latimes--2020-02-22--Column: When homeless people tell their own stories, we should listen and not turn away

There ’ s a podcast I find myself listening to lately that isn ’ t produced in a studio .
It hasn ’ t been polished and smoothed like a rock tossed in a tumbler .
It contains stumbles and sometimes unexpected clattering .
But at its best , in its intimate stories from the streets and its insights from the experience of living on them , it cuts right through the background noise about homelessness .
Theo Henderson , 46 , calls a park in Chinatown home and records “ We the Unhoused ” on his cellphone every week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tries to survive on our streets .
His parents , his only real safety net , died when he was a young man .
And even though he graduated from college and used to teach elementary school , in a series of calamities starting with a diabetic coma during the recession , he lost his job and his housing and his economic stability .
He now sleeps outdoors , on concrete .
In recent months , he has been chronicling the travails of others who for a host of reasons once lived under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is one of a number of people I know of who are homeless in our city who also document homelessness .
They ’ re in that world .
They know it in ways I do not .
When I come across them , I pay attention .
This week , our governor , Gavin Newsom , devoted his State of the State address to California ’ s crisis of homelessness .
He called it “ a disgrace ” that we ignored for too long .
“ We turned away when it wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our neighbor or our friend , ” he said , or when it was and no help was forthcoming .
Now there ’ s no turning away .
It ’ s everywhere you look .
And I think we have to look , closely and steadily .
Massive fixes are required — so much more housing , so many more support services .
The vast majority of that work will fall to our government , at all levels .
But as individuals , I feel it behooves us to educate ourselves in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the problem .
To figure out what useful actions we can take — whether alone or in groups , through donations or directly — when no official aid is at hand .
To determine what we should be demanding our elected officials do to produce the kind of help those in need say might actually work for them .
I ’ ve talked in the past about the benefits for all concerned of reaching out to people on the streets , asking them what immediate help they need , trying to provide it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
I know not everyone will feel comfortable doing this .
But there are other ways to go to the source .
“ We the Unhoused ” can get angry — at overzealous police and business improvement districts , at City Council members .
Henderson takes jabs at my colleague Steve Lopez , too , which I ’ ve told him I think is unfair .
He has had the word “ homeless ” spat at him too often , he says , to want to use it himself .
On his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise money to keep going , he simultaneously offers advice to the unhoused and to the rest of us who might be far too quick to write them off .
In one episode , he focused on violence against people who are homeless .
He talked to Freddie , whose wife had died and who had then been evicted from the apartment building they ’ d managed ; Freddie was living with his two cats near his former home when someone threw an incendiary device at his tent .
He spoke to others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in the middle of the night , who worried that strangers might hand them poisoned food or that they could be attacked at any moment by people who want them gone .
He reminded the rest of us , as he often does , of the fragility of life — that we could find ourselves suddenly unhoused , too , and that we should respond accordingly to our neighbors who already are .
He asked that we think twice about doing such things as calling police to request that encampments be removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleanups that set people who are homeless even further back when they lose crucial IDs and supplies .
He asked us to ask ourselves , “ What part do I play in perpetuating the hateful rhetoric or the uplifting rhetoric and the uplifting actions to help unhoused people find their best selves ?
” Do we play a role ?
Is it a role we can be proud of ?
These can be uncomfortable questions .
There ’ s a very creative guy I sometimes run into around town by the name of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says , more or less by choice .
If someone gave him an apartment , he ’ d move right in , he told me — but he doesn ’ t want to make his life all about working to afford one .
Torres , who grew up poor in Crenshaw and quit school after seventh grade , has chosen to live his life as a wandering storyteller .
He ’ s made two feature-length films while living on sidewalks .
He brings in money by selling the DVDS ( $ 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image in silhouette ( $ 50 ) and copies of photographs he takes as he pushes his cart around the city ( $ 10 ) .
Torres , 50 , is a voracious reader who has taught himself many things .
When a nearby coffee shop switched ownership and tossed out a beat-up , scratched-up mirror in a gilded frame , he began a series of striking self-portraits inspired , he told me , by Vivian Maier , the Chicago nanny whose extraordinary images were discovered only after her death .
Torres ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he places in the scenes he shoots of people living in dire straits on the streets .
Sometimes I imagine that if my own face were reflected in those photos , they would serve as a not-so-subtle critique of my miniscule efforts to reach out to those around me in need .
I hand out socks and blankets and TAP cards and gift cards .
I bring people what they tell me they could use .
I try to make connections and show that I care .
But I know it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of such great need .
Lelund Nathaniel Hollins ’ photographs make me feel that need powerfully .
They cry out the lack of comfort , the loneliness , the isolation .
Hollins , who does not have a home and often sleeps on public transportation , photographs others who do the same and who stretch out on our sidewalks and bus benches .
He ’ s part of an ongoing workshop in the journalism department at Cal State Northridge , in which seniors studying photojournalism coach those who are homeless or have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they can tell their own stories .
CSUN journalism professor David Blumenkrantz started the workshop , which is called “ How We See It.
” It ’ s turned out to be an even greater learning experience for the CSUN students , they told me , than it has for their protégés .
I met a lot of the group last month when the work was exhibited at the Museum of Social Justice in the heart of El Pueblo downtown .
They had all bonded and become close friends .
“ Being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is housed and someone who has food every day and someone who has a family , it opens your eyes to the world , ” one of the CSUN crew , Shae Hammond , told those gathered in a short speech .
I met Tim Caffery , who at the time was living in Griffith Park .
( He ’ s since been rousted by rangers and is tucked in along a freeway . )
Bobby Buck , who used to be on skid row , told me he liked taking pictures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he used to be , as a way to bring them dignity and light in the darkness .
Hollins , 45 , said the photos he takes hurt even his own heart .
He talked about the ones of the people hunched over in their seats on the Metro , their scant worldly belongings encircling them .
( He rents a storage space and so can own more . )
“ The harshest is when you see somebody make that seat into their only home , ” he told me .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think about one thing I particularly like about the podcast , “ We the Unhoused ” : the way Henderson closes nearly every episode .
“ Thank you for listening , ” he says .
“ And may we all again meet in the light of understanding .
”

Theo Henderson, creator of the “We the Unhoused” podcast, shares a balloon with his friend Genevieve Walan, 8, in the Chinatown park where he lives. Genevieve says, “He is my friend and he is funny.”
There’s a podcast I find myself listening to lately that isn’t produced in a studio. It hasn’t been polished and smoothed like a rock tossed in a tumbler. It contains stumbles and sometimes unexpected clattering.
But at its best, in its intimate stories from the streets and its insights from the experience of living on them, it cuts right through the background noise about homelessness.
Theo Henderson, 46, calls a park in Chinatown home and records “We the Unhoused” on his cellphone every week — no small feat as he also tries to survive on our streets. His parents, his only real safety net, died when he was a young man. And even though he graduated from college and used to teach elementary school, in a series of calamities starting with a diabetic coma during the recession, he lost his job and his housing and his economic stability. He now sleeps outdoors, on concrete.
In recent months, he has been chronicling the travails of others who for a host of reasons once lived under roofs but now don’t. He is one of a number of people I know of who are homeless in our city who also document homelessness. They’re in that world. They know it in ways I do not. When I come across them, I pay attention.
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This week, our governor, Gavin Newsom, devoted his State of the State address to California’s crisis of homelessness. He called it “a disgrace” that we ignored for too long. “We turned away when it wasn’t our sister, our brother, our neighbor or our friend,” he said, or when it was and no help was forthcoming.
Now there’s no turning away. It’s everywhere you look. And I think we have to look, closely and steadily.
Massive fixes are required — so much more housing, so many more support services. The vast majority of that work will fall to our government, at all levels.
But as individuals, I feel it behooves us to educate ourselves in order to understand the many layers of the problem. To figure out what useful actions we can take — whether alone or in groups, through donations or directly — when no official aid is at hand. To determine what we should be demanding our elected officials do to produce the kind of help those in need say might actually work for them.
I’ve talked in the past about the benefits for all concerned of reaching out to people on the streets, asking them what immediate help they need, trying to provide it, listening to them talk about their lives. I know not everyone will feel comfortable doing this. But there are other ways to go to the source.
“We the Unhoused” can get angry — at overzealous police and business improvement districts, at City Council members. Henderson takes jabs at my colleague Steve Lopez, too, which I’ve told him I think is unfair.
Advertisement
He has had the word “homeless” spat at him too often, he says, to want to use it himself. On his podcast, which he is trying to raise money to keep going, he simultaneously offers advice to the unhoused and to the rest of us who might be far too quick to write them off.
In one episode, he focused on violence against people who are homeless. He talked to Freddie, whose wife had died and who had then been evicted from the apartment building they’d managed; Freddie was living with his two cats near his former home when someone threw an incendiary device at his tent. He spoke to others who described having ice cubes thrown at them in the middle of the night, who worried that strangers might hand them poisoned food or that they could be attacked at any moment by people who want them gone.
He reminded the rest of us, as he often does, of the fragility of life — that we could find ourselves suddenly unhoused, too, and that we should respond accordingly to our neighbors who already are.
He asked that we think twice about doing such things as calling police to request that encampments be removed and spoke about the unintended consequences of cleanups that set people who are homeless even further back when they lose crucial IDs and supplies.
He asked us to ask ourselves, “What part do I play in perpetuating the hateful rhetoric or the uplifting rhetoric and the uplifting actions to help unhoused people find their best selves?”
Do we play a role? Is it a role we can be proud of? These can be uncomfortable questions.
Bumdog Torres describes himself as homeless by choice. He takes photos and shoots film of his world — including many other people on the streets. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
There’s a very creative guy I sometimes run into around town by the name of Bumdog Torres. He is homeless, he says, more or less by choice. If someone gave him an apartment, he’d move right in, he told me — but he doesn’t want to make his life all about working to afford one. Torres, who grew up poor in Crenshaw and quit school after seventh grade, has chosen to live his life as a wandering storyteller. He’s made two feature-length films while living on sidewalks. He brings in money by selling the DVDS ($25), along with T-shirts of his image in silhouette ($50) and copies of photographs he takes as he pushes his cart around the city ($10).
Torres, 50, is a voracious reader who has taught himself many things. When a nearby coffee shop switched ownership and tossed out a beat-up, scratched-up mirror in a gilded frame, he began a series of striking self-portraits inspired, he told me, by Vivian Maier, the Chicago nanny whose extraordinary images were discovered only after her death.
Torres’ face often appears in the gilded mirror, which he places in the scenes he shoots of people living in dire straits on the streets. Sometimes I imagine that if my own face were reflected in those photos, they would serve as a not-so-subtle critique of my miniscule efforts to reach out to those around me in need. I hand out socks and blankets and TAP cards and gift cards. I bring people what they tell me they could use. I try to make connections and show that I care. But I know it’s so little in the face of such great need.
Lelund Nathaniel Hollins’ photographs make me feel that need powerfully. They cry out the lack of comfort, the loneliness, the isolation. Hollins, who does not have a home and often sleeps on public transportation, photographs others who do the same and who stretch out on our sidewalks and bus benches.
Photographer Lelund Nathaniel Hollins, who is homeless, stands next to his photo of a barefoot homeless person slumped over on a Metro seat. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
He’s part of an ongoing workshop in the journalism department at Cal State Northridge, in which seniors studying photojournalism coach those who are homeless or have been homeless, teaching them street photography skills so they can tell their own stories. CSUN journalism professor David Blumenkrantz started the workshop, which is called “How We See It.” It’s turned out to be an even greater learning experience for the CSUN students, they told me, than it has for their protégés. I met a lot of the group last month when the work was exhibited at the Museum of Social Justice in the heart of El Pueblo downtown. They had all bonded and become close friends.
“Being able to recognize my privilege as someone who is housed and someone who has food every day and someone who has a family, it opens your eyes to the world,” one of the CSUN crew, Shae Hammond, told those gathered in a short speech.
I met Tim Caffery, who at the time was living in Griffith Park. (He’s since been rousted by rangers and is tucked in along a freeway.) Bobby Buck, who used to be on skid row, told me he liked taking pictures of people who are homeless, as he used to be, as a way to bring them dignity and light in the darkness.
Hollins, 45, said the photos he takes hurt even his own heart. He talked about the ones of the people hunched over in their seats on the Metro, their scant worldly belongings encircling them. (He rents a storage space and so can own more.)
“The harshest is when you see somebody make that seat into their only home,” he told me. And I had to agree.
Which made me think about one thing I particularly like about the podcast, “We the Unhoused”: the way Henderson closes nearly every episode.
“Thank you for listening,” he says. “And may we all again meet in the light of understanding.”


latimes--2020-02-24--Newsom hopes to broker a peace treaty in California's water war. Some worry he'll cave to Trump

Gov .
Gavin Newsom may be piloting a lifeboat that will rescue the sinking California Delta .
Or he may be in water over his head on a doomed mission .
The governor gets angry with skeptics who say he ’ s being delusional .
But history sides with the doubters .
“ I love reading all that , ‘ Hey , he ’ s naive .
He ’ s being misled , ’ ” Newsom recently told a forum sponsored by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California , his voice rising with a touch of sarcasm .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little different.
” No California water hole has been fought over more than the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta .
It ’ s right up there with the Owens Valley and the state ’ s share of the Colorado River .
The delta supplies water for 27 million people and irrigates 3 million acres .
California ’ s economy depends , in large part , on its health .
But the delta ’ s ecology has been declining , primarily because water from rivers has been diverted for agriculture before it reaches the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the water that does make it there has been overpumped through fish-chomping monstrosities into southbound aqueducts .
This has devastated native fish — salmon , steelhead , smelt — and prompted courts to occasionally tighten the spigots on water pumped to San Joaquin Valley farms and Southern California cities .
To succeed in fixing the delta , Newsom must navigate through eternally warring interests : San Joaquin Valley agriculture and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on one side , and delta farmers , the coastal fishing industry and environmentalists on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more intense , the president and the governor now are in a spat over water for the first time in modern history .
Newsom got dragged in reluctantly .
“ I don ’ t need to be told , ‘ You need to be tough against the Trump administration , ’ ” Newsom said at the PPIC forum .
“ Give me a break .
I know that.
” Newsom ’ s delta rescue plan basically involves everyone getting along , compromising and singing “ Kumbaya.
” But that normally hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wars are second nature in the West .
California has been fighting over water since statehood .
In 2009 , Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger muscled a ballyhooed bill through the Legislature that was heralded as a wonderwork .
It was supposed to restore the delta and stabilize water deliveries .
So far , it has belly-flopped .
It led to Gov .
Jerry Brown proposing construction of two monster tunnels to siphon fresh Sacramento River water from the north delta directly into the southbound aqueducts , reducing use of the fish-killing pumps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the loss of fresh water .
And the project ’ s $ 17-billion cost was too much for many water districts anyway .
So Newsom scaled back the proposal to one tunnel , which is still being planned .
Nothing about it is certain .
Newsom “ seems to be chasing this white whale of voluntary agreements , ” says Doug Obegi , senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council .
“ It feels like the state is trying to adapt more to Trump [ environmental protection ] rollbacks rather than forcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values.
” Newsom has pulled the warring interests — mainly San Joaquin Valley irrigators , the Metropolitan Water District and environmentalists — into efforts to reach voluntary agreements on river flows , delta pumping and habitat improvements .
Newsom is so committed to the negotiations that in September he vetoed state Senate leader Toni Atkins ’ anti-Trump environmental protection bill , SB 1 .
Under the measure , if Trump weakened federal environmental protections , they ’ d automatically be adopted by California .
But water districts threatened to walk out of talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So he didn ’ t .
“ I ’ m trying to put together a peace plan in the delta , ” says Wade Crowfoot , Newsom ’ s secretary of the Natural Resources Agency .
“ I don ’ t want to be a Pollyanna , but there ’ s beginning to be a sea change in many of these water users .
They ’ re just tired of fighting.
” But why would agriculture interests compromise with Newsom , at least until they learn whether Trump can win reelection in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their own : former Westlands Water District lobbyist David Bernhardt .
Because , Crowfoot says , the state still can set environmental protection regulations that govern both the federal Central Valley and state water projects .
But environmentalists fear that Newsom will cave in to Trump and valley growers and offer a deal too good for them to reject .
Last November , the Trump administration announced plans to roll back endangered species protections and export more delta water to Central Valley Project customers .
The state threatened to sue but never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — until last week .
That ’ s when Trump flew to California and flamboyantly signed an order implementing the plan .
Newsom sued , but expressed hope that the state , the feds and the warring parties could compromise .
Then he ’ d drop the suit .
“ You want to get into lawsuits ?
You want to screw this person , screw that person , spending seven years getting nothing done ?
” Newsom asserted testily at the Jan. 29 PPIC forum .
“ I ’ m the wrong person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so easy.… “ The world is changing .
We have to change with it.… Putting the old binaries aside , getting off our high horse .
Recognizing that we need each other.
” If Newsom can pull this off , it would truly be a remarkable achievement .
But can irrigators and environmentalists fit in the same lifeboat ?
They never have .

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near the town of Rio Vista.
Gov. Gavin Newsom may be piloting a lifeboat that will rescue the sinking California Delta. Or he may be in water over his head on a doomed mission.
The governor gets angry with skeptics who say he’s being delusional. But history sides with the doubters.
“I love reading all that, ‘Hey, he’s naive. He’s being misled,’” Newsom recently told a forum sponsored by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, his voice rising with a touch of sarcasm.
Advertisement
“It means we’re doing something a little different.”
No California water hole has been fought over more than the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. It’s right up there with the Owens Valley and the state’s share of the Colorado River.
The delta supplies water for 27 million people and irrigates 3 million acres. California’s economy depends, in large part, on its health.
But the delta’s ecology has been declining, primarily because water from rivers has been diverted for agriculture before it reaches the West Coast’s largest estuary. And the water that does make it there has been overpumped through fish-chomping monstrosities into southbound aqueducts.
This has devastated native fish — salmon, steelhead, smelt — and prompted courts to occasionally tighten the spigots on water pumped to San Joaquin Valley farms and Southern California cities.
To succeed in fixing the delta, Newsom must navigate through eternally warring interests: San Joaquin Valley agriculture and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on one side, and delta farmers, the coastal fishing industry and environmentalists on the other.
Making the current dispute even more intense, the president and the governor now are in a spat over water for the first time in modern history. Newsom got dragged in reluctantly.
Advertisement
“I don’t need to be told, ‘You need to be tough against the Trump administration,’” Newsom said at the PPIC forum. “Give me a break. I know that.”
Newsom’s delta rescue plan basically involves everyone getting along, compromising and singing “Kumbaya.” But that normally hasn’t worked in the past.
Water wars are second nature in the West. California has been fighting over water since statehood.
In 2009, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger muscled a ballyhooed bill through the Legislature that was heralded as a wonderwork. It was supposed to restore the delta and stabilize water deliveries. So far, it has belly-flopped.
It led to Gov. Jerry Brown proposing construction of two monster tunnels to siphon fresh Sacramento River water from the north delta directly into the southbound aqueducts, reducing use of the fish-killing pumps. But delta communities and environmentalists loudly protested the loss of fresh water. And the project’s $17-billion cost was too much for many water districts anyway.
So Newsom scaled back the proposal to one tunnel, which is still being planned. Nothing about it is certain.
Newsom “seems to be chasing this white whale of voluntary agreements,” says Doug Obegi, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“It feels like the state is trying to adapt more to Trump [environmental protection] rollbacks rather than forcing the Trump administration to adjust to California values.”
The Newsom administration denies it’s leaning toward Trump’s views.
Newsom has pulled the warring interests — mainly San Joaquin Valley irrigators, the Metropolitan Water District and environmentalists — into efforts to reach voluntary agreements on river flows, delta pumping and habitat improvements.
Newsom is so committed to the negotiations that in September he vetoed state Senate leader Toni Atkins’ anti-Trump environmental protection bill, SB 1. Under the measure, if Trump weakened federal environmental protections, they’d automatically be adopted by California. But water districts threatened to walk out of talks with Newsom if he signed the legislation. So he didn’t.
“I’m trying to put together a peace plan in the delta,” says Wade Crowfoot, Newsom’s secretary of the Natural Resources Agency.
“I don’t want to be a Pollyanna, but there’s beginning to be a sea change in many of these water users. They’re just tired of fighting.”
But why would agriculture interests compromise with Newsom, at least until they learn whether Trump can win reelection in November? His interior secretary is one of their own: former Westlands Water District lobbyist David Bernhardt.
Because, Crowfoot says, the state still can set environmental protection regulations that govern both the federal Central Valley and state water projects.
But environmentalists fear that Newsom will cave in to Trump and valley growers and offer a deal too good for them to reject.
Last November, the Trump administration announced plans to roll back endangered species protections and export more delta water to Central Valley Project customers. The state threatened to sue but never did — despite loud pressure from environmentalists — until last week. That’s when Trump flew to California and flamboyantly signed an order implementing the plan.
Newsom sued, but expressed hope that the state, the feds and the warring parties could compromise. Then he’d drop the suit.
“You want to get into lawsuits? You want to screw this person, screw that person, spending seven years getting nothing done?” Newsom asserted testily at the Jan. 29 PPIC forum. “I’m the wrong person in this job. That’s so easy.…
“The world is changing. We have to change with it.… Putting the old binaries aside, getting off our high horse. Recognizing that we need each other.”
If Newsom can pull this off, it would truly be a remarkable achievement. But can irrigators and environmentalists fit in the same lifeboat? They never have.


latimes--2020-02-24--Ventura County naval base could be used to quarantine coronavirus patients

Naval Base Ventura County at Point Mugu might be a landing spot for Americans suspected of being infected with the new strain of coronavirus .
Late Sunday night , the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that the base could house travelers coming through Los Angeles International Airport .
There , doctors would assess whether patients had contracted the COVID-19 virus , which has killed more than 2,600 people — mostly in China .
“ The Department of Defense has made sites available around the country to house such travelers , and NBVC-Point Mugu was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travelers requiring quarantine , ” the department said in a statement .
“ At this time , HHS is preparing this site should it be needed in the rapidly evolving public health response.
” An information session will be held at the Point Mugu theater at 6:30 p.m. Monday , according to the naval base ’ s official Twitter account .
Earlier this month , nearly 200 Americans were quarantined at a Riverside County military base for two weeks .
They arrived at March Air Reserve Base on a chartered flight from China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , were released Feb. 11 .

A coronavirus health advisory is posted earlier this month in the emergency department at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.
Naval Base Ventura County at Point Mugu might be a landing spot for Americans suspected of being infected with the new strain of coronavirus.
Late Sunday night, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that the base could house travelers coming through Los Angeles International Airport. There, doctors would assess whether patients had contracted the COVID-19 virus, which has killed more than 2,600 people — mostly in China.
“The Department of Defense has made sites available around the country to house such travelers, and NBVC-Point Mugu was one site determined to be suitable for travelers requiring quarantine,” the department said in a statement.
“At this time, HHS is preparing this site should it be needed in the rapidly evolving public health response.”
An information session will be held at the Point Mugu theater at 6:30 p.m. Monday, according to the naval base’s official Twitter account.
Earlier this month, nearly 200 Americans were quarantined at a Riverside County military base for two weeks. They arrived at March Air Reserve Base on a chartered flight from China and, after all testing negative for the virus, were released Feb. 11.


latimes--2020-02-23--NTSB sends team to investigate deadly chartered bus crash in San Diego

The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate a charter bus crash off Interstate 15 that killed three passengers and injured 18 others , the federal agency said Sunday .
The agency , which investigates transportation crashes , said on Twitter that “ a team of four ” was sent to the scene of the crash in the Pala Mesa area in northern San Diego County , just south of State Route 76 , authorities said .
The crash occurred amid rainy conditions when the driver swerved and lost control of the bus in the southbound lanes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said .
The bus slid down an embankment and landed on its roof .
Some of the 21 passengers , a mix of adults and children , were thrown from the bus , while others were trapped inside , authorities said .
Some crawled out on their own .
Three women , one who was pinned under the bus and two who were pulled from inside , died before they could be taken to a hospital , authorities said .
Their names were not released .
Eighteen others were taken to area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver , a man from Whittier , suffered minor injuries and initially remained at the scene , said California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Latulippe .
He was later taken to a station for questioning .
The driver , whose name was not released , voluntarily submitted a blood sample , which is standard in such investigations .
However , drugs and alcohol are not suspected of being a factor in the crash , authorities said .
The charter is owned by Executive Lines , a company based east of Los Angeles .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clean record for the company , which passed all inspections in the last two years .
Latulippe said Saturday that it was too early to determine what extent weather played a role .
The bus , which was hauled up the embankment by a heavy-duty tow trunk , was taken to a CHP evidence yard .
Latulippe said it would be examined for possible mechanic failures such as steering and braking issues .

A bus veered off Interstate 15 and rolled down an embankment in north San Diego County early Saturday, killing three people and injuring more than a dozen others.
The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate a charter bus crash off Interstate 15 that killed three passengers and injured 18 others, the federal agency said Sunday.
The agency, which investigates transportation crashes, said on Twitter that “a team of four” was sent to the scene of the crash in the Pala Mesa area in northern San Diego County, just south of State Route 76, authorities said.
The crash occurred amid rainy conditions when the driver swerved and lost control of the bus in the southbound lanes of the freeway about 10:20 a.m. Saturday, officials said. The bus slid down an embankment and landed on its roof.
Some of the 21 passengers, a mix of adults and children, were thrown from the bus, while others were trapped inside, authorities said. Some crawled out on their own.
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Three women, one who was pinned under the bus and two who were pulled from inside, died before they could be taken to a hospital, authorities said. Their names were not released.
Eighteen others were taken to area hospitals, authorities said.
The bus driver, a man from Whittier, suffered minor injuries and initially remained at the scene, said California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Latulippe. He was later taken to a station for questioning.
The driver, whose name was not released, voluntarily submitted a blood sample, which is standard in such investigations. However, drugs and alcohol are not suspected of being a factor in the crash, authorities said.
The charter is owned by Executive Lines, a company based east of Los Angeles. The U.S. Department of Transportation website shows a clean record for the company, which passed all inspections in the last two years.
Latulippe said Saturday that it was too early to determine what extent weather played a role.
The bus, which was hauled up the embankment by a heavy-duty tow trunk, was taken to a CHP evidence yard. Latulippe said it would be examined for possible mechanic failures such as steering and braking issues.
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-24--Compost your departed loved one and save the planet, L.A. lawmaker says

A Los Angeles lawmaker wants California to allow for human composting , an eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial or cremation in which the dead are turned into soil .
The state of Washington became the first state to allow human composting when Democratic Gov .
Jay Inslee signed a law last year permitting the practice .
“ I would love to be a tree one day , ” said Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia ( D-Bell Gardens ) , who introduced Assembly Bill 2592 to allow for human composting , or “ natural organic reduction ” as the upstart industry calls the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about giving people another option.
” Washington ’ s law goes into effect on May 1 , with a Seattle business called Recompose preparing to open a funeral home that offers the service in early 2021 .
Recompose ’ s process involves placing a body into a vessel with wood chips , alfalfa and straw , allowing it to be decomposed by microbes and reduced to a nutrient-dense soil in about a month .
The end result is about a cubic yard of soil per person , which is then returned to families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Supporters of the practice say it ’ s an end-of-life option that will have a positive impact on the environment .
Alternatively , cremation is an energy-intense process that produces carbon dioxide emissions , while traditional burial uses chemicals to embalm bodies and a non-biodegradable coffin to store them .
The Catholic Church came out in opposition to the Washington law , saying that human composting doesn ’ t show proper respect for the dead .
The newly introduced California bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been proposing new ways to reduce the environmental footprint of death , such as burial without embalming or a casket .
Other companies have focused on ways to give back to nature after death , such as by creating marine reefs out of cremated remains to support sea life .
Human composting , its supporters say , accomplishes both .
The process recreates what happens to animals on the forest floor without chemicals or emissions while allowing the soil produced to be used to plant trees that help the environment .
Recompose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is less than the average burial with a casket but more than the average cremation .
“ When I started this several years ago I was shocked at how many people find this not only palatable but comforting and meaningful , ” said Katrina Spade , the chief executive of Recompose .
“ People who recognize that soil is the basis for all life on Earth and also are aware of the climate implications of sequestering carbon through the creation of soil find this attractive.
” People in California have expressed an interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company .
“ I knew the moment I heard about this , it was what I wanted to do , ” said Nikolaus Kraemer of Los Angeles .
“ I ’ m 55 and healthy , but I would put this in my will or advanced directive that when I ’ m dead I don ’ t want to be pushed into a crematory or buried six feet under .
I think this is a peaceful way to go back to where we came from .
”

A Los Angeles lawmaker wants California to allow for human composting, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial or cremation in which the dead are turned into soil.
The state of Washington became the first state to allow human composting when Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed a law last year permitting the practice.
“I would love to be a tree one day,” said Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), who introduced Assembly Bill 2592 to allow for human composting, or “natural organic reduction” as the upstart industry calls the process. “I think this is about giving people another option.”
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Washington’s law goes into effect on May 1, with a Seattle business called Recompose preparing to open a funeral home that offers the service in early 2021. Recompose’s process involves placing a body into a vessel with wood chips, alfalfa and straw, allowing it to be decomposed by microbes and reduced to a nutrient-dense soil in about a month.
The end result is about a cubic yard of soil per person, which is then returned to families or donated to conservation land for use.
Supporters of the practice say it’s an end-of-life option that will have a positive impact on the environment. Alternatively, cremation is an energy-intense process that produces carbon dioxide emissions, while traditional burial uses chemicals to embalm bodies and a non-biodegradable coffin to store them.
The Catholic Church came out in opposition to the Washington law, saying that human composting doesn’t show proper respect for the dead. The newly introduced California bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing in the state Capitol.
In recent years, companies have been proposing new ways to reduce the environmental footprint of death, such as burial without embalming or a casket. Other companies have focused on ways to give back to nature after death, such as by creating marine reefs out of cremated remains to support sea life.
Human composting, its supporters say, accomplishes both. The process recreates what happens to animals on the forest floor without chemicals or emissions while allowing the soil produced to be used to plant trees that help the environment. Recompose plans to charge $5,500, which is less than the average burial with a casket but more than the average cremation.
“When I started this several years ago I was shocked at how many people find this not only palatable but comforting and meaningful,” said Katrina Spade, the chief executive of Recompose. “People who recognize that soil is the basis for all life on Earth and also are aware of the climate implications of sequestering carbon through the creation of soil find this attractive.”
People in California have expressed an interest in the process and have been contacting the company.
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“I knew the moment I heard about this, it was what I wanted to do,” said Nikolaus Kraemer of Los Angeles. “I’m 55 and healthy, but I would put this in my will or advanced directive that when I’m dead I don’t want to be pushed into a crematory or buried six feet under. I think this is a peaceful way to go back to where we came from.”


latimes--2020-02-24--Harvey Weinstein verdict in New York makes a conviction in L.A. more likely, experts say

Monday ’ s verdict in Harvey Weinstein ’ s New York rape trial will likely help Los Angeles County prosecutors secure a conviction against the disgraced movie mogul in his California case , legal analysts said .
“ This is very bad news for Harvey Weinstein , ” said USC law professor Susan Estrich , who has written extensively about sexual assault cases .
“ The defense Weinstein tried to use failed .
And if it didn ’ t fly in New York for rape , it is not going to fly in California for sexual battery.
” On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial , L.A. County prosecutors charged Weinstein with forcible rape , forcible oral copulation , sexual penetration by use of restraint and sexual battery by restraint .
The New York jury found Weinstein guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree .
Those two counts were connected to individual allegations made by Mimi Haley , a former Weinstein Co. production assistant , and Jessica Mann , a once-aspiring actress .
But Weinstein was acquitted on the two most serious charges of predatory sexual assault , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In order to convict on those counts , jurors needed to believe the testimonies of not only Haley and Mann , but also “ Sopranos ” actress Annabella Sciorra , who said Weinstein barged into her Gramercy Park apartment in late 1993 or early 1994 and raped her .
Sciorra ’ s allegation was too old to prosecute individually .
And Monday ’ s verdict made it clear that one or more jurors struggled with her account , believing that force was not used — a factor that needed to be proved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — or that her story was not entirely true .
“ Any older allegation of any nature , not just sexual assault , is harder to prove and establish , ” said New York-based attorney Paul DerOhannesian , an expert on sexual assault cases .
The charges in L.A. County stem from accusations brought by a pair of women who say the movie mogul attacked them in hotels in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills in 2013 .
One of the women is a former model and actress who described Weinstein ’ s alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to her attorney , David Ring .
The other woman , Lauren Young , testified in Weinstein ’ s Manhattan trial as one of three “ prior bad acts ” witnesses .
Young , who said she met Weinstein just one time , alleges the producer trapped her in a hotel bathroom and groped her breasts while masturbating .
The L.A. County case won ’ t proceed before Weinstein ’ s March 11 sentencing in New York , according to the Manhattan district attorney ’ s office .
That means Weinstein ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to scrutinize Young ’ s testimony ahead of a Los Angeles trial , according to Dmitriy Shakhnevich , a criminal defense attorney who now teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan .
There are already some evident weaknesses in Young ’ s testimony , including initial confusion over when the assault happened and a conflicting account from model Claudia Salinas , who Young said helped Weinstein trap her .
In the New York courtroom , Salinas denied aiding Weinstein in an assault .
Loyola law professor Laurie Levenson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it remains possible that the L.A. County charges will be negotiated and a plea bargain will be entered without a trial .
At the same time , the New York conviction will make it easier for prosecutors to prove their case in Los Angeles , experts say .
The first-degree criminal sex act conviction establishes that Weinstein engaged in an act of force , which could help California prosecutors prove propensity for such behavior , DerOhannesian said .
“ If that ’ s admissible as proof , it ’ s a difficult fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weinstein being in custody will also present a major hurdle for the producer ’ s L.A. defense team .
“ It ’ s more difficult when you ’ re incarcerated to defend yourself , ” DerOhannesian said , “ and even more challenging when you ’ re convicted cross-country , sitting in a New York state prison.
” Levenson noted that L.A. County prosecutors will have a preview of how the defense will attack their case and that they can “ prepare accordingly.
” The New York conviction could also lead to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weinstein is convicted there .
Judges consider prior convictions when they sentence defendants , DerOhannesian said .
Other legal analysts said Monday that the New York jurors appear to have weighed the evidence carefully and delivered a verdict that would be difficult for Weinstein to overturn .
Stanford law professor Robert Weisberg , an expert in criminal law , said the decision was not a “ rough compromise , but a pretty thoughtful verdict given the complexities of the evidence.
” Before the verdict , legal experts predicted that continued communication between Weinstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sticking point for jurors .
But the conviction shows a shift in society ’ s understanding of the various contexts in which an assault can occur , and the different ways victims might behave after an assault , said Wendy Murphy , a professor of sexual violence law at New England Law in Boston and a former sex crimes prosecutor .
“ It shouldn ’ t matter if you ’ re sexually assaulted in your own home , by your husband , by your boss , ” Murphy said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstance.
” The Weinstein conviction serves as vindication of the # MeToo movement , which was spurred in 2017 by the chorus of women who spoke out about their experiences with Weinstein .
But it should also be noted that the charges Weinstein was found guilty of are among the lowest levels of sex crimes in New York , Murphy said .
“ It ’ s hard to not see that as a discount that he doesn ’ t deserve , ” Murphy added .
Stanford law professor Michele Dauber , who specializes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ obviously disappointed ” that Weinstein was acquitted of the two most serious charges .
But the verdict was still an “ enormous victory for women and sexual assault victims , ” she said , and showed that “ ordinary Americans understand the severity and danger of sexual violence better than many members of the legal profession.
” Dauber was referring to New York prosecutors , who she says filed charges against Weinstein only under “ irresistible pressure from the # MeToo movement.
” “ The verdict was a sign that being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a get-out-of-jail-free card anymore when it comes to sexual violence , ” Dauber said .

Harvey Weinstein, second from left, leaves Manhattan Criminal Court after prosecutors completed their closing arguments in his rape trial on Friday.
Monday’s verdict in Harvey Weinstein’s New York rape trial will likely help Los Angeles County prosecutors secure a conviction against the disgraced movie mogul in his California case, legal analysts said.
“This is very bad news for Harvey Weinstein,” said USC law professor Susan Estrich, who has written extensively about sexual assault cases. “The defense Weinstein tried to use failed. And if it didn’t fly in New York for rape, it is not going to fly in California for sexual battery.”
On the eve of Weinstein’s New York trial, L.A. County prosecutors charged Weinstein with forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of restraint and sexual battery by restraint.
The New York jury found Weinstein guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree. Those two counts were connected to individual allegations made by Mimi Haley, a former Weinstein Co. production assistant, and Jessica Mann, a once-aspiring actress.
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But Weinstein was acquitted on the two most serious charges of predatory sexual assault, which each carried a potential life sentence.
In order to convict on those counts, jurors needed to believe the testimonies of not only Haley and Mann, but also “Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra, who said Weinstein barged into her Gramercy Park apartment in late 1993 or early 1994 and raped her.
Sciorra’s allegation was too old to prosecute individually. And Monday’s verdict made it clear that one or more jurors struggled with her account, believing that force was not used — a factor that needed to be proved to convict on the predatory assault charges — or that her story was not entirely true.
“Any older allegation of any nature, not just sexual assault, is harder to prove and establish,” said New York-based attorney Paul DerOhannesian, an expert on sexual assault cases.
The charges in L.A. County stem from accusations brought by a pair of women who say the movie mogul attacked them in hotels in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills in 2013.
One of the women is a former model and actress who described Weinstein’s alleged assault to The Times in 2017 , according to her attorney, David Ring.
The other woman, Lauren Young, testified in Weinstein’s Manhattan trial as one of three “prior bad acts” witnesses. Young, who said she met Weinstein just one time, alleges the producer trapped her in a hotel bathroom and groped her breasts while masturbating.
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The L.A. County case won’t proceed before Weinstein’s March 11 sentencing in New York, according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
That means Weinstein’s defense team will have plenty of time to scrutinize Young’s testimony ahead of a Los Angeles trial, according to Dmitriy Shakhnevich, a criminal defense attorney who now teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.
There are already some evident weaknesses in Young’s testimony, including initial confusion over when the assault happened and a conflicting account from model Claudia Salinas, who Young said helped Weinstein trap her. In the New York courtroom, Salinas denied aiding Weinstein in an assault.
“That never happened,” Salinas told jurors.
Loyola law professor Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor, said it remains possible that the L.A. County charges will be negotiated and a plea bargain will be entered without a trial.
At the same time, the New York conviction will make it easier for prosecutors to prove their case in Los Angeles, experts say. The first-degree criminal sex act conviction establishes that Weinstein engaged in an act of force, which could help California prosecutors prove propensity for such behavior, DerOhannesian said.
“If that’s admissible as proof, it’s a difficult fact to overcome,” DerOhannesian said.
Weinstein being in custody will also present a major hurdle for the producer’s L.A. defense team.
“It’s more difficult when you’re incarcerated to defend yourself,” DerOhannesian said, “and even more challenging when you’re convicted cross-country, sitting in a New York state prison.”
California Weinstein accusers share relief, tears and hope after verdict Women’s rights groups and actresses who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse described feeling a wave of relief and camaraderie on Monday after a jury found the producer guilty of one count of rape and one count of committing a criminal sexual act.
Levenson noted that L.A. County prosecutors will have a preview of how the defense will attack their case and that they can “prepare accordingly.”
The New York conviction could also lead to a more severe punishment in Los Angeles if Weinstein is convicted there. Judges consider prior convictions when they sentence defendants, DerOhannesian said.
Other legal analysts said Monday that the New York jurors appear to have weighed the evidence carefully and delivered a verdict that would be difficult for Weinstein to overturn.
Stanford law professor Robert Weisberg, an expert in criminal law, said the decision was not a “rough compromise, but a pretty thoughtful verdict given the complexities of the evidence.”
Before the verdict, legal experts predicted that continued communication between Weinstein and accusers Mann and Haley could be a sticking point for jurors.
But the conviction shows a shift in society’s understanding of the various contexts in which an assault can occur, and the different ways victims might behave after an assault, said Wendy Murphy, a professor of sexual violence law at New England Law in Boston and a former sex crimes prosecutor.
“It shouldn’t matter if you’re sexually assaulted in your own home, by your husband, by your boss,” Murphy said. “The law should apply the same to each circumstance.”
The Weinstein conviction serves as vindication of the #MeToo movement, which was spurred in 2017 by the chorus of women who spoke out about their experiences with Weinstein.
But it should also be noted that the charges Weinstein was found guilty of are among the lowest levels of sex crimes in New York, Murphy said.
“It’s hard to not see that as a discount that he doesn’t deserve,” Murphy added.
Stanford law professor Michele Dauber, who specializes in sexual violence law, said she was “obviously disappointed” that Weinstein was acquitted of the two most serious charges. But the verdict was still an “enormous victory for women and sexual assault victims,” she said, and showed that “ordinary Americans understand the severity and danger of sexual violence better than many members of the legal profession.”
Dauber was referring to New York prosecutors, who she says filed charges against Weinstein only under “irresistible pressure from the #MeToo movement.”
“The verdict was a sign that being white and powerful will not necessarily provide a get-out-of-jail-free card anymore when it comes to sexual violence,” Dauber said.


latimes--2020-02-24--Students protest suspension of teacher who sparked 'American Dirt' backlash

A group of students protested Monday at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in support of teacher Myriam Gurba , who was recently placed on administrative leave and escorted from the school .
In recent months , Gurba , the author of “ Mean , ” a memoir of her youth as a queer , mixed-race Chicana , sparked the backlash over the bestselling novel “ American Dirt ” when she disclosed that a magazine had rejected her scathing review of Jeanine Cummins ’ thriller-romance novel , one that she and others have sharply criticized as depicting harmful images of Mexican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she had been placed on administrative leave after she voiced support for students on Twitter who had alleged verbal and physical abuse at the hands of another teacher .
That teacher , Libby Huff , is on leave from the district .
Long Beach police are investigating the allegations .
Gurba , who said she is an AP psychology teacher , additionally raised unconfirmed allegations of wrongdoing against another teacher at a different school .
According to Gurba , she was told to leave the school Friday because her social media was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our school district placed Poly High School teacher Myriam Gurba on paid administrative leave , ” Chris Eftychiou , a spokesman for the Long Beach Unified School District , said in an email .
“ The school district is not at liberty to provide further details because of confidentiality rules affecting personnel matters.
” On Twitter , Gurba said the school administration had “ censored ” the student protest by drowning the crowds out with music .
The school district referred to the demonstration as a 15-minute rally during nutrition period when students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About 60 students were on or near the rally stage in support of teacher Myriam Gurba , who was placed on paid administrative leave on Friday , ” Eftychiou said .
A video posted by a student showed others holding signs that read “ Gurba , ” “ We believe you ” and “ I ’ m With Her.
” “ A group of fellow students and I started a protest at school because we need our voices to be heard .
We will not be silenced any longer !
” a student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Activist Shaun King described the demonstration as a student walk-out and posted a separate video on Twitter of crowd of students gathered outside .

Students protested Monday in support of teacher Myriam Gurba, who was recently placed on paid administrative leave.
A group of students protested Monday at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in support of teacher Myriam Gurba, who was recently placed on administrative leave and escorted from the school.
In recent months, Gurba, the author of “Mean,” a memoir of her youth as a queer, mixed-race Chicana, sparked the backlash over the bestselling novel “American Dirt” when she disclosed that a magazine had rejected her scathing review of Jeanine Cummins’ thriller-romance novel, one that she and others have sharply criticized as depicting harmful images of Mexican life.
Last week, Gurba disclosed that she had been placed on administrative leave after she voiced support for students on Twitter who had alleged verbal and physical abuse at the hands of another teacher. That teacher, Libby Huff, is on leave from the district. Long Beach police are investigating the allegations.
A group of fellow students and I started a protest at school because we need our voices to be heard. We will not be silenced any longer! pic.twitter.com/KxS02hDm4a — jazzy jukes ☀ (@jazmine_okay) February 24, 2020
Gurba, who said she is an AP psychology teacher, additionally raised unconfirmed allegations of wrongdoing against another teacher at a different school.
According to Gurba, she was told to leave the school Friday because her social media was “disruptive to the school.”
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The school district previously confirmed her suspension.
“Our school district placed Poly High School teacher Myriam Gurba on paid administrative leave,” Chris Eftychiou, a spokesman for the Long Beach Unified School District, said in an email. “The school district is not at liberty to provide further details because of confidentiality rules affecting personnel matters.”
On Twitter, Gurba said the school administration had “censored” the student protest by drowning the crowds out with music.
The school district referred to the demonstration as a 15-minute rally during nutrition period when students were already out of class.
“About 60 students were on or near the rally stage in support of teacher Myriam Gurba, who was placed on paid administrative leave on Friday,” Eftychiou said.
A video posted by a student showed others holding signs that read “Gurba,” “We believe you” and “I’m With Her.”
“A group of fellow students and I started a protest at school because we need our voices to be heard. We will not be silenced any longer!” a student identified on Twitter as Jazzy Jukes posted.
Activist Shaun King described the demonstration as a student walk-out and posted a separate video on Twitter of crowd of students gathered outside.
To the brave students at Long Beach Poly High School staging a walkout right now, we stand with you.
The racism, misogyny, and rape culture your school administration has protected must be confronted directly and you are doing it.
I’m proud of you. Don’t let up. pic.twitter.com/LV66XqH8UD — Shaun King (@shaunking) February 24, 2020
Times staff writer Daniel Hernandez contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-24--Big Bear's bald eagle eggs aren't likely to hatch, U.S. Forest Service says

For nearly two months , a pair of bald eagles in the San Bernardino National Forest have watched vigilantly over two eggs laid in early January , but officials say it ’ s looking like the eggs aren ’ t likely to hatch .
The chicks should have been born around Valentine ’ s Day , but on Feb. 21 — more than 40 days after the eggs were laid — the U.S. Forest Service delivered the disappointing news .
“ It ’ s hard to say this , ” the officials wrote on Facebook in announcing that the odds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chances “ are diminishing each day , ” they wrote .
“ The window of successful hatching is closing.
” Bald eagle Jackie laid her first egg of the year Jan. 8 .
Three days later , she laid a second .
Video of the nest showed her mate , Shadow , flying back and forth from the nest and collecting food , as Jackie sat vigil .
Each day , the birds — and thousands of viewers who tuned in to a livestream of their world — waited in anticipation .
Eggs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are laid .
There hasn ’ t been any definitive pip , or crack , in either egg , a sign the eggs may never hatch .
The Forest Service cited a number of reasons why the eggs might not survive , resulting in what ’ s called a nest failure .
They could have suffered incomplete fertilization during the mating process , or the embryos could have died during incubation because of various reasons , including weather , environmental factors or congenital defects .
It ’ s also possible the chicks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their shells .
The service expects Jackie and Shadow will continue to sit on the nest for one more week .
During that time , they are likely to leave the eggs unattended for lengthening periods of time .
“ Unattended , the eggs may be preyed upon by ravens .
It is possible that Jackie and Shadow may actually consume the eggs if they break in the nest , ” the Forest Service said .
Jackie is not likely to lay more eggs until next year , said Zach Behrens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information officer .
Because eagles have a fidelity to their nests , she and Shadow are expected to return to the same nest next season .
Amid snow flurries this year , the eagles have continued to guard their nest .
Despite the recent news , viewers have continued to tune in to watch the eagles .
Some shared their disappointment on social media about news of the potential losses , but others are holding out hope the chicks will hatch .
Last year , two chicks were born to Jackie and Shadow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of harsh winter weather .

For nearly two months, a pair of bald eagles in the San Bernardino National Forest have watched vigilantly over two eggs laid in early January, but officials say it’s looking like the eggs aren’t likely to hatch.
The chicks should have been born around Valentine’s Day, but on Feb. 21 — more than 40 days after the eggs were laid — the U.S. Forest Service delivered the disappointing news.
“It’s hard to say this,” the officials wrote on Facebook in announcing that the odds were against the eggs hatching. The chances “are diminishing each day,” they wrote. “The window of successful hatching is closing.”
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Bald eagle Jackie laid her first egg of the year Jan. 8. Three days later, she laid a second.
Video of the nest showed her mate, Shadow, flying back and forth from the nest and collecting food, as Jackie sat vigil. Each day, the birds — and thousands of viewers who tuned in to a livestream of their world — waited in anticipation.
Eggs typically hatch 35 to 38 days after they are laid. There hasn’t been any definitive pip, or crack, in either egg, a sign the eggs may never hatch.
The Forest Service cited a number of reasons why the eggs might not survive, resulting in what’s called a nest failure. They could have suffered incomplete fertilization during the mating process, or the embryos could have died during incubation because of various reasons, including weather, environmental factors or congenital defects. It’s also possible the chicks weren’t able to break out of their shells.
The service expects Jackie and Shadow will continue to sit on the nest for one more week. During that time, they are likely to leave the eggs unattended for lengthening periods of time.
“Unattended, the eggs may be preyed upon by ravens. It is possible that Jackie and Shadow may actually consume the eggs if they break in the nest,” the Forest Service said.
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Jackie is not likely to lay more eggs until next year, said Zach Behrens, San Bernardino National Forest’s public information officer. Because eagles have a fidelity to their nests, she and Shadow are expected to return to the same nest next season.
Amid snow flurries this year, the eagles have continued to guard their nest. Despite the recent news, viewers have continued to tune in to watch the eagles. Some shared their disappointment on social media about news of the potential losses, but others are holding out hope the chicks will hatch.
Last year, two chicks were born to Jackie and Shadow, but one died after several bouts of harsh winter weather.


latimes--2020-02-24--Harvey Weinstein verdict: The case now moves to Los Angeles

While the New York chapter of Harvey Weinstein ’ s criminal prosecution is over , pending an appeal and sentencing , the legal saga will soon move to Los Angeles .
Last month , Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey filed charges of forcible rape , forcible oral copulation , sexual penetration by use of restraint and sexual battery by restraint .
The charges stemmed from allegations made by two women who claimed Weinstein assaulted them in separate incidents in hotels in Beverly Hills and West L.A. in 2013 .
Even though the LAPD presented one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lacey has defended the timing of the filing .
“ We were working on investigating those cases .
In regard to the victims in this case and other sexual assault cases , it was very challenging to get those victims to open up and tell us what they needed to tell us , ” she said .
“ For some , it was very embarrassing — terrifying — and so [ we ] told them we were just working to get the evidence we need to get to court.
” A spokeswoman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Weinstein ’ s March 11 New York sentencing will take place before any proceedings initiate in California .
Through a spokesman , Los Angeles County Deputy Dist .
Atty .
Paul Thompson said he was “ definitely proceeding ” with his case despite Monday ’ s verdict in New York .
Weinstein faces five to 25 years in New York state prison .
Weinstein has been charged with four counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles County , stemming from accusations brought by two different women .
One of the women is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weinstein ’ s alleged assault to The Times in 2017 , according to her attorney , David Ring .
She said the first assault took place at Mr. C ’ s Beverly Hills hotel in February 2013 after she met Weinstein briefly at the Los Angeles Italia Film , Fashion and Art Fest .
Weinstein “ became very aggressive and demanding ” while asking her to disrobe , the woman previously told The Times .
The woman said that she showed Weinstein pictures of her children and begged him to stop .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced me to do something I did not want to do , ” she said .
In a motion asking a judge to set Weinstein ’ s bail in Los Angeles County at $ 5 million , prosecutors said the woman did not immediately report the assault to police because Weinstein threatened to kill her .
She did report the alleged attack to three close confidants in 2013 , however , including her priest , law enforcement sources previously told The Times .
Just days later , the second accuser said she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman at a hotel in West Los Angeles when he convinced them to visit his hotel suite , according to the bail motion .
Once upstairs , the victim “ unwittingly ” followed Weinstein into a bathroom and the other woman closed the door , trapping her inside , court records show .
At that point , Weinstein disrobed and showered briefly before undressing her , according to the motion .
Prosecutors accused Weinstein of groping the woman while masturbating , court records show .

While the New York chapter of Harvey Weinstein’s criminal prosecution is over, pending an appeal and sentencing, the legal saga will soon move to Los Angeles.
Last month, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey filed charges of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of restraint and sexual battery by restraint. The charges stemmed from allegations made by two women who claimed Weinstein assaulted them in separate incidents in hotels in Beverly Hills and West L.A. in 2013.
Even though the LAPD presented one of the cases to prosecutors in 2018, Lacey has defended the timing of the filing.
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“We were working on investigating those cases. In regard to the victims in this case and other sexual assault cases, it was very challenging to get those victims to open up and tell us what they needed to tell us,” she said. “For some, it was very embarrassing — terrifying — and so [we] told them we were just working to get the evidence we need to get to court.”
A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said Weinstein’s March 11 New York sentencing will take place before any proceedings initiate in California. Through a spokesman, Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Paul Thompson said he was “definitely proceeding” with his case despite Monday’s verdict in New York.
Weinstein faces five to 25 years in New York state prison.
Weinstein has been charged with four counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles County, stemming from accusations brought by two different women.
One of the women is a former model and actress who described Weinstein’s alleged assault to The Times in 2017 , according to her attorney, David Ring.
She said the first assault took place at Mr. C’s Beverly Hills hotel in February 2013 after she met Weinstein briefly at the Los Angeles Italia Film, Fashion and Art Fest. Weinstein “became very aggressive and demanding” while asking her to disrobe, the woman previously told The Times.
The woman said that she showed Weinstein pictures of her children and begged him to stop.
“He grabbed me by the hair and forced me to do something I did not want to do,” she said.
In a motion asking a judge to set Weinstein’s bail in Los Angeles County at $5 million, prosecutors said the woman did not immediately report the assault to police because Weinstein threatened to kill her. She did report the alleged attack to three close confidants in 2013, however, including her priest, law enforcement sources previously told The Times.
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Just days later, the second accuser said she had a business meeting with Weinstein and another woman at a hotel in West Los Angeles when he convinced them to visit his hotel suite, according to the bail motion. Once upstairs, the victim “unwittingly” followed Weinstein into a bathroom and the other woman closed the door, trapping her inside, court records show.
At that point, Weinstein disrobed and showered briefly before undressing her, according to the motion. Prosecutors accused Weinstein of groping the woman while masturbating, court records show.


latimes--2020-02-24--Harvey Weinstein verdict: Jurors took women's harrowing testimony to heart

To some legal experts , the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial came down to one question jurors would have to sort out .
Would the panel believe the emotional testimony of women who said the movie mogul abused them , or would the testimony be colored by the praise and attention some of the women later gave Weinstein ?
In the end , the jurors appeared swayed by the women ’ s accusations .
The jury found Weinstein guilty of one count of rape and one count of committing a criminal sexual act , with each crime connected to individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jessica Mann .
He was acquitted on the two most serious charges of predatory sexual assault , which each carried a potential life sentence .
It marks a victory for prosecutors , who took pains to show that the contact the women had after the attacks should not affect the credibility of their statements .
The prosecutors repeatedly reminded jurors that rape can occur within otherwise consensual and committed relationships .
What did Haley and Mann say in court ?
Haley , a former production assistant on the Weinstein Co.-produced reality TV show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first met the mogul at the premiere of “ The Aviator ” in 2004 .
Haley said the two had an awkward interaction at the Cannes Film Festival , where he requested a massage .
Not wanting anything more than a professional relationship with Weinstein , Haley said , she left .
Weinstein , however , would not relent , she alleged .
He helped her land a job on “ Project Runway ” in New York , but also repeatedly asked her to travel to Paris with him for a fashion show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her apartment uninvited , trying to convince her to take the trip , she said .
He refused to leave until Haley made a joke about how Weinstein had “ a terrible reputation with women , ” which seemed to offend him , she testified .
Concerned she had fractured her most important relationship in the film and television industry , Haley said , she agreed to meet with Weinstein again at his SoHo apartment in July 2006 .
She remembered the conversation being casual and friendly until Weinstein lunged forward and attempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , she kept retreating from Weinstein , even mentioning she was menstruating , until she stumbled backward into a bedroom .
As Haley recalled the alleged assault , tears began streaming down her face .
“ He pushed me down .
He held me down by my arms … no , stay , like that … and I said , ‘ No , no ’ and at that time I started realizing what was actually happening and I thought … ‘ This is being raped , ’ ” she testified .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
Haley recalled a second incident two weeks later at a Tribeca hotel , where , she said , Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her .
In shock , Haley said , she lay still the entire time while the mogul called her a “ whore ” and a “ bitch.
” “ I didn ’ t resist .
I just laid there , ” she said , dabbing at her eyes .
Haley has since changed her last name from Haleyi , in part due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She first went public with her allegation in 2017 .
A once-aspiring actress from a tiny Washington state dairy town , Mann ’ s testimony marked the most gut-wrenching portion of Weinstein ’ s trial .
She spent three days on the stand recounting a harrowing relationship with the mogul that she said was consensual at times , but was also marked by verbal abuse , degradation and at least two instances of violent sexual assault .
Mann broke down on the stand during cross-examination , causing Supreme Court Judge James Burke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mann said she met Weinstein at a Hollywood Hills party in 2013 , and he initially expressed interest in her acting .
Their early meetings were cordial — in one instance Weinstein escorted her through the shelves of Book Soup in West Hollywood to help her find reading material that might help her career — but the relationship quickly devolved into one entirely dependent on the mogul ’ s sexual desires , she alleged .
“ It was like Jekyll and Hyde .
He could be the most charming , informative person ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he introduced you to and then behind closed doors it was ... dependent on if I gave him what he wanted , ” Mann told jurors .
Mann said their relationship turned after a meeting for drinks at the Montage hotel in Beverly Hills to discuss a possible role in a “ vampire movie.
” Weinstein invited Mann and a friend up to his hotel room .
Once upstairs , Mann said through tears , Weinstein bullied her into a bedroom and forced oral sex on her .
Despite the alleged incident at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaged in a number of consensual sex acts with him .
Mann said Weinstein was a “ pseudo-father ” to her and that she was desperate for the mogul ’ s approval in the acting field .
She also described a consensual but harrowing relationship in which the Miramax co-founder treated her well in public but allegedly used her as a sexual plaything in private .
Mann said that though she felt “ compassion ” for Weinstein , she was not attracted to him .
During their encounters , she said , Weinstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one instance , she said , he urinated on her in a shower .
The two had only engaged in oral sex until 2013 , when Mann said she traveled to New York to help arrange a meeting between Weinstein and a friend of hers working as an agent .
The morning of the meeting , Mann alleged , Weinstein checked himself into her hotel .
Fearing he was trying to set the stage for a sexual encounter , she said , she confronted him in the hotel lobby .
The mogul grabbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside before leading her to the room , she alleged .
Once inside , he physically barred Mann from leaving and ordered her to undress , she testified .
What was the defense strategy ?
Defense attorneys repeatedly nudged the jury to consider what the aspiring actress stood to gain from her on-again , off-again relationship with Weinstein .
They pointed to the numerous invitations to Hollywood awards show parties Mann received from the producer , which she accepted .
They showed the jury emails that demonstrated how Mann turned to Weinstein for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And they noted that as Mann struggled to establish an acting career , Weinstein got her an audition for the 2014 film “ Vampire Academy.
” While cross-examining Mann and other accusers , Weinstein ’ s attorneys worked to upend the narrative of abuse the prosecution had built .
They asserted that not only were the alleged encounters with Weinstein consensual , they were part of a calculated effort by the accusers to siphon connections , acting roles and other favors from the former Hollywood titan .
Prosecutors depicted Mann as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state who met Weinstein at a Hollywood Hills party in 2013 .
Mann emphasized in her testimony that she never took advantage of him financially .
“ He offered to give me things , I refused them all , ” she told the jury .
Defense attorneys showed several emails in which Mann reached out to Weinstein after the alleged assaults .
Her last sexual encounter with him was in late 2016 , she said .
Mann turned to Weinstein when her father died and during a difficult breakup , emails show .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that argument ?
The prosecution ’ s final argument was designed to undercut the seeds of doubt painstakingly planted by Weinstein ’ s attorneys .
Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said that Weinstein kept in contact with his victims in order to control and isolate them .
He dangled roles in front of his accusers , she said , some of whom were trying to establish their acting careers .
The prosecution outlined the ways in which the accounts of abuse were strikingly similar : interactions with Weinstein that fluctuated between validating and humiliating ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demeanor , which could sometimes swing from friendly to menacing in a matter of moments ; and efforts to trick and trap the accusers in ways they said appeared premeditated .
“ When you have to trick somebody to be in your control , ” Illuzzi-Orbon said , “ then you know that you don ’ t have consent .
”

Harvey Weinstein leaves the Manhattan court on Friday. He was convicted of two counts Monday in his sexual assault trial.
To some legal experts, the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial came down to one question jurors would have to sort out.
Would the panel believe the emotional testimony of women who said the movie mogul abused them, or would the testimony be colored by the praise and attention some of the women later gave Weinstein?
In the end, the jurors appeared swayed by the women’s accusations.
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The jury found Weinstein guilty of one count of rape and one count of committing a criminal sexual act, with each crime connected to individual allegations made by accusers Mimi Haley and Jessica Mann. He was acquitted on the two most serious charges of predatory sexual assault, which each carried a potential life sentence.
It marks a victory for prosecutors, who took pains to show that the contact the women had after the attacks should not affect the credibility of their statements.
The prosecutors repeatedly reminded jurors that rape can occur within otherwise consensual and committed relationships.
What did Haley and Mann say in court?
Haley, a former production assistant on the Weinstein Co.-produced reality TV show “Project Runway,” said she first met the mogul at the premiere of “The Aviator” in 2004. Haley said the two had an awkward interaction at the Cannes Film Festival, where he requested a massage.
Not wanting anything more than a professional relationship with Weinstein, Haley said, she left.
Weinstein, however, would not relent, she alleged. He helped her land a job on “Project Runway” in New York, but also repeatedly asked her to travel to Paris with him for a fashion show, at one point showing up at her apartment uninvited, trying to convince her to take the trip, she said. He refused to leave until Haley made a joke about how Weinstein had “a terrible reputation with women,” which seemed to offend him, she testified.
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Concerned she had fractured her most important relationship in the film and television industry, Haley said, she agreed to meet with Weinstein again at his SoHo apartment in July 2006.
She remembered the conversation being casual and friendly until Weinstein lunged forward and attempted to kiss her.
Panicked, Haley said, she kept retreating from Weinstein, even mentioning she was menstruating, until she stumbled backward into a bedroom. As Haley recalled the alleged assault, tears began streaming down her face.
“He pushed me down. He held me down by my arms … no, stay, like that … and I said, ‘No, no’ and at that time I started realizing what was actually happening and I thought … ‘This is being raped,’” she testified.
She said Weinstein had forcible oral sex with her.
Haley recalled a second incident two weeks later at a Tribeca hotel, where, she said, Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her. In shock, Haley said, she lay still the entire time while the mogul called her a “whore” and a “bitch.”
“I didn’t resist. I just laid there,” she said, dabbing at her eyes.
Haley has since changed her last name from Haleyi, in part due to the high-profile nature of the Weinstein case. She first went public with her allegation in 2017.
A once-aspiring actress from a tiny Washington state dairy town, Mann’s testimony marked the most gut-wrenching portion of Weinstein’s trial . She spent three days on the stand recounting a harrowing relationship with the mogul that she said was consensual at times, but was also marked by verbal abuse, degradation and at least two instances of violent sexual assault.
Mann broke down on the stand during cross-examination, causing Supreme Court Judge James Burke to end proceedings for the day.
Mann said she met Weinstein at a Hollywood Hills party in 2013, and he initially expressed interest in her acting. Their early meetings were cordial — in one instance Weinstein escorted her through the shelves of Book Soup in West Hollywood to help her find reading material that might help her career — but the relationship quickly devolved into one entirely dependent on the mogul’s sexual desires, she alleged.
“It was like Jekyll and Hyde. He could be the most charming, informative person; he could lift you up to anyone he introduced you to and then behind closed doors it was ... dependent on if I gave him what he wanted,” Mann told jurors.
Mann said their relationship turned after a meeting for drinks at the Montage hotel in Beverly Hills to discuss a possible role in a “vampire movie.” Weinstein invited Mann and a friend up to his hotel room.
Once upstairs, Mann said through tears, Weinstein bullied her into a bedroom and forced oral sex on her.
Despite the alleged incident at the Montage, Mann said she later engaged in a number of consensual sex acts with him.
Mann said Weinstein was a “pseudo-father” to her and that she was desperate for the mogul’s approval in the acting field. She also described a consensual but harrowing relationship in which the Miramax co-founder treated her well in public but allegedly used her as a sexual plaything in private.
Mann said that though she felt “compassion” for Weinstein, she was not attracted to him. During their encounters, she said, Weinstein was domineering and verbally abusive. In one instance, she said, he urinated on her in a shower.
The two had only engaged in oral sex until 2013, when Mann said she traveled to New York to help arrange a meeting between Weinstein and a friend of hers working as an agent. The morning of the meeting, Mann alleged, Weinstein checked himself into her hotel. Fearing he was trying to set the stage for a sexual encounter, she said, she confronted him in the hotel lobby.
The mogul grabbed her by the arm and pulled her aside before leading her to the room, she alleged. Once inside, he physically barred Mann from leaving and ordered her to undress, she testified.
What was the defense strategy?
Defense attorneys repeatedly nudged the jury to consider what the aspiring actress stood to gain from her on-again, off-again relationship with Weinstein.
They pointed to the numerous invitations to Hollywood awards show parties Mann received from the producer, which she accepted. They showed the jury emails that demonstrated how Mann turned to Weinstein for help several times over their four-year correspondence. And they noted that as Mann struggled to establish an acting career, Weinstein got her an audition for the 2014 film “Vampire Academy.”
While cross-examining Mann and other accusers, Weinstein’s attorneys worked to upend the narrative of abuse the prosecution had built. They asserted that not only were the alleged encounters with Weinstein consensual, they were part of a calculated effort by the accusers to siphon connections, acting roles and other favors from the former Hollywood titan.
Prosecutors depicted Mann as a young, naïve woman from rural Washington state who met Weinstein at a Hollywood Hills party in 2013. Mann emphasized in her testimony that she never took advantage of him financially.
“He offered to give me things, I refused them all,” she told the jury.
Defense attorneys showed several emails in which Mann reached out to Weinstein after the alleged assaults. Her last sexual encounter with him was in late 2016, she said.
Mann turned to Weinstein when her father died and during a difficult breakup, emails show.
How did the prosecution try to rebuff that argument?
The prosecution’s final argument was designed to undercut the seeds of doubt painstakingly planted by Weinstein’s attorneys.
Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said that Weinstein kept in contact with his victims in order to control and isolate them. He dangled roles in front of his accusers, she said, some of whom were trying to establish their acting careers.
The prosecution outlined the ways in which the accounts of abuse were strikingly similar: interactions with Weinstein that fluctuated between validating and humiliating; the producer’s rapid changes in demeanor, which could sometimes swing from friendly to menacing in a matter of moments; and efforts to trick and trap the accusers in ways they said appeared premeditated.
“When you have to trick somebody to be in your control,” Illuzzi-Orbon said, “then you know that you don’t have consent.”


latimes--2020-02-24--Kobe Bryant memorial: Fans come from across the country, without tickets but holding out hope

They didn ’ t have tickets to the Kobe Bryant memorial , but that didn ’ t stop some fans from flying cross-country for a chance to be part of Monday ’ s farewell .
Bobuy Miles , 53 , flew to Los Angeles from Chicago on Saturday just to stand outside Staples Center , where the memorial would be held .
He tried to get tickets but was unsuccessful .
Still , he wanted to pay his respects to Bryant , whom he ’ d been a fan of since Bryant entered the NBA .
He said the news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and eight others last month devastated him because Bryant “ had so much life left to live.
” “ That was my guy .
Great basketball player , great person .
Smart .
That was my buddy .
It ’ s hard to believe that he went out that way .
This is his town , and I just had to be here.
” Jerrod Mustaf , 50 , and his 14-year-old son , Jaeden , booked their flight from Maryland to bid goodbye to Bryant before they knew they needed tickets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the New York Knicks in 1990 , said he chose Bryant as a role model for his son , the leading scorer on his middle school basketball team , and not just for his athletic supremacy .
“ He epitomized great character , ” Mustaf said , adding that his son was a “ strict Kobe fan.
” He showed a photo on his phone of Jaeden at age 3 in a backpack with the words “ Lil Kobe ” on the back .
The boy has worn No .
24 since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Mustaf was puzzled why Los Angeles officials chose to block off Staples Center and reject an outdoor viewing area for fans like them cut out of the sold-out celebration .
But the trip was not in vain .
They attended the Celtics-Lakers game Sunday , soaked up the atmosphere and picked up some memorial items , including a Mamba and Mambacita T-shirt honoring Bryant and his daughter Gianna .
For fans who did get tickets , Monday was a moment of reflection .
Ray and LaVonna King took the train from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to celebrate the life of a family hero .
“ It is just an awesome honor to be able to be here , ” said LaVonna King , clad in a T-shirt recapping Bryant ’ s career stats .
“ But it is a sad day for everyone to come together and say their prayers for the families , ” Ray King said .
“ It is going to be a hard day for everyone involved.
” The Kings picked up their programs , pins and T-shirts with Bryant ’ s and Gianna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then filed into the arena to say their goodbyes .

Gale Holland, Emmanuel Morgan, Richard Winton

Jazmine Jabi shows off designer nails she created to honor Kobe Bryant at a mural on Lebanon Street, a short distance from Staples Center, where a memorial for the Lakers star was taking place.
They didn’t have tickets to the Kobe Bryant memorial, but that didn’t stop some fans from flying cross-country for a chance to be part of Monday’s farewell.
Bobuy Miles, 53, flew to Los Angeles from Chicago on Saturday just to stand outside Staples Center, where the memorial would be held. He tried to get tickets but was unsuccessful.
Still, he wanted to pay his respects to Bryant, whom he’d been a fan of since Bryant entered the NBA. He said the news of the helicopter crash that killed Bryant and eight others last month devastated him because Bryant “had so much life left to live.”
“That was my guy. Great basketball player, great person. Smart. That was my buddy. It’s hard to believe that he went out that way. This is his town, and I just had to be here.”
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Jerrod Mustaf, 50, and his 14-year-old son, Jaeden, booked their flight from Maryland to bid goodbye to Bryant before they knew they needed tickets. Mustaf, a first-round NBA draft pick for the New York Knicks in 1990, said he chose Bryant as a role model for his son, the leading scorer on his middle school basketball team, and not just for his athletic supremacy.
“He epitomized great character,” Mustaf said, adding that his son was a “strict Kobe fan.”
He showed a photo on his phone of Jaeden at age 3 in a backpack with the words “Lil Kobe” on the back. The boy has worn No. 24 since he was a baby, his father said.
Mustaf was puzzled why Los Angeles officials chose to block off Staples Center and reject an outdoor viewing area for fans like them cut out of the sold-out celebration.
But the trip was not in vain. They attended the Celtics-Lakers game Sunday, soaked up the atmosphere and picked up some memorial items, including a Mamba and Mambacita T-shirt honoring Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
For fans who did get tickets, Monday was a moment of reflection.
Ray and LaVonna King took the train from San Diego before the sun had risen to celebrate the life of a family hero.
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“It is just an awesome honor to be able to be here,” said LaVonna King, clad in a T-shirt recapping Bryant’s career stats.
“But it is a sad day for everyone to come together and say their prayers for the families,” Ray King said. “It is going to be a hard day for everyone involved.”
The Kings picked up their programs, pins and T-shirts with Bryant’s and Gianna’s numbers on the back and then filed into the arena to say their goodbyes.


latimes--2020-02-24--Beach weather in February? Warm temperatures on tap for Southern California this week

Anyone longing to break out their swimsuits and body boards will have cause to celebrate this week , as warming temperatures will bring beach weather to large swaths of Southern California .
Forecasts throughout the region show highs will leap more than 10 degrees from Monday to Thursday , with temperatures hitting the mid-80s in some inland areas , according to the National Weather Service .
The unusually warm weather could rewrite the record books .
Downtown Los Angeles is projected to hit 86 degrees Thursday afternoon , which could tie a mark set in 1992 , according to John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weather Service in Oxnard .
The city ’ s typical high for this time of year is around 69 degrees .
Farther north in San Luis Obispo County , Paso Robles also could see record heat , with forecasts predicting 80 degrees by Thursday , Dumas said .
The warm-up is causing weather whiplash for residents there .
Paso Robles Municipal Airport hit a record low 21 degrees just three weeks ago .
The warming trend will be widespread .
Long Beach is projected to hit 80 degrees Thursday , compared with Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Similar leaps are expected in Anaheim , which will rise from 73 degrees Monday to 85 Thursday .
In San Diego , temperatures will top out at 77 Thursday , an 11-degree increase from Monday , forecasts show .
“ Right now , the best bet is for really fair weather and above-normal temperatures for a good portion of the week , then you start getting into the latter part of the weekend and it starts to go downhill , ” said Ivory Small , a Weather Service meteorologist based in San Diego @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather is a stubborn high-pressure ridge that ’ s lingered over the eastern Pacific Ocean for much of January and February — rerouting the winter storms that typically soak the Southland this time of year .
“ It ’ s been unusually strong , so all the storms have been pushed north of us , ” Small said .
However , there might be good news on the rain front this weekend , forecasters say .
A storm could roll into the area Sunday , though it ’ s not clear how strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current forecast is for a “ slight chance of rain showers.
” Until then , “ enjoy the weather through the middle of the week , ” Small said .

Anyone longing to break out their swimsuits and body boards will have cause to celebrate this week, as warming temperatures will bring beach weather to large swaths of Southern California.
Forecasts throughout the region show highs will leap more than 10 degrees from Monday to Thursday, with temperatures hitting the mid-80s in some inland areas, according to the National Weather Service.
The unusually warm weather could rewrite the record books. Downtown Los Angeles is projected to hit 86 degrees Thursday afternoon, which could tie a mark set in 1992, according to John Dumas, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. The city’s typical high for this time of year is around 69 degrees.
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Farther north in San Luis Obispo County, Paso Robles also could see record heat, with forecasts predicting 80 degrees by Thursday, Dumas said.
The warm-up is causing weather whiplash for residents there. Paso Robles Municipal Airport hit a record low 21 degrees just three weeks ago.
The warming trend will be widespread. Long Beach is projected to hit 80 degrees Thursday, compared with Monday’s forecast high of 67. Similar leaps are expected in Anaheim, which will rise from 73 degrees Monday to 85 Thursday. In San Diego, temperatures will top out at 77 Thursday, an 11-degree increase from Monday, forecasts show.
“Right now, the best bet is for really fair weather and above-normal temperatures for a good portion of the week, then you start getting into the latter part of the weekend and it starts to go downhill,” said Ivory Small, a Weather Service meteorologist based in San Diego.
The culprit behind the unseasonably warm weather is a stubborn high-pressure ridge that’s lingered over the eastern Pacific Ocean for much of January and February — rerouting the winter storms that typically soak the Southland this time of year.
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“It’s been unusually strong, so all the storms have been pushed north of us,” Small said.
However, there might be good news on the rain front this weekend, forecasters say. A storm could roll into the area Sunday, though it’s not clear how strong that system will be. Dumas said the current forecast is for a “slight chance of rain showers.”
Until then, “enjoy the weather through the middle of the week,” Small said.


latimes--2020-02-24--Watch: Kobe Bryant memorial at Staples Center

Twenty-thousand mourners have packed downtown Los Angeles ’ Staples Center — “ the house that Kobe built ” — to @ @ @ @ @ 41-year-old Lakers star and his 13-year-old daughter , who were killed alongside seven others in @ @ @ @ @ .
The event caps weeks of following the Jan. 26 crash that also killed the @ @ @ @ @ players and a coach on Bryant ’ s Mamba Sports Academy basketball team .
The @ @ @ @ @ and is expected to conclude by 1 p.m .

Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal were among the speakers at the Kobe and Gianna Bryant memorial.
Twenty-thousand mourners have packed downtown Los Angeles’ Staples Center — “the house that Kobe built” — to celebrate the lives of the 41-year-old Lakers star and his 13-year-old daughter, who were killed alongside seven others in the helicopter crash in Calabasas.
The event caps weeks of tributes across the city following the Jan. 26 crash that also killed the helicopter pilot and parents, players and a coach on Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy basketball team.
The memorial began at 10 a.m. and is expected to conclude by 1 p.m.
Live updates from inside Staples Center
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Vanessa Bryant files wrongful death suit against helicopter operator in Kobe Bryant crash