latimes--2020-07-11--Inside California courts, lawyers fume that mask wearing is mixed during pandemic

Christine Kroger , a deputy public defender in San Joaquin County , did an “ inventory ” last week to see how many people were wearing face coverings in the county ’ s courthouse .
She toured every Superior Court department that was open .
In 7A , she reported : “ Judge and court clerk had masks , court reporter had mask around nose , bailiff , no mask , D.A.
, no mask.
” In 7C , judge and court clerks wore masks ; one bailiff had a mask , the other did not .
Although Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ order , compliance in some California courthouses has been spotty , particularly among sheriff ‘ s deputies , public defenders and court officials say .
Kroger made it her mission to ensure that masks were worn in the San Joaquin County courthouse .
“ I am angry that my co-workers are being put in peril and potentially bringing the virus back to the office because we have a bunch of idiots over there who don ’ t want to follow the rules , ” Kroger said in an interview .
Since the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers without masks has drawn criticism and controversy .
Those who failed to wear face coverings during the Black Lives Matters protests drew particular attention .
But inside buildings , there ’ s an elevated risk of spreading the coronavirus .
Since courts began reopening , presiding judges have ordered those entering to mask up , but making sure everyone does has been challenging .
Going to court for most people is compulsory .
Jurors are being seated once again , lawyers must represent their clients , prosecutors must prosecute , judges must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand to interpret and report proceedings .
Sheriff ‘ s deputies serve as bailiffs in county courts and escort jail inmates in and out for hearings .
Kroger , angry about what she was seeing , wrote a letter that was sent to the county Board of Supervisors .
She contacted her City Council member and the state Judicial Council , which Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye heads and which sets court rules .
Her office wrote a letter to the presiding judge , and she called her local newspaper .
She said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for violating society ’ s rules and can not enter courtrooms without masks , yet “ law enforcement and the judiciary seem not to have to follow the same rules that my clients have to follow.
” The San Joaquin County Sheriff ’ s Department finally took notice last week , ordering all deputies to wear masks .
The order came after The Times inquired about the department ’ s mask policy .
Brandon E. Riley , the executive officer for the San Joaquin County Superior Court , said staff members take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and distribute masks .
“ We don ’ t have enough staff to follow them around the courthouse , but we expect them to wear it , ” he said .
He said that court staff wear face coverings , except those who have medical reasons for not donning them .
In that case , Kroger said , they should be wearing face shields .
“ I do understand the concern , ” said Riley , himself a mask wearer , “ but we have applied the guidance to the fullest extent that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads the California Public Defenders Assn.
, surveyed his members to determine which courts were complying with the mask rule .
Most who replied , including public defenders in Riverside , Yolo , San Bernardino , Santa Clara , Ventura , San Diego , Sacramento , Napa , Nevada , Monterey , Los Angeles and Orange counties , said bailiffs were wearing masks , with some lapses .
Bobrow , who is chief deputy public defender for Solano County , said some sheriff ‘ s deputies and court reporters there still do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court ’ s presiding judge issued an order on June 18 mandating face coverings .
In the Tehama County Superior Court , some sheriff ‘ s deputies wear masks , others don ’ t , said Chief Court Executive Officer Kevin Harrigan .
“ The Sheriff ’ s Department has cited an exclusion ” for mask wearing , he said .
After a June 18 court order directing all people entering the Tehama County Courthouse to wear face coverings , Sheriff-Coroner Dave Hencratt developed a written policy .
“ The purpose of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Deputies , which may result from the State ’ s Guidance Document for the use of face coverings and the order of the Tehama County Superior Court mandating face coverings/Masks , ” the sheriff wrote .
The policy says a mask “ severely hampers ” deputies ’ “ command presence , ” reduces the senses of smell and taste needed to detect smoke , chemicals or alcohol , causes fogging when worn with glasses and may restrict breathing .
In addition , the sheriff wrote , prolonged wearing of a mask could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The dangers deputies face are “ much more imminent and by far outweigh the risk of exposure or transmission of almost any airborne pathogen , ” he said .
But in a memorandum to the court , the sheriff said deputies in the court should abide by state guidance .
The Sheriff ’ s Department did not respond to a request for an interview .
In Fresno County , a sheriff ’ s spokesman said all deputies were required to wear masks in the courtrooms unless they were alone .
But Fresno County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies in courtrooms still do not wear them , even though more than 600 people at the Fresno County Jail have COVID-19 , including more than two dozen correctional officers .
Negin said one of her colleagues contracted the disease from a client , an inmate .
Jail inmates wear masks made with a material she likened to a light T-shirt .
She said clients have told her they wash the masks at night if they can obtain soap .
Unlike sheriff ‘ s deputies , Fresno police have been wearing masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from reviewing video of body cameras .
Kroger is pleased that San Joaquin County deputies have been told to cover their faces in court , but knows compliance is likely to be a challenge .
When she did her “ inventory ” last week , she said , she walked into a courtroom and saw a bailiff who was not wearing a mask .
When he saw her , he quickly put one on , she said .
“ Several security guards had their masks not covering their noses , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his ear when I was leaving .
”

Christine Kroger, a deputy public defender in San Joaquin County, did an “inventory” last week to see how many people were wearing face coverings in the county’s courthouse.
She toured every Superior Court department that was open.
In 7A, she reported: “Judge and court clerk had masks, court reporter had mask around nose, bailiff, no mask, D.A., no mask.”
In 7C, judge and court clerks wore masks; one bailiff had a mask, the other did not.
Although Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a statewide mask order, compliance in some California courthouses has been spotty, particularly among sheriff‘s deputies, public defenders and court officials say.
Kroger made it her mission to ensure that masks were worn in the San Joaquin County courthouse.
“I am angry that my co-workers are being put in peril and potentially bringing the virus back to the office because we have a bunch of idiots over there who don’t want to follow the rules,” Kroger said in an interview.
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Since the pandemic began, the sight of law enforcement officers without masks has drawn criticism and controversy. Those who failed to wear face coverings during the Black Lives Matters protests drew particular attention.
But inside buildings, there’s an elevated risk of spreading the coronavirus. Since courts began reopening, presiding judges have ordered those entering to mask up, but making sure everyone does has been challenging.
Going to court for most people is compulsory. Jurors are being seated once again, lawyers must represent their clients, prosecutors must prosecute, judges must preside, court staff must be on hand to interpret and report proceedings. Sheriff‘s deputies serve as bailiffs in county courts and escort jail inmates in and out for hearings.
Kroger, angry about what she was seeing, wrote a letter that was sent to the county Board of Supervisors. She contacted her City Council member and the state Judicial Council, which Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye heads and which sets court rules. Her office wrote a letter to the presiding judge, and she called her local newspaper.
She said she was angered that criminal defendants face penalties for violating society’s rules and cannot enter courtrooms without masks, yet “law enforcement and the judiciary seem not to have to follow the same rules that my clients have to follow.”
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department finally took notice last week, ordering all deputies to wear masks. The order came after The Times inquired about the department’s mask policy.
Brandon E. Riley, the executive officer for the San Joaquin County Superior Court, said staff members take the temperature of everyone who enters the courthouse and distribute masks.
“We don’t have enough staff to follow them around the courthouse, but we expect them to wear it,” he said.
He said that court staff wear face coverings, except those who have medical reasons for not donning them. In that case, Kroger said, they should be wearing face shields.
“I do understand the concern,” said Riley, himself a mask wearer, “but we have applied the guidance to the fullest extent that we can.”
Advertisement
Oscar Bobrow, who heads the California Public Defenders Assn., surveyed his members to determine which courts were complying with the mask rule.
Most who replied, including public defenders in Riverside, Yolo, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Ventura, San Diego, Sacramento, Napa, Nevada, Monterey, Los Angeles and Orange counties, said bailiffs were wearing masks, with some lapses.
Bobrow, who is chief deputy public defender for Solano County, said some sheriff‘s deputies and court reporters there still do not wear masks, though compliance improved after the court’s presiding judge issued an order on June 18 mandating face coverings.
In the Tehama County Superior Court, some sheriff‘s deputies wear masks, others don’t, said Chief Court Executive Officer Kevin Harrigan. “The Sheriff’s Department has cited an exclusion” for mask wearing, he said.
After a June 18 court order directing all people entering the Tehama County Courthouse to wear face coverings, Sheriff-Coroner Dave Hencratt developed a written policy.
“The purpose of this policy is to mitigate extreme peril to Deputies, which may result from the State’s Guidance Document for the use of face coverings and the order of the Tehama County Superior Court mandating face coverings/Masks,” the sheriff wrote.
The policy says a mask “severely hampers” deputies’ “command presence,” reduces the senses of smell and taste needed to detect smoke, chemicals or alcohol, causes fogging when worn with glasses and may restrict breathing. In addition, the sheriff wrote, prolonged wearing of a mask could trigger “anxiety and claustrophobic reactions.”
The dangers deputies face are “much more imminent and by far outweigh the risk of exposure or transmission of almost any airborne pathogen,” he said.
But in a memorandum to the court, the sheriff said deputies in the court should abide by state guidance.
The Sheriff’s Department did not respond to a request for an interview.
In Fresno County, a sheriff’s spokesman said all deputies were required to wear masks in the courtrooms unless they were alone. But Fresno County Deputy Public Defender Stephanie Negin said some deputies in courtrooms still do not wear them, even though more than 600 people at the Fresno County Jail have COVID-19, including more than two dozen correctional officers.
Negin said one of her colleagues contracted the disease from a client, an inmate. Jail inmates wear masks made with a material she likened to a light T-shirt. She said clients have told her they wash the masks at night if they can obtain soap.
Unlike sheriff‘s deputies, Fresno police have been wearing masks, she said, which she has seen from reviewing video of body cameras.
Kroger is pleased that San Joaquin County deputies have been told to cover their faces in court, but knows compliance is likely to be a challenge.
When she did her “inventory” last week, she said, she walked into a courtroom and saw a bailiff who was not wearing a mask. When he saw her, he quickly put one on, she said.
“Several security guards had their masks not covering their noses,” she said. “One had his hanging from his ear when I was leaving.”


latimes--2020-07-11--A Black woman sat on the grass outside an L.A. church. The cold welcome she recorded speaks volumes

The story I ’ m about to tell you began one hot afternoon this week on the lawn of an L.A. church , where a young Black woman sought peace in the leafy shade of a tree to paint her toenails emerald green and do some laptop research on a road trip she planned to take to the Grand Canyon .
Once I tell you what happened next , I urge you to watch for yourself — because Alex Marshall-Brown , who is an actress and stuntwoman , expertly documented in her own words and on video the distinctly unwelcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by members of North Hollywood ’ s St. Paul ’ s First Lutheran Church .
That their shameful behavior , which she soon would post on Facebook , might rapidly spread across social media and go viral seems either not to have occurred to or not to have bothered the white church members she filmed .
Even though they were older , that is striking , given that we are living in a moment when much of the nation is grappling with a growing awareness of how white people in this country for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways that have led to grave inequality and injustice and even , all too frequently , to death .
Marshall-Brown , who has lived in the church ’ s neighborhood for years , had been sitting on its lush green lawn for less than 15 minutes on Tuesday , she told me , when a pair of what appeared to be bicycle cops rolled up .
She noticed the yellow-shirted “ safety ambassadors ” from the North Hollywood Business Improvement District but at first paid them no mind — until one of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other at her side , at which point , she said , “ my spidey sense is going wild.
” When one of the men told her that she was on private property , she calmly pointed out that she was outside a church , on a lawn with no fence or “ No Trespassing ” sign .
They stayed put .
She stayed put , continuing to paint her nails .
Before they rode off , she asked them what would happen next , and they told her that if she did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police .
Marshall-Brown , wondering who had made the first call , then noticed women in the windows of the church ’ s preschool across the street , clearly monitoring her without looking at her directly .
Then one came out and , without speaking , walked behind her to check that the church doors were locked .
Soon after , two older white men appeared on the church property , cutting across the lawn straight to her side of the tree .
One held a “ No Trespassing ” sign and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her .
Each time I watch the video , that realization hits me like a gut punch — that these people from a church were dehumanizing her by treating her as an other , to be dispensed with without so much as a “ How do you do ?
” On the video , it is Marshall-Brown who speaks first .
“ Hello , ” she says , to which the man with the sign and power tool replies , “ Welcome.
” “ Am I ?
” she asks , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each time I watch , I feel queasily certain that my presence on the lawn would not have elicited any such response — simply because of the color of my skin .
Again , watch the footage for yourself .
Watch the man obliquely refer to the homeless people in the neighborhood by telling Marshall-Brown that the church has “ a lot of problems with people here from the park vandalizing.
” Watch him , as he screws in the sign , say , “ When people aren ’ t nice , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer her query about why he thinks she has “ been unkind ” with the words : “ Ma ’ am .
We have to treat everybody the same .
All lives matter.
” “ All lives matter.
” Think about that .
Think about the coded ways people try to couch their true meaning in words they hope will give their thoughts cover but don ’ t .
It ’ s a coding that continues to appear on the video as an older woman from the preschool appears and starts filming Marshall-Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the children because of people who show up on the property , and “ you don ’ t know what they ’ re going to do.
” It ’ s a coding that particularly bothered two of Marshall-Brown ’ s friends , Thaddeus Shafer and Kari Lee Cartwright , who were among those who showed up at the church to support her after she posted the video .
Shafer put a shorter version on TikTok , where it quickly got noticed .
Well over 2 million people have seen Shafer ’ s versions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still far less widely known than the viral video of a white woman named Amy Cooper calling the cops on Christian Cooper , a Black birdwatcher in New York ’ s Central Park .
But it might not be for long , because in a lot of ways , the two encounters are strikingly similar .
The church members threaten to bring in the police and show no compunction about the potential danger that could come from doing so .
They don ’ t appear to take in Marshall-Brown ’ s clearly stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excess of anything that needs to happen.
” They seem certain — in a way that is alien to many people who are not white — of their solid authoritative standing with authorities .
Marshall-Brown ’ s friend Shafer , who met her when they acted in a play together , said the man in the video ’ s out-of-nowhere use of the words “ All lives matter , ” when Marshall-Brown had said nothing about Black Lives Matter , was particularly disturbing .
“ You want to say , ‘ Don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter ” is not a good statement , that Black Lives Matter is a plea for help from an oppressed community ?
’ ” Marshall-Brown , by the way , is the daughter of a foreign service officer .
She spent time living with him around the world , in Barbados and Guyana and Lesotho .
Her father , who grew up in Watts , talked to her often about civil rights .
She has always been engaged , she told me , but she hasn ’ t been an activist .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensuing protests — which she chose not to attend because of the pandemic health risks — she has posted frequently on social media about how to point people who don ’ t get it in the direction of anti-racism , urging friends and allies not to shut them out but rather to try to open a meaningful dialogue with them .
She told me that , like every Black person , she has experienced racist behavior countless times , at home and abroad , though it ’ s not in her nature to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the church people this week profoundly shook her , she said .
She felt enormous anger at the injustice of it and at first urged people who saw the video to call out the church publicly .
But her ultimate goal in this moment is to do what she ’ s been preaching to others — to push to make what happened change thinking , both in the church that was unwelcoming to her and beyond .
On her Facebook page , she told people to contact the church “ with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church members had reached out to her and listened .
The day after the incident occurred , the church issued an apology on Facebook for the actions of the people in the video , described as “ volunteer and nonvolunteer workers.
” The volunteers , the church said , had agreed to step down from their roles .
The next day , when Marshall-Brown and friends and supporters came back to St. Paul ’ s , the church school ’ s acting principal , Santiago Botero , who also plays a leading role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a longtime church member and a preschool parent , invited them into the sanctuary to talk .
Winfrey told me she felt “ blind rage ” when she first saw the video .
She spoke of the churn within her as Marshall-Brown both described the pain she experienced in the encounter and voiced her hope that what happened to her would lead the congregation to serious self-examination and change .
“ I found myself in tears , because she was so gracious , and I felt that we did not deserve that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that she has spent too long literally and figuratively “ sitting in the back pew , ” not doing the work she should as one of the younger generation to help move the congregation forward .
Marshall-Brown and I had spoken at length about the fear that seemed to be the real force behind the church members ’ extreme reaction to her presence on the lawn .
She had told me about the growing homeless population in the area , including the adjoining park .
Winfrey confirmed this and said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including vandalism , people defecating on the lawn and mentally ill people acting erratically .
But like Marshall-Brown , she told me she hoped the church in the future would stop barricading itself out of fear and instead reach out more to those in need in the community out of compassion .
She thought what happened this week could help .
“ I truly , truly believe that God put her on our lawn for a reason , ” Winfrey said of Marshall-Brown .
I might put that differently , but I share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve just told you will be only the beginning .

Actress and stuntwoman Alex Marshall-Brown poses in front of St. Paul’s First Lutheran Church, where she was sitting when church members told her to leave the property.
The story I’m about to tell you began one hot afternoon this week on the lawn of an L.A. church, where a young Black woman sought peace in the leafy shade of a tree to paint her toenails emerald green and do some laptop research on a road trip she planned to take to the Grand Canyon.
Once I tell you what happened next, I urge you to watch for yourself — because Alex Marshall-Brown, who is an actress and stuntwoman, expertly documented in her own words and on video the distinctly unwelcoming and assumption-laden response to her presence demonstrated by members of North Hollywood’s St. Paul’s First Lutheran Church.
That their shameful behavior, which she soon would post on Facebook, might rapidly spread across social media and go viral seems either not to have occurred to or not to have bothered the white church members she filmed.
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Even though they were older, that is striking, given that we are living in a moment when much of the nation is grappling with a growing awareness of how white people in this country for centuries have routinely treated Black people in ways that have led to grave inequality and injustice and even, all too frequently, to death.
Marshall-Brown, who has lived in the church’s neighborhood for years, had been sitting on its lush green lawn for less than 15 minutes on Tuesday, she told me, when a pair of what appeared to be bicycle cops rolled up. She noticed the yellow-shirted “safety ambassadors” from the North Hollywood Business Improvement District but at first paid them no mind — until one of them stood in front of her and the other at her side, at which point, she said, “my spidey sense is going wild.”
Screengrab from an iPhone video shows a man telling Marshall-Brown to leave after posting a “No Trespassing” sign. (Alex Marshall-Brown)
When one of the men told her that she was on private property, she calmly pointed out that she was outside a church, on a lawn with no fence or “No Trespassing” sign. They stayed put. She stayed put, continuing to paint her nails. Before they rode off, she asked them what would happen next, and they told her that if she did not leave, someone likely would call the police.
Marshall-Brown, wondering who had made the first call, then noticed women in the windows of the church’s preschool across the street, clearly monitoring her without looking at her directly. Then one came out and, without speaking, walked behind her to check that the church doors were locked.
Soon after, two older white men appeared on the church property, cutting across the lawn straight to her side of the tree. One held a “No Trespassing” sign and a power tool. Neither said anything to her.
Each time I watch the video, that realization hits me like a gut punch — that these people from a church were dehumanizing her by treating her as an other, to be dispensed with without so much as a “How do you do?”
On the video, it is Marshall-Brown who speaks first.
“Hello,” she says, to which the man with the sign and power tool replies, “Welcome.”
“Am I?” she asks, to which he replies, “No.”
Each time I watch, I feel queasily certain that my presence on the lawn would not have elicited any such response — simply because of the color of my skin.
Advertisement
Again, watch the footage for yourself. Watch the man obliquely refer to the homeless people in the neighborhood by telling Marshall-Brown that the church has “a lot of problems with people here from the park vandalizing.”
Watch him, as he screws in the sign, say, “When people aren’t nice, we’re not nice,” and answer her query about why he thinks she has “been unkind” with the words: “Ma’am. We have to treat everybody the same. All lives matter.”
“All lives matter.” Think about that. Think about the coded ways people try to couch their true meaning in words they hope will give their thoughts cover but don’t.
It’s a coding that continues to appear on the video as an older woman from the preschool appears and starts filming Marshall-Brown, talking about the need to protect the children because of people who show up on the property, and “you don’t know what they’re going to do.”
It’s a coding that particularly bothered two of Marshall-Brown’s friends, Thaddeus Shafer and Kari Lee Cartwright, who were among those who showed up at the church to support her after she posted the video. Shafer put a shorter version on TikTok, where it quickly got noticed. Well over 2 million people have seen Shafer’s versions of the footage.
It’s still far less widely known than the viral video of a white woman named Amy Cooper calling the cops on Christian Cooper, a Black birdwatcher in New York’s Central Park. But it might not be for long, because in a lot of ways, the two encounters are strikingly similar.
The church members threaten to bring in the police and show no compunction about the potential danger that could come from doing so. They don’t appear to take in Marshall-Brown’s clearly stated argument that their behavior is “in excess of anything that needs to happen.” They seem certain — in a way that is alien to many people who are not white — of their solid authoritative standing with authorities.
Marshall-Brown’s friend Shafer, who met her when they acted in a play together, said the man in the video’s out-of-nowhere use of the words “All lives matter,” when Marshall-Brown had said nothing about Black Lives Matter, was particularly disturbing.
“You want to say, ‘Don’t you know that “all lives matter” is not a good statement, that Black Lives Matter is a plea for help from an oppressed community?’”
Marshall-Brown, by the way, is the daughter of a foreign service officer. She spent time living with him around the world, in Barbados and Guyana and Lesotho. Her father, who grew up in Watts, talked to her often about civil rights. She has always been engaged, she told me, but she hasn’t been an activist.
Since the death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests — which she chose not to attend because of the pandemic health risks — she has posted frequently on social media about how to point people who don’t get it in the direction of anti-racism, urging friends and allies not to shut them out but rather to try to open a meaningful dialogue with them.
She told me that, like every Black person, she has experienced racist behavior countless times, at home and abroad, though it’s not in her nature to spend time cataloging slights.
Her encounter with the church people this week profoundly shook her, she said. She felt enormous anger at the injustice of it and at first urged people who saw the video to call out the church publicly. But her ultimate goal in this moment is to do what she’s been preaching to others — to push to make what happened change thinking, both in the church that was unwelcoming to her and beyond.
On her Facebook page, she told people to contact the church “with a more nuanced, compassionate messaging” because church members had reached out to her and listened.
The day after the incident occurred, the church issued an apology on Facebook for the actions of the people in the video, described as “volunteer and nonvolunteer workers.” The volunteers, the church said, had agreed to step down from their roles. The next day, when Marshall-Brown and friends and supporters came back to St. Paul’s, the church school’s acting principal, Santiago Botero, who also plays a leading role in the church, and Bettina Winfrey, a longtime church member and a preschool parent, invited them into the sanctuary to talk.
Winfrey told me she felt “blind rage” when she first saw the video. She spoke of the churn within her as Marshall-Brown both described the pain she experienced in the encounter and voiced her hope that what happened to her would lead the congregation to serious self-examination and change.
“I found myself in tears, because she was so gracious, and I felt that we did not deserve that,” Winfrey said of the church, adding that she has spent too long literally and figuratively “sitting in the back pew,” not doing the work she should as one of the younger generation to help move the congregation forward.
Marshall-Brown and I had spoken at length about the fear that seemed to be the real force behind the church members’ extreme reaction to her presence on the lawn. She had told me about the growing homeless population in the area, including the adjacent park.
Winfrey confirmed this and said there had been incidents on the property — including vandalism, people defecating on the lawn and mentally ill people acting erratically. But like Marshall-Brown, she told me she hoped the church in the future would stop barricading itself out of fear and instead reach out more to those in need in the community out of compassion. She thought what happened this week could help.
“I truly, truly believe that God put her on our lawn for a reason,” Winfrey said of Marshall-Brown.
I might put that differently, but I share her hope that the story I’ve just told you will be only the beginning.


latimes--2020-07-10--L.A. County reports more than 2,600 new coronavirus cases and 51 deaths

The coronavirus continues to spread in L.A. County as officials Friday confirmed 51 more deaths related to COVID-19 and 2,667 additional cases .
There are 1,995 people hospitalized with the novel coronavirus in the county , with 26 % in intensive care and 17 % on ventilators .
It ’ s a significant increase from the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago , according to the Department of Public Health .
Meanwhile , the seven-day average for the county ’ s daily positivity rate — those who test positive for the virus — has climbed to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 127,300 cases of the virus and seen more than 3,700 deaths , with the number of patients with confirmed infections having increased by more than 40 % in the last three weeks .
Officials have warned of the potential for exceeding hospital capacity if patients with the coronavirus have to start competing with others for a bed .
“ As we continue to see increases in new cases and hospitalizations , it is important to remember that if you think you could be positive and are awaiting testing results , to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are positive for COVID-19 , ” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer in a statement .
“ This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside.
” Los Angeles is on the state ’ s list of counties being monitored for their rising case counts and increased hospitalizations .
If counties remain on the list for three or more consecutive days , the state will require them to close bars and indoor dining in restaurants , along with most other indoor business operations , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopened restaurants for in-person dining on May 29 and allowed bars to reopen on June 19 .
Its bars were ordered shut again on June 28 , and indoor dining rooms on July 1 .
During a Friday briefing , L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti reminded Angelenos that socializing and gathering with people outside of their households is still not allowed .
He warned — as he did earlier this week — that the city could reimpose a mandatory stay-at-home order should the risk of infection worsen .
“ We ’ re not back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we all need to do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19 , ” he said .
Twenty thousand people were tested at city and county testing sites on Friday , Garcetti said .
To meet surging demand , city testing capacity will increase by 25 % next week .
More than 1 million people have now been tested by the city and county , he said .
The coronavirus surged across California with the reopening of the economy last month , with people beginning to socialize again in ways that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities .
A survey by USC this week found L.A. County residents are increasingly concerned that California is lifting restrictions on public activity due to the pandemic too quickly .
While 75 % of survey respondents expressed such worry in early May , 79 % did so in mid-June .
Times staff writer Colleen Shalby , Hannah Fry , and Luke Money contributed to this report .

Edna Orante helps her son Damian Orante with an oral swab test at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.
The coronavirus continues to spread in L.A. County as officials Friday confirmed 51 more deaths related to COVID-19 and 2,667 additional cases.
There are 1,995 people hospitalized with the novel coronavirus in the county, with 26% in intensive care and 17% on ventilators. It’s a significant increase from the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago, according to the Department of Public Health.
Meanwhile, the seven-day average for the county’s daily positivity rate — those who test positive for the virus — has climbed to 10%.
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L.A. County has identified more than 127,300 cases of the virus and seen more than 3,700 deaths, with the number of patients with confirmed infections having increased by more than 40% in the last three weeks. Officials have warned of the potential for exceeding hospital capacity if patients with the coronavirus have to start competing with others for a bed.
“As we continue to see increases in new cases and hospitalizations, it is important to remember that if you think you could be positive and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if you are positive for COVID-19,” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer in a statement. “This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside.”
Los Angeles is on the state’s list of counties being monitored for their rising case counts and increased hospitalizations. If counties remain on the list for three or more consecutive days, the state will require them to close bars and indoor dining in restaurants, along with most other indoor business operations, for at least three weeks. L.A. County reopened restaurants for in-person dining on May 29 and allowed bars to reopen on June 19. Its bars were ordered shut again on June 28, and indoor dining rooms on July 1.
During a Friday briefing, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti reminded Angelenos that socializing and gathering with people outside of their households is still not allowed. He warned — as he did earlier this week — that the city could reimpose a mandatory stay-at-home order should the risk of infection worsen.
“We’re not back to a safer at home order, but we all need to do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
Twenty thousand people were tested at city and county testing sites on Friday, Garcetti said. To meet surging demand, city testing capacity will increase by 25% next week. More than 1 million people have now been tested by the city and county, he said.
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The coronavirus surged across California with the reopening of the economy last month, with people beginning to socialize again in ways that allowed the virus to spread rapidly across communities. A survey by USC this week found L.A. County residents are increasingly concerned that California is lifting restrictions on public activity due to the pandemic too quickly. While 75% of survey respondents expressed such worry in early May, 79% did so in mid-June.
Times staff writer Colleen Shalby, Hannah Fry, and Luke Money contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-10--'We are essential, too.' L.A. Metro bus drivers protest for coronavirus hazard pay

Los Angeles County bus drivers staged a protest outside Metropolitan Transportation Authority headquarters Friday , demanding hazard pay for transit employees who are working during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Bus drivers in crisp blue shirts and neon vests banged on drums and hoisted handmade signs into the air , including some that read , “ Honk 4 MTA drivers ” and “ Got hazard pay ?
” Drivers said they face a greater risk of contracting the novel coronavirus as cases surge in L.A. County and bus lines grow more crowded .
Metro cut bus service in April by about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but riders are coming back , drivers said .
“ We want Metro to recognize that we are L.A. — that we move L.A. , ” said Sandra Pineda , a driver and an officer for one of the five local unions for bus drivers .
The protest was not organized by the bus drivers union , a local affiliate of SMART , the International Assn .
of Sheet Metal , Air , Rail and Transportation Workers .
Nearly four dozen drivers have tested positive for COVID-19 , and one driver has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked at Metro for 23 years , most recently as a trainer for new drivers on downtown bus routes , his co-workers said .
Mayor Eric Garcetti , the chairman of Metro ’ s board of directors , said he is “ sympathetic ” to the dangers bus drivers face .
He said Metro ’ s directors have authorized negotiators to discuss the issue with the labor unions that represent Metro workers .
“ I absolutely am in favor of trying to figure out whether we can afford to do that , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply into Metro ’ s main source of revenue , reducing sales tax income by 30 % in April and May , Chief Executive Phil Washington said last month .
Garcetti said the agency is facing a $ 1-billion deficit .
Metro spokesman Dave Sotero said that drivers received a 4.5 % raise July 1 , guaranteed through a union contract approved in 2017 , and that the agency is “ committed to ensuring that all employees remain on the job — no furloughs , no layoffs.
” Some drivers held signs urging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief package , called the Heroes Act , that could help Metro cover the cost of hazard pay for transit employees .
The legislation would give essential workers a $ 13-an-hour retroactive raise , effective from the start of the pandemic through Dec. 31 .
The hazard pay would be capped at $ 25,000 for workers who earn less than $ 200,000 a year .
“ We should be treated as well as people who work at supermarkets and people who work at Amazon , ” said Metro operator Johnny Moreno , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are essential , too.
” Moreno ’ s son , who is starting sixth grade in the fall , has a heart condition and a weakened immune system .
Moreno said he hears passengers coughing on his bus and worries that he will spread the disease to his family .
After bus drivers said they were scared to go to work in an enclosed space with strangers , many of whom were not wearing masks , Metro approved a mandatory mask rule for all riders .
But that rule is toothless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse service to passengers who don ’ t obey it .
“ We don ’ t want to feel that we ’ re disposable , ” said driver Emma Bolton , who joined the protest on her break .
She said she worries that the Line 720 and Line 745 buses are too crowded for riders to practice physical distancing .

At a protest Friday outside Metro headquarters, bus drivers demand hazard pay for working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Los Angeles County bus drivers staged a protest outside Metropolitan Transportation Authority headquarters Friday, demanding hazard pay for transit employees who are working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bus drivers in crisp blue shirts and neon vests banged on drums and hoisted handmade signs into the air, including some that read, “Honk 4 MTA drivers” and “Got hazard pay?”
Drivers said they face a greater risk of contracting the novel coronavirus as cases surge in L.A. County and bus lines grow more crowded. Metro cut bus service in April by about 29% after ridership and revenue plummeted, but riders are coming back, drivers said.
“We want Metro to recognize that we are L.A. — that we move L.A.,” said Sandra Pineda, a driver and an officer for one of the five local unions for bus drivers. The protest was not organized by the bus drivers union, a local affiliate of SMART, the International Assn. of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.
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Nearly four dozen drivers have tested positive for COVID-19, and one driver has died. Wilfredo Corsino, 65, worked at Metro for 23 years, most recently as a trainer for new drivers on downtown bus routes, his co-workers said.
Mayor Eric Garcetti, the chairman of Metro’s board of directors, said he is “sympathetic” to the dangers bus drivers face. He said Metro’s directors have authorized negotiators to discuss the issue with the labor unions that represent Metro workers.
“I absolutely am in favor of trying to figure out whether we can afford to do that,” Garcetti said.
The coronavirus has cut deeply into Metro’s main source of revenue, reducing sales tax income by 30% in April and May, Chief Executive Phil Washington said last month. Garcetti said the agency is facing a $1-billion deficit.
Metro spokesman Dave Sotero said that drivers received a 4.5% raise July 1, guaranteed through a union contract approved in 2017, and that the agency is “committed to ensuring that all employees remain on the job — no furloughs, no layoffs.”
Some drivers held signs urging Congress to pass a $2-trillion coronavirus relief package, called the Heroes Act, that could help Metro cover the cost of hazard pay for transit employees.
The legislation would give essential workers a $13-an-hour retroactive raise, effective from the start of the pandemic through Dec. 31. The hazard pay would be capped at $25,000 for workers who earn less than $200,000 a year.
“We should be treated as well as people who work at supermarkets and people who work at Amazon,” said Metro operator Johnny Moreno, who drives the Line 30 bus. “We are essential, too.”
Moreno’s son, who is starting sixth grade in the fall, has a heart condition and a weakened immune system. Moreno said he hears passengers coughing on his bus and worries that he will spread the disease to his family.
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“I can’t kiss him, I can’t hug him,” Moreno said.
After bus drivers said they were scared to go to work in an enclosed space with strangers, many of whom were not wearing masks, Metro approved a mandatory mask rule for all riders. But that rule is toothless, drivers say, because they cannot refuse service to passengers who don’t obey it.
“We don’t want to feel that we’re disposable,” said driver Emma Bolton, who joined the protest on her break. She said she worries that the Line 720 and Line 745 buses are too crowded for riders to practice physical distancing.


latimes--2020-07-10--International students in California file suit over new visa guidelines

Seven international graduate students in California filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing guidelines issued this week that would bar them from remaining in the country if they enroll only in online courses this fall .
“ The … policy requiring foreign students to attend in person classes , even where their universities have determined that to do so will cost lives and endanger the campus community , in keeping with the judgment of public health experts , treats them as pawns for the president ’ s politically motivated decision , ” attorney Mark Rosenbaum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm that filed the suit , said in a statement .
The students ’ lawsuit , filed in the Central District of California , follows another filed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University this week , to which 180 colleges and universities signed an amicus brief in support .
On Monday , the Student Exchange and Visitor Program , under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement , announced that international students will not be allowed to remain in the U.S. if they enroll at schools or programs that hold classes entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depart the country or transfer to an institution holding in-person classes , ICE said .
The announcement prompted outcry among higher education leaders in California and across the nation , as well as disbelief and worry among students .
The seven plaintiffs in the case filed Friday are from China and Germany and are enrolled at the USC Gould School of Law , UC Irvine School of Law and a UCLA graduate program in cinema and media studies .
The complaint said they will face “ financial calamity , ” suffer health consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their education and jeopardize their career prospects if made to return to their home countries .
Some of the students had already signed leases on apartments and don ’ t have the means to pay for a return flight or housing in their home country , the complaint said .
One would be separated from his wife .
The students from China in particular would lack access to the tools they need for online learning , including Google products , and the time difference would put them at a disadvantage for participating in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the complaint said .
In March , the Student Exchange and Visitor Program issued guidelines stating that international students would be given flexibility in order to continue progress in their degrees during the coronavirus emergency .
According to the lawsuit , the guidance laid out Monday abruptly and without appropriate notice or rationale reversed course .
It also said the action violated international students ’ right to due process .
The suit seeks a temporary restraining order and an order vacating the policy .

A group gathers around the Tommy Trojan statue at USC. Seven international graduate students at USC, UC Irvine and UCLA have filed a lawsuit over new Trump administration rules that would bar them from remaining in the U.S. if they enroll only in online courses.
Seven international graduate students in California filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing guidelines issued this week that would bar them from remaining in the country if they enroll only in online courses this fall.
“The … policy requiring foreign students to attend in person classes, even where their universities have determined that to do so will cost lives and endanger the campus community, in keeping with the judgment of public health experts, treats them as pawns for the president’s politically motivated decision,” attorney Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel, the nonprofit law firm that filed the suit, said in a statement.
The students’ lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California, follows another filed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University this week, to which 180 colleges and universities signed an amicus brief in support.
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On Monday, the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced that international students will not be allowed to remain in the U.S. if they enroll at schools or programs that hold classes entirely online this fall. Those students must depart the country or transfer to an institution holding in-person classes, ICE said.
The announcement prompted outcry among higher education leaders in California and across the nation, as well as disbelief and worry among students.
The seven plaintiffs in the case filed Friday are from China and Germany and are enrolled at the USC Gould School of Law, UC Irvine School of Law and a UCLA graduate program in cinema and media studies. The complaint said they will face “financial calamity,” suffer health consequences and be forced to pause or halt their education and jeopardize their career prospects if made to return to their home countries.
Some of the students had already signed leases on apartments and don’t have the means to pay for a return flight or housing in their home country, the complaint said. One would be separated from his wife. The students from China in particular would lack access to the tools they need for online learning, including Google products, and the time difference would put them at a disadvantage for participating in discussion-based classes and on-campus job interviews, the complaint said.
In March, the Student Exchange and Visitor Program issued guidelines stating that international students would be given flexibility in order to continue progress in their degrees during the coronavirus emergency. According to the lawsuit, the guidance laid out Monday abruptly and without appropriate notice or rationale reversed course. It also said the action violated international students’ right to due process.
The suit seeks a temporary restraining order and an order vacating the policy.


latimes--2020-07-11--Amid a national movement to defund the police, LAPD officers stage a protest of their own

In a moment of national reckoning prompted by the killing of George Floyd and street protests against police brutality , Los Angeles police officers rally outside downtown headquarters on Saturday .
Calls to defund the police have been swiftly answered by the City Council , which slashed the LAPD budget by $ 150 million , saying the money will be channeled into services for Black , Latino and disenfranchised communities .
Officers say they are demoralized by the cuts , which will deliver a huge hit to overtime pay and hiring in the 10,000-member department , when they have worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are willing to risk their lives to keep people safe .
“ What I ’ m concerned about is that the neighborhoods that will pay the worst price are the most economically depressed neighborhoods , ” said Rusty Redican , an officer with the beach patrol in West L.A. and an 18-year LAPD veteran .
“ Ninety-five percent of the people in South L.A. are great people who just want to live their lives and not be preyed on by gang members and drug dealers.
” Over the July 4th weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time when homicides were spiking .
LAPD officials are investigating whether some of the absences were a “ blue flu ” protest , which would be illegal under state law .
Organizers of the rally had promoted it to fellow officers as a legal alternative to a sickout .
As a crowd of about 100 officers and their supporters waved “ Defend the Police ” signs and chanted “ LAPD , ” a handful of counter protesters sought to convey a different message .
“ We don ’ t feel it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are responsible for the killing of 600 unarmed people , and none of them have been prosecuted , said Tara Perry , 36 , a paralegal and member of Black Pact .
“ You don ’ t get to sit here and tell us our lives don ’ t matter because your family is police , or the police will protect you because of your complexion.
” Ariana Waters , 27 , a researcher at a cancer center , said the LAPD is “ grossly overfunded , ” and the money should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and homelessness .
“ Because they get so much money and power , they abuse it , ” Waters said .
“ The more cops we have , the more crime we have .
All you have is hammers , so everyone is a nail.
” Some of the LAPD officers ’ discontent has been directed at Mayor Eric Garcetti and Chief Michel Moore , whom they believe have caved too quickly to the activists ’ demands .
“ There ’ s work for us to do , but we ’ re committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good to take a moment to remind ourselves of the progress that has been made in areas like diversity , use of force and training , ” Moore told The Times at the rally .
Amid the sign-waving and chanting , a cop and a Black man began a debate about policing .
“ How can we stop this -- the aggression ?
” said Jason Morales , 34 .
He described being pulled over frequently by police officers in his 1991 Toyota Camry .
Another time , he said , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him and checked the serial number to see if it was stolen .
“ Our job is to stop bad things from happening while not violating anyone ’ s rights , ” said Douglas Barnhart , an 18-year LAPD veteran who trains officers at the Police Academy .
“ You knew the job was messed up when you signed up for it , ” responded Morales , whose lines of work include auto collision appraisal , auditing and poetry .
The two men exchanged phone numbers , saying they had learned a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinned , a woman was arrested and booked with misdemeanor battery for trying to snatch another protester ’ s sign .

In a moment of national reckoning prompted by the killing of George Floyd and street protests against police brutality, Los Angeles police officers and their supporters rallied outside downtown headquarters on Saturday.
Calls to defund the police have been swiftly answered by the City Council, which slashed the LAPD budget by $150 million, saying the money will be channeled into services for Black, Latino and disenfranchised communities.
Officers say they are demoralized by the cuts, which will deliver a huge hit to overtime pay and hiring in the 10,000-member department, when they have worked hard to build ties with community members and are willing to risk their lives to keep people safe.
“What I’m concerned about is that the neighborhoods that will pay the worst price are the most economically depressed neighborhoods,” said Rusty Redican, an officer with the beach patrol in West L.A. and an 18-year LAPD veteran. “Ninety-five percent of the people in South L.A. are great people who just want to live their lives and not be preyed on by gang members and drug dealers.”
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Over the July Fourth weekend, hundreds of officers called in sick, at a time when homicides were spiking. LAPD officials are investigating whether some of the absences were a “blue flu” protest, which would be illegal under state law.
Saturday’s rally was organized by community members and drew a mix of LAPD officers, their families and Angelenos who feel that law enforcement is being unfairly maligned. Within the LAPD, the rally had been promoted to officers as a legal alternative to a sickout.
As a crowd of about 100 officers and their supporters waved “Defend the Police” signs and chanted “LAPD,” a handful of counterprotesters sought to convey a different message.
“You don’t get to sit here and tell us our lives don’t matter because your family is police, or the police will protect you because of your complexion,” said Tara Perry, 36, a paralegal and member of Black Pact.
Ariana Waters, 27, a researcher at a cancer center, said the LAPD is “grossly overfunded,” and the money should be spent on issues like mental illness and homelessness.
“Because they get so much money and power, they abuse it,” Waters said. “The more cops we have, the more crime we have. All you have is hammers, so everyone is a nail.”
Some of the LAPD officers’ discontent has been directed at Mayor Eric Garcetti and Chief Michel Moore, whom they believe have caved too quickly to the activists’ demands.
“There’s work for us to do, but we’re committed to reform, and it’s good to take a moment to remind ourselves of the progress that has been made in areas like diversity, use of force and training,” Moore told The Times at the rally.
Amid the sign-waving and chanting, a cop and a Black man began a debate about policing.
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“How can we stop this — the aggression?” said Jason Morales, 34.
He described being pulled over frequently by police officers in his 1991 Toyota Camry. Another time, he said, he was riding his bicycle when an officer stopped him and checked the serial number to see if it was stolen.
“Our job is to stop bad things from happening while not violating anyone’s rights,” said Douglas Barnhart, an 18-year LAPD veteran who trains officers at the Police Academy.
“You knew the job was messed up when you signed up for it,” responded Morales, whose lines of work include auto collision appraisal, auditing and poetry.
The two men exchanged phone numbers, saying they had learned a lot from each other.
As the crowd thinned, a woman was arrested and booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery for trying to snatch another protester’s sign.


latimes--2020-07-11--'My heart is full of sadness': Faithful stunned by destruction of San Gabriel Mission fire

For the faithful , it was a grim Saturday as they arrived at San Gabriel Mission to survey the damage from a huge fire that destroyed the historic landmark ’ s roof and much of the church interior .
“ My heart is full of sadness , ” said San Gabriel resident Anita Chavez , 70 , who calls herself a “ lifetime parishioner.
” “ This church has been at the center of my family , my world and my faith.
” Chavez ’ s daughter called to tell her about the fire , and she arrived at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what she feared .
Though she stood about 100 feet away , Chavez became emotional when she saw the damage and smelled the embers .
Chavez held funerals for her son Martin Jr. , her husband Martin Sr. , parents Virginia Quintanar and Jose Quintanar in 2011 , 1992 , 1999 and 1984 , respectively , all at the mission .
Chavez was far from alone as parishioners , Catholic Church leaders and others came to survey the damage to the 215-year-old building .
Authorities received a call at 4:24 a.m. reporting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone off .
When an engine arrived to investigate , firefighters saw flames and smoke coming from the corner of the mission .
The cause was under investigation .
The Quintanars are buried in the nearby public San Gabriel Cemetery , adjacent to the mission chapel , along with Chavez ’ s grandparents .
Chavez worked as a special education assistant with the San Gabriel Unified School District and was proud to be part of a fundraising drive to help refurbish many of the now battered and destroyed pews .
“ A part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will , God-willing , be replaced and new , but it will also never be the same , ” she said .
Founded by Franciscan Father Junipero Serra in 1771 , the San Gabriel Mission has long been seen as an essential link to California ’ s past , as well as to the brutality and racism on which the state was founded .
The mission system destroyed the lives of Native Californians and in recent decades has deeply tarnished the image of Serra , the architect of the system who has long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founding fathers .
Serra was made a saint by the Catholic Church in 2015 , fueling outrage from many Native American activists and others .
Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez toured the damage around 10:25 a.m. , while San Gabriel Valley regional auxiliary bishop David G. O ’ Connell met and spoke with distressed parishioners and visitors .
“ We ’ re all brokenhearted by this , and this adds another trauma onto the present trauma of the coronavirus and everything else that ’ s happening , ” O ’ Connell said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these families have connections going back generations.
” O ’ Connell mentioned that on Friday mission staff had “ just finished redoing all the pews and had finished redoing the walls , getting them up to their original quality.
” He was thankful that because of the refurbishment , some of the mission ’ s statues and artwork had been removed .
A baptismal font consisting of a hammered copper basin and silver pieces donated by Spanish King Charles III in the late 18th century also survived , according to San Gabriel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wooden statues inside the mission also came through unscathed .
O ’ Connell said that despite Saturday ’ s fire , normal Sunday Mass will continue at the mission ’ s chapel , with social distancing and COVID-19 limits holding attendance to 100 people .
One of the more visible groups to arrive was a branch of the Knights on Bikes , a motorcycle group affiliated with the Knights of Columbus , a self-described fraternity of “ Catholic men of faith and charitable action.
” Paul Padilla , 50 , came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masked members .
They assessed the situation , took photos , spoke with relatives , then pulled out rosaries and prayed .
“ We saw the reports on TV and had to stop by , ” Padilla said .
“ I grew up closer to the San Fernando Mission , but I had to come out and stand with the mission today and support my Catholic faith .
This place is a part of our history.
” Fellow member David Sanchez , 59 , grew up in East Los Angeles and remembered field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student , while Enrique Bonilla , 39 , a Pasadena resident , said he had attended many mission services .
“ It ’ s sad this happened , ” Sanchez said .
“ This was a place of peace for so many people.
” Times staff writers Alexandra Wigglesworth and Sonali Kohli contributed to this story .

An overnight fire burned most of San Gabriel Mission’s roof and interior.
For the faithful, it was a grim Saturday as they arrived at San Gabriel Mission to survey the damage from a huge fire that destroyed the historic landmark’s roof and much of the church interior.
“My heart is full of sadness,” said San Gabriel resident Anita Chavez, 70, who calls herself a “lifetime parishioner.” “This church has been at the center of my family, my world and my faith.”
Chavez’s daughter called to tell her about the fire, and she arrived at the church’s parking lot to confirm what she feared.
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Though she stood about 100 feet away, Chavez became emotional when she saw the damage and smelled the embers.
Chavez held funerals for her son Martin Jr., husband Martin Sr. and parents Virginia Quintanar and Jose Quintanar in 2011, 1992, 1999 and 1984, respectively, all at the mission.
Chavez was far from alone as parishioners, Catholic Church leaders and others came to survey the damage to the building, which is 249 years old.
Authorities received a call at 4:24 a.m. reporting that the mission’s fire alarm had gone off. When an engine arrived to investigate, firefighters saw flames and smoke coming from the corner of the mission. The cause was under investigation.
Bishop David G. O’Connell leaves the San Gabriel Mission after surveying the damage caused by a fire early Saturday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The Quintanars are buried in the nearby public San Gabriel Cemetery, adjacent to the mission chapel, along with Chavez’s grandparents.
Chavez worked as a special education assistant with the San Gabriel Unified School District and was proud to be part of a fundraising drive to help refurbish many of the now battered and destroyed pews.
A massive fire ripped through the 249-year-old San Gabriel Mission early Saturday. (Andrew Campa / Los Angeles Times)
“A part of the mission is gone and it will, God-willing, be replaced and new, but it will also never be the same,” she said.
Founded by Franciscan Father Junipero Serra in 1771, the San Gabriel Mission has long been seen as an essential link to California’s past, as well as to the brutality and racism on which the state was founded.
The mission system destroyed the lives of Native Californians and in recent decades has deeply tarnished the image of Serra, the architect of the system who has long been considered one of California’s founding fathers. Serra was made a saint by the Catholic Church in 2015, fueling outrage from Native American activists and others.
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Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez toured the damage around 10:25 a.m., while San Gabriel Valley regional auxiliary bishop David G. O’Connell met and spoke with distressed parishioners and visitors.
“We’re all brokenhearted by this, and this adds another trauma onto the present trauma of the coronavirus and everything else that’s happening,” O’Connell said. “People love the mission, and many of these families have connections going back generations.”
O’Connell mentioned that on Friday mission staff had “just finished redoing all the pews and had finished redoing the walls, getting them up to their original quality.”
He was thankful that because of the refurbishment, some of the mission’s statues and artwork had been removed.
A baptismal font consisting of a hammered copper basin and silver pieces donated by Spanish King Charles III in the late 18th century also survived, according to San Gabriel Mission spokeswoman Terri Huerta.
The altar and wooden statues inside the mission also came through unscathed.
O’Connell said that despite Saturday’s fire, normal Sunday Mass will continue at the mission’s chapel, with social distancing and COVID-19 limits holding attendance to 100 people. One of the more visible groups to arrive was a branch of the Knights on Bikes, a motorcycle group affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, a self-described fraternity of “Catholic men of faith and charitable action.”
Paul Padilla, 50, came from Fontana with four other black-vested, blue-jeaned masked members.
They assessed the situation, took photos, spoke with relatives, then pulled out rosaries and prayed.
“We saw the reports on TV and had to stop by,” Padilla said. “I grew up closer to the San Fernando Mission, but I had to come out and stand with the mission today and support my Catholic faith. This place is a part of our history.”
Fellow member David Sanchez, 59, grew up in East Los Angeles and remembered field trips to the mission as a young student, while Enrique Bonilla, 39, a Pasadena resident, said he had attended many mission services.
“It’s sad this happened,” Sanchez said. “This was a place of peace for so many people.”
Times staff writers Alexandra Wigglesworth and Sonali Kohli contributed to this story.


latimes--2020-07-11--Los Angeles is in the grips of a heat wave this weekend

The Southland was sweltering under an early-summer heat wave this weekend , with temperatures reaching triple digits in some valley communities and posing a health threat .
Saturday ’ s high reached 89 degrees in downtown Los Angeles , 99 in Pasadena , 105 in Van Nuys and 104 in Palmdale and Lancaster .
In Orange County , Fullerton was expected to reach 100 degrees by mid-afternoon , according to the National Weather Service .
The NWS attributed the hot weather to a strong upper-level high centered over Arizona and New Mexico .
It will expand westward through Sunday before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisory was in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday in the San Fernando , San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys , the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains , inland Orange County and the Santa Ana mountains .
The NWS forecast temperatures on Saturday of 100 to 110 in the Antelope Valley , 95 to 105 in L.A. County ’ s other valleys and 92 to 102 in the mountains and foothills .
The weather service urged residents to drink plenty of water , confine strenuous work or exercise to early morning or evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the NWS stressed , never leave children , elderly people or pets in an enclosed car , even with the windows down , during this type of heat .
Sunday will be the warmest day , with highs of 101 forecast in Woodland Hills and 106 in Palmdale and Lancaster .
A slight cooling trend is expected to begin Monday , but temperatures in the 90s will last at least through Thursday in some valley areas , forecasters said .

Los Angeles is sweltering in a heat wave this weekend, with temperatures hitting triple digits in valleys and inland areas.
The Southland was sweltering under an early-summer heat wave this weekend, with temperatures reaching triple digits in some valley communities and posing a health threat.
Saturday’s high reached 89 degrees in downtown Los Angeles, 99 in Pasadena, 105 in Van Nuys and 104 in Palmdale and Lancaster.
In Orange County, Fullerton was expected to reach 100 degrees by mid-afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
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The NWS attributed the hot weather to a strong upper-level high centered over Arizona and New Mexico. It will expand westward through Sunday before weakening somewhat on Monday.
A heat advisory was in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday in the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys, the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains, inland Orange County and the Santa Ana mountains.
The NWS forecast temperatures on Saturday of 100 to 110 in the Antelope Valley, 95 to 105 in L.A. County’s other valleys and 92 to 102 in the mountains and foothills.
The weather service urged residents to drink plenty of water, confine strenuous work or exercise to early morning or evening hours and wear lightweight clothing.
And, the NWS stressed, never leave children, elderly people or pets in an enclosed car, even with the windows down, during this type of heat.
Sunday will be the warmest day, with highs of 101 forecast in Woodland Hills and 106 in Palmdale and Lancaster.
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A slight cooling trend is expected to begin Monday, but temperatures in the 90s will last at least through Thursday in some valley areas, forecasters said.


latimes--2020-07-11--L.A. County reports 2,900 new coronavirus cases, 57 related deaths as surge continues

Los Angeles County health officials on Saturday confirmed 2,916 new coronavirus cases and 57 more related deaths , as the region struggles with a surge of cases in the ongoing pandemic .
There are more than 2,000 people hospitalized with the virus , with 27 % of those confirmed cases in intensive care and 18 % on ventilators , officials said .
It ’ s a significant increase from the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen a month ago , according to the county Health Department .
L.A. County has identified 130,242 positive cases of the virus and seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have warned of the potential for exceeding hospital capacity if stricken patients have to start competing with others for a bed .
“ For those of you mourning the loss of a loved one from COVID-19 , your community mourns with you , ” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement .
“ We must work together to get back to being able to slow the spread .
Unless we can do this , our recovery journey is in jeopardy.
” As of Saturday , the total number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with 7,016 related deaths , according to health officials .
Los Angeles is on the state ’ s list of counties being monitored for their rising case counts and increased hospitalizations .
If counties remain on the list for three or more consecutive days , the state will require them to close bars and indoor dining in restaurants , along with most other indoor business operations , for at least three weeks .
L.A. County reopened restaurants for in-person dining on and allowed bars to reopen on .
Its bars were again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooms on .
During a Friday briefing , L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti reminded Angelenos that socializing and gathering with people outside of their households is still not allowed .
He warned — as he did earlier this week — that the city could reimpose a mandatory stay-at-home order should the risk of infection worsen .
“ We ’ re not back to a safer at home order , but we all need to do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19 , ” he said .
Twenty thousand people were tested at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcetti said .
To meet surging demand , city testing capacity will increase by 25 % next week .
More than 1 million people have now been tested by the city and county , he said .
The coronavirus surged across California with the reopening of the economy last month , with people beginning to socialize again in ways that allowed the virus to spread rapidly across communities .
L.A. County residents are increasingly concerned that California is lifting restrictions on public activity too quickly .
Though 75 % of survey respondents expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % did so in mid-June .

Workers confirm that drivers have an appointment for coronavirus testing that resumed at Dodger Stadium this week.
Los Angeles County health officials on Saturday confirmed 2,916 new coronavirus cases and 57 more related deaths, as the region struggles with a surge of cases in the ongoing pandemic.
There are more than 2,000 people hospitalized with the virus, with 27% of those confirmed cases in intensive care and 18% on ventilators, officials said. It’s a significant increase from the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen a month ago, according to the county Health Department.
L.A. County has identified 130,242 positive cases of the virus and seen a total of 3,793 related deaths. Officials have warned of the potential for exceeding hospital capacity if stricken patients have to start competing with others for a bed.
“For those of you mourning the loss of a loved one from COVID-19, your community mourns with you,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “We must work together to get back to being able to slow the spread. Unless we can do this, our recovery journey is in jeopardy.”
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As of Saturday, the total number of coronavirus cases reported statewide stood at 316,928, with 7,016 related deaths, according to health officials.
Los Angeles is on the state’s list of counties being monitored for their rising case counts and increased hospitalizations. If counties remain on the list for three or more consecutive days, the state will require them to close bars and indoor dining in restaurants, along with most other indoor business operations, for at least three weeks. L.A. County reopened restaurants for in-person dining on May 29 and allowed bars to reopen on June 19 . Its bars were ordered shut again on June 28, and indoor dining rooms on July 1 .
During a Friday briefing, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti reminded Angelenos that socializing and gathering with people outside of their households is still not allowed. He warned — as he did earlier this week — that the city could reimpose a mandatory stay-at-home order should the risk of infection worsen.
“We’re not back to a safer at home order, but we all need to do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
Twenty thousand people were tested at city and county testing sites Friday, Garcetti said. To meet surging demand, city testing capacity will increase by 25% next week. More than 1 million people have now been tested by the city and county, he said.


latimes--2020-07-11--Search for Naya Rivera enters fourth day: 'Our goal is to bring the family closure'

Searchers on Saturday continued looking for the body of “ Glee ” star Naya Rivera , who authorities believe drowned Wednesday afternoon while boating with her young son on Lake Piru in Ventura County .
Divers , helicopters , drone aircraft and cadaver dogs have been trying to locate Rivera for three days .
Officials said Saturday they have also used sonar equipment but said visibility in the lake has been poor .
The depths of Lake Piru range from 10 to 90 feet , creating other challenges .
“ Our goal is to bring the family closure , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters .
“ It ’ s a traumatic time for them .
They ’ re devastated , obviously.
” The 33-year-old Rivera was reported missing Wednesday afternoon after her 4-year-old son was found in a rental boat on the lake by himself .
The Santa Clarita native gained praise for her performance as a gay cheerleader in the high school musical drama .
Security video footage released by the Ventura County Sheriff ’ s Office showed the actress and her son boarding the rental boat by themselves and heading out onto the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pontoon boat soon became a spot on the lake ’ s horizon .
Hours later , after she hadn ’ t returned the boat on time , staff of the rental business went out to search for her .
At 4:47 p.m. , 911 dispatchers received a call from a woman who said , “ We have a missing person .
We found a little girl in one of the boats by herself and her mom is nowhere to be found.
” The girl the woman spoke of was in fact Rivera ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said the boy was found asleep on the boat , wearing his life vest .
They later learned that Rivera and her son were swimming together in the lake and that he was able to get back on the boat but she was not .

Jake Sheridan, Luke Money, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

A Coast Guard helicopter assisting in the search for Naya Rivera flies over Lake Piru on Thursday.
Search teams on Saturday were unable to locate the body of “Glee” star Naya Rivera, who authorities believe drowned Wednesday afternoon while boating with her young son on Lake Piru in Ventura County.
The search will resume Sunday morning, according to a Twitter post Saturday evening by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
Divers, helicopters, drone aircraft and cadaver dogs have been trying to locate Rivera for four days. Officials said Saturday they have also used sonar equipment but said visibility in the lake has been poor. The depths of Lake Piru range from 10 to 90 feet, creating other challenges.
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“Our goal is to bring the family closure,” Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Marta Bugarin told reporters. “It’s a traumatic time for them. They’re devastated, obviously.”
The 33-year-old Rivera was reported missing Wednesday afternoon after her 4-year-old son was found in a rental boat on the lake by himself.
The Santa Clarita native gained praise for her performance as a gay cheerleader in the high school musical drama.
Security video footage released by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office showed the actress and her son boarding the rental boat by themselves and heading out onto the lake about 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The pontoon boat soon became a spot on the lake’s horizon.
Hours later, after she hadn’t returned the boat on time, staff of the rental business went out to search for her. At 4:47 p.m., 911 dispatchers received a call from a woman who said, “We have a missing person. We found a little girl in one of the boats by herself and her mom is nowhere to be found.” The girl the woman spoke of was in fact Rivera’s little boy.
Sheriff’s officials said the boy was found asleep on the boat, wearing his life vest. They later learned that Rivera and her son were swimming together in the lake and that he was able to get back on the boat, but she was not.


latimes--2020-07-11--'Nothing can be off the table' as California coronavirus deaths surge toward 7,000

California coronavirus death approached 7,000 as officials raised new alarms about rapid community spread and the grim consequences ahead if the public can not change its behavior .
As of Saturday morning , the state ’ s coronavirus-related death toll stood at 6,958 .
Daily death totals have begun to increase after a month of spiking cases and hospitalizations tied to businesses reopening and people getting back to old habits and social gatherings .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti again warned residents that the city could reimpose a mandatory stay-at-home order should conditions continue to deteriorate .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Home order , but we all need to do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19 , ” he said .
L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday that “ nothing can be off the table in the pandemic ” but that she personally hopes “ we don ’ t have to go back there .
I hope that we figure out a way to take care of each other , to be sensible about what we ’ re doing.
” The coronavirus continues to spread in L.A. County as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 and 2,667 additional cases .
There are 1,995 people hospitalized with the coronavirus in the county , with 26 % in intensive care and 17 % on ventilators .
It ’ s a significant increase from the 1,350-to-1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago , according to the Department of Public Health .
Meanwhile , the county ’ s daily test positivity rate — the share of those tested for the coronavirus whose results are positive — has climbed to 10 % .
L.A. County has identified more than 127,300 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,700 deaths , with the number of patients with confirmed infections having increased by more than 40 % having increased by more than 40 % in the last three weeks .
Officials have warned of the potential for exceeding hospital capacity .
In one outbreak , more than 300 infections and four virus-related deaths have been reported among workers at a Los Angeles Apparel factory , county public health officials announced Friday .
In a statement Friday evening , the county health department said that it shut down the South L.A. garment manufacturer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flagrant violations ” of infection control orders , adding that the company had failed to cooperate with the county ’ s investigation .
.
Half of California ’ s 58 counties are now on the state ’ s coronavirus watchlist as the number of infections , hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise .
The state reported 7,798 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday .
On Thursday , California set a one-day record with 9,816 new cases and 137 related deaths — the second-highest total on a single day since the pandemic began , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been more than 304,000 confirmed coronavirus infections and nearly 6,900 deaths .
The surge of new cases on Thursday was fueled , in part , by Stanislaus County , which made a change to its reporting systems that resulted in the addition of nearly 1,400 cases that had not been previously tallied .
Even without those cases , though , California still would have seen one of its highest single-day counts to date .
Across the state , 29 counties are seeing elevated disease transmission and/or increasing hospitalizations — up from 26 earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additions is Placer County , which “ is experiencing increased hospitalizations and limited hospital capacity , ” according to the state .
Factors driving the spread of COVID-19 there , state officials said , “ include large households where staying away from others while ill is difficult , community and extended family gatherings , and indoor work environments where physical distancing is difficult.
” If a county is on the monitoring list for three consecutive days , the state will require it to close bars and indoor dining in restaurants , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least three weeks .
The state ’ s watchlist also now includes Yuba and Sutter counties , which grabbed headlines in May when they began allowing some businesses to reopen despite the statewide stay-at-home order .
In a video statement Wednesday , Yuba-Sutter Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu said that although the region was “ doing well just two months ago , ” conditions have worsened because “ unfortunately the community became too lax , too complacent.
” “ We were overly confident that we crushed COVID-19 .
We never crushed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only flattened the curve .
But the curve never went fully away and now is roaring back with exponential growth in terms of new cases every day.
” The state has identified workplace transmission and “ household clusters relating to friend and family gatherings ” as factors contributing to the spread of the disease in those counties .
However , officials said “ 40 % are unknown due to cases not able or not willing to provide source of exposure.
” “ It ’ s always going to be this dance — two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we see worsening of the situation so that our fragile healthcare system is not decimated and doesn ’ t go into crisis , ” Luu said .
“ And this dance will continue until we have a vaccine .
”

Bus drivers protest in downtown Los Angeles on Friday demanding hazard pay for working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
California coronavirus death approached 7,000 as officials raised new alarms about rapid community spread and the grim consequences ahead if the public cannot change its behavior.
As of Saturday morning, the state’s coronavirus-related death toll stood at 6,958. Daily death totals have begun to increase after a month of spiking cases and hospitalizations tied to businesses reopening and people getting back to old habits and social gatherings.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti again warned residents that the city could reimpose a mandatory stay-at-home order should conditions continue to deteriorate.
“We’re not back to a Safer at Home order, but we all need to do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
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L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday that “nothing can be off the table in the pandemic” but that she personally hopes “we don’t have to go back there. I hope that we figure out a way to take care of each other, to be sensible about what we’re doing.”
The coronavirus continues to spread in L.A. County as officials Friday confirmed 51 more deaths related to COVID-19 and 2,667 additional cases.
There are 1,995 people hospitalized with the coronavirus in the county, with 26% in intensive care and 17% on ventilators. It’s a significant increase from the 1,350-to-1,450 daily hospitalizations seen four weeks ago, according to the Department of Public Health.
Meanwhile, the seven-day average the county’s daily test positivity rate — the share of those tested for the coronavirus whose results are positive — has climbed to 10%.
L.A. County has identified more than 127,300 cases of the virus and seen more than 3,700 deaths, with the number of patients with confirmed infections having increased by more than 40% having increased by more than 40% in the last three weeks. Officials have warned of the potential for exceeding hospital capacity.
In one outbreak, more than 300 infections and four virus-related deaths have been reported among workers at a Los Angeles Apparel factory, county public health officials announced Friday.
In a statement Friday evening, the county health department said that it shut down the South L.A. garment manufacturer on June 27 after inspectors found “flagrant violations” of infection control orders, adding that the company had failed to cooperate with the county’s investigation. .
Half of California’s 58 counties are now on the state’s coronavirus watchlist as the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise.
The state reported 7,798 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. On Thursday, California set a one-day record with 9,816 new cases and 137 related deaths — the second-highest total on a single day since the pandemic began, officials said.
Statewide, there have been more than 304,000 confirmed coronavirus infections and nearly 6,900 deaths.
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The surge of new cases on Thursday was fueled, in part, by Stanislaus County, which made a change to its reporting systems that resulted in the addition of nearly 1,400 cases that had not been previously tallied.
Even without those cases, though, California still would have seen one of its highest single-day counts to date.
Across the state, 29 counties are seeing elevated disease transmission and/or increasing hospitalizations — up from 26 earlier in the week.
Among the latest additions is Placer County, which “is experiencing increased hospitalizations and limited hospital capacity,” according to the state.
Factors driving the spread of COVID-19 there, state officials said, “include large households where staying away from others while ill is difficult, community and extended family gatherings, and indoor work environments where physical distancing is difficult.”
If a county is on the monitoring list for three consecutive days, the state will require it to close bars and indoor dining in restaurants, as well as other indoor business operations, for at least three weeks.
The state’s watchlist also now includes Yuba and Sutter counties, which grabbed headlines in May when they began allowing some businesses to reopen despite the statewide stay-at-home order.
In a video statement Wednesday, Yuba-Sutter Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu said that although the region was “doing well just two months ago,” conditions have worsened because “unfortunately the community became too lax, too complacent.”
“We were overly confident that we crushed COVID-19. We never crushed it,” she said. “We only flattened the curve. But the curve never went fully away and now is roaring back with exponential growth in terms of new cases every day.”
The state has identified workplace transmission and “household clusters relating to friend and family gatherings” as factors contributing to the spread of the disease in those counties. However, officials said “40% are unknown due to cases not able or not willing to provide source of exposure.”
“It’s always going to be this dance — two steps forward, one step back — if we see worsening of the situation so that our fragile healthcare system is not decimated and doesn’t go into crisis,” Luu said. “And this dance will continue until we have a vaccine.”