latimes--2020-08-24--Ban on flavored tobacco sales is approved by California Assembly

The California Assembly on Monday approved a ban on the retail sale of flavored tobacco products in the state , with supporters saying it is needed to reduce smoking and vaping by minors and others attracted by flavors that include fruit and menthol .
Supporters of the legislation blasted a new advertising campaign from tobacco companies that claims the bill discriminates against Black and Latino smokers , saying that the ads disingenuously portray the industry as an ally of communities of color .
The tobacco industry ad , which calls the bill “ politics at its worst , ” alleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ giving special treatment to the rich , and singling out communities of color.
” Assemblywoman Shirley Weber ( D-San Diego ) , the chairwoman of the California Legislative Black Caucus , said it is racist for the tobacco industry to claim the bill discriminates against Black people by prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes in the state .
“ I am insulted that the tobacco industry would make an effort to make us believe that mentholated cigarettes are part of African American culture , and that this is a discriminatory piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weber said during the floor debate .
The Senate had previously approved the measure , but it must go back to that house for expected approval of amendments that exempt hookah products , premium cigars and some pipe tobacco .
“ It ’ s the most deadly consumer product ever created , ” Assemblyman Jim Wood ( D-Healdsburg ) said during Monday ’ s short floor debate .
“ In a perfect world , there would be no exemptions to this bill , but we all know we don ’ t live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 50-0 , with Republican lawmakers withholding their votes and citing concerns that it would take away desperately needed tax revenue as tobacco sales decline and that several exemptions were approved to win a majority vote .
Assemblyman Heath Flora ( R-Ripon ) said the bill will be ineffective if it does not cover hookah products , cigars and cannabis .
“ If we actually cared about the kids , we would deal with some of the other industries as well , ” Flora said .
The bill ’ s author , state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he reluctantly accepted amendments to legislation that had never gone beyond the committee level in the Assembly in previous years .
He said his measure seeks to address an increase in tobacco use by young people by outlawing store sales of flavored products including cigarettes , many cigars and chewing tobacco , as well as electronic cigarettes and flavored vaping products .
Hill argued that banning flavored tobacco — including candy- and fruit-flavored e-cigarette products — is essential to address an upsurge in vaping and other tobacco use by minors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention found that 67 % of high-school students and 49 % of middle-school students who used tobacco products in the prior 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time , Hill noted .
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) said there is a reason tobacco products are sold with flavors including menthol , cotton candy and gummy bears .
“ These flavors are marketed to kids and people of color to ensure tobacco companies have a clientele on the hook for life , ” Rendon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the governor , California would become the second state to ban the sale of flavored tobacco .
In the days leading up to the vote , the tobacco industry had run television ads saying SB 793 singled out communities of color because it bans menthol .
Advocates for the bill have blasted those claims as inaccurate , responding with another ad that argues flavored tobacco products have been heavily marketed to communities of color and pose disproportionate health risks to Black residents .
On Monday , a group of Black leaders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news conference on Zoom to denounce the opposition ad campaign as an attempt by the tobacco industry to deceive lawmakers and the public .
“ It ’ s critical that the Black community and particularly the Black faith community stand up to the lies , misinformation and the fake news that is being promulgated by big tobacco , ” said the Rev .
John E. Cager III , pastor of the Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church Los Angeles .
In a recent committee hearing , the bill was opposed by the Rev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles and Southern California .
He said he does not want kids to smoke , but said he opposes the bill because of its ban on menthol products , which he said are popular with Black smokers , while exempting other flavored tobacco including hookah and premium cigars .
“ What we see here is this bill disrespects our community of color and their preference , while it exempts hookah products on behalf of the Middle Eastern cultures , ” Tulloss said .
“ If you put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminalize this product.
” In arguing against the bill , Tulloss cited the case of Eric Garner , a Black man who died in police custody in New York in 2014 after he was stopped for allegedly selling single cigarettes on the street .
On Monday , Assemblyman Rob Bonta ( D-Alameda ) disputed the claim of some opponents that banning flavored tobacco sales would create more confrontations between the police and Black and Latino residents .
Bonta noted the bill bans retail stores from selling the products , not possession or use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill recently began airing their own television ad , in which spoken word artist SixFootah the Poet says that “ menthol cigarettes put my mother in the ground , ” challenging lawmakers to provide Black children “ the same protection as the kids in the suburbs do.
” “ So you want to ban all flavors except for the ones that take Black lives away ?
” she asks in the ad .
The legislation is supported by the American Lung Assn .
in California , American Heart Assn .
and American Cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business groups including the California Chamber of Commerce , the California Retailers Assn .
and the California Fuels and Convenience Alliance , which represents some 12,000 convenience stores .
A representative of the alliance testified in a recent committee hearing on the measure that it would hurt small businesses that are struggling to recover during the COVID-19 pandemic and deprive the state of needed tax revenue .
Such firms “ will face significant economic hardship if you move forward with this proposal , ” said Jacque Ayers , a manager at Winchester Fuels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Temecula .

California retail stores would be banned from selling menthol cigarettes if legislation advanced Monday by the state Assembly is approved by the Senate and the governor.
The California Assembly on Monday approved a ban on the retail sale of flavored tobacco products in the state, with supporters saying it is needed to reduce smoking and vaping by minors and others attracted by flavors that include fruit and menthol.
Supporters of the legislation blasted a new advertising campaign from tobacco companies that claims the bill discriminates against Black and Latino smokers, saying that the ads disingenuously portray the industry as an ally of communities of color.
The tobacco industry ad, which calls the bill “politics at its worst,” alleges that the measure would criminalize menthol cigarettes, “giving special treatment to the rich, and singling out communities of color.”
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Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), the chairwoman of the California Legislative Black Caucus, said it is racist for the tobacco industry to claim the bill discriminates against Black people by prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes in the state.
“I am insulted that the tobacco industry would make an effort to make us believe that mentholated cigarettes are part of African American culture, and that this is a discriminatory piece of legislation against Black people,” Weber said during the floor debate.
The Senate had previously approved the measure, but it must go back to that house for expected approval of amendments that exempt hookah products, premium cigars and some pipe tobacco.
“It’s the most deadly consumer product ever created,” Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) said during Monday’s short floor debate. “In a perfect world, there would be no exemptions to this bill, but we all know we don’t live in a perfect world.”
The Assembly vote was 50-0, with Republican lawmakers withholding their votes and citing concerns that it would take away desperately needed tax revenue as tobacco sales decline and that several exemptions were approved to win a majority vote.
Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon) said the bill will be ineffective if it does not cover hookah products, cigars and cannabis.
“If we actually cared about the kids, we would deal with some of the other industries as well,” Flora said.
The bill’s author, state Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), said he reluctantly accepted amendments to legislation that had never gone beyond the committee level in the Assembly in previous years. He said his measure seeks to address an increase in tobacco use by young people by outlawing store sales of flavored products including cigarettes, many cigars and chewing tobacco, as well as electronic cigarettes and flavored vaping products.
Hill argued that banning flavored tobacco — including candy- and fruit-flavored e-cigarette products — is essential to address an upsurge in vaping and other tobacco use by minors.
A 2018 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 67% of high-school students and 49% of middle-school students who used tobacco products in the prior 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time, Hill noted.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) said there is a reason tobacco products are sold with flavors including menthol, cotton candy and gummy bears.
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“These flavors are marketed to kids and people of color to ensure tobacco companies have a clientele on the hook for life,” Rendon said.
If the measure is signed by the governor, California would become the second state to ban the sale of flavored tobacco.
In the days leading up to the vote, the tobacco industry had run television ads saying SB 793 singled out communities of color because it bans menthol.
Advocates for the bill have blasted those claims as inaccurate, responding with another ad that argues flavored tobacco products have been heavily marketed to communities of color and pose disproportionate health risks to Black residents.
On Monday, a group of Black leaders, including academics and youth activists, held a news conference on Zoom to denounce the opposition ad campaign as an attempt by the tobacco industry to deceive lawmakers and the public.
“It’s critical that the Black community and particularly the Black faith community stand up to the lies, misinformation and the fake news that is being promulgated by big tobacco,” said the Rev. John E. Cager III, pastor of the Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church Los Angeles.
In a recent committee hearing, the bill was opposed by the Rev. K.W. Tulloss, president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles and Southern California.
He said he does not want kids to smoke, but said he opposes the bill because of its ban on menthol products, which he said are popular with Black smokers, while exempting other flavored tobacco including hookah and premium cigars.
“What we see here is this bill disrespects our community of color and their preference, while it exempts hookah products on behalf of the Middle Eastern cultures,” Tulloss said. “If you put a ban on menthol, it will criminalize this product.”
In arguing against the bill, Tulloss cited the case of Eric Garner, a Black man who died in police custody in New York in 2014 after he was stopped for allegedly selling single cigarettes on the street.
On Monday, Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) disputed the claim of some opponents that banning flavored tobacco sales would create more confrontations between the police and Black and Latino residents. Bonta noted the bill bans retail stores from selling the products, not possession or use of flavored tobacco.
Supporters of the bill recently began airing their own television ad, in which spoken word artist SixFootah the Poet says that “menthol cigarettes put my mother in the ground,” challenging lawmakers to provide Black children “the same protection as the kids in the suburbs do.”
“So you want to ban all flavors except for the ones that take Black lives away?” she asks in the ad.
The legislation is supported by the American Lung Assn. in California, American Heart Assn. and American Cancer Society.
The bill was opposed by business groups including the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Retailers Assn. and the California Fuels and Convenience Alliance, which represents some 12,000 convenience stores.
A representative of the alliance testified in a recent committee hearing on the measure that it would hurt small businesses that are struggling to recover during the COVID-19 pandemic and deprive the state of needed tax revenue.
Such firms “will face significant economic hardship if you move forward with this proposal,” said Jacque Ayers, a manager at Winchester Fuels, a market and gas station in Temecula.


latimes--2020-08-24--Abandoned by authorities, these fire-threatened towns set up their own FEMA-like response

Feeling abandoned by the state and federal government during an unparalleled conflagration of fires , volunteer firefighting units in two Santa Cruz mountain towns have been forced to tap an alternative : Unofficial help from an elite network of the nation ’ s finest emergency response units — who quickly provided needed equipment and support .
Over the weekend , crews from Menlo Park delivered spare water tenders , fire-fighting rigs , cots , sleeping bags , radios and communications equipment , food and water to struggling firefighting units in Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond .
There , veteran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations centers to battle the CZU Lightning Complex fire raging in the mountains above Silicon Valley .
“ These guys needed the help .
They ’ re my people .
So , we sprang into action , ” said Menlo Park Fire Protection District ’ s chief , Harold Schapelhouman .
“ It ’ s just what we do .
No questions asked.
” As of Monday morning , the CZU fire had burned 78,000 acres , destroyed 176 homes and was only 13 % contained .
Mother Nature was good to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even some rain to dampen the flames .
But if lightning or strong southward winds return , it could threaten communities in the fire ’ s path , including Fenton , Santa Cruz and the evacuated campus of UC Santa Cruz .
The situation is extremely rare , Schapelhouman said .
His district is home and sponsoring agency to an elite FEMA Urban Search and Rescue unit .
It ’ s called California Task Force 3 , and it is one of 28 such forces in the United States .
The team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nation ’ s most notorious and deadly disasters , including the 2018 Camp fire , the 2010 San Bruno gas line explosion , and notorious hurricanes such as Katrina , Irma and Harvey .
During Katrina , the team was sent out to find survivors and “ recover bodies and parts , ” said Rudy Torres , the task force ’ s lead mechanic .
He described how the team motored around the flooded city of New Orleans in 2005 cutting holes into the attics of submerged homes , sticking their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , when Schapelhouman called his task force ’ s incident command leader , Carl Kustin , last week and Kustin — a resident of Boulder Creek and retired member of the fire district — told him the situation was dire , Schapelhouman jumped to action .
With the help of Torres , the team prepared an engine rig and water tender used for training purposes , and got the equipment road-ready for the under-supplied firefighting crews in the mountains .
On Friday night , Schapelhouman — who became a paraplegic after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — made his way up to the mountains to scout the situation .
He saw men sleeping on the floor of the firehouse .
He saw they were running low on food and supplies .
He felt their exhaustion , desperation and fear as they tried to fight the fires aware that support and reinforcements were unlikely to be coming .
“ I said to Kustin , what do you need ?
” he said .
Schapelhouman returned home early Saturday morning and mobilized his team and network .
He secured radios , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foam , which he sent up into the mountains that afternoon with a Palo Alto Fire District unit that was lending help .
He then asked his crew to fill a FEMA supply truck with pallets of water and Gatorade , cots and sleeping bags , which Torres and a small team drove up late Saturday night .
According to Stacie Brownlee , Ben Lomond ’ s fire chief , Cal Fire has started providing limited support after media reported on the agency ’ s inability to help , as it confronts a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also secured several infrared and heat-seeking drones for the volunteer firefighters to use for fire reconnaissance .
Although Cal Fire and the FAA initially declined to approve the flights — citing concerns about aircraft safety — he got the green light Monday morning .
By afternoon , members of Task Force 3 ’ s drone team were in Scott ’ s Valley getting ready to deploy the fleet Wednesday morning .
“ We don ’ t take no for an answer , ” he said .
“ It ’ s not in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in Boulder Creek and is a retired member of volunteer firefighting force , but still an active member of Schapelhouman ’ s incident command unit , began preparing the firehouse and the surrounding area to serve as an emergency operations center .
In Boulder Creek , the volunteer firefighters had been battling flames nearly nonstop for five days , and were exhausted .
They ’ d been catching naps , when they could , on the concrete floor of the firehouse — amidst the rolling engines , emergency calls and swapping shifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result , the firehouse — engine room , kitchen and dining hall — looked rag-tag , with water bottles , electrolyte packets and snack food items laying haphazardly atop the kitchen counters .
Radios , firefighting equipment and clothes were strewn around the engine room in disorderly piles — where crew members had dropped them as they responded to calls to save their town .
A logistics veteran , Kustin has set up scores of emergency operations centers during his career — from Oklahoma City to the Sept. 11 World Trade Center Bombing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With permission from Boulder Creek ’ s fire chief , Mark Bingham , Kustin set to work .
He established a bunk area in the nearby rec hall , where the crews could catch a few hours of sleep without being disturbed by the constantly shifting crews and action happening in the firehouse .
And he organized the kitchen and adjacent dining hall , moving out the scattered sleeping bags and equipment , and turned the firehouse into a de facto operations center — where communications were in one area , snack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and out , and equipment accessible , visible and easy to grab .
“ I know how to do this .
Everything needs to be in its place , accessible and right where you need it when you need it , ” he said .
As the night sky periodically flared orange and red as nearby trees and houses were consumed by flames , he bustled about the parking area in the rear of the firehouse , directing the young men and women of the firefighting crew — including Kustin ’ s own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they unloaded Torres ’ supply truck .
As he walked into the rec hall , to show a visitor how quiet the space was from the activity outside , he stopped for a minute to talk about the moment and the inspiration he draws from the younger firefighters , such as Bingham , who are battling these blazes with everything they have .
“ You ’ ve got to understand , we do this kind of work because we care about people and their communities , ” he said .
“ But this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This time , it ’ s our home .
”

Feeling abandoned by the state and federal government during an unparalleled conflagration of fires, volunteer firefighting units in two Santa Cruz mountain towns have been forced to tap an alternative: unofficial help from an elite network of the nation’s finest emergency response units — who quickly provided needed equipment and support.
Over the weekend, crews from Menlo Park delivered spare water tenders, firefighting rigs, cots, sleeping bags, radios and communications equipment, food and water to struggling firefighting units in Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond. There, veteran and decorated first responders established makeshift command and operations centers to battle the CZU Lightning Complex fire raging in the mountains above Silicon Valley.
“These guys needed the help. They’re my people. So, we sprang into action,” said the Menlo Park Fire Protection District chief, Harold Schapelhouman. “It’s just what we do. No questions asked.”
As of Monday, the CZU fire had burned 78,000 acres, destroyed 276 homes and was only 13% contained. Mother Nature was good to the firefighters Sunday night, bringing cooler temperatures and even some rain to dampen the flames, and Cal Fire crews were able to drop water Monday.
But if lightning or strong southward winds return, it could threaten communities in the fire’s path, including Felton, Santa Cruz and the evacuated campus of UC Santa Cruz.
The body of a 70-year-old man was recovered in the fire area over the weekend, according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chris Clark.
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Clark said the man’s body was found “some distance away” from what appeared to be his vehicle at the end of Last Chance Road — deep in the mountains northwest of the community of Davenport in Santa Cruz County.
Schapelhouman’s district is home and sponsoring agency to an elite FEMA Urban Search and Rescue unit. It’s called California Task Force 3, and it is one of 28 such forces in the United States.
Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman chats with volunteers at the Boulder Creek Fire District during the CZU Lightning Complex fire. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The team of roughly 200 has responded to some of the nation’s most notorious and deadly disasters, including the 2018 Camp fire, the 2010 San Bruno gas line explosion, and notorious hurricanes such as Katrina, Irma and Harvey.
During Katrina, the team was sent out to find survivors and “recover bodies,” said Rudy Torres, the task force’s lead mechanic. He described how the team motored around the flooded city of New Orleans in 2005 cutting holes into the attics of submerged homes, sticking their noses inside to smell for decomposing corpses.
So, when Schapelhouman last week called Carl Kustin — a resident of Boulder Creek, retired volunteer firefighter and active member of the FEMA CA-TF3 Incident Support Team — Kustin told him the situation was dire. That was when Schapelhouman jumped into action.
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“You’ve got to understand, we do this kind of work because we care about people and their communities. But this time, it’s different. This time, it’s our home.” — Carl Kustin, logistics veteran and retired volunteer firefighter in Boulder Creek
Cal Fire firefighter Mike Quatela sets a back fire near a house at the end of Ridge Drive during the CZU Lightning Complex fire in Boulder Creek. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
With the help of Torres, the team prepared a fire engine and water tender used for training purposes, and got the equipment road-ready for the undersupplied firefighting crews in the mountains.
On Friday night, Schapelhouman — who became a quadriplegic after falling off a ladder in 2013 — drove up to the mountains to scout the situation.
He saw men sleeping on the floor of the firehouse. He saw they were running low on food and supplies. He felt their exhaustion, desperation and fear as they tried to fight the fires, aware that support and reinforcements were unlikely to be coming.
“I said to Kustin, what do you need?” he said.
Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman chats with Carl Kustin, a volunteer with the Boulder Creek Fire District. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Schapelhouman returned home early Saturday morning and mobilized his team and network. He secured radios, communications equipment, batteries and even firefighting foam, which he sent up into the mountains that afternoon with a unit that was lending help.
He then asked his crew to fill a FEMA supply truck with pallets of water and Gatorade, cots and sleeping bags, which Torres and a small team drove up late Saturday night.
According to Stacie Brownlee, Ben Lomond’s fire chief, Cal Fire started providing limited support after media reported on the agency’s inability to help as it confronted a multitude of fires across California.
Schapelhouman also secured several infrared and heat-seeking drones for the volunteer firefighters to use for fire reconnaissance. Although Cal Fire and the FAA initially declined to approve the flights — citing concerns about aircraft safety — he got the green light Monday morning.
By afternoon, members of Task Force 3’s drone team were in Scott’s Valley getting ready to deploy the fleet Wednesday morning.
“We don’t take no for an answer,” he said. “It’s not in our blood.”
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Firefighters work along Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning Complex fire Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Meanwhile, Kustin, who lives in Boulder Creek and is a retired member of a volunteer firefighting force but still an active member of Schapelhouman’s incident command unit, began preparing the firehouse and the surrounding area to serve as an emergency operations center.
In Boulder Creek, the volunteer firefighters had been battling flames nearly nonstop for five days and were exhausted. They’d been catching naps, when they could, on the concrete floor of the firehouse — amid the rolling engines, emergency calls and swapping shifts of their crewmates.
Supplies are unloaded from a Menlo Park truck at the Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Department firehouse. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
As a result, the firehouse — engine room, kitchen and dining hall — looked ragtag, with water bottles, electrolyte packets and snack food items lying haphazardly atop the kitchen counters. Radios, firefighting equipment and clothes were strewn around the engine room in disorderly piles — where crew members had dropped them as they responded to calls to save their town.
“I started going crazy,” said Kustin, a decorated FEMA command leader, sympathizing with the firefighters and their fire chief.
A logistics veteran, Kustin has worked with teams to set up scores of emergency operations centers during his career — from Oklahoma City to the Sept. 11 World Trade Center disaster, to Hurricane Irma in Puerto Rico.
With permission from Boulder Creek’s fire chief, Mark Bingham, Kustin set to work. He established a bunk area in the nearby rec hall, where the crews could catch a few hours of sleep without being disturbed by the constantly shifting crews and action happening in the firehouse.
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Boulder Creek firefighters regroup during the CZU Lightning Complex fire, outside of a firehouse on Route 9. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
And he organized the kitchen and adjacent dining hall, moving out the scattered sleeping bags and equipment, and turned the firehouse into a de facto operations center — where communications were in one area, snack foods readily available for crews coming in and out, and equipment accessible, visible and easy to grab.
“I know how to do this. Everything needs to be in its place, accessible and right where you need it when you need it,” he said.
Boulder Creek firefighters take a break in front of the Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Department firehouse. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
While the night sky periodically flared orange and red as nearby trees and houses were consumed by flames, he bustled about the parking area in the rear of the firehouse, directing the young men and women of the firefighting crew — including Kustin’s own son, Garrett, 23 — as they unloaded Torres’ supply truck.
He entered the rec hall, to show a visitor how quiet the space was from the activity outside, then paused to talk about the moment and the inspiration he drew from the younger firefighters, such as Bingham, who were battling these blazes with everything they had.
“You’ve got to understand, we do this kind of work because we care about people and their communities,” he said. “But this time, it’s different. This time, it’s our home.”


latimes--2020-08-24--School district suspends online classes after malware attack in Rialto

Online classes in the Rialto Unified School District have been suspended as officials investigate a malware attack .
The suspension began Monday , and according to a statement on the district ’ s website Sunday , online learning hosted by its Bridge Academy has stopped indefinitely while officials research the “ nature and scope ” of the attack .
Malware is “ software that is specifically designed to disrupt , damage , or gain unauthorized access to a computer system , ” the statement said , adding : “ We understand that this news is difficult in these already challenging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we work to address this issue.
” District spokeswoman Syeda Jafri said that staff from the information technology department is working “ day and night ” to resolve the crisis , urging students who have assigned devices linked to the district ’ s server to cease using them .
Officials will soon begin the huge task of collecting school computer equipment from pupils and teachers “ to make sure we keep everything secure.
” “ Honestly , our response right now is to make sure that we understand the sensitivity of this situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to be careful , ” Jafri said .
More information will be released Tuesday via school site principals , Jafri said , while parents and staff can continue to monitor updates via broadcasts from their registered Blackboard platform .
More than 25,000 students are enrolled in the Rialto district , a diverse population spread across three high schools , one alternative/adult education school , five middle schools and 19 elementary schools .
They come from Rialto , along with neighboring cities including Bloomington , Colton , Fontana , Lytle Creek and @ @ @

Online classes in the Rialto Unified School District have been suspended as officials investigate a malware attack.
The suspension began Monday, and according to a statement on the district’s website Sunday, online learning hosted by its Bridge Academy has stopped indefinitely while officials research the “nature and scope” of the attack.
Malware is “software that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system,” the statement said, adding: “We understand that this news is difficult in these already challenging times and we appreciate your patience while we work to address this issue.”
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District spokeswoman Syeda Jafri said that staff from the information technology department is working “day and night” to resolve the crisis, urging students who have assigned devices linked to the district’s server to cease using them. Officials will soon begin the huge task of collecting school computer equipment from pupils and teachers “to make sure we keep everything secure.”
“Honestly, our response right now is to make sure that we understand the sensitivity of this situation — there are so many unknowns so we need to be careful,” Jafri said.
More information will be released Tuesday via school site principals, Jafri said, while parents and staff can continue to monitor updates via broadcasts from their registered Blackboard platform.
Fall classes first resumed Aug. 10.
More than 25,000 students are enrolled in the Rialto district, a diverse population spread across three high schools, one alternative/adult education school, five middle schools and 19 elementary schools. They come from Rialto, along with neighboring cities including Bloomington, Colton, Fontana, Lytle Creek and San Bernardino.


latimes--2020-08-24--Op-Ed: Pandemics spread like wildfire, and fire is a contagion too

As the saying goes , pandemics spread like wildfire .
But it is equally true that wildfires spread like pandemics .
COVID-19 and landscape fire are both biologically based , both break out when people and nature get out of whack , and both propagate according to the same exponential dynamics of transmission .
The coronavirus pandemic is viral contagion ; wildfire is a contagion of combustion .
Similar strategies for containment apply .
Wear masks to prevent dispersion by aerosols ?
That looks like hardening houses against embers , the primary means of igniting structures .
Practice social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , keeping receptive fuels away from ignition sources .
Rely on herd immunity ?
That could be a matter of setting enough good fires to contain the bad ones .
Mandate compliance ?
Fire , too , is a social threat to public health and safety that can ’ t depend on individual whim .
I may comply but I ’ m still at risk if you don ’ t .
The big payoff against contagion comes from systemic preparations .
Emergency medicine can cope with a coronavirus surge only if other work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firefighting can cope with outbreaks on the scale of California ’ s only if we address that fraction of climate , fuels and ignitions that remain within our reach .
We can eliminate obvious points of contact , such as powerline failures during Santa Ana and Diablo winds .
We must tend to landscapes with pre-existing conditions — drained by drought , covered in feral fuels , buffeted by high winds — that can push mundane outbreaks toward lethal outcomes .
We must promote community fire-wellness programs and practice routine watchfulness to reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of advice over ( and over and over ) again .
But many problems ( and distractions ) clamor for attention .
The flames seem to afflict someone else , in another state , another county or a distant continent .
Too often various kinds of experts use fire to advance their own agendas , proposing solutions — such as more commercial logging on public lands or simply buying more air tankers and engines — that have little to offer in terms of living with fire and bending the curve of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening any more than COVID-19 cares about Twitter tantrums .
When I first worked on a fire crew ( in 1967 ) , fire was remote from media attention and of scant scientific interest .
Large fires were those that reached 5,000 acres and they happened “ out West , ” a spasm of random danger like a grizzly bear attack .
As a science , fire was studied patchily , in forestry programs , and only in order to control it .
Wildfire did not rampage into communities , it didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , and it didn ’ t smother San Francisco with smoke .
Our greed ( our rambunctious burning of fossil fuels ) and our clumsiness ( our neglect of genuinely managing fire on the landscape ) now mean that every place is “ out West.
” Ask Bastrop County , Texas , or Gatlinburg , Tenn. , if burned communities are just a California quirk .
Places that suffer big burns will experience more and bigger ones , and the narrative is no longer that people are inviting threats by building where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going where the people are .
Fire is global .
The smoke from Australia ’ s 2019-20 Red Summer circled the Earth .
In one year , Indonesia ’ s burning peatlands are estimated to release more greenhouse gases than Germany ’ s average annual emissions .
The devastation of California ’ s 2017 and 2018 fires drove the largest utility in the world ’ s fifth-largest economy to bankruptcy .
Big fires are metastasizing into megafires ; fire “ busts , ” into fire sieges .
Add up our fire practices and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ice age : Even climate history has become a sub-narrative of fire history .
The maturing Pyrocene is not a pretty sight .
We are the keystone species for fire .
Until we began binge-burning fossil fuels , we had managed to live with fire .
We need to relearn how to coexist with it because it isn ’ t going away — it can ’ t .
Unlike for COVID-19 , no fire vaccine is possible .
At this point in our fire-powered warming world , even as we ratchet down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely ratchet up .
They can be fires of choice or chance .
We can have good fires or bad fires .
We can ready ourselves to truly manage fire or scramble in blustering incredulity .
But the fires are coming .
Stephen J. Pyne is an emeritus professor at Arizona State University specializing in environmental history and the author of 35 books including “ Between Two Fires : A Fire History of Contemporary America .
”

As the saying goes, pandemics spread like wildfire. But it is equally true that wildfires spread like pandemics. COVID-19 and landscape fire are both biologically based, both break out when people and nature get out of whack, and both propagate according to the same exponential dynamics of transmission. The coronavirus pandemic is viral contagion; wildfire is a contagion of combustion.
Similar strategies for containment apply. Wear masks to prevent dispersion by aerosols? That looks like hardening houses against embers, the primary means of igniting structures. Practice social distancing? That’s like defensible space, keeping receptive fuels away from ignition sources. Rely on herd immunity? That could be a matter of setting enough good fires to contain the bad ones. Mandate compliance? Fire, too, is a social threat to public health and safety that can’t depend on individual whim. I may comply but I’m still at risk if you don’t.
The big payoff against contagion comes from systemic preparations. Emergency medicine can cope with a coronavirus surge only if other work flattens the curve of infection. Emergency firefighting can cope with outbreaks on the scale of California’s only if we address that fraction of climate, fuels and ignitions that remain within our reach.
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We can eliminate obvious points of contact, such as powerline failures during Santa Ana and Diablo winds. We must tend to landscapes with pre-existing conditions — drained by drought, covered in feral fuels, buffeted by high winds — that can push mundane outbreaks toward lethal outcomes. We must promote community fire-wellness programs and practice routine watchfulness to reduce vulnerability.
Fire experts have offered this kind of advice over (and over and over) again. But many problems (and distractions) clamor for attention. The flames seem to afflict someone else, in another state, another county or a distant continent. Too often various kinds of experts use fire to advance their own agendas, proposing solutions — such as more commercial logging on public lands or simply buying more air tankers and engines — that have little to offer in terms of living with fire and bending the curve of its worst effects. Fire isn’t listening any more than COVID-19 cares about Twitter tantrums.
When I first worked on a fire crew (in 1967), fire was remote from media attention and of scant scientific interest. Large fires were those that reached 5,000 acres and they happened “out West,” a spasm of random danger like a grizzly bear attack. As a science, fire was studied patchily, in forestry programs, and only in order to control it. Wildfire did not rampage into communities, it didn’t consume a million acres at a time, and it didn’t smother San Francisco with smoke.
Our greed (our rambunctious burning of fossil fuels) and our clumsiness (our neglect of genuinely managing fire on the landscape) now mean that every place is “out West.” Ask Bastrop County, Texas, or Gatlinburg, Tenn., if burned communities are just a California quirk. Places that suffer big burns will experience more and bigger ones, and the narrative is no longer that people are inviting threats by building where the fires are because the fires are going where the people are.
Fire is global. The smoke from Australia’s 2019-20 Red Summer circled the Earth. In one year, Indonesia’s burning peatlands are estimated to release more greenhouse gases than Germany’s average annual emissions. The devastation of California’s 2017 and 2018 fires drove the largest utility in the world’s fifth-largest economy to bankruptcy. Big fires are metastasizing into megafires; fire “busts,” into fire sieges. Add up our fire practices and we are creating the fire equivalent of an ice age: Even climate history has become a sub-narrative of fire history. The maturing Pyrocene is not a pretty sight.
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We are the keystone species for fire. Until we began binge-burning fossil fuels, we had managed to live with fire. We need to relearn how to coexist with it because it isn’t going away — it can’t. Unlike for COVID-19, no fire vaccine is possible. At this point in our fire-powered warming world, even as we ratchet down fossil fuel burning, landscape fires will likely ratchet up.
They can be fires of choice or chance. We can have good fires or bad fires. We can ready ourselves to truly manage fire or scramble in blustering incredulity. But the fires are coming.
Stephen J. Pyne is an emeritus professor at Arizona State University specializing in environmental history and the author of 35 books including “Between Two Fires: A Fire History of Contemporary America.”


latimes--2020-08-24--Proposed California ban on flavored tobacco sales sparks discussion of systemic racism

Supporters of legislation to ban the sale of flavored tobacco in California are speaking out against a new advertising campaign from tobacco companies that claims the bill discriminates against Black and Latino smokers , saying that the ads disingenuously portray the industry as an ally of communities of color .
The tobacco industry ad , which calls the bill “ politics at its worst , ” alleges that the measure would criminalize menthol cigarettes , “ giving special treatment to the rich , and singling out communities of color.
” Advocates for the bill have blasted those claims as inaccurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flavored tobacco products have been heavily marketed to communities of color and pose disproportionate health risks to Black residents .
On Monday , a group of Black leaders , including academics , and youth activists held a press conference on Zoom to denounce the opposition ad campaign as an attempt by the tobacco industry to deceive lawmakers and the public .
“ It ’ s critical that the Black community and particularly the Black faith community stand up to the lies , misinformation and the fake news that is being promulgated by big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John E. Cager III , pastor of the Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church Los Angeles .
The measure , Senate Bill 793 , was introduced by state Sen. Jerry Hill ( D-San Mateo ) partly in response to a surge in the use of electronic cigarettes by minors who are attracted to candy- and fruit-flavored vaping products .
In 2019 , some 5 million middle- and high-school students reported having used e-cigarettes in a recent 30-day period , an increase from 3.6 million the year before , according to the National Youth Tobacco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention .
California would be the second state after Massachusetts to ban flavored tobacco and would follow many local jurisdictions , including Los Angeles County , that have already taken that step .
SB 793 cleared a key hurdle on Thursday when the Assembly Appropriations Committee sent it to the Assembly floor for a vote , despite a warning by the state Department of Tax and Fee Administration that such a proposal could cost $ 218 million next year in lost tobacco-related taxes .
The California Legislative Black Caucus has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 793 , but four of the eight members have either voted for the bill or signed on as co-authors .
“ Flavored tobacco is a gateway to a lifetime of addiction with tobacco being one of many destructors of Black health , ” said state Sen. Holly Mitchell ( D-Los Angeles ) , a member of the caucus , in a statement after she voted for the bill when it passed the Senate .
Assemblywoman Autumn Burke ( D-Los Angeles ) , who is also a member of the caucus , voted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would like to see more efforts that deal with the root causes of poverty , which is directly tied to tobacco use .
“ I see folks banging a drum that claims to protect Black and brown people , but once again criminalizing their choices when we should be creating opportunities and incentivizing better choices , ” Burke told her colleagues during a debate .
At a state Capitol hearing on the bill earlier this month , some 200 people on both sides of the issue testified .
The argument that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not sway bill supporters including Cager .
“ I don ’ t want the state to collect blood money on the back of dead African Americans , ” he told the legislators at the hearing .
Rev .
K.W .
Tulloss , president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles and Southern California , told lawmakers he does not want kids to smoke , but said he opposes the bill because of its ban on menthol products , which he noted are popular with Black smokers , while exempting hookah , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What we see here is this bill disrespects our community of color and their preference , while it exempts hookah products on behalf of the Middle Eastern cultures , ” Tulloss said .
“ If you put a ban on menthol , it will criminalize this product.
” Other opponents of the bill , which include the California Black Chamber of Commerce and Bishop R. Terrell Douglas , Sr. , president of the Inglewood Ministerial Alliance , say they worry that outlawing the sale of menthol tobacco products could lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black men .
Tulloss cited the case of Eric Garner , a Black man who died in police custody in New York in 2014 after he was stopped for allegedly selling single cigarettes on the street .
The television ad by the tobacco industry , which was paid for by RAI Services Co. , an affiliate of tobacco giant Reynolds American , turned up the heat on the debate by alleging the bill “ criminalizes the sale of menthol cigarettes , the choice of Black and Latino smokers.
” The ads have infuriated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a cynical tactic by the tobacco industry and do not represent the opinions of many Black residents in California .
Dr. Valerie Yerger , a founding member of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council , and an associate professor in health policy at UC San Francisco , said the tobacco industry has targeted the Black community for marketing of menthol increasing the damage done to the health of Black people .
“ SB 793 is not a racist policy , ” Yerger said during Monday ’ s news conference .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care costs , especially for African Americans.
” The tobacco industry has spent more than $ 3.1 million lobbying in California during the last year and a half , including $ 1.8 million spend by Reynolds and tobacco firm Altria .
Juul Labs , a leading e-cigarette maker , and industry group Vapor Technology Assn.
, spent a total of $ 1 million more on lobbying during the period .
The Cigar Assn .
of America paid lobbyists $ 144,000 , while the Premium Cigar Assn .
spent $ 84,000 , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in lobbyist bills .
When a similar bill stalled last year , the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network reported that the tobacco industry had given more than $ 2.2 million in campaign contributions to state officials since 2014 .
Hill disputes the argument that his legislation will lead to more police conflicts with smokers in communities of color , saying the ban is on sales by retail stores .
Nothing in SB 793 makes it illegal to possess menthol cigarettes , he said , so police officers would have no reason to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton , who is Black , denounced the television ad blitz Wednesday as deceptive .
“ Tobacco companies have been allowed to market their deadly products in our communities without regard for Black lives and health for far too long , ” he said .
“ California ’ s lawmakers must join us and protect the next generation of Black and brown lives from deadly nicotine addiction.
” Supporters of the bill cite findings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that tobacco use is a major contributor to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black people — heart disease , cancer , and stroke .
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , 85 % of all Black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes , with studies showing that menthol makes it easier to start tobacco use and harder to quit .
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass ( D-Los Angeles ) , chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus , is among the supporters of Hill ’ s legislation .
“ Recent incidents of police brutality against Black Americans have forced our nation to confront racism and injustice in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an op-ed column in the Sacramento Bee .
“ As we continue to push to protect Black lives , we must put an end to one of the most pernicious destroyers of Black health and lives : deadly menthol cigarettes and the tobacco industry ’ s decades-long targeted marketing to our kids and communities.
” A coalition of health and community groups called the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund responded to the Reynolds American ad with its own television spot that played extensively on Sacramento stations this week .
In the ad , spoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ menthol cigarettes put my mother in the ground , ” challenging lawmakers to provide Black children “ the same protection as the kids in the suburbs do.
” “ So you want to ban all flavors except for the ones that take Black lives away ?
’ ’ she asks in the ad .
The coalition airing the ad includes the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council , which is co-chaired by Phillip Gardiner , who heads the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program at the University of California Office of the President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think hookah and premium cigars should be exempted , but he dismisses the argument that a ban on menthol is discriminatory against the Black community .
“ Frankly , at this time nothing could be more helpful in saving Black lives and ensuring that Black lives matter than getting menthols and flavors out of California , ” he said .

Supporters of legislation to ban the sale of flavored tobacco in California are speaking out against a new advertising campaign from tobacco companies that claims the bill discriminates against Black and Latino smokers, saying that the ads disingenuously portray the industry as an ally of communities of color.
The tobacco industry ad, which calls the bill “politics at its worst,” alleges that the measure would criminalize menthol cigarettes, “giving special treatment to the rich, and singling out communities of color.”
Advocates for the bill have blasted those claims as inaccurate, responding with another ad that argues flavored tobacco products have been heavily marketed to communities of color and pose disproportionate health risks to Black residents.
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On Monday, a group of Black leaders, including academics, and youth activists held a press conference on Zoom to denounce the opposition ad campaign as an attempt by the tobacco industry to deceive lawmakers and the public.
“It’s critical that the Black community and particularly the Black faith community stand up to the lies, misinformation and the fake news that is being promulgated by big tobacco,” said the Rev. John E. Cager III, pastor of the Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church Los Angeles.
The measure, Senate Bill 793, was introduced by state Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) partly in response to a surge in the use of electronic cigarettes by minors who are attracted to candy- and fruit-flavored vaping products. In 2019, some 5 million middle- and high-school students reported having used e-cigarettes in a recent 30-day period, an increase from 3.6 million the year before, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
California would be the second state after Massachusetts to ban flavored tobacco and would follow many local jurisdictions, including Los Angeles County, that have already taken that step.
SB 793 cleared a key hurdle on Thursday when the Assembly Appropriations Committee sent it to the Assembly floor for a vote, despite a warning by the state Department of Tax and Fee Administration that such a proposal could cost $218 million next year in lost tobacco-related taxes.
The California Legislative Black Caucus has not taken an official position on SB 793, but four of the eight members have either voted for the bill or signed on as co-authors.
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“Flavored tobacco is a gateway to a lifetime of addiction with tobacco being one of many destructors of Black health,” said state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), a member of the caucus, in a statement after she voted for the bill when it passed the Senate.
Assemblywoman Autumn Burke (D-Los Angeles), who is also a member of the caucus, voted for the bill in committee but added that she would like to see more efforts that deal with the root causes of poverty, which is directly tied to tobacco use.
“I see folks banging a drum that claims to protect Black and brown people, but once again criminalizing their choices when we should be creating opportunities and incentivizing better choices,” Burke told her colleagues during a debate.
At a state Capitol hearing on the bill earlier this month, some 200 people on both sides of the issue testified.
The argument that the bill would cost the state tax revenue did not sway bill supporters including Cager.
“I don’t want the state to collect blood money on the back of dead African Americans,” he told the legislators at the hearing.
Rev. K.W. Tulloss, president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles and Southern California, told lawmakers he does not want kids to smoke, but said he opposes the bill because of its ban on menthol products, which he noted are popular with Black smokers, while exempting hookah, premium cigars, and some pipe tobacco.
“What we see here is this bill disrespects our community of color and their preference, while it exempts hookah products on behalf of the Middle Eastern cultures,” Tulloss said. “If you put a ban on menthol, it will criminalize this product.”
Other opponents of the bill, which include the California Black Chamber of Commerce and Bishop R. Terrell Douglas, Sr., president of the Inglewood Ministerial Alliance, say they worry that outlawing the sale of menthol tobacco products could lead to more confrontations between police officers and young Black men. Tulloss cited the case of Eric Garner, a Black man who died in police custody in New York in 2014 after he was stopped for allegedly selling single cigarettes on the street.
Former California state Sen. Roderick Wright has voiced similar concerns.
The television ad by the tobacco industry, which was paid for by RAI Services Co., an affiliate of tobacco giant Reynolds American, turned up the heat on the debate by alleging the bill “criminalizes the sale of menthol cigarettes, the choice of Black and Latino smokers.”
The ads have infuriated some Black leaders, who say they are a cynical tactic by the tobacco industry and do not represent the opinions of many Black residents in California.
Dr. Valerie Yerger, a founding member of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, and an associate professor in health policy at UC San Francisco, said the tobacco industry has targeted the Black community for marketing of menthol increasing the damage done to the health of Black people.
“SB 793 is not a racist policy,” Yerger said during Monday’s news conference. “It will save lives and reduce health care costs, especially for African Americans.”
The tobacco industry has spent more than $3.1 million lobbying in California during the last year and a half, including $1.8 million spend by Reynolds and tobacco firm Altria.
Juul Labs, a leading e-cigarette maker, and industry group Vapor Technology Assn., spent a total of $1 million more on lobbying during the period. The Cigar Assn. of America paid lobbyists $144,000, while the Premium Cigar Assn. spent $84,000, and the Hookah Chamber of Commerce had $50,000 in lobbyist bills.
When a similar bill stalled last year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network reported that the tobacco industry had given more than $2.2 million in campaign contributions to state officials since 2014.
Hill disputes the argument that his legislation will lead to more police conflicts with smokers in communities of color, saying the ban is on sales by retail stores. Nothing in SB 793 makes it illegal to possess menthol cigarettes, he said, so police officers would have no reason to stop people on the street.
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, who is Black, denounced the television ad blitz Wednesday as deceptive.
“Tobacco companies have been allowed to market their deadly products in our communities without regard for Black lives and health for far too long,” he said. “California’s lawmakers must join us and protect the next generation of Black and brown lives from deadly nicotine addiction.”
Supporters of the bill cite findings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that tobacco use is a major contributor to the three leading causes of death among Black people — heart disease, cancer, and stroke. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 85% of all Black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes, with studies showing that menthol makes it easier to start tobacco use and harder to quit.
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, is among the supporters of Hill’s legislation.
“Recent incidents of police brutality against Black Americans have forced our nation to confront racism and injustice in its many forms,” Bass wrote in an op-ed column in the Sacramento Bee. “As we continue to push to protect Black lives, we must put an end to one of the most pernicious destroyers of Black health and lives: deadly menthol cigarettes and the tobacco industry’s decades-long targeted marketing to our kids and communities.”
A coalition of health and community groups called the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund responded to the Reynolds American ad with its own television spot that played extensively on Sacramento stations this week.
In the ad, spoken word artist SixFootah the Poet says that “menthol cigarettes put my mother in the ground,” challenging lawmakers to provide Black children “the same protection as the kids in the suburbs do.”
“So you want to ban all flavors except for the ones that take Black lives away?’’ she asks in the ad.
The coalition airing the ad includes the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, which is co-chaired by Phillip Gardiner, who is retired from the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program at the University of California Office of the President.
Gardiner said he doesn’t think hookah and premium cigars should be exempted, but he dismisses the argument that a ban on menthol is discriminatory against the Black community.
“Frankly, at this time nothing could be more helpful in saving Black lives and ensuring that Black lives matter than getting menthols and flavors out of California,” he said.


latimes--2020-08-24--USC reports 'alarming increase' in COVID-19 cases

Just one week into fall semester , USC is reporting “ an alarming increase ” in the number of COVID-19 cases in students among the campus community , according to a Student Health notice sent out Monday .
In the past seven days 43 cases have been identified and more than 100 students placed in a 14-day quarantine due to exposures , the memorandum from Dr. Sarah Van Orman , chief health officer for USC Student Health , said .
The university is testing students who are symptomatic and those who have had contact with positive individuals , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the positive cases were related to students living off campus , the statement said .
“ This increase comes despite the continued state and county health guidance that significantly restricts in-person instruction and on-campus activities for universities located in counties that are on the state ’ s COVID-19 monitoring list , including Los Angeles County , ” Van Orman wrote .
USC resumed instruction almost entirely online Aug. 17 and is limiting access to campus .
But many students remain in private apartments and houses off campus , where they have reported some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ households , a situation one public heath expert called a “ recipe for disaster.
” USC officials have sternly warned students that parties and gatherings are barred , and hosting or attending one could lead to disciplinary action , including probation , suspension or expulsion .
And the university has taken in response to the pandemic , including asking students to take a “ daily symptom check ” through an app and to make reservations before setting foot on campus .
Students must also submit to randomly selected temperature screenings once they arrive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universities have scrambled to deal with coronavirus outbreaks as students returned for the fall term .
Last week , the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced it would pivot to online learning after discovering clusters of cases linked to dorms , a fraternity house and other student housing .
Notre Dame also ceased in-person instruction for two weeks after 147 students tested positive within a 14-day period .
Syracuse University last week after a large gathering of students on the campus quad “ may have done damage enough to shut down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This week , many California State University campuses will resume instruction , primarily online , but several universities outside the Los Angeles area expect thousands of students to return to on-campus housing or to private off-campus housing nearby .
Van Orman ’ s note exhorted USC students on and near campus to follow the six-foot physical distancing guidelines , avoid gathering with people outside their homes , wear face coverings , clean common surfaces frequently , and practice good hand hygiene .
She focused especially on playing games and eating and drinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings , especially at fraternity houses , which have seen outbreaks .
“ Every surface , every interaction where you share close contact or remove your face covering , can pose a risk to yourself and your friends .
Even simple board games involving touching shared objects can become a super-spreader event , ” she emphasized .
Further down in the note , she added : “ Alcohol will impair judgment of distance and contact , so it will be harder to remember who you ’ ve been in close contact with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive .
”

A USC student locks up his bike on campus under a sign that states three steps to keep the coronavirus at bay on Aug. 17, the first day of academic instruction for the fall 2020 semester.
Just one week into fall semester, USC is reporting “an alarming increase” in the number of COVID-19 cases in students among the campus community, according to a Student Health notice sent out Monday.
In the past seven days 43 cases have been identified and more than 100 students placed in a 14-day quarantine due to exposures, the memorandum from Dr. Sarah Van Orman, chief health officer for USC Student Health, said.
The university is testing students who are symptomatic and those who have had contact with positive individuals, as well as some asymptomatic students. All of the positive cases were related to students living off campus, the statement said.
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“This increase comes despite the continued state and county health guidance that significantly restricts in-person instruction and on-campus activities for universities located in counties that are on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list, including Los Angeles County,” Van Orman wrote.
USC resumed instruction almost entirely online Aug. 17 and is limiting access to campus. But many students remain in private apartments and houses off campus, where they have reported some parties and gatherings of people from different households, a situation one public heath expert called a “recipe for disaster.”
USC officials have sternly warned students that parties and gatherings are barred, and hosting or attending one could lead to disciplinary action, including probation, suspension or expulsion. And the university has taken substantial precautions in response to the pandemic, including asking students to take a “daily symptom check” through an app and to make reservations before setting foot on campus. Students must also submit to randomly selected temperature screenings once they arrive on campus.
Across the country, universities have scrambled to deal with coronavirus outbreaks as students returned for the fall term.
Last week, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced it would pivot to online learning after discovering clusters of cases linked to dorms, a fraternity house and other student housing. Notre Dame also ceased in-person instruction for two weeks after 147 students tested positive within a 14-day period. Syracuse University suspended 23 students last week after a large gathering of students on the campus quad “may have done damage enough to shut down campus,” a vice chancellor said in a statement .
This week, many California State University campuses will resume instruction, primarily online, but several universities outside the Los Angeles area expect thousands of students to return to on-campus housing or to private off-campus housing nearby.
Van Orman’s note exhorted USC students on and near campus to follow the six-foot physical distancing guidelines, avoid gathering with people outside their homes, wear face coverings, clean common surfaces frequently, and practice good hand hygiene.
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She focused especially on playing games and eating and drinking in close proximity — hallmarks of college gatherings, especially at fraternity houses, which have seen outbreaks.
“Every surface, every interaction where you share close contact or remove your face covering, can pose a risk to yourself and your friends. Even simple board games involving touching shared objects can become a super-spreader event,” she emphasized.
Further down in the note, she added: “Alcohol will impair judgment of distance and contact, so it will be harder to remember who you’ve been in close contact with, if anyone in the gathering later tests positive.”


latimes--2020-08-24--More counties removed from California's COVID-19 watchlist

More counties came off California ’ s COVID-19 watchlist over the weekend after posting declines in cases , transmission rates and hospitalizations for three consecutive days .
Orange , Mono and Sierra counties were removed from the list after meeting six safety thresholds that state officials established to measure the spread of the virus , as well as hospitalizations and capacity in hospitals ’ intensive care units .
Being placed on the list forces counties to close various types of indoor activities , but being removed from it does not immediately allow the three counties to open up more widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barbershops and fitness centers , among other businesses , must remain closed until the state ’ s top health officer revises the order that spells out the rules for the watchlist .
For the last few weeks , state health officials have been promising to release updated guidelines for the watchlist following the discovery of a technical glitch in the state ’ s database of test results that prompted officials to suspend the use of the list .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday that guidance was expected to be released this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a county the ability to reopen schools for in-person learning .
If a county remains off the monitoring list for 14 days in a row , schools teaching any grade level would have the green light to reopen .
No county has met that bar , in part because the watchlist was frozen after the glitch .
Sierra County was most recently added to the list , on Aug. 17 , whereas Orange and Mono counties have been on it for more than a month .
While the watchlist was frozen , local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of communication from the state about the timing and requirements for removal from the monitoring chart .
“ The issue for us and perhaps many counties is how to get off the list when the metrics are below the state thresholds for the required 14 days , ” Mammoth Lakes public information officer Stuart Brown said in mid-August .
“ We have been unable to get any clarification from the state , and [ it ’ s ] even harder now with Dr. Sonia Angell ’ s departure.
” Angell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Public Health , resigned Aug. 9 days after the state revealed problems with its database .
State epidemiologist Erica Pan took over as the acting health officer following the resignation .
Thirty-five counties currently are on the state ’ s watchlist , Newsom announced at a news conference Monday .
At least one — Amador — is slated for removal as early as Tuesday .
To be removed from the list , a county must show that fewer than 100 people per 100,000 have tested positive for the virus , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus is below 8 % , and the number of people hospitalized has not climbed more than 10 % over a three-day period .
In addition , more than 20 % of intensive care beds in hospitals and 25 % of ventilators have to be available .
“ We are seeing a decline in the overall monitoring list , ” Newsom said , stressing that progress made in populous areas such as San Diego County , which was removed from the list last week , and Orange County is particularly noteworthy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County was expected to come off the list soon .
But a week later , the county remains on the list for COVID-19 infections , hospitalizations and hospital capacity that exceed the state ’ s required metrics .
Some counties , including Santa Clara , reduced their virus counts enough to be removed from the state watchlist , only to be added back when their numbers climbed again .
Los Angeles County remains on the state ’ s watchlist for a case count that exceeds 200 infections per 100,000 people .
Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical officer might drop below 200 , the minimum at which officials can apply for waivers to reopen elementary schools .
During a news briefing Monday , Los Angeles County ’ s health officer , Dr. Muntu Davis , reported 13 additional coronavirus-related deaths and 1,198 more cases in the county .
Davis emphasized the need for residents to maintain social distancing practices and avoid gatherings outside of individual households — behaviors that have contributed to the overall decline in daily cases , hospitalizations and deaths the county has seen in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a peak of more than 2,200 in mid-July , according to data released by the county Monday .
Officials also reported that while the county saw about 3,200 new cases per day in mid- to late July , as of Aug. 22 there has been a weekly average of 1,400 daily new cases .
“ If we can maintain this lower transmission , it means we could begin to think about schools reopening , ” Davis said .
Asked whether officials are concerned that the county could see a sharp surge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as happened following Memorial Day and the Fourth of July , Davis said health officials are engaging in discussions with city mayors about steps that may need to be taken to prevent another post-holiday jump in infections .
“ It ’ s always a concern if people are going to be around others who are not part of their household , ” he said .

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday more counties came off California’s COVID-19 watchlist over the weekend after posting declines in cases, transmission rates and hospitalizations for three consecutive days and that guidance was expected to be released this week.
More counties came off California’s COVID-19 watchlist over the weekend after posting declines in cases, transmission rates and hospitalizations for three consecutive days.
Orange, Mono and Sierra counties were removed from the list after meeting six safety thresholds that state officials established to measure the spread of the virus, as well as hospitalizations and capacity in hospitals’ intensive care units.
Being placed on the list forces counties to close various types of indoor activities, but being removed from it does not immediately allow the three counties to open up more widely. Indoor operations at nail salons, barbershops and fitness centers, among other businesses, must remain closed until the state’s top health officer revises the order that spells out the rules for the watchlist.
For the last few weeks, state health officials have been promising to release updated guidelines for the watchlist following the discovery of a technical glitch in the state’s database of test results that prompted officials to suspend the use of the list.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that guidance was expected to be released this week.
Removal from the list does give a county the ability to reopen schools for in-person learning. If a county remains off the monitoring list for 14 days in a row, schools teaching any grade level would have the green light to reopen. No county has met that bar, in part because the watchlist was frozen after the glitch.
Sierra County was most recently added to the list, on Aug. 17, whereas Orange and Mono counties have been on it for more than a month. While the watchlist was frozen, local officials in both counties expressed frustration with a lack of communication from the state about the timing and requirements for removal from the monitoring chart.
“The issue for us and perhaps many counties is how to get off the list when the metrics are below the state thresholds for the required 14 days,” Mammoth Lakes public information officer Stuart Brown said in mid-August. “We have been unable to get any clarification from the state, and [it’s] even harder now with Dr. Sonia Angell’s departure.”
Angell, Newsom’s director of the California Department of Public Health, resigned Aug. 9 , days after the state revealed problems with its database. State epidemiologist Erica Pan took over as the acting health officer following the resignation.
Thirty-five counties currently are on the state’s watchlist, Newsom announced at a news conference Monday. At least one — Amador — is slated for removal as early as Tuesday. To be removed from the list, a county must show that fewer than 100 people per 100,000 have tested positive for the virus, the rate at which people test positive for the virus is below 8%, and the number of people hospitalized has not climbed more than 10% over a three-day period. In addition, more than 20% of intensive care beds in hospitals and 25% of ventilators have to be available.
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“We are seeing a decline in the overall monitoring list,” Newsom said, stressing that progress made in populous areas such as San Diego County, which was removed from the list last week, and Orange County is particularly noteworthy.
Last week, Newsom said San Francisco County was expected to come off the list soon. But a week later, the county remains on the list for COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and hospital capacity that exceed the state’s required metrics.
Some counties, including Santa Clara, reduced their virus counts enough to be removed from the state watchlist, only to be added back when their numbers climbed again.
Los Angeles County remains on the state’s watchlist for a case count that exceeds 200 infections per 100,000 people. Last week, Los Angeles County’s chief medical officer said new coronavirus cases might drop below 200, the minimum at which officials can apply for waivers to reopen elementary schools.
During a news briefing Monday, Los Angeles County’s health officer, Dr. Muntu Davis, reported 13 additional coronavirus-related deaths and 1,198 more cases in the county. Davis emphasized the need for residents to maintain social distancing practices and avoid gatherings outside of individual households — behaviors that have contributed to the overall decline in daily cases, hospitalizations and deaths the county has seen in recent weeks.
Daily hospitalizations decreased by 45% from a peak of more than 2,200 in mid-July, according to data released by the county Monday. Officials also reported that while the county saw about 3,200 new cases per day in mid- to late July, as of Aug. 22 there has been a weekly average of 1,400 daily new cases.
“If we can maintain this lower transmission, it means we could begin to think about schools reopening,” Davis said.
Asked whether officials are concerned that the county could see a sharp surge in cases after the approaching Labor Day weekend, as happened following Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, Davis said health officials are engaging in discussions with city mayors about steps that may need to be taken to prevent another post-holiday jump in infections.
“It’s always a concern if people are going to be around others who are not part of their household,” he said.


latimes--2020-08-24--When can schools reopen? What you need to know about waivers and watch lists

As county coronavirus case loads drop , the prospect of reopening schools improves .
Last week health officials granted school reopening waivers to 30 elementary schools in Orange County .
L.A. County ’ s chief medical officer said local coronavirus numbers may soon drop enough to consider elementary school waivers as well .
But what are the requirements for waivers ?
And most important , what will it take to reopen all elementary , middle and high schools in your county ?
Here ’ s what you need to know about California ’ s school reopening requirements .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its coronavirus watchlist .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced in July that any county that is on the monitoring list can not open K-12 schools for in-person classes , including all public , private , charter and faith-based schools .
Any of the following factors could prompt the state to place a county on the list : • More than 100 cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days , excluding prison cases ; • More than 25 cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days AND a positive test-result rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven-day period .
• Increases in hospitalization rates and decreases in availability of intensive-care unit beds and ventilators .
There is a waiver process for elementary schools to open earlier .
Newsom allowed for a school district superintendent or director of a charter or private school to apply through their local health agency for a waiver to reopen school for grades K-6 only .
The waivers acknowledge the difficulties young children encounter with online learning .
One key waiver metric calls for the county ’ s 14-day COVID-19 case rate to be at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health officials in L.A. County , where the case rate is well above that , have said they will not issue waivers but will reconsider their decision once the number falls to an acceptable level .
According to guidelines laid out by the California Department of Public Health , waiver applicants must consult with labor , parent groups and community-based organizations .
They must also submit plans that include small , stable class sizes ; rules for social distancing ; protocols for how to handle outbreaks ; a plan for testing if exposures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to close , among other information .
District approval would be required for any school that seeks the waiver .
The plans must be posted publicly .
Local health officers must review epidemiological data and consult with the state before granting a school its waiver .
K-12 schools can open only after their county is off the watch list — and it ’ s complicated .
Schools may begin the process of reopening after their county has remained off the state watch list for 14 days .
Schools that do reopen must have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including promoting healthy hand hygiene , requiring face coverings for all staff and students in the third grade and above , maintaining distance inside and outside of the classroom , checking for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 , and having a plan in place for when someone becomes sick .
If a school reopens and the county in which it is located gets placed back on the state ’ s monitoring list , the school does not automatically have to close , under state guidelines .
The threshold for closing schools depends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage of teachers , students and or/staff who test positive — and on guidance from the local health agency .
The state guidelines say that if a teacher or student in a classroom tests positive , those exposed — likely the entire class — should be sent home and the classroom closed for cleaning and disinfection .
The state guidelines say school closure “ may be appropriate ” when there are multiple cases in multiple cohorts at the school , or when cases within a 14-day period hit at least 5 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staff , depending on the size and physical layout of the school .
A school district should close if 25 % of its schools have closed due to COVID-19 within 14 days .

As county coronavirus case loads drop, the prospect of reopening schools improves. Last week health officials granted school reopening waivers to 30 elementary schools in Orange County. L.A. County’s chief medical officer said local coronavirus numbers may soon drop enough to consider elementary school waivers as well.
But what are the requirements for waivers? And most important, what will it take to reopen all elementary, middle and high schools in your county?
Here’s what you need to know about California’s school reopening requirements.
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The state prohibits reopening K-12 schools in counties on its coronavirus watchlist.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in July that any county that is on the monitoring list cannot open K-12 schools for in-person classes, including all public, private, charter and faith-based schools.
Any of the following factors could prompt the state to place a county on the list:
More than 100 cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days, excluding prison cases;
More than 25 cases per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days AND a positive test-result rate of more than 8% over a seven-day period.
Increases in hospitalization rates and decreases in availability of intensive-care unit beds and ventilators.
There is a waiver process for elementary schools to open earlier.
Newsom allowed for a school district superintendent or director of a charter or private school to apply through their local health agency for a waiver to reopen school for grades K-6 only. The waivers acknowledge the difficulties young children encounter with online learning.
One key waiver metric calls for the county’s 14-day COVID-19 case rate to be at or below 200 per 100,000 residents. Health officials in L.A. County, where the case rate is well above that, have said they will not issue waivers but will reconsider their decision once the number falls to an acceptable level.
According to guidelines laid out by the California Department of Public Health, waiver applicants must consult with labor, parent groups and community-based organizations.
They must also submit plans that include small, stable class sizes; rules for social distancing; protocols for how to handle outbreaks; a plan for testing if exposures do occur; and criteria for when to close, among other information. District approval would be required for any school that seeks the waiver. The plans must be posted publicly.
Local health officers must review epidemiological data and consult with the state before granting a school its waiver.
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K-12 schools can open only after their county is off the watch list — and it’s complicated.
Schools may begin the process of reopening after their county has remained off the state watch list for 14 days.
Schools that do reopen must have COVID-19 prevention and response plans in place, including promoting healthy hand hygiene, requiring face coverings for all staff and students in the third grade and above, maintaining distance inside and outside of the classroom, checking for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and having a plan in place for when someone becomes sick.
If a school reopens and the county in which it is located gets placed back on the state’s monitoring list, the school does not automatically have to close, under state guidelines.
The threshold for closing schools depends on the number of COVID-19 cases and percentage of teachers, students and or/staff who test positive — and on guidance from the local health agency. The state guidelines say that if a teacher or student in a classroom tests positive, those exposed — likely the entire class — should be sent home and the classroom closed for cleaning and disinfection.
The state guidelines say school closure “may be appropriate” when there are multiple cases in multiple cohorts at the school, or when cases within a 14-day period hit at least 5% of the total number of teachers, students and staff, depending on the size and physical layout of the school.
A school district should close if 25% of its schools have closed due to COVID-19 within 14 days.
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-24--USC Keck School of Medicine dean to step down after 3 years

The dean of USC ’ s Keck School of Medicine will step down after not quite three years in her post , the university announced on Monday , marking a change of leadership during a pandemic that has altered healthcare and brought upheaval to American higher education .
Dr. Laura Mosqueda ’ s last day as dean will be Sept. 15 .
The physician will take on a new role focusing on geriatric healthcare and elder justice , “ part of USC ’ s long-term growth plan for our entire healthcare system , ” according to a memo issued by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was provided for Mosqueda ’ s departure as dean .
Zukoski said in his memo that Dr. Narsing Rao , the chair of USC ’ s ophthalmology program , would take over as interim dean while the university searched for a permanent replacement .
“ Serving as dean of the Keck School of Medicine has been an honor , ” Mosqueda said in a statement issued by the university ’ s press office .
“ I look forward to working with Interim Dean Rao on a smooth transition and to returning to geriatrics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poised for exponential growth and innovation.
” The senior leadership of the university has gradually changed since Dr. Carol Folt took over as president last summer , with a new provost , general counsel , athletic director and human resources executive .
Tom Jackiewicz , the longtime CEO of USC ’ s health system , Keck Medicine , also stepped down in June to take a job as president of the University of Chicago Medical Center , leaving another open vacancy that USC is seeking to fill .
Mosqueda was named the interim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time of tremendous tumult .
She took over permanently the following year .
In the summer of 2017 , the Los Angeles Times detailed how a former dean , Dr. Carmen Puliafito , led a double life of abusing drugs and partying with young addicts while running the renowned medical school .
The revelations angered and embarrassed students and faculty , and ultimately prompted the Medical Board of California to revoke Puliafito ’ s license to practice .
Puliafito ’ s successor , Dr. Rohit Varma , was ousted in October 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had appointed him as dean despite disciplining him about 15 years earlier for allegedly sexually harassing a junior researcher .
The woman accused Varma of making unwanted sexual advances during a trip to a conference and then retaliating against her for reporting him , according to personnel records and interviews .
USC paid her more than $ 100,000 and temporarily blocked Varma from becoming a full member of the faculty , according to the records and interviews .
But sanctions were rolled back in 2004 .
Varma was installed as dean of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he did not finish out the year .
Zukoski credited Mosqueda with shepherding Keck and repairing its culture .
“ She stepped into her current role at a turbulent time for [ the medical school ] , and with her characteristic intelligence , warmth , and humor , stabilized the school and helped restore a sense of calm and trust , ” Zukoski said in his memo .
The provost lauded Mosqueda for the Keck School ’ s new programs on social justice , community engagement and gender equity in science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for leading the medical school through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and establishing research into the disease with the help of a $ 4-million gift from the W.M .
Keck Foundation .
The provost tied Mosqueda ’ s return to focusing on geriatrics to COVID-19 ’ s disproportionate impact on the elderly .
“ Dean Mosqueda ’ s deep knowledge , innovations , and leadership skills will be invaluable to the University , the medical profession , and communities in reassessing and reshaping programs ” in geriatrics , Zukoski wrote .

Dr. Laura Mosqueda, at left in 2014 with gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight, will step down as dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine.
The dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine will step down after not quite three years in her post, the university announced on Monday, marking a change of leadership during a pandemic that has altered healthcare and brought upheaval to American higher education.
Dr. Laura Mosqueda’s last day as dean will be Sept. 15. The physician will take on a new role focusing on geriatric healthcare and elder justice, “part of USC’s long-term growth plan for our entire healthcare system,” according to a memo issued by Provost Charles Zukoski.
No further reason was provided for Mosqueda’s departure as dean. Zukoski said in his memo that Dr. Narsing Rao, the chair of USC’s ophthalmology program, would take over as interim dean while the university searched for a permanent replacement.
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“Serving as dean of the Keck School of Medicine has been an honor,” Mosqueda said in a statement issued by the university’s press office. “I look forward to working with Interim Dean Rao on a smooth transition and to returning to geriatrics at a time when the field is poised for exponential growth and innovation.”
The senior leadership of the university has gradually changed since Dr. Carol Folt took over as president last summer, with a new provost, general counsel, athletic director and human resources executive. Tom Jackiewicz, the longtime CEO of USC’s health system, Keck Medicine, also stepped down in June to take a job as president of the University of Chicago Medical Center, leaving another open vacancy that USC is seeking to fill.
Mosqueda was named the interim dean in the fall of 2017, a time of tremendous tumult. She took over permanently the following year.
In the summer of 2017, the Los Angeles Times detailed how a former dean, Dr. Carmen Puliafito, led a double life of abusing drugs and partying with young addicts while running the renowned medical school. The revelations angered and embarrassed students and faculty, and ultimately prompted the Medical Board of California to revoke Puliafito’s license to practice.
Puliafito’s successor, Dr. Rohit Varma, was ousted in October 2017 after The Times reported on how USC had appointed him as dean despite disciplining him about 15 years earlier for allegedly sexually harassing a junior researcher. The woman accused Varma of making unwanted sexual advances during a trip to a conference and then retaliating against her for reporting him, according to personnel records and interviews. USC paid her more than $100,000 and temporarily blocked Varma from becoming a full member of the faculty, according to the records and interviews.
But sanctions were rolled back in 2004. Varma was installed as dean of the Keck School of Medicine in early 2017, but he did not finish out the year.
Zukoski credited Mosqueda with shepherding Keck and repairing its culture.
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“She stepped into her current role at a turbulent time for [the medical school], and with her characteristic intelligence, warmth, and humor, stabilized the school and helped restore a sense of calm and trust,” Zukoski said in his memo.
The provost lauded Mosqueda for the Keck School’s new programs on social justice, community engagement and gender equity in science and medicine. She was also praised for leading the medical school through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and establishing research into the disease with the help of a $4-million gift from the W.M. Keck Foundation.
The provost tied Mosqueda’s return to focusing on geriatrics to COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on the elderly.
“Dean Mosqueda’s deep knowledge, innovations, and leadership skills will be invaluable to the University, the medical profession, and communities in reassessing and reshaping programs” in geriatrics, Zukoski wrote.