latimes--2020-01-10--Column: They signed a contract on a Papa John's franchise. Then controversy erupted

It seemed like a good idea three years ago , when Jarvis and Josslyn Young first considered opening a Papa John ’ s pizza franchise in South Los Angeles .
The View Park couple — he ’ s an aerospace engineer , she ’ s a real estate broker — figured it would help support their growing family , bring a fresh dining option to a neglected neighborhood and satisfy Jarvis ’ craving for the pizza he ’ d loved since he was a UCLA student two decades ago .
Because Papa John ’ s didn ’ t deliver to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making evening runs to the Culver City outlet , toting an insulated box to keep his pizza hot .
“ We started thinking about how nice it would be to have one nearby , then to the idea that maybe we could own one , ” he said .
“ The next thing we knew , we were on our way ” to Louisville , Ky. , for the training to become franchisees .
Papa John ’ s was riding high back then .
It was the official pizza of the NFL , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Youngs signed on in 2017 .
But the ink was barely dry on their franchise contract when racially offensive remarks by Papa John founder and Chief Executive John Schnatter turned the pizza chain into a national pariah .
In November 2017 , Schnatter launched a tirade against the NFL for not cracking down on players ’ take-a-knee protests against police brutality .
He blamed his chain ’ s declining pizza sales on the turmoil the protests provoked .
Schnatter didn ’ t single out black players , but we knew what he meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrogance : The protests should have been “ nipped in the bud , ” he said , to avoid “ polarizing the customer.
” The furor his remarks generated forced Schnatter to step down as CEO .
But several months later , as chairman of Papa John ’ s board , he drew fire again for using a vile racial epithet on a conference call that had been convened to help clean up his image .
When asked how he would distance himself from racist groups online during the recorded call , Schnatter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Colonel Sanders called blacks … , ” using the n-word , and escaped public backlash , he claimed .
Once his language became public , Schnatter apologized , resigned from the board and severed his ties with the pizza chain he ’ d launched 35 years ago in his father ’ s bar .
In a letter to The Times following publication of this column , Schnatter said his comments were mischaracterized .
He said he did not launch a tirade but criticized the NFL for “ poor leadership ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bias or prejudice in my comments.
” He claimed the use of the n-word during the call was a paraphrase of a third party .
He noted his “ disgust for the use ” of the word .
By the time the second scandal broke in the summer of 2018 , the Youngs were already in business .
The n-word episode reignited fury and customers stopped coming .
Their sales dropped immediately , by more than one-third .
The Youngs had considered backing out of the franchise deal when Schnatter made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were angry , ” Jarvis said .
“ We felt the same way ... .
We would never want to be connected to something so disrespectful , something racist , ” he said of the controversy .
But they had made a high-stakes commitment and couldn ’ t afford to lose the money they ’ d already invested .
The franchising fee alone was $ 25,000 , and other costs could exceed $ 300,000 .
They took to heart Papa John ’ s response : The company had moved decisively to dump Schnatter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its corporate board and promised to support new franchisees .
Ultimately , the couple realized this was about more than pizza or profit .
They ’ d both grown up in nearby Inglewood and wanted to be local role models , “ to show that you can come from disadvantage and own your own business , chart your own course , ” as Jarvis put it .
“ We thought about this as a test of our personal philosophy , ” he said .
“ Do you fold up , or do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while white supremacist websites were calling Papa John ’ s the “ official pizza of the alt-right , ” Jarvis and Josslyn Young were setting up shop in a black neighborhood and hoping customers would have their back .
The Youngs ’ store opened in February 2018 in a cramped strip mall on Crenshaw Boulevard near Hyde Park .
Josslyn willed herself to be optimistic .
She scoured the neighborhood for local hires .
On social media she posted cheery “ Grand Opening ” invites .
But the response was swift and harsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments , ” she recalled .
“ Don ’ t bring that racist company to our area .
Why would black people want to own a franchise of racists ?
” The ferocity of the attacks stunned her .
“ I had no idea what this would do to our business , ” she said .
“ I was actually pretty excited , thinking that once people saw our faces , we could make this thing turn around.
” But when she shared that excitement with friends , they shut her down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like , ‘ Papa John ’ s ?
Are you kidding ?
’ ” Some of her friends eventually lent support , but the community ’ s outrage was loud and prolonged .
The Youngs were cast as turncoats , propping up a company now known for the bigotry and bluster of its former leader , not its signature pizza .
People threw rocks at their delivery trucks and harassed their drivers .
“ They were cussing and honking their horns , saying , ‘ Get out of the community !
We don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Josslyn recalled .
“ Boycott Papa John ’ s ” became an agenda item at community meetings .
The Youngs would show up and make their case to angry neighbors .
Most agreed not to call for a boycott but said they would never patronize their place .
“ It ’ s been frustrating , ” Josslyn admitted as she worked the counter in a Santa hat last month , one week before she was scheduled to give birth to the couple ’ s third child .
They ’ ve been on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And some days it does feel as if a turnaround is on the horizon .
New customers continue to trickle in .
Strangers admire their commitment to hiring locals that other businesses won ’ t , including recovering addicts and ex-convicts .
Neighbors appreciate their donations to schools and community groups , and the toy giveaway and Santa visit they host every December .
“ We ’ re moving past it , ” Josslyn told me as she handed out gifts at the Christmas party .
“ Doing things in a way that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serving the community.
” The entire company bore the brunt of Schnatter ’ s remarks .
About a quarter of Papa John ’ s franchises failed to turn a profit last year , analysts said .
New CEO Rob Lynch , who took the reins in August , told me the company is spending $ 40 million to help struggling franchisees .
“ They ’ re losing school lunch accounts because school districts don ’ t want to be affiliated with our brand anymore , because of what John [ Schnatter ] did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the irony of unintended consequences , the fallout was particularly harsh for black employees and franchisees like the Youngs .
“ We have African American employees working in a lot of our restaurants , ” Lynch said .
“ We feel bad when they can ’ t even wear their uniforms to work and be proud of the company .
They didn ’ t do anything to deserve that.
” That ’ s what persuaded Shaquille O ’ Neal to get involved .
Like Jarvis Young , Shaq has been a fan of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After Schnatter left the company , O ’ Neal reached out and asked to join the board .
He also invested in nine Atlanta franchises .
“ These franchisees put their heart and soul into this business , ” he told me .
“ It ’ s not fair that they ’ re affected by what this one man said.
” I asked Shaq the same question the Youngs ’ neighbors asked them .
How does he handle the criticism his role with Papa John ’ s provokes : You ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologist for racism .
“ I heard it a lot , ” he acknowledged .
“ People say , ‘ Man , what are you doing ?
’ I just try to explain , it ’ s under new leadership , it ’ s a different board , we ’ re going to make sure this never happens again.
” That ’ s a noble promise , but one that ’ s hard to keep .
You can ’ t clean out all the bigots or scrub away the biases that animate our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Nordstrom or Sephora .
On any given day , any company might be just one rude clerk or tone-deaf CEO away from notoriety that ’ s hard to move past in today ’ s unforgiving cancel culture .
I understand the impulse to wipe Papa John ’ s off the map .
I could add it to the list of companies I don ’ t patronize and shows I won ’ t watch .
But I also feel encouraged by the remedies they took — and empowered by the message that angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the textbook-perfect corporate response , the psychic pain that lingers on the streets is hard to disperse .
People I talked to at the Christmas party who patronize the Youngs ’ shop didn ’ t want to give their names ; that reflects the depth of the anger that still surrounds them .
At this point , boycotting is counterproductive and apt to discourage other would-be business owners , they say .
The bad man is gone .
The pizza is good .
And the company ’ s transgressions are almost 2 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When a in a black community newspaper , the Los Angeles Standard , drew snarky comments on social media , publisher Jason Lewis came to their defense : “ We should get behind the Youngs because they are exactly what we complain that we don ’ t have in our communities , ” Lewis wrote .
“ They stepped up , took the risk , and put their money where their mouth is.
” Still , I can ’ t help but wonder whether outrage has an expiration date .
Can you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from blame ?
How long does it take for a stain to fade ?
I was thinking of that as I left my visit to the Youngs ’ Papa John ’ s with a pizza in hand .
I ’ d never tasted the brand .
I stopped by my daughter ’ s to share it with my pizza-loving son-in-law .
He took one look at the box and laughed .
“ It ’ s the n-word pizza , ” he called out .
Then he grabbed a slice and gobbled it up @

It seemed like a good idea three years ago, when Jarvis and Josslyn Young first considered opening a Papa John’s pizza franchise in South Los Angeles.
The View Park couple — he’s an aerospace engineer, she’s a real estate broker — figured it would help support their growing family, bring a fresh dining option to a neglected neighborhood and satisfy Jarvis’ craving for the pizza he’d loved since he was a UCLA student two decades ago.
For the record: The headline has been changed to more accurately reflect the local debate surrounding the opening of a Papa John’s franchise. The column has been updated to reflect comments from John Schnatter, Papa John’s founder and former chief executive.
Because Papa John’s didn’t deliver to their neighborhood, Jarvis had spent years making evening runs to the Culver City outlet, toting an insulated box to keep his pizza hot.
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“We started thinking about how nice it would be to have one nearby, then to the idea that maybe we could own one,” he said. “The next thing we knew, we were on our way” to Louisville, Ky., for the training to become franchisees.
Papa John’s was riding high back then. It was the official pizza of the NFL, with legions of devotees, when the Youngs signed on in 2017.
But the ink was barely dry on their franchise contract when racially offensive remarks by Papa John founder and Chief Executive John Schnatter turned the pizza chain into a national pariah.
In November 2017, Schnatter launched a tirade against the NFL for not cracking down on players’ take-a-knee protests against police brutality. He blamed his chain’s declining pizza sales on the turmoil the protests provoked.
Schnatter didn’t single out black players, but we knew what he meant. I remember feeling outraged by his arrogance: The protests should have been “nipped in the bud,” he said, to avoid “polarizing the customer.”
The furor his remarks generated forced Schnatter to step down as CEO. But several months later, as chairman of Papa John’s board, he drew fire again for using a vile racial epithet on a conference call that had been convened to help clean up his image.
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When asked how he would distance himself from racist groups online during the recorded call, Schnatter complained that he was being unfairly scrutinized. “Colonel Sanders called blacks …,” using the n-word, and escaped public backlash, he claimed.
Once his language became public, Schnatter apologized, resigned from the board and severed his ties with the pizza chain he’d launched 35 years ago in his father’s bar.
In a letter to The Times following publication of this column, Schnatter said his comments were mischaracterized. He said he did not launch a tirade but criticized the NFL for “poor leadership” and said “there was never a whiff of bias or prejudice in my comments.” He claimed the use of the n-word during the call was a paraphrase of a third party. He noted his “disgust for the use” of the word.
◆
By the time the second scandal broke in the summer of 2018, the Youngs were already in business. The n-word episode reignited fury and customers stopped coming. Their sales dropped immediately, by more than one-third.
The Youngs had considered backing out of the franchise deal when Schnatter made the comment. “I knew why people were angry,” Jarvis said. “We felt the same way.... We would never want to be connected to something so disrespectful, something racist,” he said of the controversy.
Josslyn Young during a Christmas toy giveaway outside the Papa John’s pizza franchise she and Jarvis opened in February 2018. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
But they had made a high-stakes commitment and couldn’t afford to lose the money they’d already invested. The franchising fee alone was $25,000, and other costs could exceed $300,000.
They took to heart Papa John’s response: The company had moved decisively to dump Schnatter, added NBA legend and former Laker Shaquille O’Neal to its corporate board and promised to support new franchisees.
Ultimately, the couple realized this was about more than pizza or profit. They’d both grown up in nearby Inglewood and wanted to be local role models, “to show that you can come from disadvantage and own your own business, chart your own course,” as Jarvis put it.
“We thought about this as a test of our personal philosophy,” he said. “Do you fold up, or do you see it through?”
So while white supremacist websites were calling Papa John’s the “official pizza of the alt-right,” Jarvis and Josslyn Young were setting up shop in a black neighborhood and hoping customers would have their back.
◆
The Youngs’ store opened in February 2018 in a cramped strip mall on Crenshaw Boulevard near Hyde Park. Josslyn willed herself to be optimistic. She scoured the neighborhood for local hires. On social media she posted cheery “Grand Opening” invites.
But the response was swift and harsh. “There were so many nasty comments,” she recalled. “Don’t bring that racist company to our area. Why would black people want to own a franchise of racists?”
The ferocity of the attacks stunned her. “I had no idea what this would do to our business,” she said. “I was actually pretty excited, thinking that once people saw our faces, we could make this thing turn around.”
But when she shared that excitement with friends, they shut her down. “They kind of looked at me like, ‘Papa John’s? Are you kidding?’”
Some of her friends eventually lent support, but the community’s outrage was loud and prolonged.
The Youngs were cast as turncoats, propping up a company now known for the bigotry and bluster of its former leader, not its signature pizza.
Franchisees Jarvis Young and Josslyn Young had considered backing out of the deal after ex-CEO John Schnatter’s racist remarks. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
People threw rocks at their delivery trucks and harassed their drivers. “They were cussing and honking their horns, saying, ‘Get out of the community! We don’t want you here!’” Josslyn recalled.
“Boycott Papa John’s” became an agenda item at community meetings. The Youngs would show up and make their case to angry neighbors. Most agreed not to call for a boycott but said they would never patronize their place.
“It’s been frustrating,” Josslyn admitted as she worked the counter in a Santa hat last month, one week before she was scheduled to give birth to the couple’s third child.
They’ve been on the grind for 22 months now. And some days it does feel as if a turnaround is on the horizon. New customers continue to trickle in.
Strangers admire their commitment to hiring locals that other businesses won’t, including recovering addicts and ex-convicts. Neighbors appreciate their donations to schools and community groups, and the toy giveaway and Santa visit they host every December.
“We’re moving past it,” Josslyn told me as she handed out gifts at the Christmas party. “Doing things in a way that was our goal from the jump: Serving the community.”
Khamill McDonald, 8, and Amyricle McDonald, 5, at a Christmas toy giveaway at the Youngs’ pizza outlet in South L.A. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
◆
The entire company bore the brunt of Schnatter’s remarks. About a quarter of Papa John’s franchises failed to turn a profit last year, analysts said. New CEO Rob Lynch, who took the reins in August, told me the company is spending $40 million to help struggling franchisees.
“They’re losing school lunch accounts because school districts don’t want to be affiliated with our brand anymore, because of what John [Schnatter] did,” Lynch said.
And in the irony of unintended consequences, the fallout was particularly harsh for black employees and franchisees like the Youngs.
“We have African American employees working in a lot of our restaurants,” Lynch said. “We feel bad when they can’t even wear their uniforms to work and be proud of the company. They didn’t do anything to deserve that.”
That’s what persuaded Shaquille O’Neal to get involved. Like Jarvis Young, Shaq has been a fan of Papa John’s pizza since college. After Schnatter left the company, O’Neal reached out and asked to join the board. He also invested in nine Atlanta franchises.
“These franchisees put their heart and soul into this business,” he told me. “It’s not fair that they’re affected by what this one man said.”
I asked Shaq the same question the Youngs’ neighbors asked them. How does he handle the criticism his role with Papa John’s provokes: You’re a sellout, a lackey, an apologist for racism.
“I heard it a lot,” he acknowledged. “People say, ‘Man, what are you doing?’ I just try to explain, it’s under new leadership, it’s a different board, we’re going to make sure this never happens again.”
That’s a noble promise, but one that’s hard to keep. You can’t clean out all the bigots or scrub away the biases that animate our actions on the job.
Ask Starbucks or Nordstrom or Sephora. On any given day, any company might be just one rude clerk or tone-deaf CEO away from notoriety that’s hard to move past in today’s unforgiving cancel culture.
I understand the impulse to wipe Papa John’s off the map. I could add it to the list of companies I don’t patronize and shows I won’t watch. But I also feel encouraged by the remedies they took — and empowered by the message that angry customers sent.
I know that despite the textbook-perfect corporate response, the psychic pain that lingers on the streets is hard to disperse.
People I talked to at the Christmas party who patronize the Youngs’ shop didn’t want to give their names; that reflects the depth of the anger that still surrounds them.
At this point, boycotting is counterproductive and apt to discourage other would-be business owners, they say. The bad man is gone. The pizza is good. And the company’s transgressions are almost 2 years old.
Influential folks are offering support. When a profile of the couple in a black community newspaper, the Los Angeles Standard, drew snarky comments on social media, publisher Jason Lewis came to their defense:
“We should get behind the Youngs because they are exactly what we complain that we don’t have in our communities,” Lewis wrote. “They stepped up, took the risk, and put their money where their mouth is.”
Still, I can’t help but wonder whether outrage has an expiration date. Can you punish the guilty yet insulate the innocent from blame? How long does it take for a stain to fade?
I was thinking of that as I left my visit to the Youngs’ Papa John’s with a pizza in hand. I’d never tasted the brand.
I stopped by my daughter’s to share it with my pizza-loving son-in-law. He took one look at the box and laughed. “It’s the n-word pizza,” he called out. Then he grabbed a slice and gobbled it up.


latimes--2020-01-14--Tracking Delta Flight 89's path before it dumped fuel on an elementary school

A diverted flight from Los Angeles International Airport that dumped fuel on a school playground during an emergency return to the airport was in the air just two minutes en route to Shanghai when it abruptly turned north over the Pacific Ocean .
The cause of the diversion still isn ’ t known , but the pilots took the plane — a Boeing 777 — north over Malibu within four minutes after takeoff at 11:32 a.m. , according to Flightradar24 , a firm that maintains airline path data across the globe .
It ’ s a routine flight for Delta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along that route — and typically in the same model plane .
During Tuesday ’ s flight , however , an engine problem apparently forced the pilots to end the journey abruptly .
The passengers were back on the ground at LAX within 25 minutes , the site ’ s flight path data show .
The journey back to the airport , in which the airline said it dumped fuel over urban southeastern Los Angeles County , took a looping route over the San Fernando Valley .
The flight , which never flew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over Griffith Park not long after , heading into southeastern L.A. County .
Minutes later , the flight began making its return to LAX , looping back west .
The pilots eventually were forced to dump fuel over an urban area to reduce weight before the return landing , Delta spokesperson Adrian Gee said .
Among those who noticed the fuel raining down were students at Park Avenue Elementary in Cudahy .
The plane was flying at just 2,300 feet around this time , the data show .
The flight was back at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full route :

The flight to Shanghai departed Los Angeles International Airport at 11:32 a.m. and turned north two minutes later, looping through the San Fernando Valley and southeastern L.A. County before making the emergency fuel dump that rained down on Cudahy’s Park Avenue Elementary. The jet landed at LAX just before noon.
A diverted flight from Los Angeles International Airport that dumped fuel on a school playground during an emergency return to the airport was in the air just two minutes en route to Shanghai when it abruptly turned north over the Pacific Ocean.
The cause of the diversion still isn’t known, but the pilots took the plane — a Boeing 777 — north over Malibu within four minutes after takeoff at 11:32 a.m., according to Flightradar24, a firm that maintains airline path data across the globe.
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11:38 a.m.
It’s a routine flight for Delta, with the airline offering near-daily flights along that route — and typically in the same model plane.
During Tuesday’s flight, however, an engine problem apparently forced the pilots to end the journey abruptly. The passengers were back on the ground at LAX within 25 minutes, the site’s flight path data show.
The journey back to the airport, in which the airline said it dumped fuel over urban southeastern Los Angeles County, took a looping route over the San Fernando Valley.
11:41 a.m.
The flight, which never flew higher than 8,000 feet, then moved over Griffith Park not long after, heading into southeastern L.A. County.
11:45 a.m.
Minutes later, the flight began making its return to LAX, looping back west.
11:53 a.m.
The pilots eventually were forced to dump fuel over an urban area to reduce weight before the return landing, Delta spokesperson Adrian Gee said. Among those who noticed the fuel raining down were students at Park Avenue Elementary in Cudahy.
The plane was flying at just 2,300 feet around this time, the data show.
11:56 a.m.
The flight was back at LAX by lunchtime. Here’s the full route:


latimes--2020-01-14--Why did Delta jet shower fuel on schoolchildren? Experts call it rare and concerning

How did pilots of a Delta jetliner end up dumping fuel on a playground filled with children in Cudahy ?
That is the question many are asking after the Tuesday morning incident that affected Park Avenue Elementary School .
More than 40 people — including many children — were treated by medical personnel , but there appear to be no serious injuries .
What do we know about what happened ?
Delta Flight 89 had taken off from Los Angeles International Airport with 149 passengers on board and was en route to Shanghai when it turned around and headed back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had some type of engine issue that required the emergency landing .
According to mapping by The Times , the plane was diverted over Santa Monica Bay and moved through Ventura County , the San Fernando Valley and into Southeast L.A. County before hitting the arrival path to LAX .
It ’ s unclear whether Cudahy was the only place where fuel was dumped .
Ross Aimer , chief executive officer of Aero Consulting Experts , said fuel dumping is very rare and is used only in case of emergencies or if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane to land .
“ Most pilots choose not to dump fuel unless the emergency really dictates it , ” Aimer said .
Among the emergencies would be landing gear that is not functioning and would make it hard to control the plane .
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it was investigating .
The agency said there are procedures for dumping , adding it should occur at high elevations and away from populated areas .
“ The FAA is thoroughly investigating the circumstances behind today ’ s incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returning to Los Angeles International Airport .
There are special fuel-dumping procedures for aircraft operating into and out of any major U.S. airport .
These procedures call for fuel to be dumped over designated unpopulated areas , typically at higher altitudes so the fuel atomizes and disperses before it reaches the ground , ” the agency said in a statement .
When pilots dump fuel , they typically try to dump fuel above 10,000 feet and over water but ideally it should be done at higher elevation because the fuel turns into mist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flight 89 ’ s emergency was , the pilot may have been in the final stage of dumping fuel as it was heading toward LAX , resulting in today ’ s controversial fuel dumping incident .
“ I don ’ t remember anyone dumping fuel over population , ” he said .

A parent leaves Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy, Calif., where an LAX-bound airplane dumped fuel on the playground on Jan. 14. Twenty children and 11 adults were treated for minor symptoms, and no one was transported to a hospital.
How did pilots of a Delta jetliner end up dumping fuel on a playground filled with children in Cudahy?
That is the question many are asking after the Tuesday morning incident that affected Park Avenue Elementary School. More than 40 people — including many children — were treated by medical personnel, but there appear to be no serious injuries.
Emergency workers respond after Delta Flight 89 dumped fuel on a school playground on Jan. 14 in Cudahy, Calif. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
What do we know about what happened?
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Delta Flight 89 had taken off from Los Angeles International Airport with 149 passengers on board and was en route to Shanghai when it turned around and headed back to the L.A. airport. Officials said it had some type of engine issue that required the emergency landing.
According to mapping by The Times, the plane was diverted over Santa Monica Bay and moved through Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley and into Southeast L.A. County before hitting the arrival path to LAX.
It’s unclear whether Cudahy was the only place where fuel was dumped.
The flight path of a Delta jet that dumped fuel on Cudahy’s Park Avenue Elementary School on Tuesday. (Matt Stiles / Los Angeles Times)
How rare are fuel dumps?
Ross Aimer, chief executive officer of Aero Consulting Experts, said fuel dumping is very rare and is used only in case of emergencies or if pilots have to lessen the load of the plane to land.
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“Most pilots choose not to dump fuel unless the emergency really dictates it,” Aimer said.
Among the emergencies would be landing gear that is not functioning and would make it hard to control the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it was investigating. The agency said there are procedures for dumping, adding it should occur at high elevations and away from populated areas.
“The FAA is thoroughly investigating the circumstances behind today’s incident involving a Delta Airlines flight that was returning to Los Angeles International Airport. There are special fuel-dumping procedures for aircraft operating into and out of any major U.S. airport. These procedures call for fuel to be dumped over designated unpopulated areas, typically at higher altitudes so the fuel atomizes and disperses before it reaches the ground,” the agency said in a statement.
When do fuel dumps happen?
When pilots dump fuel, they typically try to dump fuel above 10,000 feet and over water but ideally it should be done at higher elevation because the fuel turns into mist.
Aimer said that without knowing what Flight 89’s emergency was, the pilot may have been in the final stage of dumping fuel as it was heading toward LAX, resulting in today’s controversial fuel dumping incident.
“I don’t remember anyone dumping fuel over population,” he said.


latimes--2020-01-14--Children in P.E. class showered with jet fuel: 'We thought it was rain'

Josue Burgos was in physical education class at Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy when he felt what seemed at first to be rain .
Then he looked up and saw a jetliner flying above .
“ We came out and we were playing and the airplane was outside and we thought it was rain , but then we knew it was throwing gas on us and everybody started to run , ” Josue , 11 , said .
“ We went to the auditorium and we knew what happened .
We went back to class .
We stayed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” This was the scene at the campus when fuel was dumped from Delta Flight 89 as it made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport .
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said more than 70 firefighters and paramedics raced to the school , and 20 children and 11 adults were treated for minor injuries .
No one was taken to the hospital .
Department spokesman Nicholas Prange said two classes were outside when the liquid rained down shortly before noon .
Students and staff were instructed to go indoors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The jet had taken off from LAX with 149 passengers on board and was en route to Shanghai when it turned around and headed back to the airport .
It landed safely .
Park Avenue was one of at least three campuses affected , said Los Angeles police Sgt .
Rudy Perez .
The others were 93rd Street Elementary and Jordan High School , both in Los Angeles .
A total of about 40 people were treated by the Fire Department for respiratory issues .
Josue said the fuel landed on his sweater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was immediately noticeable .
“ Yeah , it smelled bad , ” he said .
“ It wasn ’ t water.
” Sixth-grader Miguel Cervantes was one of the students taking part in P.E .
classes outside at Park Avenue .
He said he was confused by what was happening .
“ I saw an airplane and I thought smoke was coming out , ” Miguel said .
“ Then when it got closer , I knew it was gas because a little bit fell on me.
” Miguel said fuel hit parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within an hour he had been sent home .
His mother , Ana , received a call about the events and rushed over to Park Avenue .
“ Just a small amount landed on my son ’ s clothes and on his arms , but we washed him with soap and changed his clothes and he seems fine , ” Ana Cervantes said .
When asked if she would destroy her son ’ s clothes as a precaution , Cervantes said such a measure was too drastic .
“ Those are expensive clothes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll just wash them with soap and water .
”

Children cover their noses after a jetliner dumped fuel on their school campus in Cudahy while making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport.
Josue Burgos was in physical education class at Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy when he felt what seemed at first to be rain.
Then he looked up and saw a jetliner flying above.
“We came out and we were playing and the airplane was outside and we thought it was rain, but then we knew it was throwing gas on us and everybody started to run,” Josue, 11, said. “We went to the auditorium and we knew what happened. We went back to class. We stayed for one hour and then we went home.”
This was the scene at the campus when fuel was dumped from Delta Flight 89 as it made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said more than 70 firefighters and paramedics raced to the school, and 20 children and 11 adults were treated for minor injuries. No one was taken to the hospital.
Department spokesman Nicholas Prange said two classes were outside when the liquid rained down shortly before noon. Students and staff were instructed to go indoors and remain there for the time being.
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The jet had taken off from LAX with 149 passengers on board and was en route to Shanghai when it turned around and headed back to the airport. It landed safely.
Park Avenue was one of at least three campuses affected, said Los Angeles police Sgt. Rudy Perez. The others were 93rd Street Elementary and Jordan High School, both in Los Angeles. A total of about 40 people were treated by the Fire Department for respiratory issues.
Josue said the fuel landed on his sweater, shirt and shorts and the odor was immediately noticeable.
“Yeah, it smelled bad,” he said. “It wasn’t water.”
Sixth-grader Miguel Cervantes was one of the students taking part in P.E. classes outside at Park Avenue. He said he was confused by what was happening.
“I saw an airplane and I thought smoke was coming out,” Miguel said. “Then when it got closer, I knew it was gas because a little bit fell on me.”
Miguel said fuel hit parts of his shirt and pants and that within an hour he had been sent home.
His mother, Ana, received a call about the events and rushed over to Park Avenue.
“Just a small amount landed on my son’s clothes and on his arms, but we washed him with soap and changed his clothes and he seems fine,” Ana Cervantes said.
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When asked if she would destroy her son’s clothes as a precaution, Cervantes said such a measure was too drastic.
“Those are expensive clothes,” she said. “We’ll just wash them with soap and water.”


latimes--2020-01-14--Woman pulls kitchen knife, steals $2 million in jewelry from South Coast Plaza, police say

Police have arrested a Newport Beach woman they say brandished a large kitchen knife and made off with over $ 2 million in jewelry from a Costa Mesa store , authorities said .
Karen Yvonne Floyd , 54 , entered a jewelry store at South Coast Plaza at noon Saturday , where she tried on several high-end pieces of jewelry , police said .
Costa Mesa Police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad declined to provide the store ’ s name or the pieces of jewelry that were stolen .
After trying on several items , Floyd asked store officials whether she could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Clerks told the woman the jewelry couldn ’ t leave the store , but she walked toward the entrance , where police say she pulled out a large kitchen knife and threatened store security before fleeing .
Security guards followed the woman into the parking lot , where they took down Floyd ’ s license plate number as she drove away , police said .
With help from the public and the license plate information , police identified Floyd and obtained a warrant to search her residence .
Detectives arrested Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday and placed her under arrest .
The stolen jewelry and the knife used in the robbery were found inside her home , authorities said .
Floyd is being held without bail , according to jail records .

Police have arrested a Newport Beach woman they say brandished a large kitchen knife and made off with over $2 million in jewelry from a Costa Mesa store, authorities said.
Karen Yvonne Floyd, 54, entered a jewelry store at South Coast Plaza at noon Saturday, where she tried on several high-end pieces of jewelry, police said.
Costa Mesa Police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad declined to provide the store’s name or the pieces of jewelry that were stolen.
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After trying on several items, Floyd asked store officials whether she could see the jewelry in sunlight, authorities said. Clerks told the woman the jewelry couldn’t leave the store, but she walked toward the entrance, where police say she pulled out a large kitchen knife and threatened store security before fleeing.
Security guards followed the woman into the parking lot, where they took down Floyd’s license plate number as she drove away, police said. With help from the public and the license plate information, police identified Floyd and obtained a warrant to search her residence.
Detectives arrested Floyd in the lobby of her apartment building Monday and placed her under arrest. The stolen jewelry and the knife used in the robbery were found inside her home, authorities said.
Floyd is being held without bail, according to jail records.


latimes--2020-01-14--Elementary school kids doused as jet dumps fuel before LAX emergency landing

An airplane returning to Los Angeles International Airport Tuesday morning dropped jet fuel onto a school playground , dousing several students at Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy , officials said .
Delta Flight 89 — a Boeing 777 — had taken off from LAX with 149 passengers on board and was en route to Shanghai when it turned around and headed back to the L.A. airport .
“ Shortly after takeoff , Flight 89 from LAX to Shanghai experienced an engine issue requiring the aircraft to return to LAX , ” Delta spokesperson Adrian Gee said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release to reduce landing weight.
” The Los Angeles County Fire Department said more than 70 firefighters and paramedics were at the school , and 20 children and 11 adults were treated for minor injuries .
No one was transported to the hospital .
Additionally , six people at Tweedy Elementary School and six others at San Gabriel Elementary in South Gate were affected , as was one adult at Graham Elementary School .
L.A. City Fire was also at the scene .
The agency ’ s spokesperson , Nicholas Prange , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rained down shortly before noon .
Students and staff were instructed to go indoors and remain there for the time being .
Park Avenue Elementary School sixth grader Josue Burgos was participating in physical education outside when he was surprised to feel the sensation of rain .
The 11-year-old in Mariana de la Torre ’ s class looked up to see a plane barreling down on his campus with dread .
“ We came out and we were playing , and the airplane was outside and we thought it was rain , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on us , and everybody started to run , ” Josue said .
“ We went to the auditorium and we knew what happened .
We went back to class .
We stayed for one hour and then we went home.
” Josue said fuel landed on his sweater , shirt and shorts , and the odor was immediately noticeable .
“ Yeah , it smelled bad , ” he said .
“ It wasn ’ t water.
” Parent Freddie Contreras , who lives about a block away from campus , thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment .
Contreras raced out of the complex to find an overwhelming odor emanating not just from the roof and surrounding pavement , but from his white 2016 Honda Civic , which had been doused in fuel .
“ I didn ’ t know what I was supposed to do , and I didn ’ t know what was going on , but I knew it was gas or something toxic , ” Contreras said .
While Contreras ’ son Mateo , a Park Avenue first grader , was unharmed , sister-in-law Yesenia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex , complained of a headache .
“ It ’ s the fuel , ” Contreras said .
“ I want to leave , but I don ’ t know if I can drive my car .
I don ’ t know if it ’ s safe.
” Park Avenue parent Francisco Javier was relieved that his first-grade son was inside his classroom and unaffected by the fuel dump , but he was careful not to inhale too deeply .
“ You should have been here when it first happened , ” Javier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathe it was so bad .
It ’ s still strong , but not as bad as it was.
” Javier , who lives across the street from the school ’ s main entrance , walked outside to assess the situation and observe the crowd of media , fire and police .
He then headed back into his apartment to close and lock all the windows .
Sixth grader Miguel Cervantes was one of several school students taking part in physical education classes outside when he was confused by what was happening .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought smoke was coming out , ” Miguel said .
“ Then when it got closer , I knew it was gas because a little bit fell on me.
” Miguel said fuel hit parts of his shirt and pants and that within an hour he had been sent home .
Miguel ’ s mother , Ana , received a call about the events and rushed over to Park Avenue .
“ Just a small amount landed on my son ’ s clothes and on his arms , but we washed him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he seems fine , ” Ana Cervantes said .
When asked if she would destroy her son ’ s clothes out of caution , Cervantes said the measure was too drastic .
“ Those are expensive clothes , we ’ ll just wash them with soap and water , ” she said .
Ross Aimer , chief executive of Aero Consulting Experts , said fuel dumping is very rare and only used in case of emergencies or if pilots have to reach a safe landing weight , as was the case in Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose not to dump fuel unless the emergency really dictates it , ” Aimer said .
A possible emergency would be non-functioning landing gear that would otherwise make it difficult to control the plane .
When pilots dump fuel , they typically try to do it at above 10,000 feet and over water , but ideally it should be done at higher elevation because then the fuel turns into mist and it ’ s away from populated areas .
Aimer said that without knowing what Flight 89 ’ s emergency was , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage of dumping fuel as the plane was heading toward LAX .
He said there is also a good chance the pilot made an error .
“ I don ’ t remember anyone dumping fuel over population , ” he said .
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the matter .
“ There are special fuel-dumping procedures for aircraft operating into and out of any major U.S. airport .
These procedures call for fuel to be dumped over designated unpopulated areas , typically at higher altitudes so the fuel atomizes and disperses before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
Cudahy officials expressed disappointment over the incident and were demanding answers about why the fuel was dropped over the school .
Newly appointed Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar said the school was next door to Cudahy City Hall .
“ I ’ m very upset , ” she said in a phone interview .
“ This is an elementary school , these are small children.
” The incident hit a nerve in the community .
Environmental injustices have long taken place in southeast Los Angeles County .
For years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a battery recycling plant in the industrial city of Vernon because it emitted cancer-causing arsenic and lead , a potent neurotoxin , into nearby cities .
It was only five years ago that the plant was closed .
In the 1990s , Park Avenue Elementary School was closed for eight months because tar-like petroleum sludge began to seep up from the ground .
The school was built on an old city dump site that contained petroleum-contaminated soil and several pockets of tar-like petroleum sludge .
“ Why is it always our communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these issues ?
” Alcantar said .
The jet-fuel dump incident has raised questions about environmental safety and the flight path over Cudahy and other cities .
“ Sadly , our entire community has been adversely impacted by this incident , including dozens of children .
I am calling for a full federal investigation into the matter , and expect full accountability from responsible parties , ” Cudahy City Council member Jack Guerrero said .
Los Angeles School Police said that , out of an abundance of caution , Jordan High School in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident , but no students or faculty were affected .
The Delta jet landed safely at LAX soon after dumping the fuel .
Police could be seen driving behind the plane with sirens wailing as it arrived .

Colleen Shalby, Ruben Vives, Andrew Campa

A Delta jet headed to LAX for emergency landing dumped fuel on a school playground, causing skin irritation to 20 children and nine adults.
An airplane returning to Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday morning dropped jet fuel onto a school playground, dousing several students at Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy, officials said.
Delta Flight 89 — a Boeing 777 — had taken off from LAX with more than 140 passengers on board and was en route to Shanghai when it turned around and headed back to the L.A. airport.
“Shortly after takeoff, Flight 89 from LAX to Shanghai experienced an engine issue requiring the aircraft to return quickly to LAX,” Delta said in a statement released Tuesday night. “The aircraft landed safely after a release of fuel, which was required as part of normal procedure to reach a safe landing weight. Delta is in touch with Los Angeles World Airports and the L.A. County Fire Department as well as community leaders, and shares concerns regarding reports of minor injuries to adults and children at schools in the area.”
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Shortly before this plane landed at LAX, it dumped what's believed to be fuel on an elementary school playground, hitting several students. LA County Fire said 70+ are on scene assessing multiple patients https://t.co/G5duAwTvUt pic.twitter.com/LsJaAOTfpg — Colleen Shalby (@CShalby) January 14, 2020
The plane is 20 years old and makes daily flights from Los Angeles to Shanghai. In recent weeks, the plane had also made trips out of L.A. to Paris and Tokyo.
According to Flightradar24, Tuesday’s flight never got above 8,000 feet, and was at about 2,300 feet when it passed over the school at 11:53 a.m.
The flight is typically a 13-hour nonstop. This one lasted about 25 minutes.
California Update: Radio call to control tower raises questions about why jet fuel was dumped over Cudahy Communications between air traffic controllers and a pilot raise questions why fuel was dropped over Cudahy before a Delta airliner returned to LAX.
At 11:47 a.m., an LAFD firefighter radioed that they were responding to a call at LAX.
“We have a Boeing triple 7, call sign Delta 89, reporting a compressor stall, 181 souls on board, 12 hours of fuel, ETA less than five minutes,” an LAFD firefighter said.
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When the compressor of a plane’s engine stalls, it can cause the loss of airflow through an engine, which can cause the engine to fail.
Passenger Tim Lefebvre, a bass guitarist headed to China for gigs, was sitting at the front of the plane when he heard loud popping sounds.
“It was kind of right next to me,” Lefebvre said. “I knew that wasn’t good. The pilot came on a couple minutes later and said we were going back to LAX, and that was that.”
The pilot told passengers that there had been an engine problem and that they shouldn’t be alarmed if, when the plane landed, they saw firetrucks on the runway, Lefebvre said.
Everyone on board remained calm, although the flight attendant seated near Lefebvre looked concerned, he said.
“Just imagine if we had been over the Pacific a good distance,” Lefebvre said. “That would not have been good.”
A total of 60 patients were treated, at least 20 of them children. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said more than 70 firefighters and paramedics headed to Park School Elementary, where 20 children and 11 adults were treated for minor injuries. No one was taken to the hospital. Additionally, six people at Tweedy Elementary School and six at San Gabriel Elementary in South Gate were affected, as was one adult at Graham Elementary School. L.A. City Fire treated 16 patients at Jordan High School in Los Angeles and 93rd Street Elementary in Green Meadows.
LAFD spokesperson Nicholas Prange said two classes were outside Park Avenue Elementary when the liquid rained down shortly before noon. Students and staff were instructed to go indoors and remain there for the time being.
Park Avenue Elementary School sixth grader Josue Burgos was participating in physical education outside when he was surprised to feel the sensation of rain. The 11-year-old in Mariana de la Torre’s class looked up to see a plane barreling down on his campus.
“We came out and we were playing, and the airplane was outside and we thought it was rain, but then we knew it was throwing gas on us, and everybody started to run,” Josue said. “We went to the auditorium and we knew what happened. We went back to class. We stayed for one hour and then we went home.”
Josue said fuel landed on his sweater, shirt and shorts, and the odor was immediately noticeable.
“Yeah, it smelled bad,” he said. “It wasn’t water.”
Parent Freddie Contreras, who lives about a block away from campus, thought he saw glass crashing down outside his apartment.
Contreras raced out of the complex to find an overwhelming odor emanating not just from the roof and surrounding pavement, but from his white 2016 Honda Civic, which had been doused in fuel.
“I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, and I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew it was gas or something toxic,” Contreras said.
While Contreras’ son Mateo, a Park Avenue first-grader, was unharmed, sister-in-law Yesenia Pantaja, who also lives in the complex, complained of a headache.
“It’s the fuel,” Contreras said. “I want to leave, but I don’t know if I can drive my car. I don’t know if it’s safe.”
While Park Avenue parent Francisco Javier was relieved that his first-grade son was inside his classroom and unaffected by the fuel dump, he was careful not to inhale too deeply.
“You should have been here when it first happened,” Javier said. “You couldn’t breathe it was so bad. It’s still strong, but not as bad as it was.”
Javier, who lives across the street from the school’s main entrance, walked outside to assess the situation and observe the crowd of media, fire and police. He then headed back into his apartment to close and lock all the windows.
Sixth-grader Miguel Cervantes was one of several students taking part in physical education classes outside when he was confused by what was happening.
“I saw an airplane and I thought smoke was coming out,” Miguel said. “Then when it got closer, I knew it was gas because a little bit fell on me.”
Miguel said that fuel hit parts of his shirt and pants and that within an hour he had been sent home.
Miguel’s mother, Ana, received a call about the events and rushed over to Park Avenue.
“Just a small amount landed on my son’s clothes and on his arms, but we washed him with soap and changed his clothes and he seems fine,” Ana Cervantes said.
When asked if she would destroy her son’s clothes out of caution, Cervantes said the measure was too drastic.
“Those are expensive clothes, we’ll just wash them with soap and water,” she said.
Ross Aimer, the chief executive officer of Aero Consulting Experts, said fuel dumping is very rare and is used only in case of emergencies or if pilots have to reach a safe landing weight, as was the case in Tuesday’s incident.
“Most pilots choose not to dump fuel unless the emergency really dictates it,” Aimer said.
A possible emergency would be non-functioning landing gear that would otherwise make it difficult to control the plane.
When pilots dump fuel, they typically try to do it at above 10,000 feet and over water, but ideally it should be done at higher elevation because then the fuel turns into mist and it’s away from populated areas.
DELTA flight 89 to Shanghai dumping fuel, returning to LAX W/ unknown emergency pic.twitter.com/UQVnRuc0IA — Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) January 14, 2020
Aimer said that without knowing what Flight 89’s emergency was, the pilot may have been in the final stage of dumping fuel as the plane was heading toward LAX. He said there is also a good chance the pilot made an error.
“I don’t remember anyone dumping fuel over population,” he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the matter.
“There are special fuel-dumping procedures for aircraft operating into and out of any major U.S. airport. These procedures call for fuel to be dumped over designated unpopulated areas, typically at higher altitudes so the fuel atomizes and disperses before it reaches the ground,” officials said in a statement.
An example of an unpopulated area would be an ocean, said Douglas Moss, aviation consultant and a retired United Airlines pilot.
To make an emergency landing, a pilot will try to get the airplane down to its landing weight so there are more options in case of an aborted landing attempt. How and where that fuel dump happens depends on the type of emergency, said Tom Haueter, former director of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Office of Aviation Safety.
Pilots will typically alert air traffic controllers of the emergency fuel release and the air traffic controllers will try to direct the plane, said Haueter, who now serves as a consultant on aviation safety and accident investigations.
The drop will typically happen at an altitude of 5,000 feet so the fuel vaporizes before hitting the ground. But if there is a severe emergency, plans may change.
“The real key is to know what’s the nature of the emergency,” Haueter said.
In an emergency, the captain is “authorized to break any rule in the book,” Moss said. “He still tries to adhere to as many of the rules as he can, but the bottom line is his actions must be in the best interest of safety.”
Cudahy officials expressed disappointment over the incident and were demanding answers about why the fuel was dropped over the school.
Newly appointed Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar said the school was next door to Cudahy City Hall.
“I’m very upset,” she said in a phone interview. “This is an elementary school, these are small children.”
The incident hit a nerve in the community. Environmental injustices have long taken place in southeast Los Angeles County. For years, activists and residents fought for the closure of a battery recycling plant in the industrial city of Vernon because it emitted cancer-causing arsenic and lead, a potent neurotoxin, into nearby cities.
It was only five years ago that the plant was closed.
Parents wait outside Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy on Tuesday after an airplane returning to LAX dropped fuel onto a school playground. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
In the 1990s, Park Avenue Elementary School was closed for eight months because tar-like petroleum sludge began to seep up from the ground. The school was built on an old city dump site that contained petroleum-contaminated soil and several pockets of tar-like petroleum sludge.
“Why is it always our communities having to deal with the brunt of these issues?” Alcantar said.
The jet-fuel dump incident has raised questions about environmental safety and the flight path over Cudahy and other cities.
“Sadly, our entire community has been adversely impacted by this incident, including dozens of children. I am calling for a full federal investigation into the matter, and expect full accountability from responsible parties,” Cudahy City Council member Jack Guerrero said.
Emergency incidents of jet fuel being dumped over populated areas have been reported across the United States in previous years.
In 2007, a 744 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight to Amsterdam returned to San Francisco Airport after the pilot realized the plane’s nose gear would not retract. The pilot released fuel 15,000 feet above Stanislaus County.
In 2001, jet fuel rained down on residents in Flower Mound, Texas, as an American Airlines plane flew back to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The pilot said at the time that a warning light came on, leading to a fuel release.
Three years prior, in 1998, another American Airlines flight was involved in a similar incident in New York when 3,200 gallons of fuel were dumped over homes in Queens. The pilot said a large bird had flown into an engine under the right wing.
The Delta jet landed safely at LAX soon after dumping the fuel. Police could be seen driving behind the plane with sirens wailing as it arrived.
Times staff writer Matt Stiles, Samantha Masunaga, Jaclyn Cosgrove and Kiera Feldman contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-14--Judge says Trump can separate families at border, refuses to second-guess government

A U.S. judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration is operating within its authority when separating families stopped at the Mexico border , rejecting arguments that it was quietly returning to widespread practices that drew international condemnation .
The American Civil Liberties Union argued that the administration was splitting families over dubious allegations and minor transgressions including traffic offenses .
It asked the judge in July to rule on whether the government was justified in separating 911 children during the first year after the judge halted the general practice in June 2018 .
U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw indicated he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children on grounds that parents were considered unfit or dangerous , or in other limited circumstances like criminal history , communicable diseases and doubts about parentage .
He found no evidence that the government was abusing its discretion .
“ It is an invitation that is potentially massive in scope , invades an area that is particularly within the province of the executive branch to secure the nation ’ s border , and goes beyond this court ’ s class certification and preliminary injunction orders , which were focused on the administration ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border for the purpose of deterring immigration , and failing to reunify those families , ” Sabraw wrote in a 26-page decision .
In a partial victory for the ACLU , the judge said the government must settle any doubts about parentage before separating families by using DNA tests that deliver results in about 90 minutes .
The ruling was a rare instance of the San Diego judge siding with the administration .
In June 2018 , he halted the practice of separating families under a “ zero tolerance ” policy to deter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children be quickly reunited with family .
Lack of adequate tracking systems at the time made reunification a monumental task .
The judge later ordered the administration to identify more than 1,500 additional children who were separated earlier in Trump ’ s presidency , starting in July 2017 .
The government is providing information to the ACLU , which , in some cases , has volunteers going door to door in Guatemala .
The ACLU said it was considering its next move .
“ The court strongly reaffirmed that the Trump administration bears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families based on an accusation that the adult is not the child ’ s parent , ” said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt .
“ We are evaluating the decision to determine next steps on how to ensure that children are not separated from their parents based on minor infractions.
” The Justice Department didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment .
The judge noted that the administration acknowledged it erred by separating a mother who needed emergency surgery and a father who was HIV-positive .
He rejected the ACLU ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affiliation were unfounded , saying that the government relies on “ objective evidence , not allegations or intuition.
” Days before the judge halted the widespread practice of separating families in 2018 , Trump retreated under extraordinary criticism by exempting families from his “ zero tolerance ” policy to criminally prosecute every adult who crosses the border illegally .

Migrant children sleep on a mattress on the floor of the AMAR migrant shelter in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, in this July 17 file photo.
A U.S. judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration is operating within its authority when separating families stopped at the Mexico border, rejecting arguments that it was quietly returning to widespread practices that drew international condemnation.
The American Civil Liberties Union argued that the administration was splitting families over dubious allegations and minor transgressions including traffic offenses.
It asked the judge in July to rule on whether the government was justified in separating 911 children during the first year after the judge halted the general practice in June 2018.
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U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw indicated he was uncomfortable second-guessing government decisions to separate children on grounds that parents were considered unfit or dangerous, or in other limited circumstances like criminal history, communicable diseases and doubts about parentage. He found no evidence that the government was abusing its discretion.
“It is an invitation that is potentially massive in scope, invades an area that is particularly within the province of the executive branch to secure the nation’s border, and goes beyond this court’s class certification and preliminary injunction orders, which were focused on the administration’s practice of separating families at the border for the purpose of deterring immigration, and failing to reunify those families,” Sabraw wrote in a 26-page decision.
In a partial victory for the ACLU, the judge said the government must settle any doubts about parentage before separating families by using DNA tests that deliver results in about 90 minutes.
The ruling was a rare instance of the San Diego judge siding with the administration. In June 2018, he halted the practice of separating families under a “zero tolerance” policy to deter illegal immigration and ordered that about 2,800 children be quickly reunited with family. Lack of adequate tracking systems at the time made reunification a monumental task.
The judge later ordered the administration to identify more than 1,500 additional children who were separated earlier in Trump’s presidency, starting in July 2017. The government is providing information to the ACLU, which, in some cases, has volunteers going door to door in Guatemala.
The ACLU said it was considering its next move.
“The court strongly reaffirmed that the Trump administration bears the burden if it attempts to separate families based on an accusation that the adult is not the child’s parent,” said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt. “We are evaluating the decision to determine next steps on how to ensure that children are not separated from their parents based on minor infractions.”
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The Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The judge noted that the administration acknowledged it erred by separating a mother who needed emergency surgery and a father who was HIV-positive. He rejected the ACLU’s contention that some accusations of gang affiliation were unfounded, saying that the government relies on “objective evidence, not allegations or intuition.”
Days before the judge halted the widespread practice of separating families in 2018, Trump retreated under extraordinary criticism by exempting families from his “zero tolerance” policy to criminally prosecute every adult who crosses the border illegally.


latimes--2020-01-14--Child finds deputy's loaded gun and badge at Airbnb in Tahoe

A Santa Clara County sheriff ’ s deputy is on paid leave after a child found his badge and a loaded handgun that were apparently left behind at a South Lake Tahoe , Calif. , rental home , authorities said .
Jon Segarra said his 9-year-old son , Josh , found a Ruger .380 pistol in a bedroom drawer 10 minutes after the Hayward family arrived at an Airbnb rental near the Heavenly ski resort over the weekend .
At first , Segarra thought the weapon was fake .
But after inspecting it , he realized it was real and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun apart and called the South Lake Tahoe Police Department .
“ My kids are pretty disciplined , ” Segarra said .
“ They know if they see a firearm or anything like that , especially if it ’ s not at our place , not to touch it.
” The gun is the personal weapon of a deputy who apparently left the items behind while staying at the property , according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff ’ s Office .
The deputy is on paid administrative leave while the department investigates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clara County sheriff ’ s Sgt .
Michael Low referred additional questions to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department late Monday .
Neither agency returned requests for comment Tuesday .
“ We are thankful no one was hurt as a result of the incident , ” the Sheriff ’ s Office said in a statement , according to Bay Area station KTVU-TV .
Airbnb said it also is investigating the incident .
After filing a police report , the family of nine looked for another place to stay for the night .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Segura , who identified himself as a gun owner .
“ There were like so many questions that came up on our mind .
Why is it here ?
Is it stolen ?
Is someone going to come back here and look for it ?
” Segarra said Airbnb offered the family $ 250 to rent a room elsewhere , but they had no luck finding a suitable place , even after driving around until 2 a.m .
Instead the family camped out in the rental ’ s living room .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year for the kids , ” he said .
“ Now this is their memory .
It ’ s kind of crazy.
” The Associated Press contributed to this report .

A Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputy is on paid leave after a child found his badge and a loaded handgun that were apparently left behind at a South Lake Tahoe, Calif., rental home, authorities said.
Jon Segarra said his 9-year-old son, Josh, found a Ruger .380 pistol in a bedroom drawer 10 minutes after the Hayward family arrived at an Airbnb rental near the Heavenly ski resort over the weekend.
At first, Segarra thought the weapon was fake. But after inspecting it, he realized it was real and loaded. Segarra said he took the gun apart and called the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.
“My kids are pretty disciplined,” Segarra said. “They know if they see a firearm or anything like that, especially if it’s not at our place, not to touch it.”
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The gun is the personal weapon of a deputy who apparently left the items behind while staying at the property, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy is on paid administrative leave while the department investigates. He was not identified.
Santa Clara County sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Low referred additional questions to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department late Monday. Neither agency returned requests for comment Tuesday.
“We are thankful no one was hurt as a result of the incident,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, according to Bay Area station KTVU-TV.
Airbnb said it also is investigating the incident.
After filing a police report, the family of nine looked for another place to stay for the night.
“My kids were pretty distraught,” said Segura, who identified himself as a gun owner. “There were like so many questions that came up on our mind. Why is it here? Is it stolen? Is someone going to come back here and look for it?”
Segarra said Airbnb offered the family $250 to rent a room elsewhere, but they had no luck finding a suitable place, even after driving around until 2 a.m. Instead the family camped out in the rental’s living room.
“We wanted to start off the new year for the kids,” he said. “Now this is their memory. It’s kind of crazy.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-14--LAPD scandal over alleged gang framing expands; chief sees a 'criminal aspect'

The investigation into allegations that members of the elite Los Angeles Police Department Metro Division falsely portrayed people as gang members or associates has expanded into a criminal probe and forced LAPD leaders to inform community members about the scandal .
It has also raised questions about the criminal cases brought by the officers under scrutiny .
The officers , some assigned to special patrols in South Los Angeles , are suspected of falsifying field interview cards during stops and entering incorrect information about those questioned in an effort to boost stop statistics .
“ This definitely has a criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report is a crime , ” Chief Michel Moore told the Police Commission on Tuesday .
“ I must look straight at these allegations .
It does give me concern.
” The LAPD said it launched the investigation last year after a Van Nuys mother received a letter in early 2019 informing her that her son had been identified as a gang member .
She believed her son was misidentified and reported it to a supervisor at a nearby police station .
The supervisor immediately reviewed body-worn camera footage and other information and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department removed the son from the gang database .
Commission members expressed alarm .
President Eileen Decker asked Moore to address the scandal at the start of the meeting .
She also asked the commission ’ s inspector general , Mark Smith , to monitor the LAPD investigation and to conduct a separate inquiry .
Commissioner Dale Bonner questioned the lack of safeguards that allowed the fake labeling to happen without detection .
To prevent possible abuses , the department now requires a gang lieutenant to review body-worn video to make sure it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person to the database , Moore said .
Commissioner Shane Murphy Goldsmith said the falsified information has the “ impact of criminalizing people who have done nothing wrong , ” especially African-Americans and Hispanics .
Several community members , who regularly criticize the LAPD at the weekly meeting , told commissioners that activists have complained for years about officers falsely identifying African-Americans and Latinos as gang members .
“ Once the name ’ s in there , it ’ s extremely difficult to get out , ” Paula Minor of Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Moore , you are responsible .
Your community talk is fake and a cover-up.
” The allegations are another example of the LAPD using data to target minority neighborhoods , as the Operation LASER program ended after seven years , said Jamie Garcia of the LAPD Spying Coalition .
Operation LASER pinpointed locations connected to gun and gang violence , but the department ended it in April because of “ inconsistent data.
” Privacy and civil rights groups have long asserted that the program was intrusive and racially biased .
“ How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia asked commissioners and Moore .
“ This problem is huge .
The gang database needs to be disassembled.
” An LAPD source not authorized to discuss the investigation said Metro officers feel pressure to produce statistics in a results-driven department .
The problems stem from a Metro expansion in 2015 to target guns and gangs , the source said .
“ So if you have no arrest , no gun or gang member identified at the end of the day , it was a wasted day , ” the source said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ three officers and moved to others who worked with them .
It then expanded to more officers who worked with the second group , the chief said .
Moore said 10 officers have been assigned to home and had their police powers suspended .
Another 10 have been removed from the street because investigators have reviewed some of their work and “ don ’ t know if it ’ s inaccuracies or falsehoods , ” Moore said .
Moore repeatedly told commissioners the internal investigation has found multiple cases where the body-worn video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He pledged the department is working to understand the “ depth and breadth ” of the scandal .
Now the Los Angeles County District Attorney ’ s Office ’ s Justice Systems Integrity Division is reviewing an investigation involving LAPD Officer Braxton Shaw , according a spokesperson .
Shaw , an 11-year officer , is one of the 10 assigned to home .
His credibility had been previously questioned in 2016 after his statements about traffic stops did not match the police dash camera video .
Prosecutors found insufficient evidence to charge Shaw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marijuana possession .
The LAPD ’ s internal investigators found Shaw ’ s courtroom testimony conflicted with the dash camera recording , according to a memorandum from the district attorney .
A policing expert with the ACLU of Southern California said the number of officers involved raises questions about the validity of gang databases and whether their behavior reflects a culture among Metro officers to boost statistics .
Attorney Peter Bibring said it is “ deeply disturbing ” that the LAPD portrays the Metro Division as its elite officers .
“ The fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me this isn ’ t simply a few officers acting on their own , but it is part of a culture to do this among those the department believes are the best of the best , ” Bibring said .
George Gascon , a former assistant chief of the LAPD seeking to unseat District Attorney Jackie Lacey , called on her to pause the prosecutions of cases involving the officers under investigation .
“ Police are the guardians of our community , ” Gascon said .
“ When our guardians betray the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incumbent upon the district attorney to safeguard the integrity of the system by ensuring that betrayal does not undermine the fair administration of justice.
” Lacey ’ s office said it is investigating the matter but did not address detailed questions from The Times .
“ Our office is following an established process to ensure we fulfill our constitutional and statutory discovery obligations and updating our Discovery Compliance System as appropriate , ” the statement said .
“ The underlying matter is still under review and therefore we can not comment further.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefed by Moore on Monday , called the allegations “ shocking and troubling ” and said the magnitude was “ disturbing.
” “ We are supporting criminal prosecution of officers if warranted by Lacey ’ s office , ” he said .
A Times investigation published last January showed that Metro officers stopped African American drivers at a rate more than five times their share of the city ’ s population .
To combat a surge in violent crime , the LAPD doubled the size of its Metropolitan Division in 2015 , creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In response , the LAPD announced last fall it would drastically cut back on pulling over random vehicles .
At the time , Moore said Metro ’ s vehicle stops had not proved effective , netting about one arrest for every 100 cars stopped , while coming at a tremendous cost to innocent drivers who felt they were being racially profiled .
Officials said Metro crime suppression officers , who number about 200 , would instead track down suspects wanted in violent offenses and use strategies other than vehicle stops to address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shootings .

The LAPD officers are suspected of falsifying field interview cards during stops and entering incorrect information.
The investigation into allegations that members of the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite Metro Division falsely portrayed people as gang members or associates has expanded into a criminal probe and forced LAPD leaders to inform community members about the scandal.
It has also raised questions about the criminal cases brought by the officers under scrutiny. Officers assigned across the city are suspected of falsifying field interview cards during stops and entering incorrect information about those questioned in an effort to boost stop statistics.
“This definitely has a criminal aspect. Falsifying information on a department report is a crime,” Chief Michel Moore told the Police Commission on Tuesday. “I must look straight at these allegations. It does give me concern.”
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The LAPD said it launched the investigation last year after a Van Nuys mother received a letter in early 2019 informing her that her son had been identified as a gang member. She believed her son was misidentified and reported it to a supervisor at a nearby police station. The supervisor immediately reviewed body-worn camera footage and other information and found inaccuracies by the officer. The department removed the son from the gang database.
Commission members expressed alarm. President Eileen Decker asked Moore to address the scandal at the start of the meeting. She also asked the commission’s inspector general, Mark Smith, to monitor the LAPD investigation and to conduct a separate inquiry.
“These allegations are extremely troubling,” Decker said.
Commissioner Dale Bonner noted the lack of safeguards that allowed the allegedly fake labeling to happen without detection. To prevent possible abuses, the department now requires a gang lieutenant to review body-worn camera video to make sure it matches the field interview cards when adding a person to the database, Moore said.
Commissioner Shane Murphy Goldsmith said the falsified information has the “impact of criminalizing people who have done nothing wrong,” especially African Americans and Latinos.
Several community members, who regularly criticize the LAPD at the weekly meeting, told commissioners that activists have complained for years about officers falsely identifying African Americans and Latinos as gang members.
“Once the name’s in there, it’s extremely difficult to get out,” Paula Minor of Black Lives Matter said about the database. “Chief Moore, you are responsible. Your community talk is fake and a coverup.”
The allegations are another example of the LAPD using data to target minority neighborhoods, as the Operation LASER program ended after seven years, said Jamie Garcia of the LAPD Spying Coalition.
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Operation LASER pinpointed locations connected to gun and gang violence, but the department ended it in April because of “inconsistent data.” Privacy and civil rights groups have long asserted that the program was intrusive and racially biased.
“How much bigger is this problem?” Garcia asked commissioners and Moore. “This problem is huge. The gang database needs to be disassembled.”
An LAPD source not authorized to discuss the investigation said Metro officers feel pressure to produce statistics in a results-driven department. The problems stem from a Metro expansion in 2015 to target guns and gangs, the source said.
“So if you have no arrest, no gun or gang member identified at the end of the day, it was a wasted day,” the source said.
The department started downsizing Metro early last year.
Moore said the investigation initially focused on three officers and moved to others who worked with them. It then expanded to more officers who worked with the second group, the chief said.
Moore said 10 officers have been assigned to home and had their police powers suspended. Another 10 have been removed from the street because investigators have reviewed some of their work and “don’t know if it’s inaccuracies or falsehoods,” Moore said.
Moore repeatedly told commissioners that the internal investigation had found multiple cases where video from body-worn cameras matched what officers documented in paperwork. He pledged that the department is working to understand the “depth and breadth” of the scandal.
Now the Justice System Integrity Division of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is reviewing an investigation involving LAPD Officer Braxton Shaw, according to a spokesperson.
Shaw, an 11-year officer, is one of the 10 assigned to home. His credibility had been previously questioned in 2016 after his statements about traffic stops did not match the police dash camera video. Prosecutors found insufficient evidence to charge Shaw with perjury during a traffic stop involving marijuana possession. The LAPD’s internal investigators found Shaw’s courtroom testimony conflicted with the dash camera recording, according to a memorandum from the district attorney.
A policing expert with the ACLU of Southern California said the number of officers accused raises questions about the validity of gang databases and whether their alleged behavior reflects a culture among Metro officers to boost statistics. Attorney Peter Bibring said it is “deeply disturbing” that the LAPD portrays the Metro Division as its elite officers.
“The fact so many officers were involved strongly indicates to me this isn’t simply a few officers acting on their own, but it is part of a culture to do this among those the department believes are the best of the best,” Bibring said.
George Gascon, a former LAPD assistant chief who is seeking to unseat Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, called on her to pause the prosecutions of cases involving the officers under investigation.
“Police are the guardians of our community,” Gascon said. “When our guardians betray the public’s trust, it is incumbent upon the district attorney to safeguard the integrity of the system by ensuring that betrayal does not undermine the fair administration of justice.”
Lacey’s office said it is investigating the matter but did not address detailed questions from The Times.
“Our office is following an established process to ensure we fulfill our constitutional and statutory discovery obligations and updating our Discovery Compliance System as appropriate,” the statement said. “The underlying matter is still under review and therefore we cannot comment further.”
Najee Ali, a South L.A. activist briefed by Moore on Monday, called the allegations “shocking and troubling” and said the magnitude was “disturbing.”
“We are supporting criminal prosecution of officers if warranted by Lacey’s office,” he said.
A Times investigation published last January showed that Metro officers stopped African American drivers at a rate more than five times their share of the city’s population. To combat a surge in violent crime, the LAPD doubled the size of its Metropolitan Division in 2015, creating special units to swarm crime hot spots.
In response, the LAPD announced last fall it would drastically cut back on stops of drivers encountered randomly. At the time, Moore said Metro’s vehicle stops had not proved effective, netting about one arrest for every 100 cars stopped, while coming at a tremendous cost to innocent drivers who felt they were being racially profiled. Officials said Metro crime suppression officers, who number about 200, would instead track down suspects wanted in violent offenses and use strategies other than vehicle stops to address flare-ups in crimes such as burglaries and shootings.


latimes--2020-01-14--96 packages of meth worth $190,000 stashed in pickup, Border Patrol says

A U.S. Border Patrol dog sniffed out more than $ 190,000 worth of methamphetamine concealed in a vehicle along a @ @ @ @ @ agency said .
An agent patrolling Interstate 15 followed a suspicious vehicle Friday as it @ @ @ @ @ parked at a gas station in the unincorporated Rainbow area of San Diego County south @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement Monday .
The dog alerted the agent to the vehicle as @ @ @ @ @ driver and a detailed inspection found more than 100 pounds of meth in 96 packages @ @ @ @ @ spare tire and quarter panels of the Ford Explorer , the Border Patrol said .
@ @ @ @ @ as a 34-year-old U.S. citizen , was arrested .
The Border Patrol said its San @ @ @ @ @ more than 1,044 pounds of meth since Oct. 1 .

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confiscated 96 packages of methamphetamine hidden in a vehicle traveling on Interstate 15 south of Temecula on Friday.
A U.S. Border Patrol dog sniffed out more than $190,000 worth of methamphetamine concealed in a vehicle along a Southern California highway, the agency said.
An agent patrolling Interstate 15 followed a suspicious vehicle Friday as it exited onto U.S. 395 and parked at a gas station in the unincorporated Rainbow area of San Diego County south of Temecula, the agency said in a statement Monday.
The dog alerted the agent to the vehicle as the agent spoke to the driver and a detailed inspection found more than 100 pounds of meth in 96 packages inside the gas tank, spare tire and quarter panels of the Ford Explorer, the Border Patrol said.
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The driver, identified only as a 34-year-old U.S. citizen, was arrested.
The Border Patrol said its San Diego sector agents have seized more than 1,044 pounds of meth since Oct. 1.


latimes--2020-01-14--After mass shooting threat, former Long Beach hotel cook faces prison

A former Long Beach Marriott hotel cook who threatened to carry out a mass shooting pleaded no contest Monday to two felony counts of criminal threats and could face nearly four years in prison , authorities said .
Long Beach police thwarted a potential mass shooting in August when they arrested Rodolfo Montoya , 37 , at his Huntington Beach home , where a cache of weapons was found .
Officers seized multiple high-powered firearms , including an assault rifle , 38 high-capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition , according to the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a co-worker that he planned to go to work and shoot everybody he saw at the hotel .
He was angry about a human-resources issue , according to investigators .
The co-worker notified police , and officers took Montoya into custody the following day .
Police said the specifics of Montoya ’ s plan as well as his access to firearms caused particular concern , prompting the arrest .
“ Suspect Montoya had clear plans , intent and the means to carry out an act of violence that may have resulted in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Chief Robert Luna said at the time of his arrest .
Montoya lived in a motor home in an alley behind a cluster of industrial businesses along Jacquelyn Lane in Huntington Beach .
Residents described the area as generally quiet , while neighbors said that Montoya mostly kept to himself and that they would occasionally see him on his way to work .
Previous charges against Montoya of one count each of dissuading a witness by force or threat and possession of an assault weapon — a Colt AR-15 rifle — are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal , according to D.A .
spokesman Ricardo Santiago .
Sentencing for Montoya — the maximum of which is three years and eight months — is scheduled for Jan. 27 .

A former Long Beach Marriott hotel cook who threatened to carry out a mass shooting pleaded no contest Monday to two felony counts of criminal threats and could face nearly four years in prison, authorities said.
Long Beach police thwarted a potential mass shooting in August when they arrested Rodolfo Montoya, 37, at his Huntington Beach home, where a cache of weapons was found. Officers seized multiple high-powered firearms, including an assault rifle, 38 high-capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Police said Montoya told a co-worker that he planned to go to work and shoot everybody he saw at the hotel. He was angry about a human-resources issue, according to investigators. The co-worker notified police, and officers took Montoya into custody the following day.
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Police said the specifics of Montoya’s plan as well as his access to firearms caused particular concern, prompting the arrest.
“Suspect Montoya had clear plans, intent and the means to carry out an act of violence that may have resulted in a mass casualty incident,” Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said at the time of his arrest.
Montoya lived in a motor home in an alley behind a cluster of industrial businesses along Jacquelyn Lane in Huntington Beach. Residents described the area as generally quiet, while neighbors said that Montoya mostly kept to himself and that they would occasionally see him on his way to work.
Previous charges against Montoya of one count each of dissuading a witness by force or threat and possession of an assault weapon — a Colt AR-15 rifle — are being dropped as part of a plea deal, according to D.A. spokesman Ricardo Santiago.
Sentencing for Montoya — the maximum of which is three years and eight months — is scheduled for Jan. 27.


latimes--2020-01-14--11,000-gallon sewage spill prompts closures along Long Beach coast

Seven miles of shoreline in Long Beach have been closed after roughly 11,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the San Gabriel River , flowing south to the city ’ s beaches , authorities said .
The massive spill , which occurred Sunday in the city of Hawaiian Gardens and was caused by a grease blockage in a main sewage line , according to a Los Angeles County report , prompted the closure of all swimming areas along the Long Beach coast .
Anissa Davis , Long Beach ’ s city health officer , ordered the closure Monday , saying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality improved .
Environmental health operations officer Judeth Luong said the city ’ s health department was awaiting results of a second water sample .
The beaches won ’ t reopen until Wednesday at the earliest , she said , and then only if the water quality no longer includes excessive bacteria levels .
In August , Huntington Harbour closed for a day after nearly 50,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the area .
The spill had a similar cause , a blockage in a main sewer line , likely caused by tree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collected and tested weekly in Long Beach .
The public is asked to pay attention to warning signs posted at the beach , as has been the case during this week ’ s closure .
For further updates , visitors can call the water hotline at ( 562 ) 570-4199 .

Seven miles of shoreline in Long Beach have been closed after roughly 11,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the San Gabriel River, flowing south to the city’s beaches, authorities said.
The massive spill, which occurred Sunday in the city of Hawaiian Gardens and was caused by a grease blockage in a main sewage line, according to a Los Angeles County report, prompted the closure of all swimming areas along the Long Beach coast.
Anissa Davis, Long Beach’s city health officer, ordered the closure Monday, saying the area would remain off-limits until the water quality improved.
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Environmental health operations officer Judeth Luong said the city’s health department was awaiting results of a second water sample. The beaches won’t reopen until Wednesday at the earliest, she said, and then only if the water quality no longer includes excessive bacteria levels.
In August, Huntington Harbour closed for a day after nearly 50,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the area. The spill had a similar cause, a blockage in a main sewer line, likely caused by tree branches or roots.
Water samples are collected and tested weekly in Long Beach. The public is asked to pay attention to warning signs posted at the beach, as has been the case during this week’s closure.
For further updates, visitors can call the water hotline at (562) 570-4199.


latimes--2020-01-14--Moms squatting in home to protest Bay Area housing crisis are kicked out by deputies

Four members of an activist group rallying against the Bay Area ’ s housing crisis were arrested before dawn Tuesday when law enforcement served an eviction notice on a home in west Oakland where a group of women had been squatting since November .
The group , known collectively as Moms 4 Housing , took control of the unoccupied white-and-blue house on Magnolia Street two months ago in what they said was a bid to call attention to rapid gentrification that ’ s reshaping the Bay Area amid widespread homelessness .
The area also is in the midst of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacant while working people struggle to afford to live in their own neighborhoods .
The activists , who moved into the home with their children , were previously either homeless or on the brink of homelessness .
They said the property had been vacant for years .
“ The Moms for Housing are uniting mothers , neighbors and friends to reclaim housing for the Oakland community from the big banks and real estate speculators , ” the group wrote on its website .
Alameda County sheriff ’ s deputies and crisis negotiators descended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5:15 a.m. , instructing anyone inside the building to exit with their hands above their heads .
A crowd of protesters stood by , chanting , “ Let the moms go , ” filming the situation and , at times , arguing and swearing at deputies .
Deputies arrived earlier than usual Tuesday morning , prepared for a backlash from protesters who in previous days “ had formed human chains in front of the home and had vowed to fight police , ” Sgt .
Ray Kelly said .
Three people who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passively resisting being evicted , Kelly said .
After a few minutes , the deputies entered the home , bound the women ’ s hands with plastic ties and escorted them out .
The names of the individuals taken into custody were not immediately available .
Wedgewood , a Redondo Beach real estate investment company that specializes in “ distressed residential real estate , ” purchased the Oakland property at a foreclosure auction over the summer for a little more than half a million dollars — 10 times what the property last sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spokesman for Wedgewood , in December that the women squatting there had stolen the house .
“ There ’ s a real simple bottom line , which is you can ’ t steal people ’ s property , ” he told the news outlet .
“ The home belongs to Wedgewood and the many people who invest in Wedgewood .
And the women took this house — stole this house — and have no right to it.
” Wedgewood served the women with an eviction notice in early December , which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have rallied outside the house on multiple occasions over the past months , and several City Council members have voiced their support for the women .
But on Friday , Alameda County Superior Court Judge Patrick McKinney ruled that they had no right to stay in the home .
His decision gave the sheriff ’ s office authority to evict the group within five days .
Lawyers for Dominique Walker , a member of the group , argued during the hearing that housing was a right and that the court must give the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially because it sat vacant for so long and the alternative would be to send the women to live on the streets .
“ Wedgewood wants to pretend we don ’ t exist , that their actions don ’ t have real-life consequences for Oaklanders , ” Walker said in a prepared statement in December .
“ We ’ ve had hundreds of our supporters calling and emailing them .
We ’ ve sent letters from ourselves and supporting organizations .
But Wedgewood has refused to sit down with us to talk.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .

Dominique Walker speaks on behalf of Moms 4 Housing at a news conference Friday outside the Oakland house members had taken over.
Four members of an activist group rallying against the Bay Area’s housing crisis were arrested before dawn Tuesday when law enforcement served an eviction notice on a home in West Oakland where a group of women had been squatting since November.
The group, known collectively as Moms 4 Housing, took control of the unoccupied white-and-blue house on Magnolia Street two months ago in what they said was a bid to call attention to rapid gentrification that’s reshaping the Bay Area amid widespread homelessness. The area also is in the midst of a housing crisis in which investor-owned properties sit vacant while working people struggle to afford to live in their own neighborhoods.
The activists, who moved into the home with their children, were previously either homeless or on the brink of homelessness. They said the property had been vacant for years.
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“The Moms for Housing are uniting mothers, neighbors and friends to reclaim housing for the Oakland community from the big banks and real estate speculators,” the group wrote on its website.
Alameda County sheriff’s deputies and crisis negotiators descended on the three-bedroom, one-bathroom home about 5:15 a.m., instructing anyone inside the building to exit with their hands above their heads. A crowd of protesters stood by, chanting, “Let the moms go,” filming the situation and, at times, arguing and swearing at deputies.
Deputies arrived earlier than usual Tuesday morning, prepared for a backlash from protesters who in previous days “had formed human chains in front of the home and had vowed to fight police,” Sgt. Ray Kelly said.
Three people who were inside the home told authorities they were passively resisting being evicted, Kelly said. After a few minutes, the deputies entered the home, bound the women’s hands with plastic ties and escorted them out. The names of the individuals taken into custody were not immediately available.
Wedgewood, a Redondo Beach real estate investment company that specializes in “distressed residential real estate,” purchased the Oakland property at a foreclosure auction over the summer for a little more than half a million dollars — 10 times what the property last sold for in 1997.
Sam Singer, a spokesman for Wedgewood, told the Mercury News in December that the women squatting there had stolen the house.
“There’s a real simple bottom line, which is you can’t steal people’s property,” he told the news outlet. “The home belongs to Wedgewood and the many people who invest in Wedgewood. And the women took this house — stole this house — and have no right to it.”
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Wedgewood served the women with an eviction notice in early December, which the group vowed to fight. Large groups have rallied outside the house on multiple occasions over the past months, and several City Council members have voiced their support for the women.
But on Friday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Patrick McKinney ruled that they had no right to stay in the home. His decision gave the sheriff’s office authority to evict the group within five days.
Lawyers for Dominique Walker, a member of the group, argued during the hearing that housing was a right and that the court must give the women the right to possess the house, especially because it sat vacant for so long and the alternative would be to send the women to live on the streets.
“Wedgewood wants to pretend we don’t exist, that their actions don’t have real-life consequences for Oaklanders,” Walker said in a prepared statement in December. “We’ve had hundreds of our supporters calling and emailing them. We’ve sent letters from ourselves and supporting organizations. But Wedgewood has refused to sit down with us to talk.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.