latimes--2020-02-27--Proposition 13 is endorsed by schools across California. Why not LAUSD?

A $ 15-billion bond measure to improve school and college facilities may offer limited aid to the Los Angeles Unified School District — which has not endorsed the March 3 ballot measure despite widespread support from school systems , teachers unions and universities throughout the state .
Several provisions in Proposition 13 ( which has no relation to the 1978 measure that capped property tax increases ) are of concern , including reductions in developer fees to the district and how the state would prioritize distributing the money if it passes .
Unlike some school districts , Los Angeles has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bond could affect the district .
The measure calls for a 20 % reduction in fees that developers pay school districts when they build new multi-unit housing .
The bond would eliminate those fees altogether when that housing is built near transit hubs , which L.A. city leaders have said is a priority .
The limitations would be in place until 2026 .
The L.A. school district has collected an average of $ 92 million annually over the last three years on all types of developments , with the highest fees charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most impact on the district .
District staff were unable to provide information on how much of those fees were related to the kind of residential construction named in the measure .
“ I would be concerned about any proposition that causes us to lose anything in terms of funds for children , and if that is the case then I ’ d be cautious , ” said school board member George McKenna , who represents parts of south and southwest Los Angeles .
The recent Los Angeles housing and construction boom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire alarms and sprinklers , seismic upgrades and such improvements as ramps and elevators needed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act , according to reports prepared by the district ’ s facilities division .
Bruce Fuller , a professor of education and public policy at UC Berkeley , said the loss of developer fees could be a “ significant hit ” to L.A. Unified .
And after L.A. voters last summer defeated a parcel tax to help fund schools , “ it ’ s understandable that the district would be cautious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff briefing to the school board on the bond was about a five-minute presentation during a Jan. 16 committee meeting .
A video record of that meeting shows only one board member , Kelly Gonez , present at the time for that legislative issues session .
“ We ’ re still assessing what this would all mean for L.A. Unified , ” said district lobbyist Martha Alvarez , during that meeting .
“ There ’ s still a lot of information that we ’ ll be gathering.
” The bond needs a simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California showed a tight race , with 51 % of likely voters approving of it .
Of the bond ’ s $ 15-billion total , $ 6 billion would be divided evenly among the University of California , Cal State and community college systems , and $ 9 billion would go for preschool through K-12 schools , including charter schools and career and technical education facilities .
“ Our share will be a small fraction ” of the bond , said L.A. schools Supt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considers Proposition 13 helpful but not nearly sufficient to fix aging schools across the state .
L.A. Unified in particular needs much more than the bond would provide , he said .
“ It ’ s part of the big picture .
I don ’ t know that it ’ s the beginning or the middle , but it ’ s not the end , ” Beutner said .
“ So at the college level , at the community college level , at the local level , K-12 all the way down through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make the investments.
” How the state would award the money Provisions in the bond change the way the state prioritizes funding decisions , which could affect Los Angeles .
When applying for state bond money in the past , school districts have been awarded on a first-come , first-served basis — meaning that those with the capacity and staff to navigate the application process often won .
Those rules gave bigger or wealthier districts an advantage .
Under Proposition 13 , a district ’ s ability to raise money through its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as its facilities needs .
This stands to help smaller and rural districts with lower property values .
Priority would also be assigned to districts that need to make “ health and life-safety repairs ” on their campuses , haven ’ t recently applied for state money , and serve larger percentages of foster youth , English learners and students from low-income families .
“ If you have a lower-income community you have less opportunities to raise funds using the same methods , ” said Lillian Maldonado French , superintendent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monte .
Proposition 13 “ equalizes just a little bit that playing field , ” Maldonado French said .
“ It gives us a little more opportunity to be at least in front of the line.
” Mountain View meets many of the criteria for priority funding , Maldonado French said .
Of its 6,000 students , about 94 % are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch , are foster youth or are English language learners .
The district has passed only one local bond — for $ 57 million in 2016 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ water and electricity top its wish list for spending .
The bond enjoys widespread support from school districts both urban and rural , large and small — as well as the leadership of the UC , Cal State and community college systems .
Both statewide teachers unions have endorsed it , as have charter school advocates .
Los Angeles ’ silence has not gone unnoticed .
“ When we don ’ t have that strong voice from L.A. Unified , it ’ s definitely a missing voice in the advocacy , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Diego Unified school board , which voted unanimously to support Proposition 13 .
Education finance and policy experts said Proposition 13 puts Los Angeles in a conundrum as it may not be wise to expend valuable political capital mobilizing voters around a measure that will not go far enough to address the district ’ s considerable needs .
“ I ’ m also concerned about anything that may inhibit us from passing our own bond measure in the future , ” said McKenna , who generally supports school bonds and other revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community has already voted for something and we come back again , will it inhibit our ability to have the community support a second round of funding ?
” In the Central Valley , the Fresno school board supported the state bond , under which the district estimates it would be eligible for at least $ 10 million .
Fresno voters will additionally consider a $ 325-million local bond in March .
The district needs money to remove lead and asbestos , fix deteriorating plumbing , install or upgrade air conditioning , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a fact sheet on its website .
Districts in other urban centers have also embraced the bond .
Long Beach Unified spokesman Chris Eftychiou said his district could be eligible for up to $ 330 million from the state .
“ That ’ s $ 300 million that we don ’ t have at the moment , so it would certainly be welcome , ” he said .
With 85 schools and buildings that date in some cases to the 1920s , Long Beach Unified is already in the midst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including seismic upgrades , removal of mold , asbestos and lead paint , and construction of new buildings for career and vocational training .
Eftychiou said he didn ’ t expect the new rules for awarding funding to stand in the way of his district getting its fair share .
In San Francisco , although the school board did not vote to endorse the measure , “ it ’ s clearly something we would celebrate , ” board President Mark Sanchez said .
He said that in past bonds his district had received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the state , and he expected about the same from Proposition 13 .
Locally , voters have authorized more than $ 2 billion in bonds since 2000 .
San Francisco Unified took in about $ 15 million from developer fees in 2018-19 , Sanchez said .
But he still supports the bond measure .
At community colleges and universities , campuses submit proposals for facilities projects to their governing boards , which in turn submit selected projects to the Legislature and governor for approval .
The proposition would change some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of California , which would now be required to give priority to projects that address life-safety issues .
University campuses would also be required to develop five-year plans to expand affordable housing for students .
Other support and an opponent Teachers unions , construction unions , developers , the Coalition for Adequate School Housing and the California Democratic Party are the biggest donors to the “ Yes on Prop .
13 '' campaign , which is also backed by Gov .
Gavin Newsom , dozens of legislators and many school associations .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers ’ Assn .
Local bonds are paid for with local tax increases ; this statewide bond does not involve a tax increase .
Instead it would be repaid over 35 years out of the state ’ s general fund at a rate of $ 740 million per year , which is equal to about half of one percent of the total state budget .
The repayment of this bond and others would limit the amount of money that the state has available to spend for other purposes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bond money is usually combined with local bond funding , which could result in a local tax increase .

A $15-billion bond measure to improve school and college facilities may offer limited aid to the Los Angeles Unified School District — which has not endorsed the March 3 ballot measure despite widespread support from school systems, teachers unions and universities throughout the state.
Several provisions in Proposition 13 (which has no relation to the 1978 measure that capped property tax increases) are of concern, including reductions in developer fees to the district and how the state would prioritize distributing the money if it passes.
Unlike some school districts, Los Angeles has not yet released monetary projections on how the bond could affect the district.
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The measure calls for a 20% reduction in fees that developers pay school districts when they build new multi-unit housing. The bond would eliminate those fees altogether when that housing is built near transit hubs, which L.A. city leaders have said is a priority. The limitations would be in place until 2026.
The L.A. school district has collected an average of $92 million annually over the last three years on all types of developments, with the highest fees charged for new housing — because it has the most effect on the district. District staffers were unwilling this week to provide information on how much of those fees were related to the kind of residential construction named in the measure.
“I would be concerned about any proposition that causes us to lose anything in terms of funds for children, and if that is the case then I’d be cautious,” said school board member George McKenna, who represents parts of South and southwest Los Angeles.
The recent Los Angeles housing and construction boom has helped pay for new classrooms, fire alarms and sprinklers, seismic upgrades and such improvements as ramps and elevators needed to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, according to reports prepared by the district’s facilities division.
Bruce Fuller, a professor of education and public policy at UC Berkeley, said the loss of developer fees could be a “significant hit” to L.A. Unified. And after L.A. voters last summer defeated a parcel tax to help fund schools, “it’s understandable that the district would be cautious,” he said.
The only staff briefing to the school board on the bond was about a five-minute presentation during a Jan. 16 committee meeting. A video record of that meeting shows only one board member, Kelly Gonez, present at the time for that legislative issues session.
“We’re still assessing what this would all mean for L.A. Unified,” said district lobbyist Martha Alvarez, during that meeting. “There’s still a lot of information that we’ll be gathering.”
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The bond needs a simple majority to pass. A statewide survey released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California showed a tight race, with 51% of likely voters approving of it.
Of the bond’s $15-billion total, $6 billion would be divided evenly among the University of California, Cal State and community college systems, and $9 billion would go for preschool through K-12 schools, including charter schools and career and technical education facilities.
“Our share will be a small fraction” of the bond, said L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner.
He said he considers Proposition 13 helpful but not nearly sufficient to fix aging schools across the state. L.A. Unified, in particular, needs much more than the bond would provide, he said.
“It’s part of the big picture. I don’t know that it’s the beginning or the middle, but it’s not the end,” Beutner said. “So at the college level, at the community college level, at the local level, K-12 all the way down through early education, we need to continue to make the investments.”
How the state would award the money
Provisions in the bond change the way the state prioritizes funding decisions, which could affect Los Angeles.
When applying for state bond money in the past, school districts have been awarded on a first-come, first-served basis — meaning that those with the capacity and staff to navigate the application process often won. Those rules gave bigger or wealthier districts an advantage.
Under Proposition 13, a district’s ability to raise money through its own local bond measures would be considered as well as its facilities’ needs. This stands to help smaller and rural districts with lower property values.
Priority would also be assigned to districts that need to make “health and life-safety repairs” on their campuses, haven’t recently applied for state money and serve larger percentages of foster youth, English learners and students from low-income families.
“If you have a lower-income community you have less opportunities to raise funds using the same methods,” said Lillian Maldonado French, superintendent of the Mountain View School District in El Monte.
Proposition 13 “equalizes just a little bit that playing field,” Maldonado French said. “It gives us a little more opportunity to be at least in front of the line.”
Mountain View meets many of the criteria for priority funding, Maldonado French said. Of its 6,000 students, about 94% are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, are foster youths or are English language learners. The district has passed only one local bond — for $57 million in 2016. And repairs to sewers, roofs, water and electricity top its wish list for spending.
Outside L.A., many school district endorsements
The bond enjoys widespread support from school districts both urban and rural, large and small — as well as the leadership of the UC, Cal State and community college systems. Both statewide teachers unions have endorsed it, as have charter school advocates.
Los Angeles’ silence has not gone unnoticed.
“When we don’t have that strong voice from L.A. Unified, it’s definitely a missing voice in the advocacy,” said Richard Barrera, vice president of the San Diego Unified school board, which voted unanimously to support Proposition 13.
Education finance and policy experts said Proposition 13 puts Los Angeles in a conundrum as it may not be wise to expend valuable political capital mobilizing voters around a measure that will not go far enough to address the district’s considerable needs.
“I’m also concerned about anything that may inhibit us from passing our own bond measure in the future,” said McKenna, who generally supports school bonds and other revenue measures for schools. “If the community has already voted for something and we come back again, will it inhibit our ability to have the community support a second round of funding?”
In the Central Valley, the Fresno school board supported the state bond, under which the district estimates it would be eligible for at least $10 million. Fresno voters will additionally consider a $325-million local bond in March. The district needs money to remove lead and asbestos, fix deteriorating plumbing, install or upgrade air conditioning, and build new libraries and gyms for students, according to a fact sheet on its website.
Districts in other urban centers have also embraced the bond.
Long Beach Unified spokesman Chris Eftychiou said his district could be eligible for up to $330 million from the state. “That’s $300 million that we don’t have at the moment, so it would certainly be welcome,” he said.
With 85 schools and buildings that date in some cases to the 1920s, Long Beach Unified is already in the midst of a “modernization campaign,” including seismic upgrades, removal of mold, asbestos and lead paint, and construction of new buildings for career and vocational training.
Eftychiou said he didn’t expect the new rules for awarding funding to stand in the way of his district getting its fair share.
In San Francisco, although the school board did not vote to endorse the measure, “it’s clearly something we would celebrate,” board President Mark Sanchez said.
He said that in past bonds his district had received $60 million to $70 million from the state, and he expected about the same from Proposition 13. Locally, voters have authorized more than $2 billion in bonds since 2000.
San Francisco Unified took in about $15 million from developer fees in 2018-19, Sanchez said. But he still supports the bond measure.
At community colleges and universities, campuses submit proposals for facilities projects to their governing boards, which in turn submit selected projects to the Legislature and governor for approval.
The proposition would change some of the rules for Cal State and the University of California, which would now be required to give priority to projects that address life-safety issues. University campuses would also be required to develop five-year plans to expand affordable housing for students.
Other support and an opponent
Teachers unions, construction unions, developers, the Coalition for Adequate School Housing and the California Democratic Party are the biggest donors to the “Yes on Prop. 13” campaign, which is also backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, dozens of legislators and many school associations.
The only registered opposition to the measure is from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Assn.
Local bonds are paid for with local tax increases; this statewide bond does not involve a tax increase. Instead it would be repaid over 35 years out of the state’s general fund at a rate of $740 million a year, which is equal to about half of 1% of the total state budget. The repayment of this bond and others would limit the amount of money that the state has available to spend for other purposes.
To pay for school projects, state bond money is usually combined with local bond funding, which could result in a local tax increase.


latimes--2020-02-27--At the edge of the red carpet, an encounter with an angry ex, weeks of fear and then death

By early evening , the lobby of a swanky downtown hotel was awash in porn stars .
Men in shiny suits and open-collared shirts , women in stilettos and see-through dresses , and even a couple connected by a dog collar were pouring into the Xbiz Awards , a sort of adult film industry Golden Globes with categories such as “ Taboo-Themed Release of the Year ” and “ Best Sex Scene — Virtual Reality.
” The red carpet that January night was a testament to the event ’ s popularity , with dozens of photographers and hundreds of would-be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before a line formed .
One of those waiting was Amie Harwick , a West Hollywood therapist who had received a free ticket for charity work she did for adult performers .
A onetime model , the 38-year-old had told friends she was excited to have her picture taken , and had put on bright-red lipstick and a knee-length black dress that recalled a leading lady in a 1940s film noir .
The line moved in fits and starts and then stopped altogether as the event ’ s host , adult star Stormy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up-do and silvery beaded gown .
Harwick was still waiting to put a toe on the red carpet when a familiar pair of hazel eyes in the crowd met hers .
That moment outside a ballroom at the JW Marriott hotel was the beginning of the end of Harwick ’ s life , according to authorities and her friends .
Thirty days later , police would find her mortally wounded outside her Hollywood Hills home and arrest the ex-boyfriend who crossed paths with her at the awards show after years of estrangement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with murder and faces a possible death sentence .
He is being held without bail .
His lawyer , Patrick Hare of the public defender ’ s office , did not return messages seeking comment .
Pursehouse is scheduled to be arraigned on March 4 .
Los Angeles Police Department investigators have questioned Harwick ’ s friends and acquaintances about the red carpet encounter with Pursehouse , a photographer who was covering the awards show , and his subsequent behavior toward her , suggesting it will be an important part of the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t seen each other for eight years , and Pursehouse became furious and weepy at the sight of Harwick , according to interviews with attendees and friends .
They said she initially responded with kind words and an impromptu therapy session on the sidelines of the event , but soon came to see him as a threat to her safety .
“ Gareth found my number online and he messaged me , ” she texted a friend the day after the awards show .
“ He keeps texting and sounds unstable.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago in Sherman Oaks .
She was working as a model and performance artist , and he was a software engineer who had a side gig photographing adult industry events .
The relationship soured in 2011 and he became violent , according to allegations she made in a pair of restraining order applications .
“ He has told me he hit me ‘ because I made him so mad.
’ He refused to get help while in relationship , ” she wrote .
A year after they called it quits , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge in 2012 .
She said he repeatedly broke into her apartment complex , once smashing 10 picture frames against her door , another time taping four dozen flowers to her door and a third time standing “ outside my door playing music , ” she wrote in the filing .
A Superior Court judge barred Pursehouse from contact with her until 2015 .
In the years after their relationship , Harwick became a licensed marriage and family therapist and earned a doctorate in human sexuality .
She published an erotic handbook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” opened a therapy practice and began volunteering for Pineapple Support , a nonprofit that provides low-cost mental health counseling to adult performers .
She had many clients and friends in the entertainment industry and was engaged to the comedian and “ Price Is Right ” host Drew Carey .
They split two years ago .
Pursehouse drifted away from the adult industry and got a job at Internet Brands , an online services company in El Segundo , according to an online resume and information he gave police .
Harwick told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stalking her .
She told them of a series of break-ins at homes where she had lived .
She said that in one , only her photo albums were taken , and another time , her laptop was wiped so that all of her files and settings were erased , they recalled .
She wondered if Pursehouse had anything to do with the incidents .
In mid-January , Harwick spoke at an adult industry convention about mental health on behalf of Pineapple Support and received a free ticket to the Jan. 16 award @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Oh , that ’ s cool , I want to go to that , ’ ” said close friend Robert Coshland .
“ If there was something she hadn ’ t done , she wanted to do it.
” Asked about Pursehouse ’ s presence , Xbiz would say only that he was “ one of many qualified photographers and members of the press credentialed to cover the event.
” Hernando Chaves , a Beverly Hills sex therapist who attended the event with Harwick , said he left her and another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get drinks .
A short time later , he said , the acquaintance rushed up to him and said , “ You need to get over here .
This guy is yelling at your friend.
” Chaves said he arrived as Pursehouse appeared to be finishing up a tirade , telling her , “ You are a hypocrite .
You broke my heart .
How can you be here ?
” Harwick later told friends that Pursehouse had been so upset that he dropped to the ground in a fetal position .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , ” Coshland said she told him .
Harwick attempted to calm Pursehouse and led him to a nearby bench where they talked privately , Chaves said .
“ She was in what I saw as therapist mode , ” Chaves said .
“ I saw her nodding her head , listening .
She was trying to de-escalate the situation.
” After about 45 minutes , Chaves said , he approached them and suggested Harwick wrap up the conversation since the red carpet was about to close .
She did , leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was upset , Harwick didn ’ t show it on the red carpet .
Pictures show her smiling gamely and striking poses .
“ She immediately ran up and hugged me and I had no idea anything was wrong , ” said photographer Chris Brody , who knew Harwick from her modeling days .
At some point , Pursehouse joined other photographers on the red carpet .
He was conspicuous because he wore a red shirt while many who shoot events wear black to blend in , photographers working that evening said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ carpet rather than sticking to one spot , and at times bumping into people , they said .
“ He was definitely in my way and a little bit annoying , ” said Tasia Wells , a photographer shooting that night for Getty Images .
In the middle of the awards show , Pursehouse approached Harwick ’ s table and asked if they could speak further after it was over , Chaves said .
She agreed and they resumed their conversation on a bench outside the ballroom for about half an hour , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to after-parties , but Harwick felt too shaken by the encounter with Pursehouse .
At a diner , she told Chaves she needed a “ safety plan ” and mentioned going to the police and buying pepper spray .
“ She was in fear , ” he recalled .
By the next day , Pursehouse was calling and texting , according to friends .
“ I didn ’ t want to talk to him and wished him the best , ” she told Chaves in a text .
“ His response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him she had ordered pepper spray and hired a handyman to check the locks at the home in the 2000 block of Mound Street that she shared with a roommate .
“ The more she thought about it the more worried she was .
She told me if anything ever happened to her , he was the guy ” who did it , Coshland recalled .
Ten days after the Xbiz event , she recorded an episode of the podcast “ Datey Ladies ” and confided off-microphone to hosts Vera and Barbara Ann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unsure of how to protect herself .
On the podcast , she came off as confident and upbeat and talked at length about how to move past a broken heart .
“ You have to remind yourself , when you are suffering from a breakup this feels like the end of the world , it ’ s temporary , it will not last forever , ” Harwick said .
On Valentine ’ s Day , she went to a burlesque show with a group of female friends , according to Coshland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her home , according to a criminal complaint filed this month in Superior Court .
It is unclear when Harwick returned home , but the criminal complaint accuses Pursehouse of “ lying in wait ” before killing her .
Police received a report of a woman screaming at 1:16 a.m .
When officers arrived , her roommate met them in the street and said Harwick was being assaulted .
Police subsequently found her unconscious under a third-floor balcony .
She had been strangled before falling , an autopsy determined .
When detectives spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave them Pursehouse ’ s name .
Pursehouse was taken into custody the same afternoon at his Playa del Rey home .

Amie Harwick photographed by Chris Brody on the red carpet at the Xbiz Awards.
By early evening, the lobby of a swanky downtown hotel was awash in porn stars. Men in shiny suits and open-collared shirts, women in stilettos and see-through dresses, and even a couple connected by a dog collar were pouring into the Xbiz Awards, a sort of adult film industry Golden Globes with categories such as “Taboo-Themed Release of the Year” and “Best Sex Scene — Virtual Reality.”
The red carpet that January night was a testament to the event’s popularity, with dozens of photographers and hundreds of would-be subjects. It wasn’t long before a line formed.
One of those waiting was Amie Harwick, a West Hollywood therapist who had received a free ticket for charity work she did for adult performers. A onetime model, the 38-year-old had told friends she was excited to have her picture taken, and had put on bright-red lipstick and a knee-length black dress that recalled a leading lady in a 1940s film noir.
Advertisement
The line moved in fits and starts and then stopped altogether as the event’s host, adult star Stormy Daniels, passed by in a glamorous up-do and silvery beaded gown. Harwick was still waiting to put a toe on the red carpet when a familiar pair of hazel eyes in the crowd met hers.
That moment outside a ballroom at the JW Marriott hotel was the beginning of the end of Harwick’s life, according to authorities and her friends. Thirty days later, police would find her mortally wounded outside her Hollywood Hills home and arrest the ex-boyfriend who crossed paths with her at the awards show after years of estrangement.
Gareth Pursehouse, 41, was charged with murder and faces a possible death sentence. He is being held without bail. His lawyer, Patrick Hare of the public defender’s office, did not return messages seeking comment. Pursehouse is scheduled to be arraigned on March 4.
Los Angeles Police Department investigators have questioned Harwick’s friends and acquaintances about the red carpet encounter with Pursehouse, a photographer who was covering the awards show, and his subsequent behavior toward her, suggesting it will be an important part of the case against him.
The former couple hadn’t seen each other for eight years, and Pursehouse became furious and weepy at the sight of Harwick, according to interviews with attendees and friends. They said she initially responded with kind words and an impromptu therapy session on the sidelines of the event, but soon came to see him as a threat to her safety.
Amie Harwick on the red carpet at the awards show at the downtown JW Marriott where she encountered her ex-boyfriend Gareth Pursehouse. (Chris Brody)
“Gareth found my number online and he messaged me,” she texted a friend the day after the awards show. “He keeps texting and sounds unstable.”
The pair had lived together a decade ago in Sherman Oaks. She was working as a model and performance artist, and he was a software engineer who had a side gig photographing adult industry events.
The relationship soured in 2011 and he became violent, according to allegations she made in a pair of restraining order applications.
“He has told me he hit me ‘because I made him so mad.’ He refused to get help while in relationship,” she wrote.
A year after they called it quits, he was still harassing her, she told a judge in 2012. She said he repeatedly broke into her apartment complex, once smashing 10 picture frames against her door, another time taping four dozen flowers to her door and a third time standing “outside my door playing music,” she wrote in the filing.
A Superior Court judge barred Pursehouse from contact with her until 2015.
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In the years after their relationship, Harwick became a licensed marriage and family therapist and earned a doctorate in human sexuality. She published an erotic handbook, “The New Sex Bible for Women,” opened a therapy practice and began volunteering for Pineapple Support, a nonprofit that provides low-cost mental health counseling to adult performers.
She had many clients and friends in the entertainment industry and was engaged to the comedian and “Price Is Right” host Drew Carey. They split two years ago.
Pursehouse drifted away from the adult industry and got a job at Internet Brands, an online services company in El Segundo, according to an online resume and information he gave police.
Harwick told friends she suspected that Pursehouse was still stalking her. She told them of a series of break-ins at homes where she had lived. She said that in one, only her photo albums were taken, and another time, her laptop was wiped so that all of her files and settings were erased, they recalled. She wondered if Pursehouse had anything to do with the incidents.
In mid-January, Harwick spoke at an adult industry convention about mental health on behalf of Pineapple Support and received a free ticket to the Jan. 16 award show.
“She said to me, ‘Oh, that’s cool, I want to go to that,’” said close friend Robert Coshland. “If there was something she hadn’t done, she wanted to do it.”
Asked about Pursehouse’s presence, Xbiz would say only that he was “one of many qualified photographers and members of the press credentialed to cover the event.”
Hernando Chaves, a Beverly Hills sex therapist who attended the event with Harwick, said he left her and another acquaintance in the red carpet line to get drinks. A short time later, he said, the acquaintance rushed up to him and said, “You need to get over here. This guy is yelling at your friend.”
Chaves said he arrived as Pursehouse appeared to be finishing up a tirade, telling her, “You are a hypocrite. You broke my heart. How can you be here?”
Harwick later told friends that Pursehouse had been so upset that he dropped to the ground in a fetal position.
“He was reciting voicemails from 2012 at her,” Coshland said she told him.
Harwick attempted to calm Pursehouse and led him to a nearby bench where they talked privately, Chaves said.
“She was in what I saw as therapist mode,” Chaves said. “I saw her nodding her head, listening. She was trying to de-escalate the situation.”
After about 45 minutes, Chaves said, he approached them and suggested Harwick wrap up the conversation since the red carpet was about to close. She did, leaving Pursehouse on the bench.
If she was upset, Harwick didn’t show it on the red carpet. Pictures show her smiling gamely and striking poses.
“She immediately ran up and hugged me and I had no idea anything was wrong,” said photographer Chris Brody, who knew Harwick from her modeling days.
At some point, Pursehouse joined other photographers on the red carpet. He was conspicuous because he wore a red shirt while many who shoot events wear black to blend in, photographers working that evening said.
He also was darting along the red carpet rather than sticking to one spot, and at times bumping into people, they said. “He was definitely in my way and a little bit annoying,” said Tasia Wells, a photographer shooting that night for Getty Images.
In the middle of the awards show, Pursehouse approached Harwick’s table and asked if they could speak further after it was over, Chaves said. She agreed and they resumed their conversation on a bench outside the ballroom for about half an hour, he said.
The friends had planned to go to after-parties, but Harwick felt too shaken by the encounter with Pursehouse. At a diner, she told Chaves she needed a “safety plan” and mentioned going to the police and buying pepper spray.
“She was in fear,” he recalled.
By the next day, Pursehouse was calling and texting, according to friends.
“I didn’t want to talk to him and wished him the best,” she told Chaves in a text. “His response was obsessive and scary.”
She told him she had ordered pepper spray and hired a handyman to check the locks at the home in the 2000 block of Mound Street that she shared with a roommate.
“The more she thought about it the more worried she was. She told me if anything ever happened to her, he was the guy” who did it, Coshland recalled.
Ten days after the Xbiz event, she recorded an episode of the podcast “Datey Ladies” and confided off-microphone to hosts Vera and Barbara Ann Duffy that she was afraid of Pursehouse and unsure of how to protect herself. On the podcast, she came off as confident and upbeat and talked at length about how to move past a broken heart.
“You have to remind yourself, when you are suffering from a breakup this feels like the end of the world, it’s temporary, it will not last forever,” Harwick said.
On Valentine’s Day, she went to a burlesque show with a group of female friends, according to Coshland. Sometime before midnight, Pursehouse broke into her home, according to a criminal complaint filed this month in Superior Court. It is unclear when Harwick returned home, but the criminal complaint accuses Pursehouse of “lying in wait” before killing her.
Police received a report of a woman screaming at 1:16 a.m. When officers arrived, her roommate met them in the street and said Harwick was being assaulted. Police subsequently found her unconscious under a third-floor balcony. She had been strangled before falling, an autopsy determined.
When detectives spoke to Coshland later that day, he gave them Pursehouse’s name.
Pursehouse was taken into custody the same afternoon at his Playa del Rey home.


latimes--2020-02-27--In San Francisco's fractured primary politics, 'liberal' is middle of the road

The volunteers in the shuttered restaurant hung with Elizabeth Warren signs barely noticed the Nude Valentine ’ s Love Parade as it passed by — nine chilly souls with a police escort on a Saturday in the Castro District .
The California primary was 17 days away .
The women and men at Cafe Flore were preparing to stump for the Massachusetts senator .
Their focus was on weightier matters than the “ body freedom ” marchers — like what to say when voters asked why Warren had lost momentum in the race to be the Democratic presidential nominee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who gets a nearly perfect score in the Progressive Voters Guide , was on hand to fire up the Warren troops .
“ Whether you care about what she has envisioned for immigrants , for our LGBT community , ” he said , “ I think most of us in San Francisco , we love the fact that she shares our progressive values.
” By nearly every metric , San Francisco is the bluest county in what President Trump has called “ High Tax , High Crime California.
” It is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ derided by the president on Twitter as a “ dangerous & disgusting Slum ” and home to his nemesis , “ Nervous Nancy Pelosi.
” “ Liberal ” here means “ middle of the road ” ; “ progressive ” is the leftier label .
But even in the Golden State ’ s left-wing heart , Democrats come in every shade of blue .
Pelosi — speaker of the House of Representatives and the liberal Republicans most love to hate — has been picketed as a warmonger here and challenged from the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s former mayor , is viewed by many as an R in D clothing ; as she ran for a fifth term in 2018 , the state party did not endorse her .
Across California and nationwide , the Democratic Party is grappling with similar political complexity during the 2020 election cycle .
Unity , pundits say , is the way to roust Trump from the White House .
These days , it ’ s in very short supply .
“ The same process of factionalism within a party is being played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s been played out for several decades on the small stage of San Francisco , ” said Democratic political consultant Eric Jaye .
“ Your opponents aren ’ t the other party , but others within your own party.
” Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders both in San Francisco and statewide in the 2016 race for the Democratic nomination .
This time around , the 78-year-old junior senator from Vermont benefits from a more robust California operation , and polls show him comfortably ahead of his seven rivals .
His followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance .
On a recent Saturday morning , a couple of dozen Berniecrats and democratic socialists gathered in an airy acupuncture studio South of Market , intent on helping Sanders win Tuesday .
There were assorted young tech workers , a case manager for homeless people , a self-described red diaper baby whose parents were Communists .
But first there was food .
Toasted chickpeas , crusty artisanal bread , vegan butter .
And Thin Mints .
Then the “ how you came to Bernie ” tales , heavy on family and class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr. Hae Min Cho , event host and a doctor of Chinese medicine , told the assembled Sanders volunteers that her family came to the United States in 1971 from South Korea .
They were economic refugees .
They were undocumented .
She was 2 years old .
“ We had no healthcare , ” she said .
“ We were immigrants .
We didn ’ t speak the language .
All the things that brought me here to Bernie.
” Before they hit the street , they learned the basics of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the door .
Tell your personal story .
Ask whomever answers to vote .
Don ’ t fret if your list of registered voters has outdated information .
Sanders voters tend to be renters .
Renters move a lot .
It ’ s part of being in a progressive movement .
And don ’ t be as grumpy as the man you want to put in the White House .
“ You ’ re an ambassador for Bernie , ” Cho said .
“ It ’ s really important that no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a human being .
Be warm and friendly.
” San Francisco has something for everyone whose politics are left of center .
There ’ s the Brownie Mary Democratic Club for the cannabis-minded ; the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club , which claims to be the nation ’ s first such Democratic organization and is not to be confused with the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club .
There are regular San Francisco Democrats and San Francisco Progressive Democrats , San Francisco Young Democrats and the San Francisco chapter of the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I often describe different shades of deep blue as who we are in San Francisco , ” Chiu said in an interview .
“ I think we ’ re always having debates on what ‘ progressive ’ means… .
I think folks outside of San Francisco who observe our fights are a little mystified sometimes at where the lines are drawn.
” Anyone who believes San Francisco is simply 889,360 plastic-hating , bicycle-riding , fair-trade-coffee-sipping , Bernie-loving vegans need only talk to former Mayor Art Agnos and activist Roberta “ Bertie ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1992 and is widely described as the city ’ s last progressive mayor .
During his tenure , anti-growth and affordable housing advocates became part of city government .
He dramatically increased San Francisco ’ s budget to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
“ I ’ m a pedigreed lefty , ” Agnos said in a recent interview .
“ I was pro-neighborhood , pro-gay-rights .
But I am a very pragmatic guy .
I endorsed Mike Bloomberg for president… .
He is the one who is best equipped politically and financially to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the most important issue facing our country today , ” he said .
“ I want to win.
” Brouhard , who calls herself “ a Norwegian transgender Viking princess , ” is a volunteer greeter at Openhouse , which offers services and housing for LGBTQ seniors .
She is a former board member of the San Francisco LGBT Center .
She volunteers for Supervisor Rafael Mandelman , whose district includes the Castro and is the most progressive in San Francisco .
And she cast an early ballot for Bloomberg , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own tough New Yorker to post up against the Republicans ’ .
Because , for all her activism , Brouhard also notes that she is a devout Lutheran .
She has “ very red Nebraska roots.
” And she ’ s about to turn 74 .
“ Old white women like me have never been richer , ” Brouhard said .
“ Our portfolios have never shone brighter… .
If you were to consider pale blue to the royalest of blue , I ’ m probably closer to pale than royal .
Californians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God , we ’ re all from somewhere else.
” Somewhere in the middle Sunday morning of President ’ s Day weekend , the moderates were out in force at the Fort Mason farmers market .
San Francisco Bay sparkled .
The Golden Gate Bridge rose , majestic , its orange towers kissing the clear blue sky .
A smiling Pete Buttigieg watched shoppers wander by in search of in-season heirloom produce , cold-extracted unfiltered estate-grown extra virgin olive oil and bright seasonal blossoms .
He didn ’ t say much .
Life-size @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But his supporters talked to anyone who would listen .
Mallory Brown described herself as a reformed Republican from rural Pennsylvania .
She went to college at the University of Notre Dame , just outside South Bend , Ind.
, where Buttigieg served as mayor .
When she was a student , the city ’ s downtown was unsafe and unappealing .
“ Now that ’ s all changed , ” said Brown , 35 , who works for a private equity firm .
“ You can walk downtown , have lunch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s entirely because of him… .
Once Pete declared , that ’ s who I knew I had to vote for.
” Anne Harvey , a retired civil rights lawyer , campaigned nearby for Amy Klobuchar .
She sported a green-and-white “ Amy for America ” button on her canvas sun hat .
She touted her candidate ’ s “ common sense.
” And she noted , ruefully , that she is the rare Bay Area volunteer stumping for the Minnesota senator .
Klobuchar , said Harvey , 71 , “ has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t a woman , she ’ d be a shoo-in.
” Sandwiched between the ironing board holding Buttigieg buttons and the card table with Klobuchar swag , retired business consultant Steve Winer talked up Bloomberg .
Nils Nilson walked by , arms weighted down with bags of organic produce , took one look at Winer ’ s “ I Like Mike ” T-shirt and laid into him about the former New York mayor ’ s early support for police stop-and-frisk policies .
Winer : “ It seems patently unfair that people can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Winer , 70 , predicts an ugly campaign between the president and the Democrat-to-be-named-later .
He said he ’ s “ hoping and working toward Bloomberg coming out No .
1 in San Francisco , ” but he ’ d campaign and vote for whichever Democrat won if it came to that .
Because “ I can ’ t go to my grave , ” he said , “ knowing I didn ’ t do everything I could to beat Trump.
” That ’ s one thing San Francisco Democrats of all @ @ @ @ @

The volunteers in the shuttered restaurant hung with Elizabeth Warren signs barely noticed the Nude Valentine’s Love Parade as it passed by — nine chilly souls with a police escort on a Saturday in the Castro District.
The California primary was 17 days away. The women and men at Cafe Flore were preparing to stump for the Massachusetts senator. Their focus was on weightier matters than the “body freedom” marchers — like what to say when voters asked why Warren had lost momentum in the race to be the Democratic presidential nominee.
Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), who gets a nearly perfect score in the Progressive Voters Guide, was on hand to fire up the Warren troops. “Whether you care about what she has envisioned for immigrants, for our LGBT community,” he said, “I think most of us in San Francisco, we love the fact that she shares our progressive values.”
Members of the Nude Valentine’s Love Parade march down Market Street in front of Cafe Flore, where volunteers with Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s campaign were meeting. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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By nearly every metric, San Francisco is the bluest county in what President Trump has called “High Tax, High Crime California.” It is the GOP’s favorite punching bag, derided by the president on Twitter as a “dangerous & disgusting Slum” and home to his nemesis, “Nervous Nancy Pelosi.”
“Liberal” here means “middle of the road”; “progressive” is the leftier label.
But even in the Golden State’s left-wing heart, Democrats come in every shade of blue. Pelosi — speaker of the House of Representatives and the liberal Republicans most love to hate — has been picketed as a warmonger here and challenged from the left. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the city’s former mayor, is viewed by many as an R in D clothing; as she ran for a fifth term in 2018, the state party did not endorse her.
Michael Koehn, left, and his husband, David Goldman, with the Brownie Mary Democratic Club, stop by the scene at Cafe Flore. Goldman voted for Sanders and Koehn for Buttigieg. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Across California and nationwide, the Democratic Party is grappling with similar political complexity during the 2020 election cycle. Unity, pundits say, is the way to roust Trump from the White House. These days, it’s in very short supply.
“The same process of factionalism within a party is being played out on the presidential stage the way it’s been played out for several decades on the small stage of San Francisco,” said Democratic political consultant Eric Jaye. “Your opponents aren’t the other party, but others within your own party.”
Sanders’ street team in San Francisco
Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders both in San Francisco and statewide in the 2016 race for the Democratic nomination. This time around, the 78-year-old junior senator from Vermont benefits from a more robust California operation, and polls show him comfortably ahead of his seven rivals.
His followers, however, are leaving nothing to chance. On a recent Saturday morning, a couple of dozen Berniecrats and democratic socialists gathered in an airy acupuncture studio South of Market, intent on helping Sanders win Tuesday. There were assorted young tech workers, a case manager for homeless people, a self-described red diaper baby whose parents were Communists.
Michelle Leung, left, and Rob Sloan, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, look up voters’ addresses while canvassing for Sen. Bernie Sanders in San Francisco. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
But first there was food. Toasted chickpeas, crusty artisanal bread, vegan butter. And Thin Mints. Then the “how you came to Bernie” tales, heavy on family and class struggle and the need for universal healthcare.
Dr. Hae Min Cho, event host and a doctor of Chinese medicine, told the assembled Sanders volunteers that her family came to the United States in 1971 from South Korea. They were economic refugees. They were undocumented. She was 2 years old. “We had no healthcare,” she said. “We were immigrants. We didn’t speak the language. All the things that brought me here to Bernie.”
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Before they hit the street, they learned the basics of canvassing for a democratic socialist: Knock on the door. Tell your personal story. Ask whomever answers to vote. Don’t fret if your list of registered voters has outdated information. Sanders voters tend to be renters. Renters move a lot. It’s part of being in a progressive movement.
And don’t be as grumpy as the man you want to put in the White House.
“You’re an ambassador for Bernie,” Cho said. “It’s really important that no one pass judgment on others. See them as a human being. Be warm and friendly.”
‘Shades of deep blue’
San Francisco has something for everyone whose politics are left of center. There’s the Brownie Mary Democratic Club for the cannabis-minded; the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, which claims to be the nation’s first such Democratic organization and is not to be confused with the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. There are regular San Francisco Democrats and San Francisco Progressive Democrats, San Francisco Young Democrats and the San Francisco chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, among others.
Pedestrians make their way along the Embarcadero, past a poster denouncing President Trump, in front of the Ferry Building in San Francisco. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“I often describe different shades of deep blue as who we are in San Francisco,” Chiu said in an interview. “I think we’re always having debates on what ‘progressive’ means…. I think folks outside of San Francisco who observe our fights are a little mystified sometimes at where the lines are drawn.”
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Anyone who believes San Francisco is simply 889,360 plastic-hating, bicycle-riding, fair-trade-coffee-sipping, Bernie-loving vegans need only talk to former Mayor Art Agnos and activist Roberta “Bertie” Brouhard.
Agnos served from 1988 to 1992 and is widely described as the city’s last progressive mayor. During his tenure, anti-growth and affordable housing advocates became part of city government. He dramatically increased San Francisco’s budget to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“I’m a pedigreed lefty,” Agnos said in a recent interview. “I was pro-neighborhood, pro-gay-rights. But I am a very pragmatic guy. I endorsed Mike Bloomberg for president…. He is the one who is best equipped politically and financially to defeat Donald Trump.
“That’s the most important issue facing our country today,” he said. “I want to win.”
Brouhard, who calls herself “a Norwegian transgender Viking princess,” is a volunteer greeter at Openhouse, which offers services and housing for LGBTQ seniors. She is a former board member of the San Francisco LGBT Center. She volunteers for Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, whose district includes the Castro and is the most progressive in San Francisco.
Transgender activist Roberta “Bertie” Brouhard, 73, walks her dog in front of San Francisco’s famed Painted Ladies. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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And she cast an early ballot for Bloomberg, because she believes the Democratic Party needs its own tough New Yorker to post up against the Republicans’.
Because, for all her activism, Brouhard also notes that she is a devout Lutheran. She has “very red Nebraska roots.” And she’s about to turn 74.
“Old white women like me have never been richer,” Brouhard said. “Our portfolios have never shone brighter…. If you were to consider pale blue to the royalest of blue, I’m probably closer to pale than royal. Californians have all these gradations because, my God, we’re all from somewhere else.”
Somewhere in the middle
Sunday morning of President’s Day weekend, the moderates were out in force at the Fort Mason farmers market. San Francisco Bay sparkled. The Golden Gate Bridge rose, majestic, its orange towers kissing the clear blue sky.
A smiling Pete Buttigieg watched shoppers wander by in search of in-season heirloom produce, cold-extracted unfiltered estate-grown extra virgin olive oil and bright seasonal blossoms. He didn’t say much. Life-size cardboard cutouts usually don’t.
But his supporters talked to anyone who would listen.
Mallory Brown described herself as a reformed Republican from rural Pennsylvania. She went to college at the University of Notre Dame, just outside South Bend, Ind., where Buttigieg served as mayor. When she was a student, the city’s downtown was unsafe and unappealing.
“Now that’s all changed,” said Brown, 35, who works for a private equity firm. “You can walk downtown, have lunch, have coffee, go shopping. It’s entirely because of him…. Once Pete declared, that’s who I knew I had to vote for.”
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Anne Harvey, a retired civil rights lawyer, campaigned nearby for Amy Klobuchar. She sported a green-and-white “Amy for America” button on her canvas sun hat. She touted her candidate’s “common sense.” And she noted, ruefully, that she is the rare Bay Area volunteer stumping for the Minnesota senator.
Linda Connelly snaps a photo of her friend Jude Lange hugging a cardboard cutout of Pete Buttigieg at a campaign table outside the Fort Mason farmers market in San Francisco. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Klobuchar, said Harvey, 71, “has experience, background. If she weren’t a woman, she’d be a shoo-in.”
Sandwiched between the ironing board holding Buttigieg buttons and the card table with Klobuchar swag, retired business consultant Steve Winer talked up Bloomberg.
Nils Nilson walked by, arms weighted down with bags of organic produce, took one look at Winer’s “I Like Mike” T-shirt and laid into him about the former New York mayor’s early support for police stop-and-frisk policies.
Nilson: “It seems patently unfair to stop young black people.”
Winer: “It seems patently unfair that people can’t walk down the street safely.”
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Winer, 70, predicts an ugly campaign between the president and the Democrat-to-be-named-later. He said he’s “hoping and working toward Bloomberg coming out No. 1 in San Francisco,” but he’d campaign and vote for whichever Democrat won if it came to that.
Because “I can’t go to my grave,” he said, “knowing I didn’t do everything I could to beat Trump.”
That’s one thing San Francisco Democrats of all stripes can agree on.


latimes--2020-02-27--Skelton: Freaked out about a Bernie Sanders nomination? Keep your eyes on South Carolina

If you ’ re a California Democrat freaked out about the prospect of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dragging the party into a disastrous pummeling by President Trump , you should closely watch South Carolina ’ s primary .
Maybe Democrats shouldn ’ t be freaked .
Perhaps it ’ s overreacting .
But if you are , hold on to your California mail-in ballot until the South Carolina results are announced Saturday night .
You ’ ll still have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to get it postmarked or vote in person .
If your main goal is to send Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for at least half the Democratic primary voters , according to polling — then be guided by how the candidates emerge from South Carolina .
Choose the strongest moderate who seems to have the best chance of stopping front-runner Sanders before he can nail down the party nomination at the Democratic National Convention in July .
That probably would be former Vice President Joe Biden , if he can recover from humbling losses in Iowa , New Hampshire and Nevada .
Lesser good bets are former South Bend , Ind .
Mayor Pete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on South Carolina polls .
Klobuchar and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who competes with Sanders for liberal voters , could be forced to soon drop out of the race .
They ’ re running low on cash .
And their money wells will dry up without unexpected strong showings in South Carolina and on Super Tuesday , when California and 13 other states hold primaries .
California hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer has poured tons of his own money into South Carolina TV ads and moved into third place behind Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But come on , he doesn ’ t really belong on the same stage .
He should run for governor or U.S. Senate — better yet the U.S. House — before running for president .
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg possesses even more billions and has bought loads more TV spots , but has credible credentials to seek the presidency : He was elected three times to lead the nation ’ s largest city .
But Bloomberg isn ’ t on the South Carolina ballot .
His first test before voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if all other moderates are looking weak , California Democrats could roll the dice on him .
There ’ s one all-important number to remember .
And that ’ s 15 .
These are no longer just beauty contests as they were in pint-sized Iowa and New Hampshire .
There , victories were all about showing electability and gaining momentum .
Now the primaries are about winning masses of delegates .
California will offer a monstrous number of pledged delegates , 415 .
There ’ ll also be 79 unpledged so-called superdelegates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the convention in Milwaukee — nearly one quarter of the total needed to win the nomination .
Of the pledged delegates , 271 will be awarded within the state ’ s 53 congressional districts .
A candidate will need to receive at least 15 % of the vote to win a delegate .
Similarly , 144 delegates will be awarded based on statewide voting totals and , again , there ’ ll be a 15 % threshold for each candidate .
Right now , Sanders is running away with the California race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s conceivable he could practically sweep the state ’ s pledged delegates , or at least win the lion ’ s share .
So Democrats who want to slow him down should do the math and vote for the moderate with the best chance of breaking through the 15 % barrier .
And we ’ ll know more about who that might be after South Carolinians vote .
But while the Democratic establishment has the jitters over Sanders and many moderates do , too , voters in the early contest states obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front-runner .
Sanders is an interesting character — a grandfatherly scold with a jabbing finger — who never emits any political doubletalk .
I ’ ve always felt that his paradoxical appeal to young people is not merely based on his liberal ideas — such as tuition-free public college — but his straightforward demeanor .
There are no subtleties in Sanders-speak .
He comes to the point immediately .
Doesn ’ t waste words .
Speaks clearly .
And is consistent .
Sanders campaigns the way most reformers profess to like : He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests or wealthy “ fat cats.
” He has raised more than $ 96 million from 5 million-plus individual donors who have given an average of $ 18 per contribution .
That ’ s practically unheard of in politics .
Californians have given him nearly $ 24 million in small donations .
And Sanders shows up .
He has held more than 30 campaign events in California .
He has a very impressive nationwide network of grassroots volunteers , the sort of organization most politicians find too much trouble to organize .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 105 paid staffers .
“ We ’ ve knocked on more than 1 million doors in California and made more than 5 million calls to California residents , ” says campaign spokesperson Anna Bahr .
But the fear is that Trump would butcher him over being a self-described democratic socialist , dragging down the entire Democratic ticket and losing control of the U.S. House .
Maybe .
His “ Medicare for all ” fantasy would be attacked .
But it could never pass Congress anyway .
Better to expand on Obamacare , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders praising Fidel Castro for his literacy programs was just plain dumb .
He ’ d better do a mea culpa in Florida or he can kiss off that state .
Soon , Democrats must either unify behind a moderate to beat Sanders or unify behind him to oust Trump .

If you’re a California Democrat freaked out about the prospect of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dragging the party into a disastrous pummeling by President Trump, you should closely watch South Carolina’s primary.
Maybe Democrats shouldn’t be freaked. Perhaps it’s overreacting.
But if you are, hold on to your California mail-in ballot until the South Carolina results are announced Saturday night. You’ll still have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to get it postmarked or vote in person.
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If your main goal is to send Trump packing in November — and it is for at least half the Democratic primary voters, according to polling — then be guided by how the candidates emerge from South Carolina.
Choose the strongest moderate who seems to have the best chance of stopping front-runner Sanders before he can nail down the party nomination at the Democratic National Convention in July.
That probably would be former Vice President Joe Biden, if he can recover from humbling losses in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Lesser good bets are former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, based on South Carolina polls.
Klobuchar and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who competes with Sanders for liberal voters, could be forced to soon drop out of the race. They’re running low on cash. And their money wells will dry up without unexpected strong showings in South Carolina and on Super Tuesday, when California and 13 other states hold primaries.
Klobuchar for VP.
California hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer has poured tons of his own money into South Carolina TV ads and moved into third place behind Biden and Sanders, based on polls. But come on, he doesn’t really belong on the same stage. He should run for governor or U.S. Senate — better yet the U.S. House — before running for president.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg possesses even more billions and has bought loads more TV spots, but has credible credentials to seek the presidency: He was elected three times to lead the nation’s largest city.
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But Bloomberg isn’t on the South Carolina ballot. His first test before voters will be on Super Tuesday. So if all other moderates are looking weak, California Democrats could roll the dice on him.
There’s one all-important number to remember. And that’s 15.
These are no longer just beauty contests as they were in pint-sized Iowa and New Hampshire. There, victories were all about showing electability and gaining momentum. Now the primaries are about winning masses of delegates.
California will offer a monstrous number of pledged delegates, 415. There’ll also be 79 unpledged so-called superdelegates. Combined, California will send 494 delegates to the convention in Milwaukee — nearly one quarter of the total needed to win the nomination.
Of the pledged delegates, 271 will be awarded within the state’s 53 congressional districts. A candidate will need to receive at least 15% of the vote to win a delegate. Similarly, 144 delegates will be awarded based on statewide voting totals and, again, there’ll be a 15% threshold for each candidate.
Right now, Sanders is running away with the California race, based on polls, and it’s conceivable he could practically sweep the state’s pledged delegates, or at least win the lion’s share.
So Democrats who want to slow him down should do the math and vote for the moderate with the best chance of breaking through the 15% barrier. And we’ll know more about who that might be after South Carolinians vote.
But while the Democratic establishment has the jitters over Sanders and many moderates do, too, voters in the early contest states obviously did not. They made him the front-runner.
Sanders is an interesting character — a grandfatherly scold with a jabbing finger — who never emits any political doubletalk. I’ve always felt that his paradoxical appeal to young people is not merely based on his liberal ideas — such as tuition-free public college — but his straightforward demeanor.
There are no subtleties in Sanders-speak. He comes to the point immediately. Doesn’t waste words. Speaks clearly. And is consistent.
Sanders campaigns the way most reformers profess to like: He doesn’t beg money from special interests or wealthy “fat cats.” He has raised more than $96 million from 5 million-plus individual donors who have given an average of $18 per contribution. That’s practically unheard of in politics.
Californians have given him nearly $24 million in small donations.
And Sanders shows up. He has held more than 30 campaign events in California.
He has a very impressive nationwide network of grassroots volunteers, the sort of organization most politicians find too much trouble to organize. In California, he has 23 offices and 105 paid staffers.
“We’ve knocked on more than 1 million doors in California and made more than 5 million calls to California residents,” says campaign spokesperson Anna Bahr.
But the fear is that Trump would butcher him over being a self-described democratic socialist, dragging down the entire Democratic ticket and losing control of the U.S. House. Maybe.
His “Medicare for all” fantasy would be attacked. But it could never pass Congress anyway. Better to expand on Obamacare, as Biden advocates.
And face it, Sanders praising Fidel Castro for his literacy programs was just plain dumb. He’d better do a mea culpa in Florida or he can kiss off that state.
Soon, Democrats must either unify behind a moderate to beat Sanders or unify behind him to oust Trump.


latimes--2020-02-27--Trial begins for two Bay Area students accused of killing Italian policeman

Two California students went on trial in Italy on Wednesday in the fatal stabbing of a Rome police officer during a brawl that shocked Italy .
Finnegan Lee Elder , 20 , and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth , 19 , high school classmates from Mill Valley , near San Francisco , could face life sentences for the killing last July of Mario Cerciello Rega , 35 , a member of Italy ’ s paramilitary Carabinieri police .
Cerciello Rega and a fellow officer , Andrea Varriale , were in plainclothes when they stopped the California men after a drug deal went wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Varriale has said that he and Cerciello Rega announced they were police officers .
The Americans have said that they did not , and that they mistook them for drug dealers .
Elder ’ s father , Ethan Elder , has said his son was pinned down and choked by Cerciello Rega and fought back in self-defense , fearing for his life .
In the melee , as Natale-Hjorth wrestled with Varriale , Elder produced a 7-inch serrated-edge combat knife and stabbed Cerciello Rega 11 times , leaving him to bleed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Elder entered a Rome courtroom wearing a checked shirt and North Face jacket and looking defiant , before mouthing the words “ I love you ” to his parents .
Dressed in a white shirt and sweater , Natale-Hjorth appeared more intimidated by the packed courtroom .
Both sat near Maria Rosaria Esilio , Cerciello Rega ’ s widow , who married the officer weeks before he was killed and said in a statement before the trial , “ My family has ended with Mario ’ s death because our unborn children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the two Americans left the court during a break in the opening hearing , which dealt with administrative issues , an Italian man approached them and hissed “ Schifoso ” — “ disgusting ” — at them .
The police investigation has been dogged by controversy since a photo was leaked of Natale-Hjorth being interrogated while handcuffed and blindfolded , while Ethan Elder has alleged that his son was slapped , kicked and spat on during questioning .
Police wiretapped a conversation between Elder and his mother in jail , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cerciello Rega was a police officer .
It later emerged , however , that Elder ’ s words had been mistranslated and he had not made the admission .
Ethan Elder has likened the case to the arrest in Italy in 2007 of American student Amanda Knox , who was accused of stabbing her housemate during a drug-fueled sex game , and purportedly confessed her involvement in the crime to police interrogators .
In that case , police found a message on Knox ’ s phone addressed to a local barman stating , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it signified a rendezvous to commit the murder later that night , without realizing the phrase can also simply mean “ see you around.
” After four years in jail and a series of trials , Knox was acquitted in 2016 .
Elder and Natale-Hjorth were on vacation in Rome last July and purchased drugs from a street dealer only to find that instead of cocaine they had been sold ground-up aspirin .
To get even , they stole a bag from a man they believed was an accomplice of the dealer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cocaine for its return .
The man , however , informed the police , who sent the officers to the fateful meeting in the upscale Prati district .
Huge crowds attended Cerciello Rega ’ s funeral — which was broadcast live on television — at which he was hailed as a hero , while then-Interior Minister Matteo Salvini described the Americans as “ bastards ” who deserved forced labor in jail .
Under Italian law , Natale-Hjorth risks the same homicide conviction as Elder , even though he did not stab Cerciello Rega @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxious to see a transparent trial and for the truth to come out , ” their Italian lawyer Renato Borzone said during a break in the hearing .
Franco Coppi , an Italian lawyer representing Cerciello Rega ’ s widow , noted it was seven months to the day since the officer died .
“ You can imagine how she feels right now , ” he said .

Two California students went on trial in Italy on Wednesday in the fatal stabbing of a Rome police officer during a brawl that shocked Italy.
Finnegan Lee Elder, 20, and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, 19, high school classmates from Mill Valley, near San Francisco, could face life sentences for the killing last July of Mario Cerciello Rega, 35, a member of Italy’s paramilitary Carabinieri police.
Cerciello Rega and a fellow officer, Andrea Varriale, were in plainclothes when they stopped the California men after a drug deal went wrong in the early hours of July 26.
Varriale has said that he and Cerciello Rega announced they were police officers. The Americans have said that they did not, and that they mistook them for drug dealers.
Elder’s father, Ethan Elder, has said his son was pinned down and choked by Cerciello Rega and fought back in self-defense, fearing for his life.
In the melee, as Natale-Hjorth wrestled with Varriale, Elder produced a 7-inch serrated-edge combat knife and stabbed Cerciello Rega 11 times, leaving him to bleed to death on the sidewalk.
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On Wednesday, Elder entered a Rome courtroom wearing a checked shirt and North Face jacket and looking defiant, before mouthing the words “I love you” to his parents. Dressed in a white shirt and sweater, Natale-Hjorth appeared more intimidated by the packed courtroom.
Both sat near Maria Rosaria Esilio, Cerciello Rega’s widow, who married the officer weeks before he was killed and said in a statement before the trial, “My family has ended with Mario’s death because our unborn children and dreams were buried with him.”
As the two Americans left the court during a break in the opening hearing, which dealt with administrative issues, an Italian man approached them and hissed “Schifoso” — “disgusting” — at them.
The police investigation has been dogged by controversy since a photo was leaked of Natale-Hjorth being interrogated while handcuffed and blindfolded, while Ethan Elder has alleged that his son was slapped, kicked and spat on during questioning.
Police wiretapped a conversation between Elder and his mother in jail, in which it was claimed he admitted he knew Cerciello Rega was a police officer. It later emerged, however, that Elder’s words had been mistranslated and he had not made the admission.
Ethan Elder has likened the case to the arrest in Italy in 2007 of American student Amanda Knox, who was accused of stabbing her housemate during a drug-fueled sex game, and purportedly confessed her involvement in the crime to police interrogators.
In that case, police found a message on Knox’s phone addressed to a local barman stating, “see you later” and believed it signified a rendezvous to commit the murder later that night, without realizing the phrase can also simply mean “see you around.”
After four years in jail and a series of trials, Knox was acquitted in 2016.
Elder and Natale-Hjorth were on vacation in Rome last July and purchased drugs from a street dealer only to find that instead of cocaine they had been sold ground-up aspirin.
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To get even, they stole a bag from a man they believed was an accomplice of the dealer, demanding 100 euros and a gram of cocaine for its return.
The man, however, informed the police, who sent the officers to the fateful meeting in the upscale Prati district.
Huge crowds attended Cerciello Rega’s funeral — which was broadcast live on television — at which he was hailed as a hero, while then-Interior Minister Matteo Salvini described the Americans as “bastards” who deserved forced labor in jail.
Under Italian law, Natale-Hjorth risks the same homicide conviction as Elder, even though he did not stab Cerciello Rega.
“Finn’s parents are anxious to see a transparent trial and for the truth to come out,” their Italian lawyer Renato Borzone said during a break in the hearing.
Franco Coppi, an Italian lawyer representing Cerciello Rega’s widow, noted it was seven months to the day since the officer died.
“You can imagine how she feels right now,” he said.
Kington is a special correspondent.


latimes--2020-02-27--Hearse stolen with body inside from church in unincorporated Pasadena

A black Lincoln navigator with a casket and body inside was stolen Wednesday evening from a church in unincorporated Pasadena @ @ @ @ @ 7:45 p.m. in the 700 block of Rosemead Boulevard .
“ Out of all the @ @ @ @ @ , at least make one good one & bring back the deceased person & casket @ @ @ @ @ the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department said in a tweet .
Authorities do @ @ @ @ @ s intentions or whether he or she knew there was a body inside the vehicle @ @ @ @ @ Orthodox Church was holding a Trisagion ceremony for a member whose funeral is scheduled for @ @ @ @ @ man ’ s obituary .

A black Lincoln navigator with a casket and body inside was stolen Wednesday evening from a church in unincorporated Pasadena.
The theft occurred about 7:45 p.m. in the 700 block of Rosemead Boulevard.
“Out of all the bad decisions you have made, at least make one good one & bring back the deceased person & casket inside the Navigator,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a tweet.
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To the suspect(s) driving around in a Black Lincoln Navigator stolen from the 700 blk of Rosemead Bl just after 8PM today in uninc #Pasadena:
Out of all the bad decisions you have made, at least make one good one & bring back the deceased person & casket inside the Navigator. pic.twitter.com/Dvo7u94zL1 — LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) February 27, 2020
Authorities do not know the thief’s intentions or whether he or she knew there was a body inside the vehicle.
The Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church was holding a Trisagion ceremony for a member whose funeral is scheduled for Thursday, according to the man’s obituary.


latimes--2020-02-27--New evidence backs Loughlin's and Giannulli's innocence, lawyer says

Lawyers for “ Full House ” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband , J. Mossimo Giannulli , said Wednesday that new evidence shows the couple is innocent of charges that they bribed their daughters ’ way into USC .
An attorney for the couple said in a legal filing that prosecutors provided the defense with notes written by the admitted ringleader of the college admissions cheating scheme that support the couple ’ s claim that they believed their payments were legitimate donations , not bribes .
“ This belated discovery is devastating to the government ’ s case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improperly withholding core exculpatory information , employing a ‘ win at all costs ’ effort rather than following their obligation to do justice , ” attorney Sean Berkowitz wrote .
The filing came on the eve of a status hearing in the case scheduled for Thursday at Boston ’ s federal court in the sweeping college admissions bribery case .
It was expected that the judge would set a trial date for the parents still fighting the charges at that hearing .
Now , the couple ’ s attorneys are asking the judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date in light of the new evidence , saying “ it is the only fair way to protect the defendants ’ rights.
” Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of paying $ 500,000 to get their daughters into USC as crew recruits even though neither was a rower .
Authorities say the money was funneled through a sham charity operated by college admissions consultant Rick Singer , who has pleaded guilty to orchestrating the scheme .
Lawyers for Loughlin and Giannulli have argued that the couple believed the payments were “ legitimate donations ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fundraising gift or to support Singer ’ s charity .
They have accused prosecutors of hiding crucial evidence that could prove the couple ’ s innocence because it would undermine their case .
The new information provided to the defense includes notes written by Singer detailing his discussions with FBI investigators about recorded phone calls he had with parents , Berkowitz wrote .
Singer said in his notes that the FBI told him to lie by saying that he told the parents who participated in the scheme that their payments were bribes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools , the attorney said .
“ They continue to ask me to tell a fib and not restate what I told my clients as to where there money was going — to the program not the coach and that it was a donation and they want it to be a payment , ” Singer wrote , according to the filing .
Berkowtiz called the information not only “ exculpatory , but exonerating for the defendants the government has charged with bribery.
” The couple is among 15 prominent parents still fighting accusations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by paying people to pretend their kids were star athletes for sports they didn ’ t play or cheat on their children ’ s entrance exams .
Nearly two dozen parents have pleaded guilty , including “ Desperate Housewives ” star Felicity Huffman , who was sentenced to two weeks in prison for paying $ 15,000 to have a proctor correct her daughter ’ s SAT answers .
Federal prosecutors have said that the first trial for the parents should begin in October , and that Loughlin and Giannulli should be tried in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parents said the substantial amount of evidence , outstanding pretrial motions and “ general complexity ” of the case made a trial this fall impossible and that there should be no trial before next February .

Lawyers for “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, J. Mossimo Giannulli, said Wednesday that new evidence shows the couple is innocent of charges that they bribed their daughters’ way into USC.
An attorney for the couple said in a legal filing that prosecutors provided the defense with notes written by the admitted ringleader of the college admissions cheating scheme that support the couple’s claim that they believed their payments were legitimate donations, not bribes.
“This belated discovery is devastating to the government’s case and demonstrates that the government has been improperly withholding core exculpatory information, employing a ‘win at all costs’ effort rather than following their obligation to do justice,” attorney Sean Berkowitz wrote.
The filing came on the eve of a status hearing in the case scheduled for Thursday at Boston’s federal court in the sweeping college admissions bribery case. It was expected that the judge would set a trial date for the parents still fighting the charges at that hearing.
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Now, the couple’s attorneys are asking the judge to postpone the setting of the trial date in light of the new evidence, saying “it is the only fair way to protect the defendants’ rights.”
Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of paying $500,000 to get their daughters into USC as crew recruits even though neither was a rower. Authorities say the money was funneled through a sham charity operated by college admissions consultant Rick Singer, who has pleaded guilty to orchestrating the scheme.
Lawyers for Loughlin and Giannulli have argued that the couple believed the payments were “legitimate donations” that would go directly to USC as a fundraising gift or to support Singer’s charity. They have accused prosecutors of hiding crucial evidence that could prove the couple’s innocence because it would undermine their case.
The new information provided to the defense includes notes written by Singer detailing his discussions with FBI investigators about recorded phone calls he had with parents, Berkowitz wrote. Singer said in his notes that the FBI told him to lie by saying that he told the parents who participated in the scheme that their payments were bribes, instead of legitimate donations to the schools, the attorney said.
“They continue to ask me to tell a fib and not restate what I told my clients as to where there money was going — to the program not the coach and that it was a donation and they want it to be a payment,” Singer wrote, according to the filing.
Berkowtiz called the information not only “exculpatory, but exonerating for the defendants the government has charged with bribery.”
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The couple is among 15 prominent parents still fighting accusations that they rigged the college admissions system by paying people to pretend their kids were star athletes for sports they didn’t play or cheat on their children’s entrance exams.
Nearly two dozen parents have pleaded guilty, including “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman, who was sentenced to two weeks in prison for paying $15,000 to have a proctor correct her daughter’s SAT answers.
Federal prosecutors have said that the first trial for the parents should begin in October, and that Loughlin and Giannulli should be tried in the first group.
But lawyers for the parents said the substantial amount of evidence, outstanding pretrial motions and “general complexity” of the case made a trial this fall impossible and that there should be no trial before next February.


latimes--2020-02-26--Group sues to hold Coca-Cola, Pepsi and others liable for plastics fouling California waters

Escalating a campaign to make corporations responsible for the waste they produce , an environmental group filed suit Wednesday against some of the world ’ s biggest food , beverage and consumer goods companies in a California court , arguing they should be held responsible for plastic packaging that is fouling the state ’ s oceans , rivers and streams .
The Earth Island Institute asked for unspecified damages and an order for Coca-Cola , Pepsi , Nestle USA , Procter & Gamble and six other companies to clean up plastic waste that the group says has created a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in San Mateo County Superior Court , is believed to be the first of its kind .
It follows a rising public outcry about plastics pollution — particularly in the world ’ s oceans — and initiatives by state and federal lawmakers to force companies to take ownership of the material they use to package their products .
The California Legislature is reviewing measures that would impose so-called extended producer responsibility , — requiring food and drink producers to devise plans to capture empty containers .
And Sen. Tom Udall ( D-N.M. ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) this month introduced the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act .
It would create a nationwide beverage container redemption program , ban some single-use plastic products and force the use of recycled material in the making of plastic bottles and containers .
“ This is the first of what I believe will be a wave of lawsuits seeking to hold the plastics industry accountable for the unprecedented mess in our oceans , ” said Josh Floum , Earth Island Institute ’ s board president .
“ These plastics peddlers knew that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be overrun , and their products would end up polluting our waterways.
” The environmental group filed the suit around the close of business Wednesday .
The Plastics Industry Assn.
, a trade group , did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
“ Plastic waste is a worldwide problem that demands thoughtful solutions , ” said the American Beverage Assn.
, which represents Coke and Pepsi .
`` America ’ s beverage companies are already taking action to address the issue by reducing our use of new plastic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottles so they can be remade into new bottles as intended , and collaborating with legislators and third-party experts to achieve meaningful policy resolutions.
” Floum , a corporate and antitrust attorney , said that the lawsuit might initially be greeted as “ heretical ” but that its logic will soon become evident .
“ Like with Big Tobacco , we know Big Plastic is poisoning our environment , ” he said .
“ It ’ s in the bodies of animals .
It ’ s in our own bodies .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s clogging our rivers .
And it ’ s the plastics peddlers who are responsible for this mess.
” Plastics makers previously have argued that the marketplace , not government regulators , should decide the worthiness of their products .
The have said they are willing to explore plastics alternatives but also emphasize that improvements in recycling and waste management could solve the pollution crisis .
Environmentalists reject that notion , saying that only about 10 % of plastic containers are reprocessed into new products .
The new lawsuit could face a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proper venue for the dispute .
California law provides for “ public nuisance ” claims , but oil companies facing lawsuits over their contribution to climate change have argued , somewhat successfully , that claims involving national and international companies should be heard in federal court .
The litigation levies an array of allegations against the companies , including public nuisance , breach of express warranty , defective product liability , negligence and failure to warn of the harms caused by single-use plastic packaging .
It suggests the list of defendants was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from an audit conducted last summer in 51 countries by one of Earth Island ’ s partner organizations .
The study found that among the top 10 creators of plastic pollution were Coca-Cola , Pepsi , Procter & Gamble , Mondelez International and Colgate-Palmolive .
The suit names those companies , along with Nestle USA , Crystal Geyser Water , Clorox , Mars and Danone North America .
The lawsuit describes Nestle as the world ’ s largest food and beverage company and Pepsi as the second largest .
The action claims that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of all single-use plastic packaging .
Berkeley-based Earth Island Institute was founded by the late David Brower , the first executive director of the Sierra Club .
The group helps incubate and fund other environmental organizations .
In its lawsuit , it cites the widespread damage to the marine environment caused by an estimated 150 million metric tons of plastic .
The pollution stretches from near-shore locations such as Monterey Bay , which now has a greater concentration of pollution than the Great Pacific Garbage Patch , to the depths of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that includes the deepest point on Earth .
At the current pace , it is estimated that plastic will outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050 .
The synthetic material has been blamed for killing sea mammals and seabirds and contaminating the world ’ s freshwater supplies , to the point that it ’ s estimated the average person ingests about 5 grams of plastic a week — roughly the equivalent of a credit card .
The environmental group charged that the companies have implied that recycling can solve the pollution problem , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inadequate to handle the deluge of plastic waste .
“ The products that we are targeting in our lawsuit are contained in plastic packaging that we often use for just a few minutes , ” Earth Island General Counsel Sumona Majumdar said in a statement .
“ And yet this packaging pollutes our bodies from one generation to the next , and our planet for centuries.
” The environmental group said it was suing on its own behalf and to benefit several projects it sponsors : the Plastic Pollution Coalition , the International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1000 Fountains .
The lawsuit was filed by the firm of Cotchett , Pitre & McCarthy , the same lawyers who in 2015 sued the federal government , accusing it of allowing climate change and thereby violating the life , liberty and property rights of young people .
A federal district judge was prepared to let the climate lawsuit by the group Our Children ’ s Trust go ahead .
But in January a divided appellate court ruled that , while action was clearly needed , it was up to the political branches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to tackle global warming .

Seagulls flock to the trash boom near the mouth of the Los Angeles River in January 2015 after tons of trash and debris piled up during two days of heavy rain.
Escalating a campaign to make corporations responsible for the waste they produce, an environmental group filed suit Wednesday against some of the world’s biggest food, beverage and consumer goods companies in a California court, arguing they should be held responsible for plastic packaging that is fouling the state’s oceans, rivers and streams.
The Earth Island Institute asked for unspecified damages and an order for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestle USA, Procter & Gamble and six other companies to clean up plastic waste that the group says has created a global pollution crisis.
The suit, filed in San Mateo County Superior Court, is believed to be the first of its kind. It follows a rising public outcry about plastics pollution — particularly in the world’s oceans — and initiatives by state and federal lawmakers to force companies to take ownership of the material they use to package their products.
The California Legislature is reviewing measures that would impose so-called extended producer responsibility, requiring food and drink producers to devise plans to capture empty containers.
And Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) this month introduced the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. It would create a nationwide beverage container redemption program, ban some single-use plastic products and force the use of recycled material in the making of plastic bottles and containers.
Advertisement
“This is the first of what I believe will be a wave of lawsuits seeking to hold the plastics industry accountable for the unprecedented mess in our oceans,” said Josh Floum, Earth Island Institute’s board president. “These plastics peddlers knew that our nation’s disposal and recycling capabilities would be overrun, and their products would end up polluting our waterways.”
The environmental group filed the suit around the close of business Wednesday. The Plastics Industry Assn., a trade group, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Plastic waste is a worldwide problem that demands thoughtful solutions,” said the American Beverage Assn., which represents Coke and Pepsi.”America’s beverage companies are already taking action to address the issue by reducing our use of new plastic, investing to increase the collection of our bottles so they can be remade into new bottles as intended, and collaborating with legislators and third-party experts to achieve meaningful policy resolutions.”
Floum, a corporate and antitrust attorney, said that the lawsuit might initially be greeted as “heretical” but that its logic will soon become evident. “Like with Big Tobacco, we know Big Plastic is poisoning our environment,” he said. “It’s in the bodies of animals. It’s in our own bodies. It’s all over the ocean and it’s clogging our rivers. And it’s the plastics peddlers who are responsible for this mess.”
Plastics makers previously have argued that the marketplace, not government regulators, should decide the worthiness of their products. They have said they are willing to explore plastics alternatives but also emphasize that improvements in recycling and waste management could solve the pollution crisis. Environmentalists reject that notion, saying that only about 10% of plastic containers are reprocessed into new products.
The new lawsuit could face a hurdle over whether a California court is the proper venue for the dispute. California law provides for “public nuisance” claims, but oil companies facing lawsuits over their contribution to climate change have argued, somewhat successfully, that claims involving national and international companies should be heard in federal court.
The litigation levies an array of allegations against the companies, including public nuisance, breach of express warranty, defective product liability, negligence and failure to warn of the harms caused by single-use plastic packaging.
Advertisement
It suggests the list of defendants was drawn, at least in part, from an audit conducted last summer in 51 countries by one of Earth Island’s partner organizations. The study found that among the top 10 creators of plastic pollution were Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Mondelez International and Colgate-Palmolive. The suit names those companies, along with Nestle USA, Crystal Geyser Water, Clorox, Mars and Danone North America.
The lawsuit describes Nestle as the world’s largest food and beverage company and Pepsi as the second largest. The action claims that the defendant companies collectively produce about 15% of all single-use plastic packaging.
Berkeley-based Earth Island Institute was founded by the late David Brower, the first executive director of the Sierra Club. The group helps incubate and fund other environmental organizations. In its lawsuit, it cites the widespread damage to the marine environment caused by an estimated 150 million metric tons of plastic.
The pollution stretches from near-shore locations such as Monterey Bay, which now has a greater concentration of pollution than the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, to the depths of the Mariana Trench, the Pacific Ocean canyon that includes the deepest point on Earth.
At the current pace, it is estimated that plastic will outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050. The synthetic material has been blamed for killing sea mammals and seabirds and contaminating the world’s freshwater supplies, to the point that it’s estimated the average person ingests about 5 grams of plastic a week — roughly the equivalent of a credit card.
The environmental group charged that the companies have implied that recycling can solve the pollution problem, when they knew that recycling systems are inadequate to handle the deluge of plastic waste.
“The products that we are targeting in our lawsuit are contained in plastic packaging that we often use for just a few minutes,” Earth Island General Counsel Sumona Majumdar said in a statement. “And yet this packaging pollutes our bodies from one generation to the next, and our planet for centuries.”
The environmental group said it was suing on its own behalf and to benefit several projects it sponsors: the Plastic Pollution Coalition, the International Marine Mammal Project, Shark Stewards and 1000 Fountains.
The lawsuit was filed by the firm of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the same lawyers who in 2015 sued the federal government, accusing it of allowing climate change and thereby violating the life, liberty and property rights of young people.
A federal district judge was prepared to let the climate lawsuit by the group Our Children’s Trust go ahead. But in January a divided appellate court ruled that, while action was clearly needed, it was up to the political branches of the government, not the courts, to tackle global warming.