latimes--2020-10-31--A Cal State professor published eugenics-linked papers. Now come calls for a reckoning

A professor emeritus at Cal State University East Bay has been accused of publishing racist teachings linked to the discredited field of eugenics , forcing the university to decry “ repulsive ” viewpoints while defending the right to freedom of speech .
The writings of economics professor Gregory Christainsen date back several years , including in publications identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center — which tracks extremist groups nationally — as having white supremacist ideologies .
The writings include passages in which he compares the brain sizes and IQs of sub-Saharan Africans and Latinos to whites and Europeans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IQs , and rationalizes employment and pay discrimination along racial , ethnic and gender lines .
The controversy over Christainsen came to public light this week during a meeting of the CSU Board of Trustees , when a new president of CSU East Bay was announced .
“ Our campus honors faculty that dabble in pseudoscience and eugenics ideology , like emeritus professor Gregory Christainsen in economics , who asserts in his work that people of sub-Saharan African descent — people like me and many of our students — have significantly lower IQs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guiton , assistant professor of biology , said during the public comment portion of the meeting .
“ It is appalling and scary to know that he and others like him get to teach and evaluate Black students and Black faculty.
” Karen Parada , a master ’ s candidate in biology , said Cal State East Bay “ prides itself on topping national ranking lists for its diverse student population ” and called for Christainsen ’ s emeritus status to be revoked .
“ As a proud Mexican American , I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor who publishes racist ideology while teaching at one of the most diverse CSU campuses , ” Parada said .
“ I want to know why the chair of the economics department and the dean of [ the College of Business and Economics ] have ignored this.
” The controversy comes as campuses across the nation are stepping up efforts to repudiate those in their past who promoted eugenics — a horrifying ideology that sought to use science to improve the human race by promoting traits deemed superior and breeding out those judged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of former university President Rufus B. von KleinSmid from a prominent campus building .
it would remove the name of its founding president , David Starr Jordan , from campus buildings and streets .
UC Berkeley recently disavowed a eugenics research fund .
Christainsen declined to comment for this story and referred a request for an interview to the university ’ s media relations department .
Guiton said she received an email from Christainsen after the meeting Thursday , in which he said he teaches course material that includes the average IQ of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established methods for evaluating the reliability and validity of the scores and their relevance to economic growth among other concerns , ” he said , according to the email Guiton posted on Twitter and to which she referred a reporter .
“ It is not the case that people of sub-Saharan descent have the lowest average score of any population group in the world , although the scores are below the world mean.
” In a statement , the university said : “ The statements and views expressed by this faculty member are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State East Bay , which is committed to maintaining an inclusive community that values diversity and fosters tolerance and mutual respect .
...
It is important to note , however , that as a public institution of higher education , we are bound to uphold 1st Amendment guarantees of free thought and speech , including when — and in fact especially when — we strongly disagree with and find repulsive the viewpoints offered , as long as the expression is lawful and comports with our campus time , place , and manner policies.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to ensuring all individuals in its community can participate in CSU programs and activities free from discrimination , harassment and retaliation .
University officials did not respond to questions about whether they are investigating Christainsen ’ s teaching or research activities or considering procedures to revoke his emeritus status .
Michael Lee , a professor of geography who is also chair of CSU East Bay ’ s Academic Senate , said that he was “ shocked ” by Christainsen ’ s writings when other faculty pointed them out to him this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were made appeared to me to be eugenicist in nature ... not consistent with the values of the institution that I work for , ” he said .
Lee said the articles quickly became a topic of discussion among faculty , but it was unclear what could be done .
Christainsen is a tenured faculty member .
The campus has policies governing professional ethics and the “ time , place and manner ” of free expression , but no specific policy governing academic freedom .
It is uncertain if or how a CSU-wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this case .
“ What is meant by academic freedom , what are the limits of academic freedom , and what are the responsibilities of a professor that is granted tenure ?
” Lee asked .
“ These are very big questions to which we actually don ’ t have policies ...
It ’ s going to make it very challenging for a senate or the university to determine what is the appropriate thing to do.
” Lee said he is expecting a resolution to be brought to the Senate ’ s meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in regard to Christainsen , but he could not specify the content .
Such a resolution would not carry authority over Christainsen ’ s teaching or research activities , or his employment status .
The Academic Senate is forming a committee to study academic freedom and racism related to the Senate ’ s commitment that its policies and practices reflect anti-racism and opposition to anti-Blackness .

A professor emeritus at Cal State University East Bay has been accused of publishing racist teachings linked to the discredited field of eugenics, forcing the university to decry “reprehensible” viewpoints while defending the right to freedom of speech.
The writings of economics professor Gregory Christainsen date back several years, including in publications identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center — which tracks extremist groups nationally — as having white supremacist ideologies. The writings include passages in which he compares the brain sizes and IQs of sub-Saharan Africans and Latinos to whites and Europeans, attributes the wealth of nations to those IQs, and rationalizes employment and pay discrimination along racial, ethnic and gender lines.
The controversy over Christainsen came to public light last week during a meeting of the CSU Board of Trustees, when a new president of CSU East Bay was announced.
“Our campus honors faculty that dabble in pseudoscience and eugenics ideology, like emeritus professor Gregory Christainsen in economics, who asserts in his work that people of sub-Saharan African descent — people like me and many of our students — have significantly lower IQs than any other ethnicity,” Pascale Guiton, assistant professor of biology, said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “It is appalling and scary to know that he and others like him get to teach and evaluate Black students and Black faculty.”
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More than 1,600 people have signed a student-led petition calling for Christainsen’s emeritus status to be revoked.
“As a proud Mexican American, I am appalled that CSU EB has tolerated a professor who publishes racist ideology while teaching at one of the most diverse CSU campuses,” Karen Parada, a master’s candidate in biology, said at the trustees’ meeting.
The controversy comes as campuses across the nation are stepping up efforts to repudiate those in their past who promoted eugenics — a horrifying ideology that sought to use science to improve the human race by promoting traits deemed superior and breeding out those judged undesirable. USC has stripped the name of former university President Rufus B. von KleinSmid from a prominent campus building. Stanford University announced it would remove the name of its founding president, David Starr Jordan, from campus buildings and streets. UC Berkeley recently disavowed a eugenics research fund.
Christainsen declined to comment for this story and referred a request for an interview to the university’s media relations department.
Guiton said she received an email from Christainsen after the meeting, in which he said he teaches course material that includes the average IQ of various population groups.
“There are established methods for evaluating the reliability and validity of the scores and their relevance to economic growth among other concerns,” he said, according to the email Guiton posted on Twitter and to which she referred a reporter. “It is not the case that people of sub-Saharan descent have the lowest average score of any population group in the world, although the scores are below the world mean.”
OMG - Is HE serious? pic.twitter.com/9U3lS4lnAA — Dr. Pascale Guiton (@DrGuiton) October 29, 2020
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In a Monday message to the campus, outgoing East Bay President Leroy Morishita called the statements and views expressed by Christainsen “antithetical to the core values of Cal State East Bay” and condemned racism. But, he said, the university must uphold individuals’ 1st Amendment rights to free speech, “whether or not it agrees with the views of a faculty member or finds them reprehensible, as long as the expression is lawful, does not violate our antidiscrimination policies ... and comports with campus time, place and manner policies.”
“The cure for hateful and hurtful speech is to condemn it forcefully with our own protected speech, using our voices to challenge and discredit pernicious theories and views that our university has long rejected as bigoted, racist, and immoral,” he said.
Michael Lee, a professor of geography who is also chair of CSU East Bay’s Academic Senate, said that he was “shocked” by Christainsen’s writings when other faculty pointed them out to him this summer.
“Many of the claims that were made appeared to me to be eugenicist in nature ... not consistent with the values of the institution that I work for,” he said.
Lee said the articles quickly became a topic of discussion among faculty, but it was unclear what could be done. Christainsen is a tenured faculty member. The campus has policies governing professional ethics and the “time, place and manner” of free expression, but no specific policy governing academic freedom. It is uncertain if or how a CSU-wide policy on academic freedom would apply in this case.
“What is meant by academic freedom, what are the limits of academic freedom, and what are the responsibilities of a professor that is granted tenure?” Lee asked. “These are very big questions to which we actually don’t have policies ... It’s going to make it very challenging for a senate or the university to determine what is the appropriate thing to do.”
Lee said he is expecting a resolution to be brought to the Senate’s meeting Tuesday making a series of demands in regard to Christainsen. Such a resolution would not carry authority over Christainsen’s teaching or research activities, or his employment status.
In a blog post for Academe, published by the American Assn. of University Professors, former CSU East Bay professor and senate chair Hank Reichman wrote Monday that while Christainsen undoubtedly enjoys 1st Amendment rights, he may have violated the bounds of academic freedom, which requires that professors publish research conforming to accepted disciplinary and intellectual standards and allow students to contest the validity of fringe ideas in the classroom.
“Academic freedom grants considerable scope to the consciences of individual scholars, but it does not protect an individual right of professors to do whatever they wish in their research and teaching,” Reichman wrote.


latimes--2020-11-01--Gen Zers unite on social issues but split over Trump vs. Biden

Passionate about affirmative action , women ’ s rights and tackling the coronavirus , 21-year-old college student Maiya De La Rosa cast the first presidential vote of her life last week for Joe Biden .
Nick Dokoozlian , a Republican from the Central Valley , wrote in his choice of candidate for president on his ballot — but declined to state who .
The University of Colorado Boulder student , also 21 , said he couldn ’ t commit to the former vice president or to President Trump .
He ’ s concerned about fiscal policy and immigration , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obamacare .
Despite their differences , these Gen Z voters agree that , for their many in their age group , certain issues — climate change , support for LGBTQ rights — transcend partisan politics .
They may not agree on the solutions to the forest fires plaguing California or the bleaching of coral reefs , but most believe that these problems must be solved within their lifetimes .
“ The way I have always framed it is that these issues are going to affect all of us in the long run , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ double major in political science and Chicano and Chicana studies at UC Davis .
Gen Z , comprising those born after 1996 , is shaping up as one of the most politically informed and active , researchers say — even if they tend to be less inclined to identify with major political parties than their elders .
Many Gen Z voters — most heading to the polls for the first time — have taken up politics at a young age , driving movements on climate change and gun control , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a generation marked by recent explosions in civic engagement and awareness , one that is as likely to march through the streets with Black Lives Matter as it is to swarm social media feeds .
And they are poised , scholars say , to vote in large numbers come election day .
“ Unlike any other presidential year , even , we have a sort of huge young number of people who are ready to vote , ready to be mobilized , ” said Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg , director of the Center for Information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Tufts University .
“ Young people will have a sizable impact.
” Gen Z , she added , is more likely to participate in the political system than millennials , who were engaged in community outreach at a young age but who — broadly speaking — were inclined to view politics as ineffective .
“ One thing that is shifting is that there is much more of an eye toward the local community and local politics , ” Kawashima-Ginsberg said .
“ If presidential candidates aren ’ t extremely exciting to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are less stirred by Trump and Biden than they were by Barack Obama — “ there ’ s instead an understanding that a county judge matters.
” A poll of the nation ’ s 18-to-29-year-olds from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School this week “ found historic interest in the upcoming election , ” with 63 % of respondents indicating that they will “ definitely be voting ” compared with 47 % during the same time in 2016 .
The uptick marks the highest proportion of respondents saying they will “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observed in this age group in several decades , ” the Institute of Politics noted .
Gen Z is the most diverse generation in American history , said Elizabeth Matto , director of the Center for Youth Political Participation at Rutgers University .
It is also , she added , the most educated generation at this stage in their lives .
Just 52 % of Gen Z is non-Hispanic white , according to data from the Pew Research Center , compared with 61 % of millennials in 2002 .
“ We have grown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Dokoozlian , state captain for the organization Gen Z GOP .
“ We see how our friends of color are treated sometimes ... conservative Republicans my age are more willing to understand Black Lives Matters protests and calls for social justice than other generations .
We have grown up in a different world.
” That doesn ’ t mean he agrees with the “ liberal solutions ” proposed by the Black Lives Matter movement , Dokoozlian said .
But he believes that , overall , the Republican Party has failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social justice movement .
“ That is really poor leadership , ” he said .
“ They need to begin to address these issues .
If they want to win elections , they ’ re going to have to start to have these tough conversations.
” Data show that those in Generation Z , like millennials before them , tend to be more liberal than their older counterparts .
A January report from the Pew Research Center found that among registered voters , 61 % of Gen Z voters said that they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic candidate for president this year , while 22 % responded that they were planning to vote for Trump .
And among Republicans , Gen Z conservatives are likely to diverge from older party members on key issues , the Pew study said .
Gen Z Republicans are more likely than their elders to say that Black people are treated less fairly than white people .
Among Republicans , about 43 % of Gen Z respondents take that view , compared with 30 % of millennials and roughly 20 % of Gen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent generation .
Gen Z Republicans are also much more likely to say that an uptick in diversity is a good thing for society .
And while 85 % of baby boomer Republicans and 76 % of Gen X Republicans approve of Trump ’ s performance , 59 % of Gen Zers think he ’ s doing a good job , according to Pew .
For Jasminé Lockhart , a student at Arizona State University , one of the key issues on the ballot this fall is climate change , and environmental issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuels .
“ I am really concerned that people are brushing it off when we are seeing it , and the forests are burning , ” the 22-year-old said .
“ I am reconsidering having children because I don ’ t know what it ’ s going to look like for them in future.
” An organizer with the Maricopa County Democratic Party , Lockhart said that she would like to see the country reenter the 2015 Paris climate accord , from which Trump withdrew the U.S. “ I don ’ t need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are having to flee their homes because it ’ s burning , ” she said .
“ Gen Z does a good job about trying to care about everybody.
” Young Arizona voters like Lockhart could leave a lasting imprint on the 2020 election , according to an analysis by Tufts University ’ s research center CIRCLE .
Nearly 20 % of residents in the battle ground state are young people , among the highest rates in the country .
Trump won Arizona by less than 4 percentage points in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a competitive election , CIRCLE noted .
Overall , about one in five young GOP voters in 2018 , and 8 % of young Trump voters in 2016 , plan to support Biden this year , data from CIRCLE show .
The center predicts that young voters could have an outsized impact in North Carolina , where Republican Armand Ash is voting for Biden .
“ In 2012 or 2008 , the Republican was a good and decent human being , and this doesn ’ t seem like it ’ s the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student at Wake Forest University .
“ It feels like I am having to set aside some of the preferences I have for this country on a fiscal scale , pertinent to the economy and things like healthcare and social security , and I have to vote for the better person on the ballot who isn ’ t going to destroy democracy.
” The 20-year-old said that he has been helping friends register to vote .
Bipartisan groups on campus have also been pushing for students to vote , he said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far from the university .
As the only conservative in his house , he and his roommates often discuss politics , touching on topics such as healthcare and social justice .
“ When you have a mutual respect for each other , those conversations can do well , ” he said .
One criticism he has of the Trump administration is its fiscal policy , he said .
He ’ d like to see a new federal reserve chairman after what he views as an “ unbelievably irresponsible ” move to reduce interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing .
While he believes there is a “ fine line to walk ” with the Black Lives Matter movement , Ash said many young conservatives feel that they can be pro-law enforcement while also supporting the movement through police reform and “ responsible and ethical policing.
” He and his liberal counterparts also find it easier to share common ground because of their social beliefs , he said .
“ That includes not being racist , ” he said .
“ Believing that we have to handle climate change , that scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a serious existential crisis that we need to address .
”

Passionate about affirmative action, women’s rights and tackling the coronavirus, 21-year-old college student Maiya De La Rosa cast the first presidential vote of her life last week for Joe Biden.
Nick Dokoozlian, a Republican from the Central Valley, wrote in his choice of candidate for president on his ballot — but declined to state who. The University of Colorado Boulder student, also 21, said he couldn’t commit to the former vice president or to President Trump. He’s concerned about fiscal policy and immigration, and wants a new healthcare system to replace Obamacare.
Despite their differences, these Gen Z voters agree that, for their many in their age group, certain issues — climate change, support for LGBTQ rights — transcend partisan politics. They may not agree on the solutions to the forest fires plaguing California or the bleaching of coral reefs, but most believe that these problems must be solved within their lifetimes.
“The way I have always framed it is that these issues are going to affect all of us in the long run,” said De La Rosa, a double major in political science and Chicano and Chicana studies at UC Davis.
Gen Z, comprising those born after 1996, is shaping up as one of the most politically informed and active, researchers say — even if they tend to be less inclined to identify with major political parties than their elders.
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Many Gen Z voters — most heading to the polls for the first time — have taken up politics at a young age, driving movements on climate change and gun control, as well as racial and economic justice. It is a generation marked by recent explosions in civic engagement and awareness, one that is as likely to march through the streets with Black Lives Matter as it is to swarm social media feeds.
And they are poised, scholars say, to vote in large numbers come election day.
“Unlike any other presidential year, even, we have a sort of huge young number of people who are ready to vote, ready to be mobilized,” said Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. “Young people will have a sizable impact.”
Gen Z, she added, is more likely to participate in the political system than millennials, who were engaged in community outreach at a young age but who — broadly speaking — were inclined to view politics as ineffective.
“One thing that is shifting is that there is much more of an eye toward the local community and local politics,” Kawashima-Ginsberg said. “If presidential candidates aren’t extremely exciting to them” — research indicates that young people are less stirred by Trump and Biden than they were by Barack Obama — “there’s instead an understanding that a county judge matters.”
A poll of the nation’s 18-to-29-year-olds from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School this week “found historic interest in the upcoming election,” with 63% of respondents indicating that they will “definitely be voting” compared with 47% during the same time in 2016. The uptick marks the highest proportion of respondents saying they will “definitely” vote than “has been observed in this age group in several decades,” the Institute of Politics noted.
Gen Z is the most diverse generation in American history, said Elizabeth Matto, director of the Center for Youth Political Participation at Rutgers University. It is also, she added, the most educated generation at this stage in their lives. Just 52% of Gen Z is non-Hispanic white, according to data from the Pew Research Center, compared with 61% of millennials in 2002.
“We have grown up in mixed communities, diverse communities,” said Dokoozlian, state captain for the organization Gen Z GOP. “We see how our friends of color are treated sometimes ... conservative Republicans my age are more willing to understand Black Lives Matters protests and calls for social justice than other generations. We have grown up in a different world.”
That doesn’t mean he agrees with the “liberal solutions” proposed by the Black Lives Matter movement, Dokoozlian said. But he believes that, overall, the Republican Party has failed so far to respond to the resurgent social justice movement.
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“That is really poor leadership,” he said. “They need to begin to address these issues. If they want to win elections, they’re going to have to start to have these tough conversations.”
Data show that those in Generation Z, like millennials before them, tend to be more liberal than their older counterparts. A January report from the Pew Research Center found that among registered voters, 61% of Gen Z voters said that they were definitely or probably going to vote for the Democratic candidate for president this year, while 22% responded that they were planning to vote for Trump.
And among Republicans, Gen Z conservatives are likely to diverge from older party members on key issues, the Pew study said.
Gen Z Republicans are more likely than their elders to say that Black people are treated less fairly than white people. Among Republicans, about 43% of Gen Z respondents take that view, compared with 30% of millennials and roughly 20% of Gen Xers, boomers and those in the silent generation. Gen Z Republicans are also much more likely to say that an uptick in diversity is a good thing for society.
And while 85% of baby boomer Republicans and 76% of Gen X Republicans approve of Trump’s performance, 59% of Gen Zers think he’s doing a good job, according to Pew.
For Jasminé Lockhart, a student at Arizona State University, one of the key issues on the ballot this fall is climate change, and environmental issues such as how to transition from fossil fuels.
“I am really concerned that people are brushing it off when we are seeing it, and the forests are burning,” the 22-year-old said. “I am reconsidering having children because I don’t know what it’s going to look like for them in future.”
An organizer with the Maricopa County Democratic Party, Lockhart said that she would like to see the country reenter the 2015 Paris climate accord, from which Trump withdrew the U.S.
“I don’t need to live in California to empathize with people who are having to flee their homes because it’s burning,” she said. “Gen Z does a good job about trying to care about everybody.”
Young Arizona voters like Lockhart could leave a lasting imprint on the 2020 election, according to an analysis by Tufts University’s research center CIRCLE. Nearly 20% of residents in the battle ground state are young people, among the highest rates in the country. Trump won Arizona by less than 4 percentage points in 2016, and the youth vote could swing a competitive election, CIRCLE noted.
Overall, about one in five young GOP voters in 2018, and 8% of young Trump voters in 2016, plan to support Biden this year, data from CIRCLE show. The center predicts that young voters could have an outsized impact in North Carolina, where Republican Armand Ash is voting for Biden.
“In 2012 or 2008, the Republican was a good and decent human being, and this doesn’t seem like it’s the same anymore,” said Ash, a student at Wake Forest University. “It feels like I am having to set aside some of the preferences I have for this country on a fiscal scale, pertinent to the economy and things like healthcare and social security, and I have to vote for the better person on the ballot who isn’t going to destroy democracy.”
The 20-year-old said that he has been helping friends register to vote. Bipartisan groups on campus have also been pushing for students to vote, he said, adding that there is a polling station not far from the university.
As the only conservative in his house, he and his roommates often discuss politics, touching on topics such as healthcare and social justice.
“When you have a mutual respect for each other, those conversations can do well,” he said.
One criticism he has of the Trump administration is its fiscal policy, he said. He’d like to see a new federal reserve chairman after what he views as an “unbelievably irresponsible” move to reduce interest rates multiple times when the economy was growing.
While he believes there is a “fine line to walk” with the Black Lives Matter movement, Ash said many young conservatives feel that they can be pro-law enforcement while also supporting the movement through police reform and “responsible and ethical policing.”
He and his liberal counterparts also find it easier to share common ground because of their social beliefs, he said.
“That includes not being racist,” he said. “Believing that we have to handle climate change, that scientists are not wrong or fake and that it’s a serious existential crisis that we need to address.”


latimes--2020-11-01--With L.A. in a budget crisis, two council candidates offer very different credentials

The two candidates running to succeed Los Angeles City Councilman Herb Wesson have spent the last year laying out their ideas for tackling two of the issues that have preoccupied City Hall this year : homelessness and political corruption .
But now , with COVID-19 continuing to batter the region ’ s economy , the winner of Tuesday ’ s election will be forced to confront an even more urgent topic : the city ’ s worst budget crisis in at least a decade .
L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and attorney Grace Yoo both say they have the experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is expected to reach at least $ 400 million by June , threatening police , fire and other services .
But they have very different relationships with the city ’ s political establishment .
Ridley-Thomas , who has held office nearly 30 years , has balanced budgets as a council member , a state legislator and , most recently , as a powerful supervisor representing 2 million people from Carson to Culver City .
He has racked up endorsements from public employee unions that represent police officers , firefighters and civilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party .
Yoo , who spent nearly a decade running a nonprofit group that assists Korean Americans , has taken on City Hall from the outside , challenging real estate projects , zoning rules , a plan for ripping out street trees and the 2012 redistricting process that redrew L.A. 's political maps .
With some union groups spending six figures to elect Ridley-Thomas , Yoo contends she will have more freedom to act independently on financial matters .
“ Mark will have a hard time saying no , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , strongly disputed that assertion , saying his track record has shown he is “ beholden to no one.
” He pointed out that , during his 12 years as supervisor , county government has been considerably more stable than City Hall , which is currently discussing furloughs and a potential layoff scenario .
“ I do think that the county is better run , ” he said .
“ Part of that is more stable revenue streams and , simply stated , a more conservative fiscal posture.
” Yoo and Ridley-Thomas emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the race to replace Wesson , who represents Koreatown , Mid-City , West Adams and neighborhoods in South L.A. Ridley-Thomas garnered 44 % of the vote , putting him 20 percentage points ahead of Yoo but shy of the amount needed to avoid Tuesday ’ s runoff .
Ridley-Thomas ’ s top financial supporter this year has been the county Federation of Labor , whose committees have spent more than $ 490,000 on efforts to elect him .
A separate committee sponsored by the Department of Water and Power ’ s biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the Golden State PAC 2020 , have spent another $ 160,000 on election materials slamming Yoo .
Golden State is partly funded by petroleum interests and by City Hall lobbyist Michael Bai , who recently represented a hotel developer who sought city taxpayer help for his planned project .
Dermot Givens , a political consultant who lives in the district , believes Yoo has an uphill climb .
In the COVID-19 era , with door-to-door campaigning limited , “ it ’ s the political relationships and the network that get you the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s got a political machine .
He knows what to do .
He ’ s done this a thousand times before , ” said Givens , who runs BlackMenVoting.com , a group campaigning for the Biden-Harris ticket in other states .
With her rival outspending her 2 to 1 , Yoo has attempted to even the playing field by creating a website attacking Ridley-Thomas on various issues , including his public remarks raising the idea of a run for mayor .
She picked up support from United Teachers Los Angeles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degree , have also functioned as outsiders , such as former Councilman Bernard C. Parks and former City Controller Laura Chick .
Parks , who spent several years heading the council ’ s budget committee , expects Yoo will tackle the budget crisis by tapping her experience running the nonprofit Korean American Coalition .
“ She understands that when it comes to dealing with money , you can ’ t spend it if you don ’ t have it , ” said Parks , who ran against Ridley-Thomas unsuccessfully in 2008 .
Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ridley-Thomas will be permitted to serve only a third and final four-year term if he wins .
And despite his history of election victories , Ridley-Thomas has not been taking chances , leaving voters phone messages from Gov .
Gavin Newsom and Sen. Kamala Harris and portraying Yoo as a foe of affordable housing and an obstacle to solving homelessness .
That claim stems in large part from Yoo ’ s support for Measure S , a 2017 city ballot measure that would have blocked council members from approving real estate projects that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zoning rules .
Ridley-Thomas said the ballot proposal would have stopped affordable housing developers from getting their projects built .
“ That ’ s why the people of this city with a full throat rejected Measure S , ” he said .
Yoo said she supports more affordable housing , including a four-story project going up directly behind her backyard .
Measure S , she said , was written to keep council members from rewriting zoning rules for big campaign donors .
Had Measure S had been approved , at least some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might not have taken place , Yoo said .
“ There would have been much more scrutiny ” of planning decisions by council members , she said .
“ They couldn ’ t just willy-nilly say , ‘ Our planning is obsolete , so we ’ ll let you have 35 stories.
’ ” Yoo , who lives in L.A. 's Angelus Vista neighborhood , describes the FBI probe and the homeless crisis as evidence that City Hall needs a fresh face , not a “ career politician.
” “ If you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for Mark , ” her campaign said in one recent ad .
Ridley-Thomas , in turn , says his career is filled with accomplishments , including new affordable housing , more funding for homeless programs and the reopening of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital .
An advocate of police reform , he has been an outspoken critic of Sheriff Alex Villanueva , calling for his resignation .
Bob Schoonover , president of Service Employees International Union Local 721 , said he views Ridley-Thomas ’ s experience as a strength .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of crisis , you want to have someone who has an idea of how the city budget works , ” said Schoonover , whose union represents 66,000 city and county workers , and has put at least $ 150,000 into the effort to elect Ridley-Thomas .
Schoonover , who opposes the city ’ s efforts to furlough workers , says the magnitude of the city ’ s crisis is still unclear .
Mayor Eric Garcetti has argued in favor of a federal bailout , which could depend on who wins the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ridley-Thomas has expressed hopes that voters will approve Proposition 15 , which would remove state limits on property taxes for commercial properties , freeing up billions of dollars for local government .
Activist groups say the budget crisis should be solved by cutting deeply into the LAPD , shifting the savings into housing , mental health and other programs .
Ridley-Thomas promised to make homelessness his top spending priority , placing an emphasis on prevention and intervention .
But he pushed back on the idea of huge reductions to police , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in crime .
“ Constituents and voters are due a level of public safety , and it ’ s nonnegotiable , ” he said .
Yoo said she expects the LAPD , along with every other city agency , will need to make cuts , but cautioned that it ’ s too early to know how large those should be .
“ I ’ m going to save lives and save dollars , ” she said .
“ I just don ’ t know how it ’ s going to come , and @ @ @ @ @

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and attorney Grace Yoo are squaring off Tuesday for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council.
The two candidates running to succeed Los Angeles City Councilman Herb Wesson have spent the last year laying out their ideas for tackling two of the issues that have preoccupied City Hall this year: homelessness and political corruption.
But now, with COVID-19 continuing to batter the region’s economy, the winner of Tuesday’s election will be forced to confront an even more urgent topic: the city’s worst budget crisis in at least a decade.
L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and attorney Grace Yoo both say they have the experience and qualifications to tackle the revenue shortfall, which is expected to reach at least $400 million by June, threatening police, fire and other services. But they have very different relationships with the city’s political establishment.
Ridley-Thomas, who has held office nearly 30 years, has balanced budgets as a council member, a state legislator and, most recently, as a powerful supervisor representing 2 million people from Carson to Culver City. He has racked up endorsements from public employee unions that represent police officers, firefighters and civilian city workers and from big names in the Democratic Party.
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Yoo, who spent nearly a decade running a nonprofit group that assists Korean Americans, has taken on City Hall from the outside, challenging real estate projects, zoning rules, a plan for ripping out street trees and the 2012 redistricting process that redrew L.A.’s political maps. With some union groups spending six figures to elect Ridley-Thomas, Yoo contends she will have more freedom to act independently on financial matters.
“Mark will have a hard time saying no,” said Yoo, 49.
Ridley-Thomas, 65, strongly disputed that assertion, saying his track record has shown he is “beholden to no one.” He pointed out that, during his 12 years as supervisor, county government has been considerably more stable than City Hall, which is currently discussing furloughs and a potential layoff scenario.
“I do think that the county is better run,” he said. “Part of that is more stable revenue streams and, simply stated, a more conservative fiscal posture.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas is seeking to return to the City Council after an 18-year absence. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Yoo and Ridley-Thomas emerged in March as the top two vote-getters in the race to replace Wesson, who represents Koreatown, Mid-City, West Adams and neighborhoods in South L.A. Ridley-Thomas garnered 44% of the vote, putting him 20 percentage points ahead of Yoo but shy of the amount needed to avoid Tuesday’s runoff.
Ridley-Thomas’s top financial supporter this year has been the county Federation of Labor, whose committees have spent more than $490,000 on efforts to elect him. A separate committee sponsored by the Department of Water and Power’s biggest employee union, along with an entity called the Golden State PAC 2020, have spent another $160,000 on election materials slamming Yoo.
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Golden State is partly funded by petroleum interests and by City Hall lobbyist Michael Bai, who recently represented a hotel developer who sought city taxpayer help for his planned project.
Dermot Givens, a political consultant who lives in the district, believes Yoo has an uphill climb. In the COVID-19 era, with door-to-door campaigning limited, “it’s the political relationships and the network that get you the win,” he said.
“He’s got a political machine. He knows what to do. He’s done this a thousand times before,” said Givens, who runs BlackMenVoting.com, a group campaigning for the Biden-Harris ticket in other states.
With her rival outspending her 2 to 1, Yoo has attempted to even the playing field by creating a website attacking Ridley-Thomas on various issues, including his public remarks raising the idea of a run for mayor. She picked up support from United Teachers Los Angeles and several political figures who, to some degree, have also functioned as outsiders, such as former Councilman Bernard C. Parks and former City Controller Laura Chick.
Attorney Grace Yoo has tried to portray her opponent as a “career politician,” saying she would bring change to City Hall. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Parks, who spent several years heading the council’s budget committee, expects Yoo will tackle the budget crisis by tapping her experience running the nonprofit Korean American Coalition.
“She understands that when it comes to dealing with money, you can’t spend it if you don’t have it,” said Parks, who ran against Ridley-Thomas unsuccessfully in 2008.
Because he served previously on the council, Ridley-Thomas will be permitted to serve only a third and final four-year term if he wins. And despite his history of election victories, Ridley-Thomas has not been taking chances, leaving voters phone messages from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Kamala Harris and portraying Yoo as a foe of affordable housing and an obstacle to solving homelessness.
That claim stems in large part from Yoo’s support for Measure S, a 2017 city ballot measure that would have blocked council members from approving real estate projects that did not comply with existing planning and zoning rules. Ridley-Thomas said the ballot proposal would have stopped affordable housing developers from getting their projects built.
“That’s why the people of this city with a full throat rejected Measure S,” he said.
Yoo said she supports more affordable housing, including a four-story project going up directly behind her backyard. Measure S, she said, was written to keep council members from rewriting zoning rules for big campaign donors.
Had Measure S had been approved, at least some of the corruption alleged in a federal indictment might not have taken place, Yoo said.
“There would have been much more scrutiny” of planning decisions by council members, she said. “They couldn’t just willy-nilly say, ‘Our planning is obsolete, so we’ll let you have 35 stories.’”
Yoo, who lives in L.A.’s Angelus Vista neighborhood, describes the FBI probe and the homeless crisis as evidence that City Hall needs a fresh face, not a “career politician.”
“If you think things in L.A. are going well — vote for Mark,” her campaign said in one recent ad.
Ridley-Thomas, in turn, says his career is filled with accomplishments, including new affordable housing, more funding for homeless programs and the reopening of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. An advocate of police reform, he has been an outspoken critic of Sheriff Alex Villanueva, calling for his resignation.
Bob Schoonover, president of Service Employees International Union Local 721, said he views Ridley-Thomas’s experience as a strength.
“When you’re in a time of crisis, you want to have someone who has an idea of how the city budget works,” said Schoonover, whose union represents 66,000 city and county workers, and has put at least $150,000 into the effort to elect Ridley-Thomas.
Schoonover, who opposes the city’s efforts to furlough workers, says the magnitude of the city’s crisis is still unclear.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has expressed hopes that the federal government will provide a relief package to struggling cities and states. (David Crane / Associated Press)
Mayor Eric Garcetti has argued in favor of a federal bailout, which could depend on who wins the White House and takes control of the U.S. Senate. Ridley-Thomas has expressed hopes that voters will approve Proposition 15, which would remove state limits on property taxes for commercial properties, freeing up billions of dollars for local government.
Activist groups say the budget crisis should be solved by cutting deeply into the LAPD, shifting the savings into housing, mental health and other programs.
Ridley-Thomas promised to make homelessness his top spending priority, placing an emphasis on prevention and intervention. But he pushed back on the idea of huge reductions to police, saying the city is already experiencing an uptick in crime.
“Constituents and voters are due a level of public safety, and it’s nonnegotiable,” he said.
Yoo said she expects the LAPD, along with every other city agency, will need to make cuts, but cautioned that it’s too early to know how large those should be.
“I’m going to save lives and save dollars,” she said. “I just don’t know how it’s going to come, and in what format.”


latimes--2020-11-01--Op-Ed: The Golden State treescape wasn't made to last

Earthquakes and fires compete as metaphors for contemporary California .
While we await the Big One , fire keeps winning the competition .
The year 2020 , like 2018 before , is the worst on record — until the next worst fire year .
When will the burning end ?
That ’ s the wrong question .
Better to ask : How can Californians learn to live with the absence of an ending ?
To appreciate the magnitude of this moment requires the long view .
On the scale of geological time , the Golden State ’ s 20th century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Holocene , the epoch since the last ice age , California was defined more by wetlands , grasslands and chaparral than by forests .
And its forests were more open than dense , thanks in part to intentional burning by Indigenous peoples .
After a triple temblor — U.S. war against Mexico , international mass migration of gold-seekers and genocidal violence by Anglos against Natives — the ecology of California abruptly changed .
Afforestation , not deforestation , was a signal achievement of U.S. “ improvers.
” By draining and damming and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arid plains into fruitful orchards and garden cities .
Despite wastefully cutting sugar pine , tanoak and redwood , they also “ saved ” forest trees through fire suppression .
And they planted millions of nonnative agricultural and ornamental trees .
This forced greening benefited from a climatic anomaly .
The 100-year interval following the Gold Rush happened to be California ’ s wettest century in 2,000 years — one more example of the astonishing dumb luck of U.S. history .
For plants introduced from Australia , for example , Mediterranean California was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even better , the Far West lacked predators and pathogens from Down Under .
Throughout the state ’ s lowlands , eucalyptus trees achieved the stature of millennial sequoias in merely one century .
As of 1962 , when Gov .
Pat Brown celebrated the Golden State ’ s new ranking as the most populous U.S. state , California had more trees of more species than at any time in its deep past .
Palm fronds swayed over L.A. and citrus globes dotted the San Joaquin Valley — plants out of place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Coast Ranges , native conifers grew skinny and tall , shielded from fire by government crews .
The result of all this botanical conquest was beautiful , profitable ( to some ) and unsustainable .
In the last third of the 20th century , California doubled in population , surpassing 30 million , with development expanding into exurban woodlands .
Over the same period , the treescape showed signs of distress .
Tree-eating insects from Australia and Asia arrived accidentally on cargo ships and planes .
Introduced pathogens attacked native oaks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oranges .
In Southern California , nonnative , invasive grasses increased the flammability of the wildland-urban interface .
In the Sierra , bark beetles feasted on drought-stressed conifers , adding millions of dead trees to forests already overloaded with fuel .
Ignoring the red flags of global change , counties and municipalities continued to approve exurban sprawl serviced by winding roads and overhead power lines .
The affordable housing crisis , which pushed families farther from urban centers , magnified the fire hazard .
Autumn comes to California with howling winds and rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Periodically , as in 2020 , dry lightning storms hit mountainous terrain , where topography escalates fire .
Given these patterns and conditions , wildfire is normal and natural .
Sequoias and redwoods grow thick , spongy bark for a reason .
However , the current landscape of risk is unprecedented : a spread-out population ( now 40 million ) , a stressed-out treescape , global warming and regional megadrought .
No reference points exist for this situation .
Knowing history helps , but there ’ s no going back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its fires in comparison to New England states .
In the preliminary estimates of the California Air Resources Board , 328 million metric tons of California forest carbon entered Earth ’ s atmosphere from 2001 through 2019 .
Once this year gets added to the table , the two-decade CO total may surpass 431 million metric tons — the state ’ s current one-year target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions .
Thus , if you simplify California into a global warming calculator , recent forest losses neutralize recent energy savings .
Paradoxically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , not less , just more of a certain kind .
Prescribed fire — frequent and low-intensity , reminiscent of Indigenous burning — is a proven strategy .
As a management tool , Californians have talked about it for half a century , with surprisingly little action .
To get public buy-in to controlled burning , the Golden State can learn from Florida , where the state authorizes residents to set fire to their own properties , with liability protection .
But California ’ s aridity , air quality and topography and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida model .
And vegetation management must accompany prescribed burning .
To make it all work takes money , though ideally that means jobs for rural people , including Native tribe members , who know something about fire .
Probably the biggest impediment to controlled burning has been residential development .
Private construction in high-risk fire zones brings enduring public costs .
Insurance companies now recognize climate externalities in their underwriting policies .
Public officials are belatedly revising building codes and zoning rules for the world in the making , not the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routine extreme events , California is , by virtue of its ecological and political positions , on the leading edge .
Being a climate leader goes beyond transitioning away from oil and gas as fast as possible .
It ’ s also about the philosophical maturity to accept the baked-in losses of past climate inaction .
Whatever the conclusion of this disastrous year , the Golden State ’ s bloom is off .
To picture what this means in the long term , think of emblematic trees : L.A. will lose its ultra-tall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose most of its Joshuas ; the Sierra will lose certain stands of sequoias .
The outlook for redwoods — and associated summer fog — is harder to envision , but southerly populations such as the one at Big Basin Redwoods State Park could be vulnerable .
Every habitat has its tipping points .
Californians of the future will envy our familiarity with big old trees .
On the positive side , a drier , hotter Los Angeles could sustain a different variety of shade trees — just as beautiful , and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildlands will still support an amazing suite of native plants that can , depending on conditions , take the form of trees or shrubs .
The Golden State of the 22nd century looks to be less coniferous and wooded , but still woody .
While honoring , and protecting , its world-famous megaflora , California should also take inspiration from hardy shrub oaks and other “ subarborescent ” plants .
Chaparral communities have adapted to live in permanent relationship to seasonal fire .
Can Californians , too ?
Jared Farmer , professor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the author of “ Trees in Paradise : A California History .
”

Earthquakes and fires compete as metaphors for contemporary California. While we await the Big One, fire keeps winning the competition. The year 2020, like 2018 before, is the worst on record — until the next worst fire year. When will the burning end? That’s the wrong question. Better to ask: How can Californians learn to live with the absence of an ending?
To appreciate the magnitude of this moment requires the long view. On the scale of geological time, the Golden State’s 20th century treescape was anomalous. For most of the Holocene, the epoch since the last ice age, California was defined more by wetlands, grasslands and chaparral than by forests. And its forests were more open than dense, thanks in part to intentional burning by Indigenous peoples.
After a triple temblor — U.S. war against Mexico, international mass migration of gold-seekers and genocidal violence by Anglos against Natives — the ecology of California abruptly changed. Afforestation, not deforestation, was a signal achievement of U.S. “improvers.” By draining and damming and diverting, Anglo Americans transformed wetlands and arid plains into fruitful orchards and garden cities. Despite wastefully cutting sugar pine, tanoak and redwood, they also “saved” forest trees through fire suppression. And they planted millions of nonnative agricultural and ornamental trees.
This forced greening benefited from a climatic anomaly. The 100-year interval following the Gold Rush happened to be California’s wettest century in 2,000 years — one more example of the astonishing dumb luck of U.S. history. For plants introduced from Australia, for example, Mediterranean California was like God’s own greenhouse. Even better, the Far West lacked predators and pathogens from Down Under. Throughout the state’s lowlands, eucalyptus trees achieved the stature of millennial sequoias in merely one century.
As of 1962, when Gov. Pat Brown celebrated the Golden State’s new ranking as the most populous U.S. state, California had more trees of more species than at any time in its deep past. Palm fronds swayed over L.A. and citrus globes dotted the San Joaquin Valley — plants out of place. In the Sierra, the Klamaths and the Coast Ranges, native conifers grew skinny and tall, shielded from fire by government crews. The result of all this botanical conquest was beautiful, profitable (to some) and unsustainable.
Advertisement
In the last third of the 20th century, California doubled in population, surpassing 30 million, with development expanding into exurban woodlands. Over the same period, the treescape showed signs of distress.
Tree-eating insects from Australia and Asia arrived accidentally on cargo ships and planes. Introduced pathogens attacked native oaks, roadside eucalyptus, neighborhood palms and commercial oranges. In Southern California, nonnative, invasive grasses increased the flammability of the wildland-urban interface. In the Sierra, bark beetles feasted on drought-stressed conifers, adding millions of dead trees to forests already overloaded with fuel.
Ignoring the red flags of global change, counties and municipalities continued to approve exurban sprawl serviced by winding roads and overhead power lines. The affordable housing crisis, which pushed families farther from urban centers, magnified the fire hazard.
Autumn comes to California with howling winds and rising temperatures, after months of no rain. Periodically, as in 2020, dry lightning storms hit mountainous terrain, where topography escalates fire. Given these patterns and conditions, wildfire is normal and natural. Sequoias and redwoods grow thick, spongy bark for a reason. However, the current landscape of risk is unprecedented: a spread-out population (now 40 million), a stressed-out treescape, global warming and regional megadrought. No reference points exist for this situation. Knowing history helps, but there’s no going back to the past.
California now measures the size of its fires in comparison to New England states. In the preliminary estimates of the California Air Resources Board, 328 million metric tons of California forest carbon entered Earth’s atmosphere from 2001 through 2019. Once this year gets added to the table, the two-decade CO 2 total may surpass 431 million metric tons — the state’s current one-year target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, if you simplify California into a global warming calculator, recent forest losses neutralize recent energy savings.
Paradoxically, experts call for more fire in California, not less, just more of a certain kind. Prescribed fire — frequent and low-intensity, reminiscent of Indigenous burning — is a proven strategy. As a management tool, Californians have talked about it for half a century, with surprisingly little action.
Advertisement
To get public buy-in to controlled burning, the Golden State can learn from Florida, where the state authorizes residents to set fire to their own properties, with liability protection. But California’s aridity, air quality and topography and landownership patterns prevent simple duplication of the Florida model. And vegetation management must accompany prescribed burning. To make it all work takes money, though ideally that means jobs for rural people, including Native tribe members, who know something about fire.
Probably the biggest impediment to controlled burning has been residential development. Private construction in high-risk fire zones brings enduring public costs. Insurance companies now recognize climate externalities in their underwriting policies. Public officials are belatedly revising building codes and zoning rules for the world in the making, not the world that was.
As climate change generates routine extreme events, California is, by virtue of its ecological and political positions, on the leading edge. Being a climate leader goes beyond transitioning away from oil and gas as fast as possible. It’s also about the philosophical maturity to accept the baked-in losses of past climate inaction. Whatever the conclusion of this disastrous year, the Golden State’s bloom is off.
To picture what this means in the long term, think of emblematic trees: L.A. will lose its ultra-tall palms; Joshua Tree National Park will lose most of its Joshuas; the Sierra will lose certain stands of sequoias. The outlook for redwoods — and associated summer fog — is harder to envision, but southerly populations such as the one at Big Basin Redwoods State Park could be vulnerable. Every habitat has its tipping points. Californians of the future will envy our familiarity with big old trees.
On the positive side, a drier, hotter Los Angeles could sustain a different variety of shade trees — just as beautiful, and more equitably distributed. And California’s wildlands will still support an amazing suite of native plants that can, depending on conditions, take the form of trees or shrubs. The Golden State of the 22nd century looks to be less coniferous and wooded, but still woody.
While honoring, and protecting, its world-famous megaflora, California should also take inspiration from hardy shrub oaks and other “subarborescent” plants. Chaparral communities have adapted to live in permanent relationship to seasonal fire. Can Californians, too?
Jared Farmer, professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, is the author of “Trees in Paradise: A California History.”


latimes--2020-11-01--Op-Ed: In the midst of pandemic, in the midst of divorce, what neighbors share is reassurance

Never take candy from a stranger , we ’ re told .
But what if that stranger is also a neighbor ?
And what if , instead of candy , it ’ s a batch of homemade broccoli/cheddar/chicken soup on a cool fall evening ?
In the world of Buy Nothing , the answer would be a resounding “ take it.
” A few weeks ago , I posted a couple of items on my Facebook page to give away : a set of colorful children ’ s dominoes and a box of miscellaneous kids ’ musical instruments .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in anticipation of a possible move , I thought I ’ d get a head start on purging .
I figured a friend with younger kids or one of the teachers in my circle might be interested .
Shortly thereafter , I got a text from my friend Sharon who lives a few blocks away .
“ Have you heard of Buy Nothing Sherman Oaks ?
It is a Facebook group of local people who are giving things away.
” I didn ’ t think I was interested .
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which gives me the inside line on the latest car break-in and the whereabouts of our resident peacock , Percy .
And I have used Freecycle in the past to pass perfectly good items forward .
But when no one among my personal Facebook friends took me up on my offering , I reconsidered and requested to join the Buy Nothing group .
Within moments , the dominoes game , train whistles , drumsticks and recorders got a hit .
“ My GF and I are both working from home with a 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Always looking for creative ways to keep them busy , ” someone named Kevin wrote .
“ They ’ re yours , ” I responded , perhaps prematurely , because soon Karla chimed in .
“ Would love to be considered !
I have a little one that loves setting up towers and knocking them down.
” Then Shahrzad .
“ Interested for my twins !
” But I had already committed .
Since that post , I have gifted , among other things , sparring gear , five baskets , a signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naked lady on a cigar that I purchased 20-plus years ago , “ Jeopardy !
” swag , a box of plastic toy animals , educational place mats , new-with-tags Betsey Johnson bras and assorted shiny paper gift bags saved from many years of birthdays .
Because I ’ m deacquisitioning , I haven ’ t spoken up to claim much .
I did throw my name in the hat for a gorgeous new blanket from Zazzle marred by two little imperfections .
( Zazzle was sending the poster a new one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I did , however , score two bags of just-picked ripe grapefruit from someone else .
And when my son informed me that the edition of “ Dune ” I had gotten him from the library was in Spanish — he had been eagerly anticipating reading it — I reached out on Buy Nothing to see if anyone had a copy to loan or give away right now .
An hour later , we went on a short car ride to pick up “ Dune ” from the porch of a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole thing a bit bizarre , borrowing a book from a total stranger .
But to me it was modern magic , not quite genie-in-the-bottle stuff , but still good : from those who have to those who need .
There is this downside : having to choose a “ winner ” when an item garners lots of Buy Nothing interest .
Some posters on the site use a random name generator to choose .
Or they ask respondents to guess their favorite color .
I ’ m still feeling bad I didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for everyone who wanted it .
Still , I think I ’ ll stay .
In the midst of a pandemic , in the midst of a divorce , Buy Nothing is reassuring .
It is the good side of humanity .
Even if I was late to the party responding to the post about Livia ’ s beautiful , decadent-looking homemade soup , and thus lost out to Azalia , just knowing someone had cooked from scratch and then offered up the results to 1,800 or so of her neighbors gives me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that I will get through this .
Leslee Komaiko is a writer who lives in Sherman Oaks .

Never take candy from a stranger, we’re told. But what if that stranger is also a neighbor? And what if, instead of candy, it’s a batch of homemade broccoli/cheddar/chicken soup on a cool fall evening? In the world of Buy Nothing, the answer would be a resounding “take it.”
A few weeks ago, I posted a couple of items on my Facebook page to give away: a set of colorful children’s dominoes and a box of miscellaneous kids’ musical instruments. I had recently started the divorce process, and in anticipation of a possible move, I thought I’d get a head start on purging. I figured a friend with younger kids or one of the teachers in my circle might be interested.
Shortly thereafter, I got a text from my friend Sharon who lives a few blocks away. “Have you heard of Buy Nothing Sherman Oaks? It is a Facebook group of local people who are giving things away.”
I didn’t think I was interested. I’m already in our neighborhood Nextdoor group, which gives me the inside line on the latest car break-in and the whereabouts of our resident peacock, Percy. And I have used Freecycle in the past to pass perfectly good items forward. But when no one among my personal Facebook friends took me up on my offering, I reconsidered and requested to join the Buy Nothing group.
Advertisement
Within moments, the dominoes game, train whistles, drumsticks and recorders got a hit. “My GF and I are both working from home with a 6 and 9 year old also homeschooling. Always looking for creative ways to keep them busy,” someone named Kevin wrote.
“They’re yours,” I responded, perhaps prematurely, because soon Karla chimed in. “Would love to be considered! I have a little one that loves setting up towers and knocking them down.” Then Shahrzad. “Interested for my twins!” But I had already committed.
Since that post, I have gifted, among other things, sparring gear, five baskets, a signed and framed Mel Ramos print of a naked lady on a cigar that I purchased 20-plus years ago, “Jeopardy!” swag, a box of plastic toy animals, educational place mats, new-with-tags Betsey Johnson bras and assorted shiny paper gift bags saved from many years of birthdays.
Because I’m deacquisitioning, I haven’t spoken up to claim much. I did throw my name in the hat for a gorgeous new blanket from Zazzle marred by two little imperfections. (Zazzle was sending the poster a new one.) I didn’t get it. I did, however, score two bags of just-picked ripe grapefruit from someone else.
And when my son informed me that the edition of “Dune” I had gotten him from the library was in Spanish — he had been eagerly anticipating reading it — I reached out on Buy Nothing to see if anyone had a copy to loan or give away right now. An hour later, we went on a short car ride to pick up “Dune” from the porch of a woman named Andrea. My son thought the whole thing a bit bizarre, borrowing a book from a total stranger. But to me it was modern magic, not quite genie-in-the-bottle stuff, but still good: from those who have to those who need.
There is this downside: having to choose a “winner” when an item garners lots of Buy Nothing interest. Some posters on the site use a random name generator to choose. Or they ask respondents to guess their favorite color. I’m still feeling bad I didn’t have a Mel Ramos print for everyone who wanted it. Still, I think I’ll stay.
In the midst of a pandemic, in the midst of a divorce, Buy Nothing is reassuring. It is the good side of humanity. Even if I was late to the party responding to the post about Livia’s beautiful, decadent-looking homemade soup, and thus lost out to Azalia, just knowing someone had cooked from scratch and then offered up the results to 1,800 or so of her neighbors gives me hope that we will get through this, that I will get through this.
Leslee Komaiko is a writer who lives in Sherman Oaks.


latimes--2020-10-31--Attorneys seek to pull Garcetti deeper into aide's sexual harassment suit

Attorneys for a police officer suing the city over alleged sexual harassment by a former advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti are attempting to pull the mayor deeper into the case .
In a court motion filed Friday , the attorneys are demanding Garcetti give sworn testimony about the former aide , Rick Jacobs .
They also want Garcetti to answer questions about a second alleged incident involving the mayor they say is relevant to the case , according to documents filed with the motion .
LAPD Officer Matthew Garza , a former bodyguard to Garcetti , sued the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a longtime confidant and fundraiser for the mayor ’ s campaigns and causes , harassed him over a period of several years .
Jacobs has denied wrongdoing .
Since then , three other men have come forward to say they were also harassed by Jacobs .
Garza says Garcetti witnessed some of the inappropriate behavior but did not stop it .
The new filing from his attorney Greg Smith says the “ mayor is a key percipient witness who has personal factual information ” to the officer ’ s case .
Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he cut ties with Jacobs after the additional allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced last week .
Still , the controversy has become a political liability for the mayor , who worked for Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign vetting possible running mates and is seen as a candidate for a top job in the administration if the former vice president is elected .
In laying out his argument to the judge for why Garcetti should be deposed , Smith attached a letter he wrote to Deputy City Attorney Douglas Lyon earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he should be allowed to ask the mayor about a 2019 incident that Smith claims is the subject of an internal affairs investigation by the LAPD .
Smith said in the letter that the investigation centers on an alleged domestic altercation of some kind involving Garcetti in 2019 and whether LAPD officers took steps to keep what happened secret at the request of the mayor .
Garza was recently interviewed by LAPD investigators about the allegations , Smith said .
Smith argued in the letter that it ’ s relevant to Garza ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior patterns in the mayor ’ s office .
In a reply contained in the court file , Lyon acknowledged the LAPD had opened an investigation into a citizen complaint .
But he turned the focus back on Garza , saying the officer “ breached his duties as a police officer by sharing information he obtained during an Internal Affairs investigation.
” Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar on Saturday denied there was an altercation involving the mayor .
He also said there was no cover-up .
“ This is 100 % false .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” Comisar said .
The Times could not verify the validity of the allegations or determine whether the probe was still ongoing .
The letter states the date of the alleged incident was Jan. 24 , 2019 .
Garcetti was in Washington , D.C. , that day , according to his public schedule .
Josh Rubenstein , a LAPD spokesman , declined to confirm the existence of the internal affairs investigation , nor any details of the allegations , citing the ongoing litigation .
Under LAPD rules , complaints like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affairs office to launch an inquiry must be investigated .
Rob Wilcox , a spokesman for City Atty .
Mike Feuer responded Saturday by saying , “ Although Mr. Smith prefers to litigate this case in the press , we will review his filing and respond in the court at the appropriate time.
” As is common in lawsuits , the legal skirmish over the deposition is part of broader jockeying by Smith and lawyers for the city over steps Garza ’ s legal team should be permitted to take in gathering evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flashpoint has emerged over Smith ’ s demands that Garcetti and several others in the mayor ’ s office be deposed .
Smith ’ s filing states that “ since mid-September of 2020 , defendant city of Los Angeles has repeatedly and obstinately refused to produce Mayor Eric Garcetti for deposition in this case.
” Lyon , in an Oct. 28 letter to Smith that is included in the filing , responded that Smith must try to get information through other avenues before he is entitled to depose the mayor .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor for a deposition , ” Lyon wrote .

Dakota Smith, Kevin Rector, Richard Winton

Attorneys for a police officer suing the city over alleged sexual harassment by a former advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti are attempting to pull the mayor deeper into the case.
In a court motion filed Friday, the attorneys are demanding Garcetti give sworn testimony about the former aide, Rick Jacobs.
They also want Garcetti to answer questions about a second alleged incident involving the mayor they say is relevant to the case, according to documents filed with the motion.
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LAPD Officer Matthew Garza, a former bodyguard to Garcetti, sued the city in July, alleging that Jacobs, a longtime confidant and fundraiser for the mayor’s campaigns and causes, harassed him over a period of several years. Jacobs has denied wrongdoing.
Since then, three other men have come forward to say they were also harassed by Jacobs.
Garza says Garcetti witnessed some of the inappropriate behavior but did not stop it. The new filing from his attorney Greg Smith says the “mayor is a key percipient witness who has personal factual information” to the officer’s case.
Garcetti has denied seeing any harassing behavior and said he cut ties with Jacobs after the additional allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced last week.
Still, the controversy has become a political liability for the mayor, who worked for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign vetting possible running mates and is seen as a candidate for a top job in the administration if the former vice president is elected.
In laying out his argument to the judge for why Garcetti should be deposed, Smith attached a letter he wrote to Deputy City Attorney Douglas Lyon earlier this month. In it, Smith argued he should be allowed to ask the mayor about a 2019 incident that Smith claims is the subject of an internal affairs investigation by the LAPD.
Smith said in the letter that the investigation centers on an alleged domestic altercation of some kind involving Garcetti in 2019 and whether LAPD officers took steps to keep what happened secret at the request of the mayor. Garza was recently interviewed by LAPD investigators about the allegations, Smith said.
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Smith argued in the letter that it’s relevant to Garza’s case because the allegation reflects larger behavior patterns in the mayor’s office.
In a reply contained in the court file, Lyon acknowledged the LAPD had opened an investigation into a citizen complaint. But he turned the focus back on Garza, saying the officer “breached his duties as a police officer by sharing information he obtained during an Internal Affairs investigation.”
Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar on Saturday denied there was an altercation involving the mayor. He also said there was no cover-up.
“This is 100% false. There is not a shred of truth to it,” Comisar said.
The Times could not verify the validity of the allegations or determine whether the probe was still ongoing. The letter states the date of the alleged incident was Jan. 24, 2019. Garcetti was in Washington, D.C., that day, according to his public schedule.
Josh Rubenstein, a LAPD spokesman, declined to confirm the existence of the internal affairs investigation, nor any details of the allegations, citing the ongoing litigation.
Under LAPD rules, complaints like the one that led LAPD’s internal affairs office to launch an inquiry must be investigated.
Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer responded Saturday by saying, “Although Mr. Smith prefers to litigate this case in the press, we will review his filing and respond in the court at the appropriate time.”
As is common in lawsuits, the legal skirmish over the deposition is part of broader jockeying by Smith and lawyers for the city over steps Garza’s legal team should be permitted to take in gathering evidence to bolster their case. A main flashpoint has emerged over Smith’s demands that Garcetti and several others in the mayor’s office be deposed.
Smith’s filing states that “since mid-September of 2020, defendant city of Los Angeles has repeatedly and obstinately refused to produce Mayor Eric Garcetti for deposition in this case.”
Lyon, in an Oct. 28 letter to Smith that is included in the filing, responded that Smith must try to get information through other avenues before he is entitled to depose the mayor.
“We have not refused to ever produce the mayor for a deposition,” Lyon wrote.


latimes--2020-10-31--It will feel like fall 'quite suddenly' next weekend in the L.A. region. Will there be rain?

The Los Angeles region will be warm , dry and breezy next week , with a significant cool-down next weekend , the National Weather Service said .
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’ s temperature outlook favors below-normal temperatures for much of the West from November 6-10 .
Generally weak offshore winds will bring brief elevated to critical fire conditions to Southern California through Monday , especially in wind-favored areas such as below passes and canyons .
That will be followed by a short break , then a return to offshore winds Wednesday and Thursday , according to Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weather Service in Oxnard .
Thursday is likely to be the warmest day .
Temperatures could rise into the upper 90s in the warmest locations , and increasing offshore pressure gradients could result in moderate Santa Ana winds .
“ We ’ ll keep an eye on Thursday.
” Fisher said .
Upper-level high pressure over the West will keep these winds warmer than the ones last week .
Friday will be dry and cooler , but temperatures will probably still hover several degrees above normal .
On Saturday , an upper-level trough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of precipitation , now put at 10 % .
The track of the system is critical , Fisher said .
The timing and the associated precipitation are uncertain .
If the system comes down over water along the coast it could be wetter , but if it moves inland — like an inside slider — it could give Southern California more strong winds .
The big pattern-change will be measured on the thermometer .
Temperatures are expected to drop 10 to 20 degrees , the weather service said , to 5 to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sudden drop in temperatures is what most people will notice , ” Fisher said .
Temperatures have been running above normal , but then will abruptly shift to below normal .
“ It will feel like fall quite suddenly , ” he said .

The Los Angeles region will be warm, dry and breezy next week, with a significant cool-down next weekend, the National Weather Service said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s temperature outlook favors below-normal temperatures for much of the West from Nov. 6 to 10.
Generally weak offshore winds will bring brief elevated to critical fire conditions to Southern California through Monday, especially in wind-favored areas such as below passes and canyons. That will be followed by a short break, then a return to offshore winds Wednesday and Thursday, according to Tom Fisher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
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Gusty offshore winds, warm temperatures and very dry conditions will bring elevated to brief critical fire conditions to #SoCal through Monday #CAwx #LAweather #CAfire pic.twitter.com/2y7dSNN4Ml — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) October 31, 2020
Thursday is likely to be the warmest day. Temperatures could rise into the upper 90s in the warmest locations, and increasing offshore pressure gradients could result in moderate Santa Ana winds. “We’ll keep an eye on Thursday,” Fisher said.
Upper-level high pressure over the West will keep these winds warmer than the ones last week. Friday will be dry and cooler, but temperatures will probably still hover several degrees above normal.
On Saturday, an upper-level trough will bring at least a slight chance of precipitation, now put at 10%. The track of the system is critical, Fisher said. The timing and the associated precipitation are uncertain. If the system comes down over water along the coast, it could be wetter, but if it moves inland — like an inside slider — it could give Southern California more strong winds.
The big pattern change will be measured on the thermometer. Temperatures are expected to drop 10 to 20 degrees, the weather service said, to 5 to 10 degrees below seasonal norms.
“The sudden drop in temperatures is what most people will notice,” Fisher said. Temperatures have been running above normal but then will abruptly shift to below normal. “It will feel like fall quite suddenly,” he said.


latimes--2020-10-31--Orange County voting center reopened after closing due to a suspicious package

A Westminster voting center reopened Saturday two hours after being evacuated due to a suspicious package found nearby , officials @ @ @ @ @ a call shortly after 4 p.m. regarding a package left in a parking lot adjacent @ @ @ @ @ Building .
Vote center workers , voters and ballots were evacuated “ because of the @ @ @ @ @ ” Sheriff ’ s Cmdr .
Alan Iwashita said .
The bomb squad arrived shortly @ @ @ @ @ Orange County registrar tweeted soon after that the building was safe and had reopened .
@ @ @ @ @ weekend from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. “ I am grateful that our vote center @ @ @ @ @ safe , ” Neal Kelley , the Orange County registrar , said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ dedicated to providing election services for the citizens of Orange County to ensure equal access @ @ @ @ @ protect the integrity of votes , and maintain a transparent , accurate and fair process @ @

A Westminster voting center reopened Saturday two hours after being evacuated because of a suspicious package found nearby, officials said.
Westminster police received a call shortly after 4 p.m. regarding a package left in a parking lot adjacent to the Westminster Community Services Building. Vote center workers, voters and ballots were evacuated “because of the nature of the package,” Sheriff’s Cmdr. Alan Iwashita said.
The bomb squad arrived shortly before 6 p.m. The Orange County registrar tweeted soon after that the building was safe and had reopened. The center is open this weekend from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“I am grateful that our vote center team members and voters are safe,” Neal Kelley, the Orange County registrar, said in a statement. “My office is dedicated to providing election services for the citizens of Orange County to ensure equal access to the election process, protect the integrity of votes, and maintain a transparent, accurate and fair process.”


latimes--2020-11-01--Huge Trump car caravan disrupted some voters in Temecula, authorities say

A massive caravan of President Trump supporters paraded for 60 miles through Riverside County on Sunday afternoon before converging on a large Temecula sports park , snarling traffic and upsetting some voters , officials there said .
The winding caravan of pickup trucks and other vehicles adorned with pro-Trump signs and American flags began at a Riverside restaurant and sped west along the 91 Freeway and then south on Interstate 15 .
They had been organized under a Twitter hashtag associated with similar events in other states .
The destination was the Ronald Reagan Sports Park in Temecula , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a skate park and a voting location .
An estimated crowd of roughly 4,000 people crowded the facility about 2 p.m. , officials said .
Capt .
Zach Hall with the Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Department said his officers made no arrests but did field a few complaints from intimidated voters — and scrambled to unwind a massive traffic jam in an area where officials weren ’ t prepared for so many vehicles at once .
“ They kind of caught us off guard , ” said Hall , who heads the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We had a lot of traffic issues .
The infrastructure there is not really designed for that kind of traffic.
” The caravan , which was peaceful if boisterous , caused a disturbance for some voters at the Temecula Recreation Center , a voting location .
The partisan signs , shirts and other materials near the center prompted complaints to authorities about potential violations of the 100-foot electioneering rule in state law .
“ Law enforcement was contacted to ensure that access to the parking lot and voter assistance center were clear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Riverside County , said in an email .
“ The Sheriff ’ s Department responded and cleared access to the parking lot and voter assistance center.
” Hall said deputies investigated the complaints and talked to poll workers , concluding that the Trump supporters had largely kept their distance .
The parade and mass gathering came the same day Trump supporters gathered in vehicles at another park near Grandview Drive and Newhall Ranch Road in Santa Clarita .
Videos of the event on Twitter showed dozens of pickup trucks and vans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving and honking at the intersection .
The events came a day after hundreds of Trump supporters rallied in Beverly Hills .
Wearing “ MAGA ” hats , waving U.S. flags and shouting “ four more years ” and “ turn California red , ” the demonstrators gathered at the intersection of Beverly and Santa Monica boulevards .

Trump supporters rally Sunday at Ronald Reagan Sports Park in Temecula, where some voters complained of intimidation at a recreation center voting location.
A massive caravan of supporters of President Trump paraded for 60 miles through Riverside County on Sunday afternoon before converging on a large Temecula sports park, blocking access to the site, which included a vote center, snarling traffic and upsetting some voters, officials there said.
“Law enforcement was contacted to ensure that access to the parking lot and voter assistance center were clear,” Brooke Federico, a spokeswoman for Riverside County, said in an email. “The Sheriff’s Department responded and cleared access to the parking lot and voter assistance center.”
The winding caravan of pickup trucks and other vehicles adorned with pro-Trump signs and U.S. flags began at a Riverside restaurant and drove west along the 91 Freeway and then south on the 15 Freeway. They had been organized under a Twitter hashtag associated with similar events in other states.
The destination was the Ronald Reagan Sports Park in Temecula, a sprawling municipal community center with soccer fields and a skate park — but also a voting location at the adjacent Temecula Community Recreation Center building. An estimated 4,000 people crowded the larger park about 2 p.m. in a peaceful, if boisterous, rally, officials said.
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Capt. Zach Hall with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said his deputies made no arrests but did field a few telephone complaints from voters who said the partisan signs, shirts and other materials potentially violated the 100-foot electioneering rule in state law. The deputies talked to poll workers who said the Trump supporters largely kept their distance from voters.
Deputies also had to scramble to unwind a massive traffic jam in an area where officials weren’t prepared for so many vehicles at once.
“They kind of caught us off guard,” said Hall, who heads the department’s Temecula station. “We had a lot of traffic issues. The infrastructure there is not really designed for that kind of traffic.”
Map of a pro-Trump caravan of motorists from Riverside to Temecula on Sunday. (Riverside County Sheriff’s Department)
The rally spilled over from the park into a circular driveway near the voting location at the Community Recreation Center.
Hall said Trump supporters had rallied at the park before, when ballots weren’t being cast.
“I don’t think this had anything to do with the polling center,” he said.
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A flyer used by event organizers doesn’t mention the voting center or voting but says the facility has “large parking lots” and other areas where Trump supporters could congregate. It encourages them to “drive around the park.” The flyer also warns against unsafe driving en route to the event and to avoid altercations with any of the president’s “haters.”
“PLEASE BE COURTEOUS!” it reads. “Let’s celebrate God, country and 4 more years of Donald J. Trump.”
The parade and mass gathering came the same day Trump supporters gathered in vehicles at another park near Grandview Drive and Newhall Ranch Road in Santa Clarita. Videos of the event on Twitter showed dozens of pickup trucks and vans, some painted with pro-Trump slogans, slowly moving and honking at the intersection.
The events came a day after hundreds of Trump supporters rallied in Beverly Hills. Wearing “MAGA” hats, waving U.S. flags and shouting “four more years” and “turn California red,” the demonstrators gathered at the intersection of Beverly and Santa Monica boulevards.
Times photographer Gina Ferazzi contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-01--L.A. County reports 1,590 coronavirus cases, 4 deaths amid rise in Southern California infections

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 1,590 new coronavirus cases and four related deaths .
The numbers brought the county ’ s total to 309,197 cases and 7,074 deaths .
There were 799 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals Friday , with 28 % in intensive care , officials said .
Though hospitalizations have increased slightly , they remain far below the 2,220-plus patients seen during the peak of the outbreak in July .
Still , many Southern California communities are reporting increases in the number of cases recorded each day , a concerning trend that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus could be on the rise .
In order to determine when a county can move to the next phase of reopening under California ’ s four-tier plan , the state monitors how many cases have been reported per 100,000 residents over a recent seven-day period .
In larger counties , the rate is adjusted to account for how much testing is being done .
L.A. County ’ s adjusted case rate increased last week to 8 per 100,000 residents , from 7.6 the week before .
In Orange County , which reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , the case rate ticked up to 5.1 per 100,000 residents from 4.6 the week before .
Riverside County reported its most recent adjusted case rate at 10.1 , up from 9.1 the week before .
And San Bernardino County reported an adjusted case rate of 11.9 , up from 10.9 .
L.A. , Riverside and San Bernardino counties all remain in the purple tier , the most restrictive , meaning risk of transmission remains widespread and most nonessential businesses are closed for indoor operations .
To move into the next tier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an adjusted rate of no more than 7 cases per 100,000 residents .
Orange County is classified within the red tier .
In order to move into the less-restrictive orange tier , which means that the risk of transmission is considered moderate and some indoor business operations can resume with modifications , the county must reduce its adjusted case rate to 4 cases per 100,000 residents .
It ’ s not clear what is driving the increase in cases in Southern California .
Some officials have blamed parties as likely contributors , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ championship wins .
The trend is also playing out elsewhere across the United States , which on Thursday broke the single-day record for the highest number of coronavirus cases , then did so again Friday .

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 1,590 new coronavirus cases and four related deaths.
The numbers brought the county’s total to 309,197 cases and 7,074 deaths.
There were 799 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals Friday, with 28% in intensive care, officials said. Though hospitalizations have increased slightly, they remain far below the 2,220-plus patients seen during the peak of the outbreak in July.
Still, many Southern California communities are reporting increases in the number of cases recorded each day, a concerning trend that has some officials worried that transmission of the virus could be on the rise.
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In order to determine when a county can move to the next phase of reopening under California’s four-tier plan, the state monitors how many cases have been reported per 100,000 residents over a recent seven-day period. In larger counties, the rate is adjusted to account for how much testing is being done.
L.A. County’s adjusted case rate increased last week to 8 per 100,000 residents, from 7.6 the week before.
In Orange County, which reported 233 new coronavirus cases and one death Sunday, the case rate ticked up to 5.1 per 100,000 residents from 4.6 the week before. Riverside County reported its most recent adjusted case rate at 10.1, up from 9.1 the week before. And San Bernardino County reported an adjusted case rate of 11.9, up from 10.9.
L.A., Riverside and San Bernardino counties all remain in the purple tier, the most restrictive, meaning risk of transmission remains widespread and most nonessential businesses are closed for indoor operations. To move into the next tier, red, a county must have an adjusted rate of no more than 7 cases per 100,000 residents.
Orange County is classified within the red tier. In order to move into the less-restrictive orange tier, which means that the risk of transmission is considered moderate and some indoor business operations can resume with modifications, the county must reduce its adjusted case rate to 4 cases per 100,000 residents.
It’s not clear what is driving the increase in cases in Southern California. Some officials have blamed parties as likely contributors, particularly gatherings celebrating the recent Lakers and Dodgers championship wins.
The trend is also playing out elsewhere across the United States, which on Thursday broke the single-day record for the highest number of coronavirus cases, then did so again Friday.


latimes--2020-11-01--San Diego area woman critically injured after being shot by person dressed as vampire

A woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition early Sunday after being shot in the chest in Valley @ @ @ @ @ someone reportedly dressed as a vampire , authorities said .
The shooting occurred about 12:40 @ @ @ @ @ Halloween , on Duro Road near Lake Wohlford Road and the San Pasqual Reservation Cultural @ @ @ @ @ San Diego County sheriff ’ s Lt. Glen Twyman told OnSceneTV that the suspect was @ @ @ @ @ costume and fled in a white pickup .
The woman ’ s condition was unknown @ @ @ @ @ Department spokesman declined further comment while awaiting more information from detectives investigating the shooting .

A woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition early Sunday after being shot in the chest in Valley Center, Calif., by someone reportedly dressed as a vampire, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 12:40 a.m., the morning after Halloween, on Duro Road near Lake Wohlford Road and the San Pasqual Reservation Cultural Center, authorities said.
San Diego County sheriff’s Lt. Glen Twyman told OnSceneTV that the suspect was last seen wearing a vampire costume and fled in a white pickup.
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The woman’s condition was unknown. A Sheriff’s Department spokesman declined further comment while awaiting more information from detectives investigating the shooting.
Freeman writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.