latimes--2020-08-27--Fauci's 2021 COVID California forecast: School reopenings, vaccines and some normalcy by fall

It ’ s been a grim December , and January is looking to be just as bleak as the coronavirus continues to ravage both California and the nation .
In a conversation broadcast online Wednesday , Dr. Anthony Fauci , the U.S. government ’ s top infectious diseases expert , talked to Gov .
Gavin Newsom about why the pandemic has been so hard to control in California and across the U.S .
But he also offered some hope for the future , outlining his latest estimate on when things might get back to a semblance of normality and whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of Fauci ’ s thoughts on what 2021 might look like : Schools can safely reopen , even when there ’ s substantial community transmission Fauci said the coronavirus acts very differently from the flu when it comes to children .
With the coronavirus , children seem to have lower levels of infection than the broader community .
“ That was almost counterintuitive , but it ’ s turning out to be that way , ” Fauci said .
“ What we should do is to do everything to support the maintenance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you really want to get society back to some form of normality , one of the first things we have to do is to get the children back in school.
” Vaccines for broader public to be distributed in late spring , early summer Initial distribution of the vaccine to the top priority group , including healthcare workers and people in nursing homes , has been slower than initially promised .
But Fauci said there ’ s a sense that by January , there will be greater momentum and that the pace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general public receives the vaccine , though , there are other priority groups who are next in line .
It will probably be the end of March or the beginning of April before the vaccine is available to everyone .
At that point , the race will be on to get as many people vaccinated through the spring and summer , with the goal to have everyone vaccinated by the time cooler weather arrives next fall .
‘ Strong semblance of normality ’ by early autumn — if enough people get vaccinated If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people vaccinated between April and July , “ I believe ... by the time we get to the early fall , we will have enough good herd immunity to be able to really get back to some strong semblance of normality — schools , theaters , sports events , restaurants .
I believe if we do it correctly , we will be there by the early fall , ” Fauci said .
No one really knows what percentage of the population needs to be immunized to interrupt the spread of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be somewhere between 70 % and 85 % .
“ If you have the opportunity to get vaccinated , please get vaccinated , ” Fauci said .
“ It ’ s a safe and it ’ s a highly efficacious vaccine that could save your life , the life of your family and the community .
“ So I believe with those two things — adherence to the kind of things that you ’ ve been talking about in California , the public health measures , and as we gradually get more and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be looking at this thing in the rearview mirror , ” Fauci told Newsom .
Failure to contain coronavirus would be disastrous for economy Some people think of the business restrictions implemented to control the pandemic as too high a price to pay .
But Fauci said the pandemic needs to be controlled in order to allow the economy to get back to normal .
“ We need to use public health measures — as a vehicle , a gateway , a tool — to get the economy back .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health .
It ’ s public health bridging you to getting the economy back , ” Fauci said .
The economy will reopen “ when you get the level of infection down , ” Fauci said .
“ And the only way you ’ re going to get the level of infection down before the vaccine kicks in is by the public health measures that you have been talking about.
” Fauci also looked back at the challenges of 2020 .
Here are some key points : Asymptomatic spread of the virus makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial information coming out of China in late 2019 about the coronavirus was misleading , Fauci said .
Initially , the word was that the virus did not efficiently transmit between humans , which ended up being wrong .
Then , the word was that it was mostly being transmitted by people who were visibly sick .
The sobering reality was that even people without visible symptoms were transmitting the virus .
“ That , to me , is something that was the game-changer , ” Fauci said .
“ Because you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with symptoms , because you ’ re going to miss the asymptomatic people.
” Second , it meant that mask wearing became very important .
“ If you don ’ t know who ’ s infected , then everybody should be wearing a mask , which is the real fundamental rationale for saying we need universal and uniform wearing of masks , ” Fauci said .
Wide range of outcomes — from no symptoms to death — made it too easy to dismiss the virus Fauci said he ’ s never seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of those infected have no symptoms at all , while 20 % to 25 % get symptoms so severe they may need hospitalization or die .
“ The mystery of how you can have so many people who have no symptoms , and so many people who get seriously impacted , is one of the reasons why we have a messaging difficulty , ” Fauci said .
“ Because most of the people who do well are young people , and they say , ‘ What do I got to worry about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves , ‘ Why do I need to interrupt my life ?
’ ” But that sentiment has had serious consequences and has been a factor in the worst death toll of any nation in the world — more than 335,000 deaths .
And public health activities such as mask wearing became politicized .
In Los Angeles County , the cumulative COVID-19 death toll of more than 10,000 is now triple the cumulative death toll from the flu in the last flu season , which was 3,133 .
This has been the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history The best public health messages are consistent and simple .
But the COVID-19 pandemic has become so politically divisive that it ’ s been very difficult to have a consistent public health message , Fauci said .
It has even been worse than the efforts to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS , public health crises that political leaders failed to pay enough attention to in their early years .
“ It wasn ’ t anything like the divisiveness that we ’ re seeing right now , which really makes implementation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very difficult , ” Fauci said .
U.S. should have done much better in controlling the pandemic Asked by Newsom whether he expected the U.S. would be dealing with a national death toll exceeding 335,000 , Fauci admitted he had thought the U.S. would be in a much better place by now .
Even when New York was being hit hard in the late winter and early spring of 2020 , Fauci expected that the nation would push coronavirus levels down and that public health officials would figure out how to contain flare-ups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a low baseline , Fauci said .
Too many states abandoned stay-at-home orders too early , so when the cooler weather came with the arrival of fall , “ we just went right off the roof , ” Fauci said .
“ What surprised me and really disappointed me so much was that I thought if we would get down to a really , really low baseline , as we had these individual little blips , we could do identification , isolation and contact tracing , and we ’ d be in good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The only trouble is , when you have ... 100,000 community cases on a given day , it makes it almost impossible to do effective identification , isolation and contact tracing , ” he said .
“ So we ’ ve been hit badly , and unfortunately , California is hit right now currently as bad as anybody , if not worse.
” We should be doing even more testing As we look ahead , Fauci said we should be looking at flooding schools and congregate living settings with testing , particularly with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process and can be used widely in settings such as schools .
“ If we just very , very much utilize that testing — in schools for teachers , even ultimately , for the students , intermittently — you could get a good feel for what the penetrance of infection is and you can do something about it , ” Fauci said .
“ We should put much more emphasis on community-type of surveillance testing , so that you get a feel for where you are — where you are with schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s the way to go , ” Fauci said .
Because the virus is often transmitted by people with no signs of illness , “ you ’ re not going to get them by only testing people with symptoms.
” Colleges that have implemented this kind of routine testing have found this approach successful in maintaining a low level of virus transmission , he said .
That ’ s because this approach identifies virus-positive people early and sends them into isolation until they recover , rather than allowing the virus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shut the campus down .

Sylvester Roth, Allison Furbush and Andie Bristow check out sidewalk chalk designs during recess from home school in Riverside in April. Dr. Anthony Fauci says the best way to back to some form of normality is to get children back inside classrooms at schools.
It’s been a grim December, and January is looking to be just as bleak as the coronavirus continues to ravage both California and the nation.
In a conversation broadcast online Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious diseases expert, talked to Gov. Gavin Newsom about why the pandemic has been so hard to control in California and across the U.S.
But he also offered some hope for the future, outlining his latest estimate on when things might get back to a semblance of normality and whether schools can reopen safely.
Here are some of Fauci’s thoughts on what 2021 might look like:
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Schools can safely reopen, even when there’s substantial community transmission
Fauci said the coronavirus acts very differently from the flu when it comes to children.
With the coronavirus, children seem to have lower levels of infection than the broader community.
“That was almost counterintuitive, but it’s turning out to be that way,” Fauci said.
“What we should do is to do everything to support the maintenance of the children in school. ... If you really want to get society back to some form of normality, one of the first things we have to do is to get the children back in school.”
Vaccines for broader public to be distributed in late spring, early summer
Initial distribution of the vaccine to the top priority group, including healthcare workers and people in nursing homes, has been slower than initially promised. But Fauci said there’s a sense that by January, there will be greater momentum and that the pace of inoculations will accelerate.
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Before the general public receives the vaccine, though, there are other priority groups who are next in line. It will probably be the end of March or the beginning of April before the vaccine is available to everyone.
At that point, the race will be on to get as many people vaccinated through the spring and summer, with the goal to have everyone vaccinated by the time cooler weather arrives next fall.
‘Strong semblance of normality’ by early autumn — if enough people get vaccinated
If the U.S. is diligent about getting many people vaccinated between April and July, “I believe ... by the time we get to the early fall, we will have enough good herd immunity to be able to really get back to some strong semblance of normality — schools, theaters, sports events, restaurants. I believe if we do it correctly, we will be there by the early fall,” Fauci said.
No one really knows what percentage of the population needs to be immunized to interrupt the spread of the virus, Fauci said. He guessed it would be somewhere between 70% and 85%.
“If you have the opportunity to get vaccinated, please get vaccinated,” Fauci said. “It’s a safe and it’s a highly efficacious vaccine that could save your life, the life of your family and the community.
“So I believe with those two things — adherence to the kind of things that you’ve been talking about in California, the public health measures, and as we gradually get more and more people vaccinated, we’re going to be looking at this thing in the rearview mirror,” Fauci told Newsom.
Failure to contain coronavirus would be disastrous for economy
Some people think of the business restrictions implemented to control the pandemic as too high a price to pay. But Fauci said the pandemic needs to be controlled in order to allow the economy to get back to normal.
“We need to use public health measures — as a vehicle, a gateway, a tool — to get the economy back. It isn’t the economy versus public health. It’s public health bridging you to getting the economy back,” Fauci said.
The economy will reopen “when you get the level of infection down,” Fauci said. “And the only way you’re going to get the level of infection down before the vaccine kicks in is by the public health measures that you have been talking about.”
Fauci also looked back at the challenges of 2020. Here are some key points:
Asymptomatic spread of the virus makes this pandemic far harder to control
The initial information coming out of China in late 2019 about the coronavirus was misleading, Fauci said.
Initially, the word was that the virus did not efficiently transmit between humans, which ended up being wrong. Then, the word was that it was mostly being transmitted by people who were visibly sick.
The sobering reality was that even people without visible symptoms were transmitting the virus.
“That, to me, is something that was the game-changer,” Fauci said. “Because you can’t just test people who are with symptoms, because you’re going to miss the asymptomatic people.”
Second, it meant that mask wearing became very important. “If you don’t know who’s infected, then everybody should be wearing a mask, which is the real fundamental rationale for saying we need universal and uniform wearing of masks,” Fauci said.
Wide range of outcomes — from no symptoms to death — made it too easy to dismiss the virus
Fauci said he’s never seen a virus like this one, where 40% of those infected have no symptoms at all, while 20% to 25% get symptoms so severe they may need hospitalization or die.
“The mystery of how you can have so many people who have no symptoms, and so many people who get seriously impacted, is one of the reasons why we have a messaging difficulty,” Fauci said. “Because most of the people who do well are young people, and they say, ‘What do I got to worry about?’ ... So they say to themselves, ‘Why do I need to interrupt my life?’ ”
But that sentiment has had serious consequences and has been a factor in the worst death toll of any nation in the world — more than 335,000 deaths. And public health activities such as mask wearing became politicized.
In Los Angeles County, the cumulative COVID-19 death toll of more than 10,000 is now triple the cumulative death toll from the flu in the last flu season, which was 3,133.
This has been the most politicized public health crisis in modern U.S. history
The best public health messages are consistent and simple. But the COVID-19 pandemic has become so politically divisive that it’s been very difficult to have a consistent public health message, Fauci said.
It has even been worse than the efforts to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, public health crises that political leaders failed to pay enough attention to in their early years. “It wasn’t anything like the divisiveness that we’re seeing right now, which really makes implementation of public health measures and public health messaging very difficult,” Fauci said.
U.S. should have done much better in controlling the pandemic
Asked by Newsom whether he expected the U.S. would be dealing with a national death toll exceeding 335,000, Fauci admitted he had thought the U.S. would be in a much better place by now.
Even when New York was being hit hard in the late winter and early spring of 2020, Fauci expected that the nation would push coronavirus levels down and that public health officials would figure out how to contain flare-ups.
But the U.S. never got to a low baseline, Fauci said. Too many states abandoned stay-at-home orders too early, so when the cooler weather came with the arrival of fall, “we just went right off the roof,” Fauci said.
“What surprised me and really disappointed me so much was that I thought if we would get down to a really, really low baseline, as we had these individual little blips, we could do identification, isolation and contact tracing, and we’d be in good shape,” Fauci said.
“The only trouble is, when you have ... 100,000 community cases on a given day, it makes it almost impossible to do effective identification, isolation and contact tracing,” he said. “So we’ve been hit badly, and unfortunately, California is hit right now currently as bad as anybody, if not worse.”
We should be doing even more testing
As we look ahead, Fauci said we should be looking at flooding schools and congregate living settings with testing, particularly with so-called antigen tests that are easier to process and can be used widely in settings such as schools.
“If we just very, very much utilize that testing — in schools for teachers, even ultimately, for the students, intermittently — you could get a good feel for what the penetrance of infection is and you can do something about it,” Fauci said.
“We should put much more emphasis on community-type of surveillance testing, so that you get a feel for where you are — where you are with schools, with prisons, with nursing homes. That’s the way to go,” Fauci said. Because the virus is often transmitted by people with no signs of illness, “you’re not going to get them by only testing people with symptoms.”
Colleges that have implemented this kind of routine testing have found this approach successful in maintaining a low level of virus transmission, he said. That’s because this approach identifies virus-positive people early and sends them into isolation until they recover, rather than allowing the virus to become so widespread that officials are forced to shut the campus down.


latimes--2020-08-18--Newsom's friendship with lobbyist who threw French Laundry party brings questions

On the website of one of Sacramento ’ s most influential lobbying firms , partner Jason Kinney boasted of his close connection to Gavin Newsom , noting he has advised the governor for “ nearly 14 years.
” The plug suddenly disappeared last month , days after Newsom drew national criticism for attending Kinney ’ s 50th birthday dinner at the famed Napa Valley restaurant the French Laundry .
The event turned into a political disaster for Newsom , drawing charges of hypocrisy at the very time the governor urged residents to avoid gatherings and stay home as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
But the episode also exposed something that has long been the subject of quiet discussion in Sacramento : Newsom ’ s decision to maintain a tight relationship with Kinney , who is director of a lobbying firm with business before the governor .
Kinney is well known around the state Capitol as a strategist , ghostwriter of Newsom ’ s speeches and unofficial fixer summoned to help loosen the governor from political jams .
His dual roles as an advisor to Newsom and a lobbyist paid by companies to influence the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about potential conflicts of interest for the administration .
“ I think it certainly can cause the public to question whether any advice the governor is getting is in the public interest or in the interest of the companies that have paid Kinney ’ s firm to lobby , ” said Emily Rusch , executive director of the California Public Interest Research Group , an independent consumer advocacy organization .
“ It ’ s common sense to question that.
” Kinney ’ s firm , Axiom Advisors , has lobbied on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom ’ s office , including Netflix and unsecured creditors of Pacific Gas & Electric , records reviewed by The Times show .
According to the firm , Kinney has built a firewall between his work for Newsom and Axiom ’ s clients , makes money only on work for his individual clients and does not profit from the firm ’ s overall earnings .
California law doesn ’ t expressly prohibit lobbying the administration while also advising the governor , and some of Newsom ’ s predecessors sought the input of Sacramento @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and professional alliance with Newsom has given him and his firm a unique position of power .
In its list of the top players in state government and politics , Capitol Weekly described Kinney as “ a sort of majordomo ” for the governor who “ makes strategic policy and political recommendations.
” Axiom Advisors was launched shortly after Newsom ’ s election and has become one of the state ’ s top-grossing lobbying businesses .
The relationship , many in Sacramento say , was bound to draw attention to the ethical boundaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke with more than two dozen lobbyists , Capitol staff members , legislators and political consultants about the governor ’ s work with Kinney .
Many of them spoke on condition of anonymity , citing concerns that discussing Newsom and his advisor could affect their working relationships with both men .
Newsom and his office declined to answer any questions for this story .
“ The Governor has been successful throughout a twenty year career in public service because he makes decisions in the interest of the public good , ” said Sahar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ His decisions are rooted in good public policy , and he ’ s never hesitated to say no to organizations and individuals he has long relationships with when their priorities run counter to the public good.
” Molly Weedn , a spokeswoman for Kinney , said he separates his role as “ an outside communications advisor on political issues ” from his lobbying work .
“ He adheres to strict ethical standards and fully and transparently discloses all lobbying activity , ” Weedn said .
“ He does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to benefit the firm ’ s clients.
” Axiom reported receiving $ 582,266 from clients in the first three months of Newsom ’ s term — a figure that ballooned to $ 2.3 million by the end of the second quarter .
From Newsom ’ s inauguration in 2019 through the end of September 2020 , Axiom reported a total of $ 10.9 million for lobbying work .
While apologizing during a news conference last month for attending the French Laundry dinner , Newsom described Kinney as a friend he ’ s known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Newsom ’ s time as a San Francisco supervisor .
Kinney said he met Newsom in 2002 during a statewide homelessness conference while working as a senior communications advisor and chief speechwriter for former Democratic Gov .
Gray Davis .
He described Newsom as the one the “ most capable , dedicated human beings I ’ ve ever met.
” Newsom “ was literally one of the few elected leaders in the nation with the courage and compassion to talk honestly about California ’ s homelessness crisis , and he was putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help people get off the streets , ” Kinney said in a statement .
Kinney , who advertised himself as a senior strategist for Newsom , helped run the then-lieutenant governor ’ s 2016 campaign to legalize marijuana .
For years , Kinney has worked behind the scenes to strengthen Newsom ’ s relationships with influential leaders and delegates within the California Democratic Party , for which he has consulted during much of the last decade .
But the French Laundry dinner has prompted Kinney to edit his list of clients .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the state Democratic Party this month .
The change came shortly before the governor ’ s office released a new ethics policy that prohibits anyone from working as a paid advisor to the party , the governor or his campaigns while also lobbying the administration .
The rule , which was introduced just weeks after the French Laundry dinner , applies to all of the consultants who were on the governor ’ s or the California Democratic Party ’ s payrolls when it was announced on Dec. 11 , Newsom ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with the party before that date and was not included on a list the governor ’ s office released of paid consultants who would be affected by the policy .
Like many established political operators in Sacramento , Kinney offers some services and communications strategy advice to the governor for free — a show of goodwill and a form of investment in a candidate — but has previously accepted payment to work on Newsom ’ s initiatives , state filings show .
The lobbying ban does not address Kinney ’ s unpaid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roster of clients includes dialysis provider DaVita , Marathon Petroleum , Poseidon Water , Acadia Healthcare and several companies in the marijuana business .
Netflix executives hired Kinney ’ s firm this year to lobby for a change in state law that could have made the company eligible for a tax credit potentially worth millions of dollars , according to state filings .
Those familiar with the tax bill said it came from the governor ’ s office — with Kinney ’ s involvement — in the final hours of the legislative session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it required a special rule waiver to be considered .
The proposal ultimately failed , but records show that the Silicon Valley streaming giant paid Axiom Advisors $ 52,500 for working on the change to the tax credit from July through September .
Earlier filings show the firm received an additional $ 87,500 for working on “ tax issues ” for Netflix from April through June .
Kinney declined to say whether he discussed the tax credit proposal with Newsom or his staff .
Newsom did not respond to a question about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his office and if he or anyone on his staff discussed it with Kinney .
Sources close to the governor say he and Kinney have long been cognizant of the potential for conflicts of interest stemming from their relationship and note that Newsom scrutinizes issues involving any of his political advisors .
Newsom ’ s departing chief of staff , Ann O ’ Leary , also tried to establish boundaries and screen outside advisors for potential conflicts , according to the sources .
After announcing the new lobbying policy this month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s political watchdog agency for ideas on practices to further limit undue influence .
During Newsom ’ s transition into the governor ’ s office in late 2018 , Kinney ‘ s firm said he recommended candidates for jobs in the administration , an unpaid volunteer role that also has been deleted from his biography on the Axiom Advisors website .
Kinney declined to answer a question about whether he has ever lobbied any of the people he recommended after they landed positions in the administration , or connected them to other members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Newsom was sworn in , a spokesman for the governor said he adopted a rule that prevented those who worked on the transition from lobbying transition officials .
Kinney already had deregistered as a lobbyist before working on the transition .
But that ban , the governor ’ s staff said , was short-lived and ended when Newsom officially took office .
Three weeks after Newsom was inaugurated as California ’ s 40th governor — delivering a speech Kinney helped craft — Kinney registered as a lobbyist for his new firm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to advise the politicians they seek to influence .
Government accountability advocates , including Rusch of CalPIRG , say that even if efforts were made to address lobbyists influencing the elected officials they advise , it would be difficult to establish effective legal boundaries on a tight friendship .
Kinney also has served as an advisor to Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and was a spokesman and communications strategist for the state Senate ’ s Democratic Caucus and president pro tem ’ s office .
Kevin de León , a former leader of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Los Angeles City Council , said Kinney ’ s work for him and his Democratic colleagues never conflicted with his lobbying clients .
“ He never , in one single instance , lobbied me on behalf of any of his clients , ” De León said .
“ He had the good sense to know you keep a separation of church and state.
” Kinney ’ s activities have drawn the attention of the state ’ s political watchdog agency in the past .
The Fair Political Practices Commission fined Kinney in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lobbyist and file disclosures about his activities .
An examination of Axiom ’ s clients through filings with the secretary of state shows the firm has been hired by several companies seeking to influence the governor and his administration .
Some of those clients received favorable outcomes on their bills or issues , while others fell flat .
While Newsom grappled with the bankruptcy of PG & E , the largest investor-owned utility in California , Axiom made $ 220,000 to lobby him and the Legislature on behalf of a court-appointed panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The firm wrote in court documents that it spent a significant amount of time meeting with lawmakers and the governor ’ s office to discuss a law that established a $ 21-billion fund for PG & E and Newsom ’ s approval of the company ’ s reorganization plan , both described as major milestones in the case .
Its work included efforts to “ understand the governor ’ s views regarding the plan.
” Weedn , Axiom ’ s spokeswoman , said Kinney “ did not lobby on behalf of the unsecured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not had conversations with any officials about those issues.
” The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of PG & E , which represented financial institutions , contractors and electrical workers , paid Axiom $ 20,000 a month to lobby on the bankruptcy case for nearly a year .
Axiom was required to file court documents requesting that a judge approve the payments and detailed more than 500 hours of work .
Kinney reported a small number of hours worked , which included meetings with the Axiom team about the case , and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the firm ’ s work , court filings show .
The firm said that Kinney ’ s work did not involve lobbying .
Meanwhile , California environmentalists and government watchdog groups have been sounding the alarm about Axiom ’ s ties to a major oil company with business before the Newsom administration : Aera Energy , a partnership of Shell Oil and ExxonMobil .
Since April , the California Geologic Energy Management Division , known as CalGEM , has issued more than 50 new hydraulic fracturing permits to Aera Energy and Chevron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobbying fees in 2019 and 2020 , records at the secretary of state ’ s office show .
The Newsom administration and CalGEM were listed among the agencies that Aera lobbied .
“ Newsom ’ s close personal relationship with Kinney raises serious concerns that corporations that pay big money to Axiom can obtain preferential treatment from the governor , ” said Derek Seidman of the Public Accountability Initiative , a Buffalo , N.Y.-based nonprofit focused on government and corporate accountability .
The oil permits issued to Aera came after a 2019 announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new hydraulic fracturing permits until the projects could be reviewed by an independent panel of scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory .
State Oil and Gas Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk said in August that the permits issued since April underwent that independent environmental review .
In October , Newsom called on the California Legislature to ban hydraulic fracturing , an action he said is not within his executive authority as governor — an opinion disputed by environmentalists .
Less than 10 days after Newsom made that announcement , CalGEM issued six new fracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Aera , Axiom also lobbied legislators on a bill that would have mandated health and safety buffer zones around oil and gas wells and refineries near schools , playgrounds , nursing homes and other sensitive residential areas .
The legislation was strongly opposed by the oil industry and failed to pass in the state Senate .
Weedn said Kinney did not conduct any work or receive any personal compensation from Aera .
With the coronavirus surging , large regions of the state under stay-at-home orders and a budding recall effort to boot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s French Laundry gaffe couldn ’ t come at a worse time , said Matt Rexroad , a former Yolo County supervisor and Republican political consultant .
“ It ’ s one little problem snowballing and becoming a big deal , ” Rexroad said .
“ Right now he ’ s under the microscope.
” Although Rexroad said Newsom ’ s decision to attend Kinney ’ s dinner raises questions about his leadership during the pandemic , he noted it ’ s not out of the ordinary for governors to have close friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moonlight as lobbyists .
“ It ’ s not a problem if the candidate and the consultant are both aware of the motives and it ’ s fully disclosed , ” Rexroad said .
“ The governor is a politician .
He ’ s going to hang out with political people , and Jason Kinney is a political person .
”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has had a long friendship with Jason Kinney, a lobbyist who also acts as an advisor to the governor.
On the website of one of Sacramento’s most influential lobbying firms, partner Jason Kinney boasted of his close connection to Gavin Newsom, noting he has advised the governor for “nearly 14 years.”
The plug suddenly disappeared last month, days after Newsom drew national criticism for attending Kinney’s 50th birthday dinner at the famed Napa Valley restaurant the French Laundry.
The event turned into a political disaster for Newsom, drawing charges of hypocrisy at the very time the governor urged residents to avoid gatherings and stay home as much as possible amid an unprecedented surge in the coronavirus.
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But the episode also exposed something that has long been the subject of quiet discussion in Sacramento: Newsom’s decision to maintain a tight relationship with Kinney, who is director of a lobbying firm with business before the governor.
Kinney is well known around the state Capitol as a strategist, ghostwriter of Newsom’s speeches and unofficial fixer summoned to help loosen the governor from political jams. His dual roles as an advisor to Newsom and a lobbyist paid by companies to influence the governor and his staff have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest for the administration.
“I think it certainly can cause the public to question whether any advice the governor is getting is in the public interest or in the interest of the companies that have paid Kinney’s firm to lobby,” said Emily Rusch, executive director of the California Public Interest Research Group, an independent consumer advocacy organization. “It’s common sense to question that.”
Kinney’s firm, Axiom Advisors, has lobbied on behalf of several companies seeking to sway decision-making in Newsom’s office, including Netflix and unsecured creditors of Pacific Gas & Electric, records reviewed by The Times show. According to the firm, Kinney has built a firewall between his work for Newsom and Axiom’s clients, makes money only on work for his individual clients and does not profit from the firm’s overall earnings.
California law doesn’t expressly prohibit lobbying the administration while also advising the governor, and some of Newsom’s predecessors sought the input of Sacramento lobbyists.
Yet Kinney’s personal and professional alliance with Newsom has given him and his firm a unique position of power. In its list of the top players in state government and politics, Capitol Weekly described Kinney as “a sort of majordomo” for the governor who “makes strategic policy and political recommendations.” Axiom Advisors was launched shortly after Newsom’s election and has become one of the state’s top-grossing lobbying businesses.
The relationship, many in Sacramento say, was bound to draw attention to the ethical boundaries in the Newsom administration.
The Times spoke with more than two dozen lobbyists, Capitol staff members, legislators and political consultants about the governor’s work with Kinney. Many of them spoke on condition of anonymity, citing concerns that discussing Newsom and his advisor could affect their working relationships with both men.
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Newsom and his office declined to answer any questions for this story.
“The Governor has been successful throughout a twenty year career in public service because he makes decisions in the interest of the public good,” said Sahar Robertson, a spokeswoman for Newsom, in a statement. “His decisions are rooted in good public policy, and he’s never hesitated to say no to organizations and individuals he has long relationships with when their priorities run counter to the public good.”
Molly Weedn, a spokeswoman for Kinney, said he separates his role as “an outside communications advisor on political issues” from his lobbying work.
“He adheres to strict ethical standards and fully and transparently discloses all lobbying activity,” Weedn said. “He does not use his role as an advisor to benefit the firm’s clients.”
Axiom reported receiving $582,266 from clients in the first three months of Newsom’s term — a figure that ballooned to $2.3 million by the end of the second quarter. From Newsom’s inauguration in 2019 through the end of September 2020, Axiom reported a total of $10.9 million for lobbying work.
While apologizing during a news conference last month for attending the French Laundry dinner, Newsom described Kinney as a friend he’s known nearly two decades.
The relationship dates to Newsom’s time as a San Francisco supervisor. Kinney said he met Newsom in 2002 during a statewide homelessness conference while working as a senior communications advisor and chief speechwriter for former Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. He described Newsom as the one the “most capable, dedicated human beings I’ve ever met.”
Newsom “was literally one of the few elected leaders in the nation with the courage and compassion to talk honestly about California’s homelessness crisis, and he was putting smart, local solutions on the table to help people get off the streets,” Kinney said in a statement.
Kinney, who advertised himself as a senior strategist for Newsom, helped run the then-lieutenant governor’s 2016 campaign to legalize marijuana. For years, Kinney has worked behind the scenes to strengthen Newsom’s relationships with influential leaders and delegates within the California Democratic Party, for which he has consulted during much of the last decade.
But the French Laundry dinner has prompted Kinney to edit his list of clients.
His firm said he ended his work with the state Democratic Party this month. The change came shortly before the governor’s office released a new ethics policy that prohibits anyone from working as a paid advisor to the party, the governor or his campaigns while also lobbying the administration.
The rule, which was introduced just weeks after the French Laundry dinner, applies to all of the consultants who were on the governor’s or the California Democratic Party’s payrolls when it was announced on Dec. 11, Newsom’s office said. Kinney had ended his work with the party before that date and was not included on a list the governor’s office released of paid consultants who would be affected by the policy.
Like many established political operators in Sacramento, Kinney offers some services and communications strategy advice to the governor for free — a show of goodwill and a form of investment in a candidate — but has previously accepted payment to work on Newsom’s initiatives, state filings show. The lobbying ban does not address Kinney’s unpaid work for Newsom.
Axiom’s roster of clients includes dialysis provider DaVita, Marathon Petroleum, Poseidon Water, Acadia Healthcare and several companies in the marijuana business.
Netflix executives hired Kinney’s firm this year to lobby for a change in state law that could have made the company eligible for a tax credit potentially worth millions of dollars, according to state filings.
Those familiar with the tax bill said it came from the governor’s office — with Kinney’s involvement — in the final hours of the legislative session. The proposal was introduced so late that it required a special rule waiver to be considered.
The proposal ultimately failed, but records show that the Silicon Valley streaming giant paid Axiom Advisors $52,500 for working on the change to the tax credit from July through September. Earlier filings show the firm received an additional $87,500 for working on “tax issues” for Netflix from April through June.
Kinney declined to say whether he discussed the tax credit proposal with Newsom or his staff. Newsom did not respond to a question about whether the language in the proposal came from his office and if he or anyone on his staff discussed it with Kinney.
Sources close to the governor say he and Kinney have long been cognizant of the potential for conflicts of interest stemming from their relationship and note that Newsom scrutinizes issues involving any of his political advisors. Newsom’s departing chief of staff, Ann O’Leary, also tried to establish boundaries and screen outside advisors for potential conflicts, according to the sources. After announcing the new lobbying policy this month, O’Leary asked the state’s political watchdog agency for ideas on practices to further limit undue influence.
During Newsom’s transition into the governor’s office in late 2018, Kinney‘s firm said he recommended candidates for jobs in the administration, an unpaid volunteer role that also has been deleted from his biography on the Axiom Advisors website. Kinney declined to answer a question about whether he has ever lobbied any of the people he recommended after they landed positions in the administration, or connected them to other members of his firm.
In the weeks before Newsom was sworn in, a spokesman for the governor said he adopted a rule that prevented those who worked on the transition from lobbying transition officials. Kinney already had deregistered as a lobbyist before working on the transition. But that ban, the governor’s staff said, was short-lived and ended when Newsom officially took office.
Three weeks after Newsom was inaugurated as California’s 40th governor — delivering a speech Kinney helped craft — Kinney registered as a lobbyist for his new firm, Axiom Advisors.
California laws allow lobbyists to advise the politicians they seek to influence. Government accountability advocates, including Rusch of CalPIRG, say that even if efforts were made to address lobbyists influencing the elected officials they advise, it would be difficult to establish effective legal boundaries on a tight friendship.
Kinney also has served as an advisor to Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and was a spokesman and communications strategist for the state Senate’s Democratic Caucus and president pro tem’s office.
Kevin de León, a former leader of the state Senate who recently was elected to the Los Angeles City Council, said Kinney’s work for him and his Democratic colleagues never conflicted with his lobbying clients.
“He never, in one single instance, lobbied me on behalf of any of his clients,” De León said. “He had the good sense to know you keep a separation of church and state.”
Kinney’s activities have drawn the attention of the state’s political watchdog agency in the past. The Fair Political Practices Commission fined Kinney in 2013 for failing to properly register as a lobbyist and file disclosures about his activities.
An examination of Axiom’s clients through filings with the secretary of state shows the firm has been hired by several companies seeking to influence the governor and his administration. Some of those clients received favorable outcomes on their bills or issues, while others fell flat.
While Newsom grappled with the bankruptcy of PG&E, the largest investor-owned utility in California, Axiom made $220,000 to lobby him and the Legislature on behalf of a court-appointed panel of the company’s creditors.
The firm wrote in court documents that it spent a significant amount of time meeting with lawmakers and the governor’s office to discuss a law that established a $21-billion fund for PG&E and Newsom’s approval of the company’s reorganization plan, both described as major milestones in the case. Its work included efforts to “understand the governor’s views regarding the plan.”
Weedn, Axiom’s spokeswoman, said Kinney “did not lobby on behalf of the unsecured creditors of PG&E and has not had conversations with any officials about those issues.”
The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of PG&E, which represented financial institutions, contractors and electrical workers, paid Axiom $20,000 a month to lobby on the bankruptcy case for nearly a year. Axiom was required to file court documents requesting that a judge approve the payments and detailed more than 500 hours of work. Kinney reported a small number of hours worked, which included meetings with the Axiom team about the case, and other lobbyists on his team performed the bulk of the firm’s work, court filings show. The firm said that Kinney’s work did not involve lobbying.
Meanwhile, California environmentalists and government watchdog groups have been sounding the alarm about Axiom’s ties to a major oil company with business before the Newsom administration: Aera Energy, a partnership of Shell Oil and ExxonMobil.
Since April, the California Geologic Energy Management Division, known as CalGEM, has issued more than 50 new hydraulic fracturing permits to Aera Energy and Chevron.
Aera paid Axiom $200,000 in lobbying fees in 2019 and 2020, records at the secretary of state’s office show. The Newsom administration and CalGEM were listed among the agencies that Aera lobbied.
“Newsom’s close personal relationship with Kinney raises serious concerns that corporations that pay big money to Axiom can obtain preferential treatment from the governor,” said Derek Seidman of the Public Accountability Initiative, a Buffalo, N.Y.-based nonprofit focused on government and corporate accountability.
The oil permits issued to Aera came after a 2019 announcement by Newsom that he would temporarily block new hydraulic fracturing permits until the projects could be reviewed by an independent panel of scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. State Oil and Gas Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk said in August that the permits issued since April underwent that independent environmental review.
In October, Newsom called on the California Legislature to ban hydraulic fracturing, an action he said is not within his executive authority as governor — an opinion disputed by environmentalists.
Less than 10 days after Newsom made that announcement, CalGEM issued six new fracking permits to Aera Energy.
On behalf of Aera, Axiom also lobbied legislators on a bill that would have mandated health and safety buffer zones around oil and gas wells and refineries near schools, playgrounds, nursing homes and other sensitive residential areas. The legislation was strongly opposed by the oil industry and failed to pass in the state Senate.
Weedn said Kinney did not conduct any work or receive any personal compensation from Aera.
With the coronavirus surging, large regions of the state under stay-at-home orders and a budding recall effort to boot him from office, the governor’s French Laundry gaffe couldn’t come at a worse time, said Matt Rexroad, a former Yolo County supervisor and Republican political consultant.
“It’s one little problem snowballing and becoming a big deal,” Rexroad said. “Right now he’s under the microscope.”
Although Rexroad said Newsom’s decision to attend Kinney’s dinner raises questions about his leadership during the pandemic, he noted it’s not out of the ordinary for governors to have close friends who work as their political consultants and moonlight as lobbyists.
“It’s not a problem if the candidate and the consultant are both aware of the motives and it’s fully disclosed,” Rexroad said. “The governor is a politician. He’s going to hang out with political people, and Jason Kinney is a political person.”


latimes--2020-01-30--Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act would require terrain alarms on choppers

In the wake of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash , a Los Angeles congressman is calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to beef up chopper safety regulations by requiring a terrain alarm system .
Bryant ’ s helicopter was not required to have the system because the FAA rejected a proposal by the National Transportation Safety Board to make the alarms mandatory .
NTSB investigators Jennifer Homendy said Tuesday her agency had recommended that the FAA 16 years ago require that all choppers carrying six or more passengers be equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” on the proposal .
Shortly after her Tuesday news conference , an FAA spokesman disputed that assessment , noting that the FAA requires the terrain alarm systems for helicopter air ambulance operations .
Rep. Brad Sherman ( D-Northridge ) on Thursday introduced the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act .
In a statement , Sherman said such equipment would prevent such tragedies and cost between $ 25,000 to $ 40,000 .
His bill calls for helicopters to be “ equipped with a Terrain Awareness and Warning System .
The legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety and require a report to Congress on best practices for helicopters in cases of low visibility , ” according to a statement .
The helicopter — a Sikorsky S-76B chopper built in 1991 — departed John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. Sunday , according to publicly available flight records .
The aircraft passed over Boyle Heights , near Dodger Stadium , and circled over Glendale during the flight .
Amid foggy conditions , it crashed into a hill in Calabasas .
Accompanying the Bryants were John Altobelli , 56 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College ; his wife , Keri , 46 ; their daughter Alyssa , 13 ; Christina Mauser , 38 , an assistant basketball coach at the Mamba Sports Academy ; Sarah Chester , 45 ; Chester ’ s daughter Payton , 13 ; and the pilot , 50-year-old Ara Zobayan .

Kobe Bryant shares a laugh with his daughter, Gianna, while attending a women’s basketball game between Long Beach State and Oregon on Dec. 14.
In the wake of the helicopter crash that killed nine people including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, a Los Angeles congressman is calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to beef up chopper safety regulations by requiring a terrain alarm system.
Bryant’s helicopter was not required to have the system because the FAA rejected a proposal by the National Transportation Safety Board to make the alarms mandatory.
NTSB investigator Jennifer Homendy said Tuesday her agency had recommended 16 years ago that the FAA require all choppers carrying six or more passengers to be equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system, adding that the FAA has “failed to act” on the proposal.
Shortly after her Tuesday news conference, an FAA spokesman disputed that assessment, noting that the FAA requires the terrain alarm systems for helicopter air ambulance operations.
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Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Northridge) on Thursday introduced the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act. In a statement, Sherman said such equipment would prevent such tragedies and cost between $25,000 to $40,000.
His bill calls for helicopters to be “equipped with a Terrain Awareness and Warning System. The legislation will also establish a commission on helicopter safety and require a report to Congress on best practices for helicopters in cases of low visibility,” according to a statement.
The helicopter — a Sikorsky S-76B chopper built in 1991 — departed John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. Sunday, according to publicly available flight records. The aircraft passed over Boyle Heights, near Dodger Stadium, and circled over Glendale during the flight. Amid foggy conditions, it crashed into a hill in Calabasas.
Accompanying the Bryants were John Altobelli, 56, longtime baseball coach at Orange Coast College; his wife, Keri, 46; their daughter Alyssa, 13; Christina Mauser, 38, an assistant basketball coach at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy; Sarah Chester, 45; Chester’s daughter Payton, 13; and the pilot, 50-year-old Ara Zobayan.


latimes--2020-01-30--Barrington Plaza fire spurs lawsuit, calls at City Hall for reform

Hundreds of residents of a West Los Angeles high-rise remained out of their homes Thursday , the day after a fire erupted in the 25-story apartment building , injuring 13 people and raising questions about safety in some of the city ’ s biggest housing complexes .
Firefighters and managers of the Barrington Plaza apartments on Wilshire Boulevard told tenants they could return to their units only briefly to secure medicines and medical devices .
The timing remained uncertain for the permanent reopening of the 270-unit Building A in the sprawling , three-tower development .
Some residents said they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fire , which sent some tenants scrambling to the roof , where they were rescued by helicopter .
One tenant filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court , charging that Douglas Emmett Inc. , the company that owns the building , had been negligent in failing to install sprinklers and make other fire safety improvements .
“ For years , tenants of Barrington Plaza Apartments have pleaded , warned and fought with Douglas Emmett ... about a seemingly straightforward issue : Barrington Plaza is unacceptably , illegally and fatally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contends .
It added that the Santa Monica company “ continues to sit on its hands ” despite years of lawsuits , regulatory concerns and tenant complaints .
The lawsuit was brought by two law firms on behalf of resident Charles Agozino and asks the court to allow a class action , because it says the issues being raised are “ of a common or general interest.
” Douglas Emmett did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit or on when the building would reopen .
Los Angeles police and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the cause of the fire , which spread quickly through the sixth and seventh floors after it began about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday .
Residents and Los Angeles officials said they were particularly disturbed because the same building caught fire in October 2013 , leading to another mass evacuation and severe injuries to several residents .
The complex also suffered another large fire and evacuation on New Year ’ s Day in 1971 .
Councilman Mike Bonin said he would bring forward a measure Friday to require sprinkler systems in all residential high-rises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in most apartment buildings , but an exemption has made an exception for high-rises built between 1943 and 1974 .
The city ’ s Fire Prevention Bureau has identified 55 buildings from that era that do not have sprinklers , including Barrington Plaza , which opened in 1963 .
Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday signaled that he would like to find a way to have sprinklers installed in the high-rises .
“ This loophole is a dangerous one , ” Garcetti said .
He said the city should meet with building owners , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retrofitting measure , and “ figure out a way that this can be done.
” “ Fires happen much more than earthquakes in this town and we dodged a bullet .
There could have been a lot of lives lost yesterday , ” Garcetti said .
He pledged to “ dig into ” the city code “ to maybe close that loophole and figure out a way for that to be achievable for building owners and residents too.
” Gavyn Straus , a 27-year-old personal trainer who lives on the 21st floor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to return to his unit Thursday but was turned away by Barrington Plaza employees and firefighters .
“ I ’ m stressed .
I ’ m out of whack , ” Straus said .
“ I am just trying to stay grounded and be patient and calm .
I am trying to make the best of it — pretend this is a little vacation or something .
”

Firefighters carrying hoses on their way to fight a blaze at Barrington Plaza on Wilshire Boulevard on the city’s Westside.
Hundreds of residents of a Westside high-rise remained out of their homes Thursday, the day after a fire erupted in the 25-story apartment building, injuring 13 people and raising questions about safety in some of the city’s biggest housing complexes.
Firefighters and managers of the Barrington Plaza apartments on Wilshire Boulevard told tenants they could return to their units only briefly to secure medicines and medical devices. The timing remained uncertain for the permanent reopening of the 270-unit Building A in the sprawling, three-tower development.
Some residents said they were still shaken a day after Wednesday morning’s fire, which sent some tenants scrambling to the roof, where they were rescued by helicopter.
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One tenant filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, charging that Douglas Emmett Inc., the company that owns the building, had been negligent in failing to install sprinklers and make other fire safety improvements.
“For years, tenants of Barrington Plaza Apartments have pleaded, warned and fought with Douglas Emmett ... about a seemingly straightforward issue: Barrington Plaza is unacceptably, illegally and fatally unsafe from fires,” the lawsuit contends. It added that the Santa Monica company “continues to sit on its hands” despite years of lawsuits, regulatory concerns and tenant complaints.
The lawsuit was brought by two law firms on behalf of resident Charles Agozino and asks the court to allow a class action, because it says the issues being raised are “of a common or general interest.”
Douglas Emmett did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit or on when the building would reopen.
Los Angeles police and firefighters said they had no new information on the cause of the fire, which spread quickly through the sixth and seventh floors after it began about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Residents and Los Angeles officials said they were particularly disturbed because the same building caught fire in October 2013, leading to another mass evacuation and severe injuries to several residents. The complex also suffered another large fire and evacuation on New Year’s Day in 1971.
Councilman Mike Bonin said he would bring forward a measure Friday to require sprinkler systems in all residential high-rises in Los Angeles.
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Sprinklers are required in most apartment buildings, but an exemption has made an exception for high-rises built between 1943 and 1974. The city’s Fire Prevention Bureau has identified 55 buildings from that era that do not have sprinklers, including Barrington Plaza, which opened in 1963.
Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday signaled that he would like to find a way to have sprinklers installed in the high-rises.
“This loophole is a dangerous one,” Garcetti said. He said the city should meet with building owners, as it did with an earthquake safety retrofitting measure, and “figure out a way that this can be done.”
“Fires happen much more than earthquakes in this town and we dodged a bullet. There could have been a lot of lives lost yesterday,” Garcetti said. He pledged to “dig into” the city code “to maybe close that loophole and figure out a way for that to be achievable for building owners and residents too.”
Gavyn Straus, a 27-year-old personal trainer who lives on the 21st floor of the damaged high-rise, said he tried to return to his unit Thursday but was turned away by Barrington Plaza employees and firefighters.
“I’m stressed. I’m out of whack,” Straus said. “I am just trying to stay grounded and be patient and calm. I am trying to make the best of it — pretend this is a little vacation or something.”


latimes--2020-01-30--Man accused of attacking and stabbing gay men across L.A. region

Prosecutors charged a Los Angeles man Thursday with carrying out at least three hate-crime attacks across the region targeting men who were gay or perceived to be gay , and detectives believe more people may have been harmed .
Deputy Dist .
Atty .
Richard Ceballos said Joshua Ebow is accused of punching two victims and stabbing two others during confrontations at a store and at restaurants in Culver City , Inglewood and West L.A. Ebow , 30 , was arrested Jan. 3 after detectives linked him to the stabbings .
Since then , investigators have collected evidence for two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pizza restaurant and the Brentwood eatery Jon & Vinny ’ s .
Three of the incidents have been formally charged as hate-crime enhancements , according to the complaint .
Ceballos said evidence in the attacks points to the victims ’ sexual orientation as a motive .
He declined to provide more details .
Detectives suspect that others may have been targeted by Ebow , said Ceballos , who asked anyone with information to contact police in Los Angeles or Culver City .
Ebow previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court Monday for arraignment on the newer charges .
He remains in custody , and a defense attorney could not immediately be reached for comment .
If convicted , he faces up to 14 years in state prison .
The rash of attacks on LGBTQ men comes as hate crimes in L.A. County are at their highest rate in nearly a decade .
Last year , a total of 322 hate crimes were reported in the city of L.A. , a 10.3 % increase over the previous year , according to the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City said Ebow came to their attention Dec. 29 , when a stabbing was reported at the Five Guys restaurant in the Westfield Culver City mall .
The victim reported he was slashed in the right hand .
Witnesses said the assailant swiftly fled , but much of the attack was caught on surveillance cameras .
Four days later , a hospital patient reported that he was stabbed that day in the right arm at a JCPenney store , also in the Culver City mall , police said .
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both stabbings .
In a statement after Ebow ’ s arrest , Culver City police said the man had confessed to the stabbings .
He was charged Jan. 7 with two counts of assault and pleaded not guilty .
Later , police in Inglewood identified Ebow as the suspect who had attacked a man Christmas Day at a Shakey ’ s Pizza .
Ceballos , the prosecutor , said Ebow is accused of battery and brandishing a weapon New Year ’ s Day at the Jon & Vinny ’ s restaurant on San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s unclear what triggered the series of assaults .
In 2016 , federal prosecutors charged Ebow in connection with a fraudulent smog testing scheme in South Los Angeles — a case that disclosed evidence of mental health issues .
Authorities said that Ebow was a licensed technician at a Crenshaw Boulevard smog inspection shop and that he used a substitute vehicle to perform smog checks , allowing ineligible vehicles to pass emissions inspections .
The alleged fraud occurred in 2011 , but the case was not filed until five years later .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote that she had “ concerns ” about his “ mental health status and cognitive capacity , ” according to court documents .
The lawyer later told a judge that Ebow had “ a documented history of psychiatric hospitalization ” while serving in the Navy .
U.S. Navy records obtained by The Times show Ebow served for just over a month in the summer of 2008 , never making it out of a basic training program in Illinois .
Federal prosecutors dropped the fraud case in 2017 .
The case was dismissed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from refiling it .
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney ’ s office in Los Angeles declined to comment .

Prosecutors charged a Los Angeles man Thursday with carrying out at least three hate-crime attacks across the region targeting men who were gay or perceived to be gay, and detectives believe more people may have been harmed.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Ceballos said Joshua Ebow is accused of punching two victims and stabbing two others during confrontations at a store and at restaurants in Culver City, Inglewood and West L.A.
Ebow, 30, was arrested Jan. 3 after detectives linked him to the stabbings. Since then, investigators have collected evidence for two other attacks at a Shakey’s Pizza restaurant and the Brentwood eatery Jon & Vinny’s. Three of the incidents have been formally charged as hate-crime enhancements, according to the complaint. Ceballos said evidence in the attacks points to the victims’ sexual orientation as a motive. He declined to provide more details.
Detectives suspect that others may have been targeted by Ebow, said Ceballos, who asked anyone with information to contact police in Los Angeles or Culver City.
Ebow previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault this month but is scheduled to appear in court Monday for arraignment on the newer charges. He remains in custody, and a defense attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. If convicted, he faces up to 14 years in state prison.
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The rash of attacks on LGBTQ men comes as hate crimes in L.A. County are at their highest rate in nearly a decade. Last year, a total of 322 hate crimes were reported in the city of L.A., a 10.3% increase over the previous year, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Authorities in Culver City said Ebow came to their attention Dec. 29, when a stabbing was reported at the Five Guys restaurant in the Westfield Culver City mall. The victim reported he was slashed in the right hand. Witnesses said the assailant swiftly fled, but much of the attack was caught on surveillance cameras.
Four days later, a hospital patient reported that he was stabbed that day in the right arm at a JCPenney store, also in the Culver City mall, police said.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and confirmed the same assailant carried out both stabbings.
In a statement after Ebow’s arrest, Culver City police said the man had confessed to the stabbings. He was charged Jan. 7 with two counts of assault and pleaded not guilty.
Later, police in Inglewood identified Ebow as the suspect who had attacked a man Christmas Day at a Shakey’s Pizza. Ceballos, the prosecutor, said Ebow is accused of battery and brandishing a weapon New Year’s Day at the Jon & Vinny’s restaurant on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood.
It’s unclear what triggered the series of assaults. In 2016, federal prosecutors charged Ebow in connection with a fraudulent smog testing scheme in South Los Angeles — a case that disclosed evidence of mental health issues.
Authorities said that Ebow was a licensed technician at a Crenshaw Boulevard smog inspection shop and that he used a substitute vehicle to perform smog checks, allowing ineligible vehicles to pass emissions inspections. The alleged fraud occurred in 2011, but the case was not filed until five years later.
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Before trial, Ebow’s defense attorney wrote that she had “concerns” about his “mental health status and cognitive capacity,” according to court documents. The lawyer later told a judge that Ebow had “a documented history of psychiatric hospitalization” while serving in the Navy.
U.S. Navy records obtained by The Times show Ebow served for just over a month in the summer of 2008, never making it out of a basic training program in Illinois.
Federal prosecutors dropped the fraud case in 2017. The case was dismissed “with prejudice,” which prevents authorities from refiling it. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles declined to comment.


latimes--2020-01-30--Owner of tiger cub in Logan Paul video convicted for illegal possession and mistreatment

A Studio City man whose Bengal tiger cub was featured in a widely viewed video from controversial YouTube celebrity Logan Paul has been convicted on one count of unlawful possession of a restricted wild animal , according to Los Angeles City Atty .
Mike Feuer .
Nicholas Perkins , 33 , was placed on probation for 36 months .
He also has been ordered to pay about $ 3,900 in fines to the city , $ 2,000 to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and $ 52,000 in veterinary bills for treatment after the tiger was seized ; to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and to cooperate with any investigation pertaining to the breeder and seller of the tiger .
“ We should never allow any animal to be exploited , ” said Feuer .
“ The defendant ’ s conduct here is illegal — and flaunting this treatment of an exotic , endangered baby tiger on social media sent a horrible message that behavior like this is OK .
It isn ’ t. ” The tiger , known now as Neil , was placed in the care of America ’ s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November 2017 .
That was after Paul ’ s video , posted in October 2017 , featured the cub meeting Paul ’ s dog , Kong .
The video has been viewed more than 8.6 million times .
With his widely viewed YouTube videos , Paul has become an internet celebrity .
In 2018 , he came under scrutiny for posting a video that showed what appeared to be a dead body in a Japanese forest that was known as a suicide spot .
In the tiger video , Paul is seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letting the cat play with his small dog .
A disclaimer flashes on screen informing viewers that the video was “ filmed in a closed and controlled environment with animal professionals.
” The cat and the dog chase each other , intermittently taking turns to growl .
The tiger paws at the dog , and the dog yips in return .
In October 2017 , Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators were alerted to an Instagram post of a model posing with a tiger cub .
The same cub was seen in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to determine the animal ’ s location .
The cub was rescued in November 2017 after investigators served a search warrant at Perkins ’ residence .
They found the cat living in poor conditions ; they also found Perkins had illegal possession of anabolic steroids .
In December 2018 , Feuer filed charges against Perkins for the alleged illegal possession and mistreatment of the tiger cub .
The city attorney ’ s office initially suspected that Perkins obtained the tiger from an out-of-state dealer .
Capt .
Patrick Foy of the California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were still looking into how the tiger came into Perkins ’ possession .
“ California wildlife officers are doing everything possible to stop the trafficking of wildlife in California and all over the world , ” said David Bess , deputy director and chief of the law enforcement division for the California agency .
“ Addressing the crimes associated with possession and mistreatment of this tiger is a measurable gain in that effort .
”

A Studio City man whose Bengal tiger cub was featured in a widely viewed video from controversial YouTube celebrity Logan Paul has been convicted on one count of unlawful possession of a restricted wild animal, according to Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer.
Nicholas Perkins, 33, was placed on probation for 36 months. He also has been ordered to pay about $3,900 in fines to the city, $2,000 to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and $52,000 in veterinary bills for treatment after the tiger was seized; to attend 16 hours of animal cruelty classes; and to cooperate with any investigation pertaining to the breeder and seller of the tiger.
“We should never allow any animal to be exploited,” said Feuer. “The defendant’s conduct here is illegal — and flaunting this treatment of an exotic, endangered baby tiger on social media sent a horrible message that behavior like this is OK. It isn’t.”
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The tiger, known now as Neil, was placed in the care of America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College shortly after authorities seized the animal in November 2017. That was after Paul’s video, posted in October 2017, featured the cub meeting Paul’s dog, Kong. The video has been viewed more than 8.6 million times.
With his widely viewed YouTube videos, Paul has become an internet celebrity. In 2018, he came under scrutiny for posting a video that showed what appeared to be a dead body in a Japanese forest that was known as a suicide spot.
In the tiger video, Paul is seen rubbing the cub’s belly and letting the cat play with his small dog. A disclaimer flashes on screen informing viewers that the video was “filmed in a closed and controlled environment with animal professionals.” The cat and the dog chase each other, intermittently taking turns to growl. The tiger paws at the dog, and the dog yips in return.
In October 2017, Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators were alerted to an Instagram post of a model posing with a tiger cub. The same cub was seen in the video posted by Paul, which investigators used to determine the animal’s location.
The cub was rescued in November 2017 after investigators served a search warrant at Perkins’ residence. They found the cat living in poor conditions; they also found Perkins had illegal possession of anabolic steroids. In December 2018, Feuer filed charges against Perkins for the alleged illegal possession and mistreatment of the tiger cub.
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The city attorney’s office initially suspected that Perkins obtained the tiger from an out-of-state dealer. Capt. Patrick Foy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said investigators were still looking into how the tiger came into Perkins’ possession.
“California wildlife officers are doing everything possible to stop the trafficking of wildlife in California and all over the world,” said David Bess, deputy director and chief of the law enforcement division for the California agency. “Addressing the crimes associated with possession and mistreatment of this tiger is a measurable gain in that effort.”


latimes--2020-01-30--L.A. considers bold makeover for Hollywood Boulevard: Fewer cars, bike lanes, wider sidewalks

Though its terrazzo sidewalks and bronze inlaid stars show off the glitz of Los Angeles to the world , the Hollywood Walk of Fame often feels decidedly short on glamour of its own .
That may change under a new makeover proposed for the iconic boulevard .
Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O ’ Farrell unveiled a 90-page concept Thursday aimed at creating a less gritty , more welcoming atmosphere for the millions of tourists who visit the Walk of Fame each year .
The initial proposal draws inspiration from world-class streets across the world , including the Avenue des @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved in Hollywood , too , the plan says , with wider sidewalks , more shade trees , more space for sidewalk dining — and far less space for drivers .
“ The boulevard hasn ’ t reached its full potential — not by a long shot , ” said O ’ Farrell , whose district includes Hollywood .
“ We ’ re very optimistic that we can see real change on this historic boulevard within a number of years.
” If approved , the proposal would narrow Hollywood Boulevard to a center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each direction roughly between La Brea Avenue and Vine Street .
The changes would be among the biggest yet for a major street in Los Angeles , where taking space from drivers has sparked outcry .
Eliminating a vehicle travel lane and a parking lane in each direction would create enough space to widen the sidewalks along the Walk of Fame to 25 feet on each side .
The city could also add a protected lane for bicyclists and scooters , the proposal said .
That type of lane reduction has been controversial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ del Rey , where the elimination of a traffic lane in 2017 sparked a massive outcry and a failed recall attempt against Councilman Mike Bonin .
Removing traffic lanes would require a careful strategy and extensive outreach , O ’ Farrell said .
He added that business owners and residents in Hollywood have seemed open to the “ road diet , ” as lane reductions are often called .
“ We can ’ t just suddenly say , ‘ OK , road diet coming !
’ and call it a day , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen what that has done on the Westside , and we know it can backfire very badly.
” O ’ Farrell said it would be “ premature ” to endorse any specific proposal before his office received more public input .
Officials would pursue “ revisions and fine-tuning ” to the plan , and more funding , before construction could begin , he said .
The plan sparked some early concern among tour bus operators , who said reducing travel lanes could increase congestion for the bus and van drivers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential to be a mess , ” said Jeff Napshin , the owner of Star Track Tours , one of roughly two dozen companies that operate on the boulevard .
The Art Deco theme that the document proposes would help the Walk of Fame feel more cohesive , Napshin said .
But he said he was concerned that more traffic jams , or new restrictions on where tour bus companies can pick up and drop off , could hurt business .
“ We want to drive up and down and give people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You feel like you ’ re the star of the show , seeing the Dolby Theatre and the El Capitan and the Chinese Theatre up close.
” Gregg Donovan , who can greet tourists in 100 languages as a guide for his company LA City Tours , said expanding the Walk of Fame sidewalks would make the often congested street safer .
Tourists have been known to trip and fall on the crowded paths , he said , and drivers have hit pedestrians in the street .
Donovan said the changes probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in business , because , he said , “ people will never stop taking tours.
” Large swaths of the boulevard are included on L.A. 's high-injury network , the 6 % of city streets that account for the majority of fatal traffic crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists .
The changes , O ’ Farrell said , would make the street “ much safer.
” The street ’ s two biggest intersections , at Highland and Vine , have “ scramble ” crosswalks that allow pedestrians to cross all directions at once .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crosswalks .
It also suggests adding slightly raised paving , similar to a speed bump , at 12 intersections to slow drivers at crosswalks .
On their second day in Los Angeles , Austrian tourists Clemens Androschin and Johanna Salzgeber walked from the Hollywood sign to Hollywood and Highland .
They said they were hoping to see as much as possible on foot and on transit , as they do at home .
One of the most famous shopping and architecture streets in Vienna , called Kärntner Strasse , has been pedestrian-only since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atmosphere and see some of Vienna ’ s most famous buildings up close , tourists have to park and walk , or use public transit .
“ It ’ s better and healthy , ” said Androschin , 23 , who is a student in Pittsburgh .
“ If you ’ re driving in a car , you can ’ t catch the tourist feeling.
” Wider sidewalks could make space for more formal amenities for tourists , the concept document said .
That could include simple stages for street performers , play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for licensed vendors and outdoor restaurant seating .
The document also floats the idea of “ flexible event plazas , ” or areas that could be blocked off from vehicle traffic with removable metal posts called bollards .
The tactic is commonly used in Europe but rarely in Los Angeles .
Hollywood Boulevard is already regularly closed for movie premieres and awards season events , so transforming more of the street into a pedestrian area wouldn ’ t help or harm businesses , said Mary Hom , who works at the Hollywood Experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Walk of Fame sidewalk were closed Thursday in preparation for a movie premiere and for the Oscars , forcing people to walk in the street .
“ If people want what they want , they ’ ll walk to it , ” Hom said as she rang up a customer ’ s souvenir purchase .
Street performer Antoine Baynes , dressed as Michael Jackson , had made about $ 15 in tips after 20 minutes of dancing outside the TCL Chinese Theatre .
The former Cirque du Soleil dancer said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wasn ’ t impressed by the Walk of Fame .
“ Hollywood shouldn ’ t be second to Vegas , ” Baynes said .
“ When people come here , they need to see things that ’ ll blow them away.
” The plan has about $ 4.1 million secured , some of which paid for the document released Thursday , O ’ Farrell ’ s office said .
The Hollywood proposal comes two days after San Francisco banned cars from one of the busiest streets in the city .
The 1.9-mile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now exclusively for transit vehicles , taxis , paratransit and people on foot , bicycles and scooters .
Traffic on Market had gradually filtered out over a decade as officials added more restrictions and detours .

Though its terrazzo sidewalks and bronze inlaid stars show off the glitz of Los Angeles to the world, the Hollywood Walk of Fame often feels decidedly short on glamour of its own.
That may change under a new makeover proposed for the iconic boulevard.
Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell unveiled a 90-page concept Thursday aimed at creating a less gritty, more welcoming atmosphere for the millions of tourists who visit the Walk of Fame each year.
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The initial proposal draws inspiration from world-class streets across the world, including the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris. That could be achieved in Hollywood, too, the plan says, with wider sidewalks, more shade trees, more space for sidewalk dining — and far less space for drivers.
“The boulevard hasn’t reached its full potential — not by a long shot,” said O’Farrell, whose district includes Hollywood. “We’re very optimistic that we can see real change on this historic boulevard within a number of years.”
If approved, the proposal would narrow Hollywood Boulevard to a center turn lane and one travel lane in each direction roughly between La Brea Avenue and Vine Street. The changes would be among the biggest yet for a major street in Los Angeles, where taking space from drivers has sparked outcry.
Eliminating a vehicle travel lane and a parking lane in each direction would create enough space to widen the sidewalks along the Walk of Fame to 25 feet on each side. The city could also add a protected lane for bicyclists and scooters, the proposal said.
That type of lane reduction has been controversial in Los Angeles, including in Playa del Rey, where the elimination of a traffic lane in 2017 sparked a massive outcry and a failed recall attempt against Councilman Mike Bonin.
Removing traffic lanes would require a careful strategy and extensive outreach, O’Farrell said. He added that business owners and residents in Hollywood have seemed open to the “road diet,” as lane reductions are often called.
“We can’t just suddenly say, ‘OK, road diet coming!’ and call it a day,” O’Farrell said. “We’ve seen what that has done on the Westside, and we know it can backfire very badly.”
O’Farrell said it would be “premature” to endorse any specific proposal before his office received more public input. Officials would pursue “revisions and fine-tuning” to the plan, and more funding, before construction could begin, he said.
The plan sparked some early concern among tour bus operators, who said reducing travel lanes could increase congestion for the bus and van drivers who drive the boulevard.
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“It has the potential to be a mess,” said Jeff Napshin, the owner of Star Track Tours, one of roughly two dozen companies that operate on the boulevard.
The Art Deco theme that the document proposes would help the Walk of Fame feel more cohesive, Napshin said. But he said he was concerned that more traffic jams, or new restrictions on where tour bus companies can pick up and drop off, could hurt business.
“We want to drive up and down and give people that view,” Napshin said. “You feel like you’re the star of the show, seeing the Dolby Theatre and the El Capitan and the Chinese Theatre up close.”
Gregg Donovan, who can greet tourists in 100 languages as a guide for his company LA City Tours, said expanding the Walk of Fame sidewalks would make the often congested street safer. Tourists have been known to trip and fall on the crowded paths, he said, and drivers have hit pedestrians in the street.
Donovan said the changes probably wouldn’t lead to a drop in business, because, he said, “people will never stop taking tours.”
Large swaths of the boulevard are included on L.A.’s high-injury network, the 6% of city streets that account for the majority of fatal traffic crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. The changes, O’Farrell said, would make the street “much safer.”
The street’s two biggest intersections, at Vine and at Highland Avenue, have “scramble” crosswalks that allow pedestrians to cross in all directions at once. The concept document proposes more of those crosswalks. It also suggests adding slightly raised paving, similar to a speed bump, at 12 intersections to slow drivers at crosswalks.
On their second day in Los Angeles, Austrian tourists Clemens Androschin and Johanna Salzgeber walked from the Hollywood sign to Hollywood and Highland. They said they were hoping to see as much as possible on foot and on transit, as they do at home.
One of the most famous shopping and architecture streets in Vienna, called Kärntner Strasse, has been pedestrian-only since the 1970s. To soak in the atmosphere and see some of Vienna’s most famous buildings up close, tourists have to park and walk, or use public transit.
“It’s better and healthy,” said Androschin, 23, who is a student in Pittsburgh. “If you’re driving in a car, you can’t catch the tourist feeling.”
Wider sidewalks could make space for more formal amenities for tourists, the concept document said. That could include simple stages for street performers, play areas for children and dogs, kiosks for licensed vendors and outdoor restaurant seating.
The document also floats the idea of “flexible event plazas,” or areas that could be blocked off from vehicle traffic with removable metal posts called bollards. The tactic is commonly used in Europe but rarely in Los Angeles.
Hollywood Boulevard is already regularly closed for movie premieres and awards season events, so transforming more of the street into a pedestrian area wouldn’t help or harm businesses, said Mary Hom, who works at the Hollywood Experience store near El Capitan Theatre.
Parts of the Walk of Fame sidewalk were closed Thursday in preparation for a movie premiere and for the Oscars, forcing people to walk in the street.
“If people want what they want, they’ll walk to it,” Hom said as she rang up a customer’s souvenir purchase.
Street performer Antoine Baynes, dressed as Michael Jackson, had made about $15 in tips after 20 minutes of dancing outside the TCL Chinese Theatre. The former Cirque du Soleil dancer said that after two years in Los Angeles, he wasn’t impressed by the Walk of Fame.
“Hollywood shouldn’t be second to Vegas,” Baynes said. “When people come here, they need to see things that’ll blow them away.”
The plan has about $4.1 million secured, some of which paid for the document released Thursday, O’Farrell’s office said.
The Hollywood proposal comes two days after San Francisco banned cars from one of the busiest streets in the city.
The 1.9-mile stretch of Market Street through downtown is now exclusively for transit vehicles, taxis, paratransit and people on foot, bicycles and scooters. Traffic on Market had gradually filtered out over a decade as officials added more restrictions and detours.


latimes--2020-01-30--Leaders of a Los Angeles church arrested in human trafficking and immigration fraud inquiry

Three top administrators at a Los Angeles church have been arrested in connection with an investigation into immigration fraud and human trafficking , authorities said .
Federal investigators said members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ congregation in Van Nuys were brought to the U.S. from the Philippines under the pretense they would perform in musical events at the church .
Once in the United States , the members were forced to surrender their passports and engage in sham marriages to stay in the country and fundraise full-time for the church , which referred to them as “ miracle workers.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the FBI that they were dispatched across the U.S. to solicit donations for Children ’ s Joy Foundation USA , a nonprofit that was supposed to benefit poor children in their homeland .
Instead , the criminal complaint said that most of the money raised was used to finance the church and lifestyle of its founder Apollo Quiboloy .
On Thursday , a spokesman for Quiboloy denied the allegations and said the FBI was fed a “ grand conspiracy of lies ” by former church members who sought retaliation after they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , therefore , is to exact revenge , extortion commingled with a brazen but shameless desire to put [ Quiboloy ] and the [ church ] as a whole into a quagmire of shame , blatant humiliation and defeat through trumped-up charges , ” lawyer Israelito Torreon said in a statement in the southern Philippines ’ Davao City .
According to Torreon , Quiboloy ordered an internal audit last year that prompted a trusted officer and other members to leave the group and strike an alliance with “ forces ” jealous of Quiboloy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details several victims ’ accounts from October 2013 to December 2019 .
Arrested in Van Nuys on Wednesday were Guia Cabactulan , 59 , the top official at the church in in the United States , and Marissa Duenas , 41 , who allegedly handled fraudulent immigration documents for church workers .
Amanda Estopare , 48 , who allegedly handled the financial aspects of the group ’ s enterprise , was arrested in Virginia .
Workers told federal prosecutors they were forced to work nearly every day and often slept overnight in cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach daily cash quotas set by administrators .
According to the complaint , workers endured emotional stress and those who did not meet their quota risked physical punishment .
“ Subpoenaed bank records show that KOJC accounts received approximately $ 20 million in cash deposits from 2014 through mid-2019 .
Based on witness interviews , subpoenaed bank records , and police reports , most of these funds appear to derive from street-level solicitation , ” the complaint states .
Workers determined to be successful were often forced into sham marriages .
Authorities said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Immigration Services found that church administrators facilitated 82 marriages for those brought to the U.S. from 1999 to 2019 .
The FBI has also executed search warrants at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ ’ s Van Nuys compound , the Children ’ s Joy Foundation USA offices in Glendale and three other locations in Los Angeles , as well as two locations in Hawaii linked to the church .
Federal agents are also interviewing witnesses throughout the country as part of a larger investigation into the church , which is formally known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Name Above Every Name .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

Three top administrators at a Los Angeles church have been arrested in connection with an investigation into immigration fraud and human trafficking, authorities said.
Federal investigators said members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ congregation in Van Nuys were brought to the U.S. from the Philippines under the pretense they would perform in musical events at the church. Once in the United States, the members were forced to surrender their passports and engage in sham marriages to stay in the country and fundraise full-time for the church, which referred to them as “miracle workers.”
Workers who escaped from the church told the FBI that they were dispatched across the U.S. to solicit donations for Children’s Joy Foundation USA, a nonprofit that was supposed to benefit poor children in their homeland. Instead, the criminal complaint said that most of the money raised was used to finance the church and lifestyle of its founder Apollo Quiboloy.
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On Thursday, a spokesman for Quiboloy denied the allegations and said the FBI was fed a “grand conspiracy of lies” by former church members who sought retaliation after they were disciplined for wrongdoing.
“Their aim, therefore, is to exact revenge, extortion commingled with a brazen but shameless desire to put [Quiboloy] and the [church] as a whole into a quagmire of shame, blatant humiliation and defeat through trumped-up charges,” lawyer Israelito Torreon said in a statement in the southern Philippines’ Davao City.
According to Torreon, Quiboloy ordered an internal audit last year that prompted a trusted officer and other members to leave the group and strike an alliance with “forces” jealous of Quiboloy’s rise.
The criminal complaint details several victims’ accounts from October 2013 to December 2019. Arrested in Van Nuys on Wednesday were Guia Cabactulan, 59, the top official at the church in in the United States, and Marissa Duenas, 41, who allegedly handled fraudulent immigration documents for church workers. Amanda Estopare, 48, who allegedly handled the financial aspects of the group’s enterprise, was arrested in Virginia.
Workers told federal prosecutors they were forced to work nearly every day and often slept overnight in cars parked at truck stops in order to reach daily cash quotas set by administrators. According to the complaint, workers endured emotional stress and those who did not meet their quota risked physical punishment.
“Subpoenaed bank records show that KOJC accounts received approximately $20 million in cash deposits from 2014 through mid-2019. Based on witness interviews, subpoenaed bank records, and police reports, most of these funds appear to derive from street-level solicitation,” the complaint states.
Workers determined to be successful were often forced into sham marriages.
Authorities said an analysis by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services found that church administrators facilitated 82 marriages for those brought to the U.S. from 1999 to 2019.
The FBI has also executed search warrants at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ’s Van Nuys compound, the Children’s Joy Foundation USA offices in Glendale and three other locations in Los Angeles, as well as two locations in Hawaii linked to the church.
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Federal agents are also interviewing witnesses throughout the country as part of a larger investigation into the church, which is formally known as the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.