latimes--2020-02-29--L.A. health agencies already strained by coronavirus. And it's expected to get worse

As the frontline workers against the spread of disease , local public health departments are straining to respond to an outbreak of novel coronavirus and could be overwhelmed in the coming weeks as cases mount within the United States .
City and county health departments carry out the task that is proven to slow outbreaks : Separating sick people from healthy people .
The function is simple in theory but often resource-intensive .
Only 70 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the U.S. so far , yet government healthcare workers nationwide are already monitoring thousands of people who returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with people who were sick , while also holding regular discussions with hospitals , schools and businesses to prepare for the possibility of a pandemic .
The coronavirus outbreak has tested the capacity of these local agencies and could merit an unprecedented response if the virus begins spreading within the U.S. , as some fear .
In the last week , officials have announced that eight people , all on the West Coast , contracted the virus within their communities , suggesting people are catching the virus locally For weeks , public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as managers bring in temporary staff to help out .
San Francisco and Orange counties declared states of emergency this week because of the coronavirus outbreak .
In Los Angeles County , officials are discussing the possibility of a similar declaration .
They also plan to request $ 7.5 million from the federal government to cover the costs of dealing with coronavirus .
“ The problem with novel coronavirus is that we just don ’ t know as much about it , so the science isn ’ t there to support every strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ferrer , director of L.A. County ’ s Public Health Department .
“ A lot of people are working seven days a week.
” The coronavirus outbreak that began in China late last year has infected 86,000 people and killed 2,900 .
Now that the virus has spread to almost all continents , experts are increasingly predicting that it will be impossible to contain .
For months , health workers have sought to prevent the disease from taking root in the U.S .
Without a vaccine or medical treatment for the disease , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screening and isolating sick patients are vital , experts say .
Those protocols may be determined by federal officials but are carried out by 3,000 public health departments across the nation , including more than 50 in California .
The bulk of the work in California so far has been following up with travelers who have returned from China and have been asked to self-quarantine and limit interactions with others for 14 days .
Scientists believe that it can take up to two weeks for people to develop symptoms of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ such travelers have entered California , according to the state Public Health Department .
In San Bernardino County , staff members are monitoring 75 of them with the help of temporary staff , according to department officials .
“ Should the lists grow in size , we may not be able to respond effectively , ” the officials said in an email to The Times .
“ Should follow-up on individuals continue to be a long-term activity , we would need more staff.
” Federal officials provide local health departments with long lists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of China and landed in the United States .
Health workers in those communities then have to figure out how to contact the returning travelers and make sure they have a place to safely isolate themselves for two weeks , Ferrer said .
In L.A. County , where there are 1,000 such cases , each patient is assigned a nurse who fields any calls from them .
The nurse calls and texts the patient every other day to check in on them and make sure they aren ’ t going to school or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temperature every day .
Ferrer said she had to move nurses who work in other divisions to help with the workload .
Every day , 100 to 200 people in L.A. County return from a trip that included travel to mainland China in the last 14 days and need to be monitored , she said .
“ It ’ s a lot of calls , and it ’ s a lot of making sure people are OK. We make sure they have thermometers , we make sure they have food , we answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s a role that I don ’ t know that a lot of people appreciate.
” The panic that often has surrounded this outbreak also falls to public health departments to quell .
In Long Beach , the 24-hour call line for health questions from schools and hospitals has been ringing more than ever with questions about coronavirus and who should be tested , said Emily Holman , the city ’ s communicable disease controller .
“ There ’ s still quite a bit of fear , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tremendously if coronavirus begins spreading in large swaths of the United States .
For each confirmed case , staffers trace the path of the infected patient for the days they could have been making other people sick .
Then they contact anyone they may have had contact with to tell them to watch for symptoms and sometimes quarantine themselves .
Health workers in Santa Clara and Sacramento counties are scrambling to contact and quarantine hundreds of people who came into contact with COVID-19 patients there .
The single confirmed coronavirus case in L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people whom the Public Health Department then had to monitor , Ferrer said .
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States , in Washington state , led health workers there to 70 people who may have been infected , said Dr. Jonathan Wiesman , that state ’ s secretary of health .
“ We ’ ve been working constantly , so it ’ s just keeping people refreshed and cycling in and giving them rest breaks , ” Wiesman said .
On Saturday , Washington health workers ’ to-do lists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first death from COVID-19 in the U.S. on Saturday as well as an outbreak at a long-term care facility in a Seattle suburb .
In Los Angeles , the City Council convened a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the response to the coronavirus outbreak .
Council members asked whether there were plans to care for homeless people should they become infected , as well as how to keep people informed without stoking panic or xenophobia .
Officials from multiple city departments are meeting regularly to make sure preparations are in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aram Sahakian , general manager of the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department .
“ There ’ s planning to do right now , ” Sahakian told the City Council .
“ We ’ re not waiting until it comes to us.
” California counties are now revising plans they are required to have in place for a pandemic .
Some health departments said they were trying to increase their supplies of masks but face a worldwide shortage .
In L.A. County , a pandemic influenza plan is being updated for coronavirus , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They are thinking about those things , like the different scenarios we could imagine : What would happen in schools ?
What would happen in homeless shelters ?
What would happen in skilled nursing facilities ?
” Gounder said .
“ What would we do about shortages of supplies ?
What do we do if there aren ’ t enough ventilators ?
” Ferrer has been holding regular briefings with schools , businesses and event spaces to discuss protocols in the event of more coronavirus cases .
Officials with the federal Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week advised schools to prepare for internet-based learning and businesses to think about how to use teleconferencing in the event that COVID-19 spreads and people need to work from home .
The department set up a dedicated line to field calls from businesses and other organizations with questions about outbreak preparations , she said .
“ It might never happen .
We might never have a big outbreak here , but this is the time for everyone to make sure they know what they want to do if there is one here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with being well-prepared .
”

Dr. Prabhu Gounder, left, a medical epidemiologist with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, and Aram Sahakian, general manager of L.A.’s Emergency Management Department, speaks at L.A. City Hall during a special meeting on emergency preparedness for a possible local coronavirus outbreak.
As the frontline workers against the spread of disease, local public health departments are straining to respond to an outbreak of novel coronavirus and could be overwhelmed in the coming weeks as cases mount within the United States.
City and county health departments carry out the task that is proven to slow outbreaks: Separating sick people from healthy people. The function is simple in theory but often resource-intensive.
Only 70 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the U.S. so far, yet government healthcare workers nationwide are already monitoring thousands of people who returned from affected countries or had close contact with people who were sick, while also holding regular discussions with hospitals, schools and businesses to prepare for the possibility of a pandemic.
The coronavirus outbreak has tested the capacity of these local agencies and could merit an unprecedented response if the virus begins spreading within the U.S., as some fear. In the last week, officials have announced that eight people, all on the West Coast, contracted the virus within their communities, suggesting people are catching the virus locally
Advertisement
For weeks, public health workers in California have been billing overtime as managers bring in temporary staff to help out. San Francisco and Orange counties declared states of emergency this week because of the coronavirus outbreak.
In Los Angeles County, officials are discussing the possibility of a similar declaration. They also plan to request $7.5 million from the federal government to cover the costs of dealing with coronavirus.
“The problem with novel coronavirus is that we just don’t know as much about it, so the science isn’t there to support every strategy in our toolkit,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of L.A. County’s Public Health Department. “A lot of people are working seven days a week.”
The coronavirus outbreak that began in China late last year has infected 86,000 people and killed 2,900. Now that the virus has spread to almost all continents, experts are increasingly predicting that it will be impossible to contain.
For months, health workers have sought to prevent the disease from taking root in the U.S. Without a vaccine or medical treatment for the disease, standard public health measures of testing, screening and isolating sick patients are vital, experts say.
Those protocols may be determined by federal officials but are carried out by 3,000 public health departments across the nation, including more than 50 in California.
The bulk of the work in California so far has been following up with travelers who have returned from China and have been asked to self-quarantine and limit interactions with others for 14 days. Scientists believe that it can take up to two weeks for people to develop symptoms of the virus.
Since Feb. 2, more than 8,400 such travelers have entered California, according to the state Public Health Department. In San Bernardino County, staff members are monitoring 75 of them with the help of temporary staff, according to department officials.
“Should the lists grow in size, we may not be able to respond effectively,” the officials said in an email to The Times. “Should follow-up on individuals continue to be a long-term activity, we would need more staff.”
Advertisement
Federal officials provide local health departments with long lists of people who flew through or out of China and landed in the United States. Health workers in those communities then have to figure out how to contact the returning travelers and make sure they have a place to safely isolate themselves for two weeks, Ferrer said.
In L.A. County, where there are 1,000 such cases, each patient is assigned a nurse who fields any calls from them. The nurse calls and texts the patient every other day to check in on them and make sure they aren’t going to school or work, as well as taking their temperature every day.
Ferrer said she had to move nurses who work in other divisions to help with the workload. Every day, 100 to 200 people in L.A. County return from a trip that included travel to mainland China in the last 14 days and need to be monitored, she said.
“It’s a lot of calls, and it’s a lot of making sure people are OK. We make sure they have thermometers, we make sure they have food, we answer their questions,” she said. “It’s a role that I don’t know that a lot of people appreciate.”
The panic that often has surrounded this outbreak also falls to public health departments to quell. In Long Beach, the 24-hour call line for health questions from schools and hospitals has been ringing more than ever with questions about coronavirus and who should be tested, said Emily Holman, the city’s communicable disease controller.
“There’s still quite a bit of fear,” she said.
Health departments’ workloads will grow tremendously if coronavirus begins spreading in large swaths of the United States. For each confirmed case, staffers trace the path of the infected patient for the days they could have been making other people sick. Then they contact anyone they may have had contact with to tell them to watch for symptoms and sometimes quarantine themselves. Health workers in Santa Clara and Sacramento counties are scrambling to contact and quarantine hundreds of people who came into contact with COVID-19 patients there.
The single confirmed coronavirus case in L.A. County had contact with more than 50 people whom the Public Health Department then had to monitor, Ferrer said.
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States, in Washington state, led health workers there to 70 people who may have been infected, said Dr. Jonathan Wiesman, that state’s secretary of health.
“We’ve been working constantly, so it’s just keeping people refreshed and cycling in and giving them rest breaks,” Wiesman said.
On Saturday, Washington health workers’ to-do lists grew even longer, as officials announced the first death from COVID-19 in the U.S. on Saturday as well as an outbreak at a long-term care facility in a Seattle suburb.
In Los Angeles, the City Council convened a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the response to the coronavirus outbreak. Council members asked whether there were plans to care for homeless people should they become infected, as well as how to keep people informed without stoking panic or xenophobia.
Officials from multiple city departments are meeting regularly to make sure preparations are in order for a possible worst-case scenario, said Aram Sahakian, general manager of the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department.
“There’s planning to do right now,” Sahakian told the City Council. “We’re not waiting until it comes to us.”
California counties are now revising plans they are required to have in place for a pandemic. Some health departments said they were trying to increase their supplies of masks but face a worldwide shortage.
In L.A. County, a pandemic influenza plan is being updated for coronavirus, said L.A. County epidemiologist Dr. Prabhu Gounder.
“They are thinking about those things, like the different scenarios we could imagine: What would happen in schools? What would happen in homeless shelters? What would happen in skilled nursing facilities?” Gounder said. “What would we do about shortages of supplies? What do we do if there aren’t enough ventilators?”
Ferrer has been holding regular briefings with schools, businesses and event spaces to discuss protocols in the event of more coronavirus cases. Officials with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week advised schools to prepare for internet-based learning and businesses to think about how to use teleconferencing in the event that COVID-19 spreads and people need to work from home.
The department set up a dedicated line to field calls from businesses and other organizations with questions about outbreak preparations, she said.
“It might never happen. We might never have a big outbreak here, but this is the time for everyone to make sure they know what they want to do if there is one here,” she said. “Nothing wrong with being well-prepared.”


latimes--2020-03-02--In Los Angeles County D.A.'s race, it's reform vs. tradition. Where does each candidate stand?

When voters head to the polls on March 3 , they will make one choice that could change the course of criminal justice policy in Los Angeles County .
Two-term incumbent Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey is trying to fend off a pair of challengers who embody a nationwide push to elect more progressive prosecutors : former San Francisco Dist .
Atty .
George Gascón and former Los Angeles County public defender Rachel Rossi .
The three candidates have engaged in a hotly contested campaign that included a combative January debate marked by raucous protests , which Lacey cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public debates .
The race has also attracted millions of dollars in outside money from police unions backing Lacey and Northern California progressives hoping to boost Gascón ’ s chances .
So where does each candidate stand on some of the biggest issues affecting public safety in Los Angeles County ?
Who supports them ?
How did they get here ?
Below , The Times breaks down each candidate ’ s resume and positions on key issues ahead of Tuesday ’ s primary : Lacey , 63 , became a deputy district attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dist .
Atty .
Steve Cooley ’ s second in command before she was elected to replace him in 2012 .
She ran unopposed for a second term in 2016 .
She is the first woman and first African American to be elected district attorney in L.A. County .
Under her leadership , the office has won a number of high-profile cases , convicting the “ Grim Sleeper ” serial killer and securing a plea deal that sent Marion “ Suge ” Knight to prison for 28 years on manslaughter charges .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein , already convicted on similar charges in New York City this week .
Community activists have criticized her for declining to bring charges against police officers in a number of high-profile use-of-force cases .
A career cop , Gascón , 65 , rose through the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department , becoming an assistant chief .
He went on to serve as police chief in Mesa , Ariz. , and San Francisco , before he was appointed district attorney there in 2011 .
He served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lacey last year .
One of the stars of a nationwide push to elect progressive prosecutors , Gascón was a co-author of Proposition 47 , the controversial bill that reduced a number of felonies to misdemeanors .
He was also among the first prosecutors in the nation to successfully expunge a wide array of marijuana convictions after Californians voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis and helped set the table for San Francisco ’ s shift from the use of cash bail .
Law enforcement groups and others said his policies led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco .
The newest face in the contest , Rossi , 36 , served as a county and federal public defender in Los Angeles for several years .
She went on to serve as a legal advisor to U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin ( D-Illinois ) and aided him in crafting the First Step Act , which reduced some mandatory minimum sentences at the federal level and increased the chances for minimum-risk inmates to receive early release .
She worked as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on criminal justice reform issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reformer .
Some have questioned her lack of prosecutorial experience .
Where do they stand ?
Lacey issued a directive in 2017 to make defendants eligible for a pre-filing diversion program if they had been charged with some low-level non-violent crimes , including simple drug possession and drinking in public .
The move , she said , could be beneficial to homeless defendants often charged with those crimes .
She also joined a multiagency effort to void warrants and tickets for more than 2 million minor offenses , the fines for which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to services and housing .
Gascón directed prosecutors in San Francisco to stop prosecuting homeless defendants and those with substance abuse problems for low-level and nonviolent offenses .
He has also pushed for the expansion of a pre-booking diversion program , launched in San Francisco , for low-level drug offenders as an alternative to jail .
Rossi has said crimes such as public urination and sleeping outside should never be prosecuted .
If elected , she would urge deputy district attorneys to consider not filing charges if a homeless defendant committed only a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also vowed to prosecute landlords who unfairly raise rents and work to stop other practices that contribute to homelessness .
Lacey continues to support capital punishment , and her line prosecutors has sent 22 people to California ’ s death row since 2012 .
Lacey has said her office uses the threat of execution sparingly , seeking the death penalty in only 3 % of all eligible cases in 2018 .
Rossi and Gascón have both said they will not seek the death penalty in any cases if elected .
Gascón this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defendants sentenced to death by the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office , if elected .
Lacey is supported by the unions representing LAPD officers , county sheriff ’ s deputies and deputy district attorneys .
She also has the backing of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti , U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-San Francisco ) and U.S. Rep. Adam B. Schiff ( D-Burbank ) .
Gascón won the endorsement of the L.A. County Democratic Party , U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-San Francisco ) and Rep. Maxine Waters ( D-Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rank-and-file officers , Gascón also has the support of former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck , who is the interim head of the Chicago Police Department .
Rossi shared the endorsement with Gascón of the Real Justice political action committee , which has backed a number of progressive candidates in district attorney ’ s races across the nation .
She also picked up endorsements from a number of political organizations in Los Angeles including the Black L.A. Young Democrats and the Los Angeles African American Women ’ s political action committee .
Lacey has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of controversial shootings in L.A. County since 2012 .
She ignored Beck ’ s recommendation to charge an officer in the shooting of an unarmed homeless man in Venice in 2018 and also declined to charge a Long Beach police officer who shot an unarmed teen .
Lacey has noted the difficulty of successfully prosecuting law enforcement in such cases , and said critics rarely look at all the evidence in a case before passing judgment on a shooting .
Records show her office has charged more than 90 police officers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported legislation that tightened rules on when officers can use deadly force in California .
He did not file charges in any officer-involved shootings in San Francisco during his tenure , including the killing of Mario Woods Records show 32 law enforcement officers faced charges during his tenure , including several sheriff ’ s deputies accused of organizing a jailhouse fight ring .
Rossi has said that , if elected , she would call on the state attorney general ’ s office to grant her power to have special prosecutors investigate officer use-of-force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would help avoid the inherent bias of a district attorney ’ s office making filing decisions involving police agencies with which they normally work alongside .

When voters head to the polls on March 3, they will make one choice that could change the course of criminal justice policy in Los Angeles County.
Two-term incumbent Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey is trying to fend off a pair of challengers who embody a nationwide push to elect more progressive prosecutors: former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascón and former Los Angeles County public defender Rachel Rossi.
The three candidates have engaged in a hotly contested campaign that included a combative January debate marked by raucous protests, which Lacey cited as a reason to turn down further public debates. The race has also attracted millions of dollars in outside money from police unions backing Lacey and Northern California progressives hoping to boost Gascón’s chances.
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So where does each candidate stand on some of the biggest issues affecting public safety in Los Angeles County? Who supports them? How did they get here? Below, The Times breaks down each candidate’s resume and positions on key issues ahead of Tuesday’s primary:
Jackie Lacey
Lacey, 63, became a deputy district attorney in 1986 and rose to be former Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley’s second in command before she was elected to replace him in 2012. She ran unopposed for a second term in 2016. She is the first woman and first African American to be elected district attorney in L.A. County.
Under her leadership, the office has won a number of high-profile cases, convicting the “Grim Sleeper” serial killer and securing a plea deal that sent Marion “Suge” Knight to prison for 28 years on manslaughter charges. Last month, she brought sexual assault charges against fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, already convicted on similar charges in New York City this week.
Community activists have criticized her for declining to bring charges against police officers in a number of high-profile use-of-force cases.
George Gascón
A career cop, Gascón, 65, rose through the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department, becoming an assistant chief. He went on to serve as police chief in Mesa, Ariz., and San Francisco, before he was appointed district attorney there in 2011. He served two terms before stepping down to challenge Lacey last year.
One of the stars of a nationwide push to elect progressive prosecutors, Gascón was a co-author of Proposition 47, the controversial bill that reduced a number of felonies to misdemeanors. He was also among the first prosecutors in the nation to successfully expunge a wide array of marijuana convictions after Californians voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis and helped set the table for San Francisco’s shift from the use of cash bail.
Law enforcement groups and others said his policies led to a surge in property crimes in San Francisco.
Rachel Rossi
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The newest face in the contest, Rossi, 36, served as a county and federal public defender in Los Angeles for several years. She went on to serve as a legal advisor to U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) and aided him in crafting the First Step Act, which reduced some mandatory minimum sentences at the federal level and increased the chances for minimum-risk inmates to receive early release.
She worked as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on criminal justice reform issues. Rossi is running as an outsider and reformer. Some have questioned her lack of prosecutorial experience.
Where do they stand?
Homelessness
Lacey issued a directive in 2017 to make defendants eligible for a pre-filing diversion program if they had been charged with some low-level non-violent crimes, including simple drug possession and drinking in public. The move, she said, could be beneficial to homeless defendants often charged with those crimes.
She also joined a multiagency effort to void warrants and tickets for more than 2 million minor offenses, the fines for which also often prove to be a roadblock to services and housing.
Gascón directed prosecutors in San Francisco to stop prosecuting homeless defendants and those with substance abuse problems for low-level and nonviolent offenses. He has also pushed for the expansion of a pre-booking diversion program, launched in San Francisco, for low-level drug offenders as an alternative to jail.
Rossi has said crimes such as public urination and sleeping outside should never be prosecuted. If elected, she would urge deputy district attorneys to consider not filing charges if a homeless defendant committed only a crime out of need. She has also vowed to prosecute landlords who unfairly raise rents and work to stop other practices that contribute to homelessness.
Death penalty
Lacey continues to support capital punishment, and her line prosecutors has sent 22 people to California’s death row since 2012. Lacey has said her office uses the threat of execution sparingly, seeking the death penalty in only 3% of all eligible cases in 2018.
Rossi and Gascón have both said they will not seek the death penalty in any cases if elected. Gascón this week announced a plan to seek to resentence defendants sentenced to death by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, if elected.
Endorsements
Lacey is supported by the unions representing LAPD officers, county sheriff’s deputies and deputy district attorneys. She also has the backing of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-San Francisco) and U.S. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank).
Gascón won the endorsement of the L.A. County Democratic Party, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-San Francisco) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles). Despite the opposition from rank-and-file officers, Gascón also has the support of former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who is the interim head of the Chicago Police Department.
Rossi shared the endorsement with Gascón of the Real Justice political action committee, which has backed a number of progressive candidates in district attorney’s races across the nation. She also picked up endorsements from a number of political organizations in Los Angeles including the Black L.A. Young Democrats and the Los Angeles African American Women’s political action committee.
Police accountability
Lacey has prosecuted one law enforcement officer among a number of controversial shootings in L.A. County since 2012. She ignored Beck’s recommendation to charge an officer in the shooting of an unarmed homeless man in Venice in 2018 and also declined to charge a Long Beach police officer who shot an unarmed teen.
Lacey has noted the difficulty of successfully prosecuting law enforcement in such cases, and said critics rarely look at all the evidence in a case before passing judgment on a shooting. Records show her office has charged more than 90 police officers in misconduct cases since 2013.
Gascón has supported legislation that tightened rules on when officers can use deadly force in California. He did not file charges in any officer-involved shootings in San Francisco during his tenure, including the killing of Mario Woods . Records show 32 law enforcement officers faced charges during his tenure, including several sheriff’s deputies accused of organizing a jailhouse fight ring.
Rossi has said that, if elected, she would call on the state attorney general’s office to grant her power to have special prosecutors investigate officer use-of-force cases. The move, she said, would help avoid the inherent bias of a district attorney’s office making filing decisions involving police agencies with which they normally work alongside.


latimes--2020-02-29--Column: Sanders makes big promises with few details. But his California support is unshakable

I am in the Bernie Bubble , a happy and spirited domain , a place where all things are possible and victory is near .
At the Bernie Sanders field office on Atlantic Boulevard in East Los Angeles , I ’ m talking to a 25-year-old volunteer one minute and a 77-year-old true believer the next , and they take turns sharing the love .
Bells are ringing in the Bernie Bubble .
Every time a phone bank operator lines up another volunteer to knock on doors , it ’ s jingle bell time .
Volunteer canvassers , about to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door , get a quick pep talk and then gather around a cardboard cutout of Sanders , the next best thing to Bernie in the flesh .
And the bells keep ringing .
In the midst of all this harmony , many skeptics across the country wonder if this is the best way forward for the Democratic Party , or if the continued rise of a democratic socialist is sure to turn Donald J. Trump into a two-term president .
Trump himself is rooting Sanders on , and according to published reports , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the Russians .
I ’ ll get to the electability question , as well as the small matter of some missing details in the Sanders plan , in which the wealthy will be rounded up and hog-tied and have their pockets picked , making everything free for everyone else .
But first , some numbers that tell a story with the following headline : Sanders is running away with California .
In the crowded field of candidates for the Democratic nomination , the U.S. senator from Vermont had a 2-to-1 lead over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Elizabeth Warren , at 34 % to 17 % .
Trailing well behind , in order , were Michael R. Bloomberg ( 12 % ) , Pete Buttigieg ( 11 % ) , Joe Biden ( 8 % ) and Amy Klobuchar ( 6 % ) .
The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll had the 78-year-old Sanders taking 61 % of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 , 51 % of the Latino vote and 50 % of the “ very liberal ” vote .
If his numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust as the poll suggests they ’ ll be , Sanders will capture a strong majority of California ’ s 415 delegates .
And it will be because of loyal supporters like those who are putting their jobs and other commitments on hold to join the Bernie Brigade .
That ’ s why I wanted to see who they are and what they see in their candidate .
Connie Arteaga , 26 , a college graduate who plans to study for a teaching credential , said she was with Sanders four years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody else in the race .
“ I ’ m from a working-class family that has always struggled , my parents are immigrants , and he has consistently fought for the working class , ” said Arteaga .
Sanders , Arteaga told me , is the first politician who has made her and many in her generation believe they have the power to influence the kind of changes they want to see .
At the field office , she and others told me they like Sanders on climate change , immigration reform , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tax reform to address income inequality .
In short , Sanders offers a vision of a country they want to live in .
Chad Kotz , 29 , challenged my point about the possibility of Sanders alienating Democrats who stand closer to the middle .
“ When you state things in terms of center , left and right , I think what that leaves out is a working class , which is not a left or right or center issue .
It ’ s a common-problem issue , ” said Kotz .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who liked Trump four years ago might be inclined to see if Sanders can deliver what Trump has not .
“ Bernie Sanders is in many ways , to me , the last honest politician , ” said Kotz .
But how much honesty is there in Sanders ’ promises that would cost tens of trillions of dollars to deliver , roughly doubling the size of the federal government over the next 10 years by some estimates ?
And how would a President Sanders get any of that done , given GOP control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that even many Democrats would try to rein Sanders in ?
For some Californians , questions like those have translated into support for Warren , the only other candidate within spitting distance of Sanders .
“ I ’ m a big believer in all that he wants to accomplish , ” said Kirstie Jeffries , 30 , who has been making calls and canvassing for Warren .
“ Their policies are very similar , but what I like about Warren is that she really has taken the time to build out a concrete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She really does have a plan , and if you go to her website you ’ ll see pages and pages explaining what she wants to do.
” When it comes to loyalty , though , Sanders has few rivals , with Trump being the possible exception .
The support is so rabid , in fact , it might be a mistake to underestimate the power of the movement .
Trump didn ’ t seem to have a chance , in 2016 , until he won .
“ I know the political narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to get things done , ” said Adriel Fernandez , 28 , who was canvassing for Sanders along with his sister , a nephew and a friend .
“ But I ’ m not that jaded yet , and I think there ’ s power in voting.
” He and others acknowledged that campaign promises and legislative success are two different things , but they argued that Sanders is not the end of the revolution — he ’ s the start of it .
In their minds , if Sanders is elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands of younger and more diverse voters , the political landscape of the future could be vastly different .
That ’ s the hope of Sanders volunteer Ricardo Alonso , 35 , who got his canvassing assignment at the field office on Thursday and drove to the 900 block of South Alma Avenue to knock on doors .
Alonso , a hardware and software engineer who lives in Montebello , took notice of Sanders four years ago .
“ He seemed genuine and believable , ” said Alonso , who is particularly worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed as phony .
He wants to see immigration reform , too , and he ’ s all in on the Sanders themes about wealth and opportunity being in the hands of too few people .
On Alma Avenue , where summer seemed to have arrived early , Alonso knocked on doors and rang bells and looked out for dogs .
Most people weren ’ t home ; a couple of others didn ’ t care to talk but accepted Bernie literature .
One house had Pete Buttigieg posters out front .
Kendra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board with Buttigieg , and Nebo agreed that Buttigieg is well spoken and “ a fresh face.
” But Nebo said she likes Sanders , too .
“ I ’ m still kind of between both of them , ” Nebo said , and Alonso handed her some literature .
Sometimes , Alonso said as he worked the street , just showing up and introducing yourself could be enough to win a vote among those who are undecided .
But no persuasion was necessary when he knocked on the door of Rudolfo Anguiano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said the retired truck driver , who believes Sanders cares about working class people and Trump has to go because , among other things , “ he ’ s prejudiced.
” The rest of his family is also voting for Sanders , Anguiano said .
One house , four votes for Sanders .
In California , there is no bursting of the Bernie Bubble .

Ricardo Alonso, a volunteer with the Bernie Sanders campaign, leaves a flier at a home while canvassing an East Los Angeles neighborhood. He says he does not try to convert voters but to provide information about his candidate.
I am in the Bernie Bubble, a happy and spirited domain, a place where all things are possible and victory is near.
At the Bernie Sanders field office on Atlantic Boulevard in East Los Angeles, I’m talking to a 25-year-old volunteer one minute and a 77-year-old true believer the next, and they take turns sharing the love.
For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Ricardo Alonzo, a Bernie Sanders supporter, as Ricardo Alonso.
Bells are ringing in the Bernie Bubble. Every time a phone bank operator lines up another volunteer to knock on doors, it’s jingle bell time. Volunteer canvassers, about to go out and sell Bernie door to door, get a quick pep talk and then gather around a cardboard cutout of Sanders, the next best thing to Bernie in the flesh.
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And the bells keep ringing.
In the midst of all this harmony, many skeptics across the country wonder if this is the best way forward for the Democratic Party, or if the continued rise of a democratic socialist is sure to turn Donald J. Trump into a two-term president. Trump himself is rooting Sanders on, and according to published reports, so are Trump’s best friends — the Russians.
Volunteers gather for a brief meeting at the Bernie Sanders campaign headquarters in East Los Angeles before heading out to canvass for the candidate. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
I’ll get to the electability question, as well as the small matter of some missing details in the Sanders plan, in which the wealthy will be rounded up and hog-tied and have their pockets picked, making everything free for everyone else. But first, some numbers that tell a story with the following headline:
Sanders is running away with California.
In the crowded field of candidates for the Democratic nomination, the U.S. senator from Vermont had a 2-to-1 lead over his nearest rival in California, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, at 34% to 17%. Trailing well behind, in order, were Michael R. Bloomberg (12%), Pete Buttigieg (11%), Joe Biden (8%) and Amy Klobuchar (6%).
The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll had the 78-year-old Sanders taking 61% of voters between the ages of 18 and 29, 51% of the Latino vote and 50% of the “very liberal” vote. If his numbers in the March 3 primary are as robust as the poll suggests they’ll be, Sanders will capture a strong majority of California’s 415 delegates.
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And it will be because of loyal supporters like those who are putting their jobs and other commitments on hold to join the Bernie Brigade. That’s why I wanted to see who they are and what they see in their candidate.
Connie Arteaga, 26, a college graduate who plans to study for a teaching credential, said she was with Sanders four years ago, and for her there’s nobody else in the race.
“I’m from a working-class family that has always struggled, my parents are immigrants, and he has consistently fought for the working class,” said Arteaga.
Sanders, Arteaga told me, is the first politician who has made her and many in her generation believe they have the power to influence the kind of changes they want to see. At the field office, she and others told me they like Sanders on climate change, immigration reform, Medicare for all, free college, and tax reform to address income inequality.
In short, Sanders offers a vision of a country they want to live in.
Chad Kotz, 29, challenged my point about the possibility of Sanders alienating Democrats who stand closer to the middle.
“When you state things in terms of center, left and right, I think what that leaves out is a working class, which is not a left or right or center issue. It’s a common-problem issue,” said Kotz. He told me he suspects that voters who liked Trump four years ago might be inclined to see if Sanders can deliver what Trump has not.
“Bernie Sanders is in many ways, to me, the last honest politician,” said Kotz.
But how much honesty is there in Sanders’ promises that would cost tens of trillions of dollars to deliver, roughly doubling the size of the federal government over the next 10 years by some estimates?
And how would a President Sanders get any of that done, given GOP control of the U.S. Senate and the likelihood that even many Democrats would try to rein Sanders in?
For some Californians, questions like those have translated into support for Warren, the only other candidate within spitting distance of Sanders.
“I’m a big believer in all that he wants to accomplish,” said Kirstie Jeffries, 30, who has been making calls and canvassing for Warren. “Their policies are very similar, but what I like about Warren is that she really has taken the time to build out a concrete plan, she has done the math… She really does have a plan, and if you go to her website you’ll see pages and pages explaining what she wants to do.”
When it comes to loyalty, though, Sanders has few rivals, with Trump being the possible exception. The support is so rabid, in fact, it might be a mistake to underestimate the power of the movement. Trump didn’t seem to have a chance, in 2016, until he won.
“I know the political narrative is that he won’t be able to get things done,” said Adriel Fernandez, 28, who was canvassing for Sanders along with his sister, a nephew and a friend. “But I’m not that jaded yet, and I think there’s power in voting.”
He and others acknowledged that campaign promises and legislative success are two different things, but they argued that Sanders is not the end of the revolution — he’s the start of it. In their minds, if Sanders is elected, and the future is in the hands of younger and more diverse voters, the political landscape of the future could be vastly different.
Ricardo Alonso, right, a volunteer with the Bernie Sanders campaign, speaks with Kendra Nebo, whose mom supports Pete Buttigieg, while canvassing homes in an East Los Angeles neighborhood. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
That’s the hope of Sanders volunteer Ricardo Alonzo, 35, who got his canvassing assignment at the field office on Thursday and drove to the 900 block of South Alma Avenue to knock on doors.
Alonzo, a hardware and software engineer who lives in Montebello, took notice of Sanders four years ago.
“He seemed genuine and believable,” said Alonzo, who is particularly worried about climate change, which Trump has dismissed as phony. He wants to see immigration reform, too, and he’s all in on the Sanders themes about wealth and opportunity being in the hands of too few people.
On Alma Avenue, where summer seemed to have arrived early, Alonzo knocked on doors and rang bells and looked out for dogs. Most people weren’t home; a couple of others didn’t care to talk but accepted Bernie literature.
One house had Pete Buttigieg posters out front. Kendra Nebo explained that her mother was on board with Buttigieg, and Nebo agreed that Buttigieg is well spoken and “a fresh face.” But Nebo said she likes Sanders, too.
“I’m still kind of between both of them,” Nebo said, and Alonzo handed her some literature.
Sometimes, Alonzo said as he worked the street, just showing up and introducing yourself could be enough to win a vote among those who are undecided. But no persuasion was necessary when he knocked on the door of Rudolfo Anguiano.
Ricardo Alonso, a volunteer with the Bernie Sanders campaign, canvasses an East Los Angeles neighborhood. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
“I’m for Bernie,” said the retired truck driver, who believes Sanders cares about working class people and Trump has to go because, among other things, “he’s prejudiced.”
The rest of his family is also voting for Sanders, Anguiano said.
One house, four votes for Sanders.
In California, there is no bursting of the Bernie Bubble.
steve.lopez@latimes.com


latimes--2020-02-29--Column: When homeless people lose their possessions, they end up further from leaving the streets

When you live on the streets , things show up and then leave .
Things get stolen .
Things get lost .
Things get swept up by city cleaning crews .
One day you might have a soft blanket .
The next day it ’ s nowhere to be found .
Things come in and go out like the tides .
Sometimes what disappears — IDs , medicine — is essential .
But for people regularly treated as if they don ’ t belong , even the loss of nonessential belongings — a stuffed animal , a shiny ring — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope .
The other day , I met Jason Antoine Logan in the West Valley , in an alley between office buildings off a little street wedged between the 101 Freeway and Ventura Boulevard .
He was inching along three shopping carts — he could push only two at once — mostly full of things he ’ d scavenged from dumpsters .
Old clothes .
Some DVDs ( “ American Psycho , ” one of the “ Twilight ” movies ) .
Stuff people with excess stuff didn ’ t even bother to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This L.A. native who has had a lot of hard knocks ( including being shot twice , in the face and the hip , when he was young ) said he redistributes what he finds among others who are homeless in a sort of grass-roots recycling program .
He also sometimes earns a little money from watching other people ’ s stuff — because on the street , every time you walk away from things you own but can ’ t carry with you , you know you may come back and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Without a place to lock up your possessions , you run the risk of losing them just by going to a public bathroom to try to wash off the grime or lining up to get free lunch at a nearby church or seeking out medical care when you ’ re sick .
The city now has two storage centers on skid row that provide 2,550 bins in which homeless people can store things .
But they ’ re a world away from the land of low-slung office buildings , mini malls and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Woodland Hills where I met Logan .
And like a lot of homeless people I talk to , he put storage facilities high up on a list ( along with toilets and showers and adequate trash cans with regular trash pickups ) of what could help people take control of their lives while they ’ re on the streets while also helping the rest of the city better tolerate their presence .
What doesn ’ t help , he and others have told me again and again , are cleanups that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hard to make sure that in practice they ’ re not , no matter how carefully policies are shaped to do so .
It ’ s a balancing act , where we are in the city right now — one that frequently devolves into an “ us ” and a “ them.
” But I think we have to find a way to balance public health concerns and neighborhood demands with the vulnerability of homeless people who argue that when they lose the things they need and love , they end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than ever .
So I think more toilets and trash cans and trash pickups make sense .
I think it makes sense to experiment with paying some people at encampments — the way we pay people to turn in guns — to take the lead in making sure trash is bagged up and ready for those pickups when they come .
I think we need to push harder for more city space that isn ’ t sidewalk to be set aside for camping .
Logan , 38 , told me that when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay six years ago , he cared about stuff enough to try to carry his whole wardrobe with him .
He liked to look good .
He had pride .
He ’ s tried to hold on to it .
But right away he had to start shedding more than just his belongings .
On the streets , pride also is a luxury .
Case in point , he said , starting to cry , he sometimes is desperate enough to dig for food in trash bins or steal it .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself .
So when I suggested it , he gladly showed me all his most important possessions , which he carries in a backpack that he is never without .
There wasn ’ t room for much .
A cellphone , to communicate with his street family and his family by blood — which is local but , he says , does not want to help him .
( On his phone , he has photos of the two children he rarely sees , now teenagers , who live with their mom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he created by twisting and bending a metal clothes hanger .
A flashlight , which he called “ the homeless person ’ s key to the city.
” A butane torch for heating and cooking food and for lighting cigarettes even in the wind .
Basic toiletries .
A little saw ( whose blade he had covered in duct tape for safety ) to dig with or cut things like branches .
A solar charger , “ the latest homeless attraction.
” A small mirror to make sure he looks vaguely presentable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he first pointed to a couple of simple bracelets around his wrist .
On one he ’ d attached two keys he happened to find .
He said he didn ’ t know what they opened but they opened something , which made him feel “ classy , like I ’ m getting something accomplished.
” Then he dug back into the backpack to show me a few items he ’ d recently scavenged from another homeless person ’ s encampment , after she ’ d been ordered to vacate her spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jumble of cuff links in a small cardboard jewelry box , a glittering costume tiara .
“ It ’ s like a metaphor for me , ” he said of the tiara , which took up a lot of space in the backpack .
“ Like I could be moving on one day to another phase .
Like it ’ s all going to be all right , we ’ re going to be all right.
” When the apocalypse arrives , by the way , Logan informed me , he and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves out as consultants to teach the rest of us a thing or two about survival skills .
I could see it , especially after I met Paul Dempsey , 51 , stretched out next to his bike on the grass at Warner Center Park less than a mile away .
Dempsey told me he lives on a hillside in another park , where he used branches to create a camouflaged shelter , “ like a bird makes a nest.
” He has spent hours cleaning up trash there , trying to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hopes of not being ordered to leave .
A gentle , very soft-spoken person , he was honest about his issues .
Logan told me that he started using crystal meth once he landed on the street , as a way to cope .
Dempsey said he ’ s been an addict for many years , even for a good deal of the two decades when he was housed and employed in sales , for the mortgage industry and a home-improvement company .
His mother lives nearby , he said , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes him in for more than a couple of nights .
So in a certain way he ’ s homeless by choice , because he hasn ’ t yet found a way to choose to be drug-free for more than a few days .
He was physically and emotionally abused as a child , he told me .
Years ago , he did some time for petty theft .
“ I think maybe I often lose hope , ” he said .
He told me he doubts his own self-worth .
When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , he said he ’ d bartered for his bike — trading a leather jacket that he ’ d found .
He told me he ’ s found happiness with colored pencils and pens , drawing animals and dragons and flowers .
He took an art class years ago , he said , during his stint at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco .
But he ’ s left his art supplies at his mom ’ s house now in order to travel light .
He showed me his all-in-one bike tool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his younger brother , whom he ’ s proud of for not being like him .
In his backpack , he had a couple of tablets , which he uses mostly to watch funny videos and videos about amazing animals on YouTube .
He had the cheapest cigarettes you could buy , he told me — a brand named “ THIS , ” which I ’ d never seen before .
Spare tire tubes .
Bicycle tubes .
Alligator clips to transform some tarps into a tent .
Brightly colored bag clips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his mom at the local 99 Cents Only Store .
Hooked to his handlebars was a bag of groceries given to him by a local church that is one of his lifelines , including Cocoa Puffs and a leftover See ’ s Candies heart-shaped box of chocolates .
“ To us , little things mean a lot , ” he said as he carefully fit things back into his bags .
When you hardly have anything , what you do have can feel like everything to you .

Jason Antoine Logan, 38, who is living on the streets of Woodland Hills, shows a studded tiara he found recently. He said it makes him feel hope for the future.
When you live on the streets, things show up and then leave. Things get stolen. Things get lost. Things get swept up by city cleaning crews.
One day you might have a soft blanket. The next day it’s nowhere to be found. Things come in and go out like the tides.
Sometimes what disappears — IDs, medicine — is essential. But for people regularly treated as if they don’t belong, even the loss of nonessential belongings — a stuffed animal, a shiny ring — can wipe out desperately needed solace and hope.
The other day, I met Jason Antoine Logan in the West Valley, in an alley between office buildings off a little street wedged between the 101 Freeway and Ventura Boulevard. He was inching along three shopping carts — he could push only two at once — mostly full of things he’d scavenged from dumpsters. Old clothes. Some DVDs (“American Psycho,” one of the “Twilight” movies). Stuff people with excess stuff didn’t even bother to donate but dumped straight in the trash.
This L.A. native who has had a lot of hard knocks (including being shot twice, in the face and the hip, when he was young) said he redistributes what he finds among others who are homeless in a sort of grass-roots recycling program. He also sometimes earns a little money from watching other people’s stuff — because on the street, every time you walk away from things you own but can’t carry with you, you know you may come back and find them gone.
Jason Antoine Logan juggles 3 shopping carts filled with items but the things most important to him are carried in his backpack. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
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Think about that. Without a place to lock up your possessions, you run the risk of losing them just by going to a public bathroom to try to wash off the grime or lining up to get free lunch at a nearby church or seeking out medical care when you’re sick.
The city now has two storage centers on skid row that provide 2,550 bins in which homeless people can store things. But they’re a world away from the land of low-slung office buildings, mini malls and newly sprouted apartment complexes in the part of Woodland Hills where I met Logan. And like a lot of homeless people I talk to, he put storage facilities high up on a list (along with toilets and showers and adequate trash cans with regular trash pickups) of what could help people take control of their lives while they’re on the streets while also helping the rest of the city better tolerate their presence.
What doesn’t help, he and others have told me again and again, are cleanups that are overly aggressive. And I think it’s hard to make sure that in practice they’re not, no matter how carefully policies are shaped to do so.
It’s a balancing act, where we are in the city right now — one that frequently devolves into an “us” and a “them.” But I think we have to find a way to balance public health concerns and neighborhood demands with the vulnerability of homeless people who argue that when they lose the things they need and love, they end up further behind the rest of us than ever.
So I think more toilets and trash cans and trash pickups make sense. I think it makes sense to experiment with paying some people at encampments — the way we pay people to turn in guns — to take the lead in making sure trash is bagged up and ready for those pickups when they come. I think we need to push harder for more city space that isn’t sidewalk to be set aside for camping.
Logan, 38, told me that when he first found himself without a place to stay six years ago, he cared about stuff enough to try to carry his whole wardrobe with him. He liked to look good. He had pride. He’s tried to hold on to it. But right away he had to start shedding more than just his belongings. On the streets, pride also is a luxury.
Case in point, he said, starting to cry, he sometimes is desperate enough to dig for food in trash bins or steal it.
Jason Antoine Logan shows his flashlight used to see at night. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
He said it felt good to be asked about himself. So when I suggested it, he gladly showed me all his most important possessions, which he carries in a backpack that he is never without. There wasn’t room for much.
A cellphone, to communicate with his street family and his family by blood — which is local but, he says, does not want to help him. (On his phone, he has photos of the two children he rarely sees, now teenagers, who live with their mom, his ex-wife.) A cellphone stand he created by twisting and bending a metal clothes hanger. A flashlight, which he called “the homeless person’s key to the city.” A butane torch for heating and cooking food and for lighting cigarettes even in the wind. Basic toiletries. A little saw (whose blade he had covered in duct tape for safety) to dig with or cut things like branches. A solar charger, “the latest homeless attraction.” A small mirror to make sure he looks vaguely presentable.
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When I asked him his favorite possession, he first pointed to a couple of simple bracelets around his wrist. On one he’d attached two keys he happened to find. He said he didn’t know what they opened but they opened something, which made him feel “classy, like I’m getting something accomplished.”
Jason Antoine Logan shows cuff links and simple jewelry he has found. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Then he dug back into the backpack to show me a few items he’d recently scavenged from another homeless person’s encampment, after she’d been ordered to vacate her spot in front of a bank. A jumble of cuff links in a small cardboard jewelry box, a glittering costume tiara.
“It’s like a metaphor for me,” he said of the tiara, which took up a lot of space in the backpack. “Like I could be moving on one day to another phase. Like it’s all going to be all right, we’re going to be all right.”
When the apocalypse arrives, by the way, Logan informed me, he and other people who are homeless will be hiring themselves out as consultants to teach the rest of us a thing or two about survival skills.
Paul Dempsey, 51, homeless and living on the streets of Woodland Hills rides his bicycle that he was able to barter for. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
I could see it, especially after I met Paul Dempsey, 51, stretched out next to his bike on the grass at Warner Center Park less than a mile away.
Dempsey told me he lives on a hillside in another park, where he used branches to create a camouflaged shelter, “like a bird makes a nest.” He has spent hours cleaning up trash there, trying to leave the area nicer than he found it in hopes of not being ordered to leave.
A gentle, very soft-spoken person, he was honest about his issues.
Logan told me that he started using crystal meth once he landed on the street, as a way to cope. Dempsey said he’s been an addict for many years, even for a good deal of the two decades when he was housed and employed in sales, for the mortgage industry and a home-improvement company.
His mother lives nearby, he said, but insists that he get clean before she takes him in for more than a couple of nights. So in a certain way he’s homeless by choice, because he hasn’t yet found a way to choose to be drug-free for more than a few days.
He was physically and emotionally abused as a child, he told me. Years ago, he did some time for petty theft. “I think maybe I often lose hope,” he said. He told me he doubts his own self-worth.
When I asked him about what he carried with him, he said he’d bartered for his bike — trading a leather jacket that he’d found.
Dempsey says plastic clips and scissors purchased at a Dollar Store are some of the things most important to him. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
He told me he’s found happiness with colored pencils and pens, drawing animals and dragons and flowers. He took an art class years ago, he said, during his stint at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco. But he’s left his art supplies at his mom’s house now in order to travel light.
He showed me his all-in-one bike tool, treasured particularly because it’s from his younger brother, whom he’s proud of for not being like him. In his backpack, he had a couple of tablets, which he uses mostly to watch funny videos and videos about amazing animals on YouTube. He had the cheapest cigarettes you could buy, he told me — a brand named “THIS,” which I’d never seen before. Spare tire tubes. Bicycle tubes. Alligator clips to transform some tarps into a tent. Brightly colored bag clips he’d gotten as a gift for his mom at the local 99 Cents Only Store.
Hooked to his handlebars was a bag of groceries given to him by a local church that is one of his lifelines, including Cocoa Puffs and a leftover See’s Candies heart-shaped box of chocolates.
“To us, little things mean a lot,” he said as he carefully fit things back into his bags.
When you hardly have anything, what you do have can feel like everything to you.


latimes--2020-02-29--Coronavirus spreading in California amid intense fight to slow outbreak

Northern California has become a focus of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. as officials urgently tried to locate people who came in contact with patients in two communities .
Dozens of public health officials have been working in Solano County and nearby Davis , in Yolo County , to find people who crossed paths with a woman believed to be the country ’ s first novel coronavirus patient who did not recently travel outside the U.S. or come in contact with someone who did .
Then on Friday afternoon , Santa Clara County authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county ’ s third , also believed to have been spread through community contact .
The woman in that case also had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected person .
“ This new case indicates that there is evidence of community transmission but the extent is still not clear , ” said Dr. Sara Cody , health officer for Santa Clara County and director of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department .
“ Now we need to start taking additional actions to slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later Friday , the states of Oregon and Washington also announced new coronavirus cases in people who hadn ’ t recently traveled overseas or been exposed to other confirmed cases .
In Oregon , an employee of a Washington County elementary school was diagnosed after first experiencing symptoms Feb. 19 and may have exposed others at the school to the virus , officials said .
In Washington , a Snohomish County high school student tested positive after seeking care at Seattle Children ’ s North Clinic on Feb. 24 , officials said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman in her 50s who had traveled to South Korea had contracted coronavirus .
Both those patients and the woman in Santa Clara County tested positive for the virus in laboratories in their respective states .
They are considered presumptive positive cases until the results are confirmed by CDC testing .
The ongoing efforts in the Davis area had already led to the voluntary quarantining of dozens of people , including workers at the two hospitals where the first woman was treated as well as UC Davis and other college campuses .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , health officials said the spread was inevitable .
“ Definitely we will have more cases here , ” Peter Beilenson , Sacramento County ’ s director of health services , said .
“ You shed virus before you are symptomatic so it ’ s already out of the bag in a lot of ways .
It ’ s going to spread , it ’ s just going to spread.
” Beilenson said most people who contract the virus — more than 80 % — will have mild or no symptoms , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent 10 staffers to work with local and state experts to help trace her contacts , officials said .
“ Contact tracing is super important because it can help reduce transmission , ” said Dr. Brandon Brown , an associate professor at the UC Riverside School of Medicine ’ s Center for Healthy Communities .
“ The worst-case scenario is that outside of close contacts — family , friends and co-workers — there were other people exposed to the virus in places where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably start with the infected patient ’ s family and co-workers , who would be isolated and tested , and then expand to those who might have come in casual contact with the patient in places the woman visited within the prior two weeks , the timespan believed to be the incubation period of the virus .
Those more casual contacts would likely be watched for signs of illness , then isolated and tested if they develop symptoms .
“ It ’ s a means of surveillance , which is the foundation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contact tracing .
Because public health officials don ’ t know how the woman contracted the virus , it ’ s also likely they ’ ll perform contact tracing in an attempt to figure out where she got it from , he said .
The woman was hospitalized for three days at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville before being moved to UC Davis Medical Center .
She was not immediately tested for several days because she did not fit screening criteria set by the CDC at the time , which include both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent history of travel to China or close contact with another coronavirus patient .
This gap concerns officials because it could have allowed her to infect others who came in contact with her .
To identify individuals who came into contact with the woman at the hospital , NorthBay officials sifted through medical records to see which clinicians entered her room .
Additionally , three days worth of security footage from 8 p.m. Feb. 15 to mid-morning Feb. 19 were scoured to ensure that all visitors and non-clinicians — such as workers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies — were tallied .
Sacramento County health officials said dozens of people might be quarantined at home based on having contact with the woman .
UC Davis spokesman Steve Telliano disputed information that the number could be higher than 70 but refused to say if more or fewer people were quarantined .
Steve Huddleston , vice president of public affairs of NorthBay Healthcare , said the hospital has a staff of about a couple of hundred and that the quarantine affected dozens connected to the hospital .
Those employees who have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters , have been backfilled .
are under 14-day isolation as one awaits test results after showing mild coronavirus symptoms , officials said Thursday .
The students are roommates at Kearney Hall , UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May said .
One student has been off campus since Tuesday and has been tested for COVID-19 .
The student is in isolation at home , UC Davis spokeswoman Melissa Lutz Blouin said Friday .
Just outside the Kearney Hall dorm at UC Davis on Friday , freshman Dominic Alvarez sat on a concrete bench @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports of the students potentially exposed to the coronavirus .
Alvarez said some students on campus are panicking unnecessarily , not realizing that the risk of getting seriously ill from the virus is very low .
“ Me and friends , we ’ re not gullible , ” said Alvarez , a mechanical engineering student from Los Angeles .
“ We ’ re keeping up with the medical news .
For young healthy adults with healthy immune systems , it ’ s just like the flu .
Older people have to worry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student parking his bike outside the dorm was more concerned .
The student , who asked to be identified only by his nickname “ Vac , ” was wearing a protective mask over his mouth and nose and black medical gloves on his hands .
“ I ’ m super worried , ” said Vac , 21 , an environmental engineering student .
“ We ’ re in classes every day with other students who may have been exposed.
” Vac is from northern China and has been in constant contact with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that he , along with many other students from all over Asia , are concerned for their loved ones .
“ They ’ re hearing from families and friends who say it ’ s scary out there , because that ’ s exactly how it ’ s been in China and Japan for the past month , ” he said .
He ’ s seen plenty of vitriolic racism against Asians on the internet since the outbreak of the virus , but Vac said he ’ s not experienced any sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a pretty strong Asian community on campus , ” he said .
On Friday afternoon , Makayla Lara , 20 , sipped iced green ice on the porch of a Starbucks that ’ s a short walk from NorthBay VacaValley Hospital .
“ I don ’ t think people are super freaked out , ” said Lara , a nursing student at Solano Community College .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s anything to be afraid of .
Just take like the necessary precautions that you do with any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t go out .
Wash your hands , you know.
” Willon reported from Davis , Chabria from Sacramento , Shalby and Wigglesworth from Los Angeles .
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II in San Francisco contributed to this report .

Phil Willon, Colleen Shalby, Alex Wigglesworth, Anita Chabria

Northern California has become a focus of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. as officials urgently tried to locate people who came in contact with patients in two communities.
Dozens of public health officials have been working in Solano County and nearby Davis, in Yolo County, to find people who crossed paths with a woman believed to be the country’s first novel coronavirus patient who did not recently travel outside the U.S. or come in contact with someone who did.
For the record: An earlier version of this article mistakenly placed the city of Davis in Sacramento County. It is in Yolo County.
Then on Friday afternoon, Santa Clara County authorities announced a new coronavirus case, that county’s third, also believed to have been spread through community contact. The woman in that case also had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected person.
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“This new case indicates that there is evidence of community transmission but the extent is still not clear,” said Dr. Sara Cody, health officer for Santa Clara County and director of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. “Now we need to start taking additional actions to slow down the spread of the disease.”
Later Friday, the states of Oregon and Washington also announced new coronavirus cases in people who hadn’t recently traveled overseas or been exposed to other confirmed cases.
In Oregon, an employee of a Washington County elementary school was diagnosed after first experiencing symptoms Feb. 19 and may have exposed others at the school to the virus, officials said.
In Washington, a Snohomish County high school student tested positive after seeking care at Seattle Children’s North Clinic on Feb. 24, officials said. Washington also announced that a King County woman in her 50s who had traveled to South Korea had contracted coronavirus.
Both those patients and the woman in Santa Clara County tested positive for the virus in laboratories in their respective states. They are considered presumptive positive cases until the results are confirmed by CDC testing.
The ongoing efforts in the Davis area had already led to the voluntary quarantining of dozens of people, including workers at the two hospitals where the first woman was treated as well as UC Davis and other college campuses. While no new cases were reported there Friday, health officials said the spread was inevitable.
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“Definitely we will have more cases here,” Peter Beilenson, Sacramento County’s director of health services, said. “You shed virus before you are symptomatic so it’s already out of the bag in a lot of ways. It’s going to spread, it’s just going to spread.”
Beilenson said most people who contract the virus — more than 80% — will have mild or no symptoms, but still be able to pass COVID-19 to others.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent 10 staffers to work with local and state experts to help trace her contacts, officials said.
“Contact tracing is super important because it can help reduce transmission,” said Dr. Brandon Brown, an associate professor at the UC Riverside School of Medicine’s Center for Healthy Communities. “The worst-case scenario is that outside of close contacts — family, friends and co-workers — there were other people exposed to the virus in places where this person visited.”
Tracing efforts would probably start with the infected patient’s family and co-workers, who would be isolated and tested, and then expand to those who might have come in casual contact with the patient in places the woman visited within the prior two weeks, the timespan believed to be the incubation period of the virus.
Those more casual contacts would likely be watched for signs of illness, then isolated and tested if they develop symptoms.
“It’s a means of surveillance, which is the foundation of modern public health,” Brown said of contact tracing. Because public health officials don’t know how the woman contracted the virus, it’s also likely they’ll perform contact tracing in an attempt to figure out where she got it from, he said.
The woman was hospitalized for three days at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville before being moved to UC Davis Medical Center. She was not immediately tested for several days because she did not fit screening criteria set by the CDC at the time, which include both symptoms of the virus and either a recent history of travel to China or close contact with another coronavirus patient.
This gap concerns officials because it could have allowed her to infect others who came in contact with her.
To identify individuals who came into contact with the woman at the hospital, NorthBay officials sifted through medical records to see which clinicians entered her room. Additionally, three days worth of security footage from 8 p.m. Feb. 15 to mid-morning Feb. 19 were scoured to ensure that all visitors and non-clinicians — such as workers who brought in food trays or refilled bathroom supplies — were tallied.
Sacramento County health officials said dozens of people might be quarantined at home based on having contact with the woman. UC Davis spokesman Steve Telliano disputed information that the number could be higher than 70 but refused to say if more or fewer people were quarantined.
Steve Huddleston, vice president of public affairs of NorthBay Healthcare, said the hospital has a staff of about a couple of hundred and that the quarantine affected dozens connected to the hospital. Those employees who have been home, due to quarantine or unrelated matters, have been backfilled.
Three UC Davis students are under 14-day isolation as one awaits test results after showing mild coronavirus symptoms, officials said Thursday.
The students are roommates at Kearney Hall, UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May said.
One student has been off campus since Tuesday and has been tested for COVID-19. The student is in isolation at home, UC Davis spokeswoman Melissa Lutz Blouin said Friday.
Just outside the Kearney Hall dorm at UC Davis on Friday, freshman Dominic Alvarez sat on a concrete bench texting friends. He was unfazed about reports of the students potentially exposed to the coronavirus.
Alvarez said some students on campus are panicking unnecessarily, not realizing that the risk of getting seriously ill from the virus is very low.
“Me and friends, we’re not gullible,” said Alvarez, a mechanical engineering student from Los Angeles. “We’re keeping up with the medical news. For young healthy adults with healthy immune systems, it’s just like the flu. Older people have to worry, and younger kids, though.”
Another student parking his bike outside the dorm was more concerned. The student, who asked to be identified only by his nickname “Vac,” was wearing a protective mask over his mouth and nose and black medical gloves on his hands.
“I’m super worried,” said Vac, 21, an environmental engineering student. “We’re in classes every day with other students who may have been exposed.”
Vac is from northern China and has been in constant contact with his family. He says they are fine but that he, along with many other students from all over Asia, are concerned for their loved ones.
“They’re hearing from families and friends who say it’s scary out there, because that’s exactly how it’s been in China and Japan for the past month,” he said.
He’s seen plenty of vitriolic racism against Asians on the internet since the outbreak of the virus, but Vac said he’s not experienced any sort of discrimination at UC Davis.
“We have a pretty strong Asian community on campus,” he said.
On Friday afternoon, Makayla Lara, 20, sipped iced green ice on the porch of a Starbucks that’s a short walk from NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.
“I don’t think people are super freaked out,” said Lara, a nursing student at Solano Community College. “I don’t think it’s anything to be afraid of. Just take like the necessary precautions that you do with any virus. If you are sick, don’t go out. Wash your hands, you know.”
Willon reported from Davis, Chabria from Sacramento, Shalby and Wigglesworth from Los Angeles. Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II in San Francisco contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-29--Deputies were ordered to delete Kobe Bryant crash photos to avoid discipline, sources say

In an attempt to keep the matter under wraps , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department quietly ordered deputies to delete any photos of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash scene after a citizen complained that a deputy was showing the gruesome images at a Norwalk bar , two public safety sources with knowledge of the events said .
Normally , such a complaint would trigger a formal inquiry and possibly an internal affairs investigation , strictly following the chain of command , the sources said .
Instead , in the days after the Jan. 26 crash , deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Lost Hills station and told that if they came clean and deleted the photos , they would not face any discipline , said the sources , who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the events .
The sources said they were concerned the directive to delete the photos could amount to the destruction of evidence .
After The Times reported that deputies shared the photos , the Sheriff ’ s Department launched an investigation .
Brian Williams , executive director of the Civilian Oversight Commission , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a meeting with the Sheriff ’ s Department next week that had already been scheduled .
In an interview Wednesday , Villanueva did not respond directly to queries of whether he ordered the deletion of the photos .
He did say : “ Every police department struggles with the same thing , where people take photos and they ’ re not evidence .
So that ’ s a practice we have to make sure that everyone walks away , and there is no evidence other than the official photos of evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizen ’ s complaint was sent to the sheriff ’ s information bureau .
In an interview Wednesday , Capt .
Jorge Valdez , the head of the bureau , said he was “ unaware of any complaint ” and “ there was no order given to delete any photographs.
” The sources said Friday , however , that Valdez was among those who handled the complaint .
Neither Villanueva nor Valdez responded to follow-up questions on Thursday and Friday .
The department issued a statement Friday saying that Villanueva is “ deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage in such an insensitive act.
” “ A thorough investigation will be conducted by the department , with the No .
1 priority of protecting the dignity and privacy of the victims and their families , ” the department said .
Joseph Giacalone , who teaches police procedures at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York , said the L.A. County Office of the Inspector General should launch an inquiry into how the Sheriff ’ s Department handled the complaint .
“ Now the whole investigation is tainted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Department ’ s new inquiry .
“ No matter what they find , the public is going to have a raised eyebrow.
” The Times first reported on Thursday that deputies had shared photos of the crash , including in an incident separate from what happened at the Norwalk bar .
A third public safety source had told The Times that the sharing of photos of the crash scene and the victims ’ remains was the topic of a discussion among first responders two days after the crash .
The source , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he saw one of the photos on the phone of another official at that discussion , which was not a part of the investigation of the crash .
In a statement Friday , the Assn .
for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs , the union that represents deputies , said : “ As with all investigations , we will aggressively represent our members and preserve their rights .
”

This image taken from video provided by the National Transportation Safety Board shows part of the wreckage of the helicopter that crashed near Calabasas, Calif., killing Kobe Bryant and eight others.
In an attempt to keep the matter under wraps, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department quietly ordered deputies to delete any photos of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash scene after a citizen complained that a deputy was showing the gruesome images at a Norwalk bar, two public safety sources with knowledge of the events said.
Normally, such a complaint would trigger a formal inquiry and possibly an internal affairs investigation, strictly following the chain of command, the sources said.
California The last flight of Kobe Bryant Tracing Kobe Bryant’s fateful last flight Sunday morning that ended with a horrific crash.
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Instead, in the days after the Jan. 26 crash, deputies were ordered to report to the sheriff’s Lost Hills station and told that if they came clean and deleted the photos, they would not face any discipline, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the events.
The sources said they were concerned the directive to delete the photos could amount to the destruction of evidence.
After The Times reported that deputies shared the photos, the Sheriff’s Department launched an investigation.
Brian Williams, executive director of the Civilian Oversight Commission, said his office planned to question officials during a meeting with the Sheriff’s Department next week that had already been scheduled.
In an interview Wednesday, Villanueva did not respond directly to queries of whether he ordered the deletion of the photos.
1 / 3 The crash site of the helicopter Kobe Bryant was in on Sunday in Calabasas. (Christina House/ Los Angeles Times ) 2 / 3 Firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash where former NBA star Kobe Bryant died Sunday in Calabasas. (Mark J. Terrill/AP) 3 / 3 Firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash where former NBA star Kobe Bryant died Sunday in Calabasas. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
He did say: “Every police department struggles with the same thing, where people take photos and they’re not evidence. So that’s a practice we have to make sure that everyone walks away, and there is no evidence other than the official photos of evidence that are taken for criminal purposes.”
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The citizen’s complaint was sent to the sheriff’s information bureau. In an interview Wednesday, Capt. Jorge Valdez, the head of the bureau, said he was “unaware of any complaint” and “there was no order given to delete any photographs.”
The sources said Friday, however, that Valdez was among those who handled the complaint.
Neither Villanueva nor Valdez responded to follow-up questions on Thursday and Friday.
The department issued a statement Friday saying that Villanueva is “deeply disturbed at the thought deputies could allegedly engage in such an insensitive act.”
“A thorough investigation will be conducted by the department, with the No. 1 priority of protecting the dignity and privacy of the victims and their families,” the department said.
Joseph Giacalone, who teaches police procedures at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said the L.A. County Office of the Inspector General should launch an inquiry into how the Sheriff’s Department handled the complaint.
“Now the whole investigation is tainted,” he said of the Sheriff’s Department’s new inquiry. “No matter what they find, the public is going to have a raised eyebrow.”
The Times first reported on Thursday that deputies had shared photos of the crash, including in an incident separate from what happened at the Norwalk bar.
A third public safety source had told The Times that the sharing of photos of the crash scene and the victims’ remains was the topic of a discussion among first responders two days after the crash.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he saw one of the photos on the phone of another official at that discussion, which was not a part of the investigation of the crash.
In a statement Friday, the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, the union that represents deputies, said: “As with all investigations, we will aggressively represent our members and preserve their rights.”