latimes--2020-09-09--Most L.A. households face serious financial problems amid coronavirus pandemic, poll finds

A majority of Los Angeles households face serious financial problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with Latinos and Black residents bearing the brunt of the economic toll , according to a new poll conducted in the nation ’ s four largest cities .
Some 56 % of households polled in the city of L.A. reported having such financial problems , including 64 % of households with annual incomes below $ 100,000 .
The survey offers further proof that the heaviest effect of the outbreak has fallen on Black and Latino households , with 52 % and 71 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles reporting “ serious financial problems , ” compared with 37 % of white households .
The study found similar results among Black and Latino respondents in New York , Houston and Chicago , the three other cities examined .
“ Billions of dollars came from the federal and state governments to protect our communities , yet what we see in four big cities is that more than 50 % in these communities are reporting serious financial problems , ” said Julie Morita , executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted alongside NPR and the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health .
“ That ’ s significant .
It means things like having to dip in or use all savings , difficulty paying other debt.
” Throughout the United States , Latinos and Black people disproportionately have been casualties of the virus .
and those living in lower-income neighborhoods have been among those hit hardest by the virus in Los Angeles County .
Officials say that ’ s largely because of the in those communities at the start of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those communities and frequently lacked proper protective equipment , such as masks , before such gear was required .
Although they account for about 39 % of the population in California , Latinos make up 60 % of positive cases and 48 % of deaths , according to the California Department of Public Health ; during the peak of transmission in July , Black residents “ had a rate at four deaths per 100,000 people , ” county officials said at that time .
That rate was three times that of white residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When we look at other public health emergencies , whether it ’ s other infectious diseases like measles or natural disasters like heat waves or hurricanes , what we see is communities of color , Black or Latino communities , hurt more significantly because of the structures and systems in place , ” Morita said .
“ They have less to begin with , less cushion to support them in these times of stress ... .
They bear the brunt of the impacts.
” The poll , the first of five conducted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 1 to Aug. 3 , including 512 adults in New York City , 507 in Los Angeles , 529 in Chicago and 447 in Houston .
The margin of error is 3.3 percentage points overall , and 7.1 percentage points for Los Angeles .
Across the board , the majority of households in the four cities reported dire financial problems that hindered many aspects of their lives , including depleted savings and difficulty paying rent .
More than 1 in 3 respondents reported using up all or most of their savings and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their credit card bills , loans or other debt , the poll found .
Nearly 3 in 10 reported serious problems paying their mortgage or paying their utility bills .
“ It ’ s disheartening and concerning , ” Morita said .
“ The key is how we look at policy going forward so we can prevent this being exacerbated .
It ’ s an opportunity for governments to see what they can do better.
” The pandemic also has severely affected employment in L.A. , with 61 % of households reporting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , been furloughed or had wages or hours reduced since the start of the outbreak .
Nationally , 46 % of U.S. households report job or wage losses , according to the survey .
Saba Waheed , research director at the UCLA Labor Center , who was not involved in the survey , said the results reinforce the notion that the rapid spread of COVID-19 “ made a lot of preexisting issues more visible.
” “ People were already living paycheck to paycheck , and few families had the funds needed to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Waheed said .
The data also point to potential pitfalls in government response to the pandemic , she said .
“ On the one hand , the data was a wake-up call in terms of the structural inequality because the data clearly shows this falls hard on Black and Latino communities , ” she said .
“ On the other hand , the CARES Act ” — the $ 2.2-trillion economic stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump last spring — “ didn ’ t go far enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and now you see the economic hardship families have to sustain because of that.
” In addition to financial hardships , many Angelenos have had difficulty with child care .
Nearly 70 % of households with children surveyed reported serious problems caring for them .
That includes 52 % who said that they were having problems “ keeping children ’ s education going , ” and 39 % who responded that they were having problems “ helping children adjust to major changes in their lives , ” according to the poll .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that they were either having serious problems with their internet connection to do schoolwork or their jobs , or that they do not have a high-speed internet connection at home .
“ These are serious problems , and this is not the first time this has happened , ” Morita said .
“ It underscores the need to fix these structural challenges .
”

A majority of Los Angeles households face serious financial problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Latinos and Black residents bearing the brunt of the economic toll, according to a new poll conducted in the nation’s four largest cities.
Some 56% of households polled in the city of L.A. reported having such financial problems, including 64% of households with annual incomes below $100,000. The survey offers further proof that the heaviest effect of the outbreak has been felt by Black and Latino households, with 52% and 71%, respectively, of those groups polled in Los Angeles reporting “serious financial problems,” compared with 37% of white households.
The study found similar results among Black and Latino respondents in New York, Houston and Chicago, the three other cities examined.
“Billions of dollars came from the federal and state governments to protect our communities, yet what we see in four big cities is that more than 50% in these communities are reporting serious financial problems,” said Julie Morita, executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for which the poll was conducted alongside NPR and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “That’s significant. It means things like having to dip in or use all savings, difficulty paying other debt.”
Advertisement
Throughout the United States, Latinos and Black people disproportionately have been casualties of the virus.
Black and Latino residents and those living in lower-income neighborhoods have been among those hit hardest by the virus in Los Angeles County. Officials say that’s largely because of the limited access to testing in those communities at the start of the pandemic and the fact that many residents of those communities work in essential and high-risk settings , and they frequently lacked proper protective equipment, such as masks, before such gear was required.
Although they account for about 39% of the population in California, Latinos make up 60% of positive cases and 48% of deaths, according to the California Department of Public Health; during the peak of transmission in July, Black residents “had a rate at four deaths per 100,000 people,” county officials said at that time. That rate was three times that of white residents during the same time period.
“When we look at other public health emergencies, whether it’s other infectious diseases like measles or natural disasters like heat waves or hurricanes, what we see is communities of color, Black or Latino communities, hurt more significantly because of the structures and systems in place,” Morita said. “They have less to begin with, less cushion to support them in these times of stress.... They bear the brunt of the impacts.”
The poll, the first of five conducted by the researchers, surveyed 3,454 adults from July 1 to Aug. 3, including 512 adults in New York City, 507 in Los Angeles, 529 in Chicago and 447 in Houston. The margin of error is 3.3 percentage points overall, and 7.1 percentage points for Los Angeles.
Across the board, the majority of households in the four cities reported dire financial problems that hindered many aspects of their lives, including depleted savings and difficulty paying rent.
More than 1 in 3 respondents reported using up all or most of their savings, and 35% reported having serious problems paying their credit card bills, loans or other debt, the poll found. Nearly 3 in 10 reported serious problems paying their mortgage or paying their utility bills.
“It’s disheartening and concerning,” Morita said. “The key is how we look at policy going forward so we can prevent this being exacerbated. It’s an opportunity for governments to see what they can do better.”
The pandemic also has severely affected employment in L.A., with 61% of households reporting that a member has either lost a job, been furloughed or had wages or hours reduced since the start of the outbreak. Nationally, 46% of U.S. households report job or wage losses, according to the survey.
Saba Waheed, research director at the UCLA Labor Center, who was not involved in the survey, said the results reinforced the notion that the rapid spread of COVID-19 “made a lot of preexisting issues more visible.”
“People were already living paycheck to paycheck,” Waheed said, “and few families had the funds needed to cover a couple months of expenses.”
Advertisement
The data also point to potential pitfalls in government response to the pandemic, she said.
“On the one hand, the data was a wake-up call in terms of the structural inequality because the data clearly shows this falls hard on Black and Latino communities,” she said. “On the other hand, the CARES Act” — the $2.2-trillion economic stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump last spring — “didn’t go far enough to support families. It fell short, and now you see the economic hardship families have to sustain because of that.”
In addition to financial hardships, many Angelenos have had difficulty with childcare. Nearly 70% of households with children surveyed reported serious problems caring for them. That included 52% who said they were having problems “keeping children’s education going,” and 39% who responded that they were having problems “helping children adjust to major changes in their lives,” according to the poll.
Some 54% of households with children said they were either having serious problems with their internet connection to do schoolwork or their jobs, or that they did not have a high-speed internet connection at home.
“These are serious problems, and this is not the first time this has happened,” Morita said. “It underscores the need to fix these structural challenges.”


latimes--2020-09-09--18 arrested as protesters and deputies clash in Dijon Kizzee demonstrations

For days , protesters gathered outside the heavily guarded South Los Angeles sheriff ’ s station in tense but largely peaceful demonstrations to decry the deputies who shot and killed Dijon Kizzee last week in the nearby neighborhood of Westmont .
But over the Labor Day weekend , those demonstrations escalated to clashes , with deputies firing nonlethal projectiles and tear gas at the crowds and arresting 18 people over three nights of unrest .
The Sheriff ’ s Department said protesters initiated the confrontations by throwing rocks and bottles at deputies .
But activists said in interviews that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deputies have not used less lethal options simply because protesters refused to leave , ” said Lt. John Satterfield .
“ It has always been in response to being attacked by , like I said , the rocks , the bottles the frozen water bottles.
” The conflict continued Tuesday , when sheriff ’ s authorities declared an unlawful assembly around 8 p.m. at Normandie Avenue and Imperial Highway , giving protesters five minutes to disperse , before opening fire with some kind of less-lethal round and scattering the crowd north on Normandie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an organizer with the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police , said demonstrators on Saturday parked a flatbed truck with a sound system on the street in front of the station , which had set up a barricade .
The rally , he said , was “ very calm and orderly ” as protesters listened to speakers that included Kizzee ’ s family .
Attendees were encouraged to bring bikes , roller skates and skateboards to highlight how Kizzee had been stopped by deputies while riding his bicycle .
Then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than an hour in .
“ All of a sudden , for no reason I could understand , they shoot one tear gas canister toward the back of the stage , ” he said of deputies .
“ There was nobody that was yelling at the sheriffs or throwing anything or provoking them .
I don ’ t think anyone was really paying attention to the sheriffs because the sound truck was on the street.
” Smith ’ s 7-year-old daughter had been standing by the truck and was hit by tear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directions to clear the area and turned the rally into a march on Imperial Highway .
“ We were there to kind of protest how violent sheriffs are in this county , ” said Melina Abdullah , co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles , which organized the demonstration Saturday afternoon .
“ We were there to protest it , but they demonstrated the truth of why we were there.
” A Sheriff ’ s Department spokesperson said some in the group started throwing rocks and bottles at deputies , and they responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deputies declared an unlawful assembly at 8 p.m. — which Abdullah disputed , saying no one heard an order to disperse — at which point the crowd had already dwindled .
“ They never declared an unlawful assembly , ” Abdullah said .
She said one protester hit with a rubber bullet went to the hospital .
No one was arrested Saturday night , sheriff ’ s officials said .
A dozen people , however , were arrested the following night during more spontaneous protests in front of the station , including from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s clashes .
Most of the people arrested were from various cities in Southern California .
One was from San Francisco and another from Florida , the Sheriff ’ s Department said .
Lisa Castanon , 31 , was among those arrested on suspicion of failing to disperse .
Castanon said that after deputies declared an unlawful assembly Sunday , she and others had continued to chant .
At one point , the protesters marched around the block .
As she was returning to her car , she was arrested and taken into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a war zone , ” she said .
“ All they have is brutality for the people.
” Demonstrators gathered again Monday outside the South L.A. sheriff ’ s station chanting : “ No justice , no peace ” and “ No cops , no prison , total abolition.
” Video from OnScene TV shows protesters running for cover as shots are heard and smoke fills the air .
When asked what prompted the deployment of the nonlethal rounds , Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez said Tuesday that an “ unlawful assembly was declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said many protesters wore goggles , helmets and gas masks .
Some held makeshift shields .
They chanted about burning the “ precinct ” down — an indicator , he said , that they were not from the L.A. area .
“ We call them stations out here , ” Satterfield said , noting that precinct is an East Coast term .
Six people were arrested Monday , he said , and no injuries were reported .
“ All three nights were fairly consistent .
People came out and exercised their 1st Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There came a tipping point where there was unlawful activity going on and it was declared an unlawful assembly , and then the crowd was asked to disperse.
” Kizzee , 29 , was killed Aug. 31 during a struggle with deputies after they stopped him for allegedly riding a bicycle in violation of vehicle codes .
An attorney for Kizzee ’ s family said he was shot at 15 times .
Sheriff ’ s officials said deputies fired after Kizzee “ made a motion toward ” a gun that fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped .
An investigation is ongoing , officials said .
Times staff writers Matt Ormseth and Hayley Smith contributed to this report .

Demonstrations over the fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies have turned chaotic, with deputies arresting dozens.
Dozens arrested as protesters and deputies clash in Dijon Kizzee demonstrations in L.A.
For days, protesters gathered outside the heavily guarded South Los Angeles sheriff’s station in tense but largely peaceful demonstrations to decry the deputies who shot and killed Dijon Kizzee last week in the nearby neighborhood of Westmont.
But over the Labor Day weekend, those demonstrations escalated to clashes, with deputies firing projectiles and tear gas at the crowds and arresting 35 people over four nights of unrest.
The Sheriff’s Department said protesters initiated the confrontations by throwing rocks and bottles at deputies. But activists said in interviews that the displays of force were unprovoked.
Advertisement
“Deputies have not used less lethal options simply because protesters refused to leave,” said Lt. John Satterfield. “It has always been in response to being attacked by, like I said, the rocks, the bottles, the frozen water bottles.”
The conflict continued Tuesday, when sheriff’s authorities declared an unlawful assembly around 8 p.m. at Normandie Avenue and Imperial Highway, giving protesters five minutes to disperse, before opening fire with some kind of less-lethal round and scattering the crowd north on Normandie, a protester said.
Lt. Glenn Emery said 17 people were arrested on suspicion of failing to disperse. He said some were carrying makeshift shields and wore gas masks, body armor and helmets — a lot of which was taken into evidence.
“Once it gets dark, they start getting little more aggressive,” Emery said of the protesters.
1 / 24 Demonstrators gather Tuesday near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles, where Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies declared an unlawful assembly.
(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 24 A few people were taken into custody Tuesday after the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department declared an unlawful assembly and moved toward a crowd that gathered near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 24 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies watch a crowd that gathered Tuesday near the corner of Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 24 Revolution Club LA caravans Tuesday throughout a South Los Angeles neighborhood protesting the shooting of Dijon Kizzee. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 24 Rima Williams, cousin of Dijon Kizzee, on Tuesday places a lighted candle at the memorial where Kizzee was shot along the 1300 block of West 109th Place in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 24 Lucha Bright, left, of Revolution Club LA, caravans Tuesday with other members throughout a South Los Angeles neighborhood protesting the shooting of Dijon Kizzee. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 24 The family of Dijon Kizzee gathers Saturday with protesters in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 24 Protesters gather Saturday in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 24 People block northbound Interstate 110 on Saturday during a protest of the fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee in Los Angeles. (Josie Norris/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 24 People look out their window as a crowd walks past Saturday to honor Dijon Kizzee along West Imperial Highway in Los Angeles. (Josie Norris/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 24 Protesters gather Saturday in front of the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station to demand justice for Dijon Kizzee. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 24 On Aug. 31, residents confront L.A. County sheriff’s deputies after the Kizzee shooting in the South L.A. neighborhood of Westmont. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 24 Family and friends of Dijon Kizzee stand near the site of the shooting on Aug. 31. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 24 Residents face off with L.A. County sheriff’s deputies hours after officers fatally shot Kizzee, a Black man, in South Los Angeles. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 24 A resident looks on as protesters gather on Budlong Avenue hours after the Aug. 31 shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 24 The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said Kizzee had fled officers and struck one of them during a pursuit. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 24 Protesters confront sheriff’s deputies on Budlong Avenue in South Los Angeles on Aug. 31. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 24 The Aug. 31 confrontation lasted into the night and grew tense. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 24 Protesters maintain a vigil on Budlong Avenue hours after the fatal shooting. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 24 A sheriff’s deputy at the scene of the fatal deputy-involved shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 24 A sheriff’s deputy at the scene of the Aug. 31 protests. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 24 A helicopter circles above Budlong Avenue during the Aug. 31 protest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 24 Protesters gather on Budlong Avenue hours after the fatal shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 24 A sheriff’s deputy at the scene on the night of the shooting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Cliff Smith, an organizer with the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police, said demonstrators on Saturday parked a flatbed truck with a sound system on the street in front of the station, which had set up a barricade. The rally, he said, was “very calm and orderly” as protesters listened to speakers that included Kizzee’s family.
Advertisement
Attendees were encouraged to bring bikes, roller skates and skateboards to highlight how Kizzee had been stopped by deputies while riding his bicycle.
Then, Smith said, the tone abruptly changed more than an hour in.
“All of a sudden, for no reason I could understand, they shoot one tear gas canister toward the back of the stage,” he said of deputies. “There was nobody that was yelling at the sheriffs or throwing anything or provoking them. I don’t think anyone was really paying attention to the sheriffs because the sound truck was on the street.”
Smith’s 7-year-old daughter had been standing by the truck and was hit by tear gas. Smith said organizers then gave directions to clear the area and turned the rally into a march on Imperial Highway.
“We were there to kind of protest how violent sheriffs are in this county,” said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, which organized the demonstration Saturday afternoon. “We were there to protest it, but they demonstrated the truth of why we were there.”
Residents film a few people being taken into custody Tuesday in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
A Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said some in the group started throwing rocks and bottles at deputies, and they responded with sting balls and pepper balls. Deputies declared an unlawful assembly at 8 p.m. — which Abdullah disputed, saying no one heard an order to disperse — at which point the crowd had already dwindled.
“They never declared an unlawful assembly,” Abdullah said. She said one protester hit with a rubber bullet went to the hospital.
No one was arrested Saturday night, sheriff’s officials said.
A dozen people, however, were arrested the following night during more spontaneous protests in front of the station, including from people who were upset about Saturday’s clashes. Most of the people arrested were from various cities in Southern California. One was from San Francisco and another from Florida, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Lisa Castanon, 31, was among those arrested on suspicion of failing to disperse.
Castanon said that after deputies declared an unlawful assembly Sunday, she and others had continued to chant. At one point, the protesters marched around the block. As she was returning to her car, she was arrested and taken into custody.
A few people were taken into custody Tuesday after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department declared an unlawful assembly near Imperial Highway and Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
“It really did feel like a war zone,” she said. “All they have is brutality for the people.”
Demonstrators gathered again Monday outside the South L.A. sheriff’s station chanting: “No justice, no peace” and “No cops, no prison, total abolition.”
Video from OnScene TV shows protesters running for cover as shots are heard and smoke fills the air. When asked what prompted the deployment of the nonlethal rounds, Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez said Tuesday that an “unlawful assembly was declared and dispersal orders were given.”
Satterfield said many protesters wore goggles, helmets and gas masks. Some held makeshift shields. They chanted about burning the “precinct” down — an indicator, he said, that they were not from the L.A. area.
“We call them stations out here,” Satterfield said, noting that precinct is an East Coast term. Six people were arrested Monday, he said, and no injuries were reported.
“All three nights were fairly consistent. People came out and exercised their 1st Amendment rights to protest,” Satterfield said. “There came a tipping point where there was unlawful activity going on and it was declared an unlawful assembly, and then the crowd was asked to disperse.”
Kizzee, 29, was killed Aug. 31 during a struggle with deputies after they stopped him for allegedly riding a bicycle in violation of vehicle codes. An attorney for Kizzee’s family said he was shot at 15 times. Sheriff’s officials said deputies fired after Kizzee “made a motion toward” a gun that fell to the ground from a jacket he dropped. An investigation is ongoing, officials said.
Times staff writers Matthew Ormseth and Hayley Smith contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-09--Housing costs for the homeless rose to $531,000 a unit, L.A. controller's report says

The average cost of building a single unit of housing for the homeless in Los Angeles has risen to $ 531,000 , according to an audit from the city controller , who recommends that L.A. rehab motels and open dormitory-style buildings to save money and get people off the streets quickly .
Controller Ron Galperin , in a report due Wednesday , also cited two projects whose costs soared to nearly $ 750,0000 per unit and assailed delays that he said have driven city-funded homeless construction expenses up from initial projections of $ 350,000 a unit .
Nearly four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three projects have opened , construction has not started on three-quarters of the planned units , and many projects may “ never come to fruition , ” said Galperin , adding that the delays began before the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ We can and must do better , ” Galperin said in a phone interview Tuesday .
His suggestions include interim housing and shelters instead of new construction .
“ When you create a very complex model , it requires many levels of funding and approval and puts more and more requirements on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what features you need , and you end up with an expensive paradigm for building housing , ” he said .
Nicholas Halaris , head of the Proposition HHH Citizens Oversight Committee , expects most projects funded by the $ 1.2-billion bond program to be developed in less than six years , the average time frame for affordable housing .
The mayor ’ s $ 120-million housing innovation challenge , which the oversight committee pushed hard to fund with the bond money , is already trying modular construction and other ideas Galperin is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at $ 350,000 a unit , said Halaris , principal at Metros Capital , a West Hollywood-based real estate investment firm .
“ The individuals who run these organizations do not have big , bloated corporate infrastructures but are small with entrepreneurial-driven staff that are not in the business of wasting time or money , ” Halaris said .
The two projects the controller cited for extremely high costs appear to be outliers .
The price tag on the 49-unit Lorena Plaza on East First Street near Evergreen Cemetery shot up to $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a landmark restaurant and shopping complex , sued to stop the project .
Dora Leong Gallo , president and chief executive of developer A Community of Friends , said the group had to add commercial space and design features and build semi-subterranean parking to win acceptance by city officials and community members .
“ It took the city two years just to hear the appeal , ” she said .
The group reached a settlement in the litigation to proceed with the project in January , after four years of strife .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have gone up , materials have gone up , ” Gallo said .
Summit View Apartments , a 48-unit project for homeless and disabled veterans under construction in Sylmar by L.A. Family Housing , is on a surplus parcel the city turned over , ostensibly to speed construction and eliminate land acquisition costs .
But there ’ s a reason the property was surplus , according to L.A. Family Housing President and CEO Stephanie Klasky-Gamer : It ’ s on a steep hillside , 80 feet high , and required extensive grading , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prepare for building .
“ They call it ‘ The Cliffs , ’ ” said Klasky-Gamer of locals ’ name for the long-unused parcel .
The city also left the nonprofit to build a sidewalk , curb and gutter , she said .
“ We wanted to be a city partner responding to their urgency , and I don ’ t regret that , ” Klasky-Gamer said .
“ But it was absolutely unfair to us.
” The project is now being built at $ 739,000 per unit .
Ann Sewill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Housing and Community Development Department , said savings from motel conversions , while appealing , are unproved .
“ Everyone thinks motels are lower-cost , but there haven ’ t been that many models going through , ” Sewill said .
She said the city has opened or developed 30 bridge housing facilities , shelters designed to move homeless people into permanent housing faster .
But the permanent units aren ’ t there , and Proposition HHH is the only source of money to expand the supply , she said .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeless plan , ” Sewill said .
Critics say other housing options for the homeless are also turning out to be more costly than predicted .
In a new court filing , a group suing L.A. city and county over its handling of homelessness praised plans for small houses called “ Pallet shelters ” but described the operational cost — which they put at $ 42,000 a bed — as “ nothing short of outrageous.
” Mayor Eric Garcetti will continue to work with Galperin on keeping homeless housing costs down , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that the mayor ’ s focus remains on permanent housing .
“ That ’ s the kind of housing we know will help us end homelessness , ” Comisar said .

A 49-unit project for homeless and disabled veterans under construction in Lake View Terrace has hit a construction cost of $739,000 a unit.
The average cost of building a single unit of housing for the homeless in Los Angeles has risen to $531,000, according to an audit from the city controller, who recommends that L.A. rehab motels and open dormitory-style buildings to save money and get people off the streets quickly.
Controller Ron Galperin, in a report due Wednesday, also cited two projects whose costs soared to nearly $750,0000 per unit and assailed delays that he said have driven city-funded homeless construction expenses up from initial projections of $350,000 a unit.
Nearly four years after voters approved Proposition HHH, only three projects have opened, construction has not started on three-quarters of the planned units, and many projects may “never come to fruition,” said Galperin, adding that the delays began before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advertisement
“We can and must do better,” Galperin said in a phone interview Tuesday. His suggestions include interim housing and shelters instead of new construction.
“When you create a very complex model, it requires many levels of funding and approval and puts more and more requirements on what a unit should look like and what features you need, and you end up with an expensive paradigm for building housing,” he said.
Nicholas Halaris, head of the Proposition HHH Citizens Oversight Committee, expects most projects funded by the $1.2-billion bond program to be developed in less than six years, the average time frame for affordable housing.
California Coronavirus and financial hurdles are delaying projects to build homeless housing More than six months after Mayor Eric Garcetti predicted that a new housing project for homeless people would open every three weeks, there has been only one other opening to celebrate. The coronavirus pandemic is one reason for the delay -- but only one.
The mayor’s $120-million housing innovation challenge, which the oversight committee pushed hard to fund with the bond money, is already trying modular construction and other ideas Galperin is championing, and units are coming in at $350,000 a unit, said Halaris, principal at Metros Capital, a West Hollywood-based real estate investment firm.
“The individuals who run these organizations do not have big, bloated corporate infrastructures but are small with entrepreneurial-driven staff that are not in the business of wasting time or money,” Halaris said.
Advertisement
The two projects the controller cited for extremely high costs appear to be outliers.
The price tag on the 49-unit Lorena Plaza on East First Street near Evergreen Cemetery shot up to $746,000 a unit when neighboring El Mercado, a landmark restaurant and shopping complex, sued to stop the project.
Dora Leong Gallo, president and chief executive of developer A Community of Friends, said the group had to add commercial space and design features and build semi-subterranean parking to win acceptance by city officials and community members.
“It took the city two years just to hear the appeal,” she said. The group reached a settlement in the litigation to proceed with the project in January, after four years of strife.
“Since that time, construction costs have gone up, materials have gone up,” Gallo said.
Summit View Apartments, a 48-unit project for homeless and disabled veterans under construction in Sylmar by L.A. Family Housing, is on a surplus parcel the city turned over, ostensibly to speed construction and eliminate land acquisition costs.
But there’s a reason the property was surplus, according to L.A. Family Housing President and CEO Stephanie Klasky-Gamer: It’s on a steep hillside, 80 feet high, and required extensive grading, waterproofing, concrete work and masonry just to prepare for building.
“They call it ‘The Cliffs,’” said Klasky-Gamer of locals’ name for the long-unused parcel. The city also left the nonprofit to build a sidewalk, curb and gutter, she said.
“We wanted to be a city partner responding to their urgency, and I don’t regret that,” Klasky-Gamer said. “But it was absolutely unfair to us.”
The project is now being built at $739,000 per unit.
Ann Sewill, general manager of the city’s Housing and Community Development Department, said savings from motel conversions, while appealing, are unproved.
“Everyone thinks motels are lower-cost, but there haven’t been that many models going through,” Sewill said. She said the city has opened or developed 30 bridge housing facilities, shelters designed to move homeless people into permanent housing faster. But the permanent units aren’t there, and Proposition HHH is the only source of money to expand the supply, she said.
“That is a key part of our whole homeless plan,” Sewill said.
Critics say other housing options for the homeless are also turning out to be more costly than predicted. In a new court filing, a group suing L.A. city and county over its handling of homelessness praised plans for small houses called “Pallet shelters” but described the operational cost — which they put at $42,000 a bed — as “nothing short of outrageous.”
Mayor Eric Garcetti will continue to work with Galperin on keeping homeless housing costs down, according to spokesman Alex Comisar. But he added that the mayor’s focus remains on permanent housing.
“That’s the kind of housing we know will help us end homelessness,” Comisar said.


latimes--2020-09-09--In Point Reyes, all ears stay glued to local radio, a beacon amid the fog of fire

With evacuation warnings still in place , smoke from back burn fires drifted out of the oaks and pines above the tiny town of Point Reyes Station in Marin County on Friday , mixing with thick , coastal fog until the two were indistinguishable to most people .
But Amanda Eichstaedt , general manager of KWMR , the local public radio station , easily saw the difference .
Like most topics related to this quixotic town of about 400 that abuts the West Coast ’ s only National Seashore , she was happy to share her knowledge — with everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We know that people totally rely on the radio , ” she said of this Arcadian territory , where cellphones are spotty on a good day .
Since fire broke out here after an afternoon lightening strike on Aug. 18 , Eichstaedt has turned the one-studio station into a vital source of information for the remote outpost and the rural towns that surround it .
In a place where local news is otherwise a once-weekly paper or a conversation at the post office or local market , the radio station has long been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit .
Across California , stations like KWMR fill a vital vacuum during crises , especially fast-moving wildfires .
With their local knowledge — from where exactly back roads are located to quick access to the fire chief — these broadcasters are increasingly finding themselves to be crucial authorities in the worst moments , when power is out , danger is high and a radio wavelength floating through the air is a lifeline .
Since it was founded in the late 1990s , KWMR has “ been a really important part of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a local historian who has been interviewed on the station many times .
“ But it is especially noteworthy during times like this ... they are the ones you can go to for information.
” But the COVID-19 pandemic upended how the shoestring station operates , and this wildfire season has left Eichstaedt and her program manager , Jeff Manson , running it nearly alone , “ flying on adrenaline , ” he said — the last two standing in a complex endeavor that usually has six staffers and 90 volunteers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cramped broadcasting studio , with its shared microphone and poor ventilation , no one but Manson and Eichstaedt are allowed inside .
“ By mid-March , everything about the way we ran the radio station had turned on its head , ” said Mason , a musician and self-taught audio engineer who began his job in January .
It ’ s his first experience as a reporter .
“ Fire compounded with pandemic with now being in a public information role , it ’ s exciting , ” he said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the scanner , getting the information straight , because we are in a time of so much speculation.
” KWMR has been running updates every half hour on the nearby Woodward fire , which burned nearly 5,000 acres before being contained , even as Eichstaedt and her skeleton crew evacuated their own homes .
Manson ’ s wife , he said , has a “ strong flight instinct , ” and had their two children ready to go the first night smoke appeared at their coastal home .
Though the Woodward fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , its impact here was felt by nearly all of the 14,000 residents who make up what locals call the “ west county , ” of Marin .
Its an area that encompasses seven unincorporated towns and some of the most pristine protected land in the state , dotted with expensive homes , artisinal farmers , aging hippies , Latino service workers , off-the-griders , Tesla-driving visitors from the Bay Area and herds of wild tule elk .
The station ’ s role in local emergencies started with its inception 21 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last major wildfire in the area , but grew when January floods in 2005 cut off the roads connecting the network of small towns that dot the forested hills and rolling pastures .
KWMR was running an informal system of people with emergency radios in the area , linked by nine repeaters , a combination of a receiver and transmitter that bounced the signal through the mountains .
It was the most reliable communication in the area , so much so that the local fire chief asked to be part of it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the radio operator had been trapped elsewhere , leaving its residents stranded without information .
Eichstaedt had just moved into Olema , a picturesque village of little more than a few streets , to run a bed and breakfast with her future husband .
When the water subsided , she made her way to KWMR and asked for a radio of her own — and fell in love with the place at first sight .
She remembers walking in the cramped second-story office , with its racks of CDs and walls of memorabilia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hell ?
This is so cool.
” Eichstaedt was interested in radio in college , but it wasn ’ t until she was settled in Point Reyes that she had time for it .
She launched a volunteer show about localism , and later a late-night music show .
Eventually , she got hired and created a popular country music show , “ Bakersfield and Beyond , ” and took over day-to-day operations .
While the station has handled its share of crises , mostly more fires and floods , Eichstaedt said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the pandemic started .
Each week , the local representative from the board of supervisors comes on to talk about how government is handling the coronavirus , as does a county health officer .
And she ’ s become “ like BFF ’ s ” with the county public information officer , she said , which has allowed the station access to information quickly .
“ That ’ s been huge ... our relationship with the first responders in the area , ” added Manson .
Mason said that as the months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more accustomed to the constant tsunami of information .
“ There is a weird parallel between COVID and a wildfire in a way in that they are these dynamic situations but they are slow moving also , ” Manson said .
“ Stuff isn ’ t changing hour to hour and yet people are really hungry for information.
” He has been spending a lot of time inside their “ emergency operations ” center , a space about the size of a guest bathroom that also doubles as the facility ’ s kitchen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dish rack of bowls and coffee mugs is a bank of scanners that the duo monitor nearly constantly .
When a siren wails on the main street , both stop to check cellphone apps and the broadcast channels to see if it ’ s just a routine call , or one people will need to know about .
He and Eichstaedt have learned if they don ’ t put out facts , small town gossip will take over .
“ People sort of fill that gap on social media by making stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between you and me , some of these text threads I am on , these people are nuts.
” Eichstaedt said that even some journalists have gotten it wrong , hampered by their lack of local knowledge .
Shortly after evacuation orders first went into effect for the recent fire , Eichstaedt said a television station broadcasting from the Bay Area made a mistake between a mandatory evacuation order one a a voluntary warning request .
As rumors began to run rampant on social media , Eichstaedt was able to text the information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing them out .
Despite the challenges , Eichstaedt and Manson have also kept up a full slate of programming , helping their volunteers MacGyver in-home studios from on-hand equipment .
Those shows run the gamut from locals reading books on air for an hour solid , to talks about dreamcatchers to a morning show between two female relatives with what Manson describes as anarchist views .
Manson also started a program called “ Quarantine Dreams ” that solicits work — poems , thoughts , requests — from listeners .
With bars and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s seen that show fill a need .
“ I was surprised how much a program like that can actually foster a sense of community , ” Manson said .
“ Especially with the pandemic , I think it ’ s really given us the opportunity to see the purpose radio can serve.
” Though the fire is nearly 100 % contained , the duo are still on high alert .
Tuesday , winds picked up , raising tensions across Northern California and reminding those living in wildfire areas that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For Manson and Eichstaedt , that means this pandemonium will likely remain their foreseeable future .
“ I ’ m either going to cry or keep going , ” Eichstaedt said .
“ It ’ s strange times .
”

With evacuation warnings still in place, smoke from back-burn fires drifted out of the oaks and pines above the tiny town of Point Reyes Station in Marin County on Friday, mixing with thick coastal fog until the two were indistinguishable to most people.
But Amanda Eichstaedt, general manager of KWMR, the local public radio station, easily saw the difference. Like most topics related to this quixotic town of about 400 that abuts the West Coast’s only National Seashore, she was happy to share her knowledge — with everyone in about a 20-mile radius.
“We know that people totally rely on the radio,” she said of this Arcadian territory, where cellphone reception is spotty on a good day.
Advertisement
Since fire broke out here after an afternoon lightning strike on Aug. 18, Eichstaedt has turned the one-studio station into a vital source of information for the remote outpost and the rural towns that surround it. In a place where local news is otherwise a once-weekly paper or a conversation at the post office or local market, the radio station has long been a trusted source of knowledge when emergencies hit.
Across California, stations like KWMR fill a vital vacuum during crises, especially fast-moving wildfires. With their local knowledge — from where exactly back roads are located to quick access to the fire chief — these broadcasters are increasingly finding themselves to be crucial authorities in the toughest moments, when power is out, danger is high and a radio wavelength floating through the air is a lifeline.
Since it was founded in the late 1990s, KWMR has “been a really important part of our community life,” said Dewey Livingston, a local historian who has been interviewed on the station many times. “But it is especially noteworthy during times like this. ... They are the ones you can go to for information.”
Amanda Eichstaedt, general manager at public radio station KWMR in Point Reyes Station. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
But the COVID-19 pandemic upended how the shoestring station operates, and this wildfire season has left Eichstaedt and her program manager, Jeff Manson, running it nearly alone, “flying on adrenaline,” he said — the last two standing in a complex endeavor that usually has six staffers and 90 volunteers to help. Because there is only one cramped broadcasting studio, with its shared microphone and poor ventilation, no one but Manson and Eichstaedt are allowed inside.
“By mid-March, everything about the way we ran the radio station had turned on its head,” said Manson, a musician and self-taught audio engineer who began his job in January. It’s his first experience as a reporter.
Advertisement
“Fire compounded with pandemic with now being in a public information role, it’s exciting,” he said. “It feels really good to be here listening to the scanner, getting the information straight, because we are in a time of so much speculation.”
Jeff Manson is one of two staffers working during the pandemic at the public radio station in Point Reyes Station. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times)
KWMR has been running updates every half-hour on the nearby Woodward fire, which burned nearly 5,000 acres before being contained, even as Eichstaedt and her skeleton crew evacuated their own homes. Manson’s wife, he said, has a “strong flight instinct,” and had their two children ready to go the first night smoke appeared at their coastal home.
Though the Woodward fire was small compared with others burning in California, its effects here were felt by nearly all of the 14,000 residents who make up what locals call the “west county,” of Marin. Its an area that encompasses seven unincorporated towns and some of the most pristine protected land in the state, dotted with expensive homes, artisanal farmers, aging hippies, Latino service workers, off-the-gridders, Tesla-driving visitors from the Bay Area and herds of wild tule elk.
The station’s role in local emergencies started with its inception 21 years ago, a few years after the last major wildfire in the area, but grew when January floods in 2005 cut off the roads connecting the network of small towns that dot the forested hills and rolling pastures.
KWMR was running an informal system of people with emergency radios in the area, linked by nine repeaters, a combination of a receiver and transmitter that bounced the signal through the mountains. It was the most reliable communication in the area, so much so that the local fire chief asked to be part of it.
But in the village of Olema, the radio operator had been trapped elsewhere, leaving its residents stranded without information.
Eichstaedt had just moved into Olema, a picturesque village of little more than a few streets, to run a bed and breakfast with her future husband. When the water subsided, she made her way to KWMR and asked for a radio of her own — and fell in love with the place at first sight. She remembers walking in the cramped second-story office, with its racks of CDs and walls of memorabilia, and thinking, “What the hell? This is so cool.”
Eichstaedt was interested in radio in college, but it wasn’t until she was settled in Point Reyes that she had time for it. She launched a volunteer show about localism and, later, a late-night music show. Eventually, she was hired and created a popular country music show, “Bakersfield and Beyond,” and took over day-to-day operations.
Although the station has handled its share of crises, mostly more fires and floods, Eichstaedt said the community had embraced its mission even more since the pandemic started. Each week, the local representative from the Board of Supervisors comes on to talk about how government is handling the coronavirus, as does a county health officer. And she’s become “like BFFs” with the county public information officer, she said, which has allowed the station access to information quickly.
“That’s been huge ... our relationship with the first responders in the area,” added Manson.
Manson said that, as the months drag on, he’s becoming more accustomed to the constant tsunami of information.
“There is a weird parallel between COVID and a wildfire in a way in that they are these dynamic situations but they are slow moving also,” Manson said. “Stuff isn’t changing hour to hour, and yet people are really hungry for information.”
He has been spending a lot of time inside their “emergency operations” center, a space about the size of a guest bathroom that also doubles as the facility’s kitchen. Crammed alongside boxes containing tablecloths and a dish rack of bowls and coffee mugs is a bank of scanners that the duo monitor nearly constantly. When a siren wails on the main street, both stop to check cellphone apps and the broadcast channels to see if it’s just a routine call, or one people will need to know about.
He and Eichstaedt have learned if they don’t put out facts, small-town gossip will take over.
“People sort of fill that gap on social media by making stuff up,” Manson said. “ Just between you and me, some of these text threads I am on, these people are nuts.”
Eichstaedt said that even some journalists had gotten it wrong, hampered by their lack of local knowledge.
Shortly after evacuation orders first went into effect for the recent fire, Eichstaedt said a television station broadcasting from the Bay Area made a mistake between a mandatory evacuation order and an evacuation warning. As rumors began to run rampant on social media, Eichstaedt was able to text the information officer for the correct details and start pushing them out.
Despite the challenges, Eichstaedt and Manson have also kept up a full slate of programming, helping their volunteers MacGyver in-home studios from on-hand equipment. Those shows run the gamut — locals reading books on air for an hour solid, talks about dreamcatchers, as well as a morning show between two female relatives with what Manson describes as anarchist views.
Manson also started a program called “Quarantine Dreams” that solicits work — poems, thoughts, requests — from listeners. With bars and other gathering spots largely shut down, he’s seen that show fill a need.
“I was surprised how much a program like that can actually foster a sense of community,” Manson said. “Especially with the pandemic, I think it’s really given us the opportunity to see the purpose radio can serve.”
Though the fire is nearly 100% contained, the duo are still on high alert. Tuesday, winds picked up, raising tensions across Northern California and reminding those living in wildfire areas that the dry season was far from over. For Manson and Eichstaedt, that means this pandemonium will likely remain their foreseeable future.
“I’m either going to cry or keep going,” Eichstaedt said. “It’s strange times.”


latimes--2020-09-09--Sheriff's deputies and protesters clash again in South L.A. over shooting of Dijon Kizzee

For the fourth straight night , protesters clashed with Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies on Tuesday over the recent killing of a Black man by two deputies .
On Aug. 31 , deputies fatally shot Dijon Kizzee following a pursuit the deputies started when they said they saw Kizzee commit an unspecified moving violation on a bicycle .
Sheriff ’ s deputies opened fire after , authorities allege , Kizzee punched one of them in the face , dropped a handgun that was concealed in a bundle of clothes and then “ made a motion toward ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing , protests erupted in the Westmont neighborhood where Kizzee died and outside the South L.A. sheriff ’ s outpost where the deputies who killed him are stationed .
Deputies on Monday fired so-called less-lethal munitions at protesters after authorities declared an unlawful assembly and ordered the demonstrators to leave .
Sheriff Alex Villanueva was at the scene of Monday night ’ s protest .
On Tuesday , protesters again massed near the South L.A. station — although the Sheriff ’ s Department this time had blocked off the stretch of Imperial Highway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd of about 100 people gathered just east of the station about 7 p.m. , near Normandie Avenue , according to Michelle Xai , one of the protesters .
About 8 p.m. , sheriff ’ s authorities used megaphones to announce they were declaring an unlawful assembly at the intersection of Normandie Avenue and Imperial Highway , giving demonstrators five minutes to disperse , Xai said .
By then , she said , the crowd had dwindled to 70 to 80 people .
A sheriff ’ s spokeswoman did not respond Tuesday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times submit questions about the crowd-control tactics in writing .
Protesters strapped on helmets and shields , anticipating a show of force from the Sheriff ’ s Department , Xai said .
She disagreed with a tweet by the Sheriff ’ s Department that suggested the use of such gear was evidence the crowd was comprised of “ individuals from outside of the community , and state , wanting to incite riots.
” “ People go out there with shields and helmets because they know the viciousness they ’ ve been bringing down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protesters were walking backward , still facing the deputies , she said , when the deputies opened fire with some kind of “ less lethal ” round .
Everyone in the crowd turned to run .
Xai described a cacophony of rounds thudding into parked cars and people , authorities shouting orders over a loudspeaker , and a helicopter circling low overhead , its spotlight trained on the crowd and its siren blaring .
“ They moved on us very quickly , ” she said .
Xai and other demonstrators ran north on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether anyone was arrested .
Three friends were arrested in a similar demonstration Sunday night and released after posting $ 500 bond each , she said .
Xai believes the sheriff ’ s tactics of blocking off public streets and declaring unlawful assemblies are part of a nationwide trend of “ shutting down dissent.
” “ We have the right to be out there , ” Xai said , “ and they ’ re trying to scare people into silence .
”

For the fourth straight night, protesters clashed with Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday over the recent killing of a Black man by two deputies.
On Aug. 31, deputies fatally shot Dijon Kizzee following a pursuit the deputies started when they said they saw Kizzee commit an unspecified moving violation on a bicycle. Sheriff’s deputies opened fire after, authorities allege, Kizzee punched one of them in the face, dropped a handgun that was concealed in a bundle of clothes and then “made a motion toward” the weapon.
Sheriff’s deputies detain a protester. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
In the days following the killing, protests erupted in the Westmont neighborhood where Kizzee died and outside the South L.A. sheriff’s outpost where the deputies who killed him are stationed. Deputies on Monday fired so-called less-lethal munitions at protesters after authorities declared an unlawful assembly and ordered the demonstrators to leave. Sheriff Alex Villanueva was at the scene of Monday night’s protest.
On Tuesday, protesters again massed near the South L.A. station — although the Sheriff’s Department this time had blocked off the stretch of Imperial Highway where the station is located. A crowd of about 100 people gathered just east of the station about 7 p.m., near Normandie Avenue, according to Michelle Xai, one of the protesters.
Advertisement
Sheriff’s deputies in riot gear. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
About 8 p.m., sheriff’s authorities used megaphones to announce they were declaring an unlawful assembly at the intersection of Normandie Avenue and Imperial Highway, giving demonstrators five minutes to disperse, Xai said. By then, she said, the crowd had dwindled to 70 to 80 people.
A sheriff’s spokeswoman did not respond Tuesday night to questions, requesting instead that The Times submit questions about the crowd-control tactics in writing.
Protesters strapped on helmets and shields, anticipating a show of force from the Sheriff’s Department, Xai said. She disagreed with a tweet by the Sheriff’s Department that suggested the use of such gear was evidence the crowd was comprised of “individuals from outside of the community, and state, wanting to incite riots.”
“People go out there with shields and helmets because they know the viciousness they’ve been bringing down on us,” Xai said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department declared an unlawful assembly. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Protesters were walking backward, still facing the deputies, she said, when the deputies opened fire with some kind of “less lethal” round. Everyone in the crowd turned to run. Xai described a cacophony of rounds thudding into parked cars and people, authorities shouting orders over a loudspeaker, and a helicopter circling low overhead, its spotlight trained on the crowd and its siren blaring.
“They moved on us very quickly,” she said.
Xai and other demonstrators ran north on Normandie. She didn’t know whether anyone was arrested. Three friends were arrested in a similar demonstration Sunday night and released after posting $500 bond each, she said.
Xai believes the sheriff’s tactics of blocking off public streets and declaring unlawful assemblies are part of a nationwide trend of “shutting down dissent.”
“We have the right to be out there,” Xai said, “and they’re trying to scare people into silence.”


latimes--2020-09-08--Judge orders body cameras on guards at state prison, citing evidence of officers abusing inmates

For the first time , California correctional officers will be required to use body cameras while interacting with inmates inside a state prison , a federal judge ordered Tuesday .
The ruling comes in a civil rights lawsuit over disabled inmates ’ rights , in which a federal judge found evidence to support allegations of physical abuse of prisoners at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego .
The order applies to interactions with all inmates with disabilities inside the Otay Mesa facility .
Attorneys for the inmates with disabilities had asked the judge to issue an order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documenting widespread physical abuse of the inmates .
“ Body cameras have never been used in California prisons .
This is a very important order to help put an end to physical abuse and broken bones of those with physical disabilities at this most dangerous of prisons , ” said attorney Gay Grunfeld , whose law firm , along with the Prison Law Office , represents the plaintiffs .
“ Body cameras can bring sound and context to situations that involve the use of force which surveillance cameras can not , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation a timetable that effectively gives it five months to get the body-worn devices into use .
She also ordered that records from body cameras be preserved from use-of-force incidents and that policies be created .
“ We are unable to comment on specifics of ongoing litigation , but we take the safety and security of the incarcerated population very seriously , and vigorously work to protect those with disabilities .
We will be carefully evaluating the order , ” Dana Simas , a spokeswoman with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
Wilken also ordered the installation , within four or five months , of widespread surveillance camera systems at critical areas of the prison and the establishment of third-party expert monitor oversight of evidence gathered at the prison .
Wilken ordered those actions as part of an injunction she granted as part of a bigger plan to address allegations of repeated physical abuse and retaliation against disabled inmates who complain about the prison facility .
Wilken , an Oakland-based judge , is handling a class-action lawsuit that seeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Americans with Disabilities Act .
While police forces across the country , including the Los Angeles Police Department , use body cameras , their use in prisons is relatively rare .
The ruling Tuesday applies to the single prison , but the judge is expected to hear another motion next month that examines evidence of abuses across the state prison system and seeks to implement the use of body cameras across 35 prisons .
Grunfeld said the attorneys have documented abuses at other prisons , including Corcoran .
The injunction Tuesday was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inmates that lawyers said showed staff “ routinely use unnecessary and excessive force against people with disabilities , often resulting in broken bones , loss of consciousness , stitches or injuries that require medical attention at outside hospitals.
” According to the court , nearly one-fourth of all uses of force on inmates at the prison between 2017 and 2019 involved disabled inmates despite those inmates being the least capable of violent conduct .
“ The court finds that this high incidence of incidents involving the class members tends to give additional credibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff at RJD targeted class members and other vulnerable inmates for physical and other forms of abuse.
” The judge gave the corrections department a couple of months to come up with a plan for using the body cameras and surveillance cameras at all critical areas of the prison .
All footage would be retained for a minimum of 90 days , with videos of “ use of force and other triggering events involving class members at RJD [ to ] be retained indefinitely ” In court papers , the judge noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not as useful in prison as surveillance cameras and that it would take far longer to get them up and running .
“ The court finds the body cameras are likely to improve investigations of misconduct by RJD staff , ” the ruling stated .
The prison has had other recent issues .
Last month , seven correctional officers were hospitalized after being attacked by 20 inmates .
An associate warden subsequently quit , saying prison leadership had allowed no pat-downs on the yard to reduce conflict .
In July , Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corrections department to transfer two prisoners from the prison who had been allegedly retaliated against by guards for making statements to lawyers about previous allegations of violence by correctional officers .
Grunfeld said a guard threatened witnesses in the cases .
The decision was not just based on prisoners ’ declarations but two investigations by the state that found abuses , Grunfeld said .
The state , the judge noted , did not challenge many of the allegations .

For the first time, California correctional officers will be required to use body cameras while interacting with inmates inside a state prison, a federal judge ordered Tuesday.
The ruling comes in a civil rights lawsuit over disabled inmates’ rights, in which a federal judge found evidence to support allegations of physical abuse of prisoners at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. The order applies to interactions with all inmates with disabilities inside the Otay Mesa facility.
Attorneys for the inmates with disabilities had asked the judge to issue an order mandating body cameras for correctional officers after documenting widespread physical abuse of the inmates.
Advertisement
“Body cameras have never been used in California prisons. This is a very important order to help put an end to physical abuse and broken bones of those with physical disabilities at this most dangerous of prisons,” said attorney Gay Grunfeld, whose law firm, along with the Prison Law Office, represents the plaintiffs.
“Body cameras can bring sound and context to situations that involve the use of force which surveillance cameras cannot,” she said.
U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation a timetable that effectively gives it five months to get the body-worn devices into use. She also ordered that records from body cameras be preserved from use-of-force incidents and that policies be created.
State corrections officials declined to address the findings.
“We are unable to comment on specifics of ongoing litigation, but we take the safety and security of the incarcerated population very seriously, and vigorously work to protect those with disabilities. We will be carefully evaluating the order,” Dana Simas, a spokeswoman with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said in a statement.
Wilken also ordered the installation, within four or five months, of widespread surveillance camera systems at critical areas of the prison and the establishment of third-party expert monitor oversight of evidence gathered at the prison.
Wilken ordered those actions within an injunction she granted as part of a bigger plan to address allegations of repeated physical abuse and retaliation against disabled inmates who complain about the prison facility.
Wilken, an Oakland-based judge, is handling a class-action lawsuit that seeks to guarantee the rights of state prisoners under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Though police forces across the country, including the Los Angeles Police Department, use body cameras, their use in prisons is relatively rare.
The ruling Tuesday applies to the single prison, but the judge is expected to hear another motion next month that examines evidence of abuses across the state prison system and seeks to implement the use of body cameras across 35 prisons.
Grunfeld said the attorneys have documented abuses at other prisons, including Corcoran.
The injunction Tuesday was granted based on 112 sworn declarations from inmates that lawyers said showed staff “routinely use unnecessary and excessive force against people with disabilities, often resulting in broken bones, loss of consciousness, stitches or injuries that require medical attention at outside hospitals.”
Advertisement
According to the court, nearly one-fourth of all uses of force on inmates at the prison between 2017 and 2019 involved disabled inmates despite those inmates being the least capable of violent conduct.
“The court finds that this high incidence of incidents involving the class members tends to give additional credibility to the inmates’ declarations ... that staff at RJD targeted class members and other vulnerable inmates for physical and other forms of abuse.”
The judge gave the corrections department a couple of months to come up with a plan for using the body cameras and surveillance cameras at all critical areas of the prison. All footage would be retained for a minimum of 90 days, with videos of “use of force and other triggering events involving class members at RJD [to] be retained indefinitely.”
In court papers, the judge noted that the corrections department argued that body cameras are not as useful in prison as surveillance cameras and that it would take far longer to get them up and running.
“The court finds the body cameras are likely to improve investigations of misconduct by RJD staff,” the ruling stated.
The prison has had other recent issues. Last month, seven correctional officers were hospitalized after being attacked by 20 inmates. An associate warden subsequently quit, saying prison leadership had allowed no pat-downs on the yard to reduce conflict.
In July, Wilken issued a temporary restraining order requiring the corrections department to transfer two inmates from the prison who had been allegedly retaliated against by guards for making statements to lawyers about previous allegations of violence by correctional officers. Grunfeld said a guard threatened witnesses in the cases.
The decision was based not just on prisoners’ declarations but also on two investigations by the state that found abuses, Grunfeld said. The state, the judge noted, did not challenge many of the allegations.


latimes--2020-09-08--Bobcat Fire keeps growing, and winds could push it into Monrovia, Arcadia and other foothill communi

Bobcat Fire keeps growing, and winds could push it into Monrovia, Arcadia and other foothill communities

The Bobcat fire continued to burn unchecked Tuesday through the Angeles National Forest and officials warned that Santa Ana winds could cause the fire to threaten homes in several foothill communities .
At 0 % containment , the fire has burned more than 10,000 acres as of Tuesday night with red flag warnings issued due to the windy conditions .
“ The big worry is the weather model , which is forecasting a shift in the winds to Santa Ana winds , ” said Angeles National Forest representative John Clearwater , “ and there is a possibility of that fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire line is our foothill communities.
” Residents of Monrovia , located at the base of the forest , have already been placed on notice and are being urged to stay alert for official evacuation orders .
If an order is issued , the city said it would work in two phases , Phase 1 to include residents north of Hillcrest Boulevard north of Greystone Avenue , and Phase 2 to include residents between Hillcrest Foothill boulevards .
“ We have been told to plan for the fire to get worse and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ready if an evacuation order is issued , ” the city said in a statement .
“ Santa Ana winds can change the fire conditions incredibly quickly.
” Arcadia also said residents living Foothill Boulevard and east of Santa Anita Avenue should be prepared to evacuate .
The nearby cities of Duarte and Sierra Madre are also urging residents to remain vigilant .
Residents of Monrovia were on edge as fire trucks roamed the neighborhood .
Cliff Armstrong , a cable marketer , has lived in the Cloverleaf Canyon neighborhood for 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has never seen so many firefighters moving in and around the area before .
Earlier in the day , Armstrong was watching helicopters dip large buckets into a sawpit debris basin .
He saw firetrucks traveling up and down the street for the last two days .
“ I ’ ve never seen this level of preparation before , ” he said .
Residents such as Armstrong say if they ’ re forced to evacuate it would be the first time they will have to flee their homes .
Fires have come and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Station fire in 2009 .
Armstrong said he stayed behind , watering his home during that blaze .
“ I don ’ t think I ’ ll risk it this time , ” he said .
Neighbors have started packing up their cars and moving vehicles to the homes of friends living away from the mountains or in other cities .
They share tips with one another about how to best defend their homes from a fire .
Outside their homes , Armstrong and his neighbor talk about those efforts .
His neighbor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cushions around the patio and floor mats , anything that is combustible .
“ Oh , right , right .
Well , wait a minute , ” Armstrong said .
“ I have a garage full of toilet paper and paper towels because of the COVID thing , man , ” “ Remember it was hard to find ?
So I have a bunch of paper goods sitting in the garage.
” The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning through 8 p.m. Tuesday for the mountains and valleys of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bobcat fire started just after noon Sunday , and is one of two fires currently burning in the region .
The El Dorado fire in the San Bernardino National Forest has burned more than 10,000 acres and is roughly 16 % contained .
The Bobcat fire ’ s “ remote and rugged location ” has made it challenging to contain , Clearwater said , adding that establishing and reinforcing bulldozer lines around the fire is a top priority .
The Forest Service is now estimating its containment date as Oct. 15 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ A lot of thought and preparation is going into how to mitigate and prevent that fire from moving into a position where it poses a serious risk.
” The Mt .
Wilson Observatory has a half-million-gallon , gravity-fed water tank filled and ready for battle should the Bobcat fire close in on the property , said the observatory ’ s director Tom Meneghini .
Three employees remain at the mountaintop location as a skeleton staff , ready to hand over the keys and fire hoses to firefighters if needed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third in as many months to pose a danger to the observatory , but the gravest threat in recent memory was the 2009 Station fire .
“ That took the cake , ” Meneghini said .
“ We had Arizona hotshots camped up there in the dome , living up there .
They were fighting defensively from the observatory .
We hope this isn ’ t a repeat.
” Conditions were calm Tuesday morning , as seen on observatory surveillance cameras , Meneghini said .
But Santa Ana winds forecast for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t know what that ’ s going to do , that ’ s the wild card in this whole thing , ” he said .
Fire risk is part of forest life — “ like gravity , there all the time , ” Meneghni said , He welcomed federal authorities ’ decision to close national forests in California during the current heat wave .
“ Given the heightened danger , I think it ’ s good .
I ’ m just kind of jaundiced on my fellow men being responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fires .
“ Privilege comes with responsibility ... and we are our own worst enemies .
”

Firefighters huddle along Highway 39 in the San Gabriel Mountains to plan their attack on the Bobcat fire Tuesday.
The Bobcat fire continued to burn unchecked Tuesday through the Angeles National Forest and officials warned that Santa Ana winds could cause the fire to threaten homes in several foothill communities.
At 0% containment, the fire has burned more than 10,000 acres as of Tuesday night with red flag warnings issued due to the windy conditions.
“The big worry is the weather model, which is forecasting a shift in the winds to Santa Ana winds,” said Angeles National Forest representative John Clearwater, “and there is a possibility of that fire being pushed south. South of the fire line is our foothill communities.”
Advertisement
Residents of Monrovia, located at the base of the forest, have already been placed on notice and are being urged to stay alert for official evacuation orders. If an order is issued, the city said it would work in two phases, Phase 1 to include residents north of Hillcrest Boulevard north of Greystone Avenue, and Phase 2 to include residents between Hillcrest Foothill boulevards.
“We have been told to plan for the fire to get worse and we are asking all residents to be prepared and ready if an evacuation order is issued,” the city said in a statement. “Santa Ana winds can change the fire conditions incredibly quickly.”
Arcadia also said residents living Foothill Boulevard and east of Santa Anita Avenue should be prepared to evacuate.
The nearby cities of Duarte and Sierra Madre are also urging residents to remain vigilant.
Residents of Monrovia were on edge as fire trucks roamed the neighborhood.
Cliff Armstrong, a cable marketer, has lived in the Cloverleaf Canyon neighborhood for 21 years. He said Tuesday that he has never seen so many firefighters moving in and around the area before.
Earlier in the day, Armstrong was watching helicopters dip large buckets into a sawpit debris basin. He saw firetrucks traveling up and down the street for the last two days.
Advertisement
“I’ve never seen this level of preparation before,” he said.
Residents such as Armstrong say if they’re forced to evacuate it would be the first time they will have to flee their homes. Fires have come and gone through this area, including the Station fire in 2009.
Armstrong said he stayed behind, watering his home during that blaze.
“I don’t think I’ll risk it this time,” he said.
Neighbors have started packing up their cars and moving vehicles to the homes of friends living away from the mountains or in other cities. They share tips with one another about how to best defend their homes from a fire.
Outside their homes, Armstrong and his neighbor talk about those efforts. His neighbor tells him he’s removed all the cushions around the patio and floor mats, anything that is combustible.
“Oh, right, right. Well, wait a minute,” Armstrong said. “I have a garage full of toilet paper and paper towels because of the COVID thing, man,”
He chuckled.
“Remember it was hard to find? So I have a bunch of paper goods sitting in the garage.”
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning through 8 p.m. Tuesday for the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
California Aggressive winds feared as California battles biggest wildfire season Intense Diablo winds are forecast for parts of Northern California while Santa Ana winds are expected in Southern California.
The Bobcat fire started just after noon Sunday, and is one of two fires currently burning in the region. The El Dorado fire in the San Bernardino National Forest has burned more than 10,000 acres and is roughly 16% contained.
The Bobcat fire’s “remote and rugged location” has made it challenging to contain, Clearwater said, adding that establishing and reinforcing bulldozer lines around the fire is a top priority. The Forest Service is now estimating its containment date as Oct. 15.
“It is growing rapidly,” Clearwater said. “A lot of thought and preparation is going into how to mitigate and prevent that fire from moving into a position where it poses a serious risk.”
The Mt. Wilson Observatory has a half-million-gallon, gravity-fed water tank filled and ready for battle should the Bobcat fire close in on the property, said the observatory’s director Tom Meneghini.
Three employees remain at the mountaintop location as a skeleton staff, ready to hand over the keys and fire hoses to firefighters if needed, Meneghini said.
The Bobcat fire is the third in as many months to pose a danger to the observatory, but the gravest threat in recent memory was the 2009 Station fire.
“That took the cake,” Meneghini said. “We had Arizona hotshots camped up there in the dome, living up there. They were fighting defensively from the observatory. We hope this isn’t a repeat.”
Conditions were calm Tuesday morning, as seen on observatory surveillance cameras, Meneghini said. But Santa Ana winds forecast for the days ahead have him concerned.
“I don’t know what that’s going to do, that’s the wild card in this whole thing,” he said. Fire risk is part of forest life — “like gravity, there all the time,” Meneghni said, He welcomed federal authorities’ decision to close national forests in California during the current heat wave.
“Given the heightened danger, I think it’s good. I’m just kind of jaundiced on my fellow men being responsible for these conditions,” Meneghini said of the fires. “Privilege comes with responsibility ... and we are our own worst enemies.”


latimes--2020-09-09--Wildfires turned Bay Area skies orange. Here's how to capture the strange view on your phone

Many people in Northern California were caught off guard Wednesday morning when they awoke to pumpkin-orange skies caused by smoke from multiple wildfires .
And so were their iPhones .
Those attempting to document the otherworldly scene might find that the rich orange and red tones they see — even after rubbing their eyes in disbelief — aren ’ t translating to their cellphone snapshots .
That ’ s because the camera — a computer — attempts to make sense of what it “ sees , ” according to Jay Clendenin , a veteran photographer with the Los Angeles Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at that scene , see what it thinks is a sky , see all of that yellow and say , ‘ Oh , well , that ’ s not right.
’ And convert it , most likely , to blue , ” said Clendenin , who has photographed dozens of fires over his 12 years with the Times .
In photography , this is known as white balance , or the process of removing color casts that might make a photo look unnatural .
The idea is to make whites look white , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cameras do this automatically , operating under natural color assumptions .
So what do you do when you ’ re trying to capture something that looks unnatural ?
First , Clendenin recommends turning off HDR , or high dynamic range .
That function takes an automatic exposure , a brighter exposure and a darker exposure , then combines them into one image , he said .
“ That will really mess with the look of a picture because it ’ s really combining three pictures into one , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ll be closer to getting a single frame each time.
” You can also adjust the color tone , either before or after taking the photo , Clendenin said .
Before taking a photo , you can choose a filter by clicking the icon comprised of three overlapping circles in the right-hand corner .
Options like “ vivid warm ” and “ dramatic warm ” increase the yellow tones .
To tweak a photo after it ’ s been taken , adjust what ’ s labeled “ warmth ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ function , open a photo , click “ edit ” on the bottom righthand corner , click the icon that looks like a yin-yang and then scroll through options until it appears .
Photojournalists don ’ t typically work with cellphone cameras , including when in a breaking news situation like covering a wildfire .
And editing photos after they are taken is done within specific parameters .
The Times ’ ethics guidelines read : “ We do not add color , create photomontages , remove objects or flop images .
We do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjustments for color correction , exposure correction and removal of dust spots or scratches required to ensure faithful reproduction of the original image .
We do not permit the exaggerated use of burning , dodging or color saturation or the use of photo editing app filters to manipulate images for publication.
” Recalling photographing California wildfires in the past , Clendenin said he ’ s witnessed rich yellow skies when close to the lapping flames , “ but to see it everywhere else is kind of crazy.
” Even in Southern California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deep orange hues seen up north , Clendenin described “ haze and glow ” in Manhattan Beach .

Smoke from wildfires burning across Northern California mixes with clouds and fog to create an orange gloom in San Francisco, seen from Treasure Island on Wednesday.
Many people in Northern California were caught off guard Wednesday morning when they awoke to pumpkin-orange skies caused by smoke from multiple wildfires.
And so were their iPhones.
Extremely dense & tall smoke plumes from numerous large wildfires, some of which have been generating nocturnal pyrocumulunimbus clouds ("fire thunderstorms"), are almost completely blocking out the sun across some portions of Northern California this morning. #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/y9evl4u0eq — Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) September 9, 2020
Those attempting to document the otherworldly scene might find that the rich orange and red tones they see — even after rubbing their eyes in disbelief — aren’t translating to their cellphone snapshots.
Advertisement
That’s because the camera — a computer — attempts to make sense of what it “sees,” according to Jay Clendenin, a veteran photographer with the Los Angeles Times.
“It’s going to look at that scene, see what it thinks is a sky, see all of that yellow and say, ‘Oh, well, that’s not right.’ And convert it, most likely, to blue,” said Clendenin, who has photographed dozens of fires over his 12 years with the Times.
In photography, this is known as white balance, or the process of removing color casts that might make a photo look unnatural. The idea is to make whites look white, blues look blue, etc. iPhone cameras do this automatically, operating under natural color assumptions. So what do you do when you’re trying to capture something that looks unnatural?
First, Clendenin recommends turning off HDR, or high dynamic range. That function takes an automatic exposure, a brighter exposure and a darker exposure, then combines them into one image, he said.
“That will really mess with the look of a picture because it’s really combining three pictures into one,” he said. “So if you turn that off, you’ll be closer to getting a single frame each time.”
Advertisement
You can also adjust the color tone, either before or after taking the photo, Clendenin said.
Before taking a photo, you can choose a filter by clicking the icon comprised of three overlapping circles in the right-hand corner. Options like “vivid warm” and “dramatic warm” increase the yellow tones.
To tweak a photo after it’s been taken, adjust what’s labeled “warmth” in the iPhone editing software. To find this function, open a photo, click “edit” on the bottom righthand corner, click the icon that looks like a yin-yang and then scroll through options until it appears.
Photojournalists don’t typically work with cellphone cameras, including when in a breaking news situation like covering a wildfire. And editing photos after they are taken is done within specific parameters. The Times’ ethics guidelines read: “We do not add color, create photomontages, remove objects or flop images. We do not digitally alter images beyond making minor adjustments for color correction, exposure correction and removal of dust spots or scratches required to ensure faithful reproduction of the original image. We do not permit the exaggerated use of burning, dodging or color saturation or the use of photo editing app filters to manipulate images for publication.”
Recalling photographing California wildfires in the past, Clendenin said he’s witnessed rich yellow skies when close to the lapping flames, “but to see it everywhere else is kind of crazy.”
Even in Southern California, where the skies have not taken on the deep orange hues seen up north, Clendenin described “haze and glow” in Manhattan Beach.