latimes--2020-08-19--'No one is ready for it.' Fleeing a raging fire amid the coronavirus pandemic

Lloyd Broughton , 78 , evacuated with little warning after a firetruck came up his road north of Vacaville at 3 a.m. Wednesday .
Along with his wife , Anne , 73 , and daughter Kristine , 35 , they gathered their seven rescue cats and packed two cars .
“ No one is ready for it , ” he said of having to leave in the middle of a pandemic .
All three were having breathing problems — Kristine has asthma , and her parents both use CPAP breathing machines .
With a heavy layer of ash falling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathing , Kristine said .
Tonight they hope to go to a motel if they can ’ t return home .
Though they aren ’ t too concerned about the coronavirus , Kristine said the shelter was not yet set up to screen for the contagion .
“ They just got in thermometers but are out of batteries , “ she said .
Residents had little time to grab pets or possessions early Wednesday as winds raged from the northwest , pushing the LNU Lightning Complex into this Solano County community of 100,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving a layer of soot on the ground .
The fire , which has burned more than 46,000 acres , is composed of at least major three zones in Napa , Sonoma , Solano , Yolo and Lake counties .
The most serious blaze in the complex appears to be the Hennessey fire , which began Monday morning on the eastern edge of Lake Hennessey in Napa County and marched into Solano and Yolo counties Wednesday morning , forcing residents to flee .
As of Wednesday morning , 50 structures had been destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,900 were threatened , .
Alissa Widmer was walking her Labradoodle , Lucy , with her son , Liam , 8 , in the parking lot of one of the local evacuation centers on Wednesday .
Her family had used their government stimulus check to buy a generator earlier this year , which was now running next to their RV .
Widmer was concerned that the noise of it might bother others but was relieved to have it .
They evacuated at 3 a.m. , alerted when their power went off .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitmer packed her two children , two cats and the dog and grabbed family heirlooms before heading out .
She said other friends have already lost their home nearby , and she does not know if hers is still standing .
The kids had just started school virtually on Monday and she said , “ we had just felt like we were getting established , now this is a whole new wrench.
“ Wednesday afternoon , Vacaville Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Mike Duggan stood in front of a substation in the hills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burned on three sides to within 20 feet of the tin structure .
Duggan said the fire moved so quickly the night before that it jumped two ridges , forcing unplanned evacuations and an “ all hands on deck ” situation that left him battling alongside crews .
“ It ’ s kind of one of those things when you lose track of time , ” he said .
Duggan went door-to-door warning people to get out , he said , and was met by surprise by many who went to bed thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So did we , ” Duggan said .
“ It was very difficult to get people out , because they didn ’ t know .
”

Nurses Jenn Ellis, Blanca Ramirez and Bindhi Millar walk the parking lot of the Vacaville Community Center checking on people who were displaced by the Hennessy fire.
Lloyd Broughton, 78, evacuated with little warning after a firetruck came up his road north of Vacaville at 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Along with his wife, Anne, 73, and daughter Kristine, 35, they gathered their seven rescue cats and packed two cars.
“No one is ready for it,” he said of having to leave in the middle of a pandemic.
All three were having breathing problems — Kristine has asthma, and her parents both use CPAP breathing machines.
With a heavy layer of ash falling, they were already coughing and having trouble breathing, Kristine said.
Tonight they hope to go to a motel if they can’t return home.
Though they aren’t too concerned about the coronavirus, Kristine said the shelter was not yet set up to screen for the contagion.
“They just got in thermometers but are out of batteries,“ she said.
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Residents had little time to grab pets or possessions early Wednesday as winds raged from the northwest, pushing the LNU Lightning Complex into this Solano County community of 100,000, forcing evacuations, burning homes and leaving a layer of soot on the ground.
The fire, which has burned more than 46,000 acres, is composed of at least major three zones in Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo and Lake counties. The most serious blaze in the complex appears to be the Hennessey fire, which began Monday morning on the eastern edge of Lake Hennessey in Napa County and marched into Solano and Yolo counties Wednesday morning, forcing residents to flee.
As of Wednesday morning, 50 structures had been destroyed, 50 more had been damaged and 1,900 were threatened, fire officials said .
Alissa Widmer was walking her Labradoodle, Lucy, with her son, Liam, 8, in the parking lot of one of the local evacuation centers on Wednesday.
Her family had used their government stimulus check to buy a generator earlier this year, which was now running next to their RV. Widmer was concerned that the noise of it might bother others but was relieved to have it. They evacuated at 3 a.m., alerted when their power went off.
In the dark of a country house — Whitmer packed her two children, two cats and the dog and grabbed family heirlooms before heading out.
She said other friends have already lost their home nearby, and she does not know if hers is still standing. The kids had just started school virtually on Monday and she said, “we had just felt like we were getting established, now this is a whole new wrench.“
Wednesday afternoon, Vacaville Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Mike Duggan stood in front of a substation in the hills outside of town, where fire had burned on three sides to within 20 feet of the tin structure.
Duggan said the fire moved so quickly the night before that it jumped two ridges, forcing unplanned evacuations and an “all hands on deck” situation that left him battling alongside crews.
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“It’s kind of one of those things when you lose track of time,” he said.
Duggan went door-to-door warning people to get out, he said, and was met by surprise by many who went to bed thinking the fire was far away.
“So did we,” Duggan said. “It was very difficult to get people out, because they didn’t know.”


latimes--2020-08-19--D.A. reviewing possible charges in Megan Thee Stallion shooting case

The Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office revealed Wednesday that it was reviewing a potential charge of felony assault with a firearm in a case in which rapper Megan Thee Stallion said she was shot .
The investigation involves recording artist Tory Lanez , who was arrested after Stallion alleged that she was shot in her feet last month outside a Hollywood Hills mansion .
Prosecutors said they were reviewing the case and had asked the Los Angeles Police Department to further investigate the incident .
Lanez was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 12 in a vehicle that eyewitnesses said may have been connected to reports of the shooting .
An attorney for Lanez could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday .
Stallion on Wednesday posted — and then deleted — an image on Instagram that she said showed the result of her being shot as she walked away outside the residence a Hollywood Hills mansion .
“ Why would I lie about getting shot , ” Stallion said in a blunt post in response to comments questioning whether the WAP hitmaker was really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgery to remove the bullets.
” She has never publicly identified the shooter .
According to Ricardo Santiago , a district attorney ’ s spokesman , the LAPD presented an investigation for “ felony assault with a semi-automatic firearm — personal use of a firearm : to the office and on July 24 prosecutors asked law enforcement for further investigation before making a filing decision.
” Such referrals are common in high-profile investigations where prosecutors want more details before making a decision on whether a case can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name is Daystar Peterson , was arrested July 12 by the LAPD at the scene and released on $ 35,000 bond , jail records show .
For the second time in a month , Stallion on Wednesday used her social media accounts to defend herself against suggestions that she was not injured during the shooting .
An initial LAPD account makes no mention of the artist being struck by gunfire and refers only to her suffering a foot injury .
“ Lol what I have learned abt majority of the people on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear bad news before good news , a lie spreads quicker than the truth ... , ” she wrote .
“ I got hit at the back of my feet because when I got shot I was WALKING AWAY FACING THE BACK .
why would I lie abt getting shot ?
” Stallion wrote on her Instagram account .
On that night in July , L.A. police officers swarmed the home in the 1800 block of Nichols Canyon about 4:30 a.m after receiving a report of gunfire .
According to the LAPD , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ description of a suspect ( s ) and their vehicle.
” Officers stopped a vehicle matching the description , detained multiple people and eventually arrested Lanez , according to a statement .
In a video of the aftermath , both Lanez and Stallion can be seen in handcuffs as officers try to determine what happened .
In a statement Wednesday , the LAPD said one person was taken to the hospital “ with a foot injury.
” Two sources familiar with the investigation said Stallion was displaying an injury at the scene consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the aftermath Stallion — whose real name is Megan Pete — posted on Instagram that “ the narrative that is being reported about Sunday ’ s morning events are inaccurate.
” “ On Sunday morning , I suffered gunshot wounds , as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me , ” the “ Savage ” songstress said .
I was never arrested , the police officers drove me to the hospital where I underwent surgery to remove the bullets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be alive and that I ’ m expected to make a full recovery , but it was important for me to clarify the details about this traumatic night , ” she wrote .
Sources familiar with the investigation who asked for anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss it said that the gun discharge was reckless and the round fired may have deflected and shrapnel likely hit the rapper .

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion, shown at the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2019, said on social media that she was shot in the feet in Los Angeles last month but expects to fully recover.
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office revealed Wednesday that it was reviewing a potential charge of felony assault with a firearm in a case in which rapper Megan Thee Stallion said she was shot.
The investigation involves recording artist Tory Lanez, who was arrested after Stallion alleged that she was shot in her feet last month outside a Hollywood Hills mansion.
Prosecutors said they were reviewing the case and had asked the Los Angeles Police Department to further investigate the incident.
Lanez was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon after he was detained leaving the area before dawn July 12 in a vehicle that eyewitnesses said may have been connected to reports of the shooting.
An attorney for Lanez could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
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Stallion on Wednesday posted — and then deleted — an image on Instagram that she said showed the result of her being shot as she walked away outside the residence a Hollywood Hills mansion. “Why would I lie about getting shot,” Stallion said in a blunt post in response to comments questioning whether the WAP hitmaker was really hurt. She said she “underwent surgery to remove the bullets.” She has never publicly identified the shooter.
According to Ricardo Santiago, a district attorney’s spokesman, the LAPD presented an investigation for “felony assault with a semi-automatic firearm — personal use of a firearm:to the office and on July 24 prosecutors asked law enforcement for further investigation before making a filing decision.” Such referrals are common in high-profile investigations where prosecutors want more details before making a decision on whether a case can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lanez, 27, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was arrested July 12 by the LAPD at the scene and released on $35,000 bond, jail records show.
For the second time in a month, Stallion on Wednesday used her social media accounts to defend herself against suggestions that she was not injured during the shooting. An initial LAPD account makes no mention of the artist being struck by gunfire and refers only to her suffering a foot injury.
“Lol what I have learned abt majority of the people on social media is y’all like to hear bad news before good news, a lie spreads quicker than the truth ... ,” she wrote. “I got hit at the back of my feet because when I got shot I was WALKING AWAY FACING THE BACK. why would I lie abt getting shot?” Stallion wrote on her Instagram account.
On that night in July, L.A. police officers swarmed the home in the 1800 block of Nichols Canyon about 4:30 a.m after receiving a report of gunfire. According to the LAPD, “witnesses to the incident provided a description of a suspect(s) and their vehicle.” Officers stopped a vehicle matching the description, detained multiple people and eventually arrested Lanez, according to a statement.
In a video of the aftermath, both Lanez and Stallion can be seen in handcuffs as officers try to determine what happened.
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In a statement Wednesday, the LAPD said one person was taken to the hospital “with a foot injury.” Two sources familiar with the investigation said Stallion was displaying an injury at the scene consistent with her being struck by shattered glass. In the aftermath Stallion — whose real name is Megan Pete — posted on Instagram that “the narrative that is being reported about Sunday’s morning events are inaccurate.”
“On Sunday morning, I suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me,” the “Savage” songstress said. I was never arrested, the police officers drove me to the hospital where I underwent surgery to remove the bullets. I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and that I’m expected to make a full recovery, but it was important for me to clarify the details about this traumatic night,” she wrote.
Sources familiar with the investigation who asked for anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss it said that the gun discharge was reckless and the round fired may have deflected and shrapnel likely hit the rapper.


latimes--2020-08-19--California firefighting resources 'stretched' by 23 major wildfires, Newsom says

Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that resources to fight wildfires are “ stretched ” as more than 23 major fires scorch California , burning homes , forcing evacuations and raining ash across the northern part of the state .
Governors in Nevada , Arizona and Texas have agreed to send engines or crews to support California , but the call for mutual aid from other states is complicated by a historic heat wave across the West , Newsom said .
The high temperatures have strained the state ’ s energy grid and resulted in power outages for hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged right now by the number of new fires all over the state of California , ” the governor said during a midday briefing .
“ We ’ ve put out every resource we have.
” The trifecta of wildfires , outages and the worst health crisis in a century has ramped up the pressure on the Newsom administration , which has dealt with one disaster after another since he took office in 2019 .
California is on track to hit as many as 700,000 cases of COVID-19 over the next few weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requiring the state to reconfigure emergency evacuations centers and fire camps to lessen the risk of spread .
The governor said more than 10,800 lightning strikes have hit the state in the last 72 hours in what has become an acute wildfire season .
Newsom said California has experienced 6,754 fires to date this year , compared with around 4,000 at this point in 2019 .
“ The total number of fires last year was substantially lower than the activity we ’ re experiencing this year , and what has occurred over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources of this state , ” Newsom said .
As wildfires grew in number and intensity in recent years , the state ’ s system of fire departments sending equipment and personnel to blazes in neighboring communities has come under stress .
Some departments are reluctant to draw down resources they might need to fight fires within their own jurisdictions .
In a state of emergency declaration on Tuesday , Newsom wrote that the number of fires burning in Western states “ has resulted in a strain on California ’ s mutual aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurisdictions to obtain the necessary in-state and out-of-state firefighting resources to respond to these fires.
” The emergency declaration also mobilized the California National Guard to support disaster response .
The decision to release minimum security prisoners in light of the pandemic also reduced the state ’ s pool of available hand crews .
State officials invested $ 72.4 million in emergency funds to hire 858 firefighters and six California Conservation Corps crews to bolster the force .
The governor said Wednesday that 830 of those seasonal positions have been filled .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration secured grants over the last week from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fight blazes in Monterey , Napa and Nevada counties .
The governor ’ s office said the grants allow local , state and tribal governments to receive reimbursement for up to 75 % of certain firefighting costs .
The Hennessey fire , one of largest blazes within a group of fires in Napa , Sonoma and Solano counties , approached Vacaville overnight and prompted urgent evacuations of residents on the town ’ s western border , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the so-called LNU Lightning Complex had spread to 46,000 acres .
Cal Fire officials said the fleet of available air tankers was stretched thin due to multiple fires in the region .
A cluster of fires in Santa Clara , Alameda , Contra Costa , Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties known as the SCU Lightning Complex totaled more than 85,000 acres and was only 5 % contained early Wednesday .
The state deployed more than 500 personnel , 25 fire engines , two helicopters , three water tenders , 17 hand crews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The threat of more fires remains high , with a large swath of the state from the Central Valley to northeastern California under red flag warnings .
Additional power outages loomed Wednesday as temperatures remained high .
Newsom signed an emergency proclamation Monday in hopes of ensuring there will be backup energy to alleviate pressure on the state ’ s electricity grid .
State government buildings have closed early while the governor urged industrial , commercial and residential customers to limit their energy use .
The governor said he accepts ultimate responsibility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and promising to get to the bottom of what happened .
“ To make this crystal clear , we failed to predict and plan for these shortages and that ’ s simply unacceptable , ” Newsom said Monday .
“ I ’ m the governor , I ’ m ultimately accountable and ultimately take responsibility ... to immediately address this issue and move forward and make sure this simply never happens again here in the state of California.
” The governor renewed a call for Californians to reduce their energy consumption from 2 @ @ @ @ @

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that resources to fight wildfires are “stretched” as more than 23 major fires scorch California, burning homes, forcing evacuations and raining ash across the northern part of the state.
Governors in Nevada, Arizona and Texas have agreed to send engines or crews to support California, but the call for mutual aid from other states is complicated by a historic heat wave across the West, Newsom said. The high temperatures have strained the state’s energy grid and resulted in power outages for hundreds of thousands of residents.
“We are challenged right now by the number of new fires all over the state of California,” the governor said during a midday briefing. “We’ve put out every resource we have.”
The combination of wildfires, outages and the worst health crisis in a century has ramped up the pressure on the Newsom administration, which has dealt with one disaster after another since he took office in 2019. California is on track to hit as many as 700,000 coronavirus cases over the next few weeks, and the threat of the virus is requiring the state to reconfigure emergency evacuation centers and fire camps to lessen the risk of spread.
The governor said more than 10,800 lightning strikes have hit the state in the last 72 hours in what has become an acute wildfire season. Newsom said California has experienced 6,754 fires to date this year, compared with around 4,000 at this point in 2019.
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“The total number of fires last year was substantially lower than the activity we’re experiencing this year, and what has occurred over the last 72 hours has certainly stretched the resources of this state,” Newsom said.
As wildfires grew in number and intensity in recent years, the state’s system of fire departments sending equipment and personnel to blazes in neighboring communities has come under stress. Some departments are reluctant to draw down resources they might need to fight fires within their own jurisdictions.
In declaring a state of emergency Tuesday, Newsom wrote that the number of fires burning in Western states “has resulted in a strain on California’s mutual aid system, making it increasingly difficult for jurisdictions to obtain the necessary in-state and out-of-state firefighting resources to respond to these fires.” The emergency declaration also mobilized the California National Guard to support disaster response.
At the same time, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has seen a substantial reduction in available inmate firefighters because of early release, parole and coronavirus quarantines. Nick Schuler, a deputy chief with Cal Fire, said 90 of the 192 funded hand crews were available to fight fires as of Friday.
The state’s decision to release minimum-security prisoners in light of the pandemic added to the decline. State officials invested $72.4 million in emergency funds to hire 858 firefighters and six California Conservation Corps crews to bolster the force. The governor said Wednesday that 830 of those seasonal positions have been filled.
To help fill funding gaps, the Newsom administration secured grants over the last week from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fight blazes in Monterey, Napa and Nevada counties. The governor’s office said the grants allow local, state and tribal governments to receive reimbursement for up to 75% of certain firefighting costs.
Cal Fire said Wednesday that the state had requested 375 engines from other states and called up every available private helicopter licensed to respond to federal and state incidents. Schuler described California as well-prepared but said the amount of fires had nearly exhausted all resources.
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“There are moments in time where the fire activity is so significant that no matter how much you prepare, the system will be overwhelmed,” Schuler said.
The Hennessey fire, one of largest blazes within a group of fires in Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, approached Vacaville overnight and prompted urgent evacuations of residents on the town’s western border, according to Cal Fire. As of Wednesday evening, the so-called LNU Lightning Complex had spread to more than 46,000 acres with zero containment. Cal Fire officials said the fleet of available air tankers was stretched thin because of multiple fires in the region.
A cluster of fires in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties known as the SCU Lightning Complex totaled more than 85,000 acres and was only 5% contained late Wednesday. The state deployed more than 500 personnel, 25 fire engines, three helicopters, three water tenders, 17 hand crews and nine bulldozers to the fire.
The threat of more fires remains high, with a large swath of the state from the Central Valley to northeastern California under red flag warnings. Additional power outages loomed Wednesday as temperatures remained high.
Newsom signed an emergency proclamation Monday in hopes of ensuring backup energy will be available to alleviate pressure on the state’s electricity grid. State government buildings closed early while the governor urged industrial, commercial and residential customers to limit their energy use.
The governor said he accepts ultimate responsibility for the power outages while ordering an investigation and promising to get to the bottom of what happened.
“To make this crystal clear, we failed to predict and plan for these shortages and that’s simply unacceptable,” Newsom said Monday. “I’m the governor, I’m ultimately accountable and ultimately take responsibility … to immediately address this issue and move forward and make sure this simply never happens again here in the state of California.”
The governor renewed a call for Californians to reduce their energy consumption from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday.


latimes--2020-08-19--Golden State Killer's ex-fiancee joins long line of victims confronting him in court

Through tears and anger , with trembling hands and fierce glares , victims again appeared in court Wednesday to confront the serial rapist — the assailant known as the Golden State Killer — who upended their lives four decades ago .
Accompanying them was the woman whose name Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. cursed during at least one of his attacks , his college sweetheart .
Bonnie Ueltzen was not allowed to speak in court since she wasn ’ t among the victims of the murders , rapes and other crimes DeAngelo admitted committing .
But the woman who had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1970s stood Wednesday in silent confrontation .
At 19 , Ueltzen broke off the engagement because of what she said was her increasing fear and unease .
Days later , DeAngelo showed up at night at her bedroom window , seeking to abduct her at gunpoint for a Nevada wedding , until her father intervened and sent him away .
A decade later , police reported that DeAngelo repeatedly said , “ I hate you Bonnie , ” during a 1978 rape , the 37th attack .
Ueltzen , 69 , had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the fifth rape victim of the assailant who was then known as the East Area Rapist and later dubbed the Golden State Killer .
Carson-Sandler had hoped having Ueltzen by her side would jolt DeAngelo into finally acknowledging the victims of his crimes .
“ DeAngelo , I want you to look at me ... and I want you to remember what I say , ” Carson-Sandler commanded as she began her impact statement .
But as he has done for two years of court proceedings , he kept his eyes straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a wall .
“ I may have been one of your victims , DeAngelo , but you know what ?
Now I am a survivor-thriver .
...
Yes , evil one , I turned my pain into power and my mess into a message , ” Carson-Sandler continued .
“ One quarter of me , being a Christian , I want to say to you , ‘ May God have mercy on your soul , ’ ” Carson-Sandler said .
“ Then there is another three-quarters of me that want to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rot in hell.
’ ” The impact statements are part of an extraordinary three days of hearings that began Tuesday , leading up to sentencing on Friday .
DeAngelo , 74 , has admitted to killing 13 people , starting with a Visalia college instructor seeking to thwart the abduction of his daughter in 1975 , and ending with the rape and murder of a teenage girl in Orange County in 1986 .
His plea deal includes 53 attacks on 87 victims in 11 counties , including 50 rapes , but leaves out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have been blamed on him .
Family members of those who were murdered are to make their impact statements on Thursday .
As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors , DeAngelo is to be sentenced Friday to 26 life sentences plus eight years , 11 of those life terms to run consecutively .
To accommodate as many victims as wish to attend , the hearing will be held in a ballroom at Cal State Sacramento , the university where DeAngelo graduated with a criminal justice degree half a century before .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeAngelo served as a small-town police officer in Tulare and Placer counties .
He became a father , married to a woman who became a prominent women ’ s rights lawyer .
He eventually was fired from policing after being caught shoplifting dog repellent , and he took up a quiet life as a truck mechanic in the Sacramento suburbs .
DeAngelo ’ s slack expression in court hearings and his current use of a wheelchair have also needled prosecutors , who on Monday asked a judge for permission to play in court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inmate was both animated and agile .
Judge Michael Bowman refused them .
A growing number of victims complained Wednesday that the same lack of communication between counties that hindered police efforts to capture DeAngelo in the 1970s and 1980s persists .
“ I have never been informed ... never an email , text message or phone call , ” said Joanne Miyao , castigating the Santa Clara district attorney ’ s office for leaving her largely unaware of the proceedings .
“ It is wrong that victims were left in the dark.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , victims of his serial rapes declared victory over their attacker .
“ I would like Mr. DeAngelo to meet the woman he violated ... who he may have thought he broke but did not , ” said Miyao , the victim of his 42nd rape attack , describing herself as “ a survivor.
” “ As for forgiveness , I am not there yet .
I am not sure I can get there , ” she said .
Others told the judge they wished DeAngelo could be sentenced to death .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bound during the rape of his future wife , Gay , laid out a fantasy punishment that included near-nightly attacks by fellow prison inmates , doing to DeAngelo what he had done to his scores of victims .
“ It is imperative for justice to be achieved and these attacks to continue for the rest of his life , ” Hardwick said .
“ So I say this one thing , to future inmates of Joe DeAngelo , if you are listening , please remember what I have said .
”

Through tears and anger, with trembling hands and fierce glares, victims again appeared in court Wednesday to confront the serial rapist — the assailant known as the Golden State Killer — who upended their lives four decades ago.
Accompanying them was the woman whose name Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. cursed during at least one of his attacks, his college sweetheart.
Bonnie Ueltzen was not allowed to speak in court since she wasn’t among the victims of the murders, rapes and other crimes DeAngelo admitted committing.
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But the woman who had been briefly engaged to him in the early 1970s stood Wednesday in silent confrontation.
At 19, Ueltzen broke off the engagement because of what she said was her increasing fear and unease. Days later, DeAngelo showed up at night at her bedroom window, seeking to abduct her at gunpoint for a Nevada wedding, until her father intervened and sent him away.
A decade later, police reported that DeAngelo repeatedly said, “I hate you Bonnie,” during a 1978 rape, the 37th attack.
Ueltzen, 69, had been invited to the hearing by Jane Carson-Sandler, the fifth rape victim of the assailant who was then known as the East Area Rapist and later dubbed the Golden State Killer. Carson-Sandler had hoped having Ueltzen by her side would jolt DeAngelo into finally acknowledging the victims of his crimes.
“DeAngelo, I want you to look at me ... and I want you to remember what I say,” Carson-Sandler commanded as she began her impact statement.
But as he has done for two years of court proceedings, he kept his eyes straight ahead, focused on a blank spot on a wall.
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California Full coverage: ‘Man in the Window’ To an early love interest, Joe DeAngelo was energetic and worldly. Now, nearly 50 years later, he stands accused of an extended spasm of violence — home invasions, rapes, murders — in the 1970s and ’80s.
“I may have been one of your victims, DeAngelo, but you know what? Now I am a survivor-thriver. ... Yes, evil one, I turned my pain into power and my mess into a message,” Carson-Sandler continued.
“One quarter of me, being a Christian, I want to say to you, ‘May God have mercy on your soul,’” Carson-Sandler said. “Then there is another three-quarters of me that want to say to you, ‘Buddy, just rot in hell.’”
The impact statements are part of an extraordinary three days of hearings that began Tuesday, leading up to sentencing on Friday.
DeAngelo, 74, has admitted to killing 13 people, starting with a Visalia college instructor seeking to thwart the abduction of his daughter in 1975, and ending with the rape and murder of a teenage girl in Orange County in 1986. His plea deal includes 53 attacks on 87 victims in 11 counties, including 50 rapes, but leaves out two sexual attacks and a shooting that also have been blamed on him.
Family members of those who were murdered are to make their impact statements on Thursday.
As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, DeAngelo is to be sentenced Friday to 26 life sentences plus eight years, 11 of those life terms to run consecutively. To accommodate as many victims as wish to attend, the hearing will be held in a ballroom at Cal State Sacramento, the university where DeAngelo graduated with a criminal justice degree half a century before.
At the start of the violence, DeAngelo served as a small-town police officer in Tulare and Placer counties. He became a father, married to a woman who became a prominent women’s rights lawyer. He eventually was fired from policing after being caught shoplifting dog repellent, and he took up a quiet life as a truck mechanic in the Sacramento suburbs.
DeAngelo’s slack expression in court hearings and his current use of a wheelchair have also needled prosecutors, who on Monday asked a judge for permission to play in court jailhouse videos that showed that the 74-year-old inmate was both animated and agile. Judge Michael Bowman refused them.
A growing number of victims complained Wednesday that the same lack of communication between counties that hindered police efforts to capture DeAngelo in the 1970s and 1980s persists.
“I have never been informed ... never an email, text message or phone call,” said Joanne Miyao, castigating the Santa Clara district attorney’s office for leaving her largely unaware of the proceedings. “It is wrong that victims were left in the dark.”
And for the second straight day, victims of his serial rapes declared victory over their attacker.
“I would like Mr. DeAngelo to meet the woman he violated... who he may have thought he broke but did not,” said Miyao, the victim of his 42nd rape attack, describing herself as “a survivor.”
“As for forgiveness, I am not there yet. I am not sure I can get there,” she said.
Others told the judge they wished DeAngelo could be sentenced to death. Some, like Bob Hardwick, who was bound during the rape of his future wife, Gay, laid out a fantasy punishment that included near-nightly attacks by fellow prison inmates, doing to DeAngelo what he had done to his scores of victims.
“It is imperative for justice to be achieved and these attacks to continue for the rest of his life,” Hardwick said. “So I say this one thing, to future inmates of Joe DeAngelo, if you are listening, please remember what I have said.”


latimes--2020-08-19--How key bottlenecks scrambled COVID-19 testing in Sacramento

In some ways , the nation ’ s COVID testing system is like a game of Jenga : When one piece falters , the entire tower collapses .
Take Sacramento County , home to 1.5 million people .
Coronavirus cases started surging there in late June , and on July 15 , 360 residents were diagnosed with COVID-19 — a single-day record .
Around that time , people flocked to testing sites run by state , county and local health systems and other testing providers like CVS .
But securing a test became next to impossible for many people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ California ’ s ability to test roughly 100,000 people per day , Sacramento ’ s time slots filled quickly , five testing sites run by the county temporarily shuttered , and some healthcare providers limited testing to patients who were visibly sick .
For those lucky enough to get tested , results took days — sometimes weeks — to return , rendering them essentially useless .
“ Results should come in 24 to 48 hours , ideally , from when people are exhibiting symptoms , ” said Dr. Olivia Kasirye , the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It impacts our ability to take action and do contact investigations.
” So what happened ?
Sacramento , like other counties across the state and nation , has been plagued by key choke points in its testing system since the pandemic began .
During the summer surge , these bottlenecks dramatically reduced testing capacity and slowed results .
“ It ’ s pretty stunning that we are still having these bottlenecks , ” said David Lazer , a professor at Northeastern University and co-author of a recent report on turnaround times for test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understandable when New York was struggling in March , but why is California struggling now ?
” he said .
“ It ’ s a local manifestation of national shortages.
” In Sacramento , the first choke point emerged as people flocked to testing sites , placing a heavy burden on commercial labs that processed tests , such as Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp .
With COVID hot spots flaring , the labs faced mounting backlogs , sometimes delaying results by more than a week .
During Quest ’ s second-quarter earnings call in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained why the company was struggling to keep up with demand despite its rapidly increased testing capacity .
Beyond catering to regions with high numbers of COVID-19 cases , Rusckowski said Quest was also responding to the testing needs of patients scheduled for surgery , high-risk residents at places like nursing homes and prisons , employers testing their workers , and universities requiring tests for returning students .
The company said it performed 3.5 million diagnostic tests in July , up from 1.5 million in May .
Smaller regional operations have popped up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , Folsom , Calif.-based StemExpress focused primarily on collecting and distributing blood and bone marrow for research and treatments .
In early April , the company started processing COVID-19 tests .
Now , StemExpress performs tests for Sacramento and other counties , healthcare systems , private businesses and even the Sacramento Kings basketball team .
To keep up , StemExpress purchased certified COVID-19 testing machines and secured yearlong pre-purchasing contracts for the necessary supplies and chemicals .
The company has hired more than 30 people and deploys workers round-the-clock to guarantee results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s a fraction of what Quest churns through daily .
“ It was a huge front-end financial investment — millions of dollars , ” said Hether Ide , a company vice president .
StemExpress now has the capacity to process 10,000 tests per day , though it generally averages that in a week , Ide said .
A surge in demand was only the first problem .
That led to a second major bottleneck : a shortage of supplies needed to process the tests .
In early July , Sacramento @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites because its testing partner , UC Davis Health , could not secure enough chemical reagents to run its test-processing machine , made by Swiss manufacturer Roche .
Indeed , manufacturers of lab processing supplies have struggled for months to keep up with the global demand .
For instance , Thomas Schinecker , chief executive of Roche , said the company had increased production of popular COVID-19 testing machines and materials to about four times its normal level .
To get the testing sites back up and running , Sacramento turned to StemExpress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis Health now has adequate supplies and is running about 2,500 tests per week , including some for the county , a spokesperson for the health system said .
Sacramento County said it had reduced its turnaround time to 72 hours for results and had recently added community testing sites .
Earlier in the pandemic , a different type of shortage plagued testing sites in Sacramento : the swabs used to collect specimens from people ’ s nasal cavities .
In March , Maine-based Puritan Medical Products and Italy ’ s Copan Diagnostics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialized nasal swabs , struggled to keep up with the accelerating demand .
In response , U.S. manufacturers expanded their efforts , and the federal government gave Puritan $ 75.5 million to make more swabs .
California ’ s testing task force , in concert with the Federal Emergency Management Agency , said in an early-summer report that it had secured about 14 million swabs .
Still , the report said that wasn ’ t enough to last through 2020 .
The upcoming flu season could add additional strain on the availability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of laboratory services at Premier Inc. , a group purchasing organization that works with 4,000 U.S. hospitals and health systems .
Since the flu and COVID-19 share similar symptoms , more people will likely seek testing — and flu tests use the same type of swabs , she noted .
Plus , it ’ s never clear when manufacturing delays , supply shortages or a spike in testing volume could jam the system again .
“ We really expected a decrease in COVID this summer .
Obviously it hasn ’ t happened , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a vaccine , there ’ s going to be continued testing demand .
Even then , I don ’ t know if anyone knows when this will be done.
” Hannah Norman writes for , a nonprofit news service covering health issues .
It is an editorially independent program of the and is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

Stephenson Arturo Avilio waits for cars to arrive for a coronavirus test at the COVID-19 testing site at The Forum parking lot in Inglewood.
In some ways, the nation’s coronavirus testing system is like a game of Jenga: When one piece falters, the entire tower collapses.
Take Sacramento County, home to 1.5 million people. Coronavirus cases started surging there in late June, and on July 15, 360 residents were diagnosed with COVID-19 — a single-day record.
Around that time, people flocked to testing sites run by state, county and local health systems and other testing providers like CVS.
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But securing a test became next to impossible for many people. Even as Gov. Gavin Newsom touted California’s ability to test roughly 100,000 people per day, Sacramento’s time slots filled quickly, five testing sites run by the county temporarily shuttered, and some healthcare providers limited testing to patients who were visibly sick.
For those lucky enough to get tested, results took days — sometimes weeks — to return, rendering them essentially useless.
“Results should come in 24 to 48 hours, ideally, from when people are exhibiting symptoms,” said Dr. Olivia Kasirye, the county’s public health officer. “It impacts our ability to take action and do contact investigations.”
So what happened? Sacramento, like other counties across the state and nation, has been plagued by key choke points in its testing system since the pandemic began. During the summer surge, these bottlenecks dramatically reduced testing capacity and slowed results.
“It’s pretty stunning that we are still having these bottlenecks,” said David Lazer, a professor at Northeastern University and co-author of a recent report on turnaround times for test results across the U.S.
“It was understandable when New York was struggling in March, but why is California struggling now?” he said. “It’s a local manifestation of national shortages.”
California The inside story of how California failed mass coronavirus testing California failed to establish an effective coronavirus testing system early on, leaving it far behind — even now — in the fight against COVID-19.
In Sacramento, the first choke point emerged as people flocked to testing sites, placing a heavy burden on commercial labs that processed tests, such as Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp.
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With COVID hot spots flaring, the labs faced mounting backlogs, sometimes delaying results by more than a week.
During Quest’s second-quarter earnings call in late July, Chief Executive Steve Rusckowski explained why the company was struggling to keep up with demand despite its rapidly increased testing capacity.
Beyond catering to regions with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, Rusckowski said Quest was also responding to the testing needs of patients scheduled for surgery, high-risk residents at places like nursing homes and prisons, employers testing their workers, and universities requiring tests for returning students. The company said it performed 3.5 million diagnostic tests in July, up from 1.5 million in May.
Smaller regional operations have popped up to ease the demand. Before the pandemic, Folsom, Calif.-based StemExpress focused primarily on collecting and distributing blood and bone marrow for research and treatments. In early April, the company started processing COVID-19 tests. Now, StemExpress performs tests for Sacramento and other counties, healthcare systems, private businesses and even the Sacramento Kings basketball team.
To keep up, StemExpress purchased certified COVID-19 testing machines and secured yearlong pre-purchasing contracts for the necessary supplies and chemicals. The company has hired more than 30 people and deploys workers round-the-clock to guarantee results in 48 to 72 hours. Still, it’s a fraction of what Quest churns through daily.
“It was a huge front-end financial investment — millions of dollars,” said Hether Ide, a company vice president. StemExpress now has the capacity to process 10,000 tests per day, though it generally averages that in a week, Ide said.
A surge in demand was only the first problem. That led to a second major bottleneck: a shortage of supplies needed to process the tests.
In early July, Sacramento temporarily closed five of its county-funded testing sites because its testing partner, UC Davis Health, could not secure enough chemical reagents to run its test-processing machine, made by Swiss manufacturer Roche.
Indeed, manufacturers of lab processing supplies have struggled for months to keep up with the global demand. For instance, Thomas Schinecker, chief executive of Roche, said the company had increased production of popular COVID-19 testing machines and materials to about four times its normal level.
Science & Medicine Thousands of families perform DIY tests for coronavirus science Thousands of U.S. families are swabbing their noses twice a week in a DIY experiment to help solve some of the mysteries about the coronavirus.
To get the testing sites back up and running, Sacramento turned to StemExpress to pick up the slack. UC Davis Health now has adequate supplies and is running about 2,500 tests per week, including some for the county, a spokesperson for the health system said.
Sacramento County said it had reduced its turnaround time to 72 hours for results and had recently added community testing sites.
Earlier in the pandemic, a different type of shortage plagued testing sites in Sacramento: the swabs used to collect specimens from people’s nasal cavities.
In March, Maine-based Puritan Medical Products and Italy’s Copan Diagnostics, the two leading manufacturers of these specialized nasal swabs, struggled to keep up with the accelerating demand.
In response, U.S. manufacturers expanded their efforts, and the federal government gave Puritan $75.5 million to make more swabs. California’s testing task force, in concert with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in an early-summer report that it had secured about 14 million swabs. Still, the report said that wasn’t enough to last through 2020.
The upcoming flu season could add additional strain on the availability of swabs, said Marlene Sautter, director of laboratory services at Premier Inc., a group purchasing organization that works with 4,000 U.S. hospitals and health systems. Since the flu and COVID-19 share similar symptoms, more people will likely seek testing — and flu tests use the same type of swabs, she noted.
Plus, it’s never clear when manufacturing delays, supply shortages or a spike in testing volume could jam the system again.
“We really expected a decrease in COVID this summer. Obviously it hasn’t happened,” Sautter said. “Until there’s a vaccine, there’s going to be continued testing demand. Even then, I don’t know if anyone knows when this will be done.”


latimes--2020-08-19--Earthquake: 4.8 quake felt near Ridgecrest

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was reported at 10:32 a.m. Wednesday 57 miles from Ridgecrest , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 68 miles from Pahrump , Nev. , 85 miles from California City , Calif. , 89 miles from Porterville , Calif. , and 92 miles from Lindsay , Calif .
In the last 10 days , there has been one earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.0 to 5.0 occur each year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a depth of 0.8 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Find out what to do before , and during , an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked @ @

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was reported at 10:32 a.m. Wednesday 57 miles from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 68 miles from Pahrump, Nev., 85 miles from California City, Calif., 89 miles from Porterville, Calif., and 92 miles from Lindsay, Calif.
In the last 10 days, there has been one earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.0 to 5.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 0.8 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-08-19--Hate crime investigation underway after transgender women robbed, beaten in Hollywood

Los Angeles police are calling the robbery and assault of three transgender women on Hollywood Boulevard early Monday a hate crime and have launched an investigation into the attack .
They also are reviewing the response of officers in the area , LAPD Chief Michel Moore said .
Police said the women were attacked about 2:15 a.m. Monday in the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard , near Wilcox Avenue .
The incident was partially captured on videos that were later reposted to Instagram by the women : social media influencers Eden the Doll , who has 410,000 Instagram followers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who also have large followings .
The videos , which have been viewed extensively online , show a man threatening Flawless with a crowbar as he robs her , and shows him hitting Whiterose over the head with an object .
The videos also show bystanders taunting the women and laughing .
Police said the man demanded Flawless ’ shoes and bracelet as he threatened her with the crowbar , and struck Whiterose with a bottle — all while making “ derogatory remarks ” about their gender identity .
On Instagram , Flawless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment ” of her life .
“ He held a crow bar to my face and threatened to kill me unless I stripped my shoes off and gave him my jewelry and all my [ possessions ] .
He said if I was trans he would kill me , ” she wrote .
“ He then forced me to hold his hand while he looks for my friends to kill them for being trans , ” she wrote .
“ Meanwhile men and WOMEN screaming that I ’ m a man and telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got beat up , ” Whiterose wrote on a video she posted recounting the attack .
Eden the Doll wrote that she was also struck and had her phone stolen , and that she was “ completely traumatized ” by the encounter .
The women could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday .
On Tuesday , multiple members of the public who had called in to a virtual meeting of the Los Angeles Police Commission asked about the incident and demanded that LAPD officials release more information .
They asked why an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without stopping — which was also captured on video .
Commission Vice President Shane Murphy Goldsmith also asked about the encounter .
Moore told the commission he is “ very concerned about any hate crimes , ” and said that the incident and the department ’ s response were both being reviewed .
Moore said an officer did pass the scene in a squad car with its lights activated , en route to an emergency call , but he said few other details were immediately available .
Some time passed before an officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moore said he planned to find out what call the first officer was responding to , whether the officer realized what was happening to the women as he passed by , whether the officer alerted dispatch to the incident and “ whether or not we took appropriate action.
” He said the investigation will include a review of body-worn camera footage to determine whether officers followed procedures .
Goldsmith asked for additional updates from Moore when more is known about the case , and Moore promised to comply .
Police are asking anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 213 ) 972-2934 or send anonymous tips to ( 800 ) 222-8477 .

The LAPD is investigating an assault and robbery of three transgender women in Hollywood as a hate crime.
Los Angeles police are calling the robbery and assault of three transgender women on Hollywood Boulevard early Monday a hate crime and have launched an investigation into the attack.
They also are reviewing the response of officers in the area, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said.
Police said the women were attacked about 2:15 a.m. Monday in the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard, near Wilcox Avenue.
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The incident was partially captured on videos that were later reposted to Instagram by the women: social media influencers Eden the Doll, who has 410,000 Instagram followers, and Jaslene Whiterose and Joslyn Flawless, who also have large followings.
The videos, which have been viewed extensively online, show a man threatening Flawless with a crowbar as he robs her, and shows him hitting Whiterose over the head with an object. The videos also show bystanders taunting the women and laughing.
Police said the man demanded Flawless’ shoes and bracelet as he threatened her with the crowbar, and struck Whiterose with a bottle — all while making “derogatory remarks” about their gender identity.
On Instagram, Flawless described the encounter as the “scariest moment” of her life.
“He held a crow bar to my face and threatened to kill me unless I stripped my shoes off and gave him my jewelry and all my [possessions]. He said if I was trans he would kill me,” she wrote.
“He then forced me to hold his hand while he looks for my friends to kill them for being trans,” she wrote. “Meanwhile men and WOMEN screaming that I’m a man and telling him to beat me.”
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“I got beat up,” Whiterose wrote on a video she posted recounting the attack.
Eden the Doll wrote that she was also struck and had her phone stolen, and that she was “completely traumatized” by the encounter.
The women could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
On Tuesday, multiple members of the public who had called in to a virtual meeting of the Los Angeles Police Commission asked about the incident and demanded that LAPD officials release more information. They asked why an LAPD officer had driven by the scene without stopping — which was also captured on video.
Commission Vice President Shane Murphy Goldsmith also asked about the encounter.
Moore told the commission he is “very concerned about any hate crimes,” and said that the incident and the department’s response were both being reviewed.
Moore said an officer did pass the scene in a squad car with its lights activated, en route to an emergency call, but he said few other details were immediately available. Some time passed before an officer stopped where the women were attacked.
Moore said he planned to find out what call the first officer was responding to, whether the officer realized what was happening to the women as he passed by, whether the officer alerted dispatch to the incident and “whether or not we took appropriate action.”
He said the investigation will include a review of body-worn camera footage to determine whether officers followed procedures.
Goldsmith asked for additional updates from Moore when more is known about the case, and Moore promised to comply.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact detectives at (213) 972-2934 or send anonymous tips to (800) 222-8477.


latimes--2020-08-19--Destructive Bay Area fires fueled by rare mix of intense dry lightning and extreme heat

Many of the fires burning unchecked across the Bay Area and Northern California have been caused by lightning strikes and fueled by extremely hot weather .
By Wednesday , the rare weather events had caused thousands to flee as homes burned north of Vacaville .
Fires were reported from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the wine country and beyond .
Here is what we know about the causes : The recent weather events are the result of three distinct meteorological phenomena combining in a way rarely seen in California , experts told The Times earlier this week : 1 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer and harsher than is typical for August — was the first to arrive .
It is a high-pressure system rotating clockwise over California , Nevada and Arizona that steered hot , dry desert air over the Golden State , breaking heat records across the Central Valley .
2 ) Then Tropical Storm Elida off the coast of Mexico began feeding the heat wave moisture , which created instability in the atmosphere .
This moisture is why so many of the wildfires burning in California recently have created towering pyrocumulus clouds , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) A thunderstorm some 1,100 miles south of the Bay Area in Sonora , Mexico , sent an invisible rippling wave of uplifting pressure north through the atmosphere , where it mixed with the heat and moisture to produce hundreds of lightning strikes across hundreds of miles of the Bay Area on Saturday and Sunday .
That created dozens of fires , while farther inland a tornado formed .
Northern and Central California began experiencing an unusually active sequence of largely dry lightning strikes Sunday morning , likely the most widespread and violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on one of the hottest nights in years , according to Daniel Swain , a climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research .
Most of the thunderstorms seemed mostly to be dry .
And that , in combination with the high winds , makes these lightning storms especially dangerous , Swain tweeted Sunday .
Peak gusts of up to 74 mph were reported in the Santa Cruz Mountains , and up to 70 mph in Marin County on Sunday morning .
At least 100 new fires began on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others that began from the 1,500 or so lightning strikes that were spread across the Bay Area over the weekend , said Lucas Spelman , spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
Some of those lightning strikes may have created smoldering piles of timber and brush that are just waiting for enough sunlight and heat to turn into an active fire .
without warning .
An Angeles National Forest crew sent to Australia earlier this year had a similar fire spring back to life just recently .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that there is huge potential there , ” Spelman said .

Joseph Serna, Rong-Gong Lin II, Leila Miller

Many of the fires burning unchecked across the Bay Area and Northern California have been caused by lightning strikes and fueled by extremely hot weather.
By Wednesday, the rare weather events had caused thousands to flee as homes burned north of Vacaville. Fires were reported from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the wine country and beyond. Here is what we know about the causes:
Three events combine for unusual, extreme weather
The recent weather events are the result of three distinct meteorological phenomena combining in a way rarely seen in California, experts told The Times earlier this week:
1) The heat wave broiling the West — longer and harsher than is typical for August — was the first to arrive. It is a high-pressure system rotating clockwise over California, Nevada and Arizona that steered hot, dry desert air over the Golden State, breaking heat records across the Central Valley.
2) Then Tropical Storm Elida off the coast of Mexico began feeding the heat wave moisture, which created instability in the atmosphere. This moisture is why so many of the wildfires burning in California recently have created towering pyrocumulus clouds, said UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain.
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3) A thunderstorm some 1,100 miles south of the Bay Area in Sonora, Mexico, sent an invisible rippling wave of uplifting pressure north through the atmosphere, where it mixed with the heat and moisture to produce hundreds of lightning strikes across hundreds of miles of the Bay Area on Saturday and Sunday. That created dozens of fires, while farther inland a tornado formed.
Lightning, then fire
Northern and Central California began experiencing an unusually active sequence of largely dry lightning strikes Sunday morning, likely the most widespread and violent in recent memory in the Bay Area on one of the hottest nights in years, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
Most of the thunderstorms seemed mostly to be dry. And that, in combination with the high winds, makes these lightning storms especially dangerous, Swain tweeted Sunday. Peak gusts of up to 74 mph were reported in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and up to 70 mph in Marin County on Sunday morning.
At least 100 new fires began on Monday due to lightning, on top of others that began from the 1,500 or so lightning strikes that were spread across the Bay Area over the weekend, said Lucas Spelman, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Some of those lightning strikes may have created smoldering piles of timber and brush that are just waiting for enough sunlight and heat to turn into an active fire. without warning. An Angeles National Forest crew sent to Australia earlier this year had a similar fire spring back to life just recently.
“The brush is primed to burn; we know that there is huge potential there,” Spelman said.


latimes--2020-08-19--Have you noticed any problems with the U.S. Postal Service in your area?

Recent reports of delayed mail and the removal of blue mailboxes have sparked concern among elected officials as the United @ @ @ @ @ in which millions of Americans will vote by mail .
Have you noticed any issues @ @ @ @ @ the postal service in your area ?
How have these issues affected you ?
Share @ @ @ @ @ below .

Recent reports of delayed mail and the removal of blue mailboxes have sparked concern among elected officials as the United States prepares for an election in which millions of Americans will vote by mail. Have you noticed any issues with mail delivery or with the postal service in your area? How have these issues affected you? Share your experiences with The Times below.


latimes--2020-08-19--In searing heat, with a pandemic raging, homeless workers are on a quest to save lives in Hollywood

A mid-morning line formed at the entrance to The Center at Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood last week , as an employee checked the temperature of homeless people waiting for free care packages of food and water .
On nearby streets , the center ’ s outreach workers delivered water and food to increasingly desperate people whose lives have been turned upside down by pandemic shutdowns .
They can ’ t go to a library to take a breather , they can ’ t go to restaurants to use the restrooms .
A 57-year-old woman with a history of physical and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s gate and told me she ’ s been homeless for 25 years and is hoping to get indoors permanently , finally .
Nearby , social workers were chatting about how she needed housing with medical care , rather than just a motel room .
Los Angeles had a big enough challenge as it was , trying to address the needs of a growing population of homeless people .
It did not need the coronavirus on top of that , nor did it need this wretched , blistering heat wave .
I reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve known for years , to ask how it was going .
Salinas is chief program manager at Blessed Sacrament , and his inexhaustible commitment to the cause has earned him respect from public officials , community leaders and homeless people alike .
Salinas told me he had never worked longer hours or dealt with more stressful challenges .
People are hungry , thirsty , sunburned and desperate , he said , and he ’ s seeing new faces in the crowds of those seeking help .
He was working outside near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people slated to get into a Project Room Key hotel his agency manages , when strangers approached to ask if they could get in line .
“ These were people who were not employed anymore and had been evicted and were sleeping in cars with their families , ” said Salinas .
One day , Salinas said , outreach workers helped a woman who had been released from jail , was not taking medication for her mental illness , and was wandering down the middle of a street , puzzled by the absence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trying to get hit by a car , not knowing the pandemic had started and thinking the rapture had happened , ” said Salinas .
I thought back to a year ago , when there was reason for faint optimism about the possibility of beginning to turn the tide on L.A. ’ s growing homeless population , even as encampments expanded throughout the county .
Public officials were admitting , finally , that a strategy shakeup was needed , and that new housing was too costly and taking too long to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Homeless Services Authority was proceeding under the leadership of board chair Sarah Dusseault .
And I was packing for a trip to Trieste , Italy , with local officials on their way to study a mental health services model they planned to test in Hollywood .
But the virus has stunted progress on many fronts , and the Trieste pilot is on hold indefinitely .
The top priority has shifted to rapidly identifying the most elderly and vulnerable homeless people to get them indoors and keep them safe and virus-free .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Dusseault , who suspects the total number of homeless people has decreased somewhat , but there ’ s no solid data on that and the ruptured economy could swamp any gains .
“ I do think that Project Room Key showed what we could do , moving 5,000 people indoors — and it ’ s more if you count the rec centers and other settings — since mid-March.
” That number fell short of goals , and it remains to be seen if another goal can be met — eventually moving those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permanent housing .
At the Blessed Sacrament center , executive director Nathan Sheets said the virus led to a pivot for his team , from a focus on building relationships and providing service to people in line for housing , to a focus on immediate aid , including food and water delivery and testing stations for COVID-19 .
“ We ’ re going to the hot spots and … identifying people who are extremely vulnerable , with underlying medical conditions , and whisking them away to quarantine or Project Room Key , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be coaxed indoors — due to mental illness , addiction , a distrust of authority , fear of shelters , a lack of indoor space or all of the above .
Sheets and Salinas said authorities provided tents early on to shelter and isolate such stragglers , and in some cases tents were built around those who refused to give up their small patch of real estate .
Still , some of the neediest remain out of reach .
“ I ’ m seeing a lot of people who have been left out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I feel like I ’ ve never seen so many people wandering down the street not wearing shoes and looking just completely sick , ” said Douglas Walker , outreach coordinator at the center .
Walker said there hasn ’ t been “ adequate coordination ” in determining who among the homeless is most vulnerable .
And he thinks there ’ s a focus on encampments , because they ’ re flashpoints for complaints , sometimes to the exclusion of severely ill people who isolate along freeway offramps and disappear into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local officials to the more holistic Trieste model and led the local delegation there , lamented the delay in making Hollywood a testing ground for its community-based mental health approach .
Such a switch would have complemented the movement to defund police .
“ Part of the vision was a whole crisis response protocol that would not involve law enforcement and paramedics , but 24-hour teams roving neighborhoods , with a psychiatric urgent care center to take people to rather than a hospital that kicks them back onto the street , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morrison was impressed by the way in which city and county officials treated homelessness like the emergency it had been for years , bulldozing bureaucracies that might have held up Project Room Key or moving people into rec centers .
But now the progress has stalled a bit , she said , to the point where it ’ s not always clear what the role of rec centers will be or who will decide .
Just as the city and county stepped up in March , so did dozens of residents , faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , law enforcement officials , nonprofit reps and merchants who strategize in weekly virtual meetings of the community coalition that calls itself Hollywood 4WRD .
Members share notes , organize food and water delivery , problem-solve the lack of public toilets and showers and lately have lobbied to reopen the Cole Rec Center as a temporary shelter .
For all those successes , Morrison said , some Hollywood 4WRD participants have recently observed an increased level of deterioration in people still on the street , and she fears there ’ s a creeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difference .
It ’ s not likely to happen to Rudy Salinas .
He texted me last week , saying to meet him at Cherokee and Sunset , where an outreach team that included a nurse had set up a medical station on the sidewalk to perform coronavirus tests .
When I got there , I couldn ’ t find him at first .
Then I noticed Salinas hustling across Cherokee with a giant thermos of coffee , juggling cups .
With a mask for protection , he knelt before two homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how many creams and sugars , how you doing guys , so on and so forth , looking into their eyes , making a connection .
It ’ s hard work that takes heart , and patience , and sometimes it makes all the difference .

A mid-morning line formed at the entrance to The Center in Hollywood last week, as an employee checked the temperature of homeless people waiting for free care packages of food and water.
On nearby streets, The Center’s outreach workers delivered water and food to increasingly desperate people whose lives have been turned upside down by pandemic shutdowns. They can’t go to a library to take a breather, they can’t go to restaurants to use the restrooms.
A 57-year-old woman with a history of physical and mental illness sat near The Center’s gate and told me she’s been homeless for 25 years and is hoping to get indoors permanently, finally. Nearby, social workers were chatting about how she needed housing with medical care, rather than just a motel room.
Los Angeles had a big enough challenge as it was, trying to address the needs of a growing population of homeless people. It did not need the coronavirus on top of that, nor did it need this wretched, blistering heat wave.
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I reached out to Rudy Salinas, whom I’ve known for years, to ask how it was going. Salinas is chief program manager at Blessed Sacrament, and his inexhaustible commitment to the cause has earned him respect from public officials, community leaders and homeless people alike.
Chief Programs Officer Rudy Salinas enjoys a light moment while overseeing work at The Center in Hollywood. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Salinas told me he had never worked longer hours or dealt with more stressful challenges. People are hungry, thirsty, sunburned and desperate, he said, and he’s seeing new faces in the crowds of those seeking help. He was working outside near MacArthur Park with a group of homeless people slated to get into a Project Room Key hotel his agency manages, when strangers approached to ask if they could get in line.
“These were people who were not employed anymore and had been evicted and were sleeping in cars with their families,” said Salinas.
One day, Salinas said, outreach workers helped a woman who had been released from jail, was not taking medication for her mental illness, and was wandering down the middle of a street, puzzled by the absence of the usual frenzy.
“She was trying to get hit by a car, not knowing the pandemic had started and thinking the rapture had happened,” said Salinas.
I thought back to a year ago, when there was reason for faint optimism about the possibility of beginning to turn the tide on L.A.’s growing homeless population, even as encampments expanded throughout the county.
Nurse Richelle Legaspi, a member of the outreach team with The Center, gives Gonzalo Cresci, who is homeless, a test for COVID-19 in East Hollywood. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
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Public officials were admitting, finally, that a strategy shakeup was needed, and that new housing was too costly and taking too long to build. The reorganization of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority was proceeding under the leadership of board chair Sarah Dusseault. And I was packing for a trip to Trieste, Italy, with local officials on their way to study a mental health services model they planned to test in Hollywood.
But the virus has stunted progress on many fronts, and the Trieste pilot is on hold indefinitely. The top priority has shifted to rapidly identifying the most elderly and vulnerable homeless people to get them indoors and keep them safe and virus-free.
“The focus shifted to saving lives,” said Dusseault, who suspects the total number of homeless people has decreased somewhat, but there’s no solid data on that and the ruptured economy could swamp any gains. “I do think that Project Room Key showed what we could do, moving 5,000 people indoors — and it’s more if you count the rec centers and other settings — since mid-March.”
That number fell short of goals, and it remains to be seen if another goal can be met — eventually moving those people, and thousands more, into permanent housing.
At the The Center, Executive Director Nathan Sheets said the virus led to a pivot for his team, from a focus on building relationships and providing service to people in line for housing, to a focus on immediate aid, including food and water delivery and testing stations for COVID-19.
“I’m seeing a lot of people who have been left out of Project Room Key in Hollywood, and I feel like I’ve never seen so many people wandering down the street not wearing shoes and looking just completely sick.” — Douglas Walker, outreach coordinator at The Center at Blessed Sacrament
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A homeless man by the name of Loren, sleeps on a bench under the watchful eye of actor Don Cheadle in East Hollywood. Members of the outreach team with The Center have been helping the homeless, including Loren, who have been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and deliver food and water during the recent heat wave. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
“We’re going to the hot spots and … identifying people who are extremely vulnerable, with underlying medical conditions, and whisking them away to quarantine or Project Room Key,” said Sheets.
Some can’t be coaxed indoors — due to mental illness, addiction, a distrust of authority, fear of shelters, a lack of indoor space or all of the above. Sheets and Salinas said authorities provided tents early on to shelter and isolate such stragglers, and in some cases tents were built around those who refused to give up their small patch of real estate.
Still, some of the neediest remain out of reach.
“I’m seeing a lot of people who have been left out of Project Room Key in Hollywood, and I feel like I’ve never seen so many people wandering down the street not wearing shoes and looking just completely sick,” said Douglas Walker, outreach coordinator at The Center.
Walker said there hasn’t been “adequate coordination” in determining who among the homeless is most vulnerable. And he thinks there’s a focus on encampments, because they’re flashpoints for complaints, sometimes to the exclusion of severely ill people who isolate along freeway offramps and disappear into the weeds.
From left, Julie Han, nurse Richelle Legaspi and Douglas Walker, members of the outreach team with The Center, interview John Yu, who is homeless, before he is given a COVID-19 test in East Hollywood. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
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Kerry Morrison, who alerted local officials to the more holistic Trieste model and led the local delegation there, lamented the delay in making Hollywood a testing ground for its community-based mental health approach. Such a switch would have complemented the movement to defund police.
“Part of the vision was a whole crisis response protocol that would not involve law enforcement and paramedics, but 24-hour teams roving neighborhoods, with a psychiatric urgent care center to take people to rather than a hospital that kicks them back onto the street,” said Morrison.
When the pandemic hit, Morrison was impressed by the way in which city and county officials treated homelessness like the emergency it had been for years, bulldozing bureaucracies that might have held up Project Room Key or moving people into rec centers. But now the progress has stalled a bit, she said, to the point where it’s not always clear what the role of rec centers will be or who will decide.
Just as the city and county stepped up in March, so did dozens of residents, faith groups, public officials, healthcare providers, law enforcement officials, nonprofit reps and merchants who strategize in weekly virtual meetings of the community coalition that calls itself Hollywood 4WRD. Members share notes, organize food and water delivery, problem-solve the lack of public toilets and showers and lately have lobbied to reopen the Cole Rec Center as a temporary shelter.
For all those successes, Morrison said, some Hollywood 4WRD participants have recently observed an increased level of deterioration in people still on the street, and she fears there’s a creeping weariness among those working hardest to make a difference.
Julie Han, a member of the outreach team with The Center, gives a homeless man a bottle of water in Hollywood. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
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It’s not likely to happen to Rudy Salinas. He texted me last week, saying to meet him at Cherokee and Sunset, where an outreach team that included a nurse had set up a medical station on the sidewalk to perform coronavirus tests.
When I got there, I couldn’t find him at first. Then I noticed Salinas hustling across Cherokee with a giant thermos of coffee, juggling cups. With a mask for protection, he knelt before two homeless men, asking if they wanted coffee, how many creams and sugars, how you doing guys, so on and so forth, looking into their eyes, making a connection.
It’s hard work that takes heart, and patience, and sometimes it makes all the difference.
Steve.lopez@latimes.com


latimes--2020-08-19--Pilot injured after making emergency landing at LAX

The pilot of a Boeing 767-300 was injured early Wednesday after making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport @ @ @ @ @ from the scene shows FedEx Flight 1026 giving off a shower of sparks as it @ @ @ @ @ shortly before 4 a.m. Two people were on board , authorities said .
One man @ @ @ @ @ , was taken to a hospital after suffering a leg injury while exiting the aircraft @ @ @ @ @ Angeles Fire Department .
His wound was not believed to be life-threatening .
Officials said @ @ @ @ @ issue with its landing gear .
“ The crew was unable to extend the left @ @ @ @ @ , ” Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said in a statement , adding that @ @ @ @ @ from Newark Liberty International Airport .
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will conduct @ @ @ @ @ said .

The pilot of a Boeing 767-300 was injured early Wednesday after making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said.
Video from the scene shows FedEx Flight 1026 giving off a shower of sparks as it touches down on the runway shortly before 4 a.m.
Two people were on board, authorities said.
One man, identified as a pilot, was taken to a hospital after suffering a leg injury while exiting the aircraft, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. His wound was not believed to be life-threatening.
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Officials said the plane experienced a mechanical issue with its landing gear.
“The crew was unable to extend the left main landing gear before landing,” Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said in a statement, adding that the plane had taken off from Newark Liberty International Airport.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation, fire officials said.
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-19--Flex alert to begin earlier as California warns of blackouts amid record-breaking heat

With California in the grip of one of its worst heat waves in years , power officials on Wednesday issued another statewide call for the voluntary conservation of electricity and moved up the starting time by one hour in an effort to avoid rolling blackouts .
The California Independent System Operator , which runs the electric grid for most of the state , is asking residents to conserve energy from 2 to 9 p.m. by setting air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees , avoiding fans and the use of appliances , turning off unnecessary lights , unplugging unused devices and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flex alert , originally set to begin at 3 p.m. , was moved up Wednesday morning .
Tuesday evening , Cal-ISO called off power outages that had been anticipated statewide , crediting conservation efforts by consumers for the second day in a row with averting rolling blackouts that were implemented Friday and Saturday nights .
Though statewide blackouts were avoided , heat-related equipment issues left thousands without power in Los Angeles .
On Wednesday , the L.A. Department of Water and Power was again faced with multiple outages across the city “ due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high demand and high temperatures , ” the company said in a tweet .
On Tuesday afternoon , Cal-ISO declared a Stage 2 emergency — one of several it has issued in the past weeks — asking customers to save energy .
In a statement , Cal-ISO said that , in addition to consumer conservation efforts , the grid had benefited from some imported energy and resources from wind plants .
“ Californians made tonight a success , ” said Cal-ISO President Steve Berberich .
“ Everyone pulled together and responded to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in electricity supplies.
” On Monday , officials had warned of blackouts affecting as many as 3 million people , but officials ended up , saying improved weather conditions and conservation efforts reduced demand on the power grid .
The heat wave is expected to continue through Thursday .
On Tuesday , temperature records for the date fell across Southern California , including in Long Beach ( 100 degrees ) , Burbank ( 109 ) , UCLA ( 97 ) , Anaheim ( 105 ) , Santa Ana ( 106 ) and Woodland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weather Service said temperatures wouldn ’ t be quite as high Wednesday but extended an excessive heat warning to valley and inland areas .
Highs in downtown L.A. are expected to be in the 90s , while many valley locations will likely experience triple-digit readings again .
The heat is also making life harder for firefighters , who are battling big blazes across the state , including near Lake Piru in Ventura County and in the Mojave National Preserve , where the Dome fire has burned more than 43,000 acres and destroyed swaths @ @ @ @

At Woodley Park in Van Nuys, Blanca Celaya of Winnetka and her family enjoy the shade. She holds her 3-month-old son, Jason Celaya. Beyond are her daughter Celia Barinese and husband, Jaime Paiz. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
The scene at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on Aug. 14, where a cooling breeze kept the shore comfortable. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Telles family of the San Fernando Valley enjoys the water of the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
At the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley, Mike Garcia of Norco and his children Jose, 7, and Monica, 10, employ multiple stay-cool techniques. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
DeAndre Michaels dips his toes in a fountain in Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A cool breeze propels windsurfers across the shimmering waters off Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Tropical moisture moving onshore northwest of Santa Barbara on Aug. 15 brought lightning strikes but also rainbows. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Jacob Debreceni, 16, with friends Ismael Fuentes, left, and Kevin Lemus, cools off with the help of a backyard waterslide in Mira Loma, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
An employee of a hot dog stand works inside the eatery along the boardwalk in Santa Monica. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Beachgoers create a forest of umbrellas on the beach at Santa Monica. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Liz Saul reads a novel on her iPad in the comfort of an air mattress in Venice. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
People head to the beach in Venice amid the heat. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Friends and family rollick in a drainage pipe along the San Gabriel River. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Don and Sally Joaquin watch for lightning strikes on Aug. 16 in unincorporated Contra Costa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A chimney stands amid the rubble of a home destroyed in the River fire. (Noah Berger / Associated Press )
Firefighters prepare to defend a home as flames from the River fire approach in Salinas on Aug. 17. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on Aug. 16. Numerous lightning strikes sparked brush fires throughout the region. (Noah Berger / Associated Press )
A funnel appears in a thick plume of smoke from the Loyalton fire in Lassen County, Calif., on Aug. 15. (Katelynn & Jordan Hewlett via Associated Press)
Matthew Giron, 8, frolics with friends and family near a drainage pipe along the San Gabriel River. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
The Original Snake Doctor, left, and Louis Benton play a game of chess in Leimert Park. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Watts residents pick out clothing during the Children Mending Hearts weekly food and clothing giveaway at the Watts Empowerment Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Jon Galapago takes a break from the heat in a hammock during a day of fishing at Lake Evans in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Benjamin Cole II shows son Barreth Cole, 5, a routine while joining members of Barry’s Bootcamp as they conduct a workout session at the Watts Empowerment Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. Rams rookie outside linebacker Terrell Lewis towels away sweat as temperatures soar at the Rams training facility in Thousand Oaks. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
After a day at the beach, Sebastian Grand, 11, left, Leo Grand, 13, and Constantin Condraschi, 12, of Orange County have pizza at a Slice of New York Pizza in Seal Beach. (Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times)
Lifeguard Michael Alfaro, wearing protective gear, works with 5-year-old Kaila Holliday during a swim lesson at Marie Kerr Pool in Palmdale. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The Holser Fire burns through the night just east of Lake Piru, where actress Naya Rivera died in mid-July. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Officials with the California Independent System Operator announced that rotating power outages are not expected Wednesday night, crediting imported energy and wind production.
With California in the grip of one of its worst heat waves in years, power officials on had issued another statewide call Wednesday for the voluntary conservation of electricity and moved up the starting time by one hour in an effort to avoid rolling blackouts.
The California ISO, which runs the electric grid for most of the state, had asked residents to conserve energy from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. by setting air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees or above, avoiding using fans and large appliances, turning off unnecessary lights, unplugging unused devices and closing all blinds and drapes.
The flex alert, originally set to begin at 3 p.m., was moved up Wednesday morning.
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On Tuesday evening, the ISO called off power outages that had been anticipated statewide, crediting conservation efforts by consumers for the second day in a row with averting rolling blackouts that were implemented Friday and Saturday nights.
Though statewide blackouts were avoided, heat-related equipment issues left thousands without power in Los Angeles. On Wednesday, the L.A. Department of Water and Power was again faced with multiple outages across the city “due to strain on the system because of high demand and high temperatures,” the utility said on Twitter.
In a statement, the ISO said that, in addition to consumer conservation efforts, the grid had benefited from some imported energy and resources from wind plants.
“Californians made tonight a success,” said ISO President Steve Berberich. “Everyone pulled together and responded to our warning with action to avoid any interruption in electricity supplies.”
On Monday, officials had warned of blackouts affecting as many as 3 million people, but officials ended up canceling that warning , saying improved weather conditions and conservation efforts reduced demand on the power grid.
The Original Snake Doctor, left, and Louis Benton play chess in Leimert Park while enduring the Southland heat wave. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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The heat wave is expected to continue through Thursday. On Tuesday, temperature records for the date fell across Southern California, including in Long Beach (100 degrees), Burbank (109), UCLA (97), Anaheim (105), Santa Ana (106) and Woodland Hills (112).
The heat is also making life more difficult for firefighters, who are battling big blazes across the state, including near Lake Piru in Ventura County and in the Mojave National Preserve, where the Dome fire has burned more than 43,000 acres and destroyed swaths of Joshua trees.


latimes--2020-08-19--'Gimme Shelter': California's looming 'eviction cliff' could lead to millions losing their homes

In less than two weeks , courts in California will resume processing eviction and foreclosure cases after a months-long pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The pandemic , of course , is not over and the unemployment rate remains at levels that exceed the Great Recession just over a decade ago .
On this episode of “ Gim me Shelter : The California Housing Crisis Podcast , ” we discuss the ways elected officials are trying to avert what ’ s been called an “ eviction cliff ” of millions of California tenants losing their homes over the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 4.1 million to 5.4 million California renters are at risk .
With prospects of a deal between House Democrats and President Trump at a standstill , all eyes are on Gov .
Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature to figure out a solution before lawmakers adjourn their session for the year on Aug. 31 .
Our guest is U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters ( D-Los Angeles ) , who discusses her legislation to provide $ 100 billion for rental assistance and the chances of its passage .
We also ask why homelessness in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supports expanding rent control statewide .
“ , ” a biweekly podcast that looks at why it ’ s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it , features Liam Dillon , who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times , and Matt Levin , data and housing reporter for .
You can subscribe to “ Gim me Shelter ” on , , , , and .

In less than two weeks, courts in California will resume processing eviction and foreclosure cases after a months-long pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic, of course, is not over and the unemployment rate remains at levels that exceed the Great Recession just over a decade ago.
On this episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast,” we discuss the ways elected officials are trying to avert what’s been called an “eviction cliff” of millions of California tenants losing their homes over the next few months. According to one estimate, 4.1 million to 5.4 million California renters are at risk. With prospects of a deal between House Democrats and President Trump at a standstill, all eyes are on Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature to figure out a solution before lawmakers adjourn their session for the year on Aug. 31.
Our guest is U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), who discusses her legislation to provide $100 billion for rental assistance and the chances of its passage. We also ask why homelessness in L.A. has gotten worse and why she supports expanding rent control statewide.
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“ Gimme Shelter ,”a biweekly podcast that looks at why it’s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CalMatters .