latimes--2020-05-12--LAPD releases body-camera video of beating of homeless Boyle Heights man

The Los Angeles Police Department on Tuesday released video from an officer ’ s body camera depicting a violent clash in Boyle Heights that appeared to show the officer punching an unarmed homeless man , leading to allegations of brutality and calls for the officer to be fired and prosecuted .
LAPD Chief Michel Moore called the situation “ disturbing ” and said he felt compelled to release the recording after a separate cellphone video leaked last week , leading to a public outcry .
“ I , along with many of you , watched the third-party video that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious concerns , ” Moore said .
The video that surfaced online last week showed an officer punching a man repeatedly in the head and body , despite the fact that he did not appear to be struggling or armed .
The man has his hands behind his back as the video starts and at one point appears to be trying to stumble away from the officer .
The man sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention , according to the LAPD .
He was not charged with a crime and was released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The officer has since been identified by two law enforcement sources as Frank Hernandez , a 20-year LAPD veteran who has been involved in prior controversial on-duty shootings .
The officer has been assigned to home pending the outcome of investigations by the department ’ s Internal Affairs and Force Investigation divisions .
Moore also released video captured by the officer ’ s partner ’ s body-worn camera Tuesday .
The officers were responding to a call from a property owner who claimed the man was trespassing on a vacant lot next to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houston Street around 5 p.m. on April 27 , authorities said .
Video taken from Hernandez ’ s camera shows the officers walking through a lot and approaching the man , who stands up from his makeshift campsite and begins walking away with his bicycle as they approach .
The man walks past the Church of God of Prophecy , then stops .
The man had refused to leave the area , according to audio captured by Hernandez ’ s partner ’ s body-worn camera .
Hernandez then orders the man to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle briefly , knocking Hernandez ’ s camera to the ground .
His partner ’ s video captured the rest of the incident from a different angle , which shows the man turn in to Hernandez as the officer ’ s camera falls to the ground .
Hernandez ’ s attorney , David Winslow , told The Times last week that the man turned around and punched Hernandez in the chest , but the body-worn camera video does not appear to support that .
Hernandez ’ s partner ’ s video also captures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers and appearing to be combative as they approach .
In the video taken from Hernandez ’ s partner , the officer can be seen punching the man at least a dozen times .
The man does not attempt to fight back and appears to have his hands covering his head the whole time .
After Hernandez stops punching the man , he can be heard asking his partner to use her stun gun .
Hernandez ’ s partner drew the weapon once the incident turned violent , but she never fired it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demand to know what ’ s going on , the officer warns the man he will get hit again if he doesn ’ t comply .
“ You [ expletive ] grabbed my hand [ expletive ] , that ’ s why I hit you , ” Hernandez shouts at the man .
The LAPD has not identified either officer , citing state laws that conceal officers ’ names from the public in most nonfatal use-of-force incidents .
The LAPD in 2018 began to make public recordings collected from use-of-force incidents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time such video was released solely at the discretion of the police chief .
Under rules adopted in March 2018 by the city ’ s civilian Police Commission , the LAPD is required to release recordings collected as evidence during officer-involved shootings , in-custody deaths and other serious uses of force that result in a death or serious injury .
Moore , who expressed concern about the officer ’ s actions when the recording first surfaced last week , said he had already spoken to Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that preliminary findings would be presented to prosecutors by June 1 .
“ This incident is deeply disturbing , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t believe that anything that is shown in this critical incident video will change that description by me or any others.
” Investigators have interviewed 15 witnesses , including the officers who initiated the stop .
Police are still trying to arrange an interview with the man who was beaten .
In recent days , calls for Hernandez to be fired and prosecuted have ramped up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office , claiming the video made public last week was more than enough evidence for Lacey to proceed with assault charges .
“ Anytime you see someone with their hands behind their back and getting hit in the head like that multiple times , that is disturbing .
As a human being , I look at that and say , ‘ How did this happen ?
What led up to this ?
’ ” Lacey said Monday .
“ But as the lead prosecutor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know that I need to exercise judgment in what I say publicly , because I don ’ t want this office disqualified or recused for prejudging the evidence .
So I ’ m waiting to see all of what ’ s out there.
” In a federal lawsuit filed late Monday , the homeless man in the video was identified as Richard Castillo .
According to the filing , Castillo has lived in Boyle Heights most of his life and has family in the immediate area .
“ He was raised about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has a tremendous support system around him in that neighborhood , ” said attorney Wesley Ouchi , who described Castillo as “ well-liked and well-known ” in the area .
Times staff writers Kevin Rector and Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report .

The Los Angeles Police Department on Tuesday released video from an officer’s body camera depicting a violent clash in Boyle Heights that appeared to show the officer punching an unarmed homeless man, leading to allegations of brutality and calls for the officer to be fired and prosecuted.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore called the situation “disturbing” and said he felt compelled to release the recording after a separate cellphone video leaked last week, leading to a public outcry.
“I, along with many of you, watched the third-party video that was released last week, and I have serious concerns,” Moore said.
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The video that surfaced online last week showed an officer punching a man repeatedly in the head and body, despite the fact that he did not appear to be struggling or armed. The man has his hands behind his back as the video starts and at one point appears to be trying to stumble away from the officer.
The man sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention, according to the LAPD. He was not charged with a crime and was released the same night, authorities said.
The officer has since been identified by two law enforcement sources as Frank Hernandez, a 20-year LAPD veteran who has been involved in prior controversial on-duty shootings. The officer has been assigned to home pending the outcome of investigations by the department’s Internal Affairs and Force Investigation divisions.
Moore also released video captured by the officer’s partner’s body-worn camera Tuesday. The officers were responding to a call from a property owner who claimed the man was trespassing on a vacant lot next to a church in the 2400 block of Houston Street around 5 p.m. on April 27, authorities said.
Video taken from Hernandez’s camera shows the officers walking through a lot and approaching the man, who stands up from his makeshift campsite and begins walking away with his bicycle as they approach. The man walks past the Church of God of Prophecy, then stops.
The man had refused to leave the area, according to audio captured by Hernandez’s partner’s body-worn camera. Hernandez then orders the man to turn around, and the man seems to struggle briefly, knocking Hernandez’s camera to the ground.
His partner’s video captured the rest of the incident from a different angle, which shows the man turn in to Hernandez as the officer’s camera falls to the ground. Hernandez’s attorney, David Winslow, told The Times last week that the man turned around and punched Hernandez in the chest, but the body-worn camera video does not appear to support that.
Winslow did not return a call seeking comment Tuesday.
Warning: Video contains violence and profanity.
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Hernandez’s partner’s video also captures audio of the man cursing at the officers and appearing to be combative as they approach.
In the video taken from Hernandez’s partner, the officer can be seen punching the man at least a dozen times. The man does not attempt to fight back and appears to have his hands covering his head the whole time. After Hernandez stops punching the man, he can be heard asking his partner to use her stun gun.
Hernandez’s partner drew the weapon once the incident turned violent, but she never fired it.
As members of the community approach and demand to know what’s going on, the officer warns the man he will get hit again if he doesn’t comply.
“You [expletive] grabbed my hand [expletive], that’s why I hit you,” Hernandez shouts at the man.
The LAPD has not identified either officer, citing state laws that conceal officers’ names from the public in most nonfatal use-of-force incidents.
The LAPD in 2018 began to make public recordings collected from use-of-force incidents, but Tuesday’s release marked the first time such video was released solely at the discretion of the police chief.
Under rules adopted in March 2018 by the city’s civilian Police Commission, the LAPD is required to release recordings collected as evidence during officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths and other serious uses of force that result in a death or serious injury.
Moore, who expressed concern about the officer’s actions when the recording first surfaced last week, said he had already spoken to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey about the clash and expected that preliminary findings would be presented to prosecutors by June 1.
“This incident is deeply disturbing,” he said. “I don’t believe that anything that is shown in this critical incident video will change that description by me or any others.”
Investigators have interviewed 15 witnesses, including the officers who initiated the stop. Police are still trying to arrange an interview with the man who was beaten.
In recent days, calls for Hernandez to be fired and prosecuted have ramped up across the city. Demonstrators gathered Monday outside the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, claiming the video made public last week was more than enough evidence for Lacey to proceed with assault charges.
“Anytime you see someone with their hands behind their back and getting hit in the head like that multiple times, that is disturbing. As a human being, I look at that and say, ‘How did this happen? What led up to this?’” Lacey said Monday. “But as the lead prosecutor in the D.A.’s office, I know that I need to exercise judgment in what I say publicly, because I don’t want this office disqualified or recused for prejudging the evidence. So I’m waiting to see all of what’s out there.”
In a federal lawsuit filed late Monday, the homeless man in the video was identified as Richard Castillo. According to the filing, Castillo has lived in Boyle Heights most of his life and has family in the immediate area.
“He was raised about two houses down from that vacant lot. He has a tremendous support system around him in that neighborhood,” said attorney Wesley Ouchi, who described Castillo as “well-liked and well-known” in the area.
Times staff writers Kevin Rector and Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-12--L.A. County could keep stay-at-home orders in place well into summer, depending on conditions

Los Angeles County ’ s stay-at-home orders will “ with all certainty ” be extended for the next three months , county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer acknowledged during a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday .
Ferrer later added that even if the orders remain in place through the summer , restrictions will be “ gradually relaxed ” under a five-step plan .
“ We are being guided by science and data that will safely move us forward along the road to recovery in a measured way—one that allows us to ensure that effective distancing and infection control measures are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that the county is counting on the public ’ s compliance with the orders to be able to relax restrictions .
Testifying before the Board of Superviros , Ferrer stressed further progress will be guided by efforts to contain the virus .
Los Angeles County is now the Calfornia epicenter of the coronavirus , with more than 1,300 deaths so far .
“ Our hope is that by using the data , we ’ d be able to slowly lift restrictions over the next three months , ” she said .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or rapid home kits that would allow people to test themselves daily , it seems unlikely that the social distancing directives and stay-at-home orders would be completely eased .
On Tuesday afternoon , Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger also expressed hope there could be more easing in coming weeks .
“ I am eager to reopen more of L.A. County as soon as it ’ s safe to do so , in collaboration with our health experts , community leaders , businesses and residents , with best practices in place to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions will be guided by the latest science and data collected , ” she said in a statement .
`` I ’ m confident that the more our communities continue to comply , the sooner we can resume normalcy.
” Ferrer ’ s comments came shortly before Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced that he was modifying the state ’ s stay-at-home orders to allow individual counties to approve the reopening of malls for curbside pickup service only .
The order also allows for the reopening of some offices if teleworking is not feasible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the woods yet , ” Newsom reminded residents .
In L.A. County , confirmed cases and deaths have continued to rise .
When beaches reopen this week , how people can use the sand will look different .
Face coverings will be required when not in the water , and sunbathing won ’ t be allowed .
Only active recreation — surfing , running , walking and swimming — will be permitted .
Coolers , chairs , umbrellas and any of the other accessories that typically dot the shoreline should be left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's stay-at-home orders comes as officials try to meet two needs : restarting the economy under a new normal while also ensuring that the resurgence in activity doesn ’ t upend progress in the fight against the coronavirus .
There has been a big push in recent weeks to reopen the state ’ s economy , which has been hurt by the stay-at-home orders .
Newsom last week announced new protocols for retail stores and some workplaces to reopen .
Under the plan , some in-restaurant dining , car washes and shopping malls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming weeks if public health officials in a county are able to demonstrate that the spread of the virus has stabilized and that they have adequate testing and hospital capacity .
Some rural counties that have seen relatively few cases are likely to be able to meet those benchmarks more quickly than urban counties such as Los Angeles .
found most big California counties are not close to meeting Newsom ’ s standards .
The analysis looked at which counties could pass just the first two criteria — whether deaths have stopped in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no more than one case per 10,000 residents in that same time period .
Most of California failed that test .
In fact , 95 % of Californians live in counties that don ’ t meet that standard , the Times analysis found .
Not a single county in Southern California nor the San Francisco Bay Area met the criteria .
Newsom suggested Friday that the guidelines would be later modified on a statewide basis , allowing larger counties hit hardest by the outbreak to also reopen more broadly .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll be making subsequent announcements for the entire state , not just those that meet those more restrictive criteria , ” he said .
On Tuesday , he also explained the guidelines for restaurants in some counties to open for dine-in service , including disposable menus and an emphasis on outdoor seating .
He also suggested that customers be screened for symptoms .
Also on Tuesday , Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , warned members of the U.S. Senate that states that push too quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would trigger an outbreak .
Fauci said a 14-day decline in cases is the major benchmark that states should meet before reopening .
As other California regions have seen a decline in the number of reported infections and COVID-19-related deaths , L.A. County , the state ’ s most populous , continues to see growth on both fronts .
The county reported Tuesday an additional 961 people who tested positive for the virus , and an additional 45 deaths , bringing the death toll to 1,613 .
L.A. County ’ s COVID-19 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s total .
Officials have noted that the numbers reported at the start of the week are typically lower , largely because testing is not at full capacity on weekends .
Nearly 253,000 individuals of L.A. County ’ s 10 million residents have been checked for the virus and roughly 11 % — more than 32,000 — have been infected .
Officials have been encouraging all residents , even those without symptoms , to get tested .
Officials have said that social distancing has helped slow the spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains contagious .
“ It ’ s safer to stay at home .
COVID-19 has not changed , ” Ferrer reminded residents Monday .
Some neighboring counties that are easing restrictions also continue to see increases in cases and deaths .
Riverside County , where officials voted Friday to lift requirements for face coverings , reported 150 new cases Monday and 12 additional deaths .
In Orange County , 45 more cases and one death were reported Tuesday as the number of hospitalizations — a count that fluctuates by the day depending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eligible 25 hospitals report statistics — rose to 230 .
Meanwhile in Santa Clara County , which was once the hottest spot for infections in the state , the number of cases has declined .
Officials reported two additional cases Monday and zero deaths .
Santa Clara is one of six Bay Area counties that have extended shelter-in-place orders .
Also Tuesday , the L.A. County Board of Supervisors debated whether to extend the county ’ s eviction moratorium to help renters who may be struggling financially because of the pandemic .
Supervisors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it until Aug. 31 .
Kuehl said she based her proposed date off the Department of Public Health ’ s guidance that at least some of the stay-at-home restrictions would be extended for the next three months .
She added that the board ’ s need to vote on the moratorium every month would create “ amazing anxiety ” for renters .
“ Obviously our tenants are suffering extreme pain right now , ” Solis said .
Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn submitted an amendment to extend the rent eviction moratorium until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board passed that amendment , 3-2 , with Kuehl and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas voting against it .

A scene from “Knives Out,” with actor Don Johnson, seen at the Mission Tiki Drive-in Theatre in Montclair. Opened with one screen in 1956, the Mission Tiki expanded to four screens in 1975 and began renovation in 2006, updating to FM transmitters and digital projectors. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Traveling nurse Gail Cunningham waves thanks outside the emergency room entrance to Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley as residents pay tribute to her and other medical personnel with a drive-by rally. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Some beachgoers actively use the beach while others relax on the sand, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s active-use-only order, in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Thousands of rental cars are stored at Dodger Stadium as the coronavirus crisis has caused rentals to nosedive. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
On a recent day, there’s not a face mask in sight as a roller skater and others share the reopened walking path on the Strand in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Maria Morales, center, a member of the USC class of 2020, participates in virtual graduation via Zoom with her brother Manny Morales, left, mom Pilar Morales and stepdad Victor Ramos from her home in Orange. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team banks over downtown Los Angeles in formation to salute healthcare workers and first responders on May 15. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Mary Perez, a salesperson at High Class Jewels on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, helps a customer as he tries on a gold rope chain inside the recently reopened store. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Manon Guijarro, a new graduate of Pierce College, has her photo taken by friend Paige Johnson at Chris Burden’s outdoor work “Urban Light” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A woman, masked against COVID-19, walks past a building that features the image of Britney Spears at a shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Eric Larkin hands an order to Brittany Wright as she fastens her face covering outside the Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Mildred “Millie” Stratton waves to a caravan of cars led by Alhambra police officers and firefighters. The parade past her home celebrated Stratton’s 102nd birthday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Melissa Gomes fixes the tassel on the mortarboard of Sarah Anggraini as the new graduate gets ready for a photo at Chaffey College, which held a drive-through graduation, in Rancho Cucamonga. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Destiny VanSciner is tested for COVID-19 with an oral swab by family nurse practitioner Anniesatu Newland at a walk-in site at St. John’s Well Child and Family Center in South Los Angeles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
New West Charter School vice principal Mark Herrera shouts at graduate Joe Reid to come and receive his diploma during a drive-up graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 at the charter school in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Pedestrians cross the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public, following growing concerns that an increase in coronavirus cases has been caused by residents failing to voluntarily take that precaution. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
People wear masks while walking along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Californians must wear face masks in public under a coronavirus order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Pedestrians, some with face coverings, some without, walk past musicians Brent Kendell, background left, and Sam Jones, background right, as they perform at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
A mask-wearing skateboarder and her dog make their way along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Californians must wear face masks in public under a coronavirus order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Jair Guido, 36, a veterinarian visiting from Durango, Mexico, right, wearing a sombrero with an American flag draped over his shoulders, walks with other pedestrians along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. Guido said that he wore this outfit to show people that he is proud to be a Mexican and that he loves America. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Cameron Johnson,18, left, headed to UC Berkeley in the fall and Simona Krasnegor,17, headed to UCLA in the fall, watched the sun set while sitting next to the Manhattan Beach Pier, following their drive-through graduation from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
People wait in line to have a COVID-19 screening administered by the Community Organized Relief Effort at the Los Angeles City Mayor’s test site at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Patrons wear face coverings at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. A recent surge in COVID-19 cases in California has pushed the state’s total past 200,000 with more than 5,800 deaths. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Bella Nousiainen, left, with daughter, Helmi Nousiainen, of Los Angeles, at the Santa Monica Pier, which reopens after being closed to guests for months because of the coronavirus. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Southern California residents watch the fireworks during the Drive-Up 4th of July Spectacular at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base on Saturday in Los Alamitos. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
No-parking signs from the July 4 weekend still block spots on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica on Monday. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
A police officer and a lifeguard boat comb the shoreline in Venice Beach on July 5. Even though the beach was closed over the weekend a few still made their way to the shoreline. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
A bicyclist with her child rides along the closed bike path on July 3 in Manhattan Beach. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Peter Gratzinger of Pacific Palisades heads to the water at Santa Monica State Beach, which opened to the public at 5 a.m. July 6. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
A bicyclist rides along Highland Avenue with the pier closed to beachgoers on July 3 in Manhattan Beach. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County’s stay-at-home orders will “with all certainty” be extended for the next three months, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer acknowledged during a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.
Ferrer later added that even if the orders remain in place through the summer, restrictions will be “gradually relaxed” under a five-step plan.
“We are being guided by science and data that will safely move us forward along the road to recovery in a measured way—one that allows us to ensure that effective distancing and infection control measures are in place,” Ferrer said, adding that the county is counting on the public’s compliance with the orders to be able to relax restrictions.
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Testifying before the Board of Supervisors, Ferrer stressed further progress will be guided by efforts to contain the virus. Los Angeles County is now the Calfornia epicenter of the coronavirus, with more than 1,300 deaths so far.
“Our hope is that by using the data, we’d be able to slowly lift restrictions over the next three months,” she said. But without widely available testing for the coronavirus or rapid home kits that would allow people to test themselves daily, it seems unlikely that the social distancing directives and stay-at-home orders would be completely eased.
On Tuesday afternoon, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger also expressed hope there could be more easing in coming weeks.
“I am eager to reopen more of L.A. County as soon as it’s safe to do so, in collaboration with our health experts, community leaders, businesses and residents, with best practices in place to ensure our overall health and well-being. These decisions will be guided by the latest science and data collected,” she said in a statement.”I’m confident that the more our communities continue to comply, the sooner we can resume normalcy.”
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti echoed Barger’s comments, saying that the city will continue to adjust orders to stay home gradually in order to allow more activities and more businesses to operate.
“We’re not moving past COVID-19, we’re learning to live with it — and we will keep taking measured steps toward a new, safer reality in the days and weeks ahead,” he said in a statement.
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Ferrer’s comments came shortly before Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he was modifying the state’s stay-at-home orders to allow individual counties to approve the reopening of malls for curbside pickup service only. The order also allows for the reopening of some offices if teleworking is not feasible.
“We aren’t out of the woods yet,” Newsom reminded residents.
In L.A. County, confirmed cases and deaths have continued to rise.
When beaches reopen this week, how people can use the sand will look different. Face coverings will be required when not in the water, and sunbathing won’t be allowed. Only active recreation — surfing, running, walking and swimming — will be permitted. Coolers, chairs, umbrellas and any of the other accessories that typically dot the shoreline should be left at home.
The update to L.A.’s stay-at-home orders comes as officials try to meet two needs: restarting the economy under a new normal while also ensuring that the resurgence in activity doesn’t upend progress in the fight against the coronavirus.
There has been a big push in recent weeks to reopen the state’s economy, which has been hurt by the stay-at-home orders. Newsom last week announced new protocols for retail stores and some workplaces to reopen.
Under the plan, some in-restaurant dining, car washes and shopping malls could also be allowed to reopen in coming weeks if public health officials in a county are able to demonstrate that the spread of the virus has stabilized and that they have adequate testing and hospital capacity.
Some rural counties that have seen relatively few cases are likely to be able to meet those benchmarks more quickly than urban counties such as Los Angeles.
A Times data analysis last week found most big California counties are not close to meeting Newsom’s standards. The analysis looked at which counties could pass just the first two criteria — whether deaths have stopped in the last 14 days, and whether there is no more than one case per 10,000 residents in that same time period.
Most of California failed that test. In fact, 95% of Californians live in counties that don’t meet that standard, the Times analysis found. Not a single county in Southern California nor the San Francisco Bay Area met the criteria.
Newsom suggested Friday that the guidelines would be later modified on a statewide basis, allowing larger counties hit hardest by the outbreak to also reopen more broadly. “Over the next few weeks, we’ll be making subsequent announcements for the entire state, not just those that meet those more restrictive criteria,” he said.
On Tuesday, he also explained the guidelines for restaurants in some counties to open for dine-in service, including disposable menus and an emphasis on outdoor seating. He also suggested that customers be screened for symptoms.
Also on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned members of the U.S. Senate that states that push too quickly to ease orders could undo progress that would trigger an outbreak. Fauci said a 14-day decline in cases is the major benchmark that states should meet before reopening.
As other California regions have seen a decline in the number of reported infections and COVID-19-related deaths, L.A. County, the state’s most populous, continues to see growth on both fronts. The county reported Tuesday an additional 961 people who tested positive for the virus, and an additional 45 deaths, bringing the death toll to 1,613. L.A. County’s COVID-19 deaths account for more than half of the state’s total.
Officials have noted that the numbers reported at the start of the week are typically lower, largely because testing is not at full capacity on weekends.
Nearly 253,000 individuals of L.A. County’s 10 million residents have been checked for the virus and roughly 11% — more than 32,000 — have been infected. Officials have been encouraging all residents, even those without symptoms, to get tested.
Officials have said that social distancing has helped slow the spread of the virus, but also have warned that it remains contagious.
“It’s safer to stay at home. COVID-19 has not changed,” Ferrer reminded residents Monday.
Some neighboring counties that are easing restrictions also continue to see increases in cases and deaths. Riverside County, where officials voted Friday to lift requirements for face coverings, reported 150 new cases Monday and 12 additional deaths.
In Orange County, 45 more cases and one death were reported Tuesday as the number of hospitalizations — a count that fluctuates by the day depending on how many of the county’s eligible 25 hospitals report statistics — rose to 230.
Meanwhile in Santa Clara County, which was once the hottest spot for infections in the state, the number of cases has declined. Officials reported two additional cases Monday and zero deaths. Santa Clara is one of six Bay Area counties that have extended shelter-in-place orders.
Also Tuesday, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors debated whether to extend the county’s eviction moratorium to help renters who may be struggling financially because of the pandemic. Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis proposed extending it until Aug. 31.
Kuehl said she based her proposed date off the Department of Public Health’s guidance that at least some of the stay-at-home restrictions would be extended for the next three months. She added that the board’s need to vote on the moratorium every month would create “amazing anxiety” for renters.
“Obviously our tenants are suffering extreme pain right now,” Solis said.
Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn submitted an amendment to extend the rent eviction moratorium until only the end of June. The board passed that amendment, 3-2, with Kuehl and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas voting against it.
Times staff writer Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-12--3.3 quake strikes near Imperial, Calif.

3.3 quake strikes near Imperial, Calif.

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. about 24 miles from Imperial , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 24 miles from El Centro , Calif. , 26 miles from Brawley , Calif. , 31 miles from Calexico , Calif. and 39 miles from Alpine , Calif .
In the last 10 days , there have been five 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a depth of six 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported about 24 miles from Imperial, Calif., on Tuesday morning.
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. about 24 miles from Imperial, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 24 miles from El Centro, Calif., 26 miles from Brawley, Calif., 31 miles from Calexico, Calif. and 39 miles from Alpine, Calif.
In the last 10 days, there have been five 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 six 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--2020-05-12--After voting to rescind stay-at-home orders, coronavirus cases rise in Riverside County

Following a controversial vote on Friday to allow local health officials to rescind Riverside County ’ s stay-at-home orders , officials on Monday reported 150 new coronavirus cases and 12 deaths .
With 5,189 confirmed cases and 217 deaths , the county now has the second-highest number of cases in the state behind Los Angeles County , which had more than 32,000 cases as of Monday morning .
Riverside County officials also reported that 199 coronavirus patients are in the hospital , including 74 in intensive care , and 2,645 others have recovered from COVID-19 , 26 more than on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both those with and without symptoms , have been tested for the virus .
Public health officials are particularly encouraging teenagers and young adults to get tested for the coronavirus .
According to census data , people 18 and younger make up about 25 % of Riverside County ’ s population , but only 6.6 % of the appointments at testing sites , officials said .
“ We would like to get a more complete picture of the illness as it has spread among young people , ” said Kim Saruwatari , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health .
“ This will [ help ] us better understand who in the community has the disease and how it might be moving among children and families.
” Records show that nearly 200 residents between the ages of 5 to 17 have tested positive for the virus .
Of residents 18 to 39 years old , 1,705 have tested positive .
Increased testing is one of and other public spaces .
On Friday , Riverside County ’ s Board of Supervisors voted to rescind all of the county ’ s stay-at-home orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions .
That included lifting the closure of vocational and higher education schools , ending the restriction on golf courses , eliminating limitations on short-term lodging , and removing the requirements to wear face coverings and engage in social distancing .
Cameron Kaiser , the county ’ s public health officer , had put the restrictions in place until June 19 .
Saruwatari said testing is available for everyone in Riverside County at no cost , regardless of insurance or immigration status .
Minors are required to get a parent ’ s permission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing sites on an appointment basis .
To schedule an appointment , call ( 800 ) 945-6171 .
Appointments are also required at the eight state-operated walk-up testing sites spread throughout the county .
To make an appointment at a state site , go to or call ( 888 ) 634-1123 .

Residents who want public health orders rescinded wait to enter the County Administrative Center to speak during an emergency Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting last week.
Following a controversial vote on Friday to allow local health officials to rescind Riverside County’s public health orders, officials on Monday reported 150 new coronavirus cases and 12 deaths.
With 5,189 confirmed cases and 217 deaths, the county now has the second-highest number of cases in the state, behind Los Angeles County, which had more than 32,000 cases as of Monday morning.
Riverside County officials also reported that 199 coronavirus patients are in the hospital, including 74 in intensive care, and 2,645 others have recovered from COVID-19, 26 more than on Sunday.
So far, 73,149 people, both those with and without symptoms, have been tested for the virus. Public health officials are particularly encouraging teenagers and young adults to get tested for the coronavirus. According to census data, people 18 and younger make up about 25% of Riverside County’s population, but only 6.6% of the appointments at testing sites, officials said.
“We would like to get a more complete picture of the illness as it has spread among young people,” said Kim Saruwatari, the county’s director of public health. “This will [help] us better understand who in the community has the disease and how it might be moving among children and families.”
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Records show that nearly 200 residents between the ages of 5 to 17 have tested positive for the virus. Of residents 18 to 39 years old, 1,705 have tested positive.
Increased testing is one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s criteria for reopening businesses and other public spaces. On Friday, Riverside County’s Board of Supervisors voted to rescind all of the county’s stay-at-home orders that went beyond the governor’s restrictions. That included lifting the closure of vocational and higher education schools, ending the restriction on golf courses, eliminating limitations on short-term lodging, and removing the requirements to wear face coverings and engage in social distancing.
Cameron Kaiser, the county’s public health officer, had put the restrictions in place until June 19.
Saruwatari said testing is available for everyone in Riverside County at no cost, regardless of insurance or immigration status. Minors are required to get a parent’s permission.
The county currently operates four drive-up testing sites on an appointment basis. To schedule an appointment, call (800) 945-6171.


latimes--2020-05-12--Fauci cautious about schools, colleges reopening in fall: 'We better be careful"

Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , urged caution about reopening schools this fall .
Speaking at a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday , Fauci was asked by Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-Tenn. ) whether colleges and schools could feel safe welcoming students back in the fall .
Fauci said that would largely depend on the ability to do widespread testing and other factors .
“ The idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate reentry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The drug that has shown some degree of efficacy was modest and was in hospitalized patients.
” He sharply rebuffed Sen. Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) , who suggested that schools should be reopened because evidence suggests the virus does not seriously affect children .
“ I think we better be careful if we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects ” of the illness , Fauci said , noting that there is a lot unknown about the virus and its effects .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major issue in California .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said he would like some campuses to reopen by late summer .
Although the school year in Los Angeles is set to begin on Aug. 18 , the prospect of opening 900 campuses will rely on solutions for daunting and costly problems — including whether half a million students and their families would be tested for COVID-19 , Supt .
Austin Beutner said .
“ There has been discussion about the need to have students with families tested , but no clear picture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be provided and who will pay for them , ” Beutner said in an interview .
His staff is working with state and local authorities and a team of UCLA experts on reopening protocols .
Two other major concerns include coming up with a plan — and funding — for supplying masks for students and staff , perhaps multiple masks a day for children , and sanitizing schools , he said .
“ The top-to-bottom cleaning that will be necessary and appropriate is different than it might have been just a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Schools were cleaned every day , but not necessarily sanitized .
It ’ s two different things .
Sanitizing is more intensive , costs more.
” Beutner also spoke of the difficulty of managing students ’ safely once they return to campus .
He referenced research suggesting that a school environment ranks among the settings where infections would be more likely to spread , on par with college dorms and nightclubs .
As for masks : “ Where will those come from ?
Are we buying them ?
” asked Beutner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern over finances is timely .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom this week is expected to release his revised budget proposal for next year — as measures to combat COVID-19 have decimated the state budget with a projected $ 54.3-billion deficit through the summer , the largest in state history .
In a worst-case scenario , analysts forecast a 20 % cut to education funding .

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, urged caution about reopening schools this fall.
Speaking at a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday, Fauci was asked by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) whether colleges and schools could feel safe welcoming students back in the fall. Fauci said that would largely depend on the ability to do widespread testing and other factors.
“The idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate reentry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far,” Fauci said. “The drug that has shown some degree of efficacy was modest and was in hospitalized patients.”
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He sharply rebuffed Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who suggested that schools should be reopened because evidence suggests the virus does not seriously affect children.
“I think we better be careful if we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects” of the illness, Fauci said, noting that there is a lot unknown about the virus and its effects.
When and how to reopen schools has been a major issue in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would like some campuses to reopen by late summer.
Although the school year in Los Angeles is set to begin on Aug. 18, the prospect of opening 900 campuses will rely on solutions for daunting and costly problems — including whether half a million students and their families would be tested for COVID-19, Supt. Austin Beutner said.
“There has been discussion about the need to have students with families tested, but no clear picture yet drawn as to where the tests would be provided and who will pay for them,” Beutner said in an interview. His staff is working with state and local authorities and a team of UCLA experts on reopening protocols.
Two other major concerns include coming up with a plan — and funding — for supplying masks for students and staff, perhaps multiple masks a day for children, and sanitizing schools, he said.
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“The top-to-bottom cleaning that will be necessary and appropriate is different than it might have been just a few months ago,” Beutner said. “Schools were cleaned every day, but not necessarily sanitized. It’s two different things. Sanitizing is more intensive, costs more.”
Beutner also spoke of the difficulty of managing students’ safely once they return to campus. He referenced research suggesting that a school environment ranks among the settings where infections would be more likely to spread, on par with college dorms and nightclubs.
As for masks: “Where will those come from? Are we buying them?” asked Beutner, who foresees difficult economic times.
The concern over finances is timely. Gov. Gavin Newsom this week is expected to release his revised budget proposal for next year — as measures to combat COVID-19 have decimated the state budget with a projected $54.3-billion deficit through the summer, the largest in state history. In a worst-case scenario, analysts forecast a 20% cut to education funding.


latimes--2020-05-12--Writers' groups struggling under COVID-19 appeal to L.A. City Council for help

The literary community in Los Angeles is calling on L.A. officials to provide much-needed support to writers struggling to survive during the coronavirus crisis .
On behalf of almost 1,000 local members and a coalition of literary arts organizations and allies , PEN America sent an open letter to the L.A. City Council Monday requesting that they include the literary community in allocating emergency relief and federal stimulus funds , offer rent-alleviation for closed organizations and support a Writers Project-style narrative program commissioning writers to chronicle the pandemic ’ s effect on the city .
`` [ T ] here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles who are facing an unprecedented interruption in their livelihoods following the cancellation of book tours and promotional events , ongoing holds on film , television , and new media productions , and the shuttering of local newspapers , magazines , and other media outlets , ” the letter reads .
“ At the same time , with dark restaurants , closed bookstores , and more , many of the other jobs that make a writing life possible are no longer available.
” Michelle Franke , executive director of PEN America in L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There ’ s a tremendous amount of concern , particularly with people who are getting ready to release books in the spring and summer , ” she said .
Authors often rely heavily on tours , readings , local media and bookstores to promote their work , but travel and live events have been canceled and stores forced to shut to curb the virus ’ spread .
Emerging writers are also wondering whether it might be a good time to approach publishers , added Franke .
The letter ’ s signatories hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting for specific designation in art funding , ” are earmarked in any relief packages passed by the council .
After commending the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs for including authors in its Arts Emergency Relief Fund , the letter added : `` [ W ] e must note that writers as a specific creative community have frequently been left out of most relief efforts .
It is clear that this is a group of artists central to LA ’ s previously booming creative economy—journalists , novelists , nonfiction authors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , essayists , playwrights , translators , editors , and copywriters .
“ These artists and the literary organizations that support them are central to the publishing , entertainment , and new media sectors that are a core component of our economy .
Our city can not afford to leave writers behind.
” The letter was signed by dozens of L.A.-based businesses and literary arts groups , including 826LA , the Los Angeles Review of Books , Angel City Press , Skylight Books , Vroman ’ s Bookstore and Book Soup , Avenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press , the Writers Guild of America West and Lambda Literary .
To assist writers in need , PEN America — a national organization dedicated to defending free expression — also relaunched its Writers ’ Emergency Fund , which distributes grants of $ 500 to $ 1,000 to applicants in financial crises .
The organization has received more than 800 applications nationwide and granted $ 361,000 to 390 writers since the fund was revamped March 25 .
But these grants and other programs are not enough , Franke said .
“ The need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the extent that organizations , backed by the city , can be thinking about creating meaningful pathways for people to not just survive but to ultimately thrive in some kind of future , I think that ’ s the work we should be doing right now , ” she said .
In response to the global health crisis and canceled events , PEN America has also gone virtual .
On Wednesday , it transformed its World Voices Festival — which traditionally convenes writers each spring in New York and L.A. — into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , it will unveil podcasts , videos , interviews , reading lists and musical playlists , and feature live events and more through the summer .
“ We ’ ve taken what was a wonderful week-long international literary festival and in-person gathering , ” said PEN America communications director Stephen Fee , “ and we ’ re doing our best to draw out as much of that magic and power that we can over these uncertain months .
”

L.A.’s Book Soup is among the businesses whose owners signed a letter calling on the L.A. City Council to support writers and literary professionals.
The literary community in Los Angeles is calling on L.A. officials to provide much-needed support to writers struggling to survive during the coronavirus crisis.
On behalf of almost 1,000 local members and a coalition of literary arts organizations and allies, PEN America sent an open letter to the L.A. City Council Monday requesting that they include the literary community in allocating emergency relief and federal stimulus funds, offer rent-alleviation for closed organizations and support a Writers Project-style narrative program commissioning writers to chronicle the pandemic’s effect on the city.
“[T]here are many, many writers in Los Angeles who are facing an unprecedented interruption in their livelihoods following the cancellation of book tours and promotional events, ongoing holds on film, television, and new media productions, and the shuttering of local newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets,” the letter reads. “At the same time, with dark restaurants, closed bookstores, and more, many of the other jobs that make a writing life possible are no longer available.”
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Michelle Franke, executive director of PEN America in L.A., said authors are especially worried. “There’s a tremendous amount of concern, particularly with people who are getting ready to release books in the spring and summer,” she said. Authors often rely heavily on tours, readings, local media and bookstores to promote their work, but travel and live events have been canceled and stores forced to shut to curb the virus’ spread.
Emerging writers are also wondering whether it might be a good time to approach publishers, added Franke.
The letter’s signatories hope literary organizations, which “are always fighting for specific designation in art funding,” are earmarked in any relief packages passed by the council.
After commending the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs for including authors in its Arts Emergency Relief Fund, the letter added: “[W]e must note that writers as a specific creative community have frequently been left out of most relief efforts. It is clear that this is a group of artists central to LA’s previously booming creative economy—journalists, novelists, nonfiction authors, screen and television writers, poets, essayists, playwrights, translators, editors, and copywriters.
“These artists and the literary organizations that support them are central to the publishing, entertainment, and new media sectors that are a core component of our economy. Our city cannot afford to leave writers behind.”
The letter was signed by dozens of L.A.-based businesses and literary arts groups, including 826LA, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Angel City Press, Skylight Books, Vroman’s Bookstore and Book Soup, Avenue 50 Studio, Libros Schmibros, Counterpoint Press, the Writers Guild of America West and Lambda Literary.
To assist writers in need, PEN America — a national organization dedicated to defending free expression — also relaunched its Writers’ Emergency Fund, which distributes grants of $500 to $1,000 to applicants in financial crises. The organization has received more than 800 applications nationwide and granted $361,000 to 390 writers since the fund was revamped March 25.
But these grants and other programs are not enough, Franke said.
“The need is just unprecedented right now, so to the extent that organizations, backed by the city, can be thinking about creating meaningful pathways for people to not just survive but to ultimately thrive in some kind of future, I think that’s the work we should be doing right now,” she said.
In response to the global health crisis and canceled events, PEN America has also gone virtual. On Wednesday, it transformed its World Voices Festival — which traditionally convenes writers each spring in New York and L.A. — into a digital event. In the coming weeks, it will unveil podcasts, videos, interviews, reading lists and musical playlists, and feature live events and more through the summer.
“We’ve taken what was a wonderful week-long international literary festival and in-person gathering,” said PEN America communications director Stephen Fee, “and we’re doing our best to draw out as much of that magic and power that we can over these uncertain months.”


latimes--2020-05-12--Air National Guard to crisscross California to salute essential coronavirus workers

A sky-high salute will honor California ’ s workers on the front lines in the battle against the novel coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ from Fresno , four California Air National Guard F-15C Eagle fighter jets will soar over @ @ @ @ @ part of a nationwide show of support for healthcare workers , first responders and other @ @ @ @ @ , assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing , will launch about 10 a.m. and head @ @ @ @ @ west over the San Francisco Bay Area .
From there , they will head south @ @ @ @ @ around near Santa Ana and heading back to base .
During their journey — which @ @ @ @ @ little more than two hours — the jets will fly over numerous medical centers and @ @ @ @ @ , fire stations and government buildings , including the state Capitol .

Crowds gather around a display of an F-15C Eagle fighter jet during a California Air National Guard open house in 2017 in Fresno.
A sky-high salute will honor California’s workers on the front lines in the battle against the novel coronavirus on Wednesday.
Taking off from Fresno, four California Air National Guard F-15C Eagle fighter jets will soar over swaths of the state as part of a nationwide show of support for healthcare workers, first responders and other essential personnel.
The jets, assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing, will launch about 10 a.m. and head north to Sacramento before banking west over the San Francisco Bay Area.
From there, they will head south to Los Angeles before turning around near Santa Ana and heading back to base.
During their journey — which is expected to take a little more than two hours — the jets will fly over numerous medical centers and hospitals, law enforcement offices, fire stations and government buildings, including the state Capitol.


latimes--2020-05-12--Scores of L.A. businesses reopened but failed to follow safety rules, officials say

As California businesses slowly reopen , public health officials are trying to make sure they follow social distancing rules to prevent the coronavirus from spreading .
Over the weekend , the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said that it surveyed 410 businesses and found 162 were in violation “ because they were allowing customers into stores , not following physical distancing measures and not requiring customers to wear cloth face coverings.
” Some retailers were allowed to reopen with curbside service beginning Friday , including florists , bookstores and clothing stores .
“ As a reminder , retail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must ensure compliance with all protocols before reopening .
Inspectors will continue to monitor for compliance and ensure that all adhere to the health officer order , ” the county said .
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said one concern was flower shops that were observed allowing customers into stores , not following the physical distancing measures , and not requiring the customers to wear cloth face coverings , she told reporters Monday .
Hiking trails , parks and golf courses Saturday .
Overall , Ferrer said people did not mob those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have been closed since late March , will reopen Wednesday with restrictions .
Surfing , swimming , running and walking will be allowed .
Biking , playing volleyball , sitting , sunbathing and picnicking will not .
Coolers and canopies are also not allowed .
Parking lots , bike paths , piers and boardwalks will remain closed .
Everyone will be required to wear masks and stay at least six feet away from others , officials said .
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the vast majority of San Franciscans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have patrolled parks each weekend to ensure people are wearing masks and keeping six feet apart .
San Francisco will monitor hospitalization rates closely after some small businesses are allowed to reopen for pickup and delivery next week , city officials said Monday .
“ Offering delivery and pickup service is a big step , and it is definitely a big risk , ” Mayor London Breed said at a news conference with other city officials .
“ We know that the more people are in contact with the public , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
”

A customer picks up a purchase at the front door of a sports shoe and apparel store along Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles on Friday, following the curbside pickup and social distancing rules.
As California businesses slowly reopen, public health officials are trying to make sure they follow social distancing rules to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.
Over the weekend, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said that it surveyed 410 businesses and found 162 were in violation “because they were allowing customers into stores, not following physical distancing measures and not requiring customers to wear cloth face coverings.”
Some retailers were allowed to reopen with curbside service beginning Friday, including florists, bookstores and clothing stores.
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“As a reminder, retail establishments are closed to public entry and must ensure compliance with all protocols before reopening. Inspectors will continue to monitor for compliance and ensure that all adhere to the health officer order,” the county said.
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said one concern was flower shops that were observed allowing customers into stores, not following the physical distancing measures, and not requiring the customers to wear cloth face coverings, she told reporters Monday.
Hiking trails, parks and golf courses reopened throughout the county Saturday. Overall, Ferrer said people did not mob those locations.
Los Angeles County beaches, which have been closed since late March, will reopen Wednesday with restrictions.
Surfing, swimming, running and walking will be allowed. Biking, playing volleyball, sitting, sunbathing and picnicking will not. Coolers and canopies are also not allowed. Parking lots, bike paths, piers and boardwalks will remain closed.
Everyone will be required to wear masks and stay at least six feet away from others, officials said.
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the vast majority of San Franciscans are complying with the health orders. Officers have patrolled parks each weekend to ensure people are wearing masks and keeping six feet apart.
San Francisco will monitor hospitalization rates closely after some small businesses are allowed to reopen for pickup and delivery next week, city officials said Monday.
“Offering delivery and pickup service is a big step, and it is definitely a big risk,” Mayor London Breed said at a news conference with other city officials. “We know that the more people are in contact with the public, there is a higher probability that they can contract the virus.”


latimes--2020-05-12--Gimme Shelter podcast: What's behind those California rent strikes over coronavirus?

Entering a second full month of stay-at-home orders aimed at stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus , renters and landlords across California are increasingly worried about paying their bills .
Some tenants have gone on what they ’ re calling a “ rent strike , ” refusing to pay it and adding a political statement to their economic hardship .
The now monthly protest , which one group of activists says has attracted more than 12,000 California tenants , is to push government officials at all levels to cancel rent and mortgage payments , ensuring renters can stay in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends .
On this episode of Gim me Shelter : The California Housing Crisis Podcast , we talk about how the rent strike movement is connected to the increasingly aggressive protests that have emerged across California since last fall — well before the pandemic .
Our guests are Patricia Mendoza , a tenant in Imperial Beach who is on a rent strike , and Evelyn Garcia , a landlord whose family owns a small complex in South L.A. “ , ” a biweekly podcast that looks at why it ’ s so expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state can do about it , features Liam Dillon , who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times , and Matt Levin , data and housing reporter for .
You can subscribe to “ Gim me Shelter ” on , , , , and .

Tenants and their supporters from gather at L.A. City Hall on last month for a rent strike, calling on government officials to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the coronavirus crisis.
Entering a second full month of stay-at-home orders aimed at stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus, renters and landlords across California are increasingly worried about paying their bills.
Some tenants have gone on what they’re calling a “rent strike,” refusing to pay it and adding a political statement to their economic hardship. The now monthly protest, which one group of activists says has attracted more than 12,000 California tenants, is to push government officials at all levels to cancel rent and mortgage payments, ensuring renters can stay in their homes now and when the pandemic ends.
On this episode of Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast, we talk about how the rent strike movement is connected to the increasingly aggressive protests that have emerged across California since last fall — well before the pandemic. Our guests are Patricia Mendoza, a tenant in Imperial Beach who is on a rent strike, and Evelyn Garcia, a landlord whose family owns a small complex in South L.A.
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“ Gimme Shelter ,”a biweekly podcast that looks at why it’s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CalMatters .


latimes--2020-05-12--Slammed economically by the coronavirus, Santa Monica offers grim preview of crisis to come

Rick Cole spent his career working to shape and move institutions — not big , august ones with world renown , but midsize cities such as Ventura and Azusa .
Over 34 years in five city halls , he built a regional reputation as a wizard of municipal reform .
Sharp , outspoken , at times brusque and divisive , he fought to create compact , walk-able communities near public transportation hubs , while pushing to pare bloated budgets , using data to pinpoint inefficient services and employees .
As city manager of Santa Monica , he had been warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start paying down its pension debts , because the good times would end , as they always do .
He just didn ’ t imagine they would end like this .
The coronavirus outbreak and the shutdown severed the city ’ s two main streams of revenue , hotel bed tax and sales tax .
Santa Monica is now looking at a $ 226-million shortfall by June of 2021 .
And while the affluent coastal town is better off than most of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County , it is facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to realize he was not the person most fit to lead Santa Monica through the coming conflict , having just finished battling employee unions over pension funding .
On April 17 , he announced his resignation , firing a shot across the bow of city governments throughout Southern California .
Rickety budgets were sailing into a tremendous storm .
The city announced this week plans to lay off or buy out 373 employees .
The economic devastation will tear through city after city , across the Los Angeles Basin , testing poor cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southeast county , to those in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys and beyond .
“ It is one of those moments that is going to force us to rethink .
Shame on us if we don ’ t use this as an opportunity , ” Cole said .
“ If it ’ s solely a tragedy — and the only thing that comes of this is libraries and fire stations being closed and public employees being laid off — then we will have compounded the health tragedy with a tragic failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California League of Cities estimates cities around the state will collectively lose $ 7 billion over the next two years due to the pandemic , and billions more if the stay-at-home orders extend into summer and beyond .
Nine of 10 cities reported that the shortfall would lead to service cuts or furloughs and layoffs , mainly due to retail sales falling off a cliff .
Many had relied on one-cent sales taxes to shore up their budgets .
“ If retail sales crater , 1 % sales tax doesn ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still zero , ” said D.J .
Waldie , an author , historian and former Lakewood official for 33 years .
He said cities have fewer options than counties and states in terms of looking for new revenue .
“ Oftentimes the solution to the state ’ s problems is to to take the money from other units of the government , counties and cities and special districts .
You see a lot of that in the last 15 or 20 years , and there ’ s no reason for the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past.
” Counties and school districts are partly buffered from financial downturns because they get a much bigger share of property taxes than cities .
And ever since Proposition 13 put a limit on that , cities have been cutting services and delaying needed capital improvements .
Now not only is revenue tanking , but the cities ’ pension obligations will soar if Wall Street continues to sputter and pension portfolios lose billions in value .
Unlike Santa Monica — which has a per capita budget of twice any other city in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places to cut that don ’ t affect essential services like police , fire , planning , building and libraries .
Long-overdue infrastructure needs will be put off even longer .
The scenario is bleak : Asphalt breaks up , park greenery withers , street lights go out , trash doesn ’ t get picked up , graffiti lingers and property values fall , accelerating the downward cycle .
“ The solutions are few and far between , hard to find , ” Waldie said .
Cole , 66 , started his career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pasadena Weekly .
He first made a name in the urban planning world as a council member and mayor in Pasadena who helped turn the blighted downtown into an entertainment and retail district that became a national model for redevelopment .
He moved on to become city manager in Azusa and Ventura .
It is rare for a politician to move into the more quotidian role of administration , and Cole has been more blunt and outspoken than most managers .
Near the end of his five-year tenure in Santa Monica , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be imperious and not transparent — criticism that only grew sharper when the threat of layoffs appeared .
A petition demanding his removal had gathered 2,800 signatures .
“ What is being restructured , what positions are being eliminated , it ’ s completely opaque , ” said an employee of the human services department .
“ We ask why are they making these decisions and don ’ t get any answers.
” Cole had already been down this path , in a sense .
In Ventura , he spent four years re-shaping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Great Recession , according to former Mayor Bill Fulton .
“ He wanted to get in front of the budget problem , ” said Fulton , who now runs an urban think tank focusing mostly on Houston .
“ Rick was aggressive and got out in front of it .
The neighboring cities were slow to cut their budgets , and for quite a while everybody said what ’ s wrong with Ventura , why does Ventura have a problem that no on else has ?
And the answer was , thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head-on early.
” But other members of the City Council complained that he was not deferential to their ideas , talked over them and acted like an elected official , not the manager hired to carry out their vision .
He resigned in 2012 .
The following year , L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti hired Cole to be his deputy mayor for budget and innovation , to look for ways to increase efficiency throughout City Hall .
Miguel Santana , Los Angeles ’ chief administrative officer at the time , said Cole helped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the services that people cared about the most .
“ He likes to look at things systematically and asks fundamental questions about the role of government , ” said Santana , now president and chief executive of Fairplex in Pomona .
Santana thought that the Santa Monica job , which Cole began in 2015 , would be a perfect fit , because the city was progressive and had the means to make headway on issues such as homelessness and gentrification .
Cole said he hopes those efforts will continue , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , into the uncharted territory blazed by the coronavirus crisis .
The city should not simply cut staff , he said , while clinging to an ineffective model of government that dates to the Progressive Era and the New Deal .
“ Some of the most important things that we should be doing , we are not doing .
We weren ’ t prepared for a pandemic .
Housing is not affordable .
We ’ re not solving the homeless crisis .
We are maintaining legacy services designed for a different era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Santa Monica ’ s Fire Department responds to more than 15,000 911 calls but fewer than a hundred for actual fires , he said .
The vast majority are medical responses .
“ If you were designing a service today for optimal medical response , you wouldn ’ t do it with firetrucks , ” Cole said .
To frame the dilemma , made ever so much worse by the pandemic , in Cole ’ s characteristically colorful fashion : “ Either we try to preserve the bloody stump of the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we invent new ways of solving today ’ s problems .
”

Rick Cole spent his career working to shape and move institutions — not big, august ones with world renown, but midsize cities such as Ventura and Azusa. Over 34 years in five city halls, he built a regional reputation as a wizard of municipal reform.
Sharp, outspoken, at times brusque and divisive, he fought to create compact, walk-able communities near public transportation hubs, while pushing to pare bloated budgets, using data to pinpoint inefficient services and employees.
As city manager of Santa Monica, he had been warning for two years that it needed to start paying down its pension debts, because the good times would end, as they always do.
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He just didn’t imagine they would end like this.
Kay Kabir, walks down a deserted Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
The coronavirus outbreak and the shutdown severed the city’s two main streams of revenue, hotel bed tax and sales tax. Santa Monica is now looking at a $226-million shortfall by June of 2021. And while the affluent coastal town is better off than most of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County, it is facing drastic cuts and layoffs.
Cole came to realize he was not the person most fit to lead Santa Monica through the coming conflict, having just finished battling employee unions over pension funding.
On April 17, he announced his resignation, firing a shot across the bow of city governments throughout Southern California. Rickety budgets were sailing into a tremendous storm.
The city announced this week plans to lay off or buy out 373 employees.
The economic devastation will tear through city after city, across the Los Angeles Basin, testing poor cities such as Maywood and Bell in the southeast county, to those in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys and beyond.
“It is one of those moments that is going to force us to rethink. Shame on us if we don’t use this as an opportunity,” Cole said. “If it’s solely a tragedy — and the only thing that comes of this is libraries and fire stations being closed and public employees being laid off — then we will have compounded the health tragedy with a tragic failure of imagination and political will.”
Rick Cole, left, in 2012 with the Rev. Tom Elewaut of the San Buenaventura Mission in Ventura. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
The California League of Cities estimates cities around the state will collectively lose $7 billion over the next two years due to the pandemic, and billions more if the stay-at-home orders extend into summer and beyond. Nine of 10 cities reported that the shortfall would lead to service cuts or furloughs and layoffs, mainly due to retail sales falling off a cliff. Many had relied on one-cent sales taxes to shore up their budgets.
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“If retail sales crater, 1% sales tax doesn’t get you anything. One percent of zero is still zero,” said D.J. Waldie, an author, historian and former Lakewood official for 33 years.
He said cities have fewer options than counties and states in terms of looking for new revenue. “Oftentimes the solution to the state’s problems is to to take the money from other units of the government, counties and cities and special districts. You see a lot of that in the last 15 or 20 years, and there’s no reason for the state not to behave as it has in the past.”
Counties and school districts are partly buffered from financial downturns because they get a much bigger share of property taxes than cities. And ever since Proposition 13 put a limit on that, cities have been cutting services and delaying needed capital improvements.
Now not only is revenue tanking, but the cities’ pension obligations will soar if Wall Street continues to sputter and pension portfolios lose billions in value.
Salt women’s clothing store owner Holly Boies, 53, looks out her front door to an empty Abbott Kinney Blvd. in Venice. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Unlike Santa Monica — which has a per capita budget of twice any other city in the county — many municipalities have few places to cut that don’t affect essential services like police, fire, planning, building and libraries. Long-overdue infrastructure needs will be put off even longer. The scenario is bleak: Asphalt breaks up, park greenery withers, street lights go out, trash doesn’t get picked up, graffiti lingers and property values fall, accelerating the downward cycle.
“The solutions are few and far between, hard to find,” Waldie said.
Cole, 66, started his career as an activist and journalist who co-founded the Pasadena Weekly. He first made a name in the urban planning world as a council member and mayor in Pasadena who helped turn the blighted downtown into an entertainment and retail district that became a national model for redevelopment.
He moved on to become city manager in Azusa and Ventura. It is rare for a politician to move into the more quotidian role of administration, and Cole has been more blunt and outspoken than most managers.
Near the end of his five-year tenure in Santa Monica, some city employees complained that he could be imperious and not transparent — criticism that only grew sharper when the threat of layoffs appeared. A petition demanding his removal had gathered 2,800 signatures.
“What is being restructured, what positions are being eliminated, it’s completely opaque,” said an employee of the human services department. “We ask why are they making these decisions and don’t get any answers.”
Cole had already been down this path, in a sense. In Ventura, he spent four years re-shaping development and the next four dealing with the Great Recession, according to former Mayor Bill Fulton.
“He wanted to get in front of the budget problem,” said Fulton, who now runs an urban think tank focusing mostly on Houston. “Rick was aggressive and got out in front of it. The neighboring cities were slow to cut their budgets, and for quite a while everybody said what’s wrong with Ventura, why does Ventura have a problem that no on else has? And the answer was, thanks to Rick we were confronting the problem head-on early.”
But other members of the City Council complained that he was not deferential to their ideas, talked over them and acted like an elected official, not the manager hired to carry out their vision. He resigned in 2012.
The following year, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti hired Cole to be his deputy mayor for budget and innovation, to look for ways to increase efficiency throughout City Hall.
Miguel Santana, Los Angeles’ chief administrative officer at the time, said Cole helped the mayor focus the city’s resources on the services that people cared about the most.
“He likes to look at things systematically and asks fundamental questions about the role of government,” said Santana, now president and chief executive of Fairplex in Pomona.
Santana thought that the Santa Monica job, which Cole began in 2015, would be a perfect fit, because the city was progressive and had the means to make headway on issues such as homelessness and gentrification.
Cole said he hopes those efforts will continue, even as Santa Monica marches, like every other place, into the uncharted territory blazed by the coronavirus crisis. The city should not simply cut staff, he said, while clinging to an ineffective model of government that dates to the Progressive Era and the New Deal.
“Some of the most important things that we should be doing, we are not doing. We weren’t prepared for a pandemic. Housing is not affordable. We’re not solving the homeless crisis. We are maintaining legacy services designed for a different era,” he said.
An example: Santa Monica’s Fire Department responds to more than 15,000 911 calls but fewer than a hundred for actual fires, he said. The vast majority are medical responses.
“If you were designing a service today for optimal medical response, you wouldn’t do it with firetrucks,” Cole said.
To frame the dilemma, made ever so much worse by the pandemic, in Cole’s characteristically colorful fashion:
“Either we try to preserve the bloody stump of the way we used to do things — or we invent new ways of solving today’s problems.”