latimes--2020-08-24--California's top court overturns Scott Peterson's death sentence

The California Supreme Court on Monday unanimously overturned the death penalty for Scott Peterson , who was convicted of killing his wife , Laci , and their unborn son in 2002 .
In a decision written by Justice Leondra Kruger , the state ’ s highest court said the death sentence must be removed because the trial judge wrongly discharged prospective jurors who expressed opposition to capital punishment but said they would be willing to impose it .
The court left in place the guilty verdict and said prosecutors could retry Peterson on the penalty if they wished .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court made a series of clear and significant errors in jury selection that , under long-standing United States Supreme Court precedent , undermined Peterson ’ s right to an impartial jury at the penalty phase , ” Kruger wrote .
The court said the rules for dismissing potential jurors based on concerns about the death penalty were well established by Peterson ’ s trial .
“ Jurors may not be excused merely for opposition to the death penalty , but only for views rendering them unable to fairly consider imposing that penalty in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
Instead of just dismissing the prospective jurors , the judge should have permitted them to be questioned so their views could have better been explored , the court said .
“ As the present case demonstrates , an inadequate or incomplete examination of potential jurors can have disastrous consequences as to the validity of a judgment , ” Kruger wrote .
In addition to challenging the removal of prospective jurors , Peterson had argued that massive pretrial publicity deprived him of a fair trial .
Peterson ’ s trial was moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found he could not get a fair trial in Modesto .
Peterson ’ s appellate lawyer argued the trial should have been moved again after questionnaires of more than 1,000 potential jurors in San Mateo County showed many already were convinced Peterson was guilty .
But the court said the publicity was so widespread that moving the trial to yet another county would not have mattered .
“ Precisely because this case was the subject of such widespread media attention , it is unclear what purpose a second change of venue would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The publicity the Peterson trial generated , like the trials of O.J .
Simpson , the Manson family , and any number of other so-called trials of the century before them , was intrinsic to the case , not the place.
” Prosecutors in Stanislaus County must decide whether to try once again to seek the death penalty or agree to commute the sentence to life without possibility of parole .
John Goold , a spokesman for the Stanislaus County district attorney ’ s office , said prosecutors were still examining the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to proceed .
“ We are going to have to review the decision and get together with the victim ’ s family before any decision is going to be made , ” Goold said .
Cliff Gardner , Peterson ’ s appellate lawyer , appeared doubtful Monday that prosecutors would seek a new trial on the penalty .
He said the California Supreme Court was now reviewing a separate habeas corpus challenge filed on behalf of Peterson that contained “ new forensic and eyewitness evidence of innocence.
” “ In deciding whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question for prosecutors now is whether they can prove Mr. Peterson culpable for this crime to even a single juror seated through a fair jury selection process , ” Gardner said .
Peterson is confined at San Quentin prison , where scores of inmates have been infected by the coronavirus and several have died .
Asked if Peterson had contracted the virus , Gardner said only : “ He is doing fine now.
” The California attorney general ’ s office , which argued the case for prosecutors , declined to comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to give birth in four weeks when she disappeared on Christmas Eve .
Scott Peterson told police he had left their Modesto home that morning to go fishing in Berkeley .
Nearly four months later , Laci ’ s remains and the body of her unborn son , with the umbilical cord still attached , washed up on a rocky shore on San Francisco Bay .
A passerby walking a dog found them a few miles from where Scott Peterson said he had gone fishing .
Laci ’ s disappearance sparked a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not suspect Scott .
That changed after a massage therapist named Amber Frey told police that she and Peterson had been dating , and that he had told her his wife had died .
She then secretly recorded calls with him for the police .
Police arrested Peterson in San Diego County .
He had bleached his hair and goatee and was carrying $ 15,000 in cash .
Prosecutors told jurors that Scott either strangled or suffocated his wife on the night of Dec. 23 , 2002 , or the following morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue tarp , put her in the back of his boat , affixed anchors to her and dropped her in the bay , they said .
Mark Geragos , who defended Peterson at trial , argued Laci had been kidnapped by strangers who dumped her in the bay to frame her husband .

The California Supreme Court on Monday unanimously overturned the death penalty for Scott Peterson, who was convicted of killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn son in 2002.
In a decision written by Justice Leondra Kruger, the state’s highest court said the death sentence must be removed because the trial judge wrongly discharged prospective jurors who expressed opposition to capital punishment but said they would be willing to impose it.
The court left in place the guilty verdict and said prosecutors could retry Peterson on the penalty if they wished.
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“Before the trial began, the trial court made a series of clear and significant errors in jury selection that, under long-standing United States Supreme Court precedent, undermined Peterson’s right to an impartial jury at the penalty phase,” Kruger wrote.
The court said the rules for dismissing potential jurors based on concerns about the death penalty were well established by Peterson’s trial.
“Jurors may not be excused merely for opposition to the death penalty, but only for views rendering them unable to fairly consider imposing that penalty in accordance with their oath,” Kruger wrote.
Instead of just dismissing the prospective jurors, the judge should have permitted them to be questioned so their views could have better been explored, the court said.
“As the present case demonstrates, an inadequate or incomplete examination of potential jurors can have disastrous consequences as to the validity of a judgment,” Kruger wrote.
World & Nation The Scott Peterson Murder Trial Coverage of the case against Scott Peterson in the murder of his wife, Laci Peterson.
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In addition to challenging the removal of prospective jurors, Peterson had argued that massive pretrial publicity deprived him of a fair trial.
Peterson’s trial was moved to San Mateo County after a judge found he could not get a fair trial in Modesto. Peterson’s appellate lawyer argued the trial should have been moved again after questionnaires of more than 1,000 potential jurors in San Mateo County showed many already were convinced Peterson was guilty.
But the court said the publicity was so widespread that moving the trial to yet another county would not have mattered.
“Precisely because this case was the subject of such widespread media attention, it is unclear what purpose a second change of venue would have served,” the court said. “The publicity the Peterson trial generated, like the trials of O.J. Simpson, the Manson family, and any number of other so-called trials of the century before them, was intrinsic to the case, not the place.”
Prosecutors in Stanislaus County must decide whether to try once again to seek the death penalty or agree to commute the sentence to life without possibility of parole.
John Goold, a spokesman for the Stanislaus County district attorney’s office, said prosecutors were still examining the ruling Monday and had not yet decided how to proceed.
“We are going to have to review the decision and get together with the victim’s family before any decision is going to be made,” Goold said.
Cliff Gardner, Peterson’s appellate lawyer, appeared doubtful Monday that prosecutors would seek a new trial on the penalty. He said the California Supreme Court was now reviewing a separate habeas corpus challenge filed on behalf of Peterson that contained “new forensic and eyewitness evidence of innocence.”
“In deciding whether to seek a new death sentence, the question for prosecutors now is whether they can prove Mr. Peterson culpable for this crime to even a single juror seated through a fair jury selection process,” Gardner said.
Peterson is confined at San Quentin prison, where scores of inmates have been infected by the coronavirus and several have died. Asked if Peterson had contracted the virus, Gardner said only: “He is doing fine now.”
The California attorney general’s office, which argued the case for prosecutors, declined to comment.
Laci Peterson, 27, was due to give birth in four weeks when she disappeared on Christmas Eve. Scott Peterson told police he had left their Modesto home that morning to go fishing in Berkeley.
Nearly four months later, Laci’s remains and the body of her unborn son, with the umbilical cord still attached, washed up on a rocky shore on San Francisco Bay. A passerby walking a dog found them a few miles from where Scott Peterson said he had gone fishing.
Laci’s disappearance sparked a massive search. At first her family did not suspect Scott. That changed after a massage therapist named Amber Frey told police that she and Peterson had been dating, and that he had told her his wife had died. She then secretly recorded calls with him for the police.
Police arrested Peterson in San Diego County. He had bleached his hair and goatee and was carrying $15,000 in cash.
Prosecutors told jurors that Scott either strangled or suffocated his wife on the night of Dec. 23, 2002, or the following morning. He wrapped her body in a blue tarp, put her in the back of his boat, affixed anchors to her and dropped her in the bay, they said.
Mark Geragos, who defended Peterson at trial, argued Laci had been kidnapped by strangers who dumped her in the bay to frame her husband.


latimes--2020-08-24--It's 8/24, and Kobe Bryant Day includes naming of street for him

A day after Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was remembered on what would have been his 42nd birthday , the city of Los Angeles and Orange County honor his legacy with a day in his honor Monday — 8/24 , which are the two jersey numbers he wore during a 20-year NBA career .
Bryant , who led the Lakers to five NBA championships and finished as the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history , died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 along with his 13-year-old daughter , Gianna , and seven others while traveling to a youth basketball game in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a variety of ways — by his wife , Vanessa , in an Instragram post ; Lakers stars past and present in exclusive interviews ; the Dodgers in a video tribute and by wearing his jerseys before their game ; and by Candace Parker and the Sparks , the WNBA team he supported .
The city of Los Angeles declared 8/24 Kobe Bryant Day in 2016 , shortly after his final season with the Lakers .
The Board of Supervisors in Orange County followed suit earlier this month .
L.A. City Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretch of Figueroa Street will be named in Bryant ’ s honor .
No official ceremonies are planned in L.A. or Orange County .
National Today suggests celebrating by wearing one of Bryant ’ s jerseys , watching clips from some of his biggest games or donating to one of his favorite charities , such as the After-School All-Stars , Stand Up to Cancer , the National Museum of African American History and Culture , and the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation .
The Lakers will honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series .
Bryant was set to headline a Hall of Fame class alongside legendary big men Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett .
The ceremony , originally scheduled for Aug. 29 , has been postponed until at least January .
Bryant , who won two Olympic gold medals , was an 18-time All-Star , 14-time All-NBA selection ( 10 first team ) and 12-time NBA All-Defensive player ( nine first team ) .
Hall of Famer Allen Iverson posted an open letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the player who helped the Lakers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals and beat out Iverson for the 2005-06 scoring title .
“ The 2001 Finals , we were going at each other like fighters .
Not out of some beef or hatred — that ’ s what some people could never understand .
Not out of hate .
Out of admiration .
Out of love .
“ I can ’ t tell you how many pictures I ’ ve seen of me and you , at the free throw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Man , who the hell loses an NBA scoring title averaging 33 a game ?
“ How the hell are you going to average 35 like that , man ?
“ Why ’ d you have to do that ?
?
“ You had to do it because you ’ re you .
Because you ’ re Kobe Bean Bryant .
Because you ’ re a straight-up giant.
” “ Kobe means to me what it means to plant seeds and watch them grow , ” Irving says in a voiceover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hurt , and go through an array of negative emotions , how you feel about yourself , and then also talk about the journey and the climb back to being something better.
” WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi , whom Bryant referred to as the White Mamba , talked about the Mamba Mentality in a video posted Monday by Nike .
“ The guy ’ s playing for everything every time he touched the court , ” she said .
“ And I feel like that ’ s the one way that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives , that when I step on that court , you don ’ t leave anything to chance.
” Here are some of the other heartfelt tributes posted to Bryant on his birthday and namesake day .

Kobe Bryant poses for a photo at the Beverly Hilton on July 18, 2014.
A day after Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was remembered on what would have been his 42nd birthday, the city of Los Angeles and Orange County honor his legacy with a day in his honor Monday — 8/24, which are the two jersey numbers he wore during a 20-year NBA career.
Bryant, who led the Lakers to five NBA championships and finished as the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history, died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others while traveling to a youth basketball game in Ventura County.
Bryant was remembered Sunday in a variety of ways — by his wife, Vanessa, in an Instragram post; Lakers stars past and present in exclusive interviews; the Dodgers in a video tribute and by wearing his jerseys before their game; and by Candace Parker and the Sparks, the WNBA team he supported.
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Metta World Peace on life lessons he learned from Kobe Bryant
The city of Los Angeles declared 8/24 Kobe Bryant Day in 2016, shortly after his final season with the Lakers. The Board of Supervisors in Orange County followed suit earlier this month.
L.A. City Council member Herb Wesson announced Monday that a stretch of Figueroa Street will be named in Bryant’s honor.
Figueroa St. will soon be Kobe Bryant Blvd. between Olympic & MLK.
Kobe’s legacy is bigger than basketball. #KobeBryantBlvd will be a reminder to everyone, young and old who drive down it, there is no obstacle too big and that with the #Mambamentality , anything is possible. pic.twitter.com/gvekIFOU5u — Herb J. Wesson, Jr. (@HerbJWesson) August 24, 2020
No official ceremonies are planned in L.A. or Orange County. National Today suggests celebrating by wearing one of Bryant’s jerseys, watching clips from some of his biggest games or donating to one of his favorite charities, such as the After-School All-Stars, Stand Up to Cancer, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation.
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The Lakers will honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant on Monday by wearing special uniforms when they play the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series.
Bryant was set to headline a Hall of Fame class alongside legendary big men Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. The ceremony, originally scheduled for Aug. 29, has been postponed until at least January.
Bryant, who won two Olympic gold medals, was an 18-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA selection (10 first team) and 12-time NBA All-Defensive player (nine first team).
1 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 25, 2013, at Staples Center. Arguably the greatest player of his generation, Bryant has played a leading role in helping the Lakers carry their winning tradition into the 21st century. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 101 Kobe Bryant is all smiles at the July 1996 news conference where he was introduced after the Lakers acquired him from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Vlade Divac. The Hornets had selected the 17-year-old right out of high school with the 13th overall choice in the 1996 NBA draft. (Los Angeles Times) 3 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant holds up his jersey during his introductory news conference on July 12, 1996. (Andrew Scholer / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 101 Laker rookie Kobe Bryant was a seasoned veteran at getting shot by cameras for advertisements before he took his first shot at training camp. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during a summer league game against the Detroit Pistons in Long Beach on July 13, 1996. (Michael Caulfield / Associated Press) 6 / 101 Lakers rookie Kobe Bryant, 18, warms up before a game at the Forum on Jan. 30, 1997. (Vince Compagnone / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 101 Laker rookie Kobe Bryant, 18, listens to coach Del Harris during a break in a 129-99 victory over the Washington Bullets at the Forum. Bryant scored 13 points. (Los Angeles Times) 8 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant saves the ball from going out of bounds during a game at the Forum on Dec. 29, 1997. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant claps while walking off the court during a timeout against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 24, 1997, at the Forum. (Vince Compagnone / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 101 Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan, left, guards Lakers star Kobe Bryant during the 1998 NBA All-Star game. (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press) 11 / 101 Kobe Bryant is dejected after losing the ball late in the second half of Game 3 of the 1999 Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs at the Forum. The Lakers lost, 103-91, giving the Spurs a 3-0 advantage in the series. The Spurs went on to win the series 4-0. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant speaks with reporters at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo on May 2, 2000. (Jack Smith / Associated Press) 13 / 101 Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal hold the championship trophies after winning Game 6 of the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant jumps over a row of fans after saving the ball from going out of bounds during a win over the Houston Rockets on Dec. 20, 2001. (Pat Sullivan / Associated Press) 15 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, center, is all smiles while standing next to teammates (from left) Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neal during Game 1 of the 2001 Western Conference finals. Bryant scored 45 points in the Lakers’ 104-90 win. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 101 Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal congratulate each other during the Lakers’ win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the 2002 Western Conference quarterfinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during a win over the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center on Nov. 22, 2002. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, steals the ball away from Portland Trail Blazers guard Jeff McInnis during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 3, 2002. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during Game 1 of the 2002 NBA Western Conference finals against the Sacramento Kings. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right center, congratulates teammate Robert Horry on his winning shot against the Sacramento Kings in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at Staples Center on May 26, 2002. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 101 Lakers teammates (from left) Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal celebrate the team’s 2002 NBA Finals win over the New Jersey Nets. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates in the locker room after the team’s 2002 NBA Championship win over the New Jersey Nets. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks at the Larry O’Brien trophy after the Lakers’ NBA championship victory over the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 101 Lakers teammates Mark Madsen, left, and Kobe Bryant celebrate the team’s 2002 NBA title during a celebration in downtown Los Angeles on June 14, 2002. (Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 101 Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal show off their 2002 NBA championship rings before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center on Oct. 29, 2002. (Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images) 26 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, drives on Houston Rockets small forward Juaquin Hawkins during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 17, 2002. (Kevin P. Casey / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 101 Kobe Bryant, right, speaks with Michael Jordan, then with the Washington Wizards, during the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta. (Andrew D. Bernstein / NBA/Getty Images) 28 / 101 Kobe Bryant watches as one of his three-pointers falls against the Wizards at Staples in 2001. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, center, is double-teamed by Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Eric Snow, left, and Flip Murray during a game on March 19, 2006. (Mark Duncan / Associated Press) 30 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant walks past the courtroom where his pretrial motion hearing for sexual assault charges took place in Eagle, Colo., on March 25, 2004. In July 2003, Bryant was arrested after a woman claimed he raped her at a Colorado hotel. Prosecutors later dropped the charges. (Chris Schneider / EPA) 31 / 101 Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, take part in a news conference at Staples Center in July 2003 while addressing the sexual assault charges brought against Kobe. The charges were later dropped. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, speaks with coach Phil Jackson in 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on April 10, 2003. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant tries to hide his emotions after the team’s season-ending loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Western Conference semifinals. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 101 Lakers players (from left) Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Shaquille O’Neal make their first game appearance together during a preseason game against the Clippers in Anaheim on Oct. 23, 2003. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, is congratulated by teammate Derek Fisher after the Lakers’ victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 101 Lakers teammates (from left) Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Gary Payton walk off the court after a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the 2004 Western Conference finals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 101 Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal sit on the bench during Game 6 of the 2004 Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant wipes sweat from his face during the team’s season-ending loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant writhes in pain after injuring his right ankle during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on Jan. 13, 2005. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, and William “Smush” Parker talk during a preseason game against the Utah Jazz in Anaheim on Oct. 25, 2005. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts after hitting the winning shot against the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of the 2006 Western Conference quarterfinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts after being fouled by the Houston Rockets’ Ryan Bowen (not pictured) in the first quarter of a game at Staples Center on Dec. 18, 2005. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 101 Kobe Bryant, left, whispers to coach Phil Jackson in between being photographed during Lakers’ media day on Oct. 2, 2006. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 101 Kobe Bryant saves the ball from going out of bounds against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center on Nov. 12, 2006. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 101 Lakers forward Lamar Odom, left, and guard Kobe Bryant talk on the bench during a timeout against the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 26, 2006. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant listens to the national anthem before a game against the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 26, 2006. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant shoots over Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade to score the winning basket with less than a second remaining in a 108-107 victory at Staples Center on Dec. 4, 2009. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant holds his daughter, Natalia, while greeting team owner Jerry Buss before a news conference at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles announcing Bryant as the 2008 NBA MVP. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after losing to the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the 2007 NBA Western Conference quarterfinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after a championship loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates after hitting a late three-pointer in a win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of the 2009 Western Conference quarterfinals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 101 Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry, right, calls a timeout immediately after Kobe Bryant hits a three-pointer during Game 2 of the 2010 Western Conference finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts immediately after a slam dunk against the New York Knicks on Feb. 2, 2009, at Madison Square Garden. Bryant scored 61 points in the win. (Kathy Willens / Associated Press) 55 / 101 Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, right, celebrate in the closing seconds of the team’s NBA championship win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 101 Kobe Bryant celebrates after winning his fourth NBA title with a win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant holds the Larry O’Brien Trophy while celebrating his fourth championship with the team following a win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 101 Lakers teammates Derek Fisher, left, and Kobe Bryant, center, give President Barack Obama a personalized team jersey while visiting the White House on Jan. 25, 2010. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press) 59 / 101 Lakers forward Ron Artest, center, is congratulated by Kobe Bryant, left, and the rest of his teammates after hitting the winning shot against the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference finals. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press) 60 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, and Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen battle for a loose ball during Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 15, 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates after winning his fifth NBA title following a victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 101 Kobe Bryant celebrates after the Lakers’ victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 17, 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 101 Kobe Bryant gestures while celebrating his fifth championship with the Lakers during a team parade in Los Angeles on June 21, 2010. (Christina House / For the Times) 64 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates his fifth NBA title during the team’s championship parade on June 21, 2010. (Christina House / For the Times) 65 / 101 Kobe Bryant kisses his championship ring during a ceremony honoring the Lakers’ 2010 NBA title before the team’s season opener on Oct. 26, 2010. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 101 Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant share a laugh before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center on Nov. 9, 2010. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 101 Kobe Bryant, left, exchanges words with LeBron James during a Christmas Day game in 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 101 Kobe Bryant walks behind Dallas Mavericks standout Dirk Nowitzki during Game 3 of the 2011 Western Conference semifinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after the team’s season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on May 8, 2011. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant reflects on the 2010-11 season as he answers questions from reporters at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo on May 11, 2011. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant participates in a training session for South Korean fans during a promotional tour in Seoul on July 14, 2011. (Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images) 72 / 101 Kobe Bryant drives to the basket during an exhibition game in the Philippines on July 24, 2011. (Noel Celis / AFP/Getty Images) 73 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant gets a massage from team physical therapist Julie Seto during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 29, 2012. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, greets Oklahoma City Thunder standout Kevin Durant before walking off the court after a season-ending loss in Game 5 of the 2012 Western Conference semifinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 101 Lakers teammates (from left) Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard celebrate in the closing moments of their 119-108 victory over the Houston Rockets on Nov. 18, 2012. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, puts up a shot over Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum during a game at Staples Center on Feb. 22, 2013. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) 77 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant shoots over Toronto Raptors forward Rudy Gay during the Lakers’ 118-116 overtime win at Staples Center on March 8, 2013. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press) 78 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks on during a game against the New Orleans Hornets at Staples Center on Jan. 29, 2013. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, protects the ball from Sacramento Kings forward John Salmons during the Lakers’ 103-98 win on March 30, 2013. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) 80 / 101 Kobe Bryant rolls on the floor in pain after injuring suffering a torn Achilles tendon during a game against the Sacramento Kings on April 12, 2013. Bryant did not return from the injury until December 2013. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant limps off the court in front of teammate Metta World Peace after suffering an Achilles tendon injury on April 12, 2013, against the Golden State Warriors. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 101 Kobe Bryant sits on the bench before being introduced against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Dec. 10, 2013. It was Bryant’s first game back since tearing his Achilles tendon on April 12, 2013. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 83 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant grabs a rebound against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on Dec. 8, 2013. (Harry How / Getty Images) 84 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Dec. 10, 2013. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 85 / 101 Kobe Bryant holds his left knee after a play against Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 17, 2013. Bryant suffered a fracture on his tibia and missed the remainder of the 2012-13 season. (Time Warner Cable Sportsnet) 86 / 101 Kobe Bryant, sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon injury, sits next to teammate Jodie Meeks during a Lakers’ loss to the Clippers at Staples Center on Jan. 10, 2014. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) 87 / 101 Kobe Bryant walks down the court during the Lakers’ 110-91 loss to the Pacers on Dec. 14, 2014, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images) 88 / 101 Kobe Bryant drives on Memphis Grizzlies guard Quincy Pondexter on Nov. 26, 2014. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 89 / 101 Kobe Bryant drives to the basket during a 110-91 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 15, 2014. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images) 90 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, speaks with Coach Byron Scott during a game against the San Antonio Spurs last December. (Eric Gay / Associated Press) 91 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant dribbles the ball during the first half against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 15, 2014. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images) 92 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant smiles during the fourth quarter of a 111-103 win over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 30, 2014. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press) 93 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks during a game against Indiana Pacers at Staples Center on Jan. 4. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) 94 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks on during the closing moments of a 111-95 loss to the Washington Wizards on Dec. 3, 2014. (Rob Carr / Getty Images) 95 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers during a game at Staples Center on Jan. 13, 2015. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 96 / 101 Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, poses for photos with FC Barcelona captain Andrés Iniesta Luján before a training session at the StubHub Stadium in Carson on July 20, 2015. (Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images) 97 / 101 Kobe Bryant poses for a photo at the Beverly Hills Hilton on July 18, 2014. Bryant was limited to 35 games during the 2014-15 season because of injury. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 98 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant fields questions from reporters surrounding him during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 99 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant fields questions from television reporters during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 100 / 101 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is surrounded by reporters while doing a radio interview during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 101 / 101 Kobe Bryant tries to steal the ball from Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 3. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Hall of Famer Allen Iverson posted an open letter Monday on The Players’ Tribune to the player who helped the Lakers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals and beat out Iverson for the 2005-06 scoring title.
“You were my guy.
“The 2001 Finals, we were going at each other like fighters. Not out of some beef or hatred — that’s what some people could never understand. Not out of hate. Out of admiration. Out of love.
“I can’t tell you how many pictures I’ve seen of me and you, at the free throw line, talking ... and just smiling.
“Man, who the hell loses an NBA scoring title averaging 33 a game?
Sports Remembering Kobe Bryant on his birthday The Lakers, Dodgers and Sparks were among the teams, players and others to honor former Lakers star Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 42nd birthday.
“How the hell are you going to average 35 like that, man?
“Why’d you have to do that??
“You had to do it because you’re you. Because you’re Kobe Bean Bryant. Because you’re a straight-up giant.”
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving posted video tribute to Bryant on Instagram.
“Kobe means to me what it means to plant seeds and watch them grow,” Irving says in a voiceover. “To endure pain, drama, hurt, and go through an array of negative emotions, how you feel about yourself, and then also talk about the journey and the climb back to being something better.”
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) pens video tribute to Kobe Bryant: "Kobe means to me what it means to plant seeds and watch them grow. To endure pain, trauma and hurt, and go through an array of negative emotions, how you feel about yourself." pic.twitter.com/DrvgvuTZep — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 24, 2020
WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi, whom Bryant referred to as the White Mamba, talked about the Mamba Mentality in a video posted Monday by Nike.
“The guy’s playing for everything every time he touched the court,” she said. “And I feel like that’s the one way that I know I can make sure that he lives, that when I step on that court, you don’t leave anything to chance.”
WNBA legend @DianaTaurasi discusses why Kobe’s legendary focus set him apart from his peers and why it inspires her to be better every day. #MambaMentality pic.twitter.com/MWx7RkLXpL — Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) August 24, 2020
Here are some of the other heartfelt tributes posted to Bryant on his birthday and namesake day.
“I focus on one thing and one thing only - that's trying to win as many championships as I can.” pic.twitter.com/2doKdKwgnx — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 24, 2020
"The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do." 8/24
Kobe Bryant Day 💛💜 pic.twitter.com/B2aiWISapm — Pau Gasol (@paugasol) August 24, 2020
Mamba mentality 🐍
Here’s all of Kobe’s 81 points vs. Toronto pic.twitter.com/GYn7KwXZZI — NBA TV (@NBATV) August 24, 2020
24 main message to me was to attack life and the game with tenacity. If you do that you’ll have no regrets. Have fun. Be you. Never change....My brother. Hope you well https://t.co/xJ1qDmGRRt — kuz (@kylekuzma) August 23, 2020
Join us as we celebrate Kobe Bryant Day. 💜💛
Comment below with your favorite Mamba memories. pic.twitter.com/qkyNXXw8o0 — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 24, 2020
“You could say I dared people to be their best selves.” pic.twitter.com/0yT59qgEkd — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 23, 2020
Mamba Forever ∞
Happy Birthday, Kobe 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/1OZ0XDS7aq — LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) August 23, 2020
Legends are missed, but never forgotten.
I had the pleasure of calling Kobe Bryant my friend for 20 years. Nobody, and I mean nobody, worked harder and more passionately to be great, day in and day out. As a player, as a coach, as a mentor, as a husband and as a father. 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/F1IxskIDyP — Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) August 23, 2020
Remembering you and honoring you on this day. We will love you forever @KobeBryant. You will always be alive to us. Sending blessings and prayers to Vanessa and the family today 🙏🏿🙏🏿💜💛 pic.twitter.com/GrmJizugjn — Viola Davis (@violadavis) August 23, 2020


latimes--2020-08-24--How COVID-19 and budget woes have changed what 'back to school' means at Cal State

As 480,000 California State University students prepare to log on for the start of a new academic year , the coronavirus crisis has produced uneven effects throughout the system on enrollment , budgets and even the number of students permitted to take in-person classes .
Some campuses , particularly in the north , are struggling with enrollment , while in the south campuses see little to no change .
Budget cuts have some universities considering layoffs and course reductions , while others are holding steady .
And with 23 campuses in 18 counties , some colleges will offer more in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cal Poly Pomona , for instance , just 2.5 % of course sections will offer in-person components , including courses held off campus .
Fewer than 500 students will live on campus .
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo , in contrast , will offer 13 % of sections in person , and as many as 5,980 students — 70 % of capacity — will live on campus .
Los Angeles County , which has a relatively high prevalence of COVID-19 , has issued strict reopening guidelines for higher education institutions , whereas San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case rate per 100,000 people , has said it would follow the somewhat more relaxed state guidelines .
CSU Chancellor Timothy White signed off on all 23 campuses ’ plans .
“ They vary based on the geography of the campus , they vary based on the facility footprint , ” White said at a recent online forum hosted by the nonprofit news organization CalMatters .
“ Small cramped classrooms are different than great , big open spaces ... .
Something that can not happen on one campus might be happening on another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the first to announce , in May , that it would begin the fall semester almost entirely online .
Days later , Gov .
Gavin Newsom proposed a 10 % state budget reduction to all three systems of public higher education in California , prompting campuses to grapple with how to make cuts .
All of the L.A.-area CSU campuses — Dominguez Hills , Fullerton , Los Angeles , Long Beach , Northridge and Pomona — say they are projecting steady enrollment compared with a year ago .
With about half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ensures some stability , though campuses are still limiting travel , freezing hiring and laying off some employees .
“ I am confident that we will deliver the same level of service to our students in the classroom and outside the classroom as we have delivered in the past , ” said President Framroze Virjee of Fullerton , the system ’ s largest college and one of its most competitive .
“ I don ’ t know that we will be able to do that in future years , but for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Virjee added that his college , which expects to exceed last fall ’ s enrollment of 39,868 , has no plans to cut classes .
Itzel Delgadillo , who is studying business administration and public relations at Fullerton , moved back in with her parents in Lamont , Calif. , after the pandemic hit .
The first member of her family to attend college , she was used to focusing only on school and her part-time job managing a Little Caesars restaurant .
But at home , she ’ s expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shares a room with her sister and doesn ’ t have a desk , working from the dining table or a bed instead .
“ That ’ s the roughest , just not having a desk , ” she said .
“ As a student at Cal State , I ’ m used to having a library or a Starbucks and my own space , my own room .
Now I don ’ t have that controlled environment.
” Despite the difficulties , she said she wouldn ’ t return to campus even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her sister recently spent two weeks quarantined in their room , recovering from COVID-19 .
“ I know how it is and I know who it can affect , and I wouldn ’ t risk my family and I wouldn ’ t risk other people ’ s health , ” she said .
In L.A. County , only classes that train students in essential work , such as healthcare , education , and food and agriculture , may meet in person , and only students with no feasible alternative may be housed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where enrollment is on target around the 26,000 students who attended last fall , fewer than 100 students will live on campus and only six clinical nursing courses will be offered in person .
At Cal Poly Pomona , enrollment numbers are also steady , at about 27,000 .
Almost all classes , with the exception of graduate research or thesis projects that can not be conducted virtually , will be remote , leading to one of the lowest rates of students on campus of any Cal State school .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than even those among the other CSU campuses , ” said Sepehr Eskandari , associate provost for academic planning and faculty excellence .
With its focus on “ inclusivity ” and equity , that meant rethinking how the university offered remote instruction .
“ We had not paid enough attention to the digital divide ” before the pandemic , said S. Terri Gomez , associate provost for student success , equity and innovation .
To correct that , Pomona created a lease-to-own laptop program , trained faculty in distance education over the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistants in classes .
At some Northern California campuses , the picture looks somewhat different .
Long reliant on students from outside their regions to bolster enrollment , these campuses were experiencing enrollment declines before the pandemic .
“ The growth in demand for the CSU has been largely in Southern California , ” said President Lynn Mahoney of San Francisco State , where enrollments have been dropping for years , in part because of the high cost of housing .
“ The Northern California campuses have had to work harder.
” Amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are electing to stay closer to home or enroll in community colleges .
San Francisco State is expecting a 10 % drop in overall enrollment , including a 33 % drop in its freshman class — the latter of which Mahoney attributed entirely to the pandemic .
“ The number ... sounds huge , ” she said , “ but it ’ s not an existential crisis.
” It does mean , though , that revenue will drop .
The university will reduce some lecturers ’ loads and cut back on courses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirements , advising and counseling , Mahoney said .
It will also lay off employees according to its collective bargaining agreement , but not full-time faculty .
With just over 1 % of classes being offered in person and almost all other services moved online , Mahoney estimates there will be few students on campus , which blends into the city of San Francisco .
Farther north , at Chico State and Humboldt State , which are projecting enrollment declines of about 7.5 % and 12 % , respectively , officials plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students .
Located in more rural Butte and Humboldt counties , these campuses offer hands-on training in agriculture , forestry and oceanography that can be hard to translate online .
Many students live on or near campus , where they contribute significantly to local economies .
Chico State will offer in-person learning for about 10 % of all course sections ; at Humboldt State , the figure is closer to 13 % .
Chico State officials said that once Butte County comes off the state ’ s coronavirus watchlist , the campus will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Bell Memorial Union , conference rooms will house student services such as the Dream Center and Gender and Sexuality Equity Coalition , and the bookstore and cafe will be open .
Some study spaces will be available by appointment , but students must socially distance .
The school ’ s 800-acre farm will be open .
So will off-campus sorority and fraternity houses , where university employees have volunteered to hang leaflets reminding residents about safety during the pandemic .
“ We knew our students were going to come back anyway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State ’ s interim vice president for student affairs .
“ Either we figure out a way to engage them appropriately and safely , or it won ’ t go well.
” Breanna Holbert , an agriculture major and the Associated Students president at Chico , has remained throughout the pandemic at the off-campus house she rents with three other students .
“ From a student standpoint , of course I want these things to be open because I ’ m paying for them , ” she said of student services .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have preexisting conditions , she doesn ’ t think she ’ ll use them much .
“ I have family members who could be impacted and infected and potentially die because I went into this building , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t feel comfortable doing those things .
”

Brett Nickman power-washes benches at Cal State Fullerton in preparation for the school’s reopening for the fall semester.
As 480,000 California State University students prepare to log on for the start of a new academic year, the coronavirus crisis has produced uneven effects throughout the system on enrollment, budgets and even the number of students permitted to take in-person classes.
Some campuses, particularly in the north, are struggling with enrollment, while in the south campuses see little to no change. Budget cuts have some universities considering layoffs and course reductions, while others are holding steady. And with 23 campuses in 18 counties, some colleges will offer more in-person classes and services than others.
At Cal Poly Pomona, for instance, just 2.5% of course sections will offer in-person components, including courses held off campus. Fewer than 500 students will live on campus. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, in contrast, will offer 13% of sections in person, and as many as 5,980 students — 70% of capacity — will live on campus.
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Los Angeles County, which has a relatively high prevalence of COVID-19, has issued strict reopening guidelines for higher education institutions, whereas San Luis Obispo, which has half the case rate per 100,000 people, has said it would follow the somewhat more relaxed state guidelines.
Richelle Meneses helps her 18-year-old daughter, Sidney Meneses, move into the dorms at Cal State Fullerton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
CSU Chancellor Timothy White signed off on all 23 campuses’ plans.
“They vary based on the geography of the campus, they vary based on the facility footprint,” White said at a recent online forum hosted by the nonprofit news organization CalMatters. “Small cramped classrooms are different than great, big open spaces.... Something that cannot happen on one campus might be happening on another campus.”
The Cal State system was one of the first to announce, in May, that it would begin the fall semester almost entirely online. Days later, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a 10% state budget reduction to all three systems of public higher education in California, prompting campuses to grapple with how to make cuts.
All of the L.A.-area CSU campuses — Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Northridge and Pomona — say they are projecting steady enrollment compared with a year ago. With about half their revenue coming from tuition and fees, that ensures some stability, though campuses are still limiting travel, freezing hiring and laying off some employees.
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“I am confident that we will deliver the same level of service to our students in the classroom and outside the classroom as we have delivered in the past,” said President Framroze Virjee of Fullerton, the system’s largest college and one of its most competitive. “I don’t know that we will be able to do that in future years, but for this year I am sure of it.”
Virjee added that his college, which expects to exceed last fall’s enrollment of 39,868, has no plans to cut classes.
Itzel Delgadillo, who is studying business administration and public relations at Fullerton, moved back in with her parents in Lamont, Calif., after the pandemic hit. The first member of her family to attend college, she was used to focusing only on school and her part-time job managing a Little Caesars restaurant.
But at home, she’s expected to help with cooking and cleaning. She shares a room with her sister and doesn’t have a desk, working from the dining table or a bed instead.
“That’s the roughest, just not having a desk,” she said. “As a student at Cal State, I’m used to having a library or a Starbucks and my own space, my own room. Now I don’t have that controlled environment.”
Despite the difficulties, she said she wouldn’t return to campus even if it were an option. Delgadillo and her sister recently spent two weeks quarantined in their room, recovering from COVID-19.
“I know how it is and I know who it can affect, and I wouldn’t risk my family and I wouldn’t risk other people’s health,” she said.
In L.A. County, only classes that train students in essential work, such as healthcare, education, and food and agriculture, may meet in person, and only students with no feasible alternative may be housed on campus.
At Cal State L.A., where enrollment is on target around the 26,000 students who attended last fall, fewer than 100 students will live on campus and only six clinical nursing courses will be offered in person.
At Cal Poly Pomona, enrollment numbers are also steady, at about 27,000. Almost all classes, with the exception of graduate research or thesis projects that cannot be conducted virtually, will be remote, leading to one of the lowest rates of students on campus of any Cal State school.
“We had a really high bar — higher than even those among the other CSU campuses,” said Sepehr Eskandari, associate provost for academic planning and faculty excellence. With its focus on “inclusivity” and equity, that meant rethinking how the university offered remote instruction.
“We had not paid enough attention to the digital divide” before the pandemic, said S. Terri Gomez, associate provost for student success, equity and innovation.
To correct that, Pomona created a lease-to-own laptop program, trained faculty in distance education over the summer, and embedded more tutors and teaching assistants in classes.
At some Northern California campuses, the picture looks somewhat different.
Long reliant on students from outside their regions to bolster enrollment, these campuses were experiencing enrollment declines before the pandemic.
“The growth in demand for the CSU has been largely in Southern California,” said President Lynn Mahoney of San Francisco State, where enrollments have been dropping for years, in part because of the high cost of housing. “The Northern California campuses have had to work harder.”
Amid the uncertainty of COVID-19, many students are electing to stay closer to home or enroll in community colleges. San Francisco State is expecting a 10% drop in overall enrollment, including a 33% drop in its freshman class — the latter of which Mahoney attributed entirely to the pandemic.
“The number ... sounds huge,” she said, “but it’s not an existential crisis.”
It does mean, though, that revenue will drop. The university will reduce some lecturers’ loads and cut back on courses, giving priority to general education and major requirements, advising and counseling, Mahoney said. It will also lay off employees according to its collective bargaining agreement, but not full-time faculty.
With just over 1% of classes being offered in person and almost all other services moved online, Mahoney estimates there will be few students on campus, which blends into the city of San Francisco.
Farther north, at Chico State and Humboldt State, which are projecting enrollment declines of about 7.5% and 12%, respectively, officials plan to open up more of their campuses to students.
Located in more rural Butte and Humboldt counties, these campuses offer hands-on training in agriculture, forestry and oceanography that can be hard to translate online. Many students live on or near campus, where they contribute significantly to local economies.
Chico State will offer in-person learning for about 10% of all course sections; at Humboldt State, the figure is closer to 13%.
Chico State officials said that once Butte County comes off the state’s coronavirus watchlist, the campus will open some student activities, with modifications. In Bell Memorial Union, conference rooms will house student services such as the Dream Center and Gender and Sexuality Equity Coalition, and the bookstore and cafe will be open. Some study spaces will be available by appointment, but students must socially distance. The school’s 800-acre farm will be open.
So will off-campus sorority and fraternity houses, where university employees have volunteered to hang leaflets reminding residents about safety during the pandemic.
“We knew our students were going to come back anyway,” said Sandy Parsons, Chico State’s interim vice president for student affairs. “Either we figure out a way to engage them appropriately and safely, or it won’t go well.”
Breanna Holbert, an agriculture major and the Associated Students president at Chico, has remained throughout the pandemic at the off-campus house she rents with three other students.
“From a student standpoint, of course I want these things to be open because I’m paying for them,” she said of student services.
But as a Black Latinx individual whose parents have preexisting conditions, she doesn’t think she’ll use them much.
“I have family members who could be impacted and infected and potentially die because I went into this building,” she said. “I don’t feel comfortable doing those things.”


latimes--2020-08-24--Shyong: Kamala Harris' identity shows us the limits of our labels

It was just the Tamil word for auntie , two syllables in a speech by Kamala Harris last Thursday that covered her childhood , heritage and political awakening and culminated in her acceptance of the Democratic Party nomination for vice president .
But “ chithi , ” uttered on a presidential stage for the first time and pronounced correctly at that , set millions of Whatsapp chats ablaze around the world .
A photo of a young Kamala and her sister Maya in saris and bindis with their grandparents in India circulated furiously .
Nationalistic pride , political optimism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was largely absent when Harris announced her presidential candidacy last year .
For a moment , a lot of us contemplated the idea of a vice president — someday , maybe even a president — shaped by the sacrifice of immigrant parents , who might feel the pain and injustice of country-specific travel bans in their own family , or have some sense of what it ’ s like to sip coffee from a Starbucks cup with someone else ’ s simpler-to-spell name on it .
Even I felt my own cynicism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for better or for worse , spark wide-ranging conversations about race .
And Harris , an Oakland-born daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants , who is both Black and Asian American , possesses an identity so multifaceted that it threatens to make that conversation a little bit smarter .
But presidential elections , for those accustomed to discussing race intelligently , can also be unfortunate markers of how little progress we have made .
And the enduring poverty of our racial rhetoric was on full display the night of Harris ’ nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , poster or commentator could agree on how to identify her , variously describing her heritage as a woman of color , a child of immigrants , Black , Asian American , African American , Jamaican American , Indian American and South Asian .
On social media , I saw people fighting over the way Harris was described and pressing their own claims to her identity , various labels flying like flags over ideological fortresses .
Pro-Trump commentators weaponized Harris ’ biography , claiming first that her Jamaican and then her Indian heritage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African American experience .
Political operatives even tried to sell the absurd and instantly disproved lie that Harris was ineligible for the role because she was the daughter of immigrants .
It was a near echo of the attacks that Barack Obama faced during his presidency .
Identity is always more complex than the labels used to describe it .
When I report in ethnic neighborhoods across the city , I ’ m constantly reminded that behind the label is a story , and although the label doesn ’ t always fit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear it .
And I was fortunate to get that chance two months ago , when Harris agreed to appear on our Los Angeles Times podcast “ Asian Enough.
” On our podcast , my co-host Jen Yamato and I talk about Asian American identity and how the labels this country uses often don ’ t fit .
Perhaps unsurprisingly , Harris was game for the conversation .
We talked about her mother ’ s cooking — Indian , but also barbecue and Italian pasta — and how her mother raised Kamala and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black women because she understood that that ’ s how her daughters would be seen .
Harris argued that she was not presenting a confused picture of her identity , as she ’ s often accused of doing — but that it was instead America itself that was confused about race .
She described the pressure of choosing between Indian and Black identities as a “ false choice , ” an idea I immediately understood as the U.S.-born son of Taiwanese immigrants who feels connections to both countries .
Harris was smooth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d expect of a politician as skilled and as experienced as she is .
But there were moments when genuine frustration about the labels applied to her cracked through .
“ I didn ’ t go through some evolution about who am I and what is my identity .
And I guess the frustration I have is if people think that I should have come through such a crisis and need to explain it .
But I didn ’ t , ” Harris said .
Perhaps our interview was just as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Harris has consistently resisted choosing among the multiple facets of her identity .
Instead of putting on the most expedient label available and wearing it like a mask , I saw Harris attempting to explain her complexity .
Identity , and the terms to describe it , are easy targets these days as more people exhausted by our daily outrage cycles tap out of engaging on issues of race .
But if we don ’ t understand race ourselves , we will be manipulated by people who do .
Voters from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the way Democrats and Republicans alike have marketed multiculturalism for votes and political gain , without ever delivering change for those communities .
But now race is also a marketing tool , a brand , a trend and a hashtag .
We have companies and brands using race to sell us chicken sandwiches , airplane tickets and streaming content .
And our racial picture won ’ t get clearer if we keep coloring with the same three or four dusty , broken crayons .
The world is not about to get less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children in California have at least one immigrant parent .
A Pew study estimated that multiracial people make up 7 % of the nation ’ s population , and that number is expected to triple over the next few decades — a faster rate of growth than any other racial or ethnic group .
All this is to say : We ’ re going to have to learn some new terms , and also understand that those labels can ’ t tell the full story .
After all , what label would you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where two Black and South Asian daughters grew up dancing to Aretha Franklin in the living room as their Indian immigrant mother prepared dinners of daal , barbecue and beef stir-fry ?
I have no idea .
And there ’ s something exciting about that .

Kamala Harris, back row from left, with grandparents Rajam Gopalan and P.V. Gopalan and sister Maya Harris. In front are Maya’s daughter, Meena, left, and the Harrises’ cousin Sharada Balachandran Orihuela.
It was just the Tamil word for auntie, two syllables in a speech by Kamala Harris last Thursday that covered her childhood, heritage and political awakening and culminated in her acceptance of the Democratic Party nomination for vice president.
But “chithi,” uttered on a presidential stage for the first time and pronounced correctly at that, set millions of Whatsapp chats ablaze around the world. A photo of a young Kamala and her sister Maya in saris and bindis with their grandparents in India circulated furiously. Nationalistic pride, political optimism and representational joy combined in a celebratory moment that was largely absent when Harris announced her presidential candidacy last year.
For a moment, a lot of us contemplated the idea of a vice president — someday, maybe even a president — shaped by the sacrifice of immigrant parents, who might feel the pain and injustice of country-specific travel bans in their own family, or have some sense of what it’s like to sip coffee from a Starbucks cup with someone else’s simpler-to-spell name on it.
Even I felt my own cynicism fading ever so slightly. Presidential elections, for better or for worse, spark wide-ranging conversations about race. And Harris, an Oakland-born daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, who is both Black and Asian American, possesses an identity so multifaceted that it threatens to make that conversation a little bit smarter.
But presidential elections, for those accustomed to discussing race intelligently, can also be unfortunate markers of how little progress we have made.
Advertisement
And the enduring poverty of our racial rhetoric was on full display the night of Harris’ nomination, when it seemed no news outlet, poster or commentator could agree on how to identify her, variously describing her heritage as a woman of color, a child of immigrants, Black, Asian American, African American, Jamaican American, Indian American and South Asian.
On social media, I saw people fighting over the way Harris was described and pressing their own claims to her identity, various labels flying like flags over ideological fortresses. Pro-Trump commentators weaponized Harris’ biography, claiming first that her Jamaican and then her Indian heritage meant that she did not understand the African American experience. Political operatives even tried to sell the absurd and instantly disproved lie that Harris was ineligible for the role because she was the daughter of immigrants. It was a near echo of the attacks that Barack Obama faced during his presidency.
Identity is always more complex than the labels used to describe it. When I report in ethnic neighborhoods across the city, I’m constantly reminded that behind the label is a story, and although the label doesn’t always fit, the story always makes sense when you hear it.
And I was fortunate to get that chance two months ago, when Harris agreed to appear on our Los Angeles Times podcast “Asian Enough.”
On our podcast, my co-host Jen Yamato and I talk about Asian American identity and how the labels this country uses often don’t fit. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harris was game for the conversation.
California Introducing: ‘Asian Enough’ “Asian Enough” is a podcast about being Asian American — with guests like John Cho, Lulu Wang, Mina Kimes, Margaret Cho and Padma Lakshmi.
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We talked about her mother’s cooking — Indian, but also barbecue and Italian pasta — and how her mother raised Kamala and her younger sister, Maya, as Black women because she understood that that’s how her daughters would be seen.
Harris argued that she was not presenting a confused picture of her identity, as she’s often accused of doing — but that it was instead America itself that was confused about race. She described the pressure of choosing between Indian and Black identities as a “false choice,” an idea I immediately understood as the U.S.-born son of Taiwanese immigrants who feels connections to both countries.
Harris was smooth and occasionally spoke in sound bites as you’d expect of a politician as skilled and as experienced as she is. But there were moments when genuine frustration about the labels applied to her cracked through. “I didn’t go through some evolution about who am I and what is my identity. And I guess the frustration I have is if people think that I should have come through such a crisis and need to explain it. But I didn’t,” Harris said.
Perhaps our interview was just as much political performance as anything a politician does. But Harris has consistently resisted choosing among the multiple facets of her identity. Instead of putting on the most expedient label available and wearing it like a mask, I saw Harris attempting to explain her complexity.
Identity, and the terms to describe it, are easy targets these days as more people exhausted by our daily outrage cycles tap out of engaging on issues of race.
But if we don’t understand race ourselves, we will be manipulated by people who do. Voters from communities of color have long been familiar with the way Democrats and Republicans alike have marketed multiculturalism for votes and political gain, without ever delivering change for those communities. But now race is also a marketing tool, a brand, a trend and a hashtag. We have companies and brands using race to sell us chicken sandwiches, airplane tickets and streaming content.
And our racial picture won’t get clearer if we keep coloring with the same three or four dusty, broken crayons. The world is not about to get less complicated. At least half of all children in California have at least one immigrant parent. A Pew study estimated that multiracial people make up 7% of the nation’s population, and that number is expected to triple over the next few decades — a faster rate of growth than any other racial or ethnic group.
All this is to say: We’re going to have to learn some new terms, and also understand that those labels can’t tell the full story.
After all, what label would you use to describe the Harris household, where two Black and South Asian daughters grew up dancing to Aretha Franklin in the living room as their Indian immigrant mother prepared dinners of daal, barbecue and beef stir-fry?
I have no idea. And there’s something exciting about that.


latimes--2020-08-24--Firefighters in Northern California get a weather break as deadly blazes rage on

As two of the three largest fires in California history burned simultaneously in the Santa Cruz Mountains and in wine country north of San Francisco Bay , firefighters saw a welcome respite in dangerous fire weather with the cancellation of a red-flag warning for the Bay Area .
Forecasters , however , continued to warn about dry lightning in the Sacramento Valley ’ s foothills and mountains through Monday evening .
Red-flag warnings — which indicate that dangerous fire weather conditions are expected — were also in effect for parts of the North Coast , northeast California and the Tahoe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weather Service initially issued warnings covering large swaths of Northern and Central California through Monday afternoon .
With firefighters already responding to more than two dozen major fires , it was feared the storms could ignite even more blazes and cause existing ones to spread more rapidly , pushing crews into a triage situation .
The red-flag warning covering the Bay Area and northern Central Coast was canceled shortly after 9:30 a.m. Monday .
The local National Weather Service office said that “ weak cells are still over the North Bay ; however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our area and instability has decreased , giving us confidence to let the warning expire early.
” Firefighters were able to use a brief respite in the wind over the weekend to build containment lines .
Crews battling the CZU Lightning Complex fire in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties got some additional help from Mother Nature in the form of rain showers Sunday evening .
“ The weather hasn ’ t been as significant as we were expecting , which is good , ” Mark Brunton , operations chief for the California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said at a briefing Monday morning .
“ And that has given us an opportunity for our crews to make a lot of great progress throughout this fire.
” The sheer magnitude of what has already burned is sobering : about 1.4 million acres this month alone , with four more months of potential fire season to go .
Only 2018 saw more land scorched in California — over an entire year .
“ I ’ m essentially at a loss for words to describe the scope of the lightning-sparked fire outbreak that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even in the context of the extraordinary fires of recent years , ” wrote Daniel Swain , a climate scientist at UCLA , in a blog post .
“ It ’ s truly astonishing.
” On Saturday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced that the White House had approved California ’ s request for a presidential major disaster declaration to bolster the state ’ s emergency response to the wildfires .
Across California , “ over 14,000 firefighters are on the front lines of more than two dozen major fires and lightning complexes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeremy Rahn , Cal Fire public information officer , said at a Sunday media briefing .
There have been more than 13,000 lightning strikes statewide since Aug. 15 , he added on Monday , and “ an astonishing 2,700 more wildfires have occurred this year than last.
” During a media briefing Monday afternoon , Newsom said that there had been at least 289 lightning strikes statewide over the last 24 hours , and that 10 new fires had broken out .
“ The good news is the lightning did spare the coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going right now , ” Michelle Mead , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service , said Monday in a Cal Fire video update .
“ The bad news is we did have more lightning strikes in the inland region along the Sierra Crest.
” Crews are currently battling 625 fires throughout the state , according to Newsom .
So far this year , firefighters have responded to 7,002 fires that have scorched a combined 1.4 million acres , the governor said .
By this same time last year , there had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 56,000 acres .
Seven people have died so far in this year ’ s fires , including five — three in Napa County and two in Solano County — as a result of the LNU Lightning Complex fire , and one in the CZU Lightning Complex fire .
The death toll also includes a pilot who died in a helicopter crash in Fresno County while on a water-dropping mission for the Hills fire .
Newsom called this week critical “ as it relates to addressing and suppressing these wildfires ” and said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our disposal.
” In some areas , volunteer fire-fighting units have stepped in as well .
The state ’ s commitment includes more than 2,400 fire engines , he said .
More have been pledged from other agencies both in and out of California — including 91 from Arizona , Idaho , New Mexico , Texas , Oregon , Utah and Washington .
The LNU Lightning Complex fire , at nearly 350,000 acres , is the second-largest fire in California history .
With slightly less acreage burned — over 347,000 acres — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest .
Combined , they dwarf the Thomas fire , which at 281,893 acres shattered the records just three years ago .
“ To have both of those going on at the same time ... gives us the magnitude of what has happened here in this state , ” Sean Kavanaugh , incident commander on the LNU fire , said Sunday .
As of Monday morning , the LNU fire complex , which was burning in Napa , Sonoma , Lake , Solano , Yolo and Colusa counties , had destroyed 871 homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contained .
“ The size and complexity of this fire is not one that we ’ ve seen in times past , ” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said during a briefing Monday , adding that “ everyone on the line is extremely tired but working so incredibly hard.
” The SCU Lightning Complex fire , which is now more than 47,000 acres and spans seven counties , began as a collection of about 20 blazes in areas of Contra Costa , Alameda , Santa Clara , Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflagrations .
The fires , which were 10 % contained as of Monday afternoon , were burning primarily through grass and brush in steep , remote areas that hadn ’ t burned in years .
“ There ’ s a lot of dead fuel up there , ” said Barbara Rebiskie , public information officer on the SCU fire .
“ And the erratic winds , the 7 % humidities and the lightning — it ’ s not a good combination.
” As of Monday afternoon , more than 20,000 homes and commercial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed destroyed .
Investigators are looking into 7 other structures that may have also been demolished by the blaze .
Jake Hess , a Cal Fire unit chief , said at a news conference that California has entered a period of mega fires .
“ We are essentially living in a mega fire era , ” he said .
“ We have folks who have been working for Cal Fire for the last five years , and that is all they understand , mega fires , since they started.
” He warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , explaining that “ it is going to be early and more often.
” A new evacuation order was issued at 3 a.m. Sunday for parts of Alameda County .
In the hours that followed , a public information center was flooded with so many phone calls that it crashed .
On Monday , officials reduced an evacuation order to a warning in parts of Stanislaus county .
Although firefighting resources have been pouring into the region in recent days , officials say it ’ s simply not enough .
In some places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned down for state help and left to beg for equipment and manpower from volunteers and local agencies .
On Sunday afternoon , forecasters were concerned with an area of moisture with the potential to generate thunderstorms that was just off Central California and moving toward the Monterey area .
Bay Area forecasters said Monday , however , that most of the moisture had moved to the north , spurring the cancellation of a red-flag warning there as well as along the northern Central Coast .
Since late July , more than 1,200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been destroyed by fires in California , with nearly all of that destruction occurring after Aug. 15 , which marked the start of what officials are calling a “ lightning siege.
” The CZU Lightning Complex fire was threatening multiple communities and had forced 77,000 people from their homes .
The blaze began as a collection of about 22 fires that largely merged into one , challenging firefighters as they tried to keep the flames away from the towns dotting the rural , mountainous area .
The fire had consumed 78,000 acres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday morning .
It threatened 24,323 structures and had destroyed 231 .
Newsom called the CZU Lightning Complex a “ proof point that we are in a different climate ” as it ’ s burning in areas “ that have simply never seen forest fires because of weather conditions and the like.
” “ We are dealing with different climate conditions that are precipitating in fires the likes of which we haven ’ t seen in modern recorded history — in dense forests that are well-covered and have been historically immune from significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The body of a 70-year-old man was recovered in the fire area over the weekend , according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Chief Deputy Chris Clark .
Clark said the man ’ s body was found “ some distance away ” from what appeared to be his vehicle at the end of Last Chance Road — deep in the mountains northwest of the community of Davenport in Santa Cruz County .
Last Chance Road was so damaged that it was impassable , and rescuers needed a helicopter to recover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it looked as though he was “ likely leaving the fire.
” “ This is the darkest day of this fire so far , ” he told reporters Sunday .
Authorities were also searching Monday for four people who had been reported missing .
Firefighters over the weekend were taking advantage of fairly calm winds to attack the fire on the ground as much as possible as they scrambled to make progress ahead of the expected storm , said Daniel Potter , a Cal Fire public information officer .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we can before the front hits us , ” he said .
“ And then adapt and overcome any new fires that may start in the area due to the lightning coming through.
” Crews worked over the weekend to establish containment lines and fire breaks around the city of Santa Cruz and the campus of UC Santa Cruz in a bid to keep the blaze from damaging the community if it made a run in that direction .
As of Monday morning , Clark said there was “ no imminent fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were asking people to stay out of evacuation zones to avoid hazards , including fire and downed trees and wires , and to keep roads open for emergency vehicles .
“ It is highly dangerous in there still .
There are trees coming down .
We have redwood trees , old-growth timber that is coming across the roadway and we have infrastructure that needs repair , ” Jonathan Cox , a deputy chief with Cal Fire , said Monday .
“ We have bridges that have failed ... .
It is not safe.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage of the crisis .
Authorities on Saturday morning arrested five people on suspicion of grand theft , burglary and conspiracy after they were stopped driving away from the Fall Creek Drive area , the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Office said .
Someone also broke into the department vehicle of a firefighting commander while he was out battling the blaze , stole his wallet and drained his bank account , Brunton said at a briefing Sunday .
“ It ’ s saddening , it ’ s sickening , ” Brunton said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can to try to help the community , and unfortunately these [ things ] happen.
” Meanwhile , officials continued to beg tourists to stay away .
The Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center said it was requesting that visitors refrain from traveling to the area through Sept. 1 to keep overnight accommodations available for evacuees .
More than 45,000 Santa Cruz County residents have been displaced by the fires , and though the county is operating 12 shelters , capacity is limited because of COVID-19 , officials said .
Many hotels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ DO NOT visit us now , ” the county said in a tweet .
“ Air quality is poor , ash is everywhere , and we ’ re dealing with an unparalleled catastrophe .
This is no time for a day at the beach.
” Given that closely clustered crowds heighten the risk of spreading the coronavirus , Newsom said many evacuees were not being directed to typical congregate settings .
Out of 2,211 sheltered evacuees , 1,480 are staying in hotels , he said .
The state also has implemented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducting health screenings and assessments prior to entry , requiring masks , installing air purifiers and practicing social distancing .
“ We continue to battle historic wildfires , but we ’ re also battling this historic pandemic , COVID-19 , that has not gone away , ” he said .
“ That makes some of our wildfire efforts a little bit more challenging , but we are up to the task.
” While the intense firefight continued in and around the Bay Area , crews made significant progress on several other substantial wildfires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which ignited near Lake Hughes in Los Angeles County on Aug. 12 , was 62 % contained , officials said Monday .
That blaze had charred more than 31,000 acres and destroyed 33 structures and outbuildings .
Officials also lifted some evacuations in the burn area Monday morning , allowing residents of Kings Canyon Road east to Shafer Road to return to their homes as of 10 a.m. Evacuations remained in place for areas east of Old Ridge Route , west of Kings Canyon Road , north of Pine Canyon Road and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Elsewhere in L.A. County , the Ranch 2 fire was 81 % contained , officials said Monday .
That wildfire had burned 4,237 acres near Azusa .
The River fire , burning south of Salinas in Monterey County , was 23 % contained .
That 48,424-acre wildfire had destroyed 21 structures since it started Aug. 16 .
“ Fire activity was minimal overnight , allowing firefighter [ s ] to make great progress by reinforcing containment lines , ” officials wrote in an incident update Monday morning .
Crews also reported 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was burning nearby to the southwest .
That fire had consumed roughly 6,700 acres and destroyed 51 structures .
Some evacuation orders were lifted in the vicinity of the two fires Monday .
Up-to-date information on the status of evacuations is available through a county website .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Alex Wigglesworth, Joe Mozingo

The next few days will be critical for California firefighters already pushed to capacity, as storms could bring lightning that ignites more fires.
As two of the three largest fires in California history burned near the eastern edge of San Jose and in wine country north of San Francisco Bay, firefighters saw a welcome respite in dangerous fire weather with the cancellation of a red-flag warning for the Bay Area.
Forecasters, however, continued to warn about dry lightning in the Sacramento Valley’s foothills and mountains through Monday evening. Red-flag warnings — which indicate that dangerous fire weather conditions are expected — were also in effect for parts of the North Coast, northeast California and the Tahoe Basin through Monday evening.
The National Weather Service initially issued warnings covering large swaths of Northern and Central California through Monday afternoon. With firefighters already responding to more than two dozen major fires, it was feared the storms could ignite even more blazes and cause existing ones to spread more rapidly, pushing crews into a triage situation.
The red-flag warning covering the Bay Area and northern Central Coast was canceled shortly after 9:30 a.m. Monday. The local National Weather Service office said that “weak cells are still over the North Bay; however, most moisture has moved north of our area and instability has decreased, giving us confidence to let the warning expire early.”
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Firefighters were able to use a brief respite in the wind over the weekend to build containment lines. Crews battling the CZU Lightning Complex fire in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties got some additional help from Mother Nature in the form of rain showers Sunday evening.
“The weather hasn’t been as significant as we were expecting, which is good,” Mark Brunton, operations chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said at a briefing Monday morning. “And that has given us an opportunity for our crews to make a lot of great progress throughout this fire.”
The sheer magnitude of what has already burned is sobering: about 1.4 million acres this month alone, with four more months of potential fire season to go. Only 2018 saw more land scorched in California — over an entire year.
“I’m essentially at a loss for words to describe the scope of the lightning-sparked fire outbreak that has rapidly evolved in Northern California — even in the context of the extraordinary fires of recent years,” wrote Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, in a blog post. “It’s truly astonishing.”
Jake Hess, a Cal Fire unit chief, said at a news conference for the SCU Lightning Complex fire — now California’s second-largest blaze in history at more than 360,000 acres — that the state has entered a period of mega fires.
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“We are essentially living in a mega fire era,” he said. “We have folks who have been working for Cal Fire for the last five years, and that is all they understand, mega fires, since they started.”
On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the White House had approved California’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration to bolster the state’s emergency response to the wildfires.
Across California, “over 14,000 firefighters are on the front lines of more than two dozen major fires and lightning complexes,” or groups of fires, Jeremy Rahn, Cal Fire public information officer, said at a Sunday media briefing.
There have been more than 13,000 lightning strikes statewide since Aug. 15, he added on Monday, and “an astonishing 2,700 more wildfires have occurred this year than last.”
During a media briefing Monday afternoon, Newsom said that there had been at least 289 lightning strikes statewide over the last 24 hours, and that 10 new fires had broken out.
“The good news is the lightning did spare the coast, where a lot of the fires are going right now,” Michelle Mead, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Monday in a Cal Fire video update. “The bad news is we did have more lightning strikes in the inland region along the Sierra Crest.”
Crews are currently battling 625 fires throughout the state, according to Newsom. So far this year, firefighters have responded to 7,002 fires that have scorched a combined 1.4 million acres, the governor said.
By this same time last year, there had been 4,292 fires that had consumed about 56,000 acres.
Seven people have died so far in this year’s fires, including five — three in Napa County and two in Solano County — as a result of the LNU Lightning Complex fire, and one in the CZU Lightning Complex fire. The death toll also includes a pilot who died in a helicopter crash in Fresno County while on a water-dropping mission for the Hills fire.
Newsom called this week critical “as it relates to addressing and suppressing these wildfires” and said the state is “deploying every resource at our disposal.” In some areas, volunteer fire-fighting units have stepped in as well.
The state’s commitment includes more than 2,400 fire engines, he said. More have been pledged from other agencies both in and out of California — including 91 from Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The LNU Lightning Complex fire, at more than 351,000 acres, is the second-largest fire in California history. With slightly less acreage burned — over 347,000 acres — the SCU Lightning Complex fire is the next largest. Combined, they dwarf the Thomas fire, which at 281,893 acres shattered the records just three years ago.
“To have both of those going on at the same time ... gives us the magnitude of what has happened here in this state,” Sean Kavanaugh, incident commander on the LNU fire, said Sunday.
As of Monday evening, the LNU fire complex, which was burning in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties, had destroyed 908 homes and other buildings and was 25% contained.
“The size and complexity of this fire is not one that we’ve seen in times past,” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said during a briefing Monday, adding that “everyone on the line is extremely tired but working so incredibly hard.”
The SCU Lightning Complex fire, which spans seven counties, began as a collection of about 20 blazes in areas of Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties and by Sunday had merged into two conflagrations.
The fires, which were 15% contained as of Monday night, were burning primarily through grass and brush in steep, remote areas that hadn’t burned in years.
“There’s a lot of dead fuel up there,” said Barbara Rebiskie, public information officer on the SCU fire. “And the erratic winds, the 7% humidities and the lightning — it’s not a good combination.”
As of Monday afternoon, more than 20,000 homes and commercial buildings were threatened and 5 structures were confirmed destroyed. Investigators are looking into 7 other structures that may have also been demolished by the blaze.
A new evacuation order was issued at 3 a.m. Sunday for parts of Alameda County. In the hours that followed, a public information center was flooded with so many phone calls that it crashed. On Monday, officials reduced an evacuation order to a warning in parts of Stanislaus county.
Although firefighting resources have been pouring into the region in recent days, officials say it’s simply not enough.
In some places, officials said that they were being turned down for state help and left to beg for equipment and manpower from volunteers and local agencies.
California The fight to save one Northern California town from a fiery monster The fire, dubbed the CZU Lightning Complex fire, had burned 63,000 acres, destroyed 97 structures and forced the evacuation of about 77,000 people in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.
On Sunday afternoon, forecasters were concerned with an area of moisture with the potential to generate thunderstorms that was just off Central California and moving toward the Monterey area. Bay Area forecasters said Monday, however, that most of the moisture had moved to the north, spurring the cancellation of a red-flag warning there as well as along the northern Central Coast.
Since late July, more than 1,200 homes, commercial buildings and other structures have been destroyed by fires in California, with nearly all of that destruction occurring after Aug. 15, which marked the start of what officials are calling a “lightning siege.”
The CZU Lightning Complex fire was threatening multiple communities and had forced 77,000 people from their homes. The blaze began as a collection of about 22 fires that largely merged into one, challenging firefighters as they tried to keep the flames away from the towns dotting the rural, mountainous area.
The fire had consumed more than 78,000 acres and was 13% contained as of Monday evening. It threatened about 25,000 structures and had destroyed 276.
Ian Larkin, a unit chief for Cal Fire’s San Mateo Santa Cruz Unit, said that the aircraft attack was better Monday.
“We’re making progress thanks to the increase in personnel, and better weather, but we’ll be here awhile,” he said.
Newsom called the CZU Lightning Complex a “proof point that we are in a different climate” as it’s burning in areas “that have simply never seen forest fires because of weather conditions and the like.”
“We are dealing with different climate conditions that are precipitating in fires the likes of which we haven’t seen in modern recorded history — in dense forests that are well-covered and have been historically immune from significant fires along our coast,” he said.
The body of a 70-year-old man was recovered in the fire area over the weekend, according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chris Clark.
Clark said the man’s body was found “some distance away” from what appeared to be his vehicle at the end of Last Chance Road — deep in the mountains northwest of the community of Davenport in Santa Cruz County.
Last Chance Road was so damaged that it was impassable, and rescuers needed a helicopter to recover the man’s body.
Clark said it looked as though he was “likely leaving the fire.”
“This is the darkest day of this fire so far,” he told reporters Sunday.
Authorities were also searching Monday for four people who had been reported missing.
Firefighters over the weekend were taking advantage of fairly calm winds to attack the fire on the ground as much as possible as they scrambled to make progress ahead of the expected storm, said Daniel Potter, a Cal Fire public information officer.
“We’re going to get as much accomplished as we can before the front hits us,” he said. “And then adapt and overcome any new fires that may start in the area due to the lightning coming through.”
Crews worked over the weekend to establish containment lines and fire breaks around the city of Santa Cruz and the campus of UC Santa Cruz in a bid to keep the blaze from damaging the community if it made a run in that direction. As of Monday morning, Clark said there was “no imminent fire danger” to Santa Cruz.
Officials were asking people to stay out of evacuation zones to avoid hazards, including fire and downed trees and wires, and to keep roads open for emergency vehicles.
“It is highly dangerous in there still. There are trees coming down. We have redwood trees, old-growth timber that is coming across the roadway and we have infrastructure that needs repair,” Jonathan Cox, a deputy chief with Cal Fire, said Monday. “We have bridges that have failed.... It is not safe.”
They also warned about criminals taking advantage of the crisis. Authorities on Saturday morning arrested five people on suspicion of grand theft, burglary and conspiracy after they were stopped driving away from the Fall Creek Drive area, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said.
Someone also broke into the department vehicle of a firefighting commander while he was out battling the blaze, stole his wallet and drained his bank account, Brunton said at a briefing Sunday.
“It’s saddening, it’s sickening,” Brunton said. “We are doing everything we can to try to help the community, and unfortunately these [things] happen.”
Meanwhile, officials continued to beg tourists to stay away.
The Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center said it was requesting that visitors refrain from traveling to the area through Sept. 1 to keep overnight accommodations available for evacuees.
More than 45,000 Santa Cruz County residents have been displaced by the fires, and though the county is operating 12 shelters, capacity is limited because of COVID-19, officials said. Many hotels, motels and vacation rentals are also booked.
“DO NOT visit us now,” the county said in a tweet. “Air quality is poor, ash is everywhere, and we’re dealing with an unparalleled catastrophe. This is no time for a day at the beach.”
Given that closely clustered crowds heighten the risk of spreading the coronavirus, Newsom said many evacuees were not being directed to typical congregate settings. Out of 2,211 sheltered evacuees, 1,480 are staying in hotels, he said.
The state also has implemented additional safety protocols for shelters, including conducting health screenings and assessments prior to entry, requiring masks, installing air purifiers and practicing social distancing.
“We continue to battle historic wildfires, but we’re also battling this historic pandemic, COVID-19, that has not gone away,” he said. “That makes some of our wildfire efforts a little bit more challenging, but we are up to the task.”
While the intense firefight continued in and around the Bay Area, crews made significant progress on several other substantial wildfires throughout the state.
The Lake fire, which ignited near Lake Hughes in Los Angeles County on Aug. 12, was 65% contained, officials said Monday. That blaze had charred more than 31,000 acres and destroyed 33 structures and outbuildings.
Officials also lifted some evacuations in the burn area Monday morning, allowing residents of Kings Canyon Road east to Shafer Road to return to their homes as of 10 a.m. Evacuations remained in place for areas east of Old Ridge Route, west of Kings Canyon Road, north of Pine Canyon Road and Three Points Road south of Highway 138. Officials announced Monday evening that all evacuation orders would be lifted by 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Elsewhere in L.A. County, the Ranch 2 fire was 81% contained, officials said Monday. That wildfire had burned 4,237 acres near Azusa.
The River fire, burning south of Salinas in Monterey County, was 23% contained. That 48,424-acre wildfire had destroyed 21 structures since it started Aug. 16.
“Fire activity was minimal overnight, allowing firefighter[s] to make great progress by reinforcing containment lines,” officials wrote in an incident update Monday morning.
Crews also reported 15% containment of the Carmel fire, which was burning nearby to the southwest. That fire had consumed roughly 6,700 acres and destroyed 51 structures.
Some evacuation orders were lifted in the vicinity of the two fires Monday. Up-to-date information on the status of evacuations is available through a county website.
Times staff writer Leila Miller contributed to this report.