latimes--2020-02-04--Crews work to restore power after winds rip through Los Angeles

Crews were working Monday night to restore power to 3,800 customers in Los Angeles after fierce winds knocked down power @ @ @ @ @ were in the field responding to the outages after howling winds blew through Southern California @ @ @ @ @ the mayor ’ s office .
About noon , the Los Angeles Department of Water @ @ @ @ @ could take workers between eight and 10 hours to restore power .
Crews restored power @ @ @ @ @ 4:30 p.m. and were working on repairs affecting 8,500 customers , according to the DWP @ @ @ @ @ and Eagle Rock were among the remaining customers still in the dark Monday evening .
@ @ @ @ @ outages as the week progresses .
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Oxnard have @ @ @ @ @ event in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Wednesday that could product gusts of up @ @ @ @ @ mountains and 45 mph in the valleys .

Crews were working Monday night to restore power to 3,800 customers in Los Angeles after fierce winds knocked down power lines.
Nearly 50 crews were in the field responding to the outages after howling winds blew through Southern California early Monday, according to the mayor’s office.
About noon, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power tweeted that it could take workers between eight and 10 hours to restore power.
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Crews restored power to about 15,500 customers by 4:30 p.m. and were working on repairs affecting 8,500 customers, according to the DWP.
Residents in Glassell Park and Eagle Rock were among the remaining customers still in the dark Monday evening.
The area could see further outages as the week progresses.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Oxnard have forecast a Santa Ana wind event in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Wednesday that could product gusts of up to 55 mph in the mountains and 45 mph in the valleys.


latimes--2020-02-04--No results from Iowa, but a satellite caucus in Palm Springs reports a winner: Amy Klobuchar

Moderate Democrats took the lead in Palm Springs on Monday as more than 100 Iowans converged in the desert town for one of the largest satellite caucuses outside of Iowa .
For the first time , the Iowa Democratic Party held satellite caucuses across the United States and abroad on Monday in a bid to make voting more accessible for Iowans living temporarily in other places .
After an hour and 15 minutes of polite negotiating among the different Democratic camps in Palm Springs , Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar won with 49 votes , with Joe Biden trailing behind with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None of the remaining Democratic candidates received enough votes to be deemed “ viable.
” Iowa caucus rules require voters to form groups organized by candidate .
To be declared viable and move to the second alignment , a candidate must secure at least 15 % of the vote .
In the first round of voting in Palm Springs , Klobuchar led with 41 votes , prompting supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to try to unite the left flank of the party around one candidate in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 69 , a retired federal district judge from Des Moines who has visited Palm Springs each winter for the last five years , proudly donned an “ Amy ” sticker as he helped propel her to victory in the caucus .
“ Sen .
Klobuchar kind of matches my centrist philosophy , ” Bennett said .
“ I think she ’ s super smart , super gritty.
” Like Bennett , many of the 108 Iowan caucusgoers who converged in the atrium of Palm Springs Public Library , were snowbirds drawn to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some made the commute from as far south as Encinitas and as far west as Los Angeles , prompting organizers to scramble to find a new time and enough room to accommodate about four times as many registered caucusgoers than originally expected .
Many of the younger voters , who supported Sanders and Warren , left the caucus disappointed .
“ I knew what I was getting into going to Palm Springs , ” said Jane Keranen , a 21-year-old Sanders supporter and USC student who had made a two-hour journey to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I figured the demographic would lean more toward a centrist , liberal perspective.
” In the end , Keranen watched helplessly as the Sanders and Warren camps came to a stalemate without any resolution before members broke off and left to support other candidates , including Klobuchar .
Even though she thought her vote ultimately went nowhere — she did not realign to support another candidate — Keranen said she was glad she made the trip to Palm Springs .
“ I ’ ll be ready to vote for whoever the blue ticket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Hopefully it ’ s someone more progressive than who Palm Springs chose.
” Michelle Nash , a precinct captain for Klobuchar , said the result came as a surprise .
After the first round of voting , Klobuchar received support from the Tom Steyer and Warren camps .
“ More people kept on sitting down at the Amy table and it just got bigger and bigger and bigger , ” she said as a Biden supporter congratulated her .
“ We were just shocked.
” “ I think she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice , ” she added .
In addition to nearly 1,700 voting precincts across the Iowa , Iowans caucused at locations .
While most of the satellite caucuses were held in Iowa — at retirement homes , Islamic centers , hospitals , YMCAs , union halls and college campuses , among other venues — others were held in states including Arizona and Wisconsin , and overseas , in locations such as Scotland , France and the Republic of Georgia .
At Stanford University , 30 Iowans voted primarily for Sanders and Warren .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 voted for Sanders , 10 for Warren and five for Klobuchar .
Iowa is traditionally the first state in the nation to vote in the presidential nominating process .
Due to time differences , Iowans living abroad were able to vote hours ahead of the pack .
At 9 a.m. Central time , three people convened in Tbilisi , Georgia , where it was 7 p.m .
They ate pizza with ranch dressing and drank local white wine at a table festooned with Iowa ’ s red , white and blue tricolor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to caucus outside the state brought a Midwestern flair to their gatherings .
In Glasgow , Scotland , a group of 19 Iowa voters met in an apartment decorated with images of corn stalks and slogans from the 1989 movie “ Field of Dreams.
” After feasting on popcorn and puppy chow , a Midwestern delicacy of Chex cereal , chocolate and peanut butter , they ended up with a final score of nine for Sanders , six for Warren and three for former South Bend , Ind .
Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more liberal wing of the party also fared well in Paris , where the final result was eight for Warren , six for Sanders and three for Klobuchar .
“ It was everything I wanted it to be — spirited , lively , friendly , ” said Colyn Burbank , a 31-year-old student working toward a master ’ s degree in social work at the University of Strathclyde , who hosted the Glasgow satellite at his flat and then carried on the debate in his local pub .
“ Everyone was Iowa nice.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ supports Sanders , Burbank said he was gratified that his first choice won .
Living abroad has only strengthened his belief that America needs a major healthcare system overhaul , he added .
“ Universal healthcare is a no-brainer , ” he said .
“ The healthcare system is not perfect in Scotland , but it ’ s a heck a lot of better than in America .
This is Bernie ’ s thing.
” Burbank said he hoped the Scottish result would bode well for Sanders .
But just as his hometown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America — its population of 3.1 million voters is more than 90 % white — he acknowledged that his tiny caucus was just a small part of Iowa .
“ Iowans traveling to a caucus in Glasgow , ” he said .
“ We ’ re a bubble within a bubble within a bubble .
”

Moderate Democrats took the lead in Palm Springs on Monday as more than 100 Iowans converged in the desert town for one of the largest satellite caucuses outside of Iowa.
For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party held satellite caucuses across the United States and abroad on Monday in a bid to make voting more accessible for Iowans living temporarily in other places. After an hour and 15 minutes of polite negotiating among the different Democratic camps in Palm Springs, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar won with 49 votes, with Joe Biden trailing behind with 29 and Pete Buttigieg with 21. None of the remaining Democratic candidates received enough votes to be deemed “viable.”
Iowa caucus rules require voters to form groups organized by candidate. To be declared viable and move to the second alignment, a candidate must secure at least 15% of the vote. In the first round of voting in Palm Springs, Klobuchar led with 41 votes, prompting supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to try to unite the left flank of the party around one candidate in an unsuccessful bid for viability.
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1 / 7 Trevor McMahan of Orange City, Iowa, addresses supporting caucusgoers for Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren during a satellite caucus at the Palm Springs Public Library on Monday in Palm Springs. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 7 Michelle Nash, a prescient captain for Amy Klobuchar, gathers caucusgoers placing their support behind the Minnesota senator as Iowans gather for a satellite caucus at the Palm Springs Public Library on Monday in Palm Springs. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 7 Allison Engel jots down results on a poster during a satellite Iowa caucus at the Palm Springs Public Library on Monday in Palm Springs. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 7 Scott Kirkpatrick, center, counts raised hands of caucusgoers during a satellite Iowa caucus at the Palm Springs Public Library on Monday in Palm Springs. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 7 Caucusgoers cast their support as Iowans gather for a satellite caucus at the Palm Springs Public Library on Monday in Palm Springs. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 7 Michael Thompson, left, Mike Fitak and Bill Zwick, all of Des Moines, chat as they and other Iowans gather for a satellite caucus at the Palm Springs Public Library on Monday in Palm Springs. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 7 Iowans gather for a satellite caucus at the Palm Springs Public Library on Monday in Palm Springs. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Mark Bennett, 69, a retired federal district judge from Des Moines who has visited Palm Springs each winter for the last five years, proudly donned an “Amy” sticker as he helped propel her to victory in the caucus.
“Sen. Klobuchar kind of matches my centrist philosophy,” Bennett said. “I think she’s super smart, super gritty.”
Like Bennett, many of the 108 Iowan caucusgoers who converged in the atrium of Palm Springs Public Library, were snowbirds drawn to the city’s mild winter climate. Some made the commute from as far south as Encinitas and as far west as Los Angeles, prompting organizers to scramble to find a new time and enough room to accommodate about four times as many registered caucusgoers than originally expected.
Many of the younger voters, who supported Sanders and Warren, left the caucus disappointed.
“I knew what I was getting into going to Palm Springs,” said Jane Keranen, a 21-year-old Sanders supporter and USC student who had made a two-hour journey to Palm Springs from Los Angeles. “I figured the demographic would lean more toward a centrist, liberal perspective.”
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In the end, Keranen watched helplessly as the Sanders and Warren camps came to a stalemate without any resolution before members broke off and left to support other candidates, including Klobuchar.
Even though she thought her vote ultimately went nowhere — she did not realign to support another candidate — Keranen said she was glad she made the trip to Palm Springs.
“I’ll be ready to vote for whoever the blue ticket is in the fall,” she said. “Hopefully it’s someone more progressive than who Palm Springs chose.”
Michelle Nash, a precinct captain for Klobuchar, said the result came as a surprise. After the first round of voting, Klobuchar received support from the Tom Steyer and Warren camps.
“More people kept on sitting down at the Amy table and it just got bigger and bigger and bigger,” she said as a Biden supporter congratulated her. “We were just shocked.”
“I think she was a lot of people’s second choice,” she added.
In addition to nearly 1,700 voting precincts across the Iowa, Iowans caucused at 87 satellite caucus locations.
While most of the satellite caucuses were held in Iowa — at retirement homes, Islamic centers, hospitals, YMCAs, union halls and college campuses, among other venues — others were held in states including Arizona and Wisconsin, and overseas, in locations such as Scotland, France and the Republic of Georgia.
At Stanford University, 30 Iowans voted primarily for Sanders and Warren. After an intense bout of realignment, 15 voted for Sanders, 10 for Warren and five for Klobuchar.
Iowa is traditionally the first state in the nation to vote in the presidential nominating process. Due to time differences, Iowans living abroad were able to vote hours ahead of the pack.
At 9 a.m. Central time, three people convened in Tbilisi, Georgia, where it was 7 p.m. They ate pizza with ranch dressing and drank local white wine at a table festooned with Iowa’s red, white and blue tricolor flag.
Many of those who gathered to caucus outside the state brought a Midwestern flair to their gatherings.
In Glasgow, Scotland, a group of 19 Iowa voters met in an apartment decorated with images of corn stalks and slogans from the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams.” After feasting on popcorn and puppy chow, a Midwestern delicacy of Chex cereal, chocolate and peanut butter, they ended up with a final score of nine for Sanders, six for Warren and three for former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg. One voter refused to realign.
The more liberal wing of the party also fared well in Paris, where the final result was eight for Warren, six for Sanders and three for Klobuchar.
“It was everything I wanted it to be — spirited, lively, friendly,” said Colyn Burbank, a 31-year-old student working toward a master’s degree in social work at the University of Strathclyde, who hosted the Glasgow satellite at his flat and then carried on the debate in his local pub. “Everyone was Iowa nice.”
A native of Des Moines who supports Sanders, Burbank said he was gratified that his first choice won.
Living abroad has only strengthened his belief that America needs a major healthcare system overhaul, he added.
“Universal healthcare is a no-brainer,” he said. “The healthcare system is not perfect in Scotland, but it’s a heck a lot of better than in America. This is Bernie’s thing.”
Burbank said he hoped the Scottish result would bode well for Sanders. But just as his hometown state isn’t exactly representative of America — its population of 3.1 million voters is more than 90% white — he acknowledged that his tiny caucus was just a small part of Iowa.
“Iowans traveling to a caucus in Glasgow,” he said. “We’re a bubble within a bubble within a bubble.”


latimes--2020-02-03--Remains of Kobe Bryant and others killed in helicopter crash released to families

The remains of six of the nine people killed in last week ’ s helicopter crash in Calabasas , including Kobe Bryant , have been released to their families , the Los Angeles County coroner ’ s office said Monday .
The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the Jan. 26 crash that killed the Lakers icon and others who were flying to a girls ’ basketball game at Bryant ’ s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks .
The chopper took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County midmorning and encountered heavy fog en route to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough that the LAPD ’ s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters and didn ’ t fly until later in the afternoon , department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said .
The pilot , Ara Zobayan , 50 , of Huntington Beach , was worried enough to ask flight controllers to keep track of them .
As he approached the hills of Calabasas at 150 mph , they radioed him , saying he was too low to be seen on radar .
Zobayan commenced a climb , rising 765 feet in 36 seconds , enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened next is a mystery : The Sikorsky S-76B suddenly veered off course and descended rapidly .
The twin-engine aircraft dropped 325 feet in 14 seconds , reaching 176 mph before losing contact and striking the hillside above Las Virgenes Road , killing everyone on board .
The crash , described by NTSB investigator Jennifer Homendy as “ a high-energy impact crash , ” scattered debris across 600 feet .
Coroner ’ s officials have determined that all nine people on board died of blunt force trauma .
Records show that in addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of five others have been released by the coroner ’ s office : Bryant ’ s 13-year-old daughter , Gianna ; Christina Mauser , 38 ; Sarah Chester , 45 , and her daughter Payton , 13 ; and Zobayan .
The bodies of the remaining victims — John Altobelli , 56 ; his wife , Keri Altobelli , 46 ; and their 13-year-old daughter , Alyssa — had not yet been released late Monday .
The release of the remains comes as Bryant ’ s widow , Vanessa , Los Angeles civic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put together a public memorial for the basketball star and his daughter .
The NTSB is expected to offer a preliminary assessment on the cause of the crash in about a week , but a final report could take a year .
The federal agency had previously recommended helicopters like the one carrying Bryant be equipped with a terrain warning system , a safety feature that might have saved the lives of those on board .

An NTSB investigator examines the wreckage of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others in Calabasas.
The remains of six of the nine people killed in last week’s helicopter crash in Calabasas, including Kobe Bryant, have been released to their families, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the Jan. 26 crash that killed the Lakers icon and others who were flying to a girls’ basketball game at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.
The chopper took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County midmorning and encountered heavy fog en route to Camarillo Airport. The conditions were bad enough that the LAPD’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters and didn’t fly until later in the afternoon, department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said.
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The pilot, Ara Zobayan, 50, of Huntington Beach, was worried enough to ask flight controllers to keep track of them. As he approached the hills of Calabasas at 150 mph, they radioed him, saying he was too low to be seen on radar.
Zobayan commenced a climb, rising 765 feet in 36 seconds, enough to clear nearby hills. But what happened next is a mystery: The Sikorsky S-76B suddenly veered off course and descended rapidly. The twin-engine aircraft dropped 325 feet in 14 seconds, reaching 176 mph before losing contact and striking the hillside above Las Virgenes Road, killing everyone on board.
The crash, described by NTSB investigator Jennifer Homendy as “a high-energy impact crash,” scattered debris across 600 feet. Coroner’s officials have determined that all nine people on board died of blunt force trauma.
Records show that in addition to Bryant, 41, the remains of five others have been released by the coroner’s office: Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna; Christina Mauser, 38; Sarah Chester, 45, and her daughter Payton, 13; and Zobayan.
The bodies of the remaining victims — John Altobelli, 56; his wife, Keri Altobelli, 46; and their 13-year-old daughter, Alyssa — had not yet been released late Monday.
The release of the remains comes as Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, Los Angeles civic leaders and the Lakers organization are working to put together a public memorial for the basketball star and his daughter.
The NTSB is expected to offer a preliminary assessment on the cause of the crash in about a week, but a final report could take a year. The federal agency had previously recommended helicopters like the one carrying Bryant be equipped with a terrain warning system, a safety feature that might have saved the lives of those on board.


latimes--2020-03-30--First L.A. County inmate tests positive for coronavirus infection

An inmate and four people who work in the Los Angeles County jails have tested positive for the coronavirus infection , heightening fears that the disease could spread quickly in the overcrowded jail system .
The inmate , who was at Twin Towers Correctional Facility , displayed symptoms Thursday and was moved to the jail ’ s Correctional Treatment Center for isolation , Correctional Health Director Jackie Clark said .
His test came back positive over the weekend , and he is now at L.A. County-USC Medical Center .
The inmate had been held in a one-man cell in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for mentally ill inmates .
About 16 others in that housing area were being quarantined , with staff monitoring them regularly with temperature checks , Clark said .
She added that classes and therapy sessions for that group were halted about three weeks ago to minimize the risk of exposure .
“ We don ’ t have a huge concern for the 16 that ’ s in quarantine , ” she said .
Clark said it ’ s likely the inmate was exposed in the jail , where he ’ s been housed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to track his movements and determine exactly where he was exposed and by whom .
Four people who work in the jails — a deputy , custody assistant , nursing assistant and a doctor — also have tested positive for the coronavirus , Clark said .
The doctor , a contractor , had not worked in the jails for weeks , but notified Correctional Health Services that he had been exposed elsewhere so that he would not be scheduled to return .
She said the other three staff members stayed home when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ None of them came into work with a fever , ” she said .
As of Monday , more than 40 inmates have been tested for the coronavirus and nine tests are pending , Clark said .
The Sheriff ’ s Department has taken steps in recent weeks to cut the jail population , releasing inmates with fewer than 30 days of jail time left to serve , and citing , instead of arresting , people whose alleged misdemeanor offenses carry a bail of less than $ 50,000 .
That doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence .
L.A. County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey moved last week to release hundreds more pretrial detainees accused of nonviolent crimes .
As of Friday , there were fewer than 14,500 inmates in the jails , which typically house about 17,000 people .
Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kathryn Barger , meanwhile , ordered public health officials last week to examine conditions in the lockups to identify “ all necessary and appropriate measures ” to prevent the spread of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , among inmates and staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week that cleaning crews have “ doubled up on all the cleaning protocols ” and that an ongoing education campaign is provided in English and Spanish .
He said every inmate has access to soap and running water “ at all times , in every single cell , ” but that some inmates with mental illness may not want to adhere to hygiene standards .
Several inmates told The Times in interviews last week , however , that they did not have adequate access to soap or cleaning supplies .
“ Sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t , ” Benedek Virag , who was moved from state prison to county jail last fall , said from Twin Towers .
“ It ’ s a crapshoot with that.
” Across the street at Men ’ s Central Jail , Joseph Clarino said some fellow inmates recently used torn bed sheets when toilet paper ran out .

An inmate and four people who work in the Los Angeles County jails have tested positive for the coronavirus infection, heightening fears that the disease could spread quickly in the overcrowded jail system.
The inmate, who was at Twin Towers Correctional Facility, displayed symptoms Thursday and was moved to the jail’s Correctional Treatment Center for isolation, Correctional Health Director Jackie Clark said. His test came back positive over the weekend, and he is now at L.A. County-USC Medical Center.
The inmate had been held in a one-man cell in a “high observation housing” area reserved for mentally ill inmates. About 16 others in that housing area were being quarantined, with staff monitoring them regularly with temperature checks, Clark said. She added that classes and therapy sessions for that group were halted about three weeks ago to minimize the risk of exposure.
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“We don’t have a huge concern for the 16 that’s in quarantine,” she said. Clark said it’s likely the inmate was exposed in the jail, where he’s been housed since about December. Officials are working to track his movements and determine exactly where he was exposed and by whom.
Four people who work in the jails — a deputy, a custody assistant, a nursing assistant and a doctor — also have tested positive for the coronavirus, Clark said. The doctor, a contractor, had not worked in the jails for weeks, but notified Correctional Health Services that he had been exposed elsewhere and would not be scheduled to return.
Clark said the other three staff members stayed home when they started feeling ill and subsequently tested positive. “None of them came into work with a fever,” she said.
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters Monday that two other Sheriff’s Department employees — one in the Court Services Division and the other in East Patrol Division — have tested positive. Seven employees had either tested negative or were waiting on results, he said.
More than 40 inmates have been tested for the coronavirus and nine tests are pending, Clark said.
The Sheriff’s Department has taken steps in recent weeks to cut the jail population, releasing inmates with fewer than 30 days of jail time left to serve, and citing, instead of arresting, people whose alleged misdemeanor offenses carry a bail of less than $50,000. That doesn’t include people suspected of domestic violence. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey moved last week to release hundreds more pretrial detainees accused of nonviolent crimes.
As of Friday, there were fewer than 14,500 inmates in the jails, which typically house about 17,000 people.
Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kathryn Barger, meanwhile, ordered public health officials last week to examine conditions in the lockups to identify “all necessary and appropriate measures” to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, among inmates and staff.
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Clark said officials are checking the temperatures of anyone who enters the treatment center. She said there had been discussions about temperature scanning everyone entering the jails, but ultimately officials decided it would cause more harm than good by creating bottlenecks at the more than 40 points of entry into the buildings.
“It’s not appropriate for me to deploy healthcare staff to take temperatures of people coming,” she said. “I have my healthcare staff taking care of people in the jail that need healthcare.”
Clark said 42 single cells are available to treat people should a surge of patients overwhelm the roughly 200-bed treatment center.
Villanueva said last week that cleaning crews have “doubled up on all the cleaning protocols” and that an ongoing education campaign is provided in English and Spanish.
He said every inmate has access to soap and running water “at all times, in every single cell,” but that some inmates with mental illness may not want to adhere to hygiene standards.
Several inmates told The Times in interviews last week, however, that they did not have adequate access to soap or cleaning supplies.
“Sometimes we get it; sometimes we don’t,” Benedek Virag, who was moved from state prison to county jail last fall, said from Twin Towers. “It’s a crap shoot with that.”
Across the street at Men’s Central Jail, Joseph Clarino said some fellow inmates recently used torn bed sheets when toilet paper ran out.
Assistant Sheriff Bruce Chase told reporters Monday that his staff contacted inmates interviewed by The Times and has been regularly distributing additional cleaning supplies.
“We don’t want anybody to feel like they don’t have access to soap or cleaning supplies,” he said. “If we do get any reports of inmates that don’t have adequate cleaning supplies or soap or feel like they’re in danger, we will reach out to them as we did today and try and make sure that they’re feeling comfortable and safe.”


latimes--2020-03-30--They were supposed to build stages for Coachella. Now they're building coronavirus triage tents

Right now , Ryan Choura should be celebrating another busy South by Southwest and BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament and preparing for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in two weeks .
Choura , the 41-year-old founder of the Torrance-based production firm Choura Events , builds tents , staging and facilities for tens of thousands of revelers at music , sports and dining events in Southern California and nationwide .
But in the span of a month , what had been a growing market for live events completely collapsed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Live Nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and concert schedule , along with all major sports leagues playing now .
His 200 employees were suddenly without any work , and it was difficult to see when anybody would be gathering in public in the near future .
But while it was no silver lining , Choura saw a sudden urgency for very specific services his firm could provide .
Hospitals and local governments were in dire need of temporary facilities to treat COVID-19 patients .
“ I felt devastated by the changes in the business , how to make payroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve never cried more than in the last 14 days , ” Choura said , as he stood outside the Fountain Valley Regional Medical Center , where his firm is working overtime to erect heavy-duty triage tents and overflow facilities where doctors will treat an expected flood of coronavirus patients in the coming weeks .
The facility — not too dissimilar from the mega-tents housing tens of thousands of ravers at Coachella — is one of four medical villages the company has helped to build so far in L.A .
Unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be spiking soon .
But given that so many now-idle event firms have the capacity to build mini-cities at music festivals and beyond , this may be a chance to pitch in on some very urgent work and stay viable as businesses .
Some L.A. staging and event-production firms have , in a matter of days , remade their companies to build a first line of defense against the virus .
“ We pivoted so fast to being a rapid-response disaster relief team .
If I didn ’ t know how to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this hospital , ” Choura said .
“ I saw patients coming in here and saw what they looked like .
This is real , and we ’ ve got to move.
” The concert and events industry was one of the first to be affected by the spread of COVID-19 .
Weeks before restaurants , bars and movie theaters were shuttered , and before statewide and local authorities issued “ Safer at Home ” orders , the cancellation and postponement of festivals like South By Southwest and Coachella were bellwethers for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and severe for the music and entertainment industries .
Billboard estimated that the concert industry employs roughly 250,000 full-time and part-time workers and could lose between $ 10 billion and $ 20 billion this year due to the novel coronavirus .
While major promoters like AEG and Live Nation will be able to recoup some of their losses from insurance policies , many vendors who were counting on those festivals were , over a matter of days , staring down the complete destruction of their business .
“ The entertainment industry was maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even before all the news articles , we started hearing things would be canceled .
Over a week it became an absolute standstill and all of our crew had absolutely no work , ” said Joey Gallagher , the chief executive of Gallagher Staging , the L.A. firm that was slotted to build out the main stage at Coachella this year .
In the wake of the fest ’ s postponement , it has built tented patient facilities , foam beds and other structures for hospitals in the Bay Area and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Images of event spaces commandeered for treatment , like the Javits Center in New York City , show harrowing scenes of the medical crises already here and the ones to come .
But companies used to the whiplash pace , uncompromising demands and necessary improvisation of the live music industry may be uniquely ready to pitch in during this crisis .
“ We ’ re an industry that moves faster than anyone .
We ’ ll install an entire city on a blank slate , ” Gallagher said .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generators , lighting , restrooms and wash stations .
We can build a small city in a day or two , and that ’ s a need right now.
” Much of the systemic crisis around treating COVID-19 involves a shortage of specialized medical equipment like ventilators , which California may need in quantities of up to 20,000 at once .
But many of the basic structural elements needed for treatment centers — space for hundreds of patients at once with elevated flooring , HVAC and air circulation , even personal protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event and concert production world and can be built by these firms on short notice .
“ We started looking at what the immediate need was and we ’ ve been making face shields for two weeks .
Our shop makes metal for sets and we can build just about anything , ” said Robin Shaw , co-founder of the L.A. and Chicago-based firm Upstaging .
Absent the coronavirus , her firm right now would have been building and transporting sets for Post Malone , Billie Eilish , Pearl Jam , Roger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tours .
But instead , it has been supplying and transporting face shields , signage and room dividers to nursing homes , prisons and hospitals affected by the coronavirus .
The unpredictability of the concert business proved worthy preparation for responding to a test like this , Shaw said .
“ We deal with an industry where if we ’ re not fixing things ahead of the curve , the concert ’ s not happening .
So we figured we had a lot to offer in this emergency.
” None of this triage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and concert business .
If the outbreak drags on , it ’ s difficult to predict what the long-term impact will be for the music industry at large .
Economic devastation may dampen ticket buyers ’ desire for nonessentials , and fans ’ festival-going habits may waver after a decade of explosive growth .
“ Events are forever changed , like going to the airport was changed after 9/11 , ” Choura said .
When they ’ re hired by hospitals and governments , these concert-biz veterans said that nearly all of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the work is a meaningful lifeline for dozens of builders and support staff who would otherwise be completely out of a job .
“ My wife is a nurse , and every day that I come home , I see the frustration in her face that she tried to help as many people as she can , but they don ’ t have a safe place , ” said Eric Magana , 38 , a warehouse and inventory manager for Choura Events .
“ It ’ s scary , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build facilities , so nurses can have a safe zone and not be exposed.
” “ It ’ s bringing good into a really bad situation , ” Choura added .
“ I ’ ve got 14 guys on this site building who would be sitting at home .
I ’ ve been more fulfilled over the last few weeks than over the last decade .
It ’ s very meaningful to feel like you ’ re part of saving a life.
” The only problem , they said , is getting their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chaos has been a defining feature of the U.S. government ’ s response to COVID-19 , and much of the U.S medical system has been left scrambling to find basic equipment like N95 face masks .
Concert-industry vets have struggled to get the word out about their capabilities and have been turning to social media and whatever local government contacts they may have on hand .
“ We ’ d love to help larger hospitals , but it ’ s hard to get to one person who can make a decision and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The medical specificities of building COVID-19 treatment sites can be more complicated than a backstage area at a music festival , Gallagher said .
Needs vary widely and guidance in this new field can sometimes be opaque .
“ There ’ s definitely been a learning curve .
We could use some guidance as far as what a medical practice room would be , and we wish there was one organization that we can directly communicate with to offer services , ” Gallagher said .
“ It ’ s definitely a whole new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also what we ’ re used to : adapting.
” As the live music industry is poised for a prolonged , painful pause , many of the industries that support it are terrified for their ability to survive the lockdown .
But while artists are resorting to Instagram livestreams and club owners struggle to figure out how to make rent , there will sadly still be a massive need for tent cities in the months to come — only at hospitals and not the Empire Polo Grounds .
“ We can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concert business , because we love it , ” Shaw said .
“ Sometimes I go to bed crying at night .
But we got a message from a woman in elder care wearing one of our masks , that said this was going to save people ’ s lives .
I sat there and said ‘ This is unbelievable , this might help people not die .
’ ”

Right now, Ryan Choura should be celebrating another busy South by Southwest and BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament and preparing for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in two weeks.
Choura, the 41-year-old founder of the Torrance-based production firm Choura Events, builds tents, staging and facilities for tens of thousands of revelers at music, sports and dining events in Southern California and nationwide. But in the span of a month, what had been a growing market for live events completely collapsed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live Nation and AEG closed down their entire festival and concert schedule, along with all major sports leagues playing now. His 200 employees were suddenly without any work, and it was difficult to see when anybody would be gathering in public in the near future.
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But while it was no silver lining, Choura saw a sudden urgency for very specific services his firm could provide. Hospitals and local governments were in dire need of temporary facilities to treat COVID-19 patients.
“I felt devastated by the changes in the business, how to make payroll and take care of our employees. I’ve never cried more than in the last 14 days,” Choura said, as he stood outside the Fountain Valley Regional Medical Center, where his firm is working overtime to erect heavy-duty triage tents and overflow facilities where doctors will treat an expected flood of coronavirus patients in the coming weeks.
California Coronavirus hospitalizations have doubled in California over last three days The latest updates from our reporters in California and around the world
The facility — not too dissimilar from the mega-tents housing tens of thousands of ravers at Coachella — is one of four medical villages the company has helped to build so far in L.A.
Unfortunately, demand for such expertise will likely be spiking soon. But given that so many now-idle event firms have the capacity to build mini-cities at music festivals and beyond, this may be a chance to pitch in on some very urgent work and stay viable as businesses.
Some L.A. staging and event-production firms have, in a matter of days, remade their companies to build a first line of defense against the virus.
“We pivoted so fast to being a rapid-response disaster relief team. If I didn’t know how to do Coachella, I couldn’t do this hospital,” Choura said. “I saw patients coming in here and saw what they looked like. This is real, and we’ve got to move.”
The concert and events industry was one of the first to be affected by the spread of COVID-19. Weeks before restaurants, bars and movie theaters were shuttered, and before statewide and local authorities issued “Safer at Home” orders, the cancellation and postponement of festivals like South By Southwest and Coachella were bellwethers for the coming pandemic.
The consequences were immediate and severe for the music and entertainment industries. Billboard estimated that the concert industry employs roughly 250,000 full-time and part-time workers and could lose between $10 billion and $20 billion this year due to the novel coronavirus. While major promoters like AEG and Live Nation will be able to recoup some of their losses from insurance policies, many vendors who were counting on those festivals were, over a matter of days, staring down the complete destruction of their business.
“The entertainment industry was maybe the first to be impacted by this. Even before all the news articles, we started hearing things would be canceled. Over a week it became an absolute standstill and all of our crew had absolutely no work,” said Joey Gallagher, the chief executive of Gallagher Staging, the L.A. firm that was slotted to build out the main stage at Coachella this year. In the wake of the fest’s postponement, it has built tented patient facilities, foam beds and other structures for hospitals in the Bay Area and is working on five similar sites around L.A.
Images of event spaces commandeered for treatment, like the Javits Center in New York City, show harrowing scenes of the medical crises already here and the ones to come. But companies used to the whiplash pace, uncompromising demands and necessary improvisation of the live music industry may be uniquely ready to pitch in during this crisis.
“We’re an industry that moves faster than anyone. We’ll install an entire city on a blank slate,” Gallagher said. “We have everything available: Wi-Fi, radios, generators, lighting, restrooms and wash stations. We can build a small city in a day or two, and that’s a need right now.”
Much of the systemic crisis around treating COVID-19 involves a shortage of specialized medical equipment like ventilators, which California may need in quantities of up to 20,000 at once. But many of the basic structural elements needed for treatment centers — space for hundreds of patients at once with elevated flooring, HVAC and air circulation, even personal protective equipment like face shields — have crossover with the event and concert production world and can be built by these firms on short notice.
“We started looking at what the immediate need was and we’ve been making face shields for two weeks. Our shop makes metal for sets and we can build just about anything,” said Robin Shaw, co-founder of the L.A. and Chicago-based firm Upstaging.
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Absent the coronavirus, her firm right now would have been building and transporting sets for Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Pearl Jam, Roger Waters and other spring and summer arena tours. But instead, it has been supplying and transporting face shields, signage and room dividers to nursing homes, prisons and hospitals affected by the coronavirus.
A worker assembles personal protective equipment manufactured by the concert-production firm Upstaging. (John Huddleston)
The unpredictability of the concert business proved worthy preparation for responding to a test like this, Shaw said.
“We deal with an industry where if we’re not fixing things ahead of the curve, the concert’s not happening. So we figured we had a lot to offer in this emergency.”
None of this triage is a long-term replacement for the festival and concert business. If the outbreak drags on, it’s difficult to predict what the long-term impact will be for the music industry at large. Economic devastation may dampen ticket buyers’ desire for nonessentials, and fans’ festival-going habits may waver after a decade of explosive growth. “Events are forever changed, like going to the airport was changed after 9/11,” Choura said.
When they’re hired by hospitals and governments, these concert-biz veterans said that nearly all of this work is being done solely at cost. But the work is a meaningful lifeline for dozens of builders and support staff who would otherwise be completely out of a job.
“My wife is a nurse, and every day that I come home, I see the frustration in her face that she tried to help as many people as she can, but they don’t have a safe place,” said Eric Magana, 38, a warehouse and inventory manager for Choura Events. “It’s scary, but that’s what motivates me more to build facilities, so nurses can have a safe zone and not be exposed.”
“It’s bringing good into a really bad situation,” Choura added. “ I’ve got 14 guys on this site building who would be sitting at home. I’ve been more fulfilled over the last few weeks than over the last decade. It’s very meaningful to feel like you’re part of saving a life.”
The only problem, they said, is getting their skills into the right hands. Unfortunately, chaos has been a defining feature of the U.S. government’s response to COVID-19, and much of the U.S medical system has been left scrambling to find basic equipment like N95 face masks.
Concert-industry vets have struggled to get the word out about their capabilities and have been turning to social media and whatever local government contacts they may have on hand.
“We’d love to help larger hospitals, but it’s hard to get to one person who can make a decision and say yes,” Shaw said.
The medical specificities of building COVID-19 treatment sites can be more complicated than a backstage area at a music festival, Gallagher said. Needs vary widely and guidance in this new field can sometimes be opaque.
“There’s definitely been a learning curve. We could use some guidance as far as what a medical practice room would be, and we wish there was one organization that we can directly communicate with to offer services,” Gallagher said. “It’s definitely a whole new environment for us, but it’s also what we’re used to: adapting.”
As the live music industry is poised for a prolonged, painful pause, many of the industries that support it are terrified for their ability to survive the lockdown. But while artists are resorting to Instagram livestreams and club owners struggle to figure out how to make rent, there will sadly still be a massive need for tent cities in the months to come — only at hospitals and not the Empire Polo Grounds.
“We can’t wait to get back to the concert business, because we love it,” Shaw said. “Sometimes I go to bed crying at night. But we got a message from a woman in elder care wearing one of our masks, that said this was going to save people’s lives. I sat there and said ‘This is unbelievable, this might help people not die.’”


latimes--2020-03-30--Soledad "Chole" Alatorre, pioneering labor organizer and Latina activist, dies at 94

If donning a swimsuit was the best way for Soledad “ Chole ” Alatorre to organize Latina garment workers , then she was going to do it .
The Mexican immigrant had arrived to Los Angeles in the 1950s with a mission : to help her exploited countrymen in el Norte .
She did this with a people-power play of sorts that starred her as Chekhov ’ s gun .
Alatorre would join a company that relied on low-paid immigrants illegally in the United States , and quickly get promoted to supervisor .
With the newfound leeway , she surreptitiously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to agitate for better pay .
Management would find out , then fire her .
The employees would walk out .
A union usually followed .
And Alatorre would move on to the next challenge .
That ’ s how she found herself one day in a one-piece , in the name of labor .
She joined a manufacturer that had a contract for Rose Marie Reid , the glamorous beachwear brand that styled the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth .
Bosses noticed Alatorre ’ s svelte figure and asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then walk around the factory floor so seamstresses and other trabajadoras could make any necessary adjustments .
The company quickly shut down once they realized Alatorre ’ s goals , but the experience sealed her legend .
In labor and activist circles across California , she preached a provocative message — undocumented immigrants deserve rights , too , and can be mobilized into a force .
That message went from heresy to the mainstream and forever altered politics in California and beyond .
Alatorre died March 25 at age 94 in the Mexican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was born .
The cause of death was unknown .
“ She was an extraordinary person , ” said Rodolfo Acuña , who documented Alatorre ’ s career in his “ Occupied America : A History of Chicanos ” and is professor emeritus of Chicano studies at Cal State Northridge .
“ She never wavered from her message .
She was never compromised.
” “ She wasn ’ t always as appreciated because she wasn ’ t this big , fiery speaker in public , ” said California State Sen. Maria Elena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become an activist as a college student after seeing Alatorre help strikers at a Bay Area tortilla factory in 1975 .
“ She said regular , simple things that people believed in.
” Alatorre was raised in a union household by a father who regaled his daughters with tales of U.S. labor history ; he told her about executed anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti and about the Haymarket Riot .
After marrying into a wealthy family at 19 , Alatorre followed her husband to Ensenada for a job that didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she saw caravans and camps of braceros , Mexican men who were hoping to cross into the United States , legally or not , for work .
The scene radicalized her .
“ It was very sad [ and an ] embarrassing situation for my country , ” Alatorre told the Los Angeles Times in 1984 .
Alatorre ended up working with the Maritime Union , the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers , the Teamsters , United Auto Workers , and others .
It was through this world that she met Chicano activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was “ possibly one of the best organizers that I have ever known , male or female.
” He was particularly impressed with how Alatorre succeeded despite the racism and misogyny she endured from fellow labor leaders at the time .
It didn ’ t matter to the workers she helped , Corona marveled .
“ They knew that a person as experienced and effective as Chole was better than almost any man.
” Together , they founded the Centro de Acción Social Autónomo ( Center for Autonomous Social Action ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on helping undocumented immigrants at a time when even mainstream Latino civil rights organizations reviled them .
They offered legal and social advice , protested immigration raids , and urged the media to eschew the term “ illegal alien ” in favor of “ undocumented immigrant ” — all the norm today but unheard of in the late 1960s .
For Alatorre , she was an advocate partly to force the United States to reckon with its hypocrisy .
“ Now they complain about all the undocumented people , ” she told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they showed them the way.
” Rarely in the spotlight , Alatorre nevertheless participated in many of the crucial battles Mexican Americans in Southern California fought .
She accompanied Robert Kennedy through East Los Angeles during his 1968 presidential campaign , at one point dragging him away from adoring throngs with such ease that he joked during a rally at the Greek Theatre later that night that Alatorre “ saved my life.
” In the 1970s , she helped bring attention to forced sterilization of Mexican American women in Los Angeles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ku Klux Klan .
Her longtime association with Hermandad Mexicana saw Alatorre help in renters ’ strikes , the opening of day laborer centers , and pushes for more Latino representation on television .
As she advocated for immigrants ’ rights , Alatorre also persuaded a generation of Southern California union members that they , too , should care about the issue .
Among her acolytes are former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa , current L.A. City Council member Gil Cedillo , and Durazo , all of whom fused immigrants and labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city that turned into a political powerhouse .
“ She would always tell us there was no way to build the kind of power for workers to be treated fairly unless everyone was going to be included , especially undocumented immigrants , ” said Durazo .
“ She did it from the point of view that it was not only the right thing to do , but the smart thing to do.
” Alatorre remained active even as she turned 90 , participating in amnesty marches and holding citizenship classes at Mary Immaculate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where she lived in for over 50 years until moving back to San Luis Potosí two years ago .
To the end , she insisted that activists forsake their differences as well as glory to work for el pueblo .
“ Divisions don ’ t help when you ’ re looking to protect the rights of the most vulnerable , ” she told a reporter in 2017 .
“ La causa should be bigger than your ego .
”

If donning a swimsuit was the best way for Soledad “Chole” Alatorre to organize Latina garment workers, then she was going to do it.
The Mexican immigrant had arrived to Los Angeles in the 1950s with a mission: to help her exploited countrymen in el Norte. She did this with a people-power play of sorts that starred her as Chekhov’s gun.
Alatorre would join a company that relied on low-paid immigrants illegally in the United States, and quickly get promoted to supervisor. With the newfound leeway, she surreptitiously taught workers about their rights and urged them to agitate for better pay.
Advertisement
Management would find out, then fire her. The employees would walk out. A union usually followed. And Alatorre would move on to the next challenge.
That’s how she found herself one day in a one-piece, in the name of labor.
She joined a manufacturer that had a contract for Rose Marie Reid, the glamorous beachwear brand that styled the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth. Bosses noticed Alatorre’s svelte figure and asked her to model the latest designs, then walk around the factory floor so seamstresses and other trabajadoras could make any necessary adjustments.
The company quickly shut down once they realized Alatorre’s goals, but the experience sealed her legend. In labor and activist circles across California, she preached a provocative message — undocumented immigrants deserve rights, too, and can be mobilized into a force. That message went from heresy to the mainstream and forever altered politics in California and beyond.
Alatorre died March 25 at age 94 in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, where she was born. The cause of death was unknown.
“She was an extraordinary person,” said Rodolfo Acuña, who documented Alatorre’s career in his “Occupied America: A History of Chicanos” and is professor emeritus of Chicano studies at Cal State Northridge. “She never wavered from her message. She was never compromised.”
“She wasn’t always as appreciated because she wasn’t this big, fiery speaker in public,” said California State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, who said she was inspired to become an activist as a college student after seeing Alatorre help strikers at a Bay Area tortilla factory in 1975. “She said regular, simple things that people believed in.”
Advertisement
Alatorre was raised in a union household by a father who regaled his daughters with tales of U.S. labor history; he told her about executed anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti and about the Haymarket Riot. After marrying into a wealthy family at 19, Alatorre followed her husband to Ensenada for a job that didn’t materialize. Along the way, she saw caravans and camps of braceros, Mexican men who were hoping to cross into the United States, legally or not, for work.
The scene radicalized her. “It was very sad [and an] embarrassing situation for my country,” Alatorre told the Los Angeles Times in 1984.
Snippet from a July 19, 1984 Los Angeles Times profile of Alatorre (Los Angeles Times)
Alatorre ended up working with the Maritime Union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Teamsters, United Auto Workers, and others. It was through this world that she met Chicano activist Bert Corona, who told his biographer she was “possibly one of the best organizers that I have ever known, male or female.”
He was particularly impressed with how Alatorre succeeded despite the racism and misogyny she endured from fellow labor leaders at the time. It didn’t matter to the workers she helped, Corona marveled. “They knew that a person as experienced and effective as Chole was better than almost any man.”
Together, they founded the Centro de Acción Social Autónomo (Center for Autonomous Social Action), and Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, groups focused on helping undocumented immigrants at a time when even mainstream Latino civil rights organizations reviled them.
They offered legal and social advice, protested immigration raids, and urged the media to eschew the term “illegal alien” in favor of “undocumented immigrant” — all the norm today but unheard of in the late 1960s.
For Alatorre, she was an advocate partly to force the United States to reckon with its hypocrisy.
“Now they complain about all the undocumented people,” she told The Times in 1984, “but man, they showed them the way.”
Rarely in the spotlight, Alatorre nevertheless participated in many of the crucial battles Mexican Americans in Southern California fought. She accompanied Robert Kennedy through East Los Angeles during his 1968 presidential campaign, at one point dragging him away from adoring throngs with such ease that he joked during a rally at the Greek Theatre later that night that Alatorre “saved my life.”
In the 1970s, she helped bring attention to forced sterilization of Mexican American women in Los Angeles and went to San Diego to protest against the Ku Klux Klan. Her longtime association with Hermandad Mexicana saw Alatorre help in renters’ strikes, the opening of day laborer centers, and pushes for more Latino representation on television.
As she advocated for immigrants’ rights, Alatorre also persuaded a generation of Southern California union members that they, too, should care about the issue. Among her acolytes are former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, current L.A. City Council member Gil Cedillo, and Durazo, all of whom fused immigrants and labor to create a resurgent movement throughout the city that turned into a political powerhouse.
A mural of Soledad “Chole” Alatorre in Highland Park. (L.A. Taco)
“She would always tell us there was no way to build the kind of power for workers to be treated fairly unless everyone was going to be included, especially undocumented immigrants,” said Durazo. “She did it from the point of view that it was not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.”
Alatorre remained active even as she turned 90, participating in amnesty marches and holding citizenship classes at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Pacoima, the city where she lived in for over 50 years until moving back to San Luis Potosí two years ago. To the end, she insisted that activists forsake their differences as well as glory to work for el pueblo.
“Divisions don’t help when you’re looking to protect the rights of the most vulnerable,” she told a reporter in 2017. “La causa should be bigger than your ego.”


latimes--2020-03-30--Coronavirus case numbers and deaths mount in Ventura County

Three more people died over the weekend in Ventura County after testing positive for COVID-19 , bringing the county ’ s death toll from the novel coronavirus to four one week after reporting its first fatality .
Those who have died were all in their 70s or 80s and had preexisting health conditions , county spokeswoman Ashley Bautista said Monday .
The county ’ s health department has not identified where the four lived .
Following a steady increase last week in the number of confirmed cases , the county added 48 new patients over the weekend , bringing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly an 80 % increase from Friday ’ s count , which was 61 .
The county ’ s latest numbers show Simi Valley leads the region with 20 confirmed cases , followed by Camarillo with 19 .
Residents ages 45 to 64 continue to make up the largest number of cases , at 46 .
Thirty-one cases include people over the age of 65 , while 23 are between the ages of 25 and 44 .
There are eight cases for those between 18 and 24 , and one case of someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians and one administrator at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura previously tested positive for the virus , according to a hospital representative .
The county has attributed the jump in cases to increased testing efforts , including at a public health lab , private labs and drive-through sites .
So far , about 1,500 people have been tested , Bautista said .
In Ventura County , residents need a referral from a doctor in order to be tested .
The rise in case numbers and deaths comes as the state tries to limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the virus .
On Sunday , the state closed vehicle access to all 280 state parks because of a surge of visitors .
This includes Point Mugu State Park , which has more than 70 miles of hiking trails and runs along Pacific Coast Highway .
County officials have also reduced animal services in an effort to keep people home .
Ventura County Animal Services announced that starting Monday , nonessential services including pet adoptions and owner-requested euthanasia appointments would be discontinued .
The no-kill animal shelter is also asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations and strays who appear sick or injured .

Several staff members at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Three more people died over the weekend in Ventura County after testing positive for COVID-19, bringing the county’s death toll from the novel coronavirus to four one week after reporting its first fatality.
Those who have died were all in their 70s or 80s and had preexisting health conditions, county spokeswoman Ashley Bautista said Monday. The county’s health department has not identified where the four lived.
Following a steady increase last week in the number of confirmed cases, the county added 48 new patients over the weekend, bringing the total to 109. That’s nearly an 80% increase from Friday’s count, which was 61. The county’s latest numbers show Simi Valley leads the region with 20 confirmed cases, followed by Camarillo with 19.
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Residents ages 45 to 64 continue to make up the largest number of cases, at 46. Thirty-one cases include people over the age of 65, while 23 are between the ages of 25 and 44. There are eight cases for those between 18 and 24, and one case of someone under the age of 17.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
Three physicians and one administrator at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura previously tested positive for the virus, according to a hospital representative.
The county has attributed the jump in cases to increased testing efforts, including at a public health lab, private labs and drive-through sites. So far, about 1,500 people have been tested, Bautista said. In Ventura County, residents need a referral from a doctor in order to be tested.
The rise in case numbers and deaths comes as the state tries to limit outdoor activities in public places to control the spread of the virus. On Sunday, the state closed vehicle access to all 280 state parks because of a surge of visitors. This includes Point Mugu State Park, which has more than 70 miles of hiking trails and runs along Pacific Coast Highway.
County officials have also reduced animal services in an effort to keep people home. Ventura County Animal Services announced that starting Monday, nonessential services including pet adoptions and owner-requested euthanasia appointments would be discontinued. The no-kill animal shelter is also asking residents to surrender pets only in emergency situations and strays who appear sick or injured.


latimes--2020-03-30--Amid coronavirus closures, 15,000 high school students are absent online, 40,000 fail to check in da

Amid coronavirus closures, 15,000 high school students are absent online, 40,000 fail to check in daily

About one-third of some 120,000 Los Angeles high school students have not logged onto online classes every day , and 15,000 are absent from all online learning as efforts to continue distance learning fall short , according to the school district .
The disappointing figures were released Monday by L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner during a morning video update .
“ It ’ s simply not acceptable that we lose touch with 15,000 young adults or that many students aren ’ t getting the education they should be , ” Beutner said in prepared remarks .
“ This will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trial and error to get it right .
And it will take the continued patience and commitment of all involved — students , families and teachers.
” Beutner says he hopes the online reach will improve as more families take advantage of free computers provided by L.A. Unified and free internet through community hot spots that Verizon is setting up through a contract with the nation ’ s second-largest school system .
“ The great big digital divide many have spoken about is very real in the communities we serve where about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families who are struggling to get by and many are not connected on the internet , ” he said .
“ We need to train students , teachers and families so they ’ re all connected and comfortable using the technology.
” He added : “ Then comes the main event : making sure our educators are prepared to add this to their instructional plans.
” The L.A. schools chief also pointed to bright spots in efforts to maintain student learning during a shutdown that is scheduled to last until at least the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 200,000 people “ in the area ” were now watching ramped-up educational programming provided on three local public television stations : the district ’ s KLCS , as well as KCET and PBS SoCal .
The school system also has opened three additional grab-and-go meal distribution centers since that program began , bringing the number to 63 .
“ The outstanding efforts ... have allowed us to provide over 2 million meals to those in need , about one-third of whom are adults , ” said Beutner .
“ In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baby supplies .
In the success is a warning sign — the need in our community is large and growing as the virus impacts the families we serve , many of whom were struggling to get by before recent , unprecedented layoffs began to be felt.
” Beutner said the Monday-through-Friday food distribution would continue through the district ’ s scheduled spring break , April 6-10 .
The superintendent also noted that the district provided 100,000 N–95 masks in its stores to local hospitals .

Tenth-grade students wait to pick up laptops at Linda Esperanza Marquez High School in Huntington Park last week to use at home for schoolwork.
About 15,000 Los Angeles high school students are absent online and have failed to do any schoolwork while more than 40,000 have not been in daily contact with their teachers since March 16, when the coronavirus forced campus shutdowns, district officials disclosed Monday.
Those figures, the first official data on student online participation, reveal the massive challenge confronting the nation’s second-largest schools district, which is attempting an overnight transition to “distance learning” for half a million students, the vast majority from low-income families, many lacking computers and internet access.
Though it’s still early, the numbers demonstrate how the digital divide among underserved students as well many students’ lack of engagement and strong personal connection to their classes will likely contribute to a deepening and worrisome achievement gap, education experts said.
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“This crisis has laid bare what we always knew — how equitable opportunities are so dependent on parental background and wealth and access to resources,” said UC Berkeley education and African American studies professor Janelle Scott. “Having a physical school does really matter and having caring adults around who can support children and family is vital.”
The L.A. Unified School District has moved quickly to distribute computers and has arranged for free internet access — moves that already may have helped thousands, but clearly have not replaced the classroom learning experience.
“It’s not like we went to virtual schooling because we thought virtual schooling was better,” Scott said. “We went to virtual schooling because it was a crisis.”
The 15,000 unaccounted-for students are an especially serious source of concern, said Supt. Austin Beutner, who released the figures Monday. The 40,000 who are not in daily contact with their teachers represents about a third of all Los Angeles high school students. However, some of them may be doing assigned work that does not require a daily check-in.
Officials declined to release similar figures for middle or elementary schools.
“It’s simply not acceptable that we lose touch with 15,000 young adults or that many students aren’t getting the education they should be,” Beutner said in a video update. “This will take some time and a good bit of trial and error to get it right. And it will take the continued patience and commitment of all involved — students, families and teachers.”
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Beutner says he hopes the online reach will improve as more families take advantage of the free computers and internet, arranged through a contract with Verizon. To get broadband, students will use individual hot spots — small digital cubes through which students can connect a computer to the internet.
“The great big digital divide many have spoken about is very real in the communities we serve,” he said. In response to what Beutner characterized as an urgent need, the superintendent used his emergency powers and authorized spending $100 million from district reserves for technology.
Many who remain disconnected “happen to be amongst our most vulnerable students,” he said. “It might be students in the foster system. It might be students who are experiencing homelessness. It might be students who were living in deep poverty. Those are students who struggle with attendance in ordinary times.
“The harder part is not the technology,” he said. “The harder part is establishing a connection to the student. And I don’t mean a digital connection. I mean that human connection of some sort.”
The staff at Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Feliz is doing what it can, instructional technology coach Wil Page said.
But contact information for some families frequently becomes out of date — they move, they lose cellphone access, they change numbers, Page said. The current crisis has exacerbated such issues.
“We’re in such an extraordinary era right now that it becomes very difficult for some families to be able to make those outreaches and vice versa,” Page said.
Teachers at King are working in teams to figure out who’s missing, and then work on reaching out to those families, Page said. If they’re unsuccessful, the names are given to counselors and administrators.
“Distance learning may have great potential, but mostly it’s only worked well for high-achieving, self-motivated learners, and those with lots of family support at home,” said Michael J. Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education think tank in Washington, D.C.
Poor and working-class students, he said, “are least likely to have high-speed internet” and “were already learning well below grade level. We should expect many to struggle...That’s not to say that schools shouldn’t give it their all.”
Daniella Hernandez, a junior at Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, said half of the 30 students in Advanced Placement calculus have been attending online lessons. On Friday, however, there were only four students in the Zoom session.
“It can be a good thing sometimes because you get more of a one-to-one” experience, without the jokester in the back of the room disrupting class, said Daniella, 17. Yet, she also really misses those lighter moments. “It’s sad because those are the things that get you through,” she said.
Students in calculus already were familiar with online work because the instructor had been posting review materials before the shutdown. But the transition has been more difficult in other classes, where teachers sometimes “assign busywork instead of productive work... I just feel like sometimes it’s not getting me anywhere. I’m not learning as much as I should,” she said.
Although she is showing up virtually for fear of falling behind, she understands why some of her peers do not. “They’re not feeling inspired to get the work done,” she said.
Her classmate, junior Melissa Ponce, said that overall the school has done well — providing computers and hot spots — with teachers using multiple apps to keep students on track.
“I’m pretty sure there are students that just don’t want to log in,” said Melissa, 16. “Some students don’t want to be in school when we’re, like, in school.”
Teachers’ relationships with students before the closures could affect whether some show up, said UCLA education professor Tyrone Howard, who has been in contact with current L.A. teachers whom he mentored. The ones best able to take lessons online already had strong relationships with their students and their families.
Even so, some factors are simply out of the teachers’ control.
“Some kids will figure it was a time off, other kids don’t have the infrastructure, other kids are watching younger siblings, other kids are trying to find a job to help their family out,” Howard said.
It would be unfair to characterize students who have not yet connected as ditching or blowing off class, said UC Berkeley’s Scott.
“Certainly there are kids that are just disengaged from school...but a lot of it has to do with hunger, and housing insecurity,” as well as potentially a lack of an adult connection or health issues, she said.


latimes--2020-03-30--California Housing Crisis Podcast: What's being done about homelessness during pandemic?

To stem the growth of the novel coronavirus , Gov .
Gavin Newsom has ordered Californians to stay in their @ @ @ @ @ is hard to follow if you ’ re homeless or worried about if you ’ @ @ @ @ @ your rent .
On this episode of Gim me Shelter : The California Housing Crisis @ @ @ @ @ state and local officials are trying to handle the state ’ s already crushing rates @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
“ , ” a biweekly podcast that looks at why it @ @ @ @ @ live in California and what the state can do about it , features Liam Dillon @ @ @ @ @ issues for the Los Angeles Times , and Matt Levin , data and housing reporter @ @ @ @ @ to “ Gim me Shelter ” on , , , , and .

Dr. Susan Partovi, left, and Heidi Roth look at a homeless encampment on a sidewalk in Los Angeles. The pair have been offering medical aid and asking if anyone has been experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
To stem the growth of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered Californians to stay in their homes. But that order is hard to follow if you’re homeless or worried about if you’ll be able to pay your rent.
On this episode of Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast, we discuss how state and local officials are trying to handle the state’s already crushing rates of homelessness and housing insecurity during the pandemic.
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“ Gimme Shelter ,” a biweekly podcast that looks at why it’s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CalMatters .


latimes--2020-03-30--Medical waste industry braces for flood of virus-contaminated trash

For about two weeks now , red bags of medical waste laden with the coronavirus have been flowing from Southern California hospitals to a squat white building in the city of Paramount , where they are tossed into an autoclave and scorched with pressurized steam .
The novel coronavirus , or SARS-CoV-2 , is essentially a string of genetic material encased in a fragile , fatty membrane , and it ’ s no match for an extended bath in 300-degree steam and 50 pounds per square inch of pressure .
“ It kills all the bugs in the garbage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical Waste Services .
“ Then it ’ s sent to the landfill.
” Shaw ’ s is among 19 facilities that use enormous steam autoclaves to treat California ’ s medical debris .
So far , they have had little problem handling waste generated in the battle against the coronavirus .
But that could change .
If COVID-19 cases continue to spread exponentially , networks of hospitals , waste haulers and treatment centers could be overburdened by a surge of regulated medical waste — masks , gloves , booties , bed linens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packaging and disposable medical equipment .
Such a flood of medical waste , industry leaders say , could result in infections among their workers .
Now , preparing for the worst , the medical waste industry is requesting relaxation of state and federal rules governing infectious biological waste , including its collection , records , transportation , treatment and disposal .
“ Right now , no one is kicking and screaming for help because they ’ re falling behind , ” said Anne Germain , vice president of technical and regulatory affairs for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which represents more than 700 firms nationwide .
“ But we have to be ready to respond to an increase in medical waste generated by the pandemic.
” In a world upended by the novel coronavirus , the association is asking for extensions on renewals of expired commercial driver ’ s licenses , greater leeway on the amount of medical waste that can be stored at treatment facilities and more flexible “ hours of service ” rules to provide more time to meet their customers ’ demands .
Then there ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign the manifests of haulers of regulated medical waste for fear of contaminating a pen and paper or digital notepad with the highly infectious virus .
“ If hospitals aren ’ t going to sign manifests , ” Germain said , “ we need a formal exemption from regulations requiring their signature on those documents.
” That kind of flexibility is critical to “ ensuring that the medical waste industry can continue to operate and deal with the potentially elevated volumes of waste that may be generated by this pandemic , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law firm Alston & Bird , who specializes in healthcare and environmental regulatory issues .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , and the U.S. Department of Transportation have not elevated the level of threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic .
Federal authorities are treating the coronavirus as a Category B threat : a sometimes-fatal respiratory disease like SARS , which spread globally in the early 2000s .
An example of Category A is Ebola , an extremely infectious substance capable of causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As of Sunday , the pandemic had killed 2,467 people in the United States , which had 140,886 diagnosed cases of coronavirus .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says protective gear and equipment potentially infected with coronavirus can be handled like most regulated medical wastes along the chain of custody from hospitals to landfills .
Contaminated protective gear and disposable equipment are tossed into red plastic bags with a “ biohazard ” label .
Local medical waste management companies expressed confidence in their ability to handle a significant increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our network can meet current demands , ” said Selin Hoboy , vice president of government affairs at Stericycle , one of the largest medical waste companies in the U.S. She said , however , that “ ongoing communication is critical during this unprecedented and ever-changing time.
” Shaw , who has worked in the regulated medical waste industry for three decades , agrees —up to a point .
“ If a volume spike or crisis would suddenly appear , I am very comfortable that state health officials would quickly help our industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ But I don ’ t think we ’ re going to need the help .
”

A worker is surrounded by containers filled with biohazardous waste at the Stericycle facility in Vernon.
For about two weeks now, red bags of medical waste laden with the coronavirus have been flowing from Southern California hospitals to a squat white building in the city of Paramount, where they are tossed into an autoclave and scorched with pressurized steam.
The novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, is essentially a string of genetic material encased in a fragile, fatty membrane, and it’s no match for an extended bath in 300-degree steam and 50 pounds per square inch of pressure.
“It kills all the bugs in the garbage,” said Bob Shaw, president of Medical Waste Services. “Then it’s sent to the landfill.”
Advertisement
Shaw’s is among 19 facilities that use enormous steam autoclaves to treat California’s medical debris. So far, they have had little problem handling waste generated in the battle against the coronavirus.
But that could change. If COVID-19 cases continue to spread exponentially, networks of hospitals, waste haulers and treatment centers could be overburdened by a surge of regulated medical waste — masks, gloves, booties, bed linens, cups, plates, towels, packaging and disposable medical equipment. Such a flood of medical waste, industry leaders say, could result in infections among their workers.
A worker at Stericycle in Vernon pulls a cart stacked with containers of biohazardous waste. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Now, preparing for the worst, the medical waste industry is requesting relaxation of state and federal rules governing infectious biological waste, including its collection, records, transportation, treatment and disposal.
“Right now, no one is kicking and screaming for help because they’re falling behind,” said Anne Germain, vice president of technical and regulatory affairs for the National Waste and Recycling Assn., which represents more than 700 firms nationwide. “But we have to be ready to respond to an increase in medical waste generated by the pandemic.”
In a world upended by the novel coronavirus, the association is asking for extensions on renewals of expired commercial driver’s licenses, greater leeway on the amount of medical waste that can be stored at treatment facilities and more flexible “hours of service” rules to provide more time to meet their customers’ demands.
Then there’s the growing problem of hospital staffers unwilling to sign the manifests of haulers of regulated medical waste for fear of contaminating a pen and paper or digital notepad with the highly infectious virus.
Advertisement
“If hospitals aren’t going to sign manifests,” Germain said, “we need a formal exemption from regulations requiring their signature on those documents.”
That kind of flexibility is critical to “ensuring that the medical waste industry can continue to operate and deal with the potentially elevated volumes of waste that may be generated by this pandemic,” said Elise Paeffgen, a partner with the law firm Alston & Bird, who specializes in healthcare and environmental regulatory issues.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the U.S. Department of Transportation have not elevated the level of threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Federal authorities are treating the coronavirus as a Category B threat: a sometimes-fatal respiratory disease like SARS, which spread globally in the early 2000s.
An example of Category A is Ebola, an extremely infectious substance capable of causing permanent disability or death when exposure occurs.
As of Sunday, the pandemic had killed 2,467 people in the United States, which had 140,886 diagnosed cases of coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says protective gear and equipment potentially infected with coronavirus can be handled like most regulated medical wastes along the chain of custody from hospitals to landfills.
Contaminated protective gear and disposable equipment are tossed into red plastic bags with a “biohazard” label.
Local medical waste management companies expressed confidence in their ability to handle a significant increase in coronavirus-related waste, if necessary.
“Our network can meet current demands,” said Selin Hoboy, vice president of government affairs at Stericycle, one of the largest medical waste companies in the U.S.
She said, however, that “ongoing communication is critical during this unprecedented and ever-changing time.”
Shaw, who has worked in the regulated medical waste industry for three decades, agrees —up to a point.
“If a volume spike or crisis would suddenly appear, I am very comfortable that state health officials would quickly help our industry find a safe solution for all stakeholders,” he said. “But I don’t think we’re going to need the help.”


latimes--2020-03-30--Pasadena schools suspend grab-and-go meals after potential coronavirus infection

The Pasadena Unified School District has temporarily stopped serving grab-and-go meals for students after a kitchen employee was tested for the coronavirus .
Though a COVID-19 diagnosis hasn ’ t been confirmed , district officials said they would suspend the meal service starting Monday “ out of an abundance of caution , ” with hopes of resuming later in the week .
The to-go meals had been available at seven schools .
“ We know that this may cause hardship to our families and are working with neighboring school districts to provide meals to PUSD students , ” Supt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ district families Sunday .
Districts statewide have ramped up grab-and-go meal services amid the coronavirus pandemic so students can still receive free food while schools are closed .
Campuses in the Pasadena district are shuttered until at least May 5 .
McDonald said the district is extensively cleaning and sanitizing its kitchens and other facilities “ to minimize any risk of surface transmission.
” District officials also have touched base with the Pasadena Public Health Department , he added , “ which has advised that the distribution of meals can continue once sanitizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want you to know that we have taken immediate action according to our planning , and will adjust operations as needed , ” McDonald said .
“ While the diagnosis of COVID-19 is not confirmed at this time , our hearts are with our PUSD team member and their family during this very difficult time.
” There were 10 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Pasadena as of Monday morning , according to health officials .
No deaths have been reported there .

LAUSD volunteer Courtney Johnson delivers food to vehicles at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles this month. Pasadena schools have suspend their grab-and-go program after a kitchen worker fell ill.
The Pasadena Unified School District has temporarily stopped serving grab-and-go meals for students after a kitchen employee was tested for the coronavirus.
Though a COVID-19 diagnosis hasn’t been confirmed, district officials said they would suspend the meal service starting Monday “out of an abundance of caution,” with hopes of resuming later in the week.
The to-go meals had been available at seven schools.
“We know that this may cause hardship to our families and are working with neighboring school districts to provide meals to PUSD students,” Supt. Brian McDonald wrote in a message to district families Sunday.
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Districts statewide have ramped up grab-and-go meal services amid the coronavirus pandemic so students can still receive free food while schools are closed. Campuses in the Pasadena district are shuttered until at least May 5.
McDonald said the district is extensively cleaning and sanitizing its kitchens and other facilities “to minimize any risk of surface transmission.”
District officials also have touched base with the Pasadena Public Health Department, he added, “which has advised that the distribution of meals can continue once sanitizing and disinfection is completed.”
“We want you to know that we have taken immediate action according to our planning, and will adjust operations as needed,” McDonald said. “While the diagnosis of COVID-19 is not confirmed at this time, our hearts are with our PUSD team member and their family during this very difficult time.”
There were 10 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Pasadena as of Monday morning, according to health officials. No deaths have been reported there.