latimes--2020-11-18--Newsom, legislators face anger over party and Hawaii trip

No politician escapes the heightened scrutiny that comes with running for office .
And most , if not all , have been criticized for not doing enough to align their actions with their words .
But few see their missteps lead so quickly to white-hot anger as did Gov .
Gavin Newsom after admitting that he joined several other couples at a birthday dinner less than two weeks ago , or members of the California Legislature currently enjoying a trip to Hawaii while schmoozing with interest groups that may have underwritten the cost of the event .
For Newsom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after photos of the dinner surfaced that appeared to contradict the governor ’ s insistence that it was an “ outdoor ” event .
In both cases , the personal decisions of the elected officials involved gave the impression that their privilege led them to believe they were immune to the pandemic , ignoring the safety precautions they have asked Californians to take .
COVID-19 “ magnifies the bad optics of this , ” said Kevin Eckery , a public affairs strategist who served as press secretary to then-Gov .
Pete Wilson .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sacrificing a lot.
” The timing of both gatherings — Newsom attended the party at an exclusive Napa Valley restaurant on Nov. 6 , legislators are in Maui this week — could not have been worse in terms of political symbolism .
Over the last seven days , California has seen a 102 % increase in coronavirus cases from two weeks earlier , according to The Times ’ tracker of public health data , with a single-day record Monday of 13,412 new cases .
“ It ’ s so important to lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cassandra Pye , who served as deputy chief of staff to then-Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger .
Newsom ’ s attendance at the dinner with as many as a dozen people may not have violated any state or local public health rules at the time .
Napa County has since been placed in the state ’ s most restrictive , or “ purple , ” tier of coronavirus reopening controls .
But the photos obtained by Fox 11 Los Angeles from a restaurant customer shattered the image some might have had of a setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , the governor and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom are seen inside a private dining room that appears to open up to an outdoor area , sitting almost shoulder to shoulder with other guests around a single table .
No one can be seen wearing a mask .
News of the gathering first broke on Friday , the same day — coincidentally and , for the governor , unfortunately — that Newsom ’ s Health and Human Services secretary , Dr. Mark Ghaly , outlined new state guidelines on private gatherings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the French Laundry in Yountville , where Newsom celebrated the birthday of his longtime advisor , lobbyist Jason Kinney .
“ We have the guidance and the tips for a reason : We believe they are the strategies to keep ourselves in our communities safe , ” Ghaly said last Friday .
“ And we hope and expect people to take them seriously.
” Within a day of its revelation by the San Francisco Chronicle , the private dinner became a national headline .
Data compiled by Google Trends showed there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from California , growing stronger by Monday .
“ The tale of the governor indulging at one of the nation ’ s most exclusive and expensive restaurants ( average meal $ 325 ) — while millions of Californians are scuffling amid the pandemic ’ s economic fallout — truly represents a real bad look , ” wrote Jerry Roberts , the Chronicle ’ s former managing editor and longtime Newsom observer , in an article for his political news website .
Newsom — who said he and his wife paid for their meals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of his prepared remarks during a coronavirus briefing in which he again asked Californians to “ minimize mixing ” with other families .
Along with his apology , the governor called his decision to celebrate with Kinney a “ bad mistake.
” “ Instead of sitting down , I should have stood up and walked back , gotten in my car and drove back to my house , ” he said .
“ Instead , I chose to sit there with my wife and a number of other couples that were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Predictably , it did little to quell the anger of his fiercest critics .
On Tuesday , Orange County residents who showed up at the weekly Board of Supervisors meeting to protest COVID-19 restrictions lashed out at what they called the hypocrisy of “ King Gavin.
” One resident , who identified himself only as Brian , ridiculed the Newsom administration for its tiered COVID-19 reopening system , which he said Newsom “ expects everybody to follow except for himself.
” Another resident , who identified herself as Mary L. , sarcastically said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to party ” before ordering Orange County to return to the most restrictive coronavirus tier .
But across the state , Eckery said , the public is likely to accept Newsom ’ s apology and move on .
“ We like it when people in authority admit they made mistakes , ” he said .
No such contrition has come from the group of legislators who are 2,400 miles away from Sacramento this week , having decamped to a Maui resort to attend an annual conference with a history of raising eyebrows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and influence .
A complete tally of California lawmakers who are attending remains unclear .
By late Tuesday , only four members of the state Assembly had either confirmed their attendance or been identified through other means : Democrats Blanca Rubio of Baldwin Park and Wendy Carrillo of Los Angeles ; Paso Robles Republican Jordan Cunningham ; and Chad Mayes of Rancho Mirage , who won reelection this month as unaffiliated with any political party .
Other lawmakers attending the Maui event remain unwilling to come forward .
On Monday , a Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belong to one Democrat who had attended the event in the past .
As the reporter tried to identify himself , the person who answered quickly hung up .
The conference ’ s organizer , the San Diego-based Independent Voter Project , boasts on its website that the event brings elected officials and business leaders together to “ give them an opportunity to discuss issues directly , and come up with practical and positive resolutions.
” And why Maui ?
It ’ s “ a desirable location for legislators and policymakers to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IVP website .
No lawmakers , though , have said whether the Hawaii trip is necessary .
“ I hope all of us would take every opportunity to set a good example , ” Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) said in a written statement .
“ In cases where there are essential exceptions , I would expect senators to follow the guidelines as closely as possible.
” Hawaii government officials require anyone visiting the state to take a coronavirus test no more than 72 hours before travel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers and their families did so .
Maui urges guests to be tested upon arrival too .
Eckery said that it was unlikely any of the legislators would face reproach from those who elected them .
Still , he noted , the idea of a swanky getaway , far from the prying eyes of their constituents , “ plays into an institutional cynicism ” about the Legislature .
And the conference — much like the governor privately celebrating an influential power broker ’ s birthday — may suggest to some that there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to sacrifice during the pandemic , even as health professionals warn tougher times are on the horizon .
“ Leadership , ” Pye said , “ calls for all of us to be selfless.
” Times staff writers Patrick McGreevy and Taryn Luna contributed to this report .

No politician escapes the heightened scrutiny that comes with running for office. And most, if not all, have been criticized for not doing enough to align their actions with their words.
But few see their missteps lead so quickly to white-hot anger as did Gov. Gavin Newsom after admitting that he joined several other couples at a birthday dinner less than two weeks ago, or members of the California Legislature currently enjoying a trip to Hawaii while schmoozing with interest groups that may have underwritten the cost of the event.
For Newsom, the problems seemed to grow on Tuesday after photos of the dinner surfaced that appeared to contradict the governor’s insistence that it was an “outdoor” event.
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In both cases, the personal decisions of the elected officials involved gave the impression that their privilege led them to believe they were immune to the pandemic, ignoring the safety precautions they have asked Californians to take.
COVID-19 “magnifies the bad optics of this,” said Kevin Eckery, a public affairs strategist who served as press secretary to then-Gov. Pete Wilson. “It’s worse when people are sacrificing a lot.”
The timing of both gatherings — Newsom attended the party at an exclusive Napa Valley restaurant on Nov. 6, legislators are in Maui this week — could not have been worse in terms of political symbolism. Over the last seven days, California has seen a 102% increase in coronavirus cases from two weeks earlier, according to The Times’ tracker of public health data, with a single-day record Monday of 13,412 new cases.
“It’s so important to lead by example right now,” said Cassandra Pye, who served as deputy chief of staff to then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
Newsom’s attendance at the dinner with as many as a dozen people may not have violated any state or local public health rules at the time. Napa County has since been placed in the state’s most restrictive, or “purple,” tier of coronavirus reopening controls.
But the photos obtained by Fox 11 Los Angeles from a restaurant customer shattered the image some might have had of a setting akin to an outdoor garden party. Instead, the governor and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom are seen inside a private dining room that appears to open up to an outdoor area, sitting almost shoulder to shoulder with other guests around a single table. No one can be seen wearing a mask.
News of the gathering first broke on Friday, the same day — coincidentally and, for the governor, unfortunately — that Newsom’s Health and Human Services secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, outlined new state guidelines on private gatherings. Those guidelines run counter to the event at the French Laundry in Yountville, where Newsom celebrated the birthday of his longtime advisor, lobbyist Jason Kinney.
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“We have the guidance and the tips for a reason: We believe they are the strategies to keep ourselves in our communities safe,” Ghaly said last Friday. “And we hope and expect people to take them seriously.”
Within a day of its revelation by the San Francisco Chronicle, the private dinner became a national headline. Data compiled by Google Trends showed there was strong interest by online audiences far away from California, growing stronger by Monday.
“The tale of the governor indulging at one of the nation’s most exclusive and expensive restaurants (average meal $325) — while millions of Californians are scuffling amid the pandemic’s economic fallout — truly represents a real bad look,” wrote Jerry Roberts, the Chronicle’s former managing editor and longtime Newsom observer, in an article for his political news website.
Newsom — who said he and his wife paid for their meals — offered a mea culpa Monday at the end of his prepared remarks during a coronavirus briefing in which he again asked Californians to “minimize mixing” with other families. Along with his apology, the governor called his decision to celebrate with Kinney a “bad mistake.”
“Instead of sitting down, I should have stood up and walked back, gotten in my car and drove back to my house,” he said. “Instead, I chose to sit there with my wife and a number of other couples that were outside [of my] household.”
Predictably, it did little to quell the anger of his fiercest critics.
On Tuesday, Orange County residents who showed up at the weekly Board of Supervisors meeting to protest COVID-19 restrictions lashed out at what they called the hypocrisy of “King Gavin.” One resident, who identified himself only as Brian, ridiculed the Newsom administration for its tiered COVID-19 reopening system, which he said Newsom “expects everybody to follow except for himself.”
Another resident, who identified herself as Mary L., sarcastically said she was glad the governor “was able to party” before ordering Orange County to return to the most restrictive coronavirus tier.
But across the state, Eckery said, the public is likely to accept Newsom’s apology and move on.
“We like it when people in authority admit they made mistakes,” he said.
No such contrition has come from the group of legislators who are 2,400 miles away from Sacramento this week, having decamped to a Maui resort to attend an annual conference with a history of raising eyebrows for the message it sends about money and influence.
A complete tally of California lawmakers who are attending remains unclear. By late Tuesday, only four members of the state Assembly had either confirmed their attendance or been identified through other means: Democrats Blanca Rubio of Baldwin Park and Wendy Carrillo of Los Angeles; Paso Robles Republican Jordan Cunningham; and Chad Mayes of Rancho Mirage, who won reelection this month as unaffiliated with any political party.
Other lawmakers attending the Maui event remain unwilling to come forward. On Monday, a Times reporter called a cellphone number believed to belong to one Democrat who had attended the event in the past. As the reporter tried to identify himself, the person who answered quickly hung up.
The conference’s organizer, the San Diego-based Independent Voter Project, boasts on its website that the event brings elected officials and business leaders together to “give them an opportunity to discuss issues directly, and come up with practical and positive resolutions.”
And why Maui? It’s “a desirable location for legislators and policymakers to bring their families,” according to the IVP website.
No lawmakers, though, have said whether the Hawaii trip is necessary.
“I hope all of us would take every opportunity to set a good example,” Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said in a written statement. “In cases where there are essential exceptions, I would expect senators to follow the guidelines as closely as possible.”
Hawaii government officials require anyone visiting the state to take a coronavirus test no more than 72 hours before travel, so presumably all of California’s lawmakers and their families did so. Maui urges guests to be tested upon arrival too.
Eckery said that it was unlikely any of the legislators would face reproach from those who elected them. Still, he noted, the idea of a swanky getaway, far from the prying eyes of their constituents, “plays into an institutional cynicism” about the Legislature.
And the conference — much like the governor privately celebrating an influential power broker’s birthday — may suggest to some that there’s an offramp for some when it comes to sacrifice during the pandemic, even as health professionals warn tougher times are on the horizon.
“Leadership,” Pye said, “calls for all of us to be selfless.”
Times staff writers Patrick McGreevy and Taryn Luna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-19--Column: The Republican mayor of San Diego was right to slap down Gov. Newsom

I haven ’ t eaten at a restaurant in so long , I can ’ t even remember the last time .
Because I trust the warnings of public health experts .
Because I ’ m not sure it ’ s safe .
And because after months of scolding people for ignoring commonsense warnings about limiting the spread of COVID-19 , I ’ d be a hypocrite to do otherwise .
As everyone knows by now , Newsom and his wife dined with a lobbyist and several other couples at a birthday celebration held at one of the most expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus is surging and as a lot of the voters who put him in office are out of work and struggling to survive .
How many times have we been advised by Newsom to play it safe , stay close to home and avoid unnecessary gatherings ?
It was good advice , but if he ’ s not following it , can he expect anyone to trust anything he says ?
And what about the blockheaded state legislators who flew to Maui for a conference , with the expenses picked up in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent Voter Project ?
One of the conference topics was on how to reopen states safely .
Don ’ t get on a plane and fly off to a hotel gathering on a tropical island , then return home and possibly expose others to the risk of infection .
We ’ re still confirming the names of the Maui Mai Tai Club , Democrats and Republicans alike , and when we nail that down I ’ ll be inviting readers to give legislators a good piece of their mind , with the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s get back to Newsom , who apologized for his “ mistake ” and noted that he was dining outdoors .
Can we even trust him on that ?
As The Times has reported , there are photos that show Newsom “ inside a private dining room that appears to open up to an outdoor area , sitting almost shoulder to shoulder with other guests around a single table .
No one can be seen wearing a mask.
” OK , he hasn ’ t quite hit Trumpian levels of COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and good for San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer , who poked a stick in Newsom ’ s eye with a sharp tweet .
Faulconer noted that not only did Newsom enjoy a $ 350-per-person restaurant while Californians are digging cans of bean soup from the back of their cupboards , but the governor also sends his children to a private school that ’ s open for business while many of the state ’ s public school students are locked out of their campuses .
“ His kids can learn in person .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted .
“ He can celebrate birthday parties .
But you can ’ t .
He can dine on a $ 350 meal at one [ of ] California ’ s fanciest restaurants during the worst recession in generations .
But you definitely can ’ t .
Can you believe this ?
I can ’ t. ” Faulconer is a Republican , Newsom is a Democrat .
Faulconer is closing out his time as mayor and has considered running for governor in the past .
So I asked him Wednesday afternoon if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot in two years , when Newsom ’ s first term comes to an end .
“ I am absolutely considering it , ” Faulconer told me .
“ We need new leadership.
” That ’ s a steep hill to climb .
Faulconer is a centrist in a state whose GOP is so far to the right , nearly 6 million Californians voted for Trump .
It ’ s not clear they ’ d have the same enthusiasm for a moderate Republican .
Then there ’ s the sizable problem of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s registered voters .
But we did have a moderate Republican governor not that long ago in Arnold Schwarzenegger , and it would be nice to see someone hold a mirror up to Democratic leaders in California , who can ’ t fix the state ’ s housing crisis and can ’ t figure out a workable plan on homelessness , among a host of other problems .
And then there ’ s the ridiculously mismanaged payout of unemployment benefits .
Seems like a relatively simple task , especially in the state that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been chaos , and it ’ s gone on for months , as thousands of Californians have waited desperately for someone , anyone , to come to the rescue .
Does somebody need to host another conference in Hawaii to get legislators interested in finding a fix ?
“ What ’ s happening is that the Democratic establishment is failing our state , ” Faulconer said .
“ Where ’ s the plan for schools to open ?
Where ’ s the plan to make sure the power doesn ’ t shut off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is skyrocketing , and it ’ s not acceptable to have people live and die on our streets.
” Earlier this year , Faulconer noted , when the state homeless population increased , San Diego ’ s decreased .
He invited me to visit and find out more about his city ’ s approach , and I ’ m happy to take him up on the offer .
But I want to get back to the virus , because Faulconer ’ s issues with the governor go beyond his trip to the French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and business owners have been confused by mixed messages about what they can and can ’ t do , about how long some businesses will be open and how long it ’ ll be before they ’ re closed yet again , Faulconer said .
Newsom and state leaders are “ failing because of the constant changing of the rules… .
People are angry and want to know that we ’ re following a clear set of objectives , ” Faulconer said .
“ I ’ ve been very vocal that we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do everything in terms of masking and social distancing , but people are at their wits ’ end.
” To be fair , that is the nature of a pandemic .
It makes sense to adjust the rules , depending on surge levels , to protect lives .
But that ’ s why Newsom ’ s lapse is so egregious , especially as the number of cases and the fears of a greater shutdown are on the rise .
He put all of us at greater risk because Californians who have refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are only going to be more emboldened by his hypocritical messaging , as evidenced by those who showed up at this week ’ s Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting and lashed out at Newsom .
I don ’ t care how good Newsom ’ s dinner might have been .
It wasn ’ t worth it , and the whole state got indigestion .

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer sharply criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom for attending a friend’s birthday dinner at a Napa Valley restaurant while urging others to stay at home.
I haven’t eaten at a restaurant in so long, I can’t even remember the last time.
Why not?
Because I trust the warnings of public health experts. Because I’m not sure it’s safe. And because after months of scolding people for ignoring commonsense warnings about limiting the spread of COVID-19, I’d be a hypocrite to do otherwise.
Just like California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
As everyone knows by now, Newsom and his wife dined with a lobbyist and several other couples at a birthday celebration held at one of the most expensive restaurants in California, even as the coronavirus is surging and as a lot of the voters who put him in office are out of work and struggling to survive.
How many times have we been advised by Newsom to play it safe, stay close to home and avoid unnecessary gatherings?
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It was good advice, but if he’s not following it, can he expect anyone to trust anything he says?
And what about the blockheaded state legislators who flew to Maui for a conference, with the expenses picked up in some cases by their hosts, the nonprofit Independent Voter Project? One of the conference topics was on how to reopen states safely.
Here’s one way:
Don’t get on a plane and fly off to a hotel gathering on a tropical island, then return home and possibly expose others to the risk of infection.
We’re still confirming the names of the Maui Mai Tai Club, Democrats and Republicans alike, and when we nail that down I’ll be inviting readers to give legislators a good piece of their mind, with the best responses published in this space.
But let’s get back to Newsom, who apologized for his “mistake” and noted that he was dining outdoors.
Can we even trust him on that?
As The Times has reported, there are photos that show Newsom “inside a private dining room that appears to open up to an outdoor area, sitting almost shoulder to shoulder with other guests around a single table. No one can be seen wearing a mask.”
OK, he hasn’t quite hit Trumpian levels of COVID stupidity, but shame on him, and good for San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who poked a stick in Newsom’s eye with a sharp tweet.
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Faulconer noted that not only did Newsom enjoy a $350-per-person restaurant while Californians are digging cans of bean soup from the back of their cupboards, but the governor also sends his children to a private school that’s open for business while many of the state’s public school students are locked out of their campuses.
“His kids can learn in person. But yours can’t,” Faulconer tweeted. “He can celebrate birthday parties. But you can’t. He can dine on a $350 meal at one [of] California’s fanciest restaurants during the worst recession in generations. But you definitely can’t. Can you believe this? I can’t.”
Faulconer is a Republican, Newsom is a Democrat. Faulconer is closing out his time as mayor and has considered running for governor in the past.
So I asked him Wednesday afternoon if he’s going to give it a shot in two years, when Newsom’s first term comes to an end.
“I am absolutely considering it,” Faulconer told me. “We need new leadership.”
That’s a steep hill to climb. Faulconer is a centrist in a state whose GOP is so far to the right, nearly 6 million Californians voted for Trump. It’s not clear they’d have the same enthusiasm for a moderate Republican. Then there’s the sizable problem of the lopsided Democratic advantage among the state’s registered voters.
But we did have a moderate Republican governor not that long ago in Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it would be nice to see someone hold a mirror up to Democratic leaders in California, who can’t fix the state’s housing crisis and can’t figure out a workable plan on homelessness, among a host of other problems.
And then there’s the ridiculously mismanaged payout of unemployment benefits.
Seems like a relatively simple task, especially in the state that invented computers. But it’s been chaos, and it’s gone on for months, as thousands of Californians have waited desperately for someone, anyone, to come to the rescue. Does somebody need to host another conference in Hawaii to get legislators interested in finding a fix?
“What’s happening is that the Democratic establishment is failing our state,” Faulconer said. “Where’s the plan for schools to open? Where’s the plan to make sure the power doesn’t shut off when the wind blows? … Homelessness is skyrocketing, and it’s not acceptable to have people live and die on our streets.”
Earlier this year, Faulconer noted, when the state homeless population increased, San Diego’s decreased. He invited me to visit and find out more about his city’s approach, and I’m happy to take him up on the offer.
But I want to get back to the virus, because Faulconer’s issues with the governor go beyond his trip to the French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley. Residents and business owners have been confused by mixed messages about what they can and can’t do, about how long some businesses will be open and how long it’ll be before they’re closed yet again, Faulconer said.
Newsom and state leaders are “failing because of the constant changing of the rules…. People are angry and want to know that we’re following a clear set of objectives,” Faulconer said. “I’ve been very vocal that we have to keep people safe and we have to do everything in terms of masking and social distancing, but people are at their wits’ end.”
To be fair, that is the nature of a pandemic. It makes sense to adjust the rules, depending on surge levels, to protect lives.
But that’s why Newsom’s lapse is so egregious, especially as the number of cases and the fears of a greater shutdown are on the rise. He put all of us at greater risk because Californians who have refused to wear masks and resisted COVID-19 restrictions are only going to be more emboldened by his hypocritical messaging, as evidenced by those who showed up at this week’s Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting and lashed out at Newsom.
I don’t care how good Newsom’s dinner might have been.
It wasn’t worth it, and the whole state got indigestion.
steve.lopez@latimes.com


latimes--2020-11-19--Michael Tubbs  lost his bid to return as Stockton mayor. Some say he's still a rising star

When Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs conceded defeat Tuesday in a bid for a second term in this troubled San Joaquin Valley city , it was a painful moment he had not expected .
“ As someone who is used to winning , it ’ s always difficult when things don ’ t work out in your favor , ” Tubbs said Wednesday from Los Angeles , where he was in town for meetings .
“ I put my heart and soul into my job , so I took it very personally.
” Tubbs lost to Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One , the presidential helicopter , during George W. Bush ’ s administration , but who has never held political office .
Lincoln won with 56 % of the vote , about 12,000 more ballots in his favor than Tubbs .
Critics of the incumbent say voters rejected him because of problems in the city including poverty and homelessness and a sense that Tubbs was more interested in national affairs than local ones .
Tubbs said he believed he ’ d been misrepresented in a “ four-year misinformation campaign ” on social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook whose writers were intent on his ouster .
Politicians don ’ t like losing , but for Tubbs , 30 , some predict his recent failure may open bigger doors for a young and rising star in Democratic ranks .
“ He obviously has a Rolodex that is different than a lot of people , ” said Democratic political consultant Andrew Acosta , who has worked for other candidates in the San Joaquin Valley , but not Tubbs .
Tubbs has a personal relationship with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris , has worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including homelessness , supported Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg early in the primary and interned at the Obama White House .
Oprah Winfrey was one of his early political donors .
“ He should not be written off , ” said Steve Maviglio , a Democratic political consultant in Sacramento .
“ The guy reminds me of Bill Clinton .
He , like Bill Clinton , had a very tough loss ... but I think he ’ s super smart , super energetic , well-liked — apparently not by the voters of Stockton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political circles.
” Maviglio , Acosta and others said they think Tubbs will bounce back into political life without stigma from the ballot box beating — especially at a time when the Biden-Harris win could draw Californians to Washington to serve in the new administration and create a shuffle in state opportunities .
The rout , they said , is likely not the end of Tubbs ’ political prospects if he chooses to run for another office , or work for another politician in the interim .
“ With the Biden administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be well-positioned to do other things , ” said Acosta .
One of the criticisms Tubbs faced during the election — that he spent too much time away from Stockton , and on issues that gained him more notoriety outside its boundaries than praise within them — may be key to predicting his future success .
Tubbs has become a leading national voice on universal basic income , having started a high-profile pilot project for it in Stockton in 2019 using Silicon Valley philanthropic dollars .
That program , which is still running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 500 a month .
In 2020 , Tubbs furthered that idea by creating Mayors for a Guaranteed Income , bringing together more than 25 mayors across the U.S. to push for a federal guaranteed income .
When he began the Stockton pilot , Tubbs said he had had “ many touch points ” with Harris about the effort .
Harris edged up on discussing a basic income during the presidential primary , with a proposal for “ livable incomes ” that would give some families cash grants , and in May introduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those struggling during the pandemic .
Many conservatives have mocked the idea of guaranteed income .
When it was clear Tubbs was losing right after election day , GOP consultant Jon Fleischman tweeted , “ This is the smart guy who thought just handing out taxpayer money to people was a good idea .
I guess he didn ’ t give it away to enough people ... ” But with the pandemic shutdown continuing to devastate the economy and unemployment high among vulnerable workers , the idea is likely to remain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceded , two pieces on universal basic income and Stockton ran in national media , one in The Economist marking it as an idea of importance for the coming year .
Tubbs said he has already started thinking of his next move , and Washington is something he ’ s discussed with his family .
Though he hasn ’ t made any decisions and didn ’ t talk about specific offers , Stockton may soon become his past — Tubbs said he expected to make a call before the end of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
For the immediate future , he ’ s promised to help Lincoln move into office .
Though Lincoln did not return a request for comment , he posted an online message thanking Tubbs .
“ I want to extend my appreciation to Mayor Tubbs for his eight years of service to our community , ” Lincoln said .
“ I look forward to collaborating with him on a smooth transition and hope he will continue to enrich our city with his ingenuity and passion for Stockton.
” Tubbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wants to continue working on issues of equity and equality .
He grew up on Stockton ’ s poor south side with a single mother and an incarcerated father .
After graduating from Stanford , he returned and successfully ran for city council , driven in part by the murder of a cousin in Stockton .
He first ran for mayor in 2016 , becoming both the youngest and first Black person to hold that office .
“ It ’ s always right to be in a good fight and I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tubbs .
“ Today , tomorrow , 50 years from now , 100 years from now , that is all I am going to be doing .
”

When Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs conceded defeat Tuesday in a bid for a second term in this troubled San Joaquin Valley city, it was a painful moment he had not expected.
“As someone who is used to winning, it’s always difficult when things don’t work out in your favor,” Tubbs said Wednesday from Los Angeles, where he was in town for meetings. “I put my heart and soul into my job, so I took it very personally.”
Tubbs lost to Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln, a military veteran who served on Marine One, the presidential helicopter, during George W. Bush’s administration, but who has never held political office. Lincoln won with 56% of the vote, about 12,000 more ballots in his favor than Tubbs.
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Critics of the incumbent say voters rejected him because of problems in the city including poverty and homelessness and a sense that Tubbs was more interested in national affairs than local ones.
Tubbs said he believed he’d been misrepresented in a “four-year misinformation campaign” on social media, including by a political page on Facebook whose writers were intent on his ouster.
Politicians don’t like losing, but for Tubbs, 30, some predict his recent failure may open bigger doors for a young and rising star in Democratic ranks.
“He obviously has a Rolodex that is different than a lot of people,” said Democratic political consultant Andrew Acosta, who has worked for other candidates in the San Joaquin Valley, but not Tubbs.
Tubbs has a personal relationship with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, has worked with Gov. Gavin Newsom on issues including homelessness, supported Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg early in the primary and interned at the Obama White House. Oprah Winfrey was one of his early political donors.
“He should not be written off,” said Steve Maviglio, a Democratic political consultant in Sacramento. “The guy reminds me of Bill Clinton. He, like Bill Clinton, had a very tough loss ... but I think he’s super smart, super energetic, well-liked — apparently not by the voters of Stockton — but well-liked in the policy groups and political circles.”
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Maviglio, Acosta and others said they think Tubbs will bounce back into political life without stigma from the ballot box beating — especially at a time when the Biden-Harris win could draw Californians to Washington to serve in the new administration and create a shuffle in state opportunities. The rout, they said, is likely not the end of Tubbs’ political prospects if he chooses to run for another office, or work for another politician in the interim.
“With the Biden administration and where we are, he would be well-positioned to do other things,” said Acosta.
One of the criticisms Tubbs faced during the election — that he spent too much time away from Stockton, and on issues that gained him more notoriety outside its boundaries than praise within them — may be key to predicting his future success.
Tubbs has become a leading national voice on universal basic income, having started a high-profile pilot project for it in Stockton in 2019 using Silicon Valley philanthropic dollars. That program, which is still running, gives 130 residents cash payments of $500 a month. In 2020, Tubbs furthered that idea by creating Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, bringing together more than 25 mayors across the U.S. to push for a federal guaranteed income.
When he began the Stockton pilot, Tubbs said he had had “many touch points” with Harris about the effort. Harris edged up on discussing a basic income during the presidential primary, with a proposal for “livable incomes” that would give some families cash grants, and in May introduced legislation to give $2,000 a month to those struggling during the pandemic.
Many conservatives have mocked the idea of guaranteed income. When it was clear Tubbs was losing right after election day, GOP consultant Jon Fleischman tweeted, “This is the smart guy who thought just handing out taxpayer money to people was a good idea. I guess he didn’t give it away to enough people ...”
But with the pandemic shutdown continuing to devastate the economy and unemployment high among vulnerable workers, the idea is likely to remain in the political dialogue. The day Tubbs conceded, two pieces on universal basic income and Stockton ran in national media, one in The Economist marking it as an idea of importance for the coming year.
Tubbs said he has already started thinking of his next move, and Washington is something he’s discussed with his family. Though he hasn’t made any decisions and didn’t talk about specific offers, Stockton may soon become his past — Tubbs said he expected to make a call before the end of the year.
“All options are open now,” he said.
For the immediate future , he’s promised to help Lincoln move into office. Though Lincoln did not return a request for comment, he posted an online message thanking Tubbs.
“I want to extend my appreciation to Mayor Tubbs for his eight years of service to our community,” Lincoln said. “I look forward to collaborating with him on a smooth transition and hope he will continue to enrich our city with his ingenuity and passion for Stockton.”
Tubbs said regardless of his next title, he wants to continue working on issues of equity and equality. He grew up on Stockton’s poor south side with a single mother and an incarcerated father. After graduating from Stanford, he returned and successfully ran for city council, driven in part by the murder of a cousin in Stockton. He first ran for mayor in 2016, becoming both the youngest and first Black person to hold that office.
“It’s always right to be in a good fight and I am more resolute than ever,” said Tubbs. “Today, tomorrow, 50 years from now, 100 years from now, that is all I am going to be doing.”


latimes--2020-11-19--L.A. officials are still not sure why and how COVID-19 is surging. It's a huge handicap

Los Angeles officials in recent days have pleaded with residents to cancel social gatherings and announced limited hours for businesses in an effort to counteract a swift rise in coronavirus cases .
But the clear messaging belies a murkier reality : They don ’ t fully understand why so many people are becoming infected .
For months , Angelenos have been prohibited from exercising inside gyms , watching movies in theaters and dining indoors at restaurants .
It was with these restrictions in place that L.A. County in early October recorded its fewest cases since the spring .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approaching our worst numbers with the same things open as [ when ] we … had our best numbers ” a few weeks ago , L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said this week .
The virus itself hasn ’ t changed , and there has been little relaxation of the rules .
Interviews conducted with people who have recently tested positive for the coronavirus don ’ t show any significant shifts in behavior compared with a month ago , such as more visits to restaurants or other businesses , said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For the vast majority of people sick with COVID-19 in L.A. County , officials can not determine where they contracted the virus , he said .
This mirrors national data showing that fewer than half of people with the virus know where they caught it .
“ Very often , these reported places they ’ ve been , we have no knowledge of other people there being infected .
So they don ’ t know and we don ’ t know where they got the infection , ” Gunzenhauser said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer.
” The data limitations speak to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic poses for contact tracing , a tried-and-true method that public health departments around the world use to track how an infection spreads .
With so many people sick with COVID-19 or infected but showing no symptoms , identifying where someone contracted the virus becomes nearly impossible .
“ Contact tracing just can ’ t keep up with it , ” said Kevin Malotte , a Cal State Long Beach professor emeritus of epidemiology .
“ You have to make kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going on.
” There is plenty of other information pointing to indoor environments as primary sources of coronavirus spread , particularly when people don ’ t wear masks .
The more time people spend together and the closer together they are , the more the risk increases .
In L.A. County , recent clusters of cases have been linked to dinner parties and other kinds of indoor social gatherings , including those celebrating the Dodgers and Lakers championships , officials say .
Meanwhile , the number of new people being infected with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than doubled in the last few weeks .
Additionally , a countywide survey conducted by USC found that instances of people coming in close contact with others they don ’ t live with , and also gathering in groups of 10 or more , rose steadily in September and October .
At the end of October , 60 % of those surveyed had had close contact with people outside their household in the previous seven days .
“ We should each ask ourselves and those we care about to commit making the changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of suffering and death from COVID-19 , ” Barbara Ferrer , the L.A. County director of public health , said Wednesday .
“ Change any plans for indoor gatherings that involve people not in your household.
” The trends are particularly worrying given the approach of Thanksgiving , when people traditionally host large gatherings .
Ferrer said that if cases and hospitalizations continue to rise at their current rate , the county will reach a level of transmission that would prompt a stay-at-home order in early December lasting at least three weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the county from reaching that threshold .
“ I hope with every single bone in my body that we don ’ t get there , ” she said .
One of the tools to prevent a surge is contact tracing , by which public health departments gather information on people who have fallen sick to notify others infected and understand patterns of spread .
When someone tests positive for the coronavirus , the doctor or lab notifies the public health department , which then reaches out to the patient to gather information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 99.7 % of those infected are contacted by the Department of Public Health within 24 hours , according to county data .
But once the contact tracers reach out , only about 63 % of people agree to complete the interview , greatly limiting officials ’ information .
In an effort to address the issue , a long-standing problem during the pandemic , L.A. officials began offering $ 20 gift cards to people who agreed to be interviewed .
When people comply , the tracers can collect data on others the sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal is to notify them promptly so they can quarantine and be tested .
Between Nov. 4 and Nov. 10 , 8,290 people who tested positive for the coronavirus were interviewed by county workers .
An additional 5,319 contacts of people infected were identified to be notified of their exposure , though only 72 % agreed to complete an interview .
Gunzenhauser said the department is developing field teams to send to the most affected neighborhoods to try to approach people face-to-face in the hope of obtaining more interviews .
But even when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t always paint a clear picture .
The interviewer asks patients where they went for 14 days before falling sick , because it can take up to two weeks for someone to show symptoms after being infected .
But with so many people in the county sick , and so many people asymptomatic , the long list of places they may have visited doesn ’ t usually provide an obvious culprit , Gunzenhauser said .
Interviews show that people who have recently tested positive visited places such as restaurants , shops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequency as people who tested positive a month ago , according to Gunzenhauser .
There ’ s been a small increase in the percentage of people who had attended a social gathering where someone else had COVID — from less than 1 % to 1.5 % — but that “ certainly doesn ’ t explain the jump , ” he said .
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that transmission most often occurs indoors in poorly ventilated spaces , with a large portion originating from people who don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people are most infectious the day before their symptoms begin , making it even more likely that infections are being transmitted by seemingly healthy people , said the study ’ s lead author , Dr. Eric Meyerowitz , professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York .
“ The really challenging thing about this virus in particular , in contrast to some other viruses , [ is that ] your viral load is rising before the onset of symptoms , so you are infectious before you maybe even know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ When you ’ re thinking about is it possible to make some of these indoor settings … safer if you did symptoms screening , that really wouldn ’ t be sufficient.
” In L.A. County , the likely explanation for the recent upswings , Gunzenhauser said , is that the coronavirus somehow became more prevalent in the community in the last several weeks , perhaps because of the slight uptick in gatherings or people spending more time indoors because of cold weather .
Other experts suggested that the sun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or that cases from other parts of the country where COVID-19 is surging were imported to L.A. County .
But those small changes had ripple effects .
As more people fall sick in the community , each interaction people have when they leave their homes becomes more dangerous , Gunzenhauser said .
“ All it takes is a slight change in some behavior or practice , and the virus is going to take advantage of that , ” he said .
“ Interactions that at the end of August would not have led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have quite a few more people infected.
” Gunzenhauser said this phenomenon has probably also fueled a rise in workplace outbreaks .
Outbreaks at workplaces — not including healthcare settings or food facilities — began to surge in L.A. County in late September , with a 70 % increase in outbreaks in the second half of that month , and have stayed elevated since .
“ Cases are going up in general , so worksites are going up , ” he said .
“ We can do all we can to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community transmission where the worksites are doubles or triples , then the risk just gets higher .
”

Los Angeles officials in recent days have pleaded with residents to cancel social gatherings and announced limited hours for businesses in an effort to counteract a swift rise in coronavirus cases. But the clear messaging belies a murkier reality: They don’t fully understand why so many people are becoming infected.
For months, Angelenos have been prohibited from exercising inside gyms, watching movies in theaters and dining indoors at restaurants. It was with these restrictions in place that L.A. County in early October recorded its fewest cases since the spring.
“The irony about right now is we are approaching our worst numbers with the same things open as [when] we … had our best numbers” a few weeks ago, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said this week.
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The virus itself hasn’t changed, and there has been little relaxation of the rules. Interviews conducted with people who have recently tested positive for the coronavirus don’t show any significant shifts in behavior compared with a month ago, such as more visits to restaurants or other businesses, said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, L.A. County’s chief medical officer.
For the vast majority of people sick with COVID-19 in L.A. County, officials cannot determine where they contracted the virus, he said. This mirrors national data showing that fewer than half of people with the virus know where they caught it.
“Very often, these reported places they’ve been, we have no knowledge of other people there being infected. So they don’t know and we don’t know where they got the infection,” Gunzenhauser said. “We certainly wish we had a good answer.”
The data limitations speak to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic poses for contact tracing, a tried-and-true method that public health departments around the world use to track how an infection spreads. With so many people sick with COVID-19 or infected but showing no symptoms, identifying where someone contracted the virus becomes nearly impossible.
“Contact tracing just can’t keep up with it,” said Kevin Malotte, a Cal State Long Beach professor emeritus of epidemiology. “You have to make kind of educated guesses as to what you think is going on.”
There is plenty of other information pointing to indoor environments as primary sources of coronavirus spread, particularly when people don’t wear masks. The more time people spend together and the closer together they are, the more the risk increases.
In L.A. County, recent clusters of cases have been linked to dinner parties and other kinds of indoor social gatherings, including those celebrating the Dodgers and Lakers championships, officials say. Meanwhile, the number of new people being infected with the coronavirus in the county has more than doubled in the last few weeks.
Additionally, a countywide survey conducted by USC found that instances of people coming in close contact with others they don’t live with, and also gathering in groups of 10 or more, rose steadily in September and October. At the end of October, 60% of those surveyed had had close contact with people outside their household in the previous seven days.
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World & Nation Confirmed U.S. death toll from coronavirus tops 250,000, the highest in world The confirmed U.S. death toll from the coronavirus now exceeds 250,000, the highest in world, according to Johns Hopkins University’s count.
“We should each ask ourselves and those we care about to commit making the changes we know will prevent a great deal of suffering and death from COVID-19,” Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. County director of public health, said Wednesday. “Change any plans for indoor gatherings that involve people not in your household.”
The trends are particularly worrying given the approach of Thanksgiving, when people traditionally host large gatherings. Ferrer said that if cases and hospitalizations continue to rise at their current rate, the county will reach a level of transmission that would prompt a stay-at-home order in early December lasting at least three weeks.
But she added that quick action can prevent the county from reaching that threshold.
“I hope with every single bone in my body that we don’t get there,” she said.
One of the tools to prevent a surge is contact tracing, by which public health departments gather information on people who have fallen sick to notify others infected and understand patterns of spread.
When someone tests positive for the coronavirus, the doctor or lab notifies the public health department, which then reaches out to the patient to gather information about their illness. In L.A. County, 99.7% of those infected are contacted by the Department of Public Health within 24 hours, according to county data.
But once the contact tracers reach out, only about 63% of people agree to complete the interview, greatly limiting officials’ information. In an effort to address the issue, a long-standing problem during the pandemic, L.A. officials began offering $20 gift cards to people who agreed to be interviewed.
When people comply, the tracers can collect data on others the sick person may have also infected. The goal is to notify them promptly so they can quarantine and be tested.
Between Nov. 4 and Nov. 10, 8,290 people who tested positive for the coronavirus were interviewed by county workers. An additional 5,319 contacts of people infected were identified to be notified of their exposure, though only 72% agreed to complete an interview.
Gunzenhauser said the department is developing field teams to send to the most affected neighborhoods to try to approach people face-to-face in the hope of obtaining more interviews. But even when the necessary information is provided, it doesn’t always paint a clear picture.
The interviewer asks patients where they went for 14 days before falling sick, because it can take up to two weeks for someone to show symptoms after being infected. But with so many people in the county sick, and so many people asymptomatic, the long list of places they may have visited doesn’t usually provide an obvious culprit, Gunzenhauser said.
Interviews show that people who have recently tested positive visited places such as restaurants, shops, workplaces and churches at the same frequency as people who tested positive a month ago, according to Gunzenhauser.
There’s been a small increase in the percentage of people who had attended a social gathering where someone else had COVID — from less than 1% to 1.5% — but that “certainly doesn’t explain the jump,” he said.
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that transmission most often occurs indoors in poorly ventilated spaces, with a large portion originating from people who don’t show symptoms.
Science & Medicine Four takeaways from the race for a COVID-19 vaccine There are still many unknowns when it comes to the pandemic, but the early signs of success for two experimental COVID-19 vaccines make a few things clear.
Available data suggest that people are most infectious the day before their symptoms begin, making it even more likely that infections are being transmitted by seemingly healthy people, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Eric Meyerowitz, professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
“The really challenging thing about this virus in particular, in contrast to some other viruses, [is that] your viral load is rising before the onset of symptoms, so you are infectious before you maybe even know that you have the virus,” he said. “When you’re thinking about is it possible to make some of these indoor settings … safer if you did symptoms screening, that really wouldn’t be sufficient.”
In L.A. County, the likely explanation for the recent upswings, Gunzenhauser said, is that the coronavirus somehow became more prevalent in the community in the last several weeks, perhaps because of the slight uptick in gatherings or people spending more time indoors because of cold weather.
Other experts suggested that the sun setting earlier has forced more people indoors or that cases from other parts of the country where COVID-19 is surging were imported to L.A. County.
But those small changes had ripple effects. As more people fall sick in the community, each interaction people have when they leave their homes becomes more dangerous, Gunzenhauser said.
“All it takes is a slight change in some behavior or practice, and the virus is going to take advantage of that,” he said. “Interactions that at the end of August would not have led to an infection now are, because we have quite a few more people infected.”
Gunzenhauser said this phenomenon has probably also fueled a rise in workplace outbreaks. Outbreaks at workplaces — not including healthcare settings or food facilities — began to surge in L.A. County in late September, with a 70% increase in outbreaks in the second half of that month, and have stayed elevated since.
“Cases are going up in general, so worksites are going up,” he said. “We can do all we can to build in good infection control, but if the community transmission where the worksites are doubles or triples, then the risk just gets higher.”


latimes--2020-11-19--Column One: If you practice yoga, thank this man who came to the U.S. 100 years ago

Long before he arrived in the United States to bring the ancient Indian practice of yoga to the West , Paramahansa Yogananda visited a temple in Kashmir and fell into an ecstatic trance : in his vision he saw the temple transform into a gleaming white mansion .
It sat on a hilltop in a distant land .
Years later , he visited Mount Washington , a hilltop neighborhood less than six miles from downtown Los Angeles .
And there he saw it , the gleaming white mansion .
“ I recognized it at once from my long past visions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
The mansion was actually the long abandoned Mount Washington Hotel , and it would soon become the headquarters for the Self Realization Fellowship , the global organization Yogananda founded a century ago this year .
The lasting power and reach of the group is a testament not only to the yogi ’ s cross-cultural charisma and uplifting message , but to the qualities that made Los Angeles his ideal spiritual home .
“ Around the world , L.A. is known for being open-minded and a forerunner in all sorts of things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Brother Chidananda , president and spiritual head of SRF , as it ’ s known .
“ He felt that L.A. was a place where he was most likely to find a receptive audience.
” Yogananda purchased the hotel in 1925 and immediately set about transforming its grounds into a lush and expansive oasis that includes a wishing well , an outdoor “ temple of leaves , ” a koi pond , trickling waterfalls and plenty of benches for meditation .
Today it houses a visitor center and gift shop and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarters , left exactly as they were when he died in 1952 .
( Even the food he was served that day remains preserved under glass . )
About 200 monks and nuns live on or near the property , which SRF members call Mother Center .
They care for the garden , participate in prayer circles , publish the guru ’ s copious writings , offer spiritual counseling and help run the SRF ’ s more than 600 temples and meditation centers around the globe .
“ It is perhaps one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not shrinking , ” said Lauren Landress , an SRF spokeswoman .
Yogananda spent 32 years in the United States , addressing tens of thousands in concert halls across the country , writing a bestselling autobiography that has sold more than 1 million copies , and instructing disciples that included George Eastman , founder of Kodak , and the pioneering botanist Luther Burbank .
He counted Mahatma Gandhi among his friends , and President Calvin Coolidge invited him to the White House .
Yogananda ’ s influence can still be felt on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces of his three gurus appear on the cover of the Beatles ’ “ Sgt .
Pepper ’ s Lonely Hearts Club Band ” album — and on contemporary thought ; Apple founder Steve Jobs requested that everyone who attended his memorial service be given a copy of “ Autobiography of a Yogi.
” If you stream yoga classes online , meditate to alleviate stress , or consider yourself more spiritual than religious , you have Paramahansa Yogananda , in part , to thank , said Diana Eck , professor of comparative religion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t say it all began with him , but I think it began most popularly with him , ” she said .
“ He was way , way ahead of his time.
” Indian spiritual teachings were not entirely unfamiliar to Americans when Yogananda arrived in 1920 .
The Bhagavad Gita was translated into English in 1785 , and John Adams and Thomas Jefferson exchanged about reading Hindu philosophy .
Indian sacred texts informed the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-1800s , and in 1893 Swami Vivekananda , a Hindu monk from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivering a talk to the Parliament of the World ’ s Religions in Chicago .
The following year he founded the Vedanta Society , the first teaching institution for Indian philosophy in the United States .
The society still exists , but Vivekananda spent only a few years in the West .
Yogananda was the first Indian swami to make America his home .
“ Here we had a teacher who came and basically dug his feet into the mud , ” Eck said .
Yogananda was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in 1893 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northern India .
In “ Autobiography of a Yogi , ” he describes a youth informed by encounters with holy men and miracle workers who could levitate or be in two places at one time .
After graduating from the University of Calcutta in 1915 , he took his vows as a monk , choosing the name Yogananda , which means “ divine union with God through yoga.
” He founded a yoga school for boys in 1917 , but three years later he had a vision that it was time to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West .
The next day he was invited to represent India at the International Congress of Religious Liberals , to be held that year in Boston .
Days before he left for Boston , Yogananda wrote , he was visited by the mythical figure of Babaji , his guru ’ s guru ’ s guru , also known as “ the deathless guru.
” “ You are the one I have chosen , ” Babaji said , “ to spread the message of Kriya Yoga in the West.
” It was a radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Religious Life at USC .
“ For hundreds of years we were on the receiving end of Christian missionaries as part of colonialism , ” said Soni , who is Hindu .
“ For Yogananda to come as a Hindu missionary to the U.S. , to bring the ancient wisdom of India in all of its purity and magnificence , this was a way of saying we also have something to offer.
” Central to Yogananda ’ s teaching is the idea that one doesn ’ t have to renounce worldly life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a direct encounter with God .
He taught that blissful , divine communion is available to all , and that methods developed in India thousands of years ago represent the fastest path to establishing that connection .
The physical practice of yoga — known as the asanas — is just one branch of yoga , and it wasn ’ t what Yogananda particularly focused on .
He was more interested in teaching techniques of intense concentration .
“ What Yogananda brought is a fairly advanced and much more comprehensive meditation practice for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a dabbler anymore , ” Brother Chidananda said .
Yogananda called his teachings “ the science of religion ” because he believed his methods were testable .
Faith wasn ’ t part of the equation .
“ It ’ s like chemistry , ” Brother Chidananda said .
“ Regardless of whether you believe or not , if you follow the protocol with precision , you will get a predictable result.
” This emphasis on the scientific method , and his belief that people of all races , genders and religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the swami connect with Americans .
“ What he was speaking about was not otherworldly , ” Eck said .
“ He said yoga was something that was demonstrable , if you practiced it you got certain results — and people did.
” Today Los Angeles is recognized as one of the most in the world , and that was true in the first half of the 20th century as well .
The Azusa Street Revival , a three-year ecstatic revival meeting , started here in 1906 and helped launch the Pentecostal movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Los Angeles in 1922 and quickly built a following in the tens of thousands , and in 1934 scholar and mystic Many P. Hall founded the Philosophical Research Society to promote the study of the world ’ s wisdom literature .
When Yogananda arrived in L.A. in 1924 , he fit right in .
“ I think what you ’ ll find connects the dots of all these new spiritual expressions — whether it ’ s Christian , Buddhist , Hindu , or spiritualist — is a creative reinterpretation of traditions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ethos of Los Angeles when Yogananda came.
” Yogananda ’ s followers chipped in to help him buy the Mount Washington property , which he called “ the spiritual White House.
” He held the first Easter sunrise service at the site even before the property was out of escrow .
It ’ s a tradition that continues at many SRF temples today .
Yogananda revered Jesus , and he saw it as part of his mission to awaken the Western world to the true meaning of the gospels and how they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not as unusual as some might think , said Philip Goldberg , author of “ The Life of Yogananda.
” When missionaries brought the teachings of Jesus to India , many Hindus happily added his likeness to their altars .
The problem , from the missionaries ’ point of view : The Hindus didn ’ t take down the statues of other divinities .
“ They consider him a great master , a great yogi , and a divine incarnation , but not the only one , ” Goldberg said .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you ’ ll find Jesus ’ s image on the altar , along with that of Yogananda , his lineage of gurus , and the Hindu god Krishna .
“ A lot of people are cynical about it , but I think he was really sincere about it , ” Goldberg said .
“ You don ’ t write a 1,200-page , two-volume set on the teachings of Jesus if you don ’ t really believe it.
” Yogananda continued to travel across America , but to stay in touch with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he created the Self Realization Fellowship Lessons , a kind of mail-order yoga and meditation school .
Hard copies of the lessons are still sent through the mail from the Mount Washington headquarters .
But it wasn ’ t all smooth sailing : Lawsuits and rumored scandals were covered voraciously by newspapers at the time , although experts say accusations that Yogananda had inappropriate financial or sexual relations with his followers have not been corroborated .
The bad press may have been inspired by racism and jealousy .
“ He was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confronting racial and religious prejudice , ” Brother Chidananda said .
“ How do you think the orthodoxy reacted when he was speaking at the largest auditoriums ?
It was very threatening .
Let ’ s be honest.
” Yogananda arrived in the U.S. as the Spanish flu pandemic was finally receding .
Now , in another time of fear and anxiety , interest in his teachings is at an all-time high .
With its temples and meditation centers shuttered , SRF officials say visits to the organization ’ s website have more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year , while interest in online prayer requests has increased by a factor of six .
Inquiries about guided meditation are up 77 % .
In a YouTube video recorded at the beginning of the pandemic , Brother Chidananda reminded Yogananda ’ s modern-day followers of what their guru had taught them — to arrive on the battlefield of life as a fully equipped warrior .
“ I often think how followers of this path are so very much blessed , to have the spiritual tools , to have the wisdom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw upon during times of uncertainty , during times of crisis , ” he said .
The ability to silence the static noise of fear that threatens divine consciousness .
The unshakable knowledge that within every person lies a wise , loving , joyful , eternal soul .
That direct connection with God is always possible , for those who seek it .
It ’ s the message Yogananda brought from India a century ago , since relayed innumerable times from Mount Washington .

Paramahansa Yogananda purchased the long abandoned Mount Washington Hotel in 1925 and immediately set about transforming its grounds into a lush and expansive oasis.
Long before he arrived in the United States to bring the ancient Indian practice of yoga to the West, Paramahansa Yogananda visited a temple in Kashmir and fell into an ecstatic trance: in his vision he saw the temple transform into a gleaming white mansion. It sat on a hilltop in a distant land.
Years later, he visited Mount Washington, a hilltop neighborhood less than six miles from downtown Los Angeles. And there he saw it, the gleaming white mansion.
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“I recognized it at once from my long past visions in Kashmir and elsewhere,” he wrote.
The mansion was actually the long abandoned Mount Washington Hotel, and it would soon become the headquarters for the Self Realization Fellowship, the global organization Yogananda founded a century ago this year. The lasting power and reach of the group is a testament not only to the yogi’s cross-cultural charisma and uplifting message, but to the qualities that made Los Angeles his ideal spiritual home.
“Around the world, L.A. is known for being open-minded and a forerunner in all sorts of things — culturally, technologically and spiritually,” said Brother Chidananda, president and spiritual head of SRF, as it’s known. “He felt that L.A. was a place where he was most likely to find a receptive audience.”
Paramahansa Yogananda with monastic disciples and students at Self-Realization Fellowship headquarters on New Year’s Day 1937. (Self-Realization Fellowship)
Yogananda purchased the hotel in 1925 and immediately set about transforming its grounds into a lush and expansive oasis that includes a wishing well, an outdoor “temple of leaves,” a koi pond, trickling waterfalls and plenty of benches for meditation.
Today it houses a visitor center and gift shop and an administration building that includes his living quarters, left exactly as they were when he died in 1952. (Even the food he was served that day remains preserved under glass.)
Advertisement
About 200 monks and nuns live on or near the property, which SRF members call Mother Center. They care for the garden, participate in prayer circles, publish the guru’s copious writings, offer spiritual counseling and help run the SRF’s more than 600 temples and meditation centers around the globe.
“It is perhaps one of the few monastic orders that is growing, not shrinking,” said Lauren Landress, an SRF spokeswoman.
Paramahansa Yogananda lectured at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium in 1925. (Self-Realization Fellowship)
Yogananda spent 32 years in the United States, addressing tens of thousands in concert halls across the country, writing a bestselling autobiography that has sold more than 1 million copies, and instructing disciples that included George Eastman, founder of Kodak, and the pioneering botanist Luther Burbank. He counted Mahatma Gandhi among his friends, and President Calvin Coolidge invited him to the White House.
Yogananda’s influence can still be felt on popular culture — his face and the faces of his three gurus appear on the cover of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album — and on contemporary thought; Apple founder Steve Jobs requested that everyone who attended his memorial service be given a copy of “Autobiography of a Yogi.”
If you stream yoga classes online, meditate to alleviate stress, or consider yourself more spiritual than religious, you have Paramahansa Yogananda, in part, to thank, said Diana Eck, professor of comparative religion at Harvard Divinity School.
“You can’t say it all began with him, but I think it began most popularly with him,” she said. “He was way, way ahead of his time.”
Like any other science, yoga is applicable by people of every clime and time. — Yogananda
Indian spiritual teachings were not entirely unfamiliar to Americans when Yogananda arrived in 1920. The Bhagavad Gita was translated into English in 1785, and John Adams and Thomas Jefferson exchanged letters about reading Hindu philosophy.
Indian sacred texts informed the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-1800s, and in 1893 Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk from Calcutta, became a media sensation after delivering a talk to the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. The following year he founded the Vedanta Society, the first teaching institution for Indian philosophy in the United States.
The society still exists, but Vivekananda spent only a few years in the West. Yogananda was the first Indian swami to make America his home.
“Here we had a teacher who came and basically dug his feet into the mud,” Eck said.
Yogananda was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in 1893 into a large, well-off family in northern India. In “Autobiography of a Yogi,” he describes a youth informed by encounters with holy men and miracle workers who could levitate or be in two places at one time.
After graduating from the University of Calcutta in 1915, he took his vows as a monk, choosing the name Yogananda, which means “divine union with God through yoga.”
He founded a yoga school for boys in 1917, but three years later he had a vision that it was time to bring the spiritual wisdom of India to the West. The next day he was invited to represent India at the International Congress of Religious Liberals, to be held that year in Boston.
Days before he left for Boston, Yogananda wrote, he was visited by the mythical figure of Babaji, his guru’s guru’s guru, also known as “the deathless guru.”
“You are the one I have chosen,” Babaji said, “to spread the message of Kriya Yoga in the West.”
It was a radical undertaking, said Varun Soni, dean of Religious Life at USC.
“For hundreds of years we were on the receiving end of Christian missionaries as part of colonialism,” said Soni, who is Hindu. “For Yogananda to come as a Hindu missionary to the U.S., to bring the ancient wisdom of India in all of its purity and magnificence, this was a way of saying we also have something to offer.”
Self-realization is knowing one’s Self, one’s soul; and realizing that the soul is one with God. — Yogananda
Central to Yogananda’s teaching is the idea that one doesn’t have to renounce worldly life or live in a cave to have a direct encounter with God. He taught that blissful, divine communion is available to all, and that methods developed in India thousands of years ago represent the fastest path to establishing that connection.
The physical practice of yoga — known as the asanas — is just one branch of yoga, and it wasn’t what Yogananda particularly focused on. He was more interested in teaching techniques of intense concentration.
“What Yogananda brought is a fairly advanced and much more comprehensive meditation practice for people who feel they don’t want to be a dabbler anymore,” Brother Chidananda said.
Yogananda called his teachings “the science of religion” because he believed his methods were testable. Faith wasn’t part of the equation.
“It’s like chemistry,” Brother Chidananda said. “Regardless of whether you believe or not, if you follow the protocol with precision, you will get a predictable result.”
This emphasis on the scientific method, and his belief that people of all races, genders and religious backgrounds could encounter the divine, helped the swami connect with Americans.
“What he was speaking about was not otherworldly,” Eck said. “He said yoga was something that was demonstrable, if you practiced it you got certain results — and people did.”
Yoga requires no formal allegiance. Because the yogic science satisfies a universal need, it has a natural universal appeal. — Yogananda
Today Los Angeles is recognized as one of the most religiously diverse cities in the world, and that was true in the first half of the 20th century as well.
The Azusa Street Revival, a three-year ecstatic revival meeting, started here in 1906 and helped launch the Pentecostal movement. The flamboyant Aimee Semple McPherson arrived in Los Angeles in 1922 and quickly built a following in the tens of thousands, and in 1934 scholar and mystic Manly P. Hall founded the Philosophical Research Society to promote the study of the world’s wisdom literature.
When Yogananda arrived in L.A. in 1924, he fit right in.
“I think what you’ll find connects the dots of all these new spiritual expressions — whether it’s Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, or spiritualist — is a creative reinterpretation of traditions,” Soni said. “That was the ethos of Los Angeles when Yogananda came.”
Paramahansa Yogananda conducts his first Easter sunrise service at the Self-Realization Fellowship headquarters on Mt. Washington. (Self-Realization Fellowship)
Yogananda’s followers chipped in to help him buy the Mount Washington property, which he called “the spiritual White House.” He held the first Easter sunrise service at the site even before the property was out of escrow. It’s a tradition that continues at many SRF temples today.
Yogananda revered Jesus, and he saw it as part of his mission to awaken the Western world to the true meaning of the gospels and how they aligned with Hindu philosophy.
Jesus-loving swamis were not as unusual as some might think, said Philip Goldberg, author of “The Life of Yogananda.” When missionaries brought the teachings of Jesus to India, many Hindus happily added his likeness to their altars. The problem, from the missionaries’ point of view: The Hindus didn’t take down the statues of other divinities.
“They consider him a great master, a great yogi, and a divine incarnation, but not the only one,” Goldberg said.
If you go to an SRF temple today, you’ll find Jesus’s image on the altar, along with that of Yogananda, his lineage of gurus, and the Hindu god Krishna.
“A lot of people are cynical about it, but I think he was really sincere about it,” Goldberg said. “You don’t write a 1,200-page, two-volume set on the teachings of Jesus if you don’t really believe it.”
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Yogananda continued to travel across America, but to stay in touch with his growing number of students across the country, he created the Self Realization Fellowship Lessons, a kind of mail-order yoga and meditation school. Hard copies of the lessons are still sent through the mail from the Mount Washington headquarters.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing: Lawsuits and rumored scandals were covered voraciously by newspapers at the time, although experts say accusations that Yogananda had inappropriate financial or sexual relations with his followers have not been corroborated.
The bad press may have been inspired by racism and jealousy.
“He was a brown-skinned Asian man, and he was confronting racial and religious prejudice,” Brother Chidananda said. “How do you think the orthodoxy reacted when he was speaking at the largest auditoriums? It was very threatening. Let’s be honest.”
The Western day is nearing when the inner science of self-control will be found as necessary as the outer conquest of Nature. — Yogananda
Yogananda arrived in the U.S. as the Spanish flu pandemic was finally receding. Now, in another time of fear and anxiety, interest in his teachings is at an all-time high.
With its temples and meditation centers shuttered, SRF officials say visits to the organization’s website have more than tripled during the pandemic compared with last year, while interest in online prayer requests has increased by a factor of six. Inquiries about guided meditation are up 77%.
In a YouTube video recorded at the beginning of the pandemic, Brother Chidananda reminded Yogananda’s modern-day followers of what their guru had taught them — to arrive on the battlefield of life as a fully equipped warrior.
“I often think how followers of this path are so very much blessed, to have the spiritual tools, to have the wisdom, to have the understanding that they can draw upon during times of uncertainty, during times of crisis,” he said.
The ability to silence the static noise of fear that threatens divine consciousness.
The unshakable knowledge that within every person lies a wise, loving, joyful, eternal soul.
That direct connection with God is always possible, for those who seek it.
It’s the message Yogananda brought from India a century ago, since relayed innumerable times from Mount Washington.


latimes--2020-11-19--Where have crime-free housing rules spread in California? How we got the answer

To understand the spread of crime-free housing policies in California , The Times searched the municipal codes of all 539 cities and counties in the state and scoured local police department websites .
Most California local government municipal codes are published on third-party websites , including municode.com , codebook.com and qcode.us , and The Times used a variety of search terms to identify potential crime-free housing laws .
For municipal codes that weren ’ t available on those sites , The Times examined each city ’ s individually .
Similarly , The Times used a variety of search terms to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime-free housing trainings for landlords .
The Times defined crime-free housing polices as those that encourage landlords to evict or exclude tenants who have had some level of interaction with law enforcement .
To build its list , The Times incorporated research from the nonprofit groups the National Housing Law Project , Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California .
The Times also consulted with Kathryn Ramsey , an assistant professor at the University of Memphis School of Law who has written about crime-free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To measure the relationship between crime-free policies and shifting demographics , The Times analyzed data from the National Historical Geographic Information System and the U.S. Census Bureau to track population changes from 1990 to 2018 .
The review found that most California cities with the largest increases of Black and Latino residents during that time had approved the restrictive housing rules .
The Times also obtained five years of eviction data from the California Unlawful Detainer Pilot Program , which allows city attorneys in Long Beach , Los Angeles , Oakland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons arrests .
The Times then compared the data with demographics of the renter population in each city .
Outside research on the demographics of those targeted for eviction and enforcement under additional crime-free housing programs in Oakland and Los Angeles supplemented The Times ’ reporting .

To understand the spread of crime-free housing policies in California, The Times searched the municipal codes of all 539 cities and counties in the state and scoured local police department websites.
Most California local government municipal codes are published on third-party websites, including municode.com, codebook.com and qcode.us, and The Times used a variety of search terms to identify potential crime-free housing laws. For municipal codes that weren’t available on those sites, The Times examined each city’s individually. Similarly, The Times used a variety of search terms to identify which local police departments are advertising crime-free housing trainings for landlords.
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The Times defined crime-free housing polices as those that encourage landlords to evict or exclude tenants who have had some level of interaction with law enforcement. To build its list, The Times incorporated research from the nonprofit groups the National Housing Law Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. The Times also consulted with Kathryn Ramsey, an assistant professor at the University of Memphis School of Law who has written about crime-free housing programs, to finalize the tally.
To measure the relationship between crime-free policies and shifting demographics, The Times analyzed data from the National Historical Geographic Information System and the U.S. Census Bureau to track population changes from 1990 to 2018. The review found that most California cities with the largest increases of Black and Latino residents during that time had approved the restrictive housing rules.
The Times also obtained five years of eviction data from the California Unlawful Detainer Pilot Program, which allows city attorneys in Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland and Sacramento to initiate evictions after drug or weapons arrests. The Times then compared the data with demographics of the renter population in each city. Outside research on the demographics of those targeted for eviction and enforcement under additional crime-free housing programs in Oakland and Los Angeles supplemented The Times’ reporting.