latimes--2020-08-25--Hundreds of protesters take to streets of downtown L.A. to decry police shootings

A group of protesters marched through downtown Los Angeles late Monday in response to the recent police shootings of two Black men in Pasadena and in Wisconsin .
Videos from the scene showed a group of about 200 protesters moving along Spring Street near the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters around 10 p.m. Demonstrators at times chanted , “ Whose streets ?
Our streets , ” “ No justice , no peace ” and “ How do you spell ‘ racist ’ ?
LAPD , ” according to videos posted on social media .
The crowd eventually stopped in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chanted while police in riot gear stood a few feet away .
Protesters at one point moved a metal barricade that had been set up at the department ’ s perimeter , video from the scene showed .
Police declared the protest an unlawful assembly about 11:20 p.m. , and officers began moving the group away from LAPD headquarters after midnight .
Video showed some officers pushing protesters back .
There were also reports of police firing less-lethal munitions into the crowd .
LAPD Officer Mike Chance said no arrests had been made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department was still examining whether there were any injuries .
Anthony McClain , 32 , was fatally shot Aug. 15 during a traffic stop in Pasadena .
Police have said that McClain pulled out a handgun while running from officers .
Video released by authorities shows McClain fleeing on foot with what appears to be something shiny at his waistband .
Police have said that it was a handgun .
Caree Harper , the McClain family ’ s attorney , has disputed that account and held that it was a large metal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called in the National Guard on Monday in anticipation of further protests in response to the police shooting Sunday of Jacob Blake , 29 , in the city of Kenosha .
Cellphone video shows him being shot as he leaned into his car with his children inside .
Blake was hospitalized in serious condition .
Police officials have said they were responding to a call about a domestic dispute and did not immediately say why they opened fire .
The governor has said that the state ’ s Justice Department is investigating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Service and Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report .

LAPD officers in riot gear stand watch in front of LAPD headquarters late Monday night as protesters rally against two recent police shootings: the Aug. 15 death of Anthony McClain in Pasadena and Sunday’s shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis.
A group of protesters marched through downtown Los Angeles late Monday in response to the recent police shootings of two Black men in Pasadena and in Wisconsin.
Videos from the scene showed a group of about 200 protesters moving along Spring Street near the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters around 10 p.m.
Demonstrators at times chanted, “Whose streets? Our streets,” “No justice, no peace” and “How do you spell ‘racist’? LAPD,” according to videos posted on social media.
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The crowd eventually stopped in front of police headquarters on 1st Street and chanted while police in riot gear stood a few feet away. Protesters at one point moved a metal barricade that had been set up at the department’s perimeter, video from the scene showed.
Police declared the protest an unlawful assembly about 11:20 p.m., and officers began moving the group away from LAPD headquarters after midnight.
Video showed some officers pushing protesters back. There were also reports of police firing less-lethal munitions into the crowd.
LAPD Officer Mike Chance said no arrests had been made as of Tuesday morning. He said the department was still examining whether there were any injuries.
Anthony McClain, 32, was fatally shot Aug. 15 during a traffic stop in Pasadena. Police have said that McClain pulled out a handgun while running from officers. Video released by authorities shows McClain fleeing on foot with what appears to be something shiny at his waistband. Police have said that it was a handgun.
Caree Harper, the McClain family’s attorney, has disputed that account and held that it was a large metal belt buckle.
Wisconsin’s governor called in the National Guard on Monday in anticipation of further protests in response to the police shooting Sunday of Jacob Blake, 29, in the city of Kenosha. Cellphone video shows him being shot as he leaned into his car with his children inside. Blake was hospitalized in serious condition.
Police officials have said they were responding to a call about a domestic dispute and did not immediately say why they opened fire. The governor has said that the state’s Justice Department is investigating the case.
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The Associated Press, City News Service and Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-28--Dangers of third coronavirus surge in California focus on young people, essential workers

Even as California finally begins to see declines in both COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations , health officials and experts are preparing for a potential third surge of coronavirus cases fueled by two groups that already have been hit hard : low-wage essential workers and young people .
The summer spike in COVID-19 has started to ease , and governments soon will need to consider how they might begin to reopen the economy further .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom is expected to outline his plans Friday .
California ’ s first effort at reopening was disastrous , with the spring ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 1,000 during the summer .
Last week ’ s total fell to about 900 .
There already are warning signs about what the fall may bring .
Even though most college campuses remain closed , there have been outbreaks recently , at USC and UC Berkeley for example , tied to fraternities .
Large outbreaks persist at workplaces staffed by low-income employees , working in jobs like garment manufacturing and food processing that are largely staffed by Latinos .
A new surge in the pandemic is far from a certainty — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California learn from the mistakes of the last reopening .
Of the more than 12,600 California COVID-19 deaths so far , more than 8,800 have been reported since Memorial Day , around the time the economy began to reopen and some people got back to old routines .
“ Where I ’ m worried that we ’ re going to see a ton of transmission is in middle schools , high schools and colleges , ” said Dr. George Rutherford , UC San Francisco epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert .
“ We all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of North Carolina , Notre Dame , Michigan State ... and a couple weeks earlier in high schools in Georgia and other places .
I think that ’ s really where a lot of the action is going to go on.
” Rutherford and others also have concerns about Latino workers and their families , who account for a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases and deaths in California and will be placed at even greater risk when the economy reopens further .
Businesses that employ low-income essential workers have come under scrutiny for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus testing that yields results much faster must be at the centerpiece of a broad reopening of society , experts say .
Physicians cheered Newsom ’ s announcement Wednesday of a $ 1.4-billion contract with an East Coast medical diagnostics company to more than double the number of tests that can be processed in the state .
The goal is to get test results back within 24 hours , a time frame that will be far more useful to controlling the pandemic than currently , where the average turnaround time can take up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The entire way we control this pandemic — after we do masks and distancing — is for people to be able to test , get results quickly , and then make decisions based on those results , ” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo , chair of UC San Francisco ’ s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics .
Test results that come back a week later are essentially worthless in helping to slow the spread of disease , because those infected will already have been past the point at which they were transmitting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Quick results also are profoundly important to making contact tracing — where county officials reach out to the close contacts of newly diagnosed people to ask them to get tested and quarantine themselves — a valuable tool to slow the pandemic .
A seven-day turnaround time for test results “ makes not only testing worthless , but the contact tracing activities that follow worthless , ” Bibbins-Domingo said .
Colleges , i where students live in close quarters in dorms and like to party , will be especially tricky to reopen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleges can more fully reopen without large-scale testing , Bibbins-Domingo said .
The data offer clues into how a new surge of disease could hit .
Adults ages 18 to 49 now make up 60 % of coronavirus cases , despite being just 44 % of California ’ s population .
They also currently account for 31 % of all COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County , up from 23 % in mid-March .
Among racial and ethnic groups , 60 % of California ’ s cases are being diagnosed among Latinos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state ’ s economic reopening should happen at a slower , more methodical pace , said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
While California ’ s COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have fallen , they ’ re still way above the springtime plateau .
“ I don ’ t think that we should open up again until we are below that first plateau … and then I think what we need to do is a more phased approach in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For instance , officials should wait two to three weeks between each phase of its reopening process before moving on to a broader reopening , to see if the previous action worsened disease transmission .
Los Angeles County health officials also have urged caution .
The effective transmission rate in L.A. County is 0.92 , meaning every person infected on average is infecting another 0.92 people .
While such a rate indicates cases will continue to decline , there are reasons to be worried .
The disease transmission rate “ is still very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that any relaxation of the precautions that people take could result in the numbers climbing back up , ” said Dr. Christina Ghaly , director of health services for L.A. County .
“ It ’ s up to each and every one of us to continue the practices that will allow that progress to be maintained until we have a virus vaccine.
” In both L.A. County and Orange County , health officials have suggested slower approaches to a new round of reopening .
“ We all have learned that the earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Dr. Clayton Chau , director of the Orange County Health Care Agency .
“ So I think we have learned from that lesson , and my recommendation would be , we will reopen in phases.
” He added : “ There will be outbreaks .
And that ’ s the thing that keeps me up at night.
” “ It would not be a good idea to move with haste on reopening plans , until we can make sure that we get through Labor Day , with people acting appropriately and us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Barbara Ferrer , the L.A. County public health director .
It ’ ll also be important to get the flu shot , as hospitals can ill afford to withstand a “ twindemic ” of hospitalized flu patients at the same time as COVID-19 patients .
Flu shots have already started to become available .
Some business closures ordered by the governor may have to stay in place for the foreseeable future .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the U.S. government ’ s top infectious diseases expert , recently told actor Matthew McConaughey in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he loved to go to a bar after work with his wife to have a beer and a hamburger .
But now is not the time for barhopping .
“ Give it up for now .
Bars are the hotspots .
No hanging out in bars , ” Fauci said .
“ Because we know when the bars get closed , the infection goes down .
When people just let it rip and go to bars , it goes up.
” Lin reported from San Francisco , Lee from Los Angeles .
Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to this report .

Even as California finally begins to see declines in both COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, health officials and experts are preparing for a potential third surge of coronavirus cases fueled by two groups that already have been hit hard: low-wage essential workers and young people.
The summer spike in COVID-19 has started to ease, and governments soon will need to consider how they might begin to reopen the economy further. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to outline his plans Friday.
California’s first effort at reopening was disastrous, with the spring’s worst weekly death counts doubling to nearly 1,000 during the summer. Last week’s total fell to about 900.
There already are warning signs about what the fall may bring.
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Even though most college campuses remain closed, there have been outbreaks recently, at USC and UC Berkeley for example, tied to fraternities. Large outbreaks persist at workplaces staffed by low-income employees, working in jobs like garment manufacturing and food processing that are largely staffed by Latinos.
California USC reports ‘alarming increase’ in COVID-19 cases Just a week into fall semester, USC reported that 43 students had tested positive for COVID-19 and more than100 placed in quarantine because of exposure.
A new surge in the pandemic is far from a certainty — but experts said it’s essential that California learn from the mistakes of the last reopening. Of the more than 12,600 California COVID-19 deaths so far, more than 8,800 have been reported since Memorial Day, around the time the economy began to reopen and some people got back to old routines.
“Where I’m worried that we’re going to see a ton of transmission is in middle schools, high schools and colleges,” said Dr. George Rutherford, UC San Francisco epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert. “We all saw the disastrous openings at the University of North Carolina, Notre Dame, Michigan State ... and a couple weeks earlier in high schools in Georgia and other places. I think that’s really where a lot of the action is going to go on.”
Rutherford and others also have concerns about Latino workers and their families, who account for a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases and deaths in California and will be placed at even greater risk when the economy reopens further. Businesses that employ low-income essential workers have come under scrutiny for their health and safety practices.
Robust coronavirus testing that yields results much faster must be at the centerpiece of a broad reopening of society, experts say. Physicians cheered Newsom’s announcement Wednesday of a $1.4-billion contract with an East Coast medical diagnostics company to more than double the number of tests that can be processed in the state.
The goal is to get test results back within 24 hours, a time frame that will be far more useful to controlling the pandemic than currently, where the average turnaround time can take up to seven days, Newsom said.
“The entire way we control this pandemic — after we do masks and distancing — is for people to be able to test, get results quickly, and then make decisions based on those results,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of UC San Francisco’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
Advertisement
Test results that come back a week later are essentially worthless in helping to slow the spread of disease, because those infected will already have been past the point at which they were transmitting the most amount of virus, Bibbins-Domingo said.
Quick results also are profoundly important to making contact tracing — where county officials reach out to the close contacts of newly diagnosed people to ask them to get tested and quarantine themselves — a valuable tool to slow the pandemic. A seven-day turnaround time for test results “makes not only testing worthless, but the contact tracing activities that follow worthless,” Bibbins-Domingo said.
Colleges, where students live in close quarters in dorms and like to party, will be especially tricky to reopen. It’s hard to imagine how colleges can more fully reopen without large-scale testing, Bibbins-Domingo said.
The data offer clues into how a new surge of disease could hit.
Adults ages 18 to 49 now make up 60% of coronavirus cases, despite being just 44% of California’s population. They also currently account for 31% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County, up from 23% in mid-March.
Among racial and ethnic groups, 60% of California’s cases are being diagnosed among Latinos, who comprise 39% of the population.
The state’s economic reopening should happen at a slower, more methodical pace, said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
While California’s COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have fallen, they’re still way above the springtime plateau.
“I don’t think that we should open up again until we are below that first plateau … and then I think what we need to do is a more phased approach in that reopening,” Kim-Farley said. For instance, officials should wait two to three weeks between each phase of its reopening process before moving on to a broader reopening, to see if the previous action worsened disease transmission.
Los Angeles County health officials also have urged caution. The effective transmission rate in L.A. County is 0.92, meaning every person infected on average is infecting another 0.92 people. While such a rate indicates cases will continue to decline, there are reasons to be worried.
The disease transmission rate “is still very, very close to 1, which means that any relaxation of the precautions that people take could result in the numbers climbing back up,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services for L.A. County. “It’s up to each and every one of us to continue the practices that will allow that progress to be maintained until we have a virus vaccine.”
In both L.A. County and Orange County, health officials have suggested slower approaches to a new round of reopening.
“We all have learned that the earlier reopening ... brought about transmission,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Orange County Health Care Agency. “So I think we have learned from that lesson, and my recommendation would be, we will reopen in phases.”
He added: “There will be outbreaks. And that’s the thing that keeps me up at night.”
“It would not be a good idea to move with haste on reopening plans, until we can make sure that we get through Labor Day, with people acting appropriately and us taking all of the precautions,” said Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. County public health director.
It’ll also be important to get the flu shot, as hospitals can ill afford to withstand a “twindemic” of hospitalized flu patients at the same time as COVID-19 patients. Flu shots have already started to become available.
Some business closures ordered by the governor may have to stay in place for the foreseeable future.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious diseases expert, recently told actor Matthew McConaughey in a 40-minute interview on Instagram how much he loved to go to a bar after work with his wife to have a beer and a hamburger. But now is not the time for barhopping.
“Give it up for now. Bars are the hotspots. No hanging out in bars,” Fauci said. “Because we know when the bars get closed, the infection goes down. When people just let it rip and go to bars, it goes up.”
Lin reported from San Francisco, Lee from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Colleen Shalby and Phil Willon contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-28--Magnitude 3.5 quake hits near Calexico, Calif.

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Friday morning at 4:26 a.m. Pacific time 10 miles from Calexico , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 14 miles from El Centro , Calif. , 17 miles from Imperial , 27 miles from Brawley and 50 miles from San Luis , Ariz .
In the past 10 days , there have been four earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depth of 7.4 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Friday morning at 4:26 a.m. Pacific time 10 miles from Calexico, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 14 miles from El Centro, Calif., 17 miles from Imperial, 27 miles from Brawley and 50 miles from San Luis, Ariz.
In the past 10 days, there have been four earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 7.4 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-08-28--Heffernan: Can Kimberly Guilfoyle save American politics from vulgar preening?

I can ’ t get that uncanny image of Kimberly Guilfoyle out of my mind .
You know — bold , glamorous , raven-haired Kimberly Guilfoyle with the heavy-hitting law resumé and the very , how to put it , confident voice .
There she is in my mind ’ s eye , consort to a high-placed politician , soaking up both his love and the love of fans while ... lying on a Tabriz carpet in an opulent San Francisco parlor chockablock with antiques and graced with a spectacular view of the bay .
Right — I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Monday night at the Republican National Convention .
I don ’ t mean the heavily parodied freeze-frame in which she stood , arms outspread , as a woman who evidently would not be crucified on a cross of libs .
No — I mean the image of a recumbent Guilfoyle in Harper ’ s Bazaar from September 2004 , when her political companion was , of course , not her current companion — far-right presidential son Donald Trump Jr. — but the then-mayor of San Francisco and now-governor of California , Gavin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece dubbed Guilfoyle and Newsom “ The New Kennedys.
” The bizarre Bazaar image ( if you can resist looking it up , please do ) shows bare-shouldered Guilfoyle folded in Newsom ’ s arms , inexplicably on the floor of an extravagant , gilded dwelling straight out of “ Dynasty.
” Their awkward-as-hell asana can only be called “ SNL ” bait .
From my own days at fashion magazines , I remember that power-couple profiles like this one were considered jackpots , especially in thick September issues .
The article would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California politics ) for an eye-candy extravaganza .
And the photo spread would convey that earnest public servants spend their days not in budget meetings but in erotic , consumerist splendor , making out on carpets in revealing eveningwear .
You can bet that Kimberly and Gavin were not likened to the Kennedys for their commitment to the Peace Corps .
They were “ Kennedys ” because they were hot .
And spent money .
And though the marriage — and Guilfoyle ’ s commitment to anything like liberal politics — lasted only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shining Camelot days are frozen for all time in that spread , as if the image were shot through with eternal Botox .
My hope this week , as the sound and fury of Trump ’ s macabre Republican National Convention roars on at a deafening volume , is not just that Trump will be soundly defeated in November .
I also hope that the reign of this century ’ s bipartisan obsession with vulgar preening will be bookended by these two photos of Guilfoyle .
The 2004 shot of 35-year-old Democrat Guilfoyle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the 2020 YouTube download of 51-year-old Republican Guilfoyle , as she screams on behalf of President Trump , “ The best is yet to come !
” Guilfoyle now disparages California as “ a land of discarded heroin needles in parks , riots in streets and blackouts in homes.
” She says Democrats made it that way , in whose ranks she must include her ex .
But I don ’ t see her as a once-good Democrat who somehow turned into a bad Republican .
She , like so many aspiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and money , power and a mate-on-the-rise .
It may be hard to remember , but it wasn ’ t always this way .
The Kennedys with their Camelot were an exception to the reigning idea that the American role model , the president , eschew consumerism and extravagance in favor of dignity , thrift and diligence .
President Coolidge allegedly said the American people wanted a “ solemn ass ” for president .
So , the opposite of a sexy centerfold .
And Camp David , the presidential getaway , gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to be : horseshoes , billiards , reading and of course chapel attendance , all amid castoff furniture and mosquitos .
Not a celebrity hairstylist or tanning bed in sight .
In this century too many in politics — and media , academia , the law — seem to have lost their way .
They became , or at least mixed with , the overclass .
The TED set , the Gulfstream set , the Davos set , the can-I-get-you-a-glass-of-champagne-milord set .
The greed set .
Look , I see the allure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Gulfstream , I did attend , as an assistant , photo shoots like the one Newsom and Guilfoyle did for Bazaar .
You could eat from vast sushi spreads .
You ’ d get free lipsticks and could even go to wrap parties .
If someone had proposed to write a magazine profile of me as the new Jackie Kennedy , come on , I might have even said yes .
But I was never asked , so I never did .
And that ’ s just as well .
Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now in an uneasy spot , whatever their political party .
Trumpism — in all its gaudiness and brutality — has exposed the false idols of the Gulfstream set over the last decades .
And Guilfoyle ’ s cringe-inducing performance on Monday night represents a kind of limit case for how haywire “ glamour ” can go .
In addition to the success so far of Joe Biden ’ s not-so-glamorous bid for the presidency , there ’ s another sign that the excesses of the era might be coming to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which had been in print since 1867 , closed up shop just last month .
No one even noticed .

I can’t get that uncanny image of Kimberly Guilfoyle out of my mind. You know — bold, glamorous, raven-haired Kimberly Guilfoyle with the heavy-hitting law resumé and the very, how to put it, confident voice.
There she is in my mind’s eye, consort to a high-placed politician, soaking up both his love and the love of fans while ... lying on a Tabriz carpet in an opulent San Francisco parlor chockablock with antiques and graced with a spectacular view of the bay.
For the record: An earlier version of this column said Harper’s Bazaar had closed up shop; not all of its editions have closed.
Right — I’m not talking about the meme of Guilfoyle from Monday night at the Republican National Convention. I don’t mean the heavily parodied freeze-frame in which she stood, arms outspread, as a woman who evidently would not be crucified on a cross of libs.
No — I mean the image of a recumbent Guilfoyle in Harper’s Bazaar from September 2004, when her political companion was, of course, not her current companion — far-right presidential son Donald Trump Jr. — but the then-mayor of San Francisco and now-governor of California, Gavin Newsom, a lifelong liberal. The piece dubbed Guilfoyle and Newsom “The New Kennedys.”
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The bizarre Bazaar image (if you can resist looking it up, please do) shows bare-shouldered Guilfoyle folded in Newsom’s arms, inexplicably on the floor of an extravagant, gilded dwelling straight out of “Dynasty.” Their awkward-as-hell asana can only be called “SNL” bait.
From my own days at fashion magazines, I remember that power-couple profiles like this one were considered jackpots, especially in thick September issues. The article would provide a “serious” pretext (California politics) for an eye-candy extravaganza. And the photo spread would convey that earnest public servants spend their days not in budget meetings but in erotic, consumerist splendor, making out on carpets in revealing eveningwear.
You can bet that Kimberly and Gavin were not likened to the Kennedys for their commitment to the Peace Corps. They were “Kennedys” because they were hot. And spent money.
And though the marriage — and Guilfoyle’s commitment to anything like liberal politics — lasted only three years, the couple’s shining Camelot days are frozen for all time in that spread, as if the image were shot through with eternal Botox.
My hope this week, as the sound and fury of Trump’s macabre Republican National Convention roars on at a deafening volume, is not just that Trump will be soundly defeated in November. I also hope that the reign of this century’s bipartisan obsession with vulgar preening will be bookended by these two photos of Guilfoyle. The 2004 shot of 35-year-old Democrat Guilfoyle spooning on the floor with Newsom. And the 2020 YouTube download of 51-year-old Republican Guilfoyle, as she screams on behalf of President Trump, “The best is yet to come!”
Advertisement
Guilfoyle now disparages California as “a land of discarded heroin needles in parks, riots in streets and blackouts in homes.” She says Democrats made it that way, in whose ranks she must include her ex.
But I don’t see her as a once-good Democrat who somehow turned into a bad Republican. She, like so many aspiring influencers, went where the spotlight was — and money, power and a mate-on-the-rise.
It may be hard to remember, but it wasn’t always this way. The Kennedys with their Camelot were an exception to the reigning idea that the American role model, the president, eschew consumerism and extravagance in favor of dignity, thrift and diligence.
President Coolidge allegedly said the American people wanted a “solemn ass” for president. So, the opposite of a sexy centerfold. And Camp David, the presidential getaway, gives a sense of what presidential leisure is meant to be: horseshoes, billiards, reading and of course chapel attendance, all amid castoff furniture and mosquitos. Not a celebrity hairstylist or tanning bed in sight.
In this century too many in politics — and media, academia, the law — seem to have lost their way. They became, or at least mixed with, the overclass. The TED set, the Gulfstream set, the Davos set, the can-I-get-you-a-glass-of-champagne-milord set. The greed set.
Look, I see the allure. Though I’ve never flown in a Gulfstream, I did attend, as an assistant, photo shoots like the one Newsom and Guilfoyle did for Bazaar. You could eat from vast sushi spreads. You’d get free lipsticks and could even go to wrap parties.
If someone had proposed to write a magazine profile of me as the new Jackie Kennedy, come on, I might have even said yes.
But I was never asked, so I never did. And that’s just as well. Because those who did take up such offers are now in an uneasy spot, whatever their political party. Trumpism — in all its gaudiness and brutality — has exposed the false idols of the Gulfstream set over the last decades.
And Guilfoyle’s cringe-inducing performance on Monday night represents a kind of limit case for how haywire “glamour” can go.
In addition to the success so far of Joe Biden’s not-so-glamorous bid for the presidency, there’s another sign that the excesses of the era might be coming to an end. Harper’s Bazaar, which had been in print since 1867, closed up several of its editions just last month. No one even noticed.
@page88


latimes--2020-08-28--After 8 workers die of COVID-19, officials want Merced County Foster Farms plant closed

The site of one of California ’ s worst coronavirus outbreaks has been a Foster Farms poultry plant in the Central Valley .
And now , officials want the processing plant shut down .
Eight workers at the Foster Farms Livingston Facility have died — representing 18 % of the COVID-19 death toll in Merced County among people under the age of 65 .
At least 358 employees have tested positive , Merced County health officials said in a statement .
Other Foster Farms facilities in multiple counties are also experiencing outbreaks , said Dr. Erica Pan , the acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of increasing deaths and uncontrolled COVID-19 cases , the decision was made to order the Livingston Plant within the Foster Farms Livingston Complex closed until acceptable safety measures are in place , ” Dr. Salvador Sandoval , the Merced County health officer , said in a statement late Thursday .
“ Our charge is to protect the public ’ s health , even in the face of difficult decisions.
” Despite the public statement by Merced County officials , Foster Farms employees received emails late Thursday instructing them to show up to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday if they were scheduled to do so .
“ All active status employees should report to work for their regular shift tonight or tomorrow as scheduled .
The plant and all other facilities on the Livingston complex are safely operating , ” said the letter , which was reviewed by The Times .
“ Please continue to wear your face covering and follow other safe practices at work and outside of work.
” Later Thursday night , Mike North , a spokesman for Merced County , said enforcement of the shutdown order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county received a call from the U.S. Department of Agriculture ’ s undersecretary for food safety .
The delay , North said in an email , will “ help facilitate logistics associated with any necessary closure.
” Efforts to reach representatives of Foster Farms , which is based in Livingston , Calif. , were not successful late Thursday .
Foster Farms has described itself as the West Coast ’ s leading poultry producer .
The workers at the Livingston plant are predominantly Latino and Punjabi Sikh , said Deep Singh , executive director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley youth and family nonprofit aimed at the Punjabi Sikh community .
Many of his group ’ s members work at the Foster Farms plant .
Singh said he was disappointed by the decision to instruct workers to return to work in spite of the county order to shut down .
“ I ’ m highly disappointed that Foster Farms would continue with tonight ’ s shift .
That puts workers at danger and at risk of infection despite the expert medical opinions provided by county public health and other professionals , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker told him : “ They call us essential , but they treat us as if we ’ re expendable.
” The county ’ s decision to order the closure of the sprawling facility comes two months after an outbreak was first identified there .
In a statement issued publicly , Merced County public health officials said they had advised , and later directed , Foster Farms to conduct widespread testing among its employees .
But the testing ordered by the county has not been completed , county officials said , and deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The closure of this plant is the only way to get the outbreak at Foster Farms swiftly under control .
Our hearts are with the eight families who have lost a loved one , ” Sandoval , the Merced County health officer , said in a statement .
Of plant workers confirmed to be infected , 2.2 % have died , according to the county .
That ’ s significantly higher than the fatality rate among people infected with the coronavirus in the general population of Merced County , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked with the state attorney general ’ s office and the California Department of Public Health to reach an agreement with the company to avoid a full-scale closure of the production facility , but could not do so .
“ If we ’ re going to keep food on our tables during this pandemic , we must do a better job of protecting the essential workers who are putting it there .
That means standing up for the people in our poultry facilities , agricultural fields , meat processing plants , restaurants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra said in a statement .
“ Foster Farms ’ poultry operation in Livingston ... has experienced an alarming spread of COVID-19 among its workers.
” Pan , the acting state health officer , wrote in a letter to an attorney representing Foster Farms that “ by failing to comply with county directives , Foster Farms is not only jeopardizing the health of permanent , temporary and volunteer workers and their families , but also increasing the risk of community transmission in Merced County and surrounding counties , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission.
” While the beginning of California ’ s coronavirus pandemic hit hard first in the Bay Area and then Los Angeles County , as the summer wore on the outbreaks have increasingly struck the rural agricultural regions of the state , infecting low-income essential workers who produce the food that feeds the country .
A Times analysis found that of California ’ s counties with the 12 worst per capita case rates over the last two weeks , eight of them are in the eight-county San Joaquin Valley .
Merced County has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reporting 565 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days .
By contrast , L.A. County has about 209 cases per 100,000 residents ; San Francisco , 141 cases per 100,00 residents ; and San Diego County , 116 cases per 100,000 residents .
Merced County also has one of the worst mortality rates among all counties over the last two weeks , reporting 38 deaths .
On a per capita basis , that works out to 14 deaths per 100,000 residents ; L.A. and Orange counties are reporting 5.5 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County and San Francisco , fewer than two deaths per 100,000 residents .
The Central Valley has the most animal slaughtering and processing industry jobs than any other region in California , according to an analysis by the UC Merced Community and Labor Center .
The region also has higher rates of investigations triggered by accidents or complaints , according to the center ’ s analysis of data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor .
Between mid-2015 and mid-2020 , the Central Valley was home to 65 % of unplanned investigations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the UC Merced analysis found .
The center has urged officials to enact emergency workplace health and safety standard for the Central Valley ’ s animal slaughter and processing workforce .
The Central Valley ’ s other big outbreaks have affected Central Valley Meat Co. in Kings County and Ruiz Foods , a frozen-food packager in Tulare County .
Meatpackers in California are particularly vulnerable in the pandemic era — the workers are low-income and live in tightly knit environments , said Edward Flores , a sociology professor with the UC Merced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flores and Ana Padilla , the center ’ s executive director , found that California counties with a greater share of low-wage and crowded households have been more likely to be hit hard by the pandemic .
Meatpacking workers in California are largely Latino , and Latinos have been disproportionately hit hard by COVID-19 in California .
Across the state , Latinos account for 60 % of cases and 48 % of COVID-19 deaths , despite making up 39 % of the population .
Latinos account for 56 % of California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berkeley Labor Center , many of whom work in essential jobs in which they must leave home to work , raising their risk for infection .

The site of one of California’s worst coronavirus outbreaks has been a Foster Farms poultry plant in the Central Valley. And now, officials want the processing plant shut down.
Eight workers at the Foster Farms Livingston Facility have died — representing 18% of the COVID-19 death toll in Merced County among people under the age of 65. At least 358 employees have tested positive, Merced County health officials said in a statement.
Other Foster Farms facilities in multiple counties are also experiencing outbreaks, said Dr. Erica Pan, the acting state health officer.
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“In view of increasing deaths and uncontrolled COVID-19 cases, the decision was made to order the Livingston Plant within the Foster Farms Livingston Complex closed until acceptable safety measures are in place,” Dr. Salvador Sandoval, the Merced County health officer, said in a statement late Thursday.
“Our charge is to protect the public’s health, even in the face of difficult decisions.”
Despite the public statement by Merced County officials, Foster Farms employees received emails late Thursday instructing them to show up to work for Thursday night’s shift or Friday if they were scheduled to do so.
“All active status employees should report to work for their regular shift tonight or tomorrow as scheduled. The plant and all other facilities on the Livingston complex are safely operating,” said the letter, which was reviewed by The Times. “Please continue to wear your face covering and follow other safe practices at work and outside of work.”
Later Thursday night, Mike North, a spokesman for Merced County, said enforcement of the shutdown order was delayed by 48 hours after the county received a call from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s undersecretary for food safety.
The delay, North said in an email, will “help facilitate logistics associated with any necessary closure.”
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In a statement issued Friday, Foster Farms did not address the shutdown order. Of the worker deaths, the company said: “We share the grief of their families and loved ones.”
Foster Farms said employee health and safety was one of its highest priorities, adding that the company is “an essential part of the national infrastructure.”
“Foster Farms’ comprehensive set of COVID-19 mitigations, promptly implemented following CDC guidance, can protect employees while they are on our premises, but we cannot fully protect them when they are exposed in the greater community,” the statement said. “While this context may provide some measure of understanding, we can never be complacent about employee illness or death.”
Foster Farms, based in Livingston, Calif., has described itself as the West Coast’s leading poultry producer.
The workers at the Livingston plant are predominantly Latino and Punjabi Sikh, said Deep Singh, executive director of the Jakara Movement, a Central Valley youth and family nonprofit aimed at the Punjabi Sikh community. Many of his group’s members work at the Foster Farms plant. Singh said he was disappointed by the decision to instruct workers to return to work in spite of the county order to shut down.
“I’m highly disappointed that Foster Farms would continue with tonight’s shift. That puts workers at danger and at risk of infection despite the expert medical opinions provided by county public health and other professionals,” Singh said on Thursday.
He recounted what one worker told him: “They call us essential, but they treat us as if we’re expendable.”
The county’s decision to order the closure of the sprawling facility comes two months after an outbreak was first identified there. In a statement issued publicly, Merced County public health officials said they had advised, and later directed, Foster Farms to conduct widespread testing among its employees.
But the testing ordered by the county has not been completed, county officials said, and deaths continue to climb and cases are increasing. On Friday, the company said it planned to complete testing of its employees later that day.
“The closure of this plant is the only way to get the outbreak at Foster Farms swiftly under control. Our hearts are with the eight families who have lost a loved one,” Sandoval, the Merced County health officer, said in a statement.
Of plant workers confirmed to be infected, 2.2% have died, according to the county. That’s significantly higher than the fatality rate among people infected with the coronavirus in the general population of Merced County, which is 1.3%.
County officials said they worked with the state attorney general’s office and the California Department of Public Health to reach an agreement with the company to avoid a full-scale closure of the production facility, but could not do so.
“If we’re going to keep food on our tables during this pandemic, we must do a better job of protecting the essential workers who are putting it there. That means standing up for the people in our poultry facilities, agricultural fields, meat processing plants, restaurants, grocery stores and more,” state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
“Foster Farms’ poultry operation in Livingston ... has experienced an alarming spread of COVID-19 among its workers.”
Pan, the acting state health officer, wrote in a letter to an attorney representing Foster Farms that “by failing to comply with county directives, Foster Farms is not only jeopardizing the health of permanent, temporary and volunteer workers and their families, but also increasing the risk of community transmission in Merced County and surrounding counties, which are already experiencing very high levels of transmission.”
While the beginning of California’s coronavirus pandemic hit hard first in the Bay Area and then Los Angeles County, as the summer wore on the outbreaks have increasingly struck the rural agricultural regions of the state, infecting low-income essential workers who produce the food that feeds the country.
A Times analysis found that of California’s counties with the 12 worst per capita case rates over the last two weeks, eight of them are in the eight-county San Joaquin Valley. Merced County has the one of the worst rates statewide, reporting 565 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days. By contrast, L.A. County has about 209 cases per 100,000 residents; San Francisco, 141 cases per 100,00 residents; and San Diego County, 116 cases per 100,000 residents.
Merced County also has one of the worst mortality rates among all counties over the last two weeks, reporting 38 deaths. On a per capita basis, that works out to 14 deaths per 100,000 residents; L.A. and Orange counties are reporting 5.5 deaths per 100,000 residents, and San Diego County and San Francisco, fewer than two deaths per 100,000 residents.
The Central Valley has the most animal slaughtering and processing industry jobs than any other region in California, according to an analysis by the UC Merced Community and Labor Center.
The region also has higher rates of investigations triggered by accidents or complaints, according to the center’s analysis of data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. Between mid-2015 and mid-2020, the Central Valley was home to 65% of unplanned investigations of slaughterhouses and animal processing facilities in California, the UC Merced analysis found.
The center has urged officials to enact emergency workplace health and safety standard for the Central Valley’s animal slaughter and processing workforce. The Central Valley’s other big outbreaks have affected Central Valley Meat Co. in Kings County and Ruiz Foods, a frozen-food packager in Tulare County.
Meatpackers in California are particularly vulnerable in the pandemic era — the workers are low-income and live in tightly knit environments, said Edward Flores, a sociology professor with the UC Merced Community and Labor Center. Research by Flores and Ana Padilla, the center’s executive director, found that California counties with a greater share of low-wage and crowded households have been more likely to be hit hard by the pandemic.
Meatpacking workers in California are largely Latino, and Latinos have been disproportionately hit hard by COVID-19 in California. Across the state, Latinos account for 60% of cases and 48% of COVID-19 deaths, despite making up 39% of the population.
Latinos account for 56% of California’s low-wage workers, according to the UC Berkeley Labor Center, many of whom work in essential jobs in which they must leave home to work, raising their risk for infection.
Times staff writer Leila Miller contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-27--Officer alleges LAPD had quotas, silenced whistleblowers in gang-labeling scandal

An officer in the Los Angeles Police Department ’ s elite Metropolitan Division has alleged in a new lawsuit that commanders have for years enforced a de facto quota system that rewarded officers who identified and arrested a lot of alleged gang members and punished those who didn ’ t .
“ Minimums had to be met , ” Officer Samantha Fiedler alleged in a lawsuit filed against the LAPD and the city of L.A. in California Superior Court this week .
Metro officers who didn ’ t make a gang or gun arrest or identify gang members on field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their “ production ” wasn ’ t good enough , she said .
Some were reassigned to undesirable administrative jobs .
“ This was part of the methodology used to send and enforce the message : Do as we say regarding our demands of arrests and [ field interview card ] numbers or you are done here , ” Fiedler ’ s lawsuit alleged .
The allegations echo others in recent months about commanders in the elite unit using quotas to rack up arrests and suppress gang activity , and come amid a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of field interview cards as a means of identifying gang affiliates .
In January , The Times revealed that more than a dozen LAPD officers were under investigation after accusations arose that officers were falsifying information on interview cards and accusing people of having gang affiliations without evidence .
Such claims can follow a person around for years and negatively affect their employment and housing prospects , advocates say .
The same month , The Times reported that a Metro Division platoon recap sheet showed that officers were measured in 16 categories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that field interviews of gang members were used by the department as a measure of productivity — giving officers an incentive to make stops .
Last month , Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey charged Metro officers Braxton Shaw , Michael Coblentz and Nicolas Martinez with conspiracy to obstruct justice , filing false police reports and preparing false documentary evidence .
Prosecutors alleged the three officers collectively falsified dozens of cards , at times writing that people admitted to being gang members when footage from their body cameras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people explicitly denying gang affiliation .
An attorney for Shaw has said that his client would be cleared of any wrongdoing when the facts come out — and that all of his actions were “ based upon directions being provided by department command.
” In the new lawsuit , Fiedler claims she was stripped of her police powers without justification based on fears among commanders that she would expose their role in the gang-labeling scandal .
The eight-year department veteran claimed that Metro commanders got worried after The Times began asking questions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by pushing out potential whistleblowers — including her and several other officers .
The commanders , Fiedler claimed , “ believed that would be the most effective way to send the message to the entire Metro officer population to be quiet ” and “ not speak out regarding the potentially illegal policies and practices of pressuring/ordering/requiring officers to increase the statistics of identified gang members and gang and gun arrests.
” Matthew McNicholas , Fiedler ’ s attorney , said she had never falsified records , and commanders took away her badge only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he also represents other officers “ who had the same thing happen to them , ” and who also intend to file one or more lawsuits against the city and LAPD .
Capt .
Stacy Spell , an LAPD spokesman , said Thursday that the department could not comment on the pending litigation or the claims therein .
The department has previously denied having arrest quotas but acknowledged tracking arrests and other data as a means of assessing performance .
“ We have to have some way of measuring officers ’ performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” LAPD Assistant Chief Horace Frank said this year .
“ But it doesn ’ t allow an officer the ability to lie or cheat or provide false documentation.
” Field interview cards have been used for decades to gather intelligence that then populates a database that officers can access to help them with investigations .
Information from the cards was also used to add names to the statewide CalGang database until recently , when policymakers in the department halted the practice .
A Times analysis found the Metro Division used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department , filing more than 20 % of cards during an 18-month period despite making up about 4 % of the force .
In addition to Shaw , Coblentz and Martinez , officials have said that more than 20 officers remain under investigation — but they have not been named .
Lacey ’ s office did not respond Thursday to a request for comment on Fiedler ’ s claims .
McNicholas said that Fiedler “ worked minimally ” with the three charged officers and that “ none of her [ field interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shape or form.
” Her lawsuit says she has heard nothing from the department since she was ordered home and served a notice in January that she would be downgraded to a lower position in the department , despite the fact that downgrades are supposed to be processed within 30 days .
In her lawsuit , Fiedler claims that problems in Metro go back at least five years , to 2015 , when then-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck transferred hundreds of officers into the division without providing what Fiedler felt was adequate training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produce guns and gang arrests .
“ In fact , this was stated repeatedly in roll calls , briefings and otherwise on a continuous and ongoing basis .
It was all about the guns and … their numbers of arrests and [ field interview ] cards .
Minimums had to be met , ” Fiedler claimed .
She alleged the pressures to make large numbers of arrests constituted a violation of state law against quotas for officers who make traffic stops .
And she said her treatment by the department reflected a strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounting of the problems within Metro and what motivated them .
The gang-framing allegations first came to light after a Van Nuys mother received a letter from the LAPD last year saying that her son had been identified as a gang member during a 2018 field interview .
She challenged that identification , and officials who reviewed body-camera footage from the incident found inaccuracies .
Fiedler alleged that “ the last thing the department wanted when it was going to be forced to respond to public outrage over a kid being improperly included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disclosure by Metro officers themselves that “ Metro ’ s command actually had pressured its officers to increase the numbers of gang identifications , as well as arrests and gun seizures , which caused the set of facts that led to the mother ’ s complaints about her son being wrongly identified as a gang member.
” The department ordering her and her fellow officers home with no explanation , she said , was the department “ circling its wagons ” to keep them quiet .
Fiedler alleges she has suffered professional damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident , and is suing for unspecified damages .
Asked about Fiedler ’ s claims , the board of the Los Angeles Police Protective League , the union that represents rank-and-file officers , issued a statement denouncing the department ’ s history of using quotas — and saying they “ truly hope the days of quota policing are over.
” “ Not only are quotas illegal , but they erode the trust that front-line officers build up with the community they serve , ” the union board said .

An LAPD officer is suing the department, alleging she was targeted as a potential whistleblower.
An officer in the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite Metropolitan Division has alleged in a new lawsuit that commanders have for years enforced a de facto quota system that rewarded officers who identified and arrested a lot of alleged gang members and punished those who didn’t.
“Minimums had to be met,” Officer Samantha Fiedler alleged in a lawsuit filed against the LAPD and the city of L.A. in California Superior Court this week.
Metro officers who didn’t make a gang or gun arrest or identify gang members on field interview cards for two days were told their “production” wasn’t good enough, she said. Some were reassigned to undesirable administrative jobs.
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“This was part of the methodology used to send and enforce the message: Do as we say regarding our demands of arrests and [field interview card] numbers or you are done here,” Fiedler’s lawsuit alleged.
The allegations echo others in recent months about commanders in the elite unit using quotas to rack up arrests and suppress gang activity, and come amid a growing scandal around the unit’s use of field interview cards as a means of identifying gang affiliates.
In January, The Times revealed that more than a dozen LAPD officers were under investigation after accusations arose that officers were falsifying information on interview cards and accusing people of having gang affiliations without evidence. Such claims can follow a person around for years and negatively affect their employment and housing prospects, advocates say.
The same month, The Times reported that a Metro Division platoon recap sheet showed that officers were measured in 16 categories, including guns, citations and arrests, and that field interviews of gang members were used by the department as a measure of productivity — giving officers an incentive to make stops.
Last month, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey charged Metro officers Braxton Shaw, Michael Coblentz and Nicolas Martinez with conspiracy to obstruct justice, filing false police reports and preparing false documentary evidence. Prosecutors alleged the three officers collectively falsified dozens of cards, at times writing that people admitted to being gang members when footage from their body cameras showed no such admissions or showed the people explicitly denying gang affiliation.
An attorney for Shaw has said that his client would be cleared of any wrongdoing when the facts come out — and that all of his actions were “based upon directions being provided by department command.”
In the new lawsuit, Fiedler claims she was stripped of her police powers without justification based on fears among commanders that she would expose their role in the gang-labeling scandal.
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The eight-year department veteran claimed that Metro commanders got worried after The Times began asking questions and rushed to “control the narrative” by pushing out potential whistleblowers — including her and several other officers.
The commanders, Fiedler claimed, “believed that would be the most effective way to send the message to the entire Metro officer population to be quiet” and “not speak out regarding the potentially illegal policies and practices of pressuring/ordering/requiring officers to increase the statistics of identified gang members and gang and gun arrests.”
Matthew McNicholas, Fiedler’s attorney, said she had never falsified records, and commanders took away her badge only “to send a message.”
He said he also represents other officers “who had the same thing happen to them,” and who also intend to file one or more lawsuits against the city and LAPD.
Capt. Stacy Spell, an LAPD spokesman, said Thursday that the department could not comment on the pending litigation or the claims therein.
The department has previously denied having arrest quotas but acknowledged tracking arrests and other data as a means of assessing performance.
“We have to have some way of measuring officers’ performance, and this is how we track it,” LAPD Assistant Chief Horace Frank said this year. “But it doesn’t allow an officer the ability to lie or cheat or provide false documentation.”
Field interview cards have been used for decades to gather intelligence that then populates a database that officers can access to help them with investigations. Information from the cards was also used to add names to the statewide CalGang database until recently, when policymakers in the department halted the practice.
A Times analysis found the Metro Division used such cards more than other parts of the department, filing more than 20% of cards during an 18-month period despite making up about 4% of the force.
In addition to Shaw, Coblentz and Martinez, officials have said that more than 20 officers remain under investigation — but they have not been named.
Lacey’s office did not respond Thursday to a request for comment on Fiedler’s claims.
McNicholas said that Fiedler “worked minimally” with the three charged officers and that “none of her [field interview] cards are problematic in any way, shape or form.”
Her lawsuit says she has heard nothing from the department since she was ordered home and served a notice in January that she would be downgraded to a lower position in the department, despite the fact that downgrades are supposed to be processed within 30 days.
In her lawsuit, Fiedler claims that problems in Metro go back at least five years, to 2015, when then-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck transferred hundreds of officers into the division without providing what Fiedler felt was adequate training, and commanders started demanding the team produce guns and gang arrests.
“In fact, this was stated repeatedly in roll calls, briefings and otherwise on a continuous and ongoing basis. It was all about the guns and … their numbers of arrests and [field interview] cards. Minimums had to be met,” Fiedler claimed.
She alleged the pressures to make large numbers of arrests constituted a violation of state law against quotas for officers who make traffic stops.
And she said her treatment by the department reflected a strong desire among officials to block a full accounting of the problems within Metro and what motivated them.
The gang-framing allegations first came to light after a Van Nuys mother received a letter from the LAPD last year saying that her son had been identified as a gang member during a 2018 field interview. She challenged that identification, and officials who reviewed body-camera footage from the incident found inaccuracies.
Fiedler alleged that “the last thing the department wanted when it was going to be forced to respond to public outrage over a kid being improperly included” in a gang database was a disclosure by Metro officers themselves that “Metro’s command actually had pressured its officers to increase the numbers of gang identifications, as well as arrests and gun seizures, which caused the set of facts that led to the mother’s complaints about her son being wrongly identified as a gang member.”
The department ordering her and her fellow officers home with no explanation, she said, was the department “circling its wagons” to keep them quiet.
Fiedler alleges she has suffered professional damage and lost wages as a result of the incident, and is suing for unspecified damages.
Asked about Fiedler’s claims, the board of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers, issued a statement denouncing the department’s history of using quotas — and saying they “truly hope the days of quota policing are over.”
“Not only are quotas illegal, but they erode the trust that front-line officers build up with the community they serve,” the union board said.


latimes--2020-08-28--Firefighters battle brush fire by Elizabeth Lake

Firefighters were working Friday afternoon to contain a 150-acre brush fire near Elizabeth Lake .
The Johnson fire was first @ @ @ @ @ Department officials just after 3 p.m. Units responded to the blaze at Johnson Road and @ @ @ @ @ said structures in the area are threatened .

Firefighters were working Friday afternoon to contain a 150-acre brush fire near Elizabeth Lake.
The Johnson fire was first reported by L.A. County Fire Department officials just after 3 p.m. Units responded to the blaze at Johnson Road and Elizabeth Lake Road.
Officials said structures in the area are threatened.


latimes--2020-08-28--Orange County wants justices to reopen schools statewide. Experts say it's a long shot

When the state ’ s top court agreed to review two cases challenging Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s limitations on in-classroom instruction , backers of the litigation said they were heartened .
Robert L. Tyler , one of the lawyers who brought the cases on behalf of schools statewide and the Orange County Board of Education , said the court could have dismissed the cases summarily rather than asking for more written arguments .
The fact that the court asked for more arguments “ is one reason we are very excited , ” he said .
But the California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before , only to dismiss them after reading written arguments .
The court also tends to to be deferential toward the legislative and executive branches of government , and Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye was given extraordinary legal powers to manage courts during the pandemic .
“ Overwhelmingly , courts around the country have rejected challenges and upheld restrictions , ” said Erwin Chemerinsky , dean of the UC Berkeley law school .
“ Based on these rulings , I think the court is likely to uphold Gov .
Newsom ’ s actions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , and COVID-19 is easily spread.
” The court is expected to issue a decision next week .
John Caragozian , a longtime board member of the California Supreme Court Historical Society who previously taught a law school class on California legal history , said the court may take up such cases directly when time is of the essence and important rights are asserted .
Most cases start at the trial court and move on to the intermediate courts of appeal before the California Supreme Court gets involved .
“ Maybe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in the Supreme Court anyway , so why not deal with it now , ” he said .
He added that it would take “ a pretty strong legal and factual case for the court to substitute its judgment for the governor ’ s. ” In late April , the court ordered arguments on a suit to block $ 75 million in state disaster relief assistance to undocumented immigrants during the pandemic .
The court reviewed written arguments from both sides , then summarily denied the petition without comment on May 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school cases lose , Tyler said , the lawsuits may have put political pressure on Newsom .
Tyler noted that Orange County came off the state ’ s coronavirus watchlist the day after the cases were filed .
A few days later , he added , the California Dept .
of Public Health issued guidelines to allow small cohorts of students with disabilities and others to be taught on school grounds .
Tyler said he believed those actions were “ in reaction ” to the litigation .
On Friday , Newsom announced new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partial reopening of schools in some counties and also eliminated the watchlist , substituting it for color-coded tiers .
One of the cases before the state high court involves public schools ; the other , private schools .
Tyler ’ s law firm filed both .
The suits ask the justices to order Newsom and other state officials to stop enforcing health directives that require schools to implement distance learning .
“ Many students are struggling in the online environment as they lack the home support they need to thrive in a distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public schools said .
Tyler has sued Newsom before and won at the California Supreme Court .
He was among those who asked the court to stop San Francisco from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004 .
Newsom at the time was the mayor of San Francisco .
The state high court stopped the marriages and then ruled that 4,000 licenses handed out by San Francisco were invalid .
Later , the California Supreme Court struck down a state law barring same-sex marriage .
Religious groups responded by winning passage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban .
A challenge in federal court eventually led to the legalization of same-sex marriage across the country .
In responding to the challengers Friday , lawyers for Newsom said he and the California Department of Public Health “ have appropriately exercised state police powers in responding to the unprecedented , deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
” “ Everyone would prefer that the country was not in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic , ” the response said .
“ But we are , and given current epidemiological trends , schools can not operate as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health .
”

The Orange County Board of Education is asking the state Supreme Court to override a health directive from Gov. Gavin Newsom, shown, barring schools from holding in-person classes.
When the state’s top court agreed to review two cases challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom’s limitations on in-classroom instruction, backers of the litigation said they were heartened.
Robert L. Tyler, one of the lawyers who brought the cases on behalf of schools statewide and the Orange County Board of Education, said the court could have dismissed the cases summarily rather than asking for more written arguments.
The fact that the court asked for more arguments “is one reason we are very excited,” he said.
But the California Supreme Court has taken up similar cases before, only to dismiss them after reading written arguments. The court also tends to to be deferential toward the legislative and executive branches of government, and Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye was given extraordinary legal powers to manage courts during the pandemic.
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“Overwhelmingly, courts around the country have rejected challenges and upheld restrictions,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley law school. “Based on these rulings, I think the court is likely to uphold Gov. Newsom’s actions. We are in the midst of a pandemic, and COVID-19 is easily spread.”
The court is expected to issue a decision next week.
John Caragozian, a longtime board member of the California Supreme Court Historical Society who previously taught a law school class on California legal history, said the court may take up such cases directly when time is of the essence and important rights are asserted.
Most cases start at the trial court and move on to the intermediate courts of appeal before the California Supreme Court gets involved.
“Maybe the court feels it is going to end up in the Supreme Court anyway, so why not deal with it now,” he said.
He added that it would take “a pretty strong legal and factual case for the court to substitute its judgment for the governor’s.”
California California lawmakers reach deal for new eviction protections that would last through January The plan, which faces the high hurdle of having to get a two-thirds vote in each house of the Legislature by Monday night, was seen as a compromise with landlord groups who oppose a pending bill that would have kept tenants from being evicted if they did not pay any rent as late as April.
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In late April, the court ordered arguments on a suit to block $75 million in state disaster relief assistance to undocumented immigrants during the pandemic. The court reviewed written arguments from both sides, then summarily denied the petition without comment on May 6.
Even if the challengers in the school cases lose, Tyler said, the lawsuits may have put political pressure on Newsom.
Tyler noted that Orange County came off the state’s coronavirus watchlist the day after the cases were filed. A few days later, he added, the California Dept. of Public Health issued guidelines to allow small cohorts of students with disabilities and others to be taught on school grounds.
Tyler said he believed those actions were “in reaction” to the litigation.
On Friday, Newsom announced new rules to create a path for the partial reopening of schools in some counties and also eliminated the watchlist, substituting it for color-coded tiers.
One of the cases before the state high court involves public schools; the other, private schools. Tyler’s law firm filed both. The suits ask the justices to order Newsom and other state officials to stop enforcing health directives that require schools to implement distance learning.
“Many students are struggling in the online environment as they lack the home support they need to thrive in a distance learning model,” the petition on public schools said.
Tyler has sued Newsom before and won at the California Supreme Court. He was among those who asked the court to stop San Francisco from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. Newsom at the time was the mayor of San Francisco. The state high court stopped the marriages and then ruled that 4,000 licenses handed out by San Francisco were invalid.
Later, the California Supreme Court struck down a state law barring same-sex marriage. Religious groups responded by winning passage of a ballot proposition to restore the marriage ban. A challenge in federal court eventually led to the legalization of same-sex marriage across the country.
In responding to the challengers Friday, lawyers for Newsom said he and the California Department of Public Health “have appropriately exercised state police powers in responding to the unprecedented, deadly COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Everyone would prefer that the country was not in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic,” the response said. “But we are, and given current epidemiological trends, schools cannot operate as normal in many communities without imperiling public health.”


latimes--2020-08-28--California bans flavored tobacco sales in response to a surge in teen use

Gov .
Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Friday that outlaws the retail sale of flavored tobacco products in California after condemning the tobacco industry for targeting young people .
The new law , which takes effect Jan. 1 , came in response to a surge in teen use of flavored tobacco , including electronic cigarettes and other products with flavors including menthol , apple , cotton candy and gummy bears .
Newsom said during a news conference hours before signing the measure that he had long supported a ban .
“ I have been very expressive in terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that continues to find ways to target our youth , ” Newsom said .
“ It will be a point of deep pride and personal privilege , as a father of four and as someone who has had many , many family members die at the hands of the tobacco industry , to sign that bill.
” The state Senate voted Friday to give final approval to the bill by Sen. Jerry Hill ( D-San Mateo ) despite a blitz of television and social media ads by the tobacco industry in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special treatment to the rich , and singling out communities of color ” by banning menthol products .
Advocates for the bill denounced those claims as inaccurate and responded with that argued flavored tobacco products have been heavily marketed to communities of color and pose disproportionate health risks to Black residents .
During Friday ’ s floor debate , Sen. Scott Wiener ( D-San Francisco ) criticized “ the despicable misinformation campaign the tobacco industry inflicted on this Legislature and our constituents.
” In urging support for the bill , Hill cited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control and Prevention that found that 67 % of high school students and 49 % of middle school students who used tobacco products in the prior 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time .
Hill participated in a signing ceremony with the governor and health advocates streamed on Zoom and said afterward that the approval is “ a huge win for our kids and the health of our communities throughout California.
” Hill has tried unsuccessfully in past years to pass a flavored tobacco ban .
He became emotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday as he pondered his departure after this year ’ s session due to term limits .
“ What has kept me motivated and steadfast is the fact this bill is all about protecting kids and protecting public health , ” Hill said , adding that he regretted having to accept exemptions for premium cigars , hookah products and some pipe tobacco .
The bill imposes a fine of $ 250 for each violation .
California is the second state , following Massachusetts , to ban all tobacco flavors , including menthol .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey have banned flavored e-cigarette products .
In addition , 78 cities and counties in California , including Los Angeles County , have also passed restrictions on flavored tobacco .
Representatives of Reynolds American Inc. , which was involved in the opposition ad campaign , did not immediately respond to requests for comment and questions about whether the tobacco industry would seek to qualify a referendum for the state ballot to overturn the ban .
The Vapor Technology Assn.
, a trade group for the electronic cigarette industry , is “ examining all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Executive Director Tony Abboud said .

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Friday that outlaws the retail sale of flavored tobacco products in California after condemning the tobacco industry for targeting young people.
The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, came in response to a surge in teen use of flavored tobacco, including electronic cigarettes and other products with flavors including menthol, apple, cotton candy and gummy bears.
Newsom said during a news conference hours before signing the measure that he had long supported a ban.
“I have been very expressive in terms of my absolute condemnation of this tobacco industry that continues to find ways to target our youth,” Newsom said. “It will be a point of deep pride and personal privilege, as a father of four and as someone who has had many, many family members die at the hands of the tobacco industry, to sign that bill.”
The state Senate voted Friday to give final approval to the bill by Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) despite a blitz of television and social media ads by the tobacco industry in recent weeks that said the legislation was “giving special treatment to the rich, and singling out communities of color” by banning menthol products.
Advocates for the bill denounced those claims as inaccurate and responded with another ad that argued flavored tobacco products have been heavily marketed to communities of color and pose disproportionate health risks to Black residents.
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During Friday’s floor debate, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) criticized “the despicable misinformation campaign the tobacco industry inflicted on this Legislature and our constituents.”
In urging support for the bill, Hill cited a 2018 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found that 67% of high school students and 49% of middle school students who used tobacco products in the prior 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time.
Hill participated in a signing ceremony with the governor and health advocates streamed on Zoom and said afterward that the approval is “a huge win for our kids and the health of our communities throughout California.”
Hill has tried unsuccessfully in past years to pass a flavored tobacco ban. He became emotional on the floor of the Senate on Friday as he pondered his departure after this year’s session due to term limits.
“What has kept me motivated and steadfast is the fact this bill is all about protecting kids and protecting public health,” Hill said, adding that he regretted having to accept exemptions for premium cigars, hookah products and some pipe tobacco.
The bill imposes a fine of $250 for each violation.
California is the second state, following Massachusetts, to ban all tobacco flavors, including menthol. Other states including New York and New Jersey have banned flavored e-cigarette products. In addition, 78 cities and counties in California, including Los Angeles County, have also passed restrictions on flavored tobacco.
Representatives of Reynolds American Inc., which was involved in the opposition ad campaign, did not immediately respond to requests for comment and questions about whether the tobacco industry would seek to qualify a referendum for the state ballot to overturn the ban.
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The Vapor Technology Assn., a trade group for the electronic cigarette industry, is “examining all response options at this time,” Executive Director Tony Abboud said.
Abboud said the new law is “bad policy” because he said product bans don’t work.
“As California’s economy continues to face COVID-related challenges, the last thing its state leaders should be doing is driving people back to cigarettes, shuttering small businesses and slashing jobs,” Abboud said.


latimes--2020-08-28--Here's how California's new coronavirus reopening rules will affect you

California is shifting to a new approach to reopening the economy in the COVID-19 era , hoping to avoid a repeat of the case surge that came with the summer reopening .
Under the new plan , counties must show consistent success in stemming coronavirus transmission before allowing businesses greater flexibility to reopen .
The goal is to have a more uniform approach that prevents new outbreaks that put pressure on hospitals and force a rollback of the reopening .
Here are some details : What are the changes ?
Counties will be allowed to ease restrictions in stages , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unlike last time , the governor said the decision to grant counties the ability to open businesses will be based entirely on data showing the virus ’ spread .
In the rollout of the new plan , Newsom ’ s office described these changes : • Generally each county will remain in a tier for at least 21 days before it can expand allowable activities and move to a less restrictive tier .
Some counties in the first tier may be eligible to move to the next sooner .
For higher tiers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California will update each county ’ s data for the previous week and make corresponding changes to tiers each Tuesday .
In order to move into a less restrictive tier at the end of the 21-day period , a county must have met its tier ’ s criteria for two consecutive weeks .
• None There is no longer a county attestation process .
Instead the new system will look at case rates and test positivity to measure how widespread the coronavirus is in each county and guide what is allowed .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when conditions worsen : Counties that fail to meet the metrics for their current tier for two consecutive weeks must move backward and adopt more restrictions .
What are the tiers ?
• Tier 1 , widespread transmission : Most nonessential businesses must be closed .
Counties in this tier have more than seven new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people per day and a test positivity rate of 8 % and above .
• Tier 2 , substantial transmission : Some nonessential indoor businesses remain closed .
Counties in this tier have four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day and a test positivity rate of 5 % to 8 % .
• Tier 3 , moderate transmission : Some businesses can open with modifications .
Counties in this tier have 1-3.9 new cases per 100,000 people per day and a positivity rate of 2 % to 4.9 % .
• Tier 4 , minimal transmission : Most businesses can reopen , with modifications .
Counties in this tier have less than one new case per 100,000 people per day and a positivity rate of less than 2 % .
The criteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all 58 counties in California , and the vast majority of counties — including all Southern California counties except San Diego — will begin in the first tier .
What are the details ?
Here are some explanations from a state document that describes the new procedures : — Your county will fall into one of four colored tiers — purple , red , orange , and yellow — based on the infection rate and the extent of community spread .
That color will indicate how sectors can operate .
For example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , restaurants can operate only outdoors .
But once a county has achieved a lower level of disease transmission and moved into the Substantial ( red ) tier , restaurants can operate with 25 % capacity indoors .
For more information on what ’ s open in your county , visit : https : //covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/ — How do we measure the infection rate and extent of community spread ?
Two simple metrics : number of cases per 100,000 residents and percentage of tests that come back positive .
— Schools may reopen for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Substantial ( red ) tier for at least two weeks .
The epidemiological criteria for this change are consistent with the previous County Monitoring List framework .
School districts in the Widespread ( purple ) tier can still receive a waiver from their local health department for TK-6 grades .
Times staff writers Phil Willon , Colleen Shalby and Taryn Luna contributed to this report .

Gov. Gavin Newsom wears a mask as he speaks to reporters in June.
California is shifting to a new approach to reopening the economy in the COVID-19 era, hoping to avoid a repeat of the case surge that came with the summer reopening.
Under the new plan, counties must show consistent success in stemming coronavirus transmission before allowing businesses greater flexibility to reopen.
The goal is to have a more uniform approach that prevents new outbreaks that put pressure on hospitals and force a rollback of the reopening.
Here are some details:
What are the changes?
Counties will be allowed to ease restrictions in stages, slowly granting Californians their pre-outbreak freedoms. Unlike last time, the governor said the decision to grant counties the ability to open businesses will be based entirely on data showing the virus’ spread.
In the rollout of the new plan, Newsom’s office described these changes:
Generally each county will remain in a tier for at least 21 days before it can expand allowable activities and move to a less restrictive tier. Some counties in the first tier may be eligible to move to the next sooner. For higher tiers, the 21-day clock begins Friday.
California will update each county’s data for the previous week and make corresponding changes to tiers each Tuesday. In order to move into a less restrictive tier at the end of the 21-day period, a county must have met its tier’s criteria for two consecutive weeks.
There is no longer a county attestation process. Instead the new system will look at case rates and test positivity to measure how widespread the coronavirus is in each county and guide what is allowed.
A new process for tightening back up when conditions worsen: Counties that fail to meet the metrics for their current tier for two consecutive weeks must move backward and adopt more restrictions.
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What are the tiers?
Tier 1, widespread transmission: Most nonessential businesses must be closed. Counties in this tier have more than seven new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people per day and a test positivity rate of 8% and above.
Most nonessential businesses must be closed. Counties in this tier have more than seven new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people per day and a test positivity rate of 8% and above. Tier 2, substantial transmission: Some nonessential indoor businesses remain closed. Counties in this tier have four to seven cases per 100,000 people per day and a test positivity rate of 5% to 8%.
Some nonessential indoor businesses remain closed. Counties in this tier have four to seven cases per 100,000 people per day and a test positivity rate of 5% to 8%. Tier 3, moderate transmission: Some businesses can open with modifications. Counties in this tier have 1-3.9 new cases per 100,000 people per day and a positivity rate of 2% to 4.9%.
Some businesses can open with modifications. Counties in this tier have 1-3.9 new cases per 100,000 people per day and a positivity rate of 2% to 4.9%. Tier 4, minimal transmission: Most businesses can reopen, with modifications. Counties in this tier have less than one new case per 100,000 people per day and a positivity rate of less than 2%.
The criteria for each tier will be uniform for all 58 counties in California, and the vast majority of counties — including all Southern California counties except San Diego — will begin in the first tier.
What are the details?
Here are some explanations from a state document that describes the new procedures:
— Your county will fall into one of four colored tiers — purple, red, orange, and yellow — based on the infection rate and the extent of community spread. That color will indicate how sectors can operate.
For example, in the Widespread (purple) tier, restaurants can operate only outdoors. But once a county has achieved a lower level of disease transmission and moved into the Substantial (red) tier, restaurants can operate with 25% capacity indoors.
For more information on what’s open in your county, visit: https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/
— How do we measure the infection rate and extent of community spread? Two simple metrics: number of cases per 100,000 residents and percentage of tests that come back positive.
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— Schools may reopen for in-person instruction once their county has been in the Substantial (red) tier for at least two weeks. The epidemiological criteria for this change are consistent with the previous County Monitoring List framework. School districts in the Widespread (purple) tier can still receive a waiver from their local health department for TK-6 grades.
Source: California Department of Public Health and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office
Times staff writers Phil Willon, Colleen Shalby and Taryn Luna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-28--San Francisco announces plans for outdoor hair and nail services, with outdoor gyms to follow

San Francisco officials announced Friday that hair salons , barbershops and nail salons may offer services outdoors beginning Tuesday , joining other parts of the state in a measured plan for reopening .
Outdoor gyms and fitness centers can reopen Sept. 9 , officials said .
Dr. Grant Colfax , San Francisco ’ s public health director , said during an online news conference that “ learning centers , community hubs and classroom learning and child-care facilities ” will be a top priority in reopening as well as small businesses .
“ We know that education , and particularly early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervention we simply can not hit pause on , ” he said .
The strategy to gradually resume the operation of some businesses , with modifications , comes two months after the city put the brakes on wider reopenings amid a surge in coronavirus cases .
Since statewide restrictions were implemented in March , cities and counties have been able to impose more stringent regulations on a local level , and San Francisco had lagged behind many other parts of California when the state began to reopen the economy in late May and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late June to reopen hair salons , barbershops , tattoo parlors , zoos , outdoor bars and outdoor swimming pools and then made an abrupt about-face as infection rates rose sharply .
Those numbers have since dropped , and Friday ’ s decision reflects the city ’ s growing confidence in the downward trend of daily coronavirus cases .
San Francisco has been averaging about 75 new cases of COVID-19 a day .
“ That number has been coming down in recent weeks , but it remains in the red zone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new changes to statewide reopening criteria , Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Friday said that all 58 counties in California will be permitted to operate hair salons and barbershops indoors beginning Monday .
It was not immediately clear whether San Francisco would alter its plans to allow for indoor services , but Mayor London Breed said additional announcements would follow next week .
Scientists now know that outdoor activities are the safest way to avoid infection , Colfax said .
“ So as we increase outdoor activities we must — we must — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance and wash our hands frequently , ” Colfax said .
” Our success is so dependent on each person doing their part.
” Breed noted that hundreds of businesses in San Francisco have closed permanently during the pandemic and expressed compassion for parents and students who have been required to attend classes remotely .
The city has been largely shut down for six months , she said , and “ now is time to make some levels of transition .
”

San Francisco will reopen hair salons, barbershops and nail salons for outdoor service beginning Tuesday. Outdoor fitness centers and gyms may begin operating Sept. 9.
San Francisco officials announced Friday that hair salons, barbershops and nail salons may offer services outdoors beginning Tuesday, joining other parts of the state in a measured plan for reopening.
Outdoor gyms and fitness centers can reopen Sept. 9, officials said.
Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s public health director, said during an online news conference that “learning centers, community hubs and classroom learning and child-care facilities” will be a top priority in reopening as well as small businesses.
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“We know that education, and particularly early education, is a key public health intervention we simply cannot hit pause on,” he said.
The strategy to gradually resume the operation of some businesses, with modifications, comes two months after the city put the brakes on wider reopenings amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
Since statewide restrictions were implemented in March, cities and counties have been able to impose more stringent regulations on a local level, and San Francisco had lagged behind many other parts of California when the state began to reopen the economy in late May and early June.
The city had decided in late June to reopen hair salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors, zoos, outdoor bars and outdoor swimming pools and then made an abrupt about-face as infection rates rose sharply.
Those numbers have since dropped, and Friday’s decision reflects the city’s growing confidence in the downward trend of daily coronavirus cases. San Francisco has been averaging about 75 new cases of COVID-19 a day.
“That number has been coming down in recent weeks, but it remains in the red zone,” Colfax said.
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In announcing sweeping new changes to statewide reopening criteria, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday said that all 58 counties in California will be permitted to operate hair salons and barbershops indoors beginning Monday.
It was not immediately clear whether San Francisco would alter its plans to allow for indoor services, but Mayor London Breed said additional announcements would follow next week.
Scientists now know that outdoor activities are the safest way to avoid infection, Colfax said.
“So as we increase outdoor activities we must — we must — continue to wear our masks, socially distance and wash our hands frequently,” Colfax said. ”Our success is so dependent on each person doing their part.”
Breed noted that hundreds of businesses in San Francisco have closed permanently during the pandemic and expressed compassion for parents and students who have been required to attend classes remotely.
The city has been largely shut down for six months, she said, and “now is time to make some levels of transition.”