latimes--2020-07-15--News Analysis: As coronavirus surges, so do calls for rules from Gov. Newsom on schools reopening

Pressed by reporters to explain why California doesn ’ t have a statewide rule for when its 6 million schoolchildren can return to their classrooms , Gov .
Gavin Newsom insisted Monday that his administration had already offered detailed plans .
“ We ’ ve fortunately done just that , a number of months ago , ” Newsom said .
But the plan he appeared to reference , crafted in March , offered support for schools that had decided to close over coronavirus fears — not guidelines noting when to do so .
Nor are there any rules in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month that focus on school safety tips such as hand washing and physical distancing .
Now , with the number of COVID-19 cases steadily rising across California and less than three weeks to go before some school districts are poised to begin a new academic year , there are no statewide rules laying out the conditions under which schools can , or can not , open .
It ’ s a position even some of Newsom ’ s supporters say is no longer tenable .
“ I think the governor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Jeff Freitas , president of the California Federation of Teachers , citing Newsom ’ s reliance on local officials to make choices that fit their communities .
“ But the burden of making this decision has to rest on his shoulders.
” The California Department of Education ’ s guide for schools , updated last month , says the decision to open will be made by each of the state ’ s more than 1,000 school districts .
But after the summertime surge in coronavirus cases led to new state-imposed restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hands-off approach to schools has been puzzling .
“ If indoor activity is bad , why allow any — especially indoor classrooms ?
” state Sen. Steve Glazer ( D-Orinda ) asked Monday in a Twitter post .
Newsom hinted Monday at soon-to-be-announced limits on school activities but deflected when asked about the lack of a clear statewide standard for in-person attendance .
“ He has allowed local agencies to make the decision , ” Freitas said .
“ But I think he needs to change his thinking on this.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the onset of the pandemic .
He has often expressed empathy , sharing stories of how his four children suffered from anxiety caused by being away from friends and their school-day routines .
As the weeks dragged on , he focused on the state ’ s need to provide financial help for remote learning and student nutrition — though the state budget he proposed in May in response to the collapse in tax revenue would have slashed school spending by some $ 15 billion .
Legislators rejected the plan , choosing instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounts to a long-term borrowing plan .
Along the way , the governor has won praise for calling out the need to close the learning gap created by remote schooling for students in California ’ s poorest families .
He has said those issues may continue if kids are not sent back to campus .
But Newsom has consistently refused to create a statewide standard for schools based on metrics similar to those used in his decision this week to throttle back the state ’ s reopening process and force communities to shutter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has emphasized that the decision to reopen schools isn ’ t his to make .
“ All of these things need to be managed at the local level with the foundational framework of keeping our kids and our teachers healthy and safe , ” he said July 8 .
That same day , one of Newsom ’ s powerful political allies suggested local officials weren ’ t up to the task .
“ The recent surge in the infection rate and the closure of indoor activities in 26 counties gives us pause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe in-person school instruction in a short six- to eight-week time frame , ” wrote leaders of the California Teachers Assn .
to Newsom and legislative leaders .
The three-page letter amounted to a vote of no-confidence in local decision making .
The association ’ s leaders demanded “ consistent ” public health standards and “ uniform ” protocols .
“ Simply said , California can not reopen schools unless they are safe , ” the educators wrote .
As the start of the new school year approaches , tensions have mounted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , clashing over the potential impact of closing or reopening campuses on students with special needs , parents who can ’ t work from home and teachers afraid of the risks for their own families from increased exposure .
Conflicting local decisions haven ’ t helped .
On Monday , leaders of the Los Angeles Unified School District announced the school year will begin next month with distance learning for all of its 734,000 students .
Hours later , the Orange County Board of Education did just the opposite , voting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no requirement that students or staff wear protective masks .
The only obvious difference between the two communities is political .
The Times ’ coronavirus tracker shows that Orange County has 383 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents — slightly outpacing L.A. County ’ s 353 cases per 100,000 residents .
Newsom applauded the leaders of LAUSD and San Diego schools for their decisions to begin the school year with distance learning .
But the governor again carefully avoided giving any impression that he was endorsing the choices that were made , saying instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ recognizing their responsibility at this moment.
” Those with a predisposition to criticize the Democratic governor have pounced .
Jessica Millan Patterson , chairwoman of the California Republican Party , jabbed Newsom on Monday by saying that his “ lack of direction on opening schools will further harm California ’ s schoolchildren.
” “ His failure to accept responsibility and provide direction to help our state navigate this crisis shows how he clearly is not the leader California needs , ” Patterson wrote on social media .
Not all Democratic governors have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Gov .
Mario Cuomo laid out detailed rules Monday for deciding whether schools will open , using average infection rates over a 14-day period as a measuring stick and requiring schools to close their doors if the rates spike too high .
“ We are not going to use our children as a litmus test , ” Cuomo said during a livestreamed event .
“ We ’ re not going to put children in a place where their health is in danger.
” Meanwhile , the Trump administration could demand a statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already banked on : a substantial new round of coronavirus relief , totaling at least $ 14 billion in the state budget Newsom signed last month .
“ I think the president would be willing to consider additional funding for state and local governments if the schools do reopen , ” Larry Kudlow , the president ’ s economic advisor , said in an interview on the Fox News Channel .
Some local school districts in California have felt pressure to reopen their campuses , citing language tucked inside the state budget mandating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legislature later argued that it would be superseded by a public health order .
But they have also wondered why Newsom isn ’ t offering a more definitive path forward .
Maybe a plan is coming .
Or maybe not .
The governor labored over the issue in an exchange with a reporter Monday , jumping back and forth in an answer that lasted more than two minutes .
He pointed out the “ bottom-up ” governance structure of schools but assured he is “ well aware of my responsibilities , ” while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique and distinctive.
” “ The dynamic nature of the spread of this virus , ” Newsom said , “ means you ’ ll be hearing a lot more in the next few days , and presumably weeks , as we get closer to the opening of the school year .
”

Pressed by reporters to explain why California doesn’t have a statewide rule for when its 6 million schoolchildren can return to their classrooms, Gov. Gavin Newsom insisted Monday that his administration had already offered detailed plans.
“We’ve fortunately done just that, a number of months ago,” Newsom said.
But the plan he appeared to reference, crafted in March, offered support for schools that had decided to close over coronavirus fears — not guidelines noting when to do so. Nor are there any rules in a state Department of Public Health document released last month that focus on school safety tips such as hand washing and physical distancing.
Now, with the number of COVID-19 cases steadily rising across California and less than three weeks to go before some school districts are poised to begin a new academic year, there are no statewide rules laying out the conditions under which schools can, or cannot, open.
It’s a position even some of Newsom’s supporters say is no longer tenable.
“I think the governor’s heart is in the right place,” said Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, citing Newsom’s reliance on local officials to make choices that fit their communities. “But the burden of making this decision has to rest on his shoulders.”
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The California Department of Education’s guide for schools, updated last month, says the decision to open will be made by each of the state’s more than 1,000 school districts. But after the summertime surge in coronavirus cases led to new state-imposed restrictions on businesses and indoor activities, Newsom’s hands-off approach to schools has been puzzling.
“If indoor activity is bad, why allow any — especially indoor classrooms?” state Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) asked Monday in a Twitter post.
Newsom hinted Monday at soon-to-be-announced limits on school activities but deflected when asked about the lack of a clear statewide standard for in-person attendance.
“He has allowed local agencies to make the decision,” Freitas said. “But I think he needs to change his thinking on this.”
The dilemma over schools has dogged Newsom since the onset of the pandemic. He has often expressed empathy, sharing stories of how his four children suffered from anxiety caused by being away from friends and their school-day routines. As the weeks dragged on, he focused on the state’s need to provide financial help for remote learning and student nutrition — though the state budget he proposed in May in response to the collapse in tax revenue would have slashed school spending by some $15 billion. Legislators rejected the plan, choosing instead to prop up K-12 operations through what amounts to a long-term borrowing plan.
Along the way, the governor has won praise for calling out the need to close the learning gap created by remote schooling for students in California’s poorest families. He has said those issues may continue if kids are not sent back to campus.
But Newsom has consistently refused to create a statewide standard for schools based on metrics similar to those used in his decision this week to throttle back the state’s reopening process and force communities to shutter a variety of services. Instead, he has emphasized that the decision to reopen schools isn’t his to make.
“All of these things need to be managed at the local level with the foundational framework of keeping our kids and our teachers healthy and safe,” he said July 8.
That same day, one of Newsom’s powerful political allies suggested local officials weren’t up to the task.
“The recent surge in the infection rate and the closure of indoor activities in 26 counties gives us pause around the state’s preparedness for safe in-person school instruction in a short six- to eight-week time frame,” wrote leaders of the California Teachers Assn. to Newsom and legislative leaders.
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The three-page letter amounted to a vote of no-confidence in local decision making. The association’s leaders demanded “consistent” public health standards and “uniform” protocols.
“Simply said, California cannot reopen schools unless they are safe,” the educators wrote.
As the start of the new school year approaches, tensions have mounted. Parents and teachers have quarreled on social media, clashing over the potential impact of closing or reopening campuses on students with special needs, parents who can’t work from home and teachers afraid of the risks for their own families from increased exposure.
Conflicting local decisions haven’t helped. On Monday, leaders of the Los Angeles Unified School District announced the school year will begin next month with distance learning for all of its 734,000 students. Hours later, the Orange County Board of Education did just the opposite, voting to allow local schools to open classrooms with no requirement that students or staff wear protective masks.
The only obvious difference between the two communities is political. The Times’ coronavirus tracker shows that Orange County has 383 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents — slightly outpacing L.A. County’s 353 cases per 100,000 residents.
Newsom applauded the leaders of LAUSD and San Diego schools for their decisions to begin the school year with distance learning. But the governor again carefully avoided giving any impression that he was endorsing the choices that were made, saying instead that the schools’ leaders were rightly “recognizing their responsibility at this moment.”
Those with a predisposition to criticize the Democratic governor have pounced. Jessica Millan Patterson, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, jabbed Newsom on Monday by saying that his “lack of direction on opening schools will further harm California’s schoolchildren.”
“His failure to accept responsibility and provide direction to help our state navigate this crisis shows how he clearly is not the leader California needs,” Patterson wrote on social media.
Not all Democratic governors have chosen Newsom’s path. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out detailed rules Monday for deciding whether schools will open, using average infection rates over a 14-day period as a measuring stick and requiring schools to close their doors if the rates spike too high.
“We are not going to use our children as a litmus test,” Cuomo said during a livestreamed event. “We’re not going to put children in a place where their health is in danger.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration could demand a statewide standard in exchange for something California has already banked on: a substantial new round of coronavirus relief, totaling at least $14 billion in the state budget Newsom signed last month.
“I think the president would be willing to consider additional funding for state and local governments if the schools do reopen,” Larry Kudlow, the president’s economic advisor, said in an interview on the Fox News Channel.
Some local school districts in California have felt pressure to reopen their campuses, citing language tucked inside the state budget mandating in-person schooling, though members of the Legislature later argued that it would be superseded by a public health order.
But they have also wondered why Newsom isn’t offering a more definitive path forward. Maybe a plan is coming. Or maybe not.
The governor labored over the issue in an exchange with a reporter Monday, jumping back and forth in an answer that lasted more than two minutes. He pointed out the “bottom-up” governance structure of schools but assured he is “well aware of my responsibilities,” while later noting that school districts are “unique and distinctive.”
“The dynamic nature of the spread of this virus,” Newsom said, “means you’ll be hearing a lot more in the next few days, and presumably weeks, as we get closer to the opening of the school year.”


latimes--2020-07-15--Back to school in Orange County without masks and social distancing? Many call that reckless

Recommendations approved by the Orange County Board of Education to welcome students back to campuses without increased social distancing in classrooms or the mandatory use of masks were met with a fierce backlash from educators and parents Tuesday , highlighting the larger divide in the county over the use of face coverings and other coronavirus protections .
How to reopen schools has become a major political battle , with President Trump pushing educators to get kids back into the classroom despite a surge of new COVID-19 cases and concerns that in-person instruction is simply not safe .
Los Angeles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other communities in California are putting off reopening plans , citing the coronavirus spike and a lack of testing and contract tracing .
The debate in Orange County has been different .
A majority of the conservative-leaning board said Monday they believe students would be best served returning to school in the fall , in part because they contend data has shown school-age students are not at great risk of contracting COVID-19 .
Their guidelines — which call for daily temperature checks , frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , offices and transportation vehicles , among other measures — oppose guidelines recently issued by the Orange County Department of Education .
Some school officials are already saying they don ’ t intend to go along .
“ It is , frankly , politically driven , ” Ocean View School District Board President Gina Clayton-Tarvin said of the board ’ s action .
“ It ’ s reckless and it ’ s causing undue fear among teachers , students and parents alike , for no other reason than to wind people up.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harley Rouda ( D-Laguna Beach ) and Rep. Katie Porter ( D-Irvine ) , penned a letter to the board Tuesday in response to their recommendations , saying they were “ deeply concerned ” by the officials ’ decision not to address the health threats that COVID-19 poses to the community .
County health officials Tuesday reported 865 new coronavirus infections , sending the total number of cases countywide past 26,000 .
Officials also reported nine more fatalities , bringing the county ’ s death toll to 433 .
The county also reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 712 people being treated in hospitals for COVID-19 .
“ Last night ’ s board meeting highlighted the worries held by parents about their children ’ s sense of normalcy and emotional health , ” they wrote .
“ Just as valid are the concerns for children ’ s , teachers ’ and staff ’ s physical health.
” The debate over school reopenings marks the latest fight in a series of battles that have raged in the county over how much the coronavirus pandemic should shape public policy .
In recent months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotbed of opposition to mandatory mask rules in public places .
The county Board of Education ’ s recommendations , outlined in a white paper , attempted to cast doubt on the necessity of wearing masks and social distancing among students .
Health experts widely say masks are critical to slowing the spread of the virus .
Some residents , however , applauded the board ’ s action and urged other elected officials to take a similar stance .
On Tuesday , more than 80 speakers packed the county Board of Supervisors meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what they believe are unfair and increasingly restrictive government mandates handed down by Sacramento .
“ We here in Orange County are the heart of the resistance .
We need to stand up .
We need to show these people that we are not afraid , ” Andi Goud said .
Others say they often will choose to wear masks and adhere to other government regulations , but want Orange County residents to be able to decide for themselves what is best .
“ Why do people try to impose their beliefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what we need health-wise and if we want to wear something or not wear something , that ’ s our business , ” said Larry Castillo .
The idea of local choice was also present in the emerging debate over education as districts across the county begin cementing their plans for how and when to resume in-person classes .
Clayton-Tarvin said her school district , which serves a portion of Huntington Beach , is not interested in adopting the recommendations of the County Board of Education , which officials have noted has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , district officials plan to reopen an online academy for families who wish to commit to a year of distance learning .
Others will be brought into smaller classes , with guidelines in place , where they will learn in distanced plexiglass safety corrals , Clayton-Tarvin said .
Leaders at Santa Ana Unified School District said Tuesday that that they have decided to pivot entirely to a virtual education model in the fall as the number of COVID-19 cases across the region continues to climb .
“ During these challenging times , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be our top priority .
While we hope at some point to have our students attend our schools alongside their classmates and teachers , now is not the time , ” said Supt .
Jerry Almendarez .
“ Meanwhile , we are working to develop a rigorous distance learning plan that will allow students to continue their education at home.
” Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials were expected to vote Tuesday night about how to tackle educating students starting next month .
Officials are presenting plans for elementary students to return to campuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place or attend a virtual academy , said Board President Martha Fluor .
Fluor noted that the district does not take direction from the Orange County Board of Education and instead looks to the California Department of Health , the Orange County Department of Education and the California Department of Education for advice about reopening its schools .
“ For us , we take the health and safety of our students and staff very seriously , ” she said .
Dan Cooper , a professor of pediatrics and UC Irvine ’ s associate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the idea of students returning to schools where their environment can be strictly controlled is not necessarily a bad one , as long as certain safety measures are in place .
He points to the examples of businesses going underground during the state lockdown , when barbers and hair stylists would go to people ’ s homes or open up their own homes to take in customers .
If schools were to stay closed , many parents forced to work may turn to private childcare for their kids — and such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety guidelines , he said .
“ My question is : Wouldn ’ t you rather have the kids go to school where the child has the chance to learn about regular social distancing , pick up healthy habits and be in a situation where there are stringent rules about how to stay safe ?
” he said .
“ You can regularly emphasize hand washing and sanitary standards .
You make games out of it .
You wear masks , you put superheroes on it.
” With many schools set to resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students will return to classrooms has put some parents on edge .
“ What we know about online schooling is that it is ineffective , ” a speaker named Leigh said during Monday ’ s board meeting .
Board policy does not allow broadcasting of last names .
She and others said they worry about disadvantages plaguing children stuck at home , especially among low-income families who may not have access to educational materials online .
Others who tuned in to the virtual county board meeting questioned whether the elected officials would send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules governing face coverings and social distancing .
“ Yes , the statistics show that children are hardly affected now — but how do we know that won ’ t change ?
Nothing is for sure anymore , ” said Tracy Lewis of Anaheim .
“ When was the last time all of the people who said they welcome kids learning the normal way actually stepped foot on a campus at an assembly with hundreds of screaming kids ?
When one kid in your room comes down with the flu , other kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And this disease is even worse .
”

Recommendations approved by the Orange County Board of Education to welcome students back to campuses without increased social distancing in classrooms or the mandatory use of masks were met with a fierce backlash from educators and parents Tuesday, highlighting the larger divide in the county over the use of face coverings and other coronavirus protections.
How to reopen schools has become a major political battle, with President Trump pushing educators to get kids back into the classroom despite a surge of new COVID-19 cases and concerns that in-person instruction is simply not safe. Los Angeles, San Diego and a growing number of other communities in California are putting off reopening plans, citing the coronavirus spike and a lack of testing and contract tracing.
The debate in Orange County has been different.
A majority of the conservative-leaning board said Monday they believe students would be best served returning to school in the fall, in part because they contend data has shown school-age students are not at great risk of contracting COVID-19.
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Their guidelines — which call for daily temperature checks, frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer, in addition to the nightly disinfection of classrooms, offices and transportation vehicles, among other measures — oppose guidelines recently issued by the Orange County Department of Education.
Some school officials are already saying they don’t intend to go along.
“It is, frankly, politically driven,” Ocean View School District Board President Gina Clayton-Tarvin said of the board’s action. “It’s reckless and it’s causing undue fear among teachers, students and parents alike, for no other reason than to wind people up.”
Seven members of Congress, including Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Laguna Beach) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine), penned a letter to the board Tuesday in response to their recommendations, saying they were “deeply concerned” by the officials’ decision not to address the health threats that COVID-19 poses to the community.
County health officials Tuesday reported 865 new coronavirus infections, sending the total number of cases countywide past 26,000. Officials also reported nine more fatalities, bringing the county’s death toll to 433. The county also reached a new record in hospitalizations, with 712 people being treated in hospitals for COVID-19.
“Last night’s board meeting highlighted the worries held by parents about their children’s sense of normalcy and emotional health,” they wrote. “Just as valid are the concerns for children’s, teachers’ and staff’s physical health.”
Advertisement
The debate over school reopenings marks the latest fight in a series of battles that have raged in the county over how much the coronavirus pandemic should shape public policy. In recent months, Orange County has emerged as a hotbed of opposition to mandatory mask rules in public places.
The county Board of Education’s recommendations, outlined in a white paper, attempted to cast doubt on the necessity of wearing masks and social distancing among students. Health experts widely say masks are critical to slowing the spread of the virus.
Some residents, however, applauded the board’s action and urged other elected officials to take a similar stance. On Tuesday, more than 80 speakers packed the county Board of Supervisors meeting to rail against the use of masks and what they believe are unfair and increasingly restrictive government mandates handed down by Sacramento.
“We here in Orange County are the heart of the resistance. We need to stand up. We need to show these people that we are not afraid,” Andi Goud said.
Others say they often will choose to wear masks and adhere to other government regulations, but want Orange County residents to be able to decide for themselves what is best.
“Why do people try to impose their beliefs or their advice on us? We know what we need health-wise and if we want to wear something or not wear something, that’s our business,” said Larry Castillo.
The idea of local choice was also present in the emerging debate over education as districts across the county begin cementing their plans for how and when to resume in-person classes.
Clayton-Tarvin said her school district, which serves a portion of Huntington Beach, is not interested in adopting the recommendations of the County Board of Education, which officials have noted has no authority over local districts.
Instead, district officials plan to reopen an online academy for families who wish to commit to a year of distance learning. Others will be brought into smaller classes, with guidelines in place, where they will learn in distanced plexiglass safety corrals, Clayton-Tarvin said.
Leaders at Santa Ana Unified School District said Tuesday that that they have decided to pivot entirely to a virtual education model in the fall as the number of COVID-19 cases across the region continues to climb.
“During these challenging times, the safety of our school community continues to be our top priority. While we hope at some point to have our students attend our schools alongside their classmates and teachers, now is not the time,” said Supt. Jerry Almendarez. “Meanwhile, we are working to develop a rigorous distance learning plan that will allow students to continue their education at home.”
Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials were expected to vote Tuesday night about how to tackle educating students starting next month. Officials are presenting plans for elementary students to return to campuses full-time with certain social distancing measures in place or attend a virtual academy, said Board President Martha Fluor.
Fluor noted that the district does not take direction from the Orange County Board of Education and instead looks to the California Department of Health, the Orange County Department of Education and the California Department of Education for advice about reopening its schools.
“For us, we take the health and safety of our students and staff very seriously,” she said.
Dan Cooper, a professor of pediatrics and UC Irvine’s associate vice chancellor for clinical and translational science, said the idea of students returning to schools where their environment can be strictly controlled is not necessarily a bad one, as long as certain safety measures are in place.
He points to the examples of businesses going underground during the state lockdown, when barbers and hair stylists would go to people’s homes or open up their own homes to take in customers. If schools were to stay closed, many parents forced to work may turn to private childcare for their kids — and such places may be unregulated or not following safety guidelines, he said.
“My question is: Wouldn’t you rather have the kids go to school where the child has the chance to learn about regular social distancing, pick up healthy habits and be in a situation where there are stringent rules about how to stay safe?” he said. “You can regularly emphasize hand washing and sanitary standards. You make games out of it. You wear masks, you put superheroes on it.”
With many schools set to resume in August, the uncertainty of whether students will return to classrooms has put some parents on edge.
“What we know about online schooling is that it is ineffective,” a speaker named Leigh said during Monday’s board meeting. Board policy does not allow broadcasting of last names. She and others said they worry about disadvantages plaguing children stuck at home, especially among low-income families who may not have access to educational materials online.
Others who tuned in to the virtual county board meeting questioned whether the elected officials would send their own children back into classrooms without rules governing face coverings and social distancing.
“Yes, the statistics show that children are hardly affected now — but how do we know that won’t change? Nothing is for sure anymore,” said Tracy Lewis of Anaheim.
“When was the last time all of the people who said they welcome kids learning the normal way actually stepped foot on a campus at an assembly with hundreds of screaming kids? When one kid in your room comes down with the flu, other kids right away come down with the flu. And this disease is even worse.”


latimes--2020-07-15--Column: The latest rallying cry of coronavirus deniers, brought to you by Orange County

If we ’ re indeed only as strong as our weakest link , we ’ re in trouble , California .
Big trouble .
For proof , look no further than the Orange County-inspired lunacy that went down hundreds of miles away on the rustic streets of Nevada City .
Mere hours after Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered bars , gyms , houses of worship and indoor dining to shut down again , blaming a nasty spike in coronavirus cases , a ragtag group of anti-mask activists , anti-vaxxers and anti-government types tried to barge into a Nevada County Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ill-advised mission live on Facebook , they strolled into the lobby and announced that they were there to challenge a supposed violation of open meeting laws .
Reinette Senum , who recently stepped down as mayor and a member of the Nevada City Council after attacking Newsom ’ s mandate for face coverings , came prepared with legal documents ready to be hand-delivered .
But a masked government worker , inching ever backward throughout the encounter , turned them away .
So Senum and the others spilled out into the Northern Californian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ microphone and speaker set up on the sidewalk .
Anything and everything about the government response to slow the spread of the coronavirus was fair game .
“ We can not shut down , ” a man said .
“ We can ’ t stop ... .
It ’ s not about the money , even though you have to have money to survive .
It ’ s a bigger issue.
” “ The minute that COVID shutdown was declared and this state of emergency in California was declared — which was unlawful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmed , so there ’ s no reason to declare the state of emergency — they basically violated and suspended every one of those rights , ” one woman said .
But most troubling was sudden effusive praise of Orange County .
On Monday evening , even as Los Angeles Unified School District joined San Diego and Oakland in declining to reopen schools this fall , the Orange County Board of Education voted to recommend letting students return to class for in-person instruction without mandatory face masks or social distancing .
In doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compiled by a panel that included — somehow — the director of the county healthcare agency and several physicians .
“ Among the many compelling expert arguments for reopening our schools , a number of us were also struck by something different , something we might call advice for adults , ” the white paper said .
“ Among our greatest responsibilities as adults is our responsibility to model courage and persistence in the face of uncertainty and fear , which is what many families are feeling with the mixed messages and confusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era.
” On Tuesday , some parents and elected officials pushed back .
But you should still be afraid .
Very afraid .
Without a doubt , this will be the new rallying cry among coronavirus-deniers , starting as soon as this weekend with a protest planned for the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento .
And yet , about the last thing we need is a government-sanctioned rallying cry about the safety of reopening schools when there ’ s already so much confusion and so much of a vacuum in leadership on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Nevada City put it , Orange County had “ the guts to do that.
” “ It ’ s the fear that ’ s being instilled in you is — I hate to say it — it ’ s not about safety and health , ” he added .
“ It ’ s about cruelty and control , and what they ’ re asking you , especially as it pertains to our children , is not in our beautiful little babies.
” “ If even some of these guidelines are implemented , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prisoners in our California prison system , ” another woman claimed .
“ And I say no , absolutely not .
Not our children .
Not going to happen.
” As of Tuesday , California had more than 343,000 confirmed cases and 7,200 deaths from COVID-19 , according to the Los Angeles Times ’ tracker .
The mortality rate hasn ’ t kept pace , but young adults now account for most of the new cases .
Things are so bad in Los Angeles that Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
“ We ’ ve never had as many people in the hospital as there are tonight , ” he said Monday .
It ’ s true that rural Nevada County is nothing like urban Los Angeles County , and there is certainly room for debate about whether a one-size-fits-all strategy for fighting COVID-19 should be deployed statewide .
But Nevada County , with 183 confirmed cases and the number doubling every 21 days , isn ’ t Modoc County , which remains untouched by the coronavirus .
So , obviously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state , and requiring only temperature checks and frequent hand washing , isn ’ t modeling “ courage and persistence.
” It ’ s modeling fear and denial — which is exactly how California got here again , with about 80 % of the state ’ s population forbidden from going about their everyday activities and hospitals approaching capacity .
Many of us do wear masks and practice social distancing .
And while we would like to ignore the Californians who refuse to do either , we can ’ t .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , celebrity-narrated series of public service announcements , it ’ s true that we all are , indeed , in this together .
No matter how many people die of COVID-19 , a sizable segment of Californians remain undeterred by the risks .
And people can and do travel , posing a danger to all of us when preventive measures , such as wearing a mask , are shunned .
With schools now closed in Los Angeles , expect a ripple effect of parents having no choice but to leave the workforce after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding down a job .
Hundreds of thousands have lost their health insurance and will continue to do so without more intervention from the federal government .
Just as many Californians might lose their housing , once courts can again process evictions .
And an untold number of small businesses have closed and likely will continue closing in the weeks and months to come .
Unless we can find a way to convince more Californians to take COVID-19 seriously — including our governor , who must finally step up and offer clear and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not do — we will continue to see cycles of lockdowns and openings .
I don ’ t know about you , but I want off this ride .

A gate in front of Los Angeles High School on Rimpau Bvd. in Los Angeles is locked. LAUSD Supt. Austin Beutner announced that all schools in LAUSD, including Los Angeles High School will not re-open for classes on August 18, 2020, because of the coronavirus outbreak.
If we’re indeed only as strong as our weakest link, we’re in trouble, California. Big trouble.
For proof, look no further than the Orange County-inspired lunacy that went down hundreds of miles away on the rustic streets of Nevada City.
Mere hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered bars, gyms, houses of worship and indoor dining to shut down again, blaming a nasty spike in coronavirus cases, a ragtag group of anti-mask activists, anti-vaxxers and anti-government types tried to barge into a Nevada County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.
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Broadcasting their ill-advised mission live on Facebook, they strolled into the lobby and announced that they were there to challenge a supposed violation of open meeting laws. Reinette Senum, who recently stepped down as mayor and a member of the Nevada City Council after attacking Newsom’s mandate for face coverings, came prepared with legal documents ready to be hand-delivered.
But a masked government worker, inching ever backward throughout the encounter, turned them away. So Senum and the others spilled out into the Northern Californian heat to take turns complaining through a microphone and speaker set up on the sidewalk.
Anything and everything about the government response to slow the spread of the coronavirus was fair game.
“We cannot shut down,” a man said. “We can’t stop.... It’s not about the money, even though you have to have money to survive. It’s a bigger issue.”
“The minute that COVID shutdown was declared and this state of emergency in California was declared — which was unlawful because our resources had not yet been overwhelmed, so there’s no reason to declare the state of emergency — they basically violated and suspended every one of those rights,” one woman said.
But most troubling was sudden effusive praise of Orange County.
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On Monday evening, even as Los Angeles Unified School District joined San Diego and Oakland in declining to reopen schools this fall, the Orange County Board of Education voted to recommend letting students return to class for in-person instruction without mandatory face masks or social distancing.
In doing so, they cited a white paper compiled by a panel that included — somehow — the director of the county healthcare agency and several physicians.
“Among the many compelling expert arguments for reopening our schools, a number of us were also struck by something different, something we might call advice for adults,” the white paper said. “Among our greatest responsibilities as adults is our responsibility to model courage and persistence in the face of uncertainty and fear, which is what many families are feeling with the mixed messages and confusion surrounding reopening of schools in the COVID-19 era.”
On Tuesday, some parents and elected officials pushed back. But you should still be afraid. Very afraid.
Without a doubt, this will be the new rallying cry among coronavirus-deniers, starting as soon as this weekend with a protest planned for the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento. And yet, about the last thing we need is a government-sanctioned rallying cry about the safety of reopening schools when there’s already so much confusion and so much of a vacuum in leadership on this very topic.
As one speaker in Nevada City put it, Orange County had “the guts to do that.”
“It’s the fear that’s being instilled in you is — I hate to say it — it’s not about safety and health,” he added. “It’s about cruelty and control, and what they’re asking you, especially as it pertains to our children, is not in our beautiful little babies.”
“If even some of these guidelines are implemented, our children will be treated worse than the prisoners in our California prison system,” another woman claimed. “And I say no, absolutely not. Not our children. Not going to happen.”
As of Tuesday, California had more than 343,000 confirmed cases and 7,200 deaths from COVID-19, according to the Los Angeles Times’ tracker. The mortality rate hasn’t kept pace, but young adults now account for most of the new cases.
Things are so bad in Los Angeles that Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was on the verge of shutting down the city again. “We’ve never had as many people in the hospital as there are tonight,” he said Monday.
It’s true that rural Nevada County is nothing like urban Los Angeles County, and there is certainly room for debate about whether a one-size-fits-all strategy for fighting COVID-19 should be deployed statewide. But Nevada County, with 183 confirmed cases and the number doubling every 21 days, isn’t Modoc County, which remains untouched by the coronavirus.
So, obviously, allowing students back into classrooms in much of the state, and requiring only temperature checks and frequent hand washing, isn’t modeling “courage and persistence.” It’s modeling fear and denial — which is exactly how California got here again, with about 80% of the state’s population forbidden from going about their everyday activities and hospitals approaching capacity.
Many of us do wear masks and practice social distancing. And while we would like to ignore the Californians who refuse to do either, we can’t.
As much as I hate that insipid, celebrity-narrated series of public service announcements, it’s true that we all are, indeed, in this together. No matter how many people die of COVID-19, a sizable segment of Californians remain undeterred by the risks. And people can and do travel, posing a danger to all of us when preventive measures, such as wearing a mask, are shunned.
There’s already been irrevocable damage.
With schools now closed in Los Angeles, expect a ripple effect of parents having no choice but to leave the workforce after having to choose between child care and holding down a job. Hundreds of thousands have lost their health insurance and will continue to do so without more intervention from the federal government.
Just as many Californians might lose their housing, once courts can again process evictions. And an untold number of small businesses have closed and likely will continue closing in the weeks and months to come.
Unless we can find a way to convince more Californians to take COVID-19 seriously — including our governor, who must finally step up and offer clear and consistent guidance on what counties can and cannot do — we will continue to see cycles of lockdowns and openings.
I don’t know about you, but I want off this ride.


latimes--2020-07-15--Boy, 16, was given estrogen for behavioral disorder while in L.A. juvenile hall, suit alleges

A 16-year-old boy being held at a Los Angeles County juvenile hall developed enlarged breasts after he was prescribed estrogen to treat a behavioral disorder , a move that baffled doctors who said the treatment defied medical logic , according to a lawsuit filed last month .
The teen , whose identity is being withheld because of his age , was diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder , or ODD , two days after he was arrested and housed at Eastlake Juvenile Hall in June 2019 , the lawsuit said .
Medical records reviewed by The Times show that the teen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high ” when the doctor who diagnosed him prescribed daily doses of estrogen .
Estrogen regulates the development of female sexual characteristics and reproduction .
Men produce the hormone at much lower levels .
After taking approximately 13 daily doses of the hormone , the teen was diagnosed with gynecomastia , defined as the enlargement or swelling of breast tissue in males whose estrogen level is too high , medical records show .
ODD , a behavioral condition that is sometimes suffered by patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , is normally treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a professor of clinical psychiatry at UCLA .
“ Estrogen is not a treatment for ODD .
I can ’ t be more emphatic about that , ” McGough said .
“ You won ’ t find a reference anywhere that supports the use of estrogen for ODD.
” The lawsuit described the treatment as “ experimental.
” The doctor who prescribed the estrogen , Danny Wang , could not be reached for comment .
Los Angeles County ’ s juvenile detention facilities are overseen by the Probation Department .
Medical needs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which falls under the county Department of Health Services .
In an e-mail , a Department of Health Services representative confirmed that Wang has been employed by the county since 2012 but declined to comment on his current status with the agency , describing it as a “ confidential personnel matter.
” The department declined to comment on the lawsuit .
The suit — which names as defendants the county , Wang and David Oh , medical director of Juvenile Court Health Services — alleges medical battery and negligence .
Probation officials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ouchi , declined to say why he was in custody .
Ouchi said the boy , now 17 , was released in April and will require surgery to treat the physical issues he developed as a result of the estrogen treatment .
Wang prescribed a daily regimen of 2 milligrams of estrogen to be taken in pill form , according to medical records .
The boy ’ s parents were not aware that he had been diagnosed with ODD or was undergoing treatment until late July 2019 .
Doctors said the treatments should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents ’ consent .
The boy ’ s father , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his son ’ s identity , said he found out about the estrogen pills when he visited the juvenile hall one weekend last July .
“ When I found out they were giving him the pill , I was like , why didn ’ t they ask me ?
When I found out what kind of pill was it , I was like , this is terrible , ” the father said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were forcing him to take it.
” The father said he later confronted Oh , the medical director , over the phone .
Oh admitted that Wang had made “ a mistake , ” the father said .
The health services representative declined to comment on Oh ’ s alleged remark due to the ongoing litigation .
The treatments stopped last July , after the teen began to complain of negative side effects and refused medication , records show .
Prior to that , Ouchi said , his client felt compelled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disobeying Wang would have a detrimental effect on his pending criminal case .
Reports from probation officers about a youth ’ s time in custody can carry significant weight at sentencing hearings , and the teen ’ s case had not been adjudicated at the time Wang prescribed him the estrogen , Ouchi said .
Ouchi also alleges the boy was bullied by other youths in custody once his gynecomastia symptoms developed .
“ As a teenager , he felt self-conscious already , ” Ouchi said .
“ Going through these changes made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Sara Coffey , director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Oklahoma State University , said ODD is normally diagnosed in children between the ages of 6 and 12 .
Children diagnosed with the disorder often struggle with authority , in school or in social settings .
Common treatments include family therapy or medications that have had success in aiding juveniles with ADHD , including Ritalin and Adderall .
Using hormones to treat ODD might actually worsen the situation , Coffey said .
“ The other concern I have , as a psychiatrist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a role in mood , ” she said .
“ If his mood got disrupted , that could only further complicate things.
” Estrogen is normally stocked at L.A. County juvenile facilities for use as part of hormone therapy for contraception and treatment of gender dysphoria , according to the health services representative .
The boy ’ s father said the hormone therapy has had a long-term effect on his son , who now scares easily and has become antisocial .
“ He ’ s like a different person .
He just wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he don ’ t come out for nothing , all day in his room , ” the father said .
“ He was never like that .
”

A 16-year-old boy being held at a Los Angeles County juvenile hall developed enlarged breasts after he was prescribed estrogen to treat a behavioral disorder, a move that baffled doctors who said the treatment defied medical logic, according to a lawsuit filed last month.
The teen, whose identity is being withheld because of his age, was diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, or ODD, two days after he was arrested and housed at Eastlake Juvenile Hall in June 2019, the lawsuit said. Medical records reviewed by The Times show that the teen’s testosterone levels were “slightly high” when the doctor who diagnosed him prescribed daily doses of estrogen.
Estrogen regulates the development of female sexual characteristics and reproduction. Men produce the hormone at much lower levels.
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After taking approximately 13 daily doses of the hormone, the teen was diagnosed with gynecomastia, defined as the enlargement or swelling of breast tissue in males whose estrogen level is too high, medical records show.
ODD, a behavioral condition that is sometimes suffered by patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is normally treated with therapy, said James McGough, a professor of clinical psychiatry at UCLA.
“Estrogen is not a treatment for ODD. I can’t be more emphatic about that,” McGough said. “You won’t find a reference anywhere that supports the use of estrogen for ODD.”
The lawsuit described the treatment as “experimental.” The doctor who prescribed the estrogen, Danny Wang, could not be reached for comment.
Los Angeles County’s juvenile detention facilities are overseen by the Probation Department. Medical needs are provided by Juvenile Court Health Services, which falls under the county Department of Health Services. In an e-mail, a Department of Health Services representative confirmed that Wang has been employed by the county since 2012 but declined to comment on his current status with the agency, describing it as a “confidential personnel matter.” The department declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The suit — which names as defendants the county, Wang and David Oh, medical director of Juvenile Court Health Services — alleges medical battery and negligence.
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Probation officials and the teen’s attorney, Wesley Ouchi, declined to say why he was in custody. Ouchi said the boy, now 17, was released in April and will require surgery to treat the physical issues he developed as a result of the estrogen treatment.
Wang prescribed a daily regimen of 2 milligrams of estrogen to be taken in pill form, according to medical records. The boy’s parents were not aware that he had been diagnosed with ODD or was undergoing treatment until late July 2019. Doctors said the treatments should not have been carried out without the parents’ consent.
The boy’s father, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his son’s identity, said he found out about the estrogen pills when he visited the juvenile hall one weekend last July.
“When I found out they were giving him the pill, I was like, why didn’t they ask me? When I found out what kind of pill was it, I was like, this is terrible,” the father said. “He’s only 16, and they were forcing him to take it.”
The father said he later confronted Oh, the medical director, over the phone. Oh admitted that Wang had made “a mistake,” the father said. The health services representative declined to comment on Oh’s alleged remark due to the ongoing litigation.
The treatments stopped last July, after the teen began to complain of negative side effects and refused medication, records show. Prior to that, Ouchi said, his client felt compelled to take the pills because he feared that disobeying Wang would have a detrimental effect on his pending criminal case.
Reports from probation officers about a youth’s time in custody can carry significant weight at sentencing hearings, and the teen’s case had not been adjudicated at the time Wang prescribed him the estrogen, Ouchi said.
Ouchi also alleges the boy was bullied by other youths in custody once his gynecomastia symptoms developed.
“As a teenager, he felt self-conscious already,” Ouchi said. “Going through these changes made it a lot more traumatic for him.”
Sara Coffey, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Oklahoma State University, said ODD is normally diagnosed in children between the ages of 6 and 12. Children diagnosed with the disorder often struggle with authority, in school or in social settings. Common treatments include family therapy or medications that have had success in aiding juveniles with ADHD, including Ritalin and Adderall.
Using hormones to treat ODD might actually worsen the situation, Coffey said.
“The other concern I have, as a psychiatrist, is that we know hormones play a role in mood,” she said. “If his mood got disrupted, that could only further complicate things.”
Estrogen is normally stocked at L.A. County juvenile facilities for use as part of hormone therapy for contraception and treatment of gender dysphoria, according to the health services representative.
The boy’s father said the hormone therapy has had a long-term effect on his son, who now scares easily and has become antisocial.
“He’s like a different person. He just wants to be in his room, and he don’t come out for nothing, all day in his room,” the father said. “He was never like that.”
Times staff writer Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-14--4 arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer during downtown L.A. protest

Four people were arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer Tuesday afternoon during a downtown Los Angeles protest @ @ @ @ @ Angeles Police Department .
The four men were near protesters on Wilshire Boulevard and South @ @ @ @ @ , said Officer Mike Lopez , a spokesman for the LAPD .
“ Officers were @ @ @ @ @ observed a couple individuals who they decided to talk to , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ some protesters there in the area and they apparently were getting involved with the officers.
@ @ @ @ @ whether the four people arrested were the protesters themselves .
He said he doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ to the officer .
“ He ’ ll be fine , ” Lopez said of @ @ @ @ @ assaulted .

Four people were arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer Tuesday afternoon during a downtown Los Angeles protest, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The four men were near protesters on Wilshire Boulevard and South Figueroa Street about 3:45 p.m., said Officer Mike Lopez, a spokesman for the LAPD.
“Officers were in the area when they observed a couple individuals who they decided to talk to,” he said. “I guess there were some protesters there in the area and they apparently were getting involved with the officers.”
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Lopez could not confirm whether the four people arrested were the protesters themselves. He said he doesn’t know what they did to the officer.
“He’ll be fine,” Lopez said of the officer that was allegedly assaulted.


latimes--2020-07-16--For the first time, Latinos are the largest group of Californians admitted to UC

For the first time , Latinos are now the largest group of prospective freshmen accepted into the University of California for fall 2020 , part of the most diverse first-year UC class ever admitted , according to preliminary data released Thursday .
Latinos slightly eclipsed Asian Americans for the first time , making up 36 % of the 79,953 California students offered admission .
Asians made up 35 % , whites 21 % and Black students 5 % .
First-generation students made up 45 % of those admitted and low-income students , 44 % .
Overall , the UC system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 119,054 freshmen , up from 108,178 last year .
The campuses also admitted 28,074 transfer students , including the largest-ever class from the California Community Colleges system .
The admission rate for all campuses rose to 69 % .
“ This has been an incredibly challenging time as many students have been making their college decision in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic , ” said UC President Janet Napolitano .
“ UC continues to see increased admissions of underrepresented students as we seek to educate a diverse student body of future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of our most talented and diverse yet , and UC is proud to invite them to join us.
” UC Berkeley led all campuses in boosting admission offers to underrepresented minorities , accepting the largest number of Black and Latino students in three decades and a 40 % increase over last year .
The increase reflects an intensified push by the one of the nation ’ s premier public research universities to open its doors more widely to students of diverse racial , ethnic and economic backgrounds .
Berkeley also admitted more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status or are the first in their families to attend college .
“ These numbers are an important and gratifying indication that our efforts to advance and expand the diversity of our undergraduate student body are beginning to bear fruit , ” UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ said in a statement .
“ But now , more than ever , we must not be complacent , and remain focused on building a campus community that truly represents the state we serve , and allows every student to experience a true sense of belonging.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemwide was the highest ever , Asian American students still lead at most campuses .
UCLA admitted more prospective California freshmen this year , rising to 9,208 from 8,352 last year .
Asian Americans made up 42 % of admitted students , followed by Latinos and whites at 23 % each and Black students at 6 % .
At Berkeley , Asian Americans also were the largest group offered freshmen seats at 42 % , followed by Latinos at 29 % , whites at 19 % and Black students at 5 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ students will accept the admission offers and enroll this fall as the ongoing pandemic hampers plans to begin restoring the classic college experience with reopened classes and dorms .
Campus officials say they will not know their final enrollment numbers for another few months .
At Berkeley , the number of freshmen requests to defer their admission this year doubled to 119 from 60 last year .
The deferrals , however , represent just a small fraction of the 15,435 students offered freshmen seats this year .
Officials said they expect only a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most UC campuses have announced plans to offer limited in-person classes and significantly reduce on-campus student housing .
UCLA , for instance , has said only about 15 % to 20 % of courses are likely to be offered on campus or in a hybrid format , including some that involve laboratory work , performing arts and clinical health fields .
The robust increase in admission offers to underrepresented students this year reflects UC ’ s newly aggressive efforts to promote diversity , access and equity .
The Board of Regents voted this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests as admission requirements because they are heavily influenced by race , income and parental education level .
Regents also voted to support a proposed constitutional amendment on the statewide November ballot that would repeal Proposition 209 , which banned affirmative action in public education and employment .
And this month , regents selected Michael V. Drake as the new UC president , the first Black leader in the system ’ s 152-year history .
UC ’ s diversity took a dive after the 1996 passage of Proposition 209 and officials have worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of American Indian , Black and Latino students fell from about 20 % of all admitted freshmen in 1994 to 15.6 % in 1998 ; today , their share has climbed to 29 % .
Olufemi “ Femi ” Ogundele , Berkeley ’ s assistant vice chancellor and director of undergraduate admissions , said he was particularly proud that his campus did not compromise its high academic standards in increasing diversity .
The average unweighted GPA for this year ’ s admitted freshman class remained the same as last year at 3.91 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 and the average SAT score was 1415 compared to 1419 last year , both scores hitting the 95th percentile .
“ We are showing that you can admit a diverse class that is excellent , ” Ogundele said .
“ There are stars everywhere .
It is just a matter of finding those stars.
” One of them is Raven Gatson , a Black student from San Antonio who excelled in high school with a perfect 4.0 GPA , 11 Advanced Placement classes and a slew of leadership experiences as class president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of the National Honor Society .
When she received her admission offer in March , Gatson said she and family burst out in tears .
An $ 8,000 annual scholarship , privately funded through Berkeley ’ s African American Initiative , sealed the deal .
Gatson said she was excited to begin classes in the school ’ s top-ranked political science program and take advantage of opportunities that could pave the way for a possible career in law , politics or diplomacy .
She also is looking forward to connecting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community and said several students and staff already have reached out to welcome her .
“ Being admitted to Berkeley means everything to me , ” Gatson said .
“ Berkeley is special for its history of activism and it being an elite academic institution ... a public Ivy .
”

UC Irvine students Angela Vera, left, and Daniela Estrada are part of the growing Latino student population at the University of California.
In a historic shift, Latinos are the leading group of prospective freshmen accepted into the University of California for fall 2020, part of the system’s largest and most diverse first-year class ever admitted, according to preliminary data released Thursday.
Latinos slightly eclipsed Asian Americans for the first time, making up 36% of the 79,953 California students offered admission. Asians made up 35%, whites 21% and Black students 5%. The rest were American Indians, Pacific Islanders or those who declined to state their race or ethnicity. About 44% of admitted students were low-income while 45% were the first in their families to attend a four-year university.
Overall, the UC system’s nine undergraduate campuses offered admission to a record number of students: 119,054 freshmen, up from 108,178 last year. The campuses also admitted 28,074 transfer students from the California Community Colleges system.
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“This has been an incredibly challenging time as many students have been making their college decision in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. “UC continues to see increased admissions of underrepresented students as we seek to educate a diverse student body of future leaders. The incoming class will be one of our most talented and diverse yet, and UC is proud to invite them to join us.”
UC Berkeley led all campuses in boosting admission offers to underrepresented minorities, accepting the largest number of Black and Latino students in three decades, more than a 40% increase over last year. The increase reflects an intensified push by one of the nation’s premier public research universities to open its doors more widely to students of diverse racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds. Berkeley also admitted more students who are low-income, lack immigration status or are the first in their families to attend college.
“These numbers are an important and gratifying indication that our efforts to advance and expand the diversity of our undergraduate student body are beginning to bear fruit,” UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ said in a statement. “But now, more than ever, we must not be complacent, and remain focused on building a campus community that truly represents the state we serve, and allows every student to experience a true sense of belonging.”
Roberto Salazar is heading to UC Irvine as one of the 28,662 California Latino students admitted to UC’s fall freshman class. The Los Angeles High graduate migrated to Los Angeles from El Salvador at age 10 and did not speak English. He had no idea what college was and had no role models to adjust his perception that manual labor was the best way to earn a living. He got failing middle school grades.
But dedicated teachers and an inspiring biography he read about families that fought cancer convinced him “there’s more to life than being a bad student,” he said. He buckled down in high school, earned a 3.98 GPA and was selected as the class valedictorian. At Irvine, he plans to major in psychology.
“My teachers really inspired me and told me what opportunities would open for me if I went to college,” Salazar said. “I felt I would be letting them down if I didn’t do my best.”
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Audrey Dow, senior vice president for the Campaign for College Opportunity, said demographics are one reason behind the surge in admission offers to Latinos: They made up 51.8% of California high school graduates in 2018-19 compared with 42% in 2009-10, according to state Department of Education data. Equally important, the number of Latino high school graduates who met UC and California State University admission requirements hit 94,297 in 2019, an increase of about 7,000 students over 2017.
“Today’s students understand the value of a college degree and want to have their best shot at a four-year university,” Dow said. “They’ve rightly earned their spot at UC.”
Overall, UC campuses — notably Merced, Santa Cruz, Riverside and Berkeley — increased admission offers to California Latino freshman by 4,068 over last year, compared with 2,400 more Asian American students who were accepted. Those numbers pushed Latinos into the largest group of admitted students systemwide, although Asian Americans still lead the student population at all individual campuses except UC Merced.
UCLA admitted more prospective California freshmen this year, rising to 9,208 from 8,352 last year. Asian Americans made up 42% of admitted students, followed by Latinos and whites at 23% each and Black students at 6%.
At Berkeley, Asian Americans also were the largest group offered freshmen seats at 42%, followed by Latinos at 29%, whites at 19% and Black students at 5%.
It is not yet clear how many students will accept the admission offers and enroll this fall as the ongoing pandemic hampers plans to begin restoring the classic college experience with reopened classes and dorms. Campus officials say they will not know their final enrollment numbers for another few months.
At Berkeley, the number of freshmen requests to defer their admission this year doubled to 119 from 60 last year. The deferrals, however, represent just a small fraction of the 15,435 students offered freshmen seats this year. Officials said they expect only a “minor drop” in enrollment.
Most UC campuses have announced plans to offer limited in-person classes and significantly reduce on-campus student housing. UCLA, for instance, has said only about 15% to 20% of courses are likely to be offered on campus or in a hybrid format, including some that involve laboratory work, performing arts and clinical health fields.
The robust increase in admission offers to underrepresented students this year reflects UC’s newly aggressive efforts to promote diversity, access and equity.
The Board of Regents voted this year to phase out SAT and ACT tests as admission requirements because they are heavily influenced by race, income and parental education level. Regents also voted to support a proposed constitutional amendment on the statewide November ballot that would repeal Proposition 209, which banned affirmative action in public education and employment. And this month, regents selected Michael V. Drake as the new UC president, the first Black leader in the system’s 152-year history.
“Clearly we have a Board of Regents that is committed to racial equity and leaders at the campus level have been working to implement that vision,” Dow said.
UC’s diversity took a dive after the 1996 passage of Proposition 209 and officials have worked to restore it since. The percentage of American Indian, Black and Latino students fell from about 20% of all admitted freshmen in 1994 to 15.6% in 1998; their share climbed to 29% last fall.
Olufemi “Femi” Ogundele, Berkeley’s assistant vice chancellor and director of undergraduate admissions, said he was particularly proud that his campus did not compromise its high academic standards in increasing diversity.
The average unweighted GPA for this year’s admitted freshman class remained the same as last year at 3.91. The average ACT score was unchanged at 29 and the average SAT score was 1415 compared to 1419 last year, both scores hitting the 95th percentile.
“We are showing that you can admit a diverse class that is excellent,” Ogundele said. “There are stars everywhere. It is just a matter of finding those stars.”
One of them is Raven Gatson, a Black student from San Antonio who excelled in high school with a perfect 4.0 GPA, 11 Advanced Placement classes and a slew of leadership experiences as class president, editor of the school newspaper and vice president of the National Honor Society. An $8,000 annual scholarship, privately funded through Berkeley’s African American Initiative, sealed the deal.
Gatson said she was excited to begin classes in the school’s top-ranked political science program and take advantage of opportunities that could pave the way for a possible career in law, politics or diplomacy. She also is looking forward to connecting with Berkeley’s small but vibrant Black community and said several students and staff already have reached out to welcome her.
“Being admitted to Berkeley means everything to me,” Gatson said. “Berkeley is special for its history of activism and it being an elite academic institution ... a public Ivy.”


latimes--2020-07-16--Coronavirus hospitalizations hit new highs in L.A. County, with spike among young people

The number of patients hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infections reached new heights this week in Los Angeles County as the region enters what officials have called an “ alarming and dangerous phase ” of the pandemic .
On Monday , 2,193 patients were in hospitals with confirmed coronavirus infections — a single-day record for the county .
The number dipped slightly Tuesday , to 2,173 , before rebounding back to Monday ’ s high on Wednesday , county data show .
Hospitalizations , which had been declining since early May , began ticking up in mid-June and have continued their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalizations of patients with confirmed coronavirus infections have jumped roughly 31 % over the past three weeks .
“ The shift from declining rates to increasing rates happened very rapidly , and we now see a three-day average of over 2,000 people hospitalized on a given day , which is more people hospitalized each day for COVID-19 than at any other point during the pandemic , ” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday .
Younger people , between the ages of 18 and 40 , are also being hospitalized at a significantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data show .
“ What this really means for us is we need to start and continue to take the steps that protect our healthcare infrastructure so that hospitals are able to manage the growing number of people that need inpatient care , ” Ferrer said .
“ That is why it is so important to follow the public health directives like staying home , avoiding close contact with people who you don ’ t live with and wearing your face covering at all times when you ’ re out of your house.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ ve tested positive for COVID-19 are hospitalized , according to the latest numbers .
That , too , is a new high .
It also mirrors trends in other counties across Southern California , including Orange , San Bernardino and Riverside counties .
Health officials in Orange County reported that 722 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were hospitalized as of Tuesday , a new daily record for the county .
Data showed that as of last week , the number of patients in hospitals had jumped 97 % over three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say shows the virus is spreading more rapidly in the region .
The spike has prompted hospitals countywide to begin to prepare for a surge of sick patients , according to Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau .
“ These trends are very concerning , and we can expect the impact on our healthcare system to get worse in the coming days and weeks , ” Chau said last week .
“ If the surge goes up to — or beyond — their capacity to mobilize resources , that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the hospital systems means a strain on the ability to care for all patients , both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 folks.
” Earlier this month , L.A. County officials projected the possibility of running out of hospital beds in two to three weeks , with the number of ICU beds possibly being exhausted sometime in July .
“ If the trajectory continues , the number of ICU beds — our most limited resource — is likely to become inadequate in the near future , ” officials wrote in a memo issued July 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health to healthcare providers .
While the mortality rate is currently stable in Los Angeles County , the increase in hospitalizations will probably result in increased deaths in the coming days and weeks , Ferrer said .
Experts say deaths are a lagging indicator of coronavirus spread and probably reflect exposures to the virus that occurred four or five weeks earlier .
L.A. County officials announced 44 new fatalities Wednesday — pushing the total death toll past 3,900 — as well as 2,758 new cases , boosting the cumulative count to more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine , told The Times last week that while those numbers help paint an overall picture of the virus ’ toll on the region , hospitalization data is a better indicator of severe cases in the community .
“ If you look at the number of people who are requiring hospitalization , it gives you a better sense of the tip of the iceberg , ” Gohil said .
“ There ’ s a larger portion of the population under that tip that indicates @ @ @ @ @

Saying Los Angeles County is in an “alarming and dangerous phase” of the pandemic, health officials said the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in workplaces that are not following safety rules.
While the county is seeing outbreaks at a variety of workplaces, the sectors with the highest numbers are food processing and distribution facilities, including meatpacking plants, manufacturing facilities, garment factories and wholesale warehouses.
Often the locations are not enforcing physical distancing among employees or implementing infection control procedures, including the proper use of face coverings and frequent sanitation, Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said.
“We’re not seeing the compliance that we need with the public health directives being in place to keep people’s health and livelihoods safe,” he said. “Our paramount concern is for the safety of all employees and their families.”
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Essential workers, many of them Latino, have been disproportionately hit by the coronavirus. There have been growing calls for both government regulators and employers to do more to keep them safe.
County inspectors have responded to 2,000 to 3,000 workplace complaints a month for the past several months. So far, the county has completed 52 outbreak investigations at restaurants, 47 at grocery stores and 23 at wholesale food manufacturing sites.
At restaurants, inspectors have discovered a lack of physical distancing in kitchens, employees not wearing face coverings properly, infrequent sanitation practices and business owners who are unaware of requirements to quarantine employees who are close contacts with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.
“We rely on the many, many people who make our goods, ship those goods, and make and prepare our food among other critical functions,” Davis said. “Those folks need to be safe and healthy at work. Business owners and operators need to adhere to the mandatory health officer orders so that our schools can reopen and we can get more people back to making a living.”
The worst local workplace outbreak occurred at Los Angeles Apparel, a garment manufacturer based in South L.A. More than 300 of the company’s nearly 2,300 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and four have died, Davis said Thursday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said that it first shut down operations at the garment manufacturer June 27 after inspectors found “flagrant violations” of public health infection control orders and said the company failed to cooperate with an investigation of a reported coronavirus outbreak.
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The company’s founder, Dov Charney, disputed those claims.
“I question whether there was an outbreak at my factory,” Charney said Thursday. “An outbreak would mean that the percentage of infections were greater at the factory over a period of time than in the surrounding community. Where is the evidence?”
News of the increased spread at workplaces comes as the number of patients hospitalized in the county with confirmed coronavirus infections reached new heights this week.
On Monday, 2,193 patients were in hospitals with confirmed coronavirus infections — a single-day record for the county. The number dipped slightly Tuesday, to 2,173, before rebounding back to Monday’s high on Wednesday, county data show.
Hospitalizations, which had been declining since early May, began ticking up in mid-June and have continued their rise in July. Records show that hospitalizations of patients with confirmed coronavirus infections have jumped about 31% over the past three weeks.
Younger people, between the ages of 18 and 40, are also being hospitalized at a significantly higher rate than in previous weeks, data show.
“The shift from declining rates to increasing rates happened very rapidly, and we now see a three-day average of over 2,000 people hospitalized on a given day, which is more people hospitalized each day for COVID-19 than at any other point during the pandemic,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday.
While the mortality rate is stable in Los Angeles County, the increase in hospitalizations will probably result in additional deaths in the coming days and weeks, Ferrer said.
Experts say deaths are a lagging indicator of coronavirus spread and probably reflect exposures to the virus that occurred four or five weeks earlier.
Higher mortality rates among lower-income communities and Black and Latino residents in Los Angeles County have become a key concern for health officials as hospitalization rates continue to climb. Deaths among Latino residents make up 60% of the fatalities that have occurred outside skilled-nursing facilities in the county, data show.
“Unfortunately, a lot of disproportionality can be traced to the fact that a significant number of essential workers are low-income or are people of color,” Davis said. “Oftentimes, people who are low-income cannot stay home to work, and early in the pandemic, there were few protections offered at many work sites. There were no requirements for masking and for physical distancing.”
L.A. County officials announced 59 new fatalities Thursday — pushing the total death toll past 3,900 — as well as 4,592 new cases, bringing the cumulative count to 147,592.
The county’s increasing hospitalization rate also mirrors trends in other areas across Southern California, including Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and across the state as a whole. As of Thursday, more than 6,700 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 were being hospitalized in California.
Health officials in Orange County reported that 722 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were hospitalized as of Tuesday, a new daily record for the county. That number dipped slightly — to 711 — Wednesday. Data showed that as of last week, the number of patients in hospitals had jumped 97% over three weeks, an indicator that health experts say shows the virus is spreading more rapidly in the region.
Earlier this month, L.A. County officials projected the possibility of running out of hospital beds in two to three weeks, with the number of ICU beds possibly being exhausted sometime in July.
“If the trajectory continues, the number of ICU beds — our most limited resource — is likely to become inadequate in the near future,” officials wrote in a memo issued July 4 by the L.A. County Department of Public Health to healthcare providers.
“What this means for us is that we need to continue to take steps to protect our healthcare infrastructure so that hospitals are able to manage the growing number of people that need inpatient care,” Davis said. “That’s why our public health directives like staying at home, avoiding close contact with people you don’t live with and wearing cloth face coverings is so critical.”
Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-16--Tenants keeping up rent payments during pandemic, but wave of evictions could loom

Even before he lost both of his part-time jobs in March , Jose Alvarez-Castillo was just barely getting by .
The 21-year-old senior at UCLA was sharing a three-bedroom apartment with six roommates near the Westwood campus .
His share of the rent was $ 800 per month .
When the pandemic hit , his jobs as a handyman and receptionist for on-campus gyms went away .
Alvarez-Castillo feared he ’ d have to max out his credit cards , take out more loans and still fall behind on his rent .
But then came an unexpected boon : Alvarez-Castillo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really saved me , ” Alvarez-Castillo said .
“ This extra money was amazing.
” Like tens of millions out of work across the country , Alvarez-Castillo is receiving expanded unemployment benefits passed as part of federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March .
The program gives those who have lost their jobs an extra $ 600 a week on top of regular state unemployment payments , a cash influx helping people pay their bills in ways that many hadn ’ t expected at the beginning of the crisis .
Chief among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of renters paid at least part of their rent in April , May and June , according to the National Multifamily Housing Council , a Washington D.C.-based landlord trade group that surveys owners of 11.4 million apartments , or about a quarter of the nation ’ s rental market .
Those figures are only a few percentage points behind what renters paid during the same months in 2019 , according to the survey .
But those expanded unemployment benefits are scheduled to expire at the end of July , leaving tenants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of evictions in the coming months as renters lose much of their incomes .
“ What you ’ re asking renters to do is impossible for them to do , ” said Doug Bibby , the multifamily housing council ’ s president .
“ Which is do it again , but without the resources you ’ d given them.
” Currently , nearly all evictions in California are on hold because the state court system is not processing cases except for those deemed urgent .
But those provisions are set to expire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency ends , and court leaders have indicated they may speed up that timeline .
Without a blanket eviction prohibition , tenants will have to navigate protections that vary by city , with many requiring those who fall behind on rent to go to court to remain in their homes .
It ’ s hard to get a complete picture of how tenants are faring with their rents right now .
The multifamily housing council data skews toward higher-end apartments because they only survey those with professional management companies .
Even so , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state are treading water — with expanded unemployment benefits a key reason why .
In California , nearly 85 % of adults living in rental homes reported paying their rent last month in a U.S. Census Bureau survey conducted between July 2 and 7 , with the percentage slightly lower in the Los Angeles area .
An analysis by the Urban Institute , a Washington think tank , estimated that more than one-fifth of renter households in California had at least one person lose their job during the pandemic .
Yet , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , the percentage of families in the state burdened by high rents remained the same once the increased unemployment benefits were factored in .
“ The federal unemployment benefits are really going a long way , ” said Sarah Strochak , a research analyst at the Urban Institute and the report ’ s lead author .
“ It ’ s improving affordability for a lot of people , particularly at the lower income levels.
” To be sure , the additional cash available to those out of work has not made it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has it eased the financial burdens of everyone dealing with the economic fallout from the coronavirus .
The Urban Institute study found that more than half of renter households in California are still spending more than 30 % of their income on housing , even with the extra unemployment insurance .
Additionally , nearly 2 million workers in the state have yet to receive their unemployment benefits as the California Employment Development Department has struggled to process claims .
Others , including those in the country illegally , are prohibited from receiving any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because Alvarez-Castillo was able to get his unemployment checks starting in April , he ’ s not only current on his own rent , but also he ’ s been able to lend money to roommates who haven ’ t received benefits .
Alvarez-Castillo also sent some cash to his mother who lost her housecleaning work .
Other financial relief programs for renters aren ’ t coming close to the projected need .
The city of Los Angeles is planning to spend $ 100 million on subsidies for low-income tenants affected by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country — yet even City Council members who passed the plan say federal and state government will need to shoulder a greater financial burden to keep tenants housed .
The gaps in the safety net for renters point to a need for Congress not only to renew expanded unemployment benefits , but also to provide broad rental assistance and other protections for tenants , said Diane Yentel , president and chief executive of the National Low Income Housing Coalition , an advocacy group .
“ It ’ s been clear to us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant federal intervention , there would be a wave of evictions and a spike in homelessness at some point during this crisis , ” Yentel said .
Expanded unemployment insurance , she said , has been “ significant , helpful and it ’ s not enough.
” After weeks of Senate Republicans saying they were unwilling to continue the $ 600-a-week subsidy , Congress is in the early stages of negotiating a compromise to include in the next coronavirus stimulus package .
One possibility is reducing the unemployment benefit and making up at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out another round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks that were also part of the March package .
In late June , the House approved $ 100 billion for rental assistance , but it is unclear whether it will be included in any deal .
It ’ s not just renters who are benefiting from expanded unemployment payments .
Nearly half of the tenants in the 16-unit apartment complex Kim Pierce owns in Echo Park are behind on their rent , Pierce said .
She was able to defer her $ 10,000-a month mortgage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , her lender is adding the missed payments to her monthly bill over the next year .
“ Had I not gotten the help , for sure I would have gone bankrupt , ” Pierce said .
“ I could not possibly have hung on.
” Pierce is concerned that the expiration of the expanded unemployment benefits means even more of her tenants will fail to pay just as she ’ s needing to make up her missed mortgage payments .
“ I ’ m headed toward a cliff , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t give , we ’ re all going over.
” As for Alvarez-Castillo , with future unemployment benefits uncertain , he ’ s considering trying to find new work .
But his options seem limited .
He doesn ’ t have a car so he can ’ t stray far from campus .
He has underlying health conditions and two of his roommates have asthma , so the idea of working at a grocery store is scary .
“ I am very worried , ” he said .
“ I was able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not enough .
”

Jose Alvarez-Castillo, 21, shares a Westwood apartment with six roommates. Castillo, a UCLA student who lost two on-campus jobs in mid-March due to the coronavirus outbreak, has been using expanded unemployment benefits to cover his rent.
Even before he lost both of his part-time jobs in March, Jose Alvarez-Castillo was just barely getting by.
The 21-year-old senior at UCLA was sharing a three-bedroom apartment with six roommates near the Westwood campus. His share of the rent was $800 a month. When the pandemic hit, his jobs as a handyman and receptionist for on-campus gyms went away. Alvarez-Castillo feared he’d have to max out his credit cards, take out more loans and still fall behind on his rent.
But then came an unexpected boon: Alvarez-Castillo’s unemployment check.
“Unemployment really saved me,” Alvarez-Castillo said. “This extra money was amazing.”
Advertisement
Like tens of millions out of work across the country, Alvarez-Castillo is receiving expanded unemployment benefits passed as part of the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March. The program gives those who have lost their jobs an extra $600 a week on top of regular state unemployment payments, a cash influx helping people pay their bills in ways that many hadn’t expected at the beginning of the crisis. Chief among them is rent.
More than 94% of renters paid at least part of their rent in April, May and June, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, a Washington-based landlord trade group that surveys owners of 11.4 million apartments, or about a quarter of the nation’s rental market. Those figures are only a few percentage points behind what renters paid during the same months in 2019, according to the survey.
But those expanded unemployment benefits are scheduled to expire at the end of July, leaving tenants, landlords and housing advocates worried about a wave of evictions in the coming months as renters lose much of their incomes.
“What you’re asking renters to do is impossible for them to do,” said Doug Bibby, the multifamily housing council’s president. “Which is do it again, but without the resources you’d given them.”
Currently, nearly all evictions in California are on hold because the state court system is not processing cases except for those deemed urgent. But those provisions are set to expire three months after the coronavirus state of emergency ends, and court leaders have indicated they may speed up that timeline. Without a blanket eviction prohibition, tenants will have to navigate protections that vary by city, with many requiring those who fall behind on rent to go to court to remain in their homes.
It’s hard to get a complete picture of how tenants are faring with their rents right now. The multifamily housing council data skew toward higher-end apartments because they survey only those with professional management companies. Even so, other statistics show that renters in the state are treading water — with expanded unemployment benefits a key reason why.
In California, nearly 85% of adults living in rental homes reported paying their rent last month in a U.S. Census Bureau survey conducted July 2-7, with the percentage slightly lower in the Los Angeles area.
An analysis by the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank, estimated that more than one-fifth of renter households in California had at least one person lose their job during the pandemic. Yet, despite the massive increase in those out of work, the percentage of families in the state burdened by high rents remained the same once the increased unemployment benefits were factored in.
“The federal unemployment benefits are really going a long way,” said Sarah Strochak, a research analyst at the Urban Institute and the report’s lead author. “It’s improving affordability for a lot of people, particularly at the lower income levels.”
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To be sure, the additional cash available to those out of work has not made it affordable to rent in California, nor has it eased the financial burdens of everyone dealing with the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
The Urban Institute study found that more than half of renter households in California are still spending more than 30% of their income on housing, even with the extra unemployment insurance. Additionally, nearly 2 million workers in the state have yet to receive their unemployment benefits as the California Employment Development Department has struggled to process claims. Others, including those in the country illegally, are prohibited from receiving any unemployment benefits — expanded or otherwise.
Because Alvarez-Castillo was able to get his unemployment checks starting in April, he’s not only current on his own rent but also able to lend money to roommates who haven’t received benefits. Alvarez-Castillo also sent some cash to his mother who lost her housecleaning work.
Other financial relief programs for renters aren’t coming close to the projected need. The city of Los Angeles is planning to spend $100 million on subsidies for low-income tenants affected by the coronavirus — the largest municipal program in the country — yet even City Council members who passed the plan say federal and state government will need to shoulder a greater financial burden to keep tenants housed.
The gaps in the safety net for renters point to a need for Congress to not only renew expanded unemployment benefits but also provide broad rental assistance and other protections for tenants, said Diane Yentel, president and chief executive of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, an advocacy group.
“It’s been clear to us from the beginning that, without a significant federal intervention, there would be a wave of evictions and a spike in homelessness at some point during this crisis,” Yentel said. Expanded unemployment insurance, she said, has been “significant, helpful and it’s not enough.”
After weeks of Senate Republicans saying they were unwilling to continue the $600-a-week subsidy, Congress is in the early stages of negotiating a compromise to include in the next coronavirus stimulus package. One possibility is reducing the unemployment benefit and making up at least part of the difference by sending out another round of $1,200 stimulus checks that were also part of the March package. In late June, the House approved $100 billion for rental assistance, but it is unclear whether it will be included in any deal.
It’s not just renters who are benefiting from expanded unemployment payments. Nearly half of the tenants in the 16-unit apartment complex Kim Pierce owns in Echo Park are behind on their rent, Pierce said. She was able to defer her $10,000-a month mortgage for six months. But after that, her lender is adding the missed payments to her monthly bill over the next year.
“Had I not gotten the help, for sure I would have gone bankrupt,” Pierce said. “I could not possibly have hung on.”
Pierce is concerned that the expiration of the expanded unemployment benefits means even more of her tenants will fail to pay just as she’s needing to make up her missed mortgage payments.
“I’m headed toward a cliff,” she said. “And if something doesn’t give, we’re all going over.”
As for Alvarez-Castillo, with future unemployment benefits uncertain, he’s considering trying to find new work. But his options seem limited. He doesn’t have a car so he can’t stray far from campus. He has underlying health conditions and two of his roommates have asthma, so the idea of working at a grocery store is scary.
“I am very worried,” he said. “I was able to put a little something away. But it’s not enough.”
Times staff writer Sarah D. Wire contributed to this report.