latimes--2020-02-21--Girl found dead in duffel bag had more than 100 scars on her body, coroner testifies

Trinity Love Jones was scarred from head to toe .
There were so many injuries on the slain 9-year-old ’ s body that a medical examiner performing an autopsy had to draw several diagrams to document them all .
Evidence showed that the girl had been abused for months — beaten , denied food and bearing an infection on her feet that made it hard for her to wear shoes .
At a preliminary hearing this week in a Pomona courtroom , prosecutors outlined the serious injuries the girl suffered before her 2019 death and provided new details , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suspect the girl ’ s mother and her boyfriend of killing her .
Taquesta Graham , 29 , and Emiel Hunt , 39 , have each been charged with murder and torture .
They have pleaded not guilty .
Superior Court Judge Mike Camacho decided on Friday that the case will proceed to trial , saying the evidence showed “ systematic abuse and neglect.
” “ It ’ s clear that these were intentional acts and the defendants acted with conscious disregard , ” he said .
The girl ’ s body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuffed inside a large duffel bag near the entrance to an equestrian trail in Hacienda Heights .
The killing shocked the community , and the child ’ s identity wasn ’ t confirmed for nearly a week .
Thousands of tips poured in from across the nation .
In court , investigators read aloud text messages in which Hunt and Graham wrote of punishing the girl and complained that she kept urinating on herself .
“ Trinity is going to get it , ” Graham texted Hunt after one such incident .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks Hunt to show Trinity the text she has sent : “ We were talking about giving you a burrito ... you messed up.
” In interviews with investigators , Hunt and Graham said that two weeks before her death , the girl fell and hit her head , Sheriff ’ s Det .
Marc Boisvert testified .
There was a large lump on her forehead and her left and right eyes had begun to swell .
She became lethargic and started to slur her words , Graham said .
Graham told investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and noticed Trinity was congested , Boisvert testified .
She said she gave the child Pedialyte , soup , a bagel and then took a shower .
When she got out , she noticed that Trinity ’ s teeth were clenched and she was having a seizure , the detective said .
That afternoon , Graham went to work at a dollar store while Hunt waited in the parking lot .
Trinity was in the backseat of the car , sleeping , Graham told investigators .
When Graham got off work about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hotel and Hunt carried the child back to the room .
Later that night , Graham checked on Trinity and noticed she wasn ’ t breathing .
She told authorities her first thought was that Hunt had placed a pillow over Trinity ’ s face while they were in the SUV earlier that evening .
Hunt told investigators that he woke up about 3 a.m. on March 1 and noticed that the child was not breathing .
He said he and Graham “ freaked out ” because of their criminal histories but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t do anything wrong , ” Boisvert said .
Court records show Hunt was convicted of felony child abuse in San Diego County in 2005 and sentenced to 12 years in state prison .
Graham has a prior conviction for involvement with a minor in prostitution .
Graham said she wanted to call 911 , but Hunt persuaded her not to and suggested putting the girl ’ s body in a dumpster , which angered her .
She also said she didn ’ t take the child to the hospital after the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble .
On March 1 just before 6 a.m. , surveillance footage from the Budget Inn in Santa Fe Springs showed Hunt carrying a body wrapped in a blanket , Sheriff ’ s Det .
Louie Aguilera testified .
About 30 minutes later , video from cameras at a Walt-Mart showed Hunt purchasing two shovels , a throw blanket and a lighter .
At 11:36 a.m. , Hunt and Graham were spotted at a discount store purchasing a rollaway duffel bag that was identical to the one the girl was found in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracking data showed that Graham , who wore an ankle monitor because she was on parole , was in the area where her daughter was discovered for about 30 to 40 minutes on March 1 .
After discovering the body , Los Angeles County investigators asked for the public ’ s help to identify her .
A relative called authorities after seeing a sketch and photo of her .
Investigators said that Graham , Hunt and Trinity moved out of a relative ’ s home in July 2018 and slept in Hunt ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Extended family said they had seen the girl only periodically after the move .
Investigators looked into Graham and Hunt ’ s criminal histories and began searching for them as possible suspects .
Graham was arrested on an unrelated warrant March 8 at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Texas .
Hunt was arrested a day later after he was found sleeping in his SUV San Diego International Airport .
Hunt told investigators that after the couple dumped the child ’ s body , they drove away from the site in silence , Boisvert @ @

Items left in a memorial to Trinity Love Jones, 9, whose body was found in a duffel bag along an equestrian trail in Hacienda Heights in March 2019.
Trinity Love Jones was scarred from head to toe. The slain 9-year-old’s body had so many injuries that a medical examiner performing an autopsy had to draw several diagrams to document them all.
Evidence showed that the girl had been abused for months — beaten, denied food and bearing an infection on her feet that made it hard for her to wear shoes.
At a preliminary hearing this week in a Pomona courtroom, prosecutors outlined the serious injuries the girl suffered before her 2019 death and provided new details, including text messages and videos that led investigators to suspect the girl’s mother and her boyfriend of killing her.
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Taquesta Graham, 29, and Emiel Hunt, 39, have been charged with murder and torture. They have pleaded not guilty.
Superior Court Judge Mike Camacho decided Friday that the case will proceed to trial, saying the evidence showed “systematic abuse and neglect.”
“It’s clear that these were intentional acts and the defendants acted with conscious disregard,” he said.
The girl’s body was found March 5, partially stuffed inside a large duffel bag near the entrance to an equestrian trail in Hacienda Heights. The killing shocked the community, and the child’s identity wasn’t confirmed for nearly a week. Thousands of tips poured in from across the nation.
In court, investigators read aloud text messages in which Hunt and Graham wrote of punishing the girl and complained that she kept urinating on herself. “Trinity is going to get it,” Graham texted Hunt after one such incident.
In another exchange from January 2019, Graham asks Hunt to show Trinity the text she has sent: “We were talking about giving you a burrito ... you messed up.”
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In interviews with investigators, Hunt and Graham said that two weeks before her death, the girl fell and hit her head, L.A. County Sheriff’s Det. Marc Boisvert testified. There was a large lump on her forehead and her left and right eyes had begun to swell. She became lethargic and started to slur her words, Graham said.
Graham told investigators that on Feb. 28, she woke up and noticed Trinity was congested, Boisvert testified. She said she gave the child Pedialyte, soup and a bagel, then took a shower. When she got out, she noticed that Trinity’s teeth were clenched and she was having a seizure, the detective said.
That afternoon, Graham went to work at a dollar store while Hunt waited in the parking lot. Trinity was in the back seat of the car, sleeping, Graham told investigators. When Graham got off work about 9:30 p.m., the three returned to a hotel and Hunt carried the child back to the room.
Later that night, Graham checked on Trinity and noticed she wasn’t breathing. She told authorities her first thought was that Hunt had placed a pillow over Trinity’s face while they were in the SUV earlier that evening.
Hunt told investigators that he woke up about 3 a.m. March 1 and noticed that the child was not breathing. He said he and Graham “freaked out” because of their criminal histories but told each other “we didn’t do anything wrong,” Boisvert said.
Court records show Hunt was convicted of felony child abuse in San Diego County in 2005 and sentenced to 12 years in state prison. Graham has a prior conviction for involvement with a minor in prostitution.
Graham said she wanted to call 911, but Hunt persuaded her not to and suggested putting the girl’s body in a dumpster, which angered her. She also said she didn’t take the child to the hospital after the fall because she was afraid of getting into trouble.
Just before 6 a.m. March 1, surveillance footage from the Budget Inn in Santa Fe Springs shows Hunt carrying a body wrapped in a blanket, Sheriff’s Det. Louie Aguilera testified.
About 30 minutes later, video from cameras at a Walmart shows Hunt purchasing two shovels, a throw blanket and a lighter.
At 11:36 a.m., Hunt and Graham were spotted at a discount store purchasing a rollaway duffel bag that was identical to the one the girl was found in, Aguilera said.
Aguilera also testified that tracking data showed that Graham, who wore an ankle monitor because she was on parole, was in the area where her daughter was discovered for about 30 to 40 minutes March 1.
After discovering the body, Los Angeles County investigators asked for the public’s help to identify her. A relative called authorities after seeing a sketch and photo of her. Investigators said that Graham, Hunt and Trinity had moved out of a relative’s home in July 2018 and then slept in Hunt’s SUV and at various hotels. Extended family said they had seen the girl only periodically after the move.
Investigators looked into Graham and Hunt’s criminal histories and began searching for them as possible suspects.
Graham was arrested on an unrelated warrant March 8 at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Texas. Hunt was arrested a day later after he was found sleeping in his SUV near San Diego International Airport.
Hunt told investigators that after the couple dumped the child’s body, they drove away from the site in silence, Boisvert testified.
Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-21--Fans without tickets to Kobe Bryant memorial urged to stay away, watch from home

Out of respect for the family of Kobe Bryant and the eight others killed last month in a helicopter crash in Calabasas , fans are being urged by police to stay away from Staples Center during Monday ’ s memorial unless they have a ticket .
LAPD Chief Michel Moore said Friday that unless visitors to the downtown Los Angeles venue are among the 20,000 ticketed mourners for the memorial , which begins at 10 a.m. , they will not be allowed into the surrounding area , including L.A. Live .
“ This entire area will be barricaded off , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter of respect ... honor the family wishes and allow this event to go as smoothly as possible.
” Moore said barriers will stretch from Pico Boulevard to Olympic Boulevard , and no one without a ticket to the memorial as well as matching identification will be allowed into the area during Monday ’ s event .
Anyone trying to breach the police lines will face arrest , he said .
When asked whether police were concerned about disruptions to the closed event , Moore said , “ That isn ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that he expects Angelenos and Bryant fans to honor the family ’ s wishes and stay at home or work and watch the memorial on TV or the web .
The event will be streamed live by various news outlets , including the Los Angeles Times .
Staples Center President Lee Zeidman , who oversees the surrounding campus for Anschutz Entertainment Group , said the businesses at L.A. Live will be closed Monday morning , as will Georgia Street and Chick Hearn Drive .
The massive video screens outside the L.A. Live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There will be nothing to see here , ” Zeidman said Friday from the outside courtyard between Staples Center and L.A. Live .
He said the back and front side of Staples Center , where Bryant played for two decades as a Laker , will be entirely barricaded .
Some businesses at L.A. Live were unsure how the closure would affect them .
An employee said the Yard House restaurant was planning to open later than usual .
Other restaurants may wait until Monday morning to decide how to adapt to the closures.. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby J.W .
Marriott/Ritz Carlton hotel would be affected .
Only ticket holders will be allowed in the area until the afternoon , Zeidman said , adding that all the tickets — which ranged in price from $ 24.02 to $ 224 — have been distributed .
More than 80,000 applied for the ticket lottery , proceeds from which will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation .
Bryant ’ s widow , Vanessa , previously noted on Instagram the significance of the date of the memorial : 2-24-20 : Daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the helicopter crash , wore No .
2 while playing basketball , while her husband wore No .
24 .
The “ 20 '' denoting the current year is also the number of years Bryant played for the Lakers .
Zeidman said that more than 250,000 people visited L.A. Live in the days after the Jan. 26 crash that claimed the lives of Bryant , his daughter and seven others as they were flying to Bryant ’ s Mamba Academy for a youth basketball game .
He and Moore said they expected Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and respectful .
Moore said that while police were not expecting any problems around the event , all officers will be in uniform and the LAPD will be prepared for spontaneous events citywide .
Staples Center executives say they are “ hopeful ” the event will finish by 1 p.m. and that everyone will leave promptly .
The venue must be turned around to host a Clippers game against the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:30 that evening .
Spokesman Michael Roth said the arena is expecting a smooth transition .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from one event to another , ” he said .
“ We ’ ll get it done.
” Times staff writers Colleen Shalby and Andrew Greif contributed to this report .

Out of respect for the family of Kobe Bryant and the eight others killed last month in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, police are urging fans to stay away from Staples Center during Monday’s memorial unless they have a ticket.
L.A. Police Chief Michel Moore said Friday that unless visitors to the downtown Los Angeles venue are among the 20,000 ticketed mourners for the memorial, which begins at 10 a.m., they will not be allowed into the surrounding area, including L.A. Live.
“This entire area will be barricaded off,” Moore said. “As a matter of respect ... honor the family wishes and allow this event to go as smoothly as possible.”
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(Los Angeles Times)
Moore said barriers will stretch from Pico Boulevard to Olympic Boulevard, and anyone without a ticket to the memorial as well as matching identification will not be allowed into the area during Monday’s event. Anyone trying to breach the police lines will face arrest, he said.
When asked whether police were concerned about disruptions to the closed event, Moore said, “That isn’t the Los Angeles I know.” The chief added that he expects Angelenos and Bryant fans to honor the family’s wishes and stay at home or work and watch the memorial on TV or the web. The event will be streamed live by various news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times.
Staples Center President Lee Zeidman, who oversees the surrounding campus for Anschutz Entertainment Group, said the businesses at L.A. Live will be closed Monday morning, as will Georgia Street and Chick Hearn Court. The massive video screens outside the L.A. Live complex will be turned off.
“There will be nothing to see here,” Zeidman said Friday from the outside courtyard between Staples Center and L.A. Live. He said the back and front sides of Staples Center, where Bryant played for two decades as a Laker, will be entirely barricaded.
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Some businesses at L.A. Live were unsure when they would open. An employee said the Yard House restaurant was planning to open later than usual. Other restaurants may wait until Monday morning to decide how to adapt to the closures..
It was unclear whether guests at the nearby J.W. Marriott/Ritz Carlton hotel would be affected.
Only ticket holders will be allowed in the area until the afternoon, Zeidman said, adding that all the tickets — which ranged in price from $24.02 to $224 — have been distributed. More than 80,000 people applied for the ticket lottery, proceeds from which will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.
Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, previously noted on Instagram the significance of the date of the memorial, 2-24-20: Daughter Gianna, who also was killed in the helicopter crash, wore No. 2 while playing basketball, and Kobe Bryant wore No. 24. The “20” denoting the current year is also the number of years Bryant played for the Lakers.
Zeidman said that more than 250,000 people visited L.A. Live in the days after the Jan. 26 crash that claimed the lives of Bryant, his daughter and seven others as they were flying to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy for a youth basketball game. He and Moore said they expected Monday’s tribute to be both mournful and respectful.
Moore said that while police were not expecting any problems around the event, all officers will be in uniform and the Los Angeles Police Department will be prepared for spontaneous events citywide.
Staples Center executives say they are “hopeful” that the event will finish by 1 p.m. and that everyone will leave promptly. The venue must be turned around to host a Clippers game against the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:30 that evening.
Spokesman Michael Roth said the arena is expecting a smooth transition.
“It’s what we do, converting the building from one event to another,” he said. “We’ll get it done.”
Times staff writers Colleen Shalby and Andrew Greif contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-21--Prosecutors decline to charge deputies in alleged East L.A. Station hazing linked to Banditos

Prosecutors declined to file charges against a Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s sergeant and three deputies who were investigated for allegedly beating four other deputies at an off-duty East L.A. station party in September 2018 , records show .
In a 28-page memo released Friday , the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office said there was “ insufficient evidence ” that Sgt .
Michael Hernandez and deputies Rafael Munoz , Gregory Rodriguez and David Silverio committed battery or any crimes .
“ The evidence examined in this investigation shows that all involved individuals had consumed alcohol , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlit , many contradictory statements were made by both witnesses and the parties involved , and everyone involved has potential bias , ” the memo said .
The case was investigated by the Sheriff ’ s Department ’ s internal criminal investigations bureau .
A department spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The altercation happened toward the end of an off-duty party at Kennedy Hall , an event space near the East L.A. station , to celebrate the end of training for new deputies .
It was shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies ended up in a darkened parking lot next to the hall .
By the end of the incident , one deputy , Art Hernandez , had a bloody lip and was possibly rendered unconscious and a second had a sore neck , the memo said .
Prosecutors said there were several different accounts of what happened .
No surveillance footage or cellphone video was recovered .
The subjects of the investigation declined to be interviewed by sheriff ’ s investigators .
Several other off-duty employees provided statements and 21 deputies identified as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the memo said .
The incident also came up in a civil lawsuit filed against Los Angeles County in September by eight Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies who said they were routinely harassed by the Banditos , a clique of predominantly Latino deputies who wear tattoos of a skeleton with a sombrero , bandoleer and pistol .
Its members ’ monikers include “ the Godfather , ” “ Big Listo ” and “ Bam Bam , ” according to the lawsuit .
The district attorney ’ s office ’ s memo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was associated with a group of older , more senior deputies that ostracized younger deputies they felt were lazy .
“ At no point in this investigation did any witnesses indicate that the ‘ Banditos ’ were equivalent to a gang or any type of criminal enterprise , ” the memo said .
The civil lawsuit , however , has accused members of the group of repeatedly denying backup to the plaintiff deputies on dangerous calls , pressuring them to quit or leave the station , sending hostile messages on work computers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their shifts and denying them overtime , going back to 2016 .

Several new sheriff’s deputies working in East L.A. allege that they were hazed by older deputies.
Prosecutors declined to file charges against a Los Angeles County sheriff’s sergeant and three deputies who were investigated for allegedly beating four other deputies at an off-duty East L.A. station party in September 2018, records show.
In a 28-page memo released Friday, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said there was “insufficient evidence” that Sgt. Michael Hernandez and deputies Rafael Munoz, Gregory Rodriguez and David Silverio committed battery or any crimes.
“The evidence examined in this investigation shows that all involved individuals had consumed alcohol, the area in question was dark and unlit, many contradictory statements were made by both witnesses and the parties involved, and everyone involved has potential bias,” the memo said.
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The case was investigated by the Sheriff’s Department’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau.
The department issued a statement saying that Sheriff Alex Villanueva “firmly believes in the legal process as well as due process” for those involved and that although the allegations did not meet the criteria to file a criminal case, they have been passed on to the Internal Affairs Bureau.
“An exhaustive administrative investigation will be conducted and discipline imposed if merited,” the department said.
Elizabeth Gibbons, an attorney representing Munoz, Rodriguez and Silverio, declined to comment other than to say, “We are looking forward to the IAB investigation where the whole story of the incident will come out.”
She said the employment status of each deputy has not changed since the department said they were placed on paid administrative leave.
The altercation happened toward the end of an off-duty party at Kennedy Hall, an event space near the East L.A. station, to celebrate the end of training for new deputies. It was shortly before 4 a.m. when a group of deputies ended up in a darkened parking lot next to the hall. By the end of the incident, one deputy, Art Hernandez, had a bloody lip and was possibly rendered unconscious and a second, Oscar Escobedo, had a sore neck, the memo said.
Prosecutors said there were several different accounts of what happened. No surveillance footage or cellphone video was recovered. The subjects of the investigation declined to be interviewed by sheriff’s investigators. Several other off-duty employees provided statements and 21 deputies identified as possible witnesses declined to be interviewed, the memo said.
The incident also came up in a civil lawsuit filed against Los Angeles County in September by eight Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who said they were routinely harassed by the Banditos, a clique of predominantly Latino deputies who wear tattoos of a skeleton with a sombrero, bandoleer and pistol. Its members’ monikers include “the Godfather,” “Big Listo” and “Bam Bam,” according to the lawsuit.
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The district attorney’s memo referenced the Banditos, which prosecutors said was associated with a group of more senior deputies that ostracized younger deputies they felt were lazy.
“At no point in this investigation did any witnesses indicate that the ‘Banditos’ were equivalent to a gang or any type of criminal enterprise,” the memo said.
The civil lawsuit, however, has accused members of the group of repeatedly denying backup to the plaintiff deputies on dangerous calls, pressuring them to quit or leave the station, sending hostile messages on work computers, overloading them with calls at the end of their shifts and denying them overtime, going back to 2016.
The Times reported in July that the FBI was investigating the Banditos along with similar gang-like groups elsewhere within the Sheriff’s Department. In interviews with several deputies, FBI agents have asked about the inner workings of the Banditos and the group’s hierarchy, sources have said.
The county Office of Inspector General is also seeking to investigate secret societies of deputies at several stations who wear matching tattoos. The groups have been accused of committing abuses against jail inmates, fellow deputies and while on patrol. Some deputies, though, have defended the societies and the tattoos they share simply as a show of camaraderie and a way to boost morale.
L.A. County has hired the nonprofit Rand Corp. to study deputy subgroups and examine the broader climate and culture within the Sheriff’s Department.
Villanueva said in January that the department is putting a policy in place that prohibits the formation and membership of cliques that “harm the organization or harm the community.”
“We’re doing everything we can legally do,” he said.
The Banditos are accused by other deputies of using gang-like tactics to recruit young Latino deputies into their fold and retaliating against those who rebuff them.
Vincent Miller, an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit, said prosecutors never interviewed his clients, relying instead on the Sheriff’s Department, whose investigators he accused of intentionally sending over a weak case.
“It’s basically more of the same — Villanueva sending a message to the deputy gangs, they’re not gonna be held accountable for their actions,” Miller said. “The D.A. is basically serving as a mouthpiece of the Sheriff’s Department.”
As part of the civil lawsuit, Miller plans to demand the agency make changes to what he called the systemic abuse of trainees.
“This is about a corrupt, systemically corrupt department,” Miller said. “We’re demanding that the county make wholesale changes.”


latimes--2020-02-21--California denies Trump administration claim on abortion coverage

The state of California told the Trump administration Friday that it would continue to require health plans in the state to cover abortion services and accused the administration of illegally threatening to withhold federal aid to California to try to force a change .
“ California will take no ‘ corrective action , ’ ” Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra wrote in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services in which he defended the state ’ s abortion coverage mandate and accused the Trump administration of illegally threatening federal assistance to the state .
Becerra also pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the federal health agency concluded that California ’ s policy complied with federal rules .
“ The facts ... have not changed since the last time [ the agency ] adjudicated those facts , ” Becerra wrote in a response that his office said also came from Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
Despite that earlier ruling , the Trump administration in January informed California that it had concluded that the state ’ s abortion policy ran afoul of federal law .
The administration threatened to block federal money for other unspecified services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At issue is a provision , known as the Weldon amendment , that has been added to federal spending bills since 2004 .
It says that federal funds may not be provided to any state or local governments that subject “ any institutional or individual healthcare entity to discrimination on the basis that the healthcare entity does not provide , pay for , provide coverage of , or refer for abortions.
” In its warning to California , the Office of Civil Rights at the Health and Human Services Department alleged that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover abortion services effectively discriminates against health insurance plans that don ’ t cover abortions .
This , federal officials said , violated the Weldon amendment .
California is among six states — including New York , Illinois and Washington — that require health plans being sold in the state to cover abortion services .
The rules do not apply to federal insurance programs such as Medicare or Medicaid or to health plans provided by large employers that self-insure , which are covered by federal insurance regulations .
The requirement is rooted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered by insurance plans .
Several challenges to the rules from abortion opponents have been rejected by state and federal courts in recent years .
Nevertheless , as President Trump was preparing to address the annual March for Life antiabortion rally in Washington , D.C. , last month , the administration announced that California ’ s rules were illegal .
That conclusion is wrong , the state officials said in their letter , which was sent to the Office of Civil Rights late Friday .
The letter noted that California in 2015 granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought an exemption from the abortion coverage mandate so it could sell a plan to an employer that did not want to cover abortion services .
“ Given this fact ... California has not subjected any healthcare entity to conduct restricted by the Weldon amendment , ” the state said .
Further , Becerra charged the Trump administration with attempting to illegally expand the scope of the Weldon amendment , which does not prohibit abortion coverage .
He accused the Office of Civil Rights , or OCR , of illegally threatening aid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars of federal funding ‘ as a means of pressuring [ California ] to accept policy changes ’ — a threat that the Constitution forbids , ” he wrote , citing the 2012 Supreme Court decision that barred the Affordable Care Act from requiring states to expand Medicaid coverage .

The state of California told the Trump administration Friday that it would continue to require health plans in the state to cover abortion services and accused the administration of illegally threatening to withhold federal aid to California to try to force a change.
“California will take no ‘corrective action,’” Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra wrote in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services in which he defended the state’s abortion coverage mandate and accused the Trump administration of illegally threatening federal assistance to the state.
Becerra also pointed out that less than four years ago, the federal health agency concluded that California’s policy complied with federal rules.
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“The facts ... have not changed since the last time [the agency] adjudicated those facts,” Becerra wrote in a response that his office said also came from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Despite that earlier ruling, the Trump administration in January informed California that it had concluded that the state’s abortion policy ran afoul of federal law.
The administration threatened to block federal money for other unspecified services unless the state changed its rules.
At issue is a provision, known as the Weldon amendment, that has been added to federal spending bills since 2004. It says that federal funds may not be provided to any state or local governments that subject “any institutional or individual healthcare entity to discrimination on the basis that the healthcare entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.”
In its warning to California, the Office for Civil Rights at the Health and Human Services Department alleged that the state’s requirement that health plans cover abortion services effectively discriminates against health insurance plans that don’t cover abortions.
This, federal officials said, violated the Weldon amendment.
California is among six states — including New York, Illinois and Washington — that require health plans being sold in the state to cover abortion services.
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The rules do not apply to federal insurance programs such as Medicare or Medicaid or to health plans provided by large employers that self-insure, which are covered by federal insurance regulations.
The requirement is rooted in state law mandating basic medical services be covered by insurance plans.
Several challenges to the rules from abortion opponents have been rejected by state and federal courts in recent years.
Nevertheless, as President Trump was preparing to address the annual March for Life antiabortion rally in Washington, D.C., last month, the administration announced that California’s rules were illegal.
That conclusion is wrong, the state officials said in their letter, which was sent to the Office for Civil Rights late Friday.
The letter noted that California in 2015 granted a waiver to a health plan that sought an exemption from the abortion coverage mandate so it could sell a plan to an employer that did not want to cover abortion services.
“Given this fact ... California has not subjected any healthcare entity to conduct restricted by the Weldon amendment,” the state said.
Further, Becerra charged the Trump administration with attempting to illegally expand the scope of the Weldon amendment, which does not prohibit abortion coverage. He accused the Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, of illegally threatening aid to the state.
“OCR threatens billions of dollars of federal funding ‘as a means of pressuring [California] to accept policy changes’ — a threat that the Constitution forbids,” he wrote, citing the 2012 Supreme Court decision that barred the Affordable Care Act from requiring states to expand Medicaid coverage.


latimes--2020-02-21--Some lawmakers upset about Valentine condoms, candy sent by Planned Parenthood

Some California lawmakers are upset that Planned Parenthood delivered condoms to their offices in Valentine ’ s Day gift packages that used a profane word in its message .
Assemblyman Mike Morrell ( R-Rancho Cucamonga ) said in a statement that he took offense to the phrase printed on condom wrappers , which read , “ Don ’ t … with us .
Don ’ t … without us.
” “ Aside from its vulgarity , it is a veiled threat and a strong-arm tactic — something I don ’ t appreciate , particularly when it appears to also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in the statement on Thursday .
“ Communicating such an overtly crude and sexualized message is inappropriate in any workplace , including here at the capitol.
” Senate GOP leader Shannon Grove of Bakersfield wrote in a comment on Facebook that her office also received one of the packages .
“ Really ?
?
?
?
This is how PP communicates with members of the state legislature , ” she wrote .
“ Good thing I stopped a group of kids from seeing it in my office ... ... # Crass # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes that the delivery violated the standards of conduct that legislators are taught during training to prevent harassment , discrimination and retaliation .
He called on Democratic leadership to condemn the move .
“ While the phrasing on the wrapper is a bit cheeky for a professional workplace , I also can appreciate the boldness of Planned Parenthood ’ s messaging , and the opportunity to promote safe sex practices , ” Atkins said in a statement .
“ This is an organization committed to providing quality , affordable reproductive health care to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constantly under attack by the far right and the federal administration .
Another state lawmaker also seemed to appreciate the gift .
Assemblyman Evan Low ( D-Campbell ) tweeted a picture of the package and tagged Planned Parenthood , writing , “ Thank you for the amazing work you do.
” Jennifer Wonnacott , a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California , said in a statement that the packages , which also included a notecard and candy , were delivered to all legislative offices at the state Capitol and were intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Planned Parenthood is proud to advocate and promote safe sex , and we will continue to highlight the importance of sexual and reproductive health care with all legislators , especially in light of federal attacks , ” she said .
“ Furthermore , if we want to talk about harassment and threats , we can give real examples of the threats made against patients and providers every day to try to stop access to care — both in front of health care centers and by the federal government.
” The Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop requiring health insurance plans in the state to provide abortion coverage or risk losing federal money .
In a response on Friday , the state said it would continue with the requirement and accused the administration of illegally threatening to withhold federal aid to California to try to force a change .

Some California lawmakers are upset that Planned Parenthood delivered condoms to their offices in Valentine’s Day gift packages that used a profane word in their message.
State Sen. Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga) said in a statement that he took offense to the phrase printed on the condom wrappers, which read, “Don’t … with us. Don’t … without us.”
For the record: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified state Sen. Mike Morrell as an assemblyman.
“Aside from its vulgarity, it is a veiled threat and a strong-arm tactic — something I don’t appreciate, particularly when it appears to also be directed at our staff,” Morrell said in the statement Thursday. “Communicating such an overtly crude and sexualized message is inappropriate in any workplace, including here at the capitol.”
Senate GOP leader Shannon Grove of Bakersfield wrote in a comment on Facebook that her office also received one of the packages.
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“Really???? This is how PP communicates with members of the state legislature,” she wrote. “Good thing I stoped a group of kids from seeing it in my office......#Crass #disgusting #Vulgar.”
Morrell said he believes that the delivery violated the standards of conduct that legislators are taught during training to prevent harassment, discrimination and retaliation. He called on Democratic leadership to condemn the move.
But Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) defended the organization.
“While the phrasing on the wrapper is a bit cheeky for a professional workplace, I also can appreciate the boldness of Planned Parenthood’s messaging, and the opportunity to promote safe sex practices,” Atkins said in a statement. “This is an organization committed to providing quality, affordable reproductive health care to millions of people, and yet is constantly under attack by the far right and the federal administration.
Another state lawmaker also seemed to appreciate the gift. Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) tweeted a picture of the package and tagged Planned Parenthood, writing, “Thank you for the amazing work you do.”
Jennifer Wonnacott, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said in a statement that the packages, which also included a notecard and candy, were delivered to all legislative offices at the state Capitol and were intended to highlight the importance of safe sex.
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“Planned Parenthood is proud to advocate and promote safe sex, and we will continue to highlight the importance of sexual and reproductive health care with all legislators, especially in light of federal attacks,” she said. “Furthermore, if we want to talk about harassment and threats, we can give real examples of the threats made against patients and providers every day to try to stop access to care — both in front of health care centers and by the federal government.”
The Trump administration warned California in January that it must stop requiring health insurance plans in the state to provide abortion coverage or risk losing federal money. In a response Friday, the state said it would continue with the requirement and accused the administration of illegally threatening to withhold federal aid to California to try to force a change.


latimes--2020-02-21--Mountain lion euthanized after attacking 6-year-old girl on hiking trail

A mountain lion that recently attacked a 6-year-old girl on a Santa Clara County trail near Cupertino has been located and euthanized , wildlife officials confirmed this week .
The female cougar — estimated to be 2 to 4 years old and weighing between 60 and 70 pounds — was found in a tree Wednesday afternoon following a three-day search , according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Jordan Traverso .
Wildlife officials sedated the mountain lion and tested its DNA to confirm it was the one involved in last Sunday ’ s attack at the Rancho San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which left a child with minor injuries .
After the genetic profile came back as a match , Fish and Wildlife officials put the animal down .
The department “ is actively engaged in mountain lion conservation across the state , ” Traverso wrote in a statement Thursday .
“ However , public safety is a top priority .
We made the decision to euthanize the lion because it was confirmed to have attacked a human.
” The girl and a group of nine people were walking in a brushy area where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at about 10 a.m. Sunday when the mountain lion attacked , according to Korrine Skinner , public affairs manager for Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District .
Skinner said one of the adults shoved the large cat while others scared it off .
The girl was treated for small cuts at the scene .
Although the latest attack was the second in as many months — in January after it attacked a 3-year-old boy at a park in Orange County — wildlife officials stress that such encounters are rare .
“ The probability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very low , ” Traverso said .
“ In the entire state of California , which has approximately 40 million people , and a population estimate of 4,000 [ to ] 6,000 lions , there have only been 17 verified attacks since 1986.
” Prior to this year , there have been three verified mountain lion attacks of humans since 2012 , according to Fish and Wildlife .
The last fatal mauling was in 2004 , when a cougar killed 35-year-old cyclist Mark Reynolds in Orange County ’ s Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Santa Monica Mountains under a state law that allows lethal action if livestock or pets are attacked or if other deterrents have failed .
The death of that animal , known as P-56 , prompted calls to end the permitted killing of the big cats .

A mountain lion that recently attacked a 6-year-old girl on a Santa Clara County trail near Cupertino has been located and euthanized, wildlife officials confirmed this week.
The female cougar — estimated to be 2 to 4 years old and weighing 60 to 70 pounds — was found in a tree Wednesday afternoon after a three-day search, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Jordan Traverso.
Wildlife officials sedated the mountain lion and tested its DNA to confirm it was the one involved in Sunday’s attack at the Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve, which left a child with minor injuries.
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After the genetic profile came back as a match, Department of Fish and Wildlife officials put the animal down.
The department “is actively engaged in mountain lion conservation across the state,” Traverso wrote in a statement Thursday. “However, public safety is a top priority. We made the decision to euthanize the lion because it was confirmed to have attacked a human.”
The girl and nine other people were walking in a brushy area where the trail narrows on the Wildcat Loop about 10 a.m. Sunday when the mountain lion attacked, said Korrine Skinner, public affairs manager for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
Skinner said one of the adults shoved the large cat while others scared it off. The girl was treated for small cuts at the scene.
Although the attack was the state’s second in as many months — a mountain lion was killed in January after it attacked a 3-year-old boy at a park in Orange County — officials stress that such encounters are rare.
“The probability of being attacked by a mountain lion remains very low,” Traverso said. “In the entire state of California, which has approximately 40 million people, and a population estimate of 4,000 [to] 6,000 lions, there have only been 17 verified attacks since 1986.”
Before this year, there have been three verified mountain lion attacks on humans since 2012, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The last fatal mauling was in 2004, when a cougar killed 35-year-old cyclist Mark Reynolds in Orange County’s Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park.
A mountain lion was also recently killed in the Santa Monica Mountains under a state law that allows lethal action if livestock or pets are attacked or if other deterrents have failed.
The death of that animal, known as P-56, prompted calls to end the permitted killing of the big cats.
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Times staff writer Priscella Vega contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-21--Trump administration, in a reversal, OKs more funds for Oroville Dam repairs

The federal government has agreed to reimburse California more than $ 170 million for repairs to the Oroville Dam spillway following an appeal from a state agency , officials said .
The assistance , part of a request from the California Department of Water Resources to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for recovery funding , was initially denied last year .
But on Thursday , the Trump administration reversed itself and agreed to help with more of the dam spillway ’ s rebuilding , bringing FEMA ’ s potential overall assistance to more than $ 562.5 million .
“ DWR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , dedication continued support over the past three years , ” said Department of Water Resources spokeswoman Erin Mellon .
“ The state will continue to review FEMA ’ s response and decide next steps regarding remaining costs in the coming weeks.
” In February 2017 , the Oroville Dam was threatened amid the wettest winter since before the drought .
Dam operators used the dam ’ s spillway , a long concrete chute that carries water into the Feather River , when the spillway itself became compromised by previously undiscovered construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to pour into the lake , the state had to continue to release water down the damaged spillway to try and prevent it from overflowing , but it didn ’ t work .
The dam ultimately overflowed , sending water onto its “ emergency spillway , ” an earthen slope next to the concrete spillway .
That spillway too was flawed , and the rushing water ate away at the earth until it threatened the dam itself , forcing Butte County officials to initiate a sudden , massive evacuation of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dam ultimately held up , the damage to its two spillways was catastrophic .
Both had to be reconstructed at an estimated cost of $ 1.1 billion .
The work is still ongoing but the main spillway has been reconstructed and was even used during last year ’ s rainy winter .

The federal government has agreed to reimburse California more than $170 million for repairs to the Oroville Dam spillway after an appeal from a state agency, officials said.
The assistance, part of a request from the California Department of Water Resources to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for recovery funding, was initially denied last year.
But on Thursday, the Trump administration reversed itself and agreed to help with more of the dam spillway’s rebuilding, bringing FEMA’s potential overall assistance to more than $562.5 million.
“DWR is grateful to FEMA staff for their time, dedication and continued support over the past three years,” said Department of Water Resources spokeswoman Erin Mellon. “The state will continue to review FEMA’s response and decide next steps regarding remaining costs in the coming weeks.”
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In February 2017, the Oroville Dam was threatened amid the wettest winter since before the drought. Dam operators used the dam’s spillway, a long concrete chute that carries water into the Feather River, when the spillway became compromised by previously undiscovered construction and maintenance flaws.
But because water continued to pour into the lake, the state had to continue to release water down the damaged spillway in an attempt to prevent it from overflowing, but it didn’t work.
The dam overflowed, sending water onto its “emergency spillway,” an earthen slope next to the concrete spillway. That spillway too was flawed, and the rushing water ate away at the ground until it threatened the dam itself, forcing Butte County officials to initiate an evacuation of more than 180,000 people downriver.
Although the dam ultimately held up, the damage to its two spillways was catastrophic. Both had to be reconstructed at an estimated cost of $1.1 billion. The work is still underway, but the main spillway has been reconstructed and was used during last year’s rainy winter.
The reconstructed spillway can handle water flowing at a rate of 270,000 cubic feet per second, though officials say they never anticipate having to release water at such a high volume at one time.
The massive spillway reconstruction required pouring more than 1.2 million cubic yards of concrete — enough to fill 372 Olympic-size swimming pools. The main spillway alone contains enough concrete to build a sidewalk from Oroville to Amarillo, Texas.
An analysis of the main spillway’s failure in 2017 pointed to a series of questionable decisions during construction, including relying on relatively thin layers of concrete around vital joints, poor drainage for water that seeped into the chute and weak reinforcements.
A report released in January 2018 by an independent forensic team organized by the Assn. of State Dam Safety Officials contended that the dam’s owner, the Department of Water Resources, was “significantly overconfident and complacent about the integrity of its State Water Project civil infrastructure, including dams.”
The report found that periodic inspections of the spillway failed to identify the original design flaws and the subsequent deterioration of the spillway’s integrity. Officials say those issues were fixed with the reconstruction project.
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), said in a statement he appreciated FEMA’s assistance and that dam stability should be a priority for the government.
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“In the future, I hope that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and DWR will work together to ensure that our dams are up to date with modern engineering standards,” LaMalfa said. “I look forward to continuing to work with all parties to ensure the safety of our area and our water supply.”


latimes--2020-02-21--Harvey Weinstein trial: Jurors appear deadlocked on the two most serious charges

Jurors in the Harvey Weinstein trial Friday appeared deadlocked on the most serious charges brought against the disgraced movie mogul as the fourth day of deliberations came to a close .
The jury of seven men and five women asked if they could be hung on one or both charges of predatory sexual assault — which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison — and unanimous on the other lesser charges .
The question was phrased as a hypothetical , and jurors did not indicate which way it was leaning on the other three lesser counts .
In response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they must reach a unanimous verdict on every count .
“ It is not uncommon for a jury to have difficulty reaching a unanimous verdict , or for it to believe they will never be able to reach a unanimous verdict , ” Judge Burke said .
He then asked the jurors to continue their deliberations .
Jurors have so far zeroed in on the accusations of Mimi Haley and “ Sopranos ” actress Annabella Sciorra , whose allegation is critical to Weinstein being convicted of predatory sexual assault , which carries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier this week , jurors requested to rehear the testimony and cross-examination of Haley , who has accused the Miramax co-founder of forcibly performing oral sex on her in his SoHo apartment in 2006 .
Jurors also asked to review the cross-examination of Sciorra and the testimony of her friend , actress Rosie Perez , who early in the trial told jurors that Sciorra had told her about the alleged attack in the 1990s .
In addition , they wanted a list of anyone Sciorra allegedly told about the attack .
Weinstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual assault in connection with the alleged assaults of Sciorra , Haley and Jessica Mann , a once-aspiring actress who has accused the movie mogul of raping her on two separate occasions in hotels in New York and Southern California .
Weinstein and his lawyers have insisted that his encounters with the women were consensual .
During her tearful testimony , Sciorra told jurors that Weinstein barged into her Gramercy Park apartment in late 1993 or early 1994 and raped her .
Sciorra ’ s allegation was too old to prosecute individually , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count of the indictment .
In essence , the jury needs to believe Sciorra ’ s testimony — and the accounts of either Haley or Mann — in order to convict Weinstein of predatory sexual assault , which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison .
On Tuesday , jurors asked to see the blueprint of the SoHo apartment where Weinstein allegedly assaulted Haley , a former production assistant on the Weinstein Co. show “ Project Runway.
” And they requested to see emails Haley sent to Weinstein , some of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friendly in nature .
And on Wednesday , jurors asked for a slideshow presented by expert witness Barbara Ziv , a forensic psychiatrist called by prosecutors who attempted to knock down so-called rape myths — including the notions that the truthfulness of a rape allegation can be evaluated by how an accuser behaves afterward .
Legal experts have predicted that continued communication between accuser Mann and Haley could be a point of contention for jurors .
“ Don ’ t do anything that will put your health in jeopardy over the weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed them .
“ We need all 12 of you to reach a verdict .
”

Harvey Weinstein, center, leaves Manhattan’s Criminal Court after prosecutors completed their closing argument in his rape trial on Feb. 14.
Jurors in the Harvey Weinstein trial Friday appeared deadlocked on the most serious charges brought against the disgraced movie mogul as the fourth day of deliberations came to a close.
The jury of seven men and five women asked if they could be hung on one or both charges of predatory sexual assault — which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison — and unanimous on the other lesser charges.
The question was phrased as a hypothetical, and jurors did not indicate which way they were leaning on the other three lesser counts.
In response, Judge James Burke told the jurors that they must reach a unanimous verdict on every count.
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“It is not uncommon for a jury to have difficulty reaching a unanimous verdict, or for it to believe they will never be able to reach a unanimous verdict,” Burke said.
He then asked the jurors to continue their deliberations.
Jurors have so far zeroed in on the accusations of Mimi Haley and “Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra, whose allegation is crucial to Weinstein being convicted of predatory sexual assault.
Earlier this week, jurors requested to rehear the testimony and cross-examination of Haley, who has accused the Miramax co-founder of forcibly performing oral sex on her in his SoHo apartment in 2006.
Jurors also asked to review the cross-examination of Sciorra and the testimony of her friend, actress Rosie Perez, who early in the trial told jurors that Sciorra had told her about the alleged attack in the 1990s. In addition, they wanted a list of anyone Sciorra allegedly told about the attack.
Weinstein, 69, faces five counts of sexual assault in connection with the alleged assaults on Sciorra, Haley and Jessica Mann, a once-aspiring actress who has accused the movie mogul of raping her on two occasions, in hotels in New York and Southern California.
Weinstein and his lawyers have insisted that his encounters with the women were consensual.
During her tearful testimony, Sciorra told jurors that Weinstein barged into her Gramercy Park apartment in late 1993 or early 1994 and raped her.
Sciorra’s allegation was too old to prosecute individually, but it was factored into the top count of the indictment. In essence, the jury needs to believe Sciorra’s testimony — and the accounts of either Haley or Mann — in order to convict Weinstein of predatory sexual assault.
On Tuesday, jurors asked to see the blueprint of the SoHo apartment where Weinstein allegedly assaulted Haley, a former production assistant on the Weinstein Co. show “Project Runway.” And they requested to see emails Haley sent to Weinstein, some of which occurred after the alleged attack and appeared friendly in nature.
And Wednesday, jurors asked for a slideshow presented by expert witness Barbara Ziv, a forensic psychiatrist called by prosecutors who attempted to knock down so-called rape myths — including the notions that the truthfulness of a rape allegation can be evaluated by how an accuser behaves afterward.
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Legal experts have predicted that continued communication between Weinstein and accusers Mann and Haley could be a point of contention for jurors.
Jury deliberations are set to resume Monday.
“Don’t do anything that will put your health in jeopardy over the weekend,” Burke told the jurors as he dismissed them. “We need all 12 of you to reach a verdict.”


latimes--2020-02-21--Beverly Cassirer, whose family demanded return of $30-million painting looted by Nazis, dies waiting

For decades , Beverly Cassirer and her husband chased after the elusive Impressionist painting that had been taken from the family by the Nazis during the dawn of World War II , a maddening hunt that came up empty again and again .
The evocative Parisian street scene by Camille Pissarro had vanished into the mists of the war and then resurfaced decades later in Madrid , hanging for all the world to see in the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza , a treasured work by an Impressionistic master valued at roughly $ 30 million .
Cassirer and her husband , Claude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Los Angeles , arguing that it had essentially been stolen by the Nazis , who had forced his grandmother to trade it for her own freedom as she tried to flee Germany .
The painting ultimately made its way to Spain when the Madrid museum purchased it and hundreds of other paintings from a Swiss art collector .
When the couple asked , the museum refused to return it and the two turned to the courts for relief .
Neither lived long enough for that day to come .
On Feb. 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Diego at 99 , the third family member to die since the international legal fight over the rightful owner of the oil painting began , a court skirmish that has dragged on since 2005 .
Her husband died in 2010 and a daughter , Ava , in 2018 .
Her son David now carries on the pursuit of the painting .
“ It ’ s been an odyssey of pain and frustration for the family , ” said Sam Dubbin , one of the attorneys working with the family to retrieve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 , 1920 and raised in Cleveland , where as a young Jewish woman , she felt the stings of the war .
She worked as a secretary during the waning days of the Depression , helping support her family so her brothers could go to college .
Years later , after her own children were grown , she graduated from John Carroll University in Cleveland .
She and her husband met on a train and both became active in their synagogue in Ohio .
In 1980 , the two moved to San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lost Pissarro on the living room wall .
The hazy backstory of “ Rue Saint-Honore in the Afternoon .
Effect of Rain ” began in the late 1800s when the artist sold it to Claude ’ s great-grandfather , who in turn gave it to his daughter , Lilly .
For years , it hung in the family ’ s parlor in Berlin .
Claude said he recalled sitting and staring at the painting in wonderment as a child .
But as Adolf Hitler rose to power , the family began to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Prague , and then on to Britain .
Lilly , though , was halted and forced to hand over the painting in exchange for an exit visa .
Her sister stayed behind and eventually was killed in the Theresienstadt death camp .
For years , Lilly searched fruitlessly for the painting , finally giving up hope of ever finding it when the German government paid her $ 13,000 in reparations , an amount the family came to see as yet another injustice .
She died decades before the painting ever resurfaced .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the painting , ” Claude told The Times in 2010 , shortly before his death .
On its own web site , the museum fills in some of the blanks , explaining that the painting moved quietly through the art world for years — seized by the Gestapo , sold by a Beverly Hills art gallery to a collector , sold again at a gallery in New York and displayed in Japan , Italy , France and Germany by the Swiss art collector .
The shadowy movements of the painting were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plundering artwork and hundreds of thousands of paintings , drawings and other pieces of work disappeared into the netherworld as the war ground on .
Stuart E. Eizenstat , a State Department advisor on Holocaust-era issues , told The Times that of the 600,000 paintings thought to have been stolen by the Nazis , roughly 100,000 remain missing .
And at first , Cassirer and her husband believed that was the fate of the Pissarro as well .
Then , a friend spotted it hanging in the Madrid museum .
For years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance by the Cassirers , arguing that Spain ’ s sovereignty gave it immunity from legal proceedings in the U.S .
When that argument failed , the museum changed course and argued that the statute of limitations to the family ’ s right to claim the painting had long ago expired .
While a judge sided with the museum , an appeals court did not and the case was returned the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles .
Back in court , the couple ’ s lawyers argued that both the museum and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious evidence that the painting had likely been plundered , such as the remains of labels and other identification stickers that had peeled away from the back of the painting .
Judge John F. Walter allowed that the Swiss art collector had likely done a poor job researching the history of the painting and that the museum ’ s efforts to authenticate its origins were far from pristine either .
Still , he ruled their actions were not criminal .
Further , he said , the museum had possessed the painting for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long displayed it publicly .
David Cassirer said he is left with a nagging sense that nobody has ever fully atoned for the Nazi-era crime .
“ This is a painting that was stolen essentially at gunpoint , ” he said , Fifteen years on , the case again is on appeal .

Beverly Cassirer and her husband Claude Cassirer at their home in San Diego with a copy of the Pissarro painting.
For decades, Beverly Cassirer and her husband chased after the elusive Impressionist painting that had been taken from the family by the Nazis during the dawn of World War II, a maddening hunt that came up empty again and again.
The evocative Parisian street scene by Camille Pissarro had vanished into the mists of the war and then resurfaced decades later in Madrid, hanging for all the world to see in the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, a treasured work by an Impressionist master valued at roughly $30 million.
Cassirer and her husband, Claude, pursued the painting in the courts of Los Angeles, arguing that it had essentially been stolen by the Nazis, who had forced his grandmother to trade it for her own freedom as she tried to flee Germany. The painting ultimately made its way to Spain, when the Madrid museum purchased it and hundreds of other paintings from a Swiss art collector.
When the couple asked, the museum refused to return it and the two turned to the courts for relief.
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Neither lived long enough for that day to come.
On Feb. 13, Cassirer died at her home in San Diego at 99, the third family member to die since the international legal fight over the rightful owner of the oil painting began, a court skirmish that has dragged on since 2005. Her husband died in 2010 and a daughter, Ava, in 2018. Her son David now carries on the pursuit of the painting.
“It’s been an odyssey of pain and frustration for the family,” said Sam Dubbin, one of the attorneys working with the family to retrieve the painting.
Beverly Bellin was born Feb. 19, 1920, and raised in Cleveland, where as a young Jewish woman, she felt the stings of the war. She worked as a secretary during the waning days of the Depression, helping support her family so her brothers could go to college. Years later, after her own children were grown, she graduated from John Carroll University in Cleveland.
She and her husband met on a train and both became active in their synagogue in Ohio. In 1980, the two moved to San Diego, where they kept a copy of the lost Pissarro on the living room wall.
The hazy backstory of “Rue Saint-Honore in the Afternoon. Effect of Rain” began in the late 1800s when the artist sold it to Claude’s great-grandfather, who in turn gave it to his daughter, Lilly. For years, it hung in the family’s parlor in Berlin. Claude said he recalled sitting and staring at the painting in wonderment as a child.
But as Adolf Hitler rose to power, the family began to scatter. Claude and his father went to Prague, and then on to Britain. Lilly, though, was halted and forced to hand over the painting in exchange for an exit visa. Her sister stayed behind and eventually was killed in the Theresienstadt death camp.
For years, Lilly searched fruitlessly for the painting, finally giving up hope of ever finding it when the German government paid her $13,000 in reparations, an amount the family came to see as yet another injustice. She died decades before the painting ever resurfaced.
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“My grandmother never knew what happened to the painting,” Claude told The Times in 2010, shortly before his death.
On its own web site, the museum fills in some of the blanks, explaining that the painting moved quietly through the art world for years — seized by the Gestapo, sold by a Beverly Hills art gallery to a collector, sold again at a gallery in New York and displayed in Japan, Italy, France and Germany by the Swiss art collector.
The shadowy movements of the painting were not altogether unusual. The Nazis delighted in plundering artwork, and hundreds of thousands of paintings, drawings and other pieces of work disappeared into the netherworld as the war ground on. Stuart E. Eizenstat, a State Department advisor on Holocaust-era issues, told The Times that of the 600,000 paintings thought to have been stolen by the Nazis, roughly 100,000 remain missing.
And at first, Cassirer and her husband believed that was the fate of the Pissarro as well.
Then, a friend spotted it hanging in the Madrid museum.
For years, attorneys for the museum rebuffed every legal advance by the Cassirers, arguing that Spain’s sovereignty gave it immunity from legal proceedings in the U.S. When that argument failed, the museum changed course and argued that the statute of limitations to the family’s right to claim the painting had long ago expired.
While a judge sided with the museum, an appeals court did not and the case was returned to the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Back in court, the couple’s lawyers argued that both the museum and the Swiss art collector overlooked clear and obvious evidence that the painting had probably been plundered, such as the remains of labels and other identification stickers that had peeled away from the back of the painting.
Judge John F. Walter allowed that the Swiss art collector had probably done a poor job researching the history of the painting and that the museum’s efforts to authenticate its origins were far from pristine either. Still, he ruled their actions were not criminal. Further, he said, the museum had possessed the painting for a legally binding period of time and had long displayed it publicly.
David Cassirer said he is left with a nagging sense that nobody has ever fully atoned for the Nazi-era crime.
“This is a painting that was stolen essentially at gunpoint,” he said.
Fifteen years on, the case again is on appeal.


latimes--2020-02-21--California's coronavirus cases now at 15, with new diagnoses in Humboldt, Sacramento areas

Health officials in Humboldt and Sacramento counties each confirmed a case of the coronavirus in residents who had recently traveled to China .
In addition , five people who were evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and transported to Travis Air Force Base in Solano County have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus , the CDC said , bringing the total number of confirmed cases in California to 15 .
A contact of the Humboldt County resident who has symptoms of the virus is also being tested , the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both people are doing well and self-isolating at home , officials said .
The Sacramento County resident , who returned to the U.S. from China on Feb. 2 , took precautionary measures during travel and had been self-quarantined since returning , according to the county Department of Public Health .
The patient is asymptomatic but will remain in isolation at home until cleared by health officials .
In total , there are 34 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States , CDC officials said earlier Friday ; the Sacramento County case would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the cases were among people evacuated from Wuhan on government-chartered repatriation flights , and 18 were among passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship .
Those include the five hospitalized near Travis , plus 11 who are receiving care at University of Nebraska Medical Center near Camp Ashland and two who are being treated at hospitals near Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland .
The Diamond Princess has been docked off Yokohama since Feb. 3 in the midst of an outbreak of coronavirus cases aboard , with more than 634 positive diagnoses reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two flights to transport about 329 U.S. citizens from the cruise ship to military bases in California and Texas on Sunday .
U.S. officials said early Monday that 14 of them had tested positive for the new coronavirus , but were allowed on the flights because officials did not receive notice of the positive results until after they left the ship .
The CDC had previously confirmed two cases of COVID-19 in Illinois and one each in Arizona , Massachusetts , Texas , Washington and Wisconsin .
The agency will now count cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those among the general U.S. public because officials don ’ t believe the former number accurately reflects what is going on in the community , officials said Friday .
The new strain of coronavirus has infected more than 74,000 people in mainland China , killing more than 2,100 , since it was discovered in Wuhan in late December .

Health officials in Humboldt and Sacramento counties each confirmed a case of the coronavirus in residents who had recently traveled to China.
In addition, five people who were evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and transported to Travis Air Force Base in Solano County have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in California to 15.
A contact of the Humboldt County resident who has symptoms of the virus is also being tested, the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement Thursday night. Both people are doing well and self-isolating at home, officials said.
The Sacramento County resident, who returned to the U.S. from China on Feb. 2, took precautionary measures during travel and had been self-quarantined since returning, according to the county Public Health department. The patient is asymptomatic but will remain in isolation at home until cleared by health officials.
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In total, there are 34 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, CDC officials said earlier Friday; the Sacramento County case would bring that number to 35. Three of the cases were among people evacuated from Wuhan on government-chartered repatriation flights, and 18 were among passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Those include the five hospitalized near Travis, plus 11 who are receiving care at University of Nebraska Medical Center near Camp Ashland and two who are being treated at hospitals near Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
The Diamond Princess has been docked off Yokohama since Feb. 3 in the midst of an outbreak of coronavirus cases aboard, with more than 634 positive diagnoses reported among passengers.
The State Department chartered two flights to transport about 329 U.S. citizens from the cruise ship to military bases in California and Texas on Sunday. U.S. officials said early Monday that 14 of them had tested positive for the new coronavirus but were allowed on the flights because officials did not receive notice of the positive results until after they left the ship.
The CDC had previously confirmed two cases of COVID-19 in Illinois and one each in Arizona, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. The agency will now count cases among recently repatriated U.S. citizens separately from those among the general U.S. public because officials don’t believe the former number accurately reflects what is going on in the community, officials said Friday.
The new strain of coronavirus has infected more than 74,000 people in mainland China, killing more than 2,100, since it was discovered in Wuhan in late December.


latimes--2020-02-21--A look behind California's mixed record on lung cancer

It was a bewildering moment for Zach Jump , the American Lung Assn.
’ s national director of epidemiology and statistics .
The numbers leaped off the computer screen and prompted an immediate question : How could California , a leader in reducing lung cancer cases , fall so short on early diagnosis and treatment of the disease ?
“ It ’ s like you ’ d found the needle in the haystack of results , ” Jump said .
“ I don ’ t know if anyone knew this was going to show up.
” It was right there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of Lung Cancer ” report , published in November : California had the third-lowest rate of new lung cancer cases in the country , a laudable achievement .
But among residents diagnosed with the disease , nearly a quarter received no treatment — a dismal showing that landed the state near the bottom of the heap .
Worse , California screened high-risk patients at a lower rate than every state but Nevada .
Nationally , the report showed a dramatic increase in the five-year survival rate of people diagnosed with the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Cancer Society report released last month showing that a decline in lung cancer deaths from 2016 to 2017 fueled the country ’ s largest single-year drop in cancer mortality ever reported .
California ’ s low rate of new lung cancer cases makes sense given its aggressive anti-tobacco laws and high taxes on tobacco products .
Between 85 % and 90 % of people who die of lung cancer in the U.S. were smokers , and “ California is the poster child for tobacco control , ” said Jump .
But what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance on early diagnosis and treatment ?
The answer is complicated in a state as large as California , but lung cancer experts agree on the influence of several factors : the state ’ s large income inequality , broad cultural and linguistic diversity , geographic inconsistency of health care access , and a reluctance by many medical professionals to treat poor people , who smoke at higher rates than those of the general population .
“ People aren ’ t getting screened in the places where the incidence of smoking is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an oncologist at USC ’ s Keck School of Medicine .
A low-dose CT scan , the only recommended screening exam for lung cancer , is highly effective , research shows .
In one large clinical trial , it reduced lung cancer deaths by 20 % among people deemed high risk based on their age and smoking history .
The lung association study shows that just 4.2 % of patients in the United States who are at high risk for lung cancer get screened for it — a figure seen as alarmingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area of prevention .
But California ’ s screening rate is far worse : just 0.9 % .
Performing the exam can be profitable if insurance payments are high enough .
Medi-Cal , the government-funded insurance program for low-income people that covers about a third of all Californians , has long paid rates far below the national average .
Not surprisingly , scans are performed much more commonly in areas where people are likely to have good private insurance .
“ Unfortunately , it ’ s the population that doesn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most , ” Nieva said .
Medical experts say the state ’ s low screening numbers help explain why 24 % of California ’ s lung cancer patients receive no treatment at all after they are diagnosed .
Without adequate screening , lung cancer generally is discovered at later stages , when treatment is far less effective and many clinical trials aren ’ t offered .
Other factors weigh heavily on California ’ s ability to boost screening and treatment , according to people with deep experience in the field .
Among them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with immigrant groups , “ we need culturally sensitive approaches that include materials , educational tools , awareness campaigns and doctors who can speak to people in their native languages , ” said Laurie Fenton Ambrose , president and chief executive of the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer , a patient advocacy group .
Homelessness .
As California ’ s unhoused population has swelled to more than 150,000 , health care providers have more difficulty reaching those in need of services .
“ Many of the 60,000 homeless in L.A. County would very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer , and they are not being screened , ” said Dr. Steven Dubinett , a pulmonologist at UCLA .
Access to primary care .
“ California has some uniqueness in how hard it is to see a doctor in lots of parts of the state , ” Nieva said .
“ That ’ s incredibly important when it comes to getting things early on , like that persistent cough you ’ ve had for a few months.
” Lack of statewide coordination .
The state ’ s Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade .
“ It is inefficient and slow to improve , ” Fenton Ambrose said .
“ You don ’ t even have a plan that lays out its goals for fighting lung cancer.
” Numerous personal factors can also influence whether patients get screening and treatment , experts say .
Some people may be reluctant to be tested for fear of learning they have a terrible disease — including medical problems unrelated to lung cancer that the exam might uncover .
In addition , the stigma attached to lung cancer due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sense of fatalism in both patients and their doctors .
Dubinett favors rolling out screening programs throughout the state , especially in areas where health care access is spotty .
Given the effectiveness of the exams and follow-up treatment if lung cancer is detected early , the state might well improve its five-year survival rate for lung cancer patients , which stands at 21.5 % .
( The national average is 21.7 % , according to the lung association . )
Such an initiative may fall to the state , with help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that USC has begun an outreach program in South Los Angeles offering high-risk patients free rides to Keck Hospital for screening .
“ This should be getting done everywhere , and at a 100 % rate , ” he said .
The fact that it ’ s not is “ a real indictment of our health care system.
” Mark Kreidler writes for California Healthline , published by Kaiser Health News , an editorially independent publication of the Kaiser Family Foundation .

It was a bewildering moment for Zach Jump, the American Lung Assn.’s national director of epidemiology and statistics. The numbers leaped off the computer screen and prompted an immediate question:
How could California, a leader in reducing lung cancer cases, fall so short on early diagnosis and treatment of the disease?
“It’s like you’d found the needle in the haystack of results,” Jump said. “I don’t know if anyone knew this was going to show up.”
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It was right there in the association’s annual State of Lung Cancer report, published in November: California had the third-lowest rate of new lung cancer cases in the country, a laudable achievement. But among residents diagnosed with the disease, nearly a quarter received no treatment — a dismal showing that landed the state near the bottom of the heap. Worse, California screened high-risk patients at a lower rate than every state but Nevada.
Nationally, the report showed a dramatic increase in the five-year survival rate of people with the disease. That finding was reinforced by an American Cancer Society report released last month showing that a decline in lung cancer deaths from 2016 to 2017 fueled the country’s largest single-year drop in cancer mortality ever reported.
California’s low rate of new lung cancer cases makes sense given its aggressive anti-tobacco laws and high taxes on tobacco products. Between 85% and 90% of people who die of lung cancer in the U.S. were smokers, and “California is the poster child for tobacco control,” Jump said.
But what explains the state’s dramatically weaker performance on early diagnosis and treatment?
The answer is complicated in a state as large as California, but lung cancer experts agree on the influence of several factors: the state’s large income inequality, broad cultural and linguistic diversity, geographic inconsistency of health care access, and a reluctance by many medical professionals to treat poor people, who smoke at higher rates than those of the general population.
“People aren’t getting screened in the places where the incidence of smoking is the highest,” said Dr. Jorge Nieva, an oncologist at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.
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A low-dose CT scan, the only recommended screening exam for lung cancer, is highly effective, research shows. In one large clinical trial, it reduced lung cancer deaths by 20% among people deemed to be at high risk based on their age and smoking history.
The lung association study shows that just 4.2% of patients in the United States who are at high risk for lung cancer get screened for it — a figure seen as alarmingly low by those who work in the area of prevention. But California’s screening rate is far worse: just 0.9%.
Performing the exam can be profitable if insurance payments are high enough. Medi-Cal, the government-funded insurance program for low-income people that covers about a third of all Californians, has long paid rates far below the national average.
Not surprisingly, scans are performed much more commonly in areas where people are likely to have good private insurance. “Unfortunately, it’s the population that doesn’t have great insurance that needs the screening the most,” Nieva said.
Medical experts say the state’s low screening numbers help explain why 24% of California’s lung cancer patients receive no treatment at all after they are diagnosed. Without adequate screening, lung cancer generally is discovered at later stages, when treatment is far less effective and many clinical trials aren’t offered.
Other factors weigh heavily on California’s ability to boost screening and treatment, according to people with deep experience in the field. Among them:
Cultural barriers. Especially when communicating with immigrant groups, “we need culturally sensitive approaches that include materials, educational tools, awareness campaigns and doctors who can speak to people in their native languages,” said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, president and chief executive of the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, a patient advocacy group.
Homelessness. As California’s unhoused population has swelled to more than 150,000, health care providers have more difficulty reaching those in need of services. “Many of the 60,000 homeless in L.A. County would very likely be considered at risk for lung cancer, and they are not being screened,” said Dr. Steven Dubinett, a pulmonologist at UCLA.
Access to primary care. “California has some uniqueness in how hard it is to see a doctor in lots of parts of the state,” Nieva said. “That’s incredibly important when it comes to getting things early on, like that persistent cough you’ve had for a few months.”
Lack of statewide coordination. The state’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan hasn’t been updated in almost a decade. “It is inefficient and slow to improve,” Fenton Ambrose said. “You don’t even have a plan that lays out its goals for fighting lung cancer.”
Numerous personal factors can also influence whether patients get screening and treatment, experts say. Some people may be reluctant to be tested for fear of learning they have a terrible disease — including medical problems unrelated to lung cancer that the exam might uncover.
In addition, the stigma attached to lung cancer because of its link with smoking can contribute to a sense of fatalism in patients and their doctors.
Dubinett favors rolling out screening programs throughout the state, especially in areas where health care access is spotty. Given the effectiveness of the exams and follow-up treatment if lung cancer is detected early, the state might well improve its five-year survival rate for lung cancer patients, which stands at 21.5%. (The national average is 21.7%, according to the lung association.)
Such an initiative may fall to the state, with help from academic medical systems.
Nieva noted that USC has begun an outreach program in South Los Angeles offering high-risk patients free rides to Keck Hospital for screening.
“This should be getting done everywhere, and at a 100% rate,” he said. The fact that it’s not is “a real indictment of our health care system.”
Mark Kreidler writes for California Healthline, published by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent publication of the Kaiser Family Foundation.


latimes--2020-02-21--'Old lady' bear tranquilized after walkabout in Monrovia neighborhood

A large black bear described by wildlife officials as an “ old lady ” was tranquilized Friday morning after trundling through a Monrovia neighborhood , authorities said .
The approximately 400-pound bear was darted about 9 a.m. and will be taken back to the closest suitable habitat , California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tim Daly said .
The creature was seen plodding along North Mayflower Avenue and Highland Place during the early morning , stopping occasionally to sniff trash cans or scrutinize news vans and other vehicles that had gathered to watch its wanderings .
One resident seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within feet of the creature as it roamed his lawn .
The man seemed unfazed and stopped for only a moment to watch the wild animal before continuing on his way .
Daly indicated the bear was apparently familiar with the neighborhood as a source of food .
“ It ’ s older , hungry , and these guys know when their food source is going to be out , ” he said .
Bear sightings are nothing new for Monrovia , which backs up to Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the campus of nearby Mayflower Elementary School the day before , according to the Monrovia Police Department .
That bear eventually left on its own and headed “ back toward the mountains it came from , ” Daly said .
It ’ s not clear whether Friday ’ s wanderer was the same animal , but Daly said there ’ s “ a strong possibility.
” “ If animals know they can get food one day at a particular location , they ’ re smart enough to come back thinking they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Fish and Wildlife officials “ encourage people to do everything they can to discourage animal visits , ” such as not leaving food outside and securing trash cans , Daly said .
The department ’ s website offers tips about bear-proofing homes and campsites .
Those who come across a bear are warned to keep their distance and avoid aggravating the creatures .

A large black bear described by wildlife officials as an “old lady” was tranquilized Friday morning after trundling through a Monrovia neighborhood, authorities said.
The approximately 400-pound bear was darted about 9 a.m. and will be taken back to the closest suitable habitat, California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tim Daly said.
The creature was seen plodding along North Mayflower Avenue and Highland Place during the early morning, stopping occasionally to sniff trash cans or scrutinize news vans and other vehicles that had gathered to watch its wanderings.
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One resident seen exiting his front door on video came within feet of the creature as it roamed his lawn. The man seemed unfazed and stopped for only a moment to watch the wild animal before continuing on his way.
Daly indicated the bear was apparently familiar with the neighborhood as a source of food.
“It’s older, hungry, and these guys know when their food source is going to be out,” he said.
A bear walks down a sidewalk in Monrovia on Friday morning. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Bear sightings are nothing new for Monrovia, which backs up to Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains.
A bear was also spotted on the campus of nearby Mayflower Elementary School the day before, according to the Monrovia Police Department. That bear eventually left on its own and headed “back toward the mountains it came from,” Daly said.
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It’s not clear whether Friday’s wanderer was the same animal, but Daly said there’s “a strong possibility.”
“If animals know they can get food one day at a particular location, they’re smart enough to come back thinking they’re going to score again,” he said.
Department of Fish and Wildlife officials “encourage people to do everything they can to discourage animal visits,” such as not leaving food outside and securing trash cans, Daly said. The department’s website offers tips about bear-proofing homes and campsites.
Those who come across a bear are warned to keep their distance and avoid aggravating the creatures.


latimes--2020-02-21--O.C. sheriff's deputy faces charges in girlfriend's attack after birthday party

An Orange County sheriff ’ s deputy is facing three felony charges after authorities say he attacked his girlfriend after a birthday party last month .
Kyle Edward Pickard , 28 , of Rancho Santa Margarita has been charged with one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury , one felony count of making criminal threats and one felony count of false imprisonment by violence or menace , according to the Orange County district attorney ’ s office .
He pleaded not guilty Thursday and was released on $ 50,000 bail , records show .
He is due back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stem from the early morning of Jan. 19 , when Orange County sheriff ’ s deputies responded to a Rancho Santa Margarita residence after a reported domestic violence incident .
Pickard was arrested , “ immediately placed on administrative leave and has not returned to work since the incident , ” according to a statement from the Sheriff ’ s Department .
He has been with the department since July 2011 .
“ I expect members of the Sheriff ’ s Department to behave in a manner that is fitting of a law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duty , ” Sheriff Don Barnes said in a statement .
“ We hold ourselves to a high standard and hold our employees accountable when that standard is not met .
“ We need to remember there is a criminal justice process , and the same protections under the law are afforded to everyone , ” Barnes added .
If convicted , Pickard faces up to three years in prison .

A 28-year-old Orange County sheriff’s deputy has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges in the attack of his girlfriend last month.
An Orange County sheriff’s deputy is facing three felony charges after authorities say he attacked his girlfriend after a birthday party last month.
Kyle Edward Pickard, 28, of Rancho Santa Margarita has been charged with one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury, one felony count of making criminal threats and one felony count of false imprisonment by violence or menace, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.
He pleaded not guilty Thursday and was released on $50,000 bail, records show. He is due back in court March 19.
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The charges stem from the early morning of Jan. 19, when Orange County sheriff’s deputies responded to a Rancho Santa Margarita residence after a reported domestic violence incident.
Pickard was arrested, “immediately placed on administrative leave and has not returned to work since the incident,” according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Department. He has been with the department since July 2011.
“I expect members of the Sheriff’s Department to behave in a manner that is fitting of a law enforcement officer, both on and off duty,” Sheriff Don Barnes said in a statement. “We hold ourselves to a high standard and hold our employees accountable when that standard is not met.
“We need to remember there is a criminal justice process, and the same protections under the law are afforded to everyone,” Barnes added.
If convicted, Pickard faces up to three years in prison.


latimes--2020-02-21--Police shoot, then ram with cruiser a man they say was armed with a shotgun

A man suspected of shooting two people in Long Beach died after officers fired at him and struck him with a police car Thursday night , authorities said .
Officers responded to the area of Market Street and Atlantic Avenue about 9:20 p.m. following reports of a shooting , according to the Long Beach Police Department .
On arriving , an officer encountered a man armed with a shotgun , authorities said .
The officer shot at the man , but it was not immediately clear whether the man was hit by gunfire .
When a second officer arrived in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least twice at the vehicle , police said .
The second officer then struck the suspect with the police car , according to authorities .
The suspect , identified only as a 22-year-old Long Beach resident , died at the scene , but authorities could not immediately say whether he died from being struck by the car or from gunfire , police Chief Robert Luna told reporters at the scene .
Authorities say the man shot another man in front of a restaurant in the 5400 block of Atlantic Avenue .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , police said .
Both gunshot victims were taken to a hospital , one of them in critical condition , authorities said .
A police officer also went to a hospital “ as a precautionary measure after the collision , ” according to the department .
The shooting comes just days after another man was killed in a police shooting in the area of East Rhea Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Long Beach .
The Police Department said that it is conducting a “ multilevel review ” of both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district attorney ’ s office will conduct independent investigations as well .

A man suspected of shooting two people in Long Beach died after officers fired at him and struck him with a police car Thursday night, authorities said.
Officers responded to the area of Market Street and Atlantic Avenue about 9:20 p.m. after reports of a shooting, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
On arriving, an officer encountered a man armed with a shotgun, authorities said. The officer shot at the man, but it was not immediately clear whether the man was hit by gunfire.
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When a second officer arrived in a police cruiser, the gunman fired at least twice at the vehicle, police said. The second officer then struck the suspect with the police car, according to authorities.
The suspect, identified only as a 22-year-old Long Beach resident, died at the scene, but authorities could not immediately say whether he died from being struck by the car or from gunfire, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna told reporters at the scene.
Authorities say the man shot another man in front of a restaurant in the 5400 block of Atlantic Avenue. The suspect later shot a woman in the area, police said.
Both gunshot victims were taken to a hospital, one of them in critical condition, authorities said. A police officer also went to a hospital “as a precautionary measure after the collision,” according to the department.
The shooting comes just days after another man was killed in a police shooting in the area of East Rhea Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Long Beach.
The Police Department said that it is conducting a “multilevel review” of both shootings and that the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office will conduct independent investigations as well.