latimes--2020-07-08--Orange County leaves it up to restaurants to alert customers about coronavirus cases

At least half a dozen restaurants in Orange County temporarily closed for cleaning after announcing an employee had tested positive for the coronavirus or had come into contact with someone exposed to COVID-19 .
The additional closures follow similar plans to deep clean and sanitize spaces after restaurant employees at other locations became infected with COVID-19 .
The county , which reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases and three new deaths Tuesday , is one of more than two dozen instructed by the state to temporarily suspend indoor operations at businesses , including restaurants , after a surge in infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Bernardino and Riverside counties .
However , unlike the public health departments in those counties , which identify restaurants and businesses with a cluster of three or more coronavirus infections , the Orange County Health Care Agency does not share that information with the public , and officials say they have no immediate plans to do so .
Restaurants are required to follow guidelines from Orange County ’ s health department about safety protocols to guard against the virus and must contact health officials if an employee tests positive .
But in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s up to individual restaurants to inform customers about positive tests among staff members .
In light of that , more than 1,000 people have signed a petition requesting the county to publish a list of restaurants that have closed amid coronavirus concerns as overall cases in the county near 19,000 .
“ As a consumer , I should decide if I want to patronize an establishment that had a COVID exposure or not .
The same way as Health Grades are published , COVID exposure should be published , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required , any restaurant or business can independently alert customers to potential exposure .
At least half a dozen eateries have reported infections on social media in recent weeks .
Augustino ’ s Italian Restaurant in Garden Grove , for instance , announced on Facebook that it was closing July 1 after a staff member may have been exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus .
The restaurant posted an update five days later saying it would reopen after all staff members tested negative .
PokeBowl in Ladera Ranch issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into contact with someone with known exposure .
Golden Road Brewery in Huntington Beach , which reopened Wednesday morning , posted a notice on Facebook last week announcing its temporary closure after a staff member tested positive .
Adolfo ’ s in Laguna Beach posted a similar message last week after its owner tested positive for the virus , and 25 Degrees in Huntington Beach issued a message after a staff member tested positive .
Off the Hook in Los Alamitos voluntarily closed June 30 after testing all 110 employees and learning that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since reopened .
How health departments enforce safety protocols at restaurants is still shifting .
In Los Angeles County , the Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday directing the public health department to enact a policy to impose fines or revoke permits at restaurants that are not in compliance with COVID-19 health orders .
Orange County has not implemented such a rule .

Restaurants and other businesses in Orange County are not required to tell customers about coronavirus cases among staff.
At least half a dozen restaurants in Orange County temporarily closed for cleaning after announcing an employee had tested positive for the coronavirus or had come into contact with someone exposed to COVID-19.
The additional closures follow similar plans to deep clean and sanitize spaces after restaurant employees at other locations became infected with COVID-19.
The county, which reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases and three new deaths Tuesday, is one of more than two dozen instructed by the state to temporarily suspend indoor operations at businesses, including restaurants, after a surge in infections.
That list includes Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. However, unlike the public health departments in those counties, which identify restaurants and businesses with a cluster of three or more coronavirus infections, the Orange County Health Care Agency does not share that information with the public, and officials say they have no immediate plans to do so.
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Restaurants are required to follow guidelines from Orange County’s health department about safety protocols to guard against the virus and must contact health officials if an employee tests positive. But in the absence of a public database, it’s up to individual restaurants to inform customers about positive tests among staff members.
In light of that, more than 1,000 people have signed a petition requesting the county to publish a list of restaurants that have closed amid coronavirus concerns as overall cases in the county near 19,000.
“As a consumer, I should decide if I want to patronize an establishment that had a COVID exposure or not. The same way as Health Grades are published, COVID exposure should be published,” the petition reads.
Though not currently required, any restaurant or business can independently alert customers to potential exposure. At least half a dozen eateries have reported infections on social media in recent weeks.
Augustino’s Italian Restaurant in Garden Grove, for instance, announced on Facebook that it was closing July 1 after a staff member may have been exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus. The restaurant posted an update five days later saying it would reopen after all staff members tested negative.
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PokeBowl in Ladera Ranch issued a similar message after a staff member came into contact with someone with known exposure.
Golden Road Brewery in Huntington Beach, which reopened Wednesday morning, posted a notice on Facebook last week announcing its temporary closure after a staff member tested positive. Adolfo’s in Laguna Beach posted a similar message last week after its owner tested positive for the virus, and 25 Degrees in Huntington Beach issued a message after a staff member tested positive.
Off the Hook in Los Alamitos voluntarily closed June 30 after testing all 110 employees and learning that three tested positive. The restaurant has since reopened.
How health departments enforce safety protocols at restaurants is still shifting. In Los Angeles County, the Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday directing the public health department to enact a policy to impose fines or revoke permits at restaurants that are not in compliance with COVID-19 health orders. Orange County has not implemented such a rule.


latimes--2020-07-08--San Francisco lawmaker proposes CAREN Act, making racially biased 911 calls illegal

As viral videos continue to show 911 calls being leveraged to threaten people of color , a San Francisco supervisor has introduced a new proposal to criminalize discriminatory emergency calls .
Supervisor Shamann Walton , who introduced the legislation Tuesday , calls it the CAREN Act .
The acronym stands for Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies , but the proposal seems to carry more meaning .
The name “ Karen ” has been used on social media to identify antagonistic , entitled white women .
More recently , the label has been applied to those caught on video showing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly calling police while exhibiting a false sense of distress .
Such calls aren ’ t new , but they have received growing attention in recent weeks after video of a white woman calling police on a Black man in Central Park went viral six weeks ago .
Amy Cooper called authorities to report she was being threatened by “ an African American man.
” The man — Christian Cooper , who was in the park to watch birds — videotaped the exchange and posted it on .
In the wake of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man killed in police custody in Minneapolis , dozens of “ Karen ” videos have spread across the internet , triggering outcry and ongoing conversations about race , access to public space and when it ’ s appropriate to call police .
But Walton says enough is enough .
“ This is the CAREN we need , ” he wrote in a tweet .
“ Within the last month and a half in the Bay Area , an individual called the police on a Black man who was dancing and exercising on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple called the police on a Filipino man stenciling ‘ Black Lives Matter ’ in chalk in front of his own residence in San Francisco ’ s Pacific Heights , ” Walton said in a news release .
He noted that California law made filing false police reports illegal but explained that his legislation went further by designating discriminatory 911 calls as hate crimes and providing civil remedy for people harmed by such calls .
“ Under existing laws , ” Walton said , “ there are no consequences for people who make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of another individual to be a threat due to their race , religion , ethnicity , religious affiliation , gender , sexual orientation , gender identity , or outward appearance.
” California Assemblyman Rob Bonta , who represents Oakland and serves as assistant majority leader , proposed similar legislation at the statehouse .
An amendment to his AB 1550 bill would also designate discriminatory calls as hate crimes and provide civil remedy for those harmed .
“ We must not allow people to use our 911 and law enforcement systems as weapons for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you are afraid of a black family barbecuing in the community park , a man dancing and doing his normal exercise routine in the bike lane or someone who asks you to comply with dog leash laws in a park , and your immediate response is to call the police , the real problem is with your own personal prejudice.
” Walton said his ordinance and Banta ’ s bill were “ part of a larger nationwide movement to address racial biases and implement consequences for weaponizing emergency resources with racist intentions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York and Oregon .
AB 1550 is currently in the California State Senate ’ s Safety Committee .
The CAREN Act has a 30-day hold after introduction but will likely then be heard by a Board of Supervisors committee and go into effect “ 30 days after the mayor signs the ordinance in San Francisco , ” Walton said .
On Monday , Amy Cooper was charged with filing a false police report for her viral Central Park incident .

San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, pictured in his Bayview District, has drafted an ordinance called the CAREN Act.
As viral videos continue to show 911 calls being leveraged to threaten people of color, a San Francisco supervisor has introduced a new proposal to criminalize discriminatory emergency calls.
Supervisor Shamann Walton, who introduced the legislation Tuesday, calls it the CAREN Act. The acronym stands for Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies, but the proposal seems to carry more meaning.
The name “Karen” has been used on social media to identify antagonistic, entitled white women. More recently, the label has been applied to those caught on video showing a prejudicial bias toward people of color, particularly calling police while exhibiting a false sense of distress.
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Such calls aren’t new, but they have received growing attention in recent weeks after video of a white woman calling police on a Black man in Central Park went viral six weeks ago. Amy Cooper called authorities to report she was being threatened by “an African American man.” The man — Christian Cooper, who was in the park to watch birds — videotaped the exchange and posted it on Twitter .
In the wake of the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed in police custody in Minneapolis, dozens of “Karen” videos have spread across the internet, triggering outcry and ongoing conversations about race, access to public space and when it’s appropriate to call police.
But Walton says enough is enough.
“This is the CAREN we need,” he wrote in a tweet.
Racist 911 calls are unacceptable that's why I'm introducing the CAREN Act at today’s SF Board of Supervisors meeting. This is the CAREN we need. Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies. #CARENact #sanfrancisco — Shamann Walton (@shamannwalton) July 7, 2020
“Within the last month and a half in the Bay Area, an individual called the police on a Black man who was dancing and exercising on the street in his Alameda neighborhood and a couple called the police on a Filipino man stenciling ‘Black Lives Matter’ in chalk in front of his own residence in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights,” Walton said in a news release.
He noted that California law made filing false police reports illegal but explained that his legislation went further by designating discriminatory 911 calls as hate crimes and providing civil remedy for people harmed by such calls.
“Under existing laws,” Walton said, “there are no consequences for people who make fraudulent emergency calls based on the perception of another individual to be a threat due to their race, religion, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or outward appearance.”
California Assemblyman Rob Bonta, who represents Oakland and serves as assistant majority leader, proposed similar legislation at the statehouse. An amendment to his AB 1550 bill would also designate discriminatory calls as hate crimes and provide civil remedy for those harmed.
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“We must not allow people to use our 911 and law enforcement systems as weapons for hate,” Bonta said. “If you are afraid of a black family barbecuing in the community park, a man dancing and doing his normal exercise routine in the bike lane or someone who asks you to comply with dog leash laws in a park, and your immediate response is to call the police, the real problem is with your own personal prejudice.”
Opinion Column: Is the ‘Karen’ meme sexist? Maybe, but it’s also apt The “Karen” meme has taken on new meaning during the coronavirus crisis as a label for someone who feels entitled to prioritize her own desires over public safety
Walton said his ordinance and Banta’s bill were “part of a larger nationwide movement to address racial biases and implement consequences for weaponizing emergency resources with racist intentions,” alongside similar bills in New York and Oregon.
AB 1550 is currently in the California State Senate’s Safety Committee. The CAREN Act has a 30-day hold after introduction but will likely then be heard by a Board of Supervisors committee and go into effect “30 days after the mayor signs the ordinance in San Francisco,” Walton said.
On Monday, Amy Cooper was charged with filing a false police report for her viral Central Park incident.


latimes--2020-07-08--California sets record for most coronavirus cases in a single day

The coronavirus outbreak continued to worsen in California this week , with 9,500 infections recorded on Tuesday — the most new cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began — and triple-digit fatalities that sent the statewide death toll past 6,500 .
California cases are on pace to double every 24.8 days , a number that is used by experts to measure how quickly the virus is spreading .
As of Wednesday afternoon , the state had 284,691 coronavirus cases .
Over the last week , there have been an average of 7,403 new coronavirus infections and 69.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data from The Times ’ tracker .
With cases continuing to climb and hospitalization numbers increasing , counties across the state have been forced to roll back business reopenings in an effort to stem the spread of the virus .
On Wednesday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom added Napa , Yolo and San Benito counties to the state ’ s list of counties being monitored for their rising case counts and increased hospitalizations .
If the counties remain on the list for three or more consecutive days , the state will require them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants , along with other indoor business operations , for at least three weeks .
There are now 26 of California ’ s 58 counties on the list .
While San Francisco has not appeared on the watch list , officials this week opted to delay loosening restrictions on businesses , including indoor dining at restaurants , which were scheduled to resume next week .
The city previously had suspended the reopening of hair salons , zoos , museums and outdoor bars .
San Francisco County had reported 4,020 recorded cases of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning .
“ We know the pause on reopening is disappointing , but we can not risk letting the virus get out of control , ” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said .
“ We all need to do our part by wearing face coverings , keeping your distance from others , and getting tested so we can get to a place where we can safely resume reopening.
” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a news conference Wednesday that people fed up with the stay-at-home order who have tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life have contributed to the increased spread of the disease in Southern California .
She said the county is at a “ critical juncture.
” “ We ’ re entering a phase in which we ’ re seeing community spread and hospitalizations like we saw in late April and what we hoped would be the height of infection here in L.A. County .
But as you ’ ve noted with us here this week , our cases are rising , the rate of infection is increasing and the number of hospitalizations are up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we do expect that more of our loved ones and neighbors may die of COVID-19 in the coming weeks with all of the increases we ’ re seeing with hospitalizations .
“ Even though we miss the way it used to be , it ’ s still not safe or smart to visit with friends or family we don ’ t live with , ” she added .
In Los Angeles County , which has the highest number of coronavirus cases and the most deaths in the state , officials confirmed 65 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
A day earlier , officials reported 4,015 new cases , the highest number of infections the county has reported in a single day .
There have been 3,642 deaths and more than 123,000 cases countywide .
Health officials attributed Tuesday ’ s spike to a backlog of roughly 2,000 tests between July 2 and July 5 .
However , officials also noted that the seven-day average for the county ’ s daily positivity rate — those who test positive for the virus — has climbed to 11.6 % .
On Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Access to testing has proved to be increasingly difficult in Los Angeles County , officials acknowledged Wednesday .
When the county began reopening businesses and protests erupted over the death of George Floyd , officials encouraged all residents to get tested for the virus , especially if they had been part of a protest or other large gathering .
But in recent weeks , the county has not been able to meet the high demand for testing .
Now , rather than encouraging widespread testing , health officials are asking individuals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , work in high-risk environments or have come into contact with a person with a known exposure .
At the same time , officials are trying to add additional county-funded testing sites and increase appointments at existing sites to keep up with demand .
“ This is the type of testing that is critical for public health purposes to be able to trace contacts and identify those who might transmit the virus to others , ” said Dr. Christina Ghaly , L.A. County ’ s director of health services .
“ If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , then you need to quarantine yourself for 14 days .
This is irrespective of whether or not you got a test and even if the test is negative.
” Orange County , which has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases in the state and the fourth most deaths , is also grappling with a surge in infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks .
The county ’ s positivity rate , which health officials use to gauge whether case numbers are increasing because of more testing or because there ’ s more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under 8 % over a seven-day period in mid-May .
As of Tuesday , the county had a case rate of 222 per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 14.2 % , according to county health data .
The state has set a desired standard average of 25 positive cases per 100,000 over a 14-day period and a seven-day average positive test rate of 8 % .
Health officials reported 1,010 new infections Tuesday , bringing the total number of cases to 18,892 .
Officials also reported three additional COVID-19 related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll at 369 .
The surge in new cases and the recent rollback of business reopenings prompted Supervisor Michelle Steel , who has repeatedly questioned the county health officer ’ s decision to mandate masks , to appeal to residents to wear a face covering .
“ This is of the utmost importance to protect your health and the health of others , so that we can return back to normal as quickly as possible , ” she said in a statement .
A new projection by the University of Washington ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said California could see a cumulative death toll of about 16,800 by Nov. 1 — an increase of more than 150 % over the state ’ s current fatalities .
However , the projection notes that death numbers could be dramatically lower if 95 % of California residents always wore a mask in public .
In a universal masking scenario , California may see only about 12,000 deaths , the data show .
Newsom on Wednesday again urged Californians to take personal responsibility in slowing the spread of the virus by wearing masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through frequent handwashing .
He noted that “ hundreds of people across this country are dying on a daily basis because of this disease.
” “ I hope all of us are sober about that and cognizant of the moment we ’ re in and the vulnerability that everyone has in this moment , ” he said .
He added that while conditions will eventually improve , it is not clear when .
“ That ’ s determined by how we conduct ourselves and how we behave , ” he said .

The coronavirus outbreak continued to worsen in California this week, with 9,500 infections recorded on Tuesday — the most new cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began — and triple-digit fatalities that sent the statewide death toll past 6,500.
California cases are on pace to double every 24.8 days, a number that is used by experts to measure how quickly the virus is spreading. As of Wednesday afternoon, the state had 284,691 coronavirus cases.
Over the last week, there have been an average of 7,403 new coronavirus infections and 69.6 new deaths per day, according to data from The Times’ tracker. With cases continuing to climb and hospitalization numbers increasing, counties across the state have been forced to roll back business reopenings in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.
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On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom added Napa, Yolo and San Benito counties to the state’s list of counties being monitored for their rising case counts and increased hospitalizations. If the counties remain on the list for three or more consecutive days, the state will require them to close bars and indoor dining in restaurants, along with other indoor business operations, for at least three weeks. There are now 26 of California’s 58 counties on the list.
While San Francisco has not appeared on the watch list, officials this week opted to delay loosening restrictions on businesses, including indoor dining at restaurants, which were scheduled to resume next week. The city previously had suspended the reopening of hair salons, zoos, museums and outdoor bars.
San Francisco County had reported 4,020 recorded cases of the coronavirus and 50 deaths as of Wednesday morning.
“We know the pause on reopening is disappointing, but we cannot risk letting the virus get out of control,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said. “We all need to do our part by wearing face coverings, keeping your distance from others, and getting tested so we can get to a place where we can safely resume reopening.”
L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a news conference Wednesday that people fed up with the stay-at-home order who have tried to return to a pre-pandemic way of life have contributed to the increased spread of the disease in Southern California. She said the county is at a “critical juncture.”
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“We’re entering a phase in which we’re seeing community spread and hospitalizations like we saw in late April and what we hoped would be the height of infection here in L.A. County. But as you’ve noted with us here this week, our cases are rising, the rate of infection is increasing and the number of hospitalizations are up,” she said. “Tragically, we do expect that more of our loved ones and neighbors may die of COVID-19 in the coming weeks with all of the increases we’re seeing with hospitalizations.
“Even though we miss the way it used to be, it’s still not safe or smart to visit with friends or family we don’t live with,” she added.
In Los Angeles County, which has the highest number of coronavirus cases and the most deaths in the state, officials confirmed 65 new coronavirus-related deaths and 2,496 additional cases Wednesday. A day earlier, officials reported 4,015 new cases, the highest number of infections the county has reported in a single day.
There have been 3,642 deaths and more than 123,000 cases countywide.
Health officials attributed Tuesday’s spike to a backlog of roughly 2,000 tests between July 2 and July 5. However, officials also noted that the seven-day average for the county’s daily positivity rate — those who test positive for the virus — has climbed to 11.6%. On Monday, it was just below 10%.
Access to testing has proved to be increasingly difficult in Los Angeles County, officials acknowledged Wednesday.
When the county began reopening businesses and protests erupted over the death of George Floyd, officials encouraged all residents to get tested for the virus, especially if they had been part of a protest or other large gathering. But in recent weeks, the county has not been able to meet the high demand for testing.
Now, rather than encouraging widespread testing, health officials are asking individuals to get tested only if they have symptoms, work in high-risk environments or have come into contact with a person with a known exposure. At the same time, officials are trying to add additional county-funded testing sites and increase appointments at existing sites to keep up with demand.
“This is the type of testing that is critical for public health purposes to be able to trace contacts and identify those who might transmit the virus to others,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County’s director of health services. “If you are exposed to someone with a known infection, then you need to quarantine yourself for 14 days. This is irrespective of whether or not you got a test and even if the test is negative.”
Orange County, which has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases in the state and the fourth most deaths, is also grappling with a surge in infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks.
The county’s positivity rate, which health officials use to gauge whether case numbers are increasing because of more testing or because there’s more disease spreading within the community, was under 8% over a seven-day period in mid-May. As of Tuesday, the county had a case rate of 222 per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 14.2%, according to county health data.
The state has set a desired standard average of 25 positive cases per 100,000 over a 14-day period and a seven-day average positive test rate of 8%.
Health officials reported 1,010 new infections Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 18,892. Officials also reported three additional COVID-19 related deaths, putting the county’s death toll at 369.
The surge in new cases and the recent rollback of business reopenings prompted Supervisor Michelle Steel, who has repeatedly questioned the county health officer’s decision to mandate masks, to appeal to residents to wear a face covering.
“This is of the utmost importance to protect your health and the health of others, so that we can return back to normal as quickly as possible,” she said in a statement.
California Newsom says reopening of California schools to be based on safety, not pressure from Trump Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the decision on reopening schools this fall will be made by local education and health officials and he does not feel pressured by statements from President Trump urging campuses to bring back students.
A new projection by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said California could see a cumulative death toll of about 16,800 by Nov. 1 — an increase of more than 150% over the state’s current fatalities.
However, the projection notes that death numbers could be dramatically lower if 95% of California residents always wore a mask in public. In a universal masking scenario, California may see only about 12,000 deaths, the data show.
Newsom on Wednesday again urged Californians to take personal responsibility in slowing the spread of the virus by wearing masks, practicing physical distancing when possible and through frequent handwashing.
He noted that “hundreds of people across this country are dying on a daily basis because of this disease.”
“I hope all of us are sober about that and cognizant of the moment we’re in and the vulnerability that everyone has in this moment,” he said. He added that while conditions will eventually improve, it is not clear when.
“That’s determined by how we conduct ourselves and how we behave,” he said.
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-08--Coronavirus spike jeopardizes reopening of K-12 schools, L.A. County's top health official warns

The pending reopening of K-12 campuses is suddenly at risk because of the ongoing surge of coronavirus cases , and all public and private schools must prepare for students to continue learning entirely from home , Los Angeles County ’ s top public health official has told local education leaders .
This sobering message was delivered Tuesday by county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer , in what she termed an “ off the record ” phone call with district superintendents and others that was not intended for the media or the public .
The Times obtained a recording of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this point needs to have plans in place to continue distance learning for 100 % of the time , ” Ferrer told school officials .
“ We would be irresponsible if we didn ’ t say to you that you have to have the backup plan ready.
” Ferrer ’ s warning came as an intense national debate , amplified by President Trump , has erupted over when and how schools should reopen — and how best to balance stopping the spread of the coronavirus with the harm done by keeping students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen campuses Wednesday by threatening in a tweet to withhold federal funding from schools that stay closed .
Without providing details , he said schools need to open five days a week .
“ In Germany , Denmark , Norway , Sweden and many other countries , SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS , ” Trump tweeted , overstating how much those European countries have rebounded from the coronavirus .
“ The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election , but is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May cut off funding if not open !
” When asked about Trump ’ s comments , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom said that local districts need flexibility in how they reopen campuses and that safety is “ nonnegotiable.
” Students and school employees should not face unacceptable risk , he said .
“ I fear that more than I fear a tweet , ” Newsom said .
In-person teaching is best , he said , but however instruction takes place , “ foundationally we need to require learning.
” Ferrer , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing for educators , said she remained hopeful that campuses could reopen as anticipated and said administrators should continue to develop those plans .
And even if campuses can not reopen to start the school year , the delay might be for weeks rather than a longer period .
“ I think it ’ s completely appropriate to move forward with our plans as we had anticipated before — hoping that there would be opportunity to allow for children and teachers and staff to get back into their buildings , to really have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so desperate for , ” she said .
“ That also has huge implications for working parents.
” All the same , “ it would be foolish , given where our numbers are , for school districts not to have that [ distance learning ] plan in their back pocket , ” she said .
The county is planning to release more detailed guidelines for reopening campuses this week .
They will include requiring all teachers and students older than 2 to wear face coverings at virtually all times .
There will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a serious medical consequence .
In those cases , however , others in contact with that student would be required to wear a medical-grade protective face covering .
Students also must be six feet apart in classes .
In spaces where this is impossible , an alternate plan would be to set up partitions between desks , county health specialists said on the call .
In California , school systems are working out hybrid schedules , in which students would be on campus part time in small groups , while working the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online and offline .
The smaller groupings and staggered , part-time campus schedules are necessary to comply with requirements to keep students apart .
A separation of six feet has become a common benchmark , both at the local and federal level , including from the Centers for Disease Control , which is overseen by the Trump administration .
Yet Trump took aim at these standards in another tweet : “ I disagree with @ CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools .
While they want them open , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impractical things .
I will be meeting with them !
!
!
” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos referred with scorn to staggered schedules , calling a plan by the Fairfax County , Va. , school system a “ so-called choice ” for families of zero or two days per week on campus .
Schools , she said , “ must fully open and they must be fully operational.
” A coalition of teachers unions and education organizations have responded by saying that while reopening remains the goal , the effort should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that additional federal aid is needed for schools to manage increased costs .
While school systems already received a substantial portion of federal coronavirus-related funding approved earlier this year , a larger aid package is currently stalled in Congress .
The Trump administration also has pressured colleges and universities to return to a more normal schedule .
One tactic , announced this week , would force non-citizen students to leave the country if their coursework is online only .
Many universities , including those in the UC system , have a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s back-to-campus argument is based on the importance of restarting the economy by allowing more parents to return to work while also benefiting students .
The health risks , said the administration , can be adequately managed .
There is broad agreement among experts that the near-worldwide school shutdown has harmed students academically and psychologically .
Schools in some countries have reopened , but there ’ s debate over what conclusions to draw from these examples .
Key Florida state officials have sided with the president , threatening to withhold funding from school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona , led by a Republican governor and Trump ally , could comply substantially with the president ’ s exhortations for the fall , but recently closed all state campuses until Aug. 17 .
Hospitals in parts of that state are at risk of being overwhelmed with coronavirus patients .
Ferrer told school leaders said she was concerned that a similar situation could evolve locally , which would ultimately influence whether it would be sensible to reopen schools .
“ We ’ re being realistic about how much this county can afford to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we have as much community transmission as we have right now , ” Ferrer said .
She added that she did not expect the outlook to improve in the next two weeks because of recent and widespread noncompliance with health directives on social distancing and wearing face coverings .
But time remains to reverse negative trends before the start of the school year , she said .
L.A. Unified is scheduled to begin its academic year on Aug. 18 .
Supt .
Austin Beutner said Monday that the district has made no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hybrid schedule or whether classes will remain exclusively online .
He ’ s said that a key factor could be whether state and local officials take charge of necessary testing for the coronavirus and contact tracing .
Ferrer offered limited encouragement on that front Tuesday , saying the sheer number of schools made it impossible for the county to take the lead .
“ It ’ s highly likely that in most of your school settings over the course of the next year , you will experience a positive case , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a source of support , but there ’ s thousands of school buildings in L.A. County , and we ’ re really going to rely heavily on every school district to have good plans in place.
” She also said it would be neither practical nor effective to launch a widespread , school-based testing program at this time .
“ Certainly if you have three cases in your building ... you ’ re required by law to notify us , and then we ’ ll be part of an active investigation @ @ @ @ @

Cerritos Elementary School Principal Perla Chavez-Fritz, left, shows her Glendale campus to L.A. County schools Supt. Debra Duardo. School districts statewide face decisions on how and when to reopen their campuses.
The pending reopening of K-12 campuses is suddenly at risk because of the ongoing surge of coronavirus cases, and all public and private schools must prepare for students to continue learning entirely from home, Los Angeles County’s top public health official has told local education leaders.
This sobering message was delivered by county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, in what she termed an “off the record” phone call Tuesday afternoon with district superintendents and others that was not intended for the media or the public. The Times obtained a recording of the call.
“Every single school district at this point needs to have plans in place to continue distance learning for 100% of the time,” Ferrer told school officials. “Given where our numbers are,” she said, referring to infections and hospitalizations, “we would be irresponsible if we didn’t say to you that you have to have the backup plan ready.”
If campuses can’t open for the start of the school year, she added, they might be able to open later in the semester.
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County health directives govern 80 school districts serving about 1.5 million children.
Ferrer’s warning adds to the ongoing exasperation for parents, and came as an intense national debate, amplified by President Trump, has erupted over when and how schools should reopen — and how best to balance stopping the spread of the coronavirus with the harm done by keeping students home.
Trump stepped up his drive to reopen campuses Wednesday by threatening in a tweet to withhold federal funding from schools that stay closed, while also asserting, “In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS,” a claim that has been disputed.
When asked about Trump’s comments, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that local districts are empowered to make their own decisions on reopening and need flexibility to determine how to do it, adding that safety is “nonnegotiable.” Students and school employees should not face unacceptable risk, he said.
“I fear that more than I fear a tweet,” Newsom said.
In-person teaching is best, he said, but however instruction takes place, “foundationally we need to require learning.”
At a Wednesday public briefing, in response to a question about Trump’s comments, Ferrer said she wanted to focus on saving lives and not on politics. In response to another question about reopening schools, she reiterated some points from her call with education leaders.
She said she remains hopeful that campuses can reopen as anticipated and said administrators should continue to develop those plans.
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The county is planning to release more detailed guidelines for reopening campuses in days. They will include requiring all teachers and all students older than 2 to wear face coverings at virtually all times. There will be rare exceptions for students at risk of a serious medical consequence. In those cases, however, others in contact with that student would be required to wear a medical-grade protective face covering.
Students also must be six feet apart in classes. In spaces where that is impossible, an alternate plan would be to set up partitions between desks, county health specialists said on the call.
In California, school systems are working out hybrid schedules, in which students would be on campus part time in small groups, while working the rest of the time at home, both online and offline.
Public health guidelines generally call for smaller student groupings and staggered, part-time campus schedules to comply with requirements to keep students apart. A separation of six feet has become a common benchmark, both at the local and federal level, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is overseen by the Trump administration.
But in another tweet, Trump took aim at the CDC’s “very tough & expensive guidelines,” which he also called “impractical...I will be meeting with them!!!”
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos referred with scorn to staggered schedules being adopted by many districts, including New York City’s public schools. She called a plan by the Fairfax County, Va., school system a “so-called choice” for offering two options for families: either two days per week on campus or no days, making use of only online instruction.
Schools, she said, “must fully open and they must be fully operational.”
A coalition of teachers unions and education organizations said reopening campuses should be guided by science and data and that additional federal aid is needed for schools to manage increased costs. Although school systems already received a substantial portion of federal coronavirus-related funding approved earlier this year, a larger aid package is currently stalled in Congress.
Trump’s push to reopen campuses benefits both the economy and students, he argued. The health risks, said the administration, can be adequately managed.
There is broad agreement among experts that the near-worldwide school shutdown has harmed students academically and psychologically.
Sofia Quezada, whose daughters attend Euclid Avenue Elementary and Hollenbeck Middle School in Boyle Heights, said she feels like the campus closures have forced her into the role of “substitute teacher — and I don’t have a lesson plan.”
“In-person instruction is far more valuable,” she said, but both her daughters have asthma, increasing the risk of serious complication if they catch COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus: “Health comes first.”
Schools in some countries have reopened, but there’s debate over what conclusions to draw from those examples.
Key Florida state officials have sided with the president, threatening to withhold funding from school systems that don’t reopen. Arizona, led by a Republican governor and Trump ally, could comply substantially with the president’s exhortations for the fall, but recently closed all state campuses until Aug. 17. Hospitals in parts of that state are at risk of being overwhelmed with coronavirus patients.
Ferrer told school leaders she was concerned that a similar situation could evolve locally, which would ultimately influence whether it would be sensible to reopen schools.
“We’re being realistic about how much this county can afford to have another million people out and about when we have as much community transmission as we have right now,” Ferrer said.
She added that she did not expect the outlook to improve in the next two weeks because of recent and widespread noncompliance with health directives on social distancing and wearing face coverings. But time remains to reverse negative trends before the start of the school year, she said.
Across California school districts are grappling one by one with safety concerns. San Francisco school officials on Wednesday said they have not yet made a decision for fall reopening, but are preparing a safety plan to bring students back to campus.
L.A. Unified is scheduled to begin its academic year on Aug. 18. Supt. Austin Beutner said this week that the district has made no decision on whether the district will offer a hybrid schedule or whether classes will remain exclusively online. He’s said that a key factor could be whether state and local officials take charge of necessary testing for the coronavirus and contact tracing.
Ferrer offered limited encouragement on that front Tuesday, saying the sheer number of schools made it impossible for the county to take the lead.
“It’s highly likely that in most of your school settings over the course of the next year, you will experience a positive case,” Ferrer said. “We are here to be a source of support, but there’s thousands of school buildings in L.A. County, and we’re really going to rely heavily on every school district to have good plans in place.”
She also said it would be neither practical nor effective to launch a widespread, school-based testing program at this time.
“Certainly if you have three cases in your building ... you’re required by law to notify us, and then we’ll be part of an active investigation,” Ferrer said.
Noam Levey in Washington and Nina Agrawal in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Stokols reported from Washington and Blume from Los Angeles.


latimes--2020-07-08--Commentary: A fitting end to the last Confederate monument in Southern California

And then there were none .
You might have missed it , but the last known Confederate monument in Southern California has been removed from public view .
Without fanfare or fuss .
The memorial had been placed along Highway 99 near Bakersfield almost 80 years ago by the United Daughters of the Confederacy , whose specialty was sponsoring monuments to white supremacy across the nation .
The unassuming commemorative plaque was part of a bizarre plan to celebrate Jefferson Davis , the president of the Confederate States , as “ Father of National Highways.
” Three weeks ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a weedy outdoor storage area and fenced off from public view behind the Kern County Museum .
Davis was a stalwart supporter of Black chattel slavery .
The former U.S. Army colonel and Mississippi senator initially opposed the South ’ s secession .
But in 1861 he accepted the call to assume the presidency of the Confederate States because he saw no other way to maintain the slave system .
Davis owed his own wealth to the forced labor of more than 100 Black enslaved people who worked on his cotton plantation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the circular concrete marker with a simple bronze plaque was dedicated on Oct. 14 , 1942 .
( Just 10 days earlier , the notorious Nazi Hermann Göring , director of Germany ’ s Jewish slave camps , declared that World War II should be called the War of the Races . )
The Southern California highway project was led by the UDC ’ s local Mildred Lee Chapter 1580 , named for the sister of Gen. Robert E. Lee .
The marker ’ s original location is unknown .
But in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 99 to create a modern automotive spine for the Central Valley , it was dug up and moved to the sprawling grounds of the Kern County Museum .
For the next half-century it sat in a flower bed in an employee parking lot — a sort of landmine of racist commemoration , undisturbed and without explanatory context , waiting to detonate in the mind of any hapless passerby .
The plaque ’ s text makes a ludicrous claim — contorting history , as all Lost Cause propaganda does .
For example , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the term “ War Between the States , ” furthering the false impression that an honorable argument over state ’ s rights animated secession ’ s epic bloodshed rather than the shameful brutality of slavery .
Any essayist who used “ Civil War ” was immediately disqualified .
In similar fashion , the plaque chirps that , as secretary of War in 1853 , Davis “ surveyed for military use three routes across the United States .
These routes are today our national highways.
” In reality , Davis launched four surveys for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Central and two Southern Pacific surveys — plus a fifth survey up the West Coast .
But those railway plans aren ’ t what motivated the UDC ’ s cockamamie highway scheme .
Carl G. Fisher , a Midwest tycoon in the newly burgeoning automotive parts business , was actually the man who promoted construction of a national highway .
In 1912 , he dreamed it would reach from New York City ’ s Times Square to San Francisco ’ s Lincoln Park .
A year later , just at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 16th president were on the drawing board for the Mall in Washington , D.C. , the Abraham Lincoln National Highway opened with a splash .
Determined that the South should rise again , they soon hatched an idea for a corresponding Jefferson Davis National Highway that would span the Southern states .
By cobbling together a network of existing local roads in scores of communities , it would stretch from Arlington , Va. , to San Diego .
Over the next three decades , highway markers went up sporadically across the Cotton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Arizona .
The Pacific terminus was marked in San Diego ’ s downtown Horton Plaza .
Eventually , the group came up with a plan to more deeply embed their Lost Cause mythology .
The fifth Davis railway survey went from San Diego to Seattle , effectively linking Mexico and Canada .
The UDC decided to take a right turn at the Pacific Ocean .
They added a Jefferson Davis Highway leg to connect South to North through the Golden State ’ s Central Valley .
The small and otherwise innocuous Bakersfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised-bronze letters spells out Davis ’ respectable pre-Civil War government job for the United States — “ Secretary of War in 1853 ” — and makes no mention of the Confederacy .
If you didn ’ t already know the name , you wouldn ’ t know that a traitor who took up arms against his country for monstrous personal gain was being hailed as a “ father ” of modern America .
In one corrupt sense he is certainly that , if only ironically , given the apparent intransigence of white patriarchy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reunification of a split nation , North and South , was the benevolent UDC shield designed to hide the Jim Crow poison of enforcing white supremacy .
The UDC placed its highway markers with the cooperation of local jurisdictions .
On Feb. 1 , 1946 , on the heels of American victory in World War II , the group went big .
It looked to the California Legislature for formal , statewide designation of Highway 99 under Davis ’ name .
Prominent Assemblyman Thomas H. Werdel — a conservative Bakersfield Republican — agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not pass .
In an interview , Mike McCoy , executive director of the Kern County Museum , said of the highway marker : “ It ’ s a millstone.
” He was describing the monument ’ s flat , bulky round shape .
But he could as easily have been describing its social impact .
Jim Crow-era Confederate monuments drag down progress toward authentic reconciliation .
How the marker got to the museum McCoy did not know , but he said it was never formally entered into the collection as a historical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chorus swelled across the country for the removal of Confederate monuments after yet more killings of innocent Black Americans by police in Georgia , Kentucky and Minnesota , McCoy received an email from a student at UC Merced .
She was angry about the Davis marker .
The director , who did not divulge the student ’ s name , understood the gravity of the affront to her .
The monument was promptly removed from public view .
Longtime Bakersfield Californian columnist Robert Price mentioned the ejection in passing in a rambunctious story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis Highway marker is not grand , but it represents an outsize arrogance embedded deep within American society .
Often , the routine conceit is so pervasive as to simply merge into the civic landscape .
Take South High School , a few miles from the museum , which announces itself in blaring painted murals and flashing digital signage as “ Home of the Rebels.
” School paraphernalia features a gray and blue color-scheme and an emblem of crossed swords .
The yearbook is named for Virginia ’ s famous ironclad Confederate warship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1957 .
Arkansas ’ s Little Rock Central High was then grabbing headlines for noisily defying integration requirements imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court ’ s recent landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education .
For a new public school like South High , the implications of a Civil War theme with a Confederate tilt are hard to miss — especially when it spreads out into a surrounding neighborhood of tidy bungalows along residential streets named Sumter , Shenandoah , Raider , Monitor , Merrimac and Rebel Court .
Plantation Elementary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South High athletic fields on a street with the same name , opened in 1962 .
That was the year Air Force veteran James Meredith became the first Black student to enroll at the segregated University of Mississippi , escorted past jeering white supremacists by federal troops dispatched by the Kennedy administration .
Chicano writer Nicholas Belardes , in a bracing recent essay posted on Boom California , the online journal of UC Press , called for elimination of all those words and symbols , which he faced daily growing up in Bakersfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and shake off — the steady , stealthy pressure for assimilation into white culture being implied .
Historian of 19th century America Kevin Waite once wrote that the largest monument to the Confederacy is not made of bronze and placed on a pedestal ; it ’ s paved in asphalt .
Like the schools , the Jefferson Davis Highway thrums with an implicit tribute to white supremacy that is embedded “ in the very infrastructure of the nation itself.
” The Southern Poverty Law Center audited that national infrastructure in 2016 after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nine Black Americans at the historic “ Mother Emanuel ” African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston , S.C. , that shocked the nation .
A comprehensive inventory of more than 1,800 Confederate public monuments , signs and symbols across the country was compiled .
Since then , 145 related to Davis alone have been removed .
Now , make that 146 .
The Bakersfield marker was the last of four then still displayed in Southern California to honor advocacy for a white America .
San Diego ’ s Horton Plaza marker quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee schools soon changed their names .
The museum ’ s McCoy isn ’ t sure what will become of Southern California ’ s last Confederate monument .
Transfer of the object to the improperly named Jefferson Davis “ presidential library ” in Biloxi , Miss.
, owned by the Sons of the Confederacy , is a poor idea : United for Libraries , a division of the American Library Assn.
, recently rescinded the organization ’ s Literary Landmark designation because of its continued promotion of fraudulent Lost Cause claims .
Perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a museum display illuminating the highway ’ s racist history , including its Kern County past .
That would be useful .
Whatever the case , for now it ’ s right where it belongs — resting quietly out back in the trash .

And then there were none.
You might have missed it, but the last known Confederate monument in Southern California has been removed from public view. Without fanfare or fuss.
The memorial had been placed along Highway 99 near Bakersfield almost 80 years ago by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, whose specialty was sponsoring monuments to white supremacy across the nation. The unassuming commemorative plaque was part of a bizarre plan to celebrate Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States, as “Father of National Highways.”
Three weeks ago, the 800-pound marker was hauled off to a weedy outdoor storage area and fenced off from public view behind the Kern County Museum.
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Davis was a stalwart supporter of Black chattel slavery. The former U.S. Army colonel and Mississippi senator initially opposed the South’s secession. But in 1861 he accepted the call to assume the presidency of the Confederate States because he saw no other way to maintain the slave system. Davis owed his own wealth to the forced labor of more than 100 Black enslaved people who worked on his cotton plantation, just south of Vicksburg.
In Bakersfield, the circular concrete marker with a simple bronze plaque was dedicated on Oct. 14, 1942. (Just 10 days earlier, the notorious Nazi Hermann Göring, director of Germany’s Jewish slave camps, declared that World War II should be called the War of the Races.) The Southern California highway project was led by the UDC’s local Mildred Lee Chapter 1580, named for the sister of Gen. Robert E. Lee.
The marker’s original location is unknown. But in 1968, when the state expanded Highway 99 to create a modern automotive spine for the Central Valley, it was dug up and moved to the sprawling grounds of the Kern County Museum. For the next half-century it sat in a flower bed in an employee parking lot — a sort of landmine of racist commemoration, undisturbed and without explanatory context, waiting to detonate in the mind of any hapless passerby.
The raised-bronze text of the plaque makes no mention of Jefferson Davis’ role as president of the Confederate States. (Robert Price)
The plaque’s text makes a ludicrous claim — contorting history, as all Lost Cause propaganda does. For example, a prominent UDC essay contest required use of the term “War Between the States,” furthering the false impression that an honorable argument over state’s rights animated secession’s epic bloodshed rather than the shameful brutality of slavery. Any essayist who used “Civil War” was immediately disqualified.
In similar fashion, the plaque chirps that, as secretary of War in 1853, Davis “surveyed for military use three routes across the United States. These routes are today our national highways.”
In reality, Davis launched four surveys for possible transcontinental railway paths — a Northern, a Central and two Southern Pacific surveys — plus a fifth survey up the West Coast. But those railway plans aren’t what motivated the UDC’s cockamamie highway scheme.
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Abraham Lincoln was.
Carl G. Fisher, a Midwest tycoon in the newly burgeoning automotive parts business, was actually the man who promoted construction of a national highway. In 1912, he dreamed it would reach from New York City’s Times Square to San Francisco’s Lincoln Park. A year later, just at the moment plans for a national memorial to the 16th president were on the drawing board for the Mall in Washington, D.C., the Abraham Lincoln National Highway opened with a splash.
The UDC was abashed.
Determined that the South should rise again, they soon hatched an idea for a corresponding Jefferson Davis National Highway that would span the Southern states. By cobbling together a network of existing local roads in scores of communities, it would stretch from Arlington, Va., to San Diego.
Over the next three decades, highway markers went up sporadically across the Cotton Belt and into Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The Pacific terminus was marked in San Diego’s downtown Horton Plaza.
Eventually, the group came up with a plan to more deeply embed their Lost Cause mythology. The fifth Davis railway survey went from San Diego to Seattle, effectively linking Mexico and Canada. The UDC decided to take a right turn at the Pacific Ocean. They added a Jefferson Davis Highway leg to connect South to North through the Golden State’s Central Valley.
Kern County’s Highway 99 got its marker.
The small and otherwise innocuous Bakersfield monument is insidious. Its text of raised-bronze letters spells out Davis’ respectable pre-Civil War government job for the United States — “Secretary of War in 1853” — and makes no mention of the Confederacy. If you didn’t already know the name, you wouldn’t know that a traitor who took up arms against his country for monstrous personal gain was being hailed as a “father” of modern America.
In one corrupt sense he is certainly that, if only ironically, given the apparent intransigence of white patriarchy represented by such monuments. The harmonious reunification of a split nation, North and South, was the benevolent UDC shield designed to hide the Jim Crow poison of enforcing white supremacy.
The UDC placed its highway markers with the cooperation of local jurisdictions. On Feb. 1, 1946, on the heels of American victory in World War II, the group went big. It looked to the California Legislature for formal, statewide designation of Highway 99 under Davis’ name.
Prominent Assemblyman Thomas H. Werdel — a conservative Bakersfield Republican — agreed to enter the resolution. It did not pass.
In an interview, Mike McCoy, executive director of the Kern County Museum, said of the highway marker: “It’s a millstone.” He was describing the monument’s flat, bulky round shape. But he could as easily have been describing its social impact. Jim Crow-era Confederate monuments drag down progress toward authentic reconciliation.
How the marker got to the museum McCoy did not know, but he said it was never formally entered into the collection as a historical artifact.
In June, as the chorus swelled across the country for the removal of Confederate monuments after yet more killings of innocent Black Americans by police in Georgia, Kentucky and Minnesota, McCoy received an email from a student at UC Merced. She was angry about the Davis marker.
The director, who did not divulge the student’s name, understood the gravity of the affront to her. The monument was promptly removed from public view. Longtime Bakersfield Californian columnist Robert Price mentioned the ejection in passing in a rambunctious story about a local Confederate-era conman.
The Davis Highway marker is not grand, but it represents an outsize arrogance embedded deep within American society. Often, the routine conceit is so pervasive as to simply merge into the civic landscape.
Take South High School, a few miles from the museum, which announces itself in blaring painted murals and flashing digital signage as “Home of the Rebels.” School paraphernalia features a gray and blue color-scheme and an emblem of crossed swords. The yearbook is named for Virginia’s famous ironclad Confederate warship, the Merrimac.
The motto of Bakersfield’s 1957 South High School is “Home of the Rebels.” (Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times)
Bakersfield’s Plantation Elementary School opened in 1962. (Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times)
South High opened in 1957. Arkansas’s Little Rock Central High was then grabbing headlines for noisily defying integration requirements imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. For a new public school like South High, the implications of a Civil War theme with a Confederate tilt are hard to miss — especially when it spreads out into a surrounding neighborhood of tidy bungalows along residential streets named Sumter, Shenandoah, Raider, Monitor, Merrimac and Rebel Court.
Plantation Elementary School, one short block past the South High athletic fields on a street with the same name, opened in 1962. That was the year Air Force veteran James Meredith became the first Black student to enroll at the segregated University of Mississippi, escorted past jeering white supremacists by federal troops dispatched by the Kennedy administration.
Chicano writer Nicholas Belardes, in a bracing recent essay posted on Boom California, the online journal of UC Press, called for elimination of all those words and symbols, which he faced daily growing up in Bakersfield. It took him years to understand — and shake off — the steady, stealthy pressure for assimilation into white culture being implied.
Historian of 19th century America Kevin Waite once wrote that the largest monument to the Confederacy is not made of bronze and placed on a pedestal; it’s paved in asphalt. Like the schools, the Jefferson Davis Highway thrums with an implicit tribute to white supremacy that is embedded “in the very infrastructure of the nation itself.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center audited that national infrastructure in 2016 after a white supremacist’s brutal murder of nine Black Americans at the historic “Mother Emanuel” African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., that shocked the nation. A comprehensive inventory of more than 1,800 Confederate public monuments, signs and symbols across the country was compiled.
Since then, 145 related to Davis alone have been removed. Now, make that 146.
The Bakersfield marker was the last of four then still displayed in Southern California to honor advocacy for a white America. San Diego’s Horton Plaza marker quickly came down, and two Robert E. Lee schools soon changed their names.
The museum’s McCoy isn’t sure what will become of Southern California’s last Confederate monument. Transfer of the object to the improperly named Jefferson Davis “presidential library” in Biloxi, Miss., owned by the Sons of the Confederacy, is a poor idea: United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Assn., recently rescinded the organization’s Literary Landmark designation because of its continued promotion of fraudulent Lost Cause claims.
Perhaps the marker could be fully contextualized in a museum display illuminating the highway’s racist history, including its Kern County past. That would be useful. Whatever the case, for now it’s right where it belongs — resting quietly out back in the trash.


latimes--2020-07-08--Andres Guardado was shot five times in the back, family autopsy finds

Attorneys representing the family of Andres Guardado , who was killed by a Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputy in Gardena last month , say an independent autopsy has found that the 18-year-old was shot five times in the back .
The attorneys said Wednesday that the preliminary findings showed that Guardado died as a result of gunshot wounds to his trunk and that he also sustained a graze to his left forearm with a forward trajectory .
The attorneys released a photo of Guardado ’ s back with five bullet wounds .
They said preliminary forensic toxicology results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or alcohol in his system .
The full report was not released .
Guardado was shot and killed June 18 about 6 p.m. , after deputies saw him speaking to someone in a car blocking the entrance to a body shop on West Redondo Beach Boulevard .
Authorities said Guardado “ produced a handgun ” and ran away and that deputies chased him .
When deputies reached him , one fired , officials said .
Family members and activists have expressed skepticism about the narrative .
His family said Guardado worked as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent autopsy after the department placed a “ security hold ” on the results of the official report prepared by the L.A. County coroner ’ s office .
The attorneys said the independent findings showed that Guardado ’ s death was “ the result of unjustified police violence against an innocent young man ” and called on the Sheriff ’ s Department to release the coroner ’ s report .
Sheriff ’ s Lt. Charles Calderaro declined to comment Wednesday on the family ’ s findings but said the security hold on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon , possibly in the next couple weeks .
“ I know there ’ s people that want answers , but when you conduct a thorough investigation sometimes you need to protect the integrity of future statements you might be getting , ” he said .
As of Wednesday , he said , investigators had not located any video of the incident .
“ Trust me , I could tell you we ’ re doing a very thorough investigation , ” Calderaro said .
“ When it ’ s completed , the answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved have been identified as Miguel Vega , who opened fire , and Chris Hernandez , who did not shoot .
Their attorneys have told The Times that the shooting was justified .
At a news briefing Wednesday , Cmdr .
Chris Marks said that the deputy who did not shoot has been interviewed and that the deputy who fired is scheduled to be interviewed within a week .
He did not name Vega or Hernandez .
Deputies are not compelled to speak with investigators until the criminal investigation is completed but usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting .
“ We ’ re on his timetable , ” Marks said , adding that the deputy is entitled to his Fifth Amendment rights .
“ We want his cooperation.
” Marks said the Sheriff ’ s Department is aware of the family ’ s independent autopsy .
He said that homicide investigators have not yet been notified that the official coroner ’ s report has been completed and therefore said he could not comment on the findings .
Tom Yu , an attorney representing Hernandez , said that his client saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , at some point during the chase , he pulled it out .
He said his client saw Guardado turn a corner and begin to prone out on the ground when the deputy heard Vega order Guardado to drop the gun .
Then Hernandez heard the gunfire , Yu said .
At that point , Hernandez only had a partial view of Guardado , Yu said .
In a statement Wednesday , Vega ’ s attorney Adam Marangell gave his client ’ s account of the incident .
He said Vega gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chase , but Guardado pulled out the gun .
He said Guardado then obeyed commands to stop , turned around and then raised both hands while still armed .
Guardado was ordered to place the firearm on the ground , which he did , Marangell said .
Guardado then placed himself face down on the ground , but the gun was near his right hand , Marangell said .
Vega then holstered his weapon and began approaching Guardado to cuff him while saying , “ Don ’ t reach for the gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s when Guardado reached for the gun and Vega opened fire .
“ The reported independent autopsy ’ s findings do not alter in any way the ultimate fact that Deputy Vega acted properly and lawfully , ” Marangell said in the statement .
The shooting has generated national attention and widespread calls for an independent investigation at a time of extra scrutiny of law enforcement spurred by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
There have been growing demands for answers by Guardado ’ s family and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests , including one that ended with deputies firing less-than-lethal weapons at the crowd .
Guardado ’ s parents said in a statement that the independent autopsy findings “ confirm what we have known all along , which is that Andres was unjustifiably killed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s deputy.
” “ Andres was a good boy , he was our son and he had so much life ahead of him .
Our son did not deserve to die this way , ” Cristobal and Elisa Guardado said in the @ @

Attorneys representing the family of Andres Guardado said that an independent autopsy has found that the 18-year-old was shot five times in the back by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy in a killing that they say was unjustified.
Meanwhile, the deputy who pulled the trigger has, through his attorney, given his first public account of what happened the evening of June 18 that he said prompted him to open fire.
The Sheriff’s Department has said that Guardado was shot and killed about 6 p.m., after two deputies saw him speaking to someone in a car blocking the entrance to a body shop on West Redondo Beach Boulevard. Investigators said Guardado “produced a handgun” and ran away and that deputies chased him. When deputies reached him, one fired.
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The Guardado family’s attorneys on Wednesday released a photo of Guardado’s back, pierced by five bullet wounds. They said preliminary autopsy findings showed that Guardado died as a result of gunshot wounds to his trunk and that he also sustained a graze to his left forearm with a forward trajectory.
They said preliminary forensic toxicology results showed Guardado, who relatives said worked as a security guard at a nearby auto body shop, did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system. Guardado did not have a security guard license and sheriff’s officials said he was not in uniform.
The full report, written by Dr. Bennet I. Omalu, was not released.
The family requested the independent autopsy after the department placed a “security hold” on the results of the official report prepared by the L.A. County coroner’s office. The attorneys said the independent findings showed that Guardado’s death was “the result of unjustified police violence against an innocent young man” and called on the Sheriff’s Department to release the coroner’s report.
Sheriff’s Lt. Charles Calderaro declined to comment Wednesday on the family’s findings but said the security hold on the coroner’s autopsy would be lifted soon, possibly in the next couple weeks.
“I know there’s people that want answers, but when you conduct a thorough investigation sometimes you need to protect the integrity of future statements you might be getting,” he said.
As of Wednesday, he said, investigators had not located any video of the incident. The deputies were not wearing body cameras.
The two deputies involved have been identified as Miguel Vega, who opened fire, and Chris Hernandez, who did not shoot. Both deputies work out of Compton station. Their duty assignments following the shooting are unclear.
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Their attorneys have told The Times that the shooting was justified.
Cmdr. Chris Marks would not say whether any footage had been recovered that captured any part of the encounter, citing the ongoing investigation.
A source with knowledge of the investigation, however, told The Times that detectives had recovered footage that showed the beginning of the event.
The source, who reviewed the footage, said it shows the deputies pull up as Guardado is bent over talking to someone on the passenger’s side of a car. It shows Guardado run and Vega give chase, the source said. Hernandez follows.
At a news briefing Wednesday, Marks said that the deputy who did not shoot has been interviewed and that the deputy who fired is scheduled to be interviewed within a week. He did not name Vega or Hernandez.
Deputies are not compelled to speak with investigators until the criminal investigation is completed but usually voluntarily give a statement after an on-duty shooting.
“We’re on his timetable,” Marks said, adding that the deputy is entitled to his Fifth Amendment rights. “We want his cooperation.”
Marks said the Sheriff’s Department is aware of the family’s independent autopsy. He said that homicide investigators have not yet been notified that the official coroner’s report has been completed and therefore said he could not comment on the findings.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva spoke briefly at the news conference, saying that the department is conducting a thorough investigation.
Tom Yu, an attorney representing Hernandez, said that his client saw a gun in Guardado’s waistband and, at some point during the chase, he pulled it out. He said his client saw Guardado turn a corner and begin to lie prone on the ground when the deputy heard Vega order Guardado to drop the gun. Then Hernandez heard the gunfire, Yu said.
At that point, Hernandez had only a partial view of Guardado, Yu said.
In a statement Wednesday, Vega’s attorney Adam Marangell gave his client’s account of the incident. He said Vega gave multiple commands for Guardado to stop during the chase, during which Guardado pulled out the gun. He said Guardado then obeyed commands to stop, turned around and then raised both hands while still armed.
Guardado was ordered to place the firearm on the ground, which he did, Marangell said. Guardado then positioned himself face down on the ground, but the gun was near his right hand, Marangell said.
Vega then holstered his weapon and began approaching Guardado to cuff him while saying, “Don’t reach for the gun,” Marangell said. He said that’s when Guardado reached for the gun and Vega opened fire.
“The reported independent autopsy’s findings do not alter in any way the ultimate fact that Deputy Vega acted properly and lawfully,” Marangell said in the statement.
The shooting has generated national attention and widespread calls for an independent investigation at a time of increased scrutiny of law enforcement spurred by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. There have been growing demands for answers on the part of Guardado’s family and community leaders, who have held large protests, including one that ended with deputies firing less-than-lethal weapons at the crowd.
Sheriff’s officials said the FBI is monitoring their investigation into the shooting. But the Office of Inspector General, which provides oversight of the department, said in a letter to Villanueva on Wednesday that they had not received a response to requests for video and documents related to the shooting.
Guardado’s parents said in a statement that the independent autopsy findings “confirm what we have known all along, which is that Andres was unjustifiably killed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy.”
“Andres was a good boy, he was our son and he had so much life ahead of him. Our son did not deserve to die this way,” Cristobal and Elisa Guardado said in the statement.


latimes--2020-07-08--International students upended, unsure if they can continue U.S. studies amid new federal rules

Unlike many international students , Grace Wang of Claremont McKenna College opted against returning to Beijing and moved to a friend ’ s home in March when her campus switched to online classes and sent students home amid the coronavirus emergency .
She felt it was best to stay in America .
But as Wang awaited news of the college ’ s fall reopening policies , her plans were further upended when federal officials announced new visa guidelines that prohibit international students from staying in the U.S. if they continue to take all of their courses online .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have a choice but to go back to China , ” she said Tuesday .
Wang is among the more than 1 million international students whose lives — already thrown into turmoil by sudden suspensions of classes , campus closures and sealed borders — suddenly became more complicated and uncertain by rules widely condemned by many higher education leaders .
“ We couldn ’ t have envisioned the situation getting worse but somehow it did , ” Wang said .
If she is forced to return home , the rising senior majoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried about being able to excel in online classes during her final year of college with a 15-hour time difference .
Plus , she will begin work on a research thesis this fall , requiring access to American search engines and scholarly databases .
“ For me to be inside the borders of mainland China ... within the firewall ... the quality of my thesis will not be close to the quality of research I will be able to conduct within the States , ” Wang said .
Many higher education institutions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California State University , have said they plan to offer primarily online classes this fall due to the resurging public health threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic .
Others , including UCLA , have said they will offer a hybrid learning format .
The new guidelines prohibit non-immigrant students who take a full course load online from remaining in the U.S. Those who left during the pandemic or for the summer will not be allowed to return , while those remaining must depart or take alternative measures , such as transferring to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enforcement said Monday .
Students can stay in the U.S. if they attend some hybrid programs of online and in-person classes .
On Tuesday , university officials and higher education administrators throughout California and the nation condemned the move , while some faculty vowed to circumvent it .
“ ICE ’ s announcement is perplexing , given that some degree of remote instruction is necessary for colleges and universities to protect the safety and well-being of their communities and the public at large , while still allowing students to continue their studies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nearly 50,000 international students enrolled at UC in fall 2019 .
“ This ICE policy is immensely misguided and deeply cruel , ” Assn .
of American Universities President Mary Sue Coleman said in a statement .
“ It is also likely to do further damage to our nation ’ s universities , which are already struggling with unprecedented uncertainty , massive logistical complications , and significant financial losses due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
” ICE had permitted non-immigrant students in the spring and summer semesters to take more online courses than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spokeswoman Carissa Cutrell said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “ wanted to continue to provide flexibility ” but that there was “ a concordant need to resume the carefully balanced protections implemented by federal regulations.
” The policy is likely to disproportionately affect students from Asia , which sends the majority of international students to the U.S. Stop AAPI Hate , a coalition of advocates for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders , said the policy “ is the latest in a series of xenophobic policies that have come out of the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a strategy by Trump , by trying to force all colleges to start the fall semester in an in-person form , ” said Essie Liu , a rising senior at USC originally from Shenzhen , China .
“ They ’ re just using international students as a target to force the colleges to go through a direction they want them to go to.
” Liu had decided to stay at her off-campus apartment during the spring and summer .
As China began closing its borders and flights became increasingly expensive , Liu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ native country .
When the student visa policy changed Monday , Liu said , “ It feels like the U.S. is trying to kick us out.
” Faculty and students at some universities are swiftly mobilizing to help .
Sara Wallace Goodman , a professor of political science at UC Irvine , tweeted Monday that she would offer a face-to-face independent study to any student confronted with removal because of the new guidelines .
“ It was not just the humane thing to do but the responsible thing to do as a professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has received dozens of emails from students , each of which “ is heartbreaking.
” Morteza Dehghani , assistant professor of psychology and computer science at USC , also offered to oversee students ’ independent study .
“ I think everyone should be outraged about this , ” he said .
“ The mission statement of ICE is to protect America from cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threatens national security and public safety .
These students do not threaten national security .
They ’ ve been vetted thoroughly by ICE.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed organizing a student-run class that would meet in person , outside .
UC students also assembled spreadsheets of on-campus classes , encouraging fellow students to swap or forgo their spots .
Even so , some said the new guidelines put international students in an impossible situation .
Nandini Mittal , a rising junior at Claremont McKenna , went back to her hometown of Bangkok , Thailand , in mid-March .
Remote learning took a mental and physical toll .
“ My sleep cycle turned for six weeks to 5 p.m. wake up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ I kid you not.
” She hoped to return to campus or at least to the Claremont area to continue classes this fall , but with cases rising in L.A. County and a recent reprieve of cases in her hometown , that ’ s become a hard sell to her parents .
Rajeshwari Jadhav went back to her hometown of Pune , India , in March .
She ’ s a rising junior studying mathematics of computation at UCLA , and all her fall courses are scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to have to take a random course that ’ s offered on-site just so that I can go back to the university that I ’ m enrolled in , that I ’ m paying tuition for , ” Jadhav said .
“ I also don ’ t want to have to fly to a country that ’ s worse off COVID-wise because I may not graduate on time.
” Times staff writers Tomás Mier and Teresa Watanabe contributed to this report .

Nina Agrawal, Tiffany Wong, Elliot Wailoo

UCLA is among the universities that will offer a hybrid model of online and in-person classes to all students, including international students whose visas are affected by new federal rules.
Unlike many international students, Grace Wang of Claremont McKenna College opted against returning to Beijing and moved to a friend’s home in March when her campus switched to online classes and sent students home amid the coronavirus emergency. She felt it was best to stay in America.
But as Wang awaited news of the college’s fall reopening policies, her plans were further upended when federal officials announced new visa guidelines that prohibit international students from staying in the U.S. if they continue to take all of their courses online.
“If we go online, I don’t have a choice but to go back to China,” she said Tuesday.
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Wang is among the more than 1 million international students whose lives — already thrown into turmoil by sudden suspensions of classes, campus closures and sealed borders — suddenly became more complicated and uncertain by rules widely condemned by many higher education leaders.
“We couldn’t have envisioned the situation getting worse but somehow it did,” Wang said.
If she is forced to return home, the rising senior majoring in international relations and economics is particularly worried about being able to excel in online classes during her final year of college with a 15-hour time difference. Plus, she will begin work on a research thesis this fall, requiring access to American search engines and scholarly databases.
“For me to be inside the borders of mainland China ... within the firewall ... the quality of my thesis will not be close to the quality of research I will be able to conduct within the States,” Wang said.
Many higher education institutions, including USC, Stanford and the 23-campus California State University, have said they plan to offer primarily online classes this fall due to the resurging public health threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Others, including UCLA, have said they will offer a hybrid learning format.
The new guidelines prohibit non-immigrant students who take a full course load online from remaining in the U.S. Those who left during the pandemic or for the summer will not be allowed to return, while those remaining must depart or take alternative measures, such as transferring to an in-person institution, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Monday. Students can stay in the U.S. if they attend some hybrid programs of online and in-person classes.
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On Tuesday, university officials and higher education administrators throughout California and the nation condemned the move, while some faculty vowed to circumvent it.
“ICE’s announcement is perplexing, given that some degree of remote instruction is necessary for colleges and universities to protect the safety and well-being of their communities and the public at large, while still allowing students to continue their studies,” UC President Janet Napolitano said. Nearly 50,000 international students enrolled at UC in fall 2019.
“This ICE policy is immensely misguided and deeply cruel,” Assn. of American Universities President Mary Sue Coleman said in a statement. “It is also likely to do further damage to our nation’s universities, which are already struggling with unprecedented uncertainty, massive logistical complications, and significant financial losses due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”
ICE had permitted non-immigrant students in the spring and summer semesters to take more online courses than normally allowed because of the pandemic. Spokeswoman Carissa Cutrell said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “wanted to continue to provide flexibility” but that there was “a concordant need to resume the carefully balanced protections implemented by federal regulations.”
The policy is likely to disproportionately affect students from Asia, which sends the majority of international students to the U.S. Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition of advocates for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, said the policy “is the latest in a series of xenophobic policies that have come out of the Trump administration.”
“I personally regard it as a strategy by Trump, by trying to force all colleges to start the fall semester in an in-person form,” said Essie Liu, a rising senior at USC originally from Shenzhen, China. “They’re just using international students as a target to force the colleges to go through a direction they want them to go to.”
Liu had decided to stay at her off-campus apartment during the spring and summer. As China began closing its borders and flights became increasingly expensive, Liu said, she felt abandoned by her native country.
When the student visa policy changed Monday, Liu said, “It feels like the U.S. is trying to kick us out.”
Faculty and students at some universities are swiftly mobilizing to help.
Sara Wallace Goodman, a professor of political science at UC Irvine, tweeted Monday that she would offer a face-to-face independent study to any student confronted with removal because of the new guidelines.
I will do an in-person, face to face independent study with any @UCIrvine student that faces removal from the US because of this policy. https://t.co/MImWAB0LeO — Sara Wallace Goodman (@ThatSaraGoodman) July 6, 2020
“It was not just the humane thing to do but the responsible thing to do as a professor,” Goodman said. She said she has received dozens of emails from students, each of which “is heartbreaking.”
Morteza Dehghani, assistant professor of psychology and computer science at USC, also offered to oversee students’ independent study.
“I think everyone should be outraged about this,” he said. “The mission statement of ICE is to protect America from cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threatens national security and public safety. These students do not threaten national security. They’ve been vetted thoroughly by ICE.”
On social media, UC Berkeley students discussed organizing a student-run class that would meet in person, outside. UC students also assembled spreadsheets of on-campus classes, encouraging fellow students to swap or forgo their spots.
Even so, some said the new guidelines put international students in an impossible situation.
Nandini Mittal, a rising junior at Claremont McKenna, went back to her hometown of Bangkok, Thailand, in mid-March. Remote learning took a mental and physical toll.
“My sleep cycle turned for six weeks to 5 p.m. wake up, 10 a.m. go to sleep,” she said. “I kid you not.”
She hoped to return to campus or at least to the Claremont area to continue classes this fall, but with cases rising in L.A. County and a recent reprieve of cases in her hometown, that’s become a hard sell to her parents.
Rajeshwari Jadhav went back to her hometown of Pune, India, in March. She’s a rising junior studying mathematics of computation at UCLA, and all her fall courses are scheduled to be online. “I don’t want to have to take a random course that’s offered on-site just so that I can go back to the university that I’m enrolled in, that I’m paying tuition for,” Jadhav said. “I also don’t want to have to fly to a country that’s worse off COVID-wise because I may not graduate on time.”
Times staff writers Tomás Mier and Teresa Watanabe contributed to this report.