latimes--2020-02-14--UC audit prompted by scandal finds flaws with admissions process for athletes, artists

The University of California is rolling out additional reforms of its admissions process after finding significant problems in how campuses track decisions to admit athletes , artists and students who do not meet minimum UC eligibility requirements , according to a review released Friday .
The sweeping audit of UC ’ s nine undergraduate campuses , triggered by the national college admissions scandal , found two cases of possible impropriety .
One involves a student admitted as a recruited athlete who did not subsequently appear on the team roster .
The other involves how one campus administers its appeals process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases to the individual campuses for investigation , did not identify the universities in the report and did not provide additional details .
UC President Janet Napolitano told The Times she ordered the review as a proactive step to ensure the integrity of the nation ’ s leading public research university so that “ California can have confidence that students admitted to the University of California are admitted on merit and so that we can bolster our defenses against any kind of fraudulent activity or gaming the system .
“ Any student admitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
The problems involve a small pool of students .
Those admitted by “ special exception ” amount to about 1.7 % of all students — 3,409 among 204,350 enrolled between fall 2017 and winter 2020 .
Napolitano said the regular admissions process for all others was “ pretty solid ” in equitably admitting students on merit .
Auditors found that no campus centrally monitored the admissions of students accepted for their special talents , such as athletics , music or art .
As a result , they could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students , document their exceptional characteristics or identify who reviewed or approved their cases .
At many campuses , oversight of student athletes also was inadequate , the review found .
UCLA and UC Berkeley require students who are admitted as athletes to participate on the team for at least a year .
Systemwide policy reforms last year extended that requirement to all campuses .
But the audit found that two campuses tracked practice logs at the team level but not by individual .
Another campus identified a student who remained listed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the team .
UC admission requirements include a 3.0 GPA , the submission of SAT or ACT test scores and completion of prescribed coursework .
Those admitted without meeting those requirements could include students without access to the UC-required courses — international or homeschooled students , for instance — or who may not have the required test scores or grades but show academic promise .
Some slots are specifically reserved for underserved students .
Some students admitted for their special talents meet systemwide eligibility requirements while others do not .
The campus reviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audit of admission practices that Napolitano ordered last year in the wake of the national college admissions scandal , which roiled elite institutions across the nation , prompting pledges of reform amid widespread public outrage .
While campuses with problems were not identified by name in the review released Friday , all nine campuses have initiated separate audit reviews and will specify corrective actions by March , Napolitano told UC regents and campus chancellors in a letter this week .
“ Unethical and illegal means to gain admission will not be tolerated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible to prevent fraudulent activity , ” she wrote .
In the audit ’ s first phase , UC released a sweeping list of recommendations in June aimed at better policing of fraud and conflicts of interest in admitting students .
Those recommendations included stronger verification of claims on students ’ applications , reviews of potential links between donors and applicants , and stricter scrutiny of those admitted for special talents .
The second phase sought to take a deeper dive into campus admissions practices and provided additional recommendations .
All campuses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formalize the authority and responsibilities of campus committees charged with making admissions decisions .
All students admitted for their special talents must be identified and tracked and greater controls will be imposed to document any changes to student participation in athletic programs .
The greater oversight comes after Newport Beach college consultant William “ Rick ” Singer last year admitted to masterminding a brazen scheme in which he charged affluent parents huge sums to rig their children ’ s entrance exams or to outright buy their entrance into top-tier colleges by paying coaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has pleaded guilty to several felonies .
Federal prosecutors have charged more than 50 college administrators , coaches and parents in the sprawling scheme at schools across the country .
Two UC campuses — UCLA and UC Berkeley — were ensnared in the fallout .
UCLA men ’ s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo was indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy for allegedly accepting $ 200,000 in bribes from Singer in exchange for helping two students gain admission to the school as soccer players , though they didn ’ t play the sport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resigned from his post .
At UC Berkeley , at least one student was admitted with fraudulent test scores , prosecutors allege .
David Sidoo , a Canadian businessman and former professional football player , is accused of paying Singer to fix entrance exams for his two sons .
The younger of the two , Jordan Sidoo , attended UC Berkeley .
David Sidoo , indicted on charges of fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy , has pleaded not guilty .
The trials for both men are pending .
In addition , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that parents were pledging donations to its athletic program in exchange for their children being admitted to the university years before the current college admissions scandal .
UC prohibits the consideration of donations or family alumni , known as legacies , in admissions decisions .
One area of concern documented in the second audit involves verification of achievements claimed by all students on admissions applications , a task outsourced to a third-party contractor .
In a random sample of 25 of the 2,000 verifications performed during the audit period , auditors found insufficient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missing verification forms , verification of incorrect items and missed opportunities to request alternate documentation .
One applicant , for instance , provided a computer printout of her competition history for an equestrian association , but the document lacked a seal , statement on letterhead or signature of an association official that would authenticate the claim .
Napolitano said UC officials are giving the contractor “ extensive training ” and also have developed a new tool to allow them to centrally monitor the verification process .
Another problem area involves access to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logged and can be changed .
The audit found several campuses did not periodically review who had access or consistently monitor user activity .
Auditors have recommended that campuses tighten up their practices .
“ The improvements that are being recommended and will be implemented will give just greater confidence that even those who are admitted by exception or into a special talent program are worthy of being admitted to the University of California , ” Napolitano said .

“Any student admitted through fraud is one too many,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. Above, students at UCLA.
The University of California is rolling out additional reforms of its admissions process after finding significant problems in how campuses track decisions to admit athletes, artists and students who do not meet minimum UC eligibility requirements, according to a review released Friday.
The sweeping audit of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses, triggered by the national college admissions scandal, found two cases of possible impropriety. One involves a student admitted as a recruited athlete who did not subsequently appear on the team roster. The other involves how one campus administers its appeals process for admissions decisions. Auditors referred both cases to the individual campuses for investigation, did not identify the universities in the report and did not provide additional details.
UC President Janet Napolitano told The Times she ordered the review as a proactive step to ensure the integrity of the nation’s leading public research university so that “California can have confidence that students admitted to the University of California are admitted on merit and so that we can bolster our defenses against any kind of fraudulent activity or gaming the system.
“Any student admitted through fraud is one too many,” she said.
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The problems involve a small pool of students. Those admitted by “special exception” amount to about 1.7% of all students — 3,409 among 204,350 enrolled between fall 2017 and winter 2020. Napolitano said the regular admissions process for all others was “pretty solid” in equitably admitting students on merit.
Auditors found that no campus centrally monitored the admissions of students accepted for their special talents, such as athletics, music or art. As a result, they could not fully identify the actual number of such students, document their exceptional characteristics or identify who reviewed or approved their cases.
At many campuses, oversight of student athletes also was inadequate, the review found. UCLA and UC Berkeley require students who are admitted as athletes to participate on the team for at least a year. Systemwide policy reforms last year extended that requirement to all campuses. But the audit found that two campuses tracked practice logs at the team level but not by individual. Another campus identified a student who remained listed on the participation records a month after leaving the team.
UC admission requirements include a 3.0 GPA, the submission of SAT or ACT test scores and completion of prescribed coursework. Those admitted without meeting those requirements could include students without access to the UC-required courses — international or homeschooled students, for instance — or who may not have the required test scores or grades but show academic promise. Some slots are specifically reserved for underserved students.
Some students admitted for their special talents meet systemwide eligibility requirements while others do not.
The campus reviews were the second phase of a systemwide audit of admission practices that Napolitano ordered last year in the wake of the national college admissions scandal, which roiled elite institutions across the nation, prompting pledges of reform amid widespread public outrage.
While campuses with problems were not identified by name in the review released Friday, all nine campuses have initiated separate audit reviews and will specify corrective actions by March, Napolitano told UC regents and campus chancellors in a letter this week.
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“Unethical and illegal means to gain admission will not be tolerated, and UC is committed to do everything possible to prevent fraudulent activity,” she wrote.
In the audit’s first phase, UC released a sweeping list of recommendations in June aimed at better policing of fraud and conflicts of interest in admitting students.
Those recommendations included stronger verification of claims on students’ applications, reviews of potential links between donors and applicants, and stricter scrutiny of those admitted for special talents.
The second phase sought to take a deeper dive into campus admissions practices and provided additional recommendations.
All campuses, for instance, will be required to formalize the authority and responsibilities of campus committees charged with making admissions decisions. All students admitted for their special talents must be identified and tracked and greater controls will be imposed to document any changes to student participation in athletic programs.
The greater oversight comes after Newport Beach college consultant William “Rick” Singer last year admitted to masterminding a brazen scheme in which he charged affluent parents huge sums to rig their children’s entrance exams or to outright buy their entrance into top-tier colleges by paying coaches to designate students as recruited athletes. He has pleaded guilty to several felonies.
Federal prosecutors have charged more than 50 college administrators, coaches and parents in the sprawling scheme at schools across the country. Two UC campuses — UCLA and UC Berkeley — were ensnared in the fallout.
UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo was indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy for allegedly accepting $200,000 in bribes from Singer in exchange for helping two students gain admission to the school as soccer players, though they didn’t play the sport competitively. Salcedo pleaded not guilty and resigned from his post.
At UC Berkeley, at least one student was admitted with fraudulent test scores, prosecutors allege. David Sidoo, a Canadian businessman and former professional football player, is accused of paying Singer to fix entrance exams for his two sons. The younger of the two, Jordan Sidoo, attended UC Berkeley. David Sidoo, indicted on charges of fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, has pleaded not guilty.
The trials for both men are pending.
In addition, The Times found that UCLA knew of allegations that parents were pledging donations to its athletic program in exchange for their children being admitted to the university years before the current college admissions scandal. UC prohibits the consideration of donations or family alumni, known as legacies, in admissions decisions.
One area of concern documented in the second audit involves verification of achievements claimed by all students on admissions applications, a task outsourced to a third-party contractor. In a random sample of 25 of the 2,000 verifications performed during the audit period, auditors found insufficient documentation, lack of reviewer follow-up, missing verification forms, verification of incorrect items and missed opportunities to request alternate documentation.
One applicant, for instance, provided a computer printout of her competition history for an equestrian association, but the document lacked a seal, statement on letterhead or signature of an association official that would authenticate the claim.
Napolitano said UC officials are giving the contractor “extensive training” and also have developed a new tool to allow them to centrally monitor the verification process.
Another problem area involves access to the IT system, where admissions decisions are logged and can be changed. The audit found several campuses did not periodically review who had access or consistently monitor user activity. Auditors have recommended that campuses tighten up their practices.
“The improvements that are being recommended and will be implemented will give just greater confidence that even those who are admitted by exception or into a special talent program are worthy of being admitted to the University of California,” Napolitano said.


latimes--2020-02-14--UC Santa Cruz grad students strike for higher pay, saying they can't afford rent

At least 17 people were arrested this week and picketing continued Friday as part of a wildcat strike by UC Santa Cruz graduate student workers who are demanding higher pay because they are overburdened by high housing costs .
During the strike , which began Monday , graduate student workers have refused to teach , hold office hours , conduct research or post grades .
They are demanding an increase in pay of $ 1,412 per month to cover their rent .
The average teaching assistant ’ s monthly salary is $ 2,400 a month .
The average rent for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,600 a month , according to RentCafe .
Demonstrations were held at the school ’ s main entrance Friday , although no one has been arrested since Wednesday , said UC Santa Cruz spokesman Scott Hernandez-Jason .
The arrests came after police said students blocked an intersection near campus and ignored repeated orders to disperse .
Police surrounded demonstrators sitting in circles in the intersection with their arms linked and dragged them away one by one .
Those arrested face charges including unlawful assembly , obstructing a public roadway and disobeying a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but one were cited and released .
“ Officers repeatedly tried to de-escalate the situation and made clear that blocking this major roadway had to stop or it would lead to arrest , ” Hernandez-Jason said in a statement .
“ Demonstrators locked arms , sat in the roadway , and refused to move back onto the university field.
” “ While we understand the frustration about housing costs in Santa Cruz , we also have responsibilities to the vast majority of our faculty , staff and students who simply want to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do — to study , to teach , and conduct research , ” a statement from university said .
This week ’ s action follows a grading strike the students undertook in December .
The strike is a so-called wildcat strike , which means it is not endorsed by the union that represents the students .
The UC system has a current labor contract with the United Auto Workers that covers all campuses .
Jack Davies , a second-year graduate student in the history of consciousness department and organizer of the graduate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including at least 200 teaching assistants , were participating in the strike .
Davies said police — including campus police and others from nearby San Francisco and Alameda — faced off against strikers .
He said helmeted officers carrying batons and tear gas struck one student , who suffered a concussion , on Monday .
On Wednesday another student sustained a concussion and several others had bruises , Davies said .
The university spokesman said that anyone with a complaint about police conduct can submit an online report that the department will review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our officers have been consistently communicating with those participating in this unsanctioned strike , ” Hernandez-Jason said .
“ The police department is committed to an individual ’ s lawful exercise of free speech , and officers have only intervened when there was a potential violation of law and/or a risk to the public ’ s safety .
We are aware of many unsubstantiated rumors being spread on social media.
” In November 2011 university police at UC Davis pepper-sprayed a group of students protesting on campus as part of the Occupy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went viral and sparked outrage over the use of the irritant on campus .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

University of California police drag protesters out of the street Thursday at UC Santa Cruz, where at least 17 people have been arrested during a strike by graduate students demanding higher pay.
At least 17 people were arrested this week and picketing continued Friday as part of a wildcat strike by UC Santa Cruz graduate student workers who are demanding higher pay because they are overburdened by high housing costs.
During the strike, which began Monday, graduate student workers have refused to teach, hold office hours, conduct research or post grades. They are demanding an increase in pay of $1,412 per month to cover their rent.
The average teaching assistant’s monthly salary is $2,400 a month. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Santa Cruz is $2,600 a month, according to RentCafe.
Demonstrations were held at the school’s main entrance Friday, although no one has been arrested since Wednesday, said UC Santa Cruz spokesman Scott Hernandez-Jason.
The arrests came after police said students blocked an intersection near campus and ignored repeated orders to disperse. Police surrounded demonstrators sitting in circles in the intersection with their arms linked and dragged them away one by one.
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Those arrested face charges including unlawful assembly, obstructing a public roadway and disobeying a lawful order, Hernandez-Jason said. All but one were cited and released.
“Officers repeatedly tried to de-escalate the situation and made clear that blocking this major roadway had to stop or it would lead to arrest,” Hernandez-Jason said in a statement. “Demonstrators locked arms, sat in the roadway, and refused to move back onto the university field.”
Stand off w/ 100+ cops in riot gear for nearly 4 hours today. 16 students arrested. We demand a living wage, not a police campus #UCSCstrike #cola4all https://t.co/MHi6a9xMaH — ON STRIKE!!!: #COLA 4 UCSC (@payusmoreucsc) February 13, 2020
“While we understand the frustration about housing costs in Santa Cruz, we also have responsibilities to the vast majority of our faculty, staff and students who simply want to do what they came to UC Santa Cruz to do — to study, to teach, and conduct research,” a statement from university said.
This week’s action follows a grading strike the students undertook in December.
The strike is a so-called wildcat strike, which means it is not endorsed by the union that represents the students. The UC system has a current labor contract with the United Auto Workers that covers all campuses.
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Jack Davies, a second-year graduate student in the history of consciousness department and organizer of the graduate students, said roughly 350 students, including at least 200 teaching assistants, were participating in the strike.
Davies said police — including campus police and others from nearby San Francisco and Alameda — faced off against strikers. He said helmeted officers carrying batons and tear gas struck one student, who suffered a concussion, on Monday. On Wednesday another student sustained a concussion and several others had bruises, Davies said.
The university spokesman said that anyone with a complaint about police conduct can submit an online report that the department will review.
“Over the past four days, our officers have been consistently communicating with those participating in this unsanctioned strike,” Hernandez-Jason said. “The police department is committed to an individual’s lawful exercise of free speech, and officers have only intervened when there was a potential violation of law and/or a risk to the public’s safety. We are aware of many unsubstantiated rumors being spread on social media.”
In November 2011 university police at UC Davis pepper-sprayed a group of students protesting on campus as part of the Occupy movement. A video of the incident went viral and sparked outrage over the use of the irritant on campus.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-14--He killed 3 people after answering a Craigslist ad. Now he faces the death penalty

A man who prosecutors say killed three people and shot two others in Downey after responding to an online ad for a used car almost eight years ago faces the possibility of the death penalty after he was convicted this week .
Along with three counts of murder , a jury found Jade Douglas Harris , 37 , of Los Angeles guilty Thursday of two counts of attempted murder , four counts of kidnapping for carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon , according to the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ during which jurors will weigh whether Harris is to be sentenced to death , is expected to begin Tuesday .
According to prosecutors , Harris ’ shooting rampage began after he went to a Downey business , United States Fire Protection , on Oct. 24 , 2012 , in response to a Craigslist ad for a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro .
There , authorities say he shot three people , killing two — Josimar Rojas , 26 , and Irene Cardenas Reyes , 35 .
He then forced Susana Perez Ruelas , 34 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nearby home , where the Camaro was parked , according to authorities .
After arriving , he shot and killed Perez Ruelas and wounded her son , prosecutors said .
In his closing argument Tuesday , Deputy Dist .
Atty .
John McKinney told jurors that the evidence showed “ beyond all doubt ” that Harris “ executed ” the three victims and tried to kill the others to silence them as witnesses so he could take the Camaro without paying for it .
“ The plan was to kill everybody , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charade is over .
This is not going to be a [ car ] sale.
” Harris was arrested a day after the killings and has remained jailed without bail since .
He had been paroled three months before the rampage shootings after being convicted in 2005 of robbery and attempted robbery , McKinney said .
“ Our hearts go out to the victims and their families , and now , we ’ re fighting for our client ’ s life , ” Thomas Moore , one of Harris ’ attorneys , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was temporarily delayed last year after one of his attorneys argued that he couldn ’ t get a fair trial in light of Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s decision to impose a moratorium on executions in California .
The California Supreme Court ultimately declined to review the case .

A man who prosecutors say killed three people and shot two others in Downey after responding to an online ad for a used car almost eight years ago faces the possibility of the death penalty after he was convicted this week.
Along with three counts of murder, a jury found Jade Douglas Harris, 37, of Los Angeles guilty Thursday of two counts of attempted murder, four counts of kidnapping for carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
The trial’s penalty phase, during which jurors will weigh whether Harris is to be sentenced to death, is expected to begin Tuesday.
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According to prosecutors, Harris’ shooting rampage began after he went to a Downey business, United States Fire Protection, on Oct. 24, 2012, in response to a Craigslist ad for a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.
There, authorities say, he shot three people, killing two — Josimar Rojas, 26, and Irene Cardenas Reyes, 35.
He then forced Susana Perez Ruelas, 34, to drive him and her son to a nearby home, where the Camaro was parked, according to authorities. After arriving, he shot and killed Perez Ruelas and wounded her son, prosecutors said.
In his closing argument Tuesday, Deputy Dist. Atty. John McKinney told jurors that the evidence showed “beyond all doubt” that Harris “executed” the three victims and tried to kill the others to silence them as witnesses so he could take the Camaro without paying for it.
“The plan was to kill everybody,” the prosecutor said. “The charade is over. This is not going to be a [car] sale.”
Harris was arrested a day after the killings and has remained jailed without bail since. He had been paroled three months before the shootings after being convicted in 2005 of robbery and attempted robbery, McKinney said.
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“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and now, we’re fighting for our client’s life,” Thomas Moore, one of Harris’ attorneys, said after the verdict.
Harris’ case was temporarily delayed last year after one of his attorneys argued that he couldn’t get a fair trial in light of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to impose a moratorium on executions in California.
The California Supreme Court ultimately declined to review the case.
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-14--Moms arrested during eviction in Oakland won't face charges, group says

Four people arrested last month amid the forced eviction of homeless mothers and children in West Oakland that spotlighted California ’ s housing crisis will not face any charges , the group announced this week .
According to Moms4Housing , which describes itself as a “ collective of unhoused and insecurely housed mothers , ” the Alameda County district attorney ’ s office told the group Thursday that it would not proceed with legal action against Misty Cross , Tolani King and two male supporters of the group .
The D.A .
's office was not immediately available for comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took over an empty three-bedroom house on Magnolia Street with their children in November in an effort to find shelter and protest the Bay Area ’ s ongoing housing crisis .
The group squatted in the blue-and-white home for two months until Alameda County sheriff ’ s deputies with guns drawn as nearby protesters chanted , “ Let the moms go.
” Two women and two men were arrested during the incident .
“ Drones , tanks , endless police vans full of troops , fatigued officers , SWAT/riot police , a robot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a pre-dawn raid at a home in a residential neighborhood where [ Alameda County Sheriff ’ s Office ] thought children were present , ” the mothers group said in a petition last month , asking for accountability and a report on the actions by Friday .
The house remained empty after Wedgewood Inc. , a Redondo Beach-based real estate investment company that flips houses , purchased the property at a foreclosure auction over the summer .
The company served the women with an eviction notice in December , which they fought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to sell the home to a local trust on behalf of Moms 4 Housing .
The group has called on the Sheriff ’ s Office to publicly release all police reports related to the January arrests .
“ Residents of Alameda County have the right to know the county ’ s justification for using tanks to remove nonviolent mothers from a previously vacant home , and to know the cost to the taxpayers for such behavior.
” Sheriff ’ s Sgt .
J.D .
Nelson said such records can be requested under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to , ” he said .
“ That ’ s part of the public records laws we have in California .
”

Four people — incluing Tolani King, left — were arrested last month during a forced eviction in Oakland.
Four people arrested last month amid the forced eviction of homeless mothers and children in West Oakland that spotlighted California’s housing crisis will not face any charges, the group announced this week.
According to Moms4Housing, which describes itself as a “collective of unhoused and insecurely housed mothers,” the Alameda County district attorney’s office told the group Thursday that it would not proceed with legal action against Misty Cross, Tolani King and two male supporters of the group.
The D.A.’s office was not immediately available for comment Friday.
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The mothers and housing activists took over an empty three-bedroom house on Magnolia Street with their children in November in an effort to find shelter and protest the Bay Area’s ongoing housing crisis. The group squatted in the blue-and-white home for two months until Alameda County sheriff’s deputies enforced an eviction order on Jan. 14 with guns drawn as nearby protesters chanted, “Let the moms go.”
Two women and two men were arrested during the incident.
“Drones, tanks, endless police vans full of troops, fatigued officers, SWAT/riot police, a robot and battering ram were used to carry out a pre-dawn raid at a home in a residential neighborhood where [Alameda County Sheriff’s Office] thought children were present,” the mothers group said in a petition last month, asking for accountability and a report on the actions by Friday.
The house remained empty after Wedgewood Inc., a Redondo Beach-based real estate investment company that flips houses, purchased the property at a foreclosure auction over the summer. The company served the women with an eviction notice in December, which they fought.
The real estate company has since agreed to sell the home to a local trust on behalf of Moms 4 Housing.
The group has called on the Sheriff’s Office to publicly release all police reports related to the January arrests.
“Residents of Alameda County have the right to know the county’s justification for using tanks to remove nonviolent mothers from a previously vacant home, and to know the cost to the taxpayers for such behavior.”
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Sheriff’s Sgt. J.D. Nelson said such records can be requested under the law.
“Everyone has the ability to,” he said. “That’s part of the public records laws we have in California.”


latimes--2020-02-14--2 dead in shooting at Rancho Mirage medical office building

Two people were killed in what authorities described as “ an isolated shooting ” at a Rancho Mirage medical office complex Friday morning .
The shooting was reported at 9:34 a.m. in the 71500 block of Highway 111 , Riverside County sheriff ’ s Deputy Robyn Flores said .
“ There are no outstanding suspects , and there ’ s no threat to the community , ” Flores said .
Authorities said the shooting was “ more of an isolated incident ” rather than an active shooter situation .
However , Flores said she didn ’ t yet know specifics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly encounter .
It was not immediately clear whether the shooting involved a murder-suicide , Flores said .
Ron Costi , a State Farm Insurance agent whose office is next door to the medical building , said two people ran to his office about 9:30 a.m. , screaming that there had been a shooting .
Costi called 911 and said police arrived within minutes .
Law enforcement has remained on the scene for the last few hours , he said , but has not provided Costi or two other employees in his office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office has been in the area for 40 years , and Costi said he ’ s never experienced anything like this in the suburban neighborhood .
“ It was a big whirlwind , ” he said .
Nearby , a woman who worked for the answering service of a doctor ’ s office said the building had been evacuated because of an emergency and wouldn ’ t reopen until Monday .
Several other businesses in the plaza did not answer their phones .

A shooting in a medical office building in Rancho Mirage left two people dead Friday morning, authorities said.
Two people were killed in what authorities described as “an isolated shooting” at a Rancho Mirage medical office complex Friday morning.
The shooting was reported at 9:34 a.m. in the 71500 block of Highway 111, Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Robyn Flores said.
“There are no outstanding suspects, and there’s no threat to the community,” Flores said.
Authorities said the shooting was “more of an isolated incident” rather than an active shooter situation. However, Flores said she didn’t yet know specifics about the victims or what prompted the deadly encounter.
It was not immediately clear whether the shooting involved a murder-suicide, Flores said.
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#RanchoMirage update:
Two adults located deceased inside of a medical office. There is no threat to the public and there are no outstanding suspects. RSO Central Homicide Unit is on scene assuming the investigation.
PIO’s are on scene obtaining additional information. https://t.co/qUzHG3ufp4 pic.twitter.com/NND15qd9GZ — Riverside County Sheriff's Dept (@RSO) February 14, 2020
Ron Costi, a State Farm Insurance agent whose office is next door to the medical building, said two people ran to his office about 9:30 a.m., screaming that there had been a shooting.
Costi called 911 and said police arrived within minutes.
Law enforcement has remained on the scene for the last few hours, he said, but has not provided Costi or two other employees in his office with details.
The insurance agent’s office has been in the area for 40 years, and Costi said he’s never experienced anything like this in the suburban neighborhood.
“It was a big whirlwind,” he said.
Nearby, a woman who worked for the answering service of a doctor’s office said the building had been evacuated because of an emergency and wouldn’t reopen until Monday. Several other businesses in the plaza did not answer their phones.


latimes--2020-02-14--26 immigrants found locked in tractor-trailer after being smuggled across the border

Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican national after 26 immigrants were found in the back of a locked tractor-trailer he was driving near the Salton Sea in Imperial County , authorities said .
All of the passengers , including two juveniles , also were arrested , according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection .
Authorities said the driver — identified only as a 32-year-old Mexican national — pulled up to the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday .
Though the man presented a California driver ’ s license , authorities said that they determined it was fake and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the country .
During an inspection , a Border Patrol dog called attention to the vehicle ’ s rear cargo area , where agents found 26 people inside .
“ The undocumented immigrants were locked and trapped inside this ... trailer in below-45 degree weather with no safety restraints , ” Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said in a statement .
“ This smuggling organization had no regard for the safety of the people they were smuggling.
” The passengers were between 16 and 56 years old , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The driver will face criminal proceedings , and the smuggled immigrants will be processed in a case-by-case basis , ” Pitones said in an email Friday .

Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican national after 26 immigrants were found in the back of a locked tractor-trailer he was driving near the Salton Sea in Imperial County, authorities said.
All of the passengers, including two juveniles, also were arrested, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Authorities said the driver — identified only as a 32-year-old Mexican national — pulled up to the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday.
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Though the man presented a California driver’s license, authorities said that they determined it was fake and that the man was “illegally present” in the country.
During an inspection, a Border Patrol dog called attention to the vehicle’s rear cargo area, where agents found 26 people inside.
“The undocumented immigrants were locked and trapped inside this ... trailer in below-45 degree weather with no safety restraints,” Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said in a statement. “This smuggling organization had no regard for the safety of the people they were smuggling.”
The passengers were between 16 and 56 years old, according to Border Patrol Agent Carlos Pitones.
“The driver will face criminal proceedings, and the smuggled immigrants will be processed in a case-by-case basis,” Pitones said in an email Friday.


latimes--2020-02-14--Kobe Bryant's Mamba Sports Foundation changes name to honor Gigi

The charitable foundation attached to Kobe Bryant ’ s Mamba Academy has been renamed to honor the late Lakers legend ’ s 13-year-old , Gianna , a budding basketball star who died alongside her dad in last month ’ s helicopter crash in Calabasas .
Vanessa Bryant and Mamba Sports Academy announced Thursday on Instagram that the Mamba Sports Foundation will now include Mambacita in its name , in honor of Gianna .
“ Because there is no # 24 without # 2 , we have updated the Mamba Sports Foundation to now be called the Mamba & Mambacita Sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
The nonprofit foundation works to provide sports education services to underserved communities and fund programs that offer sports training opportunities for young women .
In late January , the foundation launched the MambaOnThree fund to seek donations in support of the families of the seven other victims who died in the crash .
In addition to Bryant and his daughter , Mamba Academy players Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester were also on board the helicopter , as well as John and Keri Altobelli , Sarah Chester , Mamba Sports Academy coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna take in a U.S. Women’s National soccer team game at Qualcomm Stadium on April 10, 2014.
The charitable foundation attached to Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Academy has been renamed to honor the late Lakers legend’s 13-year-old, Gianna, a budding basketball star who died alongside her dad in last month’s helicopter crash in Calabasas.
Vanessa Bryant and Mamba Sports Academy announced Thursday on Instagram that the Mamba Sports Foundation will now include Mambacita in its name, in honor of Gianna.
“Because there is no #24 without #2, we have updated the Mamba Sports Foundation to now be called the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation,” Bryant’s widow wrote.
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The nonprofit foundation works to provide sports education services to underserved communities and fund programs that offer sports training opportunities for young women.
In late January, the foundation launched the MambaOnThree fund to seek donations in support of the families of the seven other victims who died in the crash. In addition to Bryant and his daughter, Mamba Academy players Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester were also on board the helicopter, as well as John and Keri Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Mamba Sports Academy coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan.


latimes--2020-02-14--Prosecution ends Harvey Weinstein case, calling ex-mogul an 'abusive rapist' who relied on 'power, m

Prosecution ends Harvey Weinstein case, calling ex-mogul an 'abusive rapist' who relied on 'power, manipulation'

In her closing arguments Friday , the lead prosecutor in Harvey Weinstein ’ s rape trial proclaimed that power , manipulation and abuse — as well as a “ lack of human empathy ” — are what led the former producer to the charges he now faces in Manhattan criminal court .
Assistant Dist .
Atty .
Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told the jury of seven men and five women that Weinstein had underestimated his accusers .
“ He made sure he had contact with the people he was worried about as a little check to make sure that one day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shadows and call him exactly what he was : an abusive rapist , ” she said .
“ He was wrong.
” The prosecution ’ s final argument was designed to undercut the seeds of doubt painstakingly planted by Weinstein ’ s attorneys over three weeks of testimony .
Throughout the trial , the defense has repeatedly seized on the fact that accusers Mimi Haley and Jessica Mann kept in contact — and in Mann ’ s case , engaged in consensual sex — with Weinstein after their alleged assaults .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inconsistent testimony from Weinstein ’ s other accusers , could sway the jury toward an acquittal , legal experts say .
Illuzi charged that Weinstein kept in contact with his victims in order to control and isolate them .
The Miramax co-founder dangled roles in front of his accusers , she said , some of whom were trying to establish acting careers .
The prosecutor outlined the ways in which the accounts of abuse were strikingly similar : Interactions with Weinstein that fluctuated between validating and humiliating .
The producer ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friendly to menacing in a matter of moments .
And aggressive overtures that were either physically or mentally difficult — if not impossible — to resist .
“ When you have to trick somebody to be in your control , ” Illuzzi said , “ then you know that you don ’ t have consent.
” In her closing arguments Thursday , lead defense attorney Donna Rotunno implored the jury to focus on the evidence presented at trial rather than the maelstrom of negative press Weinstein has received between the start of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In all , more than 90 women have come forward with sexual assault allegations against Weinstein .
“ You may have had a gut feeling that Harvey Weinstein was guilty , ” Rotunno said .
“ Throw that gut feeling right out the window.
” Rotunno also argued that Weinstein ’ s accusers made the choice to go to his apartment or his hotel room , that they made the choice to engage in sex with him , and that they should take responsibility for those choices .
“ If you take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark park and get robbed , nobody ’ s going to say , ‘ You shouldn ’ t have been walking through the dark park , ’ ” Illuzzi said .
But victims of sexual assault are viewed differently than those of other crimes , she said , and are often blamed with putting themselves in such situations .
Weinstein , 67 , faces five felony charges in the New York trial , including rape , criminal sexual assault and predatory sexual assault .
He faces a minimum of 25 years in prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of his life if convicted on the last charge .
The charges stem from accusations by Haley a former employee of Weinstein ’ s production company who alleges he forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006 , and Mann , a former aspiring actress who testified that the producer raped her in a New York hotel room in 2013 .
To earn a conviction on the predatory sexual assault charge , prosecutors must convince jurors that Weinstein assaulted Haley or Mann , as well as “ Sopranos ” actress .
Three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those alleged crimes were either too old to prosecute or happened outside the jurisdiction of the Manhattan district attorney ’ s office , but the allegations of one of the women , Lauren Young , about an assault that she said occurred in a Beverly Hills hotel , led prosecutors to file charges against Weinstein in Southern California .
Weinstein has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all charges .
Jury deliberations are expected to begin Tuesday .
In a direct rebuke of the defense ’ s argument that Weinstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involvement in the sensational case , Illuzzi said they were instead “ compelled by their own morality.
” “ Would they put themselves through the stress ?
Did it look like they were having fun up there ?
Did it look like that was a party , was that a premiere ?
” Illuzzi said .
“ Or did it look like that was horrible and grueling ?
” Newberry reported from New York and Queally from Los Angeles .

In her closing arguments Friday, the lead prosecutor in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial proclaimed that power, manipulation and abuse — as well as a “lack of human empathy” — are what led the former producer to the charges he now faces in Manhattan criminal court.
Assistant Dist. Atty. Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told the jury of seven men and five women that Weinstein had underestimated his accusers.
“He made sure he had contact with the people he was worried about as a little check to make sure that one day, they wouldn’t walk out from the shadows and call him exactly what he was: an abusive rapist,” she said. “He was wrong.”
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The prosecution’s final argument was designed to undercut the seeds of doubt painstakingly planted by Weinstein’s attorneys over three weeks of testimony.
Throughout the trial, the defense has repeatedly seized on the fact that accusers Mimi Haley and Jessica Mann kept in contact — and in Mann’s case, engaged in consensual sex — with Weinstein after their alleged assaults.
The continued communication, coupled with some incomplete and inconsistent testimony from Weinstein’s other accusers, could sway the jury toward an acquittal, legal experts say.
Illuzi charged that Weinstein kept in contact with his victims in order to control and isolate them. The Miramax co-founder dangled roles in front of his accusers, she said, some of whom were trying to establish acting careers.
The prosecutor outlined the ways in which the accounts of abuse were strikingly similar: Interactions with Weinstein that fluctuated between validating and humiliating. The producer’s rapid changes in demeanor, sometimes from friendly to menacing in a matter of moments. And aggressive overtures that were either physically or mentally difficult — if not impossible — to resist.
“When you have to trick somebody to be in your control,” Illuzzi said, “then you know that you don’t have consent.”
Advertisement
In her closing arguments Thursday, lead defense attorney Donna Rotunno implored the jury to focus on the evidence presented at trial rather than the maelstrom of negative press Weinstein has received between the start of the #MeToo movement and his trial.
In all, more than 90 women have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein.
“You may have had a gut feeling that Harvey Weinstein was guilty,” Rotunno said. “Throw that gut feeling right out the window.”
Rotunno also argued that Weinstein’s accusers made the choice to go to his apartment or his hotel room, that they made the choice to engage in sex with him, and that they should take responsibility for those choices.
Illuzzi rebuffed those claims.
“If you take the short way home and walk through a dark park and get robbed, nobody’s going to say, ‘You shouldn’t have been walking through the dark park,’” Illuzzi said.
But victims of sexual assault are viewed differently than those of other crimes, she said, and are often blamed with putting themselves in such situations.
California Harvey Weinstein trial: Memory expert and UC Irvine professor Elizabeth Loftus testifies for defense Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus testified for the defense in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial Friday, laying out how, she says, memory can become distorted.
Weinstein, 67, faces five felony charges in the New York trial, including rape, criminal sexual assault and predatory sexual assault. He faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and could be locked away for the rest of his life if convicted on the last charge.
The charges stem from accusations by Haley , a former employee of Weinstein’s production company who alleges he forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006, and Mann, a former aspiring actress who testified that the producer raped her in a New York hotel room in 2013.
To earn a conviction on the predatory sexual assault charge, prosecutors must convince jurors that Weinstein assaulted Haley or Mann, as well as “Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra .
Three other women testified that Weinstein assaulted them. Those alleged crimes were either too old to prosecute or happened outside the jurisdiction of the Manhattan district attorney’s office, but the allegations of one of the women, Lauren Young, about an assault that she said occurred in a Beverly Hills hotel, led prosecutors to file charges against Weinstein in Southern California.
Weinstein has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all charges. Jury deliberations are expected to begin Tuesday.
In a direct rebuke of the defense’s argument that Weinstein’s accusers sought attention through their involvement in the sensational case, Illuzzi said they were instead “compelled by their own morality.”
“Would they put themselves through the stress? Did it look like they were having fun up there? Did it look like that was a party, was that a premiere?” Illuzzi said. “Or did it look like that was horrible and grueling?”
Newberry reported from New York and Queally from Los Angeles.


latimes--2020-02-14--Kobe Bryant memorial tickets go on sale; no viewing outside Staples Center

Fans wishing to attend the Feb. 24 public memorial for Kobe Bryant , his daughter Gianna and seven others killed in a helicopter crash last month can register online for tickets , the Lakers announced Friday .
The memorial will take place at 10 a.m. at the downtown Los Angeles venue .
Several sources have said the event will be restricted to ticket-holders , and the Lakers said there are no plans for a ceremony outside or at nearby L.A. Live , where thousands of fans converged after Bryant ’ s death on Jan. 26 .
There also will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slain rapper Nipsey Hussle ’ s memorial at Staples Center in April .
Those without tickets will be encouraged to watch the event on TV at home rather than coming downtown .
The Lakers have said the event will not be shown on TV screens at L.A. Live .
Fans have until 10 p.m. Monday to purchase tickets .
Should the demand for public tickets exceed the inventory , verified fans will be randomly selected for the opportunity to purchase tickets .
Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable .
Tickets for the event will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tickets are $ 224 each , while some will be two for $ 224 and others can be purchased for $ 24.02 .
Proceeds will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation .
Vanessa Bryant previously noted on Instagram the significance of the date of the memorial : 2-24-20 : Daughter Gianna , who also was killed in the helicopter crash over Calabasas , wore No .
2 while playing basketball , while her husband wore No .
24 .
The “ 20 '' denoting the current year is also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lakers .
The memorial will conclude in time to allow a previously scheduled Clippers game against the Memphis Grizzlies to be played in the evening .
It falls between two Lakers home games , against the Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Pelicans .

Fans gather near a memorial at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles for Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.
Fans wishing to attend the Feb. 24 public memorial for Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others killed in a helicopter crash last month can register online for tickets, the Lakers announced Friday.
The memorial will take place at 10 a.m. at the downtown Los Angeles venue. Several sources have said the event will be restricted to ticket-holders, and the Lakers said there are no plans for a ceremony outside or at nearby L.A. Live, where thousands of fans converged after Bryant’s death on Jan. 26.
There also will be no procession like the one held after slain rapper Nipsey Hussle’s memorial at Staples Center in April. Those without tickets will be encouraged to watch the event on TV at home rather than coming downtown. The Lakers have said the event will not be shown on TV screens at L.A. Live.
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Fans have until 10 p.m. Monday to purchase tickets. Should the demand for public tickets exceed the inventory, verified fans will be randomly selected for the opportunity to purchase tickets. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Lakers Jennifer Hudson to take part in All-Star tribute for Kobe Bryant Jennifer Hudson will perform a special tribute before the NBA All-Star game to Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the others who were killed in a helicopter crash.
Tickets for the event will come in three price levels: Top-tier tickets are $224 each, while some will be two for $224 and others can be purchased for $24.02. Proceeds will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.
Vanessa Bryant previously noted on Instagram the significance of the date of the memorial: 2-24-20: Daughter Gianna, who also was killed in the helicopter crash over Calabasas, wore No. 2 while playing basketball, while her husband wore No. 24. The “20” denoting the current year is also the number of years Bryant played for the Lakers.
The memorial will conclude in time to allow a previously scheduled Clippers game against the Memphis Grizzlies to be played in the evening. It falls between two Lakers home games, against the Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Pelicans.


latimes--2020-02-14--Patient charged with murder in beating death of 73-year-old hospital roommate

A 37-year-old man has been charged with murder after authorities said he beat a 73-year-old patient he shared a hospital room with so severely that the older man later died from his injuries .
Reginald Daniel Panthier was charged Thursday with one felony count each of murder , elder abuse resulting in death , elder abuse with infliction of injury and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury , according to the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office .
He has pleaded not guilty .
Prosecutors say Panthier , a Long Beach-area transient , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College Medical Center on Jan. 31 .
Sanchez-Reyes suffered major injuries to his upper torso and died nine days later , Long Beach police said .
Panthier was arrested the day of the attack .
He remains in custody with bail set at $ 1.075 million , jail records show .
If convicted , he faces a maximum of 50 years to life in prison , prosecutors said .
Earlier this week , College Medical Center characterized the attack as “ a tragic and unforeseeable incident ” and said the hospital “ is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the criminal investigation and prosecution of the assailant for this random act of violence.
” “ The safety and well-being of our patients , along [ with ] the provision of superior care , remain our highest priority , ” the hospital said in a statement Tuesday .
“ College Medical Center ’ s deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of the deceased .
”

Francisco Sanchez-Reyes, 73, of Long Beach died nine days after he was attacked by another patient at the College Medical Center in Long Beach, authorities say.
A 37-year-old man has been charged with murder after authorities said he beat a 73-year-old patient he shared a hospital room with so severely that the older man later died from his injuries.
Reginald Daniel Panthier was charged Thursday with one felony count each of murder, elder abuse resulting in death, elder abuse with infliction of injury and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say Panthier, a Long Beach-area transient, assaulted Francisco Sanchez-Reyes of Long Beach at College Medical Center on Jan. 31. Sanchez-Reyes suffered major injuries to his upper torso and died nine days later, Long Beach police said.
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Panthier was arrested the day of the attack. He remains in custody with bail set at $1.075 million, jail records show.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of 50 years to life in prison, prosecutors said.
Earlier this week, College Medical Center characterized the attack as “a tragic and unforeseeable incident” and said the hospital “is fully cooperating with law enforcement in regards to the criminal investigation and prosecution of the assailant for this random act of violence.”
“The safety and well-being of our patients, along [with] the provision of superior care, remain our highest priority,” the hospital said in a statement Tuesday. “College Medical Center’s deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of the deceased.”


latimes--2020-02-14--New California labor law AB 5 is already changing how businesses treat workers

At Yogala Studios , a small , cozy storefront in Echo Park , the teachers work mostly part time , some giving just one class a week .
Workshops are offered in “ the ancient spiritual , philosophical and meditative traditions of yoga and tantra , ” as well as in “ meditation to tap into our creative potential to move through negative blocks.
” Recently , though , the studio has had to confront a very modern challenge : It is reclassifying its instructors , who had always been independent contractors , as employees with extensive labor protections because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Assembly Bill 5 .
They aren ’ t complaining .
“ These are yogis , ” said owner Samantha Garrison .
“ They look on the bright side of things.
” Across California , AB 5 is upending workplaces , prompting lawsuits , furious social media campaigns and a multimillion-dollar ballot initiative , sponsored by Uber , Lyft , Postmates and DoorDash , which are refusing to grant employee status to their tens of thousands of drivers .
But as critics demand exemptions and even a repeal of the statute , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are quietly adopting strategies to comply with the law , which took effect last month .
It hasn ’ t been easy .
AB 5 sets a new standard for hiring independent contractors , requiring many to be reclassified as employees covered by minimum wage , overtime , workers ’ compensation , unemployment and disability insurance .
With companies also having to cover employees ’ Social Security and Medicare taxes , costs can mount .
“ I knew I needed to bring in more money , ” said Garrison , who raised her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per class .
So far , her clients aren ’ t upset , she said .
“ I reached out to every member .
But it ’ s been a huge headache — a lot of paperwork and technicalities.
” The new law grew from a 2018 California Supreme Court decision in a case brought by drivers for Dynamex Operations West , a package delivery company .
The court found the company illegally switched its workers ’ status from employees to independent contractors to boost profits .
Workers have brought similar misclassification cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offloaded once-stable jobs to independent contractors and temporary help agencies in what some experts call “ a fissured workplace.
” But the nation ’ s growing income inequality is spurring a push for stricter laws .
In California , industries such as construction , janitorial , trucking — and even yoga — had fought to retain independent contractors under a set of complex rules that the Dynamex decision scrapped , replacing them with a tightened , simplified test .
To be independent contractors under the court ’ s new “ ABC test , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several other states , workers must ( A ) work independently , ( B ) do work that is different from what the business does , and ( C ) offer their work to other businesses or the public .
All three conditions must be met .
Under prong “ B ” of the standard , a yoga instructor working for a yoga studio would not qualify as an independent contractor any more than a driver for a transportation company , a drywaller for a home builder , a maid for a cleaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club or an actor for a theater .
Roughly a million California workers may need to meet the ABC test to continue as either part-time or full-time independent contractors , the state Legislative Analyst ’ s Office estimated this week .
The tally excluded tens of thousands of self-employed truckers , freelance writers and drivers for ride-hailing and food-delivery technology platforms whose status is under review in court cases .
The new law has companies scrambling to consult with labor lawyers , accountants and human resources specialists on how to avoid the lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misclassification .
Penalties for violations range from $ 5,000 to $ 25,000 , and companies can be liable for back wages .
“ There ’ s no industry out there that hasn ’ t tried to dabble in independent contractors , ” said Anna Towne , an executive at Bizhaven , a Sacramento consultant .
More than 30 businesses , including construction , farming and tech companies , have sought her firm ’ s advice on how to comply with the law , she said , and nearly all have switched their independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to fly by the seat of their pants , ” she added .
“ But we explain it ’ s not worth risking their business .
They could get into hot water.
” Towne also stresses the positives .
“ As an employer , they have much more control , ” she said .
“ They can dictate what ’ s expected , how much time to spend , how to work with clients and with their other employees .
With independent contractors , you can ’ t have that type of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 narrowed the reach of the court decision .
It carved out a score of occupations such as physicians , lawyers , insurance and real estate agents , engineers , stockbrokers and others seen as having bargaining power over their working conditions .
The bill ’ s author , Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez ( D-San Diego ) , is drafting a bill to exempt a few others , including musicians , freelance writers and photographers .
But most industries , especially those that use low-wage workers , are likely to remain covered by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued for misclassification under the previous looser rules .
Accountants are among AB 5 ’ s exempted professions , but during tax season , they traditionally hire independent contractors to help file clients ’ returns and process payrolls .
“ The law is having an immediate impact , ” said Anthony Pugliese , chief executive of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants .
His 45,000 members , he said , use “ armies of temporary paraprofessionals .
Thousands — it could be tens of thousands — are now being put on payroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits.
” Pugliese doesn ’ t oppose AB 5 .
“ You wouldn ’ t have this law if there wasn ’ t some abuse where companies keep people as temp workers for a year , two years , ” he said .
“ At some point it ’ s like — this is a real employee , why are you treating them like this ?
” But his association is preparing daylong training sessions on AB 5 compliance “ because there ’ s so much gray area , ” Pugliese added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or 120 days between January and April , he said , “ but what if I ’ m only using them for a week ?
Who wants benefits for a week ?
It doesn ’ t make sense.
” A “ business-to-business ” exemption in AB 5 allows contractors who set up a sole proprietorship , a limited liability corporation , a partnership or a corporation to avoid the ABC test if they meet certain criteria .
In recent months , hundreds of truckers who own their own big rigs at the ports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set themselves up as independent businesses in hopes of qualifying .
Sheila Scoville , president of Omni Therapy , a 30-employee Los Angeles referral agency , is one executive hoping the business-to-business provision will save her company — but she isn ’ t sure .
Omni connects healthcare agencies to physical therapists who work as independent contractors helping elderly patients recover from strokes or surgery in their homes .
Unlike physicians , dentists and psychologists , physical therapists were not exempted from the law , which is aimed at ensuring that therapy businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work on-site , as employees and offer them labor protections .
But Scoville argues that the roving professionals she refers are paid by healthcare agencies , and don ’ t technically work for Omni , although she has handled their paperwork and takes a cut of their fees .
When the California Employment Development Department audited Omni under pre-AB 5 rules , “ they interviewed our therapists , reviewed my text messages and emails , looked at clinical notes , and last year after 18 months of pain , I came out with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But if the ABC test were applied , and the 500 therapists on Omni ’ s roster were deemed her employees , Scoville calculated that workers ’ compensation alone would cost her nearly a million dollars a year .
As a work-around , after consulting attorneys , she informed all 500 therapists they would have to get their own business licenses or LLCs .
Over the last month , some 150 quit .
“ They weren ’ t happy , ” she said .
“ They are afraid of the law.
” Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m looking into providing services in other states .
We started this month in Arizona .
I don ’ t know how long I can keep going in California.
” For-profit businesses aren ’ t the only employers having to adapt to the law .
“ AB 5 hit us like a ton of bricks , ” said Christian Lebano , artistic director of the Sierra Madre Playhouse , one of 28 small nonprofit theaters in the Los Angeles area .
“ No one makes a living in small theater .
Actors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work or want the exposure.
” On Jan. 28 , Sierra Madre canceled its annual youth production .
Nine school districts had booked seats for the March adaptation of “ Charlotte ’ s Web , ” with 2,600 children , along with 400 teachers and parents , planning to attend .
But paying actors and other personnel minimum wage and overtime for six weeks of rehearsals and 46 performances , along with payroll taxes and other employee costs , would have added $ 38,000 to a $ 52,000 budget , Lebano said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue as planned because it was already budgeted for union-covered actors , he said .
As a result of AB 5 , however , three stage managers will switch from independent contractors to employees .
North Hollywood ’ s Deaf West Theatre , which offers plays in sign language , has also been forced to adapt .
Its actors and stage managers were already employees , but for its next production , 11 people will gain employee status , including the director , producer , designers and sign-language interpreters .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in compliance , while keeping our company afloat , ” said Deborah Reed , the theater ’ s business manager .
Small theaters and dance and opera companies are pressing for an AB 5 exemption , but Actors Equity Assn.
, the national union for actors and stage managers , backs the law as is .
“ Those who bring a show to life should be fairly compensated and have the same standard protections that employees in other industries have , ” Executive Director Mary McColl said .
Last month , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonunion actors and stage managers treated as independent contractors .
Eighty-two percent reported being asked to work for less than minimum wage , 28 % reported being denied unemployment benefits and 16 % reported being injured while working , including falls during dance lifts — injuries not covered by workers ’ compensation .
Gonzalez , the AB 5 author , is not offering a carve-out for performing arts groups .
But earlier this month , she and other legislators proposed a one-time $ 20-million state budget appropriation for grants to small arts organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comply with AB 5.
” Meanwhile , enforcement of the law is underway .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s budget allocates $ 21.68 million to crack down on misclassification under AB 5 , and to process an expected jump in workers ’ compensation claims .
It grants contractors a one-year exemption from state fees normally assessed to set up LLCs and limited partnerships .
The state has set up a detailed website and scheduled more than 80 seminars across the state to explain the law .
At Glendale ’ s Verdugo Jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department officials projected 41 slides on AB 5 , distributed fact sheets on the underground economy and answered questions from some 30 attendees .
The three-hour session delved into rules for language interpreters , nurses , plumbers and construction and restaurant workers .
A woman who hires independent contractors to sell flowers on the street wondered whether she was exempt .
An insurance agent expressed frustration that “ calling EDD is like falling into a deep hole .
They never call you back.
” Ken Johnson , one of the EDD presenters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to level the playing field for all employers , ” he said .
“ We ’ re asking you all to help the effort .
”

Yogala Studios in Echo Park. In response to Assembly Bill 5, the controversial new law curbing the use of independent contractors, Yogala owner Samantha Garrison is converting her part-time yoga teachers to employee status.
At Yogala Studios, a small, cozy storefront in Echo Park, the teachers work mostly part time, some giving just one class a week. Workshops are offered in “the ancient spiritual, philosophical and meditative traditions of yoga and tantra,” as well as in “meditation to tap into our creative potential to move through negative blocks.”
Recently, though, the studio has had to confront a very modern challenge: It is reclassifying its instructors, who had always been independent contractors, as employees with extensive labor protections because of California’s sweeping new law, Assembly Bill 5.
They aren’t complaining. “These are yogis,” said owner Samantha Garrison. “They look on the bright side of things.”
Advertisement
Across California, AB 5 is upending workplaces, prompting lawsuits, furious social media campaigns and a multimillion-dollar ballot initiative, sponsored by Uber, Lyft, Postmates and DoorDash, which are refusing to grant employee status to their tens of thousands of drivers.
But as critics demand exemptions and even a repeal of the statute, many California businesses, large and small, are quietly adopting strategies to comply with the law, which took effect last month. It hasn’t been easy.
AB 5 sets a new standard for hiring independent contractors, requiring many to be reclassified as employees covered by minimum wage, overtime, workers’ compensation, unemployment and disability insurance.
With companies also having to cover employees’ Social Security and Medicare taxes, costs can mount. “I knew I needed to bring in more money,” said Garrison, who raised her prices from $22 to $26 per class.
So far, her clients aren’t upset, she said. “I reached out to every member. But it’s been a huge headache — a lot of paperwork and technicalities.”
The new law grew from a 2018 California Supreme Court decision in a case brought by drivers for Dynamex Operations West, a package delivery company. The court found the company illegally switched its workers’ status from employees to independent contractors to boost profits.
Advertisement
Workers have brought similar misclassification cases across the U.S. for decades as companies offloaded once-stable jobs to independent contractors and temporary help agencies in what some experts call “a fissured workplace.” But the nation’s growing income inequality is spurring a push for stricter laws.
Samantha Garrison, right, owner of Yogala Studios, with yoga instructor Jannica Klingborg. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
In California, industries such as construction, janitorial, trucking — and even yoga — had fought to retain independent contractors under a set of complex rules that the Dynamex decision scrapped, replacing them with a tightened, simplified test.
To be independent contractors under the court’s new “ABC test,” modeled on laws in Massachusetts and several other states, workers must (A) work independently, (B) do work that is different from what the business does, and (C) offer their work to other businesses or the public. All three conditions must be met.
Under prong “B” of the standard, a yoga instructor working for a yoga studio would not qualify as an independent contractor any more than a driver for a transportation company, a drywaller for a home builder, a maid for a cleaning franchise, a caddie for a golf club or an actor for a theater.
Roughly a million California workers may need to meet the ABC test to continue as either part-time or full-time independent contractors, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated this week. The tally excluded tens of thousands of self-employed truckers, freelance writers and drivers for ride-hailing and food-delivery technology platforms whose status is under review in court cases.
The new law has companies scrambling to consult with labor lawyers, accountants and human resources specialists on how to avoid the lawsuits and regulatory fines that can result from misclassification. Penalties for violations range from $5,000 to $25,000, and companies can be liable for back wages.
“There’s no industry out there that hasn’t tried to dabble in independent contractors,” said Anna Towne, an executive at Bizhaven, a Sacramento consultant. More than 30 businesses, including construction, farming and tech companies, have sought her firm’s advice on how to comply with the law, she said, and nearly all have switched their independent contractors to employee status.
“Some want to fly by the seat of their pants,” she added. “But we explain it’s not worth risking their business. They could get into hot water.”
Business New labor laws are coming to California. What’s changing in your workplace? For California businesses, 2020 will be a year of reckoning. Sweeping new laws curbing long-time employment practices take effect, aimed at reducing economic inequality and giving workers more power in their jobs.
Towne also stresses the positives. “As an employer, they have much more control,” she said. “They can dictate what’s expected, how much time to spend, how to work with clients and with their other employees. With independent contractors, you can’t have that type of control.”
In one respect, AB 5 narrowed the reach of the court decision. It carved out a score of occupations such as physicians, lawyers, insurance and real estate agents, engineers, stockbrokers and others seen as having bargaining power over their working conditions. The bill’s author, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), is drafting a bill to exempt a few others, including musicians, freelance writers and photographers. But most industries, especially those that use low-wage workers, are likely to remain covered by the ABC test. Others can still be sued for misclassification under the previous looser rules.
Accountants are among AB 5’s exempted professions, but during tax season, they traditionally hire independent contractors to help file clients’ returns and process payrolls.
“The law is having an immediate impact,” said Anthony Pugliese, chief executive of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. His 45,000 members, he said, use “armies of temporary paraprofessionals. Thousands — it could be tens of thousands — are now being put on payroll, signed up for withholdings and offered benefits.”
Pugliese doesn’t oppose AB 5. “You wouldn’t have this law if there wasn’t some abuse where companies keep people as temp workers for a year, two years,” he said. “At some point it’s like — this is a real employee, why are you treating them like this?”
But his association is preparing daylong training sessions on AB 5 compliance “because there’s so much gray area,” Pugliese added. Temporary tax return preparers often work 90 or 120 days between January and April, he said, “but what if I’m only using them for a week? Who wants benefits for a week? It doesn’t make sense.”
Sheila Scoville is president of Omni Therapy, a 30-employee Los Angeles referral agency. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
A “business-to-business” exemption in AB 5 allows contractors who set up a sole proprietorship, a limited liability corporation, a partnership or a corporation to avoid the ABC test if they meet certain criteria. In recent months, hundreds of truckers who own their own big rigs at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have set themselves up as independent businesses in hopes of qualifying.
Sheila Scoville, president of Omni Therapy, a 30-employee Los Angeles referral agency, is one executive hoping the business-to-business provision will save her company — but she isn’t sure. Omni connects healthcare agencies to physical, occupational and speech therapists who work as independent contractors helping elderly patients recover from strokes or surgery in their homes.
Unlike physicians, dentists and psychologists, those therapists were not exempted from the law, which is aimed at ensuring that therapy businesses pay their workers, most of whom work on-site, as employees and offer them labor protections.
But Scoville argues that the roving professionals she refers may be paid by healthcare agencies, hospitals or Medicare and don’t necessarily work for Omni, although she has handled their paperwork and takes a cut of their fees. When the California Employment Development Department audited Omni under pre-AB 5 rules, “they interviewed our therapists, reviewed my text messages and emails, looked at clinical notes, and last year after 18 months of pain, I came out with zero liability,” she said.
But if the ABC test were applied, and the 500 therapists on Omni’s roster were deemed her employees, Scoville calculated that workers’ compensation alone would cost her nearly a million dollars a year.
As a work-around, after consulting attorneys, she informed all 500 therapists they would have to get their own business licenses or LLCs. Over the last month, some 150 quit. “They weren’t happy,” she said. “They are afraid of the law.”
Now, Scoville added, “I’m looking into providing services in other states. We started this month in Arizona. I don’t know how long I can keep going in California.”
For-profit businesses aren’t the only employers having to adapt to the law.
“AB 5 hit us like a ton of bricks,” said Christian Lebano, artistic director of the Sierra Madre Playhouse, one of 28 small nonprofit theaters in the Los Angeles area. “No one makes a living in small theater. Actors and designers do it because they love the work or want the exposure.”
“AB 5 hit us like a ton of bricks,” said Christian Lebano, artistic director of the Sierra Madre Playhouse. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
On Jan. 28, Sierra Madre canceled its annual youth production. Nine school districts had booked seats for the March adaptation of “Charlotte’s Web,” with 2,600 children, along with 400 teachers and parents, planning to attend. But paying actors and other personnel minimum wage and overtime for six weeks of rehearsals and 46 performances, along with payroll taxes and other employee costs, would have added $38,000 to a $52,000 budget, Lebano said.
The theater’s summer production schedule will continue as planned because it was already budgeted for union-covered actors, he said. As a result of AB 5, however, three stage managers will switch from independent contractors to employees.
North Hollywood’s Deaf West Theatre, which offers plays in sign language, has also been forced to adapt. Its actors and stage managers were already employees, but for its next production, 11 people will gain employee status, including the director, producer, designers and sign-language interpreters.
“We are trying the best we can to be in compliance, while keeping our company afloat,” said Deborah Reed, the theater’s business manager.
Small theaters and dance and opera companies are pressing for an AB 5 exemption, but Actors Equity Assn., the national union for actors and stage managers, backs the law as is. “Those who bring a show to life should be fairly compensated and have the same standard protections that employees in other industries have,” Executive Director Mary McColl said.
Last month, the group released a survey of union and nonunion actors and stage managers treated as independent contractors. Eighty-two percent reported being asked to work for less than minimum wage, 28% reported being denied unemployment benefits and 16% reported being injured while working, including falls during dance lifts — injuries not covered by workers’ compensation.
California Lorena Gonzalez likes a good fight. She got it with hotly debated AB5 Few California politicians have written more far-reaching laws in recent years, from workplace rights to election rules, than Lorena Gonzalez. Now the San Diego Democrat faces what could be her toughest fight of all.
Gonzalez, the AB 5 author, is not offering a carve-out for performing arts groups. But earlier this month, she and other legislators proposed a one-time $20-million state budget appropriation for grants to small arts organizations “that make a good-faith effort to comply with AB 5.”
Meanwhile, enforcement of the law is underway.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget allocates $21.68 million to crack down on misclassification under AB 5, and to process an expected jump in workers’ compensation claims. It grants contractors a one-year exemption from state fees normally assessed to set up LLCs and limited partnerships.
The state has set up a detailed website and scheduled more than 80 seminars across the state to explain the law. At Glendale’s Verdugo Jobs Center last month, two Employment Development Department officials projected 41 slides on AB 5, distributed fact sheets on the underground economy and answered questions from some 30 attendees.
The three-hour session delved into rules for language interpreters, nurses, plumbers and construction and restaurant workers. A woman who hires independent contractors to sell flowers on the street wondered whether she was exempt. An insurance agent expressed frustration that “calling EDD is like falling into a deep hole. They never call you back.”
Ken Johnson, one of the EDD presenters, sought to reassure. “Our goal is to level the playing field for all employers,” he said. “We’re asking you all to help the effort.”


latimes--2020-02-16--Cab driver saves 92-year-old woman from $25,000 scam, police say

Police in Northern California are crediting a cab driver with helping save a 92-year-old woman from becoming the victim of a scam that would have cost her tens of thousands of dollars .
The woman had called Raj Singh , who owns Roseville Cab , to pick her up from her home in Sun City and drive her to the bank , Roseville police said in a Facebook post .
While they were en route , the woman told Singh that she was heading there to take out $ 25,000 that she owed to the IRS , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the woman it might be a scam , but she didn ’ t believe him , according to investigators .
He told CNN that his suspicions were further raised during the incident , which took place about two weeks ago , when the woman informed him that someone she didn ’ t know had called her and asked her for the money .
“ We called this number again and I asked the man , ‘ Do you know this lady ?
’ He said no , ” Singh said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman still didn ’ t believe that she was being swindled , but after Singh pleaded with her to reconsider , she agreed to stop at the Roseville Police Station with him , police said .
While the woman waited in the car , Singh entered the station and spoke with an officer , who then went out to the cab and spoke with the woman .
All parties eventually concluded that the $ 25,000 request was a scam , and Singh took the woman back home , police said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Raj could have just taken his customer to her stop and not worried about her wellbeing , ” police wrote .
“ He took time from his day and had the great forethought to bring the almost-victim to the police station for an official response.
” Authorities have provided Singh with a $ 50 gift card to say thank you , police said .

Police in Northern California are crediting a cab driver with helping save a 92-year-old woman from becoming the victim of a scam that would have cost her tens of thousands of dollars.
The woman had called Raj Singh, who owns Roseville Cab, to pick her up from her home in Sun City and drive her to the bank, Roseville police said in a Facebook post.
While they were en route, the woman told Singh that she was heading there to take out $25,000 that she owed to the IRS, police said.
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Singh thought the story sounded suspicious and told the woman it might be a scam, but she didn’t believe him, according to investigators.
He told CNN that his suspicions were further raised during the incident, which took place about two weeks ago, when the woman informed him that someone she didn’t know had called her and asked her for the money.
“We called this number again and I asked the man, ‘Do you know this lady?’ He said no,” Singh said. “I knew something was wrong.”
The woman still didn’t believe that she was being swindled, but after Singh pleaded with her to reconsider, she agreed to stop at the Roseville Police Station with him, police said.
While the woman waited in the car, Singh entered the station and spoke with an officer, who then went out to the cab and spoke with the woman.
All parties eventually concluded that the $25,000 request was a scam, and Singh took the woman back home, police said.
“We love this story because several times throughout, Raj could have just taken his customer to her stop and not worried about her wellbeing,” police wrote. “He took time from his day and had the great forethought to bring the almost-victim to the police station for an official response.”
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Authorities have provided Singh with a $50 gift card to say thank you, police said.


latimes--2020-02-16--California to apologize officially for historical mistreatment of Japanese Americans

For decades , Japanese American activists have marked Feb. 19 as a day to reflect on one of the darkest chapters in this nation ’ s history .
On that date in 1942 , during World War II , President Franklin Delano Roosevelt authorized the forced removal of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent from their homes and businesses .
On Thursday , the California Assembly will do more than just remember .
It ’ s expected to approve , with Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s endorsement , a formal apology to all Americans of Japanese descent for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culminated with their mass incarceration .
HR 77 , introduced by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi ( D-Torrance ) and co-authored with six others , spells out in excruciating detail California ’ s anti-Japanese heritage .
It mentions the California Alien Land Law of 1913 ( which made land ownership for Japanese immigrants illegal ) and a 1943 joint resolution by the Assembly and state Senate that called for the forfeiture of U.S. citizenship by residents who also were citizens of Japan .
It calls out U.S. Army Gen. John L. DeWitt for telling California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ the Japanese in this country have more [ arms and ammunition ] in their possession than our own armed forces , ” in convincing them to round up Japanese Americans .
And HR 77 also connects this history to the present .
“ Given recent national events , ” it states , “ it is all the more important to learn from the mistakes of the past and to ensure that such an assault on freedom will never again happen to any community in the United States.
” Muratsuchi told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the bill because he wanted “ California [ to ] lead by example ... while our nation ’ s capital is hopelessly divided along party lines and President Trump is putting immigrant families and children in cages.
” Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) said it is essential for the state to acknowledge its past failings in order to move forward .
“ We so often talk about our need to not repeat mistakes of the past , ” he said .
“ The first step in doing so is making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to those who suffered by acknowledging their mistreatments but also to educate our future generations so history does no repeat itself.
” This isn ’ t the first time Sacramento has tied California ’ s anti-Japanese hysteria to immigration actions by the current administration : In 2017 , then-Gov .
Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that asked schools , in teaching about World War II , to connect the xenophobia of that era to the “ civil liberties injustices ” of Trump ’ s clampdown on immigration from countries he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time California politicians have pushed residents to reckon with past sins against Japanese Americans .
In 1988 , Congressman Norman Mineta and Bob Matsui were among the co-sponsors of the Civil Liberties Act , which included a federal apology to surviving detainees and distributed $ 20,000 to them .
The California Department of Education has long listed the 1973 young-adult novel “ Farewell to Manzanar ” as “ recommended literature ” to be taught in schools .
And for decades , principals have awarded high school diplomas to students who never formally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government-mandated incarceration .
But Muratsuchi ’ s efforts are also in line with a recent movement by the state ’ s governmental branches to use its power to make California apologize for its racist history .
In 2006 , legislation authored by then-state Sen. Joe Dunn formally apologized for the California Senate ’ s role in the forced repatriation of over 1 million Mexican immigrants and Mexican American citizens to Mexico during the Great Depression .
Three years later , the state Assembly did the same for the slew of anti-Chinese rhetoric in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act , which banned Chinese immigration for over 60 years .
Last year , Newsom signed an executive order formally apologizing for California ’ s “ violence , maltreatment and neglect ” of Native Americans throughout its history , calling such treatment a “ genocide.
” And earlier this month , he announced an initiative to pardon people wrongfully convicted under anti-LGBTQ laws , saying the state needed to rectify its “ abuses of the past .
”

A monument marks the cemetery at Manzanar National Historic Site, where thousands of Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.
For decades, Japanese American activists have marked Feb. 19 as a day to reflect on one of the darkest chapters in this nation’s history.
On that date in 1942, during World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt authorized the forced removal of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent from their homes and businesses.
On Thursday, the California Assembly will do more than just remember.
It’s expected to approve, with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s endorsement, a formal apology to all Americans of Japanese descent for the state’s role in policies that culminated with their mass incarceration.
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HR 77, introduced by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and co-authored with six others, spells out in excruciating detail California’s anti-Japanese heritage.
It mentions the California Alien Land Law of 1913 (which made land ownership for Japanese immigrants illegal) and a 1943 joint resolution by the Assembly and state Senate that called for the forfeiture of U.S. citizenship by residents who also were citizens of Japan. It calls out U.S. Army Gen. John L. DeWitt for telling California politicians shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack that “the Japanese in this country have more [arms and ammunition] in their possession than our own armed forces,” in convincing them to round up Japanese Americans.
And HR 77 also connects this history to the present.
“Given recent national events,” it states, “it is all the more important to learn from the mistakes of the past and to ensure that such an assault on freedom will never again happen to any community in the United States.”
Muratsuchi told the Japanese American Citizens League that he pushed for the bill because he wanted “California [to] lead by example ... while our nation’s capital is hopelessly divided along party lines and President Trump is putting immigrant families and children in cages.”
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) said it is essential for the state to acknowledge its past failings in order to move forward.
“We so often talk about our need to not repeat mistakes of the past,” he said. “The first step in doing so is making sure we acknowledge wrongs. We owe it to those who suffered by acknowledging their mistreatments but also to educate our future generations so history does no repeat itself.”
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This isn’t the first time Sacramento has tied California’s anti-Japanese hysteria to immigration actions by the current administration: In 2017, then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that asked schools, in teaching about World War II, to connect the xenophobia of that era to the “civil liberties injustices” of Trump’s clampdown on immigration from countries he deemed suspect.
Nor is this the first time California politicians have pushed residents to reckon with past sins against Japanese Americans.
In 1988, Congressman Norman Mineta and Bob Matsui were among the co-sponsors of the Civil Liberties Act, which included a federal apology to surviving detainees and distributed $20,000 to them. The California Department of Education has long listed the 1973 young-adult memoir “Farewell to Manzanar” as “recommended literature” to be taught in schools. And for decades, principals have awarded high school diplomas to students who never formally finished their education as teens because of government-mandated incarceration.
But Muratsuchi’s efforts are also in line with a recent movement by the state’s governmental branches to use its power to make California apologize for its racist history.
In 2006, legislation authored by then-state Sen. Joe Dunn formally apologized for the California Senate’s role in the forced repatriation of over 1 million Mexican immigrants and Mexican American citizens to Mexico during the Great Depression. Three years later, the state Assembly did the same for the slew of anti-Chinese rhetoric in the Golden State that led to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese immigration for over 60 years.
Last year, Newsom signed an executive order formally apologizing for California’s “violence, maltreatment and neglect” of Native Americans throughout its history, calling such treatment a “genocide.” And earlier this month, he announced an initiative to pardon people wrongfully convicted under anti-LGBTQ laws, saying the state needed to rectify its “abuses of the past.”