latimes--2020-07-13--Bankruptcy forced this California city to defund police. Here's how it changed public safety

Resolute , sincere and white , Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones stood in front of a Black congregation in 2016 and apologized for a history that most law enforcement officials dismiss : the slave patrol origins behind modern American policing .
Not long ago , he said , police were dispatched to keep order at lynchings , part of the dark legacy of the metal shield on his chest that has long prevented Black communities from trusting police .
He spoke in uniform , with a black band across his badge to honor five Dallas officers ambushed days earlier by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Black men by police .
Though Jones said he and his officers were not responsible for the actions of those who have worn the uniform before them , the history of injury , both chronicled and fresh , was a truth that had to be owned if he wanted this community to believe he meant to do things differently .
And he wanted them to believe .
“ That badge carries that burden , ” Jones said in a recent interview .
“ As the law enforcement leader , I had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledgment of the past harms.
” As California and the nation debate the aftermath of the George Floyd killing , Stockton has some insights , if not answers , about what it means to rethink policing .
Eight years into leading law enforcement in this long-troubled seaport town on the delta of the San Joaquin River , the results of Jones ’ experimental approach are a lesson for a nation in turmoil about what defunding means , how far and fast reform can go , and the degree police should be held responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , banks , healthcare and other institutions .
Even with fewer officers , crime here has fallen and the department currently has a clearance rate on homicides of about 80 % .
More striking to some , Jones has earned trust from his mayor , many in communities of color and from the officers ’ union .
It is a nearly unheard of hat trick of confidence , even as he has massively changed what it means to be on either side of the thin blue line .
As protests and uprisings over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent weeks , Stockton hasn ’ t “ had to do one curfew , no rubber bullets , no tear gas , ” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs , a dynamic Black politician who has gained a national following for championing ideas such as a universal basic income .
But Stockton is also a lesson in what can ’ t be done , even with nearly a decade of trying , and the grueling realities of what American policing may face as it seeks a new way to do business .
“ Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground in Stockton right now and say everything is great , ” said David Kennedy , a professor of criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York , who has worked with Stockton on reforms .
“ Trying to get this right is a difficult , grinding , long-term work in progress.
” Few dispute that life in Stockton has improved since 2012 , when Jones took over , but largely because it ’ s hard to envision how it could be worse .
In his first year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployed , and crime and homelessness were spiking with homicides nearly tripling .
Stockton , with a population around 300,000 , was hit hard by foreclosures and bad municipal investments during the Great Recession .
The city was forced to declare bankruptcy that year , slashing the Police Department ’ s budget by $ 14 million and losing a quarter of its 440 officers — an involuntary defunding that dropped the number of sworn officers to some of the lowest levels per capita in the country .
At the same time , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 between 2009 and 2014 , according to local media .
Black and brown communities were simultaneously angry at police mistreatment , and demanding more help in violent neighborhoods .
A “ good dude , ” as one supporter describes him , with a deep Christian faith , Jones used the fiscal meltdown to begin reshaping the department under a personal vision he dubbed “ principled policing ” that rejected the “ zero-tolerance , blanket enforcement ” he was taught as a rookie , instead allowing “ community to have a say in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
But despite the usual fixes — implicit bias training , more officers in high-crime spots — not enough was changing .
So in 2014 , Jones made a “ risky ” move , he said , and volunteered Stockton to be one of six cities , including Minneapolis , for a national initiative on police reform .
That effort promised to help with racial reconciliation , which was increasingly being recognized as a necessary step to restoring the legitimacy of police within communities of color .
He began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on stage at the church months later , made a snap decision to try it in public .
Though aware the conversations were happening within the department , hearing it as he sat in the audience made him “ teary-eyed , ” said Tubbs , who was on the City Council at the time .
He remembers it as “ one of the moments that made me think I want to be mayor.
” Tubbs ’ father , whom he is named after , went to prison on a life sentence for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcing his victim to drive to a bank and withdraw cash , according to court records .
Tubbs was about 4 at the time , and his father was 25 .
The robbery netted the elder Tubbs about $ 3,000 in money and goods — which the mayor recently learned was meant to pay for the funeral of his baby sister , who died while an infant .
That detail was unearthed this year during the filming of an upcoming HBO documentary , “ Stockton on My Mind.
” While Jones began taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he was also broaching another volatile topic internally : officers ’ expectations of each other and their jobs .
He is well aware that , across the country , chiefs had been stymied and even ousted by police unions unhappy with pushes to reform .
Still reeling from the bankruptcy and ongoing protests of police shootings , his officers were demoralized and in “ preservation mode , ” said Chuck Harris , the head of the local police union .
“ The ship was sinking in everybody ’ s eyes , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job of being a Stockton cop was often unpleasant .
How , he wondered , could he expect them to change when they were struggling just to find reasons to stick with it ?
Officers , he suggested , suffered from working in an oppressive system , and that too needed to change .
Harris said that the culture of how officers are taught and treated has morphed drastically under Jones .
“ Twenty , 30 years ago , you had , ‘ You ’ re going to learn this rookie , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , that has transformed to “ I ’ m going to treat you 100 % decent like any other person , and we are going to go through this together.
” Stockton also tries to address mental health , believing that well-adjusted officers make better decisions in the field , Jones said .
When Harris was working as a homicide detective in 2012 , there were a record 71 killings , he said , and it was “ miserable ... for the families , for the citizens , for us.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family with the images of murder scenes in his head .
Now , young officers are given a welcome package that has included a teddy bear that sings when its paw is pushed , and are taught , “ It ’ s OK to talk about your problems , ” Harris said .
“ You don ’ t need to go home and drink .
You don ’ t need to go out and party.
” Retention remains a problem because of pay , though — a remnant of defunding .
Stockton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding areas .
The result is that about 75 % of officers have less than five years of experience .
The oldest homicide detective , usually a job that requires decades of experience , is 33 , Harris said .
The plus side of the youthful ranks , Harris said , is an inclusive culture that doesn ’ t nurture the kind of blind obeisance to veterans that some have suggested kept inexperienced officers from stepping in as George Floyd was killed .
But there are drawbacks to this young force , paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t from the area and don ’ t live in Stockton , and they are far from matching the diverse demographics of the city .
The neighborhoods they patrol are unfamiliar , and community members are often strangers .
Burnice Redic , a Stockton native who was formerly incarcerated and now works in a violence prevention program , recalls what it was like to know the officers who walked his block when he was a kid .
Once , when he was about 11 , a well-known officer everyone called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
But the beat cop knew his mother , father , aunt and grandmother , and let him go with a warning .
“ He just looked at me and was like , ‘ You know , Burnice , you ’ re better than this , ’ ” Redic recalled .
“ Discretion goes a long way .
People remember that .
Like I said , I remember when he did that for me.
” Harris agrees that not having officers that know the people they police is a loss .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , ” he said , “ You don ’ t have a steady group who ’ s like , ‘ This is my city .
I know everybody in it.
’ ” Dionne Smith-Downs , one of the harshest critics of the department , said the problems in Stockton go beyond what the department admits , and that changes have been superficial .
Her son , James Rivera Jr. , was shot by two Stockton officers and a San Joaquin sheriff ’ s deputy in 2010 .
“ The only thing I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they want to show the world , but they are still cutting us down , ” Smith-Downs said recently .
“ We are still being profiled , we are still being falsely arrested , and we are still [ having ] guns put on us.
” Nuri “ Brian ” Muhammad , the leader of Advance Peace in Stockton , thinks programs such as his are necessary because of that remaining mistrust .
Police alone will never be the answer to public safety , he said .
“ The people that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police as somebody that ’ s there to put them in jail , ” Muhammad said .
“ They won ’ t open up to them the way they open up to us.
” Redic said that recently , he prevented a shooting between two teens , one of whom was dating the other ’ s mother and allegedly beat her up .
The son of the woman who Redic said was assaulted found the other teen at a club and , armed with a handgun , threatened to shoot him .
Redic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gun , but brokered a deal instead , he said : The young men would fight without weapons , and let the matter go , no matter who won .
Redic said he had to improvise or else someone would die , and those kinds of solutions are unorthodox but necessary .
“ They squashed it and everything ’ s been solid ever since , ” he said .
Jones said he will take help where he can get it , and has made community interventions a cornerstone of his approach since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to respond to every call .
Though there are bright spots — incidents of police shooting people decreased about 33 % for the last five years compared to five years prior — gun violence remains a problem , homelessness continues to grow and the pandemic is causing a new round of economic problems .
The last years are “ just the beginning , ” he said , and an urgency for change remains .
“ It ’ s such hard work , difficult work , but my goal is infusing it into who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones said .
“ Because I could be gone tomorrow ... and it needs to live .
”

Resolute, sincere and white, Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones stood in front of a Black congregation in 2016 and apologized for a history that many of his colleagues dismiss: the slave patrol origins behind modern American policing.
Not long ago, he said, law enforcement was dispatched to keep order at lynchings, part of a legacy that has long prevented Black communities from trusting police. He spoke in uniform, with a black band across his badge to honor five Dallas officers ambushed days earlier by an Army reservist angry about the killing of Black men by police.
Though Jones said he and his officers were not responsible for the actions of those who came before them, he needed to own the history of injury if he wanted this community to believe he meant to do things differently.
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And he wanted them to believe.
“That badge carries that burden,” Jones said in a recent interview. “As the law enforcement leader, I had to be the first one to give the acknowledgment of the past harms.”
As California and the nation debate the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, Stockton has some insights, if not answers, about what it means to rethink policing.
When Jones took over as chief eight years ago, the Great Recession had decimated the city’s finances and crime was rampant, forcing him to do more with less. He began by rejecting a reliance on crime statistics and the “zero-tolerance, blanket enforcement” he was taught as a rookie. Instead, he pushed to evaluate public safety by how people felt about their neighborhoods and their treatment by police.
The results of Jones’ experimental approach provide a lesson for a nation in turmoil about what defunding police departments really means, how far and fast reform can go, and the degree police should be held responsible for racism that is systematic in schools, banks, healthcare and other institutions.
Even with fewer officers, crime here has fallen and the department currently has a clearance rate on homicides of about 80%. Jones attributes these successes to better communication and responsiveness in neighborhoods where people felt disenfranchised, a reliance on community organizations to fill in gaps where police lack resources and a system that rewards officers for positive interactions, not just arrests.
More striking to some, Jones has earned trust from his mayor, many citizens of color and the officers’ union.
As protests and uprisings over police brutality have swept the U.S. in recent weeks, Stockton hasn’t “had to do one curfew, no rubber bullets, no tear gas,” said Mayor Michael Tubbs, a Black politician who has gained a national following for championing ideas such as a universal basic income.
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But Stockton is also a lesson in what can’t be done, even with nearly a decade of trying, and the grueling realities of what American policing may face as it seeks a new way to do business.
“Nobody including Eric Jones would look at facts on the ground in Stockton right now and say everything is great,” said David Kennedy, a professor of criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, who has worked with Stockton on reforms. “Trying to get this right is a difficult, grinding, long-term work in progress.”
Few dispute that life in Stockton has improved since Jones took over, but largely because it’s hard to envision how it could be worse. In his first year, about 20% of Stocktonians were unemployed, and crime and homelessness were spiking with homicides nearly tripling.
With a population around 300,000, the city had been hit hard by foreclosures and bad municipal investments when Wall Street crashed, and was forced to declare bankruptcy that year. City leaders slashed the Police Department’s budget by $14 million, resulting in the loss of a quarter of its 440 officers — an involuntary defunding that dropped the number of sworn officers to some of the lowest levels per capita in the country.
At the same time, a troubling string of police shootings continued, 27 between 2009 and 2014, according to local media. Black and brown communities were simultaneously angry at police mistreatment, and demanding more help in violent neighborhoods.
A “good dude,” as one supporter describes him, with a deep Christian faith, Jones used the fiscal meltdown to begin reshaping the department under a personal vision he dubbed “principled policing,” allowing the “community to have a say in the way they want to be policed.”
But despite the usual fixes — implicit bias training, more officers in high-crime spots — not enough was changing. So in 2014, Jones made a “risky” move, he said, and volunteered Stockton to be one of six cities, including Minneapolis, for a national initiative on police reform. That effort promised to help with racial reconciliation, which was increasingly being recognized as a necessary step to restoring the legitimacy of police within communities of color.
He began talking about race with his officers, and on stage at the church months later, made a snap decision to try it in public.
Mayor Michael Tubbs in front of City Hall in downtown Stockton. (Max Whittaker / For The Times)
Though aware the conversations were happening within the department, hearing it as he sat in the audience made him “teary-eyed,” said Tubbs, who was on the City Council at the time. He remembers it as “one of the moments that made me think I want to be mayor.”
Tubbs’ father, whom he is named after, went to prison on a life sentence for robbery, including a kidnapping charge for forcing his victim to drive to a bank and withdraw cash, according to court records. Tubbs was about 4 at the time, and his father was 25.
The robbery netted the elder Tubbs about $3,000 in money and goods — which the mayor recently learned was meant to pay for the funeral of his baby sister, who died while an infant. That detail was unearthed this year during the filming of an upcoming HBO documentary, “Stockton on My Mind.”
While Jones began taking his apology to other churches and forums, he was also broaching another volatile topic internally: officers’ expectations of each other and their jobs.
He is well-aware that, across the country, chiefs had been stymied and even ousted by police unions unhappy with pushes to reform. Still reeling from the bankruptcy and ongoing protests of police shootings, his officers were demoralized and in “preservation mode,” said Chuck Harris, head of the local police union.
“The ship was sinking in everybody’s eyes,” Harris said.
Jones realized that the job of being a Stockton cop was often unpleasant. How, he wondered, could he expect them to change when they were struggling just to find reasons to stick with it? Officers, he suggested, suffered from working in an oppressive system, and that too needed to change.
Harris said that the culture of how officers are taught and treated has morphed drastically under Jones.
“Twenty, 30 years ago, you had, ‘You’re going to learn this, rookie,’” Harris said. Today, he said, that has transformed to “I’m going to treat you 100% decent like any other person, and we are going to go through this together.”
Stockton also tries to address mental health, believing that well-adjusted officers make better decisions in the field, Jones said.
When Harris was working as a homicide detective in 2012, there were a record 71 killings, he said, and it was “miserable ... for the families, for the citizens, for us.” Though homicides fell to 34 in 2019, he recalls the pressure of going home to his family that year with the images of murder scenes in his head.
Now, young officers are given a welcome package that has included a teddy bear that sings when its paw is pushed, and are taught, “It’s OK to talk about your problems,” Harris said. “You don’t need to go home and drink. You don’t need to go out and party.”
Retention remains a problem because of pay, though — a remnant of defunding. Stockton police still earn less than counterparts in surrounding areas. The result is that about 75% of officers have less than five years of experience. The oldest homicide detective, usually a job that requires decades of experience, is 33, Harris said.
The plus side of the youthful ranks, Harris said, is an inclusive culture that doesn’t nurture the kind of blind obeisance to veterans that some have suggested kept inexperienced officers from stepping in as George Floyd was killed.
But there are drawbacks to this young force, paid for on the cheap. Many officers don’t live in Stockton, and they are far from matching the diverse demographics of the city. The neighborhoods they patrol are unfamiliar, and community members are often strangers.
Burnice Redic, a Stockton native who was formerly incarcerated and now works in a violence prevention program, recalls what it was like to know the officers who walked his block when he was a kid. Once, when he was about 11, a well-known officer everyone called “Blondie” caught him with drugs, he said. But the beat cop knew his mother, father, aunt and grandmother, and let him go with a warning.
“He just looked at me and was like, ‘You know, Burnice, you’re better than this,’” Redic recalled. “Discretion goes a long way. People remember that. Like I said, I remember when he did that for me.”
Harris agrees that not having officers that know the people they police is a loss.
“I’ve missed that, too,” he said, “You don’t have a steady group who’s like, ‘This is my city. I know everybody in it.’”
Dionne Smith-Downs, one of the harshest critics of the department, said the problems in Stockton go beyond what the department admits, and that changes have been superficial. Her son, James Rivera Jr., was shot by two Stockton officers and a San Joaquin sheriff’s deputy in 2010.
“The only thing I see is that they pick and choose what they want to show the world, but they are still cutting us down,” Smith-Downs said recently. “We are still being profiled, we are still being falsely arrested, and we are still [having] guns put on us.”
Nuri “Brian” Muhammad, the leader of Advance Peace in Stockton, thinks programs such as his are necessary because of that remaining mistrust. Police alone will never be the answer to public safety, he said.
“The people that we deal with, they look at the police as somebody that’s there to put them in jail,” Muhammad said. “They won’t open up to them the way they open up to us.”
Redic said he recently prevented a shooting by convincing two teens, one of whom was armed with a handgun, to settle their differences another way.
Unable to calm the teen with the gun, he said, he improvised. The young men would fight without weapons, and let the matter go, no matter who won. Redic said those kinds of solutions are unorthodox but necessary.
“They squashed it and everything’s been solid ever since,” he said.
Jones said he will take help where he can get it, and has made community interventions a cornerstone of his approach since there still aren’t enough officers to respond to every call.
Though there are bright spots — incidents of police shooting people decreased about 33% for the last five years compared to five years prior — gun violence remains a problem, homelessness continues to grow and the pandemic is causing a new round of economic problems.
The last years are “just the beginning,” he said, and an urgency for change remains.
“It’s such hard work, difficult work, but my goal is infusing it into who we are as a department,” Jones said. “Because I could be gone tomorrow ... and it needs to live.”


latimes--2020-07-13--Urgent deadline approaches for international college students fighting to stay in U.S.

With an urgent deadline approaching Wednesday , the collective force of California ’ s three public systems of higher education , which educate nearly 3 million students , have joined the legal fight to stop federal immigration authorities from banning international students from the U.S. if they take only online courses this fall .
Two separate lawsuits by the University of California and state Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra with California State University and California Community Colleges have put the nation ’ s premier public research university and the two largest public higher education systems behind the effort to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Customs Enforcement issued a July 6 directive that requires international students taking only online classes to leave the country and bans visas from being issued to new students with similar all-online course schedules .
Under the new policy , campuses that are planning fully online instruction this fall must submit a revised plan for in-person courses for their international students by Wednesday .
Those planning a mix of online and in-person classes must do so by Aug. 4 .
The three California systems , whose campuses are variously planning fall courses to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadlines are nearly impossible to meet .
Other lawsuits have been filed by MIT and Harvard University , with 180 colleges and universities joining an amicus brief , and by seven international graduate students at USC , UC Irvine and UCLA .
The University of California filed its federal lawsuit late Friday in the Northern District of California arguing that the federal directive would devastate the roughly 37,500 international students who study at UC campuses .
The directive also would jeopardize UC research and hinder instruction , since the majority of teaching assistants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from other countries , the lawsuit alleged .
At UC Berkeley , for example , 29 % of all graduate students , and approximately 50 % of all engineering graduate students could be forced to leave the country unless they take in-person classes .
At UCLA , one of five graduate students are from other countries .
“ ICE ’ s decision displays a callous disregard for students , who would be forced to return to crowded classrooms , and faculty — particularly older faculty to whom COVID-19 poses a greater risk — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lawsuit says .
“ And to force such a reopening when neither the students nor the universities have sufficient time to react to or address the additional risks to the health and safety of their communities creates chaos and only increases the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus.
” In addition , the loss of thousands of international students , who pay full tuition , would greatly harm university finances and the ability to use the revenue for financial aid for Californians , the lawsuit argues .
The second lawsuit , filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , noted that the federal directive would bring “ immediate and irreparable ” injury to the state and its educational institutions .
The 115-campus state community college system hosts 21,754 international students and the 23-campus Cal State system had anticipated a fall enrollment of 10,300 students from outside the country .
ICE officials could not be reached for comment over the weekend but have generally declined to speak about ongoing litigation .
Both lawsuits argue that the ICE directive was “ arbitrary and capricious ” in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order abruptly with no specific warning or opportunity for public comment and failed to provide a reasoned explanation for it or consider the havoc it would create .
Immigration rules generally require that international students can take no more than one class , or three credits , online in order to qualify for visas .
ICE lifted that rule March 13 , when President Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency , and allowed students to stay even if their classes went fully online .
But immigration authorities changed course with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that international students may not be able to continue their education from their home countries because of time zone differences , internet access and other barriers .
UC students from Syria , Somalia and Yemen , for instance , would face civil war and ongoing humanitarian crises that would make internet access and study “ all but impossible.
” Those from Ethiopia would be hampered by a current government suspension of internet access .
At least one student hails from North Korea , “ a country notorious for its repression of its citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of information ” where pursuing education may expose them to personal danger , the lawsuit asserts .
“ Under any circumstance , the manner and suddenness by which ICE announced and intends to implement its new policy would be shocking in a system that champions the rule of law and public input on agency rules before they are finalized , ” the lawsuit argues .
“ That the about-face comes against the backdrop of a worsening public health crisis in this country makes it not only unlawful , but cruel and dangerous .
@

California’s three public university systems are fighting federal immigration orders that could force international students at UCLA, above, and other campuses to leave the country.
With an urgent deadline approaching Wednesday, California’s three public systems of higher education have put their collective force into the legal fight to stop federal immigration authorities from banning international students from the U.S. if they take only online courses this fall.
Two separate lawsuits by the University of California and state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra with California State University and California Community Colleges have put the nation’s premier public research university and the two largest public higher education systems behind the effort to stop the federal order. Combined, they educate nearly 3 million students.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a July 6 directive that requires international students taking only online classes to leave the country and bans visas from being issued to new students with similar all-online course schedules.
Under the new policy, campuses that are planning fully online instruction this fall must submit a revised plan for in-person courses for their international students by Wednesday. Those planning a mix of online and in-person classes must do so by Aug. 4. The three California systems, whose campuses are variously planning fall courses to be all or mostly online, say the deadlines are nearly impossible to meet.
Other lawsuits have been filed by MIT and Harvard University, with 180 colleges and universities joining an amicus brief, and by seven international graduate students at USC, UC Irvine and UCLA. On Monday, USC and 19 other Western colleges and universities filed another lawsuit.
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The University of California filed its federal lawsuit late Friday in the Northern District of California arguing that the federal directive would devastate the roughly 37,500 international students who study at UC campuses. The directive also would jeopardize UC research and hinder instruction, since the majority of teaching assistants are graduate students, many of them from other countries, the lawsuit alleged.
At UC Berkeley, for example, 29% of all graduate students, and approximately 50% of all engineering graduate students could be forced to leave the country unless they take in-person classes. At UCLA, one of five graduate students are from other countries.
“ICE’s decision displays a callous disregard for students, who would be forced to return to crowded classrooms, and faculty — particularly older faculty to whom COVID-19 poses a greater risk — consigned to the same fate,” the lawsuit says. “And to force such a reopening when neither the students nor the universities have sufficient time to react to or address the additional risks to the health and safety of their communities creates chaos and only increases the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus.”
In addition, the loss of thousands of international students, who pay full tuition, would greatly harm university finances and the ability to use the revenue for financial aid for Californians, the lawsuit argues.
The second lawsuit, filed by Becerra in the Northern District on Thursday, noted that the federal directive would bring “immediate and irreparable” injury to the state and its educational institutions. The 115-campus state community college system hosts 21,754 international students and the 23-campus Cal State system had anticipated a fall enrollment of 10,300 students from outside the country.
An ICE spokeswoman declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
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Both lawsuits argue that the ICE directive was “arbitrary and capricious” in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act. They allege that officials issued the order abruptly with no specific warning or opportunity for public comment and failed to provide a reasoned explanation for it or consider the havoc it would create.
Immigration rules generally require that international students can take no more than one class, or three credits, online in order to qualify for visas. ICE lifted that rule March 13, when President Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency, and allowed students to stay even if their classes went fully online. But immigration authorities changed course with the new order.
The UC lawsuit notes that international students may not be able to continue their education from their home countries because of time zone differences, internet access and other barriers.
UC students from Syria, Somalia and Yemen, for instance, would face civil war and ongoing humanitarian crises that would make internet access and study “all but impossible.” Those from Ethiopia would be hampered by a current government suspension of internet access. At least one student hails from North Korea, “a country notorious for its repression of its citizens and the suppression of the free flow of information” where pursuing education may expose them to personal danger, the lawsuit asserts.
“Under any circumstance, the manner and suddenness by which ICE announced and intends to implement its new policy would be shocking in a system that champions the rule of law and public input on agency rules before they are finalized,” the lawsuit argues. “That the about-face comes against the backdrop of a worsening public health crisis in this country makes it not only unlawful, but cruel and dangerous.”


latimes--2020-07-13--'We're just overwhelmed': The view from inside hospitals as coronavirus surge hits

For months , California hospitals avoided the dreaded surge in coronavirus patients that threatened to overwhelm wards and stretch thin staff and supplies .
But now , with coronavirus hospitalizations in the state at an all-time high , doctors and nurses at some hospitals say the nightmare has arrived .
Hospitals up and down the state report that their beds are filling up fast , staffers are tiring and medications used to treat coronavirus patients are running low .
The surge has hit California unevenly , with some facilities reporting their numbers staying flat in recent weeks , while others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re getting to the point where we ’ re just overwhelmed — emotionally , physically exhausted .
We don ’ t have enough workers for all these patients ; we ’ re working extra shifts , ” said Mary Lynn Briggs , an intensive care unit nurse at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield .
“ I ’ m expecting things to go from bad to worse over at least the next couple of weeks.
” The months since March allowed hospitals time to prepare for such a surge .
Doctors learned more about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained more protective gear , and staffers know more about how the coronavirus is transmitted and how to protect themselves .
“ When this all started in March , it was an amazing dress rehearsal on fire , ” said Sylvain Trepanier , chief clinical executive for Providence Southern California , whose 13 hospitals in Orange , L.A. and San Bernardino counties had as of Friday experienced a 40 % increase in COVID-19 patients over the last 10 days .
“ Thank God we didn ’ t see that wave [ then ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that allowed us to be ready.
” Recent projections suggest that the hospital system in California will be able to handle the demand , in part because busier hospitals can transfer patients to facilities with more space .
But even still , the strain on some hospitals is unprecedented .
Statewide , the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased nearly 50 % over the last two weeks and now sits at a record high .
The earlier peak of 3,497 hospitalized patients in California on April 29 was surpassed June 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climb every day since then .
On Saturday , 6,322 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in California .
Health officials have linked the surge to an increase in transmission of the coronavirus that began in late May , as some counties began reopening businesses , thousands gathered in large protests and some people , tired of staying home , met up with family and friends .
The growth in hospitalizations has prompted a rollback of reopenings , but the benefits have yet to be seen in the case numbers .
Dr. Stephanie Loe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riverside University Health System , flew to New York in the spring to help treat COVID-19 patients when the surge didn ’ t materialize in California .
At the time , only a few coronavirus patients were in her ER at Riverside , and the numbers of patients with traumas like gunshot wounds and injuries from car accidents were lower than usual , probably because of the stay-at-home orders .
Many people also seemed to be avoiding the ER for treatment for strokes and heart attacks .
Now , those usual ER patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large numbers of COVID-19 patients , pushing the hospital to its capacity , she said .
Loe said ER doctors are accustomed to an extremely busy shift now and again , “ but right now it ’ s consistently bad.
” “ Every day in the last two weeks has been , if not steady , consistently getting worse , ” she said .
The increase in coronavirus cases in California has prompted hospital leaders to kick into high gear and prepare for a surge , said Carmela Coyle , head of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to shift patients between hospitals if needed , bolstering testing supplies , training staff to treat COVID-19 patients as well as “ looking at every nook and cranny within California ’ s hospitals to see if there is more space , ” Coyle said at a news conference last week .
“ California hospitals have been and continue to be ready to deal with the COVID crisis , ” she said .
Many healthcare workers say that even if hospitals can find space to put beds , staffing remains a bottleneck , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if nurses begin falling sick from the virus .
Some nurses say they believe that will happen because of inadequate protective gear .
Anne Caputo-Pearl , a nurse at California Hospital Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles , noted that before the pandemic , N95 masks were worn when a nurse entered a patient room , and then immediately disposed of .
Now , staffers are wearing a single N95 mask per day , or even per week , she said .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sanctioned the shift in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide shortage of protective equipment .
That has left many healthcare workers feeling unsafe at work , even if their gear technically meets federal standards .
“ Anyone who can read can look on the box and see these are all meant to be single-use items , ” Caputo-Pearl said .
“ Everybody knows what it means to be a nurse in the hospital , but nobody signed up to be sacrificed on the altar of this pandemic.
” Fear and panic within hospitals has subsided since March and given way to weariness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bakersfield nurse , said the recent surge has forced ICU nurses who are typically assigned to one patient to watch over two .
In a recent week , she worked five 12-hour shifts without a single break , she said .
Briggs , who said this moment was unlike anything in her 30-year career , described the added toll of caring for patients who are so sick .
She has recently seen people admitted to the ICU , including some in their 20s , suffering from COVID-19 and experiencing organ failure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutting down .
Staff morale is low when it feels like few patients ever leave the ICU , she said .
Plus , nurses serve as go-betweens for patients and their loved ones because visitors aren ’ t allowed in hospitals due to the pandemic .
“ We ’ re the sole contact between families and the patients , and we ’ re trying to provide emotional support to both , ” Briggs said .
“ Who ’ s giving us the emotional support we need ?
” Many healthcare workers said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes without masks and not taking the virus seriously .
The dire consequences of their actions , they noted , are playing out on their hospital wards .
At Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville , physicians are treating more COVID-19 patients than ever but are short on remdesivir , a medicine used to improve patient outcomes , said Dr. Imran Siddiqui .
Many hospitals reported not having enough of the drug and being forced to ration it , choosing which patients receive it and which don ’ t .
Siddiqui said he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough oxygen tanks or other machines for breathing treatments .
Many are struggling with staffers falling ill , often not at the hospital but in their communities as case numbers soar , he said .
“ It ’ s worse than the first time , ” he said .
“ It ’ s just spreading like wildfire and the hospitals are getting slammed.
” However , many healthcare workers reported that it seems that survival rates for patients are improving , though there is not yet clear data .
Physicians have some medicines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delaying when a patient goes on a ventilator can actually improve their chance of survival .
Siddiqui said doctors have also realized that many patients were dying of blood clots , so they now are quickly prescribing blood thinners to COVID-19 patients .
These improvements , in addition to a younger demographic falling sick , could contribute to death rates in California remaining relatively stable despite the recent surge in hospitalizations , he said .
“ At the same time , it ’ s too early to tell , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll know.
” In Ventura County , the number of people hospitalized with the virus has quadrupled since early June .
That surge has been felt at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks , though there remains ample capacity , said Dr. Gabriella Sherman , the hospital ’ s chief medical officer .
But she said she is watching the numbers carefully as conditions shift , often unpredictably .
“ It is something that we know would change overnight , ” she said .

For months, California hospitals avoided the dreaded surge in coronavirus patients that threatened to overwhelm wards and stretch thin staff and supplies. But now, with coronavirus hospitalizations in the state at an all-time high, doctors and nurses at some hospitals say the nightmare has arrived.
Hospitals up and down the state report that their beds are filling up fast, staffers are tiring and medications used to treat coronavirus patients are running low. The surge has hit California unevenly, with some facilities reporting their numbers staying flat in recent weeks, while others have risen sharply.
“We’re getting to the point where we’re just overwhelmed — emotionally, physically exhausted. We don’t have enough workers for all these patients; we’re working extra shifts,” said Mary Lynn Briggs, an intensive care unit nurse at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield. “I’m expecting things to go from bad to worse over at least the next couple of weeks.”
The months since March allowed hospitals time to prepare for such a surge. Doctors learned more about how to treat COVID-19 patients, hospital administrators obtained more protective gear, and staffers know more about how the coronavirus is transmitted and how to protect themselves.
“When this all started in March, it was an amazing dress rehearsal on fire,” said Sylvain Trepanier, chief clinical executive for Providence Southern California, whose 13 hospitals in Orange, L.A. and San Bernardino counties had as of Friday experienced a 40% increase in COVID-19 patients over the last 10 days. “Thank God we didn’t see that wave [then] as big as we anticipated, but that allowed us to be ready.”
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Recent projections suggest that the hospital system in California will be able to handle the demand, in part because busier hospitals can transfer patients to facilities with more space. But even still, the strain on some hospitals is unprecedented.
Nurse Bobby Binissa, left, takes the temperature of a patient at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Statewide, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased nearly 50% over the last two weeks and now sits at a record high. The earlier peak of 3,497 hospitalized patients in California on April 29 was surpassed June 20, and the number has continued to climb every day since then. On Saturday, 6,322 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in California.
Health officials have linked the surge to an increase in transmission of the coronavirus that began in late May, as some counties began reopening businesses, thousands gathered in large protests and some people, tired of staying home, met up with family and friends.
The growth in hospitalizations has prompted a rollback of reopenings, but the benefits have yet to be seen in the case numbers.
Dr. Stephanie Loe, an emergency room physician with the Riverside University Health System, flew to New York in the spring to help treat COVID-19 patients when the surge didn’t materialize in California.
At the time, only a few coronavirus patients were in her ER at Riverside, and the numbers of patients with traumas like gunshot wounds and injuries from car accidents were lower than usual, probably because of the stay-at-home orders. Many people also seemed to be avoiding the ER for treatment for strokes and heart attacks.
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Now, those usual ER patients are filing in again, as are large numbers of COVID-19 patients, pushing the hospital to its capacity, she said. Loe said ER doctors are accustomed to an extremely busy shift now and again, “but right now it’s consistently bad.”
“Every day in the last two weeks has been, if not steady, consistently getting worse,” she said.
Nurses Janil Wise, left, and Melinda Gruman look over the medical chart for a pregnant patient at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center who was exposed to a person with COVID-19. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The increase in coronavirus cases in California has prompted hospital leaders to kick into high gear and prepare for a surge, said Carmela Coyle, head of the California Hospital Assn.
They are drafting plans to shift patients between hospitals if needed, bolstering testing supplies, training staff to treat COVID-19 patients as well as “looking at every nook and cranny within California’s hospitals to see if there is more space,” Coyle said at a news conference last week.
“California hospitals have been and continue to be ready to deal with the COVID crisis,” she said.
Many healthcare workers say that even if hospitals can find space to put beds, staffing remains a bottleneck, one that could become even more restrictive if nurses begin falling sick from the virus. Some nurses say they believe that will happen because of inadequate protective gear.
Anne Caputo-Pearl, a nurse at California Hospital Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles, noted that before the pandemic, N95 masks were worn when a nurse entered a patient room, and then immediately disposed of. Now, staffers are wearing a single N95 mask per day, or even per week, she said.
Advertisement
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sanctioned the shift in policy early in the pandemic amid a nationwide shortage of protective equipment. That has left many healthcare workers feeling unsafe at work, even if their gear technically meets federal standards.
“Anyone who can read can look on the box and see these are all meant to be single-use items,” Caputo-Pearl said. “Everybody knows what it means to be a nurse in the hospital, but nobody signed up to be sacrificed on the altar of this pandemic.”
Fear and panic within hospitals has subsided since March and given way to weariness, healthcare workers say.
Scrub tech Edward Gevshenian leaves the OB triage tent at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Briggs, the Bakersfield nurse, said the recent surge has forced ICU nurses who are typically assigned to one patient to watch over two. In a recent week, she worked five 12-hour shifts without a single break, she said.
Briggs, who said this moment was unlike anything in her 30-year career, described the added toll of caring for patients who are so sick.
She has recently seen people admitted to the ICU, including some in their 20s, suffering from COVID-19 and experiencing organ failure, with their kidneys, livers or hearts shutting down. Staff morale is low when it feels like few patients ever leave the ICU, she said.
Advertisement
Plus, nurses serve as go-betweens for patients and their loved ones because visitors aren’t allowed in hospitals due to the pandemic.
“We’re the sole contact between families and the patients, and we’re trying to provide emotional support to both,” Briggs said. “Who’s giving us the emotional support we need?”
Many healthcare workers said they felt frustrated by seeing people leave their homes without masks and not taking the virus seriously. The dire consequences of their actions, they noted, are playing out on their hospital wards.
At Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville, physicians are treating more COVID-19 patients than ever but are short on remdesivir, a medicine used to improve patient outcomes, said Dr. Imran Siddiqui. Many hospitals reported not having enough of the drug and being forced to ration it, choosing which patients receive it and which don’t.
Siddiqui said he has heard other hospitals don’t have enough oxygen tanks or other machines for breathing treatments. Many are struggling with staffers falling ill, often not at the hospital but in their communities as case numbers soar, he said.
“It’s worse than the first time,” he said. “It’s just spreading like wildfire and the hospitals are getting slammed.”
Advertisement
However, many healthcare workers reported that it seems that survival rates for patients are improving, though there is not yet clear data. Physicians have some medicines that can help and have learned that delaying when a patient goes on a ventilator can actually improve their chance of survival.
Siddiqui said doctors have also realized that many patients were dying of blood clots, so they now are quickly prescribing blood thinners to COVID-19 patients. These improvements, in addition to a younger demographic falling sick, could contribute to death rates in California remaining relatively stable despite the recent surge in hospitalizations, he said.
“At the same time, it’s too early to tell,” he said. “I think in two weeks we’ll know.”
In Ventura County, the number of people hospitalized with the virus has quadrupled since early June. That surge has been felt at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, though there remains ample capacity, said Dr. Gabriella Sherman, the hospital’s chief medical officer.
But she said she is watching the numbers carefully as conditions shift, often unpredictably.
Advertisement
“It is something that we know would change overnight,” she said.


latimes--2020-07-12--Robert Fuller's death brings enormous public scrutiny of a brief life of struggle

Since the early morning hours of June 10 , when a passerby found the body of a young Black man hanging from a tree near Palmdale City Hall , the brief life of Robert Fuller has come under a microscope .
Local authorities deemed his death a suicide , linking it to isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic .
They walked back the determination days later as residents demanded an investigation , in disbelief that when a Black man was found hanging in a public square , the authorities had so quickly ruled out foul play .
Protests against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the nation .
Much of the American public was approaching the word of law enforcement with new skepticism and the circumstances of Black men ’ s deaths with more scrutiny .
Some residents of the Antelope Valley , invoking the region ’ s history of hostility toward Black people , voiced fears that Fuller had been lynched .
Hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition demanding a more thorough investigation .
“ My phone ’ s constantly ringing about concerns about this , ” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a lot of people.
” But for all the fears of what Fuller ’ s death could have been , it became clear last week it came at his own hands .
The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner ruled it a suicide , and Sheriff ’ s Department investigators said they recovered medical records documenting a history of suicidal behavior .
A separate autopsy commissioned by Fuller ’ s family found no signs of foul play .
Nor , the family ’ s attorney and the authorities have concluded , was his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Terron Boone , who died in a firefight with sheriff ’ s deputies one week after Fuller ’ s body was found .
With the findings of Sheriff ’ s Department investigators , interviews with Fuller ’ s friends and a review of public records , a portrait emerged of a man whose 24 years of life were never easy , beginning with the death of his mother in childhood and continuing through a series of hospitalizations for apparent mental illness .
It is a story that has been thrust beneath a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Had Fuller not died “ when everything was at a boiling point , ” one of his friends , Victor Adeyokunnu , said in an interview , “ it probably wouldn ’ t have even made the news.
” “ Personally , ” he added , “ I ’ m thankful he didn ’ t go silently.
” Fuller grew up in the Antelope Valley ’ s two biggest cities , Lancaster and Palmdale , about an hour ’ s drive and a mountain range away from Los Angeles proper .
Bordered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tehachapis and Sierra Pelona to the west , the Antelope Valley is home to a growing number of Black families who have left Los Angeles for a lower cost of living — and for many , the chance to own a home .
It is sprawling , sun-baked country , where housing developments and strip malls alternate with stretches of desert populated only with gnarled Joshua trees .
Like the air that hangs heavy and shimmering in the heat , there is a sense of stagnancy here , of “ not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of Fuller ’ s friends , said in an interview .
Fuller was just 8 years old when he lost his mother .
In 2004 , she was under anesthetic for a procedure when her heart rate and blood pressure began to plummet , a coroner ’ s report said .
She died within the hour , 43 years old .
Many years later , one of Fuller ’ s sisters would tell investigators he struggled with depression stemming from his mother ’ s death , according to a coroner ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d tattoo her name — Terri — on his right arm .
Fuller , the youngest of his siblings , lived with his father , then a family friend .
After the family friend died , he was raised by his sisters .
“ Robert was only three years younger than me , ” one of the sisters , Angel Magee , said at his funeral , “ but Robert was definitely my first baby.
” His friends recount a fun , if listless , adolescence : They ranged all over Palmdale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although Fuller , doomed by big feet and a lack of coordination , soon gave it up , Bellows said .
They danced at a local church on Tuesday nights — “ that ’ s how bored we were , ” Bellows said — the style changing from break dancing to pop-locking to krumping as they grew up .
RELATED : Here is a list of suicide prevention hotlines from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Fuller went through a number of phases , the most memorable being his punk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wore studded belts , tight jeans and hoodie shirts , and he straightened his hair and dyed it red .
Magee said her brother “ begged his auntie to perm his hair , ” then refused to swim in the pool for fear of getting it wet .
After finishing high school in 2016 , Fuller wanted to work as a fashion designer or graphic artist , his friends said .
Like most kids from Palmdale , he envisioned leaving it for someplace else .
“ Everybody grows up here with some kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always outside of the city , ” said Justice Bryant , a friend of Fuller ’ s who now lives in Houston .
Fuller split time between Nevada , where his father lives ; Arizona , with his sisters ; and California .
It was around this time , according to Sheriff ’ s Department investigators and court records , that Fuller began showing signs of mental illness and got into some trouble with the law .
In January 2017 , Fuller was hospitalized in Arizona and diagnosed with auditory hallucinations after saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his head , ” Sheriff ’ s Cmdr .
Chris Marks said .
He reported hearing voices telling him to kill himself in 2019 , and he was treated that year at hospitals in California and Nevada .
During this same time period , Fuller served brief stints in Los Angeles County jails after being convicted of vandalizing a church and obstructing a police officer , court records show .
For a year , he lived off and on at a shelter for homeless youths in Las Vegas , Marks said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shannon West Homeless Youth Center , told an investigator that Fuller “ would attempt to live with his father , but when it didn ’ t work out , he would return to the shelter , ” a coroner ’ s report said .
A representative for the shelter declined to comment , citing medical privacy laws .
In February , Fuller tried to light himself on fire in Las Vegas , Marks said .
He left the Las Vegas shelter for good and was later reported living in Reno , homeless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He traveled to Arizona to see his sisters and returned to California on June 4 , coroner ’ s records say .
RELATED : The need for mental health help during the pandemic Fuller was last seen alive at a 7-Eleven store around 8 p.m. on June 9 .
He was wearing a purple sweatshirt and a red backpack , filled with clothes and toiletries .
At 3:40 a.m. the next morning , a homeless person walked into a fire station near Palmdale City Hall to report a body in a tree .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gold casket beneath the pulpit of Living Stone Cathedral of Worship in Littlerock , a tiny community southeast of Palmdale .
Some knew Fuller well ; others , not at all .
Ushers passed out cards with Fuller ’ s life story on the back .
It was brief , as any life story of a 24-year-old would be .
No matter how he died , no matter what the doctors who probed his body or the detectives who scoured his life story found , it does not change this immutable fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney , said in an interview : “ He was a young man , 24 years old , still trying to find his way.
” If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide , call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at ( 800 ) 273-8255 .
A caller is connected to a certified crisis center near where the call is placed .
The call is free and confidential .

On June 10, Robert Fuller’s body was found hanging from a tree outside Palmdale City Hall. His death came in the middle of the George Floyd protests and a week after Malcolm Harsch, another Black man, was found hanging from a tree in Victorville, less than 50 miles away. Their deaths shed light on the concerning rise in suicides among Black Americans.
Since the early morning hours of June 10, when a passerby found the body of a young Black man hanging from a tree near Palmdale City Hall, the brief life of Robert Fuller has come under a microscope.
Local authorities deemed his death a suicide, linking it to isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. They walked back the determination days later as residents demanded an investigation, in disbelief that when a Black man was found hanging in a public square, the authorities had so quickly ruled out foul play.
Protests against racism were cresting in Southern California and across the nation. Much of the American public was approaching the word of law enforcement with new skepticism and the circumstances of Black men’s deaths with more scrutiny.
RELATED: Suicide prevention resources
Advertisement
Some residents of the Antelope Valley, invoking the region’s history of hostility toward Black people, voiced fears that Fuller had been lynched. Hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition demanding a more thorough investigation.
A man pays his respects at a memorial for Robert Fuller on June 10. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
“My phone’s constantly ringing about concerns about this,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters. “It means a lot to a lot of people.”
But for all the fears of what Fuller’s death could have been, it became clear last week it came at his own hands. The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner ruled it a suicide, and Sheriff’s Department investigators said they recovered medical records documenting a history of suicidal behavior. A separate autopsy commissioned by Fuller’s family found no signs of foul play.
Nor, the family’s attorney and the authorities have concluded, was his death connected to that of his half-brother, Terron Boone, who died in a firefight with sheriff’s deputies one week after Fuller’s body was found.
With the findings of Sheriff’s Department investigators, interviews with Fuller’s friends and a review of public records, a portrait emerged of a man whose 24 years of life were never easy, beginning with the death of his mother in childhood and continuing through a series of hospitalizations for apparent mental illness.
It is a story that has been thrust beneath a magnifying glass of enormous public scrutiny. Had Fuller not died “when everything was at a boiling point,” one of his friends, Victor Adeyokunnu, said in an interview, “it probably wouldn’t have even made the news.”
Advertisement
“Personally,” he added, “I’m thankful he didn’t go silently.”
Fuller grew up in the Antelope Valley’s two biggest cities, Lancaster and Palmdale, about an hour’s drive and a mountain range away from Los Angeles proper. Bordered by the San Gabriels to the south and the Tehachapis and Sierra Pelona to the west, the Antelope Valley is home to a growing number of Black families who have left Los Angeles for a lower cost of living — and for many, the chance to own a home.
It is sprawling, sun-baked country, where housing developments and strip malls alternate with stretches of desert populated only with gnarled Joshua trees. Like the air that hangs heavy and shimmering in the heat, there is a sense of stagnancy here, of “not going forward or backward,” Chad Bellows, one of Fuller’s friends, said in an interview.
Like most kids from Palmdale, Robert Fuller envisioned leaving it for someplace else.
Fuller was just 8 years old when he lost his mother. In 2004, she was under anesthetic for a procedure when her heart rate and blood pressure began to plummet, a coroner’s report said. She died within the hour, 43 years old. Many years later, one of Fuller’s sisters would tell investigators he struggled with depression stemming from his mother’s death, according to a coroner’s report. In time, he’d tattoo her name — Terri — on his right arm.
Fuller, the youngest of his siblings, lived with his father, then a family friend. After the family friend died, he was raised by his sisters. “Robert was only three years younger than me,” one of the sisters, Angel Magee, said at his funeral, “but Robert was definitely my first baby.”
His friends recount a fun, if listless, adolescence: They ranged all over Palmdale and ventured into Los Angeles to skateboard, although Fuller, doomed by big feet and a lack of coordination, soon gave it up, Bellows said. They danced at a local church on Tuesday nights — “that’s how bored we were,” Bellows said — the style changing from break dancing to pop-locking to krumping as they grew up.
RELATED: Here is a list of suicide prevention hotlines from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Fuller went through a number of phases, the most memorable being his punk rock chapter, Bellows recalled. He wore studded belts, tight jeans and hoodie shirts, and he straightened his hair and dyed it red. Magee said her brother “begged his auntie to perm his hair,” then refused to swim in the pool for fear of getting it wet.
After finishing high school in 2016, Fuller wanted to work as a fashion designer or graphic artist, his friends said. Like most kids from Palmdale, he envisioned leaving it for someplace else. “Everybody grows up here with some kind of dream, but it’s always outside of the city,” said Justice Bryant, a friend of Fuller’s who now lives in Houston.
Fuller split time between Nevada, where his father lives; Arizona, with his sisters; and California. It was around this time, according to Sheriff’s Department investigators and court records, that Fuller began showing signs of mental illness and got into some trouble with the law.
In January 2017, Fuller was hospitalized in Arizona and diagnosed with auditory hallucinations after saying he wanted “to put a gun to his head,” Sheriff’s Cmdr. Chris Marks said. He reported hearing voices telling him to kill himself in 2019, and he was treated that year at hospitals in California and Nevada. During this same time period, Fuller served brief stints in Los Angeles County jails after being convicted of vandalizing a church and obstructing a police officer, court records show.
Attorney Jamon Hicks on Robert Fuller: “He was a young man, 24 years old, still trying to find his way.” (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
For a year, he lived off and on at a shelter for homeless youths in Las Vegas, Marks said. A coordinator at the shelter, the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, told an investigator that Fuller “would attempt to live with his father, but when it didn’t work out, he would return to the shelter,” a coroner’s report said. A representative for the shelter declined to comment, citing medical privacy laws.
In February, Fuller tried to light himself on fire in Las Vegas, Marks said. He left the Las Vegas shelter for good and was later reported living in Reno, homeless, the coroner’s report said. He traveled to Arizona to see his sisters and returned to California on June 4, coroner’s records say.
RELATED: The need for mental health help during the pandemic
Fuller was last seen alive at a 7-Eleven store around 8 p.m. on June 9. He was wearing a purple sweatshirt and a red backpack, filled with clothes and toiletries.
At 3:40 a.m. the next morning, a homeless person walked into a fire station near Palmdale City Hall to report a body in a tree.
Late last month, mourners shuffled past a gold casket beneath the pulpit of Living Stone Cathedral of Worship in Littlerock, a tiny community southeast of Palmdale. Some knew Fuller well; others, not at all. Ushers passed out cards with Fuller’s life story on the back. It was brief, as any life story of a 24-year-old would be.
No matter how he died, no matter what the doctors who probed his body or the detectives who scoured his life story found, it does not change this immutable fact, Hicks, the family’s attorney, said in an interview: “He was a young man, 24 years old, still trying to find his way.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. A caller is connected to a certified crisis center near where the call is placed. The call is free and confidential.


latimes--2020-07-13--Stolen Disney memorabilia worth thousands found in online auction, authorities say

After thousands of dollars in Disney memorabilia was stolen from a Northern Sacramento storage unit , authorities say they have made an arrest and recovered most of the items .
A woman reported the theft of several high-valued Disney collectible items totaling about $ 35,000 , according to the Sacramento County Sheriff ’ s Department .
The items were taken between December 2019 and late April , the woman said .
The sheriff ’ s property crime bureau found some of the items on an online auction and were able to identify a suspect in the theft , Deputy Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auction website and the suspect ’ s social media accounts helped detectives locate the person ’ s place of employment , a hotel room being used as a residence and a storage unit .
About $ 25,000 worth of Disney memorabilia was found in the suspect ’ s possession on June 30 , authorities said .
Shortly afterward , the suspect , who has not been identified , was arrested on suspicion of theft and booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail , Gordon said .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or whether the suspect remained in custody .
Investigators are still working to locate the other items that were stolen , noting they may have already been sold online , the Sheriff ’ s Department said .
“ Because of the uniqueness of the items and that they didn ’ t have unique identifying information like a serial number on a computer or a cellphone , it was something that [ the victim ] would have to kind of personally identify , ” Gordon said .
“ She worked with our detectives pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

After thousands of dollars in Disney memorabilia was stolen from a Northern Sacramento storage unit, authorities say they have made an arrest and recovered most of the items.
A woman reported the theft of several high-valued Disney collectible items totaling about $35,000, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. The items were taken between December 2019 and late April, the woman said.
The sheriff’s property crime bureau found some of the items on an online auction and were able to identify a suspect in the theft, Deputy Joe Gordon said. Search warrants for the auction website and the suspect’s social media accounts helped detectives locate the person’s place of employment, a hotel room being used as a residence and a storage unit.
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About $25,000 worth of Disney memorabilia was found in the suspect’s possession on June 30, authorities said.
Shortly afterward, the suspect, who has not been identified, was arrested on suspicion of theft and booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail, Gordon said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether charges had been filed in the case or whether the suspect remained in custody.
Investigators are still working to locate the other items that were stolen, noting they may have already been sold online, the Sheriff’s Department said.
“Because of the uniqueness of the items and that they didn’t have unique identifying information like a serial number on a computer or a cellphone, it was something that [the victim] would have to kind of personally identify,” Gordon said. “She worked with our detectives pretty extensively and was able to identify it.”


latimes--2020-07-13--These are the California businesses that must shut down under Newsom's new coronavirus order

California on Monday took a major step to close back down parts of the economy as the coronavirus spread continued @ @ @ @ @ Newsom already had closed bars and indoor dining in the most populated parts of the @ @ @ @ @ order makes it statewide .
Counties hardest hit by the coronavirus are seeing additional closures @ @ @ @ @ California had more than 326,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 7,000 total deaths @ @ @ @ @ the details .
The following businesses must close : • Family entertainment centers ( for @ @ @ @ @ miniature golf , batting cages and arcades ) • Bars , brewpubs , breweries and @ @ @ @ @ both indoor and outdoor statewide .
Counties that have remained on the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ consecutive days , which includes all Southern California counties and many in the Central Valley @ @ @ @ @ businesses :

Shoppers wait in line outside Gucci at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa as it reopens on June 11.
California on Monday took a major step to close back down parts of the economy as the coronavirus spread continued unchecked.
Gov. Gavin Newsom already had closed bars and indoor dining in the most populated parts of the state, but a new order makes it statewide. Counties hardest hit by the coronavirus are seeing additional closures.
As of Monday, California had more than 326,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 7,000 total deaths, according to the Los Angeles Times’ tracker.
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Here are the details.
Statewide action
The following businesses must close:
Dine-in restaurants
Wineries and tasting rooms
Movie theaters
Family entertainment centers (for example: bowling alleys, miniature golf, batting cages and arcades)
Zoos and museums
Cardrooms
Bars, brewpubs, breweries and pubs must close all operations both indoor and outdoor statewide.
Localized action
Counties that have remained on the state’s County Monitoring List for three consecutive days, which includes all Southern California counties and many in the Central Valley, must close the following businesses:
Gyms and fitness centers
Places of worship
Indoor protests
Offices for nonessential sectors
Personal care services, like nail salons, body waxing and tattoo parlors
Hair salons and barbershops
Indoor shopping malls
Source: California Department of Public Health


latimes--2020-07-13--Orange County considers reopening schools without masks or increased social distancing

Orange County education leaders on Monday are expected to consider a set of recommendations for reopening schools in the fall that does not include the mandatory use of masks for students or increased social distancing in classrooms amid a surge in coronavirus cases .
The recommendations , contained in a white paper , widely support schools reopening in the fall .
The document states that remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been an “ utter failure ” and suggests allowing parents to send their children to another district or charter school to receive instruction if their home district does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compelling expert arguments for reopening our schools , a number of us were also struck by something different , something we might call advice for adults , ” the paper states .
“ Among our greatest responsibilities as adults is our responsibility to model courage and persistence in the face of uncertainty and fear , which is what many families are feeling with the mixed messages and confusion surrounding reopening of schools in the COVID-19 era.
” The discussion comes as the state ’ s two largest school districts , Los Angeles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not reopen next month amid the ongoing coronavirus surge and students will continue with online learning .
Orange County has emerged as a hotbed of opposition to mandatory mask rules in public places , and its health director recently resigned after facing intense public criticism and a death threat .
Health experts widely say masks are critical in slowing the spread of the virus .
The Orange County guidance was compiled from an 11-member panel appointed by the Board of Education last month that includes Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a psychiatrist , an urban studies professor , a public policy professor , a former superintendent and physicians .
The recommendations , even if approved by the board during its meeting Monday evening , would not be county mandates .
Orange County ’ s 28 school districts will ultimately determine whether to reopen in the fall and how their individual schools will operate .
Last month , the Orange County Department of Education published its own list of guidelines for resuming classroom instruction with online learning options .
The document , which stresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverings , is based on guidance from the state Department of Public Health , said Orange County Supt .
Al Mijares .
“ The board majority ’ s recommendations are not binding .
Locally elected school boards and superintendents will approve and implement plans specific to their districts based on the needs of their schools and communities , ” Mijares said in a statement .
“ OCDE is working to support districts in that effort , and we remain 100 % committed to following and sharing the guidance of the California Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care Agency.
” Still , the panel ’ s recommendations have stirred controversy among parents and teachers in Orange County .
As of Monday morning , more than 26,000 people had signed an online petition decrying the recommendations and calling on elected officials to adhere to the state ’ s guidance for reopening schools .
“ These recommendations are not just for the safety of our teachers , staff , and students but for every single person they come in contact with , ” the petition reads .
The panel ’ s recommendations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely debated among Orange County residents in the past several months , including social distancing and the use of face coverings to slow the spread of the virus .
The document states that since children represent the “ lowest risk cohort for COVID-19 ... social distancing of children and reduced census classrooms is not necessary and therefore not recommended.
” Ryan Schachter , a special-education specialist at Corona del Mar Middle School and Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach , said he is divided on the Board of Education ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t plan to watch Monday night ’ s special meeting on Zoom .
“ I really don ’ t know what to think about all this , ” said Schachter , who has been teaching for 18 years , 17 of those with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District .
“ As a special educator , I know that without a doubt , our population is impacted the most by distance learning .
As an educator , I want my students in the classroom , where I can directly impact their education .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with them and relate with them .
We just can ’ t do that with the same intensity and effectiveness online , ” he said .
“ However , as a parent , and husband to a wife with an autoimmune disorder , I am not sure that being in the classroom without proper safety measures is best for my family or the community in which we live and serve .
I am really conflicted on what needs to be done .
I don ’ t like the idea that politics is trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is frightful to me.
” Experts have said that while infection rates among children have been lower than in adults , young people can easily transmit the virus to other relatives , including their parents and grandparents , who may be at a higher risk of severe complications .
“ The evidence is showing children so far have been less likely to be infected , although that comes from a background of our children not being in school , ” said Paula Cannon , a professor of microbiology at the Keck School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be difficult to say that this means children are somehow more resistant to the virus.
” The document also states that requiring children to wear masks was not recommended given that it “ is not only difficult — if not impossible to implement — but [ is ] not based on science ” and “ may even be very harmful.
” Cannon said she was “ astonished ” the panelists would claim that the use of masks was not necessary and that she “ could not disagree more strongly ” with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and physical distancing have been widely cited among medical experts as among the public ’ s key weapons to combat the virus .
While persuading children to wear masks — and keep them on — can be challenging , it ’ s important for adults to model the behavior appropriately to make it more comfortable for students , Cannon said .
“ There is growing evidence all in favor of the effectiveness of wearing masks , ” she said .
“ The addition of that statement tells me this is not a set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices.
” “ I ’ m appalled that the leadership who is responsible for the safety of our children and their families would stoop to using such language , ” she added .
“ It ’ s based on nothing .
”

Graduate Dylan Davis is congratulated by coach John Shanahan as he exits the Laguna Beach High drive-through graduation at Guyer Field.
Orange County education leaders voted 4 to 1 Monday evening to approve recommendations for reopening schools in the fall that do not include the mandatory use of masks for students or increased social distancing in classrooms amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
The Board of Education did, however, leave reopening plans up to individual school districts.
Among the recommendations are daily temperature checks, frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizer, in addition to the nightly disinfection of classrooms, offices and transportation vehicles.
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The recommendations, contained in a white paper, widely support schools reopening in the fall. The document states that remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been an “utter failure” and suggests allowing parents to send their children to another district or charter school to receive instruction if their home district does not reopen.
“Among the many compelling expert arguments for reopening our schools, a number of us were also struck by something different, something we might call advice for adults,” the paper states. “Among our greatest responsibilities as adults is our responsibility to model courage and persistence in the face of uncertainty and fear, which is what many families are feeling with the mixed messages and confusion surrounding reopening of schools in the COVID-19 era.”
The discussion comes as the state’s two largest school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, have announced that campuses will not reopen next month amid the ongoing coronavirus surge and students will continue with online learning.
Orange County has emerged as a hotbed of opposition to mandatory mask rules in public places, and its health director recently resigned after facing intense public criticism and a death threat. Health experts widely say masks are critical in slowing the spread of the virus.
The Orange County guidance was compiled from an 11-member panel appointed by the Board of Education last month that includes Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau, County Supervisor Don Wagner, a psychiatrist, an urban studies professor, a public policy professor, a former superintendent and physicians.
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“Our constituents expect leadership from us, and so we wanted to present information to you,” Board Vice President Mari Barke said. “These are simply guidelines to be looked at and to follow according to what’s best for your family — take it for what it is and do what you’re most comfortable with.”
Board member Beckie Gomez cast the lone dissenting vote, saying the white paper failed to cite several references.
“There are some flaws in this report,” she said. “If you say something, you should be able to back it up.”
Last month, the Orange County Department of Education published its own list of guidelines for resuming classroom instruction with online learning options. The document, which stresses the importance of social distancing and face coverings, is based on guidance from the state Department of Public Health, said Orange County Supt. Al Mijares.
“The board majority’s recommendations are not binding. Locally elected school boards and superintendents will approve and implement plans specific to their districts based on the needs of their schools and communities,” Mijares said in a statement. “OCDE is working to support districts in that effort, and we remain 100% committed to following and sharing the guidance of the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency.”
Still, the panel’s recommendations have stirred controversy among parents and teachers in Orange County. As of Monday morning, more than 26,000 people had signed an online petition decrying the recommendations and calling on elected officials to adhere to the state’s guidance for reopening schools.
“These recommendations are not just for the safety of our teachers, staff, and students but for every single person they come in contact with,” the petition reads.
The panel’s recommendations touch on several topics that have been widely debated among Orange County residents in the past several months, including social distancing and the use of face coverings to slow the spread of the virus.
The document states that since children represent the “lowest risk cohort for COVID-19 ... social distancing of children and reduced census classrooms is not necessary and therefore not recommended.”
Ryan Schachter, a special-education specialist at Corona del Mar Middle School and Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, said he is divided on the Board of Education’s recommendations. He also said he didn’t plan to watch Monday night’s special meeting on Zoom.
“I really don’t know what to think about all this,” said Schachter, who has been teaching for 18 years, 17 of those with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
“As a special educator, I know that without a doubt, our population is impacted the most by distance learning. As an educator, I want my students in the classroom, where I can directly impact their education. I can talk to them, work with them and relate with them. We just can’t do that with the same intensity and effectiveness online,” he said.
“However, as a parent, and husband to a wife with an autoimmune disorder, I am not sure that being in the classroom without proper safety measures is best for my family or the community in which we live and serve. I am really conflicted on what needs to be done. I don’t like the idea that politics is trying to govern the pandemic as well; that is frightful to me.”
Experts have said that while infection rates among children have been lower than in adults, young people can easily transmit the virus to other relatives, including their parents and grandparents, who may be at a higher risk of severe complications.
“The evidence is showing children so far have been less likely to be infected, although that comes from a background of our children not being in school,” said Paula Cannon, a professor of microbiology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. “It would be difficult to say that this means children are somehow more resistant to the virus.”
The document also states that requiring children to wear masks was not recommended given that it “is not only difficult — if not impossible to implement — but [is] not based on science” and “may even be very harmful.”
Cannon said she was astonished the panelists would claim that the use of masks was not necessary and that she “could not disagree more strongly” with the recommendation.
Face coverings, frequent hand washing and physical distancing have been widely cited among medical experts as among the public’s key weapons to combat the virus. While persuading children to wear masks — and keep them on — can be challenging, it’s important for adults to model the behavior appropriately to make it more comfortable for students, Cannon said.
“There is growing evidence all in favor of the effectiveness of wearing masks,” she said. “The addition of that statement tells me this is not a set of recommendations grounded in science or best practices.”
“I’m appalled that the leadership who is responsible for the safety of our children and their families would stoop to using such language,” she added. “It’s based on nothing.”
Cardine writes for Times Community News. TCN staff writer David Carrillo Peñaloza contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-13--Four charged with murder in slaying of rapper Pop Smoke

Two adults and two teenagers were charged with murder on Monday in the shooting death of rapper Pop Smoke inside a Hollywood Hills home earlier this year .
Prosecutors said Corey Walker , 19 , and Keandre Rodgers , 18 , killed the rapper in the course of a robbery at a multimillion-dollar home on Hercules Drive in February , according to a news release issued by the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office .
A 17-year-old and a 15-year-old defendant were also charged with murder and robbery in juvenile court , according to prosecutors .
Their identities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles police arrested three adults and two teenagers in connection with the shooting last week .
The LAPD initially identified a third adult suspect , Jaquan Murphy , but he has not been charged in Pop Smoke ’ s death .
Capt .
Jon Tippet , who heads the LAPD ’ s Robbery-Homicide Division , said Murphy would face murder and attempted murder charges in an unrelated string of shootings that took place in South L.A. earlier in the year .
The district attorney ’ s office did not immediately respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately clear if any of the defendants had an attorney .
The rapper , whose legal name is Bashar Barakah Jackson , was staying in the luxury home in February .
Shortly before 5 a.m. on Feb. 19 , several men broke into the house .
Jackson was shot during a confrontation inside the home and died at a local hospital .
Police detained several people inside the house the morning of the attack and said at least four had fled the scene .
Several times in recent years , Los Angeles homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target of home invasions , investigators previously told The Times .
Investigators say the rapper may have inadvertently posted an image with the home ’ s address on social media before he was killed .
Pop Smoke previously was tied to the Crips street gang , according to Tippet , who said last week that the suspects arrested in the shooting had ties to a local street gang .
Tippet did not identify the gang in question , though prosecutors filed additional charges against Walker and Rogers based on their alleged gang affiliation @

Four people have been charged with murder in the February killing of Pop Smoke, who died during a robbery in the Hollywood Hills.
Two adults and two teenagers were charged with murder on Monday in the shooting death of rapper Pop Smoke inside a Hollywood Hills home earlier this year.
Prosecutors said Corey Walker, 19, and Keandre Rodgers, 18, killed the rapper in the course of a robbery at a multimillion-dollar home on Hercules Drive in February, according to a news release issued by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
A 17-year-old and a 15-year-old defendant were also charged with murder and robbery in juvenile court, according to prosecutors. Their identities were withheld because of their age.
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Los Angeles police arrested three adults and two teenagers in connection with the shooting last week. The LAPD initially identified a third adult suspect, Jaquan Murphy, but he has not been charged in Pop Smoke’s death. Capt. Jon Tippet, who heads the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division, said Murphy would face murder and attempted murder charges in an unrelated string of shootings that took place in South L.A. earlier in the year.
The district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to questions about Murphy. It was not immediately clear if any of the defendants had an attorney.
The rapper, whose legal name is Bashar Barakah Jackson, was staying in the luxury home in February. Shortly before 5 a.m. on Feb. 19, several men broke into the house. Jackson was shot during a confrontation inside the home and died at a local hospital. Police detained several people inside the house the morning of the attack and said at least four had fled the scene.
Several times in recent years, Los Angeles homes being rented by musicians have been the target of home invasions, investigators previously told The Times. Investigators say the rapper may have inadvertently posted an image with the home’s address on social media before he was killed.
Pop Smoke previously was tied to the Crips street gang, according to Tippet, who said last week that the suspects arrested in the shooting had ties to a local street gang.
Tippet did not identify the gang in question, though prosecutors filed additional charges against Walker and Rogers based on their alleged gang affiliation.
Times Staff Writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.