latimes--2020-09-22--Orange County could be set for wider reopening amid improved COVID-19 numbers

With coronavirus numbers continuing to improve , Orange County officials said this week that a wider reopening of businesses could be around the corner .
The county is in Tier 2 — the second-strictest in California ’ s four-tier system that assesses COVID-19 transmission .
However , officials said this week they think Orange County could soon enter the less-restrictive Tier 3 , based on how numbers are trending .
“ There has been a steady but consistent decline in testing positivity rate , ” County Executive Officer Frank Kim said Monday .
“ Things are looking good.
” To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County would need to have 1 to 3.9 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day and a test positivity rate of 2 % to 4.9 % for two consecutive weeks .
Orange County ’ s positivity rate was 3.1 % as of Tuesday , according to state data , and its daily case count per 100,000 people was 3.6 .
The county has reported 52,382 cumulative COVID-19 cases and 1,150 deaths .
An estimated 47,197 people have recovered .
Entering the new tier would allow a number of Orange County businesses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued modifications .
For instance , churches , restaurants , movie theaters , museums , zoos and aquariums could operate at 50 % capacity , up from 25 % , while gyms could boost their capacity from 10 % to 25 % and reopen indoor pools .
However , Dr. Clayton Chau , director and county health officer at the Orange County Health Care Agency , said Monday that he continues “ to encourage people that outdoor is safer than indoor , and that people who are at risk or people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Officials have said that California ’ s tiered system , which Gov .
Gavin Newsom unveiled in late August , is deliberative by design .
The hope is that taking a slow approach when it comes to determining how widely to reopen businesses will help stave off the kind of explosive growth in infections and hospitalizations seen over the summer — a surge from which the state has only recently begun to recover .
“ People ask me on an ongoing basis , ‘ Why the slow and stringent approach ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a briefing Tuesday .
“ And I ’ ll remind you : We want to be slow and stringent , so as we move forward , we can be best prepared — in case we see some increase in transmission — that it doesn ’ t cause us to take one giant step backward.
” The state continues to see a decline in its number of COVID-19 infections and deaths .
The seven-day average number of daily cases is 3,472 , while the 14-day average for positive infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines are promising , Ghaly said they should serve as “ a reminder that we , despite seeing a steady downward trajectory ... can not drop our guard.
” Officials are keeping a close eye out for any increase in cases that could be linked to gatherings held over the Labor Day weekend .
Such a spike occurred following Memorial Day , and since the virus can take up to two weeks to incubate , it ’ s still unclear how — or if — the latest holiday will affect California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they ’ ve yet to see any evidence of that kind of surge .
“ I ’ m keeping my fingers crossed , ” Chau said .
“ We haven ’ t seen it , and hopefully , we will keep it that way.
” Times staff writer Colleen Shalby and City News Service contributed to this report .

With coronavirus numbers continuing to improve, Orange County officials said this week that a wider reopening of businesses could be around the corner.
The county is in Tier 2 — the second-strictest in California’s four-tier system that assesses COVID-19 transmission. However, officials said this week they think Orange County could soon enter the less-restrictive Tier 3, based on how numbers are trending.
“There has been a steady but consistent decline in testing positivity rate,” County Executive Officer Frank Kim said Monday. “Things are looking good.”
Tracking coronavirus in Orange County The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in Orange County, including cases, deaths, closures and restrictions.
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To move into the next tier, Orange County would need to have 1 to 3.9 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day and a test positivity rate of 2% to 4.9% for two consecutive weeks.
Orange County’s positivity rate was 3.1% as of Tuesday, according to state data, and its daily case count per 100,000 people was 3.6.
The county has reported 52,382 cumulative COVID-19 cases and 1,150 deaths. An estimated 47,197 people have recovered.
Entering the new tier would allow a number of Orange County businesses to expand their indoor operations, albeit with continued modifications. For instance, churches, restaurants, movie theaters, museums, zoos and aquariums could operate at 50% capacity, up from 25%, while gyms could boost their capacity from 10% to 25% and reopen indoor pools.
However, Dr. Clayton Chau, director and county health officer at the Orange County Health Care Agency, said Monday that he continues “to encourage people that outdoor is safer than indoor, and that people who are at risk or people who are sick, they need to stay home.”
Officials have said that California’s tiered system, which Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled in late August, is deliberative by design.
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The hope is that taking a slow approach when it comes to determining how widely to reopen businesses will help stave off the kind of explosive growth in infections and hospitalizations seen over the summer — a surge from which the state has only recently begun to recover.
“People ask me on an ongoing basis, ‘Why the slow and stringent approach?’ ” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a briefing Tuesday. “And I’ll remind you: We want to be slow and stringent, so as we move forward, we can be best prepared — in case we see some increase in transmission — that it doesn’t cause us to take one giant step backward.”
The state continues to see a decline in its number of COVID-19 infections and deaths. The seven-day average number of daily cases is 3,472, while the 14-day average for positive infections is 3%.
Though the trend lines are promising, Ghaly said they should serve as “a reminder that we, despite seeing a steady downward trajectory ... cannot drop our guard.”
Officials are keeping a close eye out for any increase in cases that could be linked to gatherings held over the Labor Day weekend. Such a spike occurred following Memorial Day, and since the virus can take up to two weeks to incubate, it’s still unclear how — or if — the latest holiday will affect California’s numbers.
In Orange County, officials said they’ve yet to see any evidence of that kind of surge.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” Chau said. “We haven’t seen it, and hopefully, we will keep it that way.”
Times staff writer Colleen Shalby and City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-22--Nail salons can reopen statewide; L.A. County yet to set timing

Under the latest state health guidelines announced Tuesday , nail salons can reopen indoors across California .
Previously , such businesses were allowed to reopen only in counties in Tier 2 or higher on the state ’ s four-tier reopening blueprint .
Counties in Tier 1 — those deemed most at risk of widespread COVID-19 infection — will now have the option to let nail salons operate , although counties still have the authority to keep shops closed .
The decision follows months of outcry from business owners and salon workers who felt they had been unfairly targeted after Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case in the state originated at a nail salon .
Activists have said that claim is false .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , California ’ s Health and Human Services Department director , said Tuesday that state officials have worked with business sector leaders and county officials to ensure that nail salons can operate indoors in low-risk environments .
In some parts of the state , salons have been operating outdoors .
“ We ’ re of course very sensitive , and interested , to support economic sectors throughout the state , ” Ghaly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual counties to allow businesses and other sectors to reopen after being given the green light by the state .
Los Angeles County , for example , has refrained from allowing operations to resume at indoor malls and card rooms , despite having the state ’ s permission to do so .
County health officials have said that such changes will not come until late September , at the earliest , after data that would show whether there has been a Labor Day infection surge and the state ’ s new reopening are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. County Department of Public Health said it plans to consult with the Board of Supervisors to determine the timing of allowing nail salons to resume operations under modified indoor operations .
Previous guidance from the state had advised that nail salons must require workers to wear face masks and disposable gloves , ask clients to wash their hands prior to service , use disposable supplies , including single-use items , remove nail polish displays and refrain from offering multiple services at once to customers .
The state has not yet provided updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tier 1 counties or whether such operations differ from other tiers .
Ghaly also announced Tuesday that a handful of counties have been upgraded in the state ’ s reopening tiers .
Alameda , Riverside , San Luis Obispo , San Mateo and Solano counties have moved from Tier 1 , or purple , to Tier 2 , or red , where the risk of spread is substantial .
El Dorado , Lassen and Nevada counties have moved to Tier 3 , or orange , where risk is deemed moderate .
And Mariposa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state to move to the least-restrictive Tier 4 , or yellow , where spread of the virus is considered minimal .
San Diego County remains in Tier 2 after its seven-day average case count and positivity rate dropped following a spike .
If the county ’ s metrics fall below the Tier 2 threshold for two consecutive weeks , Ghaly said it would move up .
“ We certainly see a county that is hovering between that threshold , ” he said .
The state continues to see a decline in the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have surpassed 15,000 .
The seven-day average number of daily cases is currently 3,472 , while the 14-day average for positive infections is 3.0 % .
But officials continue to warn that data related to activity during the Labor Day weekend and the state ’ s latest reopening strategy could lead to a surge in numbers .
“ I will reserve final judgment for a couple weeks , ” Ghaly said .

Under the latest state health guidelines announced Tuesday, nail salons will be allowed to reopen in California.
Under the latest state health guidelines announced Tuesday, nail salons can reopen indoors across California.
Previously, such businesses were allowed to reopen only in counties in Tier 2 or higher on the state’s four-tier reopening blueprint. Counties in Tier 1 — those deemed most at risk of widespread COVID-19 infection — will now have the option to let nail salons operate, although counties still have the authority to keep shops closed.
The decision follows months of outcry from business owners and salon workers who felt they had been unfairly targeted after Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed the first COVID-19 case in the state originated at a nail salon. Activists have said that claim is false.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services Department director, said Tuesday that state officials have worked with business sector leaders and county officials to ensure that nail salons can operate indoors in low-risk environments. In some parts of the state, salons have been operating outdoors.
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“We’re of course very sensitive, and interested, to support economic sectors throughout the state,” Ghaly said.
It is ultimately up to individual counties to allow businesses and other sectors to reopen after being given the green light by the state.
Los Angeles County, for example, has refrained from allowing operations to resume at indoor malls and card rooms, despite having the state’s permission to do so. County health officials have said that such changes will not come until late September, at the earliest, after data that would show whether there has been a Labor Day infection surge and the state’s new reopening are assessed.
In a statement, the L.A. County Department of Public Health said it plans to consult with the Board of Supervisors to determine the timing of allowing nail salons to resume operations under modified indoor operations.
Previous guidance from the state had advised that nail salons must require workers to wear face masks and disposable gloves, ask clients to wash their hands prior to service, use disposable supplies, including single-use items, remove nail polish displays and refrain from offering multiple services at once to customers.
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The state has not yet provided updated guidance for how salons should reopen in Tier 1 counties or whether such operations differ from other tiers.
Ghaly also announced Tuesday that a handful of counties have been upgraded in the state’s reopening tiers.
Alameda, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo and Solano counties have moved from Tier 1, or purple, to Tier 2, or red, where the risk of spread is substantial. El Dorado, Lassen and Nevada counties have moved to Tier 3, or orange, where risk is deemed moderate. And Mariposa County becomes the third county in the state to move to the least-restrictive Tier 4, or yellow, where spread of the virus is considered minimal.
San Diego County remains in Tier 2 after its seven-day average case count and positivity rate dropped following a spike. If the county’s metrics fall below the Tier 2 threshold for two consecutive weeks, Ghaly said it would move up.
“We certainly see a county that is hovering between that threshold,” he said.
The state continues to see a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths, which have surpassed 15,000. The seven-day average number of daily cases is currently 3,472, while the 14-day average for positive infections is 3.0%. But officials continue to warn that data related to activity during the Labor Day weekend and the state’s latest reopening strategy could lead to a surge in numbers.
“I will reserve final judgment for a couple weeks,” Ghaly said.


latimes--2020-09-22--2 Marines at Camp Pendleton charged in federal drug bust tied to OD of fellow Marine

Two U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton were arrested Tuesday by federal agents after being indicted in a drug-dealing conspiracy that included the sale of oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of another Marine .
Lance Cpls .
Anthony Ruben Whisenant , 20 , and Ryan Douglas White , 22 , are among five defendants expected to make their initial appearances Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles .
Whisenant is accused of distributing narcotics to fellow Marines , including one who overdosed , and White is charged with being an accessory after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hinder the apprehension of Whisenant and accused drug supplier Jordan Nicholas McCormick .
The 14-count indictment alleges that McCormick , 26 , of Palmdale , led a conspiracy to distribute LSD , ecstasy , cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl .
Also named are Jessica Sarah Perez , 23 , of Pacoima , and Gustavo Jaciel Solis , 24 , of Sylmar .
Prosecutors say Perez distributed narcotics from McCormick — including fentanyl and cocaine — to civilian customers , while Solis distributed drugs to both civilians and military personnel .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to an active-duty Marine on May 22 .
A day later , the Marine died of a drug overdose , according to court documents .
Solis and Perez were previously indicted on fentanyl and cocaine distribution charges , and Solis was indicted on firearms-related charges .
They have pleaded not guilty to those charges , and their trial date is Oct. 27 .
Solis is in federal custody , and Perez is free on $ 25,000 bond .
On Tuesday , a superseding indictment added McCormick , Whisenant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to adding charges to the original indictment .
McCormick also is in federal custody .
According to the indictment , the drug conspiracy began in November 2019 and involved multiple sales of fentanyl-laced oxycodone to an undercover buyer , often for amounts exceeding $ 1,000 per buy .
The arrests are part of a multi-agency investigation with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service , the Drug Enforcement Administration , the FBI , the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Ventura County Sheriff ’ s Office .
In addition to the conspiracy charge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face substantive charges of distribution of narcotics , including fentanyl .
McCormick and Solis also are charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug crimes .
Whisenant and Perez face a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted , while McCormick and Solis face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment .
White , if convicted , faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison .

Two Marines at Camp Pendleton have been arrested on federal drug charges in connection with the overdose death of a fellow Marine.
Two U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton were arrested Tuesday by federal agents after being indicted in a drug-dealing conspiracy that included the sale of oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of another Marine.
Lance Cpls. Anthony Ruben Whisenant, 20, and Ryan Douglas White, 22, are among five defendants expected to make their initial appearances Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Whisenant is accused of distributing narcotics to fellow Marines, including one who overdosed, and White is charged with being an accessory after the fact. Prosecutors said White tried to hinder the apprehension of Whisenant and accused drug supplier Jordan Nicholas McCormick.
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The 14-count indictment alleges that McCormick, 26, of Palmdale, led a conspiracy to distribute LSD, ecstasy, cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. Also named are Jessica Sarah Perez, 23, of Pacoima, and Gustavo Jaciel Solis, 24, of Sylmar.
Prosecutors say Perez distributed narcotics from McCormick — including fentanyl and cocaine — to civilian customers, while Solis distributed drugs to both civilians and military personnel.
According to the indictment, Solis sold 10 oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to an active-duty Marine on May 22. A day later, the Marine died of a drug overdose, according to court documents.
Solis and Perez were previously indicted on fentanyl and cocaine distribution charges, and Solis was indicted on firearms-related charges. They have pleaded not guilty to those charges, and their trial date is Oct. 27. Solis is in federal custody, and Perez is free on $25,000 bond.
On Tuesday, a superseding indictment added McCormick, Whisenant and White as defendants, in addition to adding charges to the original indictment. McCormick also is in federal custody.
According to the indictment, the drug conspiracy began in November 2019 and involved multiple sales of fentanyl-laced oxycodone to an undercover buyer, often for amounts exceeding $1,000 per buy.
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The arrests are part of a multi-agency investigation with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, McCormick, Solis, Whisenant and Perez face substantive charges of distribution of narcotics, including fentanyl. McCormick and Solis also are charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug crimes.
Whisenant and Perez face a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted, while McCormick and Solis face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. White, if convicted, faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.


latimes--2020-09-22--Police Commission to review LAPD's facial recognition use after Times report

The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday said it would review the city Police Department ’ s use of facial recognition software and how it compared with programs in other major cities .
The commission did so after citing reporting by The Times this week that publicly revealed the scope of the LAPD ’ s use of facial recognition for the first time — including that hundreds of LAPD officers have used it nearly 30,000 times since 2009 .
Critics say police denials of its use are part of a long pattern of deception and that transparency is essential , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Commission President Eileen Decker said a subcommittee of the commission would “ do a deeper dive ” into the technology ’ s use and “ work with the department in terms of analyzing the oversight mechanisms ” for the system .
“ It ’ s a good time to take a global look at this issue , ” Decker said .
Decker and Commissioner Dale Bonner sit on the commission ’ s data subcommittee , which will take up the task .
Decker also asked LAPD Chief Michel Moore to work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past responses to requests for public records related to facial recognition , “ just to be assured that the department addressed each of those requests appropriately.
” In addition to reporting the scope of LAPD ’ s use of facial recognition , The Times ’ article noted that the widespread use stood in contrast to repeated denials by the LAPD that it used facial recognition technology or had records pertaining to it , including in response to public records requests .
Decker ’ s comments followed a briefing by Moore , who cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to provide the commissioners with information about the program .
The LAPD does not have its own facial recognition platform , but more than 300 LAPD officers have access to the Los Angeles County Regional Identification System — which allows officers from across the region to input images from surveillance cameras and other sources for comparison against a database of nearly 9 million mug shots .
“ This is a database that allows us to take that image and get clues or tips as to persons that may be a match , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system had helped produce leads in homicide , sexual assault and robbery investigations .
He said “ the algorithm that does this is not based on race or sex , it ’ s based on the contours of a person ’ s face , ” and that the leads the system produces are just one piece of information that investigators use to more deeply investigate crimes .
“ This is a process that I have faith and confidence in , ” Moore said .
“ It ’ s also one that has controls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s use of the system was “ not done in secret.
” Such technology has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates and others , including due to findings that it can produce more false results for people of color .
Some critics also object to the use of mug-shot databases as the source of comparison photographs , and say the lack of government transparency around the use of facial recognition is increasingly problematic as the technology becomes more powerful .
The city of San Francisco last year banned the use of facial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citing civil liberties concerns .
Additional criticism has been directed at the LAPD for consistently claiming it does not have any records related to the technology .
The county system the LAPD has access to is maintained by the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department , and civil liberties advocates say the LAPD has hidden behind that fact to act as if it has no paper trail of records related to its own use of the system .
The Times found multiple examples of the LAPD denying having records on facial recognition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as records in which LAPD officials have issued directives and policy positions on the use of facial recognition within the department .
In the summer of 2019 , a Times reporter asked the LAPD about its use of facial recognition directly .
“ I ’ ve found some material on LAPD ’ s pilot facial recognition programs from 2004/5 , but wanted to get in touch to see if the department has an official statement and stance on the technology today .
It would be great to know if it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the thinking behind the department ’ s approach , ” a Times reporter wrote .
Josh Rubenstein , an LAPD spokesman , responded by writing , “ We actually do not use facial recognition in the Department.
” The only thing he added was that the department ’ s partner agencies had used it in “ a few limited instances ” during joint investigations .
On Tuesday , Commissioner Steve Soboroff asked Moore about the exchange .
“ Was there a misstatement , or was there a misinterpretation or a miscommunication ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a misunderstanding , ” Moore said , adding that LAPD officials believed the Times reporter was asking about a pending bill in Sacramento that would limit the use of facial recognition with police body cameras , which Moore said the LAPD did not do .
Rubenstein had previously provided the same explanation .
“ It was not meant to hide or shield or obscure our involvement , ” Moore said .
Bonner , part of the subcommittee that will now look into the software and its use in the department , asked which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s use , and said the commission would no doubt have more questions moving forward .
He also said , “ Sometimes if you don ’ t ask the right question , you don ’ t get the right answer ” — seeming to suggest the LAPD ’ s erroneous denials had to do with the framing of the requests for information .
In addition to the LAPD ’ s denial of facial recognition use to The Times , the LAPD denied a November public records request seeking “ records and materials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and use of face recognition technology and related software and services ” by saying , “ The LAPD does not utilize facial recognition technology and related software services.
” After The Times questioned the accuracy of that response , the department sent a correction — calling its previous statement “ inaccurate.
” Several callers who spoke during a public comment portion of the Police Commission meeting rejected the notion that the LAPD had simply misunderstood past requests for information , saying the requests — including from The Times and the activist organization Stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Chief Moore tries to say they didn ’ t understand the question .
They lied , ” said Paula Minor , a local Black Lives Matter activist .
Other callers said they supported the LAPD and its use of facial recognition , citing rising violent-crime levels .
Although violent crime overall is down compared with this time last year , shootings and homicides have increased .
Decker did not provide a timeline for when the subcommittee ’ s review of facial recognition use by the LAPD would be completed .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has declined to answer questions about broader use of its facial recognition platform by dozens of other police agencies in the county .

The L.A. Police Commission will review LAPD use of facial recognition software after The Times reported that LAPD officers had used the technology nearly 30,000 times since 2009.
The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday said it would review the city Police Department’s use of facial recognition software and how it compared with programs in other major cities.
The commission did so after citing reporting by The Times this week that publicly revealed the scope of the LAPD’s use of facial recognition for the first time — including that hundreds of LAPD officers have used it nearly 30,000 times since 2009. Critics say police denials of its use are part of a long pattern of deception and that transparency is essential, given potential privacy and civil rights infringements.
Commission President Eileen Decker said a subcommittee of the commission would “do a deeper dive” into the technology’s use and “work with the department in terms of analyzing the oversight mechanisms” for the system.
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“It’s a good time to take a global look at this issue,” Decker said.
Decker and Commissioner Dale Bonner sit on the commission’s data subcommittee, which will take up the task.
Decker also asked LAPD Chief Michel Moore to work with city attorneys to conduct a review of past responses to requests for public records related to facial recognition, “just to be assured that the department addressed each of those requests appropriately.”
In addition to reporting the scope of LAPD’s use of facial recognition, The Times’ article noted that the widespread use stood in contrast to repeated denials by the LAPD that it used facial recognition technology or had records pertaining to it, including in response to public records requests.
Decker’s comments followed a briefing by Moore, who cited The Times’ article and said he wanted to provide the commissioners with information about the program.
The LAPD does not have its own facial recognition platform, but more than 300 LAPD officers have access to the Los Angeles County Regional Identification System — which allows officers from across the region to input images from surveillance cameras and other sources for comparison against a database of nearly 9 million mug shots.
Advertisement
“This is a database that allows us to take that image and get clues or tips as to persons that may be a match,” Moore said.
Moore said the system had helped produce leads in homicide, sexual assault and robbery investigations.
He said “the algorithm that does this is not based on race or sex, it’s based on the contours of a person’s face,” and that the leads the system produces are just one piece of information that investigators use to more deeply investigate crimes.
“This is a process that I have faith and confidence in,” Moore said. “It’s also one that has controls and limitations.”
Moore said the LAPD’s use of the system was “not done in secret.”
Such technology has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates and others, including due to findings that it can produce more false results for people of color. Some critics also object to the use of mug-shot databases as the source of comparison photographs, and say the lack of government transparency around the use of facial recognition is increasingly problematic as the technology becomes more powerful.
The city of San Francisco last year banned the use of facial recognition, including by its police, citing civil liberties concerns.
Additional criticism has been directed at the LAPD for consistently claiming it does not have any records related to the technology. The county system the LAPD has access to is maintained by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and civil liberties advocates say the LAPD has hidden behind that fact to act as if it has no paper trail of records related to its own use of the system.
The Times found multiple examples of the LAPD denying having records on facial recognition, including policies around its use, as well as records in which LAPD officials have issued directives and policy positions on the use of facial recognition within the department.
In the summer of 2019, a Times reporter asked the LAPD about its use of facial recognition directly.
“I’ve found some material on LAPD’s pilot facial recognition programs from 2004/5, but wanted to get in touch to see if the department has an official statement and stance on the technology today. It would be great to know if it’s being used by the department, and the thinking behind the department’s approach,” a Times reporter wrote.
Josh Rubenstein, an LAPD spokesman, responded by writing, “We actually do not use facial recognition in the Department.”
The only thing he added was that the department’s partner agencies had used it in “a few limited instances” during joint investigations.
On Tuesday, Commissioner Steve Soboroff asked Moore about the exchange.
“Was there a misstatement, or was there a misinterpretation or a miscommunication?” Soboroff asked.
“There was a misunderstanding,” Moore said, adding that LAPD officials believed the Times reporter was asking about a pending bill in Sacramento that would limit the use of facial recognition with police body cameras, which Moore said the LAPD did not do. Rubenstein had previously provided the same explanation.
“It was not meant to hide or shield or obscure our involvement,” Moore said.
Bonner, part of the subcommittee that will now look into the software and its use in the department, asked which LAPD commanders had oversight of the system’s use, and said the commission would no doubt have more questions moving forward.
He also said, “Sometimes if you don’t ask the right question, you don’t get the right answer” — seeming to suggest the LAPD’s erroneous denials had to do with the framing of the requests for information.
In addition to the LAPD’s denial of facial recognition use to The Times, the LAPD denied a November public records request seeking “records and materials related to the solicitation, acquisition, and use of face recognition technology and related software and services” by saying, “The LAPD does not utilize facial recognition technology and related software services.”
After The Times questioned the accuracy of that response, the department sent a correction — calling its previous statement “inaccurate.”
Several callers who spoke during a public comment portion of the Police Commission meeting rejected the notion that the LAPD had simply misunderstood past requests for information, saying the requests — including from The Times and the activist organization Stop LAPD Spying Coalition — have been explicit.
“Chief Moore tries to say they didn’t understand the question. They lied,” said Paula Minor, a local Black Lives Matter activist.
Other callers said they supported the LAPD and its use of facial recognition, citing rising violent-crime levels. Although violent crime overall is down compared with this time last year, shootings and homicides have increased.
Decker did not provide a timeline for when the subcommittee’s review of facial recognition use by the LAPD would be completed.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has declined to answer questions about broader use of its facial recognition platform by dozens of other police agencies in the county.


latimes--2020-09-22--Review: Granville Redmond, deaf from age 2, became Charlie Chaplin's favorite painter

As an extravagantly talented artist , one whose facility with a brush is obvious from first look , Granville Redmond ( 1871-1935 ) is a peculiar case .
His vividly colored landscapes and moody twilight and nighttime scenes are often lovely , if old-fashioned for their time .
But his extraordinary biography finally commands more attention than his canvases .
Believe it or not , without Redmond , Charlie Chaplin might not be exactly the genius of silent pictures that we know today .
The painter had modest roles in eight Chaplin films , starting with “ A Dog ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first picture the Little Tramp made for First National , his own production company , and concluding with the 1931 classic , “ City Lights , ” one of the actor ’ s best .
( Uncredited , Redmond plays the sculptor in the famous opening scene , where the Tramp is unveiled snoozing in the arms of a monument at its public dedication ceremony . )
While the brilliant mime was of course a major star by the time the two met , his long friendship with the artist had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the Laguna Art Museum , recently reopened to limited numbers of visitors with appropriate requirements for masking and social distancing in light of the pandemic , a traveling retrospective brings together 74 paintings .
“ Granville Redmond : The Eloquent Palette ” was organized by the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento .
Originally scheduled to close Sept. 20 , it has been extended through Nov. 15 .
( The loan for one painting , “ Hillside in Spring , ” was not retained . )
This is the artist ’ s second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first was in 1989 — the seaside colony where Redmond worked at the start of the 20th century .
Mostly Redmond lived and worked in and around Los Angeles , with stints in Northern California .
Study in Paris , however , set the path he would follow throughout his career .
In 1893 , when he was 22 , Redmond enrolled at the Académie Julian , a rigorous private art school there popular with international students .
He stayed in Paris for nearly five years .
In the exhibition , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of meadows and California oak trees suggest Redmond ’ s affinity for tonalism , a low-key technique of atmospheric painting that he learned from intimate interaction with French paintings of the Barbizon forest , as well as northeast American landscapes by painters like George Inness .
The style was well-established in France .
Redmond loved it , but buyers in California didn ’ t .
Too melancholy , perhaps .
They preferred color — bright , showy , rolling fields of golden poppies and lupines , the flowers ’ yellow-orange and purplish-blue hues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color wheel .
Often this style is referred to as California Impressionism .
The French kind , born in the 1870s and controversial from the get-go , had long been superseded by the time Redmond picked it up almost two generations later , in the 1910s .
In France it was partly an inventive , highly personal reaction to tumultuous urban industrialization .
But in California it functioned almost as idyllic promotion of Golden State bliss .
Redmond ’ s version is often anchored by an underlying geometry , like a net thrown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identical successive waves rolling into shore .
It ’ s as if nature is being corralled by an unseen structural grid made by art .
The technique no doubt derived from the orderly training process at the Académie Julian .
That sort of rigid process is what French Impressionism sought to undermine .
The colorful , broken brushwork of a Claude Monet or an Alfred Sisley landscape came from elevating the spontaneity of the rapid oil sketch , which the academy regarded as only the first of many steps in creating a finished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s broken brushwork is careful , measured and highly organized — anything but spontaneous and free .
In fact , I think of the American painter ’ s flamboyant landscapes as a continuation of tonalism by other means — vivid and highly colored , rather than muted and bronzed .
The optical fireworks of the thickly daubed surfaces are held in check by almost mathematically charted compositions .
It ’ s as if a smooth , placid , sepia-toned picture were being infused with thick color .
Sometimes Redmond attempted a frank fusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A number of moonlight seascapes are saturated edge to edge in sapphire blue , flecked with almost pure white paint to suggest light reflected on the water ’ s surface .
Shown together in one room whose walls are also painted solid sapphire , nighttime on the ocean verges on creepy .
The buying public responded positively to these chromatic spectacles , somewhat to Redmond ’ s dismay .
He complained that he could hardly give away the subtler tonalist paintings , which he regarded as his finest work , while the demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Laguna show is pretty evenly divided between the two types .
Installed in a loose chronology , they intermix .
The chronology is loose , however , because Redmond often didn ’ t date his pictures .
Educated guesswork is involved in organizing the sequence .
The excellent , exhaustively detailed catalog by Crocker curator Scott A. Shields makes reasonable efforts to line things up .
What ’ s remarkable about Redmond ’ s biography is his personal tenacity and fearless creativity in making a full life for himself .
Struck with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he had been rendered deaf and mute .
At the California School for the Deaf , then in Berkeley , now in Fremont , he found a supportive staff — including for his budding artistic skills .
When he set out to cross both a continent and an ocean for ambitious study in Paris , he went alone .
He made his way through art school .
When he returned to Los Angeles , he married , had children and became one of the most popular painters in the state .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign language and pantomime to good use in the newly flourishing industry of silent movies .
Chaplin was impressed .
They became fast friends .
The actor bought Redmond ’ s paintings , and he introduced them to other Hollywood heavyweights .
Past literature on Redmond is marked by ill-informed speculation that his deafness enhanced his vision , as if loss of one sense found compensation in another and translated naturally into painterly skill .
The Laguna show demonstrates otherwise .
Redmond was not a great artist , but he was a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admired for what it is .

As an extravagantly talented artist, one whose facility with a brush is obvious from first look, Granville Redmond (1871-1935) is a peculiar case. His vividly colored landscapes and moody twilight and nighttime scenes are often lovely, if old-fashioned for their time. But his extraordinary biography finally commands more attention than his canvases.
Believe it or not, without Redmond, Charlie Chaplin might not be exactly the genius of silent pictures that we know today.
Granville Redmond, “Moonlight, San Mateo Salt Marshes,” 1911, oil on canvas (Laguna Art Museum)
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The painter had modest roles in eight Chaplin films, starting with “A Dog’s Life” (1918), the first picture the Little Tramp made for First National, his own production company, and concluding with the 1931 classic, “City Lights,” one of the actor’s best. (Uncredited, Redmond plays the sculptor in the famous opening scene, where the Tramp is unveiled snoozing in the arms of a monument at its public dedication ceremony.) While the brilliant mime was of course a major star by the time the two met, his long friendship with the artist had a lasting impact on his cinematic achievement.
At the Laguna Art Museum, recently reopened to limited numbers of visitors with appropriate requirements for masking and social distancing in light of the pandemic, a traveling retrospective brings together 74 paintings. “Granville Redmond: The Eloquent Palette” was organized by the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. Originally scheduled to close Sept. 20, it has been extended through Nov. 15. (The loan for one painting, “Hillside in Spring,” was not retained.) This is the artist’s second survey to be shown at Laguna — the first was in 1989 — the seaside colony where Redmond worked at the start of the 20th century.
Granville Redmond is known for his poppy paintings, which weren’t his favorite (Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times)
Mostly Redmond lived and worked in and around Los Angeles, with stints in Northern California. Study in Paris, however, set the path he would follow throughout his career. In 1893, when he was 22, Redmond enrolled at the Académie Julian, a rigorous private art school there popular with international students.
He stayed in Paris for nearly five years. In the exhibition, the soft, gray and brown twilight views of meadows and California oak trees suggest Redmond’s affinity for tonalism, a low-key technique of atmospheric painting that he learned from intimate interaction with French paintings of the Barbizon forest, as well as northeast American landscapes by painters like George Inness.
The style was well-established in France. Redmond loved it, but buyers in California didn’t. Too melancholy, perhaps. They preferred color — bright, showy, rolling fields of golden poppies and lupines, the flowers’ yellow-orange and purplish-blue hues setting off complementary sparks on the optical color wheel.
Often this style is referred to as California Impressionism. The French kind, born in the 1870s and controversial from the get-go, had long been superseded by the time Redmond picked it up almost two generations later, in the 1910s.
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In France it was partly an inventive, highly personal reaction to tumultuous urban industrialization. But in California it functioned almost as idyllic promotion of Golden State bliss. Redmond’s version is often anchored by an underlying geometry, like a net thrown over undulating hills, slopes layered like identical successive waves rolling into shore.
It’s as if nature is being corralled by an unseen structural grid made by art. The technique no doubt derived from the orderly training process at the Académie Julian.
That sort of rigid process is what French Impressionism sought to undermine. The colorful, broken brushwork of a Claude Monet or an Alfred Sisley landscape came from elevating the spontaneity of the rapid oil sketch, which the academy regarded as only the first of many steps in creating a finished painting. By contrast, Redmond’s broken brushwork is careful, measured and highly organized — anything but spontaneous and free.
In fact, I think of the American painter’s flamboyant landscapes as a continuation of tonalism by other means — vivid and highly colored, rather than muted and bronzed. The optical fireworks of the thickly daubed surfaces are held in check by almost mathematically charted compositions. It’s as if a smooth, placid, sepia-toned picture were being infused with thick color.
Sometimes Redmond attempted a frank fusion of tonalist atmosphere and deep color. A number of moonlight seascapes are saturated edge to edge in sapphire blue, flecked with almost pure white paint to suggest light reflected on the water’s surface. Shown together in one room whose walls are also painted solid sapphire, nighttime on the ocean verges on creepy.
The buying public responded positively to these chromatic spectacles, somewhat to Redmond’s dismay. He complained that he could hardly give away the subtler tonalist paintings, which he regarded as his finest work, while the demand for flashy poppy paintings was high.
The Laguna show is pretty evenly divided between the two types. Installed in a loose chronology, they intermix.
The chronology is loose, however, because Redmond often didn’t date his pictures. Educated guesswork is involved in organizing the sequence. The excellent, exhaustively detailed catalog by Crocker curator Scott A. Shields makes reasonable efforts to line things up.
Granville Redmond, “California Poppies,” no date, oil on canvas (Laguna Art Museum)
What’s remarkable about Redmond’s biography is his personal tenacity and fearless creativity in making a full life for himself. Struck with scarlet fever at the age of 2, he had been rendered deaf and mute.
At the California School for the Deaf, then in Berkeley, now in Fremont, he found a supportive staff — including for his budding artistic skills. When he set out to cross both a continent and an ocean for ambitious study in Paris, he went alone. He made his way through art school. When he returned to Los Angeles, he married, had children and became one of the most popular painters in the state.
He also put his highly developed skills in sign language and pantomime to good use in the newly flourishing industry of silent movies. Chaplin was impressed. They became fast friends. The actor bought Redmond’s paintings, and he introduced them to other Hollywood heavyweights.
Past literature on Redmond is marked by ill-informed speculation that his deafness enhanced his vision, as if loss of one sense found compensation in another and translated naturally into painterly skill. The Laguna show demonstrates otherwise. Redmond was not a great artist, but he was a very good one. His achievement should be admired for what it is.
Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Dr., Laguna Beach, (949) 494-8971, through Nov. 15. Closed Weds.


latimes--2020-09-22--Vanessa Bryant sues L.A. County sheriff, alleging 'cover-up' of Kobe Bryant crash photos

Vanessa Bryant has sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department over deputies sharing “ unauthorized ” photos of the scene of the helicopter crash that killed her husband , Kobe Bryant , their daughter and seven others .
Shortly after the Jan. 26 crash , Vanessa Bryant alleges , Sheriff Alex Villanueva personally assured her that deputies were securing the crash site to ensure her privacy .
Her suit comes after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that deputies had taken and shared photos of the crash scene .
But the lawsuit alleges “ no fewer than 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site , pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children , parents and coaches .
The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification.
” “ This lawsuit is about accountability , ” said Luis Li , Bryant ’ s lead attorney on the case , “ and about preventing this disgraceful behavior from happening to other families in the future who have suffered loss.
” Villanueva has admitted that eight deputies were involved in taking and sharing photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Calabasas and that he ordered that the photos be destroyed .
He said at least one of the photos was shared outside of the department .
The lawsuit alleges one of the deputies was at a Norwalk bar and showed gruesome photographs from the crash scene to a woman and that the bartender overheard the conversation and decided to report it to the Sheriff ’ s Department .
According to the suit , Villanueva attempted to cover up the taking of the graphic photographs by going to the sheriff ’ s substation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies if they deleted the images they would not face discipline .
In a claim early this year following the crash , attorneys for Vanessa Bryant alleged “ Mrs .
Bryant was distressed to learn that the department did not initiate a formal investigation until after the L.A. Times broke the story.
” The document said five deputies and three trainees or reserve deputies took or shared photos of the scene .
The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence , intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of her right to privacy .
Villaneuva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifics of the allegations .
“ The actions we took were the correct ones in extraordinary circumstances , ” he stated .
Villanueva added that he was the one who proposed creating legislation that makes it a crime for first responders to take pictures of a deceased person unless it ’ s part of the official investigation ; that measure , sponsored by a state lawmaker , is now on Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s desk .
The others who perished in the fiery crash were Bryant ’ s 13-year-old daughter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sarah Chester ; John , Keri and Alyssa Altobelli ; and pilot Ara Zobayan .
The Times first reported that the deputies shared photos taken at the crash site near Calabasas after someone filed a written complaint to the Sheriff ’ s Department three days after the crash .
In the aftermath , the Sheriff ’ s Department tried to keep a lid on the episode instead of following normal investigative protocols — even after determining that several more deputies had obtained photographs , sources said .
The Times , however , learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the photos , a move that some inside the department as well as legal experts said could amount to destruction of evidence .
The sheriff on Tuesday insisted the matter was handled correctly at the time and that normal investigative protocols did not exist in this case because there was “ no crime , no investigation , no evidence period.
” Following the revelations , an attorney for Vanessa Bryant said that she ’ d gone to the sheriff ’ s office after the crash and requested the area be designated a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ At that time , Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families ’ privacy , and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests , ” attorney Gary C. Robb said .
He demanded that the deputies be identified “ to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated.
” Robb requested an internal affairs investigation into the allegations and the “ harshest possible discipline ” for those responsible .
He called the alleged behavior “ inexcusable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation of human decency , respect , and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families , ” he said .
After The Times reported on the scandal , Villanueva said he launched an investigation , which he asked the Office of the Inspector General to monitor .
The suit , however , alleges that when Villanueva learned of the photos , he did not inform the families , investigate or inspect the phones but directed a “ cover-up.
” The action , the suit alleges , compounded the deaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Mrs .
Bryant feels ill at the thought of strangers gawking at images of her deceased husband and child and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online , ” the lawsuit reads .
The suit further alleges many social media users have claimed to have seen the photos , and that is plausible given the deputies took the images with cellphones and they would be saved to cloud storage .
The bill on Gov .
Newsom ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gipson ( D-Carson ) .
It would make it a misdemeanor , punishable by up to a year in jail and $ 5,000 in fines , for a first responder to use a smartphone or other device to photograph a deceased person for any purpose other than official law enforcement business .

Vanessa Bryant has sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over deputies sharing “unauthorized” photos of the scene of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, their daughter and seven others.
Shortly after the Jan. 26 crash, Vanessa Bryant alleges, Sheriff Alex Villanueva personally assured her that deputies were securing the crash site to ensure her privacy. Her suit comes after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that deputies had taken and shared photos of the crash scene.
But the lawsuit alleges “no fewer than 8 sheriff’s deputies at the crash site, pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents and coaches. The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification.”
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“This lawsuit is about accountability,” said Luis Li, Bryant’s lead attorney on the case, “and about preventing this disgraceful behavior from happening to other families in the future who have suffered loss.”
Villanueva has admitted that eight deputies were involved in taking and sharing photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims at the scene of the crash in Calabasas and that he ordered that the photos be destroyed. He said at least one of the photos was shared outside of the department.
The lawsuit alleges one of the deputies was at a Norwalk bar and showed gruesome photographs from the crash scene to a woman and that the bartender overheard the conversation and decided to report it to the Sheriff’s Department.
According to the suit, Villanueva attempted to cover up the taking of the graphic photographs by going to the sheriff’s substation that responded to the crash and telling deputies if they deleted the images they would not face discipline.
In a claim early this year following the crash, attorneys for Vanessa Bryant alleged “Mrs. Bryant was distressed to learn that the department did not initiate a formal investigation until after the L.A. Times broke the story.” The document said five deputies and three trainees or reserve deputies took or shared photos of the scene.
The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of her right to privacy.
Villanueva said he would not comment on the specifics of the allegations. “The actions we took were the correct ones in extraordinary circumstances,” he stated.
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Villanueva added that he was the one who proposed creating legislation that makes it a crime for first responders to take pictures of a deceased person unless it’s part of the official investigation; that measure, sponsored by a state lawmaker, is now on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
The others who perished in the fiery crash were Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna; Christina Mauser; Payton and Sarah Chester; John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli; and pilot Ara Zobayan.
The Times first reported that the deputies shared photos taken at the crash site near Calabasas after someone filed a written complaint to the Sheriff’s Department three days after the crash. In the aftermath, the Sheriff’s Department tried to keep a lid on the episode instead of following normal investigative protocols — even after determining that several more deputies had obtained photographs, sources said.
The Times, however, learned Villanueva ordered the deputies to quietly delete the photos, a move that some inside the department as well as legal experts said could amount to destruction of evidence.
The sheriff on Tuesday insisted the matter was handled correctly at the time and that normal investigative protocols did not exist in this case because there was “no crime, no investigation, no evidence period.”
Following the revelations, an attorney for Vanessa Bryant said that she’d gone to the sheriff’s office after the crash and requested the area be designated a “no-fly zone” and guarded from photographers.
“At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families’ privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests,” attorney Gary C. Robb said. He demanded that the deputies be identified “to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated.”
Robb requested an internal affairs investigation into the allegations and the “harshest possible discipline” for those responsible. He called the alleged behavior “inexcusable and deplorable.”
“This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families,” he said.
After The Times reported on the scandal, Villanueva said he launched an investigation, which he asked the Office of the Inspector General to monitor.
The suit, however, alleges that when Villanueva learned of the photos, he did not inform the families, investigate or inspect the phones but directed a “cover-up.” The action, the suit alleges, compounded the deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant for Vanessa Bryant.
“Mrs. Bryant feels ill at the thought of strangers gawking at images of her deceased husband and child and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online,” the lawsuit reads. The suit further alleges many social media users have claimed to have seen the photos, and that is plausible given the deputies took the images with cellphones and they would be saved to cloud storage.
The bill on Gov. Newsom’s desk was authored by State Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D-Carson). It would make it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines, for a first responder to use a smartphone or other device to photograph a deceased person for any purpose other than official law enforcement business.


latimes--2020-09-22--Bobcat fire destroys at least 29 structures, continues to threaten Mt. Wilson

At least 29 structures have been destroyed by the Bobcat fire burning in northeastern Los Angeles County , and the number could rise as high as 85 , officials said .
The U.S. Forest Service , one of the agencies managing the blaze , said Tuesday the voracious fire has expanded to more than 109,000 acres and is 17 % contained .
“ It ’ s a very dynamic incident , ” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said in a Monday evening .
“ This is Day 16 of the Bobcat incident .
I am humbled for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Antelope Valley communities of Cima Mesa , Juniper Hills , Pearblossom and Devil ’ s Punchbowl likely bore the brunt of structure losses , officials said , but they couldn ’ t immediately confirm how many of the burned structures are homes .
An assessment team will move through the area Tuesday to provide an updated count .
One structure confirmed to have been damaged is the nature center at the Devil ’ s Punchbowl Natural Area , a 1,310-acre rock canyon that receives a reported 130,000 visitors each year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Recreation that no animals or staff were injured in the fire and that the staff office at the wildlife sanctuary survived .
The fire ’ s containment numbers dipped to 13 % Monday evening but had climbed back to 17 % by Tuesday morning thanks to progress along the eastern edge of the blaze off the Highway 39 corridor , according to U.S. Forest Service public information officer Andrew Mitchell .
But fire crews had a setback Tuesday as personnel numbers dropped from 1,700 to 1,500 — something Mitchell attributed to required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re only allowed to work 14 days straight before we have to take a mandatory two days off , ” he said .
“ You ’ ll probably see the number grow back in the next couple of days.
” The remaining crews have been divided by the fire ’ s multidirectional growth , which includes a northward creep into Antelope Valley and a “ hard push ” southwest toward the famed Mt .
Wilson Observatory .
“ Mt .
Wilson is definitely critical , ” Mitchell said Tuesday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re really putting a lot of effort into today.
” The Forest Service said the fire ’ s encroachment on the mountaintop was because of “ as well as patches of dry fuels , such as conifer trees .
Overnight aerial video showed flames approaching the communications towers at the top of the mountain , which are reportedly valued at $ 1 billion and provide frequencies for television and radio channels , including KPCC , KTLA and KNBC .
Mitchell said at least one spot fire has broken out at Mt .
Harvard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure , but it was quickly contained by fire crews .
Evacuation orders remain in place for several communities in the Angeles National Forest and the foothills north of the blaze .
Evacuation warnings also remain for Pasadena , Altadena and other areas threatened by the fire .
New evacuations were ordered Monday afternoon near Colby Ranch and Hidden Springs .
An American Red Cross has been set up at Palmdale High School in the Antelope Valley .
Red Cross spokeswoman Marilyn Jimenez Davila said 190 individuals have used the evacuation point and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meals and hotel accommodations .
Smoke advisories related to the Bobcat fire and the El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County have been extended through Tuesday , according to the , which noted that the Bobcat fire is “ producing substantial amounts of smoke.
” With Tuesday marking the first day of fall , Mitchell said officials hope lower temperatures and increased humidity will arrive at some point to help contain the spread of the blaze — but the National Weather Service is more warm and dry conditions for the day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , ” fire behavior analyst Patrick Doyle said during the virtual community meeting Monday .
“ It ’ s very dry out ... .
Fire danger indices right now are very high.
” Speaking at a news conference Monday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said an estimated 6,400 structures have burned in California this year — the wildfire season on record .
Newsom said estimates of the wildfires ’ damage are based only on what crews have seen so far .
“ By no stretch of the imagination do we think this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ As we get back in , and people are able to repopulate and go back into their communities , we will determine more structure loss .
”

Fire officials say the number of burned structures could rise as high as 85 as the blaze continues to grow.
At least 29 structures have been destroyed by the Bobcat fire in northeastern Los Angeles County, and the number could reach 85, officials said Tuesday.
The U.S. Forest Service, one of the agencies fighting the blaze, said Tuesday evening that the voracious fire has expanded to more than 112,000 acres and is just 17% contained.
“It’s a very dynamic incident,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said in a virtual community meeting Monday evening. “This is Day 16 of the Bobcat incident. I am humbled for the people who have lost homes or property.”
California Photos: Bobcat fire rages in the Angeles National Forest Fears of a significant spread of the Bobcat fire dissipated as Santa Ana winds failed to materialize, but foothill communities remain on high alert.
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The Antelope Valley communities of Cima Mesa, Juniper Hills, Pearblossom and Devil’s Punchbowl likely bore the brunt of structure losses, officials said, but they couldn’t immediately confirm how many of the burned structures are homes. An assessment team will move through the area to provide an updated count.
One structure confirmed to have been damaged is the nature center at the Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area, a 1,310-acre rock canyon that receives a reported 130,000 visitors each year. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation tweeted Saturday that no animals or staff were injured in the fire and that the staff office at the wildlife sanctuary survived.
The fire’s containment numbers dipped to 13% Monday evening but had climbed back to 17% by Tuesday, thanks to progress along the eastern edge of the blaze off the Highway 39 corridor, according to U.S. Forest Service public information officer Andrew Mitchell.
But fire crews had a setback Tuesday as personnel numbers dropped from 1,700 to 1,500 — something Mitchell attributed to required rest days for beleaguered personnel.
“We’re only allowed to work 14 days straight before we have to take a mandatory two days off,” he said. “You’ll probably see the number grow back in the next couple of days.”
The remaining crews have been divided by the fire’s multidirectional growth, which includes a northward creep into Antelope Valley and a “hard push” southwest toward the famed Mt. Wilson Observatory.
#Bobcat Fire is making a hard push at Mt. Wilson, defensive strategic operations are beginning from Mt. Wilson to the west. Photo credit: Brian Lugo, Bobcat IC Crew 12 pic.twitter.com/9CZwWlqYt7 — Angeles_NF (@Angeles_NF) September 21, 2020
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“Mt. Wilson is definitely critical,” Mitchell said Tuesday. “It’s something that we’re really putting a lot of effort into today.”
The Forest Service said the fire’s encroachment on the mountaintop was because of “ unfavorable” wind conditions as well as patches of dry fuels, such as conifer trees.
Lower temperatures and higher humidity levels Tuesday helped tamp down some of the fire’s activity, officials said in an update Tuesday evening, but they predicted that conditions would become hotter and drier overnight.
They warned of a “a significant warming and drying trend” beginning this weekend, along with a chance of “gusty northeast winds” that could affect fire conditions.
Overnight aerial video showed flames approaching the communications towers at the top of the mountain, which are reportedly valued at $1 billion and provide frequencies for television and radio channels, including KPCC, KTLA and KNBC.
Mitchell said at least one spot fire has broken out at Mt. Harvard, a nearby hillside with additional communications infrastructure, but it was quickly contained by fire crews.
In San Bernardino County, meanwhile, an honor guard Tuesday morning carried the body of a firefighter who died battling another blaze, the El Dorado Fire, from the county coroner’s office to a mortuary in Orange County. Charles Morton, a 14-year veteran who led the Big Bear Interagency Hotshots, died Sept. 17. He was 39.
As a motorcade escorted his body from San Bernardino to Ferrara Colonial Mortuary in Orange, fire crews lined up along the route, some standing atop their engines, to salute the procession.
Morton is survived by his wife, daughter, parents and two brothers.
A smoky sunset as seen from 121st. E as the Bobcat Fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Evacuation orders remain in place for several communities in the Angeles National Forest and the foothills north of the blaze. Evacuation warnings also remain for Pasadena, Altadena and other areas threatened by the fire.
New evacuations were ordered Monday afternoon near Colby Ranch and Hidden Springs.
An American Red Cross evacuation point has been set up at Palmdale High School in the Antelope Valley. Red Cross spokeswoman Marilyn Jimenez Davila said 190 individuals have used the evacuation point and disaster distress hotline to receive hot water, meals and hotel accommodations.
Smoke advisories related to the Bobcat fire and the El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County have been extended through Tuesday, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District , which noted that the Bobcat fire is “producing substantial amounts of smoke.”
With Tuesday marking the first day of fall, Mitchell said officials hope lower temperatures and increased humidity will arrive at some point to help contain the spread of the blaze — but the National Weather Service is forecasting more warm and dry conditions for the day.
“We are in extreme conditions right now,” fire behavior analyst Patrick Doyle said during the virtual community meeting Monday. “It’s very dry out. ... Fire danger indices right now are very high.”
Speaking at a news conference Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said an estimated 6,400 structures have burned in California this year — the most destructive wildfire season on record. Newsom said estimates of the wildfires’ damage are based only on what crews have seen so far.
“By no stretch of the imagination do we think this tells the entire story,” he said. “As we get back in, and people are able to repopulate and go back into their communities, we will determine more structure loss.”


latimes--2020-09-22--UC admitted 64 well-connected or rich students over more qualified ones, audit finds

The University of California allowed “ inappropriate factors ” to influence admissions decisions , with four campuses admitting 64 applicants over a six year span based on criteria such as family donations or their relationships to campus staff , according to a state audit released Tuesday .
The audit , which scrutinized admissions practices from the 2013-14 through 2018-19 academic years at UCLA , UC Berkeley , UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara , found the majority of the admitted students were white and at least half had annual family incomes of $ 150,000 or more .
Among them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite having demonstrated little athletic talent , the audit said .
UC Berkeley came under particular fire , with auditors finding the campus admitted 42 applicants based on their connections to donors and staff while denying admission to others who were more qualified .
“ By admitting 64 noncompetitive applicants , the university undermined the fairness and integrity of its admissions process and deprived more qualified students of the opportunity for admission , ” state Auditor Elaine M. Howle wrote in a letter to Gov .
Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ V. Drake said the university would promptly address the concerns raised in the audit and discipline individuals involved in improper activities .
He added that the audit ’ s recommendations would advance progress UC has made in reforming its admissions process following two internal reviews .
“ I take the findings and recommendations very seriously and will do all I can to prevent inappropriate admissions at UC , ” Drake said .
“ I have zero tolerance in matters of compromised integrity .
Our entire organization is committed to a level playing field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gain admission , as rare as they may be , run contrary to our longstanding values of equity and fairness.
” UCLA , in its own statement , said the university was reviewing the audit but was “ committed to a transparent admissions process that is fair , consistent and equitable.
” The university said that all of the athletics-related cases in the audit occurred in the past , before its athletics department adopted additional safeguards .
The Samueli School of Engineering , which the audit implicated in a case of preferential treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its admissions processes , the statement said .
UCLA added that it stood behind its holistic review process for applicants , which considers several factors including grades and coursework and assigns at least two independent readers for each application .
In a letter to the UC Berkeley community , Chancellor Carol Christ said the university is “ committed to getting to the bottom ” of the “ highly disturbing allegations of improper conduct in our undergraduate admissions work.
” She noted that the university has made numerous changes in recent years to strengthen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that there is always room for improvement — and that any policy depends on individuals acting with integrity — we have confidence that our current admissions policies and protocols are sound , ” Christ said .
The audit marks the second state effort in the last four years to scrutinize UC ’ s admissions process , following a 2016 review of the impact of growing nonresident student enrollment on California applicants .
The intense state interest in who gets a UC seat underscores the enormous demand for access to the nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — particularly at the flagship campuses .
UCLA , which draws the most applications of any university in the nation , admitted just 15,643 of 108,837 freshman applicants for fall 2020 .
Overall , UC campuses admitted 149,461 students from among 215,162 applicants .
The state audit found far more instances of questionable admissions than the two cases UC auditors uncovered in the system ’ s own internal review of its nine undergraduate campuses , ordered last year by then-UC President Janet Napolitano in the wake of the national college admissions scandal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sparked widespread public outrage , involved federal charges that business executives , two Hollywood actresses and a legendary fashion designer used fraud , bribes and lies to get their children into elite universities , including USC , Yale and Stanford .
In the UC system , UC Berkeley and UCLA were ensnared .
The two-part UC review included a systemwide overview of controls in place to guard against admissions fraud and a deeper dive into actual campus admissions practices .
Of the two cases of possible impropriety that were discovered , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athlete who did not subsequently appear on the team roster and the other involved the way one campus administered its appeals process for admissions decisions .
UC auditors referred both cases to the individual campuses for investigation , did not identify the universities in the report and did not provide additional details .
The internal review resulted in several recommendations aimed at better policing potential fraud and conflicts of interest in admitting students .
A UC spokeswoman said all campuses have implemented the required reforms , which include stronger verification of claims on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ links between donors and applicants , and stricter scrutiny of those admitted for special talents , such as athletes and artists .
In a February interview , Napolitano said she wanted to take a proactive step to ensure the UC system ’ s integrity and give Californians confidence that applicants are admitted on merit and not through fraud , donations or personal connections .
“ Any student admitted through fraud is one too many , ” Napolitano said at the time .
“ The Office of the President has allowed the weaknesses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not conducted adequate oversight of campuses ’ admissions processes , ” she wrote .
She said the internal review was flawed because it allowed campuses to evaluate themselves and did not attempt to identify inappropriate admissions activity .
“ Stronger standards and oversight are necessary to improve the university ’ s ability to guarantee a fair and merit-based admissions process and to detect and prevent inappropriate admissions decisions , ” Howle said .
The state audit was initially requested last year by Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath ( D-Encinitas ) .
Horvath asked that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of fraud in admissions practices at UCLA , UC Berkeley and UC San Diego .
She also asked for information on whether selections are influenced by donations , connections or family relationships to alumni , known as legacy cases .
Auditors were also asked to determine the extent to which diversity is considered in the admissions process and make recommendations to help increase significantly underrepresented groups .
In addition , Horvath asked for information about students admitted to the three schools under UC ’ s special admissions process , which gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other talents .
The university ’ s internal review found stronger oversight was needed , prompting campuses to centrally document the number of such students and their exceptional characteristics , along with a tighter two-step verification process to review and approve the cases .
Overall , those admitted by “ special exception ” amounted to about 1.7 % of all students — 3,409 among 204,350 enrolled between fall 2017 and winter 2020 , the UC review found .
The admissions scandal came to light last year , when federal prosecutors announced charges against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme to help affluent parents get their children into top-tier colleges through deception and bribes .
Singer charged parents huge sums to rig their children ’ s entrance exams or pay coaches to designate them as recruited athletes ; he has pleaded guilty to several felonies .
Federal prosecutors have charged more than 50 college administrators , coaches and parents in the sprawling scheme at schools across the country .
Then-UCLA men ’ s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo , who was charged with endorsing the fraudulent admission of two students as phony soccer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed an agreement with prosecutors in April to plead guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering .
At UC Berkeley , at least one student was admitted with fraudulent test scores .
His father , David Sidoo , a Canadian businessman and former professional football player , was accused of paying $ 200,000 to rig the SAT exams of two sons , one of whom attended UC Berkeley .
Sidoo pleaded guilty in March to a single count of conspiring with Singer to rig the exams and was sentenced in July to 90 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and connections influencing admissions , however , are less prevalent at UC campuses than at many private universities .
Among UC ’ s 285,000 students , 36 % are low-income and 40 % are the first in their families to attend college .
Four of the nation ’ s top five universities recognized for serving low-income students well are the UC campuses at Riverside , Irvine , Santa Cruz and Merced , according to new rankings published this month by U.S. News & World Report .
UCLA , UC Berkeley , UC Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diego were all ranked among the nation ’ s top 10 best public universities by the magazine .

The University of California allowed “inappropriate factors” to influence admissions decisions, with four campuses admitting 64 students who had connections to donors or highly placed staff over more qualified applicants, according to a state audit released Tuesday.
The audit — which scrutinized admissions practices over a six-year span, from the academic years 2013-14 through 2018-19, at UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara — found that the majority of admitted students were white, and at least half had annual family income of $150,000 or more. Among them, 22 applicants were admitted as athletes despite having demonstrated little athletic talent, the audit said.
UC Berkeley in particular came under fire, with auditors finding that the campus admitted an additional 42 applicants based on their connections to donors and staff, while denying admission to others who were more qualified. One was admitted after an “inappropriate letter of support” from an unnamed UC regent, the audit said. Seventeen applicants with ties to donors or potential donors won entry despite receiving uncompetitive ratings from application readers.
“By admitting 64 noncompetitive applicants, the university undermined the fairness and integrity of its admissions process and deprived more qualified students of the opportunity for admission,” California Auditor Elaine M. Howle wrote in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders.
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In a statement Tuesday, UC President Michael V. Drake said the system would promptly address the concerns raised in the audit and discipline individuals involved in improper activities. He added that the audit’s recommendations would advance progress UC has made in reforming its admissions process following two internal reviews.
“I take the findings and recommendations very seriously and will do all I can to prevent inappropriate admissions at UC,” Drake said. “I have zero tolerance in matters of compromised integrity. Our entire organization is committed to a level playing field for every applicant.”
UCLA and UC Berkeley said they were reviewing the audit, had made improvements in their admissions policies in recent years and were confident that their review processes were sound. UC Santa Barbara also said its recent reforms, such as faculty committee reviews of an athlete’s academic and athletic history, would prevent future problems.
UC San Diego said it reviewed the one case cited by auditors and found no evidence of a policy violation or “improper governmental act.”
The audit revealed only broad contours of the cases and did not release students’ or parents’ names, when they were admitted, what happened to them or the university officials involved. It described instances in which applicants “were less qualified than other applicants to whom campuses denied admission.” These included an applicant who babysat for the colleague of the former director of undergraduate admissions, an applicant whose family was friends with a regent and the child of a prominent alumnus.
Among 22 cases involving student athletes, 13 involved UC Berkeley applicants. One, for instance, received the lowest possible admission score — a “do not recommend” — but was admitted after a donor relations staff member flagged the case to a coach, who falsely certified the student as a qualified athlete. Subsequently, the student’s family donated “thousands of dollars” to the team, but the student never competed in the sport, the audit found.
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The audit flagged some 400 other athletics cases that raised questions because the students did not continue with the sport beyond one year. Howle said the students might have dropped out because of injuries or other legitimate reasons but added that UC should scrutinize such cases.
“While we know that there is always room for improvement — and that any policy depends on individuals acting with integrity — we have confidence that our current admissions policies and protocols are sound,” said UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ.
The audit marks the second state effort in the last four years to scrutinize UC’s admissions process, following a 2016 review of the impact of growing nonresident student enrollment on California applicants. The intense state interest in who gets a UC seat underscores the enormous demand for access to the nation’s most prestigious public research university system — particularly at the flagship campuses. UCLA, which draws the most applications of any university in the nation, admitted just 15,643 of 108,837 freshman applicants for fall 2020.
Overall, UC campuses admitted 149,461 students from among 215,162 applicants for fall of 2020. The four campuses examined by auditors collectively received 2.4 million applications during the period in question.
The state audit found more instances of questionable admissions than the two cases UC auditors uncovered in the system’s internal review of its nine undergraduate campuses, ordered last year by then-President Janet Napolitano in the wake of the national college admissions scandal.
The scandal, which has roiled colleges and sparked widespread public outrage, involved federal charges that business executives, two Hollywood actresses and a prominent fashion designer used fraud, bribes and lies to get their children into elite universities, including the University of Southern California, Yale and Stanford. In the UC system, UC Berkeley and UCLA were ensnared.
The two-part UC review included a systemwide overview of controls in place to guard against admissions fraud and a deeper dive into actual campus admissions practices. The internal review resulted in several recommendations aimed at better policing potential fraud and conflicts of interest in admitting students. A UC spokeswoman said all campuses have implemented the required reforms, which include stronger verification of claims on students’ applications, reviews of potential links between donors and applicants and stricter scrutiny of those admitted for special talents, such as athletes and artists.
But Howle said the UC review under Napolitano fell short.
“The office of the president has allowed the weaknesses in these practices to persist because it has not conducted adequate oversight of campuses’ admissions processes,” she wrote. She said the internal review was flawed because it allowed campuses to evaluate themselves and did not attempt to identify inappropriate admissions activity.
The state audit was initially requested last year by Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas). Horvath asked that state auditors identify, assess and test the risk of fraud in admissions practices at UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego. She also asked for information on whether selections are influenced by donations, connections or family relationships to alumni, known as “legacy” cases.
In addition, Horvath asked for information about students admitted to the three schools under UC’s special admissions process, which gives extra consideration for athletic, artistic and other talents. The university’s internal review found that stronger oversight was needed, prompting campuses to centrally document the number of such students and their exceptional characteristics, along with a tighter two-step verification process to review and approve the cases. Overall, those admitted by “special exception” amounted to about 1.7% of students — 3,409 among 204,350 enrolled between fall 2017 and winter 2020, the UC review found.
The admissions scandal came to light last year, when federal prosecutors announced charges against Newport Beach college consultant William “Rick” Singer , who admitted to masterminding a scheme to help affluent parents get their children into top-tier colleges by charging huge sums to rig entrance exams or pay coaches to designate the children as recruited athletes. Singer has pleaded guilty to several felonies.
Federal prosecutors have charged more than 50 college administrators, coaches and parents in the sprawling scheme at schools across the country.
Such cases of wealth and connections influencing admissions are, however, less prevalent at UC campuses than at many private universities. Among UC’s 285,000 students, 36% are low-income, and 40% are the first in their families to attend college. Four of the nation’s top five universities recognized for serving low-income students well are the UC campuses at Riverside, Irvine, Santa Cruz and Merced, according to rankings published this month by U.S. News & World Report. UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine and UC San Diego were all ranked by the magazine among the nation’s top 10 public universities.
Howle called for stronger centralized oversight by the UC office of the president and additional reforms, such as stricter scrutiny of student athletes and robust training for application readers, who were found to give widely divergent scores to student files.
“We have the utmost respect for the University of California, but we also have responsibility ... to speak the truth to power,” Howle said in an interview.


latimes--2020-09-22--Riverside County proposal would dump state's plan and reopen sooner

One Riverside County supervisor is pushing his colleagues to shirk the state ’ s newly established tier system in favor of local control over the county ’ s reopening process .
Supervisor Jeff Hewitt , , is proposing new guidelines to reopen Riverside County at a quicker pace than the state allows .
In a two-page proposal , Hewitt calls for immediately allowing in-person services at dine-in restaurants , wineries and breweries ; places of worship ; nonessential indoor offices ; personal care services such as barbershops , nail salons , hair salons and body art ; and indoor shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metrics in preparation for loosening restrictions again on Oct. 13 , this time for wedding receptions , group meetings and events .
The final phase would begin Nov. 3 , allowing the resumption of indoor operations at fitness centers , movie theaters and bars .
Riverside remains in the state ’ s most-restrictive purple tier , meaning the county ’ s risk level is still widespread and most industries for in-person services .
As of Tuesday morning , the county had counted 57,419 confirmed positive cases and 1,162 deaths .
Under Hewitt ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote ” safety measures , such as wearing facial coverings and practicing physical distancing , but not require them .
Loosening state mandates would “ create a shift towards a culture of safety that promotes voluntary compliance with safety measures , builds community support , and focuses enforcement on the highest public health and safety priorities , ” according to the .
In a memo , Hewitt touted Riverside ’ s welcome in January of diplomats from Wuhan , China , site of the first recorded coronavirus outbreak .
Riverside made “ bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hewitt wrote , and yet major aspects of the economy remain closed .
He accused the state of shifting goalposts just as Riverside County had achieved standards for reopening .
“ The state ’ s lack of clear guidelines has left thousands of people uncertain about their abilities to pay bills and provide for their families , ” Hewitt wrote .
“ Today the economic impacts are clear , thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost due to the shutdown of our economy .
We will feel the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come .
It is time for Riverside County to take responsibility for our own wellbeing.
” Hewitt ’ s announcement of his proposal Saturday drew attention on his official Facebook page from supporters rallying to “ open EVERYTHING now ” and “ get back to normal.
” The Riverside County Board of Supervisors is expected to discuss Hewitt ’ s proposal at its Tuesday meeting , which begins at 9:30 a.m .

Riverside County will set its own reopening agenda, apart from the state’s timeline — although it still may not be fast enough for one county supervisor and his constituents.
The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved draft language of Supervisor Jeff Hewitt’s plan for Riverside-specific guidelines, but will wait two weeks instead of implementing it immediately.
The 3-2 vote came hours after California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly announced Riverside would move from the state’s most limiting purple tier to red.
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The looser restrictions mean that some indoor services can resume with decreased capacity, including dine-in restaurants, gyms, hair salons and barbershops, retailers, shopping malls, tattoo parlors, places of worship, nail salons, museums, movie theaters and libraries.
“We want to be slow and stringent so as we move forward, we can be best prepared in case we see some increase in transmission, that it doesn’t cause us to take some giant step backward,” Ghaly said in a virtual briefing. As of Tuesday afternoon, the county had counted 57,482 confirmed positive cases and 1,172 deaths.
Hewitt’s two-page proposal called for the immediate reopening of many in-person services, but did not account for Riverside’s move Tuesday to the red tier. His fellow supervisors suggested delaying the plan until the board’s Oct. 6 meeting, after a county economic recovery task force and staff could review it and iron out exactly which businesses could reopen. In the meantime, the state’s red-tier restrictions for Riverside County stands.
“I would love to reopen everything up tomorrow. I’d love to do that,” Hewitt said. “We’ve moved to red, things are all rosy. But we’ve seen this movie before, and we’re still a long ways away.”
Under Hewitt’s original proposal, the county would reopen entirely by Nov. 3, with certain industries opening immediately, followed by a second phase on Oct. 13 for wedding receptions, group meetings and events. The final phase would allow indoor operations to resume at fitness centers, movie theaters and bars. Some of those industries, such as gyms and movie theaters, are now permitted under the red tier.
Blazing its own course could cost Riverside County $28 million to $656 million in state funding, cautioned County Executive Officer George Johnson. Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened to cut funding to counties that don’t comply with the state’s COVID-19 guidelines for reopening. Hewitt scoffed at the warning, saying Riverside would “lose out on a whole lot of revenue based upon an economy that is crushed.”
Board Chairman V. Manuel Perez, who voted against the measure, said he preferred to “stay the course.” He pointed to the success of Orange County, Riverside’s neighbor to the west, which recently moved from purple to red and is fast on its way to the orange tier with even fewer limitations.
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The vote came after an hours-long meeting in which a passionate — and at times unruly — crowd of dozens of residents pleaded with supervisors to reopen Riverside. A few people cried behind the microphone. Others brought handmade signs saying, “churches are essential” and “open our schools.” Some yelled at supervisors. One woman waved an American flag. All expressed desperation at the continued closures in the county.
“It is heartbreaking, because as a mother, I cannot explain to [my children] that a political pandemic has changed their lives,” said one mother of two children with special needs. “This distance learning thing is so stressful for them. It’s stressful on the parents. It is ridiculous that we are doing school through Zoom. Please, as a mother, I am begging you.”
Growing cheers prompted Perez to ask the audience to wave their hands instead of making noise. Some grumbled loudly in response, and one person shouted, “You work for us!” Perez then called for a recess, which lasted an hour before the board resumed to discuss Hewitt’s proposal.
Kira Boranian told supervisors that when her Corona salon Lather Studio closed in March, she cried every single day, wondering how to pay her bills. Just two years after putting “every penny in every [piggy] bank” into building her salon, Boranian said she was “ruined.” So she reopened Lather Studio three weeks later — against state orders. She had deemed the livelihoods of her stylists “essential,” she said.
“My salon is cleaner than a Target. Every single thing is sanitized. A comb doesn’t get used on one client until it’s cleaned again,” Boranian said. “This has ruined small businesses. ... There is no reason that this pandemic should have shut down our entire lives.”
Warnie Enochs, a former councilman in Murrieta, said his sons had to “pretty much” close their business because of the pandemic. “The poor, small businessman’s doing terrible. He can’t make it,” Enochs said. “I can’t believe you guys let it go this long. I can’t believe anybody’s let it go this long. It’s totally ridiculous.”
Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved draft language of Supervisor Jeff Hewitt’s proposal for the immediate reopening of many in-person services, but will wait two weeks before implementation. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
In a memo, Hewitt touted Riverside’s welcome in January of diplomats from Wuhan, China, site of the first recorded coronavirus outbreak. Riverside made “bold and swift actions” early on, Hewitt wrote, and yet major aspects of the economy remain closed. He accused the state of shifting goalposts just as Riverside County had achieved standards for reopening.
“The state’s lack of clear guidelines has left thousands of people uncertain about their abilities to pay bills and provide for their families,” Hewitt wrote. “Today the economic impacts are clear, thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost due to the shutdown of our economy. We will feel the burden of these economic impacts for years to come. It is time for Riverside County to take responsibility for our own wellbeing.”
Hewitt’s proposal came less than two years after his election to the Board of Supervisors — marking only the third time in the nation that a Libertarian won a district representing more than 50,000 residents. In an interview with The Times last year, Hewitt said he offers “true conservative values: smaller government and non-interventionism.”