latimes--2020-06-07--After five decades, McCabe's Guitar Shop owners are retiring, citing coronavirus crisis

After a night last week in which protesters and police clashed in Santa Monica , Esperanza Riskin clocked in early at McCabe ’ s Guitar Shop , the store she co-owns with husband Bob in the city ’ s West Pico District .
She wanted to get a jump on the day .
Espie , as she is known , was braced for the possibility that the famed instrument store and backroom performance space might at some point be vandalized .
She was also preparing to open for the day by organizing curbside pickup orders .
Due to the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which meant that until last week the countless working musicians who have treated the shop as a second home since its birth in 1958 couldn ’ t access the objects of their desire , or get their own musical tools fixed , for a few months .
When , in March , the shop ’ s first attempt at getting relief through the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses was denied , the Riskins feared they ’ d have to close the landmark shop for good .
Luckily , they were approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob have co-owned McCabe ’ s for more than 50 years , playing a crucial role as it became one of the most famous guitar stores in the country .
Its intimate stage has featured hundreds of artists including R.E.M.
, Townes Van Zandt , Tom Waits , Emmylou Harris , John Fahey , Gabor Szabo , Gil Scott-Heron , Kate & Anna McGarrigle and Tom Petty .
The Riskins are in their 70s and figured on retiring in a few years , but 2020 has taken its toll , Espie said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent supporting and offering refuge for countless musicians , they ’ re leaving the business .
“ It ’ s sooner than we wanted to , ” she said , adding that “ it ’ s kind of been heart-wrenching , actually .
We ’ re really sad.
” The threat of catching the virus has prompted them to speed the transition of the store ’ s operations to their daughter and son-in-law , Nora and Walt McGraw .
“ I can ’ t endanger my husband by coming in here and getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Espie said .
Opened down the street from its current location as part of a furniture store by proprietors Gerald McCabe and Walter Camp , the store boomed with the folk and blues revival of the 1960s , and helped supply expert country-rock players in the 1970s .
While in his teens in the early ’ 60s , Bob started sweeping the floors as he was learning to become a luthier , someone who builds and repairs stringed instruments .
He became a partner in the business not long after .
( Bob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and screenwriter Robert Riskin [ “ It Happened One Night ” ] . )
As if by reflex , Espie recalled the first McCabe ’ s live performance in the late 1960s .
It was by country blues guitarist Elizabeth Cotten and her accompanist , Mike Seeger , and arranged after the artist ’ s higher-profile paying gig was canceled .
Lacking money to buy a bus ticket back to her East Coast home , Cotten asked to do a set at the shop .
“ We didn ’ t have a license @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Espie explained .
“ We said , ‘ You know what ?
We ’ ll put a curtain over the front window , put seats up and see what we can get so you can get home.
’ And then Ramblin ’ Jack Elliott needed money .
So we said , ‘ Look , we better get a license so we don ’ t get into trouble.
’ ” The store gradually became as noted for its nighttime hushed-audience gigs as its daytime expertise with guitars , banjos , mandolins and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schooled thousands of Angelenos on the magic of musical performance .
On most weekend nights before the virus , its small theater , which holds 150 people , was packed .
Not that you could tell from outside .
The booze-free space has always drawn the quietest , most respectful listeners in Los Angeles .
“ If you want to chew gum or pop your hairband , you better go out into the front , because they don ’ t want you in the concert venue , ” singer-songwriter Carla Olson said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage , it ’ s equally as intimate , because anything you say or do , the audience is going to pick it up .
That kind of venue doesn ’ t exist anymore.
” Artists haven ’ t always followed the venue ’ s lead .
Loudon Wainwright III recalled to The Times in 2008 a set by influential singer-songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark .
“ It was really something to behold in that room where the main libation is herbal tea with a shot of honey in it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guy were just plastered .
It was kind of a beautiful thing to behold .
The audience , too , it was like a contact drunk , like everybody in the room got drunk with them .
That room is a conduit in so many different ways.
” Olson and her longtime collaborator , the late Byrds co-founder Gene Clark , played McCabe ’ s half a dozen times over the years , and she attended other artists ’ sets with him .
Most memorably , long after the demise of the Byrds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his former bandmate Roger McGuinn play McCabe ’ s .
“ They hadn ’ t spoken to each other in a number of years , ” Olson recalled .
“ We went upstairs before the show — Gene wanted to say hi to Roger .
Gene wanted to play so bad , and Roger ’ s not the person to ask.
” Fearing a moment lost , Olson ’ s husband , Saul Davis , jumped in to propose that Clark join McGuinn .
The two former Byrds ended up doing an encore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Chimes of Freedom ” and “ The Bells of Rhymney.
” Olson most recently played there during a release party on Feb. 21 for her new album , “ Have Harmony , Will Travel 2.
” “ Putting on concerts is more fun than buying advertising , ” Bob Riskin told The Times in 1990 .
His logic was that the concerts would spur musicians to check out the music store , repair shop and school as they made their way to the back room .
“ It keeps the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a place where you can buy a guitar , get it repaired , get lessons on it and come see someone perform who is very skilled on it.
” That communal vibe has extended to the pandemic hiatus , Espie said .
Though she was gutted by having to stay away , she said the response during the forced closure was “ heartwarming , too .
I just had a customer call from back East to ask if we were OK .
The community keeps calling , saying , ‘ You ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to reopen , right ?
’ ” She has tried to reassure them , but added on Monday that the store , like all other indie retailers , is in unknown territory .
“ The sales right now are not keeping us going , even on the curbside , ” Espie said .
“ What ’ s keeping us going and being able to pay our employees is that loan.
” She adds , “ We ’ re going to run out of it soon if we don ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t get our sales up , we won ’ t be able to open the concerts.
” Turning optimistic , she contemplated McCabe ’ s after their retirement and after the end of the pandemic .
Maybe , she said , “ it ’ s the perfect time , because it ’ s like a new store .
With this COVID thing , it ’ s like we ’ re starting from ground zero again , with the concerts and with everything.
” Kora Peterson , who books the shop ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director , envisions McCabe ’ s emerging from the COVID-19-forced hibernation with a renewed , and updated , mission to showcase artists .
They ’ re working with a sound engineer to mike the room for online gigs .
“ I have no idea how that works yet , but we ’ ll make it happen.
” She adds , “ McCabe ’ s concerts started because an artist needed help , and I think it ’ s important now to still be there for artists , and for our customers .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least we ’ re still reaching out.
” “ It ’ s a place we want to keep going , ” said Walt McGraw , 52 , the Riskins ’ son-in-law .
He and Nora live on Bainbridge Island off Seattle , and Walt drove down last weekend to help ready the shop for curbside delivery and eventual reopening .
“ We ’ re putting up our Plexiglass , making sure our employees are safe and figuring out what our procedures are going to be.
” McGraw got a firsthand sense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago when he was with his in-laws during an event also attended by Jackson Browne .
After the Riskins mentioned their plans to eventually cede control of the shop , McGraw recalled Browne reminding him about how essential the shop was : “ He put his hand on my shoulder and said , ‘ You do realize how important this is , don ’ t you ?
’ ” Added McGraw : “ I ’ ve been tasked with a quest .
If it wasn ’ t just coming from the in-laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure that we keep this place going .
”

Walt McGraw looks out from the front door of McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. McGraw and his wife are taking over the shop from his in-laws, Bob and Espie Riskin.
After a night last week in which protesters and police clashed in Santa Monica, Esperanza Riskin clocked in early at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, the store she co-owns with husband Bob in the city’s West Pico District. She wanted to get a jump on the day. Espie, as she is known, was braced for the possibility that the famed instrument store and backroom performance space might at some point be vandalized.
She was also preparing to open for the day by organizing curbside pickup orders. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the store had been shuttered, which meant that until last week the countless working musicians who have treated the shop as a second home since its birth in 1958 couldn’t access the objects of their desire, or get their own musical tools fixed, for a few months.
When, in March, the shop’s first attempt at getting relief through the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses was denied, the Riskins feared they’d have to close the landmark shop for good. Luckily, they were approved in the second round.
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Bob Riskin, co-owner of McCabe’s Guitar Shop, started as a luthier at the store. He and his wife are retiring after more than 50 years as proprietors. (Courtesy of the Riskin Family)
Espie and Bob have co-owned McCabe’s for more than 50 years, playing a crucial role as it became one of the most famous guitar stores in the country. Its intimate stage has featured hundreds of artists including R.E.M., Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, Emmylou Harris, John Fahey, Gabor Szabo, Gil Scott-Heron, Kate & Anna McGarrigle and Tom Petty.
The Riskins are in their 70s and figured on retiring in a few years, but 2020 has taken its toll, Espie said on Monday. So, after a life spent supporting and offering refuge for countless musicians, they’re leaving the business.
“It’s sooner than we wanted to,” she said, adding that “it’s kind of been heart-wrenching, actually. We’re really sad.”
The threat of catching the virus has prompted them to speed the transition of the store’s operations to their daughter and son-in-law, Nora and Walt McGraw. “I can’t endanger my husband by coming in here and getting it, or endanger myself,” Espie said.
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Opened down the street from its current location as part of a furniture store by proprietors Gerald McCabe and Walter Camp, the store boomed with the folk and blues revival of the 1960s, and helped supply expert country-rock players in the 1970s. While in his teens in the early ’60s, Bob started sweeping the floors as he was learning to become a luthier, someone who builds and repairs stringed instruments. He became a partner in the business not long after. (Bob is the son of actress Fay Wray and screenwriter Robert Riskin [“It Happened One Night”].)
As if by reflex, Espie recalled the first McCabe’s live performance in the late 1960s. It was by country blues guitarist Elizabeth Cotten and her accompanist, Mike Seeger, and arranged after the artist’s higher-profile paying gig was canceled. Lacking money to buy a bus ticket back to her East Coast home, Cotten asked to do a set at the shop.
“We didn’t have a license to run a concert at that point,” Espie explained. “We said, ‘You know what? We’ll put a curtain over the front window, put seats up and see what we can get so you can get home.’ And then Ramblin’ Jack Elliott needed money. So we said, ‘Look, we better get a license so we don’t get into trouble.’”
Michael Hawelu, a luthier, repairs guitars at McCabe’s Guitar Shop. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
The store gradually became as noted for its nighttime hushed-audience gigs as its daytime expertise with guitars, banjos, mandolins and other stringed instruments. Its teachers have schooled thousands of Angelenos on the magic of musical performance. On most weekend nights before the virus, its small theater, which holds 150 people, was packed.
Not that you could tell from outside. The booze-free space has always drawn the quietest, most respectful listeners in Los Angeles.
“If you want to chew gum or pop your hairband, you better go out into the front, because they don’t want you in the concert venue,” singer-songwriter Carla Olson said. “And when you are on the stage, it’s equally as intimate, because anything you say or do, the audience is going to pick it up. That kind of venue doesn’t exist anymore.”
Artists haven’t always followed the venue’s lead. Loudon Wainwright III recalled to The Times in 2008 a set by influential singer-songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. “It was really something to behold in that room where the main libation is herbal tea with a shot of honey in it,” Wainwright said. “Townes and Guy were just plastered. It was kind of a beautiful thing to behold. The audience, too, it was like a contact drunk, like everybody in the room got drunk with them. That room is a conduit in so many different ways.”
Olson and her longtime collaborator, the late Byrds co-founder Gene Clark, played McCabe’s half a dozen times over the years, and she attended other artists’ sets with him. Most memorably, long after the demise of the Byrds, she and Clark went to see his former bandmate Roger McGuinn play McCabe’s.
“They hadn’t spoken to each other in a number of years,” Olson recalled. “We went upstairs before the show — Gene wanted to say hi to Roger. Gene wanted to play so bad, and Roger’s not the person to ask.” Fearing a moment lost, Olson’s husband, Saul Davis, jumped in to propose that Clark join McGuinn. The two former Byrds ended up doing an encore of “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Chimes of Freedom” and “The Bells of Rhymney.”
A pedestrian walks past McCabe’s Guitar Shop. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Olson most recently played there during a release party on Feb. 21 for her new album, “Have Harmony, Will Travel 2.”
“Putting on concerts is more fun than buying advertising,” Bob Riskin told The Times in 1990. His logic was that the concerts would spur musicians to check out the music store, repair shop and school as they made their way to the back room. “It keeps the name out there, and also gives you a place where you can buy a guitar, get it repaired, get lessons on it and come see someone perform who is very skilled on it.”
That communal vibe has extended to the pandemic hiatus, Espie said. Though she was gutted by having to stay away, she said the response during the forced closure was “heartwarming, too. I just had a customer call from back East to ask if we were OK. The community keeps calling, saying, ‘You’re still open, right? You’re going to reopen, right?’”
She has tried to reassure them, but added on Monday that the store, like all other indie retailers, is in unknown territory. “The sales right now are not keeping us going, even on the curbside,” Espie said. “What’s keeping us going and being able to pay our employees is that loan.”
She adds, “We’re going to run out of it soon if we don’t get our sales up. And if we don’t get our sales up, we won’t be able to open the concerts.”
Turning optimistic, she contemplated McCabe’s after their retirement and after the end of the pandemic. Maybe, she said, “it’s the perfect time, because it’s like a new store. With this COVID thing, it’s like we’re starting from ground zero again, with the concerts and with everything.”
Kora Peterson, who books the shop’s performances in her role as concert director, envisions McCabe’s emerging from the COVID-19-forced hibernation with a renewed, and updated, mission to showcase artists. They’re working with a sound engineer to mike the room for online gigs. “I have no idea how that works yet, but we’ll make it happen.”
She adds, “McCabe’s concerts started because an artist needed help, and I think it’s important now to still be there for artists, and for our customers. If we have to reach them remotely, at least we’re still reaching out.”
“It’s a place we want to keep going,” said Walt McGraw, 52, the Riskins’ son-in-law. He and Nora live on Bainbridge Island off Seattle, and Walt drove down last weekend to help ready the shop for curbside delivery and eventual reopening. “We’re putting up our Plexiglass, making sure our employees are safe and figuring out what our procedures are going to be.”
A photo of Walter Camp, co-founder of McCabe’s Guitar Shop, hangs prominently inside the iconic store/performance space. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
McGraw got a firsthand sense of the store’s import a few years ago when he was with his in-laws during an event also attended by Jackson Browne. After the Riskins mentioned their plans to eventually cede control of the shop, McGraw recalled Browne reminding him about how essential the shop was: “He put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘You do realize how important this is, don’t you?’”
Added McGraw: “I’ve been tasked with a quest. If it wasn’t just coming from the in-laws, then Jackson Browne is personally making sure that we keep this place going.”


latimes--2020-06-07--FBI investigates link between shootings of officers in Santa Cruz and Oakland

After a Santa Cruz County sheriff ’ s deputy was shot and killed Saturday , federal investigators are trying to determine whether the slaying is connected to other recent crimes in the Bay Area , including the shooting of another officer last week in Oakland , officials said .
On Saturday , sheriff ’ s Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller , 38 , was shot and killed in Ben Lomond , an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz .
Gutzwiller and other officers , some of whom were also injured , were ambushed with gunfire and explosives while pursuing a suspect , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first in the sheriff ’ s office since the early 1980s , stunned the region .
“ This will be something that will be with us for a long time , ” Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said at a news conference .
“ His life was taken needlessly , and it ’ s a hard thing to process.
” At the scene , authorities arrested and booked Steven Carrillo , who was later identified as an active-duty sergeant stationed at Travis Air Force Base .
Carrillo , 32 , was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a Travis Air Force Base spokesman .
Law enforcement officials said they were unsure whether Carrillo had been acting alone and whether the explosives in his car were part of a larger plot he planned to carry out .
The FBI said it was looking into links to previous incidents , including one late last month in Oakland .
On the night of May 29 , Dave Patrick Underwood , 53 , was shot and killed while working as a security officer at the federal courthouse in Oakland , employed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Federal Protective Service .
Another officer who was present was injured , officials said .
The FBI , already investigating the Underwood case , is now trying to determine the motive behind the Santa Cruz incident , as well as “ links to other crimes committed in the Bay Area , to include the shooting of the FPS officers in Oakland , ” a spokesperson said in an email .
Carrillo , the suspect in the Santa Cruz case , came to Travis Air Force Base in June 2018 , a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities and obituaries .
His wife , Monika Leigh Scott Carrillo , was also in the Air Force .
She was found dead in May 2018 in what was ruled a suicide while stationed in South Carolina , according to the Air Force .
Monika Carrillo , 30 , had been married to Steven Carrillo for nine years , and they had a son and daughter together , according to an obituary posted online .
On Saturday , Steven Carrillo was reportedly shot during his arrest and then treated at a hospital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with murder , assault with a deadly weapon and several other felony charges , the sheriff said .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered all flags in the Capitol to be flown at half-staff in honor of Gutzwiller .
The fallen officer , who had been with the sheriff ’ s office since 2006 , had a wife , a young child and another child on the way .
“ He will be remembered as a hero who devoted his life to protecting the community and as a loving husband and father , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered outside the sheriff ’ s office Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to Gutzwiller .
His wife and child stood next to a photo of him and bouquets of flowers .
Gutzwiller ’ s colleagues described him as unusually patient , always smiling and cracking jokes , with a self-deprecating sense of humor .
Hart said he reviewed Gutzwiller ’ s personnel file last night , and there hadn ’ t been a single complaint from the public against him in his 14 years in the department .
He grew up in Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and was beloved by his colleagues , Hart said .
“ He was kind , caring and empathetic , ” Hart said .
“ I will never forget him.
” The Associated Press and Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth contributed to this report .

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller was killed when he and other officers were ambushed with gunfire and explosives while pursuing a suspect, authorities say.
After a Santa Cruz County sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed Saturday, federal investigators are trying to determine whether the slaying is connected to other recent crimes in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the shooting of an officer last month in Oakland, officials said.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38, was shot and killed Saturday in Ben Lomond, an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz. Gutzwiller and other officers, some of whom were also injured, were ambushed with gunfire and explosives while pursuing a suspect, authorities said.
The death, the first in the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office since the early 1980s, stunned the region.
“This will be something that will be with us for a long time,” Sheriff Jim Hart said at a news conference. “His life was taken needlessly, and it’s a hard thing to process.”
At the scene, authorities arrested and booked Steven Carrillo, who was later identified as an active-duty sergeant stationed at Travis Air Force Base. Carrillo, 32, was a member of the 60th Security Forces Squadron, according to a Travis Air Force Base spokesman.
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Law enforcement officials said they were unsure whether Carrillo had been acting alone and whether the explosives in his car were part of a larger plot he planned to carry out. The FBI said it was looking into potential links to previous incidents, including the one late last month in Oakland.
On the night of May 29, Dave Patrick Underwood, 53, was shot and killed while working as a security officer at the federal courthouse in Oakland, employed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service. Another officer who was present was injured, officials said.
The FBI, already investigating the Underwood case, is now trying to determine the motive behind the Santa Cruz County incident, as well as “links to other crimes committed in the Bay Area, to include the shooting of the FPS officers in Oakland,” a spokesperson said in an email.
Carrillo, the suspect in the Santa Cruz case, came to Travis Air Force Base in June 2018, a month after his wife died, according to authorities and obituaries. His wife, Monika Leigh Scott Carrillo, was also in the Air Force. She was found dead in May 2018 in what was ruled a suicide while stationed in South Carolina, according to the Air Force.
Monika Carrillo, 30, had been married to Steven Carrillo for nine years, and they had a son and daughter together, according to an obituary posted online.
On Saturday, Steven Carrillo was reportedly shot during his arrest and then treated at a hospital, Hart said. He will be charged with murder, assault with a deadly weapon and several other felony charges, the sheriff said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all flags in the state Capitol to be flown at half-staff in honor of Gutzwiller. The fallen sergeant, who had been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2006, had a wife, a young child and another child on the way.
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“He will be remembered as a hero who devoted his life to protecting the community and as a loving husband and father,” Newsom said in a statement.
Dozens gathered outside the Sheriff’s Office on Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to Gutzwiller. His wife and child stood next to a photo of him and bouquets of flowers.
Gutzwiller’s colleagues described him as unusually patient, always smiling and cracking jokes, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. Hart said he had reviewed Gutzwiller’s personnel file, and there hadn’t been a single complaint from the public against him in his 14 years in the department.
He grew up in Santa Cruz and knew and understood the community, and was beloved by his colleagues, Hart said.
“He was kind, caring and empathetic,” Hart said. “I will never forget him.”
The Associated Press and Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-07--L.A. archbishop presides at first in-person Mass at downtown cathedral since the shutdown

Archbishop José H. Gomez on Sunday celebrated the first in-person Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels @ @ @ @ @ on March 16 because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The 10 a.m. Mass at the @ @ @ @ @ to 100 people .
Face masks and social distancing were required for all those at @ @ @ @ @ were older than 65 , suffered from any underlying health health conditions or were experiencing @ @ @ @ @ been encouraged to watch a livestream of the Mass on Facebook .
The cathedral was @ @ @ @ @ sanitized immediately following the Mass at 11 a.m. , according to the Los Angeles Archdiocese @ @ @ @ @ will be celebrated at 8 a.m. in English on weekdays with no more than 100 @ @ @ @ @ service will continue to be broadcast on television for those unable to attend in person @ @ @ @ @ in English on Sundays at 10 a.m. and on UniMas 46 in Spanish Monday through @ @ @ @ @ cathedral will also continue to livestream Masses on Facebook .

Archbishop José H. Gomez performs Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in 2015.
Archbishop José H. Gomez on Sunday celebrated the first in-person Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels since public services were suspended on March 16 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 10 a.m. Mass at the downtown L.A. cathedral was limited to 100 people. Face masks and social distancing were required for all those at the cathedral.
Those who were older than 65, suffered from any underlying health health conditions or were experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, had been encouraged to watch a livestream of the Mass on Facebook.
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The cathedral was scheduled to be cleaned and sanitized immediately following the Mass at 11 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Beginning Monday, Mass will be celebrated at 8 a.m. in English on weekdays with no more than 100 faithful in attendance. The service will continue to be broadcast on television for those unable to attend in person: on KCOP-TV Channel 13 in English on Sundays at 10 a.m. and on UniMas 46 in Spanish Monday through Friday and Sunday.
The cathedral will also continue to livestream Masses on Facebook.


latimes--2020-06-07--Sheriff's deputies fatally shoot man who allegedly charged at them with a knife

Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies shot and killed a man who they say charged at them with a @ @ @ @ @ , officials said .
Deputies responded to the area of Railroad Street and Azusa Avenue @ @ @ @ @ report of a person hit by a train , the Sheriff ’ s Department said @ @ @ @ @ As they were checking the area for a possible victim , they saw a man @ @ @ @ @ , officials said .
When deputies approached him , he allegedly stood up and charged @ @ @ @ @ in his hand , prompting one or more of the deputies to fire their weapons @ @ @ @ @ The man was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead , officials said .
His @ @ @ @ @ .

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man who they say charged at them with a knife in Industry early Sunday, officials said.
Deputies responded to the area of Railroad Street and Azusa Avenue about 2:20 a.m. after a report of a person hit by a train, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
As they were checking the area for a possible victim, they saw a man kneeling by the railroad tracks, officials said. When deputies approached him, he allegedly stood up and charged at them with a knife in his hand, prompting one or more of the deputies to fire their weapons, according to authorities.
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The man was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, officials said. His identity was not immediately released.


latimes--2020-06-07--From Compton Cowboys to Hollywood Boulevard, protests keep growing around L.A.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Los Angeles on Sunday for another day of sweeping protests decrying the police killing of George Floyd and other black Americans .
Straddled atop their horses , the much-heralded Compton Cowboys joined a lively caravan of motorcycles , cars , trucks and hundreds of sign-waving protesters on foot .
The boisterous but peaceful caravan began its noon-time parade at the Gateway Towne Center and slowly wound its way around the city of Compton .
Shahara Warren , 44 , attended the march with her 8-year-old daughter and her troop , the Compton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried about bringing her daughter to a protest that but her daughter wanted to come .
“ It feels good , ” she said .
“ I grew up in a home where it was being proud of who we are , and representing our heritage and understanding the things that come with it.
” The mood of the march was upbeat , a mix of black and community pride and anger at the death of Floyd and the men and women who came before him .
People chanted and played drums .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ aunts and uncles .
As the march made its way down the residential street of Tamarind Avenue , people came out of their homes to film the march , join the chants and hold their fists up .
Among the more prominent demonstrators were the Compton Cowboys , a group of close-knit friends who formed a horseback riding club in 2017 aimed at dispelling stereotypes against black people .
They are the subject of a new book subtitled “ The New Generation of Cowboys in America ’ s Urban Heartland.
” Paul Cannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visiting a friend when the march went by .
He said it was a beautiful sight to see people coming out to protest .
“ We go to work and pay bills just like everybody else , and all we want to do is make it , ” he said .
“ We want the white picket fence .
You laid the dream out .
We didn ’ t ask to come here , but you brought us here.
” The march stopped at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in honor of Floyd .
That is the length of time that prosecutors say Floyd was pinned to the ground under the knee of Officer Derek Chauvin before he died .
Earlier Sunday afternoon , a bicycle protest rolled through Beverly Hills .
The procession was peaceful and had exited the city by about 1 p.m. , officials said .
This evening , a massive gathering of thousands of protesters marched through Hollywood .
It appeared to be one of the biggest demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peaceful protests , the National Guard is pulling out of the Los Angeles area , a week after being deployed , official said Sunday .
“ The California National Guard is departing Los Angeles this evening , ” Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement .
“ A small number of units will be stationed nearby until June 10 to provide emergency support if needed .
I ’ m proud that our city has been peaceful this week — and that our residents are leading a powerful movement to make Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Black Angelenos , communities of color , and all of our workers , youth , and families.
” The National Guard has been a visible and controversial presence in the region , guarding landmark buildings like City Hall and also assisting with crowd control .
Protests of unprecedented size and scale continued across Southern California , with tens of thousands marching Saturday in various cities to express outrage at police brutality and Floyd ’ s killing .
The Floyd protests have been mostly peaceful , and the Los Angeles Police Department is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some demonstrators .
One source , who was not authorized to speak publicly , said the pullout could be completed later Sunday .
A second source said that a small number of Guard members remains to protect some key L.A. assets , but that most have returned to their bases .
There was still National Guard troops seen on the streets Sunday in some locations , including in downtown and Hollywood .
Garcetti called in the Guard on May 30 after heated protests in the Fairfax District that ended with some burglaries and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with the demonstrations .
There have been no major reports of such illegal activity since Monday , when some businesses in Hollywood and Van Nuys were hit .
Stores in Long Beach , downtown L.A. and Santa Monica also saw people stealing merchandise .
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested thousands over the last week , many of them for violating curfew rules .
The decision to end the curfews Thursday came a day after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against Los Angeles city and county and the city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying they were an unconstitutional violation of free expression .
At its peak , there were more than 1,000 Guardsmen in the L.A. area , some toting M-4 rifles .
Humvees and military trucks were present in the city in a way not seen since 1994 , in the days after the Northridge earthquake — and during the 1992 riots .
Bringing in the National Guard sparked criticism from Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson , who represents a portion of South Los Angeles .
“ Our fear is real that additional law enforcement will only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said May 31 .
The withdrawal of the National Guard came as Los Angeles continued to move toward easing stay-at-home restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
On Sunday , Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated the first in-person Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels since public services were suspended on March 16 .

The Compton Cowboys, a club of close-knit friends, joins protesters Sunday making their way along South Tamarind Avenue to Compton City Hall.
Thousands of protesters flooded Hollywood Boulevard Sunday night as part of a growing national movement to end police brutality and systemic racism in the United States.
The demonstration, organized by Black Lives Matter and the rapper YG, appeared to be one of L.A.’s biggest protests yet in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Protesters demanded police reforms and for the Los Angeles Police Department to be defunded in favor of programs that benefit poor Angelenos.
A candlelight vigil filled part of the intersection with Highland Avenue near the Dolby Theatre. President Donald Trump’s nearby star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was defaced with graffiti.
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Cesar Castillo, 30, who was born and raised in Los Angeles and still lives in the city, held a sign depicting Mayor Eric Garcetti kissing LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
Castillo said he is “frustrated” with Garcetti, who he believes “took some action but not enough action” to reform the LAPD.
Castillo said he believes Garcetti should fire Moore, who has “proven he is not the right person to take us through this moment.”
In the middle of Hollywood Boulevard, a 39-year-old white man who only wanted to give his first name, Benjamin, held a massive sign reading, simply, “DEFUND.”
“The primary function of the police is to protect and defend white property,” he said of why he believes the department’s budget should be slashed. “As a white male, I have a responsibility to speak out against this.”
Protest organizers on a bullhorn repeatedly praised the diversity of the crowd.
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Love Alvarez, 23, of downtown, stood on the roof of a car at the intersection of the Hollywood and Highland, where the protest had consolidated as night fell, holding a sign that read “Black is Beautiful.”
“I needed to give out a different message today, something positive,” she said. “We are not just criminals like they make us out to be.”
Several other protests and vigils were also held Sunday in Compton, East Los Angeles, Glendale, Beverly Hills other communities across Southern California.
Straddled atop their horses, the beloved Compton Cowboys joined a spirited caravan of motorcycles and hundreds of sign-waving protesters on foot in Compton. The procession began its noon-time parade at the Gateway Towne Center and slowly wound its way through the city.
“My Color Is Not A Crime,” one sign read. “A Riot is the Language of the Unheard,” declared another.
Shahara Warren, 44, attended the march with her 8-year-old daughter and her troop, the Compton Girl Scouts. Warren said she was worried about bringing her daughter to a protest, but her daughter insisted.
Warren said she had been raised to be proud of who she was, and it was exciting to see her daughter’s willingness to participate. “It means a lot to me to know that she’s going to be going forward with the same idea of peace and helping our community,” she said.
The mood of the march was upbeat, a mix of black and community pride and anger at the death of Floyd and the men and women who came before him.
As the march made its way down the residential street of Tamarind Avenue, people came out of their homes to film the march and hold up their fists in solidarity.
The Compton Cowboys, a group of close-knit friends who formed a horseback riding club in 2017 aimed at dispelling stereotypes against African-Americans, brought particular joy to the demonstration. The crowd also heard speeches from Mayor Aja Brown and NBA star Russell Westbrook, who plays for the Houston Rockets but was born in Long Beach and grew up in Hawthorne.
Paul Cannon, 48, of La Puente was visiting a friend when the march went by. He said it was a beautiful sight to see people coming out to protest.
“We go to work and pay bills just like everybody else, and all we want to do is make it,” he said. “We want the white picket fence. You laid the dream out. We didn’t ask to come here, but you brought us here.”
The march stopped at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument at the Compton Civic Center. The crowd held a moment of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time that prosecutors say Floyd was pinned to the ground under the knee of Officer Derek Chauvin before he died.
The Compton march came one day after thousands of protesters participated in more than two dozen demonstrations across Southern California. There were no apparent reports of vandalism or burglary on Saturday in Los Angeles County.
Amid the many demonstrations, officials said the National Guard plans to pull out of the Los Angeles area Sunday.
The National Guard has been a visible and controversial presence in the region for the past week, guarding landmark buildings like City Hall and assisting with crowd control. A small number of units will be stationed nearby until June 10 “to provide emergency support if needed,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement.
“I’m proud that our city has been peaceful this week — and that our residents are leading a powerful movement to make Los Angeles more just, equitable, and fair for Black Angelenos, communities of color, and all of our workers, youth, and families,” Garcetti said.
National Guard troops were still seen on the streets Sunday in some locations, including in downtown and Hollywood.
Garcetti called in the Guard on May 30 after protests in the Fairfax District that ended with some burglaries and thefts by people police believe were not associated with the demonstrations.
At its peak, there were more than 1,000 Guardsmen in the L.A. area, some toting M-4 rifles. Humvees and military trucks were present in the city in a way not seen since 1994, in the days after the Northridge earthquake — and during the 1992 riots.
Bringing in the National Guard sparked criticism from Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents a portion of South Los Angeles. “Our fear is real that additional law enforcement will only further violence against people of color,” he said May 31.
There have been no major reports of illegal activity tied to the protests since Monday, when some businesses in Hollywood and Van Nuys were affected by looting. Stores in Long Beach, downtown L.A. and Santa Monica also experienced vandalism and stolen merchandise.
LAPD officers arrested thousands over the last week, many of them for violating curfew rules.
The decision to end the curfews Thursday came a day after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against Los Angeles city and county and the city of San Bernardino to end the curfews, saying they were an unconstitutional violation of free expression.


latimes--2020-06-07--Earthquake: 3.5 quake near Ridgecrest

Earthquake: 3.5 quake near Ridgecrest

A magnitude-3.5 earthquake was reported Saturday evening at 8:42 p.m. 36 miles from Ridgecrest , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 55 miles from Porterville , Calif. , 60 miles from Lindsay , Calif. , 62 miles from California City , Calif. and 64 miles from Exeter , Calif..
In the past 10 days , there have been 12 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 1.7 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A 3.5 earthquake occurred at 8:42 p.m. Saturday 36 miles from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the USGS.
A magnitude-3.5 earthquake was reported Saturday evening at 8:42 p.m. 36 miles from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 55 miles from Porterville, Calif., 60 miles from Lindsay, Calif., 62 miles from California City, Calif. and 64 miles from Exeter, Calif..
In the past 10 days, there have been 12 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 1.7 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-06-07--This fantastical sea creature helps remove planet-warming gases from the atmosphere

It was decades ago when Bruce Robison first looked through the plexiglass sphere of a submersible and spotted a most curious critter in the waters off Central California .
Nearly transparent and no larger than a fist , the squishy tadpole-like animal was surrounded by an enormous balloon of mucus about 3 feet wide .
Robison could discern chambers intricately inflated within this sticky structure , speckled with particles of food and plant debris .
Robison spent years in the open ocean studying these gelatinous animals , which are too large and too fragile to bring back into a lab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inhabit seas across the world .
Tens of thousands of them live just outside Robison ’ s office in Monterey Bay .
He and fellow researchers eventually learned that these creatures and their snot palaces play an outsize role in helping the ocean remove planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — one more part of a vast and underappreciated system that makes the ocean an unsung hero of climate change .
Covering more than 70 % of Earth ’ s surface , the ocean has absorbed more than a quarter of the carbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Revolution , and about 90 % of the resulting heat .
“ We ’ re just on the edge of this tremendous change in how we perceive and understand how the ocean works , ” said Robison , a senior scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute .
“ If an alien civilization from some other solar system were to send an expedition to Earth to look at the dominant life forms on this planet , they wouldn ’ t be up here walking around with us .
They ’ d be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larvaceans , or Bathochordaeus , scientists and engineers at the Monterey Bay institute finally figured out a way to study their inner workings .
In a new study published recently in the journal Nature , the team described how they were able to scan the animals with lasers mounted onto a 12,000-pound robot , and then reconstruct the mucus structure into a 3-D model .
Like radiologists with a CT scan , the scientists were able to piece together the intricate architecture within the mucus apparatus , called the “ house , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delicate structures .
Suddenly they could see chambers and passageways they never knew existed .
The larvacean essentially lives inside two mesh-like filters : A smaller inner house , containing inlet filters and fluted chambers , is surrounded by a coarser outer house that can blow up to be 1 meter across .
This outer filter traps plant debris and food particles too big for the animal to eat , while the inner filter guides smaller pieces into its mouth .
Larvaceans use their tails to constantly pump water through both filters — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All told , scientists calculated that the giants in Monterey Bay could filter all the water between 100 and 300 meters deep in as little as 13 days — equivalent to about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools per hour .
Once the mucus gets clogged , usually every 24 hours or so , the larvacean abandons the filter and moves on to make a new one .
This netting of mucus , packed with carbon-rich particles , then collapses like a punctured balloon — sinking a significant load of carbon to the deep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reentering the atmosphere .
Ordinarily , massive quantities of carbon drift through the ocean as “ marine snow , ” tiny particles of plants , fecal matter and other debris that shower down the water column .
These tiny particles sink very slowly , however , and often get eaten by other organisms on the way down — which brings the carbon back up the food chain .
So scientists were amazed by the mucus houses , which clump together so many particles ( not to mention microplastics ) that everything sinks much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the carbon in effect becomes sequestered and unable to reenter the upper systems .
Kakani Katija , who engineered the laser system and heads the Monterey Bay institute ’ s Bioinspiration Lab , said these animals can also teach us new ways to design filters or expandable structures — perhaps to use underwater or even in outer space .
“ Here ’ s an animal that creates a structure that ’ s a few millimeters in size , but somehow blows it up to a meter in size , ” said Katija , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There is still so much we don ’ t know , and every time we develop a new tool or new technique , that just opens up the world to us in a very different way.
” “ There are a lot of marine animals that use mucus to create really complex structures , ” she said .
“ Now that we have a way to visualize them deep below the surface , we can finally understand how they function and what roles they play in the ocean.
” There are many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as appendicularians , that are found in different depths in every ocean of the world .
Their mucus houses are notoriously impossible to collect or keep intact in a tank .
Although the first giant larvacean was discovered in 1898 , the typical method of dragging a net through the water meant that the mucus structure ( and all the other gelatinous creatures in the ocean ) came up as goo .
It wasn ’ t until many decades later that scientists began noticing the structural details within the mucus .
Alice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biology of UC Santa Barbara , dived into the water herself in the 1970s and described the intricate houses of seven species of small larvaceans .
She recalled taking a jar underwater and feeding tiny , tiny beads to tiny larvaceans — watching how they moved through the house and counting how many got filtered in a given amount of time .
“ Nobody had ever studied them in their natural habitat , even seen them , ” said Alldredge , who also injected them with dye and captured the first detailed photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s kind of like if you were trying to study a rainforest and you do it from a helicopter with a big net or a hook — you might once in a while get a jaguar or a bunch of leaves , but you wouldn ’ t really know how a rainforest worked.
” Kelly Sutherland , an associate professor of marine biology at the University of Oregon who is building off Alldredge ’ s pioneering work in small larvaceans , has been drilling in on how these animals actually pick their food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ material .
“ It seems like a really simple question : What are they eating ?
But it turns out it ’ s not trivial when they ’ re eating things that are so small , ” said Sutherland , who leads a lab specializing in jelly animals , including other mucus-mesh grazers such as salps , pyrosomes and pteropods .
The key has really been taking the laboratory underwater , she said .
The Monterey Bay institute , she added , “ is uniquely equipped to study the larger ones , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller species that live in the surface ocean.
” For Robison , the laser technology developed at the institute allowed him to learn more about giant larvaceans during a single dive than his entire generation had in previous decades .
He had spent years collecting drifting mucus houses and observing these transparent structures from the outside by shining camera lights from different angles .
Then one night , after a day of diving with the new system , Katija helped Robison put on a virtual-reality headset , where she had uploaded a 3-D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was able to “ fly through ” the inner filter and explore the maze of chambers and passageways .
The reality , he said with awe , was even more marvelous and complex than he had imagined .
There are now many burning questions they can try to answer , like how these houses are even made .
When a spider builds a web , the process can be observed one strand at a time .
With a mucus house , it comes out all at once .
And why , Robison often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all this trouble to create such an extraordinary structure — only to then throw it away ?
“ It ’ s clearly an effective strategy for surviving in the ocean .
And that ’ s an underlying principle we have yet to grasp , ” he said .
“ We hope we can live in harmony with the planet we live on , and in order to do that , we have to understand how it works .
”

A close-up view of a giant larvacean shows the inner filter of its mucus complex, which appears like a white croissant. Its body is the round blue mass at the center, and its tail is outlined in luminescent blue.
It was decades ago when Bruce Robison first looked through the plexiglass sphere of a submersible and spotted a most curious critter in the waters off Central California.
Nearly transparent and no larger than a fist, the squishy tadpole-like animal was surrounded by an enormous balloon of mucus about 3 feet wide. Robison could discern chambers intricately inflated within this sticky structure, speckled with particles of food and plant debris.
Robison spent years in the open ocean studying these gelatinous animals, which are too large and too fragile to bring back into a lab. Known as giant larvaceans, they inhabit seas across the world. Tens of thousands of them live just outside Robison’s office in Monterey Bay.
Advertisement
He and fellow researchers eventually learned that these creatures and their snot palaces play an outsize role in helping the ocean remove planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — one more part of a vast and underappreciated system that makes the ocean an unsung hero of climate change.
Covering more than 70% of Earth’s surface, the ocean has absorbed more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide released by humans since the Industrial Revolution, and about 90% of the resulting heat.
“We’re just on the edge of this tremendous change in how we perceive and understand how the ocean works,” said Robison, a senior scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. “If an alien civilization from some other solar system were to send an expedition to Earth to look at the dominant life forms on this planet, they wouldn’t be up here walking around with us. They’d be exploring the deep ocean.”
VIDEO | 06:51 A fantastical sea creature helps remove greenhouse gas emissions. Watch LA Times Today at 7 PM/10PM on channel 1 on Spectrum News 1, and on Cox systems in Palos Verdes and Orange County on channel 99.
With giant larvaceans, or Bathochordaeus, scientists and engineers at the Monterey Bay institute finally figured out a way to study their inner workings. In a new study published recently in the journal Nature, the team described how they were able to scan the animals with lasers mounted onto a 12,000-pound robot, and then reconstruct the mucus structure into a 3-D model.
Like radiologists with a CT scan, the scientists were able to piece together the intricate architecture within the mucus apparatus, called the “house,” and study how water moves through these delicate structures. Suddenly they could see chambers and passageways they never knew existed.
The larvacean essentially lives inside two mesh-like filters: A smaller inner house, containing inlet filters and fluted chambers, is surrounded by a coarser outer house that can blow up to be 1 meter across. This outer filter traps plant debris and food particles too big for the animal to eat, while the inner filter guides smaller pieces into its mouth.
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Giant larvaceans, or Bathochordaeus. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
Larvaceans use their tails to constantly pump water through both filters — as much as 21 gallons an hour. All told, scientists calculated that the giants in Monterey Bay could filter all the water between 100 and 300 meters deep in as little as 13 days — equivalent to about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools per hour.
Once the mucus gets clogged, usually every 24 hours or so, the larvacean abandons the filter and moves on to make a new one. This netting of mucus, packed with carbon-rich particles, then collapses like a punctured balloon — sinking a significant load of carbon to the deep sea floor and locking it away from reentering the atmosphere.
Ordinarily, massive quantities of carbon drift through the ocean as “marine snow,” tiny particles of plants, fecal matter and other debris that shower down the water column.
These tiny particles sink very slowly, however, and often get eaten by other organisms on the way down — which brings the carbon back up the food chain. So scientists were amazed by the mucus houses, which clump together so many particles (not to mention microplastics) that everything sinks much faster to the bottom. Here, the carbon in effect becomes sequestered and unable to reenter the upper systems.
When a larvacean’s mucus filters become clogged, the animal swims free. The abandoned house then collapses like a deflated balloon and sinks rapidly, carrying tiny particles toward the seafloor. (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute )
Kakani Katija, who engineered the laser system and heads the Monterey Bay institute’s Bioinspiration Lab, said these animals can also teach us new ways to design filters or expandable structures — perhaps to use underwater or even in outer space.
“Here’s an animal that creates a structure that’s a few millimeters in size, but somehow blows it up to a meter in size,” said Katija, lead author of the Nature study. “There is still so much we don’t know, and every time we develop a new tool or new technique, that just opens up the world to us in a very different way.”
Kakani Katija works in the control room for a remotely operated vehicle, where her new laser-based system illuminates a giant larvacean on the screens.
(Kim Reisenbichler / Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)
“There are a lot of marine animals that use mucus to create really complex structures,” she said. “Now that we have a way to visualize them deep below the surface, we can finally understand how they function and what roles they play in the ocean.”
There are many sizes and species of larvaceans, also known as appendicularians, that are found in different depths in every ocean of the world. Their mucus houses are notoriously impossible to collect or keep intact in a tank. Although the first giant larvacean was discovered in 1898, the typical method of dragging a net through the water meant that the mucus structure (and all the other gelatinous creatures in the ocean) came up as goo.
It wasn’t until many decades later that scientists began noticing the structural details within the mucus.
Alice Alldredge, a professor emeritus of marine biology of UC Santa Barbara, dived into the water herself in the 1970s and described the intricate houses of seven species of small larvaceans. She recalled taking a jar underwater and feeding tiny, tiny beads to tiny larvaceans — watching how they moved through the house and counting how many got filtered in a given amount of time.
“Nobody had ever studied them in their natural habitat, even seen them,” said Alldredge, who also injected them with dye and captured the first detailed photos of a larvacean. “It’s kind of like if you were trying to study a rainforest and you do it from a helicopter with a big net or a hook — you might once in a while get a jaguar or a bunch of leaves, but you wouldn’t really know how a rainforest worked.”
Kelly Sutherland, an associate professor of marine biology at the University of Oregon who is building off Alldredge’s pioneering work in small larvaceans, has been drilling in on how these animals actually pick their food — whether by shape, size or material.
“It seems like a really simple question: What are they eating? But it turns out it’s not trivial when they’re eating things that are so small,” said Sutherland, who leads a lab specializing in jelly animals, including other mucus-mesh grazers such as salps, pyrosomes and pteropods.
The key has really been taking the laboratory underwater, she said. The Monterey Bay institute, she added, “is uniquely equipped to study the larger ones, and we have focused on some of the smaller species that live in the surface ocean.”
For Robison, the laser technology developed at the institute allowed him to learn more about giant larvaceans during a single dive than his entire generation had in previous decades.
He had spent years collecting drifting mucus houses and observing these transparent structures from the outside by shining camera lights from different angles. Then one night, after a day of diving with the new system, Katija helped Robison put on a virtual-reality headset, where she had uploaded a 3-D reconstruction of the mucus house.
He was able to “fly through” the inner filter and explore the maze of chambers and passageways. The reality, he said with awe, was even more marvelous and complex than he had imagined.
There are now many burning questions they can try to answer, like how these houses are even made. When a spider builds a web, the process can be observed one strand at a time. With a mucus house, it comes out all at once.
And why, Robison often wonders, does an animal go through all this trouble to create such an extraordinary structure — only to then throw it away?
“It’s clearly an effective strategy for surviving in the ocean. And that’s an underlying principle we have yet to grasp,” he said. “We hope we can live in harmony with the planet we live on, and in order to do that, we have to understand how it works.”


latimes--2020-06-07--Simi Valley Councilman Mike Judge at center of controversy for suggesting using septic tanks amid pr

Simi Valley Councilman Mike Judge at center of controversy for suggesting using septic tanks amid protests

Mike Judge is many things : Los Angeles cop , unapologetic conservative Republican , and member of the Simi Valley City Council , a largely conservative town 40 miles outside of the city known mostly for being where the police officers who beat Rodney King were put on trial decades ago .
He is also a lightning rod for controversy .
This past week Judge enraged many Simi Valley residents and others when he joked about an offensive meme on Facebook regarding the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests .
And he fueled the anger further by arguing against a protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it would turn violent .
Thousands signed petitions calling for Judge to resign from the City Council seat he ’ s held since 2010 .
The march went off Saturday without incident as about 2,000 protesters marched to the town ’ s civic center , where young organizers spoke and participants kneeled in silence to remember George Floyd , the black man killed last month by a Minneapolis police officer .
“ We haven ’ t had any problems at all .
It ’ s been peaceful , ” said Simi Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no arrests were made at the event .
In an interview afterward , a contrite Judge reiterated an earlier apology he made for the meme that he said was a badly misguided attempt at humor and offered a mea culpa for his stance on the march .
“ I was wrong , ” he said about his misplaced concerns about possible violence by protesters .
“ I couldn ’ t be happier I was wrong.
” Judge , 56 , began last week by sharing on his personal Facebook page a posting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the riots ?
Mobilize the septic tank trucks , put a pressure cannon on em ... hose em down ... the end.
” He captioned the post with his own comment , writing , “ This is brilliant , it will also enforce the mask rule !
” — a reference to orders by county health officials that people wear masks in public to stem the spread of the new coronavirus .
Judge , who is white , made things worse days later when , on the Facebook page he has for City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchange he had with Mikiiya Foster , an 18-year-old black woman who lives in Simi Valley and organized Saturday ’ s march .
In response to an email from Foster , who invited him to join protesters , Judge said he would not participate and said she should call off the march , claiming inaccurately that protests across the U.S. after Floyd ’ s killing had largely been marred by violence .
“ I am very hard pressed to find one example of a truly peaceful protest , ” he wrote .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have turned to violence and destruction.
” Judge said he respected Americans ’ right to protest and said he shared in the “ shock and disgust ” over Floyd ’ s death , but appeared to warn the young woman that protesters could be harmed if they went ahead with the Simi Valley march .
“ I just think that in this current climate you may not like the outcome , ” he wrote .
“ I pray that I am wrong.
” On Saturday after the march , Foster said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the controversy around Judge ’ s comments to overshadow the event .
“ Today was about so much more than him , ” she said .
It all set off a firestorm as people took to social media to pillory Judge .
They saw him as promoting the use of water cannons on protesters , a ruthless tactic police used to quash civil rights protests in the 1960s , and trying to stymie a lawful expression of the fury over police abuses of blacks that has erupted in the wake of Floyd ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added their names to two online petitions demanding he resign from the City Council .
They left comments , calling him a racist , “ an embarrassment , ” “ sewage , ” and “ a threat to Simi Valley.
” The petitions ’ organizers also revisited an earlier episode in 2013 when Judge again was embroiled in controversy .
That year he came under fire for posting links on his Facebook page to racy and suggestive websites and for linking to a graphic video of a woman being decapitated with a pocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying he didn ’ t consider anything on his Facebook page inappropriate .
He had shown the gruesome video , he said , in hopes of helping to find the killer .
This time around , Judge showed more regret .
An apology he posted to Facebook on Thursday did little to quiet the furor .
In it , he said he had posted the meme about hosing protesters in an attempt to make a humorous critique of masks and other safety measures taken to counter the coronavirus , which he feels have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to police violently cracking down on civil rights protesters had been lost on him , he said .
He realized he was in the wrong , he wrote , after speaking with a black friend .
He deleted the Facebook post .
“ I am not a racist .
I know I can say that all day long and it just sounds contrived , but I was just trying to be silly and it went sideways , ” he said .
And , with the peaceful march in Simi Valley on Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest protesters should stay away .
He had feared a march in Simi Valley would turn violent because of “ the target ” he said the town has had on it since four white officers were acquitted of beating King in 1992 .
The town , he said , does not deserve the reputation for racism that has endured since the trial .
That deep-seated reputation was the backdrop for the march Saturday .
On Twitter and elsewhere , many people commented on the surprise they felt at seeing Simi Valley host an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief encouraging it .
“ It was shocking .
I can ’ t imagine this happening growing up , ” said Jacinda Dougherty , 26 , who grew up in Simi Valley and joined the march while home visiting family for the summer .
“ To come back now and see thousands of people saying ‘ black lives matter ’ is amazing .
It ’ s hopeful.
’ ” Foster said growing up black in Simi Valley was an isolated experience in which she was the only black girl in her classes at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about her race .
Judge , she said , “ had a chance to help do something about that reputation and he didn ’ t take it .
I think that says more about his character than anything.
” His apologies aside , Judge said he will not accede to calls for him to resign his council seat .
“ In 2022 the citizens of Simi Valley can tell me to go if they want , ” he said .

Mike Judge is many things: Los Angeles cop, unapologetic conservative Republican, and member of the Simi Valley City Council, a largely conservative town 40 miles outside of the city known mostly for being where the police officers who beat Rodney King were put on trial decades ago.
He is also a lightning rod for controversy.
This past week Judge enraged many Simi Valley residents and others when he joked about an offensive meme on Facebook regarding the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. And he fueled the anger further by arguing against a protest march planned for Simi Valley over fears that it would turn violent. Thousands signed petitions calling for Judge to resign from the City Council seat he’s held since 2010.
The march went off Saturday without incident as about 2,000 protesters marched to the town’s civic center, where young organizers spoke and participants kneeled in silence to remember George Floyd, the black man killed last month by a Minneapolis police officer.
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Simi Valley Councilman Mike Judge. (City of Simi Valley)
“We haven’t had any problems at all. It’s been peaceful,” said Simi Valley Cmdr. Steve Shorts, who said no arrests were made at the event.
In an interview afterward, a contrite Judge reiterated an earlier apology he made for the meme that he said was a badly misguided attempt at humor and offered a mea culpa for his stance on the march.
“I was wrong,” he said about his misplaced concerns about possible violence by protesters. “I couldn’t be happier I was wrong.”
Judge, 56, began last week by sharing on his personal Facebook page a posting with the words, “Wanna stop the riots? Mobilize the septic tank trucks, put a pressure cannon on em ... hose em down ... the end.”
He captioned the post with his own comment, writing, “This is brilliant, it will also enforce the mask rule!” — a reference to orders by county health officials that people wear masks in public to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.
Judge, who is white, made things worse days later when, on the Facebook page he has for City Council matters, he posted an email exchange he had with Mikiiya Foster, an 18-year-old black woman who lives in Simi Valley and organized Saturday’s march.
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In response to an email from Foster, who invited him to join protesters, Judge said he would not participate and said she should call off the march, claiming inaccurately that protests across the U.S. after Floyd’s killing had largely been marred by violence.
“I am very hard pressed to find one example of a truly peaceful protest,” he wrote. “Almost all of the protests to date, have turned to violence and destruction.”
Judge said he respected Americans’ right to protest and said he shared in the “shock and disgust” over Floyd’s death, but appeared to warn the young woman that protesters could be harmed if they went ahead with the Simi Valley march.
“I just think that in this current climate you may not like the outcome,” he wrote. “I pray that I am wrong.”
On Saturday after the march, Foster said in an interview she didn’t want the controversy around Judge’s comments to overshadow the event. “Today was about so much more than him,” she said.
It all set off a firestorm as people took to social media to pillory Judge. They saw him as promoting the use of water cannons on protesters, a ruthless tactic police used to quash civil rights protests in the 1960s, and trying to stymie a lawful expression of the fury over police abuses of blacks that has erupted in the wake of Floyd’s killing.
More than 8,000 people added their names to two online petitions demanding he resign from the City Council. They left comments, calling him a racist, “an embarrassment,” “sewage,” and “a threat to Simi Valley.”
The petitions’ organizers also revisited an earlier episode in 2013 when Judge again was embroiled in controversy. That year he came under fire for posting links on his Facebook page to racy and suggestive websites and for linking to a graphic video of a woman being decapitated with a pocket knife.
Judge was unrepentant then, saying he didn’t consider anything on his Facebook page inappropriate. He had shown the gruesome video, he said, in hopes of helping to find the killer.
This time around, Judge showed more regret.
An apology he posted to Facebook on Thursday did little to quiet the furor. In it, he said he had posted the meme about hosing protesters in an attempt to make a humorous critique of masks and other safety measures taken to counter the coronavirus, which he feels have been too extreme. The clear reference to police violently cracking down on civil rights protesters had been lost on him, he said.
He realized he was in the wrong, he wrote, after speaking with a black friend. He deleted the Facebook post.
On Saturday, Judge again apologized.
“I am not a racist. I know I can say that all day long and it just sounds contrived, but I was just trying to be silly and it went sideways,” he said.
And, with the peaceful march in Simi Valley on Saturday, he acknowledged he had been wrong to suggest protesters should stay away. He had feared a march in Simi Valley would turn violent because of “the target” he said the town has had on it since four white officers were acquitted of beating King in 1992. The town, he said, does not deserve the reputation for racism that has endured since the trial.
That deep-seated reputation was the backdrop for the march Saturday. On Twitter and elsewhere, many people commented on the surprise they felt at seeing Simi Valley host an event and the town’s police chief encouraging it.
“It was shocking. I can’t imagine this happening growing up,” said Jacinda Dougherty, 26, who grew up in Simi Valley and joined the march while home visiting family for the summer. “To come back now and see thousands of people saying ‘black lives matter’ is amazing. It’s hopeful.’”
Foster said growing up black in Simi Valley was an isolated experience in which she was the only black girl in her classes at school and often encountered jokes and insults about her race.
Judge, she said, “had a chance to help do something about that reputation and he didn’t take it. I think that says more about his character than anything.”
His apologies aside, Judge said he will not accede to calls for him to resign his council seat.
“In 2022 the citizens of Simi Valley can tell me to go if they want,” he said.


latimes--2020-06-07--George Floyd protests have created a multicultural movement that's making history

Throughout his life , Alan Michnoff ’ s engagement with racial justice issues had been “ next to none.
” Although the 30-year-old North Hollywood resident had always been aware of police brutality against black people , he had not actively spoken up .
Last weekend , as the George Floyd protests swelled nationwide , something changed .
Michnoff came across a passionate Instagram post by a friend .
“ I am emotionally and physically exhausted yet I continue this fight , ” she wrote , demanding that others not be complacent in the face of racism .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Michnoff said .
“ A lot of people have been saying that .
Just hearing it over and over again , and it being perhaps the right time , it finally hit for me.
” He donated to local bail bond funds and signed petitions demanding charges against the officers involved in Floyd ’ s death and that of Breonna Taylor , a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was shot by Louisville , Ky. , police in her apartment .
On social media , Michnoff found link after link to resources for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I felt I had no choice but to participate in something so important , ” he said on Thursday at a protest in front of the North Hollywood police station .
He carried a cardboard sign that read “ Silence is violence.
” The protests in the wake of the killing of Floyd — a 46-year-old black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck while he was begging for air — have mobilized people from all races and walks of life who have not been previously been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many have been educating themselves online , signing petitions and attending protests where they often listen to speakers talk about the racism they face on a daily basis .
In this way , Floyd ’ s killing has created a wide , multicultural activist movement unprecedented in scope when compared with other notorious cases of police abuse .
The 1991 videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King by Los Angeles Police Department officers provoked an international outcry , but it did not spark anything close to this movement .
Instead of spurring city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse , the King case exposed political gridlock and ineffectiveness at City Hall that culminated with the 1992 riots .
The political and social ramifications of the Floyd protests are already becoming clear .
Many cities are considering restrictions on the use of police force , and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has proposed cuts to the LAPD .
It ’ s far from the sweeping defunding of the LAPD demanded by Black Lives Matter but still represents a political sea change .
Activists have also taken the protests into affluent , suburban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining the marches and expressing their outrage .
“ So many white and non-black folks are staying on message — that if we can lift black lives from the margins of society , we can lift all lives , ” said Jody David Armour , a USC law professor .
The broad reach of the protests has marked a significant shift in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement , which began as a response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman , a neighborhood watch volunteer , in the 2012 killing in Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teenager .
The campaign grew from a hashtag into a powerful social organizing tool that sought to amplify acts of racism against blacks nationwide .
Its members have been a presence for years at the Los Angeles Police Commission , forcefully decrying shootings and at times disrupting meetings that have ended with the arrest of LAPD critics .
But its agenda of reforms saw only limited interest at City Hall — until this last week .
It ’ s unclear how deep those reforms will reach and how long the current movement will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles , said that although the movement in the past had had the support of non-black coalitions , the current protests have brought in new allies .
“ That ’ s encouraging that people want to stand up despite , maybe , their own privilege , ” said Abdullah , a professor at Cal State L.A. “ We also want to make sure that this is not a moment of them getting in but that they are ongoing partners in this work.
” Brenda Stevenson , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at UCLA , said that activists recognized that the support of diverse coalitions was critical to success , pointing to the civil rights movement as an example .
“ People have been welcoming of all kinds of people , regardless of race , regardless of age , ” she said .
“ They have welcomed the military who are taking a knee .
They have welcomed police in uniform who are taking a knee .
People really want this to work , and they know this will work if there is a broad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals.
” She said the protests had attracted so many allies — including first-time activists — in part because of the coordination among coalition groups and the fact that statements released by workplaces affirming the movement had made people feel more comfortable about getting involved .
The high-profile deaths of several black people at the hands of police in a matter of weeks has convinced many of a systemic problem , Stevenson said , adding that the shared vulnerability to the coronavirus may have also worn down barriers between people .
Many new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community leaders .
The Rev .
Najuma Smith-Pollard , pastor at Word of Encouragement Community Church in Central L.A. , has received text messages and emails from acquaintances she does not speak to often who have asked how they can express solidarity .
“ I ’ m encouraged by it , ” she said .
“ In this country , we need allyship .
This is an all-hands-on-deck season .
I ’ m encouraged because it ’ s a sign people are awakening.
” Members of Showing Up for Racial Injustice , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight racism , helped sponsor the protest attended by Michnoff and several dozen other mostly white protesters in North Hollywood on Thursday .
Stevie Nelson , a 34-year-old white artist from Los Feliz , came out because “ sitting at home doesn ’ t feel like enough.
” Nelson had spent the week searching for ways to support the black community .
She donated to social justice organizations and emailed a city councilman about an alternative spending plan for City Hall dubbed “ the People ’ s Budget.
” She ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black-owned coffee shops to support and recommendations for books and podcasts , finding Instagram to be a helpful tool in “ how to be of service without it being your black friend ’ s responsibility.
” Before the protests , her involvement with racial justice causes had been limited to donations .
“ I paid attention , but it didn ’ t necessarily lead to me acting , ” said Nelson , who held a “ Black Lives Matter ” sign .
“ I ’ m ashamed of it , but I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m late.
” Standing nearby , Leah Pablo , a 30-year-old Asian American North Hollywood resident , said previously she had mostly engaged with issues of race by sharing information on social media .
She decided to attend the protest despite concerns about the pandemic after spending most of Tuesday listening to the Los Angeles Police Commission ’ s weekly meeting .
During the public comment session , speakers condemned the use of projectiles and tear gas against protesters .
“ I heard over and over how the city hadn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
Local religious groups have also been spurred into action .
The Rev .
Zach Hoover , executive director of L.A. Voice , a multifaith organization , has received countless questions from clergy about how to become involved .
Rabbis text him daily about where they should show up .
About 1,200 people attended a protest in Pasadena last weekend sponsored by churches within L.A. Voice ’ s network and other congregations .
Hoover said there had been both an internal recognition of the importance of the moment and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways ” to step forward .
“ Nobody was like , we have to go have a conversation with our board , ” he said .
“ It was like , ‘ Sign us on , sign us on.
’ ” Spiritual leaders have also sought to bridge gaps on a more intimate level .
Rabbi Elazar Muskin of Young Israel of Century City , an Orthodox synagogue , and Bishop Kenneth Ulmer of Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood livestreamed a video chat Wednesday that was attended by more than 150 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that both the Jewish and black communities had a history of being persecuted .
Ulmer explained to Muskin that his community feared that the protests “ might be a repetition of the pattern of the past ” with an eventual return to “ businesses as usual ” without meaningful change .
But he acknowledged that the diversity of the protesters now seemed unprecedented .
“ We feel now that more people not like us get it , ” he said .
“ What hurts is that it took this long for people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35-year-old resident of downtown L.A. , shared that perspective .
As a black man , he said he faced racism constantly and that whenever he walked outside , he had to be conscious of how he dressed and spoke “ in order to have some type of acceptance.
” A group of predominantly white neighbors from his apartment building attended a protest last week after he shared a photo of himself standing in front of National Guard trucks holding up a sign that read , “ Vote or Die.
” “ When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t look like me still marching and protesting and vocalizing their feelings about what was happening , that makes me feel a lot better as to where we stand right now , ” Earl said .
That message has been conveyed to protesters directly .
Addressing several hundred people in front of the downtown L.A. courthouse Thursday , Allen Wesley , a 59-year-old black man , shared how his mother had been beaten by police when he was 11 years old .
“ I see a lot of Black Lives Matter signs here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told the crowd , most of whom were in their 20s and 30s .
“ That gives me hope .
… We can ’ t do it by ourselves.
” Listening nearby was Nathalie Illescas , an 18-year-old resident of East L.A. who held a sign that carried the words “ Don ’ t shoot.
” It was her first protest , and she said she related to the oppression suffered by black people as a member of the Latino community whose family had received racist comments in public because of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially reluctant to let her attend because of the COVID-19 pandemic , she sat her mother down the day before .
“ This is serious , ” Illescas told her .
“ It ’ s me speaking out and raising my voice.
” Also there for his first protest was Eduardo Realegeno , an 18-year-old Salvadoran American student from South L.A .
Although he sees injustices in his own community , Realegeno said he didn ’ t need to find parallels for Floyd ’ s death to resonate .
“ He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how I relate , ” he said .
“ It ’ s not about being a minority .
It ’ s about standing with everyone here .
”

Alan Michnoff, center, protests police brutality and the death of George Floyd in front of the North Hollywood police station.
Throughout his life, Alan Michnoff’s engagement with racial justice issues had been “next to none.” Although the 30-year-old North Hollywood resident had always been aware of police brutality against black people, he had not actively spoken up.
Last weekend, as the George Floyd protests swelled nationwide, something changed. Michnoff came across a passionate Instagram post by a friend. “I am emotionally and physically exhausted yet I continue this fight,” she wrote, demanding that others not be complacent in the face of racism.
“That just struck a chord with me,” Michnoff said. “A lot of people have been saying that. Just hearing it over and over again, and it being perhaps the right time, it finally hit for me.”
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He donated to local bail bond funds and signed petitions demanding charges against the officers involved in Floyd’s death and that of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was shot by Louisville, Ky., police in her apartment. On social media, Michnoff found link after link to resources for people seeking to support the movement.
“I felt I had no choice but to participate in something so important,” he said on Thursday at a protest in front of the North Hollywood police station. He carried a cardboard sign that read “Silence is violence.”
The protests in the wake of the killing of Floyd — a 46-year-old black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck while he was begging for air — have mobilized people from all races and walks of life who have not been previously been actively involved in racial justice issues. Many have been educating themselves online, signing petitions and attending protests where they often listen to speakers talk about the racism they face on a daily basis.
In this way, Floyd’s killing has created a wide, multicultural activist movement unprecedented in scope when compared with other notorious cases of police abuse. The 1991 videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King by Los Angeles Police Department officers provoked an international outcry, but it did not spark anything close to this movement.
Instead of spurring city leaders to action after years of police abuse, the King case exposed political gridlock and ineffectiveness at City Hall that culminated with the 1992 riots.
The political and social ramifications of the Floyd protests are already becoming clear. Many cities are considering restrictions on the use of police force, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has proposed cuts to the LAPD. It’s far from the sweeping defunding of the LAPD demanded by Black Lives Matter but still represents a political sea change.
Activists have also taken the protests into affluent, suburban neighborhoods across the city and found residents joining the marches and expressing their outrage.
“So many white and non-black folks are staying on message — that if we can lift black lives from the margins of society, we can lift all lives,” said Jody David Armour, a USC law professor.
The broad reach of the protests has marked a significant shift in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement, which began as a response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, in the 2012 killing in Florida of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager. The campaign grew from a hashtag into a powerful social organizing tool that sought to amplify acts of racism against blacks nationwide.
Advertisement
Its members have been a presence for years at the Los Angeles Police Commission, forcefully decrying shootings and at times disrupting meetings that have ended with the arrest of LAPD critics. But its agenda of reforms saw only limited interest at City Hall — until this last week.
It’s unclear how deep those reforms will reach and how long the current movement will sustain itself.
Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles, said that although the movement in the past had had the support of non-black coalitions, the current protests have brought in new allies.
“That’s encouraging that people want to stand up despite, maybe, their own privilege,” said Abdullah, a professor at Cal State L.A. “We also want to make sure that this is not a moment of them getting in but that they are ongoing partners in this work.”
Melina Abudullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles, says the George Floyd protests have brought in broader support from non-black coalitions. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)
Brenda Stevenson, a professor of history and African American studies at UCLA, said that activists recognized that the support of diverse coalitions was critical to success, pointing to the civil rights movement as an example.
“People have been welcoming of all kinds of people, regardless of race, regardless of age,” she said. “They have welcomed the military who are taking a knee. They have welcomed police in uniform who are taking a knee. People really want this to work, and they know this will work if there is a broad coalition of people with the same basic goals.”
She said the protests had attracted so many allies — including first-time activists — in part because of the coordination among coalition groups and the fact that statements released by workplaces affirming the movement had made people feel more comfortable about getting involved. The high-profile deaths of several black people at the hands of police in a matter of weeks has convinced many of a systemic problem, Stevenson said, adding that the shared vulnerability to the coronavirus may have also worn down barriers between people.
Many new to protesting have reached out to black community leaders. The Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, pastor at Word of Encouragement Community Church in Central L.A., has received text messages and emails from acquaintances she does not speak to often who have asked how they can express solidarity.
“I’m encouraged by it,” she said. “In this country, we need allyship. This is an all-hands-on-deck season. I’m encouraged because it’s a sign people are awakening.”
Stevie Nelson, left, of Los Feliz joins a protest over police brutality outside the North Hollywood police station. “Sitting at home doesn’t feel like enough,” she says. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Members of Showing Up for Racial Injustice, a national network focused on organizing white people to fight racism, helped sponsor the protest attended by Michnoff and several dozen other mostly white protesters in North Hollywood on Thursday. Stevie Nelson, a 34-year-old white artist from Los Feliz, came out because “sitting at home doesn’t feel like enough.”
Nelson had spent the week searching for ways to support the black community. She donated to social justice organizations and emailed a city councilman about an alternative spending plan for City Hall dubbed “the People’s Budget.” She’s come across posts on social media about black-owned coffee shops to support and recommendations for books and podcasts, finding Instagram to be a helpful tool in “how to be of service without it being your black friend’s responsibility.”
Before the protests, her involvement with racial justice causes had been limited to donations.
“I paid attention, but it didn’t necessarily lead to me acting,” said Nelson, who held a “Black Lives Matter” sign. “I’m ashamed of it, but I’m grateful to show up even though I’m late.”
Standing nearby, Leah Pablo, a 30-year-old Asian American North Hollywood resident, said previously she had mostly engaged with issues of race by sharing information on social media. She decided to attend the protest despite concerns about the pandemic after spending most of Tuesday listening to the Los Angeles Police Commission’s weekly meeting. During the public comment session, speakers condemned the use of projectiles and tear gas against protesters.
“I heard over and over how the city hadn’t done enough to protect people,” she said.
People take a knee during a George Floyd protest in front of Los Angeles City Hall. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Local religious groups have also been spurred into action. The Rev. Zach Hoover, executive director of L.A. Voice, a multifaith organization, has received countless questions from clergy about how to become involved. Rabbis text him daily about where they should show up.
About 1,200 people attended a protest in Pasadena last weekend sponsored by churches within L.A. Voice’s network and other congregations. Hoover said there had been both an internal recognition of the importance of the moment and also “people challenging each other in loving ways” to step forward.
“Nobody was like, we have to go have a conversation with our board,” he said. “It was like, ‘Sign us on, sign us on.’”
Spiritual leaders have also sought to bridge gaps on a more intimate level. Rabbi Elazar Muskin of Young Israel of Century City, an Orthodox synagogue, and Bishop Kenneth Ulmer of Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood livestreamed a video chat Wednesday that was attended by more than 150 people. The two recognized during the meeting that both the Jewish and black communities had a history of being persecuted.
Ulmer explained to Muskin that his community feared that the protests “might be a repetition of the pattern of the past” with an eventual return to “businesses as usual” without meaningful change. But he acknowledged that the diversity of the protesters now seemed unprecedented.
“We feel now that more people not like us get it,” he said. “What hurts is that it took this long for people to get it.”
Brandon Earl, a 35-year-old resident of downtown L.A., shared that perspective. As a black man, he said he faced racism constantly and that whenever he walked outside, he had to be conscious of how he dressed and spoke “in order to have some type of acceptance.”
A group of predominantly white neighbors from his apartment building attended a protest last week after he shared a photo of himself standing in front of National Guard trucks holding up a sign that read, “Vote or Die.”
“When I see allies and people who don’t look like me still marching and protesting and vocalizing their feelings about what was happening, that makes me feel a lot better as to where we stand right now,” Earl said.
First-time protester Eduardo Realegeno, 18, joins a demonstration over police brutality and the death of George Floyd in front of Los Angeles City Hall. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
That message has been conveyed to protesters directly. Addressing several hundred people in front of the downtown L.A. courthouse Thursday, Allen Wesley, a 59-year-old black man, shared how his mother had been beaten by police when he was 11 years old.
“I see a lot of Black Lives Matter signs here and not that many blacks,” he told the crowd, most of whom were in their 20s and 30s. “That gives me hope. … We can’t do it by ourselves.”
Listening nearby was Nathalie Illescas, an 18-year-old resident of East L.A. who held a sign that carried the words “Don’t shoot.” It was her first protest, and she said she related to the oppression suffered by black people as a member of the Latino community whose family had received racist comments in public because of their skin color.
Although her parents were initially reluctant to let her attend because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she sat her mother down the day before.
“This is serious,” Illescas told her. “It’s me speaking out and raising my voice.”
Also there for his first protest was Eduardo Realegeno, an 18-year-old Salvadoran American student from South L.A. Although he sees injustices in his own community, Realegeno said he didn’t need to find parallels for Floyd’s death to resonate.
“He’s a human being, that’s how I relate,” he said. “It’s not about being a minority. It’s about standing with everyone here.”