latimes--2020-02-06--California Lottery gave away $212,500 in Scratchers on 'Ellen.' Some call it a misuse of funds

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres drew wild cheers from the studio audience of her television talk show in December when she announced each person in attendance would receive a $ 500 bundle of Scratchers tickets from the California State Lottery .
Lottery officials saw it as a publicity boon , but a whistleblower complaint filed by some lottery employees argues the agency ’ s giveaway of the tickets — which have a combined face value of $ 212,500 — should be investigated as a “ misuse of funds , ” according to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times .
The controversy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is scheduled to be released on lottery finances in response to a string of recent scandals that included allegations of wasteful spending , improper gifts and nepotism .
State Sen. Ling Ling Chang ( R-Diamond Bar ) requested the audit last year to determine whether money is going as promised to public schools .
California voters approved the lottery in 1984 with an understanding that 34 % of sales revenue would go toward education , though the Legislature in 2010 relaxed that requirement to give managers discretion to follow “ best practices.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money reserved for schools is not growing at the same rate as lottery revenue .
She said the auditor should also look at the giveaway of Scratchers on the Dec. 3 episode of the “ The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
” “ This concerns me because , bottom line , the mission of the California Lottery is to provide supplemental funding to California public schools , ” Chang said .
“ I want to know how this contribution affects supplemental funding to California public schools .
Does it help ?
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Lottery should have been reimbursed by DeGeneres ’ show for the tickets provided .
She has also questioned the handling of the tickets after a YouTube blogger who was not in the studio audience said she was given a $ 500 packet of Scratchers by someone affiliated with the show .
The whistleblower complaint was sent to the state auditor and Gov .
Gavin Newsom by a group of lottery employees , who alleged that some gift packs that did not go to the audience were improperly left with show staff and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor did not provide a comment , but officials with the California Lottery confirmed producers of the show were given at no cost 425 packets that each included 72 Scratchers tickets with a face value of $ 500 per packet .
The promotional act giving away more than 30,000 Scratchers tickets was done to create positive publicity for the games with the intent to increase sales , said Russ Lopez , a spokesman for the lottery .
The value of having the game touted by DeGeneres on her show was worth far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tickets away , Lopez said .
He said the “ total media value ” received in California from the promotional segment on the national show was about $ 1.6 million , as calculated by Horizon Media , a consultant firm advising the lottery that based the valuation on standard industry-media rates .
The lottery also buys advertising for its games .
“ The Ellen Show offered a unique opportunity to increase consumer awareness of California Lottery ’ s contributions to public education while helping to drive sales of Holiday Scratchers , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed the lottery to achieve significant cost savings compared to buying the equivalent in media exposure via a traditional ad buy.
” “ I don ’ t think giving away lottery tickets generates more sales , ” she said , adding that the giveaway may result in some audience members winning prizes into the millions of dollars , which would take money away from schools .
Lopez said that providing the tickets for free “ complied with all state regulations ” regarding the use of promotional tickets to build awareness of lottery products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television personality and she is also a huge supporter of public schools and public education , ” Lopez said .
“ Her philanthropic efforts to education are widely known and we appreciated the opportunity to share the lottery ’ s work and its mission on-air during her show .
“ The giveaway was part of DeGeneres ’ “ 12 Days of Giveaways ” holiday promotion , during which she announced the audience gifts with late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel .
The pair also gave the audience at the Dec. 3 show a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 in beauty products , $ 300 in new clothes and a trip to a beach resort , and all of the products were plugged by the two comedians .
“ Maybe you could make one of our audience members a millionaire , ” DeGeneres told Kimmel before they unveiled the lottery gift .
“ Would that be amazing ?
” Kimmel then made a pitch to viewers to buy holiday-themed Scratchers tickets from the California Lottery .
“ I know something that can make them absolutely filthy rich this holiday season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gift of Scratchers from the California Lottery .
Their mission is to provide funding to California schools for programs like music , reading art , technology — all that kind of stuff.
” DeGeneres then turned to the audience and announced : “ You are all getting a $ 500 package of Lottery Scratchers.
” When the audience cheers subsided , DeGeneres joked , “ You have to let me know if any of you hit it big .
I get half.
” Representatives for DeGeneres did not respond to requests for comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the show ’ s staff received packets of Scratchers .
Retired lottery sales representative Charlotte Belasco said past promotions have required ticket giveaways to be conditioned on the purchase of other tickets .
“ I think somebody needs to take a very close look at how the lottery is distributing their Scratchers tickets , ” said Belasco , who retired from the lottery last year .
“ This is money taken right out of education.
” In a Dec. 24 video , YouTube personality and comedian Colleen Ballinger said that a friend affiliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave her a $ 500 packet of Scratchers as she held up a pile of cards .
“ He gave us $ 500 worth of Scratchers , ” she said .
“ It ’ s going to take an entire day to scratch them all.
” So far , the video has 434,000 views .
Ballinger did not respond to a request for comment from a representative .
Lopez said lottery officials were not told after the show how many Scratchers packets were provided to members of the studio audience and how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , but he said that the packet that ended up in the YouTube video is the only one lottery officials know of that did not go to the audience .
“ It was Lottery ’ s understanding that all gift boxes were to be distributed , ” Lopez said .
“ We subsequently learned that an extra gift box was supplied to a popular influencer which provided additional media exposure , endorsement and promotional value for Holiday Scratchers games at no extra cost to Lottery.
” In addition to a state audit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislative investigation into the giveaway .
“ It seems like it was handled improperly , ” the senator said .
The giveaway is just the latest in a series of controversies over the use of lottery resources .
Hugo Lopez stepped down as director of the California Lottery in June after a previous state audit questioned agency spending .
The audit in April by Controller Betty Yee alleged that there had been more than $ 305,000 in improper or questionable spending over the previous four years that included travel , food , gifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expenses included $ 21,666 to give staff logo-branded swag such as T-shirts , backpacks , lip balm and iPad cases , with the agency saying the purchases were “ learning aids ” and “ training tools , ” the audit said .
“ The lottery was created to fund schools and nothing more , ” Chang said .
“ Unfortunately , media reports over the past year have painted a negative picture of the California State Lottery as an agency under fire for wasteful spending and nepotism .
”

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres drew wild cheers from the studio audience of her television talk show in December when she announced each person in attendance would receive a $500 bundle of Scratchers tickets from the California State Lottery.
Lottery officials saw it as a publicity boon, but a whistleblower complaint filed by some lottery employees argues the agency’s giveaway of the tickets — which have a combined face value of $212,500 — should be investigated as a “misuse of funds,” according to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
The controversy comes just weeks before a state audit is scheduled to be released on lottery finances in response to a string of recent scandals that included allegations of wasteful spending, improper gifts and nepotism. State Sen. Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar) requested the audit last year to determine whether money is going as promised to public schools. California voters approved the lottery in 1984 with an understanding that 34% of sales revenue would go toward education, though the Legislature in 2010 relaxed that requirement to give managers discretion to follow “best practices.”
Chang is concerned that the amount of money reserved for schools is not growing at the same rate as lottery revenue. She said the auditor should also look at the giveaway of Scratchers on the Dec. 3 episode of the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
“This concerns me because, bottom line, the mission of the California Lottery is to provide supplemental funding to California public schools,” Chang said. “I want to know how this contribution affects supplemental funding to California public schools. Does it help? I don’t think so.”
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Chang said the California State Lottery should have been reimbursed by DeGeneres’ show for the tickets provided. She has also questioned the handling of the tickets after a YouTube blogger who was not in the studio audience said she was given a $500 packet of Scratchers by someone affiliated with the show.
The whistleblower complaint was sent to the state auditor and Gov. Gavin Newsom by a group of lottery employees, who alleged that some gift packs that did not go to the audience were improperly left with show staff and not accounted for.
A spokesperson for the governor did not provide a comment, but officials with the California Lottery confirmed producers of the show were given at no cost 425 packets that each included 72 Scratchers tickets with a face value of $500 per packet.
The promotional act giving away more than 30,000 Scratchers tickets was done to create positive publicity for the games with the intent to increase sales, said Russ Lopez, a spokesman for the lottery. The value of having the game touted by DeGeneres on her show was worth far more than the revenue lost by giving the tickets away, Lopez said.
He said the “total media value” received in California from the promotional segment on the national show was about $1.6 million, as calculated by Horizon Media, a consultant firm advising the lottery that based the valuation on standard industry-media rates. The lottery also buys advertising for its games.
“The Ellen Show offered a unique opportunity to increase consumer awareness of California Lottery’s contributions to public education while helping to drive sales of Holiday Scratchers,” Lopez said. “This promotional opportunity allowed the lottery to achieve significant cost savings compared to buying the equivalent in media exposure via a traditional ad buy.”
Chang disputed Lopez’s claims.
“I don’t think giving away lottery tickets generates more sales,” she said, adding that the giveaway may result in some audience members winning prizes into the millions of dollars, which would take money away from schools.
Lopez said that providing the tickets for free “complied with all state regulations” regarding the use of promotional tickets to build awareness of lottery products.
Advertisement
“Ellen DeGeneres is a beloved television personality and she is also a huge supporter of public schools and public education,” Lopez said. “Her philanthropic efforts to education are widely known and we appreciated the opportunity to share the lottery’s work and its mission on-air during her show. “
The giveaway was part of DeGeneres’ “12 Days of Giveaways” holiday promotion, during which she announced the audience gifts with late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The pair also gave the audience at the Dec. 3 show a $500 Visa gift card, $500 in beauty products, $300 in new clothes and a trip to a beach resort, and all of the products were plugged by the two comedians.
“Maybe you could make one of our audience members a millionaire,” DeGeneres told Kimmel before they unveiled the lottery gift. “Would that be amazing?”
Kimmel then made a pitch to viewers to buy holiday-themed Scratchers tickets from the California Lottery.
“I know something that can make them absolutely filthy rich this holiday season,” Kimmel said. “Give the gift of Scratchers from the California Lottery. Their mission is to provide funding to California schools for programs like music, reading art, technology — all that kind of stuff.”
DeGeneres then turned to the audience and announced: “You are all getting a $500 package of Lottery Scratchers.”
When the audience cheers subsided, DeGeneres joked, “You have to let me know if any of you hit it big. I get half.”
Representatives for DeGeneres did not respond to requests for comment on the giveaway and whether any of the show’s staff received packets of Scratchers.
Retired lottery sales representative Charlotte Belasco said past promotions have required ticket giveaways to be conditioned on the purchase of other tickets.
“I think somebody needs to take a very close look at how the lottery is distributing their Scratchers tickets,” said Belasco, who retired from the lottery last year. “This is money taken right out of education.”
In a Dec. 24 video, YouTube personality and comedian Colleen Ballinger said that a friend affiliated with “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” gave her a $500 packet of Scratchers as she held up a pile of cards.
“He gave us $500 worth of Scratchers,” she said. “It’s going to take an entire day to scratch them all.” So far, the video has 434,000 views.
Ballinger did not respond to a request for comment from a representative.
Lopez said lottery officials were not told after the show how many Scratchers packets were provided to members of the studio audience and how many were left over and given to other people, but he said that the packet that ended up in the YouTube video is the only one lottery officials know of that did not go to the audience.
“It was Lottery’s understanding that all gift boxes were to be distributed,” Lopez said. “We subsequently learned that an extra gift box was supplied to a popular influencer which provided additional media exposure, endorsement and promotional value for Holiday Scratchers games at no extra cost to Lottery.”
In addition to a state audit, Chang said there should be a legislative investigation into the giveaway.
“It seems like it was handled improperly,” the senator said.
The giveaway is just the latest in a series of controversies over the use of lottery resources.
Hugo Lopez stepped down as director of the California Lottery in June after a previous state audit questioned agency spending.
The audit in April by Controller Betty Yee alleged that there had been more than $305,000 in improper or questionable spending over the previous four years that included travel, food, gifts to employees and entertainment expenses.
Improper expenses included $21,666 to give staff logo-branded swag such as T-shirts, backpacks, lip balm and iPad cases, with the agency saying the purchases were “learning aids” and “training tools,” the audit said.
“The lottery was created to fund schools and nothing more,” Chang said. “Unfortunately, media reports over the past year have painted a negative picture of the California State Lottery as an agency under fire for wasteful spending and nepotism.”


latimes--2020-02-06--Trump wants California cops to evict homeless people. They don't want that 'dirty' job

No one looked happy to be on the Joe Rodota Trail in Sonoma County last week — not the homeless people who had built a miles-long encampment , not the park rangers tasked with making sure they left and not the police officers sent as backup .
Last summer , more than 250 people with no place else to go — veterans , elderly women and men , teenagers , parolees and addicts — started building this shantytown , complete with its own economy , including a bike parts salesman and a “ credit card lady.
” Residents said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and comfort there .
Though plagued by violence , thievery and a heroin-fentanyl mix called red rock , there were rules in what they called “ Camp Rebel : No Longer Sorry.
” But the families and commuters who used to walk and bike under the oaks and redwoods on the trail were gone , warned away by fears of crime and rats rumored to be the size of cats .
And so the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors ordered the camp closed by the end of January .
The question became who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
City police , county sheriff ’ s deputies or another agency ?
Arriving at an answer proved to be contentious , but offered a rare peek at the growing dismay within law enforcement agencies as California ’ s homelessness crisis continues to intensify and the public ’ s patience with it grows increasingly thin .
Political leaders at the local , state and federal levels are calling for actions that could directly or indirectly expand the responsibilities of cops in managing the tens of thousands of homeless people who live outdoors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ being asked to be both social workers and enforcers , and top brass are equally critical of such suggestions , arguing that they aren ’ t equipped to be the front line of this crisis .
“ Most police officers don ’ t necessarily want to deal with homelessness , and I ’ m not sure it ’ s a policing issue , ” said Ron Lawrence , president of the California Police Chiefs Assn .
“ Homelessness in and of itself is not a crime , and people need to understand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In recent months , U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson , echoing rhetoric from President Trump about a possible crackdown on homeless encampments in California cities , called for “ empowering and utilizing local law enforcement , ” in a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti .
In a Fox television interview , Carson also said state officials needed to “ uncuff law enforcement so that people can be removed now and placed in transitional places.
” Although public opinion of the Trump administration remains low in California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quo to continue on homelessness .
A recent Times poll found that a large majority of L.A. County voters believe police should be more active in addressing homelessness .
Before a recent series of court decisions and legal settlements spelling out rights for homeless people , cops had been far more involved because the issue was often largely handled through crackdowns on petty crimes such as public urination or littering .
As recently as the mid-2000s , law enforcement used citations and arrests to break up encampments and seize homeless people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case Martin vs. City of Boise in 2018 marked a significant victory for homeless advocates after more than a decade of civil rights lawsuits .
Law enforcement agencies across California and several other Western states suddenly had to adhere to new rules on when and how encampments could be cleared , adding a de facto layer of social work for any officer dealing with unsheltered people .
Coupled with a lack of housing options , the rules also slowed down enforcement , contributing to the perception that police can not or will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posed by encampments .
That is one reason several cities and counties , including Sacramento , supported a challenge to Martin vs. City of Boise , the federal appeals court ruling that prohibits punishing homeless people for sleeping on public property when no shelter beds or housing are available .
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case , however , leaving the lower court ruling intact and cities and counties to deal with the realities of their multiplying encampments .
At the state Capitol , legislators have reframed the discussion on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuing to leave people to die on the streets .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has spoken about the need to revise the state ’ s law governing conservatorships , potentially expanding the number of people who can be forced into treatment .
It ’ s an idea that , on the street level , could involve using law enforcement to help identify and detain homeless people to be conserved .
In San Francisco , a pilot program passed by the Legislature in 2018 will use the number of times police take a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marker for who qualifies for involuntary treatment .
Los Angeles and San Diego are authorized for similar programs , but are not as far along .
“ There is a lot of frustration in my profession , ” said Brian Marvel , president of the Police Officers Research Assn .
of California , which lobbies for law enforcement interests .
“ I personally don ’ t think this is the right direction to go.
” Being both a cop and a social worker can be rewarding , but poses a risk both for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed the job of law enforcement .
Marvel said having to be the first person to approach someone in a mental health or addiction crisis , which is common when dealing with homeless people , is especially difficult at a time when the use of police force is under scrutiny .
“ Strictly having police officers deal with this issue is a recipe for disaster , ” he said .
“ This needs to be discussed from a team perspective and not dumped in the lap of law enforcement.
” Robert Harris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles police , said his rank-and-file members “ don ’ t want to be obstructionists , ” but often feel left out of policy discussions that directly affect them .
“ We are about trying to find real solutions to some of these tough issues and we are hoping that law enforcement can stop being the easy way out for lawmakers , ” he said .
In Santa Rosa , multiple officials said the city and county saw the Rodota Trail homeless encampment as a political and legal hot potato , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones in charge of “ this dirty role of kicking people out , ” as activist Marni Wroth , 70 , put it last week , standing zip-tied to a gate to protest the police presence .
Along with drug use and people with untreated mental illness on the trail , there was activism and outrage — and a federal injunction specific to Sonoma County that is stricter than the Boise ruling .
All were reasons to be skittish , and the stress of the situation was palpable as a weeks-long standoff came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edges of the pavement .
Santa Rosa “ made a choice not to displace this because it was county land , and they were trying to get [ the county ] , to get our sheriff to do it , and we said , ‘ It ’ s your jurisdiction , ’ ” said Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore .
But while the city and county argued , the encampment grew , and “ we had to go dive into it , ” he said , even though the supervisors didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involving the sheriff .
The Sonoma County Sheriff ’ s Department said it had no jurisdiction over the area .
That left Sonoma County park rangers , who had never led an operation to clear a homeless encampment , as the lead law enforcement agency , with help from county mental health staff and emergency service workers .
The rangers slow-rolled the trail starting last Wednesday with a pickup truck and a dozen men , stopping at each structure to let residents know they had to leave by Friday or possibly face arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Sonoma County parks spokeswoman Meda Freeman .
“ Rangers , really their mission is to help people enjoy a park property , understand it , follow the basic rules , ” Freeman said .
“ They ’ re not the people who usually book you and take you to jail .
That ’ s not what they enjoy doing.
” Half a dozen Santa Rosa police officers accompanied the rangers .
But Sgt .
Jonathan Wolf , head of the city ’ s downtown enforcement team , which predominantly handles homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they were present only for advice and emergencies .
“ What I ’ d like people to know is we are not coordinating this , ” Wolf said .
By Friday morning , about 50 campers remained scattered on the trail among the abandoned shelters , which , with pallet foundations , front porches and even a second story on one , had a ramshackle permanence .
Much of what had been makeshift homes was now garbage : abandoned tents , torn mattresses , used needles ground into the dirt , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gas cans , a marine battery and several hundred tons of detritus that would have to be removed by a hazmat team .
About halfway through the encampment , authorities encountered Steve Floyd , 33 , sitting on a gray futon balanced on milk crates , his blond hair pulled into a ponytail .
Floyd , charismatic and intense , said he wanted to see how long he could push the rangers off .
When they approached , he told them he didn ’ t want to leave on his own and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him with “ a vacation.
” “ It ’ s tough work out here , ” he said .
Could Floyd be ready to leave by 4 p.m. , “ if I leave you with some totes and bags ... and no distractions ?
” the ranger asked .
Floyd agreed , although he said he had lived at multiple homeless camps that had been cleared , and was tired of the whack-a-mole nature of the enforcement .
His resistance , he said , was “ not for me .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s about being able to live and not be scared it will all be taken away.
” Officer Jeff Travers , part of Santa Rosa police ’ s homeless team , said the rangers were being more lenient than he would have been .
He would have given Floyd a couple of hours , not half a day .
Travers said he has come to believe that law enforcement is the most effective when it uses toughness as well as encouragement .
He recounted the story of a teenage heroin addict who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she had been sexually exploited because of her addiction .
Travers said his team arrested her multiple times , but in working with a group that included her public defender , convinced the teenager to go to rehab instead of jail .
Now , Travers said she is living with her father and attending community college .
“ Yes , some people definitely hate us , ” Wolf said .
“ I would argue that , actually , that ’ s where more accountability can actually have more of an effect than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said his job has become both frustrating and rewarding as Sonoma County ’ s homeless population has expanded .
After the sweep last week , 60 people were given temporary housing in tiny homes , and more entered shelters .
But others were simply displaced .
“ Truthfully , ” Wolf said of how he feels about his job , “ it depends on what day you ask.
” By Friday afternoon , it was clear to authorities that Floyd would probably be their toughest holdout .
At 2:30 , Floyd used a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to smoke heroin .
The county-provided plastic bins sitting next to him were still empty .
But when rangers reached their 4 p.m. deadline and they descended on Floyd ’ s site , he gave in , wheeling his possessions off the Joe Rodota Trail and into the parking lot of a Goodwill .
He was once again in the territory of Santa Rosa police .
The entire trail had been cleared with no arrests , but Floyd and Wolf said the whole process would probably be repeated when another encampment pops up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites , and by Tuesday , about 30 people had set up their belongings on a county road in the sheriff ’ s jurisdiction .
Community activist Marcos Ramirez said 20 more were on their way .
“ Ten years ago , it wasn ’ t like this , ” said Wolf .
“ I ’ m not really glad it ’ s become part of what we do .
”

No one looked happy to be on the Joe Rodota Trail in Sonoma County earlier this month — not the homeless people who had built a miles-long encampment, not the park rangers tasked with making sure they left and not the police officers sent as backup.
Last summer, more than 250 people with no place else to go — veterans, elderly women and men, teenagers, parolees and addicts — started building this shantytown, complete with its own economy, including a bike parts salesman and a “credit card lady.” Residents said there was a sense of community, safety and comfort there. Though plagued by violence, thievery and a heroin-fentanyl mix called red rock, there were rules in what they called “Camp Rebel: No Longer Sorry.”
But the families and commuters who used to walk and bike under the oaks and redwoods on the trail were gone, warned away by fears of crime and rats rumored to be the size of cats. And so the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors ordered the camp closed by the end of January.
Advertisement
The question became who would force the homeless people to leave. City police, county sheriff’s deputies or another agency? Arriving at an answer proved to be contentious, but offered a rare peek at the growing dismay within law enforcement agencies as California’s homelessness crisis continues to intensify and the public’s patience with it grows increasingly thin.
Political leaders at the local, state and federal levels are calling for actions that could directly or indirectly expand the responsibilities of cops in managing the tens of thousands of homeless people who live outdoors. But many rank-and-file officers are tired of being asked to be both social workers and enforcers, and top brass are equally critical of such suggestions, arguing that they aren’t equipped to be the front line of this crisis.
“Most police officers don’t necessarily want to deal with homelessness, and I’m not sure it’s a policing issue,” said Ron Lawrence, president of the California Police Chiefs Assn. “Homelessness in and of itself is not a crime, and people need to understand that sometimes policing is not the best intervention.”
Homeless campers along the Joe Rodota Trail use shopping carts and improvised dollies to move their belongings in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess / Press Democrat)
In recent months, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, echoing rhetoric from President Trump about a possible crackdown on homeless encampments in California cities, called for “empowering and utilizing local law enforcement,” in a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. In a Fox television interview, Carson also said state officials needed to “uncuff law enforcement so that people can be removed now and placed in transitional places.”
Advertisement
Although public opinion of the Trump administration remains low in California, so is opinion of allowing the status quo to continue on homelessness. A recent Times poll found that a large majority of L.A. County voters believe police should be more active in addressing homelessness.
Before a recent series of court decisions and legal settlements spelling out rights for homeless people, cops had been far more involved because the issue was often largely handled through crackdowns on petty crimes such as public urination or littering. As recently as the mid-2000s, law enforcement used citations and arrests to break up encampments and seize homeless people’s property.
But a ruling in the case Martin vs. City of Boise in 2018 marked a significant victory for homeless advocates after more than a decade of civil rights lawsuits. Law enforcement agencies across California and several other Western states suddenly had to adhere to new rules on when and how encampments could be cleared, adding a de facto layer of social work for any officer dealing with unsheltered people.
Visit our new Housing & Homelessness section Get informed on the latest news and statistics on housing and homelessness in L.A., California, and throughout the U.S.
Coupled with a lack of housing options, the rules also slowed down enforcement, contributing to the perception that police cannot or will not address the health and safety problems often posed by encampments.
That is one reason several cities and counties, including Sacramento, supported a challenge to Martin vs. City of Boise, the federal appeals court ruling that prohibits punishing homeless people for sleeping on public property when no shelter beds or housing are available. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, however, leaving the lower court ruling intact and cities and counties to deal with the realities of their multiplying encampments.
At the state Capitol, legislators have reframed the discussion on homelessness to be about the inhumanity of continuing to leave people to die on the streets. Gov. Gavin Newsom has spoken about the need to revise the state’s law governing conservatorships, potentially expanding the number of people who can be forced into treatment. It’s an idea that, on the street level, could involve using law enforcement to help identify and detain homeless people to be conserved.
In San Francisco, a pilot program passed by the Legislature in 2018 will use the number of times police take a person in for a mental-health hold as a marker for who qualifies for involuntary treatment. Los Angeles and San Diego are authorized for similar programs, but are not as far along.
“There is a lot of frustration in my profession,” said Brian Marvel, president of the Police Officers Research Assn. of California, which lobbies for law enforcement interests. “I personally don’t think this is the right direction to go.”
Being both a cop and a social worker can be rewarding, but poses a risk both for officers and homeless people and has fundamentally changed the job of law enforcement. Marvel said having to be the first person to approach someone in a mental health or addiction crisis, which is common when dealing with homeless people, is especially difficult at a time when the use of police force is under scrutiny.
“Strictly having police officers deal with this issue is a recipe for disaster,” he said. “This needs to be discussed from a team perspective and not dumped in the lap of law enforcement.”
Robert Harris, director of the union that represents Los Angeles police, said his rank-and-file members “don’t want to be obstructionists,” but often feel left out of policy discussions that directly affect them. “We are about trying to find real solutions to some of these tough issues, and we are hoping that law enforcement can stop being the easy way out for lawmakers,” he said.
1 / 4 More than 200 people set up a homeless encampment on the Joe Rodata Trail in Santa Rosa, prompting city and county officials to provide more shelter alternatives as they attempted to move people to other locations. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 4 Sandra Austin, 62, lived on the Joe Rodata Trail in Santa Rosa for months. With the city and county attempting to move people elsewhere, Austin accepted a placement in a pallet home for 90 days. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 4 Everett Lincoln, 49, hugs his dog Demonia on the couch of his encampment along the Joe Rodata bike trail in Santa Rosa. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 4 Phlo lives in an RV near the Joe Rodata Trail in Sonoma County, where more than 200 people were camping out until late January. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times)
In Santa Rosa, multiple officials said the city and county saw the Rodota Trail homeless encampment as a political and legal hot potato, and they didn’t want to be the ones in charge of “this dirty role of kicking people out,” as activist Marni Wroth, 70, put it last week, standing zip-tied to a gate to protest the police presence.
Along with drug use and people with untreated mental illness on the trail, there was activism and outrage — and a federal injunction specific to Sonoma County that is stricter than the Boise ruling. All were reasons to be skittish, and the stress of the situation was palpable as a weeks-long standoff came to its final days on the muddy edges of the pavement.
Santa Rosa “made a choice not to displace this because it was county land, and they were trying to get [the county], to get our sheriff to do it, and we said, ‘It’s your jurisdiction,’” said Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore. But while the city and county argued, the encampment grew, and “we had to go dive into it,” he said, even though the supervisors didn’t want to “criminalize” homelessness by involving the sheriff.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department said it had no jurisdiction over the area. That left Sonoma County park rangers, who had never led an operation to clear a homeless encampment, as the lead law enforcement agency, with help from county mental health staff and emergency service workers.
The rangers slow-rolled the trail starting last Wednesday with a pickup truck and a dozen men, stopping at each structure to let residents know they had to leave by Friday or possibly face arrest.
They “understandably feel nervous,” said Sonoma County parks spokeswoman Meda Freeman. “Rangers, really their mission is to help people enjoy a park property, understand it, follow the basic rules,” Freeman said. “They’re not the people who usually book you and take you to jail. That’s not what they enjoy doing.”
Half a dozen Santa Rosa police officers accompanied the rangers. But Sgt. Jonathan Wolf, head of the city’s downtown enforcement team, which predominantly handles homeless issues, was quick to point out that they were present only for advice and emergencies.
“What I’d like people to know is we are not coordinating this,” Wolf said.
By Friday morning, about 50 campers remained scattered on the trail among the abandoned shelters, which, with pallet foundations, front porches and even a second story on one, had a ramshackle permanence. Much of what had been makeshift homes was now garbage: abandoned tents, torn mattresses, used needles ground into the dirt, a baby doll, a pile of yams, gas cans, a marine battery and several hundred tons of detritus that would have to be removed by a hazmat team.
About halfway through the encampment, authorities encountered Steve Floyd, 33, sitting on a gray futon balanced on milk crates, his blond hair pulled into a ponytail. Floyd, charismatic and intense, said he wanted to see how long he could push the rangers off. When they approached, he told them he didn’t want to leave on his own and that he thought an arrest might provide him with “a vacation.”
“It’s tough work out here,” he said.
Could Floyd be ready to leave by 4 p.m., “if I leave you with some totes and bags ... and no distractions?” the ranger asked. Floyd agreed, although he said he had lived at multiple homeless camps that had been cleared, and was tired of the whack-a-mole nature of the enforcement.
His resistance, he said, was “not for me. It’s not for the trail. It’s about being able to live and not be scared it will all be taken away.”
Steve Floyd gathers his belongings from the Joe Rodota Trail in Sonoma as Santa Rosa Police Department Sgt. Jonathan Wolf and Santa Rosa Police Officer Jeff Travers watch with a Sonoma County Park Ranger. Floyd was one of about 250 homeless people living along the trail. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times)
Officer Jeff Travers, part of Santa Rosa police’s homeless team, said the rangers were being more lenient than he would have been. He would have given Floyd a couple of hours, not half a day. Travers said he has come to believe that law enforcement is the most effective when it uses toughness as well as encouragement.
He recounted the story of a teenage heroin addict who had been living on the trail. He said she had been sexually exploited because of her addiction. Travers said his team arrested her multiple times, but in working with a group that included her public defender, convinced the teenager to go to rehab instead of jail. Now, Travers said she is living with her father and attending community college.
“Yes, some people definitely hate us,” Wolf said. “I would argue that, actually, that’s where more accountability can actually have more of an effect than a complete lack of consequences.”
Wolf said his job has become both frustrating and rewarding as Sonoma County’s homeless population has expanded. After the sweep last week, 60 people were given temporary housing in tiny homes, and more entered shelters. But others were simply displaced.
“Truthfully,” Wolf said of how he feels about his job, “it depends on what day you ask.”
By Friday afternoon, it was clear to authorities that Floyd would probably be their toughest holdout. At 2:30, Floyd used a piece of tinfoil and a metal tube to smoke heroin. The county-provided plastic bins sitting next to him were still empty. But when rangers reached their 4 p.m. deadline and they descended on Floyd’s site, he gave in, wheeling his possessions off the Joe Rodota Trail and into the parking lot of a Goodwill. He was once again in the territory of Santa Rosa police.
The entire trail had been cleared with no arrests, but Floyd and Wolf said the whole process would probably be repeated when another encampment pops up. Former residents were already scouting new sites, and by Tuesday, about 30 people had set up their belongings on a county road in the sheriff’s jurisdiction. Community activist Marcos Ramirez said 20 more were on their way.
“Ten years ago, it wasn’t like this,” said Wolf. “I’m not really glad it’s become part of what we do.”


latimes--2020-02-06--Skelton: Californians will soon have to decide: Do they care more about ousting Trump or the issues?

President Trump ’ s highly partisan State of the Union address was a political rallying cry — for Democrats .
And it was especially timely for California Democrats because their presidential primary is rapidly approaching .
No doubt the president ’ s speech warmed the hearts of adoring Republicans .
But its provocative content and delivery should have lit a fire under Democrats and inspired them to weigh carefully their choice of Trump ’ s opponent in the November election .
In the March 3 primary , do California Democrats vote for the candidate whose views on issues they strongly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best chance of booting Trump out of the Oval Office ?
The former would presumably be a firebrand liberal ; the latter a pragmatic moderate .
But after the nominating race ’ s first lap in chaotic Iowa , who can really be sure which Democrat would be Trump ’ s strongest opponent ?
The conventional wisdom had been that former Vice President Joe Biden would be the most electable Democrat .
But he was badly beaten in Iowa by fellow moderate Pete Buttigieg , a former mayor of medium-size South Bend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fourth , which ordinarily would verge on being a candidacy disqualifier .
He trailed — in order — Buttigieg , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
“ Biden came out badly wounded , ” says Bob Shrum , director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and a former Democratic strategist .
Given his earlier lead in the polls , Shrum asserts , “ finishing fourth was extraordinary .
People decided to look at someone else.
” That must have been Buttigieg .
“ Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this point , ” Shrum says .
“ The argument that he ’ s the most electable candidate has been at least frayed.
” In California , likely voters were recently asked in a poll conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies which was more important : choosing a candidate with the best chance of beating Trump or one they most agreed with on the issues .
The results were close : 53 % favored the most electable candidate and 47 % wanted the one they agreed with the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s supporters opted for the most electable .
So did 73 % of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar ’ s small cadre of fans , 72 % of former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ’ s and 59 % of Buttigieg ’ s .
The question is : Where do Biden ’ s supporters turn if they no longer think he ’ s a potential winner ?
To Bloomberg ?
Buttigieg ?
Maybe Klobuchar ?
Warren ’ s backers were split almost evenly between those who cared most about winning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Sanders ’ followers were backing him because of his stands on issues .
Trump probably riled them in his speech by taking a shot at Sanders without mentioning his name .
“ We will never let socialism destroy American healthcare , ” he declared .
Sanders calls himself a “ democratic socialist ” and wants a single-payer healthcare system that would be government-run and exclude private insurance .
Sanders was the clear California leader in the UC Berkeley IGS poll , supported by 26 % , followed by Warren at 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No other candidate rose above a single digit .
The survey was taken in late January .
The Iowa results could reshuffle that thinking — and possibly so could Trump ’ s contentious speech .
He advocated tighter restrictions on abortions , pledged to protect gun ownership , denounced providing government medical insurance for “ illegal aliens ” and bragged about building the border wall — all counter to the California consensus .
The question California Democrats must ask themselves is how badly do they want to beat Trump in November .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary on Tuesday , though polls have favored Sanders from neighboring Vermont .
Sanders is also leading in the next contest , the Nevada caucuses , because of strong Latino support .
Biden ’ s firewall has been the South Carolina primary because of strong support from African Americans .
But that contest is only three days before California ’ s .
So South Carolina ’ s impact on voters ’ thinking in this state could be minimal .
Many Californians probably will have already voted by mail .
If Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising , “ that ’ s an ideal scenario for Bloomberg , ” Strum says .
The multibillionaire has already spent at least $ 35 million of his fortune on TV ads in California .
He has forked out an unprecedented $ 300 million-plus nationally on TV spots in the March 3 Super Tuesday states .
Before Californians need to vote , they ’ ll know more about whether Buttigieg ’ s Iowa showing was a fluke or the sign of a rising star .
“ I think he ’ s one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve ever seen , ” Shrum says .
“ He ’ s short on experience , but he ’ s long on brains , talent and the capacity to communicate .
He speaks not just in complete sentences but in complete paragraphs .
And he has the capacity to motivate people.
” Buttigieg ’ s weakness is lack of appeal to African Americans and Latinos .
Iowa is roughly 90 % white .
California is the nation ’ s most diverse state .
And here , in the UC Berkeley poll , Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Buttigieg was drawing in the low single digits .
“ I think it ’ s going to end up being a Buttigieg-Sanders thing , with maybe some opportunity for Bloomberg , ” says veteran Democratic strategist Bill Carrick .
“ Bloomberg ’ s going to be a player .
He ’ s going to be all over TV.
” California Democrats will be voting while the nominating race is in full gallop .
That ’ s a rarity .

President Trump arrives to deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. Voters in California will have to decide on March 3 whether they care more about ousting Trump or a Democratic candidate’s stances on the issues.
President Trump’s highly partisan State of the Union address was a political rallying cry — for Democrats.
And it was especially timely for California Democrats because their presidential primary is rapidly approaching.
No doubt the president’s speech warmed the hearts of adoring Republicans. But its provocative content and delivery should have lit a fire under Democrats and inspired them to weigh carefully their choice of Trump’s opponent in the November election.
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In the March 3 primary, do California Democrats vote for the candidate whose views on issues they strongly support — or the candidate with the best chance of booting Trump out of the Oval Office? The former would presumably be a firebrand liberal; the latter a pragmatic moderate.
But after the nominating race’s first lap in chaotic Iowa, who can really be sure which Democrat would be Trump’s strongest opponent?
The conventional wisdom had been that former Vice President Joe Biden would be the most electable Democrat. But he was badly beaten in Iowa by fellow moderate Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor of medium-size South Bend, Ind.
That’s assuming preliminary results from Iowa’s caucus debacle hold up.
Biden apparently finished a dismal fourth, which ordinarily would verge on being a candidacy disqualifier. He trailed — in order — Buttigieg, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
“Biden came out badly wounded,” says Bob Shrum, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and a former Democratic strategist. Given his earlier lead in the polls, Shrum asserts, “finishing fourth was extraordinary. People decided to look at someone else.”
That must have been Buttigieg.
“Biden’s going to have trouble raising money at this point,” Shrum says. “The argument that he’s the most electable candidate has been at least frayed.”
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In California, likely voters were recently asked in a poll conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies which was more important: choosing a candidate with the best chance of beating Trump or one they most agreed with on the issues.
The results were close: 53% favored the most electable candidate and 47% wanted the one they agreed with the most.
But significantly, 82% of Biden’s supporters opted for the most electable. So did 73% of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s small cadre of fans, 72% of former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s and 59% of Buttigieg’s.
The question is: Where do Biden’s supporters turn if they no longer think he’s a potential winner? To Bloomberg? Buttigieg? Maybe Klobuchar?
Warren’s backers were split almost evenly between those who cared most about winning and those passionate about issues. But 65% of Sanders’ followers were backing him because of his stands on issues.
Trump probably riled them in his speech by taking a shot at Sanders without mentioning his name. “We will never let socialism destroy American healthcare,” he declared.
Sanders calls himself a “democratic socialist” and wants a single-payer healthcare system that would be government-run and exclude private insurance.
Sanders was the clear California leader in the UC Berkeley IGS poll, supported by 26%, followed by Warren at 20% and Biden at 15%. No other candidate rose above a single digit. The survey was taken in late January.
The Iowa results could reshuffle that thinking — and possibly so could Trump’s contentious speech. He advocated tighter restrictions on abortions, pledged to protect gun ownership, denounced providing government medical insurance for “illegal aliens” and bragged about building the border wall — all counter to the California consensus.
The question California Democrats must ask themselves is how badly do they want to beat Trump in November.
Biden could bounce back in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, though polls have favored Sanders from neighboring Vermont.
Sanders is also leading in the next contest, the Nevada caucuses, because of strong Latino support.
Biden’s firewall has been the South Carolina primary because of strong support from African Americans. But that contest is only three days before California’s. So South Carolina’s impact on voters’ thinking in this state could be minimal. Many Californians probably will have already voted by mail.
If Biden’s political stock is plummeting and Sanders’ rising, “that’s an ideal scenario for Bloomberg,” Strum says.
The multibillionaire has already spent at least $35 million of his fortune on TV ads in California. He has forked out an unprecedented $300 million-plus nationally on TV spots in the March 3 Super Tuesday states.
Before Californians need to vote, they’ll know more about whether Buttigieg’s Iowa showing was a fluke or the sign of a rising star.
“I think he’s one of the more talented presidential candidates I’ve ever seen,” Shrum says. “He’s short on experience, but he’s long on brains, talent and the capacity to communicate. He speaks not just in complete sentences but in complete paragraphs. And he has the capacity to motivate people.”
Buttigieg’s weakness is lack of appeal to African Americans and Latinos. Iowa is roughly 90% white.
California is the nation’s most diverse state. And here, in the UC Berkeley poll, Sanders was winning Latino and black voters handily. Buttigieg was drawing in the low single digits.
“I think it’s going to end up being a Buttigieg-Sanders thing, with maybe some opportunity for Bloomberg,” says veteran Democratic strategist Bill Carrick. “Bloomberg’s going to be a player. He’s going to be all over TV.”
California Democrats will be voting while the nominating race is in full gallop. That’s a rarity.


latimes--2020-02-04--50 mph gusts blow through downtown L.A.; powerful winds topple trees, damage jet at LAX

After a brief winter warm-up over the weekend , powerful winds wreaked havoc across Southern California early Monday , toppling trees and power lines and damaging a cargo jet taking off from Los Angeles International Airport .
The northerly winds kicked up Sunday afternoon and strengthened overnight , gusting up to 80 mph in Warm Springs in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest .
In downtown L.A. , winds reached 50 mph , while Saugus and Van Nuys Airport had gusts of 57 and 53 mph , respectively .
On Monday morning , winds had gusted up to 55 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Inglewood and 45 mph at LAX and Catalina Island , according to the National Weather Service .
The blasts uprooted a massive tree in the 3000 block of Beachwood Drive in Hollywood Hills .
In Granada Hills , footage from OnScene TV showed a tree that had plummeted through a house .
At Reseda Boulevard in Porter Ranch , winds toppled a large pine on the westbound 118 Freeway , blocking two lanes .
Joe Hernandez was driving a passenger for Lyft on the 118 when he struck the tree with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injured , but the car was significantly damaged , he said .
“ It felt like we went through a bale of hay , ” he told reporters at the scene .
“ It felt weird.
” Shortly after 3 a.m. , a 747 cargo aircraft was taking off from LAX when it struck a trash bin that had blown onto the runway .
The bin hit the nose gear of the aircraft , causing two of the tires to blow out , according to the Los Angeles Fire Department .
Seven people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not injured , officials said .
Winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected to continue through much of Monday , but may weaken by the afternoon .
The winds will shift northeasterly Tuesday , said David Sweet , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
The weather service issued a wind advisory through noon Monday for the San Gabriel Valley , Los Angeles County coast , downtown L.A. and Catalina and Santa Barbara islands .
The advisory warns of gusty winds that can toss unsecured objects and make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have a cold front that ’ s going through the region associated with an area of low pressure that ’ s diving into eastern California , ” Sweet said .
“ It ’ s going to stay on the cool and windy side now into Tuesday before things start to settle down as we head into a warming trend.
” The cold front also brought a smattering of rain along the northern slopes of the mountains in Los Angeles County and in some Orange County cities , including Anaheim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
A freeze watch is in effect for parts of Southern California , including the Coachella Valley , beginning at 10 p.m. Monday through 10 a.m. Tuesday .
It will kick in again Tuesday evening and last through Wednesday morning .
Overnight temperatures could drop as low as 28 degrees in that area , according to the weather service .
In Los Angeles , daytime temperatures are expected to linger in the low 60s Monday and Tuesday before warming slightly Wednesday .
By the weekend , forecasters expect the mercury to rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles County .
The chilly temperatures come on the heels of what was a record-breaking warm weekend for Southern California , with highs soaring above 80 degrees in some areas .
A record high of 81 degrees was set at LAX on Saturday , surpassing the previous mark of 79 degrees for the day in 1954 .
In Long Beach , a temperature of 84 degrees Saturday bested the previous record of 83 degrees set on the same day in 1995 .
The dramatic swing in temperatures can be uncomfortable and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , Sweet said .
“ It can happen , but it doesn ’ t happen very often , ” he said .

Workers try to reestablish electricity to the area after high winds caused a large tree to fall across the street in the 700 block of Fairview Avenue in Sierra Madre.
After a brief winter warm-up over the weekend, powerful winds wreaked havoc across Southern California early Monday, toppling trees and power lines and damaging a cargo jet taking off from Los Angeles International Airport.
The northerly winds kicked up Sunday afternoon and strengthened overnight, gusting up to 80 mph in Warm Springs in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest. In downtown L.A., winds reached 50 mph, while Saugus and Van Nuys Airport had gusts of 57 and 53 mph, respectively. On Monday morning, winds had gusted up to 55 mph in Santa Monica, 47 mph in Inglewood and 45 mph at LAX and Catalina Island, according to the National Weather Service.
The blasts uprooted a massive tree in the 3000 block of Beachwood Drive in Hollywood Hills. In Granada Hills, footage from OnScene TV showed a tree that had plummeted through a house. At Reseda Boulevard in Porter Ranch, winds toppled a large pine on the westbound 118 Freeway, blocking two lanes. Joe Hernandez was driving a passenger for Lyft on the 118 when he struck the tree with his sedan early Monday. No one was injured, but the car was significantly damaged, he said.
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“It felt like we went through a bale of hay,” he told reporters at the scene. “It felt weird.”
Shortly after 3 a.m., a 747 cargo aircraft was taking off from LAX when it struck a trash bin that had blown onto the runway. The bin hit the nose gear of the aircraft, causing two of the tires to blow out, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Seven people who were on board at the time were not injured, officials said.
A woman is surrounded by palm fronds while waiting for the bus in San Pedro Monday. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected to continue through much of Monday, but may weaken by the afternoon. The winds will shift northeasterly Tuesday, said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The weather service issued a wind advisory through noon Monday for the San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles County coast, downtown L.A. and Catalina and Santa Barbara islands. The advisory warns of gusty winds that can toss unsecured objects and make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.
“We have a cold front that’s going through the region associated with an area of low pressure that’s diving into eastern California,” Sweet said. “It’s going to stay on the cool and windy side now into Tuesday before things start to settle down as we head into a warming trend.”
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The cold front also brought a smattering of rain along the northern slopes of the mountains in Los Angeles County and in some Orange County cities, including Anaheim, but did not last long, forecasters said.
A freeze watch is in effect for parts of Southern California, including the Coachella Valley, beginning at 10 p.m. Monday through 10 a.m. Tuesday. It will kick in again Tuesday evening and last through Wednesday morning. Overnight temperatures could drop as low as 28 degrees in that area, according to the weather service.
In Los Angeles, daytime temperatures are expected to linger in the low 60s Monday and Tuesday before warming slightly Wednesday. By the weekend, forecasters expect the mercury to rise to about 70 degrees across much of Los Angeles County.
The chilly temperatures come on the heels of what was a record-breaking warm weekend for Southern California, with highs soaring above 80 degrees in some areas.
A record high of 81 degrees was set at LAX on Saturday, surpassing the previous mark of 79 degrees for the day in 1954. In Long Beach, a temperature of 84 degrees Saturday bested the previous record of 83 degrees set on the same day in 1995.
The dramatic swing in temperatures can be uncomfortable and is a bit unusual for winter in Southern California, Sweet said.
“It can happen, but it doesn’t happen very often,” he said.


latimes--2020-02-07--Health officials declare hepatitis A outbreak in San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County health officials Thursday declared an outbreak of hepatits A , saying dozens of people have contracted the viral disease .
Since the start of 2019 , there have been 42 confirmed hepatitis A cases in the county , according to information released by the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health .
By comparison , only three cases were reported in all of 2018 , the health department said .
An outbreak occurs when people in an area contract a particular disease at a rate that is “ in excess of normal expectancy , ” according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clusters of the recent hepatitis cases were confirmed in the cities of Redlands and San Bernardino .
People contracting the disease were predominantly in high-risk populations , such as drug users and people who are homeless , the county statement said .
The outbreak in San Bernardino is the latest to hit the state and comes amid a national rise in the disease .
In 2017 , hundreds of people in San Diego County were diagnosed , including 17 who died .
From there , the disease spread to Santa Cruz and Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the time , health officials warned it could take months or years before the spread of the disease stopped .
Nationally , the number of cases reported each year is down significantly from 2001 , when about 11,000 people contracted the disease , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
After years of steady declines , however , the disease began a comeback beginning in 2014 , statistics show .
Hepatitis A is commonly transmitted through contaminated food .
California ’ s outbreaks , however , have spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the homeless community .
The virus is transmitted from feces to mouth , so unsanitary conditions make it more likely to spread .
The city of San Diego installed dozens of handwashing stations and begun cleaning streets with bleach-spiked water in recent weeks .
“ The most effective way to prevent hepatitis A is to receive the vaccine , ” said Dr. Erin Gustafson , San Bernardino County Assistant Health Officer .
“ It is also very important to wash your hands with soap and water regularly to protect yourself from this virus.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and typically causes fatigue , poor appetite , fever and nausea .

San Bernardino County health officials declared an outbreak of hepatitis A on Thursday, saying dozens of people have contracted the viral disease.
Since the start of 2019, there have been 42 confirmed hepatitis A cases in the county, according to information released by the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. By comparison, only three cases were reported in all of 2018, the health department said.
An outbreak occurs when people in an area contract a particular disease at a rate that is “in excess of normal expectancy,” according to the World Health Organization.
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Officials said clusters of the recent hepatitis cases were confirmed in the cities of Redlands and San Bernardino. People contracting the disease were predominantly in high-risk populations, such as drug users and people who are homeless, the county statement said.
The outbreak in San Bernardino is the latest to hit the state and comes amid a national rise in the disease. In 2017, hundreds of people in San Diego County were diagnosed, including 17 who died. From there, the disease spread to Santa Cruz and Los Angeles counties, which both declared outbreaks. At the time, health officials warned it could take months or years before the spread of the disease stopped.
Nationally, the number of cases reported each year is down significantly from 2001, when about 11,000 people contracted the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After years of steady declines, however, the disease began a comeback beginning in 2014, statistics show.
Hepatitis A is commonly transmitted through contaminated food. California’s outbreaks, however, have spread from person to person, mostly among the homeless community.
The virus is transmitted from feces to mouth, so unsanitary conditions make it more likely to spread. The city of San Diego installed dozens of hand-washing stations and begun cleaning streets with bleach-spiked water in recent weeks.
“The most effective way to prevent hepatitis A is to receive the vaccine,” said Dr. Erin Gustafson, San Bernardino County assistant health officer. “It is also very important to wash your hands with soap and water regularly to protect yourself from this virus.”
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The disease affects patients’ livers and typically causes fatigue, poor appetite, fever and nausea.
Times staff writer Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-07--Mickey, Donald and all others safe after small fire breaks out at Disneyland

The happiest place on earth got a little smoky Thursday night when a small fire broke out in a backstage @ @ @ @ @ p.m. , Anaheim firefighters received reports of the fire , said Sgt .
Shane Carringer @ @ @ @ @ for the city .
Several engines were dispatched to the amusement part , but the @ @ @ @ @ off the others and extinguished the flames “ within minutes , ” Carringer said .
@ @ @ @ @ the park remained open , although parts of the Adventureland section were closed off , @ @ @ @ @ Videos circulating on social media that were shot from the park ’ s Main Street @ @ @ @ @ air and smoke billowing from behind a building in an area not accessible to guests @ @ @ @ @ not immediately known what caused the fire , although it was not believed to be @ @ @ @ @ scene did not request arson investigators to respond .
The Disney official described it as @ @ @ @ @ ”

The happiest place on earth got a little smoky Thursday night when a small fire broke out in a backstage area.
Shortly after 6 p.m., Anaheim firefighters received reports of the fire, said Sgt. Shane Carringer, a public safety spokesman for the city. Several engines were dispatched to the amusement part, but the first firefighters to arrive called off the others and extinguished the flames “within minutes,” Carringer said.
No injuries were reported and the park remained open, although parts of the Adventureland section were closed off, a Disneyland official said.
Videos circulating on social media that were shot from the park’s Main Street showed flames leaping into the air and smoke billowing from behind a building in an area not accessible to guests.
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Carringer said it was not immediately known what caused the fire, although it was not believed to be suspicious since firefighters at the scene did not request arson investigators to respond.
The Disney official described it as a “vegetation fire.”


latimes--2020-02-06--4 people found unresponsive at South L.A. homeless encampment

Two men and two women were taken to a hospital in critical condition Thursday evening after being found unresponsive in @ @ @ @ @ South Los Angeles .
The Los Angeles Fire Department received the call about 6:30 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ 800 block of West 115th Street near the 105 Freeway , according to LAFD ’ @ @ @ @ @ physician will determine the cause of the patients ’ medical emergencies , Humphrey said .
@ @ @ @ @ was not released .

Two men and two women were taken to a hospital in critical condition Thursday evening after being found unresponsive in an apparent homeless encampment in South Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Fire Department received the call about 6:30 p.m. for the incident in the 800 block of West 115th Street near the 105 Freeway, according to LAFD’s Brian Humphrey.
A physician will determine the cause of the patients’ medical emergencies, Humphrey said.
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Further information about the victims was not released.


latimes--2020-02-06--The Oscars red carpet may be a little wet on Sunday, but California's winter continues to be dry

There ’ s a chance of showers in the Los Angeles area on Sunday afternoon and evening , according to the National Weather Service , so skies over Hollywood and the Academy Awards ceremony are likely to be overcast and drippy .
The marine layer will deepen Saturday night and Sunday morning with widespread low clouds for the coast and valleys , but there probably won ’ t be much moisture in this system , said Curt Kaplan , a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard .
The models aren ’ t in agreement on much , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of December , this means the rainfall season will continue to be disappointing in most of California , and the prospects that the state will get back to normal by June 30 — end of the season — are not promising , as Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services points out .
February is usually the wettest month of the year in California , but extended outlooks indicate that for the foreseeable future — at least into late February — the state will have below-normal precipitation .
The latest Drought Monitor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little more than a third of the state as abnormally dry .
But that ’ s not even the whole story , climatologist Bill Patzert said .
“ Drought is more than recent snowpack and rainfall , ” Patzert said .
“ Groundwater levels are dangerously low in many areas .
Without more winter rain and snow , we could easily slip back into drought.
” The eight-station Northern Sierra Index stood at 68 % of seasonal normal as of Tuesday .
The index is the average of eight precipitation measuring sites that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sierra ’ s major watersheds .
These watersheds include the Sacramento , Feather , Yuba and American rivers .
These rivers flow into some of California ’ s biggest reservoirs , providing a large portion of the state ’ s water supply .
As of Tuesday , the five-station index for the central Sierra is at 51 % of normal , and the six-station index for the southern Sierra is at 52 % of normal , according to Golden Gate Weather Services .
Eureka , in extreme Northern California , has received 86 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco , 63 % .
Los Angeles , which had been above normal since early this winter , slipped to 94 % of normal .
The southern part of the state got an early start on its rainfall season , but the northern part got a late start and generally has lagged ever since .
If February isn ’ t looking promising , could a “ March Miracle ” rescue the state ?
The chances are about 50-50 , Patzert said .
Patzert said that last month was the 18th-driest January for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with 0.32 of an inch .
The average for March in downtown is 2.54 inches .
We don ’ t know how the 2020 rainfall year will turn out , but of the 17 dry Januaries with less than 0.32 of an inch of rain , only eight were followed by a March with above-average rain .
So we have about a 50 % chance of a March Miracle .

The red carpet is rolled out along Hollywood Boulevard in preparation for the Academy Awards ceremony in February 2004.
There’s a chance of showers in the Los Angeles area on Sunday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service, so skies over Hollywood and the Academy Awards ceremony are likely to be overcast and drippy.
The marine layer will deepen Saturday night and Sunday morning with widespread low clouds for the coast and valleys, but there probably won’t be much moisture in this system, said Curt Kaplan, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard. The models aren’t in agreement on much, but they agree on that.
With the exception of December, this means the rainfall season will continue to be disappointing in most of California, and the prospects that the state will get back to normal by June 30 — end of the season — are not promising, as Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services points out.
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February is usually the wettest month of the year in California, but extended outlooks indicate that for the foreseeable future — at least into late February — the state will have below-normal precipitation.
(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The latest Drought Monitor, released Thursday, continues to show a little more than a third of the state as abnormally dry. But that’s not even the whole story, climatologist Bill Patzert said.
“Drought is more than recent snowpack and rainfall,” Patzert said. “Groundwater levels are dangerously low in many areas. Without more winter rain and snow, we could easily slip back into drought.”
The eight-station Northern Sierra Index stood at 68% of seasonal normal as of Tuesday. The index is the average of eight precipitation measuring sites that provide a representative sample of the northern Sierra’s major watersheds. These watersheds include the Sacramento, Feather, Yuba and American rivers. These rivers flow into some of California’s biggest reservoirs, providing a large portion of the state’s water supply.
(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
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As of Tuesday, the five-station index for the central Sierra is at 51% of normal, and the six-station index for the southern Sierra is at 52% of normal, according to Golden Gate Weather Services.
Eureka, in extreme Northern California, has received 86% of its normal rainfall, and San Francisco, 63%. Los Angeles, which had been above normal since early this winter, slipped to 94% of normal. The southern part of the state got an early start on its rainfall season, but the northern part got a late start and generally has lagged ever since.
If February isn’t looking promising, could a “March Miracle” rescue the state? The chances are about 50-50, Patzert said.
(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
Patzert said that last month was the 18th-driest January for downtown Los Angeles going back to 1878, with 0.32 of an inch. The average for March in downtown is 2.54 inches. We don’t know how the 2020 rainfall year will turn out, but of the 17 dry Januaries with less than 0.32 of an inch of rain, only eight were followed by a March with above-average rain.
So we have about a 50% chance of a March Miracle.
“Pretty shaky, but hopeful,” Patzert said.


latimes--2020-02-06--Endangered gray wolf is found dead in Northern California

An endangered gray wolf that wandered thousands of miles through Northern California has died , the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday .
OR-54 , a 3- to 4-year-old female , was found dead Wednesday in Shasta County , the agency said in a statement .
It wasn ’ t clear yet whether the animal died from an accident , natural causes or was killed .
Another collared wolf , OR-59 , was found shot to death in Northern California .
That killing is unsolved .
It is illegal to take , shoot , injure or kill gray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year in jail and a $ 100,000 fine .
Fewer than a dozen wolves are known to live in the state , according to the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity .
The species was eradicated in California early in the last century because of its perceived threat to livestock .
A wolf from Oregon dubbed OR-7 arrived in 2011 , becoming the first confirmed in the California wild in 90 years .
OR-7 later returned to Oregon and started what is known as the Rogue Pack .
OR-54 was born into that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a radio collar before making her way into California in 2018 .
Although she made two trips back to Oregon and once made a short trip to Nevada , OR-54 spent much of her time in northeastern California .
According to a state wildlife report last year , OR-54 covered at least 8,712 miles at an average of 13 miles a day , chiefly roaming through Butte , Lassen , Modoc , Nevada , Plumas , Shasta , Sierra , Siskiyou and Tehama counties .
The reappearance of wolves in the state has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preyed on their livestock on public or private land .
OR-54 was suspected of killing several calves last year in Plumas County .
“ This is a tragic development for the early stages of wolf recovery in California , ” said Amaroq Weiss , a West Coast wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity .
“ Like her dad , the famous wolf OR-7 who came to California years ago , OR-54 was a beacon of hope who showed that wolves can return and flourish here .
Her death is devastating , @ @ @ @ @ @

An endangered gray wolf that wandered thousands of miles through Northern California has died, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday.
OR-54, a 3- to 4-year-old female, was found dead Wednesday in Shasta County, the agency said in a statement.
It wasn’t clear yet whether the animal died from an accident, natural causes or was killed.
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Another collared wolf, OR-59, was found shot to death in Northern California. That killing is unsolved.
It is illegal to take, shoot, injure or kill gray wolves, with federal penalties of up a year in jail and a $100,000 fine.
Fewer than a dozen wolves are known to live in the state, according to the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity.
The species was eradicated in California early in the last century because of its perceived threat to livestock. A wolf from Oregon dubbed OR-7 arrived in 2011, becoming the first confirmed in the California wild in 90 years.
OR-7 later returned to Oregon and started what is known as the Rogue Pack. OR-54 was born into that pack. She was trapped and given a radio collar before making her way into California in 2018.
Although she made two trips back to Oregon and once made a short trip to Nevada, OR-54 spent much of her time in northeastern California. According to a state wildlife report last year, OR-54 covered at least 8,712 miles at an average of 13 miles a day, chiefly roaming through Butte, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama counties.
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The reappearance of wolves in the state has riled ranchers, who say wolves have preyed on their livestock on public or private land. OR-54 was suspected of killing several calves last year in Plumas County.
“This is a tragic development for the early stages of wolf recovery in California,” said Amaroq Weiss, a West Coast wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Like her dad, the famous wolf OR-7 who came to California years ago, OR-54 was a beacon of hope who showed that wolves can return and flourish here. Her death is devastating, no matter the cause.”


latimes--2020-02-06--Man fined $20,000 for shooting trophy deer on his property outside of hunting season

A 70-year-old-man was fined $ 20,000 this week after he illegally baited and shot a trophy deer on his property outside the hunting season in 2018 , the El Dorado district attorney ’ s office said Thursday .
William Valden of Elverta pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges Tuesday for violating California Fish and Wildlife ’ s trophy animal rules , said prosecuting attorney Erin Tognetti .
Valden will serve time through a work project or by wearing an ankle monitor .
He also surrendered his rifle and camera and is under a three-year probation in which he is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fine comes after California Fish and Wildlife game warden Dave Moskat noticed what appeared to be a camouflaged feeder shooting out grain while he was on his way to Somerset for a poaching call after the close of hunting season in 2017 , said Lt. Stacey LaFave .
Feeders are typically perched on stilts and can be set on timers to spray food and attract animals .
But in California , a “ fair chase ” is required instead of killing an animal over a pile of food , LaFave said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ California permit called “ deer tags ” and submit detailed information showing where and when the animal was killed .
A department official will sign off on the information , indicating it was a fair kill .
Moskat kept an eye on the property with surveillance cameras throughout the following deer season and learned Valden had purchased a deer tag .
Online records showed Valden declared he shot an animal a few days before the end of deer season and Moskat knew there was still bait on the property , LaFave said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strange signature and address listed on Valden ’ s tag .
When officials confronted Valden , he admitted he shot the deer in November after hunting season , lied about where he killed the buck and forged the signature of an official who previously signed off on his tags , LeFave said .
Valden and his attorney did not return requests for comment Thursday .
It ’ s unclear if Valden has previously shot trophy animals despite the close of hunting season , but LaFave said that “ for a lot of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s kind of a way of life for them .
”

A 70-year-old-man was fined $20,000 this week after he illegally baited and shot a trophy deer on his property outside the hunting season in 2018, the El Dorado district attorney’s office said Thursday.
William Valden of Elverta pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges Tuesday for violating California Fish and Wildlife’s trophy animal rules, said prosecuting attorney Erin Tognetti. Valden will serve time through a work project or by wearing an ankle monitor. He also surrendered his rifle and camera and is under a three-year probation in which he is not allowed to hunt, Tognetti said.
The fine comes after California Fish and Wildlife game warden Dave Moskat noticed what appeared to be a camouflaged feeder shooting out grain while he was on his way to Somerset for a poaching call after the close of hunting season in 2017, said Lt. Stacey LaFave.
Feeders are typically perched on stilts and can be set on timers to spray food and attract animals. But in California, a “fair chase” is required instead of killing an animal over a pile of food, LaFave said.
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Hunters are also required to carry a California permit called “deer tags” and submit detailed information showing where and when the animal was killed. A department official will sign off on the information, indicating it was a fair kill.
Moskat kept an eye on the property with surveillance cameras throughout the following deer season and learned Valden had purchased a deer tag.
Online records showed Valden declared he shot an animal a few days before the end of deer season and Moskat knew there was still bait on the property, LaFave said. That’s when Moskat noticed a strange signature and address listed on Valden’s tag.
When officials confronted Valden, he admitted he shot the deer in November after hunting season, lied about where he killed the buck and forged the signature of an official who previously signed off on his tags, LeFave said.
Valden and his attorney did not return requests for comment Thursday.
It’s unclear if Valden has previously shot trophy animals despite the close of hunting season, but LaFave said that “for a lot of those people that commit poaching crimes, it’s kind of a way of life for them.”


latimes--2020-02-06--Fast-moving brush fire forces brief evacuations in Riverside

A fast-moving brush fire in Riverside quickly grew to 70 acres and briefly prompted evacuations Thursday , authorities said .
The fire erupted in the Santa Ana River bottom off Grand and Rubidoux avenues shortly before 10 a.m. , spurring the closure of the Santa Ana River trail between Ryan Bonaminio and Anza Narrows parks , Riverside Fire Capt .
Brian Guzzetta said .
By 12:30 p.m. , the size of the blaze was estimated at 7 to 10 acres .
About an hour later , though , authorities reported a significant increase in fire activity .
Flames had burned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that overlook the river bottom , and firefighting efforts were hampered by a heavy cover of dry brush , Guzzetta said .
Authorities ordered the evacuation of about 25 homes along Old Ranch Road and Park Cliff Court and opened Dales Senior Center at 3936 Chestnut St. as an evacuation center .
All evacuation orders were lifted about an hour later .
Officials credited a shift in the winds and the arrival of mutual-aid firefighting resources , including aircraft .
The fire was at 70 acres and 30 % contained as of 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine a cause .
No structures were damaged , and no injuries were reported .

An unattended encampment may have sparked a fast-moving brush fire in Riverside that quickly grew to 70 acres and briefly prompted evacuations Thursday, authorities said.
The fire — which officials said was “human-caused, most probable due to an unattended encampment” — erupted in the Santa Ana River bottom off Grand and Rubidoux avenues shortly before 10 a.m., spurring the closure of the Santa Ana River trail between Ryan Bonaminio and Anza Narrows parks, Riverside Fire Capt. Brian Guzzetta said.
By 12:30 p.m., the size of the blaze was estimated at 7 to 10 acres. About an hour later, though, authorities reported a significant increase in activity. Flames had burned up to the backyards of several homes that overlook the river bottom, and firefighting efforts were hampered by a heavy cover of dry brush, Guzzetta said.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of about 25 homes along Old Ranch Road and Park Cliff Court and opened an evacuation center at a seniors center.
All evacuation orders were lifted about an hour later. Officials credited a shift in the winds and the arrival of mutual-aid firefighting resources, including aircraft.
The fire was holding at 70 acres and was 50% contained as of 8 p.m. Full containment is expected late Friday evening, fire officials said.
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No structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported.


latimes--2020-02-06--Californians who register to vote would be required to cast ballots under new bill

Following a series of sweeping expansions to expand access to voting in recent years , a California lawmaker is pushing to require voters to cast a ballot in future elections .
The proposal , introduced in the state Assembly on Tuesday , would be unprecedented and probably challenged in court should it ultimately become law .
It would place the burden for determining the civil penalty and the ultimate punishment on the secretary of state , California ’ s chief elections officer .
“ Democracy is not a spectator sport — it requires the active participation of all its citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Assemblyman Marc Levine ( D-San Rafael ) , said in a written statement .
“ California is a national leader on expanding voting rights to its citizens .
Those rights come with a responsibility by registered voters to cast their ballot and make sure that their voice is heard by their government.
” As many as 30 countries have compulsory voting laws on the books , including Australia , Belgium and Brazil .
Levine ’ s proposal does not include a mechanism used in some countries to also register all eligible citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 20.4 million voters and almost 5 million more citizens who are eligible but are not registered .
Levine ’ s effort , Assembly Bill 2070 , would require every Californian who registers to vote to “ cast a ballot , marked or unmarked in whole or in part , at every election held within the territory within which the person resides.
” AB 2070 has yet to be referred to a policy committee and is unlikely to be considered until the spring .
Voter turnout in California has been increasing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 64.5 % of the state ’ s registered voters cast ballots — the highest percentage for any non-presidential general election since 1982 .
Presidential election years have seen much higher turnout , but participation rates for statewide primaries in other years have been much lower : Fewer than 4 in 10 registered voters showed up for the June 5 , 2018 , primary .
California lawmakers moved up this year ’ s primary to March 3 , in part to boost participation rates .
Various academic studies through the years have sought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than others should voting be mandatory .
Supporters of such efforts have argued it could inspire elected officials to better represent the interests of a broader spectrum of citizens .
Opponents , on the other hand , have said that mandatory voting could be in conflict with the right to free speech guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution .

Following a series of sweeping expansions to expand access to voting in recent years, a California lawmaker is pushing to require voters to cast a ballot in future elections.
The proposal, introduced in the state Assembly on Tuesday, would be unprecedented and probably challenged in court should it ultimately become law. It would place the burden for determining the civil penalty and the ultimate punishment on the secretary of state, California’s chief elections officer.
“Democracy is not a spectator sport — it requires the active participation of all its citizens,” the bill’s author, Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), said in a written statement. “California is a national leader on expanding voting rights to its citizens. Those rights come with a responsibility by registered voters to cast their ballot and make sure that their voice is heard by their government.”
As many as 30 countries have compulsory voting laws on the books, including Australia, Belgium and Brazil. Levine’s proposal does not include a mechanism used in some countries to also register all eligible citizens. The most recent statewide report tallied more than 20.4 million voters and almost 5 million more citizens who are eligible but are not registered.
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Levine’s effort, Assembly Bill 2070, would require every Californian who registers to vote to “cast a ballot, marked or unmarked in whole or in part, at every election held within the territory within which the person resides.” AB 2070 has yet to be referred to a policy committee and is unlikely to be considered until the spring.
Voter turnout in California has been increasing in recent elections. In November 2018, 64.5% of the state’s registered voters cast ballots — the highest percentage for any non-presidential general election since 1982. Presidential election years have seen much higher turnout, but participation rates for statewide primaries in other years have been much lower: Fewer than 4 in 10 registered voters showed up for the June 5, 2018, primary. California lawmakers moved up this year’s primary to March 3, in part to boost participation rates.
Various academic studies through the years have sought to determine whether one political party would benefit more than others should voting be mandatory. Supporters of such efforts have argued it could inspire elected officials to better represent the interests of a broader spectrum of citizens. Opponents, on the other hand, have said that mandatory voting could be in conflict with the right to free speech guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.


latimes--2020-02-07--NTSB releases photo of Kobe Bryant helicopter flying into cloud before crash and other images

As part of its preliminary investigation into the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash , the National Transportation Safety Board released an image of the chopper flying under cloudy conditions shortly before it hit a hill in Calabasas .
The report also included photos showing the poor visibility in the Calabasas area at the time of the crash .
Weather is one of the potential causes of the crash being examined , though no final determination has been made .
Investigators had asked the public for images of weather conditions at the time of the crash on the morning of Jan. 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
Witnesses said visibility had been very poor when they heard the chopper slam into the hillside .
The preliminary report said there were no signs of engine failure , meaning the chopper didn ’ t lose power before it hit the hill .
The NTSB noted that videos and photos from the public “ depict fog and low clouds obscuring the hilltops.
” The preliminary report repeatedly noted that the pilot had struggled with a low cloud ceiling .
A witness on a mountain bike trail told investigators that the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he heard the sound of a helicopter and saw a blue and white chopper emerge from the clouds , passing from left to right .
The 1991 Sikorsky S-76B was carrying parents , coaches and players to a youth basketball game at Bryant ’ s Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks .
Those who perished in the fiery crash included Bryant ’ s 13-year-old daughter , Gianna ; Christina Mauser ; Payton and Sarah Chester ; John , Keri and Alyssa Altobelli ; along with pilot Ara Zobayan .
According to the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 34-degree slope and measured 24 feet by 15 feet wide and 2 feet deep .
“ Examination of the main and tail rotor assemblies found damage consistent with powered rotation at the time of impact .
The initial point of impact consisted of highly fragmented cabin and cockpit debris , ” the report noted .
The main wreckage was about 127 feet from the impact crater .
The engines were found lying inverted in the burned area .
“ Viewable sections of the engines showed no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

A security video image shows the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others shortly before it crashed in Calabasas on Jan. 26.
As part of its preliminary investigation into the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash, the National Transportation Safety Board released an image of the chopper flying under cloudy conditions shortly before it hit a hill in Calabasas.
The report also included photos showing the poor visibility in the Calabasas area at the time of the crash. Weather is one of the potential causes of the crash being examined, though no final determination has been made.
Investigators had asked the public for images of weather conditions at the time of the crash on the morning of Jan. 26, and some of those were released Friday. Witnesses said visibility had been very poor when they heard the chopper slam into the hillside.
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The preliminary report said there were no signs of engine failure, meaning the chopper didn’t lose power before it hit the hill.
The NTSB noted that videos and photos from the public “depict fog and low clouds obscuring the hilltops.” The preliminary report repeatedly noted that the pilot had struggled with a low cloud ceiling.
A newly released image shows the low-lying marine layer near the site of the crash. (NTSB)
A witness on a mountain bike trail told investigators that the area was “surrounded by mist” and that he heard the sound of a helicopter and saw a blue and white chopper emerge from the clouds, passing from left to right.
The 1991 Sikorsky S-76B was carrying parents, coaches and players to a youth basketball game at Bryant’s Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks. Those who perished in the fiery crash included Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna; Christina Mauser; Payton and Sarah Chester; John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli; along with pilot Ara Zobayan.
According to the report, the main impact crater was on a 34-degree slope and measured 24 feet by 15 feet wide and 2 feet deep.
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A photo from a resident shows fog near the crash site. (NTSB)
“Examination of the main and tail rotor assemblies found damage consistent with powered rotation at the time of impact. The initial point of impact consisted of highly fragmented cabin and cockpit debris,” the report noted. The main wreckage was about 127 feet from the impact crater.
The engines were found lying inverted in the burned area. “Viewable sections of the engines showed no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure,” the report said.