latimes--2020-09-17--Orange County mayors call on governor to let Disneyland and Knott's reopen

Six months after theme parks closed across California because of the pandemic , Orange County politicians , trade-worker union leaders and tourism promoters expressed frustration that the state has yet to give Disneyland and Knott ’ s Berry Farm a path to reopen .
“ It ’ s a disaster right here , ” Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu said at a Wednesday news conference , joining the mayors of Buena Park and Garden Grove on a hotel rooftop overlooking Disneyland .
“ How long are you going to keep us closed ?
” Their ire was directed at Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state officials were working on health protocols for reopening theme parks and that there would be “ announcements soon ” but did not specify when .
The demand for protocols came the day after a coalition of California theme parks , including Disneyland and Knott ’ s , also urged the state to release guidelines under which they could join parks in Florida and elsewhere in reopening .
The cities around Disneyland have lost $ 1.3 billion in taxes and other revenues since the pandemic closures began , said Todd Ament , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The time is now to reopen our theme parks and restore the economic vitality we have lost , ” he said .
It was the meeting of unusual circumstances that pushed local elected officials to demand change to a state health mandate and aligned union leaders with their members ’ bosses .
The Disneyland Resort is Orange County ’ s largest employer , with about 31,000 workers before the pandemic .
It draws tourists who book hotel rooms , eat at restaurants and buy souvenirs , supporting jobs throughout the region .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of all jobs in the county , according to a recent Cal State Fullerton study .
With unemployment high , prospects for a new federal relief package uncertain and the state ’ s unemployment relief measures not bridging the gap , cities , residents and businesses are feeling the pinch .
Walt Disney Co. has a history of political heft , especially in Disneyland ’ s hometown of Anaheim .
In many ways , the resort ’ s financial interests and the city ’ s are intertwined ; Disney is far and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For years , Anaheim gave subsidies , incentives and rebates to the company for investing in its theme parks and adjacent Downtown Disney shopping district — a practice that halted in 2018 .
Disney has also backed candidates in local elections , including Sidhu .
Meanwhile , Orange County has been a stronghold for critics of COVID-19 safety measures .
The county ’ s then-health chief , Dr. Nichole Quick , resigned in June amid death threats and harsh public criticism for issuing an order requiring people to wear face coverings while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visiting businesses .
Quick ’ s replacement , Dr. Clayton Chau , swiftly revised her mandate , strongly recommending that people wear masks but not requiring it .
Newsom intervened a week later , making face coverings mandatory statewide .
Over the summer , Orange County education leaders approved school-reopening guidelines that don ’ t require masks for students or increased distancing between people in classrooms .
Their recommendation stands , but school districts are free to enforce stricter measures .
Orange County lawmakers , tourism officials and union leaders who called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Berry Farm argued that the number of COVID-19 cases in the county has dropped far enough that the parks can reopen safely .
“ Our work against the coronavirus is not done , but we have another crisis that demands our attention , ” Sidhu said , noting that the unemployment rate in his city is 15 % and that Anaheim faces a $ 100-million deficit partly from the loss of tax revenue generated by Disneyland Resort .
“ This is about preserving and retaining union jobs , ” said Ernesto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council .
“ We don ’ t want any more layoffs .
It ’ s time to go back to work.
” Data from the Orange County Health Care Agency show that coronavirus cases in the county have dropped from highs in late July and early August , when the agency reported about 1,000 new cases and more than 10 deaths a day .
On Wednesday , the county reported 135 new cases and six deaths .
In total , Orange County has reported more than 51,200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Noymer , an associate professor of public health at UC Irvine , agreed that COVID-19 case numbers in Orange County have improved but said he would feel more comfortable about opening the theme parks once coronavirus cases drop even further .
“ It ’ s tricky at best to open up something like a Disneyland or a Knott ’ s Berry Farm now , ” he said .
“ I personally would not go to a theme park.
” Supporters of reopening say theme parks in Florida have reopened without triggering surges in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is difficult to confirm whether the virus has been passed at theme parks because many parkgoers return home to other states and countries .
Parks are “ going to draw people from all over the place , ” he said .
“ There are just too many unknowns to be fully confident about reopening.
” Theme park representatives made assurances Wednesday that if the parks are allowed to reopen they can impose strict safety protocols to protect the health of visitors .
“ We have proven we can operate responsibly , with strict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world and at Downtown Disney in Anaheim , ” Ken Potrock , president of Disneyland Resort , said in a statement , referring to the Disneyland-adjacent shopping district that reopened in July .
Knott ’ s Berry Farm in Buena Park noted that it has also opened its restaurants and hosted food tasting events over the last few months while meeting county health protocols .
It said in a statement that it ’ s “ prepared to work with the state of California and the Orange County Health Care Agency to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirements for reopening our theme park.
” In Los Angeles County , Disneyland ’ s biggest rival , Universal Studios Hollywood , is also pushing for a path to reopen .
“ We have prepared a comprehensive program that benefits from the experience we have gained reopening our other theme parks in the United States and around the world , ” Karen Irwin , president and chief operating officer of Universal Studios Hollywood , said in a statement .
“ We are absolutely ready to reopen with enhanced health and safety protocols .
@

People walk toward Disneyland’s entrance March 13, the park’s last day of operation before the pandemic forced its closure.
Six months after theme parks closed across California because of the pandemic, Orange County politicians, trade-worker union leaders and tourism promoters expressed frustration that the state has yet to give Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm a path to reopen.
“It’s a disaster right here,” Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu said at a Wednesday news conference, joining the mayors of Buena Park and Garden Grove on a hotel rooftop overlooking Disneyland. “How long are you going to keep us closed?”
Their ire was directed at Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said Wednesday that state officials were working on health protocols for reopening theme parks and that there would be “announcements soon” but did not specify when.
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The demand for protocols came the day after a coalition of California theme parks, including Disneyland and Knott’s, also urged the state to release guidelines under which they could join parks in Florida and elsewhere in reopening.
The cities around Disneyland have lost $1.3 billion in taxes and other revenues since the pandemic closures began, said Todd Ament, president of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce. “The time is now to reopen our theme parks and restore the economic vitality we have lost,” he said.
It was the meeting of unusual circumstances that pushed local elected officials to demand change to a state health mandate and aligned union leaders with their members’ bosses.
The Disneyland Resort is Orange County’s largest employer, with about 31,000 workers before the pandemic. It draws tourists who book hotel rooms, eat at restaurants and buy souvenirs, supporting jobs throughout the region. All told, the resort generates 3.6% of all jobs in the county, according to a recent Cal State Fullerton study.
With unemployment high, prospects for a new federal relief package uncertain and the state’s unemployment relief measures not bridging the gap, cities, residents and businesses are feeling the pinch.
Walt Disney Co. has a history of political heft, especially in Disneyland’s hometown of Anaheim. In many ways, the resort’s financial interests and the city’s are intertwined; Disney is far and away Anaheim’s biggest tourism magnet. For years, Anaheim gave subsidies, incentives and rebates to the company for investing in its theme parks and adjacent Downtown Disney shopping district — a practice that halted in 2018. Disney has also backed candidates in local elections, including Sidhu.
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Meanwhile, Orange County has been a stronghold for critics of COVID-19 safety measures.
The county’s then-health chief, Dr. Nichole Quick, resigned in June amid death threats and harsh public criticism for issuing an order requiring people to wear face coverings while in public places, at work or visiting businesses.
Quick’s replacement, Dr. Clayton Chau, swiftly revised her mandate, strongly recommending that people wear masks but not requiring it. Newsom intervened a week later, making face coverings mandatory statewide.
Over the summer, Orange County education leaders approved school-reopening guidelines that don’t require masks for students or increased distancing between people in classrooms. Their recommendation stands, but school districts are free to enforce stricter measures.
Orange County lawmakers, tourism officials and union leaders who called for the reopening of Disneyland Resort and Knott’s Berry Farm argued that the number of COVID-19 cases in the county has dropped far enough that the parks can reopen safely.
“Our work against the coronavirus is not done, but we have another crisis that demands our attention,” Sidhu said, noting that the unemployment rate in his city is 15% and that Anaheim faces a $100-million deficit partly from the loss of tax revenue generated by Disneyland Resort.
“This is about preserving and retaining union jobs,” said Ernesto Medrano, a representative for the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. “We don’t want any more layoffs. It’s time to go back to work.”
Data from the Orange County Health Care Agency show that coronavirus cases in the county have dropped from highs in late July and early August, when the agency reported about 1,000 new cases and more than 10 deaths a day. On Wednesday, the county reported 135 new cases and six deaths.
In total, Orange County has reported more than 51,200 cases and 1,100 coronavirus deaths.
Andrew Noymer, an associate professor of public health at UC Irvine, agreed that COVID-19 case numbers in Orange County have improved but said he would feel more comfortable about opening the theme parks once coronavirus cases drop even further.
“It’s tricky at best to open up something like a Disneyland or a Knott’s Berry Farm now,” he said. “I personally would not go to a theme park.”
Supporters of reopening say theme parks in Florida have reopened without triggering surges in COVID-19 cases, but Noymer said it is difficult to confirm whether the virus has been passed at theme parks because many parkgoers return home to other states and countries.
Parks are “going to draw people from all over the place,” he said. “There are just too many unknowns to be fully confident about reopening.”
Theme park representatives made assurances Wednesday that if the parks are allowed to reopen they can impose strict safety protocols to protect the health of visitors.
“We have proven we can operate responsibly, with strict health and safety protocols at our properties around the world and at Downtown Disney in Anaheim,” Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, said in a statement, referring to the Disneyland-adjacent shopping district that reopened in July.
Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park noted that it has also opened its restaurants and hosted food tasting events over the last few months while meeting county health protocols.
It said in a statement that it’s “prepared to work with the state of California and the Orange County Health Care Agency to meet and exceed the necessary guidelines and requirements for reopening our theme park.”
In Los Angeles County, Disneyland’s biggest rival, Universal Studios Hollywood, is also pushing for a path to reopen.
“We have prepared a comprehensive program that benefits from the experience we have gained reopening our other theme parks in the United States and around the world,” Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer of Universal Studios Hollywood, said in a statement. “We are absolutely ready to reopen with enhanced health and safety protocols.”


latimes--2020-09-17--Column One: Marijuana seller's story of 'badass' Mexican sisters was a cultural misstep, Latinas say

The story of the three Mexican sisters who broke into the cannabis industry started out like a fairy tale and ended up like a reality television show gone awry .
Maria was the oldest sister , “ the plant whisperer of the familia , ” who perfected cultivation techniques while tending her family ’ s sugar cane fields in Mexico .
Sonia was the backbone of the business who learned to heal with plants and herbs as a child while following her abuelita around the family ranch .
Adriana , the baby of the bunch , had the fiery heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the art of negotiation and persuasion selling sugar cane at the market with her father .
When the Del Rosario sisters launched their L.A.-based cannabis company this year , they named it La Chingona : The badass woman .
There was one problem .
The sisters were the creation of Michael Kaiser , the owner and founder of healthcare and cannabis manufacturing companies .
The sisters were at most a composite of the strong women in his life .
Which Susie Plascencia — a public relations social-media marketer who focuses on the cannabis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismay .
There isn ’ t an abundance of cannabis brands focused on women — let alone run by them .
So when the 30-year-old stumbled on what she thought was both in a single company , she said , she was intrigued .
“ I am a Latina in cannabis and we are not represented , ” Plascencia said .
“ Latinx culture isn ’ t represented in this way .
I go to their website and I saw ‘ La Historia de La Chingona ’ sisters and I was like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and from Guadalajara , Jalisco !
That ’ s where my family is from !
’ ” Non-Latinos have long gone after Mexican Americans ’ spending dollars .
But for Plascencia , the story of the Del Rosario sisters was more than just a marketing ploy concocted by a businessman to make his way into a profitable corner of the marijuana market .
La Chingona , she said , was deceptive and a blatant case of cultural appropriation .
So Plascencia and a friend trained their digital sights on the company .
Kaiser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He might look like a white guy , but his grandmother , Sarah Ornales , was Mexican .
She helped raise him in East L.A. And she was , indeed , kind of an inspiration for the brand and for the women Kaiser created out of thin air .
The 51-year old purchased Cannable Organics , Inc. , a cannabis manufacturing company in Adelanto , Calif. , about a year ago .
He ’ d always wanted his own brands , he said , and he started brainstorming .
“ Me and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ultimate chingona , ” Kaiser said .
He wanted a brand that would resonate with and celebrate strong women like her .
“ As I thought around that concept , the light went off in my head that La Chingona was such a natural name , ” he said .
Making the brand “ Latino , ” Kaiser insisted , was a secondary thought .
“ I envisioned that the word ‘ La Chingona ’ would connect with … women in general.
” Did he think the brand would appeal to Latinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Kaiser said .
Next came the tale .
He thought back to his days in Boston , Mass .
His roommate at Harvard Business School — where Kaiser attended the Owner/President Management program — was “ a Mexican guy from Mexico ” whose family owned a sugar plantation .
He made that the setting of the sisters ’ upbringing .
As for the chingona trio , Kaiser said , he reflected on the women in his life .
Maria and little Adriana were inspired by his grandmother , a fierce green thumb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from herbs in her garden .
Sonia the healer was a combination of his mother and sisters , all nurses .
As the brand ’ s look crystallized , everybody seemed to love it , Kaiser said .
His slew of cannabis products , including concentrates and vape cartridges , were adorned with Dia De Los Muertos inspired-art and stamped with the tagline “ Sinsemilla Mas Fina ” and names like “ Fiesta Flower , ” “ Caliente Budder ” and “ Siesta HCE , ” a cannabis extract .
In April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ story on their website , just before launching the brand .
“ I didn ’ t think that anyone would believe that the legend story , the origin story , was factual , ” he said .
The story of La Chingona is filled with demands and counter demands , job offers and threats of legal action .
There ’ s a cameo appearance by a Latina friend of Kaiser ’ s whom he acknowledged hiring to make the company more Latina ; she didn ’ t last long .
Josh Karchmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s social media in May , and “ almost from the beginning , Josh had a problem with the story , ” Kaiser said .
It was too realistic , and Karchmer suspected people would have a problem with it , Kaiser said .
Karchmer could not be reached for comment .
On May 27 , Karchmer offered Plascencia samples of La Chingona products via Instagram in exchange for promotion on social media .
The following day they met .
Excited , Plascencia inquired about the Del Rosario sisters .
Karchmer “ got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , telling her that they weren ’ t real .
“ He told me he didn ’ t like it … he said that he thought that it was stupid that they made up the story.
” He also disclosed that La Chingona was owned by mostly non-Latino men .
Plascencia felt she had two choices : “ Turn around and watch the inevitable happen [ meaning having someone call them out on social media ] , or I could use my skills and experience to help Josh make this brand what our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Latinas ] , respects them and uplifts them.
” She chose the latter , for a while , anyway .
In an email days after the meeting , Plascencia told Karchmer she was concerned about the fictional story : “ From the moment I saw La Chingona ’ s branding on Instagram , I felt a sense of belonging and representation that had been missing in my years both as a cannabis enthusiast and marketer , ” she wrote .
“ Cultural appropriation is a real consideration for the target audience of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re tired of seeing our stories and our culture taken from us and profited from.
” Plascencia , who said she never took any pay from the company , offered Karchmer help in rebranding La Chingona and rewriting the story .
Meanwhile , social media cannabis influencers were beginning to praise and promote La Chingona .
In mid June , @ behighbeyou — which has more than 11,000 followers — posted a photo of a La Chingona product on its Instagram feed .
The initial caption , which has since been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this brand because not only does it kick , but it was started by some badass Latinx babes !
@ lachingonacannabis is run by 3 Rosario sisters using techniques passed down for generations.
” Plascencia spotted it .
“ This is 100 % what I saw coming and the fuel of my email , ” she told Karchmer in a text .
“ I ’ m here for you , let ’ s get ahead of this.
” She penned a suggested response for Karchmer to send to Kaya Miller and Patrick Ryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part , this confession : “ While not Latinx-owned , we are proud allies to all POC and use our platform to pay homage to both Latinx culture and the cannabis community.
” As word spread , more accounts outed the brand .
During a meeting with Kaiser and Karchmer on June 22 in downtown L.A. , Plascencia restated her concerns and offered to help solve “ the problem ” with her public relations and social media expertise , according to Kaiser .
But he didn ’ t see any problem .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and feeling connected to his culture .
Plascencia told them she couldn ’ t work for the brand unless it was “ Latinx owned.
” About a week later , Karchmer rang to say that Kaiser was offering her a percentage of the company to help them rebuild the brand “ authentically ” and have a “ Latina ” owner , according to Plascencia .
Their offer , she said , was less than 1 % .
It was insulting , Plascencia said .
At that point , she said , she decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She and her friend Savina Monet , a 25-year-old graphic designer , started digging deeper into La Chingona .
Part of the effort , Plascencia said , was to counter any idea pushed by Kaiser that she was motivated by financial gain .
“ I told her that her behavior could get her sued and I was going to discuss with my lawyer , ” said Kaiser in a text message to The Times .
“ I always from day # 1 felt this was 100 % extortion.
” Plascencia said that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company , she said .
She just wanted the public to know the truth .
“ We really started to double-down on screenshots , email communication , just to show that we were not intending ill harm and we were not trying to get any financial gain , ” Monet said .
“ We were just two offended Latinas who did not want to let this ... slip in the cannabis industry.
” The two millennial social-media experts launched an Instagram boycott accusing the company of cultural appropriation .
Plascencia and Monet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take La Chingona products off their shelves .
Within days , about a dozen dispensaries canceled their orders .
“ It was unbelievable , ” Kaiser said .
“ She created a mob , and the mob didn ’ t want to listen to anything ... they pretty much destroyed what was a really cool brand and company for no real reason that I can understand.
” For the first time , Kaiser publicly confessed that the Del Rosario sisters were made up : “ I apologize to those who felt misled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to clear up and explain the origins and ideals behind the brand , the company and myself , ” he said on La Chingona ’ s Instagram page .
Days later , Kaiser declared that he was shuttering the brand , although he hopes to revive it .
“ Did I ever feel that I was culturally appropriating ?
Never , ” Kaiser said .
And “ who is Susie Plascencia to be the arbiter of culture ?
” Plascencia has an answer for that : “ I am a real Chingona , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Susie Plascencia, a public relations social-media marketer, discovered that La Chingona cannabis’ bio had been fabricated and the company was owned by mostly non-Latino men.
The story of the three Mexican sisters who broke into the cannabis industry started out like a fairy tale and ended up like a reality television show gone awry.
Maria was the oldest sister, “the plant whisperer of the familia,” who perfected cultivation techniques while tending her family’s sugar cane fields in Mexico. Sonia was the backbone of the business who learned to heal with plants and herbs as a child while following her abuelita around the family ranch.
Adriana, the baby of the bunch, had the fiery heart. Small but ruthless, she learned the art of negotiation and persuasion selling sugar cane at the market with her father. When the Del Rosario sisters launched their L.A.-based cannabis company this year, they named it La Chingona: The badass woman.
There was one problem. The sisters were the creation of Michael Kaiser, the owner and founder of healthcare and cannabis manufacturing companies. The sisters were at most a composite of the strong women in his life.
The rest was fiction.
Michael Kaiser, founder and owner of La Chingona cannabis. (Michael Kaiser )
Which Susie Plascencia — a public relations social-media marketer who focuses on the cannabis industry — found out to her great dismay.
There isn’t an abundance of cannabis brands focused on women — let alone run by them. So when the 30-year-old stumbled on what she thought was both in a single company, she said, she was intrigued.
“I am a Latina in cannabis and we are not represented,” Plascencia said. “Latinx culture isn’t represented in this way. I go to their website and I saw ‘La Historia de La Chingona’ sisters and I was like, ‘Wow! They’re Latino-owned and from Guadalajara, Jalisco! That’s where my family is from!’”
Non-Latinos have long gone after Mexican Americans’ spending dollars. But for Plascencia, the story of the Del Rosario sisters was more than just a marketing ploy concocted by a businessman to make his way into a profitable corner of the marijuana market.
Advertisement
La Chingona, she said, was deceptive and a blatant case of cultural appropriation. So Plascencia and a friend trained their digital sights on the company.
Kaiser wants you to know a few things. He might look like a white guy, but his grandmother, Sarah Ornales, was Mexican. She helped raise him in East L.A. And she was, indeed, kind of an inspiration for the brand and for the women Kaiser created out of thin air.
The 51-year old purchased Cannable Organics, Inc., a cannabis manufacturing company in Adelanto, Calif., about a year ago. He’d always wanted his own brands, he said, and he started brainstorming.
“Me and my sisters had often called our grandmother the ultimate chingona,” Kaiser said. He wanted a brand that would resonate with and celebrate strong women like her.
“As I thought around that concept, the light went off in my head that La Chingona was such a natural name,” he said.
Making the brand “Latino,” Kaiser insisted, was a secondary thought. “I envisioned that the word ‘La Chingona’ would connect with … women in general.”
Did he think the brand would appeal to Latinos? “I thought it might,” Kaiser said.
I didn’t think that anyone would believe that the legend story, the origin story, was factual. — Michael Kaiser
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Next came the tale. He thought back to his days in Boston, Mass. His roommate at Harvard Business School — where Kaiser attended the Owner/President Management program — was “a Mexican guy from Mexico” whose family owned a sugar plantation. He made that the setting of the sisters’ upbringing. As for the chingona trio, Kaiser said, he reflected on the women in his life. Maria and little Adriana were inspired by his grandmother, a fierce green thumb who’d prepare teas and remedies from herbs in her garden. Sonia the healer was a combination of his mother and sisters, all nurses.
As the brand’s look crystallized, everybody seemed to love it, Kaiser said. His slew of cannabis products, including concentrates and vape cartridges, were adorned with Dia De Los Muertos inspired-art and stamped with the tagline “Sinsemilla Mas Fina” and names like “Fiesta Flower,” “Caliente Budder” and “Siesta HCE,” a cannabis extract.
In April, Kaiser and his team published the sisters’ story on their website, just before launching the brand.
“I didn’t think that anyone would believe that the legend story, the origin story, was factual,” he said.
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling
from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
The story of La Chingona is filled with demands and counter demands, job offers and threats of legal action. There’s a cameo appearance by a Latina friend of Kaiser’s whom he acknowledged hiring to make the company more Latina; she didn’t last long.
Josh Karchmer was hired to handle La Chingona’s social media in May, and “almost from the beginning, Josh had a problem with the story,” Kaiser said. It was too realistic, and Karchmer suspected people would have a problem with it, Kaiser said.
Karchmer could not be reached for comment.
On May 27, Karchmer offered Plascencia samples of La Chingona products via Instagram in exchange for promotion on social media. The following day they met. Excited, Plascencia inquired about the Del Rosario sisters.
Karchmer “got a little shy,” she said, telling her that they weren’t real. “He told me he didn’t like it … he said that he thought that it was stupid that they made up the story.”
He also disclosed that La Chingona was owned by mostly non-Latino men.
Plascencia felt she had two choices: “Turn around and watch the inevitable happen [meaning having someone call them out on social media], or I could use my skills and experience to help Josh make this brand what our community deserved — a brand that celebrates [Latinas], respects them and uplifts them.”
She chose the latter, for a while, anyway.
In an email days after the meeting, Plascencia told Karchmer she was concerned about the fictional story:
“From the moment I saw La Chingona’s branding on Instagram, I felt a sense of belonging and representation that had been missing in my years both as a cannabis enthusiast and marketer,” she wrote. “Cultural appropriation is a real consideration for the target audience of this brand, aka my community. We’re tired of seeing our stories and our culture taken from us and profited from.”
Plascencia, who said she never took any pay from the company, offered Karchmer help in rebranding La Chingona and rewriting the story.
Meanwhile, social media cannabis influencers were beginning to praise and promote La Chingona. In mid June, @behighbeyou — which has more than 11,000 followers — posted a photo of a La Chingona product on its Instagram feed.
The initial caption, which has since been edited, read: “We love this brand because not only does it kick, but it was started by some badass Latinx babes! @lachingonacannabis is run by 3 Rosario sisters using techniques passed down for generations.”
Plascencia spotted it. “This is 100% what I saw coming and the fuel of my email,” she told Karchmer in a text. “I’m here for you, let’s get ahead of this.”
She penned a suggested response for Karchmer to send to Kaya Miller and Patrick Ryan of @behighbeyou. It included, in part, this confession: “While not Latinx-owned, we are proud allies to all POC and use our platform to pay homage to both Latinx culture and the cannabis community.”
As word spread, more accounts outed the brand.
During a meeting with Kaiser and Karchmer on June 22 in downtown L.A., Plascencia restated her concerns and offered to help solve “the problem” with her public relations and social media expertise, according to Kaiser.
But he didn’t see any problem. He told her about his Mexican grandmother and feeling connected to his culture. Plascencia told them she couldn’t work for the brand unless it was “Latinx owned.”
About a week later, Karchmer rang to say that Kaiser was offering her a percentage of the company to help them rebuild the brand “authentically” and have a “Latina” owner, according to Plascencia.
Their offer, she said, was less than 1%.
It was insulting, Plascencia said. At that point, she said, she decided there was no helping the company. She and her friend Savina Monet, a 25-year-old graphic designer, started digging deeper into La Chingona. Part of the effort, Plascencia said, was to counter any idea pushed by Kaiser that she was motivated by financial gain.
Savina Monet, a freelance graphic designer and founder of Cannabis Workers Coalition, co-organized the La Chingona boycott. (Savina Monet)
“I told her that her behavior could get her sued and I was going to discuss with my lawyer,” said Kaiser in a text message to The Times. “I always from day #1 felt this was 100% extortion.”
Plascencia said that was untrue. She never wanted anything from the company, she said. She just wanted the public to know the truth.
“We really started to double-down on screenshots, email communication, just to show that we were not intending ill harm and we were not trying to get any financial gain,” Monet said. “We were just two offended Latinas who did not want to let this ... slip in the cannabis industry.”
The two millennial social-media experts launched an Instagram boycott accusing the company of cultural appropriation.
Plascencia and Monet encouraged fellow marijuana users to urge dispensaries to take La Chingona products off their shelves. Within days, about a dozen dispensaries canceled their orders.
“It was unbelievable,” Kaiser said. “She created a mob, and the mob didn’t want to listen to anything ... they pretty much destroyed what was a really cool brand and company for no real reason that I can understand.”
For the first time, Kaiser publicly confessed that the Del Rosario sisters were made up: “I apologize to those who felt misled and I wanted to take the time to clear up and explain the origins and ideals behind the brand, the company and myself,” he said on La Chingona’s Instagram page.
Days later, Kaiser declared that he was shuttering the brand, although he hopes to revive it.
“Did I ever feel that I was culturally appropriating? Never,” Kaiser said. And “who is Susie Plascencia to be the arbiter of culture?”
Plascencia has an answer for that: “I am a real Chingona, and this is what we do.”


latimes--2020-09-17--Empty trucks, falsified records: How Louis DeJoy's changes at the Postal Service brought chaos

For new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , who wanted the U.S .
Postal Service to operate more efficiently , it seemed like an obvious fix : Just run the trucks on time .
So in July he ordered drivers to start leaving post offices and distribution centers exactly on schedule and curtailed extra trips to pick up any mail that missed earlier cutoffs .
The stricter deadlines sparked far less public outcry than the removal of more than 700 high-speed sorting machines at mail processing facilities around the country — but they were far more disruptive to the U.S. mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Weeks-long delays began to ripple through a system already reeling from COVID-19 absences and a surge in package delivery during the pandemic , shaking Americans ’ faith in one of the country ’ s most popular services and raising concerns about how the Postal Service will handle mail-in ballots in November .
The abrupt scheduling move also raised more questions about DeJoy ’ s stewardship of the Postal Service , which has been marked by severe delivery snafus and charges by critics that he is working to slow service in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by making voting by mail more difficult .
Workers who spoke to The Times described troubling details about how the rigid schedules have played out : Some trucks have traveled empty , and mail left behind has accumulated at massive processing centers , creating backlogs in a system that is not designed to store mail .
Loading dock managers have falsified records so it appears that trucks are departing earlier , some mail has been sorted twice , and in at least one case , a large shipment from Amazon was turned away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
At a post office in Carmichael , near Sacramento , employees ran out of storage space and refused to accept about 1,500 packages from Amazon drivers Aug. 29 , said Saintil Perry , president of the local chapter of the American Postal Workers Union .
“ That ’ s a no-no .
That ’ s revenue , regardless of how heavy the shipment is , ” Perry said about refusing incoming parcels .
“ But they literally don ’ t have space .
The letter carriers don ’ t have space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they won ’ t have time to leave because they would have to process it.
” At a massive mail facility in Santa Ana , tractor-trailers began pulling away from the docks even if workers were in the middle of loading them , said Will Khong , president of the postal union ’ s Orange County-area chapter .
That left-behind mail muddled one of the Postal Service ’ s key automated processes : sorting hundreds of thousands of letters into the exact order that they will be delivered along postal carriers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pieces of mail twice to ensure they were put in the proper order for the next day .
“ We were just shaking our heads , ” Khong said .
“ Why would you have a policy where you then have to run the mail twice — if all you have to do is have the trucks wait a few more minutes ?
” The share of first-class mail that was delivered on time across the U.S. fell by more than 9 percentage points during the time that DeJoy made his changes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday by the office of Sen. Gary Peters ( D-Mich. ) .
In the first full week of July , before the trucking policy change , 90.6 % of first-class mail was on time ; in the second week of August , that had dropped to 81.5 % , the analysis said .
Evelina Ramirez , a Postal Service spokeswoman , said mail delivery performance has improved since the end of July , when there were severe delays , and has returned to early July levels .
“ This recovery took place while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said in an email .
She did not respond to specific questions about Amazon boxes being returned , mail being sorted twice and other issues affecting delivery .
Times reporters who mailed 100 letters to five cities in late August found that at least 22 of the envelopes arrived late or were never delivered .
One letter sent from Sylmar took 11 days to get to Austin , Texas .
Another item mailed from Malibu sat in the Los Angeles processing center for three days before being delivered to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trucks are the main way the Postal Service moves mail , accounting for 65 % of the agency ’ s transport costs , according to a recent report by the service ’ s Office of Inspector General .
From origin to destination , a piece of mail may travel between numerous postal facilities .
Even when airplanes are used , trucks carry the mail between airports and processing centers .
At the time DeJoy took office in June , about 88 % of trucks were on time , he said in congressional testimony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , DeJoy estimated that hewing to the written schedules would save at least $ 1 billion in late fees and labor costs , and would make mail delivery more reliable .
“ Once you get below 90 % , you can ’ t depend on anything… .
FedEx , UPS , everybody runs their trucks on time , ” DeJoy said .
“ That ’ s what glues the whole network together.
” Delayed transportation has been a longtime financial burden to the Postal Service , which spent $ 280 million on late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in delivery overtime and penalty overtime costs in the 2019 fiscal year , according to an inspector general ’ s report that landed the week DeJoy took office .
Auditors also found that 20 % of trips from processing facilities , or about 4 million , left late .
But auditors did not recommend immediate changes to the trucking schedule .
Instead , they urged postal leaders to create an automated system to monitor the integration of the transportation , processing and delivery operations and , “ once the impacts of COVID-19 subside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address staffing shortages .
DeJoy forged ahead anyway , making the trucking change over the summer .
Around the same time , midlevel Postal Service managers began severely curtailing overtime , a change that DeJoy said he did not personally order .
“ Theoretically , everyone should have got their mail faster , ” DeJoy said .
But problems quickly surfaced : Schedules at the processing and distribution facilities were not “ fully aligned ” with the trucks , he said .
Had DeJoy spent more time familiarizing himself with the Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before making the changes , the problems could have been avoided , critics say .
“ DeJoy is ignoring what an integrated network this is , ” said Phil Rubio , a history professor at North Carolina A & T State University who worked as a distribution clerk and letter carrier for the Postal Service for two decades .
“ When you start to tinker with it in as many ways as he has , the system starts to break down.
” Put another way , said Mark Jamison , a retired postmaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in logistics and probably does know that end of it .
But when it comes to the rest of the system , I don ’ t think he knows his eyeball from a hole in the ground.
” Punctuality is important in the transportation world — in fact , it ’ s the primary way that trucking companies are evaluated in a highly competitive industry .
“ The No .
1 thing in transportation or logistics is the timing , ” said Finn Murphy , author of “ The Long Haul : A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Road , ” who drove long-haul trucks for 20 years .
“ Factories and groceries , for example , are based on ‘ just-in-time delivery.
’ Their whole business model is based on when they want it to be there .
‘ When ’ doesn ’ t mean 15 minutes later , it means a particular moment… .
If you have to be there at 8:17 , you have to be there at 8:17.
” Some postal managers say on-time transportation is essential because delayed trucks can cause mail to be late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airports , which interferes with the schedule and sorting operations of those facilities .
Robert Cintron , vice president of logistics at the Postal Service , said in a declaration filed last week in a lawsuit over the mail delays that late transportation can mean mail does not make it onto a carrier ’ s truck on time and is not delivered on schedule .
But trucking is just one element in a system as time-sensitive as mail delivery , which requires flexibility in accommodating issues , including staffing shortages , machine breakdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by day , experts and workers said .
Millions of people have turned to online shopping during the pandemic , creating an unexpected surge of packages nearly equivalent to the holidays .
The Postal Service handled 708 million more packages between April and June than in the same time last year , an increase of nearly 50 % , the agency said .
Unlike during the holidays , the Postal Service did not add enough workers to handle the extra demand — and it was struggling with a high rate of absences due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortages and a sudden increase is a “ recipe for disaster , ” said Miguel Jaller , an associate professor at UC Davis who studies freight and logistics .
The trucking change , he said , was “ just the cherry on top for a system that has been stressed due to COVID-19 impacts.
” Some employees worry the mandate that trucks run on time may look like a success on paper only .
In the San Diego area , postal employees have seen managers falsify records to make it look like tasks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob Waterhouse , executive vice president of the San Diego chapter of the American Postal Workers Union .
Managers use scanners to read bar codes that signify when certain duties are complete , such as when mail has been sorted and when trucks leave from the loading docks .
Some managers are deliberately scanning the codes early to make it look like sorting is finished more quickly and trucks are leaving earlier than they actually are , Waterhouse said .
“ This is a way to show that the policy is working when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Waterhouse said .
He said employees are being threatened with discipline if they override the false scans .
Robert Bockman , a tractor-trailer operator and vice president of the Puget Sound-area union chapter in Washington state , said he ’ s also been made aware that managers are trying to scan trucks out early .
He said the mandate to be punctual is so overplayed that he and other drivers are being told to leave the loading docks five minutes early , regardless of whether all the mail is on board .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a day care , ” Bockman said , noting that someone has put signs up in Seattle and Tacoma processing facilities that feature clip art of a stopwatch and say “ 5 Minutes Early Is The New ON TIME !
” with the phrase “ NO EXCEPTIONS ” in bold red type .
“ The micromanagement has really caused issues in the workplace , ” Bockman said .
“ It ’ s stressful .
You don ’ t want to be late , and you sure as hell don ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it .
Bockman said the pressure to leave five minutes early means that about four times a week he has been driving down freeways with an empty trailer .
Requiring trucks to leave exactly on time , or early , can exacerbate other problems at sorting facilities , including machines breaking down , a shortage of workers or a higher volume of mail than usual , union leaders say .
The trucking schedule change “ seemed like the smallest thing , but it was the biggest thing to hurt the Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the L.A.-area chapter of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union .
At a sorting facility in Los Angeles , workers said that some days they missed getting mail onto trucks by a matter of minutes .
Several times , they said , tractor-trailers pulled away while workers were headed toward the loading docks with cartons of sorted letters and parcels .
Those changes , coupled with a cutback in overtime , left the facility swamped with backlogged packages for weeks .
Steaks and fruit rotted inside their boxes and chicks were found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation found .
Conditions have gradually improved there , workers said .
The effects of the change have rippled out to local post offices .
Carriers across the state said they have seen outgoing mail — which is supposed to be sent for sorting the same day it is received — sitting in the post office the following morning .
Leftover mail is disruptive to the system because postal facilities aren ’ t designed to store letters and packages , said Robert Fisher , a former Postal Service executive and owner of Fisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance .
Every day , managers specifically monitor how much mail is in a facility — known as on-hand volume — to make sure the levels do not get out of control , he said .
“ Leaving mail behind would increase on-hand volumes , disrupting the control processes and system balance , ” Fisher said .
He described on-time trucks as just one element in a cycle of daily events that indicate how smoothly the mail system is running .
The other pieces include the time carriers return from their routes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sorting the carrier ’ s mail before dawn .
Making trucks leave on time without all the mail wouldn ’ t necessarily make the other processes fall into place — in fact , it could throw them off kilter , he said .
In the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego , a mail carrier arrived at work the morning of Aug. 18 to find tubs of mail sitting outside an office .
The mail had been collected the day before but never made it to the plant because it had missed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 22-year veteran of the Postal Service who was not authorized to speak publicly , said that would not have happened in the past ; a post office manager would have authorized overtime for an employee to make an extra trip to the distribution facility .
“ Some way or another , we always got the mail out every day , ” the carrier said .

A policy requiring all trucks to leave on time from U.S. Postal Service facilities, like this post office in Van Nuys, led to chaos in the system, a Times investigation found.
For new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who wanted the U.S. Postal Service to operate more efficiently, it seemed like an obvious fix: Just run the trucks on time.
So in July he ordered drivers to start leaving post offices and distribution centers exactly on schedule and curtailed extra trips to pick up any mail that missed earlier cutoffs.
The stricter deadlines sparked far less public outcry than the removal of more than 700 high-speed sorting machines at mail processing facilities around the country — but they were far more disruptive to the U.S. mail system, according to a Times investigation.
Weeks-long delays began to ripple through a system already reeling from COVID-19 absences and a surge in package delivery during the pandemic, shaking Americans’ faith in one of the country’s most popular services and raising concerns about how the Postal Service will handle mail-in ballots in November.
The abrupt scheduling move also raised more questions about DeJoy’s stewardship of the Postal Service, which has been marked by severe delivery snafus and charges by critics that he is working to slow service in order to help President Trump’s election bid by making voting by mail more difficult.
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Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies before a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the U.S. Postal Service on Aug. 24. (Pool Photo)
Workers who spoke to The Times described troubling details about how the rigid schedules have played out: Some trucks have traveled empty, and mail left behind has accumulated at massive processing centers, creating backlogs in a system that is not designed to store mail. Loading dock managers have falsified records so it appears that trucks are departing earlier, some mail has been sorted twice, and in at least one case, a large shipment from Amazon was turned away because facilities had no space to process it.
At a post office in Carmichael, Calif., near Sacramento, employees ran out of storage space and refused to accept about 1,500 packages from Amazon drivers Aug. 29, said Saintil Perry, president of the local chapter of the American Postal Workers Union.
“That’s a no-no. That’s revenue, regardless of how heavy the shipment is,” Perry said about refusing incoming parcels. “But they literally don’t have space. The letter carriers don’t have space. If they take on this mail, they won’t have time to leave because they would have to process it.”
At a massive mail facility in Santa Ana, tractor-trailers began pulling away from the docks even if workers were in the middle of loading them, said Will Khong, president of the postal union’s Orange County-area chapter.
That left-behind mail muddled one of the Postal Service’s key automated processes: sorting hundreds of thousands of letters into the exact order that they will be delivered along postal carriers’ routes. Workers had to sort some pieces of mail twice to ensure they were put in the proper order for the next day.
“We were just shaking our heads,” Khong said. “Why would you have a policy where you then have to run the mail twice — if all you have to do is have the trucks wait a few more minutes?”
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The share of first-class mail that was delivered on time across the U.S. fell by more than 9 percentage points during the time that DeJoy made his changes, according to agency data analyzed and released Wednesday by the office of Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). In the first full week of July, before the trucking policy change, 90.6% of first-class mail was on time; in the second week of August, that had dropped to 81.5%, the analysis found.
Evelina Ramirez, a Postal Service spokeswoman, said mail delivery performance has improved since the end of July, when there were severe delays, and has returned to early July levels.
“This recovery took place while still adhering to our existing transportation schedules,” she said in an email. She did not respond to specific questions about Amazon boxes being returned, mail being sorted twice and other issues affecting delivery.
Times reporters who mailed 100 letters to five cities in late August found that at least 22 of the envelopes arrived late or were never delivered. One letter sent from Sylmar took 11 days to get to Austin, Texas. Another item mailed from Malibu sat in the Los Angeles processing center for three days before being delivered to a San Francisco suburb four days later.
Trucks are the main way the Postal Service moves mail, accounting for 65% of the agency’s transport costs, according to a recent report by the service’s Office of Inspector General. From origin to destination, a piece of mail may travel between numerous postal facilities. Even when airplanes are used, trucks carry the mail between airports and processing centers.
DeJoy has pushed for Postal Service trucks to leave on time, even if mail would be left behind. Since the change, the share of first-class mail delivered on time has dropped, data show. (Justin Lane / EPA/Shutterstock)
At the time DeJoy took office in June, about 88% of trucks were on time, he said in congressional testimony last month. A former logistics executive, DeJoy estimated that hewing to the written schedules would save at least $1 billion in late fees and labor costs, and would make mail delivery more reliable.
“Once you get below 90%, you can’t depend on anything…. FedEx, UPS, everybody runs their trucks on time,” DeJoy said. “That’s what glues the whole network together.”
Delayed transportation has been a longtime financial burden to the Postal Service, which spent $280 million on late and extra trips and $2.9 billion in delivery overtime and penalty overtime costs in the 2019 fiscal year, according to an inspector general’s report that landed the week DeJoy took office. Auditors also found that 20% of trips from processing facilities, or about 4 million, left late.
But auditors did not recommend immediate changes to the trucking schedule. Instead, they urged postal leaders to create an automated system to monitor the integration of the transportation, processing and delivery operations and, “once the impacts of COVID-19 subside,” to develop a plan to address staffing shortages.
DeJoy forged ahead anyway, making the trucking change over the summer. Around the same time, midlevel Postal Service managers began severely curtailing overtime, a change that DeJoy said he did not personally order.
“Theoretically, everyone should have got their mail faster,” DeJoy said. But problems quickly surfaced: Schedules at the processing and distribution facilities were not “fully aligned” with the trucks, he said.
Had DeJoy spent more time familiarizing himself with the Postal Service’s vast, complicated delivery operation before making the changes, the problems could have been avoided, critics say.
“DeJoy is ignoring what an integrated network this is,” said Phil Rubio, a history professor at North Carolina A&T State University who worked as a distribution clerk and letter carrier for the Postal Service for two decades. “When you start to tinker with it in as many ways as he has, the system starts to break down.”
Put another way, said Mark Jamison, a retired postmaster in North Carolina: “DeJoy worked in logistics and probably does know that end of it. But when it comes to the rest of the system, I don’t think he knows his eyeball from a hole in the ground.”
Punctuality is important in the transportation world — in fact, it’s the primary way that trucking companies are evaluated in a highly competitive industry.
“The No. 1 thing in transportation or logistics is the timing,” said Finn Murphy, author of “The Long Haul: A Trucker’s Tales of Life on the Road,” who drove long-haul trucks for 20 years.
“Factories and groceries, for example, are based on ‘just-in-time delivery.’ Their whole business model is based on when they want it to be there. ‘When’ doesn’t mean 15 minutes later, it means a particular moment…. If you have to be there at 8:17, you have to be there at 8:17.”
Some postal managers say on-time transportation is essential because delayed trucks can cause mail to be late to processing centers, delivery units and airports, which interferes with the schedule and sorting operations of those facilities. Robert Cintron, vice president of logistics at the Postal Service, said in a declaration filed last week in a lawsuit over the mail delays that late transportation can mean mail does not make it onto a carrier’s truck on time and is not delivered on schedule.
But trucking is just one element in a system as time-sensitive as mail delivery, which requires flexibility in accommodating issues, including staffing shortages, machine breakdowns and a volume of mail that fluctuates by day, experts and workers said.
The Postal Service handled nearly 50% more packages between April and June than it did during the same period last year, the agency said. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Millions of people have turned to online shopping during the pandemic, creating an unexpected surge of packages nearly equivalent to the holidays. The Postal Service handled 708 million more packages between April and June than in the same time last year, an increase of nearly 50%, the agency said.
Unlike during the holidays, the Postal Service did not add enough workers to handle the extra demand — and it was struggling with a high rate of absences due to COVID-19.
A wave of staff shortages and a sudden increase is a “recipe for disaster,” said Miguel Jaller, an associate professor at UC Davis who studies freight and logistics. The trucking change, he said, was “just the cherry on top for a system that has been stressed due to COVID-19 impacts.”
Some employees worry the mandate that trucks run on time may look like a success on paper only.
In the San Diego area, postal employees have seen managers falsify records to make it look like tasks are being finished on time, said Bob Waterhouse, executive vice president of the San Diego chapter of the American Postal Workers Union.
Managers use scanners to read bar codes that signify when certain duties are complete, such as when mail has been sorted and when trucks leave from the loading docks. Some managers are deliberately scanning the codes early to make it look like sorting is finished more quickly and trucks are leaving earlier than they actually are, Waterhouse said.
“This is a way to show that the policy is working when it is not actually being practiced,” Waterhouse said. He said employees are being threatened with discipline if they override the false scans.
Robert Bockman, a tractor-trailer operator and vice president of the Puget Sound-area union chapter in Washington state, said he’s also been made aware that managers are trying to scan trucks out early.
He said the mandate to be punctual is so overplayed that he and other drivers are being told to leave the loading docks five minutes early, regardless of whether all the mail is on board.
“I feel like I’m in a day care,” Bockman said, noting that someone has put signs up in Seattle and Tacoma processing facilities that feature clip art of a stopwatch and say “5 Minutes Early Is The New ON TIME!” with the phrase “NO EXCEPTIONS” in bold red type.
“The micromanagement has really caused issues in the workplace,” Bockman said. “It’s stressful. You don’t want to be late, and you sure as hell don’t want to be talked to by supervisors” about it.
Bockman said the pressure to leave five minutes early means that about four times a week he has been driving down freeways with an empty trailer.
Requiring trucks to leave exactly on time, or early, can exacerbate other problems at sorting facilities, including machines breaking down, a shortage of workers or a higher volume of mail than usual, union leaders say.
The trucking schedule change “seemed like the smallest thing, but it was the biggest thing to hurt the Postal Service,” said Eddie Cowan, president of the L.A.-area chapter of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union.
At a sorting facility in Los Angeles, workers said that some days they missed getting mail onto trucks by a matter of minutes. Several times, they said, tractor-trailers pulled away while workers were headed toward the loading docks with cartons of sorted letters and parcels.
Those changes, coupled with a cutback in overtime, left the facility swamped with backlogged packages for weeks. Steaks and fruit rotted inside their boxes and chicks were found dead in their packages, a Times investigation found. Conditions have gradually improved there, workers said.
The effects of the change have rippled out to local post offices. Carriers across the state said they have seen outgoing mail — which is supposed to be sent for sorting the same day it is received — sitting in the post office the following morning.
Leftover mail is disruptive to the system because postal facilities aren’t designed to store letters and packages, said Robert Fisher, a former Postal Service executive and owner of Fisher Postal Analytics, where he researches mail performance.
Every day, managers specifically monitor how much mail is in a facility — known as on-hand volume — to make sure the levels do not get out of control, he said.
“Leaving mail behind would increase on-hand volumes, disrupting the control processes and system balance,” Fisher said.
He described on-time trucks as just one element in a cycle of daily events that indicate how smoothly the mail system is running. The other pieces include the time carriers return from their routes in the evening, postmarking mail at night and sorting the carrier’s mail before dawn. Making trucks leave on time without all the mail wouldn’t necessarily make the other processes fall into place — in fact, it could throw them off kilter, he said.
In the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego, a mail carrier arrived at work the morning of Aug. 18 to find tubs of mail sitting outside an office. The mail had been collected the day before but never made it to the plant because it had missed the last truck.
The carrier, a 22-year veteran of the Postal Service who was not authorized to speak publicly, said that would not have happened in the past; a post office manager would have authorized overtime for an employee to make an extra trip to the distribution facility.
“Some way or another, we always got the mail out every day,” the carrier said.


latimes--2020-09-17--Column: Climate change is affecting wildfires. But Newsom and legislators still need to do more

Message to Democrats : Just because President Trump says it , that doesn ’ t necessarily mean it ’ s wrong .
Yes , our president habitually fantasizes , distorts and lies .
But to borrow an old cliché , even a broken clock is right twice a day .
One important example : Trump ’ s widely ridiculed comment that California needs to “ rake the floor ” of its forests better .
“ When trees fall down … they become dry — really like a matchstick — and they can explode , ” he said Monday as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California officials for a briefing on our devastating wildfires .
“ Also leaves .
When you have dried leaves on the ground , it ’ s just fuel for the fires.
” He couldn ’ t be more correct , of course .
Dried-out dead trees can explode .
And forest floors do need to be cleaned .
Fires start there and climb into the smaller trees , then ladder up to the big timber and soon there ’ s a roaring blaze .
What Trump never acknowledges , however , is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the raker-in-chief .
As Newsom gently pointed out to the president , the federal government owns 57 % of California ’ s 33 million acres of forests — including practically the entire Sierra .
The state and local governments own only 3 % .
The remaining 40 % is privately owned .
The state sometimes helps private owners clean up their dead trees and brush , but that hasn ’ t worked out that well over the decades .
Sacramento has only gotten serious about it in the last four years .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s geography lesson about forest ownership .
The Trump and Newsom administrations , however , did sign a pact last month to each clean up 500,000 acres of forestland annually for the next five years .
The state has been cleaning around 400,000 acres each year , and the U.S. Forest Service about 200,000 .
“ The president has been talking a lot about forest management , ” Wade Crowfoot , state secretary of natural resources , told me .
“ He talks about raking forests , exploding trees .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to walk the walk on investment .
They haven ’ t been doing enough forest management on their federal forests.
” Newsom asked Crowfoot to be respectful toward the president when they met , and he was — but with an edge .
“ We want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forests , ” Crowfoot told the president , who ’ s the nation ’ s leading climate change denier .
“ Because if we ignore that science and sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s all about vegetation management , we ’ re not going to succeed together protecting Californians.
” “ OK , it ’ ll start getting cooler , ” the president replied .
“ You just watch.
” On “ getting cooler , ” one would hope that the president was merely referring to the changing seasons — it ’ s practically fall and pretty soon it ’ ll be winter .
But unfortunately , that ’ s not likely .
“ It was surreal , ” Crowfoot says of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was pretty stunned.
” It was another example of Trump fantasy .
Newsom pointed out to reporters Wednesday that the average summer temperature in California has increased from 71 degrees to 74 degrees over the last 40 years .
“ There are no Democratic thermometers and no Republican thermometers , ” the governor said .
“ If ever there was any doubt about climate change , just look ” at current burning in coastal redwoods , which previously have been fire-resistant .
There ’ s less moisture among the ancient big trees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ obviously feel very strongly that the hots are getting hotter , the dries are getting drier , When we ’ re having heat … the likes we ’ ve never seen in our history … the ferocity of these fires , the drought , five-plus years losing 163 million trees to that drought — something has happened to the plumbing of the world .
“ And we come from a perspective , humbly , where we submit the science is in and observed evidence is self-evident that climate change is real and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s an area of , at least , commonality on vegetation and forest management .
But please respect — and I know you do — the difference of opinion out here as it relates to the fundamental issue of climate change.
” It wasn ’ t exactly kissing the president ’ s ring .
Call it schmoozing while making a point .
Actually , I think it ’ s time for the governor to start blaming mismanagement of the forests as much as climate change for these horrendous wildfires .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real and people around the globe need to slow it .
California can be a role model , but we can ’ t lower the planet ’ s thermometer ourselves — it ’ s beyond the state ’ s reach .
We do have the ability , however , to better cope with climate change in our forests by managing them better .
I called Scott Stephens , a UC Berkeley fire science professor and asked how much climate change was to blame for our wildfires .
“ Less than 50 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third.
” “ We have to start thinking about adaptation and not just prevention of climate change , ” says Ann Veneman , who grew up on a Stanislaus County peach farm and became U.S. secretary of Agriculture , the first and only woman to hold that post .
She was appointed by President George W. Bush .
“ Because climate change is here .
It used to be people didn ’ t want to talk about adaptation.
” Another message to California Democrats : Invest billions more in adapting our forests to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploding .

President Trump listens to Gov. Gavin Newsom during a wildfire briefing in Sacramento on Monday.
Message to Democrats: Just because President Trump says it, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong.
Yes, our president habitually fantasizes, distorts and lies. But to borrow an old cliché, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
One important example: Trump’s widely ridiculed comment that California needs to “rake the floor” of its forests better.
Advertisement
“When trees fall down … they become dry — really like a matchstick — and they can explode,” he said Monday as he met with Gov. Gavin Newsom and California officials for a briefing on our devastating wildfires.
“Also leaves. When you have dried leaves on the ground, it’s just fuel for the fires.”
He couldn’t be more correct, of course. Dried-out dead trees can explode. And forest floors do need to be cleaned. Fires start there and climb into the smaller trees, then ladder up to the big timber and soon there’s a roaring blaze.
What Trump never acknowledges, however, is that it’s his duty to be the raker-in-chief.
As Newsom gently pointed out to the president, the federal government owns 57% of California’s 33 million acres of forests — including practically the entire Sierra. The state and local governments own only 3%. The remaining 40% is privately owned.
The state sometimes helps private owners clean up their dead trees and brush, but that hasn’t worked out that well over the decades. Sacramento has only gotten serious about it in the last four years.
Advertisement
Trump didn’t really respond to Newsom’s geography lesson about forest ownership.
The Trump and Newsom administrations, however, did sign a pact last month to each clean up 500,000 acres of forestland annually for the next five years. The state has been cleaning around 400,000 acres each year, and the U.S. Forest Service about 200,000.
“The president has been talking a lot about forest management,” Wade Crowfoot, state secretary of natural resources, told me. “He talks about raking forests, exploding trees. He’s talking the talk, but he has to walk the walk on investment. They haven’t been doing enough forest management on their federal forests.”
Newsom asked Crowfoot to be respectful toward the president when they met, and he was — but with an edge.
“We want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forests,” Crowfoot told the president, who’s the nation’s leading climate change denier.
“Because if we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together protecting Californians.”
That provoked a classic Trumpism.
“OK, it’ll start getting cooler,” the president replied. “You just watch.”
Crowfoot: “I wish science agreed with you.”
Trump: “Well, I don’t think science knows, actually.”
On “getting cooler,” one would hope that the president was merely referring to the changing seasons — it’s practically fall and pretty soon it’ll be winter. But unfortunately, that’s not likely.
“It was surreal,” Crowfoot says of the president’s remarks. “I was pretty stunned.”
It was another example of Trump fantasy.
Newsom pointed out to reporters Wednesday that the average summer temperature in California has increased from 71 degrees to 74 degrees over the last 40 years.
“There are no Democratic thermometers and no Republican thermometers,” the governor said. “If ever there was any doubt about climate change, just look” at current burning in coastal redwoods, which previously have been fire-resistant. There’s less moisture among the ancient big trees.
Newsom told Trump deferentially: “We obviously feel very strongly that the hots are getting hotter, the dries are getting drier, When we’re having heat … the likes we’ve never seen in our history … the ferocity of these fires, the drought, five-plus years losing 163 million trees to that drought — something has happened to the plumbing of the world.
“And we come from a perspective, humbly, where we submit the science is in and observed evidence is self-evident that climate change is real and that is exacerbating this.
“I think there’s an area of, at least, commonality on vegetation and forest management. But please respect — and I know you do — the difference of opinion out here as it relates to the fundamental issue of climate change.”
Trump’s one-word answer: “Absolutely.”
It wasn’t exactly kissing the president’s ring. Call it schmoozing while making a point.
Actually, I think it’s time for the governor to start blaming mismanagement of the forests as much as climate change for these horrendous wildfires. Most of us understand that global warming is real and people around the globe need to slow it. California can be a role model, but we can’t lower the planet’s thermometer ourselves — it’s beyond the state’s reach.
We do have the ability, however, to better cope with climate change in our forests by managing them better.
I called Scott Stephens, a UC Berkeley fire science professor and asked how much climate change was to blame for our wildfires.
“Less than 50%,” he said. “Maybe a third.”
“We have to start thinking about adaptation and not just prevention of climate change,” says Ann Veneman, who grew up on a Stanislaus County peach farm and became U.S. secretary of Agriculture, the first and only woman to hold that post. She was appointed by President George W. Bush.
“Because climate change is here. It used to be people didn’t want to talk about adaptation.”
Another message to California Democrats: Invest billions more in adapting our forests to climate change and keeping dead trees from exploding.


latimes--2020-09-17--Orange County reports its first West Nile virus death this year

In the midst the COVID-19 pandemic and with the flu season around the corner , Orange County Health Care Agency officials Wednesday announced the county ’ s first fatality from the West Nile virus this year .
That virus is the main cause of mosquito-related disease in the nation , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and is usually spread by the “ bite of an infected mosquito.
” Orange County officials did not release the name or age of the individual who died .
What is known is that the deceased was an older man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to an infection .
His case is one of five known symptomatic infections this year , according to county health officials .
There is also one asymptomatic case , increasing the county ’ s total to six individuals , which is only one shy of last year ’ s total .
Half of the cases involve individuals 50 or older .
They , along with individuals with preexisting health concerns , are at the greatest risk of serious complications .
Of the five symptomatic cases , four individuals ultimately needed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neuroinvasive disease , which includes symptoms such as severe headaches , neck stiffness , confusion , muscle weakness , vision loss and even the rare paralysis .
Three others suffered the West Nile virus fever , which beyond its namesake has symptoms including head and body aches , nausea , fatigue and occasionally a skin rash .
Orange County ’ s first case of the virus was reported in early August when a child was hospitalized .
What makes the West Nile virus difficult to track is that about 80 % of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have symptoms never get tested .
Orange County health officials believe the number of actual cases is significantly higher than what is tested .
Last year , the county reported seven infections and one death .
“ West Nile virus is endemic in Orange County , recurring every year during the summer months and continuing into the fall , ” said Dr. Clayton Chau , acting county health officer , in a statement earlier this summer .
“ The best way to avoid West Nile virus infection is to take precautionary measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendations include emptying all standing water on a property , making sure windows and door screens are properly sealed , using insect repellent , limiting outdoor activity at dawn or dusk , and wearing long sleeves and pants while outdoors .
Last week , Orange County ’ s Mosquito and Vector Control District sprayed parts of La Habra with Wide Area Larvicide Spray , or WALS , along with Ultra-Low Volume , or ULV adulticide treatment .
According to the department , the action was needed “ to address the increase in mosquito @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city .
Fullerton and Buena Park also received treatments in August .

West Nile virus is usually transmitted to humans from a bite by an infected mosquito.
In the midst the COVID-19 pandemic and with the flu season around the corner, Orange County Health Care Agency officials Wednesday announced the county’s first fatality from the West Nile virus this year.
That virus is the main cause of mosquito-related disease in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is usually spread by the “bite of an infected mosquito.”
Orange County officials did not release the name or age of the individual who died. What is known is that the deceased was an older man from Garden Grove who died from complications due to an infection.
His case is one of five known symptomatic infections this year, according to county health officials. There is also one asymptomatic case, increasing the county’s total to six individuals, which is only one shy of last year’s total.
Half of the cases involve individuals 50 or older. They, along with individuals with preexisting health concerns, are at the greatest risk of serious complications.
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Of the five symptomatic cases, four individuals ultimately needed to be hospitalized. Two suffered from the stronger neuroinvasive disease, which includes symptoms such as severe headaches, neck stiffness, confusion, muscle weakness, vision loss and even the rare paralysis.
Health officials recommend that anyone experiencing similar conditions seek medical care.
Three others suffered the West Nile virus fever, which beyond its namesake has symptoms including head and body aches, nausea, fatigue and occasionally a skin rash.
Orange County’s first case of the virus was reported in early August when a child was hospitalized.
What makes the West Nile virus difficult to track is that about 80% of people are asymptomatic, while many who do have symptoms never get tested. Orange County health officials believe the number of actual cases is significantly higher than what is tested.
Last year, the county reported seven infections and one death.
“West Nile virus is endemic in Orange County, recurring every year during the summer months and continuing into the fall,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, acting county health officer, in a statement earlier this summer. “The best way to avoid West Nile virus infection is to take precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites.”
Some of the recommendations include emptying all standing water on a property, making sure windows and door screens are properly sealed, using insect repellent, limiting outdoor activity at dawn or dusk, and wearing long sleeves and pants while outdoors.
Last week, Orange County’s Mosquito and Vector Control District sprayed parts of La Habra with Wide Area Larvicide Spray, or WALS, along with Ultra-Low Volume, or ULV adulticide treatment. According to the department, the action was needed “to address the increase in mosquito abundance and risk of mosquito-borne disease” in the city.
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Fullerton and Buena Park also received treatments in August.


latimes--2020-09-17--New poll finds shaky support for Proposition 16 to restore affirmative action in California

A new poll shows weak support for a statewide ballot measure that would reinstate affirmation action programs in California and repeal a decades-old ban on preferential treatment by public colleges and other government agencies based on race , ethnicity or sex .
The Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday night found that just 31 % of likely California voters surveyed said they would vote for the proposal , Proposition 16 , while 47 % said they oppose it .
The remainder , 22 % , were undecided .
The poll provides a clear warning sign about the prospects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the Nov. 3 election and evidence that supporters have a lot of work to do before vote-by-mail ballots starting going out in early October , said Mark Baldassare , PPIC ’ s president and chief executive .
“ Some explaining needs to be done if the proponents have any hopes of seeing this passed in November , ” Baldassare said .
“ People are hearing about this for the first time , not knowing where it came from , what it does , who is for it , who is against it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legislature placed on the ballot in June , is a proposed amendment to the California Constitution that would repeal Proposition 209 , a highly controversial measure approved by voters 24 years ago .
The 1996 measure , supported by then-Gov .
Pete Wilson and championed by then-University of California Regent Ward Connerly , sharply divided Californians when it appeared on the ballot and has been a political flashpoint in the state ever since .
It prohibited government bodies — including the UC and California State University systems — from granting preferential treatment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sex , color , ethnicity or national origin in public college admissions and government employment and contracting decisions .
According to the PPIC poll , Latino likely voters were evenly split over to whether to reinstate government affirmative action programs under Proposition 16 — with 41 % being in favor and an equal percentage opposed .
Among white voters , 51 % said they opposed the proposition , compared with 26 % who favored it .
The poll did not provide a detailed breakdown of responses by race , but among those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 40 % supported the measure and 38 % opposed it — within the poll ’ s margin of error .
Republicans overwhelmingly opposed Proposition 15 — 72 % .
While a plurality of Democrats , 47 % , supported the measure , a slim majority were opposed or undecided .
Baldassare suspects that many California voters are unaware of the history of the issue in California as well as the intent of the proposition .
“ It seems many people might need a history lesson on Proposition 209 passing in 1996 … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
A UC Berkeley study released in August found that California ’ s ban on affirmative action significantly harmed Black and Latino students by reducing their enrollment at UC campuses as well as lowering their graduation rates and driving down wages when they entered the workforce .
In June , the UC Board of Regents unanimously supported a repeal of Proposition 209 .

Two students walk back to their dorms with takeout breakfast from a dining hall at Cal State Fullerton last month.
A new poll shows weak support for a statewide ballot measure that would reinstate affirmation action programs in California and repeal a decades-old ban on preferential treatment by public colleges and other government agencies based on race, ethnicity or sex.
The Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday night found that just 31% of likely California voters surveyed said they would vote for the proposal, Proposition 16, while 47% said they oppose it. The remainder, 22%, were undecided.
The poll provides a clear warning sign about the prospects of the proposition less than seven weeks before the Nov. 3 election and evidence that supporters have a lot of work to do before vote-by-mail ballots starting going out in early October, said Mark Baldassare, PPIC’s president and chief executive.
“Some explaining needs to be done if the proponents have any hopes of seeing this passed in November,” Baldassare said. “People are hearing about this for the first time, not knowing where it came from, what it does, who is for it, who is against it.”
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The ballot measure, which the Legislature placed on the ballot in June, is a proposed amendment to the California Constitution that would repeal Proposition 209, a highly controversial measure approved by voters 24 years ago.
The 1996 measure, supported by then-Gov. Pete Wilson and championed by then-University of California Regent Ward Connerly, sharply divided Californians when it appeared on the ballot and has been a political flashpoint in the state ever since. It prohibited government bodies — including the UC and California State University systems — from granting preferential treatment to any individual or group based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in public college admissions and government employment and contracting decisions.
According to the PPIC poll, Latino likely voters were evenly split over to whether to reinstate government affirmative action programs under Proposition 16 — with 41% being in favor and an equal percentage opposed. Among white voters, 51% said they opposed the proposition, compared with 26% who favored it.
The poll did not provide a detailed breakdown of responses by race, but among those respondents who were neither white nor Latino, 40% supported the measure and 38% opposed it — within the poll’s margin of error.
Republicans overwhelmingly opposed Proposition 15 — 72%. While a plurality of Democrats, 47%, supported the measure, a slim majority were opposed or undecided.
Baldassare suspects that many California voters are unaware of the history of the issue in California as well as the intent of the proposition.
“It seems many people might need a history lesson on Proposition 209 passing in 1996 … and some clarity on what it does,” he said.
A UC Berkeley study released in August found that California’s ban on affirmative action significantly harmed Black and Latino students by reducing their enrollment at UC campuses as well as lowering their graduation rates and driving down wages when they entered the workforce. In June, the UC Board of Regents unanimously supported a repeal of Proposition 209.


latimes--2020-09-16--Beverly Hills police arrest 44 in bust of unemployment fraud schemes

Citing an epidemic of fraud involving California ’ s unemployment benefits system , the Beverly Hills Police Department said Wednesday that it has arrested 44 people and confiscated 129 fraudulently obtained debit cards potentially worth more than $ 2.5 million in benefits issued by the state Employment Development Department .
The arrests have been made since Sept. 3 , after suspects with fraudulently obtained cards have visited Beverly Hills stores , restaurants and other businesses to make purchases , according to a department statement .
More than $ 289,000 in U.S. currency and seven handguns have also been seized .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ being spent fraudulently as a result of this trend , ” Police Chief Dominick Rivetti said in a statement .
“ The Beverly Hills Police Department is also working closely with our business community to keep them well-informed of this trend in an effort to mitigate these crimes within our city.
” The investigation began after police officers learned that people were using stolen identities to obtain EDD benefits loaded onto debit cards issued by the state agency .
The alleged fraud was discovered when cards were found during arrests for other crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Information posted on social media by suspects also helped investigators track down fraudulently obtained cards , but the arrests involve individuals and not a fraud ring , according to Lt. Max Subin .
Each card seized can have up to $ 20,000 in unemployment benefits on it , although Beverly Hills investigators say they can not access the cards to see how much the accounts contain .
“ They will then use the cards to lease short-term rentals , rent luxury vehicles , dine at restaurants and purchase high-end merchandise , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of those arrested or investigated were driving rental cars including a Bentley SUV , BMW , Mercedes Benz and Lamborghini , but the investigation is continuing to determine whether EDD funds were used to rent the vehicles .
Many of the suspects traveled from out of state to California to fraudulently obtain the EDD cards , officials said .
“ It ’ s an epidemic that is occurring in all of the communities around us , ” Subin said in an interview , adding that cases have also been found in West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police investigators met with counterparts from the Los Angeles Police Department , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department , California Highway Patrol , the United States Secret Service , U.S Postal Inspector ’ s Office and U.S. Department of Labor to discuss a joint response .
The announcement of the arrests comes as dozens of people in California , Florida and elsewhere have reported receiving large numbers of EDD letters , many including debit cards , addressed to their home but in the names of people they do not know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been awarded benefits for which they did not apply .
Last month , authorities in San Mateo County alleged 21 people in Northern California were part of a fraud ring that stole $ 250,000 by submitting bogus claims on behalf of jail inmates .
The EDD has issued a public warning of potential fraud , but did not immediately return a call late Wednesday for comment on the Beverly Hills arrests .
Since the pandemic shutdown began in March , the EDD has paid out more than $ 81.8 billion in unemployment benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last week 5.1 million Californians were paid benefits .
The escalating issue with fraud has arisen as many unemployed Californians say they are legitimately entitled to benefits but have not been able to secure them because of computer glitches and red tape .
On Wednesday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said a report is due in a few days from a strike team he appointed to overhaul the EDD .
“ That report is all but done , ” Newsom told reporters , adding that it will be released after he sees a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to do with these recommendations — the short-term , medium , and long-term recommendations .
”

Citing an epidemic of fraud involving California’s unemployment benefits system, the Beverly Hills Police Department said Wednesday that it has arrested 44 people and confiscated 129 fraudulently obtained debit cards potentially worth more than $2.5 million in benefits issued by the state Employment Development Department.
The arrests have been made since Sept. 3, after suspects with fraudulently obtained cards visited Beverly Hills stores, restaurants and other businesses to make purchases, according to a department statement.
More than $289,000 in U.S. currency and seven handguns have also been seized.
“There are millions of tax dollars being spent fraudulently as a result of this trend,” Police Chief Dominick Rivetti said in a statement. “The Beverly Hills Police Department is also working closely with our business community to keep them well-informed of this trend in an effort to mitigate these crimes within our city.”
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The investigation began after police officers learned that people were using stolen identities to obtain EDD benefits loaded onto debit cards issued by the state agency. The alleged fraud was discovered when cards were found during arrests for other crimes and during stops for vehicle code violations.
Information posted on social media by suspects also helped investigators track down fraudulently obtained cards, but the arrests involve individuals and not a fraud ring, Lt. Max Subin said.
Each card seized can have up to $20,000 in unemployment benefits on it, although Beverly Hills investigators say they cannot access the cards to see how much the accounts contain.
“They will then use the cards to lease short-term rentals, rent luxury vehicles, dine at restaurants and purchase high-end merchandise,” the department‘s statement said.
Some of those arrested or investigated were driving rental cars including a Bentley SUV, a BMW, a Mercedes-Benz and a Lamborghini, but the investigation is continuing to determine whether EDD funds were used to rent the vehicles.
Many of the suspects traveled from out of state to California to fraudulently obtain the EDD cards, officials said.
“It’s an epidemic that is occurring in all of the communities around us,” Subin said in an interview, adding that cases have also been found in West Hollywood.
On Wednesday, Beverly Hills police investigators met with counterparts from the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, United States Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Department of Labor to discuss a joint response.
The announcement of the arrests comes as dozens of people in California, Florida and elsewhere have reported receiving large numbers of EDD letters, many including debit cards, addressed to their home but in the names of people they do not know, while others have been notified they have been awarded benefits for which they did not apply.
Last month, authorities in San Mateo County alleged 21 people in Northern California were part of a fraud ring that stole $250,000 by submitting bogus claims on behalf of jail inmates.
The EDD said Thursday that it is making “aggressive efforts” to combat suspected fraud and that its investigators have contributed to the arrests of 34 people since the beginning of August, in addition to those busted in Beverly Hills.
“More arrests related to fraudulent benefits in the state are expected,” the agency said in a statement.
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EDD officials said suspicions were raised when, between mid-August and the first week of September, a program for gig workers, independent contractors and others had claims double to more than 524,000 — far surpassing levels when the new federal program first launched in April.
“The EDD took action to shut down automatic backdating in the PUA [Pandemic Unemployment Assistance] program to prevent suspected scammers from capitalizing on earlier months of additional stimulus payments,” the agency said, adding that applications for that program dropped to 145,790 last week, a 72% decrease.
Since the pandemic shutdown began in March, the EDD has paid out more than $81.8 billion in unemployment benefits after processing some 12.6 million claims. Last week 5.1 million Californians were paid benefits.
The escalating issue with fraud has arisen as many unemployed Californians say they are legitimately entitled to benefits but have not been able to secure them because of computer glitches and red tape.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said a report is due in a few days from a strike team he appointed to overhaul the EDD.
“That report is all but done,” Newsom told reporters, adding that it will be released after he sees a “response from EDD, what they’re going to do with these recommendations — the short-term, medium and long-term recommendations.”


latimes--2020-09-16--Human bones discovered in Santa Ana spur homicide investigation, halt electric streetcar project

A homicide investigation is underway and work on Orange County ’ s first electric rail system has stopped after human bones were found Wednesday at a streetcar project worksite in Santa Ana .
Santa Ana Police Cpl .
Anthony Bertagna said his department received a call at 10:54 a.m. after the remains were found at a converted scrap yard that will serve as a streetcar maintenance station and storage facility .
The remains were unearthed on West 5th Street near a pair of future train stops .
After an archaeologist attached to the streetcar project identified the bones as human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Orange County coroner ’ s office confirmed the bones were human , and police declared the area a crime scene .
The coroner ’ s office is working with homicide investigators to determine whether foul play was involved .
“ The bones were found in a big hole and were probably located about six feet below the surface , ” said Bertagna , who added that he spotted a femur and a “ rib cage that ’ s still partially exposed.
” Bertagna could not confirm the age of the bones or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but said he believed the remains were those of an adult .
“ Nobody knows much about these bones and that ’ s why we ’ re investigating , ” Bertagna said , adding that homes used to be where the worksite is before it became a scrap yard .
The Orange County Transportation Authority , which oversees the streetcar project , purchased parcels of the scrap yard in 2018 and 2019 , said Eric Carpenter , a spokesman for the agency .
The scrap yard was remade into a maintenance and storage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streetcars and serve as a repair site .
The investigation has put a temporary hold on a project that broke ground in 2018 and has an estimated completion date of late 2022 , Carpenter said .
“ We don ’ t know at what point when we ’ ll be able to get back to work with the discovery , ” he said .
The 4.15-mile electric streetcar line is designed to run mostly through Santa Ana , beginning at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center and ending in Garden Grove near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Santa Ana police received a call Wednesday morning about human remains found at a former scrap yard where work is ongoing on a future Orange County streetcar maintenance facility.
A homicide investigation is underway and work on Orange County’s first electric rail system has stopped after human bones were found Wednesday at a streetcar project worksite in Santa Ana.
Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said his department received a call at 10:54 a.m. after the remains were found at a converted scrap yard that will serve as a streetcar maintenance station and storage facility.
The remains were unearthed on West 5th Street near a pair of future train stops.
After an archaeologist attached to the streetcar project identified the bones as human, workers notified Santa Ana police. The Orange County coroner’s office confirmed the bones were human, and police declared the area a crime scene.
The coroner’s office is working with homicide investigators to determine whether foul play was involved.
“The bones were found in a big hole and were probably located about six feet below the surface,” said Bertagna, who added that he spotted a femur and a “rib cage that’s still partially exposed.”
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Bertagna could not confirm the age of the bones or the sex of the person who died but said he believed the remains were those of an adult.
“Nobody knows much about these bones and that’s why we’re investigating,” Bertagna said, adding that homes used to be where the worksite is before it became a scrap yard.
The Orange County Transportation Authority, which oversees the streetcar project, purchased parcels of the scrap yard in 2018 and 2019, said Eric Carpenter, a spokesman for the agency.
The scrap yard was remade into a maintenance and storage facility center set to house two replacement streetcars and serve as a repair site.
The investigation has put a temporary hold on a project that broke ground in 2018 and has an estimated completion date of late 2022, Carpenter said.
“We don’t know at what point when we’ll be able to get back to work with the discovery,” he said.
The 4.15-mile electric streetcar line is designed to run mostly through Santa Ana, beginning at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center and ending in Garden Grove near the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue.