latimes--2020-04-30--Huntington Beach mounts legal fight against Newsom closure of O.C. beaches

The Huntington Beach City Council voted Thursday night during an emergency session to seek an injunction against Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s order to close Orange County beaches .
The governor ordered Orange County beaches closed on Thursday despite opposition from local leaders who argue they should decide whether it ’ s safe to hit the sand .
Over the weekend , thousands flocked to Orange County beaches , which remain open even though Los Angeles County beaches are closed .
“ Specific issues on some of those beaches have raised alarm bells , ” Newsom said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t practicing physical distancing , that may go back to their community outside of Orange County and may not even know that they contracted the disease and now they put other people at risk , put our hospital system at risk.
” Newsom said Orange County beaches would be reopened soon if the situation improved .
The council voted 5-2 to approve filing for an emergency injunction to block Newsom ’ s closure order .
Earlier in the day , Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta said the city invested considerable effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beaches and worked hard to ensure the public had safe access to the beach for exercise and their mental well-being .
“ Our experience here locally has been that most people are being responsible and complying with social distancing , and given that Orange County has among the lowest per capita COVID-19 death rates in California , the state ’ s action today seems to prioritize politics over data , ” Semeta said in a written statement .
In a statement on Thursday , Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said his intention “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this order .
”

Weekend beach crowds, such as those in Huntington Beach, spurred alarm among some officials. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Beachgoers dot the sand in an aerial view of Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A motorist makes a statement via a back window as pedestrians walk past a store display in Newport Beach that features a mannequin in a mask. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A man in a protective mask walks his dog past a closed park near the pier in Newport Beach on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
On Tuesday, beachgoers pass a statue of Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson, who died while conducting a rescue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Newport Beach officials said beach visitors followed distancing guidelines over the weekend. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A surfer catches a wave while joining some of the thousands of beachgoers over the weekend in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view shows visitors enjoying the sun and sand near the pier in Newport Beach on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view of Huntington Beach after Gov. Newsom announced the “hard close” of all Orange County state and local beaches. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Emergency room nurse Rebecca McFarlane, of Covina, relaxes on her one day off from treating COVID-19 patients, on an open stretch of sand far away from other beach-goers on the last day of open beaches in Huntington Beach. “As a nurse, I have to wear all the PPE and on my one day off, I just want to relax on the beach,” McFarlane said. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Surfers ride the waves on the north side of the Huntington Beach Pier Friday, May 1, 2020. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Orange County beaches closed on Thursday despite opposition from local leaders. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Steve Christopher, right, reads a book in the shade of the pier as a beach-goer does flips across the beach on the last day of open beaches in Huntington Beach. “I think it’s what needs to be done,” Christopher said. “I saw it last week and it was packed.” (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Huntington Beach lifeguards patrol with a boat to try to get surfers to stop defying Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “hard close” order. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view of a mostly empty Huntington Beach following Gov. Newsom’s “hard close” of Orange County beaches. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters wave a variety of flags, including a Confederate one, along Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Saturday’s beach closure did not keep surfers out of the water in Newport Beach. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Surfers and others ventured to the beach in Newport Beach on Saturday despite the governor’s closure order. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
A motorcycle officer watches the bike path near the Huntington Beach Pier on Saturday. California Gov. Gavin Newson ordered a hard closure of Orange County beaches this weekend. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A couple walks along the sand while others venture into the surf in Newport Beach even though Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Orange County beaches closed. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Under the watchful eyes of police officers, protesters against beach closures walk along Newport Beach even though a beach closure went into effect Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
People enjoy the sun near the pier in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
People walk on the sand in Newport Beach despite the beach closure that went into effect Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters against beach closures walk in Newport Beach even though a beach closure went into effect Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
A Newport Beach lifeguard evacuates the beach as a closure went into effect Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Huntington Beach resident Kyle Richardson, 35, holds a sign telling California Gov. Gavin Newson to lift stay-at-home orders and reopen beaches, parks and the California economy, during a protest near the Huntington Beach Pier on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A motorcycle officer patrols the bike path near the Huntington Beach Pier on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Newport Beach lifeguards and police clear the beach during a closure that went into effect Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Police and protesters find a shady spot along Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A surfer climbs over a barrier meant to keep visitors off the beach in Newport Beach on Saturday morning. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Bill Beukers and his wife, Teresa, claim their constitutional rights as they speak to Newport Beach police officers. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view of the Newport Beach pier, where a few surfers and beach-goers enjoy a nice day at the beach despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s hard closure, which is still in place in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Bicyclists and pass the closed Boardwalk Sports store on the boardwalk in Newport Beach, on Monday. The business is only renting bicycles but is hoping to fully open after Gov. Newsom’s announcement that some businesses will be able to reopen. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view of a few surfers and beach-goers enjoying a nice day at the beach despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s hard closure, which is still in place in Newport Beach on Monday. (Allen J. Schaben/Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view of a few surfers and beach-goers enjoying a nice day at the beach despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s hard closure, which is still in place in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view of beach-goers playing volleyball on a nice day at the beach despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s hard closure, which is still in place in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
People stroll along Laguna’s Main Beach after it reopened its beaches for active use only. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Cathie Lawler with her dogs, Milo and Charlie, said “Absolutely fabulous. So good to see the beach” as she walked along Laguna Beach after it reopened for active use only. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Mathew Hanna jumps on a skim board at Laguna’s Main Beach on Tuesday morning as city reopened its beaches for active use only. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
People stroll along Laguna’s Main Beach after it reopened its beaches for active use only. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
The Huntington Beach City Council voted Thursday night during an emergency session to seek an injunction against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order to close Orange County beaches.
The governor ordered Orange County beaches closed on Thursday despite opposition from local leaders who argue they should decide whether it’s safe to hit the sand.
Over the weekend, thousands flocked to Orange County beaches, which remain open even though Los Angeles County beaches are closed.
California Photos show county lines separate packed beaches from empty ones Southern California had its first big heat wave over the weekend, but L.A. County beaches are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Beaches in nearby counties were open, however. Here are a few scenes from the weekend.
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“Specific issues on some of those beaches have raised alarm bells,” Newsom said. “People that are congregating there, that weren’t practicing physical distancing, that may go back to their community outside of Orange County and may not even know that they contracted the disease and now they put other people at risk, put our hospital system at risk.”
Newsom said Orange County beaches would be reopened soon if the situation improved.
The council voted 5-2 to approve filing for an emergency injunction to block Newsom’s closure order.
Earlier in the day, Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta said the city invested considerable effort and expense to discourage overcrowding at the beaches and worked hard to ensure the public had safe access to the beach for exercise and their mental well-being.
“Our experience here locally has been that most people are being responsible and complying with social distancing, and given that Orange County has among the lowest per capita COVID-19 death rates in California, the state’s action today seems to prioritize politics over data,” Semeta said in a written statement.
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In a statement on Thursday, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said his intention “is to not take enforcement action on this order.”


latimes--2020-04-30--With coronavirus testing available for all, L.A. city sites test 10,000 in one day

California public health officials are urging all counties to expand testing to any residents with symptoms of COVID-19 , a sign of their growing confidence that testing capacity has increased enough to handle a significant portion of the state ’ s population .
According to the new guidelines , symptomatic low-risk people — including young adults without underlying health conditions — are now among the state ’ s top priorities for testing , along with six other specified groups .
Officials also announced late Wednesday that anyone who works in a high-risk setting , including grocery store employees , bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be included among the highest priority to receive routine screenings for the virus .
While California ’ s largest , wealthiest counties might have the capacity to expand testing , any increase in the number of people who get tested could prove challenging in places such as Bakersfield or Fresno , where testing sites can require a long commute .
California has “ testing deserts ” in parts of the Central Valley and along the Nevada and Oregon state lines , as well as in dense urban regions with large numbers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor ’ s office .
To address the discrepancies , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced six new testing sites prioritizing “ black and brown communities and focusing on rural communities.
” About 80 others are expected to follow by early May .
In a message to health agencies and medical workers , the state health department acknowledged that some rural regions and high-density neighborhoods may not yet have the infrastructure and supplies to lift local restrictions .
Officials said that the department ’ s prioritization guidelines should be used “ when testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy “ should not supersede the recommendations of a clinician or local health officer.
” Eventually , officials said , widespread testing will help public health departments closely track potential cases , one of the requirements for California to ease into the next phase of the pandemic response .
Such tracking will require an army of at least 10,000 contact tracers , Newsom said .
But the governor has repeatedly emphasized that there is a long , methodical road ahead before social restrictions are eased , saying that the spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Politics will not drive our decision-making .
Protests won ’ t drive our decision-making .
Political pressure will not drive our decision-making , ” Newsom said in a briefing this week .
“ Dates don ’ t .
But data does.
” In Los Angeles County , any resident , regardless of whether they have symptoms , can be tested for the coronavirus at any city-run testing site .
That news traveled fast after Mayor Eric Garcetti made the announcement Wednesday .
At the West Valley testing site at the Warner Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the massive parking lot and nearly completely around the block .
Christy Durham , a West Hills resident , went to the site after her 17-year-old daughter , Madison , signed up online for a test following Garcetti ’ s announcement .
Durham said she had driven past the testing site on previous days and the lot was never as busy as it was Thursday , with cars waiting in a 1½-mile line .
“ The only time it ’ s that busy is Fourth of July when they ’ ve got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
Durham , her husband and their 14-year-old son have appointments coming up in the next few days , but she ’ s torn about whether to go through the long wait again .
The testing process itself for her daughter went smoothly , and the workers were helpful , but it took more than two hours to reach them , she said .
There appeared to be only one traffic enforcement officer to help with the mess , she said .
“ The horrible thing is , I do think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go through the wait again , Durham said .
“ I think it ’ s worth every L.A. resident being able to be tested .
I know that a big part of the economy opening up and businesses starting to open up again is having that testing information , but [ the wait ] was a lot.
” Garcetti said the city-run testing sites provided about 10,000 tests on Thursday , triple the number of tests usually done in a day .
The same day , the county sites tested about 4,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders believe , cumulatively , they could potentially provide up to 50,000 tests a day if needed , but that level of demand hasn ’ t presented itself yet .
“ We have over 300,000 tests that are stockpiled from the folks that we get the tests from , and it ’ s not that we ’ re saying , ‘ Hey , don ’ t give those to other cities or other places , we want them for ourselves for this , ’ ” Garcetti said .
“ They ’ re confident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting the demands of others and be able for us to expand the number that we are doing.
” Earlier in the day , L.A. County health officials made it clear that they were not similarly expanding testing criteria .
Dr. Christina Ghaly , director of the county Department of Health Services , said the county would prioritize testing for people with symptoms of COVID-19 , including newly recognized symptoms such as sore throat and sudden loss of taste or smell .
The county also will emphasize testing for people working in essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who work in food service and utilities , and residents of institutional living facilities , such as nursing homes .
Asked if the county and city were offering mixed messages on testing , Ghaly said the two entities were working closely together on a “ rapidly evolving topic.
” “ We think that this is the best approach , ” Ghaly said .
“ We also believe that this is what is most supported in terms of the clinical evidence about who would benefit from a test.
” A few hours later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether there was any tension between his office and the county regarding the shift in testing policy .
The city consulted with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on its plan to test asymptomatic people and received “ positive feedback , ” Garcetti said Thursday night , while also noting that the county agency doesn ’ t need to “ sign off ” on the city ’ s program .
“ When people are eager to get back to work , to open up spaces , that depends on knowledge and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , defending the city ’ s approach .
“ And testing more people gives us more ability to open up sooner.
” Times photographer Brian van der Brug and staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report .

Emily Baumgaertner, Melanie Mason, Jaclyn Cosgrove

Dozens of vehicles line up at the West Valley testing center at Warner Center on Thursday in Woodland Hills. Testing for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has opened up for anyone in Los Angeles County to be tested at city-run sites.
California public health officials are urging all counties to expand testing to any residents with symptoms of COVID-19, a sign of their growing confidence that testing capacity has increased enough to handle a significant portion of the state’s population.
According to the new guidelines, symptomatic low-risk people — including young adults without underlying health conditions — are now among the state’s top priorities for testing, along with six other specified groups.
Officials also announced late Wednesday that anyone who works in a high-risk setting, including grocery store employees, bus drivers and law enforcement officers, should also be included among the highest priority to receive routine screenings for the virus.
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While California’s largest, wealthiest counties might have the capacity to expand testing, any increase in the number of people who get tested could prove challenging in places such as Bakersfield or Fresno, where testing sites can require a long commute.
California has “testing deserts” in parts of the Central Valley and along the Nevada and Oregon state lines, as well as in dense urban regions with large numbers of minorities, according to data compiled by the governor’s office.
To address the discrepancies, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced six new testing sites prioritizing “black and brown communities and focusing on rural communities.” About 80 others are expected to follow by early May.
In a message to health agencies and medical workers, the state health department acknowledged that some rural regions and high-density neighborhoods may not yet have the infrastructure and supplies to lift local restrictions. Officials said that the department’s prioritization guidelines should be used “when testing availability is limited” and that the policy “should not supersede the recommendations of a clinician or local health officer.”
Eventually, officials said, widespread testing will help public health departments closely track potential cases, one of the requirements for California to ease into the next phase of the pandemic response. Such tracking will require an army of at least 10,000 contact tracers, Newsom said.
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But the governor has repeatedly emphasized that there is a long, methodical road ahead before social restrictions are eased, saying that the spread of the virus will ultimately decide what happens next.
“Politics will not drive our decision-making. Protests won’t drive our decision-making. Political pressure will not drive our decision-making,” Newsom said in a briefing this week. “Dates don’t. But data does.”
In Los Angeles County, any resident, regardless of whether they have symptoms, can be tested for the coronavirus at any city-run testing site.
That news traveled fast after Mayor Eric Garcetti made the announcement Wednesday.
At the West Valley testing site at the Warner Center on Thursday, hundreds of cars snaked through the massive parking lot and nearly completely around the block.
Christy Durham, a West Hills resident, went to the site after her 17-year-old daughter, Madison, signed up online for a test following Garcetti’s announcement.
Durham said she had driven past the testing site on previous days and the lot was never as busy as it was Thursday, with cars waiting in a 1½-mile line.
“The only time it’s that busy is Fourth of July when they’ve got fireworks at Warner Center Park,” she said.
Durham, her husband and their 14-year-old son have appointments coming up in the next few days, but she’s torn about whether to go through the long wait again. The testing process itself for her daughter went smoothly, and the workers were helpful, but it took more than two hours to reach them, she said. There appeared to be only one traffic enforcement officer to help with the mess, she said.
“The horrible thing is, I do think it’s worth it” to go through the wait again, Durham said. “I think it’s worth every L.A. resident being able to be tested. I know that a big part of the economy opening up and businesses starting to open up again is having that testing information, but [the wait] was a lot.”
Garcetti said the city-run testing sites provided about 10,000 tests on Thursday, triple the number of tests usually done in a day. The same day, the county sites tested about 4,000 people, he said.
Garcetti said local leaders believe, cumulatively, they could potentially provide up to 50,000 tests a day if needed, but that level of demand hasn’t presented itself yet.
“We have over 300,000 tests that are stockpiled from the folks that we get the tests from, and it’s not that we’re saying, ‘Hey, don’t give those to other cities or other places, we want them for ourselves for this,’” Garcetti said. “They’re confident that they’re able to continue meeting the demands of others and be able for us to expand the number that we are doing.”
Earlier in the day, L.A. County health officials made it clear that they were not similarly expanding testing criteria.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the county Department of Health Services, said the county would prioritize testing for people with symptoms of COVID-19, including newly recognized symptoms such as sore throat and sudden loss of taste or smell.
The county also will emphasize testing for people working in essential services, including healthcare workers, those who work in food service and utilities, and residents of institutional living facilities, such as nursing homes.
Asked if the county and city were offering mixed messages on testing, Ghaly said the two entities were working closely together on a “rapidly evolving topic.”
“We think that this is the best approach,” Ghaly said. “We also believe that this is what is most supported in terms of the clinical evidence about who would benefit from a test.”
A few hours later, Garcetti brushed off questions from reporters about whether there was any tension between his office and the county regarding the shift in testing policy.
The city consulted with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on its plan to test asymptomatic people and received “positive feedback,” Garcetti said Thursday night, while also noting that the county agency doesn’t need to “sign off” on the city’s program.
“When people are eager to get back to work, to open up spaces, that depends on knowledge and knowledge comes from testing,” he said, defending the city’s approach. “And testing more people gives us more ability to open up sooner.”
Times photographer Brian van der Brug and staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-04-30--Elite private schools are taking federal loans — including one attended by Secretary Mnuchin's kids

Brentwood School , the elite K-12 institution in West Los Angeles , has received a Paycheck Protection Program loan , according to an April 24 newsletter it sent to parents , joining a number of exclusive schools throughout the country that have secured government financial aid due to coronavirus disruptions .
The private school , which has more than 1,100 students spread across two campuses , said that the loan , approved and funded in mid-April , would “ help us enormously as we move forward into a financially ambiguous future ” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many private schools in Southern California and beyond are grappling with financial hardships , but the federal loans offered via the $ 660-billion PPP are designed to help pay for workers ’ salaries .
At Brentwood , though , the optics are unique .
Founded in 1972 , Brentwood counts among its students at least two of Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin ’ s children , according to multiple people with knowledge of the school .
Board members include actress Calista Flockhart and investor Lance Milken , son of billionaire Michael Milken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mnuchin has been critical of another well-heeled L.A. organization that received a PPP loan .
In a CNBC interview Tuesday , he called it “ outrageous ” that the Los Angeles Lakers received a now-returned $ 4.6 million PPP loan .
Monica Crowley , assistant secretary of the Treasury for public affairs , said in a statement to The Times that “ The Secretary has no knowledge if the school has taken out a PPP loan .
He saw in the press today that private schools with endowments have taken out these loans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s appropriate.
” According to an Internal Revenue Service filing , Brentwood ’ s endowment was about $ 17.4 million in 2017 , the most recent year for which data were available .
The letter from Brentwood officials did not disclose the size of the loan the school received .
In a statement to The Times , the school said that its PPP loan would help it navigate a future that could include “ a potential decline in enrollment and charitable giving , accompanied by increased demand for financial assistance and other escalating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 37,500 a year from K-5 students to $ 44,000 for sixth through 12th grades .
“ The dramatic and enduring impacts of COVID-19 will continue to affect our school financially , and in other ways , over the course of at least the next year , ” the statement said .
The issue of private schools accepting PPP loans has been a touchy one in recent days ; a Wednesday story in the New York Times listed several elite institutions that have gotten the funding , including St. Andrew ’ s Episcopal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts Barron Trump , one of the president ’ s sons , as a student .
Allocations of PPP funding — a component of the federal CARES Act that was signed into law March 27 — have come under intense scrutiny , with several high-profile businesses and organizations including Shake Shack Inc. saying they would give their loan back after facing public pressure .
Mnuchin has threatened to hold participating companies criminally liable if they do not meet criteria for the program .
Private prep schools may not be the first entity that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small businesses .
But that ’ s what they are , and times are tough for many of them , said Mary Menacho , interim executive director for the California Assn .
of Independent Schools , the organization for 224 private schools in the state .
“ All of these schools are small businesses when it comes down to it … [ and ] have really bent over backwards to keep their programs going and their people employed , ” Menacho said .
“ All of them are highly committed to keeping their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that works for them — on payroll as long as they can.
” Menacho said she was aware of California private schools that had received PPP loans , but said she could not name them and did not know whether any had opted to return funds they received .
Officials at five other exclusive Los Angeles-area private schools either did not respond to interview requests or declined to comment Thursday .
One sought to make clear that it hadn ’ t taken the federal funding .
Ari Engelberg , a spokesman for Harvard-Westlake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school has tapped into its financial reserves “ to provide security and continuity to faculty , staff , students , and their families , ” and had done so “ without accessing federal funding programs.
” The first round of Small Business Administration-backed PPP loans , which totaled $ 349 billion and were offered on a first-come , first-serve basis , was quickly exhausted .
A second round of funding amounting to $ 310 billion was made available on April 27 .
Questions have been raised about the program ’ s fairness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations have been imperiled after failing to secure a loan from the fund .
And there is evidence that bigger — and in some cases more sophisticated — banking clients are the ones who have been able to get the loans , which are forgivable if certain parameters are met .
Amid the mounting economic turmoil , even Sidwell Friends School in Washington , D.C. , which has educated the children of several presidents , has taken a loan under the PPP .
The school said in an April 29 letter to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a $ 5.2-million PPP loan .
“ The Board determined that accepting the loan was appropriate and fully consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities , as well as our Quaker values , ” the letter said .
“ We need to protect people—teachers and staff members—who provide the foundation for our community.
” But not all private schools , including those that educate many low income and minority students , have been so fortunate .
The Diocese of San Bernardino , which comprises 26 schools , applied for a PPP loan but has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Like many entities that have applied , the Archdiocese does not know whether its application will be approved or where it stands in the queue for limited available funding .
These schools are responsible for their own budgets , and some were financially at risk even before the pandemic , said Archdiocese spokesman John Andrews .
Twenty of the 26 schools already are reporting a revenue drop for the current year , with grimmer prospects anticipated for next year .
Overall , 110 employees out of 741 already have been laid off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part-time employees , instructional aides , support staff , even some teachers .
Schooling continues via distance learning , but some families are no longer able to pay tuition , Andrews said .
Before the pandemic , about half of enrolled families at the Diocese of San Bernardino schools received discounted tuition .
Depending on the school , full annual tuition fees range from about $ 4,500 to $ 7,500 for the lower grades and from about $ 8,000 to $ 12,000 for high school .
The federal support “ would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay their staff and meet the expenses of providing education , ” Andrews said .
The predicament those Catholic schools face is not unique .
Menacho said that a 2019 survey of California private schools found that 60 % of those that participated “ were not at their optimal enrollment.
” She said that the “ perspective of elitism around independent or private schools ” does not necessarily square with the economic realities of many of these institutions .
“ Because a school has a certain history or a certain reputation — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial standing or what its needs are , ” Menacho said .
“ What ’ s their debt ?
Their deferred maintenance ?
What costs are they carrying ?
Those are things that … are very real.
” Those are questions that now are being considered by Brentwood School , which counts among its alumni a slew of show business players , including actor Jonah Hill , producer Ryan Kavanaugh and “ X-Men ” writer and producer Simon Kinberg .
Before becoming Treasury secretary , Mnuchin had been a film financier and Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Brentwood community was signed by Mike Riera , the head of the school , and Lance Milken , chairman of the board of trustees .
Milken is the son of Michael Milken , the Wall Street investor who was sentenced to 10 years in prison following his 1989 indictment on racketeering and securities fraud charges .
He was pardoned by President Trump in February .
In the letter , the Brentwood officials said the school , which has 305 full-time employees and more than 100 part-time employees , is now “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as part of cost-saving efforts , it already has begun to “ efficiently reduce expenditures.
” In its statement to The Times , Brentwood said that with the PPP loan , “ The school can avoid layoffs that could compromise a successful return to school for our students.
” The statement from the school also laid out some of its financials .
It said that salaries and benefits for faculty and staff are the school ’ s largest operating expense , and it noted that its endowment “ does not contribute interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We rely on donations beyond tuition revenue each year to balance our budget , ” the school said .
Several elite universities have opted to not take advantage of money available to them under the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund , which is separate from the PPP .
Harvard and Stanford said that they would not accept money from the fund .
In a series of messages on Twitter , Stanford said April 22 that its leadership understands “ that this crisis represents an existential threat for many of the smaller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical part of the fabric of higher learning in the United States ” and therefore was rescinding its request for funds .
The university said that it was taking such a step even though it faces “ significant financial pressures during this time of unprecedented uncertainty .
”

Daniel Miller, Howard Blume, Paloma Esquivel

Brentwood School, the elite K-12 institution in West Los Angeles, has received a Paycheck Protection Program loan, according to an April 24 newsletter it sent to parents, joining a number of exclusive schools throughout the country that have secured government financial aid due to coronavirus disruptions.
The private school, which has more than 1,100 students spread across two campuses, said that the loan, approved and funded in mid-April, would “help us enormously as we move forward into a financially ambiguous future” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the letter obtained by The Times.
Many private schools in Southern California and beyond are grappling with financial hardships, but the federal loans offered via the $660-billion PPP are designed to help pay for workers’ salaries. At Brentwood, though, the optics are unique.
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Founded in 1972, Brentwood counts among its students at least two of Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin’s children, according to multiple people with knowledge of the school. Board members include actress Calista Flockhart and investor Lance Milken, son of billionaire Michael Milken, the former junk bond king.
Mnuchin has been critical of another well-heeled L.A. organization that received a PPP loan. In a CNBC interview Tuesday, he called it “outrageous” that the Los Angeles Lakers received a now-returned $4.6-million PPP loan.
Monica Crowley, assistant secretary of the Treasury for public affairs, said in a statement to The Times that “the Secretary has no knowledge if the school has taken out a PPP loan. He saw in the press today that private schools with endowments have taken out these loans and he does not think it’s appropriate.”
Following the publication of this article, Mnuchin doubled down on his criticism of private schools on Friday morning, saying in a tweet:
It has come to our attention that some private schools with significant endowments have taken #PPP loans. They should return them. @SBAgov #CARESAct #PPPLoans — Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) May 1, 2020
Politics Column: Coronavirus is the great unequalizer A pandemic, one would think, is indiscriminate, targeting rich and poor alike. But the coronavirus is making inequality worse.
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According to an Internal Revenue Service filing, Brentwood’s endowment was about $17.4 million in 2017, the most recent year for which data were available.
The letter from Brentwood officials did not disclose the size of the loan the school received. In a statement to The Times, the school said that its PPP loan would help it navigate a future that could include “a potential decline in enrollment and charitable giving, accompanied by increased demand for financial assistance and other escalating expenses.”
Tuition at Brentwood ranges from $37,500 a year for K-5 students to $44,000 for sixth through 12th grades.
“The dramatic and enduring impacts of COVID-19 will continue to affect our school financially, and in other ways, over the course of at least the next year,” the statement said.
The issue of private schools accepting PPP loans has been a touchy one in recent days; a Wednesday article in the New York Times listed several elite institutions that have gotten the funding, including St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Md., which counts Barron Trump, one of the president’s sons, as a student.
Allocations of PPP funding — a component of the federal CARES Act that was signed into law March 27 — have come under intense scrutiny, with several high-profile businesses and organizations, including Shake Shack Inc., saying they would give their loan back after facing public pressure. Mnuchin has threatened to hold participating companies criminally liable if they do not meet criteria for the program.
Private prep schools may not be the first entity that comes to mind when considering aid for small businesses. But that’s what they are, and times are tough for many of them, said Mary Menacho, interim executive director for the California Assn. of Independent Schools, the organization for 224 private schools in the state.
“All of these schools are small businesses when it comes down to it … [and] have really bent over backwards to keep their programs going and their people employed,” Menacho said. “All of them are highly committed to keeping their teachers, their janitorial staff — everybody that works for them — on payroll as long as they can.”
Menacho said she was aware of California private schools that had received PPP loans, but said she could not name them and did not know whether any had opted to return funds they received.
Officials at five other exclusive Los Angeles-area private schools either did not respond to interview requests or declined to comment Thursday. One sought to make clear that it hadn’t taken the federal funding.
Ari Engelberg, a spokesman for Harvard-Westlake School, said in a statement that the school has tapped into its financial reserves “to provide security and continuity to faculty, staff, students and their families,” and had done so “without accessing federal funding programs.”
The first round of Small Business Administration-backed PPP loans, which totaled $349 billion and were offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, was quickly exhausted. A second round of funding amounting to $310 billion was made available on April 27.
Questions have been raised about the program’s fairness, with many small-business owners saying their operations have been imperiled after failing to secure a loan from the fund. And there is evidence that bigger — and in some cases more sophisticated — banking clients are the ones who have been able to get the loans, which are forgivable if certain parameters are met.
Amid the mounting economic turmoil, even Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., which has educated the children of several presidents, has taken a loan under the PPP. The school said in an April 29 letter to its community that it had been approved for a $5.2-million PPP loan.
“The Board determined that accepting the loan was appropriate and fully consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities, as well as our Quaker values,” the letter said. “We need to protect people — teachers and staff members — who provide the foundation for our community.”
But not all private schools, including those that educate many low-income and minority students, have been so fortunate.
The Diocese of San Bernardino, which comprises 26 schools, applied for a PPP loan but has not yet received one. Officials remain hopeful. Like many entities that have applied, the diocese does not know whether its application will be approved or where it stands in the queue for limited available funding.
These schools are responsible for their own budgets, and some were financially at risk even before the pandemic, said diocese spokesman John Andrews. Twenty of the 26 schools already are reporting a revenue drop for the current year, with grimmer prospects anticipated for next year.
California Reopening California schools: 4 things you need to know What will it take to reopen California schools? Gov. Gavin Newsom is looking toward an earlier start, possibly in late July, but there’s not yet a plan for doing so.
Overall, 110 employees out of 741 already have been laid off or have taken salary reductions, including part-time employees, instructional aides, support staff and even some teachers. Schooling continues via distance learning, but some families are no longer able to pay tuition, Andrews said.
Before the pandemic, about half of enrolled families at the Diocese of San Bernardino schools received discounted tuition. Depending on the school, full annual tuition fees range from about $4,500 to $7,500 for the lower grades and from about $8,000 to $12,000 for high school.
The federal support “would be a major help for those schools struggling to pay their staff and meet the expenses of providing education,” Andrews said.
The predicament those Catholic schools face is not unique. Menacho said that a 2019 survey of California private schools found that 60% of those that participated “were not at their optimal enrollment.”
She said that the “perspective of elitism around independent or private schools” does not necessarily square with the economic realities of many of these institutions.
“Because a school has a certain history or a certain reputation — that doesn’t really speak to its financial standing or what its needs are,” Menacho said. “What’s their debt? Their deferred maintenance? What costs are they carrying? Those are things that … are very real.”
Those are questions that now are being considered by Brentwood School, which counts among its alumni a slew of show business players, including actor Jonah Hill, producer Ryan Kavanaugh and “X-Men” writer and producer Simon Kinberg. Before becoming Treasury secretary, Mnuchin had been a film financier and Wall Street executive.
The April 24 letter to the Brentwood community was signed by Mike Riera, the head of the school, and Lance Milken, chairman of the board of trustees. Milken is the son of Michael Milken, the Wall Street investor who was sentenced to 10 years in prison following his 1989 indictment on racketeering and securities fraud charges. He was pardoned by President Trump in February.
In the letter, the Brentwood officials said the school, which has 305 full-time employees and more than 100 part-time employees, is now “facing some tough realities.” It said that as part of cost-saving efforts, it already has begun to “efficiently reduce expenditures.”
In its statement to The Times, Brentwood said that with the PPP loan, “the school can avoid layoffs that could compromise a successful return to school for our students.”
The statement from the school also laid out some of its financials. It said that salaries and benefits for faculty and staff are the school’s largest operating expense, and it noted that its endowment “does not contribute interest income to our operating budget.”
“We rely on donations beyond tuition revenue each year to balance our budget,” the school said.
Several elite universities have opted to not take advantage of money available to them under the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, which is separate from the PPP. Harvard and Stanford said that they would not accept money from the fund.
In a series of messages on Twitter, Stanford said April 22 that its leadership understands “that this crisis represents an existential threat for many of the smaller colleges and universities that are such a critical part of the fabric of higher learning in the United States” and therefore was rescinding its request for funds.
The university said that it was taking such a step even though it faces “significant financial pressures during this time of unprecedented uncertainty.”


latimes--2020-04-30--Spring rain and snow fell short of miraculous for most of California

As April draws to a close and the winter season goes into the record books , the prospects of a rainfall recovery have all but vanished for most of California .
Southern California benefited from late-season storms , and is at or above normal for the season at many locations , but the rest of the state suffers a deficit in spite of hopes for a “ March Miracle.
” Northern California precipitation stands at between 50 % and 60 % of normal , and Central California is mostly about 60 % to 70 % of normal for the season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abundant in the south , as Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services points out , is that only about 3 % of the state ’ s reservoir capacity is south of the Tehachapis .
The biggest reservoirs are all in Northern and Central California .
As a result , the latest Drought Monitor data released on Thursday show that moderate drought has continued to expand in Northern California .
The portion of the state considered to be in moderate drought increased from 16.1 % to almost 22 % , spreading into western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sierra , Nevada and northern Placer counties eastward to the Nevada border .
This area of the mountains is part of the crucial Northern Sierra 8-Station Index , an average of eight precipitation measuring sites that provide a representative sample of the northern Sierra ’ s major watersheds .
These watersheds include the Sacramento , Feather , Yuba and American rivers .
These rivers flow into some of California ’ s biggest reservoirs , providing a large portion of the state ’ s water supply .
The Northern Sierra 8-Station Index stands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
Within this area , just southeast of Lake Tahoe along U.S. Highway 50 , is Phillips Station , where the state Department of Water Resources conducted the fifth and final snow survey of the water year .
The snowpack measured 1.5 inches deep and had a snow water equivalent of 0.5 inches , or just 3 % of the May average for that location .
The Drought Monitor shows that the portions of the state in severe and extreme drought remain unchanged , at about 14.9 % and 4.7 % respectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in drought is also unchanged , and this is all in the southern part of the state where rainfall was augmented by wintry storms in March and early April .
Cities such as San Francisco and Sacramento finish April with about half their normal rainfall .
Both are in the area of severe drought .
Crescent City , with 66 % of normal rainfall for the season , is in the area of northwest California classified as being in extreme drought .
The extreme drought area laps into a narrow sliver of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of western Oregon , and the Drought Monitor reports that precipitation for the water year ranks as the third-driest in the Portland station ’ s 89-year period of record .

As April draws to a close and the winter season goes into the record books, the prospects of a rainfall recovery have all but vanished for most of California.
Southern California benefited from late-season storms, and is at or above normal for the season at many locations, but the rest of the state suffers a deficit in spite of hopes for a “March Miracle.” Northern California precipitation stands at between 50% and 60% of normal, and Central California is mostly about 60% to 70% of normal for the season.
The problem with rainfall being more abundant in the south, as Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services points out, is that only about 3% of the state’s reservoir capacity is south of the Tehachapis. The biggest reservoirs are all in Northern and Central California.
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Rain fell in the south, but most of the big reservoirs are in the northern part of the state. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
As a result, the latest Drought Monitor data released on Thursday show that moderate drought has continued to expand in Northern California. The portion of the state considered to be in moderate drought increased from 16.1% to almost 22%, spreading into western Modoc and Lassen counties and across Plumas, Sierra, Nevada and northern Placer counties eastward to the Nevada border.
This area of the mountains is part of the crucial Northern Sierra 8-Station Index, an average of eight precipitation measuring sites that provide a representative sample of the northern Sierra’s major watersheds. These watersheds include the Sacramento, Feather, Yuba and American rivers. These rivers flow into some of California’s biggest reservoirs, providing a large portion of the state’s water supply.
The Northern Sierra 8-Station Index stands at 58% of normal for the season.
Within this area, just southeast of Lake Tahoe along U.S. Highway 50, is Phillips Station, where the state Department of Water Resources conducted the fifth and final snow survey of the water year. The snowpack measured 1.5 inches deep and had a snow water equivalent of 0.5 inches, or just 3% of the May average for that location.
Precipitation as of the end of April. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
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The Drought Monitor shows that the portions of the state in severe and extreme drought remain unchanged, at about 14.9% and 4.7% respectively. The 41.8% of the state not in drought is also unchanged, and this is all in the southern part of the state where rainfall was augmented by wintry storms in March and early April.
Cities such as San Francisco and Sacramento finish April with about half their normal rainfall. Both are in the area of severe drought. Crescent City, with 66% of normal rainfall for the season, is in the area of northwest California classified as being in extreme drought.
The extreme drought area laps into a narrow sliver of southwestern Oregon. Severe drought covers much of western Oregon, and the Drought Monitor reports that precipitation for the water year ranks as the third-driest in the Portland station’s 89-year period of record.


latimes--2020-04-30--Pilot dies in Riverside County plane crash

An airplane crashed Thursday in a mountainous area of Riverside County , killing the pilot , authorities said .
The @ @ @ @ @ shortly before 12:30 p.m southeast of Hemet , said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation @ @ @ @ @ believed to be the only person aboard , Gregor said .
A brush fire broke @ @ @ @ @ but was quickly contained , fire officials said .
There was no immediate word on @ @ @ @ @ from or where it was heading , although the Hemet-Ryan Airport is a few miles @ @ @ @ @ The cause of the crash was under investigation .

An airplane crashed Thursday in a mountainous area of Riverside County, killing the pilot, authorities said.
The twin-engine Piper PA23 went down shortly before 12:30 p.m southeast of Hemet, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration.
The pilot was believed to be the only person aboard, Gregor said.
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The pilot’s name wasn’t immediately released.
A brush fire broke out at the crash site but was quickly contained, fire officials said.
There was no immediate word on where the plane took off from or where it was heading, although the Hemet-Ryan Airport is a few miles from the crash site.
The cause of the crash was under investigation.


latimes--2020-04-30--Coronavirus outbreak at Terminal Island prison worsens: 5 dead, 600 infected

With the number of Terminal Island prison inmates testing positive for the coronavirus climbing to 600 — nearly 60 % of the San Pedro penitentiary population — federal prison officials said Thursday that another three inmates had died of COVID-19 issues , bringing the facility ’ s death toll to five .
The prison ’ s surging number of coronavirus cases follows mass testing of more than 1,000 inmates by Los Angeles County Public Health officials , according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
The facility now accounts for more than a third of documented federal prison inmates with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Federal officials said Thursday that public health officials had tested even those without symptoms and that only 1 in 10 of those checked had signs of illness .
The number of positive inmates jumped late Wednesday from 443 to 600 in the San Pedro prison , which houses 1,053 on L.A. ’ s waterfront .
Prison officials said Thursday that three inmates died Wednesday after being on ventilators at hospitals .
Steve Cino , 54 , was taken to hospital on April 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later .
Before his death Wednesday , he tested positive for COVID-19 .
Federal prison officials said Cino had long-term , preexisting medical conditions .
He was serving a sentence of 24 years and three months for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and methamphetamine and money laundering conspiracy .
He had been at Terminal Island since January .
Rex Damon Begay Sr. , 80 , tested positive April 19 and was taken to the hospital the next day , where he was placed on a ventilator .
He died Wednesday .
Begay was sentenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for abusive sexual contact with a minor younge rthan 12 years .
He had been at Terminal Island since April 2016 .
Inmates Michael Fleming , 59 , and Bradley James Ghilarducci , 73 , died last week .
Both had preexisting medical conditions , officials said .
Fleming was serving a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine .
Ghilarducci was serving an eight-year sentence for receiving and distributing child sexual abuse imagery .
A fifth inmate from Terminal Island died Thursday of COVID-19 related issues .
Leonard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orinda mortgage finance expert sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography , charges stemming from him taking explicit photos and videos of a girl that he had sex with in Costa Rica .
Auerbach was extradited from Cuba after he fled there in 2008 after he was charged .
Times staff writers Sarah Wire and Jaclyn Cosgrove and the Associated Press contributed to this story .

Nearly 60% of inmates at the federal prison at Terminal Island in San Pedro have tested positive for the coronavirus.
With the number of Terminal Island prison inmates testing positive for the coronavirus climbing to 600 — nearly 60% of the San Pedro penitentiary population — federal prison officials said Thursday that another three inmates had died of COVID-19 issues, bringing the facility’s death toll to five.
The prison’s surging number of coronavirus cases follows mass testing of more than 1,000 inmates by Los Angeles County Public Health officials, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The facility now accounts for more than a third of documented federal prison inmates with the coronavirus. Ten staff members also have COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Federal officials said Thursday that public health officials had tested even those without symptoms and that only 1 in 10 of those checked had signs of illness.
The number of positive inmates jumped late Wednesday from 443 to 600 in the San Pedro prison, which houses 1,053 on L.A.’s waterfront.
Prison officials said Thursday that three inmates died Wednesday after being on ventilators at hospitals.
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Steve Cino, 54, was taken to hospital on April 15 and placed on a ventilator five days later. Before his death Wednesday, he tested positive for COVID-19. Federal prison officials said Cino had long-term, preexisting medical conditions. He was serving a sentence of 24 years and three months for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and methamphetamine and money laundering conspiracy. He had been at Terminal Island since January.
Rex Damon Begay Sr., 80 , tested positive April 19 and was taken to the hospital the next day, where he was placed on a ventilator. He died Wednesday. Begay was sentenced in Arizona to 10 years in prison for abusive sexual contact with a minor younge rthan 12 years. He had been at Terminal Island since April 2016.
Inmates Michael Fleming, 59, and Bradley James Ghilarducci, 73, died last week. Both had preexisting medical conditions, officials said. Fleming was serving a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ghilarducci was serving an eight-year sentence for receiving and distributing child sexual abuse imagery.
A fifth inmate from Terminal Island died Thursday of COVID-19 related issues.
Leonard Auerbach, 73, was a former Orinda mortgage finance expert sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography, charges stemming from him taking explicit photos and videos of a girl that he had sex with in Costa Rica. Auerbach was extradited from Cuba after he fled there in 2008 after he was charged.
Times staff writers Sarah Wire and Jaclyn Cosgrove and the Associated Press contributed to this story.


latimes--2020-04-30--Every California resident with coronavirus symptoms should be tested, state officials say

Every California resident with symptoms of the coronavirus is now considered a top priority for testing , state public health officials announced Thursday in a move that signals growing confidence that testing capacity has increased enough to handle a significant portion of the state ’ s population .
Symptomatic low-risk people — including young adults without underlying health conditions — are now among the state ’ s top priorities for testing , along with six other specified groups , according to the new guidelines from the state Department of Public Health .
Officials also announced late Wednesday that all people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees , bus drivers and law enforcement officers , should also be included among the highest priority to receive routine screenings for the virus .
Such workers , considered “ essential ” even amid the shutdown , continue to come into regular contact with the public and therefore should be given priority access to testing , even if they don ’ t show symptoms , according to the new state guidelines .
The latest changes appear to move the state closer to being able to effectively monitor the infection rate among residents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary before stay-at-home orders can be lifted .
County officials have the ultimate authority to set testing restrictions .
But the state guidance serves as an advisory tool when a region ’ s testing capacity is limited .
The state ’ s latest announcement follows last week ’ s move to open up priority testing to asymptomatic people who live or work in nursing homes or prisons .
Monitoring essential workers is also viewed as a key requirement before opening up the economy .
“ The first step in modifying the stay-at-home order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place widespread testing , and the first group you ’ d want to have access to it is essential workers , ” said Dr. Bob Kocher , a member of Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s task force on testing .
“ Conceptually , people who have lots and lots of contacts are able to be screened .
And we want those people to be tested often , ” he added .
“ You want to find out if they ’ re sick before they have symptoms and unknowingly spread it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new recommendations reflect an overall increase in testing capacity .
Major labs have reported sufficient supplies to run more procedures , the public health department said , and the state has averaged more than 20,000 tests per day for the last several days .
But asked how many essential workers are active in the state and would presumably need testing , the health department said it “ does not have that information.
” Adherence to the state ’ s recommendations varies by county .
In some areas , such as L.A. County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle more test subjects .
All county residents can get a free swab test at city-run sites , L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday .
But in other areas , like Bakersfield or Fresno , testing sites can require a long commute .
Newsom ’ s team released a state diagram showing testing deserts in parts of the Central Valley and along the Nevada and Oregon state lines , as well as in dense urban regions with large numbers of minorities .
To address the discrepancies , the governor announced six new testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and focusing on rural communities.
” About 80 others are expected to follow by early May .
In a message to health agencies and medical workers , the state health department acknowledged that health officers in some rural regions and high-density neighborhoods may not yet have the infrastructure and supplies to lift local restrictions .
Officials said the department ’ s prioritization guidelines should be used “ when testing availability is limited ” and that the policy “ should not supersede the recommendations of a clinician or local health officer.
” Eventually , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health officials closely track potential cases , one of the requirements for California to ease into the next phase of the pandemic response .
Such tracking will require an army of at least 10,000 contact tracers , Newsom said .
But the governor has repeatedly emphasized that there is a long , methodical road ahead before social restrictions are eased , saying that the spread of the virus will ultimately decide what happens next .
“ Politics will not drive our decision-making .
Protests won ’ t drive our decision-making .
Political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said in a Tuesday briefing .
“ Dates don ’ t .
But data does .
”

Riverside County medical personnel screen a car of load of four people at a coronavirus drive-though testing facility for Coachella Valley residents in the parking lot of the Southwest in Indian Wells. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Members of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. wear protective gear while handing out kits to people to swab the inside of their mouths to test for the coronavirus, inside a parking lot on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Motorists, line up on Stadium Way, near Dodger Stadium, waiting to enter a parking lot and be tested for the coronavirus. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
San Bernardino County health care worker takes a sample at a coronavirus drive-thru sample collection that took place at the county fairgrounds in Victorville. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A woman shows her notice from her doctor that allows her to obtain a test for COVID-19 at a new drive-up testing site in a parking lot at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Cassidy Roosen, with Beach Cities Health District, holds up a sign that says, “We’re All In This Together,” while waiting to direct cars at a drive-through, appointment-only coronavirus testing location, at the South Bay Galleria, in Redondo Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
A man misses the blue bin while dropping off his self-administered COVID-19 test at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Workers direct drivers at a drive-up test site for COVID-19 at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
A man drops off his self-administered COVID-19 test in a blue bin at a drive-up test site at the Veterans Administration Parking Lot 15 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Francis Gon-Gibbs, of LA County Fire Department Lifeguard Division, stands at the entrance of a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through Coronavirus testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers tend to a driver in line at a drive-through Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing site at the Westminster Mall in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Nurses pose for a fun photo between breaks at a drive-through public testing for coronavirus at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Julie Montez, right, sits in her car as a nurse administers a coronavirus test at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A portrait and quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. overlooks a new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
A man talks with a healthcare worker outside Kedren Community Health Center in South LA, where they are offering walk-up coronavirus testing along with other medical services. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Carson residents Kaeli Burks, 3, left, and her cousin Bailey Watson, 5, look out the window of their car after their mothers helped them with self-testing at a drive-up testing site for COVID-19 in Carson. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Carson City Mayor Albert Robles does self-testing at a new drive-up testing site for COVID-19 outside of a community center in Carson. Free COVID-19 testing is available to all city residents. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Drive-through COVID-19 testing in Boyle Heights. Experts say widespread testing is crucial for states to be able to safely reopen their economies. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Every California resident with symptoms of the coronavirus is now considered a top priority for testing, state public health officials announced Thursday in a move that signals growing confidence that testing capacity has increased enough to handle a significant portion of the state’s population.
Symptomatic low-risk people — including young adults without underlying health conditions — are now among the state’s top priorities for testing, along with six other specified groups, according to the new guidelines from the state Department of Public Health.
Officials also announced late Wednesday that all people in high-risk settings, including grocery store employees, bus drivers and law enforcement officers, should also be included among the highest priority to receive routine screenings for the virus.
Advertisement
Such workers, considered “essential” even amid the shutdown, continue to come into regular contact with the public and therefore should be given priority access to testing, even if they don’t show symptoms, according to the new state guidelines.
The latest changes appear to move the state closer to being able to effectively monitor the infection rate among residents, a goal which public health officials consider necessary before stay-at-home orders can be lifted.
County officials have the ultimate authority to set testing restrictions. But the state guidance serves as an advisory tool when a region’s testing capacity is limited.
The state’s latest announcement follows last week’s move to open up priority testing to asymptomatic people who live or work in nursing homes or prisons.
Monitoring essential workers is also viewed as a key requirement before opening up the economy.
Advertisement
“The first step in modifying the stay-at-home order and strengthening the economy is to put in place widespread testing, and the first group you’d want to have access to it is essential workers,” said Dr. Bob Kocher, a member of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s task force on testing.
“Conceptually, people who have lots and lots of contacts are able to be screened. And we want those people to be tested often,” he added. “You want to find out if they’re sick before they have symptoms and unknowingly spread it to other people.”
A specimen is turned in at the new mobile testing site for people with symptoms of the coronavirus at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
The state’s new recommendations reflect an overall increase in testing capacity. Major labs have reported sufficient supplies to run more procedures, the public health department said, and the state has averaged more than 20,000 tests per day for the last several days. But asked how many essential workers are active in the state and would presumably need testing, the health department said it “does not have that information.”
Adherence to the state’s recommendations varies by county. In some areas, such as L.A. County, health clinics and labs appear well-equipped to handle more test subjects. All county residents can get a free swab test at city-run sites, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday.
But in other areas, like Bakersfield or Fresno, testing sites can require a long commute. Newsom’s team released a state diagram showing testing deserts in parts of the Central Valley and along the Nevada and Oregon state lines, as well as in dense urban regions with large numbers of minorities.
To address the discrepancies, the governor announced six new testing sites prioritizing “black and brown communities and focusing on rural communities.” About 80 others are expected to follow by early May.
In a message to health agencies and medical workers, the state health department acknowledged that health officers in some rural regions and high-density neighborhoods may not yet have the infrastructure and supplies to lift local restrictions. Officials said the department’s prioritization guidelines should be used “when testing availability is limited” and that the policy “should not supersede the recommendations of a clinician or local health officer.”
Eventually, officials said, widespread testing will help public health officials closely track potential cases, one of the requirements for California to ease into the next phase of the pandemic response. Such tracking will require an army of at least 10,000 contact tracers, Newsom said.
But the governor has repeatedly emphasized that there is a long, methodical road ahead before social restrictions are eased, saying that the spread of the virus will ultimately decide what happens next.
“Politics will not drive our decision-making. Protests won’t drive our decision-making. Political pressure will not drive our decision-making,” he said in a Tuesday briefing. “Dates don’t. But data does.”


latimes--2020-05-01--Amid pandemic, ICE arrests in Los Angeles drop by about 65%

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have made significantly fewer arrests in the Los Angeles area over the last month , after the agency announced a shift in focus due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
ICE made about 65 % fewer arrests in the L.A. area in April than it did in March , according to the agency .
ICE recorded 230 arrests in March , compared with approximately 80 arrests in April .
The agency came under fire nationwide in March for continuing to make arrests as states went on lockdown and ordered residents to shelter at home .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early that month .
In response , Mayor Eric Garcetti said those operations created “ unnecessary fear and panic in those very same families we are trying to protect.
” “ Additional fear at a moment of extreme fear is the last thing that families need to face , ” he said during a media briefing at the time .
Soon after , ICE announced it would shift its focus to “ public safety risks.
” The agency said it would also zero in on those subject to mandatory detention based on criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t fall into those categories , ICE said it would “ exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions until after the crisis or utilize alternatives to detention , as appropriate.
” “ Despite the challenges that COVID-19 has presented , our officers have maintained the utmost professionalism and vigilance during this chaotic time to make arrests that have helped ensure the safety and security of our communities , ” David Marin , the director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE in L.A. , said in a statement .
The focus for ICE agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspected or convicted of murder , rape , sexual abuse of a minor , drug offenses , human smuggling , fraud and theft , according to the agency .
Those arrested in recent weeks included a 38-year-old Salvadoran national wanted in an aggravated homicide , a 32-year-old French national wanted for allegedly making threats and committing fraud , and a 63-year-old Mexican national wanted in connection with sexual assault , carnal abuse and burglary , according to the agency .
On April 24 , an ICE special response team arrested Julio Garcia-Castellano , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fugitives , during a targeted operation near South Gate .
Garcia-Castellano , also known as Victor Garcia Ignacio , was convicted of second-degree rape in February 2010 .
Garcia-Castellano was arrested by the California Highway Patrol on suspicion of driving under the influence in December , according to ICE .
Those charges are pending .
“ This case is an incredible example of our ongoing commitment to prioritize enforcement and removal efforts against any unlawfully present criminal aliens who pose the greatest threat to public safety , ” Marin said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are still concerns over inmates being transferred into federal immigration detention centers and the potential for coronavirus outbreaks in those facilities .
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a pair of lawsuits last week calling for a dramatic reduction in the state ’ s incarcerated population and a halt to all transfers of inmates to federal immigration detention centers amid increasing signs throughout the U.S. that jails and prisons are hot zones for the spread of the coronavirus .
The suits filed with the California Supreme Court name Gov .
Gavin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and come as the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego and have become home to some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the federal prison system .
Transfers from California prisons and jails now represent the “ primary source of ICE ’ s new bookings ” in the state , according to the suit , which argues that federal and state law do not obligate transfers to ICE .
“ In other words , it is the actions of the state of California , more than actions of ICE at this unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new people into ICE detention facilities , ” the suit alleged .

David Marin, right, the director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE in Los Angeles, is shown during a predawn briefing before apprehensions are made in Bell Gardens.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have made significantly fewer arrests in the Los Angeles area over the last month, after the agency announced a shift in focus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ICE made about 65% fewer arrests in the L.A. area in April than it did in March, according to the agency. ICE recorded 230 arrests in March, compared with approximately 80 arrests in April.
The agency came under fire nationwide in March for continuing to make arrests as states went on lockdown and ordered residents to shelter at home. The Times reported on ICE arrests in the L.A. area early that month. In response, Mayor Eric Garcetti said those operations created “unnecessary fear and panic in those very same families we are trying to protect.”
“Additional fear at a moment of extreme fear is the last thing that families need to face,” he said during a media briefing at the time.
Soon after, ICE announced it would shift its focus to “public safety risks.”
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The agency said it would also zero in on those subject to mandatory detention based on criminal grounds. For those who didn’t fall into those categories, ICE said it would “exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions until after the crisis or utilize alternatives to detention, as appropriate.”
“Despite the challenges that COVID-19 has presented, our officers have maintained the utmost professionalism and vigilance during this chaotic time to make arrests that have helped ensure the safety and security of our communities,” David Marin, the director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE in L.A., said in a statement.
The focus for ICE agents in the L.A. area includes targeting those suspected or convicted of murder, rape, sexual abuse of a minor, drug offenses, human smuggling, fraud and theft, according to the agency.
Those arrested in recent weeks included a 38-year-old Salvadoran national wanted in an aggravated homicide, a 32-year-old French national wanted for allegedly making threats and committing fraud, and a 63-year-old Mexican national wanted in connection with sexual assault, carnal abuse and burglary, according to the agency.
On April 24, an ICE special response team arrested Julio Garcia-Castellano, one of ICE’s Most Wanted fugitives, during a targeted operation near South Gate. Garcia-Castellano, also known as Victor Garcia Ignacio, was convicted of second-degree rape in February 2010.
Garcia-Castellano was arrested by the California Highway Patrol on suspicion of driving under the influence in December, according to ICE. Those charges are pending.
“This case is an incredible example of our ongoing commitment to prioritize enforcement and removal efforts against any unlawfully present criminal aliens who pose the greatest threat to public safety,” Marin said in a statement.
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Despite the drop in at-large arrests, there are still concerns over inmates being transferred into federal immigration detention centers and the potential for coronavirus outbreaks in those facilities.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a pair of lawsuits last week calling for a dramatic reduction in the state’s incarcerated population and a halt to all transfers of inmates to federal immigration detention centers amid increasing signs throughout the U.S. that jails and prisons are hot zones for the spread of the coronavirus.
The suits filed with the California Supreme Court name Gov. Gavin Newsom and Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and come as the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego and Lompoc penitentiary in Santa Barbara County have become home to some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the federal prison system.
Transfers from California prisons and jails now represent the “primary source of ICE’s new bookings” in the state, according to the suit, which argues that federal and state law do not obligate transfers to ICE.
“In other words, it is the actions of the state of California, more than actions of ICE at this unique moment, that are keeping a flow of new people into ICE detention facilities,” the suit alleged.


latimes--2020-05-01--L.A. Times guild accepts 20% reduction in pay, hours amid coronavirus

Los Angeles Times ’ newsroom guild agreed Friday to accept a 20 % reduction in pay and hours for its members amid a devastating decline in advertising because of the coronavirus crisis .
In an effort to help management reduce expenses , nearly 440 journalists represented by the Media Guild of the West will have their wages and hours cut for 12 weeks , beginning May 10 .
Journalists will work four days each week instead of the usual five days .
The reductions are expected to save more than $ 2 million .
“ This is the best possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances , ” Anthony Pesce , president of the NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America Local 39213 , said .
“ We worked very quickly to arrive at a solution that will ultimately help everyone.
” With the agreement , The Times becomes the latest news organization to cut pay for journalists due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Newspaper advertising has been decimated as retailers , movie theaters and live event sponsors have pulled their ad buys because their stores and venues are closed .
Newspapers were already struggling before the pandemic because of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Facebook and Google , but the health crisis has made the situation more dire .
As part of the pact , The Times ’ management said it would not lay off any member of the guild during the 12-week period .
At the guild ’ s urging , The Times also made a commitment to apply for California ’ s Unemployment Insurance “ Work Sharing Program , ” a program established in 1978 and that allows eligible employees to receive unemployment benefits even though they still have a job .
The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its journalists in Washington , D.C. Should the state decline The Times ’ application , the paper would abandon its plan to reduce the wages and hours of those represented by the guild .
The pay reductions will not extend beyond Aug. 1 , unless the two sides agree to further cuts .
“ We are proud of the work being done , from the pressroom to the newsroom , to inform the community at such a critical time , ” Chris Argentieri , president and chief operating officer of California Times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are humbled by the dedication of our staff , the sacrifices they continue to make , and the support of our readership as we manage through this difficult time .
We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Guild and thank their leadership along with the workforce across our company for their collaboration and consideration as we meet the challenges of this crisis.
” Last fall , the paper signed its first-ever collective bargaining agreement with newsroom employees , which required the two sides to negotiate a deal .
Most non-management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , data journalists , copy editors , librarians , web producers , audio producers , page designers , photographers and videographers .
The paper , along with its parent California Times , has already taken steps to slash costs in response to the pandemic .
Senior managers , including eight top editors in the newsroom , had their pay cut by as much as 15 % in mid-April .
Some business-side employees were furloughed , and some non-guild employees will have the company ’ s match to their 401K contributions suspended .
California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Burbank Leader , Glendale News-Press and the La Cañada Valley Sun — and laid off 14 people who produced those weekly publications .
On Thursday , La Cañada Flintridge publisher , Charlie Plowman , acquired the three titles .
Plowman did not agree to hire the laid-off workers and plans to use his existing staff to create content .
The Burbank and Glendale papers are expected to restart Saturday .

Los Angeles Times’ newsroom guild agreed Friday to accept a 20% reduction in pay and hours for its members amid a devastating decline in advertising because of the coronavirus crisis.
In an effort to help management reduce expenses, nearly 440 journalists represented by the Media Guild of the West will have their wages and hours cut for 12 weeks, beginning May 10. Journalists will work four days each week instead of the usual five days. The reductions are expected to save more than $2 million.
“This is the best possible deal we could have made under the circumstances,” Anthony Pesce, president of the NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America Local 39213, said. “We worked very quickly to arrive at a solution that will ultimately help everyone.”
With the agreement, The Times becomes the latest news organization to cut pay for journalists due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Newspaper advertising has been decimated as retailers, movie theaters and live event sponsors have pulled their ad buys because their stores and venues are closed. Newspapers were already struggling before the pandemic because of a migration of ad dollars to internet giants like Facebook and Google, but the health crisis has made the situation more dire.
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As part of the pact, The Times’ management said it would not lay off any member of the guild during the 12-week period. At the guild’s urging, The Times also made a commitment to apply for California’s Unemployment Insurance “Work Sharing Program,” a program established in 1978 and that allows eligible employees to receive unemployment benefits even though they still have a job. The Times also will seek unemployment benefit coverage for its journalists in Washington, D.C.
Should the state decline The Times’ application, the paper would abandon its plan to reduce the wages and hours of those represented by the guild.
The pay reductions will not extend beyond Aug. 1, unless the two sides agree to further cuts.
“We are proud of the work being done, from the pressroom to the newsroom, to inform the community at such a critical time,” Chris Argentieri, president and chief operating officer of California Times, said in a statement. “We are humbled by the dedication of our staff, the sacrifices they continue to make, and the support of our readership as we manage through this difficult time. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Guild and thank their leadership along with the workforce across our company for their collaboration and consideration as we meet the challenges of this crisis.”
Last fall, the paper signed its first-ever collective bargaining agreement with newsroom employees, which required the two sides to negotiate a deal. Most non-management newsroom staff are covered, including reporters, data journalists, copy editors, librarians, web producers, audio producers, page designers, photographers and videographers.
The paper, along with its parent California Times, has already taken steps to slash costs in response to the pandemic. Senior managers, including eight top editors in the newsroom, had their pay cut by as much as 15% in mid-April. Some business-side employees were furloughed, and some non-guild employees will have the company’s match to their 401K contributions suspended.
California Times also folded three community newspapers — the Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press and the La Cañada Valley Sun — and laid off 14 people who produced those weekly publications.
On Thursday, La Cañada Flintridge publisher, Charlie Plowman, acquired the three titles. Plowman did not agree to hire the laid-off workers and plans to use his existing staff to create content. The Burbank and Glendale papers are expected to restart Saturday.