latimes--2020-05-17--California's prisons and jails have emptied thousands into a world changed by coronavirus

In short order , the coronavirus pandemic has ushered in a sweeping and historic emptying of California ’ s overcrowded prisons and jails , as officials have dramatically lowered the number of people held in custody to avert deadly outbreaks .
State data show California ’ s prisons have released about 3,500 inmates while the daily jail population across 58 counties is down by 20,000 from late February .
The exodus is having a profound and still-evolving effect : Those leaving custody enter a vastly different world in which a collapsed economy , scant job opportunities and the closure of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of getting lives back on track .
Reentry programs are struggling to meet the deluge of incoming inmates as the disease has forced them to close shelters and serve fewer people .
“ People are continuously getting out .
… Where are those folks going ?
” said Jay Jordan , executive director of Californians For Safety & Justice , a nonprofit criminal justice reform group .
“ Seventy-five percent of people getting out of prison right now have no plan .
Nowhere to go.
” Some of those released from jails unknowingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family , friends and the community .
Advocates say many run the risk of ending up homeless when jailers don ’ t connect them to services .
Others have taken advantage of the pandemic to commit more offenses , in some cases within hours of leaving jail .
Law enforcement leaders and many district attorneys see an intensifying public safety threat posed by the mass release as well as a trampling of the rights of crime victims .
“ There was a one-size-fits-all approach which was really difficult to understand , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , where no jail staff or inmates have contracted the virus .
“ Now I ’ m putting people out on the street that a judge might not put out.
” ‘ It would be very difficult if we did nothing ’ On a typical day , there are still just over 50,000 people in California ’ s constellation of jails and 116,000 in state prisons .
The releases have been accomplished through a patchwork of measures , nearly all of which have generated controversy , including reduced bail for some and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out within 60 days .
Others awaiting trial gained freedom through approvals from prosecutors , public defenders and judges , a process that resulted in about 700 people in L.A. County getting out .
Such measures have pushed L.A. County ’ s jails — the largest system in the nation— from a pre-pandemic population of 17,000 down to less than 12,000 .
“ It would be very difficult if we did nothing , and left all 17,000 inmates in , to contain the spread of this disease , ” said Dist .
Atty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the state Judicial Council ordered zero bail last month for misdemeanor and low-level felonies .
The high risk of infections in institutional settings such as nursing homes have informed decisions to reduce jail and prison populations .
Fears of widespread outbreaks have been borne out : At the federal prison at Terminal Island , about 700 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus , and eight have died .
More than 900 inmates in a federal prison in Lompoc contracted the virus , the worst outbreak in the federal prison system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison in Chino , where 443 inmates have tested positive for the virus .
Dr. Mark Malek , the former director of infection control and epidemiology for the L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department , said jails and prisons are constantly challenged by infectious diseases , but COVID-19 poses particular threats .
“ Social distancing can be done to a certain degree , but you can ’ t take 100 people in a dorm and quarantine them separately .
You have to quarantine them in the dorm , ” Malek said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 % perfect healthy population here.
” Edward Harris , whose record includes convictions for domestic violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm , was scheduled to walk out of Centinela State Prison in the Imperial County desert in late May when a parole officer told him “ You ’ re gon na be leaving fast ” and to pack up .
He was among the 3,500 prison inmates who had their release accelerated by Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
But instead of going home , an old warrant caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s jail system , which was also experiencing an outbreak .
He was finally released the night of April 9 , but had no place to go .
His family was hunkering down in Texas , and he didn ’ t know if he could reach any friends nearby .
“ They got a phone right there that you get to use , but once again it ’ s a collect call from a payphone , ” Harris , 35 , said in an interview .
“ Here it is like 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s answering the phone ?
A collect call at that ?
” A lifeline came in the form of a phone number scrawled on a post-it note by his cellmate connecting him with Jordan ’ s group , which has paid for his hotel room .
Advocates and service providers statewide have reported a similar lack of planning over the flood of early releases .
Susan Burton , founder of the reentry program A New Way of Life , said the L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department refused to coordinate releases from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , about an hour before Burton set out to pick up a woman eligible for release because of a preexisting medical condition , the Sheriff ’ s Department called and told her not to come .
Burton said she doesn ’ t know where the woman ended up .
“ I felt it was really painful that they would rather just release the person instead of having a designated place for this woman to shelter in place , ” said Burton , who opened a nine-bed house to prepare for the surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when jails do coordinate with reentry groups .
When Santa Clara County became an early locus of outbreaks , the Sheriff ’ s Department asked one of the largest local shelters , Home First , to expect an influx of 200 to 300 inmates .
Home First had to turn them away .
Andrea Urton , chief executive of the Milpitas shelter , said she had to make the difficult choice of protecting those already under her care from potential infections .
“ We felt that we needed to make the decision because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ max capacity … we would have an outbreak in our homeless shelters , ” Urton said .
In Los Angeles County , Homeboy Industries had to temporarily close its doors in mid-March due to financial headaches and distancing restrictions just as nearby Men ’ s Central Jail was releasing scores of inmates .
“ We see the guys that come from the county jail , in their black paper jumpsuits , ” said associate executive director Hector Verdugo .
“ And we ’ re saying , ‘ I ’ m sorry brother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to COVID-19 , but here ’ s a care package.
’ ” Reentry providers statewide said the failure of some jailers to guide those who are being released toward transitional housing could encourage recidivism .
Many ex offenders had no homes to go to before the pandemic , and with shelter and employment options more limited now , some may wind up stealing to survive .
“ They are releasing people ... .
that have nowhere to go .
Then the sheriff ’ s departments are turning around saying these people will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ How inhumane is that ?
” In L.A. County , the Office of Diversion and Reentry typically helps inmates with mental illness or substance abuse problems find housing , but the coronavirus has forced a new strategy .
“ We slowed our work down in court and shifted our resources to address the number of people released from jail , ” said Peter Espinoza , a retired Superior Court judge who now heads the office .
Espinoza said they added 211 beds in new housing sites , and found housing for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said inmates in L.A. County generally are not being tested for COVID-19 before their release unless they show symptoms and many service providers now are checking for symptoms when they arrive .
The case of Frank Cooper underscores the risks of inmates as a vector for spreading the virus .
Cooper was scheduled to be released from Riverside County jail in November , but was let go on April 24 to serve the rest of his term on house arrest .
On his way out , jail staff wore gloves and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a bag marked “ COVID.
” Cooper was confused — he wasn ’ t sick and hadn ’ t even been tested .
But a deputy who drove Cooper to the county jail in Banning to be released said the measures were necessary because his dorm was quarantined .
Before leaving , a nurse took his vital signs and swabbed him for the virus .
Riverside County officials have yet to officially give him his results .
Cooper sought his own test and learned May 2 that he was positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I ’ m a nurse and I did take some precautions , ” said his wife , Jackie Cooper .
“ If I had just been a lay person going to pick him up with no mask , kissing him , hugging him … it could be a different scenario now.
” Once outside , the closure of businesses and government services poses daily obstacles .
Angela Hernandez , 38 , was released from prison March 19 , the day Newsom announced a statewide shelter-in-place order .
She secured a spot at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in L.A. , but needed to return to Bakersfield for a parole check-in and feared riding a bus would risk exposure to the virus .
“ I didn ’ t want to put myself in a bad predicament , but I didn ’ t want to wait it out either , ” Hernandez said .
Burton said she ended up driving Hernandez to Bakersfield .
When they arrived , Burton said , the parole officer wasn ’ t there .
She checked in and filled out some paperwork , ending a trip they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 years in state prison , Sureka Weinberg , 42 , was released April 17 and entered a South L.A. residential program .
The DMV is closed , so Weinberg can ’ t get a new identification card .
She doesn ’ t know where her Social Security card is , can ’ t open a bank account and doesn ’ t have a credit history .
“ I had anticipated hitting the ground running , ” said Weinberg , who according to public records was an attorney before the fatal DUI crash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not only am I just not able to do that , but I ’ m anonymous as far as society ’ s concerned.
” Weinberg said she spends her newfound freedom studying online , taking Alcoholic Anonymous meetings via Zoom , and performing household chores .
Police agencies have been quick to single out re-offenders .
Alameda County has released nearly 1,000 inmates since March 15 and about 30 have been rearrested , said Sgt .
Ray Kelly .
Among them was Rocky Music , whose antics were detailed on the Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first detained on April 19 by Oakland police on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle .
Twelve hours later , he was released because of the zero bail order .
Kelly said that 37 minutes later , he allegedly carjacked someone near a transit station in Dublin , and drove the car to a San Ramon gas station , where he tried to carjack a second vehicle .
Police responded , chased Music and ultimately detained him using a police dog , Kelly said .
“ There was mass hysteria to de-incarcerate over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s proven not to be based on fact or scientific evidence , but based on fear , ” Kelly said .
The Alameda County jail population went from a pre-pandemic average of 2,600 to about 1,775 people .
More than 50 inmates and two staff have tested positive for the coronavirus , and all but 14 current inmates have recovered .
Still , Kelly conceded it “ helped tremendously ” that fewer people were in custody and social distancing could be implemented , especially in the large dorm that houses minimum-security prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff Parkinson said his agency took “ a pretty aggressive stance ” on the coronavirus : New inmates stay in a quarantine area for 14 days before going into the general population .
Staff wear masks , and sheriff ’ s deputies and inmates are given regular temperature checks .
All 10 inmates who were tested had negative results .
Parkinson said his deputies supply all those released with Narcan , a prescription drug to treat opioid overdoses .
Jail staff try to provide several days worth of medications , but the zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an accurate medical history when those arrested are swiftly released , he said .
San Luis Obispo County Dist .
Atty .
Dan Dow said repeat offenders face few consequences , with criminal trials suspended and bail for many nonviolent offenses eliminated .
“ Bail is there to make sure a person has an incentive to come to court and remain crime-free , ” Dow said .
“ Just releasing them on zero bail — they have nothing to lose.
” In one Orange County case , a man charged with vehicular manslaughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that left two people dead saw his bail fall from $ 100,000 to $ 20,000 .
The man was released last month , said Dist .
Atty .
Todd Spitzer .
“ There comes a point where you have to weigh that the inmate might get a particular disease — which they might get outside of jail , that we all might get it outside of jail — against the public safety and the propensity that these people might commit crimes against another individual , ” Spitzer said .
Others argue that California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jailed too many for minor offenses and welcome the releases .
San Francisco Dist .
Atty .
Chesa Boudin , a former public defender and champion of more progressive law enforcement policies , said early releases there included a woman with a high-risk pregnancy and no criminal record who was serving time for a misdemeanor as well as another person too mentally ill to stand trial .
The surge in releases highlights a need to fund more rehabilitative programs , he said .
“ One of the great failings of the American system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invest in reentry .
… It helps create and perpetuate a cycle of crime and violence , of poverty and victimization , ” Boudin said .
“ It is possible to decrease the number of people in our jails and in our prisons in a way that does not impact public safety and does not lead to an increase in crime .
”

Matt Hamilton, James Queally, Alene Tchekmedyian

Edward Harris of Los Angeles is one of 3,500 people given early release from prison during the pandemic.
In short order, the coronavirus pandemic has ushered in a sweeping and historic emptying of California’s overcrowded prisons and jails, as officials have dramatically lowered the number of people held in custody to avert deadly outbreaks.
State data show California’s prisons have released about 3,500 inmates while the daily jail population across 58 counties is down by 20,000 from late February.
The exodus is having a profound and still-evolving effect: Those leaving custody enter a vastly different world in which a collapsed economy, scant job opportunities and the closure of many government offices have compounded the challenges of getting lives back on track.
Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan speaks after touring the Terminal Island prison site to inquire about the “extremely high” number of COVID-19 cases among inmates and prison staff. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
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Reentry programs are struggling to meet the deluge of incoming inmates as the disease has forced them to close shelters and serve fewer people.
“People are continuously getting out. … Where are those folks going?” said Jay Jordan, executive director of Californians For Safety & Justice, a nonprofit criminal justice reform group. “Seventy-five percent of people getting out of prison right now have no plan. Nowhere to go.”
Some of those released from jails unknowingly carry the novel coronavirus, potentially infecting family, friends and the community. Advocates say many run the risk of ending up homeless when jailers don’t connect them to services.
Others have taken advantage of the pandemic to commit more offenses, in some cases within hours of leaving jail. Law enforcement leaders and many district attorneys see an intensifying public safety threat posed by the mass release as well as a trampling of the rights of crime victims.
“There was a one-size-fits-all approach which was really difficult to understand,” said Sheriff Ian Parkinson of San Luis Obispo County, where no jail staff or inmates have contracted the virus. “Now I’m putting people out on the street that a judge might not put out.”
Inmates walk to their cell blocks at the L.A. County Jail. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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‘It would be very difficult if we did nothing’
On a typical day, there are still just over 50,000 people in California’s constellation of jails and 116,000 in state prisons.
The releases have been accomplished through a patchwork of measures, nearly all of which have generated controversy, including reduced bail for some and early release for those due to be out within 60 days. Others awaiting trial gained freedom through approvals from prosecutors, public defenders and judges, a process that resulted in about 700 people in L.A. County getting out. Such measures have pushed L.A. County’s jails — the largest system in the nation— from a pre-pandemic population of 17,000 down to less than 12,000.
“It would be very difficult if we did nothing, and left all 17,000 inmates in, to contain the spread of this disease,” said Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey.
Perhaps most controversially, the state Judicial Council ordered zero bail last month for misdemeanor and low-level felonies.
The high risk of infections in institutional settings such as nursing homes have informed decisions to reduce jail and prison populations.
Fears of widespread outbreaks have been borne out: At the federal prison at Terminal Island, about 700 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, and eight have died. More than 900 inmates in a federal prison in Lompoc contracted the virus, the worst outbreak in the federal prison system. Five died at the men’s prison in Chino, where 443 inmates have tested positive for the virus.
Dr. Mark Malek, the former director of infection control and epidemiology for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, said jails and prisons are constantly challenged by infectious diseases, but COVID-19 poses particular threats.
“Social distancing can be done to a certain degree, but you can’t take 100 people in a dorm and quarantine them separately. You have to quarantine them in the dorm,” Malek said. “And we are not dealing with a 100% perfect healthy population here.”
Edward Harris of Los Angeles is one of thousands of inmates given early release. A criminal justice advocacy group got him a hotel room. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
‘Who’s answering the phone?’
Edward Harris, whose record includes convictions for domestic violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm, was scheduled to walk out of Centinela State Prison in the Imperial County desert in late May when a parole officer told him “You’re gonna be leaving fast” and to pack up.
He was among the 3,500 prison inmates who had their release accelerated by Gov. Gavin Newsom. But instead of going home, an old warrant caused him to be transferred into Riverside County’s jail system, which was also experiencing an outbreak.
He was finally released the night of April 9, but had no place to go. His family was hunkering down in Texas, and he didn’t know if he could reach any friends nearby.
“They got a phone right there that you get to use, but once again it’s a collect call from a payphone,” Harris, 35, said in an interview. “Here it is like 10 o’clock at night, who’s answering the phone? A collect call at that?”
A lifeline came in the form of a phone number scrawled on a post-it note by his cellmate connecting him with Jordan’s group, which has paid for his hotel room.
Advocates and service providers statewide have reported a similar lack of planning over the flood of early releases. Susan Burton, founder of the reentry program A New Way of Life, said the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department refused to coordinate releases from its women’s jail.
Last month, about an hour before Burton set out to pick up a woman eligible for release because of a preexisting medical condition, the Sheriff’s Department called and told her not to come. Burton said she doesn’t know where the woman ended up.
“I felt it was really painful that they would rather just release the person instead of having a designated place for this woman to shelter in place,” said Burton, who opened a nine-bed house to prepare for the surge of early releases.
Challenges persist even when jails do coordinate with reentry groups. When Santa Clara County became an early locus of outbreaks, the Sheriff’s Department asked one of the largest local shelters, Home First, to expect an influx of 200 to 300 inmates. Home First had to turn them away.
Andrea Urton, chief executive of the Milpitas shelter, said she had to make the difficult choice of protecting those already under her care from potential infections.
“We felt that we needed to make the decision because if we loaded up our facilities to max capacity … we would have an outbreak in our homeless shelters,” Urton said.
An inmate puts his hand through the cell bars on the 3000 floor of L.A. County Men’s Central Jail as sheriff’s deputies patrol. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
In Los Angeles County, Homeboy Industries had to temporarily close its doors in mid-March due to financial headaches and distancing restrictions just as nearby Men’s Central Jail was releasing scores of inmates.
“We see the guys that come from the county jail, in their black paper jumpsuits,” said associate executive director Hector Verdugo. “And we’re saying, ‘I’m sorry brother, but our doors are closed for now due to COVID-19, but here’s a care package.’”
Reentry providers statewide said the failure of some jailers to guide those who are being released toward transitional housing could encourage recidivism. Many ex offenders had no homes to go to before the pandemic, and with shelter and employment options more limited now, some may wind up stealing to survive.
“They are releasing people .... that have nowhere to go. Then the sheriff’s departments are turning around saying these people will commit crimes,” Jordan said. “How inhumane is that?”
In L.A. County, the Office of Diversion and Reentry typically helps inmates with mental illness or substance abuse problems find housing, but the coronavirus has forced a new strategy.
“We slowed our work down in court and shifted our resources to address the number of people released from jail,” said Peter Espinoza, a retired Superior Court judge who now heads the office. Espinoza said they added 211 beds in new housing sites, and found housing for more than 170 inmates in a two-week period.
He said inmates in L.A. County generally are not being tested for COVID-19 before their release unless they show symptoms and many service providers now are checking for symptoms when they arrive.
The case of Frank Cooper underscores the risks of inmates as a vector for spreading the virus. Cooper was scheduled to be released from Riverside County jail in November, but was let go on April 24 to serve the rest of his term on house arrest. On his way out, jail staff wore gloves and masks, and put his personal belongings in a bag marked “COVID.”
Deputies work in a secure section of the Men’s Central Jail. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Cooper was confused — he wasn’t sick and hadn’t even been tested. But a deputy who drove Cooper to the county jail in Banning to be released said the measures were necessary because his dorm was quarantined. Before leaving, a nurse took his vital signs and swabbed him for the virus.
Riverside County officials have yet to officially give him his results. Cooper sought his own test and learned May 2 that he was positive for the coronavirus.
“It’s only because I’m a nurse and I did take some precautions,” said his wife, Jackie Cooper. “If I had just been a lay person going to pick him up with no mask, kissing him, hugging him … it could be a different scenario now.”
‘I had anticipated hitting the ground running’
Once outside, the closure of businesses and government services poses daily obstacles. Angela Hernandez, 38, was released from prison March 19, the day Newsom announced a statewide shelter-in-place order. She secured a spot at one of Burton’s reentry homes in L.A., but needed to return to Bakersfield for a parole check-in and feared riding a bus would risk exposure to the virus.
“I didn’t want to put myself in a bad predicament, but I didn’t want to wait it out either,” Hernandez said.
Burton said she ended up driving Hernandez to Bakersfield. When they arrived, Burton said, the parole officer wasn’t there. She checked in and filled out some paperwork, ending a trip they both viewed as unnecessary.
After nearly 11 years in state prison, Sureka Weinberg, 42, was released April 17 and entered a South L.A. residential program.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Men’s Central Jail facility. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
The DMV is closed, so Weinberg can’t get a new identification card. She doesn’t know where her Social Security card is, can’t open a bank account and doesn’t have a credit history.
“I had anticipated hitting the ground running,” said Weinberg, who according to public records was an attorney before the fatal DUI crash that landed her behind bars. “Not only am I just not able to do that, but I’m anonymous as far as society’s concerned.”
Weinberg said she spends her newfound freedom studying online, taking Alcoholic Anonymous meetings via Zoom, and performing household chores.
‘Mass hysteria’ to empty jails and prisons
Police agencies have been quick to single out re-offenders. Alameda County has released nearly 1,000 inmates since March 15 and about 30 have been rearrested, said Sgt. Ray Kelly.
Among them was Rocky Music, whose antics were detailed on the Sheriff’s Department Facebook page. Music was first detained on April 19 by Oakland police on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle. Twelve hours later, he was released because of the zero bail order.
Kelly said that 37 minutes later, he allegedly carjacked someone near a transit station in Dublin, and drove the car to a San Ramon gas station, where he tried to carjack a second vehicle. Police responded, chased Music and ultimately detained him using a police dog, Kelly said.
“There was mass hysteria to de-incarcerate over COVID-19, and in our county it’s proven not to be based on fact or scientific evidence, but based on fear,” Kelly said.
The Alameda County jail population went from a pre-pandemic average of 2,600 to about 1,775 people. More than 50 inmates and two staff have tested positive for the coronavirus, and all but 14 current inmates have recovered.
Still, Kelly conceded it “helped tremendously” that fewer people were in custody and social distancing could be implemented, especially in the large dorm that houses minimum-security prisoners.
In San Luis Obispo County, Sheriff Parkinson said his agency took “a pretty aggressive stance” on the coronavirus: New inmates stay in a quarantine area for 14 days before going into the general population. Staff wear masks, and sheriff’s deputies and inmates are given regular temperature checks. All 10 inmates who were tested had negative results.
Parkinson said his deputies supply all those released with Narcan, a prescription drug to treat opioid overdoses. Jail staff try to provide several days worth of medications, but the zero bail has limited their ability to get an accurate medical history when those arrested are swiftly released, he said.
San Luis Obispo County Dist. Atty. Dan Dow said repeat offenders face few consequences, with criminal trials suspended and bail for many nonviolent offenses eliminated.
“Bail is there to make sure a person has an incentive to come to court and remain crime-free,” Dow said. “Just releasing them on zero bail — they have nothing to lose.”
In one Orange County case, a man charged with vehicular manslaughter in connection with a street racing crash that left two people dead saw his bail fall from $100,000 to $20,000. The man was released last month, said Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer.
“There comes a point where you have to weigh that the inmate might get a particular disease — which they might get outside of jail, that we all might get it outside of jail — against the public safety and the propensity that these people might commit crimes against another individual,” Spitzer said.
Others argue that California’s criminal justice system has long jailed too many for minor offenses and welcome the releases.
San Francisco Dist. Atty. Chesa Boudin, a former public defender and champion of more progressive law enforcement policies, said early releases there included a woman with a high-risk pregnancy and no criminal record who was serving time for a misdemeanor as well as another person too mentally ill to stand trial.
The surge in releases highlights a need to fund more rehabilitative programs, he said.
“One of the great failings of the American system of mass incarceration is its refusal to invest in reentry. … It helps create and perpetuate a cycle of crime and violence, of poverty and victimization,” Boudin said. “It is possible to decrease the number of people in our jails and in our prisons in a way that does not impact public safety and does not lead to an increase in crime.”


latimes--2020-05-19--Still trying to get a handle on schooling from home? Home-schoolers know a thing or two

Ten-year-old Eva used to whiz through exercises in school , finishing before most of her friends and sometimes mentoring other students .
But since her classes moved to distance learning in March , the fourth-grader at Lakewood ’ s Cleveland Elementary School has struggled to adjust .
Endless worksheets aren ’ t particularly motivating , and raising a hand in class isn ’ t as easy over Zoom .
“ Learning as it is , is sometimes difficult in school , ” said Shoshanah Abraham , Eva ’ s mother .
“ But to learn when you ’ re home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re at a desk and you ’ re not distracted — we ’ re in the middle of a pandemic , how much can a kid really learn ?
” So Abraham turned to a group that has some expertise : home-schoolers .
Home-schooling — an all-encompassing term that describes various forms of learning at home , in cooperative settings or online — is not exactly the same thing as distance learning .
“ This is sort of the schooling of last resort .
Whereas for most home-schoolers , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that ’ s planned out with some forethought , ” said Robert Kunzman , a curriculum and instruction professor at Indiana University and managing director for the International Center for Home Education Research .
Of course , not every parent has the privilege of time and resources to build full-fledged home-school courses during the pandemic .
But Heather Martinson , 53 , a home-school mom of 25-plus years who runs the Celebration Education learning center in Santa Ana , encourages parents to harness the spirit of home schooling while the stay-at-home order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Martinson ?
Don ’ t sweat the academics too much right now .
“ It will come .
But when things are unusual or strange or unsettled , it ’ s difficult to learn , ” Martinson said .
“ Families can make the most out of this time and even make it educational and fun by making it experiences that they spend together.
” The essence of home-schooling , Kunzman said , is “ this idea that there ’ s so much going on in daily life that is potentially educative.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at that way , and if parents as instructors can be a little more deliberate and intentional about those experiences , ” he added , “ they can certainly constitute really valuable learning experiences.
” Most K-12 home-schoolers participate often in family activities , such as building or creating projects , playing sports and other exercise , playing board games and doing arts and crafts together , according to a National Center for Education Statistics Martinson recommends families go for walks , read and journal every day .
Research projects are better for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more with tactile exercises .
“ What ’ s awesome is they learn to love to learn , ” said Martinson .
“ They become curious or remember what curiosity is like .
It ’ s good , and it feels good , and it ’ s [ exciting ] !
” Earthroots Field School in Orange County typically offers classes for home-schoolers based in nature , such as geology lessons at a natural hot spring or animal tracking along a wooded trail .
Since the pandemic , founder , executive director and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the school ’ s resources online and in mail-able kits , so families can continue nature lessons from home .
Her website teaches children how to , go and even make food .
“ There ’ s innate wisdom in just touching sticks and feeling the grain and watching the sun and looking at the moon , ” Levine-Wright said .
“ It ’ s beautiful that parents are now able to do that with their kids.
” Part of her school ’ s lesson plan is a daily “ quiet sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observing nature for as little as five minutes .
Even resting beside a potted plant on an apartment balcony or opening the window to the birds will do , she said — anything to connect children , family and nature .
“ We had a magical moment where a hummingbird came and drank nectar from a flower in our yard , ” Levine-Wright said of Monday morning ’ s quiet sit with 6-year-old daughter Willow .
“ Just seeing that , it felt like a gift ... to be able to witness that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaging lessons from mundane items or experiences .
For example , her children once discovered that baking soda and vinegar in a plastic bag could make a “ bag bomb , ” and that became the foundation of their science lesson for the day .
“ Instead of expecting your child to do a certain number of worksheets by noon , you can ... go for a walk and examine bugs and birds and learn about those things , ” she said .
“ It may not be meeting the requirements of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that information that they ’ re learning , it ’ s easy to catch up.
” Many public schools have already adjusted their expectations for grades in the coronavirus-interrupted school year .
The Los Angeles Unified School District , for example , to any student this year .
Many standardized tests for K-12 students across the country have been canceled .
Public and private school teachers still need to track the progress of their students , but Kunzman said no one should expect the same outcomes this year .
He advises parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Make sure that the care of the relationship is paramount , ” he said .
“ There are ways that you can help your child be engaged with learning , to help learning be fun as a distraction or as something to do during this time — I think that ’ s a real victory in and of itself.
” A trademark of any good education , whether conventional or at home , Kunzman said , is when an instructor knows a student well enough to help them invest in and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually have an advantage .
Still , he acknowledged each relationship with a child is different .
Taking every opportunity as a teaching moment could come across as overly pedantic and create tension between the parent or guardian and child .
Adults should avail themselves of resources , such as other family figures , online learning tools and books .
“ One of the most important things about home-schooling parents is they understand their own strengths and weaknesses , and they understand what their own relationship [ is ] to the child , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a complicated calculus when you ’ re both parent and instructor .
”

Ten-year-old Eva used to whiz through exercises in school, finishing before most of her friends and sometimes mentoring other students.
But since her classes moved to distance learning in March, the fourth-grader at Lakewood’s Cleveland Elementary School has struggled to adjust. Endless worksheets aren’t particularly motivating, and raising a hand in class isn’t as easy over Zoom.
“Learning as it is, is sometimes difficult in school,” said Shoshanah Abraham, Eva’s mother. “But to learn when you’re home in your room, even if you’re at a desk and you’re not distracted — we’re in the middle of a pandemic, how much can a kid really learn?”
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So Abraham turned to a group that has some expertise: home-schoolers.
Home-schooling — an all-encompassing term that describes various forms of learning at home, in cooperative settings or online — is not exactly the same thing as distance learning.
“This is sort of the schooling of last resort. Whereas for most home-schoolers, it’s a choice, and it’s something that’s planned out with some forethought,” said Robert Kunzman, a curriculum and instruction professor at Indiana University and managing director for the International Center for Home Education Research.
Of course, not every parent has the privilege of time and resources to build full-fledged home-school courses during the pandemic. But Heather Martinson, 53, a home-school mom of 25-plus years who runs the Celebration Education learning center in Santa Ana, encourages parents to harness the spirit of home schooling while the stay-at-home order persists.
The first lesson, according to Martinson? Don’t sweat the academics too much right now.
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“It will come. But when things are unusual or strange or unsettled, it’s difficult to learn,” Martinson said. “Families can make the most out of this time and even make it educational and fun by making it experiences that they spend together.”
The essence of home-schooling, Kunzman said, is “this idea that there’s so much going on in daily life that is potentially educative.”
“If it’s looked at that way, and if parents as instructors can be a little more deliberate and intentional about those experiences,” he added, “they can certainly constitute really valuable learning experiences.”
Most K-12 home-schoolers participate often in family activities, such as building or creating projects, playing sports and other exercise, playing board games and doing arts and crafts together, according to a National Center for Education Statistics survey in 2016.
Martinson recommends families go for walks, read and journal every day. Research projects are better for older students. Younger children will learn more with tactile exercises.
“What’s awesome is they learn to love to learn,” said Martinson. “They become curious or remember what curiosity is like. It’s good, and it feels good, and it’s [exciting]!”
Earthroots Field School in Orange County typically offers classes for home-schoolers based in nature, such as geology lessons at a natural hot spring or animal tracking along a wooded trail. Since the pandemic, founder, executive director and home-school mother Jodi Levine-Wright has transitioned many of the school’s resources online and in mail-able kits, so families can continue nature lessons from home. Her website teaches children how to identify flora and fauna , go bird-watching and even make food from acorns .
“There’s innate wisdom in just touching sticks and feeling the grain and watching the sun and looking at the moon,” Levine-Wright said. “It’s beautiful that parents are now able to do that with their kids.”
Part of her school’s lesson plan is a daily “quiet sit” — going outside, sitting and observing nature for as little as five minutes. Even resting beside a potted plant on an apartment balcony or opening the window to the birds will do, she said — anything to connect children, family and nature.
“We had a magical moment where a hummingbird came and drank nectar from a flower in our yard,” Levine-Wright said of Monday morning’s quiet sit with 6-year-old daughter Willow. “Just seeing that, it felt like a gift ... to be able to witness that simple miracle.”
Martinson also advises finding engaging lessons from mundane items or experiences. For example, her children once discovered that baking soda and vinegar in a plastic bag could make a “bag bomb,” and that became the foundation of their science lesson for the day.
“Instead of expecting your child to do a certain number of worksheets by noon, you can ... go for a walk and examine bugs and birds and learn about those things,” she said. “It may not be meeting the requirements of the school, but especially grade school kids, that information that they’re learning, it’s easy to catch up.”
Many public schools have already adjusted their expectations for grades in the coronavirus-interrupted school year. The Los Angeles Unified School District, for example, will not issue a failing grade to any student this year. Many standardized tests for K-12 students across the country have been canceled.
Public and private school teachers still need to track the progress of their students, but Kunzman said no one should expect the same outcomes this year. He advises parents to “cut themselves a little slack.”
“Make sure that the care of the relationship is paramount,” he said. “There are ways that you can help your child be engaged with learning, to help learning be fun as a distraction or as something to do during this time — I think that’s a real victory in and of itself.”
A trademark of any good education, whether conventional or at home, Kunzman said, is when an instructor knows a student well enough to help them invest in and engage with their own learning. Parents usually have an advantage.
Still, he acknowledged each relationship with a child is different. Taking every opportunity as a teaching moment could come across as overly pedantic and create tension between the parent or guardian and child. Adults should avail themselves of resources, such as other family figures, online learning tools and books.
“One of the most important things about home-schooling parents is they understand their own strengths and weaknesses, and they understand what their own relationship [is] to the child,” Kunzman said. “It’s a complicated calculus when you’re both parent and instructor.”


latimes--2020-05-19--Earthquake: Magnitude 4.4 quake near Eureka, Calif.

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was reported at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday 163 miles from Eureka , Calif. , according to the @ @ @ @ @ earthquake occurred farther than 100 miles from a city .
In the past 10 days @ @ @ @ @ earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 25 earthquakes with @ @ @ @ @ occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three year data @ @ @ @ @ at a depth of 6.2 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting @ @ @ @ @ USGS .
Find out what to do before , and during , an earthquake near @ @ @ @ @ earthquake preparedness guide .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application @ @ @ @ @ detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published @ @ @ @ @ interested in learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions @

An earthquake was recorded Tuesday morning 163 miles from Eureka, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was reported at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday 163 miles from Eureka, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred farther than 100 miles from a city.
In the past 10 days, there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three year data sample.
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The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-05-19--Undocumented immigrants can begin applying for state coronavirus relief

Undocumented Californians may begin applying for disaster assistance payments of $ 500 per person and up to $ 1,000 per household .
The state government has made available $ 75 million to help a projected 150,000 undocumented immigrants weather the coronavirus crisis .
To qualify , applicants must show that they are ineligible for federal assistance programs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic , such as the CARES Act or federal unemployment benefits , and that they have endured a hardship from the pandemic .
Only adults may apply .
A state guide to common questions and answers about the program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ //www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/immigration/covid-19-drai Twelve nonprofit groups are working with the state government to disburse the aid .
The groups help applicants determine if they ’ re eligible for the assistance , apply for it and deliver payment cards to those who receive it .
Applicants must contact the group administering the assistance in their home county .
In Los Angeles County , three groups are administering the relief : the Central American Resource Center , which can be reached at ( 213 ) 315-2659 ; the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights , ( 213 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Asian Americans Advancing Justice , ( 213 ) 241-8880 .
The funds are available on a first-come , first-served basis until they are spent or June 30 at the latest .
In what the state calls a “ separate but complementary effort , ” nonprofit groups have launched a “ California Immigrant Resilience Fund ” that aims to raise $ 50 million .
These funds will be distributed in cash payments to undocumented immigrants who qualify for neither federal nor state relief .
A conservative group , the Center for American Liberty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his plan to offer relief to undocumented immigrants .
The group ’ s attorney said the $ 75 million represented taxpayer money to be disbursed as the Legislature decides , “ not a slush fund for the governor to spend as he sees fit .
”

Gov. Gavin Newsom has made available disaster assistance payments for Californians living in the U.S. illegally.
Californians living in the U.S. illegally may begin applying for disaster assistance payments of $500 per person and up to $1,000 per household.
The state government has made available $75 million to help a projected 150,000 immigrants without legal status weather the coronavirus crisis.
To qualify, applicants must show that they are ineligible for federal assistance programs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the CARES Act or federal unemployment benefits, and that they have endured a hardship from the pandemic. Only adults may apply. A state guide to common questions and answers about the program is posted online.
Twelve nonprofit groups are working with the state government to disburse the aid. The groups help applicants determine if they’re eligible for the assistance, apply for it and deliver payment cards to those who receive it. Applicants must contact the group administering the assistance in their home county.
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In Los Angeles County, three groups are administering the relief: the Central American Resource Center, which can be reached at (213) 315-2659; the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, (213) 201-8700 or (213) 395-9547; and Asian Americans Advancing Justice, (213) 241-8880.
The funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis until they are spent or June 30 at the latest.
In what the state calls a “separate but complementary effort,” nonprofit groups have launched a “California Immigrant Resilience Fund” that aims to raise $50 million. These funds will be distributed in cash payments to immigrants without legal status who qualify for neither federal nor state relief.
A conservative group, the Center for American Liberty, sued Gov. Gavin Newsom over his plan to offer relief to those immigrants. The group’s attorney said the $75 million represented taxpayer money to be disbursed as the Legislature decides, “not a slush fund for the governor to spend as he sees fit.”


latimes--2020-05-18--3 Southern California men abducted, 2 killed, in cross-border kidnappings

They lived in Norwalk , Pasadena and San Diego , but they all disappeared in Tijuana .
Their families got a call demanding money .
And in one case , even though the man ’ s family left $ 25,000 in cash in a McDonald ’ s restroom as directed , he was killed anyway , according to court documents implicating a couple , Leslie Briana Matla and Juan Carlos Montoya Sanchez , in a Tijuana-based kidnapping ring .
Matla , 20 , and Montoya Sanchez , 25 , were charged in Los Angeles federal court with conspiring to launder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Bernardino County before moving to Mexico , was arrested last week in San Diego .
Montoya Sanchez , a resident of Tijuana , was arrested in San Diego on Sunday .
It was unclear Monday if either had retained an attorney .
In an affidavit unsealed Monday , FBI Special Agent Cara A. Sammartino detailed the couple ’ s alleged involvement in three kidnappings committed in the span of a month .
On March 27 , the wife of Salvador Acosta Medina , a U.S. citizen who lived in San Diego , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s iCloud account , she had found his most recent location : the Hotel Aqua in the Cañón del Padre neighborhood of Tijuana , Sammartino wrote in the affidavit .
The day after he was reported missing , Medina called his son and asked him to pay $ 25,000 to secure his release .
At the direction of his father ’ s abductors , the son gathered the money and left it in a bag in the women ’ s restroom at a McDonald ’ s in San Ysidro , the affidavit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk from the port of entry to Tijuana .
Six minutes after Medina ’ s son dropped the money , Matla left the restroom wearing a backpack and returned to Mexico on foot , Sammartino wrote , citing closed-circuit television footage .
The next day , Medina ’ s son received a Whatsapp message from his father ’ s account , saying he would be released that day , according to the affidavit .
Instead , Mexican authorities found his body in Tijuana and Medina ’ s family identified his remains two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , the sister of Edgar Esteban Guzman reported his kidnapping to the FBI .
Guzman , who lived in Norwalk , was visiting family in Tijuana when he got a phone call , a relative told agents .
Once he hung up , Guzman said he ’ d be gone for a few hours but would be back in time for dinner , Sammartino wrote in the affidavit .
He wasn ’ t .
The next day , Guzman called his mother : He was “ in trouble , ” he told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his boss to pay $ 25,000 to get him out of it , Sammartino wrote .
The next morning , his mother got a Facebook message from Guzman ’ s account — a picture of his beaten face , the affidavit said .
She negotiated the ransom down to $ 1,000 and her son ’ s Chevrolet Camaro , Sammartino wrote .
Guzman told his mother to hand over the ransom in the parking lot of a Lowe ’ s in Norwalk .
A woman — a “ pregnant lady ” — would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the affidavit .
For reasons left unexplained in the affidavit , the ransom was never delivered .
Mexican authorities found Guzman ’ s body the following day .
His sister used the family computer to access Guzman ’ s Google account .
His final location , in the early morning hours of the day he was found dead , was the Hotel Aqua in Tijuana , Sammartino wrote .
In Guzman ’ s Gmail account , his sister found a receipt for a Western Union wire transfer : $ 400 sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the affidavit said .
One week later , a taco shop proprietor drove with a friend to the home of an acquaintance , Oscar Bautista Valencia , who had offered to sell him canned goods at a discount , affidavit said .
Due to restrictions from the coronavirus outbreak , his restaurant was low on supplies , the taquero told the FBI .
He is identified in the affidavit only by his initials .
When he backed into Valencia ’ s garage , a man slammed the door shut and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gun , he told the FBI .
Two men beat , bound and blindfolded him and his companion , he said .
At his kidnappers ’ direction , the taquero called the mother of his children , who lived in Pasadena , and said he ’ d killed a family of four while driving drunk and needed to pay $ 20,000 .
He said he loved her and their children .
“ He was saying goodbye , ” he later told the FBI , because he had seen his abductors ’ faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill him no matter if a ransom was paid or not.
” She whittled down the ransom payment to $ 14,000 , the affidavit said , and the kidnappers told her to deliver the money that night to a pregnant woman at a Food 4 Less in Lynwood .
In the end , she didn ’ t hand over the money or go to the drop site , the affidavit said .
She didn ’ t need to .
Twenty minutes before the scheduled drop , a Mexican antikidnapping squad notified the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tijuana , arrested nine suspected abductors and freed the taquero .
A week later , a magistrate judge in Los Angeles authorized warrants for the arrest of Matla and Montoya Sanchez .
“ All three incidents appear to be linked based on a common modus operandi , to include common locations used , common phone numbers used to place calls and similar ransom demands , ” Sammartino wrote .

A cross-border pedestrian bridge connects the international airport in Tijuana to San Diego (at right). The new access began operations this month.
They lived in Norwalk, Pasadena and San Diego, but they all disappeared in Tijuana.
Their families got a call demanding money. And in one case, even though the man’s family left $25,000 in cash in a McDonald’s restroom as directed, he was killed anyway, according to court documents implicating a couple, Leslie Briana Matla and Juan Carlos Montoya Sanchez, in a Tijuana-based kidnapping ring.
Matla, 20, and Montoya Sanchez, 25, were charged in Los Angeles federal court with conspiring to launder money. Matla, who lived in San Bernardino County before moving to Mexico, was arrested last week in San Diego. Montoya Sanchez, a resident of Tijuana, was arrested in San Diego on Sunday. It was unclear Monday if either had retained an attorney.
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In an affidavit unsealed Monday, FBI Special Agent Cara A. Sammartino detailed the couple’s alleged involvement in three kidnappings committed in the span of a month.
On March 27, the wife of Salvador Acosta Medina, a U.S. citizen who lived in San Diego, reported him missing. Using her husband’s iCloud account, she had found his most recent location: the Hotel Aqua in the Cañón del Padre neighborhood of Tijuana, Sammartino wrote in the affidavit.
The day after he was reported missing, Medina called his son and asked him to pay $25,000 to secure his release. At the direction of his father’s abductors, the son gathered the money and left it in a bag in the women’s restroom at a McDonald’s in San Ysidro, the affidavit said. The restaurant is a short walk from the port of entry to Tijuana.
Six minutes after Medina’s son dropped the money, Matla left the restroom wearing a backpack and returned to Mexico on foot, Sammartino wrote, citing closed-circuit television footage.
The next day, Medina’s son received a Whatsapp message from his father’s account, saying he would be released that day, according to the affidavit. Instead, Mexican authorities found his body in Tijuana and Medina’s family identified his remains two days later, Sammartino wrote.
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Two weeks later, the sister of Edgar Esteban Guzman reported his kidnapping to the FBI.
Guzman, who lived in Norwalk, was visiting family in Tijuana when he got a phone call, a relative told agents. Once he hung up, Guzman said he’d be gone for a few hours but would be back in time for dinner, Sammartino wrote in the affidavit. He wasn’t.
The next day, Guzman called his mother: He was “in trouble,” he told her, and she needed to ask his boss to pay $25,000 to get him out of it, Sammartino wrote. The next morning, his mother got a Facebook message from Guzman’s account — a picture of his beaten face, the affidavit said. She negotiated the ransom down to $1,000 and her son’s Chevrolet Camaro, Sammartino wrote.
Guzman told his mother to hand over the ransom in the parking lot of a Lowe’s in Norwalk. A woman — a “pregnant lady” — would be waiting there, he said, according to the affidavit. For reasons left unexplained in the affidavit, the ransom was never delivered. Mexican authorities found Guzman’s body the following day.
His sister used the family computer to access Guzman’s Google account. His final location, in the early morning hours of the day he was found dead, was the Hotel Aqua in Tijuana, Sammartino wrote. In Guzman’s Gmail account, his sister found a receipt for a Western Union wire transfer: $400 sent to a “Juan Carlos Montoya Sanchez,” the affidavit said.
One week later, a taco shop proprietor drove with a friend to the home of an acquaintance, Oscar Bautista Valencia, who had offered to sell him canned goods at a discount, affidavit said. Due to restrictions from the coronavirus outbreak, his restaurant was low on supplies, the taquero told the FBI. He is identified in the affidavit only by his initials.
When he backed into Valencia’s garage, a man slammed the door shut and a woman came down the stairs, pointing a gun, he told the FBI. Two men beat, bound and blindfolded him and his companion, he said.
At his kidnappers’ direction, the taquero called the mother of his children, who lived in Pasadena, and said he’d killed a family of four while driving drunk and needed to pay $20,000. He said he loved her and their children.
“He was saying goodbye,” he later told the FBI, because he had seen his abductors’ faces and knew they “were going to kill him no matter if a ransom was paid or not.”
She whittled down the ransom payment to $14,000, the affidavit said, and the kidnappers told her to deliver the money that night to a pregnant woman at a Food 4 Less in Lynwood. In the end, she didn’t hand over the money or go to the drop site, the affidavit said. She didn’t need to.
Twenty minutes before the scheduled drop, a Mexican antikidnapping squad notified the FBI they had raided the Hotel Aqua in Tijuana, arrested nine suspected abductors and freed the taquero. A week later, a magistrate judge in Los Angeles authorized warrants for the arrest of Matla and Montoya Sanchez.
“All three incidents appear to be linked based on a common modus operandi, to include common locations used, common phone numbers used to place calls and similar ransom demands,” Sammartino wrote.


latimes--2020-05-18--After widespread glitches in online AP testing, students can now submit by email

Alexa Macias studied for months for her Advanced Placement calculus exam — and was devastated to see her hard work negated last week when she ran into a technological glitch that prevented her from uploading her answers and completing the test .
“ My stomach dropped , ” said Macias , a junior at Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez High school in Boyle Heights .
“ I was in shock .
I thought this was going to look so bad on my college applications.
” That shouldn ’ t happen again — or so says the College Board , which owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second week of AP testing began Monday , the College Board rolled out a new safeguard allowing students to email their responses if they encounter problems submitting their test answers .
Trevor Packer , a College Board senior vice president , announced on Twitter that students who fail to submit their exams through the standard process will immediately be notified that their response was not received and will be given an email address , unique to them , to use instead .
However , the tens of thousands of students who could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not eligible to use the safeguard retroactively in order “ to protect the security and validity of exams , ” Packer said .
The College Board says those students made up less than 1 % of the nearly 2.2 million who took the exams , which test mastery of college-level curricula and can , with a passing score , lead to college credit .
Although officials initially considered canceling the tests after the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to shut down , they scrambled to set up the first-ever online AP tests after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % supported taking them .
College Board officials say their systems never malfunctioned , and the problems appear to have been caused by technological problems on the students ’ end .
They advised students to update their browsers , disable plug-ins and make sure their devices are set up to capture JPEG files for those who want to take photos of their work and attach them to the exam .
“ Though the vast majority of students were able to submit their responses successfully , ” Packer wrote , “ we share the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t. ” That response , however , is small comfort to Theo Detweiler , a senior at Malibu High School .
Before the AP calculus test last Tuesday , he made sure his technology was updated , practiced the demo exam twice and successfully uploaded his practice work via his phone .
But when he tried to do the same thing during the real test , he said , he kept getting an error message .
“ I felt sabotaged , ” he said .
“ I was upset because this was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking ... the one I knew for sure would place me at a higher level at college.
” On Monday , he took the AP environmental science exam with no problems but remained annoyed that the email fix came too late to help him with his calculus test , which he will have to retake next month .
“ I ’ m glad they ’ re doing this , but it would have been more helpful last week , ” he said .
Micah Gold , a sophomore at Harvard-Westlake School , echoed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submit his responses for his AP computer science exam last Friday even though his devices , including an iPhone XR and a new Lenovo computer , were all up to date .
He said he is not nervous about taking a retest since computer science is one of his strengths , but added , “ If you ’ re going to give me a test , I want a test that works.
” His mother , Stephanie Gold , was upset that the College Board had allowed the tests to go forward last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her view , blamed students for them .
“ The grown-ups leave it to the kids to take responsibility , ” she said .
“ It ’ s really wrong.
” Some critics expressed skepticism about the College Board ’ s report that less than 1 % of students experienced problems submitting responses .
Matthew Wong , a senior at Temple City High School , said his survey of 121 schoolmates who took the AP chemistry test found that 11 had technical difficulties , including him .
“ Though offering email submission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a step in the right direction , it is too little too late , ” Wong said in an email .
“ It offers no resolution for students who have taken tests in the past week , who are now forced to endure another three weeks of stress and studying until the makeup exams.
” At Mendez High School , calculus teacher Ali Bhai said 16 % of his 36 students encountered problems .
He said that despite the tears and trauma , exacerbated by pandemic-related worries about health and job losses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing for the retest .
They include Macias , who said she has gotten over last week ’ s mishap and is gearing up for her AP psychology test on Tuesday , relieved to know about the email safeguard if she should need it .
“ It would have been a lot better if this safety measure had been in place last week , ” she said , “ but since I have another test , maybe it will help .
”

Alexa Macias studied for months for her Advanced Placement calculus exam — and was devastated to see her hard work negated last week when she ran into a technological glitch that prevented her from uploading her answers and completing the test.
“My stomach dropped,” said Macias, a junior at Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez High school in Boyle Heights. “I was in shock. I thought this was going to look so bad on my college applications.”
That shouldn’t happen again — or so says the College Board, which owns and administers the AP tests. As the second week of AP testing began Monday, the College Board rolled out a new safeguard allowing students to email their responses if they encounter problems submitting their test answers.
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Trevor Packer, a College Board senior vice president, announced on Twitter that students who fail to submit their exams through the standard process will immediately be notified that their response was not received and will be given an email address, unique to them, to use instead.
However, the tens of thousands of students who could not submit their responses last week are not eligible to use the safeguard retroactively in order “to protect the security and validity of exams,” Packer said.
The College Board says those students made up less than 1% of the nearly 2.2 million who took the exams, which test mastery of college-level curricula and can, with a passing score, lead to college credit. Although officials initially considered canceling the tests after the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to shut down, they scrambled to set up the first-ever online AP tests after a survey of 18,000 students showed that 91% supported taking them.
College Board officials say their systems never malfunctioned, and the problems appear to have been caused by technological problems on the students’ end. They advised students to update their browsers, disable plug-ins and make sure their devices are set up to capture JPEG files for those who want to take photos of their work and attach them to the exam.
“Though the vast majority of students were able to submit their responses successfully,” Packer wrote, “we share the deep disappointment of those who weren’t.”
AP students took nearly 2.2 million AP Exams last week, and we’re so proud of every student who tested.
However, some students had tech challenges submitting their responses. So we're providing an extra safeguard for students moving forward. https://t.co/mZqxKiODsD pic.twitter.com/PL3keAZZDk — Trevor Packer (@AP_Trevor) May 17, 2020
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That response, however, is small comfort to Theo Detweiler, a senior at Malibu High School. Before the AP calculus test last Tuesday, he made sure his technology was updated, practiced the demo exam twice and successfully uploaded his practice work via his phone. But when he tried to do the same thing during the real test, he said, he kept getting an error message.
“I felt sabotaged,” he said. “I was upset because this was the most important test I’ll be taking ... the one I knew for sure would place me at a higher level at college.”
On Monday, he took the AP environmental science exam with no problems but remained annoyed that the email fix came too late to help him with his calculus test, which he will have to retake next month.
“I’m glad they’re doing this, but it would have been more helpful last week,” he said.
Micah Gold, a sophomore at Harvard-Westlake School, echoed those sentiments. He was unable to submit his responses for his AP computer science exam last Friday even though his devices, including an iPhone XR and a new Lenovo computer, were all up to date. He said he is not nervous about taking a retest since computer science is one of his strengths, but added, “If you’re going to give me a test, I want a test that works.”
His mother, Stephanie Gold, was upset that the College Board had allowed the tests to go forward last week despite the problems and then, in her view, blamed students for them.
“The grown-ups leave it to the kids to take responsibility,” she said. “It’s really wrong.”
Some critics expressed skepticism about the College Board’s report that less than 1% of students experienced problems submitting responses. Matthew Wong, a senior at Temple City High School, said his survey of 121 schoolmates who took the AP chemistry test found that 11 had technical difficulties, including him.
“Though offering email submission as a fallback for the remaining exams is a step in the right direction, it is too little too late,” Wong said in an email. “It offers no resolution for students who have taken tests in the past week, who are now forced to endure another three weeks of stress and studying until the makeup exams.”
At Mendez High School, calculus teacher Ali Bhai said 16% of his 36 students encountered problems. He said that despite the tears and trauma, exacerbated by pandemic-related worries about health and job losses, his students are resilient and already preparing for the retest.
They include Macias, who said she has gotten over last week’s mishap and is gearing up for her AP psychology test on Tuesday, relieved to know about the email safeguard if she should need it.
“It would have been a lot better if this safety measure had been in place last week,” she said, “but since I have another test, maybe it will help.”


latimes--2020-05-18--With the coronavirus keeping campuses closed, parents report academic, financial struggles and stres

With the coronavirus keeping campuses closed, parents report academic, financial struggles and stress

Parents fear that their children are losing vital learning opportunities with school campuses closed due to the coronavirus , and these academic struggles appear linked to economic hardship and possibly race , according to local and national surveys released Monday .
In Los Angeles , fewer than half of families in a recent poll of public school students said distance learning has been successful — and more than half also report one or more family members losing jobs , the district reported .
A separate national study , funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , found that 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think their children will be prepared for school next year .
This research also documented what many educators consider to be obvious : that children in low-income families have more limited access to computers for schoolwork , a greater problem than ever with campuses closed and most learning moving to online formats .
L.A. Unified and most other school systems in California have tried to even things out by distributing computers since campuses closed in mid-March .
And some districts , including L.A. Unified , also have provided broadband internet access .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with technology well into May .
“ The survey results don ’ t surprise me , ” said UCLA education professor Pedro Noguera .
“ Many of the concerns raised by parents were present before the pandemic .
Now they have been exacerbated .
As the national survey shows , these issues aren ’ t limited to L.A. ” Sandra Nunez has boys in third and fourth grade at Will Rogers Elementary in Lynwood Unified , a school system of 14,000 students south of downtown .
A teacher ’ s assistant who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nunez lost her job at a Catholic school when the campus closed .
She is trying to balance childcare , guiding her children ’ s studies and keeping up with her own .
“ It ’ s been a little tough , ” she said from her car as she was waiting in the campus parking lot for a loaner computer that might ease the technology logjam at home .
In Downey , a city in Southeast L.A. County , theater teacher Kyle Deichman said that some of his students said they haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sessions because they took jobs to help support their families .
About half to two-thirds of students have been turning in assignments , “ down from about 85 % , ” said Deichman , who teaches at Warren High School .
L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner called attention to poverty in his weekly update , which is broadcast on Mondays .
Before the pandemic , he said , 70 % of district families reported a household income of less than $ 50,000 and 35 % less than $ 25,000 .
Since then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least one household member who has lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ Let that sink in , ” Beutner said .
“ Most families were struggling to get by before this crisis and for more than half of them , their situation has gotten worse.
” Some 77 % said they are making use of free meals being distributed by the nation ’ s second-largest school system .
Beutner also wanted to emphasize positives in the survey : More than 90 % said they have been able to use technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 % said they have received instructional materials for reading and math .
And nearly 75 % rated their school ’ s efforts as good or excellent .
But that doesn ’ t mean that distance learning is working — or , at least , that it is working as well as classroom instruction would be .
How and when to reopen schools remains a topic of debate and uncertainty .
Of concern was that 26 % said they lacked enough computers at home and nearly half said they lacked high-speed internet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate statements from L.A. Unified indicating that virtually all students are “ connected ” via computer and internet .
However , the survey was conducted from April 19 through May 6 , during a period when it is likely additional families received technology help .
Adequate connectivity has been a problem across the state .
“ We need to think not just about access , but meaningful access , ” said John Rogers , director of UCLA ’ s Institute for Democracy , Education , and Access .
“ One example : Access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone ) does not mean that a student has sole access .
Anecdotally , we hear about kids in lower-income families sharing devices in ways that limit their ability to participate meaningfully in the lessons .
In addition , even when students have a device , they may not have a quiet place to use it.
” In the L.A. survey , among the issues that strong majorities said were “ very concerning ” were : “ ensuring your child is on track to graduate from high school ” ( 60 % ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall behind academically ” ( 78 % ) .
Eighty percent of families said their children ’ s stress levels were higher than normal and about 60 % of parents said their own stress level was higher .
Citing such problems , Beutner renewed his call to make spending on schools a top budget priority .
Although Gov .
Gavin Newsom provided some protection to schools , his proposed education budget still includes cuts of 10 % or more .
The Gates research underscores economic disparities , finding that black and Latino families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white families .
And the pandemic also was having a greater effect on future education plans within these minority families .
According to the survey , all high school graduates had become less likely to attend a four-year college , but the trend was more pronounced for black and Latino students .
The wide-ranging Gates research is led by the Civis Analytics , with particular focus on Washington , Florida , Texas and New York ; about 2,000 K-12 parents were among the 8,000 responses gathered May 8 through 10 via online web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. population .
The L.A. Unified survey was made available to all Local District East families via text and email in English and Spanish from April 19 through May 6 .
Of 85,000 eligible families in that part of the school system , about 7,300 — or 9 % — submitted valid partial or complete surveys .
Total K-12 enrollment is about 450,000 .

L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner wears a protective mask amid the coronavirus crisis during a tour of a Grab & Go food center at San Fernando High School in late April.
Parents fear that their children are losing vital learning opportunities with school campuses closed due to the coronavirus, and these academic struggles appear linked to economic hardship and possibly race, according to local and national surveys released Monday.
In Los Angeles, fewer than half of families in a recent poll of public school students said distance learning has been successful — and more than half also report one or more family members losing jobs, the district reported.
A separate national study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, found that 15% of K-12 parents don’t think their children will be prepared for school next year. This research also documented what many educators consider to be obvious: that children in low-income families have more limited access to computers for schoolwork, a greater problem than ever with campuses closed and most learning moving to online formats.
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L.A. Unified and most other school systems in California have tried to even things out by distributing computers since campuses closed in mid-March. And some districts, including L.A. Unified, also have provided broadband internet access. But even in L.A., families reported problems with technology well into May.
“The survey results don’t surprise me,” said UCLA education professor Pedro Noguera. “Many of the concerns raised by parents were present before the pandemic. Now they have been exacerbated. As the national survey shows, these issues aren’t limited to L.A.”
Sandra Nunez has boys in third and fourth grade at Will Rogers Elementary in Lynwood Unified, a school system of 14,000 students south of downtown. A teacher’s assistant who is in college to become a teacher, Nunez lost her job at a Catholic school when the campus closed. She is trying to balance childcare, guiding her children’s studies and keeping up with her own.
“It’s been a little tough,” she said from her car as she was waiting in the campus parking lot for a loaner computer that might ease the technology logjam at home.
In Downey, a city in Southeast L.A. County, theater teacher Kyle Deichman said that some of his students said they haven’t made it to online class sessions because they took jobs to help support their families.
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About half to two-thirds of students have been turning in assignments, “down from about 85%,” said Deichman, who teaches at Warren High School.
L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner called attention to poverty in his weekly update, which is broadcast on Mondays. Before the pandemic, he said, 70% of district families reported a household income of less than $50,000 and 35% less than $25,000. Since then, 57% of families reported at least one household member who has lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Let that sink in,” Beutner said. “Most families were struggling to get by before this crisis and for more than half of them, their situation has gotten worse.”
Some 77% said they are making use of free meals being distributed by the nation’s second-largest school system.
Beutner also wanted to emphasize positives in the survey: More than 90% said they have been able to use technology to communicate effectively with teachers; nearly 90% said they have received instructional materials for reading and math. And nearly 75% rated their school’s efforts as good or excellent.
But that doesn’t mean that distance learning is working — or, at least, that it is working as well as classroom instruction would be. How and when to reopen schools remains a topic of debate and uncertainty.
Of concern was that 26% said they lacked enough computers at home and nearly half said they lacked high-speed internet. This finding is seemingly at odds with separate statements from L.A. Unified indicating that virtually all students are “connected” via computer and internet. However, the survey was conducted from April 19 through May 6, during a period when it is likely additional families received technology help.
Adequate connectivity has been a problem across the state.
California In rural California, children face isolation, hunger amid coronavirus school closures Schools in rural parts of the state are struggling not only to teach but to reach students. Many lack internet access and rely on schools for food.
“We need to think not just about access, but meaningful access,” said John Rogers, director of UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access. “One example: Access to a laptop or tablet (or phone) does not mean that a student has sole access. Anecdotally, we hear about kids in lower-income families sharing devices in ways that limit their ability to participate meaningfully in the lessons. In addition, even when students have a device, they may not have a quiet place to use it.”
In the L.A. survey, among the issues that strong majorities said were “very concerning” were: “ensuring your child is on track to graduate from high school” (60%) and “ensuring your child does not fall behind academically” (78%).
Eighty percent of families said their children’s stress levels were higher than normal and about 60% of parents said their own stress level was higher.
Citing such problems, Beutner renewed his call to make spending on schools a top budget priority. Although Gov. Gavin Newsom provided some protection to schools, his proposed education budget still includes cuts of 10% or more.
The Gates research underscores economic disparities, finding that black and Latino families reported greater fear of losing jobs than white families. And the pandemic also was having a greater effect on future education plans within these minority families. According to the survey, all high school graduates had become less likely to attend a four-year college, but the trend was more pronounced for black and Latino students.
The wide-ranging Gates research is led by the Civis Analytics, with particular focus on Washington, Florida, Texas and New York; about 2,000 K-12 parents were among the 8,000 responses gathered May 8 through 10 via online web panels and weighted to reflect the adult U.S. population.
The L.A. Unified survey was made available to all Local District East families via text and email in English and Spanish from April 19 through May 6. Of 85,000 eligible families in that part of the school system, about 7,300 — or 9% — submitted valid partial or complete surveys. Total K-12 enrollment is about 450,000.


latimes--2020-05-19--UC becomes nation's largest university to divest fully from fossil fuels

The University of California announced Tuesday that it has fully divested from all fossil fuels , the nation ’ s largest educational institution to do so as campaigns to fight climate change through investment strategies proliferate at campuses across the country .
The UC milestone capped a five-year effort to move the public research university system ’ s $ 126-billion portfolio into more environmentally sustainable investments , such as wind and solar energy .
UC officials say their strategy is grounded in concerns about the planet ’ s future and in what makes financial sense .
“ As long-term investors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stakeholders are much better served by investing in promising opportunities in the alternative energy field rather than gambling on oil and gas , ” Richard Sherman , chair of the UC Board of Regents ’ investments committee , said in a statement .
The movement against fossil fuels has mushroomed to encompass more than 1,100 faith , educational , government , corporate and nonprofit institutions with $ 14 trillion in assets in the last decade , according to 350.org , a global climate justice organization .
Among them , more than 50 universities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2011 , Hampshire College in Massachusetts became the first campus to shed its investment portfolio of fossil fuels .
Since then , campus movements have increased , with Harvard faculty voting this year to support disinvestment and Georgetown University committing to completing it by 2030 .
Stanford University expects to make a decision on the issue by next month , a spokesman said .
At UC , students began organizing for divestment across all 10 campuses in 2012 and formed Fossil Free UC with staff , faculty and alumni .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry Yang became the first campus leader to endorse divestment following a three-day occupation of the administration building , according to an account by two UC Santa Barbara students .
Last year , the UC Academic Senate overwhelmingly approved an appeal to regents to divest from fossil fuels , saying it would help “ prevent an impending environmental catastrophe.
” The UC action is groundbreaking , environmentalists said , because of the size of its investment portfolio and its massive teaching and research enterprise , which educates 285,000 students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and one of the most recognizable universities in the nation ” to divest , said Richard Brooks , a senior strategist with 350.org .
“ If they can do it , any other university can it.
” Sherman and Jagdeep Singh Bachher , UC ’ s chief investment officer , announced the university ’ s intention to go fossil free in an L.A. Times op-ed article last September .
“ Our job is to make money for the University of California , and we ’ re betting we can do that without fossil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2015 , UC Investments published its first framework for sustainable investing that included environmental , social and governance goals .
Three years later , the Board of Regents voted to include those goals in investment decisions .
UC Investments ’ portfolio has grown from $ 91.6 billion in 2014 , when Bachher took the helm , to $ 126 billion today .
Bachher announced Tuesday that UC has sold more than $ 1 billion in fossil fuel assets from its pension , endowment and working capital pools and surpassed its five-year goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy projects .
He said his team is convinced that investments in fossil fuels pose an “ unacceptable financial risk , ” particularly with “ geopolitical tensions and likely , a bumpy and slow global financial recovery in a post-pandemic world.
” “ While no one can know for certain how financial markets will perform , by examining the data and gauging potential risk , we have charted a long-term , sustainable course , ” Board Chair John A. Pérez said in a statement .

UC Davis and Montana State University ecologist Brian Smithers researches the world-famous bristlecone pines in the White Mountains, which face an uncertain future with climate change. UC announced Tuesday that it has fully divested from fossil fuels.
The University of California announced Tuesday that it has fully divested from all fossil fuels, the nation’s largest educational institution to do so as campaigns to fight climate change through investment strategies proliferate at campuses across the country.
The UC milestone capped a five-year effort to move the public research university system’s $126-billion portfolio into more environmentally sustainable investments, such as wind and solar energy. UC officials say their strategy is grounded in concerns about the planet’s future and in what makes financial sense.
“As long-term investors, we believe the university and its stakeholders are much better served by investing in promising opportunities in the alternative energy field rather than gambling on oil and gas,” Richard Sherman, chair of the UC Board of Regents’ investments committee, said in a statement.
The movement against fossil fuels has mushroomed to encompass more than 1,100 faith, educational, government, corporate and nonprofit institutions with $14 trillion in assets in the last decade, according to 350.org, a global climate justice organization. Among them, more than 50 universities have committed to full or partial divestment.
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In 2011, Hampshire College in Massachusetts became the first campus to shed its investment portfolio of fossil fuels. Since then, campus movements have increased, with Harvard faculty voting this year to support disinvestment and Georgetown University committing to completing it by 2030. Stanford University expects to make a decision on the issue by next month, a spokesman said.
At UC, students began organizing for divestment across all 10 campuses in 2012 and formed Fossil Free UC with staff, faculty and alumni. A major win came in 2017, when UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry Yang became the first campus leader to endorse divestment following a three-day occupation of the administration building, according to an account by two UC Santa Barbara students.
Last year, the UC Academic Senate overwhelmingly approved an appeal to regents to divest from fossil fuels, saying it would help “prevent an impending environmental catastrophe.”
The UC action is groundbreaking, environmentalists said, because of the size of its investment portfolio and its massive teaching and research enterprise, which educates 285,000 students.
“It’s the largest and one of the most recognizable universities in the nation” to divest, said Richard Brooks, a senior strategist with 350.org. “If they can do it, any other university can do it.”
Sherman and Jagdeep Singh Bachher, UC’s chief investment officer, announced the university’s intention to go fossil free in an L.A. Times op-ed article last September. “Our job is to make money for the University of California, and we’re betting we can do that without fossil fuels investment,” they wrote.
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In 2015, UC Investments published its first framework for sustainable investing that included environmental, social and governance goals. Three years later, the Board of Regents voted to include those goals in investment decisions. UC Investments’ portfolio has grown from $91.6 billion in 2014, when Bachher took the helm, to $126 billion today.
Bachher announced Tuesday that UC has sold more than $1 billion in fossil fuel assets from its pension, endowment and working capital pools and surpassed its five-year goal of investing $1 billion in clean energy projects.
He said his team is convinced that investments in fossil fuels pose an “unacceptable financial risk,” particularly with “geopolitical tensions and likely, a bumpy and slow global financial recovery in a post-pandemic world.”
“While no one can know for certain how financial markets will perform, by examining the data and gauging potential risk, we have charted a long-term, sustainable course,” Board Chair John A. Pérez said in a statement.


latimes--2020-05-19--Orange County hopes to open malls, restaurants other retail soon

The day after Gov .
Gavin Newsom cracked the door for more counties to potentially lift additional coronavirus-related restrictions , Orange County officials made it clear that they want to get through as quickly as possible .
Officials hope to see larger parts of the retail economy — including shopping malls and restaurants — reopen with social distancing restrictions as soon as possible .
While health officials said they are still planning how to move further into what the state calls Phase 2 , members of the Board of Supervisors said Tuesday that time is of the essence .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I ’ m still keeping my fingers crossed , ” said Supervisor Andrew Do .
“ I ’ m hoping that by this weekend , we ’ re going to enter Phase 2 fully.
” Doing so would mean shopping malls could reopen , for instance , as could restaurant dining rooms — albeit with modifications .
Even if Orange County doesn ’ t meet the exact letter of all the new reopening rules , which Newsom unveiled Monday , officials emphasized their preference is still to send a plan to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To the extent that perfect is the enemy of the good , we don ’ t want to let that happen , ” said Supervisor Don Wagner .
“ If we need to supplement , let ’ s supplement.
” The focus , he added , should be : “ Let ’ s open as much as possible .
Let ’ s open as soon as possible .
Let ’ s open as safely as possible.
” Newsom said the loosened rules would allow 53 of California ’ s 58 counties to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward reopening .
The relaxed restrictions were welcomed by larger urban counties that had decried the state ’ s previous criteria as onerous , if not unattainable , for more populous areas .
Under the revised metrics , counties will no longer be kept from loosening the shutdown rules if there have been COVID-19 deaths in the previous two weeks .
Counties also will be able to move toward a more expansive reopening if they can show fewer than 25 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days , or show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested for the virus over a seven-day period were positive .
Another factor is hospitalizations .
Counties either have to show that the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals hasn ’ t increased by more than 5 % over a seven-day period or that they haven ’ t had more than 20 hospitalizations on any single day over a 14-day period .
Orange County officials did not comment on the new rules Monday — except to say that they would “ be in touch after we have had time to review the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not immediately respond Tuesday when asked whether there are metrics the county doesn ’ t meet .
Given that so many more counties can now petition the state to further relax coronavirus restrictions , Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said it ’ s important for Orange County to submit a plan as quickly as possible so it secures a favorable position in the queue .
“ We ’ ve got to really kind of turn the ship around as quickly as possible , ” she said .
That ’ s especially the case as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which , in turn , has dammed the county ’ s revenue stream .
As of April 17 , the county projected it would lose $ 126.1 million in revenue this fiscal year because of COVID-19 , according to projections discussed Tuesday .
Next fiscal year , the chasm is projected to deepen to $ 332.4 million .
While those figures are not set in stone — changes to California ’ s overall budget picture and potential further support from the federal government are among the contributing factors — officials said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times ahead .
“ The sole reason for economic difficulties in this time is that businesses have been shut down and employees have been laid off , ” said board Chairwoman Michelle Steel .
“ If we support businesses and get them open as fast as possible , that will boost our economy and , most importantly , provide essential jobs — because every private-sector job is essential ... to struggling Orange County residents who have lost their work and their ability to put food on the table because of this crisis.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luna and Phil Willon contributed to this report .

The day after Gov. Gavin Newsom cracked the door for more counties to potentially lift additional coronavirus-related restrictions, Orange County officials made it clear that they want to get through as quickly as possible.
Officials hope to see larger parts of the retail economy — including shopping malls and restaurants — reopen with social distancing restrictions as soon as possible.
While health officials said they are still planning how to move further into what the state calls Phase 2, members of the Board of Supervisors said Tuesday that time is of the essence.
“We can put together a plan, and I’m still keeping my fingers crossed,” said Supervisor Andrew Do. “I’m hoping that by this weekend, we’re going to enter Phase 2 fully.”
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Doing so would mean shopping malls could reopen, for instance, as could restaurant dining rooms — albeit with modifications.
Even if Orange County doesn’t meet the exact letter of all the new reopening rules, which Newsom unveiled Monday, officials emphasized their preference is still to send a plan to the state as quickly as possible.
“To the extent that perfect is the enemy of the good, we don’t want to let that happen,” said Supervisor Don Wagner. “If we need to supplement, let’s supplement.”
The focus, he added, should be: “Let’s open as much as possible. Let’s open as soon as possible. Let’s open as safely as possible.”
Newsom said the loosened rules would allow 53 of California’s 58 counties to move further into the second of four stages toward reopening.
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The relaxed restrictions were welcomed by larger urban counties that had decried the state’s previous criteria as onerous, if not unattainable, for more populous areas.
Under the revised metrics, counties will no longer be kept from loosening the shutdown rules if there have been COVID-19 deaths in the previous two weeks.
Counties also will be able to move toward a more expansive reopening if they can show fewer than 25 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days, or show that fewer than 8% of residents tested for the virus over a seven-day period were positive.
California Essential California: The new new new reopening rules The changes to California’s criteria for reopening mean that the vast majority of counties — roughly 53 of 58, by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s estimation — can move further into the second of four stages toward reopening, if they so choose.
Another factor is hospitalizations. Counties either have to show that the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals hasn’t increased by more than 5% over a seven-day period or that they haven’t had more than 20 hospitalizations on any single day over a 14-day period.
Orange County officials did not comment on the new rules Monday — except to say that they would “be in touch after we have had time to review the governor’s announcement” — and did not immediately respond Tuesday when asked whether there are metrics the county doesn’t meet.
Given that so many more counties can now petition the state to further relax coronavirus restrictions, Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said it’s important for Orange County to submit a plan as quickly as possible so it secures a favorable position in the queue.
“We’ve got to really kind of turn the ship around as quickly as possible,” she said.
That’s especially the case as the pandemic continues to keep many storefronts closed — which, in turn, has dammed the county’s revenue stream.
As of April 17, the county projected it would lose $126.1 million in revenue this fiscal year because of COVID-19, according to projections discussed Tuesday. Next fiscal year, the chasm is projected to deepen to $332.4 million.
While those figures are not set in stone — changes to California’s overall budget picture and potential further support from the federal government are among the contributing factors — officials said it’s clear there will be challenging times ahead.
“The sole reason for economic difficulties in this time is that businesses have been shut down and employees have been laid off,” said board Chairwoman Michelle Steel. “If we support businesses and get them open as fast as possible, that will boost our economy and, most importantly, provide essential jobs — because every private-sector job is essential ... to struggling Orange County residents who have lost their work and their ability to put food on the table because of this crisis.”
Times staff writers John Myers, Taryn Luna and Phil Willon contributed to this report.