latimes--2020-01-27--Kobe Bryant helicopter pilot tried climbing just before 'devastating' crash, NTSB says

Just before crashing into a Calabasas hillside , the pilot of Kobe Bryant ’ s helicopter rapidly ascended to avoid a cloud layer , the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday .
Jennifer Homendy , an NTSB member , said the pilot flying from Orange County to Ventura County requested special visual flight rules , which allow pilots to fly under 1,000 feet .
A marine layer had settled over the region Sunday morning and some areas were shrouded in fog .
Homendy said it remained unclear why the helicopter slammed into the hillside .
Debris from the crash was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It was a pretty devastating accident scene , ” she added .
“ There is an impact area on one of the hills and a piece of the tail is down the hill on the left side of the hill .
The fuselage is on the other side of that hill .
Then the main rotor is about hundred yards beyond that .
The debris field is about 500 to 600 feet.
” She said there was no black box and it isn ’ t required .
Firefighters responding to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a debris field in steep terrain with a quarter-acre brush fire .
Paramedics arriving by helicopter searched the area but found no survivors .
Bryant , who lived in Newport Beach and Los Angeles , was known to keep a chartered helicopter at Orange County ’ s John Wayne Airport .
A Sikorsky S-76 chopper , built in 1991 , departed John Wayne at 9:06 a.m. Sunday , according to publicly available flight records .
The chopper passed over Boyle Heights , near Dodger Stadium , and circled over Glendale during the flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows no prior incidents or accidents for the mid-size helicopter .
Kurt Deetz , a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters , told The Times he flew Bryant from 2014 to 2016 .
Nine times out of 10 , he said , Bryant flew in “ Two Echo X-ray ” — the Sikorsky S-76B , tail No .
N72EX , that went down Sunday morning .
Bryant favored the model , which is preferred by celebrities for its comfortable interior and solid safety record , Deetz said .
When Bryant retired from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of downtown Los Angeles in the same helicopter , wrapped in a gray-and-black paint scheme with his Mamba emblem on the side , Deetz said .
Deetz suspects the crash was most likely caused by bad weather rather than engine or mechanical issues .
“ The likelihood of a catastrophic twin-engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn ’ t happen , ” he said .
Parts of Southern California were enveloped in thick fog as the helicopter made its way from Orange County to Los Angeles .
During the flight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ special visual flight rules , ” which allows a pilot to fly in weather conditions worse than those allowed for standard visual flight rules , according to radio communications between the air tower and the aircraft .
At some point during the flight , the pilot apparently requested “ flight following , ” a process in which controllers are in regular contact with an aircraft and can help them navigate .
The tower is heard telling the pilot the chopper is too low for flight following before the conversation ends .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call .
A visual flight rules flight “ is based on the principle of see and avoid.
” When operation of an aircraft under visual flight rules isn ’ t safe , often because of inclement weather , a pilot can opt to fly under instrument flight rules .
During this type of flight , the pilot navigates only by reference to the instruments in the aircraft cockpit , according to the FAA .
`` [ Pilots ] fly VFR when and if weather conditions allow , although they can choose to fly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , ” said Ian Gregor , a spokesman for the FAA .
“ Also , it ’ s always up to the pilot to make the decision whether to fly VFR and to ensure the safety of the flight and adherence to federal aviation regulations.
” Bryant was scheduled to coach Sunday in a game against the Fresno Lady Heat at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks and was en route there when the helicopter crashed .
The tournament , called the Mamba Cup , featured boys ’ and girls ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bryant ’ s daughter Gianna , who attended Harbor Day School in Newport Beach , was scheduled to play .
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash .
The FBI is also assisting in the probe , which is standard practice .
The helicopter was registered to Fillmore-based Island Express Holding Corp. , according to the California secretary of state ’ s business database .
The helicopter ’ s manufacturer , Sikorsky , said in a statement Sunday that it was cooperating with the investigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ go team , ” a squad of investigators that responds to major accidents across the country , on Sunday evening , said Christopher O ’ Neil , an agency spokesman .
Leading the investigation is Jennifer Homendy , an NTSB member who oversaw the investigation of a fire aboard the dive boat Conception that killed 34 people off Santa Cruz Island in September .
“ Our team will be looking at the history of the pilot ... whatever crew was on board .
We ’ ll be looking at maintenance records .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And a number of other things as part of the investigation , ” Homendy said .
On Monday morning , the L.A. County coroner ’ s special response team was working on a ridge above the crash site , continuing to remove the remains of the nine victims with the help of search-and-rescue team members .
Investigators could be seen examining the tail rotor , while white-clad medical personnel worked around the bulk of the wreckage .
The victims ’ bodies are being taken to the Forensic Science Center of the coroner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather conditions and possible mechanical issues will likely be at the top of the list for investigators .
The fog was severe enough Sunday morning that the Los Angeles Police Department ’ s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters and didn ’ t fly until later in the afternoon , department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said .
“ The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying , ” Rubenstein said .
The fog “ was enough that we were not flying.
” LAPD ’ s flight minimums are 2 miles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
The L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department made a similar assessment about the fog and had no helicopters in the air Sunday morning “ basically because of the weather , ” L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said .
Witnesses said they heard a roar before the chopper slammed into the hillside Sunday morning .
Jerry Kocharian , 62 , was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter flying unusually low and seeming to struggle .
“ It wasn ’ t sounding right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kocharian said .
“ I saw it falling and spluttering .
But it was hard to make out as it was so foggy.
” The helicopter vanished into the sheet of fog , then there was a boom and “ a big fireball , ” he said .
Scott Daehlin , 61 , was taking a break from setting up sound for a service at Church in the Canyon , which is below the crash site , when he heard the helicopter overheard .
“ Because of its proximity to the ground , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hovering real low , like they were searching to land .
It was making a slow left turn .
It was about 9:44 a.m. , and then the impact happened .
I heard a crunch .
I don ’ t think it pancaked .
I think it hit rotors first , ” Daehlin said .
“ I immediately called 911.
” On Monday morning , Las Virgenes Creek near Lost Hills Road and Cold Springs Street turned into a spectator ’ s gallery as around 100 people gathered about a mile and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying iPhones , video cameras and even binoculars .
Tokyo Sophia University student Marty Ishizaka , 22 , hopped on a plane Sunday morning in Japan after word of Bryant ’ s death spread .
The onetime Los Angeles resident wanted one last memory of the NBA star .
“ I was just sad when I heard the news , and I play basketball and I ’ m a big fan of Kobe , ” said Ishizaka , a graduate of Reseda Cleveland High School .
“ He was a role model .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was expecting to see if I could remember his face , remember his smile by coming here.
” A little closer to the site , Calabasas native Michelle Longo was on her way home from the gym when she decided to check out what was happening .
“ I live right nearby , so I wanted to see if you could see anything , ” Longo , 40 , said .
“ Kobe is L.A.
He ’ s our legend and if you claim to be from Los Angeles , then you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident Charles Nadig was snapping wildlife photos for a community newsletter when the 78-year-old Golden State Warriors fan couldn ’ t help looking farther toward the hills .
“ The crash is right there , and you see can people walking , ” Nadig said .
“ There was a guy around here with binoculars who maybe had a better look.
” Nadig said he was moved to join the community at Las Virgenes Creek , in part , to share in the collective grief .
“ Kobe did a lot of good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was a good guy and that ’ s why this is sad , ” he said .
“ I wanted to be out with others and experience that.
” The pilot , identified as Ara Zobayan , and eight passengers — including Bryant and his daughter — were killed .
Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli , 56 , his wife , Keri , and their daughter Alyssa , who played on the same club team as Gianna , also were killed .
Christina Mauser , who was the top assistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team , as well as a mother and daughter from Orange County , identified by family and friends as Sarah and Payton Chester , also died in the crash .
Officials say the recovery effort at the crash site is expected to take days .
The investigation has meant some Calabasas businesses have had to close shop as sheriff ’ s deputies have blocked access to Las Virgenes Road .
Many were turned away at a nearby office park that houses medical facilities and eateries .
Dentist Edmond Mgdesyan said he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. , with a few other appointments looming .
“ If my patients can ’ t get through , they ’ re just going to go home , ” he said .
“ We ’ ve been told it ’ s going to be like this for a while.
” On top of the cancellations , Mgdesyan said deliveries weren ’ t arriving .
“ We ’ re waiting for packages , for equipment and medicine that we need , ” he said .
“ None of my packages have been delivered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Calabasas Optometry .
“ These are deliveries of glasses that patients are waiting for .
“ It feels like a ghost town here , which isn ’ t usually the case .
It ’ s usually busy.
” Other businesses , such as La Paz Mexican Seafood and Symmetry Pilates and Yoga , either closed early Monday or never opened .
As officials work to find answers about what went wrong during the flight , Southern Californians continue to mourn Bryant ’ s death .
In Newport Beach , where Bryant lived with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls dressed in purple and gold — Lakers colors — dropped flowers off at a bench outside Harbor Day School , adding to a makeshift memorial that has sprouted over the last day .
The Bryant family was active at the private school , where two of his daughters had attended .
Two bouquets propped up under the school ’ s entrance sign were left with letters , one addressed to “ Gigi , Mr. Bryant and Mrs. Mauser , Forever in our Hearts ” and the other “ To Mr. Bryant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angels.
” Maria Paun , 81 , used her walker to deliver an assortment of pink flowers to the front of the school , depositing them on a bench .
It was years ago , she said , that she sat with Bryant on a bench at the school when he was waiting to pick up one of his daughters and she was waiting for her granddaughter .
“ He gave me a hug and he said , ‘ I like your accent , Grandma , ’ ” she said .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I ’ m nobody , but he bent down to give me a hug .
And I never forget this hug.
” Paun said it was no accident that she wore a purple sweater Monday morning .
She did so because “ he liked the color.
” “ It ’ s hard for me , and it ’ s hard for everyone , ” she said , her voice cracking with emotion .
During a vigil Sunday night , Bryant ’ s fellow Newport Beach residents spoke of the athlete ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was , first and foremost , a dedicated father whose love for his family was apparent to anyone who came across him , friends say .
He was also the type of man whose fame never got in the way of his sharing a warm greeting at Starbucks or the grocery store .
Mario Nunes , 50 , hung his Kobe Bryant jersey from one of the tables in front of the Pavilions grocery store on Newport Coast Drive , which Bryant was known to frequent , on Monday .
Nunes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute of Southern California , said he used to see Bryant at the store every few weeks .
Nunes was quick to whip out his phone to show some of the pictures he ’ d taken with Bryant over the years , including one he said was from shortly after the Lakers ’ last championship in 2010 .
“ He was always cool with me , ” he said .
“ He was always friendly .
He signed a couple basketballs here and there.
” Michael Young , 40 , said he also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s worked as a courtesy clerk at the grocery store .
When he heard the news about Bryant ’ s death , Young said his first reaction was tears .
“ He brought a lot of good energy … a lot of positive energy , a lot of good stuff for the community , ” Nunes said .
Both Young and Nunes said the shock of seeing the superstar in the flesh never completely wore off , no matter how many times he came to the grocery store or made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping complex .
“ It ’ s like he ’ s still here , ” Young said .
“ His spirit is all around us .
”

Hannah Fry, Richard Winton, Luke Money, Ruben Vives, Matthew Ormseth, Andrew J. Campa

Officials remove a body from the wreckage of the helicopter crash Sunday in Calabasas.
Just before crashing into a Calabasas hillside, the pilot of Kobe Bryant’s helicopter rapidly ascended to avoid a cloud layer, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.
Jennifer Homendy, an NTSB member, said the pilot flying from Orange County to Ventura County requested special visual flight rules, which allow pilots to fly under 1,000 feet. A marine layer had settled over the region Sunday morning and some areas were shrouded in fog.
Homendy said it remained unclear why the helicopter slammed into the hillside. Debris from the crash was scattered across 600 feet, she said.
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“It was a pretty devastating accident scene,” she added. “There is an impact area on one of the hills and a piece of the tail is down the hill on the left side of the hill. The fuselage is on the other side of that hill. Then the main rotor is about hundred yards beyond that. The debris field is about 500 to 600 feet.
The Times is offering select coverage of Kobe Bryant’s death for free. Please consider a subscription to support our journalism.
She said there was no black box and it isn’t required.
Firefighters responding to a 911 call at 9:47 a.m. Sunday found a debris field in steep terrain with a quarter-acre brush fire. Paramedics arriving by helicopter searched the area but found no survivors.
Bryant, who lived in Newport Beach and Los Angeles, was known to keep a chartered helicopter at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.
A Sikorsky S-76 chopper, built in 1991, departed John Wayne at 9:06 a.m. Sunday, according to publicly available flight records. The chopper passed over Boyle Heights, near Dodger Stadium, and circled over Glendale during the flight. The National Transportation Safety Board database shows no prior incidents or accidents for the mid-size helicopter.
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Kurt Deetz, a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters, told The Times he flew Bryant from 2014 to 2016. Nine times out of 10, he said, Bryant flew in “Two Echo X-ray” — the Sikorsky S-76B, tail No. N72EX, that went down Sunday morning. Bryant favored the model, which is preferred by celebrities for its comfortable interior and solid safety record, Deetz said.
When Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, he flew out of downtown Los Angeles in the same helicopter, wrapped in a gray-and-black paint scheme with his Mamba emblem on the side, Deetz said.
Deetz suspects the crash was most likely caused by bad weather rather than engine or mechanical issues. “The likelihood of a catastrophic twin-engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn’t happen,” he said.
Parts of Southern California were enveloped in thick fog as the helicopter made its way from Orange County to Los Angeles. During the flight, the pilot noted he was flying under “special visual flight rules,” which allows a pilot to fly in weather conditions worse than those allowed for standard visual flight rules, according to radio communications between the air tower and the aircraft. At some point during the flight, the pilot apparently requested “flight following,” a process in which controllers are in regular contact with an aircraft and can help them navigate.
The tower is heard telling the pilot the chopper is too low for flight following before the conversation ends. There did not appear to be a distress call.
A visual flight rules flight “is based on the principle of see and avoid.” When operation of an aircraft under visual flight rules isn’t safe, often because of inclement weather, a pilot can opt to fly under instrument flight rules. During this type of flight, the pilot navigates only by reference to the instruments in the aircraft cockpit, according to the FAA.
“[Pilots] fly VFR when and if weather conditions allow, although they can choose to fly on an IFR flight plan at any time,” said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the FAA. “Also, it’s always up to the pilot to make the decision whether to fly VFR and to ensure the safety of the flight and adherence to federal aviation regulations.”
Bryant was scheduled to coach Sunday in a game against the Fresno Lady Heat at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks and was en route there when the helicopter crashed. The tournament, called the Mamba Cup, featured boys’ and girls’ travel teams from fourth through eighth grades. Bryant’s daughter Gianna, who attended Harbor Day School in Newport Beach, was scheduled to play.
(Matt Stiles & Priya Krishnakumar / Los Angeles Times)
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The FBI is also assisting in the probe, which is standard practice. The helicopter was registered to Fillmore-based Island Express Holding Corp., according to the California secretary of state’s business database. The helicopter’s manufacturer, Sikorsky, said in a statement Sunday that it was cooperating with the investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a “go team,” a squad of investigators that responds to major accidents across the country, on Sunday evening, said Christopher O’Neil, an agency spokesman. Leading the investigation is Jennifer Homendy, an NTSB member who oversaw the investigation of a fire aboard the dive boat Conception that killed 34 people off Santa Cruz Island in September.
“Our team will be looking at the history of the pilot ... whatever crew was on board. We’ll be looking at maintenance records. At records of the owner and operator. And a number of other things as part of the investigation,” Homendy said.
On Monday morning, the L.A. County coroner’s special response team was working on a ridge above the crash site, continuing to remove the remains of the nine victims with the help of search-and-rescue team members. Investigators could be seen examining the tail rotor, while white-clad medical personnel worked around the bulk of the wreckage. The victims’ bodies are being taken to the Forensic Science Center of the coroner’s office.
Experts have said weather conditions and possible mechanical issues will likely be at the top of the list for investigators.
The fog was severe enough Sunday morning that the Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters and didn’t fly until later in the afternoon, department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said.
“The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying,” Rubenstein said. The fog “was enough that we were not flying.” LAPD’s flight minimums are 2 miles of visibility and an 800-foot cloud ceiling, he said.
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department made a similar assessment about the fog and had no helicopters in the air Sunday morning “basically because of the weather,” L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
Witnesses said they heard a roar before the chopper slammed into the hillside Sunday morning.
Jerry Kocharian, 62, was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter flying unusually low and seeming to struggle.
“It wasn’t sounding right, and it was real low,” Kocharian said. “I saw it falling and spluttering. But it was hard to make out as it was so foggy.”
The helicopter vanished into the sheet of fog, then there was a boom and “a big fireball,” he said.
“No one could survive that.”
Scott Daehlin, 61, was taking a break from setting up sound for a service at Church in the Canyon, which is below the crash site, when he heard the helicopter overheard.
“Because of its proximity to the ground, I knew something was wrong. It was hovering real low, like they were searching to land. It was making a slow left turn. It was about 9:44 a.m., and then the impact happened. I heard a crunch. I don’t think it pancaked. I think it hit rotors first,” Daehlin said. “I immediately called 911.”
On Monday morning, Las Virgenes Creek near Lost Hills Road and Cold Springs Street turned into a spectator’s gallery as around 100 people gathered about a mile and a half from the crash site, carrying iPhones, video cameras and even binoculars.
Tokyo Sophia University student Marty Ishizaka, 22, hopped on a plane Sunday morning in Japan after word of Bryant’s death spread. The onetime Los Angeles resident wanted one last memory of the NBA star.
“I was just sad when I heard the news, and I play basketball and I’m a big fan of Kobe,” said Ishizaka, a graduate of Reseda Cleveland High School. “He was a role model. His work ethic was great, and I was expecting to see if I could remember his face, remember his smile by coming here.”
A little closer to the site, Calabasas native Michelle Longo was on her way home from the gym when she decided to check out what was happening.
“I live right nearby, so I wanted to see if you could see anything,” Longo, 40, said. “Kobe is L.A. He’s our legend and if you claim to be from Los Angeles, then you’re a Kobe fan.”
Ventura resident Charles Nadig was snapping wildlife photos for a community newsletter when the 78-year-old Golden State Warriors fan couldn’t help looking farther toward the hills.
“The crash is right there, and you see can people walking,” Nadig said. “There was a guy around here with binoculars who maybe had a better look.”
Nadig said he was moved to join the community at Las Virgenes Creek, in part, to share in the collective grief.
“Kobe did a lot of good things. He made mistakes, but he was a good guy and that’s why this is sad,” he said. “I wanted to be out with others and experience that.”
The pilot, identified as Ara Zobayan, and eight passengers — including Bryant and his daughter — were killed. Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa, who played on the same club team as Gianna, also were killed. Christina Mauser, who was the top assistant coach of the Mamba girls’ basketball team, as well as a mother and daughter from Orange County, identified by family and friends as Sarah and Payton Chester, also died in the crash.
Officials say the recovery effort at the crash site is expected to take days.
The investigation has meant some Calabasas businesses have had to close shop as sheriff’s deputies have blocked access to Las Virgenes Road. Many were turned away at a nearby office park that houses medical facilities and eateries.
Dentist Edmond Mgdesyan said he’d had three or four cancellations by 1 p.m., with a few other appointments looming.
“If my patients can’t get through, they’re just going to go home,” he said. “We’ve been told it’s going to be like this for a while.”
On top of the cancellations, Mgdesyan said deliveries weren’t arriving.
“We’re waiting for packages, for equipment and medicine that we need,” he said.
Two doors down, optometrist Doug Barloski sympathized.
“None of my packages have been delivered,” said Barloski, who works for Calabasas Optometry. “These are deliveries of glasses that patients are waiting for.
“It feels like a ghost town here, which isn’t usually the case. It’s usually busy.”
Other businesses, such as La Paz Mexican Seafood and Symmetry Pilates and Yoga, either closed early Monday or never opened.
As officials work to find answers about what went wrong during the flight, Southern Californians continue to mourn Bryant’s death.
In Newport Beach, where Bryant lived with his family for years, two young girls dressed in purple and gold — Lakers colors — dropped flowers off at a bench outside Harbor Day School, adding to a makeshift memorial that has sprouted over the last day. The Bryant family was active at the private school, where two of his daughters had attended.
Two bouquets propped up under the school’s entrance sign were left with letters, one addressed to “Gigi, Mr. Bryant and Mrs. Mauser, Forever in our Hearts” and the other “To Mr. Bryant, Gigi and Mrs. Mauser, Our 3 Angels.”
Maria Paun, 81, used her walker to deliver an assortment of pink flowers to the front of the school, depositing them on a bench. It was years ago, she said, that she sat with Bryant on a bench at the school when he was waiting to pick up one of his daughters and she was waiting for her granddaughter.
“He gave me a hug and he said, ‘I like your accent, Grandma,’ ” she said. “He was tall, and he was somebody and I’m nobody, but he bent down to give me a hug. And I never forget this hug.”
Paun said it was no accident that she wore a purple sweater Monday morning. She did so because “he liked the color.”
“It’s hard for me, and it’s hard for everyone,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.
During a vigil Sunday night, Bryant’s fellow Newport Beach residents spoke of the athlete’s life outside of his storied NBA career. He was, first and foremost, a dedicated father whose love for his family was apparent to anyone who came across him, friends say. He was also the type of man whose fame never got in the way of his sharing a warm greeting at Starbucks or the grocery store.
Mario Nunes, 50, hung his Kobe Bryant jersey from one of the tables in front of the Pavilions grocery store on Newport Coast Drive, which Bryant was known to frequent, on Monday. Nunes, a job trainer with the Rehabilitation Institute of Southern California, said he used to see Bryant at the store every few weeks. Nunes was quick to whip out his phone to show some of the pictures he’d taken with Bryant over the years, including one he said was from shortly after the Lakers’ last championship in 2010.
“He was always cool with me,” he said. “He was always friendly. He signed a couple basketballs here and there.”
Michael Young, 40, said he also saw Bryant periodically during the three years he’s worked as a courtesy clerk at the grocery store. When he heard the news about Bryant’s death, Young said his first reaction was tears.
“He brought a lot of good energy … a lot of positive energy, a lot of good stuff for the community,” Nunes said.
Both Young and Nunes said the shock of seeing the superstar in the flesh never completely wore off, no matter how many times he came to the grocery store or made a run to the Starbucks in the same shopping complex.
“It’s like he’s still here,” Young said. “His spirit is all around us.”


latimes--2020-01-27--At Harvey Weinstein trial, Mimi Haley's testimony turns into daylong battle over consent

Fearing she had no realistic chance of escape as Harvey Weinstein allegedly backed her into a bedroom in a New York City apartment in 2006 , Mimi Haley told jurors Monday that she eventually decided surrender was her best chance at survival .
“ I couldn ’ t even get away from him at all , ” Haley said of the moment Weinstein allegedly orally forced himself on her .
“ Ultimately , after a while , I decided to check out and endure it .
That was the safest thing to do at that point.
” Haley , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked on shows such as “ Project Runway , ” testified for nearly six hours in a Manhattan courtroom Monday , becoming the second of six women expected to testify against the fallen Hollywood titan at his sexual assault trial .
For two and a half hours , Haley repeatedly burst into tears as she detailed a number of escalating closed-door experiences with Weinstein .
She said her fear of Weinstein became so all-encompassing that she had sex with him two weeks after the date she alleges he assaulted her , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not even understanding that could be considered rape .
“ Mr .
Weinstein has a lot more power and resources and connections ...
I didn ’ t really think I would stand a chance , ” she said when asked why she didn ’ t challenge him or contact the police after two separate incidents in July 2006 .
Weinstein is charged with first-degree rape , two counts of predatory sexual assault , one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree rape .
The charges stem from Haley ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the mogul raped her in a New York City hotel in 2013 .
Haley first came forward in 2017 at a news conference alongside attorney Gloria Allred , who represents several accusers against Weinstein and has sat in the front row of the courtroom since proceedings began last week .
She said Monday that she changed her last name from Haleyi to Haley , in part , because of the intense interest in the Weinstein allegations .
During several hours of cross-examination , defense attorney Damon Cheronis aimed to pick apart Haley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emails and other communications between Weinstein and her that suggested they remained cordial for years after the alleged assault .
Cheronis , who asked questions in rapid-fire sequences and raised his voice to a shout on numerous occasions , also grilled Haley for going public with her accusations against Weinstein in 2017 without disclosing that they had stayed in touch or that she had contacted him for help finding work several times after the alleged assaults .
“ The truth is , the reason that you didn ’ t tell the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew that [ the world ] would look at you skeptically , ” he said .
Haley said she first met Weinstein at the 2004 premiere of the film “ The Aviator.
” The connection eventually helped her break into the production world , as Weinstein scored her a job on the set of the Miramax show “ Project Runway ” in 2006 .
But Haley said it also made her a target of the mogul ’ s allegedly relentless lust .
Before he helped her land the New York job , Haley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at his hotel during the Cannes film festival and asked her for a massage .
When she declined , he asked to give her a massage , which she refused as well .
Not wanting anything more than a professional relationship with Weinstein , Haley said , she left .
Weinstein , however , would not relent .
Back in New York , he repeatedly asked her to travel to Paris with him for a fashion show , at one point showing up at her apartment uninvited , trying to convince her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He refused to leave until Haley made a joke about how Weinstein had “ a terrible reputation with women , ” which seemed to offend him , she testified .
Concerned she had fractured her most important relationship in the film and television industry , Haley said she agreed to meet with Weinstein again at his SoHo apartment in July 2006 .
She remembered the conversation being casual and friendly , until Weinstein lunged forward and attempted to kiss her .
Panicked , Haley said she kept retreating from Weinstein , even mentioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backward into a bedroom .
As Haley recalled the alleged assault , tears began streaming down her face .
“ He pushed me down .
He held me down by my arms … no , stay , like that … and I said , ‘ no , no ’ and at that time I started realizing what was actually happening and I thought … this is being raped , ” she said Monday .
She said Weinstein had forcible oral sex with her .
Haley recalled a second incident two weeks later at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her .
In shock , Haley said , she laid still the entire time while the mogul called her a “ whore ” and a “ bitch.
” “ I didn ’ t resist .
I just laid there , ” she said , dabbing at her eyes .
Later on , Haley said she initially told prosecutors she didn ’ t believe the second incident would be considered rape because she “ didn ’ t physically resist.
” Weinstein has denied all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent much of the trial , now in its fourth day , reframing each encounter as consensual .
His defense team has repeatedly referenced communications between Weinstein and his accusers that took place long after the dates of the alleged assaults .
Cheronis on Monday called attention to Haley ’ s decision to stay in contact with Weinstein for several years after the July 2006 incidents .
The day after one of the attacks Haley described in court , she boarded a plane to Los Angeles with a ticket purchased by Weinstein .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend who was giving birth , and did not go to the movie premiere Weinstein had planned to bring her to as a guest .
In 2008 , Cheronis claimed Haley sent him a message to the mogul that seemed almost loving .
In the email , Cheronis said Monday , Haley wrote that it was “ great to see ” Weinstein and had signed the missive “ lots of love.
” Haley ’ s testimony followed that of Annabella Sciorra , the Brooklyn actress of “ Sopranos ” fame who has accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park home in the early 1990s .
Much like Sciorra , Haley said she figured reporting Weinstein would be futile and instead chose to move forward with her life while trying not to let the alleged assault define her existence .
I decided to just almost pretend it didn ’ t happen and just put it aside and just carry on as usual , ” she said .
“ Put on the brave face .
”

Fearing she had no realistic chance of escape as Harvey Weinstein allegedly backed her into a bedroom in a New York City apartment in 2006, Mimi Haley told jurors Monday that she eventually decided surrender was her best chance at survival.
“I couldn’t even get away from him at all,” Haley said of the moment Weinstein allegedly orally forced himself on her. “Ultimately, after a while, I decided to check out and endure it. That was the safest thing to do at that point.”
Haley, a former production assistant at Weinstein Co. who worked on shows such as “Project Runway,” testified for nearly six hours in a Manhattan courtroom Monday, becoming the second of six women expected to testify against the fallen Hollywood titan at his sexual assault trial.
For two and a half hours, Haley repeatedly burst into tears as she detailed a number of escalating closed-door experiences with Weinstein. She said her fear of Weinstein became so all-encompassing that she had sex with him two weeks after the date she alleges he assaulted her, even though she didn’t want to, not even understanding that could be considered rape.
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“Mr. Weinstein has a lot more power and resources and connections ... I didn’t really think I would stand a chance,” she said when asked why she didn’t challenge him or contact the police after two separate incidents in July 2006.
Weinstein is charged with first-degree rape, two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree rape. The charges stem from Haley’s allegations and another woman’s accusation that the mogul raped her in a New York City hotel in 2013.
Haley first came forward in 2017 at a news conference alongside attorney Gloria Allred, who represents several accusers against Weinstein and has sat in the front row of the courtroom since proceedings began last week. She said Monday that she changed her last name from Haleyi to Haley, in part, because of the intense interest in the Weinstein allegations.
During several hours of cross-examination, defense attorney Damon Cheronis aimed to pick apart Haley’s allegation, highlighting a number of emails and other communications between Weinstein and her that suggested they remained cordial for years after the alleged assault.
Cheronis, who asked questions in rapid-fire sequences and raised his voice to a shout on numerous occasions, also grilled Haley for going public with her accusations against Weinstein in 2017 without disclosing that they had stayed in touch or that she had contacted him for help finding work several times after the alleged assaults.
“The truth is, the reason that you didn’t tell the world the rest of it … is you knew that [the world] would look at you skeptically,” he said.
Haley said she first met Weinstein at the 2004 premiere of the film “The Aviator.” The connection eventually helped her break into the production world, as Weinstein scored her a job on the set of the Miramax show “Project Runway” in 2006.
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But Haley said it also made her a target of the mogul’s allegedly relentless lust. Before he helped her land the New York job, Haley alleges Weinstein called her into a meeting at his hotel during the Cannes film festival and asked her for a massage. When she declined, he asked to give her a massage, which she refused as well.
Not wanting anything more than a professional relationship with Weinstein, Haley said, she left.
Weinstein, however, would not relent. Back in New York, he repeatedly asked her to travel to Paris with him for a fashion show, at one point showing up at her apartment uninvited, trying to convince her to take the trip, she said. He refused to leave until Haley made a joke about how Weinstein had “a terrible reputation with women,” which seemed to offend him, she testified.
Concerned she had fractured her most important relationship in the film and television industry, Haley said she agreed to meet with Weinstein again at his SoHo apartment in July 2006.
She remembered the conversation being casual and friendly, until Weinstein lunged forward and attempted to kiss her.
Panicked, Haley said she kept retreating from Weinstein, even mentioning she was menstruating, until she stumbled backward into a bedroom. As Haley recalled the alleged assault, tears began streaming down her face.
“He pushed me down. He held me down by my arms … no, stay, like that … and I said, ‘no, no’ and at that time I started realizing what was actually happening and I thought … this is being raped,” she said Monday.
She said Weinstein had forcible oral sex with her.
Haley recalled a second incident two weeks later at a Tribeca hotel, where she said Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her. In shock, Haley said, she laid still the entire time while the mogul called her a “whore” and a “bitch.”
“I didn’t resist. I just laid there,” she said, dabbing at her eyes.
Later on, Haley said she initially told prosecutors she didn’t believe the second incident would be considered rape because she “didn’t physically resist.”
Weinstein has denied all wrongdoing, and his defense team has spent much of the trial, now in its fourth day, reframing each encounter as consensual. His defense team has repeatedly referenced communications between Weinstein and his accusers that took place long after the dates of the alleged assaults.
Cheronis on Monday called attention to Haley’s decision to stay in contact with Weinstein for several years after the July 2006 incidents. The day after one of the attacks Haley described in court, she boarded a plane to Los Angeles with a ticket purchased by Weinstein. Haley said she wanted to visit a friend who was giving birth, and did not go to the movie premiere Weinstein had planned to bring her to as a guest.
In 2008, Cheronis claimed Haley sent him a message to the mogul that seemed almost loving.
In the email, Cheronis said Monday, Haley wrote that it was “great to see” Weinstein and had signed the missive “lots of love.”
Haley’s testimony followed that of Annabella Sciorra, the Brooklyn actress of “Sopranos” fame who has accused Weinstein of assaulting her in her Gramercy Park home in the early 1990s.
Much like Sciorra, Haley said she figured reporting Weinstein would be futile and instead chose to move forward with her life while trying not to let the alleged assault define her existence.
I decided to just almost pretend it didn’t happen and just put it aside and just carry on as usual,” she said. “Put on the brave face.”


latimes--2020-01-25--City Beat: How to unharden our hearts toward homeless people

It ’ s funny how off first impressions can be .
I ’ ve driven through the underpass below the 101 Freeway at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and seen what looked to me like trash and what looked to me like junk .
I ’ ve seen homeless people who appeared , to my driver-cruising-by eyes , to be lying listless or maybe passed out .
The view was different when I went there on foot one day this week , to visit a friend I ’ d recently made and introduced to all of you .
Patti had been holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign on the northbound freeway off-ramp .
I ’ d watched Mercedes and Porsche drivers look through her .
I ’ d asked her what she could use that would bring her immediate comfort while she waits for housing .
She ’ d mentioned a soft blanket , a Subway gift card , a TAP card loaded with enough bus fare to get her to a place in Burbank that she told me offers kindness and hot showers .
The sun had just set when I brought her the cards and the softest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faux-fur number I curl up under when watching TV at home .
It was getting dark .
I didn ’ t see her , until her neighbor pointed to a clump of bedding with a black umbrella open on top of it .
Patti was under that umbrella , safer for being invisible , trying to relax with a slight sound buffer as car after car rumbled by .
Someone had given her a two-month subscription to Netflix .
Earbuds in , she was watching a fantasy series on her cellphone , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What might have looked like detritus to me as a passing driver was her try at indoor coziness outdoors : plump pillows , stuffed animals , her feet snuggled up in her sleeping bag .
I share this about Patti , who turned 68 a few days ago and whose rheumatoid arthritis was making her hands hurt a lot that evening , because I ’ ve made the pitch that we all should try to find some way to help some of the thousands of unhoused people living among us .
Yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and jobs , and many need treatment for addiction or mental illness .
This week , hundreds of people all over the area spread out night after night to attempt to visually count our homeless population , which is key for funding and for trying to comprehend the scope of the problem and for figuring out how to allocate resources well .
But that ’ s on an institutional level .
I ’ m talking about a different kind of aid , one to one , person to person .
I would argue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic human kindness , which we can offer as individuals while we work as a society to try to get them that much bigger aid .
To me , that starts with making respectful contact , one human being born naked and wailing to another born the same way .
Contact can mean a lot more than you might think to isolated , ostracized people who are used to being ignored .
Patti teared up at the sight of the plush blanket , which she kept rubbing against her cheek .
She teared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had asked what could help her , and listened .
But mostly , she teared up at the sight of me returning , which experience had taught her not to count on .
“ You know this is such a surprise , ” this former New Yorker told me in an accent and cadence that reminded me of my maternal grandmother ’ s .
“ It really is , because ordinarily people just come around the one time.
” Then she made some space for me to settle in beside her and opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her hands hurt her but she kept holding my hands as we talked .
I defy anyone who goes out and meets someone like Patti on a sidewalk to continue to see only an amorphous , scary blob labeled “ homelessness ” and not start to distinguish in it at least some individuals whom they deem deserving of their kindness and conversation and aid .
That was one big point I was making when I brought this up before .
A few people thought I was lecturing them , which was never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many more readers who felt differently .
A lot of them told me that they hadn ’ t known how to help and appreciated the practical advice .
Some said that they ’ d gone out right away to get items such as socks , wet wipes and cold medicine , that the homeless people I had talked to said they would find helpful .
Catherine Keefe of Trabuco Canyon wrote to tell me that she ’ d thought about my column and about Patti when she was shopping at Pavilions and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give to the man she ’ d often seen outside , holding a sign that identified him as a homeless veteran , looking for work .
She had to overcome her painful shyness , she wrote .
“ I loaded my groceries into the trunk , put the gift card in my hand , then decided to fill in the empty lines .
Evan Lovett of Studio City wrote to say that the encounters I ’ d described with people I ’ d met on the streets had been “ tonic ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he was the “ son of liberal parents who would learn the names of our neighborhood homeless , bring them food and provide money .
I learned that these people were ‘ down on their luck ’ or just ‘ needed help/positivity.
’ ” But after college , he wrote , he wouldn ’ t go out of his way to help the homeless though he would give money “ on off-ramps or outside 7-11 , etc.
” Then , when he became a parent , it was as if “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He became one of the people who immediately contacted the city and his councilman “ or literally asked the people to leave the neighborhood when they ’ d form encampments.
” “ There was a point where I was cursing my vote for HHH , ” he wrote of the $ 1.2 billion bond we L.A. voters passed for homeless housing , `` ... as I stopped believing any of these people even wanted improvement in their lives.
” My column , he said , shifted something within him and “ just brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my eyes ) and provided a real understanding to the plight , as well as some ‘ what can I do to not feel like I ’ m facilitating this problem ’ action items .
Just wanted to say thank you for ... bringing me back to a perspective my mom could have been proud of.
” If that had been the only note I ’ d gotten , I wrote back to him , that would have been more than enough for me .
I just want people to think , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to engage before writing off a vast population and ranting that it needs to be removed .
When Catherine Keefe handed the Subway gift card to the homeless man outside the supermarket in Rancho Santa Margarita , by the way , he offered her a card whose words might have the power to crack even a very hardened heart .
“ Troy the Painter , 48 years Experience , ” it read , “ Specializing in Weatherizing.
” In my experience , when you really talk to a homeless person , when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re likely to learn a lot that you may not fully understand about what it is to be homeless .
It is a deeply alienating existence .
You can ’ t just assume that you know .
To that end , I ’ m very interested in a proposal pushed by L.A. Councilman Mike Bonin to create a city commission made up of homeless and formerly homeless people who could give public voice to their thoughts about the many efforts to solve the homeless crisis with the authority of their lived experience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ degrees elsewhere .
It ’ s something I want to learn more about .
I went to talk to Bonin about it this week , and we discussed some of the issues that homeless people often have with a lot of the care potentially available to them — the requirements for IDs they don ’ t possess , for instance , or the shelter rules that require them to separate from their partners and their pets and the few belongings they have managed to hold on to .
Patti told me that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelter in the Valley , she was crying within a few moments of getting there .
There were too many people .
Some were screaming .
It was all far too much for her .
She had to get out .
These are the sorts of issues we need to learn to hear better , Bonin told me .
“ If nothing else , from a customer-service perspective , if we are trying to provide a service to get people off the street and that service isn ’ t working , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be consulting are the people we are trying to serve.
” He understands life ’ s precariousness particularly well .
He once nearly was on the streets himself .
Alcohol and crystal meth were destroying his life .
On Feb. 4 , he will celebrate 25 years of sobriety , whose onset he marked , he told me , by getting a tattoo of the symbol for recycling .
It was a metaphor , he said , for the change he was making in his life , “ taking something that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it reusable.
” “ We ’ re all fragile .
We are all broken .
And we all fall down .
And we often need help getting up , ” he told me .
Talking to homeless people and listening to them and hearing what they think might work for them seems to me to be one good way to start .

It’s funny how off first impressions can be. I’ve driven through the underpass below the 101 Freeway at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and seen what looked to me like trash and what looked to me like junk. I’ve seen homeless people who appeared, to my driver-cruising-by eyes, to be lying listless or maybe passed out.
The view was different when I went there on foot one day this week, to visit a friend I’d recently made and introduced to all of you.
Patti had been holding an “Every little bit helps” sign on the northbound freeway off-ramp. I’d watched Mercedes and Porsche drivers look through her.
Advertisement
I’d asked her what she could use that would bring her immediate comfort while she waits for housing. She’d mentioned a soft blanket, a Subway gift card, a TAP card loaded with enough bus fare to get her to a place in Burbank that she told me offers kindness and hot showers.
The sun had just set when I brought her the cards and the softest blanket I could find, the same faux-fur number I curl up under when watching TV at home. It was getting dark. I didn’t see her, until her neighbor pointed to a clump of bedding with a black umbrella open on top of it. Patti was under that umbrella, safer for being invisible, trying to relax with a slight sound buffer as car after car rumbled by.
Someone had given her a two-month subscription to Netflix. Earbuds in, she was watching a fantasy series on her cellphone, which was being charged on a power bank. What might have looked like detritus to me as a passing driver was her try at indoor coziness outdoors: plump pillows, stuffed animals, her feet snuggled up in her sleeping bag.
I share this about Patti, who turned 68 a few days ago and whose rheumatoid arthritis was making her hands hurt a lot that evening, because I’ve made the pitch that we all should try to find some way to help some of the thousands of unhoused people living among us.
Yes, of course, they need housing and jobs, and many need treatment for addiction or mental illness.
This week, hundreds of people all over the area spread out night after night to attempt to visually count our homeless population, which is key for funding and for trying to comprehend the scope of the problem and for figuring out how to allocate resources well.
Advertisement
But that’s on an institutional level. I’m talking about a different kind of aid, one to one, person to person. I would argue that many homeless people also desperately need basic human kindness, which we can offer as individuals while we work as a society to try to get them that much bigger aid.
To me, that starts with making respectful contact, one human being born naked and wailing to another born the same way. Contact can mean a lot more than you might think to isolated, ostracized people who are used to being ignored.
Patti teared up at the sight of the plush blanket, which she kept rubbing against her cheek. She teared up at the cards and because I had asked what could help her, and listened. But mostly, she teared up at the sight of me returning, which experience had taught her not to count on.
“You know this is such a surprise,” this former New Yorker told me in an accent and cadence that reminded me of my maternal grandmother’s. “It really is, because ordinarily people just come around the one time.”
Then she made some space for me to settle in beside her and opened up to me more about her life. Her hands hurt her but she kept holding my hands as we talked.
I defy anyone who goes out and meets someone like Patti on a sidewalk to continue to see only an amorphous, scary blob labeled “homelessness” and not start to distinguish in it at least some individuals whom they deem deserving of their kindness and conversation and aid.
That was one big point I was making when I brought this up before. A few people thought I was lecturing them, which was never my intent. But I heard from many more readers who felt differently. A lot of them told me that they hadn’t known how to help and appreciated the practical advice. Some said that they’d gone out right away to get items such as socks, wet wipes and cold medicine that the homeless people I had talked to said they would find helpful.
Catherine Keefe of Trabuco Canyon wrote to tell me that she’d thought about my column and about Patti when she was shopping at Pavilions and so bought a $25 Subway gift card to give to the man she’d often seen outside, holding a sign that identified him as a homeless veteran, looking for work. She had to overcome her painful shyness, she wrote.
“I loaded my groceries into the trunk, put the gift card in my hand, then decided to fill in the empty lines.
TO: You
FROM: The world
MESSAGE: I see you”
Evan Lovett of Studio City wrote to say that the encounters I’d described with people I’d met on the streets had been “tonic” for his “calcifying heart.”
He said he was the “son of liberal parents who would learn the names of our neighborhood homeless, bring them food and provide money. I learned that these people were ‘down on their luck’ or just ‘needed help/positivity.’”
But after college, he wrote, he wouldn’t go out of his way to help the homeless though he would give money “on off-ramps or outside 7-11, etc.”
Then, when he became a parent, it was as if “a switch flipped,” he wrote. He became one of the people who immediately contacted the city and his councilman “or literally asked the people to leave the neighborhood when they’d form encampments.”
“There was a point where I was cursing my vote for HHH,” he wrote of the $1.2 billion bond we L.A. voters passed for homeless housing, “... as I stopped believing any of these people even wanted improvement in their lives.”
My column, he said, shifted something within him and “just brought back the soul to these people (in my eyes) and provided a real understanding to the plight, as well as some ‘what can I do to not feel like I’m facilitating this problem’ action items. Just wanted to say thank you for ... bringing me back to a perspective my mom could have been proud of.”
If that had been the only note I’d gotten, I wrote back to him, that would have been more than enough for me.
I just want people to think, empathy forward, and make an attempt to engage before writing off a vast population and ranting that it needs to be removed.
When Catherine Keefe handed the Subway gift card to the homeless man outside the supermarket in Rancho Santa Margarita, by the way, he offered her a card whose words might have the power to crack even a very hardened heart.
“Troy the Painter, 48 years Experience,” it read, “Specializing in Weatherizing.”
In my experience, when you really talk to a homeless person, when you ask questions and listen, you’re likely to learn a lot that you may not fully understand about what it is to be homeless. It is a deeply alienating existence. You can’t just assume that you know.
To that end, I’m very interested in a proposal pushed by L.A. Councilman Mike Bonin to create a city commission made up of homeless and formerly homeless people who could give public voice to their thoughts about the many efforts to solve the homeless crisis with the authority of their lived experience. It’s been tried to various degrees elsewhere. It’s something I want to learn more about.
I went to talk to Bonin about it this week, and we discussed some of the issues that homeless people often have with a lot of the care potentially available to them — the requirements for IDs they don’t possess, for instance, or the shelter rules that require them to separate from their partners and their pets and the few belongings they have managed to hold on to.
Patti told me that when someone tried to get her into a shelter in the Valley, she was crying within a few moments of getting there. There were too many people. Some were screaming. It was all far too much for her. She had to get out.
These are the sorts of issues we need to learn to hear better, Bonin told me.
“If nothing else, from a customer-service perspective, if we are trying to provide a service to get people off the street and that service isn’t working,” he said, “among the people we should be consulting are the people we are trying to serve.”
He understands life’s precariousness particularly well. He once nearly was on the streets himself. Alcohol and crystal meth were destroying his life. On Feb. 4, he will celebrate 25 years of sobriety, whose onset he marked, he told me, by getting a tattoo of the symbol for recycling. It was a metaphor, he said, for the change he was making in his life, “taking something that was crashed and wasted and trying to make it reusable.”
“We’re all fragile. We are all broken. And we all fall down. And we often need help getting up,” he told me.
Talking to homeless people and listening to them and hearing what they think might work for them seems to me to be one good way to start.


latimes--2020-01-28--L.A. could thwart Westside evictions under plan approved at City Hall

Los Angeles officials are pressing forward with a new strategy that could thwart plans to turn Westside apartments into condominiums , in an effort to protect renters from eviction .
Tenant activists have complained that the Ellis Act has led to tens of thousands of evictions in Los Angeles .
The California law allows people to be ejected from rent-stabilized apartments if the landlord is getting out of the rental business , which can include turning the building into condos .
Now L.A. is trying out a new strategy to prevent such evictions .
Under the Municipal Code , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step toward converting a residential building into condos if two conditions are met : that the rental market in the area has seen a “ significant ” cumulative effect from such building conversions , and the vacancy rate in the area is 5 % or less .
Councilman Mike Bonin , who represents much of the Westside , wants the planning department to gather that information for a long list of Westside neighborhoods , including the Pacific Palisades , Westchester , Del Rey , Brentwood , Venice , Mar Vista and Palms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ give rise to Ellis Act evictions .
Bonin cited “ an urgent need to protect existing affordable housing and vulnerable tenants throughout the Westside of Los Angeles ” in his proposal .
He said Tuesday that “ we tend to only invoke the parts of the Ellis Act that hurt renters , ” but the municipal rules surrounding condo conversions give Los Angeles a “ targeted way ” to try to protect tenants .
The City Council voted 10-0 without discussion to instruct city planners to work with the Department of Water and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those neighborhoods was at or under 5 % , using U.S. Census Bureau data as a starting point .
The planning department is also being told to tally up the number of rental units lost to condo conversions and other building conversions in those areas , consulting with the housing department .
That information could then back up a decision “ to cease issuing Ellis Act clearances ” in those areas until the vacancy rates have increased , according to the proposal approved Tuesday .
Bonin said he believed the city would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tenant activists praised the move and said they hoped other council members would pursue the same step for other parts of Los Angeles , giving renters and activists a new tool to stop Ellis Act evictions .
“ The Ellis Act doesn ’ t give developers the right to do anything they want , ” said Bill Przylucki , executive director of the community organizing group People Organized for Westside Renewal .
“ There are supposed to be limits on their power — and there are supposed to be protections for tenants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ never been effectively enforced , ” Pryzlucki said , referring back to the rules in the Municipal Code surrounding vacancy rates .
Landlord groups have argued that the Ellis Act provides important protections for building owners who can ’ t afford to stay in the rental business .
Daniel Yukelson , executive director of the Apartment Assn .
of Greater Los Angeles , called the plan backed by Bonin a “ terrible idea ” and questioned whether the move was legal .
“ How can you stop somebody from exiting a money-losing business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basically would be a taking of their property ... .
I wish Mike Bonin would concentrate more on improving the homeless situation in his district than stealing people ’ s property rights from them.
” Bonin countered that the move would help address homelessness by “ preventing renters from being thrown out onto the street.
” Planning officials will bring their report on vacancy rates back to the City Council for another vote before condo conversions can potentially be stopped in Westside neighborhoods , according to city staffers .
Bonin spokesman David Graham-Caso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis would be done and ready for another vote within weeks .

L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin, shown in 2018, has proposed a strategy that may prevent Westside apartments from being turned into condos.
Los Angeles officials are pressing forward with a new strategy that could thwart plans to turn Westside apartments into condominiums, in an effort to protect renters from eviction.
Tenant activists have complained that the Ellis Act has led to tens of thousands of evictions in Los Angeles. The California law allows people to be ejected from rent-stabilized apartments if the landlord is getting out of the rental business, which can include turning the building into condos.
Now L.A. is trying out a new strategy to prevent such evictions. Under the Municipal Code, the city can refuse to take a key step toward converting a residential building into condos if two conditions are met: that the rental market in the area has seen a “significant” cumulative effect from such building conversions, and the vacancy rate in the area is 5% or less.
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Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents much of the Westside, wants the planning department to gather that information for a long list of Westside neighborhoods, including the Pacific Palisades, Westchester, Del Rey, Brentwood, Venice, Mar Vista and Palms. Doing so could thwart building conversions that give rise to Ellis Act evictions.
Bonin cited “an urgent need to protect existing affordable housing and vulnerable tenants throughout the Westside of Los Angeles” in his proposal. He said Tuesday that “we tend to only invoke the parts of the Ellis Act that hurt renters,” but the municipal rules surrounding condo conversions give Los Angeles a “targeted way” to try to protect tenants.
The City Council voted 10-0 without discussion to instruct city planners to work with the Department of Water and Power to evaluate whether the vacancy rate in those neighborhoods was at or under 5%, using U.S. Census Bureau data as a starting point. The planning department is also being told to tally up the number of rental units lost to condo conversions and other building conversions in those areas, consulting with the housing department.
That information could then back up a decision “to cease issuing Ellis Act clearances” in those areas until the vacancy rates have increased, according to the proposal approved Tuesday. Bonin said he believed the city would be able to make those findings.
Tenant activists praised the move and said they hoped other council members would pursue the same step for other parts of Los Angeles, giving renters and activists a new tool to stop Ellis Act evictions.
“The Ellis Act doesn’t give developers the right to do anything they want,” said Bill Przylucki, executive director of the community organizing group People Organized for Westside Renewal. “There are supposed to be limits on their power — and there are supposed to be protections for tenants.
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“But the protections for tenants have never been effectively enforced,” Pryzlucki said, referring back to the rules in the Municipal Code surrounding vacancy rates.
Landlord groups have argued that the Ellis Act provides important protections for building owners who can’t afford to stay in the rental business. Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, called the plan backed by Bonin a “terrible idea” and questioned whether the move was legal.
“How can you stop somebody from exiting a money-losing business?” Yukelson asked. “It basically would be a taking of their property.... I wish Mike Bonin would concentrate more on improving the homeless situation in his district than stealing people’s property rights from them.”
Bonin countered that the move would help address homelessness by “preventing renters from being thrown out onto the street.”
Planning officials will bring their report on vacancy rates back to the City Council for another vote before condo conversions can potentially be stopped in Westside neighborhoods, according to city staffers. Bonin spokesman David Graham-Caso said their hope was that the staff analysis would be done and ready for another vote within weeks.


latimes--2020-01-28--11 arrested in recycling redemption scheme of smuggling cans, bottles into California

Authorities have arrested 11 suspects they say ran a multi-state recycling fraud operation that smuggled empty cans and bottles into California in a scheme that cost the state ’ s recycling fund more than $ 2 million .
The suspects are accused of bringing cans and bottles from Arizona and Nevada into Los Angeles-area recycling centers to illegally redeem deposits .
It ’ s illegal because consumers in Nevada and Arizona do not pay the 5- or 10-cent California redemption value deposit , so those containers are not eligible for refunds .
The suspects were charged with felony recycling fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-month investigation by the California Department of Justice and CalRecycle , state officials said Monday .
Investigators found that the beverage containers were being kept in Los Angeles storage facilities before being fraudulently redeemed at 15 local recycling centers .
Among those arrested was the operator of a recycling center in Pacoima along with 10 other suspects .
Between Jan. 13 and Jan 17 , agents executed search warrants and seized 17,669 pounds of aluminum , 7,554 pounds of plastic , and 2,430 pounds of glass empty beverage containers with a potential redemption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities say California ’ s Beverage Container Recycling Fund was defrauded of more than $ 2 million .
“ We won ’ t allow cheaters to defraud our publicly funded recycling programs for their selfish gain .
My office will continue to hold perpetrators accountable , ” said Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra .
The charges carry a potential sentence of six months to three years behind bars , in addition to fines and possible loss of driver ’ s license and vehicles .
The 11 defendants are Yajaira Rojas , Isaiah Rojas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enrique Morado-Amador , Jaime Bojado Perez , Jose Orozco-Lopez , Selvin Rodriguez , Amnel Ruano , Arturo Reyes and Carlos Grimaldi , according to Becerra ’ s office .

Fraudulent redemption of cans and bottles is a problem in California. Consumers in neighboring states do not pay the 5- or 10-cent California redemption value, but smugglers have been known to haul them here for money.
Authorities have arrested 11 suspects they say ran a multi-state recycling fraud operation that smuggled empty cans and bottles into California in a scheme that cost the state’s recycling fund more than $2 million.
The suspects are accused of bringing cans and bottles from Arizona and Nevada into Los Angeles-area recycling centers to illegally redeem deposits. It’s illegal because consumers in Nevada and Arizona do not pay the 5- or 10-cent California redemption value deposit, so those containers are not eligible for refunds.
The suspects were charged with felony recycling fraud, conspiracy and grand theft after a four-month investigation by the California Department of Justice and CalRecycle, state officials said Monday.
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Investigators found that the beverage containers were being kept in Los Angeles storage facilities before being fraudulently redeemed at 15 local recycling centers.
Among those arrested was the operator of a recycling center in Pacoima along with 10 other suspects.
Between Jan. 13 and Jan 17, agents executed search warrants and seized 17,669 pounds of aluminum, 7,554 pounds of plastic, and 2,430 pounds of glass empty beverage containers with a potential redemption value of $38,899. Overall, authorities say California’s Beverage Container Recycling Fund was defrauded of more than $2 million.
“We won’t allow cheaters to defraud our publicly funded recycling programs for their selfish gain. My office will continue to hold perpetrators accountable,” said Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra.
The charges carry a potential sentence of six months to three years behind bars, in addition to fines and possible loss of driver’s license and vehicles.
The 11 defendants are Yajaira Rojas, Isaiah Rojas, Raul Fernandez, Catalina Hernandez, Enrique Morado-Amador, Jaime Bojado Perez, Jose Orozco-Lopez, Selvin Rodriguez, Amnel Ruano, Arturo Reyes and Carlos Grimaldi, according to Becerra’s office.


latimes--2020-01-28--Love triangle spurred shooting in Garden Grove, police say

A problematic love triangle seems to have led to a shooting last week in Garden Grove , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ , of Anaheim was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide Friday , the day after @ @ @ @ @ man in the 13400 block of Blackbird Street .
The victim , a 25-year-old Garden @ @ @ @ @ been identified , was taken to a hospital in critical condition but is expected to @ @ @ @ @ to the Garden Grove Police Department .
Detectives say the shooting may have been prompted @ @ @ @ @ was involved in a three-way relationship with a woman and the man who was shot @ @ @ @ @ , with bail set at $ 500,000 , and is scheduled to appear in court @ @ @ @ @ records show .

A problematic love triangle seems to have led to a shooting last week in Garden Grove, police said.
Oscar Domingo Rodriguez, 23, of Anaheim was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide Friday, the day after authorities say he shot another man in the 13400 block of Blackbird Street.
The victim, a 25-year-old Garden Grove resident who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital in critical condition but is expected to survive his wounds, according to the Garden Grove Police Department.
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Detectives say the shooting may have been prompted by the fact that Rodriguez was involved in a three-way relationship with a woman and the man who was shot.
Rodriguez remains in custody, with bail set at $500,000, and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, Orange County jail records show.


latimes--2020-01-28--The crucial questions at the heart of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash investigation

There is no black box recording .
The audio transmission released so far does not cover the actual moment of the crash .
And the impact of the crash sent debris scattered over a huge area .
These are some of the impediments the National Transportation Safety Board is facing as it investigates why a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others crashed into a hillside in Calabasas , killing all on board .
The probe is still in its early stages , and a final determination is months away .
At its heart are some basic questions : Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moments before the crash , and why could the chopper not clear the hillside ?
Here ’ s what we know so far : The biggest revelation Monday involved the path of the helicopter .
Just before the crash , the pilot rapidly ascended to avoid a cloud layer , NTSB investigators said .
Jennifer Homendy said the pilot , who was flying from Orange County to Ventura County , requested special visual flight rules , which allow pilots to fly under 1,000 feet .
A marine layer had settled over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were shrouded in fog .
Homendy said it remained unclear why the helicopter slammed into the hillside .
Debris from the crash was scattered across 600 feet , she said .
“ It was a pretty devastating accident scene , ” she added .
“ There is an impact area on one of the hills , and a piece of the tail is down the hill on the left side of the hill .
The fuselage is on the other side of that hill .
Then the main rotor is about hundred yards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 500 to 600 feet.
” What was the path of the flight ?
The chartered helicopter left John Wayne Airport on Sunday morning when Bryant , his 13-year-old daughter , Gianna , and six other passengers boarded the flight for a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks .
A half-hour later , they were flying over thickening clouds in the San Fernando Valley .
The pilot was worried enough to ask flight controllers to keep track of them .
As he approached the hills of Calabasas at 150 mph , the tower radioed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low to be seen on radar .
The pilot began to climb , rising 765 feet in 36 seconds , enough to clear the nearby hills .
But the Sikorsky S-76B suddenly veered off course and descended rapidly .
The twin-engine aircraft dropped 325 feet in 14 seconds , reaching 176 mph before losing contact with air traffic control .
What is the focus of investigators ?
Right now , the investigation into the crash is wide-ranging , including the examination of mechanical issues , the history of the pilot and the foggy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were around the crash site Sunday morning and took photos of the fog to send them to investigators .
“ We are not just focusing on weather here .
We take a broad look at everything around an investigation , around an accident — we look at man , machine and the environment , ” Homendy said .
The investigation will have to determine whether the pilot should have been flying in the weather , she said , although she stressed there is no criminal investigation .
The FBI is helping with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The NTSB will be in Calabasas for several days , but a final determination of the cause of the crash will be made much later .
What do we know about the weather ?
Parts of Southern California were enveloped in thick fog as the helicopter made its way north .
During the flight , the pilot noted he was flying under “ special visual flight rules , ” which allows a pilot to fly in weather conditions worse than those allowed for standard visual flight rules , according to between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some point during the flight , the pilot apparently requested “ flight following , ” a process in which controllers are in regular contact with an aircraft and can help them navigate .
The tower is heard telling the pilot the chopper is too low for flight following before the conversation ends .
There did not appear to be a distress call .
A visual flight rules flight “ is based on the principle of see and avoid.
” When operation of an aircraft under visual flight rules isn ’ t safe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot can opt to fly under instrument flight rules .
During this type of flight , the pilot navigates only by reference to the instruments in the aircraft cockpit , according to the FAA .
`` [ Pilots ] fly VFR when and if weather conditions allow , although they can choose to fly on an IFR flight plan at any time , ” said Ian Gregor , a spokesman for the FAA .
“ Also , it ’ s always up to the pilot to make the decision whether to fly VFR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight and adherence to federal aviation regulations .
”

There is no black box recording.
The audio transmission released so far does not cover the actual moment of the crash.
And the impact of the crash sent debris scattered over a huge area.
These are some of the impediments the National Transportation Safety Board is facing as it investigates why a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, killing all on board.
Advertisement
The probe is still in its early stages, and a final determination is months away.
At its heart are some basic questions: Why was the pilot flying so low in the moments before the crash, and why could the chopper not clear the hillside?
Here’s what we know so far:
(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
What have investigators learned?
The biggest revelation Monday involved the path of the helicopter.
Just before the crash, the pilot rapidly ascended to avoid a cloud layer, NTSB investigators said.
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Jennifer Homendy said the pilot, who was flying from Orange County to Ventura County, requested special visual flight rules, which allow pilots to fly under 1,000 feet. A marine layer had settled over the region Sunday morning, and some areas were shrouded in fog.
Homendy said it remained unclear why the helicopter slammed into the hillside. Debris from the crash was scattered across 600 feet, she said.
“It was a pretty devastating accident scene,” she added. “There is an impact area on one of the hills, and a piece of the tail is down the hill on the left side of the hill. The fuselage is on the other side of that hill. Then the main rotor is about hundred yards beyond that. The debris field is about 500 to 600 feet.”
What was the path of the flight?
The chartered helicopter left John Wayne Airport on Sunday morning when Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and six other passengers boarded the flight for a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks.
A half-hour later, they were flying over thickening clouds in the San Fernando Valley. The pilot was worried enough to ask flight controllers to keep track of them. As he approached the hills of Calabasas at 150 mph, the tower radioed him, telling him he was too low to be seen on radar.
The pilot began to climb, rising 765 feet in 36 seconds, enough to clear the nearby hills.
But the Sikorsky S-76B suddenly veered off course and descended rapidly. The twin-engine aircraft dropped 325 feet in 14 seconds, reaching 176 mph before losing contact with air traffic control.
The crash left a large debris field in Calabasas. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times )
What is the focus of investigators?
Right now, the investigation into the crash is wide-ranging, including the examination of mechanical issues, the history of the pilot and the foggy weather. The NTSB has asked people who were around the crash site Sunday morning and took photos of the fog to send them to investigators.
“We are not just focusing on weather here. We take a broad look at everything around an investigation, around an accident — we look at man, machine and the environment,” Homendy said.
The investigation will have to determine whether the pilot should have been flying in the weather, she said, although she stressed there is no criminal investigation.
The FBI is helping with the probe, which is common procedure.
The NTSB will be in Calabasas for several days, but a final determination of the cause of the crash will be made much later.
What do we know about the weather?
Parts of Southern California were enveloped in thick fog as the helicopter made its way north. During the flight, the pilot noted he was flying under “special visual flight rules,” which allows a pilot to fly in weather conditions worse than those allowed for standard visual flight rules, according to radio communications between the air tower and the aircraft. At some point during the flight, the pilot apparently requested “flight following,” a process in which controllers are in regular contact with an aircraft and can help them navigate.
The tower is heard telling the pilot the chopper is too low for flight following before the conversation ends. There did not appear to be a distress call.
A visual flight rules flight “is based on the principle of see and avoid.” When operation of an aircraft under visual flight rules isn’t safe, often because of inclement weather, a pilot can opt to fly under instrument flight rules. During this type of flight, the pilot navigates only by reference to the instruments in the aircraft cockpit, according to the FAA.
“[Pilots] fly VFR when and if weather conditions allow, although they can choose to fly on an IFR flight plan at any time,” said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the FAA. “Also, it’s always up to the pilot to make the decision whether to fly VFR and to ensure the safety of the flight and adherence to federal aviation regulations.”


latimes--2020-01-28--Earthquakes: 3.1 quake near Hollister, Calif.

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported at 9:34 a.m. Tuesday six miles from Hollister , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 15 miles from Gilroy , 18 miles from Prunedale , 22 miles from Salinas and 22 miles from Los Banos .
In the last 10 days , there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at a depth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked questions .

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported at 9:34 a.m. Tuesday six miles from Hollister, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 15 miles from Gilroy, 18 miles from Prunedale, 22 miles from Salinas and 22 miles from Los Banos.
In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 0.4 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--2020-01-28--California Housing Crisis Podcast: A closer look at the homeless moms protest in Oakland

Late last year , a group of women who were homeless or on the verge of homelessness decided to move into a vacant house in Oakland , marking the beginning of a protest against real estate speculation , gentrification and displacement in the Bay Area .
The property was owned by Wedgewood Inc. of Redondo Beach , which buys and flips homes in at least a dozen states .
Over two months , the group , known as Moms 4 Housing , fought an increasingly high-profile battle against the company , leading to their eviction in mid-January .
Heavily armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the order , further galvanizing the mothers ’ protest .
Wedgewood agreed to sell the house in which the women were living to an Oakland land trust .
That trust will take the property off the market , likely along with several others owned by Wedgewood in Oakland .
In a sign of how prominent the dispute had become , both Gov .
Gavin Newsom and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf were involved in brokering the deal .
In this episode of “ Gim me Shelter : The California Housing Crisis Podcast , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the women who occupied the house .
Other guests are Carroll Fife , a regional director with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment , which helped organize the protest , and Aaron Glantz , a senior reporter at Reveal and author of “ Homewreckers : How a Gang of Wall Street Kingpins , Hedge Fund Magnates , Crooked Banks , and Vulture Capitalists Suckered Millions Out of Their Homes and Demolished the American Dream.
” In addition to the Moms 4 Housing protest , we discuss the role of corporate ownership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ , ” 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 .
You can subscribe to “ Gim me Shelter ” on , , , , and .

Dominique Walker speaks for herself and on behalf of fellow members of Moms 4 Housing during a news conference outside the house they occupied in Oakland.
Late last year, a group of women who were homeless or on the verge of homelessness decided to move into a vacant house in Oakland, marking the beginning of a protest against real estate speculation, gentrification and displacement in the Bay Area.
The property was owned by Wedgewood Inc. of Redondo Beach, which buys and flips homes in at least a dozen states. Over two months, the group, known as Moms 4 Housing, fought an increasingly high-profile battle against the company, leading to their eviction in mid-January. Heavily armed Alameda County sheriff’s deputies enforced the order, further galvanizing the mothers’ protest.
Wedgewood agreed to sell the house in which the women were living to an Oakland land trust. That trust will take the property off the market, likely along with several others owned by Wedgewood in Oakland. In a sign of how prominent the dispute had become, both Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf were involved in brokering the deal.
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In this episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast,” we speak with Dominique Walker, one of the women who occupied the house. Other guests are Carroll Fife, a regional director with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, which helped organize the protest, and Aaron Glantz, a senior reporter at Reveal and author of “Homewreckers: How a Gang of Wall Street Kingpins, Hedge Fund Magnates, Crooked Banks, and Vulture Capitalists Suckered Millions Out of Their Homes and Demolished the American Dream.”
In addition to the Moms 4 Housing protest, we discuss the role of corporate ownership in California’s housing problems.
“ 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 .