latimes--2020-09-28--Why one coronavirus metric might be keeping your county from reopening

It ’ s a metric that comes up often in conversations about reopening the economy in California , a passport to a more normal life amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Businesses ’ fates depend on it .
In many counties , it is all that stands in the way of people being allowed to dine indoors at restaurants , watch movies on the big screen and sweat through spin classes at the gym .
Under California ’ s latest reopening plan , state officials require that counties meet certain benchmarks before allowing more businesses to unlock their doors and welcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butte and Sonoma to San Bernardino have stalled trying to log seven or fewer new cases of coronavirus per 100,000 residents each day .
The mouthful of a metric — known as the adjusted case rate — represents how many people are falling sick every day in a county .
The standard is part of the state ’ s attempt to strike a delicate balance that will avoid a surge in cases as restrictions are loosened .
Ideally , if transmission is low enough , small increases in spread due to more businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare system .
“ All of these concepts and approaches emanate from this notion of slow and stringent ... so we don ’ t end up having to move back later , ” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said at a recent briefing .
But what exactly the threshold should be is a bit of a guess , experts say , since no one really knows what constitutes a safe level of transmission for reopening .
In late August , Gov .
Gavin Newsom unveiled a new system for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on how widespread transmission is .
The tier corresponds to what is allowed to reopen .
Counties can move to a less-restrictive tier by meeting benchmarks showing that spread has been reduced for two weeks in a row .
Sacramento County , for example , was long stuck in the purple tier — the most restrictive — in which most businesses deemed nonessential are either closed or allowed to operate only outdoors .
But last week , the state announced that the county had for the first time reduced its number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per 100,000 residents .
If Sacramento keeps up its progress , it could move into the red tier this week , allowing it to immediately restart indoor operations at gyms , restaurants , museums , churches and other facilities , said Dr. Olivia Kasirye , the county ’ s public health officer .
“ We ’ re hoping and anticipating that we will officially move to the red tier , ” Kasirye said in an interview .
The current state system largely relies on just two metrics : the case rate and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tests for the virus that come back positive .
These metrics were chosen , as opposed to the number of hospitalizations or deaths , because they should reveal relatively early whether cases are spiking in a region , Ghaly said .
It may be several weeks before a surge results in hospitalizations or deaths , he said .
To move from the purple tier to the red tier , a county ’ s positivity rate must be 8 % or below while its daily case rate is seven per 100,000 residents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said UC San Francisco epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford .
“ It ’ s all arbitrary , ” Rutherford said .
“ There ’ s not some page in an epidemiology textbook that you could point to and say , ‘ This is how you do this.
’ ... We ’ re learning as we go along.
” The state has also chosen to adjust the case number to account for how much testing each county is doing — it doesn ’ t want to penalize counties for catching more cases .
If counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , their case rate will be slightly reduced ; conversely , counties lagging the state average on testing will see their case rate adjusted upward .
In the most recent week for which data was released , Kern County logged about 6.3 cases per 100,000 residents each day .
Yet the state recalculated Kern ’ s rate to account for the less-than-average amount of testing the county is doing .
That boosted the case rate to 7.2 , above the threshold for moving to a lower tier .
By contrast , Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 7.7 to 7.0 because of extensive testing .
Based on these adjusted rates , 11 counties , including Ventura , Kern and Monterey , are stuck in the purple tier with a case rate above 7.0 , though their positivity rate is below 8 % .
San Diego County , already in the red tier , recently was almost moved back into purple because its case rate had begun to climb above 7.0 .
Despite its recent drop to 7.0 , L.A. continues to struggle with its case rate .
L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anticipates that an increase in the case rate will disqualify the county from moving forward with reopening when new figures are released Tuesday .
The positivity rate has been below 3 % , but the case rate will likely not stay in line , she said .
“ The issue that ’ s been most difficult for us ... has been that daily case rate ; we had to get the adjusted rate down to seven new cases per 100,000 people , ” Ferrer said Monday .
The fact that counties keep meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case rate standards is by design , Ghaly said .
As counties increase their testing , their positivity rates will typically begin to drop , he said .
Once testing has increased , counties are able to use the cases identified to do contact tracing and isolation to ultimately reduce transmission .
“ Watching all of that come together , it ’ s actually moving as we ’ ve hoped — that the test positivity comes down a little bit sooner than the case rate , and that allows counties to move forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next tier , ” Ghaly said .

Customers dine on the patio at La Boheme in West Hollywood. Restaurants in Los Angeles County are allowed to serve customers only outdoors.
It’s a metric that comes up often in conversations about reopening the economy in California, a passport to a more normal life amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses’ fates depend on it. In many counties, it is all that stands in the way of people being allowed to dine indoors at restaurants, watch movies on the big screen and sweat through spin classes at the gym.
The number: 7.0.
Under California’s latest reopening plan, state officials require that counties meet certain benchmarks before allowing more businesses to unlock their doors and welcome customers. Counties from Los Angeles to Butte and Sonoma to San Bernardino have stalled trying to log seven or fewer new cases of coronavirus per 100,000 residents each day.
The mouthful of a metric — known as the adjusted case rate — represents how many people are falling sick every day in a county.
The standard is part of the state’s attempt to strike a delicate balance that will avoid a surge in cases as restrictions are loosened. Ideally, if transmission is low enough, small increases in spread due to more businesses being open won’t overwhelm the healthcare system.
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“All of these concepts and approaches emanate from this notion of slow and stringent ... so we don’t end up having to move back later,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said at a recent briefing.
But what exactly the threshold should be is a bit of a guess, experts say, since no one really knows what constitutes a safe level of transmission for reopening.
In late August, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new system for reopening that assigns each county a tier based on how widespread transmission is. The tier corresponds to what is allowed to reopen. Counties can move to a less-restrictive tier by meeting benchmarks showing that spread has been reduced for two weeks in a row.
Sacramento County, for example, was long stuck in the purple tier — the most restrictive — in which most businesses deemed nonessential are either closed or allowed to operate only outdoors.
But last week, the state announced that the county had for the first time reduced its number of new daily cases to fewer than seven per 100,000 residents. If Sacramento keeps up its progress, it could move into the red tier this week, allowing it to immediately restart indoor operations (with restrictions) at gyms, restaurants, museums, churches and other facilities, said Dr. Olivia Kasirye, the county’s public health officer.
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“We’re hoping and anticipating that we will officially move to the red tier,” Kasirye said in an interview.
The current state system largely relies on just two metrics: the case rate and the positivity rate, which is the percentage of tests for the virus that come back positive.
These metrics were chosen, as opposed to the number of hospitalizations or deaths, because they should reveal relatively early whether cases are spiking in a region, Ghaly said. It may be several weeks before a surge results in hospitalizations or deaths, he noted.
To move from the purple tier to the red tier, a county’s positivity rate must be 8% or lower, while its daily case rate is seven or fewer per 100,000 residents. These numbers are in part estimates, said UC San Francisco epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford.
“It’s all arbitrary,” Rutherford said. “There’s not some page in an epidemiology textbook that you could point to and say, ‘This is how you do this.’ ... We’re learning as we go along.”
The state has chosen to adjust the case number to account for how much testing each county is doing — it doesn’t want to penalize counties for catching more cases. If counties perform more tests than the state average, their case rate will be slightly reduced; conversely, counties lagging the state average on testing will see their case rate adjusted upward.
In the most recent week for which data were released, Kern County logged 6.3 cases per 100,000 residents each day. Yet the state recalculated Kern’s rate to account for the county’s less-than-average amount of testing. That boosted its case rate to 7.2, above the threshold for moving to a lower tier.
By contrast, Los Angeles County’s case rate was dropped from 7.7 to 7.0 because of extensive testing.
Based on these adjusted rates, 11 counties, including Ventura, Kern and Monterey, are stuck in the purple tier with a case rate above 7.0, though their positivity rate is below 8%. San Diego County, in the red tier, recently was close to moving back into purple because its case rate had begun to climb above 7.0.
Despite its recent drop to 7.0, L.A. continues to struggle with its case rate. L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer said she anticipates that an increase in the case rate will disqualify the county from moving forward with reopening when new figures are released Tuesday. The positivity rate has been below 3%, but the case rate will likely not stay in line, she said.
Science & Medicine Social media takes COVID-19 shaming to new levels People were shaming those who got sick or flouted public health rules well before the novel coronavirus. But the practice has taken on new aggression in the COVID-19 era.
“The issue that’s been most difficult for us ... has been that daily case rate; we had to get the adjusted rate down to seven new cases per 100,000 people,” Ferrer said Monday.
The fact that counties keep meeting the positivity rate requirements but not the case rate standards is by design, Ghaly said. As counties increase their testing, their positivity rates will typically begin to drop, he said. Once testing has increased, counties are able to use the cases identified for contact tracing and isolation, to ultimately reduce transmission.
“Watching all of that come together, it’s actually moving as we’ve hoped — that the test positivity comes down a little bit sooner than the case rate, and that allows counties to move forward with some degree of confidence to the next tier,” Ghaly said.


latimes--2020-09-28--Video shows man pistol-whipping LAPD officer in police station, pointing cop's gun at him

A security video from inside the Los Angeles Police station where a veteran officer was attacked this weekend shows the officer get knocked to the ground and repeatedly pistol-whipped with his own gun before the attacker points the gun at the officer ’ s chest at close range .
The video , obtained by The Times , reveals for the first time the full and potentially deadly nature of the Saturday night attack on the 37-year department veteran inside the Harbor Community station in San Pedro .
Police sources said investigators believe the man repeatedly pulled the trigger , creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a safety mechanism on the gun prevented it from firing — saving the officer ’ s life .
Jose Cerpa Guzman , the alleged assailant , is being held on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer on $ 2.23 million bail .
The officer , who has not been identified , was taken to a local hospital but escaped with “ bumps and bruises , ” according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore .
Police have said that Guzman and a watch commander who came upon the scene exchanged gunfire during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Force Investigation Division is investigating the attack .
In the video , Guzman , 29 , walks into the station lobby shortly after 10 p.m .
The desk officer sees him and approaches near the front glass doors .
After what appears to be a heated exchange of words , Guzman , dressed in a white short-sleeve shirt and dark pants , walks away and heads out the front door .
But as the officer walks toward the door , Guzman comes back inside .
The video shows Guzman shoving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
He then continues to move toward the officer , throwing another punch as the officer is backing up .
The officer is knocked off his feet by a blow to the head and falls backward as his feet go in the air .
His equipment belt spills several items across the lobby floor .
With the officer on the ground and Guzman standing over him , Guzman grabs a 9mm Beretta handgun the officer is carrying in a holster , tugging at it .
As both men wrestle on the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand and the officer tries to control Guzman ’ s arm to prevent him from using the weapon .
Guzman points the gun at the veteran officer ’ s chest and chin as they grapple with each other , their arms locked together .
As Guzman breaks free , he leans over the officer and brings down the butt of the handgun four times on the officer ’ s face and head .
The officer uses his hands to attempt to deflect the blows and eventually knocks the gun out of Guzman ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor briefly , but Guzman grabs it again .
On his knees with the officer still on his back , Guzman can be seen aiming the gun at close range at the officer ’ s chest and throat .
He then frees himself from the officer ’ s grasp and dashes back toward the station doors .
An LAPD watch commander comes into the lobby from behind the front desk , sees her colleague on the floor and spots Guzman running out the door still holding the officer ’ s handgun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she stops , draws her handgun and takes a shooting stance .
It is unclear from the video footage whether she fires at that point .
Guzman , however , allegedly fires a gun , forcing the watch commander to dive to her left for cover behind a part of the lobby wall .
She is seen again pointing her gun out the door .
LAPD officials say she fired her weapon and allege Guzman shot three times .
A third officer then enters the lobby with his gun drawn .
Throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was initially attacked lays on his left side near the left side of the lobby .
Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the incident said investigators believe that Guzman tried to shoot the officer in the chest , stomach and chin but the gun ’ s decocking lever prevented it from firing .
“ The officer would have been dead if it had not , ” said one LAPD official familiar with the investigation but not authorized to discuss the attack .
The watch commander immediately radioed the attack , alerting officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truck , saying shots had been fired at the Harbor station and an officer needed help .
A second officer reported that a white truck with the suspect inside was heading southbound on Harbor Boulevard .
“ We ’ ve got an officer down , conscious , breathing , ” said an officer over the radio , who was tending to their injured colleague .
Several blocks away , the white truck with Guzman inside was stopped by police at gunpoint at West 18th Street and Pacific Avenue .
There , officers wrestled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalized with injuries .
According to sources , one officer suffered a broken hand .
Inside the truck , officers found their colleague ’ s handgun .
Moore said the officer who was assaulted in the lobby had bumps and bruises and would recover from his injuries .
“ I am grateful that the officer who was in this incident tonight , who was working the desk , came out to assist this individual to understand what his needs were , that he survived and that during this engagement that he did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while speaking to reporters after visiting the officer .
“ He did not suffer the injury that apparently this suspect meant to inflict.
” Cmdr .
Al Labrada , assistant head of South Bureau , said the officer was released from the hospital and is recovering at home .
“ He is making a good recovery , ” Labrada said .
Moore did not respond to a request for comment on the video Monday .
Josh Rubenstein , an LAPD spokesman , said the department will address the attack in a “ critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to department policy .
Guzman has no history of charges in Los Angeles County .
Public records show he has lived in the Harbor City area for several years .
The LAPD has not revealed the motive for the attack or what Guzman said in the lobby .
Craig Lally , president of the union that represents LAPD officers , said the attack was unprovoked with “ no rhyme or reason to it ” — just like the shooting of two Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department deputies in Compton earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their car at the time of the shooting , which they survived .
“ It just shows you how dangerous this job is now , ” Lally said .
“ You don ’ t even have to be responding to a call now .
You can just be sitting in a car in a uniform or sitting at a desk in a uniform and get attacked .
”

A security video from inside the Los Angeles police station where a veteran officer was attacked this weekend shows the officer get knocked to the ground and repeatedly pistol-whipped with his own gun before the attacker points the gun at the officer’s chest at close range.
The video, obtained by The Times, reveals for the first time the full and potentially deadly nature of the Saturday night attack on the 37-year department veteran inside the Harbor Community station in San Pedro.
Police sources said investigators believe that the man repeatedly pulled the trigger, creating a clicking sound each time, but that a safety mechanism on the gun prevented it from firing — saving the officer’s life.
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Jose Cerpa Guzman, 29, is being held on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer in lieu of $2.23 million bail. The officer, who has not been identified, was taken to a local hospital but escaped with “bumps and bruises,” according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
Police have said that Guzman and a watch commander who came upon the scene exchanged gunfire during the incident, and that the LAPD’s Force Investigation Division is investigating the attack.
In the video, the assailant walks into the station lobby shortly after 10 p.m. The desk officer sees him and approaches near the front glass doors.
After what appears to be a heated exchange of words, the assailant, dressed in a white short-sleeve shirt and dark pants, walks away and heads out the front door. But as the officer walks toward the door, the assailant comes back inside.
The video shows the assailant shoving the officer back and taking a swing at him. He then continues to move toward the officer, throwing another punch as the officer is backing up. The officer is knocked off his feet by a blow to the head and falls backward as his feet go in the air. His equipment belt spills several items across the lobby floor.
With the officer on the ground and the assailant standing over him, the man grabs a 9mm Beretta handgun the officer is carrying in a holster, tugging at it.
As both men wrestle on the ground, the assailant takes the gun in his hand and the officer tries to control the man’s arm to prevent him from using the weapon. The man points the gun at the veteran officer’s chest and chin as they grapple with each other, their arms locked together.
As the assailant breaks free, he leans over the officer and brings down the butt of the handgun four times on the officer’s face and head. The officer uses his hands to attempt to deflect the blows and eventually knocks the gun out of the man’s hand. The gun drops to the floor briefly, but the assailant grabs it again.
On his knees with the officer still on his back, the attacker can be seen aiming the gun at close range at the officer’s chest and throat. He then frees himself from the officer’s grasp and dashes back toward the station doors.
An LAPD watch commander comes into the lobby from behind the front desk, sees her colleague on the floor and spots the man running out the door still holding the officer’s handgun. As she rushes toward the door, she stops, draws her handgun and takes a shooting stance. It is unclear from the video footage whether she fires at that point.
The attacker, however, allegedly fires a gun, forcing the watch commander to dive to her left for cover behind a part of the lobby wall. She is seen again pointing her gun out the door. LAPD officials say she fired her weapon and allege Guzman shot three times. A third officer then enters the lobby with his gun drawn. Throughout the exchange of gunfire, the officer who was initially attacked lies on his left side near the left side of the lobby.
Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the incident said investigators believe that Guzman tried to shoot the officer in the chest, stomach and chin but the gun’s decocking lever prevented it from firing.
“The officer would have been dead if it had not,” said one LAPD official familiar with the investigation but not authorized to discuss the attack.
The watch commander immediately radioed the attack, alerting officers to a fleeing man in a white truck, saying shots had been fired at the Harbor station and an officer needed help. A second officer reported that a white truck with the suspect inside was heading south on Harbor Boulevard.
“We’ve got an officer down, conscious, breathing,” said an officer over the radio, who was tending to their injured colleague.
Several blocks away, a white truck with Guzman inside was stopped by police at gunpoint at West 18th Street and Pacific Avenue. There, officers wrestled with the suspect, who was later hospitalized with injuries. According to sources, one officer suffered a broken hand. Inside the truck, officers found their colleague’s handgun.
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Moore said the officer who was assaulted in the lobby had bumps and bruises and would recover from his injuries.
“I am grateful that the officer who was in this incident tonight, who was working the desk, came out to assist this individual to understand what his needs were, that he survived and that during this engagement that he did not lose his life,” Moore said while speaking to reporters after visiting the officer. “He did not suffer the injury that apparently this suspect meant to inflict.”
Cmdr. Al Labrada, assistant head of South Bureau, said the officer was released from the hospital and was recovering at home. “He is making a good recovery,” Labrada said.
Moore did not respond to a request for comment on the video Monday. Josh Rubenstein, an LAPD spokesman, said the department will address the attack in a “critical incident report” within 45 days, according to department policy.
Guzman has no history of charges in Los Angeles County. Public records show he has lived in the Harbor City area for several years. The LAPD has not revealed the motive for the attack or what was said in the lobby.
Craig Lally, president of the union that represents LAPD officers, said the attack was unprovoked with “no rhyme or reason to it” — just like the shooting of two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies in Compton earlier this month. The deputies were seated in their car at the time of the shooting, which they survived.
“It just shows you how dangerous this job is now,” Lally said. “You don’t even have to be responding to a call now. You can just be sitting in a car in a uniform or sitting at a desk in a uniform and get attacked.”


latimes--2020-09-28--Keith Hufnagel, pro skateboarder who launched global streetwear brand Huf, dies at 46

Keith Hufnagel , a free spirit from New York who became a professional skateboarder when he came West and then launched a streetwear brand that shaped action sport fashion on a global level , has died after battling brain cancer for more than two years .
Hufnagel died Sept. 24 at his home in Los Angeles , his namesake company , Huf , said in a statement .
He was 46 .
Skateboarding was still derisively written off as a diversion for slackers when Hufnagel began skating the Brooklyn Banks , an expanse of steep brick slopes and staircases under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heckled on the subway the moment someone saw his board .
“ It was unacceptable to have a skateboard , ” he told the Guardian in a 2011 interview .
He said he often hid the board out of fear of being “ punked out ” by neighborhood toughs .
But while others saw skating as little more than a nuisance , Hufnagel viewed it as a countercultural movement — part rebellion , part urban adventure — and helped turn it all into a lifestyle with a line of footwear , hoodies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mainstream brands like Nike , Adidas and even the parent company of Gucci , which eventually bought the boardsports company Volcom for more than $ 600 million At the time of his death , Huf had shops in Los Angeles , Dallas , New York , Tokyo and beyond and was sold by retailers such as PacSun and Zumiez .
Hufnagel was born in New York on Jan. 21 , 1974 .
His mother was a nurse ; his father a vice president at Metropolitan Life Insurance .
He attended San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to focus on becoming a professional skateboarder .
He found a sponsor and hit the skate circuit , traveling the globe .
Eventually he tired of the grind .
“ Around 2001 , I was thinking about what ’ s going to happen after skate .
What am I going to do ?
I know I can skate for a long time , but you don ’ t know how long you ’ ll be a professional for , ” he told Goat , a website for rare tennis shoe enthusiasts .
Initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freeman , thought about opening a boutique for women ’ s wear but quickly decided the market was already saturated .
Instead , with little business experience and no concrete gameplan , they decided to focus on skatewear and opened a boutique , Huf , in San Francisco ’ s gritty Tenderloin .
“ I ’ d been traveling for over a decade , seeing what was happening in Tokyo , New York , L.A. , London , ” he told Goat .
“ I was hitting all these major cities and seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So he and his wife stocked the shelves with then hard-to-find tennis shoes and apparel made by Perks , Mini , Stussy and Supreme , among others .
Hufnagel came up with his own lines too .
Sometimes he partnered with other brands , such as the Nike Dunks , a tie-dye design using the colors of the San Francisco Giants .
The company prospered and expanded quickly , opening shops around the world .
“ He was a skating legend of NYC and SF fame , and a pioneer DIY businessman that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tony Hawk wrote on his Facebook page .
“ Skateboarding is collectively mourning today.
” In 2018 , Huf was sold to the Japanese apparel group TSI Holdings .
Hufnagel is survived by his wife Mariellen , their children , a brother , Chris , and his mother .

Keith Hufnagel, a free spirit from New York who became a professional skateboarder when he came West and then launched a streetwear brand that shaped action sport fashion on a global level, has died after battling brain cancer for more than two years.
Hufnagel died Sept. 24 at his home in Los Angeles, his namesake company, Huf, said in a statement. He was 46.
Skateboarding was still derisively written off as a diversion for slackers when Hufnagel began skating the Brooklyn Banks, an expanse of steep brick slopes and staircases under the Brooklyn Bridge. He recalled being heckled on the subway the moment someone saw his board.
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“It was unacceptable to have a skateboard,” he told the Guardian in a 2011 interview. He said he often hid the board out of fear of being “punked out” by neighborhood toughs.
A young Keith Hufnagel in an undated photo. (Huf)
But while others saw skating as little more than a nuisance, Hufnagel viewed it as a countercultural movement — part rebellion, part urban adventure — and helped turn it all into a lifestyle with a line of footwear, hoodies, T-shirts and hats that caught the attention of mainstream brands like Nike, Adidas and even the parent company of Gucci, which eventually bought the board sports company Volcom for more than $600 million.
At the time of his death, Huf had shops in Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, Tokyo and beyond and was sold by retailers such as PacSun and Zumiez.
Hufnagel was born in New York on Jan. 21, 1974. His mother was a nurse; his father a vice president at Metropolitan Life Insurance. He attended San Francisco State for a semester but dropped out to focus on becoming a professional skateboarder. He found a sponsor and hit the skate circuit, traveling the globe. Eventually he tired of the grind.
“Around 2001, I was thinking about what’s going to happen after skate. What am I going to do? I know I can skate for a long time, but you don’t know how long you’ll be a professional for,” he told Goat, a website for rare tennis shoe enthusiasts.
Initially, he and his then-wife, Anne Freeman, thought about opening a boutique for women’s wear but quickly decided the market was already saturated. Instead, with little business experience and no concrete gameplan, they decided to focus on skatewear and opened a boutique, Huf, in San Francisco’s gritty Tenderloin.
“I’d been traveling for over a decade, seeing what was happening in Tokyo, New York, L.A., London,” he told Goat. “I was hitting all these major cities and seeing this streetwear and sneaker culture happening.”
Authentic in everything he did from day one. On board, in business, & in life Keith Hufnagel paved a path that was entirely his own & done in a way that only an original like he could have ever done it. Today skateboarding mourns your loss but vows to never forget. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/wfllIa6l50 — Vans Skate Team (@vansskate) September 25, 2020
So he and his wife stocked the shelves with then hard-to-find tennis shoes and apparel made by Perks, Mini, Stussy and Supreme, among others. Hufnagel came up with his own lines too. Sometimes he partnered with other brands, such as the Nike Dunks, a tie-dye design using the colors of the San Francisco Giants. The company prospered and expanded quickly, opening shops around the world.
“He was a skating legend of NYC and SF fame, and a pioneer DIY businessman that valued integrity over profits.” professional skateboarder Tony Hawk wrote on his Facebook page. “Skateboarding is collectively mourning today.”
In 2018, Huf was sold to the Japanese apparel group TSI Holdings.
Hufnagel is survived by his wife, Mariellen, their children, a brother, Chris, and his mother.


latimes--2020-09-28--Brush fire threatening homes near Santa Clarita amid red-flag conditions

A brush fire ignited Monday afternoon above Santa Clarita , enveloping 300 acres within minutes as it burned with “ a rapid rate of speed , ” fire authorities said .
It comes amid heightened fire danger in Southern California with rising temperatures and strengthening winds .
The blaze , which has been dubbed the Martindale Fire , broke out just after 3 p.m. , burning a 10-acre area about 15 miles northeast of Santa Clarita , according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department .
Within about 20 minutes , it had spread to 200 acres .
The fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gusty winds , ” the Angeles National Forest Service said .
The Los Angeles County Fire Department ordered residents to evacuate about a dozen homes south of Bouquet Reservoir , between the dam and mile marker 11.5 .
Authorities issued an evacuation warning for the area south of mile marker 11.5 to Texas Canyon Fire Station .
Some structures are threatened by flames , fire authorities said .
Bouquet Canyon Road is closed between Vasquez Canyon and Bouquet Reservoir .
The National Weather Service issued a for the Los Angeles and Ventura county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting the conditions could last for several days .
The warning includes the potential for “ rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior if ignition occurs ” as well as the threat of smoke plumes and heat-related illnesses .
But it ’ s the combination of variables that is the greatest concern as a new heat wave bears down on the region : The forecast calls for gusty Santa Ana winds up to 40 mph , humidity levels in the teens and single digits , and temperatures in the valleys as high as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some coastal areas .
A heat advisory will be in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Thursday throughout much of the region , and the National Weather Service is urging residents to take extra precautions when spending time outside .

A water drop on the Martindale fire burning above Bouquet Canyon Road in the Angeles National Forest, north of Santa Clarita.
A brush fire ignited Monday afternoon above Santa Clarita, enveloping 300 acres within minutes as it burned with “a rapid rate of speed,” fire authorities said. It comes amid heightened fire danger in Southern California with rising temperatures and strengthening winds.
The blaze, which has been dubbed the Martindale Fire, broke out just after 3 p.m., burning a 10-acre area about 15 miles northeast of Santa Clarita, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Within about 20 minutes, it had spread to 200 acres. The fire is moving south, buffeted by “gusty winds,” the Angeles National Forest Service said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department ordered residents to evacuate about a dozen homes south of Bouquet Reservoir, between the dam and mile marker 11.5. Authorities issued an evacuation warning for the area south of mile marker 11.5 to Texas Canyon Fire Station. Some structures are threatened by flames, fire authorities said. Bouquet Canyon Road is closed between Vasquez Canyon and Bouquet Reservoir.
Darren Kaye, a Forest Service firefighter, places flanking flags to determine the origin of the Martindale fire. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the Los Angeles and Ventura county mountains and the Santa Clarita Valley, noting the conditions could last for several days.
The warning includes the potential for “rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior if ignition occurs” as well as the threat of smoke plumes and heat-related illnesses.
But it’s the combination of variables that is the greatest concern as a new heat wave bears down on the region: The forecast calls for gusty Santa Ana winds up to 40 mph, humidity levels in the teens and single digits, and temperatures in the valleys as high as 100 degrees by Wednesday and in the 90s in some coastal areas.
A heat advisory will be in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Thursday throughout much of the region, and the National Weather Service is urging residents to take extra precautions when spending time outside.


latimes--2020-09-28--PG&E outages leave tens of thousands without power as fires tear through Northern California

About 87,500 Pacific Gas & Electric customers in 16 California counties were without power Monday morning after the state ’ s largest investor-owned utility preemptively de-energized some of its equipment to avoid sparking wildfires and shut off power at other locations because of blazes already burning .
Roughly 11,000 customers in Butte County were scheduled to lose power early Sunday , followed by 54,000 more customers in the Central Sierra on Sunday evening and 15,000 in Kern County on Monday morning , the utility said in a news release .
Tens of thousands of customers were also without power in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
In the Central Sierra , the planned outages were to include parts of 14 counties : Alpine , Amador , Calaveras , El Dorado , Lake , Napa , Nevada , Placer , Plumas , Shasta , Sierra , Sonoma , Tehama and Yuba .
Power that was shut off to prevent wildfires should be restored for all customers by Monday night , utility officials said .
The shutoffs come as hot and dry Diablo winds moving in from the north and east have caused much of Northern California to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Weather Service forecasting continued dangerous fire weather conditions .
The warning is in effect until 9 p.m. Monday , with forecasters predicting critically low humidity and wind gusts that could reach up to 50 mph at high elevations .
A series of fast-moving wind-driven wildfires are already besieging California ’ s wine country , destroying numerous homes and other buildings in Napa and Sonoma counties overnight and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee .
Crews were dispatched to the initial blaze , dubbed the Glass fire , near the rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the fire quickly grew to 20 acres , then 50 , then 800 , said Tyree Zander , public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ’ s Napa-Lake-Sonoma Unit .
The fire had burned 11,000 acres and expanded into Sonoma County by Monday morning .
Tamar Sarkissian , a spokesperson for PG & E , said Napa County had not been scheduled for a precautionary power outage until 5 p.m. Sunday , many hours after the start of the fire .
But she said the utility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment sparked the blaze .
“ We have not filed an electric incident report and have no information indicating that the Glass fire ignition is attributable to PG & E facilities , ” she said .
Sarkissian said about 28,000 customers in Napa and Sonoma counties were without power Monday — 11,000 of them in Napa County and 17,000 in Sonoma County .
The public power safety shutoff that started at 5 p.m. Sunday in Napa County affected 288 customers , she said .
The others lost power as a result of fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Cal Fire to protect first responders , she said .
The weather service also issued a red-flag warning for swaths of Southern California as Santa Ana winds are forecast to sweep through the area .
Southern California Edison said it didn ’ t have plans to cut power in its service area as of late Monday morning but that it was keeping a close eye on the weather in case conditions deteriorated .
“ We do have fire weather expected , but right now , we ’ re not looking at anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for public safety power shutoffs for this week , ” spokesman Robert Villegas said .
“ But as you can imagine , that potential is always out there , so we ’ re sticking pretty close with watching the weather and watching the conditions on the ground in case there ’ s some sort of change that requires us to activate a team and start getting ready.
” Utility officials say planned public safety power shutoffs are necessary amid concerns that wind gusts could snap off tree branches or damage a piece of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignite dry brush and lead to the next wildfire disaster .
PG & E ’ s equipment has already been blamed for causing multiple massive blazes , including the Camp fire , which devastated the town of Paradise in 2018 , killing 85 people and destroying nearly 14,000 homes .
Even so , the utility came under heavy criticism for sweeping precautionary outages that left millions of Californians in the dark last October , with many residents and public officials complaining that PG & E didn ’ t give enough notice or target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E later admitted it had failed to notify 23,000 customers of the outages .
California regulators conducted a formal investigation into the handling of the outages by PG & E and other utilities , saying they had concerns about whether they were properly planned and executed .
A subsequent report released by the California Public Utilities Commission found that the outages had affected communication networks and critical facilities and infrastructure providers , and said that notifications provided to customers and public safety partners had been inadequate .

About 87,500 Pacific Gas & Electric customers in 16 California counties were without power Monday morning after the state’s largest investor-owned utility preemptively de-energized some of its equipment to avoid sparking wildfires and shut off power at other locations because of blazes already burning.
Roughly 11,000 customers in Butte County were scheduled to lose power early Sunday, followed by 54,000 more customers in the Central Sierra on Sunday evening and 15 in Kern County on Monday morning, the utility said in a news release.
For the record: An earlier version of this article said roughly 15,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers in Kern County were scheduled to lose power in a preemptive shutoff Sunday. Fifteen customers in Kern County were slated for the outage.
Tens of thousands of customers were also without power in Napa and Sonoma counties amid fires burning there.
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In the Central Sierra, the planned outages were to include parts of 14 counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Sonoma, Tehama and Yuba.
Power that was shut off to prevent wildfires should be restored for all customers by Monday night, utility officials said.
The shutoffs come as hot and dry Diablo winds moving in from the north and east have caused much of Northern California to be under a red-flag warning, with the National Weather Service forecasting continued dangerous fire weather conditions.
The warning is in effect until 9 p.m. Monday, with forecasters predicting critically low humidity and wind gusts that could reach up to 50 mph at high elevations.
A series of fast-moving wind-driven wildfires are already besieging California’s wine country, destroying numerous homes and other buildings in Napa and Sonoma counties overnight and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.
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Crews were dispatched to the initial blaze, dubbed the Glass fire, near the rural community of Igo at 3:50 a.m. Sunday, and the fire quickly grew to 20 acres, then 50, then 800, said Tyree Zander, public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Napa-Lake-Sonoma Unit. The fire had burned 11,000 acres and expanded into Sonoma County by Monday morning.
Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E, said Napa County had not been scheduled for a precautionary power outage until 5 p.m. Sunday, many hours after the start of the fire. But she said the utility had no reason to believe that its equipment sparked the blaze.
“We have not filed an electric incident report and have no information indicating that the Glass fire ignition is attributable to PG&E facilities,” she said.
Sarkissian said about 28,000 customers in Napa and Sonoma counties were without power Monday — 11,000 of them in Napa County and 17,000 in Sonoma County.
The public power safety shutoff that started at 5 p.m. Sunday in Napa County affected 288 customers, she said. The others lost power as a result of fire damage to equipment or at the direction of Cal Fire to protect first responders, she said.
The weather service also issued a red-flag warning for swaths of Southern California as Santa Ana winds are forecast to sweep through the area. Southern California Edison said it didn’t have plans to cut power in its service area as of late Monday morning but that it was keeping a close eye on the weather in case conditions deteriorated.
“We do have fire weather expected, but right now, we’re not looking at anything that’s rising to the level for public safety power shutoffs for this week,” spokesman Robert Villegas said. “But as you can imagine, that potential is always out there, so we’re sticking pretty close with watching the weather and watching the conditions on the ground in case there’s some sort of change that requires us to activate a team and start getting ready.”
Utility officials say planned public safety power shutoffs are necessary amid concerns that wind gusts could snap off tree branches or damage a piece of equipment, creating a spark that could ignite dry brush and lead to the next wildfire disaster.
PG&E’s equipment has already been blamed for causing multiple massive blazes, including the Camp fire, which devastated the town of Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and destroying nearly 14,000 homes.
Even so, the utility came under heavy criticism for sweeping precautionary outages that left millions of Californians in the dark last October, with many residents and public officials complaining that PG&E didn’t give enough notice or target the shutoffs narrowly enough. PG&E later admitted it had failed to notify 23,000 customers of the outages.
California regulators conducted a formal investigation into the handling of the outages by PG&E and other utilities, saying they had concerns about whether they were properly planned and executed.
A subsequent report released by the California Public Utilities Commission found that the outages had affected communication networks and critical facilities and infrastructure providers, and said that notifications provided to customers and public safety partners had been inadequate.


latimes--2020-09-28--Santa Rosa residents flee, hoping their homes survive as fire bears down

Monday morning brought a too-familiar sight in Sonoma County as the morning sun turned to a smoke-shrouded red disk in the summer sky .
Fire tore into the edge of Santa Rosa on Sunday night , bringing destruction and memories of the 2017 Tubbs fire , which destroyed suburban neighborhoods and changed the way people here think about wildfires .
Mat Tamba stood in front of his house in Spring Lake , just a few miles from the Sonoma County Fairgrounds , where an evacuation center was hosted in previous fires .
But the fairgrounds are now deemed too close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for evacuees .
The Shady fire exploded Sunday night and Monday morning , burning into Santa Rosa and surrounding areas .
An unknown number of homes have been lost .
This neighborhood of cul-de-sacs and mature oaks is nestled against the hills of Trione-Annadel State Park .
Fire is coming up the back side of the park ’ s 5,000 acres , and Spring Lake is under a mandatory evacuation order .
Tamba was watching a fresh plume of smoke that had just begun rising over the ridge .
It hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new area of actively burning fire .
“ That ’ s the new something I just saw , ” he said , worried .
His 9-year-old son , Tyler , daughter Matison , 4 , and wife Noelle had evacuated to his in-laws ’ house the previous night , but he returned Monday morning to gather more things — toiletries , a Minnie Mouse stuffed doll .
Current conditions have spurred Tamba , like many locals , to relive the trauma of the Tubbs fire .
Tamba ’ s in-laws lost their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far away , and Sunday night , when propane tanks began to pop nearby , he knew the situation was serious .
“ That ’ s when it becomes eerie , ” he said .
“ That ’ s the sign it ’ s getting to the houses.
” Around the corner from Tamba , Marilyn Heller had already taken the advice of the Santa Rosa Fire Department and put the propane tanks from her grill on the sidewalk in front of her driveway .
During the Tubbs fire , firefighters never knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .
This time , officials are asking residents to put them out front to curtail those dangerous surprises .
Tanks lined the sidewalks in Spring Lake .
Like Tamba , Heller , 72 , was packing up her car to get out .
She paused to blow a thickening layer of acidic ash off the shiny black hood of her Porsche Cayenne .
She and her husband , Robert , have lived in their ranch-style house since 1974 , when they bought it for $ 39,000 .
Now , everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aunt , was packed in 40 boxes and put in the car ; they were headed to the coast .
Sunday night , she and her husband had discussed staying until they saw flames , she said as she kicked at burned leaves and embers in the gutter .
Her son , a former Marine , had purchased special heat-resistant straws for them in case , she said , they needed to jump in the pool to survive .
But she didn ’ t “ want to be in the way of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ben Lilia , 30 , was hosing down the yard and had a sprinkler going on the grass at the house where he grew up .
Lilia said he didn ’ t intend to leave until he saw flames .
He owns a water truck , originally purchased to fill pools but which in recent years has seen more action at fires .
“ I don ’ t think it will reach this far , ” he said of the current fire , noting that the wind had given way to a heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his generator .
He purchased the generator last year after planned electricity cutoffs left him in the dark .
Despite the risks , Lilia says this is a neighborhood he loves .
“ It ’ s a good place , ” he said , “ besides the power outages and the fires .
”

Firefighters battle the Shady fire Monday as it makes its way toward homes along Mountain Hawk Drive in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Monday morning brought a too-familiar sight in Sonoma County as the morning sun turned to a smoke-shrouded red disk in the summer sky.
Fire tore into the edge of Santa Rosa on Sunday night, bringing destruction and memories of the 2017 Tubbs fire, which destroyed suburban neighborhoods and changed the way people here think about wildfires.
Mat Tamba stood in front of his house in Spring Lake, just a few miles from the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, where an evacuation center was hosted in previous fires. But the fairgrounds are now deemed too close to the current flames to be safe for evacuees. The Shady fire exploded Sunday night and Monday morning, burning into Santa Rosa and surrounding areas. An unknown number of homes have been lost.
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This neighborhood of cul-de-sacs and mature oaks is nestled against the hills of Trione-Annadel State Park. Fire is coming up the back side of the park’s 5,000 acres, and Spring Lake is under a mandatory evacuation order. Tamba was watching a fresh plume of smoke that had just begun rising over the ridge. It hadn’t been there minutes ago and perhaps indicated a new area of actively burning fire.
“That’s the new something I just saw,” he said, worried. His 9-year-old son, Tyler, daughter Matison, 4, and wife Noelle had evacuated to his in-laws’ house the previous night, but he returned Monday morning to gather more things — toiletries, a Minnie Mouse stuffed doll.
Current conditions have spurred Tamba, like many locals, to relive the trauma of the Tubbs fire. Tamba’s in-laws lost their home then, in a neighborhood not far away, and Sunday night, when propane tanks began to pop nearby, he knew the situation was serious.
“That’s when it becomes eerie,” he said. “That’s the sign it’s getting to the houses.”
Around the corner from Tamba, Marilyn Heller had already taken the advice of the Santa Rosa Fire Department and put the propane tanks from her grill on the sidewalk in front of her driveway. During the Tubbs fire, firefighters never knew when a tank was going to blow, she said. This time, officials are asking residents to put them out front to curtail those dangerous surprises. Tanks lined the sidewalks in Spring Lake.
Like Tamba, Heller, 72, was packing up her car to get out. She paused to blow a thickening layer of acidic ash off the shiny black hood of her Porsche Cayenne. She and her husband, Robert, have lived in their ranch-style house since 1974, when they bought it for $39,000. Now, everything sentimental, hand-me-downs from her grandmother and aunt, was packed in 40 boxes and put in the car; they were headed to the coast.
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Sunday night, she and her husband had discussed staying until they saw flames, she said as she kicked at burned leaves and embers in the gutter. Her son, a former Marine, had purchased special heat-resistant straws for them in case, she said, they needed to jump in the pool to survive. But she didn’t “want to be in the way of the Fire Department.”
Not far away, Ben Illia, 30, was hosing down the yard and had a sprinkler going on the grass at the house where he grew up. Illia said he didn’t intend to leave until he saw flames. He owns a water truck, originally purchased to fill pools but which in recent years has seen more action at fires.
“I don’t think it will reach this far,” he said of the current fire, noting that the wind had given way to a heavy stillness, broken only by the hum of his generator. He purchased the generator last year after planned electricity cutoffs left him in the dark. Despite the risks, Illia says this is a neighborhood he loves.
“It’s a good place,” he said, “besides the power outages and the fires.”


latimes--2020-09-28--Federal judge orders U.S. Postal Service to stop operations that slowed mail in California and the n

Federal judge orders U.S. Postal Service to stop operations that slowed mail in California and the nation

The U.S .
Postal Service must prioritize election mail and immediately reverse changes that resulted in widespread delays in California and several other states , a federal judge ruled Monday .
The nationwide order is the latest rejection of efforts by Louis DeJoy , the postmaster general , to cut costs by instituting reforms that snarled the mail system and caused delays in the delivery of medication , unemployment checks and other essential items .
The judge ’ s ruling came as part of a lawsuit by attorneys general for the District of Columbia and six states , including California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermining the Postal Service by decommissioning high-speed mail-sorting machines , curtailing overtime and mandating that trucks run on time , which led to backlogs because mail was left behind .
“ The court has spoken .
It ’ s time for President Trump to follow the law and stop interfering with our mail , ” said Xavier Becerra , California ’ s attorney general , in a statement on Monday .
“ Our elections — and the health and livelihood of American families — depend on it .
This is a major victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our right to vote.
” The preliminary injunction imposed by Judge Gerald A. McHugh of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania temporarily bars the Postal Service from mandating that mail trucks and carriers leave exactly on time .
It also says the organization must allow overtime around the election and suspend the removal of mail-sorting machines until after Nov. 3 , among other measures .
The Postal Service ’ s “ ability to fulfill its mission during a presidential election taking place in the midst of a public health crisis is vital .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusion that irreparable harm will result unless its ability to operate is assured , ” McHugh wrote in a memorandum supporting his order .
The ruling is the latest by federal judges that reverse DeJoy ’ s changes .
Judges in New York , Washington state and the District of Columbia ordered the Postal Service over the last two weeks to restore operations in the organization , including treating election mail as first-class mail and allowing for the processing of all the day ’ s mail , even if it means trucks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involving California alleged that the Postal Service made numerous operational changes without getting the required approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission .
It was the directive that trucks run on time — not the removal of more than 700 sorting machines — that contributed to significant delays in the mail , the Los Angeles Times reported .
The backups caused food to rot and animals to die inside packages that were piling up inside processing plants in California over the summer .
The Postal Service has said in recent weeks that the trucking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to encourage more timeliness and mitigate the need for extra trips .
On Monday , in response to the judge ’ s order , Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer said that delivering election mail is the Postal Service ’ s main priority .
Mail-in ballots are expected to play a key role in the election as voters and elections officials seek alternatives to gathering at polling places during the pandemic .
`` [ W ] e are 100 percent committed throughout the Postal Service to fulfilling our vital role in the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timely delivering all ballots pursuant to our long-established processes and procedures , ” Partenheimer said in an e-mail .

Employees work with an automated parcel and bundle sorter at the Postal Service center in the City of Industry.
The U.S. Postal Service must prioritize election mail and immediately reverse changes that resulted in widespread delays in California and several other states, a federal judge ruled Monday.
The nationwide order is the latest rejection of efforts by Louis DeJoy, the postmaster general, to cut costs by instituting changes that snarled the mail system and caused delays in the delivery of medication, unemployment checks and other essential items.
The judge’s ruling came as part of a lawsuit by attorneys general for the District of Columbia and six states, including California, that accused the Trump administration of undermining the Postal Service by decommissioning high-speed mail-sorting machines, curtailing overtime and mandating that trucks run on time, which led to backlogs because mail was left behind.
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“The court has spoken. It’s time for President Trump to follow the law and stop interfering with our mail,” said Xavier Becerra, California’s attorney general, in a statement Monday. “Our elections — and the health and livelihood of American families — depend on it. This is a major victory for the rule of law and protecting our right to vote.”
The preliminary injunction imposed by Judge Gerald A. McHugh of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania temporarily bars the Postal Service from mandating that mail trucks and carriers leave exactly on time. It also says the organization must allow overtime around the election and suspend the removal of mail-sorting machines until after Nov. 3, among other measures.
The Postal Service’s “ability to fulfill its mission during a presidential election taking place in the midst of a public health crisis is vital. The record in this case strongly supports the conclusion that irreparable harm will result unless its ability to operate is assured,” McHugh wrote in a memorandum supporting his order.
California Empty trucks, falsified records: How Louis DeJoy’s changes at the Postal Service brought chaos New rules requiring U.S. Postal Service trucks to leave exactly on schedule went relatively unnoticed amid the public outcry over the removal of sorting machines across the country — but they were far more disruptive to mail delivery.
The ruling is the latest by federal judges that reverse DeJoy’s changes. Judges in New York, Washington state and the District of Columbia ordered the Postal Service over the last two weeks to restore operations in the organization, including treating election mail as first-class mail and allowing for the processing of all the day’s mail, even if it means trucks are a few minutes late.
The lawsuit involving California alleged that the Postal Service made numerous operational changes without getting the required approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission.
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It was the directive that trucks run on time — not the removal of more than 700 sorting machines — that contributed to significant delays in the mail, the Los Angeles Times reported. The backups caused food to rot and animals to die inside packages that were piling up at processing plants in California over the summer.
The Postal Service has said in recent weeks that the trucking changes were not strict mandates but were efforts to encourage more timeliness and mitigate the need for extra trips.
On Monday, in response to the judge’s order, Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer said that delivering election mail is the Postal Service’s main priority. Mail-in ballots are expected to play a key role in the election as voters and elections officials seek alternatives to gathering at polling places during the pandemic.
“[W]e are 100 percent committed throughout the Postal Service to fulfilling our vital role in the nation’s electoral process by securely and timely delivering all ballots pursuant to our long-established processes and procedures,” Partenheimer said in an email.


latimes--2020-09-28--Kitten dubbed 'Baby Yoda' rescued from North Complex fire

The Force was clearly with a tiny kitten bearing a striking resemblance to Baby Yoda that was rescued from the ruins of the devastating North Complex fire last week .
Firefighters found the soot- and ash-covered animal in the middle of a road near Berry Creek on Sept. 20 and rushed her to a nearby shelter , the North Valley Animal Disaster Group The tiny orange tabby , estimated at 2 to 3 weeks old , was immediately named after the Mandalorian character .
“ She is doing very well with her foster mother , ” North Valley Animal Disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noting that kitten weighs “ just a few ounces.
” The animal ’ s foster mother is taking care of Baby Yoda and one other kitten , who was also rescued from the fire .
The cats are among thousands of pets and their people displaced by the devastating blaze , which has burned through more than 306,000 acres since igniting Aug. 18 .
“ The North Complex fire blew up last night when the winds picked up , and we are back into acute response mode , ” Rosene said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fire , which is now 78 % contained , according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
The North Valley Animal Disaster Group has received as many as 550 animals in three emergency shelters and will likely set up a fourth shelter Monday , Rosene said , as current facilities for small dogs and cats are now full .
Residents who must evacuate are urged to make arrangements for animals with family or friends .
Large animals can be taken to Camelot Equestrian Park .
People looking for lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can check the , which is updated often , the rescue group said .
All rescued animals , including Baby Yoda , are held for 30 days before being placed up for adoption .
But officials have little concern about Baby Yoda : The group has been flooded with requests from people all across the country who are interested in taking her home .

The Force was clearly with a tiny kitten bearing a striking resemblance to Baby Yoda that was rescued from the ruins of the devastating North Complex fire last week.
Firefighters found the soot- and ash-covered animal in the middle of a road near Berry Creek on Sept. 20 and rushed her to a nearby shelter, the North Valley Animal Disaster Group said in a Facebook post.
The tiny orange tabby, estimated at 2 to 3 weeks old, was immediately named after the Mandalorian character.
“She is doing very well with her foster mother,” North Valley Animal Disaster Group Vice President Norm Rosene said Monday, noting that kitten weighs “just a few ounces.”
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The animal’s foster mother is taking care of Baby Yoda and one other kitten, who was also rescued from the fire.
The cats are among thousands of pets and their people displaced by the devastating blaze, which has burned through more than 306,000 acres since igniting Aug. 18.
“The North Complex fire blew up last night when the winds picked up, and we are back into acute response mode,” Rosene said.
At least 15 people have died in the fire, which is now 78% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The North Valley Animal Disaster Group has received as many as 550 animals in three emergency shelters and will likely set up a fourth shelter Monday, Rosene said, as current facilities for small dogs and cats are now full.
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Residents who must evacuate are urged to make arrangements for animals with family or friends. Large animals can be taken to Camelot Equestrian Park.
People looking for lost animals rescued from the North Complex fire can check the Pet Harbor website , which is updated often, the rescue group said. All rescued animals, including Baby Yoda, are held for 30 days before being placed up for adoption.
But officials have little concern about Baby Yoda: The group has been flooded with requests from people all across the country who are interested in taking her home.


latimes--2020-09-28--Detainees at California's for-profit ICE detention centers will soon be able to sue over abuse, harm

Gov .
Gavin Newsom signed a bill Sunday backed by immigrant-rights advocates that mandates greater accountability by the companies that operate federal detention facilities in California .
Assembly Bill 3228 allows people to sue private detention facility operators for failing to comply with the standards of care outlined in the facility ’ s contract and to collect “ reasonable ” costs and attorney ’ s fees .
The bill is the first of its kind in the nation , supporters say .
The law takes effect Jan. 1 .
It ’ s the latest twist in an ongoing fight pitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enforcement officials and the corporations that manage the four immigration detention facilities in the state .
Advocates say that private prison companies have been shielded by an oversight scheme that allows them to violate the minimum standards of care .
Last year , inspectors at the Department of Homeland Security found that ICE doesn ’ t adequately hold detention facilities contractors accountable for failing to meet those standards and had imposed financial penalties only twice in nearly three years .
“ The highest level of scrutiny should be placed on any for-profit entity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocacy director for the nonprofit Immigrant Defense Advocates , which sponsored the bill .
“ We have to be certain that they ’ re not placing profit above human lives.
” Paige Hughes , a spokeswoman for ICE , said Monday that the agency ’ s legal experts were reviewing AB 3228 .
She said ICE adheres to “ an aggressive inspections program ” for detention centers .
“ Any law or policy enacted based on misleading information and false allegations only serves to distract the general public from the facts , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make it more difficult to remove dangerous criminal aliens by preventing ICE from procuring suitable detention space within a state or locality simply increase taxpayer costs and force ICE to transport detainees to more remote locations.
” Immigrant detainees currently can sue the federal government for damages over civil rights abuses under the Federal Torts Claims Act , which does not apply to private prison companies , said Eunice Cho , an attorney with the National Prison Project at the American Civil Liberties Union .
So while many federal lawsuits have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees in California facilities , it was more difficult to bring similar claims against the companies managing those facilities on ICE ’ s behalf , she said .
The new legislation cements a clear path under state torts law and clarifies the standard of care that must be provided .
AB 3228 builds upon AB 32 , which banned new private prisons and detention centers after Jan. 1 and called for existing facilities to close by 2028 .
Days before AB 32 took effect , ICE officials signed contracts totaling nearly $ 6.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency ’ s California facilities .
The contracts have terms of 15 years , including two five-year extensions , ending in 2034 .
ICE and one of those companies — the GEO Group — sued the state , arguing that AB 32 is unconstitutional .
GEO , one of the country ’ s largest private prison operators , manages ICE facilities in Adelanto and Bakersfield .
In a tentative ruling in July , a federal judge in San Diego suggested that she was likely to dismiss most of the case against California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports filed with the California secretary of state , GEO spent a combined $ 73,400 from January through June lobbying against AB 3228 and another bill that sought to expand access to legal counsel in immigrant detention centers but did not advance in the Legislature .
AB 3228 comes amid increasing reports of medical neglect and abuse inside private detention facilities across the country .
Last week , the House Committee on Oversight and Reform released the results of a 14-month investigation into for-profit ICE contractors , which found that several detainees died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one man who died at the Adelanto detention facility northeast of Los Angeles .
Assemblyman Rob Bonta ( D-Alameda ) , was the author of both AB 32 and AB 3228 .
He called the signing of AB 3228 a victory for human rights and for justice .
“ For-profit private detention centers must be held accountable in the face of egregious human rights violations and harm to the health , safety and welfare of Californians , especially during the COVID-19 pandemic , ” Bonta said .
Three companies operate ICE facilities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CoreCivic runs the Otay Mesa facility in San Diego and the Management & Training Corp. runs the Imperial Regional facility in Calexico .
Representatives for those companies said they have always been committed to treating detainees with dignity and prioritizing their health and safety .
A GEO spokesperson called the new law an attack on government contractors and said in a statement that the company is already subject to robust oversight from the federal government , third-party accreditation agencies and independent auditors .
The company declined to provide the spokesperson ’ s name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a distraction from the failed policies of the State of California and a politically motivated attempt to abolish ICE by undermining its ability to carry out its mission in California , ” the spokesperson wrote .
At the privately run facilities in California , 306 ICE detainees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic , according to ICE statistics , and the virus killed one man at the Otay Mesa facility in May .
Civil rights lawyers have sued for the release of detainees at every facility in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that conditions in the facilities during the pandemic have proven the need for the new law .
In June , detainees at Adelanto were pepper-sprayed for peacefully protesting ongoing lockdowns .
Detainees there say they ’ ve experienced nose bleeds , burning eyes and nausea because employees consistently spray a hazardous disinfectant against its recommended use indoors .
Advocates said they are also concerned about potential expansions of two detention centers in California .
Officials in the Central Valley city of McFarland voted earlier this year to convert two former prisons into annexes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding 1,400 beds to its previous capacity of 400 .
Immigrant advocates sued , but ICE began temporarily filling one of the annexes this month after a judge ruled in its favor .
Also earlier this month , the Adelanto City Council deadlocked on a vote over whether to approve a similar conversion of a former 750-bed prison into an annex for the 1,940-bed Adelanto ICE facility .
The city ’ s attorney upheld an earlier planning commission decision approving the conversion , green-lighting the expansion .
Advocates sent a cease-and-desist letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the approval is unlawful .
If it ultimately moves forward , the Adelanto facility would become the biggest in the country .
The path for these potential expansions was paved through the contracts signed just before the private prison ban took effect .
Though the facilities will remain open for now , Bonta said , it ’ s only fair that they be regulated by the state that wants them out .
“ As long as they are operating , they will be held accountable by AB 3228 , ” he said .

Detainees fold clothes at the Mesa Verde facility in Bakersfield. California’s new legislation comes amid increasing reports of neglect and abuse at private detention facilities.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Sunday backed by immigrant-rights advocates that mandates greater accountability by the companies that operate federal detention facilities in California.
Assembly Bill 3228 allows people to sue private detention facility operators for failing to comply with the standards of care outlined in the facility’s contract and to collect “reasonable” costs and attorney’s fees. The bill is the first of its kind in the nation, supporters say. The law takes effect Jan. 1.
It’s the latest twist in an ongoing fight pitting California leaders against federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the corporations that manage the four immigration detention facilities in the state.
Advocates say that private prison companies have been shielded by an oversight scheme that allows them to violate the minimum standards of care. Last year, inspectors at the Department of Homeland Security found that ICE doesn’t adequately hold detention facilities contractors accountable for failing to meet those standards and had imposed financial penalties only twice in nearly three years.
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“The highest level of scrutiny should be placed on any for-profit entity,” said Hamid Yazdan Panah, advocacy director for the nonprofit Immigrant Defense Advocates, which sponsored the bill. “We have to be certain that they’re not placing profit above human lives.”
Paige Hughes, a spokeswoman for ICE, said Monday that the agency’s legal experts were reviewing AB 3228. She said ICE adheres to “an aggressive inspections program” for detention centers.
“Any law or policy enacted based on misleading information and false allegations only serves to distract the general public from the facts,” Hughes said. “Policymakers who strive to make it more difficult to remove dangerous criminal aliens by preventing ICE from procuring suitable detention space within a state or locality simply increase taxpayer costs and force ICE to transport detainees to more remote locations.”
Immigrant detainees currently can sue the federal government for damages over civil rights abuses under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which does not apply to private prison companies, said Eunice Cho, an attorney with the National Prison Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
So while many federal lawsuits have been brought against ICE over alleged mistreatment of detainees in California facilities, it was more difficult to bring similar claims against the companies managing those facilities on ICE’s behalf, she said. The new legislation cements a clear path under state tort law and clarifies the standard of care that must be provided.
AB 3228 builds upon AB 32, which banned new private prisons and detention centers after Jan. 1 and called for existing facilities to close by 2028.
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Days before AB 32 took effect, ICE officials signed contracts totaling nearly $6.5 billion with the three companies that operate the agency’s California facilities. The contracts have terms of 15 years, including two five-year extensions, ending in 2034.
ICE and one of those companies — the GEO Group — sued the state, arguing that AB 32 is unconstitutional. GEO, one of the country’s largest private prison operators, manages ICE facilities in Adelanto and Bakersfield.
In a tentative ruling in July, a federal judge in San Diego suggested that she was likely to dismiss most of the case against California and uphold the law.
According to reports filed with the California secretary of state, GEO spent a combined $73,400 from January through June lobbying against AB 3228 and another bill that sought to expand access to legal counsel in immigrant detention centers but did not advance in the Legislature.
AB 3228 comes amid increasing reports of medical neglect and abuse inside private detention facilities across the country. Last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform released the results of a 14-month investigation into for-profit ICE contractors, which found that several detainees died after receiving inadequate medical care, including one man who died at the Adelanto detention facility northeast of Los Angeles.
Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) authored both AB 32 and AB 3228. He called the signing of AB 3228 a victory for human rights and for justice.
“For-profit private detention centers must be held accountable in the face of egregious human rights violations and harm to the health, safety and welfare of Californians, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bonta said.
Three companies operate ICE facilities in California. In addition to GEO, CoreCivic runs the Otay Mesa facility in San Diego and the Management & Training Corp. runs the Imperial Regional facility in Calexico.
Representatives for those companies said they have always been committed to treating detainees with dignity and prioritizing their health and safety.
A GEO spokesperson called the new law an attack on government contractors and said in a statement that the company is already subject to robust oversight from the federal government, third-party accreditation agencies and independent auditors. The company declined to provide the spokesperson’s name.
“This bill is nothing more than a distraction from the failed policies of the State of California and a politically motivated attempt to abolish ICE by undermining its ability to carry out its mission in California,” the spokesperson wrote.
At the privately run facilities in California, 306 ICE detainees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to ICE statistics, and the virus killed one man at the Otay Mesa facility in May. Civil rights lawyers have sued for the release of detainees at every facility in California.
Supporters of AB 3228 say that conditions in the facilities during the pandemic have proven the need for the new law. In June, detainees at Adelanto were pepper-sprayed for peacefully protesting ongoing lockdowns. Detainees there say they’ve experienced nose bleeds, burning eyes and nausea because employees consistently spray a hazardous disinfectant against its recommended use indoors.
Advocates said they are also concerned about potential expansions of two detention centers in California.
Officials in the Central Valley city of McFarland voted earlier this year to convert two former prisons into annexes for the nearby Mesa Verde ICE facility, adding 1,400 beds to its previous capacity of 400. Immigrant advocates sued, but ICE began temporarily filling one of the annexes this month after a judge ruled in its favor.
Also earlier this month, the Adelanto City Council deadlocked on a vote over whether to approve a similar conversion of a former 750-bed prison into an annex for the 1,940-bed Adelanto ICE facility. The city’s attorney upheld an earlier planning commission decision approving the conversion, green-lighting the expansion.
Advocates sent a cease-and-desist letter to Adelanto city officials, charging that the approval is unlawful. If it ultimately moves forward, the Adelanto facility would become the biggest in the country.
The path for these potential expansions was paved through the contracts signed just before the private prison ban took effect. Though the facilities will remain open for now, Bonta said, it’s only fair that they be regulated by the state that wants them out.
“As long as they are operating, they will be held accountable by AB 3228,” he said.


latimes--2020-09-28--How a narrow gap of land brought another fire nightmare to California wine country

California ’ s wine country has been devastated by some of the state ’ s most destructive fires .
But on Sunday , a series of wind-driven infernos found new terrain that had not burned in years , creating a scene terrifyingly reminiscent of 2017 , when wildfires marched into populated areas at night , destroying thousands of homes and killing dozens who could not escape in time .
It remains unclear how many homes have burned in the latest fires .
But the blazes have destroyed winery property in Napa County and homes in Santa Rosa .
There also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been any casualties .
Thousands of people had to run for their lives Sunday , clogging Highway 12 as the Shady fire moved into Santa Rosa .
Here is what we know : How did the fires become such a threat ?
For much of Sunday , the big worry was the Glass fire , which was burning through Napa County .
But just before sunset , a new blaze — the Shady fire — emerged in a dangerous spot to the west and began barreling toward Sonoma County and Santa Rosa .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2017 firestorm .
But those burn scars turned out to provide little protection .
That ’ s because the Shady fire burned between areas damaged by two of the worst of those 2017 fires : the Tubbs and the Nuns .
Those fires caused massive damage and loss of life , but they left an area between them that did not burn .
That gap gave the Shady fire a path into Santa Rosa .
Two other nearby fires that erupted over the weekend — the Glass and Boysen — have since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and labeled as the “ Glass incident ” by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
That combined conflagration had burned 11,000 acres with no containment as of Monday morning , according to Cal Fire , and it was threatening 8,543 structures .
Sunday night was also hot and terribly windy , with gusts topping 60 mph at some peaks .
The fire spotted more than a mile out , making it impossible to stop .
The 2017 wine country fire burned more than 8,000 structures .
Most of the damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Fountaingrove , located in northern Santa Rosa ; and Larkfield-Wikiup , about five miles north of Santa Rosa .
About 1,500 homes were lost in Coffey Park .
Almost 1,800 structures were destroyed in the Fountaingrove area in the northernmost part of Santa Rosa .
The Nuns fire destroyed more than 1,000 structures .
Where is the firefight taking place ?
The center of the battle against the Shady fire was in the northeastern neighborhoods of Santa Rosa .
Whipped by powerful hot and dry Diablo winds coming from the north and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city , flames engulfed houses in the area of Mountain Hawk Drive , which is lined with two-story tract homes in the Skyhawk development , built in the late 1990s and early 2000s .
Large swaths of Santa Rosa were under .
Districts in the city ’ s northeast were ordered to empty , including the neighborhoods of Calistoga , Skyhawk , Melita , Stonebridge , the Oakmont retirement community and Pythian .
Busloads of older people were evacuated from the Oakmont Gardens assisted-living community as flames could be seen in the distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jammed narrow roads as residents heeded evacuation orders .
Firefighters were able to save many communities , but it remains unclear what structures are still standing .
In Napa County , the Glass fire burned numerous structures .
One building in flames was the distinctive stone structure at the Chateau Boswell Winery , which marked its 40th anniversary last year , several miles northwest of St. Helena .
Adventist Health St. Helena hospital suspended operations and evacuated its patients because of the fire .
What is the forecast ?
Red-flag warnings continue for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California until Monday night .
The National Weather Service warned of wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph along with low humidity and hot conditions .
That will make for another challenging day for firefighters .
Officials say an onshore flow Monday night should bring some relief .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Alex Wigglesworth

Santa Rosa Fire Department Firefighters stand, watching the Shady Fire as it makes its way towards homes on Sept. 27, 2020.
California’s wine country has been devastated by some of the state’s most destructive fires.
But on Sunday, a series of wind-driven infernos found new terrain that had not burned in years, creating a scene terrifyingly reminiscent of 2017, when wildfires marched into populated areas at night, destroying thousands of homes and killing dozens who could not escape in time.
It remains unclear how many homes have burned in the latest fires. But the blazes have destroyed winery property in Napa County and homes in Santa Rosa.
There also are no details on whether there have been any casualties. Thousands of people had to run for their lives Sunday, clogging Highway 12 as the Shady fire moved into Santa Rosa.
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Here is what we know:
How did the fires become such a threat?
For much of Sunday, the big worry was the Glass fire, which was burning through Napa County.
But just before sunset, a new blaze — the Shady fire — emerged in a dangerous spot to the west and began barreling toward Sonoma County and Santa Rosa.
The area had been hard hit by the 2017 firestorm. But those burn scars turned out to provide little protection.
That’s because the Shady fire burned between areas damaged by two of the worst of those 2017 fires: the Tubbs and the Nuns.
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Those fires caused massive damage and loss of life, but they left an area between them that did not burn. That gap gave the Shady fire a path into Santa Rosa.
Two other nearby fires that erupted over the weekend — the Glass and Boysen — have since been grouped along with the Shady fire and labeled as the “Glass incident” by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. That combined conflagration had burned 11,000 acres with no containment as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire, and it was threatening 8,543 structures.
Indeed appears to be running that gap. pic.twitter.com/LRgOj6Bywg — Rob Mayeda (@RobMayeda) September 28, 2020
Sunday night was also hot and terribly windy, with gusts topping 60 mph at some peaks. The fire spotted more than a mile out, making it impossible to stop.
The 2017 wine country fire burned more than 8,000 structures. Most of the damage occurred in three areas: Coffey Park; Fountaingrove, located in northern Santa Rosa; and Larkfield-Wikiup, about five miles north of Santa Rosa. About 1,500 homes were lost in Coffey Park. Almost 1,800 structures were destroyed in the Fountaingrove area in the northernmost part of Santa Rosa.
The Nuns fire destroyed more than 1,000 structures.
Where is the firefight taking place?
The center of the battle against the Shady fire was in the northeastern neighborhoods of Santa Rosa.
Whipped by powerful hot and dry Diablo winds coming from the north and east, which showered embers onto the city, flames engulfed houses in the area of Mountain Hawk Drive, which is lined with two-story tract homes in the Skyhawk development, built in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Large swaths of Santa Rosa were under mandatory evacuation orders . Districts in the city’s northeast were ordered to empty, including the neighborhoods of Calistoga, Skyhawk, Melita, Stonebridge, the Oakmont retirement community and Pythian.
Busloads of older people were evacuated from the Oakmont Gardens assisted-living community as flames could be seen in the distance. Elsewhere in the city, cars jammed narrow roads as residents heeded evacuation orders.
Firefighters were able to save many communities, but it remains unclear what structures are still standing.
In Napa County, the Glass fire burned numerous structures. One building in flames was the distinctive stone structure at the Chateau Boswell Winery, which marked its 40th anniversary last year, several miles northwest of St. Helena.
Adventist Health St. Helena hospital suspended operations and evacuated its patients because of the fire.
Updated smoke forecast for today. Note that elevated smoke from the active #GlassFire, #ShadyFire, & #BoysenFire begins to steer towards the north later in the day. Expecting a gradual return of onshore winds later this evening, which should help with firefighting efforts.#Cawx pic.twitter.com/9koze6tBLq — NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) September 28, 2020
California Extreme fire danger in Southern California amid new heat wave The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the Los Angeles and Ventura county mountains and the Santa Clarita Valley.
What is the forecast?
Red-flag warnings continue for wine country and other areas in Northern California until Monday night.
The National Weather Service warned of wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph along with low humidity and hot conditions. That will make for another challenging day for firefighters.
Officials say an onshore flow Monday night should bring some relief.