latimes--2020-12-24--Column: Black women lost a Senate seat, but got a secretary of state. That's not good enough

The grandchild of a man who never had the chance to cast a ballot because he died before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 .
The daughter of parents who felt so strongly about voting that they allowed their Los Angeles home to be used as a polling place .
It ’ s impossible to listen to Assemblywoman Shirley Weber tell her life story and not be grateful that Gov .
Gavin Newsom picked her to be the first Black woman to serve as secretary of state in California .
Unfortunately , it ’ s also impossible not to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a consolation prize for the U.S. Senate seat that Black women lost .
Long before Newsom tapped Weber to be secretary of state , the San Diego Democrat was one of the main people needling him to pick a Black woman to replace Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate , preferably with Rep. Barbara Lee or Rep. Karen Bass .
Weber also warned the governor what might happen if he didn ’ t .
“ Keep the seat ” was the hashtag-driven rallying cry echoed by members of California ’ s Legislative Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a coalition of Black politicians , lobbyists and activists from across the United States .
“ If you don ’ t have a seat at the table , ” she told me earlier this month , “ then you ’ re on the menu.
” But on Tuesday morning , Newsom did precisely what the coalition hoped he wouldn ’ t do .
He appointed Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Harris , making him California ’ s first Latino U.S. senator .
And then on Tuesday afternoon , Newsom did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do .
He appointed Weber as secretary of state .
It didn ’ t take long for Black Twitter to erupt in righteous fury .
“ After everything that Black women did for democracy in the 2020 election AND all that we are STILL doing for the Georgia Runoff , ” tweeted Jotaka Eaddy , a Silicon Valley tech executive and strategist .
“ I ’ m not sure how anyone thinks that a US Senate without the voice of a Black woman is okay.
” “ If I could sum up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about not having representation in the United States Senate ... .
‘ UNTIL YOU DO RIGHT BY ME ... ’ ” tweeted Dallas Fowler , president and board chair of the Museum of African American Art in South L.A. “ Gavin Newsom didn ’ t # keeptheseat .
So now , Black women are not in the U.S. Senate , ” tweeted author and activist Brittney C. Cooper .
`` # BlackWomenWontForget when you make your presidential run , Newsom.
” At issue is not so much Padilla or the 40 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have been waiting for far too long for a Latino to represent them in the U.S. Senate .
The Los Angeles Democrat will make an excellent senator and California is lucky to have him .
As I ’ ve written before , I firmly believe we need both a Latino senator and a Black senator to solve this state ’ s many race-based inequities .
I also firmly believe that California ’ s senior senator , Dianne Feinstein , should step down early to allow this to happen , but I digress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Harris becomes vice president in January , there won ’ t be a single Black woman in the U.S. Senate .
That ’ s a statistic that can ’ t be said of Latinos .
And that this loss of representation is happening months after Black voters , most of them women , delivered the White House to Democrats is particularly infuriating .
“ With the swipe of a pen , one man , Gavin Newsom , has effectively set back Black women and really all women , ” said Kimberly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Department on the Status of Women .
Harris was only the second Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate , after Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois .
And with Harris becoming vice president , there are now only three Black women in California ’ s congressional delegation — all in the House .
“ One thing that I know for sure is that Black women , not just in California , but across the country , will not forgive this , ” added Ellis , a longtime progressive activist .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already — and this will just add to that — reevaluating our relationship with the Democratic Party and with some of those who profess to be supporters and allies of ours .
This decision will not help in that calculation.
” Kerman Maddox , a longtime political consultant who was involved with the # KeepTheSeat campaign , had similar thoughts , calling it “ a terribly insensitive decision that will not be well received by African American voters in California and African American women nationwide.
” San Francisco Mayor London Breed described the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bass as “ a real blow ” to the Black community .
“ It ’ s really challenging to put it into words , but it was definitely a surprise , ” she said at a news conference .
“ And it ’ s an unfortunate situation as we are trying to move this country forward and making sure that Black lives truly matter and that African Americans have a seat at the table.
” Some might call this sour grapes .
Or misguided identity politics .
Or , as one public relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see Padilla ’ s historic appointment as a victory for “ the interracial quest for more equitable representation.
” Whatever you call it , the Democratic Party should call it a problem .
At best , it ’ s a short-lived one .
“ One or two things could happen , ” said Earl Ofari Hutchinson , president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable .
“ One , it will be accepted ( and ) it will go away , no issue .
Or it could build resentment , it could backfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minute .
We ’ re not good enough for the Senate , but we ’ re good enough for secretary of state ?
What the heck is that ?
’ ” The political fallout for Democrats could come in many forms and in many states .
Most likely , newly disillusioned Black voters in California could turn against Newsom , who is facing a possible recall election .
And if he indeed does run for president someday , trust and believe this will come up as he tries to win over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Also likely , it will put more pressure on Harris and President-elect Joe Biden to make good on their campaign promises to Black voters and to ensure their administration is diverse .
So far , Biden has appointed three Black women to his Cabinet , including Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisors , Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.N .
Ambassador and Marcia Fudge as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development .
Far less likely , but still possible , is that Black voters in Georgia who haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay home rather than support the Democratic Party in its quest to regain control of the U.S. Senate .
Republican Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue must lose to the Rev .
Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff , respectively , for that to happen .
“ I ’ d bet the house on this , ” Hutchinson said .
“ Over the next couple of weeks , we ’ re gon na hear that — definitely on social media and maybe even publicly — that , ‘ Hey , we now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Black female .
And we have ( had ) that for a while.
’ ” Earlier this month , I asked Weber what the backlash might be if Newsom decided against appointing a Lee or Bass to succeed Harris .
“ Women , ” she said after a moment , “ will be very , very , very upset , and I would be most disappointed .
Now what people do about it , I don ’ t know .
And what he tries to do to compensate for that would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

The grandchild of a man who never had the chance to cast a ballot because he died before the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The daughter of parents who felt so strongly about voting that they allowed their Los Angeles home to be used as a polling place.
It’s impossible to listen to Assemblywoman Shirley Weber tell her life story and not be grateful that Gov. Gavin Newsom picked her to be the first Black woman to serve as secretary of state in California.
Unfortunately, it’s also impossible not to see her historic appointment as some sort of a consolation prize for the U.S. Senate seat that Black women lost.
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Long before Newsom tapped Weber to be secretary of state, the San Diego Democrat was one of the main people needling him to pick a Black woman to replace Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, preferably with Rep. Barbara Lee or Rep. Karen Bass. Weber also warned the governor what might happen if he didn’t.
“Keep the seat” was the hashtag-driven rallying cry echoed by members of California’s Legislative Black Caucus, which Weber leads, and by a coalition of Black politicians, lobbyists and activists from across the United States.
“If you don’t have a seat at the table,” she told me earlier this month, “then you’re on the menu.”
But on Tuesday morning, Newsom did precisely what the coalition hoped he wouldn’t do. He appointed Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Harris, making him California’s first Latino U.S. senator. And then on Tuesday afternoon, Newsom did what the coalition never expected him to do. He appointed Weber as secretary of state.
It didn’t take long for Black Twitter to erupt in righteous fury.
A fearless advocate with unimpeachable integrity and moral clarity -- there’s no one better suited for the job of Secretary of State than @AsmShirleyWeber.
With her, CA will continue to be a model for the nation in expanding democratic participation and access to the ballot box. pic.twitter.com/fcpuZuYQ8e — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 22, 2020
“After everything that Black women did for democracy in the 2020 election AND all that we are STILL doing for the Georgia Runoff,” tweeted Jotaka Eaddy, a Silicon Valley tech executive and strategist. “I’m not sure how anyone thinks that a US Senate without the voice of a Black woman is okay.”
“If I could sum up in one phrase what Black women are thinking about not having representation in the United States Senate.... ‘UNTIL YOU DO RIGHT BY ME...’” tweeted Dallas Fowler, president and board chair of the Museum of African American Art in South L.A.
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“Gavin Newsom didn’t #keeptheseat. So now, Black women are not in the U.S. Senate,” tweeted author and activist Brittney C. Cooper. “#BlackWomenWontForget when you make your presidential run, Newsom.”
At issue is not so much Padilla or the 40% of California’s residents who are Latino and have been waiting for far too long for a Latino to represent them in the U.S. Senate. The Los Angeles Democrat will make an excellent senator and California is lucky to have him.
As I’ve written before, I firmly believe we need both a Latino senator and a Black senator to solve this state’s many race-based inequities. I also firmly believe that California’s senior senator, Dianne Feinstein, should step down early to allow this to happen, but I digress.
No, the issue is that, when Harris becomes vice president in January, there won’t be a single Black woman in the U.S. Senate. That’s a statistic that can’t be said of Latinos. And that this loss of representation is happening months after Black voters, most of them women, delivered the White House to Democrats is particularly infuriating.
“With the swipe of a pen, one man, Gavin Newsom, has effectively set back Black women and really all women,” said Kimberly Ellis, director of San Francisco’s Department on the Status of Women.
Harris was only the second Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, after Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois. And with Harris becoming vice president, there are now only three Black women in California’s congressional delegation — all in the House.
“One thing that I know for sure is that Black women, not just in California, but across the country, will not forgive this,” added Ellis, a longtime progressive activist. “I think that many of us were already — and this will just add to that — reevaluating our relationship with the Democratic Party and with some of those who profess to be supporters and allies of ours. This decision will not help in that calculation.”
Kerman Maddox, a longtime political consultant who was involved with the #KeepTheSeat campaign, had similar thoughts, calling it “a terribly insensitive decision that will not be well received by African American voters in California and African American women nationwide.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed described the appointment of Padilla rather than Lee or Bass as “a real blow” to the Black community.
“It’s really challenging to put it into words, but it was definitely a surprise,” she said at a news conference. “And it’s an unfortunate situation as we are trying to move this country forward and making sure that Black lives truly matter and that African Americans have a seat at the table.”
Some might call this sour grapes. Or misguided identity politics. Or, as one public relations professional put it, an inability to see Padilla’s historic appointment as a victory for “the interracial quest for more equitable representation.”
Whatever you call it, the Democratic Party should call it a problem. At best, it’s a short-lived one.
“One or two things could happen,” said Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable. “One, it will be accepted (and) it will go away, no issue. Or it could build resentment, it could backfire and people will say, ‘Wait a minute. We’re not good enough for the Senate, but we’re good enough for secretary of state? What the heck is that?’ ”
The political fallout for Democrats could come in many forms and in many states.
Most likely, newly disillusioned Black voters in California could turn against Newsom, who is facing a possible recall election. And if he indeed does run for president someday, trust and believe this will come up as he tries to win over the crucial voting bloc of Black women.
Also likely, it will put more pressure on Harris and President-elect Joe Biden to make good on their campaign promises to Black voters and to ensure their administration is diverse. So far, Biden has appointed three Black women to his Cabinet, including Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.N. Ambassador and Marcia Fudge as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
California Newsom names Assemblywoman Shirley Weber to succeed Padilla as California secretary of state Shirley Weber would be only the fourth woman to ever hold the position of California secretary of state and the first Black woman to do so in state history.
Far less likely, but still possible, is that Black voters in Georgia who haven’t already cast ballots will decide to stay home rather than support the Democratic Party in its quest to regain control of the U.S. Senate. Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue must lose to the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively, for that to happen.
“I’d bet the house on this,” Hutchinson said. “Over the next couple of weeks, we’re gonna hear that — definitely on social media and maybe even publicly — that, ‘Hey, we now have no representation in the Senate from a Black female. And we have (had) that for a while.’”
Earlier this month, I asked Weber what the backlash might be if Newsom decided against appointing a Lee or Bass to succeed Harris.
“Women,” she said after a moment, “will be very, very, very upset, and I would be most disappointed. Now what people do about it, I don’t know. And what he tries to do to compensate for that would be something he has to deal with.”
Indeed, Newsom does.


latimes--2020-12-24--On United Airlines flight to LAX, he gave CPR to man dying of COVID-19

It began as normally as a plane flight could during a pandemic .
United Airlines Flight 591 , carrying 164 people , took off from Orlando , Fla. , on Dec. 14 for a routine 5½-hour ride to Los Angeles .
But as the plane glided over Louisiana , a passenger felt short of breath .
Soon , 69-year-old Los Angeles resident Isaias Hernandez was lying in the aisle , unresponsive .
Flight attendants put a call over the intercom , asking whether any doctors or nurses were on board .
Two passengers had already begun to administer CPR when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hernandez , offered to help .
Aldapa is a Navy veteran and emergency medical technician who works at a Veterans Affairs medical center in West Los Angeles , so he is well trained in handling a crisis like this .
“ Regardless of COVID ... he needed CPR to save his life , ” Aldapa , 31 , said .
“ I knew we were pretty far from where we needed to land at , and CPR is exhausting with one person or two people .
Even with three or four people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do.
” The pilots made an emergency landing in New Orleans .
Hernandez was sent to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead , according to a United Airlines statement .
At the time , medical professionals told airline officials that he was experiencing cardiac distress , according to United Airlines .
Passengers were given the option to take a later plane to Los Angeles , according to the statement , but all elected to continue on the flight .
At least one person on board suspected why Hernandez had fallen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , La.
, confirmed that suspicion a week later , listing “ acute respiratory failure ; COVID-19 '' as the cause of death .
The in-flight tragedy set off a flurry of questions and finger-pointing .
Aldapa has since developed mild COVID-like symptoms , including a headache , fatigue , body aches and a minor cough , though he has tested negative three times .
He said that United called him Sunday but that he hasn ’ t been contacted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him either , he said .
In a statement to The Times , the department declined to comment about its involvement in the investigation and contact-tracing effort , saying only that it “ will continue to work with CDC to notify patients as appropriate.
” The CDC did not respond to requests for information .
United said it is sharing information about the incident with the CDC .
“ The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority , which is why we have various policies and procedures in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers to complete a ‘ Ready-to-Fly ’ checklist before the flight acknowledging they have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days and do not have COVID-related symptoms , ” the United Airlines statement said .
Like all United passengers , Hernandez signed the checklist before boarding .
But his story underlines that the safety measure isn ’ t foolproof .
Aldapa doesn ’ t blame the airline .
Even precautions like temperature checks , which have not been implemented , can ’ t catch every COVID-19 case , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two other passengers took turns doing chest compressions and using a bag valve mask to provide oxygen .
There was no mouth-to-mouth resuscitation , he said .
The flight crew stood by , offering supplies , including gloves , sanitizer and water .
After a couple of turns doing chest compressions , Aldapa realized he had been sitting next to the man ’ s wife during his breaks .
He struck up a conversation , asking about her husband ’ s medical history , any recent exposures to COVID-19 and any tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that her husband had been short of breath and that he was planning to get tested when they got home , Aldapa said .
By the time the plane made an emergency landing in New Orleans , a medical device used by the volunteers registered that 47 minutes had gone by since they started CPR , Aldapa said .
Aldapa said he thought about the possibility that he could contract the coronavirus , with his emergency room work preparing him to assume that anyone could have COVID-19 .
He said it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical emergency on Flight 591 is being disparaged on social media for having boarded the plane despite possible COVID-19 symptoms .
Still , he said , people are responsible for protecting one another as much as themselves .
“ Taking a test isn ’ t a permission slip to be out there , ” he said .
“ If you ’ re feeling sick , you have to take that into consideration .
”

It began as normally as a plane flight could during a pandemic.
United Airlines Flight 591, carrying 164 people, took off from Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 14 for a routine 5½-hour ride to Los Angeles.
But as the plane glided over Louisiana, a passenger felt short of breath. Soon, 69-year-old Los Angeles resident Isaias Hernandez was lying in the aisle, unresponsive.
Flight attendants put a call over the intercom, asking whether any doctors or nurses were on board.
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Two passengers had already begun to administer CPR when Tony Aldapa, eight rows ahead of Hernandez, offered to help.
Aldapa is a Navy veteran and emergency medical technician who works at a Veterans Affairs medical center in West Los Angeles, so he is well trained in handling a crisis like this.
“Regardless of COVID ... he needed CPR to save his life,” Aldapa, 31, said. “I knew we were pretty far from where we needed to land at, and CPR is exhausting with one person or two people. Even with three or four people, it’s not an easy thing to do.”
The pilots made an emergency landing in New Orleans. Hernandez was sent to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to a United Airlines statement.
At the time, medical professionals told airline officials that he was experiencing cardiac distress, according to United Airlines.
Passengers were given the option to take a later plane to Los Angeles, according to the statement, but all elected to continue on the flight.
At least one person on board suspected why Hernandez had fallen ill. The coroner in Jefferson Parish, La., confirmed that suspicion a week later, listing “acute respiratory failure; COVID-19” as the cause of death.
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The in-flight tragedy set off a flurry of questions and finger-pointing. Aldapa has since developed mild COVID-like symptoms, including a headache, fatigue, body aches and a minor cough, though he has tested negative three times.
He said that United called him Sunday but that he hasn’t been contacted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The L.A. County Department of Public Health has not contacted him either, he said. In a statement to The Times, the department declined to comment about its involvement in the investigation and contact-tracing effort, saying only that it “will continue to work with CDC to notify patients as appropriate.”
The CDC did not respond to requests for information.
United said it is sharing information about the incident with the CDC.
“The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority, which is why we have various policies and procedures in place such as mask mandates and requiring customers to complete a ‘Ready-to-Fly’ checklist before the flight acknowledging they have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days and do not have COVID-related symptoms,” the United Airlines statement said.
Like all United passengers, Hernandez signed the checklist before boarding. But his story underlines that the safety measure isn’t foolproof.
Aldapa doesn’t blame the airline. Even precautions like temperature checks, which have not been implemented, can’t catch every COVID-19 case, he said.
On the plane, Aldapa and the two other passengers took turns doing chest compressions and using a bag valve mask to provide oxygen. There was no mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, he said. The flight crew stood by, offering supplies, including gloves, sanitizer and water.
After a couple of turns doing chest compressions, Aldapa realized he had been sitting next to the man’s wife during his breaks. He struck up a conversation, asking about her husband’s medical history, any recent exposures to COVID-19 and any tests for the virus.
She told him that her husband had been short of breath and that he was planning to get tested when they got home, Aldapa said.
By the time the plane made an emergency landing in New Orleans, a medical device used by the volunteers registered that 47 minutes had gone by since they started CPR, Aldapa said.
Aldapa said he thought about the possibility that he could contract the coronavirus, with his emergency room work preparing him to assume that anyone could have COVID-19.
He said it’s unfortunate that the man who suffered a medical emergency on Flight 591 is being disparaged on social media for having boarded the plane despite possible COVID-19 symptoms.
Still, he said, people are responsible for protecting one another as much as themselves.
“Taking a test isn’t a permission slip to be out there,” he said. “If you’re feeling sick, you have to take that into consideration.”


latimes--2020-12-24--Defying the pandemic, Latinos missing loved ones travel to their homelands for the holiday

On a recent cold morning , Amarilys Ortiz felt a surge of nervous happiness .
En route to her mother ’ s house , her heart pounded like a drum .
She was paying a surprise visit that she ’ d planned with her daughter , a reunion with the woman in her 80s who ’ d given Ortiz life but now lived 2,810 miles away , in Guatemala City .
“ I thought that it wasn ’ t ever going to happen again , ” said the 57-year-old Santa Monica resident .
Her mother , Alicia Herrera , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Guatemala still bearing memories of a recent stay in a Southern California hospital ward where she ’ d been treated after testing positive for the coronavirus .
The pandemic ’ s furious spread has forced many Latinos like Ortiz to postpone trips to their homelands , to sacrifice birthdays , to skip fiestas , to miss weddings , anniversaries , funerals and births — to put locks on the doors of emotions connecting them to Mexico , Central America or elsewhere .
For the surprise visit , Ortiz showed up with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a bouquet of flowers , accompanied by other celebrants carrying a loudspeaker .
Opening the door of the house where Ortiz ’ s mother and sister live , everyone burst into “ Las Mañanitas.
” “ When she saw me , she started to cry , ” Ortiz said .
“ I didn ’ t let go of her , and she didn ’ t let go of me.
” At that moment , Ortiz was able to blot out the ordeal that she had suffered at the Culver City medical center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget all that and be with my family , ” said Ortiz , who now is looking forward to celebrating Christmas in her homeland .
In normal years , the winter holidays mark a high point for the travel industry for Latinos .
Initially , the pandemic shut down most nonessential travel across the region , and a number of Latin American airports closed entirely for months .
U.S. citizens now are permitted to visit Honduras , Guatemala and El Salvador if they can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico does not require Americans to take a coronavirus test or to quarantine upon arrival , which has contributed to a recent tourism surge to popular spots like Los Cabos and the so-called Mayan Riviera .
Latinos began visiting their homelands in greater numbers last fall , but the post-Thanksgiving explosion of U.S. cases has kept travel below normal levels — though still high enough to worry health officials .
“ Ticket sales have diminished , so prices are very low right now , ” said Esther Alvarado , the Salvadoran owner of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. firm that primarily books passage to Central America .
“ We are in a season that people were buying , but these new measures have caused people not to travel.
” Yanett Navarro , who operates Yanett Travel in Paramount , said her air travel sales to Mexico were down 70 % , and other destinations are down 80 % .
As U.S. and California officials are urging Americans to stay home during the winter holidays and avoid gathering even with family members of different households , the Mexican government also is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to forgo visiting their homeland .
“ If you don ’ t have an emergency , if it ’ s not a question of work , you don ’ t have to move from place to place , ” said Marcela Celorio , consul general of Mexico in Los Angeles , in a message addressed to her compatriots .
According to a 2019 report by the Mexico tourism office , 58.3 % of visitors traveling by air to the country reside in the United States ; the majority are Mexican immigrants who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , since 2004 , Eva Novoa has visited Los Reyes , in the western Mexican state of Michoacán , to unite with her brothers and many of her husband ’ s relatives for Christmas and New Year ’ s .
“ Right now , our family is planning to make typical Mexican dishes , tamales and pozole , ” said the Paramount resident shortly before departing for her homeland .
“ In other years , we ’ ve made birria and carnitas when many people are invited , but right now it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s close by.
” Novoa , 47 , had planned to have her daughter Saraí 's 15th birthday celebration in Michoacán on Dec. 26 .
But seeing that the COVID-19 alert was still in effect in both Mexico and the United States , the family canceled the event .
Guests who ’ d been invited to come from the United States for the party suspended their travel plans , but the family is now preparing to travel there to get together with relatives for the holiday .
“ All of us were thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this wouldn ’ t be so hard , ” she said .
Her daughter ’ s quinceañera had been planned since February .
In July , Novoa traveled to Mexico to check on preparations for the banquet hall , her daughter ’ s dress and outfits for her young attendants .
The event has been moved to next year , but the family ’ s Christmas reunion trip is underway .
While her husband travels by land , Novoa is going by plane with her daughter and two nephews .
In the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic is low .
Even so , guests will be offered plenty of hand sanitizer , and everyone will be required to wear a mask .
Despite the risk of traveling at this time , Javier Salmerón visited El Salvador just before Thanksgiving Day .
Twice , he had to change the flight dates of a trip he had planned since the beginning of 2019 .
The idea was for his children to meet their 78-year-old grandfather , Don Juan Manuel Salmerón , who lives in the country ’ s eastern region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Going to see my daddy is what we all wanted , that my daddy could see his nietos , ” said the native of Santa Rosa de Lima .
Salmerón , his wife and their children also ate rice pupusas in Olocuilta and feasted on seafood in Puerto de La Unión .
“ The only thing we wanted was to give him emotional support , ” Salmerón said of his father , who has been widowed since 2018 .
Despite the health risks , expert advice and official orders , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many others , of the pandemic and yearning to spend time with loved ones at this time of year — are seeking relief from the confinement by visiting relatives in their homeland .
Mario Matute , a therapist and member of the board of directors of Pacifica Hospital of the Valley , says the search for closeness during the holidays is an emotional requirement that people may “ want to satisfy at any cost.
” Severe stress and emotional damage can result from the “ deprivation of giving or receiving a hug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of affection , hugging and being close to a loved one causes depression more than everything , ” said Matute .
“ When one is near loved ones , their emotional problems can suddenly disappear.
” Amarilys Ortiz ’ s mother cried when she saw her daughter , whom she never expected would show up in Guatemala after being hospitalized for 12 days with COVID .
Ortiz has two sisters , two daughters and seven grandchildren still living in Guatemala .
She thought of them all when she left the hospital on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airport reopened in the capital , Guatemala City , Ortiz ’ s first thought was to travel to see her family .
But she waited to arrive until Nov. 19 , one day before her mother ’ s birthday .
“ I needed this hug to continue living , ” Ortiz said of her mother ’ s embrace .

On a recent cold morning, Amarilys Ortiz felt a surge of nervous happiness. En route to her mother’s house, her heart pounded like a drum.
She was paying a surprise visit that she’d planned with her daughter, a reunion with the woman in her 80s who’d given Ortiz life but now lived 2,810 miles away, in Guatemala City.
“I thought that it wasn’t ever going to happen again,” said the 57-year-old Santa Monica resident.
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Her mother, Alicia Herrera, was turning 89, and Ortiz had arrived in Guatemala still bearing memories of a recent stay in a Southern California hospital ward where she’d been treated after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The pandemic’s furious spread has forced many Latinos like Ortiz to postpone trips to their homelands, to sacrifice birthdays, to skip fiestas, to miss weddings, anniversaries, funerals and births — to put locks on the doors of emotions connecting them to Mexico, Central America or elsewhere.
For the surprise visit, Ortiz showed up with a bunch of balloons to conceal her face and a bouquet of flowers, accompanied by other celebrants carrying a loudspeaker. Opening the door of the house where Ortiz’s mother and sister live, everyone burst into “Las Mañanitas.”
“When she saw me, she started to cry,” Ortiz said. “I didn’t let go of her, and she didn’t let go of me.”
At that moment, Ortiz was able to blot out the ordeal that she had suffered at the Culver City medical center.
“Being here, I could forget all that and be with my family,” said Ortiz, who now is looking forward to celebrating Christmas in her homeland.
Advertisement
In normal years, the winter holidays mark a high point for the travel industry for Latinos. Initially, the pandemic shut down most nonessential travel across the region, and a number of Latin American airports closed entirely for months.
U.S. citizens now are permitted to visit Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if they can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. Mexico does not require Americans to take a coronavirus test or to quarantine upon arrival, which has contributed to a recent tourism surge to popular spots like Los Cabos and the so-called Mayan Riviera.
Latinos began visiting their homelands in greater numbers last fall, but the post-Thanksgiving explosion of U.S. cases has kept travel below normal levels — though still high enough to worry health officials.
“Ticket sales have diminished, so prices are very low right now,” said Esther Alvarado, the Salvadoran owner of Sky Tours & Travel Inc., an L.A. firm that primarily books passage to Central America. “We are in a season that people were buying, but these new measures have caused people not to travel.”
Yanett Navarro, who operates Yanett Travel in Paramount, said her air travel sales to Mexico were down 70%, and other destinations are down 80%.
As U.S. and California officials are urging Americans to stay home during the winter holidays and avoid gathering even with family members of different households, the Mexican government also is telling its citizens living in the U.S. to forgo visiting their homeland.
“If you don’t have an emergency, if it’s not a question of work, you don’t have to move from place to place,” said Marcela Celorio, consul general of Mexico in Los Angeles, in a message addressed to her compatriots.
According to a 2019 report by the Mexico tourism office, 58.3% of visitors traveling by air to the country reside in the United States; the majority are Mexican immigrants who are vacationing and visiting their families.
Each year, since 2004, Eva Novoa has visited Los Reyes, in the western Mexican state of Michoacán, to unite with her brothers and many of her husband’s relatives for Christmas and New Year’s.
“Right now, our family is planning to make typical Mexican dishes, tamales and pozole,” said the Paramount resident shortly before departing for her homeland. “In other years, we’ve made birria and carnitas when many people are invited, but right now it’s only the family that’s close by.”
Novoa, 47, had planned to have her daughter Saraí’s 15th birthday celebration in Michoacán on Dec. 26. But seeing that the COVID-19 alert was still in effect in both Mexico and the United States, the family canceled the event. Guests who’d been invited to come from the United States for the party suspended their travel plans, but the family is now preparing to travel there to get together with relatives for the holiday.
“All of us were thinking that by the end of the year this wouldn’t be so hard,” she said.
Her daughter’s quinceañera had been planned since February. In July, Novoa traveled to Mexico to check on preparations for the banquet hall, her daughter’s dress and outfits for her young attendants. The event has been moved to next year, but the family’s Christmas reunion trip is underway. While her husband travels by land, Novoa is going by plane with her daughter and two nephews.
In the region where her family lives, awareness of the pandemic is low. Even so, guests will be offered plenty of hand sanitizer, and everyone will be required to wear a mask.
“They think I’m overreacting,” Novoa said.
Despite the risk of traveling at this time, Javier Salmerón visited El Salvador just before Thanksgiving Day. Twice, he had to change the flight dates of a trip he had planned since the beginning of 2019. The idea was for his children to meet their 78-year-old grandfather, Don Juan Manuel Salmerón, who lives in the country’s eastern region, not far from the Honduran border.
“Going to see my daddy is what we all wanted, that my daddy could see his nietos,” said the native of Santa Rosa de Lima. Salmerón, his wife and their children also ate rice pupusas in Olocuilta and feasted on seafood in Puerto de La Unión.
“The only thing we wanted was to give him emotional support,” Salmerón said of his father, who has been widowed since 2018.
Despite the health risks, expert advice and official orders, many Southern California Latinos — weary, like so many others, of the pandemic and yearning to spend time with loved ones at this time of year — are seeking relief from the confinement by visiting relatives in their homeland.
Mario Matute, a therapist and member of the board of directors of Pacifica Hospital of the Valley, says the search for closeness during the holidays is an emotional requirement that people may “want to satisfy at any cost.” Severe stress and emotional damage can result from the “deprivation of giving or receiving a hug,” he said.
“The lack of affection, hugging and being close to a loved one causes depression more than everything,” said Matute. “When one is near loved ones, their emotional problems can suddenly disappear.”
Amarilys Ortiz’s mother cried when she saw her daughter, whom she never expected would show up in Guatemala after being hospitalized for 12 days with COVID.
Ortiz has two sisters, two daughters and seven grandchildren still living in Guatemala. She thought of them all when she left the hospital on July 29. When La Aurora International Airport reopened in the capital, Guatemala City, Ortiz’s first thought was to travel to see her family. But she waited to arrive until Nov. 19, one day before her mother’s birthday.
“I needed this hug to continue living,” Ortiz said of her mother’s embrace.


latimes--2020-12-24--Inland Empire becomes a coronavirus hot zone even as its leaders battle safety restrictions

Two makeshift hospital rooms sit outside the ambulance entrance to Arrowhead Medical Center in San Bernardino County , a hint of how dire things have become as the county faces a surge of COVID-19 cases .
Things have gotten so bad at times that paramedics and ambulance drivers have had to wait up to six hours to offload COVID-19 patients , many of them often struggling to breathe .
“ We had patients who were taking 40 to 50 breaths per minute .
The average is 20 , ” said Dr. Joel Labha , who has taken care many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being overwhelmed by the surge in coronavirus , but the conditions in San Bernardino County and the greater Inland Empire are particularly acute .
New cases of the coronavirus in San Bernardino County are growing faster than any other county in California on a per capita basis , according to .
Over the past seven days , there were about 1,800 cases of COVID-19 for every 100,000 residents in San Bernardino County .
By contrast , hard-hit Los Angeles County reported about 1,000 cases per 100,000 residents during that period .
A Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in communities for which data is available found that of the top 50 , about half of them are in the Inland Empire , including Riverside , San Bernardino , Perris , Moreno Valley , Jurupa Valley , Bloomington , Barstow , Colton , Rialto , Victorville , Fontana , Highland , Adelanto and Hesperia .
Experts and public health officials said there are several factors that have made San Bernardino County so vulnerable to COVID-19 .
Like Los Angeles County , San Bernardino is home to many essential workers and some dense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread .
Data shows poorer , more non-white parts of the Inland Empire are among the areas being disproportionately hit hard .
But San Bernardino County has also been more resistant to state mandates than L.A. , with officials clashing with Gov .
Gavin Newsom over the latest stay-at-home order .
Edward Flores , sociology professor with the UC Merced Community and Labor Center , said the Inland Empire is one of the nation ’ s hubs for the logistics industry , with Amazon and many other companies operating vast warehouses in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for more than a decade , and the pandemic has made shipping more vital to the economy than ever .
“ These are critical , essential industries in which workers commonly work in close proximity to each other , and so , it ’ s easy for the virus to spread , ” Flores said .
“ And especially now during the holiday season , when everybody is staying at home and buying packages online ... it wouldn ’ t be surprising if all of that activity is contributing to the spread.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ visits to retail sites in the Inland Empire have fallen by only about 20 % compared to a baseline , a smaller drop compared to L.A. , Orange and San Diego counties , where such visits have fallen by about 30 % .
San Bernardino County leaders have repeatedly pushed back against rules advanced to stymie the spread of the coronavirus , and the latest surge arrived just days after the county asked the California Supreme Court to overturn Newsom ’ s stay-at-home order .
County supervisor Curt Hagman , a leading voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the decision Wednesday .
“ I respect what [ Newsom ] is trying to do with some of these orders , but I think that the state of California is too big for one-size-fits-all solutions , ” said Hagman , who is also chair of the board .
He said basing shut-down decisions on one metric only — intensive care unit capacity — is the wrong approach , and argued that although county officials want people to avoid risky behavior , those decisions should be made on local and regional levels .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ different solutions for different areas , ” he said .
But some experts say the county ’ s resistance has a cost .
“ If someone is seeing their local leadership saying the rules don ’ t make sense , then they might feel as if they don ’ t need to follow the rules , ” Shira Shafir , an associate professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health , said Wednesday .
San Bernardino County is hardly unique when it comes to occasionally standing apart from the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties have also periodically pushed back against restrictions and rules handed down from Sacramento .
Richard Carpiano , a professor of public policy and sociology at UC Riverside , said local attitudes about the coronavirus are formed through a national lens : “ We in the U.S. think in very individualistic terms : It ’ s our bodies and our choices , ” he said .
People look to leaders for what to do , Carpiano said , so their actions can influence behavior .
Whatever the cause , public health officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s just surging all around us in our county , and that ’ s why we ’ re so deeply concerned , ” county Public Health Director Corwin Porter said Wednesday .
“ It hasn ’ t peaked yet .
It hasn ’ t stopped increasing.
” He said there is no single sector that is driving the dire situation in San Bernardino .
“ It ’ s like throwing a pebble in a pond , ” Porter said of the surge , which began shortly after Thanksgiving .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever since.
” There is , however , a hierarchy : Small gatherings among family and friends are “ by far ” the driving factor , he said , followed by religious gatherings , funerals , out-of-county travel , weddings , work and restaurants .
Schools , which remain mostly closed to in-person classes , are lower down the list .
One area that has been particularly hard hit is Bloomington — a small , unincorporated community outside Fontana .
According to Times data , it has the highest community-level case rate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomington ’ s spike to the fact that the area is home to many essential workers , as well as multi-family , multi-generational homes and concentrations of nonwhite populations , all of which have suffered disproportionately since the start of the pandemic .
According to census data , 83 % of Bloomington ’ s population is Latino , a number 1.5 times higher than the surrounding metro area .
Nearly 20 % live below the poverty line .
It ’ s a pattern that is beginning to be reflected among many COVID-19 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jenkins , medical director and chief of staff for Kaiser Permanente ’ s San Bernardino County service area .
He noted that social determinants of health — including food security , housing security , lower income levels and poverty — are challenges that can contribute to spread .
“ I think that is directly tied to the severity of the pandemic in the county , ” Jenkins said .
“ In general , some of the other surrounding counties may have less of those factors , and so overall those communities do better.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ III , also of Kaiser Permanente ’ s San Bernardino County service area , echoed Jenkins ’ findings , noting that regional data show higher incidence of the virus in Latino and Black patients , obese patients and patients who are essential workers .
“ Individuals who are living paycheck to paycheck have to go to work , ” Blews said , “ and so there ’ s an increased risk of exposure.
” Kaiser ’ s area hospitals have been setting records for COVID-19 patient numbers “ virtually every day , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing now is far worse than the numbers they saw over the summer .
Thousands of new patients are entering the system every week , and hundreds are already there .
“ It really is just one patient after the next with COVID , with just enormous amounts of equipment , ” he said .
“ It really just creates a sense of disaster.
” Yet the messaging coming from county leadership can be confusing and frustrating for those hardest hit by the surge .
Jenkins emphasized the importance of following social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings , and wearing face masks .
Blews said he hopes people will be willing to get the vaccine as soon as it ’ s available to them .
But Porter , the county health director , said he ’ s now worried that holiday gatherings and increased travel will add to an already “ scary situation ” in the county .
“ COVID fatigue has set in , ” he said .
“ I ’ m not sure if everyone ’ s listening anymore.
” Back at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening .
Hospital staff say they are worn out .
They are sometimes working past their 12-hour shifts , and some come in just to help colleagues get a break for lunch .
Sometimes when things get bad , they take on extra patients .
“ It feels overwhelming at times , ” Labha said .
“ But we do the best we can .
It ’ s all part of that team effort.
” Times staff writers Matt Stiles and Sean Greene contributed to this report .

Ruben Vives, Hayley Smith, Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II

ER nurse Jennifer Caspary, left, and emergency department medical director Dr. Leroy Pascal attend to a COVID-19 patient at Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville on Dec. 17.
Two makeshift hospital rooms sit outside the ambulance entrance to Arrowhead Medical Center in San Bernardino County, a hint of how dire things have become as the county faces a surge of COVID-19 cases.
Things have gotten so bad at times that paramedics and ambulance drivers have had to wait up to six hours to offload COVID-19 patients, many of them often struggling to breathe.
“We had patients who were taking 40 to 50 breaths per minute. The average is 20,” said Dr. Joel Labha, who has taken care many of those patients.
Hospitals across California are being overwhelmed by the coronavirus surge, but the conditions in San Bernardino County and the Greater Inland Empire are particularly acute. New cases of the coronavirus in San Bernardino County are growing faster than in any other county in California on a per capita basis, according to The Times’ tracker .
Over the last seven days, there were about 1,800 coronavirus cases for every 100,000 residents in San Bernardino County. By contrast, hard-hit Los Angeles County reported about 1,000 cases per 100,000 residents during that period.
A Los Angeles Times analysis of coronavirus case rates in communities for which data are available found that, of the top 50, about half of them were in the Inland Empire, including Riverside, San Bernardino, Perris, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley, Bloomington, Barstow, Colton, Rialto, Victorville, Fontana, Highland, Adelanto and Hesperia.
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Experts and public health officials say there are several factors that have made San Bernardino County so vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus. Like Los Angeles County, San Bernardino is home to many essential workers and some dense working-class Latino communities where the virus has spread. Data show poorer, more non-white parts of the Inland Empire are among the areas being disproportionately hit hard.
But San Bernardino County has also been more resistant to state mandates than L.A., with officials clashing with Gov. Gavin Newsom over the latest stay-at-home order.
Edward Flores, sociology professor with the UC Merced Community and Labor Center, said the Inland Empire was one of the nation’s hubs for the logistics industry, with Amazon and many other companies operating vast warehouses in the region. The warehouse boom has played out for more than a decade, and the pandemic has made shipping more vital to the economy than ever.
“These are critical, essential industries in which workers commonly work in close proximity to each other, and so, it’s easy for the virus to spread,” Flores said. “And especially now during the holiday season, when everybody is staying at home and buying packages online ... it wouldn’t be surprising if all of that activity is contributing to the spread.”
Google mobility data also suggests that visits to retail sites in the Inland Empire have fallen by only about 20% compared to a baseline, a smaller drop compared to L.A., Orange and San Diego counties, where such visits have fallen by about 30%.
San Bernardino County leaders have repeatedly pushed back against rules advanced to stymie the spread of the coronavirus, and the latest surge arrived just days after the county asked the California Supreme Court to overturn Newsom’s stay-at-home order.
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County Supervisor Curt Hagman, a leading voice in the lawsuit against Newsom, stood by the decision Wednesday.
“I respect what [Newsom] is trying to do with some of these orders, but I think that the state of California is too big for one-size-fits-all solutions,” said Hagman, who is also chair of the board.
He said basing shut-down decisions on one metric only — intensive care unit capacity — was the wrong approach, and argued that although county officials wanted people to avoid risky behavior, those decisions should be made on local and regional levels.
“There’s going to be different solutions for different areas,” he said.
But some experts say the county’s resistance has a cost.
“If someone is seeing their local leadership saying the rules don’t make sense, then they might feel as if they don’t need to follow the rules,” Shira Shafir, an associate professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said Wednesday.
San Bernardino County is hardly unique when it comes to occasionally standing apart from the state. Its neighbors in Riverside and Orange counties have also periodically pushed back against restrictions and rules handed down from Sacramento.
Richard Carpiano, a professor of public policy and sociology at UC Riverside, said local attitudes about the coronavirus are formed through a national lens: “We in the U.S. think in very individualistic terms: It’s our bodies and our choices,” he said.
People look to leaders for what to do, Carpiano said, so their actions can influence behavior.
Whatever the cause, public health officials said San Bernardino has reached a crisis point.
“It’s just surging all around us in our county, and that’s why we’re so deeply concerned,” county Public Health Director Corwin Porter said Wednesday. “It hasn’t peaked yet. It hasn’t stopped increasing.”
He said there is no single sector that is driving the dire situation in San Bernardino.
“It’s like throwing a pebble in a pond,” Porter said of the surge, which began shortly after Thanksgiving. “It’s been broadening out ever since.”
There is, however, a hierarchy: Small gatherings among family and friends are “by far” the driving factor, he said, followed by religious gatherings, funerals, out-of-county travel, weddings, work and restaurants. Schools, which remain mostly closed to in-person classes, are lower down the list.
One area that has been particularly hard hit is Bloomington — a small, unincorporated community outside Fontana. According to Times data, it has the highest community-level case rate in the county by far.
Porter attributed Bloomington’s spike to the fact that the area is home to many essential workers, as well as multi-family, multi-generational homes and concentrations of nonwhite populations, all of which have suffered disproportionately since the start of the pandemic.
According to census data, 83% of Bloomington’s population is Latino, a number 1.5 times higher than the surrounding metro area. Nearly 20% live below the poverty line.
It’s a pattern that is beginning to be reflected among many COVID-19 patients in the county, said Dr. Timothy Jenkins, medical director and chief of staff for Kaiser Permanente’s San Bernardino County service area. He noted that social determinants of health — including food security, housing security, lower income levels and poverty — are challenges that can contribute to spread.
“I think that is directly tied to the severity of the pandemic in the county,” Jenkins said. “In general, some of the other surrounding counties may have less of those factors, and so overall those communities do better.”
Infection control officer Dr. Edward Blews III, also of Kaiser Permanente’s San Bernardino County service area, echoed Jenkins’ findings, noting that regional data show higher incidence of the virus in Latino and Black patients, obese patients and patients who are essential workers.
“Individuals who are living paycheck to paycheck have to go to work,” Blews said, “and so there’s an increased risk of exposure.”
Kaiser’s area hospitals have been setting records for COVID-19 patient numbers “virtually every day,” Jenkins said, and what they are experiencing now is far worse than the numbers they saw over the summer. Thousands of new patients are entering the system every week, and hundreds are already there.
“It really is just one patient after the next with COVID, with just enormous amounts of equipment,” he said. “It really just creates a sense of disaster.”
Yet the messaging coming from county leadership can be confusing and frustrating for those hardest hit by the surge.
Jenkins emphasized the importance of following social distancing guidelines, avoiding unnecessary travel and group gatherings, and wearing face masks. Blews said he hopes people will be willing to get the vaccine as soon as it’s available to them.
But Porter, the county health director, said he’s now worried that holiday gatherings and increased travel will add to an already “scary situation” in the county.
“COVID fatigue has set in,” he said. “I’m not sure if everyone’s listening anymore.”
Back at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, doctors and nurses hope people are still listening.
Hospital staff say they are worn out. They are sometimes working past their 12-hour shifts, and some come in just to help colleagues get a break for lunch. Sometimes when things get bad, they take on extra patients.
“It feels overwhelming at times,” Labha said. “But we do the best we can. It’s all part of that team effort.”
Times staff writers Matt Stiles and Sean Greene contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-24--Virtual volunteers: Californians work to elect Georgia's senators

From her home in Daly City , Calif. , Judith Bolker is working to flip Georgia blue .
The 69-year-old calls voters , urging them to vote for Jon Ossoff and the Rev .
Raphael Warnock , the two Democrats seeking to topple Republican senators in the Peach State ’ s Jan. 5 runoff election .
Bolker writes postcards and sends texts to Georgia voters of color for Reclaim Our Vote , a nonpartisan project focused on voter suppression .
She also finds time to lead phone banks for the progressive organizing group Swing Left .
Bolker ’ s volunteering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It can last from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. , she said , meals and exercise breaks notwithstanding .
And she ’ s doing it all from a spare bedroom over 2,000 miles away from Atlanta .
“ Some people have called [ it ] ‘ canvassing from your couch , ’ ” Bolker said .
With control of the Senate hinging on the outcome of the runoffs that pit Ossoff and Warnock against Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler , the Georgia races have garnered national attention , attracting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those volunteers are Californians like Bolker who — in a different , pandemic-free year — might have travelled to Georgia to help the Democrats or Republicans directly .
But while COVID-19 limits door-knocking and other in-person outreach , the volunteers say they haven ’ t felt too hampered by being forced to work from their couches .
West Coast Democrats and liberals appear to be leading the charge in both virtual campaigning — sending postcards , making calls , hosting Zoom meetings — and in grassroots donations .
But Republicans are also hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and others on the ground , pushing a message with a homegrown twist : Avoid the California pitfalls that we know all too well .
“ The skyrocketing cost of living , the homelessness crisis , the opioid crisis … Do not let what happened in California happen to Georgia , ” said Krista Pittman , the Republican National Committee ’ s California state director during the general election , summarizing the California GOP ’ s pitch to Georgia voters .
It ’ s a tricky line to walk .
Republicans “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t want to bring California values to Georgia , ” GOP strategist Chip Lake said — but it ’ s hard for campaigns on either side to turn down free labor .
“ I know that there are boots on the ground here from other states helping our candidates , meaning Republican candidates ; but I also think there ’ s just as many , if not more , from the other side , ” Lake said .
“ It ’ s a delicate balance , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Volunteering from afar is a unique experience : sometimes frustrating , sometimes exhilarating .
Debbie Raucher , who has been working the phones from Oakland , recalled talking with an elderly man during a call with Swing Left ’ s East Bay branch .
The man had gotten his absentee ballot , but didn ’ t know where to deliver it .
From the other side of the country , Raucher helped him out .
“ I gave him the address , and his wife was there as well ; I could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Raucher , 51 .
“ He was like , ‘ Oh , OK , ’ whatever it was , ‘ 123 Fourth Street at the library.
’ And [ his wife ] was like , ‘ Oh , yeah , I know where that is .
I ’ ve seen that , it ’ s in the lobby.
’ … He seemed like he needed some support in figuring out exactly how to get from Point A to Point B.
” Bolker , the Daly City political activist , hears about these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during debriefs she runs after each shift at the virtual phone bank .
One caller reached a pastor , and the two connected over Warnock ’ s idea that “ a vote is a prayer for the future.
” Another wound up talking to a mother who hadn ’ t realized her 17-year-old child would be turning 18 in time to vote .
With a day to go before the registration deadline , the volunteer successfully walked the family through registering the teen .
The pandemic isn ’ t keeping all volunteers away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general election , the Republican National Committee told Pittman , a 24-year-old Riverside native , to hop on a plane and head to Georgia .
Before the holidays , Pittman and five California Republican Party employees were stationed in a “ very rural , ” largely uncanvassed part of the state , knocking on doors in support of Loeffler and Perdue — albeit with masks on and from six feet away , Pittman said .
Last Saturday , while Pittman was knocking on doors in a neighborhood decked out in Christmas lights and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t have a Southern accent and asked where she was from .
Standing on the stoop , Pittman explained that she ’ d come in from California ; the woman remarked that some of her friends had been getting letters about the election from California Democrats , and Pittman was pleased to let her know that California Republicans were doing the same thing .
“ They ’ re just so shocked that other outside folks , such as myself from California , and then the California Dems , are participating in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s an all-hands-on-deck effort , that even people on the other side of the country ... are sending postcards to voters.
” It ’ s not clear how much time Californians are spending on the Georgia runoffs — but the money they ’ re spending is substantial .
found that between Nov. 4 and Nov. 23 , the Democratic grassroots fundraising platform ActBlue raised $ 25.8 million from Californians supporting Warnock and Ossoff , while the equivalent Republican platform WinRed raised $ 6.8 million from Californians supporting Loeffler and Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as meddlesome outsiders , Bolker , Raucher and Pittman say Georgians have been exceedingly friendly , even after weeks of being hounded by campaign workers .
“ The majority are appreciative , ” Raucher said .
“ It ’ s such a great feeling when I ’ ve called somebody and given them information that they did not have that ’ s going to allow them to vote.
” Bridging the California-Georgia divide can be complicated .
Sometimes , Raucher said , it feels like there ’ s very little differentiating her from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the line ; at other times , they feel a world away .
“ When you talk to a real person , you ’ re reminded that they ’ re a real person , ” she explained .
“ Despite how divided we are , we probably have more in common than we have differences.
” But people at her phone banks have also had conversations with Republicans who “ believe with all their heart of hearts ” that the November election was fraudulent or antifa is “ coming to get ” them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of people who have received their information from sources that are not providing accurate information , and so it ’ s a big challenge , ” she said .
“ How do you come back from that ?
”

At home in Oakland, Debbie Raucher works the phones as one of many out-of-state volunteers trying to influence the two pivotal Senate races in Georgia.
From her home in Daly City, Calif., Judith Bolker is working to flip Georgia blue.
The 69-year-old calls voters, urging them to vote for Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, the two Democrats seeking to topple Republican senators in the Peach State’s Jan. 5 runoff election. Bolker writes postcards and sends texts to Georgia voters of color for Reclaim Our Vote, a nonpartisan project focused on voter suppression. She also finds time to lead phone banks for the progressive organizing group Swing Left.
Bolker’s volunteering has the intensity of a full-time job. It can last from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., she said, meals and exercise breaks notwithstanding. And she’s doing it all from a spare bedroom over 2,000 miles away from Atlanta.
“Some people have called [it] ‘canvassing from your couch,’” Bolker said.
With control of the Senate hinging on the outcome of the runoffs that pit Ossoff and Warnock against Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, the Georgia races have garnered national attention, attracting a flood of out-of-state volunteers.
Among those volunteers are Californians like Bolker who — in a different, pandemic-free year — might have traveled to Georgia to help the Democrats or Republicans directly. But while COVID-19 limits door-knocking and other in-person outreach, the volunteers say they haven’t felt too hampered by being forced to work from their couches.
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West Coast Democrats and liberals appear to be leading the charge in both virtual campaigning — sending postcards, making calls, hosting Zoom meetings — and in grassroots donations. But Republicans are also hard at work, some of them from home and others on the ground, pushing a message with a homegrown twist: Avoid the California pitfalls that we know all too well.
“The skyrocketing cost of living, the homelessness crisis, the opioid crisis … Do not let what happened in California happen to Georgia,” said Krista Pittman, the Republican National Committee’s California state director during the general election, summarizing the California GOP’s pitch to Georgia voters.
It’s a tricky line to walk. Republicans “want to draw the message that … we don’t want to bring California values to Georgia,” GOP strategist Chip Lake said — but it’s hard for campaigns on either side to turn down free labor.
“I know that there are boots on the ground here from other states helping our candidates, meaning Republican candidates; but I also think there’s just as many, if not more, from the other side,” Lake said. “It’s a delicate balance, but it’s one you’ve got to play.”
Volunteering from afar is a unique experience: sometimes frustrating, sometimes exhilarating.
Advertisement
Debbie Raucher, who has been working the phones from Oakland, recalled talking with an elderly man during a call with Swing Left’s East Bay branch. The man had gotten his absentee ballot, but didn’t know where to deliver it. From the other side of the country, Raucher helped him out.
“I gave him the address, and his wife was there as well; I could hear her in the background,” said Raucher, 51. “He was like, ‘Oh, OK,’ whatever it was, ‘123 Fourth Street at the library.’ And [his wife] was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I know where that is. I’ve seen that, it’s in the lobby.’ … He seemed like he needed some support in figuring out exactly how to get from Point A to Point B.”
Bolker, the Daly City political activist, hears about these small but meaningful interactions all the time during debriefs she runs after each shift at the virtual phone bank.
One caller reached a pastor, and the two connected over Warnock’s idea that “a vote is a prayer for the future.” Another wound up talking to a mother who hadn’t realized her 17-year-old child would be turning 18 in time to vote. With a day to go before the registration deadline, the volunteer successfully walked the family through registering the teen.
The pandemic isn’t keeping all volunteers away from Georgia. Two weeks after the general election, the Republican National Committee told Pittman, a 24-year-old Riverside native, to hop on a plane and head to Georgia.
Before the holidays, Pittman and five California Republican Party employees were stationed in a “very rural,” largely uncanvassed part of the state, knocking on doors in support of Loeffler and Perdue — albeit with masks on and from six feet away, Pittman said.
Last Saturday, while Pittman was knocking on doors in a neighborhood decked out in Christmas lights and wreaths, a woman noticed that she didn’t have a Southern accent and asked where she was from. Standing on the stoop, Pittman explained that she’d come in from California; the woman remarked that some of her friends had been getting letters about the election from California Democrats, and Pittman was pleased to let her know that California Republicans were doing the same thing.
“They’re just so shocked that other outside folks, such as myself from California, and then the California Dems, are participating in the election,” Pittman said. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck effort, that even people on the other side of the country ... are sending postcards to voters.”
It’s not clear how much time Californians are spending on the Georgia runoffs — but the money they’re spending is substantial. A FiveThirtyEight analysis found that between Nov. 4 and Nov. 23, the Democratic grassroots fundraising platform ActBlue raised $25.8 million from Californians supporting Warnock and Ossoff, while the equivalent Republican platform WinRed raised $6.8 million from Californians supporting Loeffler and Perdue.
Even if Californians are sometimes cast as meddlesome outsiders, Bolker, Raucher and Pittman say Georgians have been exceedingly friendly, even after weeks of being hounded by campaign workers.
“The majority are appreciative,” Raucher said. “It’s such a great feeling when I’ve called somebody and given them information that they did not have that’s going to allow them to vote.”
Bridging the California-Georgia divide can be complicated. Sometimes, Raucher said, it feels like there’s very little differentiating her from the Georgians on the other end of the line; at other times, they feel a world away.
“When you talk to a real person, you’re reminded that they’re a real person,” she explained. “Despite how divided we are, we probably have more in common than we have differences.” But people at her phone banks have also had conversations with Republicans who “believe with all their heart of hearts” that the November election was fraudulent or antifa is “coming to get” them.
“There’s just a lot of people who have received their information from sources that are not providing accurate information, and so it’s a big challenge,” she said. “How do you come back from that?”


latimes--2020-12-24--California working on who will be next in line for the coronavirus vaccine

With vaccinations under way in California for frontline healthcare workers and long-term care residents , a state advisory panel is trying to determine who will be next in line when the next wave of the vaccines become available .
The decision for who comes next will rely heavily on public input , California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris said during a meeting Wednesday of the state ’ s community vaccine advisory committee .
The distribution plans will also depend on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The state expects to distribute between 2 million and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of January .
That would include both the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and the newly authorized Moderna vaccine .
By the end of February , that total is expected to reach 12.5 million — a note of hope as California hit 2 million coronavirus cases on Wednesday .
“ There ’ s less vaccine than people who need it , so we ’ re having to make very difficult decisions , ” said Dr. Oliver Brooks , a co-chair of the panel drafting the state ’ s distribution guidelines .
The current proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to begin in January , includes individuals who work in education and child care , emergency services and agriculture , as well as individuals 75 and older .
Next would come those who work in critical manufacturing , industrial commercial facilities and transportation , as well as those between 65 and 74 and homeless individuals .
Those who are incarcerated are also included in this tier , although at least one state prison has already started to receive the vaccine .
The Times confirmed Tuesday that the California Health Care Facility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical needs , has received some of the first coronavirus vaccines .
Inmates in federal prison would not receive state resources , but instead would receive vaccines through the federal supply , said Dr. Robert Schechter , the California Department of Public Health ’ s Immunizations Branch Chief .
The advisory committee , which is separate from the 16-member committee drafting the guidelines , met for two hours on a video call over Zoom to address public comment and discuss plans to reach the most vulnerable and those in communities hit hardest by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing on age over illness .
Others said that distribution plans must account for at-risk people who lack access to a distribution site .
Once the state deploys the vaccine to a county , it ’ s up to local public health officials to determine how to distribute the doses and reach people via proper messaging .
There are 61 local public health departments in the state — one in each of the 58 counties and the cities of Pasadena , Long Beach and Berkeley .
That means the distribution efforts will differ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I feel markedly more comfortable with vaccine distribution than other elements of pandemic response because it ’ s really in the public health wheelhouse , ” said Mariposa County Health Officer Dr. Eric Sergienko .
The advisory committee meets again on Jan. 6 .
Those who wish to make public comments are advised to send an email to CDPH at

Gov. Gavin Newsom looks on as ICU nurse Helen Cordova receives the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center.
With vaccinations under way in California for frontline healthcare workers and long-term care residents, a state advisory panel is trying to determine who will be next in line when the next wave of the vaccines become available.
The decision for who comes next will rely heavily on public input, California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris said during a meeting Wednesday of the state’s community vaccine advisory committee. The distribution plans will also depend on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state expects to distribute between 2 million and 2.5 million vaccine doses by the first week of January. That would include both the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and the newly authorized Moderna vaccine.
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By the end of February, that total is expected to reach 12.5 million — a note of hope as California hit 2 million coronavirus cases on Wednesday.
“There’s less vaccine than people who need it, so we’re having to make very difficult decisions,” said Dr. Oliver Brooks, a co-chair of the panel drafting the state’s distribution guidelines.
The current proposal for the next phase, which is expected to begin in January, includes individuals who work in education and child care, emergency services and agriculture, as well as individuals 75 and older.
Next would come those who work in critical manufacturing, industrial commercial facilities and transportation, as well as those between 65 and 74 and homeless individuals. Those who are incarcerated are also included in this tier, although at least one state prison has already started to receive the vaccine.
The Times confirmed Tuesday that the California Health Care Facility, Stockton, which houses inmates with special medical needs, has received some of the first coronavirus vaccines.
Inmates in federal prison would not receive state resources, but instead would receive vaccines through the federal supply, said Dr. Robert Schechter, the California Department of Public Health’s Immunizations Branch Chief.
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The advisory committee, which is separate from the 16-member committee drafting the guidelines, met for two hours on a video call over Zoom to address public comment and discuss plans to reach the most vulnerable and those in communities hit hardest by the virus.
Some expressed concern about focusing on age over illness. Others said that distribution plans must account for at-risk people who lack access to a distribution site.
Once the state deploys the vaccine to a county, it’s up to local public health officials to determine how to distribute the doses and reach people via proper messaging.
There are 61 local public health departments in the state — one in each of the 58 counties and the cities of Pasadena, Long Beach and Berkeley. That means the distribution efforts will differ from rural communities to urban landscapes.
“I feel markedly more comfortable with vaccine distribution than other elements of pandemic response because it’s really in the public health wheelhouse,” said Mariposa County Health Officer Dr. Eric Sergienko.


latimes--2020-12-23--Dead baby found in Koreatown alley

Dead baby found in Koreatown alley

The body of a newborn baby was found in an alley in Koreatown on Wednesday evening , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ Police Department ’ s Olympic Division responded to a call just after 5 p.m. , @ @ @ @ @ .
He had initially described the newborn as a baby about 26 weeks old .
@ @ @ @ @ crime scene , and the department ’ s abused child unit was conducting an investigation @ @ @ @ @ could not provide information as to whether the baby had been identified , its sex @ @ @ @ @ .

The body of a newborn baby was found in an alley in Koreatown on Wednesday evening, police said.
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Olympic Division responded to a call just after 5 p.m., according to spokesman Tony Im.
He had initially described the newborn as a baby about 26 weeks old.
Authorities had set up a crime scene, and the department’s abused child unit was conducting an investigation into the death.
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Im could not provide information as to whether the baby had been identified, its sex or how it had died.


latimes--2020-12-23--Power shutoffs hit Southern California amid red flag warnings

Power utilities across Southern California preemptively shut off power Wednesday to reduce the risk of wildfires as gusty winds created hazardous conditions in the region .
Southern California Edison had shut off power to more than 17,000 customers in six counties — including Kern , Los Angeles and San Bernardino — by Wednesday evening .
More than 163,000 additional customers are under consideration for shutoffs , according to the utility .
Residents can enter their address to see if they are affected .
“ We work to restore power within 24 hours after wind passes , ” said Taelor Bakewell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We need to have line crews inspect the circuit .
In some hard-to-access areas , that includes using helicopters or foot patrols.
” San Diego Gas & Electric also shut off power to several hundred customers and said more than 31,000 could be affected .
The outages were listed on the utility ’ s .
Christmas week has brought red flag warnings to Southern California , with a wildfire threat likely to last until noon Thursday .
The forecast calls for gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity that will create dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we also haven ’ t seen really any rain this winter , the vegetation is still pretty dry as well , so that ’ s why we ’ re still talking about fire weather even this late in the season , ” said Kristen Stewart , meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Los Angeles .
“ Usually by [ now ] , we have some sort of rain to alleviate the fire season.
” Santa Ana winds are expected to peak late Wednesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties , with gusts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas , according to the weather service .
The strongest winds are expected in the Santa Clarita Valley , eastern Ventura County valleys and the northern San Fernando Valley .
Humidity is also dropping in the already-dry region to a low of 3 % in some areas .
The weather service in San Diego also issued a red flag warning through noon Christmas Eve for Orange , San Diego , Riverside and San Bernardino counties .
The most extreme conditions will be in inland mountains and valleys , with gusts up to 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pass and the foothills , said meteorologist Samantha Connolly , while most areas will see winds of 30 to 40 mph .
“ The winds are really picking up through the passes and over the foothills , ” Connolly said .
“ It kind of comes down the mountain.
” This year marked California ’ s worst wildfire season on record , with more than 4 million acres burned , topping a decade that has seen eight of the 10 largest fires in the state ’ s history .
Many of this season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bobcat fire in Angeles National Forest and the Blue Ridge fire in Orange County , burned amid similar conditions , fueled by dry vegetation and fierce winds .
The combination of strong winds and dry fuels makes for ripe fire conditions , as a stray spark can ignite a fast-spreading wildfire .
“ Use extreme caution with potential fire ignition sources , ” the weather service said in announcing the red flag warning .
“ This is the time to get set with assembling your emergency supply kit and knowing your evacuation route.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ power lines and create hazardous driving conditions , the weather service warned .

Power utilities across Southern California preemptively shut off power Wednesday to reduce the risk of wildfires as gusty winds created hazardous conditions in the region.
Southern California Edison had shut off power to more than 17,000 customers in six counties — including Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernardino — by Wednesday evening.
More than 163,000 additional customers are under consideration for shutoffs, according to the utility. Residents can enter their address here to see if they are affected.
“We work to restore power within 24 hours after wind passes,” said Taelor Bakewell, a spokeswoman for the utility. “We need to have line crews inspect the circuit. In some hard-to-access areas, that includes using helicopters or foot patrols.”
San Diego Gas & Electric also shut off power to several hundred customers and said more than 31,000 could be affected. The outages were listed on the utility’s website .
Christmas week has brought red flag warnings to Southern California, with a wildfire threat likely to last until noon Thursday.
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The forecast calls for gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity that will create dangerous conditions in the area.
“Since we also haven’t seen really any rain this winter, the vegetation is still pretty dry as well, so that’s why we’re still talking about fire weather even this late in the season,” said Kristen Stewart, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Los Angeles. “Usually by [now], we have some sort of rain to alleviate the fire season.”
Santa Ana winds are expected to peak late Wednesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, with gusts between 40 and 60 mph in some areas, according to the weather service. The strongest winds are expected in the Santa Clarita Valley, eastern Ventura County valleys and the northern San Fernando Valley. Humidity is also dropping in the already-dry region to a low of 3% in some areas.
The weather service in San Diego also issued a red flag warning through noon Christmas Eve for Orange, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The most extreme conditions will be in inland mountains and valleys, with gusts up to 60 mph around Cajon Pass, San Gorgonio Pass and the foothills, said meteorologist Samantha Connolly, while most areas will see winds of 30 to 40 mph.
“The winds are really picking up through the passes and over the foothills,” Connolly said. “It kind of comes down the mountain.”
RED FLAG WARNING in effect for much of L.A. and Ventura Counties WED-THU. Winds gusting 40-60 mph over the mtns, RH 3-10 percent. Use caution!! #CAwx #SoCal #CAfire pic.twitter.com/3XcmRD4Evt — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) December 22, 2020
This year marked California’s worst wildfire season on record, with more than 4 million acres burned, topping a decade that has seen eight of the 10 largest fires in the state’s history.
Many of this season’s fires, such as the Bobcat fire in Angeles National Forest and the Blue Ridge fire in Orange County, burned amid similar conditions, fueled by dry vegetation and fierce winds.
The combination of strong winds and dry fuels makes for ripe fire conditions, as a stray spark can ignite a fast-spreading wildfire.
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“Use extreme caution with potential fire ignition sources,” the weather service said in announcing the red flag warning. “This is the time to get set with assembling your emergency supply kit and knowing your evacuation route.”
Heavy winds can topple trees and power lines and create hazardous driving conditions, the weather service warned.