latimes--2020-01-29--Vanessa Bryant opens up about devastating loss: 'Our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon'

Vanessa Bryant took to social media Wednesday to thank the public for its support and express her grief over the helicopter crash that killed her husband , Kobe , daughter Gianna and seven others Sunday .
“ There aren ’ t enough words to describe our pain right now .
I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved .
We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives .
I wish they were here with us forever .
They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not sure what our lives hold beyond today , and it ’ s impossible to imagine life without them .
But we wake up each day , trying to keep pushing because Kobe , and our baby girl , Gigi , are shining on us to light the way .
Our love for them is endless — and that ’ s to say , immeasurable .
I just wish I could hug them , kiss them and bless them .
Have them here with us , forever.
” The helicopter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orange County to a basketball tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks .
The retired NBA player was scheduled to coach his daugther Gianna ’ s team in a game .
Accompanying the Bryants were John Altobelli , 56 , longtime baseball coach at Orange Coast College ; his wife , Keri , 46 ; their daughter Alyssa , 13 ; Christina Mauser , 38 , an assistant basketball coach at the Mamba Sports Academy ; Sarah Chester , 45 ; Chester ’ s daughter Payton , 13 ; and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bryant said she was overwhelmed by the love and support for her family over the last few days .
“ Thank you for all the prayers .
We definitely need them .
We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband , Kobe — the amazing father of our children ; and my beautiful , sweet Gianna — a loving , thoughtful , and wonderful daughter , and amazing sister to Natalia , Bianka , and Capri .
We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their grief intimately , ” she wrote .
She also said that Bryant ’ s Mamba Sports Foundation “ has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy.
” Her statement comes as federal investigators continue to look into the cause of the crash .
On Tuesday , the National Transportation Safety Board said the chopper was not equipped with a terrain alarm system that could have warned the pilot he was approaching a hillside .
NTSB investigator Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it lost communication with air traffic controllers .
The helicopter was descending at more than 2,000 feet per minute at the time of impact .
Homendy said her agency had recommended 16 years ago that the Federal Aviation Administration require that all helicopters carrying six or more passengers be equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system , adding that the FAA has “ failed to act ” on the proposal .
Because the FAA didn ’ t follow the recommendation , the helicopter that crashed Sunday was not legally required to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference , an FAA spokesman disputed that assessment , noting that the FAA requires the terrain alarm systems for helicopter air ambulance operations .
It remained unclear what the pilot knew about the terrain surrounding him or whether he had become disoriented .

Vanessa Bryant took to social media Wednesday to thank the public for its support and express her grief over the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe, daughter Gianna and seven others Sunday.
“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever.”
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The helicopter was taking Bryant and his group from Orange County to a basketball tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks. The retired NBA player was scheduled to coach his daugther Gianna’s team in a game.
Accompanying the Bryants were John Altobelli, 56, longtime baseball coach at Orange Coast College; his wife, Keri, 46; their daughter Alyssa, 13; Christina Mauser, 38, an assistant basketball coach at the Mamba Sports Academy; Sarah Chester, 45; Chester’s daughter Payton, 13; and the pilot, 50-year-old Ara Zobayan.
Vanessa Bryant said she was overwhelmed by the love and support for her family over the last few days.
“Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately,” she wrote.
She also said that Bryant’s Mamba Sports Foundation “has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy.”
Her statement comes as federal investigators continue to look into the cause of the crash.
On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said the chopper was not equipped with a terrain alarm system that could have warned the pilot he was approaching a hillside.
NTSB investigator Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference Tuesday that the helicopter was at 2,300 feet when it lost communication with air traffic controllers. The helicopter was descending at more than 2,000 feet per minute at the time of impact.
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Homendy said her agency had recommended 16 years ago that the Federal Aviation Administration require that all helicopters carrying six or more passengers be equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system, adding that the FAA has “failed to act” on the proposal. Because the FAA didn’t follow the recommendation, the helicopter that crashed Sunday was not legally required to have the system.
Shortly after the news conference, an FAA spokesman disputed that assessment, noting that the FAA requires the terrain alarm systems for helicopter air ambulance operations.
It remained unclear what the pilot knew about the terrain surrounding him or whether he had become disoriented.


latimes--2020-01-29--California bill to dramatically increase homebuilding in the state falls short for third year in a r

California bill to dramatically increase homebuilding in the state falls short for third year in a row

California lawmakers failed to pass high-profile legislation on Wednesday to dramatically increase homebuilding in the state — the third year in a row that the effort has stalled .
Senate Bill 50 , which would allow construction of mid-rise apartment complexes near transit and job centers and fourplexes in most single-family neighborhoods throughout California , was opposed by state senators who said the measure took too much power away from local governments and failed to sufficiently address low-income housing needs .
The bill ’ s author , Sen. Scott Wiener ( D-San Francisco ) , has argued that allowing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce a shortage of homes at the root of the state ’ s affordability problems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars .
The bill fell three votes short of passing — with nine Los Angeles-area senators either voting no or abstaining .
Wiener said he planned to try to bring the bill back for another vote Thursday — the deadline for its passage out of the Senate .
Sen. Bob Hertzberg ( D-Van Nuys ) said that SB 50 could increase allowable development across broad swaths of Los Angeles .
The bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government officials and single-family homeowners in its attempt to help remedy the state ’ s housing problems .
“ There may be some merit to this notion in limited circumstances , [ but ] this sweeping generalization both oversimplifies the problem and unnecessarily demeans people who have done nothing more than make homes for themselves , raise a family and play by the rules , ” Hertzberg said .
The decision also comes as a blow to Gov .
Gavin Newsom and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take action to dramatically increase the supply of housing in California .
Though he didn ’ t endorse the bill , Newsom has said in recent weeks that his staff was working to persuade lawmakers to move the legislation forward .
The legislation has exposed deep divisions among Democratic lawmakers .
Prior to the vote Wednesday afternoon , Senate Democrats spent nearly three hours meeting in private mostly discussing the bill ’ s fate .
Deliberation on the Senate floor lasted another two hours .
Then , as the first vote on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passage , lawmakers took a half-hour break while SB 50 backers aimed to whip up sufficient support .
In a last-minute intervention during the break , the governor ’ s office attempted to persuade at least one Democratic lawmaker to support the bill .
But Sen. Bill Dodd of Napa left the meeting and ended up voting against , saying that legislators still had time this year to introduce an alternative measure .
Republican John Moorlach of Costa Mesa , however , came around and voted in favor .
The debate over SB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday , has been brewing for a long time .
Wiener introduced the first iteration of the bill in 2018 , contending that the state needed to force local governments to allow more housing to help control the cost of living .
He said development near mass transit would make it easier for Californians to drive less , something state environmental officials have said is essential for meeting climate change goals .
But the bill died in its first committee hearing amid deep opposition from advocates representing low-income communities who were worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last year , Wiener made numerous changes to the bill aimed at addressing those concerns .
The bill now requires housing projects larger than 10 units to contribute funding or space for low-income housing and prohibts developers from demolishing homes on properties where tenants have lived for at least in the prior seven years .
The senator gained support from several powerful groups representing labor , environmental , developer , business and real estate interests .
But the bill was held without a vote in a committee last spring after concerns from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities .
Earlier this month , Wiener announced he was trying again , changing the bill so that local governments would have two years to develop alternative development blueprints before the rules in SB 50 would take effect .
Because the bill was held in a Senate committee last year , SB 50 faces a legislative deadline of the end of this month to advance out of the full Senate .
On the Senate floor Wednesday , Wiener argued that his colleagues should allow him to continue discussions over the issue , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the breadth of the state ’ s housing problems .
“ SB 50 will help plant the seeds so that in the future our kids and our grandkids don ’ t have to have the same pain that people are experiencing today , ” Wiener said .
But the changes Wiener made earlier this month didn ’ t receive enough support to advance the bill .
Lawmakers , including 11 of Wiener ’ s Democratic colleagues , said Wednesday that the bill didn ’ t do enough to spur affordable housing construction rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last week , a coalition of groups representing low-income communities announced their opposition to the bill , even though many had been negotiating with Wiener over changes to address their concerns .
And one by one , state senators from the Los Angeles area began telling their constituents they were opposed .
“ The supply side of housing production is important .
We ’ ve got to do it , ” Sen. Maria Elena Durazo ( D-Los Angeles ) told her colleagues Wednesday .
“ But then I say , ‘ What about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s stalling hinders Newsom ’ s efforts to speed housing production in the state .
On the campaign trail , the governor pledged to increase annual homebuilding nearly fivefold to levels unseen since at least the mid-1950s .
The governor has not yet put forward a plan to increase development to the scale he promised .
When SB 50 was held last year , Newsom said he was “ disappointed ” that the bill had not advanced and said he was going to get more involved in discussions about the legislation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget proposal earlier this month , the governor waved around a paper he said documented changes to the bill discussed at a meeting with Wiener the previous night .
And as recently as last week , Newsom told reporters that his staffers were working to round up votes .
“ I ’ m confident we ’ ll get something big done , ” Newsom said .
Speaking to reporters in Sacramento before the vote Wednesday , the governor said he was committed to passing legislation this year to increase homebuidling no matter what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not giving up , we are going to continue to work aggressively to address production in this state , ” he said .

State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), SB 50’s author, says allowing more density in developed areas would help reduce the shortage of homes at the root of the state’s affordability problems.
After more than two years of debate, five major revisions and two tense days of counting votes, a high-profile legislative effort to dramatically increase home building across California is officially dead.
Senate Bill 50 was an effort to undo California’s decades-long reliance on single-family housing and suburban sprawl stretching inland by spurring a development boom near transit and job centers. But arguments that the legislation would help reduce the housing shortage at the root of the state’s affordability problems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars met resistance from those who believed the measure took too much power away from local governments and failed to sufficiently address low-income housing needs.
And this week, for the third year in a row, California state senators rejected the measure.
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“The supply side of housing production is important. We’ve got to do it,” Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) said during debate on Wednesday. “But then I say, ‘What about affordable housing?’”
SB 50 fell three votes short of passage in the state Senate Wednesday. The following morning, bill author Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) brought the measure back up for another try. But despite an attempt by supporters to drum up more backing on the Senate floor, the final vote count remained the same.
The decision comes as a blow to Gov. Gavin Newsom and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who had argued that lawmakers needed to take action to dramatically increase California’s housing supply. After the final vote, Atkins made a commitment to pass major housing legislation in 2020.
“I feel compelled to say — and I think you all know this — this is not the end of the story,” Atkins told her colleagues on the Senate floor. “I want to personally commit to each and every one of you, to the people of California, that a housing production bill to help alleviate our housing crisis will happen this year.”
In a statement following the decision, Newsom echoed Atkins’ promise.
“California’s housing affordability crisis demands our state pass a historic housing production bill,” the governor said.
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But future efforts are certain to face the same tangled politics that ensnared SB 50 over the past two years.
The legislation would have allowed for the construction of mid-rise apartment complexes near transit and job centers and fourplexes in most single-family neighborhoods throughout the state. Wiener introduced the first iteration of the bill in 2018, contending that the state needed to force local governments to allow more housing to help control the cost of living. He said development near mass transit would make it easier for Californians to drive less, something state environmental officials have said is essential for meeting climate change goals.
But that bill died in its first committee hearing amid deep opposition from advocates representing low-income communities who were worried that increased housing production could fuel gentrification.
Last year, Wiener made numerous changes to the bill aimed at addressing those concerns. The measure required housing projects larger than 10 units to contribute funding or space for low-income housing and prohibits developers from demolishing homes on properties where tenants have lived for at least the prior seven years. The senator gained support from several powerful groups representing labor, environmental, developer, business and real estate interests. But the bill was held without a vote in a committee last spring after concerns from suburban homeowner activists about changes to their communities.
Earlier this month, Wiener announced he was trying again, changing the bill so that local governments would have two years to develop alternative development blueprints before the rules in SB 50 would take effect. Because the bill was held in a Senate committee last year, SB 50 faced a legislative deadline of the end of this month to advance out of the full Senate.
On the Senate floor Wednesday, Wiener argued that his colleagues should allow him to continue discussions over the issue, which he said required a response commensurate with the breadth of the state’s housing problems.
“SB 50 will help plant the seeds so that in the future our kids and our grandkids don’t have to have the same pain that people are experiencing today,” Wiener said.
But the changes made this month didn’t persuade lawmakers. Support for and opposition to SB 50 didn’t fall neatly along partisan or ideological lines. Nearly half of the 29 Democrats in the Senate voted against the bill or abstained from voting. Three out of 10 Republicans voted in favor. But there was a clear divide between lawmakers from the Los Angeles area, the state’s most populous region, and those from other parts of California.
Last week, a coalition of groups representing low-income communities announced their opposition to the bill, including Alliance for Community Transit-Los Angeles, an organization behind a plan to increase density near transit in the city and one that Wiener had been courting for nearly 18 months. And one by one, Democratic state senators from the Los Angeles area began telling their constituents they were opposed.
Ultimately, nine L.A.-area senators voted no or abstained on SB 50, and only one voted yes. Like Durazo, some L.A. legislators cited concerns about gentrification and displacement. Others, including Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), said the bill wrongfully targeted local government officials and single-family homeowners in its attempt to help remedy the state’s housing problems.
“There may be some merit to this notion in limited circumstances, [but] this sweeping generalization both oversimplifies the problem and unnecessarily demeans people who have done nothing more than make homes for themselves, raise a family and play by the rules,” Hertzberg said.
The failure of the bill will hinder Newsom’s efforts to speed housing production in the state. On the campaign trail, the governor pledged to increase annual home building nearly fivefold to levels unseen since at least the mid-1950s. The governor has not yet put forward a plan to increase development to the scale he promised.
Newsom never endorsed SB 50, but made some efforts to persuade lawmakers to keep the measure moving forward. When SB 50 was held last year, Newsom said he was “disappointed” that the bill had not advanced and said he was going to get more involved in discussions about the legislation.
In mid-January, top aides to Newsom met with Wiener and suggested amendments to SB 50 that the lawmaker declined to accept, according to multiple sources in the Capitol. Wiener declined to comment on his discussions with the governor’s office.
After Wiener’s bill came up a handful of votes short on Wednesday, representatives of the governor’s office attempted to persuade two Democratic senators to vote for the legislation. But Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) left the meeting and voted against it, saying that legislators still had time this year to introduce an alternative measure. Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) abstained from casting a vote. He said he supported higher-density development around train stations, but worried about how the bill would encourage growth in single-family neighborhoods away from transit.
“The challenge here,” Umberg said, “is that I do support the concept.”


latimes--2020-01-30--A second terrifying high-rise fire has Barrington Plaza residents demanding answers

For residents of Barrington Plaza , the fire that ripped through the 25-story high-rise on Wednesday was a terrifying moment of déjà vu .
A little over six years ago , another fire hit the residential tower , causing extensive damage and leaving some tenants homeless .
The building lacks an internal sprinkler system , fire officials said , and some are now questioning why sprinklers were not installed after the 2013 blaze .
Wednesday ’ s fire injured 13 people , including a 3-month-old baby and two firefighters .
Seven were taken to a hospital , including a 30-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in grave condition and another 30-year-old man in critical condition , L.A. Fire Capt .
Erik Scott said .
At least 15 people , some in bathrobes , were airlifted to safety from the building ’ s rooftop .
Officials said it was the first time the fire chopper had been used in rescue efforts .
Sometime between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. , an alarm sounded inside the building , waking 20-year resident Dan Karzen .
The ominous message informed the 84-year-old that he and all tenants were to evacuate immediately .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so I had to hurry to put some clothes on , grab my phone and walk out the door of my 16th-floor apartment , ” Karzen said .
“ I knew it was bad because there was all this smoke there for a fire that was happening on the sixth floor.
” Karzen left the building but realized he had nowhere to go .
So he crossed the street to a strip mall , where he sat on a small spiral staircase , awaiting word from fire officials .
“ I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go back in , and I don ’ t want to leave because all my stuff is up there , ” Karzen said .
About an hour after his evacuation , Karzen got a call from his son in Hartford , Conn. , who ’ d been following coverage of the fire on TV 3,000 miles away .
“ That wouldn ’ t have happened 10 years ago , ” said Karzen , who got busy canceling appointments and plans he ’ d had for the day .
Residents weren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while fire officials investigate .
The Westwood Recreation Center was set up as a shelter , but Karzen said he ’ d likely stay the night at his daughter ’ s house in Tarzana or with another son in Woodland Hills .
Ali Mara , 26 , was sleeping in her apartment across the street from Barrington Plaza when she was awoken by the smell of smoke and the blasts of firetruck sirens .
She left her building and made her way to Barrington , where she could see the fire spreading across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corner of the building .
“ As soon as I woke up , I came out , and we were all just kind of watching it and waiting to see what happened .
It was a ton of smoke , and it kind of traveled ” around the corner , she said .
She saw people peering down from the rooftop and peeking out of windows throughout the building .
“ It ’ s just really sad , ” she said .
“ There ’ s so many things going on in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just feel sad for those people.
” When Liz Bowers was jolted awake by sirens , she smelled smoke and immediately thought it couldn ’ t be another fire , remembering the 2013 blaze at Barrington Plaza .
But when she looked out her window , there it was .
“ I was like … it ’ s Tower A again , ” she said .
She had a clear view of the flames and clouds of black smoke .
She could hear screams and windows blowing out .
Bowers ran downstairs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two buildings and continued watching as firefighters worked to quell the flames and rescue residents .
After witnessing the dramatic events , she decided she ’ d had enough .
She needs to move out .
She thought about all the times she could smell cigarette and marijuana smoke from her apartment , the result of little oversight from building managers , Bowers said .
She spent three years knocking on the leasing office ’ s door , writing letters and making phone calls to building managers .
Eventually , she gave up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in after the [ 2013 ] fire , ” she said .
“ They let everybody smoke .
There ’ s a lot of Airbnb [ rentals ] .
You get all these people coming into party and smoke pot .
The landlords don ’ t care .
”

Andrew J. Campa, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

Friends and family reunite after the Barrington Plaza fire, which was under investigation by Los Angeles fire officials. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Displaced residents reunite with friends and family at a temporary shelter after the Westside apartment complex fire. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters hoist a ladder to the man trapped on the outside of the structure. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Residents are airlifted from the roof of the Barrington Plaza apartments by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A man trying to escape flames walks along a ledge after fire engulfs the sixth floor of a 25-story residential building in Los Angeles. Firefighters were able to rescue the man. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
For residents of Barrington Plaza, the fire that ripped through the 25-story high-rise on Wednesday was a terrifying moment of déjà vu.
A little over six years ago, another fire hit the residential tower, causing extensive damage and leaving some tenants homeless.
The building lacks an internal sprinkler system, fire officials said, and some are now questioning why sprinklers were not installed after the 2013 blaze.
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Wednesday’s fire injured 13 people, including a 3-month-old baby and two firefighters. Seven were taken to a hospital, including a 30-year-old man who required CPR and was listed in grave condition and another 30-year-old man in critical condition, L.A. Fire Capt. Erik Scott said.
At least 15 people, some in bathrobes, were airlifted to safety from the building’s rooftop. Officials said it was the first time the fire chopper had been used in rescue efforts.
Sometime between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., an alarm sounded inside the building, waking 20-year resident Dan Karzen.
The ominous message informed the 84-year-old that he and all tenants were to evacuate immediately.
“I had my pajamas on, so I had to hurry to put some clothes on, grab my phone and walk out the door of my 16th-floor apartment,” Karzen said. “I knew it was bad because there was all this smoke there for a fire that was happening on the sixth floor.”
Karzen left the building but realized he had nowhere to go. So he crossed the street to a strip mall, where he sat on a small spiral staircase, awaiting word from fire officials.
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“I don’t know when we’re going to go back in, and I don’t want to leave because all my stuff is up there,” Karzen said.
About an hour after his evacuation, Karzen got a call from his son in Hartford, Conn., who’d been following coverage of the fire on TV 3,000 miles away.
“That wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago,” said Karzen, who got busy canceling appointments and plans he’d had for the day.
Residents weren’t being allowed back into the building overnight while fire officials investigate. The Westwood Recreation Center was set up as a shelter, but Karzen said he’d likely stay the night at his daughter’s house in Tarzana or with another son in Woodland Hills.
Ali Mara, 26, was sleeping in her apartment across the street from Barrington Plaza when she was awoken by the smell of smoke and the blasts of firetruck sirens.
She left her building and made her way to Barrington, where she could see the fire spreading across the sixth floor and curling around the corner of the building.
“As soon as I woke up, I came out, and we were all just kind of watching it and waiting to see what happened. It was a ton of smoke, and it kind of traveled” around the corner, she said.
She saw people peering down from the rooftop and peeking out of windows throughout the building.
“It’s just really sad,” she said. “There’s so many things going on in the world. It just sucks. I just feel sad for those people.”
When Liz Bowers was jolted awake by sirens, she smelled smoke and immediately thought it couldn’t be another fire, remembering the 2013 blaze at Barrington Plaza. But when she looked out her window, there it was.
“I was like … it’s Tower A again,” she said.
She had a clear view of the flames and clouds of black smoke. She could hear screams and windows blowing out. Bowers ran downstairs to the public pool area shared by the two buildings and continued watching as firefighters worked to quell the flames and rescue residents.
After witnessing the dramatic events, she decided she’d had enough. She needs to move out.
She thought about all the times she could smell cigarette and marijuana smoke from her apartment, the result of little oversight from building managers, Bowers said. She spent three years knocking on the leasing office’s door, writing letters and making phone calls to building managers. Eventually, she gave up.
“They should have put sprinklers in after the [2013] fire,” she said. “They let everybody smoke. There’s a lot of Airbnb [rentals]. You get all these people coming into party and smoke pot. The landlords don’t care.”


latimes--2020-01-30--Fire at West L.A. high-rise sends residents scrambling for safety; two critically injured

A fire broke out Wednesday morning in a 25-story Westside residential building , sending residents climbing out windows and fleeing to the rooftop to escape the flames .
The blaze , which erupted on the sixth floor at the Barrington Plaza apartments in the 11700 block of Wilshire Boulevard , was reported shortly after 8:30 a.m. by fire crews , who were tending a nearby blaze that had begun earlier .
At least 300 firefighters responded to help battle the fire and evacuate residents inside the building .
Eleven residents were injured ; seven were sent to a hospital for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and four were treated at the scene .
Most were suffering from smoke inhalation .
Two firefighters suffered minor burns .
One 30-year-old man required CPR and was listed in grave condition Wednesday afternoon , and another 30-year-old man was in critical condition , according to Los Angeles Fire Capt .
Erik Scott .
“ The preliminary information is the two most critically injured … were both in the unit of fire origin , ” Scott said .
Fire officials initially reported that some people had jumped from the building to escape the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people contemplated jumping but were rescued by fire officials .
Residents crawled on their bellies through thick smoke to escape .
One man was seen clinging to a ledge before a fire ladder was hoisted up to him .
“ This could have been much worse , ” Scott said .
Fire officials said residents won ’ t be allowed back into the building overnight while they investigate the blaze , which was deemed suspicious .
Firefighters took an unconventional approach in battling the flames , hosing the building from the outside in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing firefighters to tackle the flames inside .
The bulk of the fire was on the sixth floor of the 240-unit high-rise , though three other levels were damaged by smoke , officials said .
While some crews focused on the fire inside , others were tasked with evacuations .
At least 15 people , some in bathrobes , were airlifted to safety from the building ’ s rooftop .
Officials said it was the first time the fire chopper had been used in rescue efforts .
“ This was a herculean effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire Department , ” said Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas .
“ It takes a lot of coordination , and our resources did a good job.
” After an intense , hourlong battle that was made more challenging by strong winds gusting up to 35 mph , firefighters were able to knock down the flames shortly before 10 a.m. Deputy Police Chief Justin Eisenberg said the Los Angeles Police Department and arson investigators were studying the blaze to determine whether it was criminal or accidental .
No one has been arrested in connection with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate fire that started earlier in the morning about three blocks away also is part of the investigation .
Mackenzie Williams , 25 , said she was driving to work at Pure Barre — a fitness studio at Wilshire Boulevard and Granville Avenue — about 9 a.m. when she “ saw one firetruck pass by me , then I saw two , then I saw 10 , then I saw about 20 , so I definitely knew something was going on.
” After seeing smoke pouring from the building and the helicopter evacuations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope everyone is OK over there.
” John Tavakoli was outside when the floor where his grandmother lives burst into flames .
As firefighters rushed to evacuate her and her neighbors , his initial horror settled into smoldering rage — another fire like this one had burned here a few years ago , but little had changed .
Like others , he blamed the revolving door of short-term renters for unsafe conditions in the building .
“ A lot of people Airbnb here.
” he said .
“ They party all night — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a Tuesday.
” Meanwhile , he said , safety issues have gone unaddressed .
“ Our rent goes up , utilities go up , but one elevator ’ s always broken , ” he said .
Resident Gavyn Straus stood barefoot on the sidewalk , holding a towel around his American-flag bathing suit as he watched a Sheriff ’ s Department helicopter hoisting stranded neighbors off the roof .
He had been in the pool swimming laps when he turned his head for a breath and noticed the smoke .
Right away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dashed up to alert neighbors on his floor .
The smoke “ was like a black wall ” on the seventh floor , he said .
Higher up , he started banging on doors , telling neighbors to get out .
Twins Kristina and Kimberly Pagano , recent UCLA grads , were asleep in their apartment when the fire broke out .
They woke up to the sound of firetrucks .
Moments later , the building fire alarm went off , and they rushed outside .
Both immediately thought of the 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a cigarette .
The building still allows residents to smoke in their units on designated floors , which the sisters had toured before moving in .
Like others , they said the building hosts a large number of short-term visitors .
“ We always see people with luggage , ” Kristina said .
Officials have said that there is no indication the fire was caused by anyone smoking inside or that it broke out in a unit rented as an Airbnb .
The building is covered by L.A. 's Rent Stabilization Ordinance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenants , but some of its units are exempt from that law , according to housing department spokeswoman Sandra Mendoza .
Under an ordinance that went into effect last year , Angelenos can not rent out their apartments for short stays if they live in a rent-stabilized unit .
The 2013 fire erupted on the 11th floor of the building , displacing up to 150 residents and injuring two people .
It also raised concerns about a lack of sprinkler systems in some buildings in Los Angeles .
Barrington Plaza was not equipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because it was built nearly 60 years ago , it does not fall under state regulations later adopted that forced buildings taller than 75 feet to include such fire-suppression systems unless granted an exemption .
Los Angeles has a loophole in its fire code that allows 71 residential high-rises to house tenants despite having no fire sprinklers in the buildings .
The structures were built between 1943 and 1974 , when new codes required sprinklers .
Deputy Chief Armando Hogan said Wednesday the building still does not have sprinklers .
There have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to install sprinkler systems , including a push after Barrington Plaza ’ s last fire , but landlords at the time argued they would cost too much .
A year ago , the City Council again tabled a proposal to require sprinklers in all buildings .
One of the sponsors of the measure said the issue lost momentum amid opposition from landlords , but Councilman Mike Bonin said he will reintroduce a mandate for sprinklers in light of the latest blaze .
Curtis Massey , chief executive of fire safety consulting company Massey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically seen in modern high-rises quickly douse flames before they have a chance to spread .
“ It ’ s like an on-duty 24-hour firefighter that ’ s able to respond faster in most circumstances to a fire than the building staff or the fire department , ” said Massey , whose company has worked on fire preparedness plans for Century Plaza and the Wilshire Grand Center .
Modern fire safety features also include elevator and stairwell-pressurization systems that keep the smoke out of those areas , he said .
In 2014 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued the building ’ s corporate owner for negligence .
According to residents , several fire alarms failed to sound in Barrington Plaza as the October 2013 blaze spread .
A door to the roof was locked and the stairwells filled with choking smoke , tenants said .
“ The conditions at the supposedly high-end apartment building were atrocious , ” attorney Mark Geragos said at the time .
Resident Ivo Gerscovich ’ s 2-year-old daughter and father-in-law were found unconscious in a smoke-filled stairwell above the 20th floor during the 2013 fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gerscovich said then .
“ It ’ s totally insane and indefensible.
” Ben Meiselas , an attorney with Geragos ’ firm , said the building “ is a relic of the 1960s.
” “ It conformed to codes of the 1960s , and since that time , they ’ ve availed themselves through grandfather clauses of the building codes of that bygone era , ” he said .
Meiselas said building owners should be required to prominently display whether their structures adhere to current codes .
“ You have this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luxury building , but back in 2013 , at least , it really had fundamental safety issues , ” he said .
Residents said that they weren ’ t aware of any additional safety measures .
“ This situation really scares me , ” said Ploy Pengsomboon , who was able to evacuate from her ninth-floor unit only after smelling smoke and hearing firetruck sirens .
“ I ’ m scared if one day I ’ m in a deep sleep and something like this happens .
I didn ’ t get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone to get out and shouldn ’ t let us learn about it ourselves.
” The blaring of a fire alarm woke 84-year-old Dan Karzen , who has lived in Barrington Plaza for 20 years .
“ I had my pajamas on , so I had to hurry to put some clothes on , grab my phone and walk out the door of my 16th-floor apartment , ” Karzen said .
“ I knew it was bad because there was all this smoke.
” After leaving the building , he crossed the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped to await word from fire officials .
“ I don ’ t know when we ’ re going to go back in , and I don ’ t want to leave because all my stuff is up there , ” he said .
When Liz Bowers was jolted awake by sirens , she smelled smoke and immediately thought it couldn ’ t be another fire , remembering the 2013 blaze .
But when she looked out her window , there it was .
“ I was like … it ’ s Tower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She had a clear view of the flames and clouds of black smoke .
She could hear screams and windows blowing out from the heat of the flames .
Bowers ran downstairs to the public pool area shared by the two buildings and continued watching as firefighters worked to quell the flames and rescue residents .
After witnessing the dramatic events , she decided she ’ d had enough .
She needs to move out .
Bowers thought about all the times she could smell cigarette and marijuana smoke from her apartment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers , she said .
She spent three years knocking on the leasing office ’ s door , writing letters and making phone calls to building managers .
Eventually , she gave up .
“ They should have put sprinklers in after the [ 2013 ] fire , ” she said .
“ They let everybody smoke .
There ’ s a lot of Airbnb [ rentals ] .
You get all these people coming into party and smoke pot .
The landlords don ’ t care.
” Times staff writers Matt Stiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew J. Campa , Emily Alpert Reyes , James Rainey and Matthew Ormseth contributed to this report .

Hannah Fry, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Luke Money, Sonja Sharp

Friends and family reunite after the Barrington Plaza fire, which was under investigation by Los Angeles fire officials. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Displaced residents reunite with friends and family at a temporary shelter after the Westside apartment complex fire. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters hoist a ladder to the man trapped on the outside of the structure. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Residents are airlifted from the roof of the Barrington Plaza apartments by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A man trying to escape flames walks along a ledge after fire engulfs the sixth floor of a 25-story residential building in Los Angeles. Firefighters were able to rescue the man. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A fire broke out Wednesday morning in a 25-story Westside residential building, sending residents climbing out windows and fleeing to the rooftop to escape the flames.
The blaze, which erupted on the sixth floor at the Barrington Plaza apartments in the 11700 block of Wilshire Boulevard, was reported shortly after 8:30 a.m. by fire crews, who were tending a nearby blaze that had begun earlier.
At least 300 firefighters responded to help battle the fire and evacuate residents inside the building. Eleven residents were injured; seven were sent to a hospital for treatment, including a 3-month-old baby, and four were treated at the scene. Most were suffering from smoke inhalation. Two firefighters suffered minor burns.
One 30-year-old man required CPR and was listed in grave condition Wednesday afternoon, and another 30-year-old man was in critical condition, according to Los Angeles Fire Capt. Erik Scott.
“The preliminary information is the two most critically injured … were both in the unit of fire origin,” Scott said.
Fire officials initially reported that some people had jumped from the building to escape the flames. Authorities later clarified that two people contemplated jumping but were rescued by fire officials. Residents crawled on their bellies through thick smoke to escape. One man was seen clinging to a ledge before a fire ladder was hoisted up to him.
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“This could have been much worse,” Scott said.
Fire officials said residents won’t be allowed back into the building overnight while they investigate the blaze, which was deemed suspicious.
Firefighters took an unconventional approach in battling the flames, hosing the building from the outside in an effort to cool the units before allowing firefighters to tackle the flames inside. The bulk of the fire was on the sixth floor of the 240-unit high-rise, though three other levels were damaged by smoke, officials said.
While some crews focused on the fire inside, others were tasked with evacuations. At least 15 people, some in bathrobes, were airlifted to safety from the building’s rooftop. Officials said it was the first time the fire chopper had been used in rescue efforts.
“This was a herculean effort by the members of the Los Angeles Fire Department,” said Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas. “It takes a lot of coordination, and our resources did a good job.”
After an intense, hourlong battle that was made more challenging by strong winds gusting up to 35 mph, firefighters were able to knock down the flames shortly before 10 a.m.
Deputy Police Chief Justin Eisenberg said the Los Angeles Police Department and arson investigators were studying the blaze to determine whether it was criminal or accidental. No one has been arrested in connection with the fire, he said. The separate fire that started earlier in the morning about three blocks away also is part of the investigation.
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Mackenzie Williams, 25, said she was driving to work at Pure Barre — a fitness studio at Wilshire Boulevard and Granville Avenue — about 9 a.m. when she “saw one firetruck pass by me, then I saw two, then I saw 10, then I saw about 20, so I definitely knew something was going on.”
After seeing smoke pouring from the building and the helicopter evacuations, she said, “I just hope everyone is OK over there.”
John Tavakoli was outside when the floor where his grandmother lives burst into flames. As firefighters rushed to evacuate her and her neighbors, his initial horror settled into smoldering rage — another fire like this one had burned here a few years ago, but little had changed. Like others, he blamed the revolving door of short-term renters for unsafe conditions in the building.
“A lot of people Airbnb here.” he said. “They party all night — they’re up until 2 a.m. on a Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, he said, safety issues have gone unaddressed.
“Our rent goes up, utilities go up, but one elevator’s always broken,” he said.
Resident Gavyn Straus stood barefoot on the sidewalk, holding a towel around his American-flag bathing suit as he watched a Sheriff’s Department helicopter hoisting stranded neighbors off the roof. He had been in the pool swimming laps when he turned his head for a breath and noticed the smoke. Right away, he leaped out of the pool and dashed up to alert neighbors on his floor.
The smoke “was like a black wall” on the seventh floor, he said. Higher up, he started banging on doors, telling neighbors to get out.
Twins Kristina and Kimberly Pagano, recent UCLA grads, were asleep in their apartment when the fire broke out. They woke up to the sound of firetrucks. Moments later, the building fire alarm went off, and they rushed outside.
Both immediately thought of the 2013 fire, believed to have been sparked by a cigarette. The building still allows residents to smoke in their units on designated floors, which the sisters had toured before moving in. Like others, they said the building hosts a large number of short-term visitors.
“We always see people with luggage,” Kristina said.
“It’s like a hotel,” Kimberly agreed.
Officials have said that there is no indication the fire was caused by anyone smoking inside or that it broke out in a unit rented as an Airbnb.
The building is covered by L.A.’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which limits annual rent increases for tenants, but some of its units are exempt from that law, according to housing department spokeswoman Sandra Mendoza. Under an ordinance that went into effect last year, Angelenos cannot rent out their apartments for short stays if they live in a rent-stabilized unit.
The 2013 fire erupted on the 11th floor of the building, displacing up to 150 residents and injuring two people. It also raised concerns about a lack of sprinkler systems in some buildings in Los Angeles.
Barrington Plaza was not equipped with a sprinkler system at the time. Because it was built nearly 60 years ago, it does not fall under state regulations later adopted that forced buildings taller than 75 feet to include such fire-suppression systems unless granted an exemption.
Los Angeles has a loophole in its fire code that allows 71 residential high-rises to house tenants despite having no fire sprinklers in the buildings. The structures were built between 1943 and 1974, when new codes required sprinklers.
Deputy Chief Armando Hogan said Wednesday the building still does not have sprinklers.
There have been repeated attempts to require older buildings to install sprinkler systems, including a push after Barrington Plaza’s last fire, but landlords at the time argued they would cost too much.
A year ago, the City Council again tabled a proposal to require sprinklers in all buildings. One of the sponsors of the measure said the issue lost momentum amid opposition from landlords, but Councilman Mike Bonin said he will reintroduce a mandate for sprinklers in light of the latest blaze.
Curtis Massey, chief executive of fire safety consulting company Massey Emergency Management, said the sprinkler systems typically seen in modern high-rises quickly douse flames before they have a chance to spread.
“It’s like an on-duty 24-hour firefighter that’s able to respond faster in most circumstances to a fire than the building staff or the fire department,” said Massey, whose company has worked on fire preparedness plans for Century Plaza and the Wilshire Grand Center.
Modern fire safety features also include elevator and stairwell-pressurization systems that keep the smoke out of those areas, he said.
Fire on Wilshire & Barrinton outside our office #Brentwood pic.twitter.com/kI4nVUxYHr — shir (@HereIsShir) January 29, 2020
In 2014, a group of tenants in the high-rise sued the building’s corporate owner for negligence.
According to residents, several fire alarms failed to sound in Barrington Plaza as the October 2013 blaze spread. A door to the roof was locked and the stairwells filled with choking smoke, tenants said.
“The conditions at the supposedly high-end apartment building were atrocious,” attorney Mark Geragos said at the time.
Resident Ivo Gerscovich’s 2-year-old daughter and father-in-law were found unconscious in a smoke-filled stairwell above the 20th floor during the 2013 fire.
“It’s a deathtrap,” Gerscovich said then. “It’s totally insane and indefensible.”
Ben Meiselas, an attorney with Geragos’ firm, said the building “is a relic of the 1960s.”
“It conformed to codes of the 1960s, and since that time, they’ve availed themselves through grandfather clauses of the building codes of that bygone era,” he said.
Meiselas said building owners should be required to prominently display whether their structures adhere to current codes.
“You have this building that advertises itself as a class-A luxury building, but back in 2013, at least, it really had fundamental safety issues,” he said.
Residents said that they weren’t aware of any additional safety measures.
“This situation really scares me,” said Ploy Pengsomboon, who was able to evacuate from her ninth-floor unit only after smelling smoke and hearing firetruck sirens. “I’m scared if one day I’m in a deep sleep and something like this happens. I didn’t get a chance to prepare. They should tell everyone to get out and shouldn’t let us learn about it ourselves.”
The blaring of a fire alarm woke 84-year-old Dan Karzen, who has lived in Barrington Plaza for 20 years.
“I had my pajamas on, so I had to hurry to put some clothes on, grab my phone and walk out the door of my 16th-floor apartment,” Karzen said. “I knew it was bad because there was all this smoke.”
After leaving the building, he crossed the street to a strip mall, where he stopped to await word from fire officials.
“I don’t know when we’re going to go back in, and I don’t want to leave because all my stuff is up there,” he said.
When Liz Bowers was jolted awake by sirens, she smelled smoke and immediately thought it couldn’t be another fire, remembering the 2013 blaze. But when she looked out her window, there it was.
“I was like … it’s Tower A again,” she said.
She had a clear view of the flames and clouds of black smoke. She could hear screams and windows blowing out from the heat of the flames. Bowers ran downstairs to the public pool area shared by the two buildings and continued watching as firefighters worked to quell the flames and rescue residents. After witnessing the dramatic events, she decided she’d had enough. She needs to move out.
Bowers thought about all the times she could smell cigarette and marijuana smoke from her apartment, the result of little oversight from building managers, she said. She spent three years knocking on the leasing office’s door, writing letters and making phone calls to building managers. Eventually, she gave up.
“They should have put sprinklers in after the [2013] fire,” she said. “They let everybody smoke. There’s a lot of Airbnb [rentals]. You get all these people coming into party and smoke pot. The landlords don’t care.”
Times staff writers Matt Stiles, Dakota Smith, Colleen Shalby, Andrew J. Campa, Emily Alpert Reyes, James Rainey and Matthew Ormseth contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-04--Stormy Daniels picks new fight with President Trump over defamation ruling

An attorney representing Stormy Daniels in her legal battle with President Donald Trump is requesting that a panel of federal judges reinstate her defamation claim , accusing the president of intentionally tarnishing the pornographic actress ’ s credibility .
Trump ’ s 2018 tweet mocked a forensic artist ’ s sketch of a man whom Daniels said had threatened her in 2011 if she spoke publicly about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump .
The president has denied having sex with Daniels .
“ A sketch years later about a nonexistent man , ” Trump tweeted .
“ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Media for Fools ( but they know it ) !
” The sketch had been released by attorney Michael Avenatti , who at the time was representing the adult-film actress whose real name is Stephanie Clifford .
A U.S. District Court judge ruled later that year that Trump ’ s tweet was protected under the First Amendment and dismissed Daniels ’ complaint .
On Tuesday , Daniels ’ new attorney , Clark Brewster , went head-to-head with Trump ’ s lawyer , Charles J .
Harder , at the federal appeals courthouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately issued but a published decision should be released in 30 to 90 days .
In court , Brewster focused on what he described as the previous judge ’ s mistake in granting Trump ’ s motion under the Texas Citizens Participation Act , which places a higher burden on the plaintiff in defamation lawsuits by making it easier for a defendant to invoke free speech rights and to ask the court to quickly dismiss the lawsuit and make the plaintiff pay the defendant ’ s legal expenses .
Most states have enacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SLAPP ( strategic lawsuit against public participation ) lawsuits .
Instead , Brewster said , the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure should ’ ve been applied because the legal battle took place at the federal level .
Under this mandate , factual allegations in complaints are viewed “ as true and constructed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff , ” according to the lawsuit .
Brewster also pushed back against the previous judge ’ s ruling , contending that portions of Trump ’ s tweet are verifiable factual assertions .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
This is awkward !
@ StormyDaniels ’ s EX # IDTheThug ” and shared side-by-side photos of the sketch and of Daniels ’ ex-husband with an embarrassed emoji .
Harder commended the previous judge ’ s ruling and contended that the Texas statute was nearly identical to California ’ s anti-SLAPP statute .
He also painted a different picture of Trump ’ s tweet .
“ That one tweet was the only response to the onslaught of publicity , ” Harder said , citing television shows and interviews Daniels and Avenatti did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a copy of Trump ’ s tweet and read it out loud and emphasized how the president riffed off the original tweet ’ s “ hyperbolic statement.
” Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw pressed Harder as to whether part of Daniels ’ allegations could be verifiable .
“ Context is important , ” he responded .
“ The district court got it right .
This is vintage hyperbole.
” Daniels was ordered to pay nearly $ 293,000 in attorney fees and $ 1,000 in sanctions following the previous ruling .
Brewster said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this week because an official order wasn ’ t submitted .
If Daniels prevails in her appeal , Brewster said , that order would be moot .
Daniels also sued to void an October 2016 nondisclosure agreement that prevents her from talking about her alleged affair with Trump .
Daniels ’ request that Trump pay her attorney ’ s fees are pending in state court , according to Brewster .

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels speaks outside federal court in New York in 2018.
An attorney representing Stormy Daniels in her legal battle with President Donald Trump is requesting that a panel of federal judges reinstate her defamation claim, accusing the president of intentionally tarnishing the pornographic actress’s credibility.
Trump’s 2018 tweet mocked a forensic artist’s sketch of a man whom Daniels said had threatened her in 2011 if she spoke publicly about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. The president has denied having sex with Daniels.
“A sketch years later about a nonexistent man,” Trump tweeted. “A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!”
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The sketch had been released by attorney Michael Avenatti, who at the time was representing the adult-film actress whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
A U.S. District Court judge ruled later that year that Trump’s tweet was protected under the First Amendment and dismissed Daniels’ complaint.
On Tuesday, Daniels’ new attorney, Clark Brewster, went head-to-head with Trump’s lawyer, Charles J. Harder, at the federal appeals courthouse in Pasadena. A ruling was not immediately issued but a published decision should be released in 30 to 90 days.
In court, Brewster focused on what he described as the previous judge’s mistake in granting Trump’s motion under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, which places a higher burden on the plaintiff in defamation lawsuits by making it easier for a defendant to invoke free speech rights and to ask the court to quickly dismiss the lawsuit and make the plaintiff pay the defendant’s legal expenses.
Most states have enacted statutory protections similar to Texas’ against SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) lawsuits.
Instead, Brewster said, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure should’ve been applied because the legal battle took place at the federal level. Under this mandate, factual allegations in complaints are viewed “as true and constructed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff,” according to the lawsuit.
Brewster also pushed back against the previous judge’s ruling, contending that portions of Trump’s tweet are verifiable factual assertions.
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Trump retweeted another user who wrote “Oops! This is awkward! @StormyDaniels’s EX #IDTheThug” and shared side-by-side photos of the sketch and of Daniels’ ex-husband with an embarrassed emoji.
A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)! https://t.co/9Is7mHBFda — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018
Harder commended the previous judge’s ruling and contended that the Texas statute was nearly identical to California’s anti-SLAPP statute. He also painted a different picture of Trump’s tweet.
“That one tweet was the only response to the onslaught of publicity,” Harder said, citing television shows and interviews Daniels and Avenatti did about the alleged incident.
Harder held up a copy of Trump’s tweet and read it out loud and emphasized how the president riffed off the original tweet’s “hyperbolic statement.”
Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw pressed Harder as to whether part of Daniels’ allegations could be verifiable.
“Context is important,” he responded. “The district court got it right. This is vintage hyperbole.”
Daniels was ordered to pay nearly $293,000 in attorney fees and $1,000 in sanctions following the previous ruling. Brewster said she hasn’t paid those fees as of this week because an official order wasn’t submitted. If Daniels prevails in her appeal, Brewster said, that order would be moot.
Daniels also sued to void an October 2016 nondisclosure agreement that prevents her from talking about her alleged affair with Trump. Daniels’ request that Trump pay her attorney’s fees are pending in state court, according to Brewster.
Times staff writer Michael Finnegan contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-04--Admissions scandal: Prosecutors seek longest prison sentences yet for four California parents

Calling them “ far and away the most culpable ” of the parents who have admitted their guilt in the college admissions scandal , federal prosecutors recommended Tuesday that a judge sentence four parents to prison terms ranging from 18 to 26 months , heavier penalties than any handed down in the case so far .
The four parents — Douglas Hodge , the former chief executive of Pimco ; Michelle Janavs , heiress to a frozen foods fortune ; Manuel Henriquez , a Bay Area venture capitalist , and his wife , Elizabeth — will be sentenced in federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
Beneath the threat of new charges , the four admitted late last year that they rigged their children ’ s college entrance exams , misrepresented them as top-notch athletes and , in the process , conspired with William “ Rick ” Singer , the Newport Beach consultant at the center of the scandal , to commit fraud and money laundering .
Despite positions of wealth and influence that conferred on them and their children “ extreme , almost unfathomable privilege , ” prosecutors wrote in a memo , the four conspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to the benefit of nine children and at a cost of $ 1.6 million , collectively .
“ They only stopped because they either ran out of children , ” wrote Justin D. O ’ Connell , an assistant U. S. attorney , “ or ran out of time before they got caught.
” Unlike the 13 parents who were previously sentenced for fraud , Hodge , Janavs and the Henriquezes pleaded guilty to two felonies and only “ after they had a chance to review the overwhelming evidence of their guilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the memo .
Fifteen parents — a group that includes Lori Loughlin and her husband , Mossimo Giannulli — have maintained their innocence .
Their cases are inching toward trial , the first of which could begin in October .
Prosecutors are seeking heavier sentences for Hodge , Janavs and the Henriquezes than those proposed by the court ’ s probation department , arguing the four committed crimes repeatedly , over an extended period of time and with their children ’ s involvement ; that some abused positions of power and trust ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills the bribes that secured their children ’ s illegal advantages .
If U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton follows their recommendations , or even approaches them , the four parents would face more time in prison than any sentenced in the scandal so far .
Twelve were given terms ranging from 14 days , for actress Felicity Huffman , to six months , for Toby Macfarlane , a Del Mar insurance executive .
One was spared incarceration altogether .
Hodge , who stepped down from the helm of Newport Beach-based Pimco in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He paid bribes totaling $ 850,000 to get four children into Georgetown and USC , and tried — unsuccessfully — to get a fifth child into Loyola Marymount University , O ’ Connell wrote .
Prosecutors asked Gorton to commit Hodge to prison for two years .
Despite holding positions that seemingly demanded integrity — chief of one of the world ’ s largest bond managers , trustee of his children ’ s school — he “ was living a secret double life , ” O ’ Connell wrote , “ using bribery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success and accomplishment.
” Hodge ’ s lawyers asked Gorton to sentence him at the low end of the guideline range , with the possibility of splitting it between prison and home detention .
They said Hodge is less culpable than Devin Sloane and Stephen Semprevivo , two fathers who each pleaded guilty to misrepresenting a single child as a recruited athlete and were sentenced to four months in prison .
While Hodge does not have a cooperation agreement , his lawyers said that he has met with the government and that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answered every question in a room filled with prosecutors.
” “ Although Doug looked away from the aspects of Singer ’ s work that made him feel uncomfortable at the time , he now sees his actions in a stark light , ” they wrote .
“ He committed fraud , plain and simple.
” In a letter to the court , Hodge apologized to the students who lost opportunities to the fraud he perpetrated .
He also apologized to their parents who , like him , wanted to see their children succeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t break the law to make it happen .
He said he did not set out to bribe , cheat or deceive anyone , but as the contours of Singer ’ s scheme became clear , “ with its quid pro quo payments and deceptions , ” he lacked the integrity to step back .
Janavs , whose family created the microwavable Hot Pockets snack and endowed the business school at UC Irvine , has admitted paying $ 100,000 to fix ACT college entrance exams for her two daughters .
Mark Riddell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrected the girls ’ answers after they took the exams at a private West Hollywood school , whose administrator , Igor Dvorskiy , has said he permitted the cheating in exchange for bribes .
Both Riddell and Dvorskiy have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators .
Meanwhile , Janavs was working with Singer to ensure that one of her daughters was admitted to USC as a beach volleyball recruit .
She paid $ 50,000 to a university account controlled by Donna Heinel , prosecutors say .
Heinel has pleaded not guilty to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bribery .
Janavs was arrested before she could pay the deal ’ s $ 150,000 balance .
When Gorton sentences her Feb. 25 , prosecutors recommend he hand down a 21-month sentence .
Manuel and Elizabeth Henriquez have admitted conspiring with Singer five times to rig their two daughters ’ college entrance exams , at a cost of $ 50,000 — a rate lower than what other parents paid , O ’ Connell wrote , because Manuel Henriquez , an influential alumnus at Northeastern University , advocated for the admission of the child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid Singer $ 400,000 to have Georgetown coach Gordon Ernst recruit their older daughter to his tennis program , O ’ Connell wrote .
Despite Manuel Henriquez ’ s guilty plea , he has denied involvement in the recruitment scheme , O ’ Connell wrote .
Prosecutors recommended a 26-month term for Elizabeth Henriquez when she is sentenced March 3 , and an 18-month term for her husband when he is sentenced March 5 .

Former Pimco CEO Douglas Hodge leaves the federal courthouse in Boston with his attorneys after pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
Calling them “far and away the most culpable” of the parents who have admitted their guilt in the college admissions scandal, federal prosecutors recommended Tuesday that a judge sentence four parents to prison terms ranging from 18 to 26 months, heavier penalties than any handed down in the case so far.
The four parents — Douglas Hodge, the former chief executive of Pimco; Michelle Janavs, heiress to a frozen foods fortune; Manuel Henriquez, a Bay Area venture capitalist, and his wife, Elizabeth — will be sentenced in federal court in Boston in the next two months.
Beneath the threat of new charges, the four admitted late last year that they rigged their children’s college entrance exams, misrepresented them as top-notch athletes and, in the process, conspired with William “Rick” Singer, the Newport Beach consultant at the center of the scandal, to commit fraud and money laundering.
Despite positions of wealth and influence that conferred on them and their children “extreme, almost unfathomable privilege,” prosecutors wrote in a memo, the four conspired with Singer 14 times over 11 years, to the benefit of nine children and at a cost of $1.6 million, collectively.
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“They only stopped because they either ran out of children,” wrote Justin D. O’Connell, an assistant U. S. attorney, “or ran out of time before they got caught.”
Unlike the 13 parents who were previously sentenced for fraud, Hodge, Janavs and the Henriquezes pleaded guilty to two felonies and only “after they had a chance to review the overwhelming evidence of their guilt,” O’Connell said in the memo.
Fifteen parents — a group that includes Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli — have maintained their innocence. Their cases are inching toward trial, the first of which could begin in October.
Prosecutors are seeking heavier sentences for Hodge, Janavs and the Henriquezes than those proposed by the court’s probation department, arguing the four committed crimes repeatedly, over an extended period of time and with their children’s involvement; that some abused positions of power and trust; and that some deducted from their tax bills the bribes that secured their children’s illegal advantages.
If U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton follows their recommendations, or even approaches them, the four parents would face more time in prison than any sentenced in the scandal so far. Twelve were given terms ranging from 14 days, for actress Felicity Huffman, to six months, for Toby Macfarlane, a Del Mar insurance executive. One was spared incarceration altogether.
Hodge, who stepped down from the helm of Newport Beach-based Pimco in 2016, will be sentenced Friday. He paid bribes totaling $850,000 to get four children into Georgetown and USC, and tried — unsuccessfully — to get a fifth child into Loyola Marymount University, O’Connell wrote.
Prosecutors asked Gorton to commit Hodge to prison for two years. Despite holding positions that seemingly demanded integrity — chief of one of the world’s largest bond managers, trustee of his children’s school — he “was living a secret double life,” O’Connell wrote, “using bribery and fraud to fuel a mirage of success and accomplishment.”
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Hodge’s lawyers asked Gorton to sentence him at the low end of the guideline range, with the possibility of splitting it between prison and home detention. They said Hodge is less culpable than Devin Sloane and Stephen Semprevivo, two fathers who each pleaded guilty to misrepresenting a single child as a recruited athlete and were sentenced to four months in prison.
While Hodge does not have a cooperation agreement, his lawyers said that he has met with the government and that “for close to four hours, Doug answered every question in a room filled with prosecutors.”
“Although Doug looked away from the aspects of Singer’s work that made him feel uncomfortable at the time, he now sees his actions in a stark light,” they wrote. “He committed fraud, plain and simple.”
In a letter to the court, Hodge apologized to the students who lost opportunities to the fraud he perpetrated. He also apologized to their parents who, like him, wanted to see their children succeed but who, unlike him, didn’t break the law to make it happen. He said he did not set out to bribe, cheat or deceive anyone, but as the contours of Singer’s scheme became clear, “with its quid pro quo payments and deceptions,” he lacked the integrity to step back.
Janavs, whose family created the microwavable Hot Pockets snack and endowed the business school at UC Irvine, has admitted paying $100,000 to fix ACT college entrance exams for her two daughters. Mark Riddell, Singer’s Harvard-educated accomplice, corrected the girls’ answers after they took the exams at a private West Hollywood school, whose administrator, Igor Dvorskiy, has said he permitted the cheating in exchange for bribes. Both Riddell and Dvorskiy have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators.
Meanwhile, Janavs was working with Singer to ensure that one of her daughters was admitted to USC as a beach volleyball recruit. She paid $50,000 to a university account controlled by Donna Heinel, prosecutors say. Heinel has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering, fraud and bribery. Janavs was arrested before she could pay the deal’s $150,000 balance. When Gorton sentences her Feb. 25, prosecutors recommend he hand down a 21-month sentence.
Manuel and Elizabeth Henriquez have admitted conspiring with Singer five times to rig their two daughters’ college entrance exams, at a cost of $50,000 — a rate lower than what other parents paid, O’Connell wrote, because Manuel Henriquez, an influential alumnus at Northeastern University, advocated for the admission of the child of another Singer client.
The couple paid Singer $400,000 to have Georgetown coach Gordon Ernst recruit their older daughter to his tennis program, O’Connell wrote. Despite Manuel Henriquez’s guilty plea, he has denied involvement in the recruitment scheme, O’Connell wrote. Prosecutors recommended a 26-month term for Elizabeth Henriquez when she is sentenced March 3, and an 18-month term for her husband when he is sentenced March 5.


latimes--2020-02-04--Coronavirus fears, rumors, misinformation roil Alhambra schools

As fear about the novel coronavirus has gripped communities throughout the country , the Alhambra Unified School District has grappled with how to inform students and parents about the realities of the illness while combating misinformation and fear-based rumors .
Hoaxes about the presence of the coronavirus in unaffected areas of the San Gabriel Valley have sparked further concerns within the community , prompting some students to wear protective face masks to school — something the school district has discouraged .
Now , citing fears of the virus , more than 14,000 people have signed a Change.org petition that launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classes indefinitely until the global outbreak has been contained .
But district officials say there are no plans to close any schools , a decision authorized only under emergency .
“ Although the chances of infection are low , they are not zero and we must be prepared and cautious for what might come , ” the petition states .
There have been six confirmed cases of the virus in California , with the majority in Northern California .
One case has been confirmed in Los Angeles County and another in Orange County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were evacuated last week from the outbreak epicenter of Wuhan , China , are under a mandatory quarantine at March Reserve Air Base .
As concerns regarding the virus grow , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is expecting more confirmed cases .
Still , officials have emphasized that flu remains a bigger threat than coronavirus .
“ We ’ re trying to communicate the context and guidelines that we are given , which is right now , the flu is a bigger threat .
[ 10,000 ] to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s no one in the U.S. that has died from coronavirus .
There are none in San Gabriel Valley , ” Alhambra schools public information officer Toby Gilbert said .
“ Fact-seeking is always the best way to stay healthy.
” More than 420 people in mainland China and one in the Philippines have died of the illness .
More than 20,000 have been infected , and most cases are in China .
In the United States , the CDC has confirmed 11 cases in five states — California , Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , the flu has killed approximately 10,000 Americans since October .
In a letter shared with the school district ’ s community , Alhambra officials discouraged the use of face masks and stressed the importance of using other hygienic methods , such as those used to prevent flu .
The petition suggests that people wear face masks “ to prevent exposure to the virus.
” The district has not banned face masks , but it has actively discouraged their use , in keeping with recommendations from the CDC , officials said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection , ” Gilbert said , adding that any students wearing masks will be sent to a school nurse to learn about alternative protective solutions to combating any virus , such as hand-washing .
While several petitioners have expressed fears that their children will contract the pathogen and die , the CDC has emphasized that those most at risk are the elderly and people already living with underlying illnesses .
Gilbert thinks the panic surrounding the coronavirus is twofold .
The spread of misinformation about the virus has created a panic , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian descent .
At the same time , families who rely on Chinese-based news outlets believe what ’ s happening in China is also taking place in the U.S. “ What we do have is families and students who are relying on rumor and hysterical social media posts that are not fact-based , ” Gilbert said .
The district has an area on its website that directs users to a resources page , where facts about the coronavirus are shared in English , Spanish and Chinese .
Alhambra appears to be the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prominent placement of information about the virus .

As fear about the novel coronavirus has gripped communities throughout the country, the Alhambra Unified School District has grappled with how to inform students and parents about the realities of the illness while combating misinformation and fear-based rumors.
Hoaxes about the presence of the coronavirus in unaffected areas of the San Gabriel Valley have sparked further concerns within the community, prompting some students to wear protective face masks to school — something the school district has discouraged. Now, citing fears of the virus, more than 14,000 people have signed a Change.org petition that launched last week asking the district to cancel classes indefinitely until the global outbreak has been contained.
But district officials say there are no plans to close any schools, a decision authorized only under emergency.
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“Although the chances of infection are low, they are not zero and we must be prepared and cautious for what might come,” the petition states.
There have been six confirmed cases of the virus in California, with the majority in Northern California. One case has been confirmed in Los Angeles County and another in Orange County. In Riverside County, 195 Americans who were evacuated last week from the outbreak epicenter of Wuhan, China, are under a mandatory quarantine at March Reserve Air Base.
As concerns regarding the virus grow, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is expecting more confirmed cases. Still, officials have emphasized that flu remains a bigger threat than coronavirus.
“We’re trying to communicate the context and guidelines that we are given, which is right now, the flu is a bigger threat. [10,000] to 15,000 have died of the flu. There’s no one in the U.S. that has died from coronavirus. There are none in San Gabriel Valley,” Alhambra schools public information officer Toby Gilbert said. “Fact-seeking is always the best way to stay healthy.”
More than 420 people in mainland China and one in the Philippines have died of the illness. More than 20,000 have been infected, and most cases are in China. In the United States, the CDC has confirmed 11 cases in five states — California, Arizona, Washington, Illinois and Massachusetts. Meanwhile, the flu has killed approximately 10,000 Americans since October.
In a letter shared with the school district’s community, Alhambra officials discouraged the use of face masks and stressed the importance of using other hygienic methods, such as those used to prevent flu.
The petition suggests that people wear face masks “to prevent exposure to the virus.” The district has not banned face masks, but it has actively discouraged their use, in keeping with recommendations from the CDC, officials said.
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“Masks give a false sense of protection,” Gilbert said, adding that any students wearing masks will be sent to a school nurse to learn about alternative protective solutions to combating any virus, such as hand-washing.
While several petitioners have expressed fears that their children will contract the pathogen and die, the CDC has emphasized that those most at risk are the elderly and people already living with underlying illnesses.
Gilbert thinks the panic surrounding the coronavirus is twofold. The spread of misinformation about the virus has created a panic, leading some to point fingers at those of Asian descent. At the same time, families who rely on Chinese-based news outlets believe what’s happening in China is also taking place in the U.S.
“What we do have is families and students who are relying on rumor and hysterical social media posts that are not fact-based,” Gilbert said.
The district has an area on its website that directs users to a resources page, where facts about the coronavirus are shared in English, Spanish and Chinese. Alhambra appears to be the only school district in the area with such a prominent placement of information about the virus.


latimes--2020-02-04--Alta, L.A. library announce $10,000 reward for information leading to long-lost sculpture

Efforts to track down the missing sections of the long-lost sculpture Well of Scribes are ramping up .
The Los Angeles Public Library and Alta magazine and its publisher announced on Tuesday a $ 10,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of the sculpture ’ s lost pieces .
The bronze sculpture — which honored history ’ s great writers — mysteriously vanished more than 50 years ago when the downtown L.A. library underwent a makeover .
“ We ’ re excited to broaden the search and to ask the public ’ s help in this endeavor , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone interview .
He encouraged anyone with a hunch about the missing pieces ’ whereabouts to reach out .
“ The well , when it was created and part of the library , it symbolized knowledge , language and the importance of books , ” he said , “ and returning that to the library is an important statement of our civic history and a reminder of the importance of words and meaning in these anxious times.
” Until last year , the fate of Lee Lawrie ’ s Well of Scribes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orlean ‘ s 2018 “ The Library Book , ” which covers the moment , in 1969 , when the library ’ s garden and west lawn were paved to make room for a parking lot .
The architect Robert Alexander chained himself to a rock near the sculpture , but his protest was unsuccessful : The fountains , plantings and sculptures were removed , and somewhere along the way , the scribes vanished .
The mystery piqued Zerega ’ s interest , so he asked reporter Brandon Reynolds to find some answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reynolds ’ article and realized he had one of the sculpture ’ s missing pieces .
After contacting the L.A. Public Library , City Librarian John F. Szabo traveled to the Grand Canyon State to bring back the section .
Then in October , during a private event in the library ’ s Rare Books Room , Szabo unveiled a piece of the long-lost art work , which was in great condition .
With part of the mystery solved , Alta ’ s staff became determined to find the other missing pieces .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recovering missing art .
So far , he ’ s tracked down multiple leads , Zerega said vaguely .
“ We speculate there ’ s a good chance it ’ s still in the greater L.A. area.
” Alta is also distributing posters in branch libraries all over L.A. and San Francisco .
As with the Lindbergh beacon ’ s 2001 restoration , Zerega believes piecing together the Well of Scribes will be a precious moment for the city .

The L.A. Public Library and Alta magazine and its publisher are seeking the public’s help to find the missing Well of Scribes pieces.
Efforts to track down the missing sections of the long-lost sculpture Well of Scribes are ramping up.
The Los Angeles Public Library and Alta magazine and its publisher announced on Tuesday a $10,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of the sculpture’s lost pieces. The bronze sculpture — which honored history’s great writers — mysteriously vanished more than 50 years ago when the downtown L.A. library underwent a makeover.
“We’re excited to broaden the search and to ask the public’s help in this endeavor,” said Alta magazine editor Blaise Zerega in a phone interview. He encouraged anyone with a hunch about the missing pieces’ whereabouts to reach out.
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“The well, when it was created and part of the library, it symbolized knowledge, language and the importance of books,” he said, “and returning that to the library is an important statement of our civic history and a reminder of the importance of words and meaning in these anxious times.”
Books Long-lost library sculpture returns to L.A. But the mystery continues A section of the Well of the Scribes sculpture returns to the L.A. Central Library, 50 years after it vanished. The other two pieces are still missing.
Until last year, the fate of Lee Lawrie’s Well of Scribes was unknown. Then Zerega read Susan Orlean‘s 2018 “The Library Book,” which covers the moment, in 1969, when the library’s garden and west lawn were paved to make room for a parking lot. The architect Robert Alexander chained himself to a rock near the sculpture, but his protest was unsuccessful: The fountains, plantings and sculptures were removed, and somewhere along the way, the scribes vanished.
The mystery piqued Zerega’s interest, so he asked reporter Brandon Reynolds to find some answers.
An antiques dealer in Arizona read Reynolds’ article and realized he had one of the sculpture’s missing pieces. After contacting the L.A. Public Library, City Librarian John F. Szabo traveled to the Grand Canyon State to bring back the section.
Then in October, during a private event in the library’s Rare Books Room, Szabo unveiled a piece of the long-lost art work, which was in great condition.
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With part of the mystery solved, Alta’s staff became determined to find the other missing pieces.
They hired a private investigator who specializes in recovering missing art. So far, he’s tracked down multiple leads, Zerega said vaguely. “We speculate there’s a good chance it’s still in the greater L.A. area.”
Alta is also distributing posters in branch libraries all over L.A. and San Francisco.
As with the Lindbergh beacon’s 2001 restoration, Zerega believes piecing together the Well of Scribes will be a precious moment for the city.


latimes--2020-02-04--L.A. blocks private detention centers, including facilities for immigrant youth

Los Angeles is blocking privately run detention centers from opening in the city , including facilities for immigrant youth in government custody , under a stopgap measure approved Tuesday by the City Council .
“ Making any money off of the misery and the pain of children is morally wrong on so many levels — and we can not allow this in our city , ” Council President Nury Martinez said at a recent news conference .
The new rule is specifically aimed at stopping a privately run facility for “ unaccompanied minors ” from opening its doors in Arleta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tucson-based firm VisionQuest .
Martinez had denounced that idea , saying that VisionQuest had a troubled history and “ should not be anywhere near immigrant children.
” VisionQuest had hired a law firm to represent the company at City Hall and asked city officials about converting a Woodman Avenue building once used as an assisted living facility .
The company said it had been awarded contracts from the federal government to operate facilities in Tucson , San Antonio and Southern California .
VisionQuest spokesman Jeff Bender said in an email that the Arleta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide education , mental health , trauma counseling , healthcare and other necessary services to unaccompanied minors with a goal of reunifying them with family here in the U.S. and placing them in permanent homes within 10-60 days.
” “ We don ’ t believe the language being proposed applies to us , ” Bender said , “ but we are interested in seeing what comes out of future meetings.
” VisionQuest has balked at its facilities being called “ detention centers , ” but Martinez has repeatedly cited the potential center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility that the new rules would block .
The new restrictions go into effect immediately .
Under the interim ordinance , Los Angeles will not hand out any city permits or other approvals for any private detention center or “ community detention facility for unaccompanied minors.
” Martinez has said that “ you can call them whatever you want ... but I choose to call them prisons because that ’ s what they are.
” Immigrant advocates have pointed to past scandals involving VisionQuest , including staffers choking and slapping children at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer .
“ These are jails for children — and let ’ s be very clear about that , ” said Angelica Salas , executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights , calling VisionQuest “ a for-profit private corporation with a history of abuse.
” Bender said that more than 100,000 children had gone through VisionQuest programs and that “ cases of abuse in our facilities are rare.
” He said that any shelter organization , “ whether for-profit , or nonprofit , must generate revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we simply opt to pay taxes as well as reprogram our revenues into services , ” Bender said .
Los Angeles isn ’ t the only city where the company has run into opposition : VisionQuest has been thwarted in other efforts to house migrant youth in north Philadelphia and the San Antonio area , and last week , a city commission in Waco , Texas , unanimously recommended turning down the company for a permit for a youth facility .
The temporary measure that Los Angeles officials approved Tuesday could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an interim step meant to prevent the targeted facilities from opening while city officials prepare a permanent ban .
Council members already voted last summer to draft rules prohibiting private detention centers , but that permanent ordinance has yet to be written and approved .
Under the L.A. measure , the council can still grant “ hardship exemptions ” from the restrictions on a case-by-case basis .
The ordinance also does not apply in any instance where it would be “ inconsistent with state or federal law.
” In reaction to questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ordinance , Councilman Herb Wesson said , “ We think we ’ re on very solid ground.
” Martinez said she wouldn ’ t be surprised , however , if the federal government tried to undercut the L.A. rules , citing past clashes between the Trump administration and the state .
“ You ’ ve seen this government come after the state of California , over and over again , ” Martinez said .

Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, shown reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at a council meeting, backed the measure to ban private detention centers.
Los Angeles is blocking privately run detention centers from opening in the city, including facilities for immigrant youth in government custody, under a stopgap measure approved Tuesday by the City Council.
“Making any money off of the misery and the pain of children is morally wrong on so many levels — and we cannot allow this in our city,” Council President Nury Martinez said at a recent news conference.
The new rule is specifically aimed at stopping a privately run facility for “unaccompanied minors” from opening its doors in Arleta, a plan being pursued by the Tucson-based firm VisionQuest. Martinez had denounced that idea, saying that VisionQuest had a troubled history and “should not be anywhere near immigrant children.”
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VisionQuest had hired a law firm to represent the company at City Hall and asked city officials about converting a Woodman Avenue building once used as an assisted living facility. The company said it had been awarded contracts from the federal government to operate facilities in Tucson, San Antonio and Southern California.
VisionQuest spokesman Jeff Bender said in an email that the Arleta site would be a “safe shelter to provide education, mental health, trauma counseling, healthcare and other necessary services to unaccompanied minors with a goal of reunifying them with family here in the U.S. and placing them in permanent homes within 10-60 days.”
“We don’t believe the language being proposed applies to us,” Bender said, “but we are interested in seeing what comes out of future meetings.”
VisionQuest has balked at its facilities being called “detention centers,” but Martinez has repeatedly cited the potential center in Arleta as an example of a facility that the new rules would block.
The new restrictions go into effect immediately. Under the interim ordinance, Los Angeles will not hand out any city permits or other approvals for any private detention center or “community detention facility for unaccompanied minors.”
Martinez has said that “you can call them whatever you want ... but I choose to call them prisons because that’s what they are.”
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Immigrant advocates have pointed to past scandals involving VisionQuest, including staffers choking and slapping children at a north Philadelphia shelter, according to inspection reports obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“These are jails for children — and let’s be very clear about that,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, calling VisionQuest “a for-profit private corporation with a history of abuse.”
Bender said that more than 100,000 children had gone through VisionQuest programs and that “cases of abuse in our facilities are rare.” He said that any shelter organization, “whether for-profit, or nonprofit, must generate revenue to operate.”
“As a for-profit, we simply opt to pay taxes as well as reprogram our revenues into services,” Bender said.
Los Angeles isn’t the only city where the company has run into opposition: VisionQuest has been thwarted in other efforts to house migrant youth in north Philadelphia and the San Antonio area, and last week, a city commission in Waco, Texas, unanimously recommended turning down the company for a permit for a youth facility.
The temporary measure that Los Angeles officials approved Tuesday could be extended to last up to two years, an interim step meant to prevent the targeted facilities from opening while city officials prepare a permanent ban. Council members already voted last summer to draft rules prohibiting private detention centers, but that permanent ordinance has yet to be written and approved.
Under the L.A. measure, the council can still grant “hardship exemptions” from the restrictions on a case-by-case basis. The ordinance also does not apply in any instance where it would be “inconsistent with state or federal law.”
In reaction to questions Tuesday about any possible legal challenge to the ordinance, Councilman Herb Wesson said, “We think we’re on very solid ground.”
Martinez said she wouldn’t be surprised, however, if the federal government tried to undercut the L.A. rules, citing past clashes between the Trump administration and the state.
“You’ve seen this government come after the state of California, over and over again,” Martinez said.