do his job effectively , ” Taylor says , explaining his decision to support Biden despite continuing to identify as a Republican .
“ And what ’ s worse — was actively doing damage to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security Secretary Elaine Duke , who briefly held the job in 2017 after former Gen. John Kelly left the post for the White House and before the Senate confirmed Kirstjen Nielsen , the last non-acting head of the third-largest federal department .
Taylor was deputy and chief of staff to Nielsen , who oversaw the implementation of the administration ’ s family separation policy for migrants on the border .
Staff writers John Myers in Sacramento and Molly O ’ Toole in Washington contributed to this article .

Brandon Baker, center and Prescott McKenzie, right, take cover from flying embers during a brush fire in Ventura in December 2017.
The former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security claims in a political ad released Monday that President Trump tried to withhold disaster relief money for California’s wildfires because voters in the state opposed him politically.
“He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down from a wildfire because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn’t support him and that politically it wasn’t a base for him,” Miles Taylor, who left the Trump administration in 2019, claims in the ad.
“A lot of the time, the things he wanted to do not only were impossible but, in many cases, illegal,” Taylor said, recalling how Trump “didn’t want” to hear aides inform him that his policies wouldn’t stand up to legal challenges.
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“These were his words: He knew that he had ‘magical authorities,’” Taylor said, recalling a phrase he said Trump used to brush off questions from aides.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Taylor doesn’t say which wildfires he is referring to, but the group running the ad confirmed it was the Camp fire of 2018, and Trump toured the devastation in Paradise that year.
No evidence has surfaced to show that federal aid was withheld, despite public threats from Trump at the time, who said he would withhold money because he disapproved of the state’s forest management practices.
Taylor took a job at Google after leaving the Trump administration and is on leave, according to his Twitter profile.
The two-minute ad, promoted by a group called Republican Voters Against Trump, follows sharp criticism from several former top White House aides and others, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who have questioned Trump’s fitness to serve a second term.
The ad was released on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, which will nominate former Vice President Joe Biden to run against the incumbent.
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In the video, Taylor calls his 2½ years in the Trump administration “terrifying” and says that, although he disagrees with Biden on many issues, he is “confident Joe Biden will protect the country. I’m confident he won’t make the same mistakes as this president.”
The White House quickly fired back.
“This individual is another creature of the D.C. Swamp who never understood the importance of the president’s agenda or why the American people elected him and clearly just wants to cash in,” said Judd Deere, a White House spokesman.
A senior administration official questioned why Taylor served so long if he had such qualms about Trump. The official also pointed to Trump’s public threats to withhold money and the fact that the money was not ultimately withheld.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declined to comment.
The allegation that Trump tried to stop California from getting FEMA assistance serves as the most emotional attack on Trump’s leadership in the testimonial. But there are others.
“We would go in to try to talk to him about a pressing national security issue — a cyber attack, terrorism threat — he wasn’t interested in those things. To him they weren’t priorities,” Taylor says of Trump.
Taylor recalled how Trump “wanted to go further” with his family separation policy to send a stronger message of deterrence to would-be asylum seekers fleeing Central American countries for the United States.
“I came away completely convinced, based on firsthand experience, that the president was ill-equipped and wouldn’t become equipped to do his job effectively,” Taylor says, explaining his decision to support Biden despite continuing to identify as a Republican. “And what’s worse — was actively doing damage to our security.”
Taylor worked under acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, who briefly held the job in 2017 after former Gen. John Kelly left the post for the White House and before the Senate confirmed Kirstjen Nielsen, the last non-acting head of the third-largest federal department.
Taylor was deputy and chief of staff to Nielsen, who oversaw the implementation of the administration’s family separation policy for migrants on the border.
Staff writers John Myers in Sacramento and Molly O’Toole in Washington contributed to this article.