latimes--2020-09-24--UC Regent Richard Blum wrote 'inappropriate letter of support' to get student into Berkeley

University of California Regent Richard Blum , a wealthy San Francisco financier , wrote an “ inappropriate letter of support ” to help a student get into UC Berkeley despite the applicant ’ s uncompetitive ratings by university staff and an initial denial of admission , according to the California state auditor ’ s office .
The case was identified this week in an 82-page state audit on UC ’ s admission process , which found that four campuses had admitted at least 64 students between academic years 2013-14 and 2018-19 using inappropriate factors to select them , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The audit report referred to one “ particularly problematic ” case involving an unnamed UC regent .
The California State Auditor ’ s office has identified that person to The Times as Blum , the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) and a Berkeley alumnus who has given his alma mater millions of dollars over the years .
Blum , who has served as a regent since 2002 , declined to comment .
Feinstein had no comment , spokesman Tom Mentzer said .
The audit gave no details about when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no details beyond what the audit contains and “ will need more information to determine what occurred before we can weigh in on the matter , ” campus spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said Thursday .
Board of Regents Chairman John A. Pérez said UC officials have “ limited details ” about the case but are reviewing the information to determine whether the alleged conduct violates university policies and whether an additional UC review or investigation is warranted .
“ The UC Board of Regents takes these matters very seriously and any violations will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
“ Once the Board determines and carefully evaluates the facts of the case , we will comment on the outcome and will further review if any changes in policy are called for.
” The state audit found that UC Berkeley , UCLA , UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara had admitted at least 64 applicants during the six-year time period in question because of connections to donors , campus staff or alumni .
In most of the cases , the audit found , the admitted students had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The majority of them were white and at least half had annual family incomes of $ 150,000 or more .
UC Berkeley was the worst offender , the audit said , with 55 cases of inappropriate admissions .
Among them , 14 cases involved students who were denied admission through the regular process and were offered a spot on the waitlist .
Blum ’ s letter came in support of one of those waitlisted students , the audit said .
But that student , like the 13 others on the waitlist , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave them poor chances of being admitted , ” the audit said .
Blum wrote a letter of advocacy about the student to the UC Berkeley chancellor , which was forwarded to the development office responsible for handling fundraising and relations with donors .
Blum has been a longtime supporter of Berkeley , donating $ 15 million in 2006 to launch the Blum Center for Developing Economies to address global poverty and subsequent contributions to expand that work .
The development office then forwarded the letter to the admissions office , the audit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who should be admitted from the waitlist .
Blum ’ s favored applicant had only a 26 % chance of acceptance based on ratings by application readers , the audit said , but won admission .
The audit report noted that UC policies allow regents to submit letters of recommendation , when appropriate , during the regular admissions process — but that Blum ’ s letter came outside those bounds after the student was denied initial acceptance and placed on the waitlist .
“ Given the low likelihood of this applicant ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Regents have within the university , we conclude that the decision to admit this applicant was likely influenced by the Regent ’ s advocacy , ” the audit said .
It is not uncommon for UC campus chancellors to receive letters or calls of support from regents and donors about favored applicants .
George Blumenthal , who served as UC Santa Cruz chancellor for 13 years before stepping down last year , said he would typically receive several such appeals a year .
He said he would respond with a form letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to affect the admissions process and forward the information to admissions officers , making it clear they were not to let it influence their decisions .
Allowing benefactors of power and privilege to sway admission decisions would be unethical , he said .
“ We all know it ’ s a big no-no , ” Blumenthal said .
He added that UC campuses are expected to use a comprehensive review process that evaluates all applicants fairly based on 14 criteria — such as grades , high school coursework , leadership and special talents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the 14 criteria , ” Blumenthal said .

UC Regent Richard Blum, second from right, wrote an “inappropriate letter of support” to help a student get into UC Berkeley, according to the California State Auditor’s office.
University of California Regent Richard Blum, a wealthy San Francisco financier, wrote an “inappropriate letter of support” to help a student get into UC Berkeley despite the applicant’s uncompetitive ratings by university staff and an initial denial of admission, according to the California state auditor’s office.
The case was identified this week in an 82-page state audit on UC’s admission process, which found that four campuses had admitted at least 64 students between academic years 2013-14 and 2018-19 using inappropriate factors to select them, such as connections to donors, staff or alumni.
The audit report referred to one “particularly problematic” case involving an unnamed UC regent. The California State Auditor’s office has identified that person to The Times as Blum, the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and a Berkeley alumnus who has given his alma mater millions of dollars over the years.
Blum, who has served as a regent since 2002, declined to comment. Feinstein had no comment, spokesman Tom Mentzer said.
The audit gave no details about when the case occurred. UC Berkeley has no details beyond what the audit contains and “will need more information to determine what occurred before we can weigh in on the matter,” campus spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said Thursday.
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Board of Regents Chairman John A. Pérez said UC officials have “limited details” about the case but are reviewing the information to determine whether the alleged conduct violates university policies and whether an additional UC review or investigation is warranted.
“The UC Board of Regents takes these matters very seriously and any violations will be promptly and appropriately addressed,” Pérez said in a statement. “Once the Board determines and carefully evaluates the facts of the case, we will comment on the outcome and will further review if any changes in policy are called for.”
The state audit found that UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara had admitted at least 64 applicants during the six-year time period in question because of connections to donors, campus staff or alumni. In most of the cases, the audit found, the admitted students had been rated not competitive for admission. The majority of them were white and at least half had annual family incomes of $150,000 or more.
UC Berkeley was the worst offender, the audit said, with 55 cases of inappropriate admissions. Among them, 14 cases involved students who were denied admission through the regular process and were offered a spot on the waitlist. Blum’s letter came in support of one of those waitlisted students, the audit said.
But that student, like the 13 others on the waitlist, had received “uncompetitive scores from readers that gave them poor chances of being admitted,” the audit said.
Blum wrote a letter of advocacy about the student to the UC Berkeley chancellor, which was forwarded to the development office responsible for handling fundraising and relations with donors. Blum has been a longtime supporter of Berkeley, donating $15 million in 2006 to launch the Blum Center for Developing Economies to address global poverty and subsequent contributions to expand that work.
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The development office then forwarded the letter to the admissions office, the audit said. The two offices conferred on who should be admitted from the waitlist. Blum’s favored applicant had only a 26% chance of acceptance based on ratings by application readers, the audit said, but won admission.
The audit report noted that UC policies allow regents to submit letters of recommendation, when appropriate, during the regular admissions process — but that Blum’s letter came outside those bounds after the student was denied initial acceptance and placed on the waitlist.
“Given the low likelihood of this applicant’s admission and the prominent and influential role that Regents have within the university, we conclude that the decision to admit this applicant was likely influenced by the Regent’s advocacy,” the audit said.
It is not uncommon for UC campus chancellors to receive letters or calls of support from regents and donors about favored applicants. George Blumenthal, who served as UC Santa Cruz chancellor for 13 years before stepping down last year, said he would typically receive several such appeals a year. He said he would respond with a form letter telling them he could not do anything to affect the admissions process and forward the information to admissions officers, making it clear they were not to let it influence their decisions.
Allowing benefactors of power and privilege to sway admission decisions would be unethical, he said. “We all know it’s a big no-no,” Blumenthal said.
He added that UC campuses are expected to use a comprehensive review process that evaluates all applicants fairly based on 14 criteria — such as grades, high school coursework, leadership and special talents.
“Knowing someone powerful is not one of the 14 criteria,” Blumenthal said.


latimes--2020-09-24--L.A. County D.A. hands off review of fatal LAPD shooting involving daughter of top police union offi

L.A. County D.A. hands off review of fatal LAPD shooting involving daughter of top police union official

Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey has recused herself from investigating a fatal shooting involving the daughter of a powerful figure in the L.A. police union , which has helped to raise millions for her reelection campaign .
Los Angeles Police Officer Toni McBride , whose father is a director with the Los Angeles Police Protective League , shot and killed 38-year-old Daniel Hernandez near downtown L.A. in April .
Although the case did not immediately prompt widespread outrage , Hernandez ’ s family began joining protests downtown and outside Lacey ’ s home this summer after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breonna Taylor sparked national backlash against law enforcement use of force .
Critics of Lacey have questioned her office ’ s ability to judge the case fairly .
The officer ’ s father , Jamie McBride , is one of the most visible and controversial figures in the protective league , which has contributed a significant amount of funding to Lacey ’ s November reelection bid through outside committees .
Greg Risling , a spokesman for the district attorney ’ s office , said Lacey made the decision to recuse in late July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political fundraising .
The California attorney general ’ s office agreed to take over the case on Aug. 4 , Risling said .
Risling did not immediately respond to questions about why the office did not publicly disclose Lacey ’ s decision .
The Los Angeles City Council , seemingly unaware of the recusal , passed a motion calling for an outside review of the shooting on Aug. 19 , more than two weeks after the move had already been made .
The office has not referred a fatal-use-of-force case to the attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tenure .
Lacey ’ s decision to recuse was first reported by Los Angeles Magazine on Wednesday .
All told , law enforcement unions across California have pumped at least $ 3.5 million into Lacey ’ s reelection bid , records show .
At least $ 1.2 million of that money was collected by an independent committee organized by the LAPPL .
According to the LAPD account , Toni McBride responded to the scene of a motor vehicle accident near San Pedro and 32nd streets on April 22 .
Witnesses reported the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was still in his truck and appeared to be cutting himself .
Video shows Hernandez approaching McBride holding what the department has said is a razor-edged box cutter and refusing commands to drop the weapon .
McBride also asked her partner about using a less-lethal device to subdue Hernandez before firing the fatal shots .
Some policing experts said the officer ’ s initial actions were justified .
Others , however , questioned McBride ’ s decision to fire additional shots after Hernandez was on the ground .
Calls to attorneys representing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not immediately returned Thursday .
Larry Hanna , McBride ’ s attorney , previously said she reacted based on how she was trained .
“ She had fear at all times and was shooting at somebody she felt was coming at her and … toward the other citizens who were out there , ” Hanna told The Times earlier this year .
The issue of campaign contributions from police unions has become increasingly relevant as the November contest continues to be framed by a national reckoning over law enforcement use of force .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco Dist .
Atty .
George Gascón , has joined a push to bar police unions from contributing in local district attorney races , arguing the donations raise ethical questions in prosecutions of law enforcement officials .
Lacey has rejected such calls , while criticizing Gascón ’ s campaign for raking in millions from Silicon Valley mega donors .
Police union President Craig Lally said Thursday that he supported Lacey ’ s decision .
“ If Dist .
Atty .
Lacey believes that an outside agency is needed to investigate any case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ We are hopeful that the attorney general conducts his investigation in a fair and objective manner that is driven by facts and evidence and not emotions .
”

Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey has recused her office from the investigation of a fatal shooting by Officer Toni McBride, whose father is a visible and controversial LAPPL figure.
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey has recused herself from investigating a fatal shooting involving the daughter of a powerful figure in the L.A. police union, which has helped to raise millions for her reelection campaign.
Los Angeles Police Officer Toni McBride, whose father is a director with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, shot and killed 38-year-old Daniel Hernandez near downtown L.A. in April. Although the case did not immediately prompt widespread outrage, Hernandez’s family began joining protests downtown and outside Lacey’s home this summer after the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked national backlash against law enforcement use of force.
Critics of Lacey have questioned her office’s ability to judge the case fairly. The officer’s father, Jamie McBride, is one of the most visible and controversial figures in the protective league, which has contributed a significant amount of funding to Lacey’s November reelection bid through outside committees.
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Greg Risling, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said Lacey made the decision to recuse in late July, due to the LAPPL’s political fundraising. The California attorney general’s office agreed to take over the case on Aug. 4, Risling said.
Risling did not immediately respond to questions about why the office did not publicly disclose Lacey’s decision. The Los Angeles City Council, seemingly unaware of the recusal, passed a motion calling for an outside review of the shooting on Aug. 19, more than two weeks after the move had already been made.
The office has not referred a fatal-use-of-force case to the attorney general’s office during Lacey’s tenure. Lacey’s decision to recuse was first reported by Los Angeles Magazine on Wednesday.
All told, law enforcement unions across California have pumped at least $3.5 million into Lacey’s reelection bid, records show. At least $1.2 million of that money was collected by an independent committee organized by the LAPPL.
According to the LAPD account, Toni McBride responded to the scene of a motor vehicle accident near San Pedro and 32nd streets on April 22. Witnesses reported the crash had been caused by a driver who was still in his truck and appeared to be cutting himself. Video shows Hernandez approaching McBride holding what the department has said is a razor-edged box cutter and refusing commands to drop the weapon. McBride also asked her partner about using a less-lethal device to subdue Hernandez before firing the fatal shots.
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Some policing experts said the officer’s initial actions were justified. Others, however, questioned McBride’s decision to fire additional shots after Hernandez was on the ground.
Calls to attorneys representing both the McBride and Hernandez families were not immediately returned Thursday. Larry Hanna, McBride’s attorney, previously said she reacted based on how she was trained.
“She had fear at all times and was shooting at somebody she felt was coming at her and … toward the other citizens who were out there,” Hanna told The Times earlier this year.
The issue of campaign contributions from police unions has become increasingly relevant as the November contest continues to be framed by a national reckoning over law enforcement use of force. Lacey’s opponent, former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascón, has joined a push to bar police unions from contributing in local district attorney races, arguing the donations raise ethical questions in prosecutions of law enforcement officials.
Lacey has rejected such calls, while criticizing Gascón’s campaign for raking in millions from Silicon Valley mega donors.
Police union President Craig Lally said Thursday that he supported Lacey’s decision.
“If Dist. Atty. Lacey believes that an outside agency is needed to investigate any case, she is right in seeking that review,” he said. “We are hopeful that the attorney general conducts his investigation in a fair and objective manner that is driven by facts and evidence and not emotions.”
Times staff writer Jim Rainey contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-24--Samuel Magaña, Mexican immigrant who rose to become L.A.'s tortilla mogul, dies at 88

When Samuel Magaña decided to leave his pueblo in the Mexican state of Durango at 14 to work in the United States , his father put some coins in his hands and some advice into his mind : If you go , you have to work hard .
If you don ’ t work hard , no one will give you anything .
The teenager found that out almost immediately .
Magaña had to hang from a railcar to evade Border Patrol agents and cross into the United States .
He picked fruit and cotton in the Central Valley and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also how to write in Spanish , since his education back home had ended in the third grade .
Arriving in Los Angeles in the 1950s , Magaña became general manager of a Mexican food factory owned by Romana Acosta Bañuelos , who went on to become the first Latina to serve as U.S. treasurer .
He used that experience to open a small market in Gardena with his wife that they named after their first daughter , Diana .
Over the next 50 years , the Magañas grew Diana ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35-million Norwalk-based conglomerate that now includes five restaurants , two tortilla plants , a tamale factory and an industrial bakery .
Their corn and flour tortillas are staples of small markets across Southern California ; their delivery trucks — emblazoned either with a photo of a smiling 3-year-old Diana that serves as the company ’ s logo or a 1990s-era shot of an adult Diana with her brother and sister as they stand behind a cornucopia of their family ’ s products — are part of the Southern California landscape .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , period , ” said his daughter Diana .
“ And so that way , he could help his family but also others.
” Magaña died Monday of natural causes .
He was 88 .
“ May his legacy endure among us as an inspiration to continue working on behalf of our fellow men , as he did in his life , ” Marcela Celorio , Mexico ’ s consul general in Los Angeles , said in a statement .
Becoming a tortilla mogul happened to Magaña by accident .
He had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1950 for Bañuelos , who ran a Mexican deli near downtown Los Angeles at the time .
Four years later , he helped her open Ramona ’ s Mexican Food in South Los Angeles , and stayed on as the plant ’ s general manager for the next 15 years .
At Ramona ’ s , Magaña met and married Hortensia Rodriguez , who convinced him that the two should open their own business .
So in 1969 , the young parents bought a market in Gardena and converted a back room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Samuel drove to Tijuana to bring back as many products and ingredients as possible to sell to the growing Mexican population in the South Bay .
“ Every morning before I would go to school , I ’ d see customers come in and talking to my parents , ” said his daughter , Diana Magaña-Haagen .
“ They had that immigrant spirit you hear and read about .
They didn ’ t have an education , but they were streetwise.
” While the market and restaurant flourished , what really took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and flour tortillas .
Former cooks told Samuel to sell them some to use at their new restaurants .
Customers asked for dozens to go .
Markets wanted packets to stock .
Remembering the large-scale skills Samuel learned at Ramona ’ s , the Magañas opened their first tortilla factory in Maywood in 1973 .
In addition to their own line , Samuel also co-packaged products for private labels and created specialty items for clients .
Among one of Diana ’ s customers : Taco Bell founder Glenn Bell , who commissioned Magaña @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no other country like this country for opportunities , ” Magaña told the Los Angeles Times in 1983 .
“ Anybody who is determined to become successful can do it.
” And in a foreshadowing of Mexican food ’ s global popularity , Samuel and his family traveled to Japan as early as the 1990s to hawk their products ; today , Diana ’ s says it ’ s the country ’ s most popular tortilla brand .
“ My mom was the ambitious one with ideas , ” said their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My dad was the hard worker who took pride in being able to produce whatever the demands of the consumer.
” But even as the company grew , Magaña insisted his family stay with tradition .
While competitors cut their masa with cheaper ingredients to save costs , the company continues to nixtamalize their own corn , resulting in a better , earthier flavor for tortillas and tamales .
When Diana suggested that the family replace the photos of her and her siblings for a more contemporary look , her father refused .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is a family-run business , ’ ” she said .
“ ‘ This is what people know us as .
This is important.
’ ” Magaña worked at Diana ’ s until about two months ago , and spent his off-time on philanthropy .
He and his wife provided funds to build a basketball court and a children ’ s park in his hometown of Amaculí , a learning center in Huntington Park and even helped Mexican immigrants transport their deceased family members back to Mexico for burial .
“ When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is how employees would stop him in the parking lot and he ’ d talk to them all as long as they wanted , ” said Sam Jr. , now president of Diana ’ s .
“ He ’ d give them interest-free loans , or just relationship advice — whatever they needed .
He never forgot his roots .
He remembered that he was one of them , too.
” Magaña was preceded in death by his wife , who passed away in 2008 .
He is survived by his children Diana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Tensha , 45 , and seven grandchildren .
“ His biggest legacy wasn ’ t the empire but that we can walk around and meet people , and they just love us because of our father , ” said Diana .
“ They just transfer that love to us .
”

Samuel Magaña, shown in an undated photo, created with his wife one of the largest tortilla producers in Southern California.
When Samuel Magaña decided to leave his pueblo in the Mexican state of Durango at 14 to work in the United States, his father put some coins in his hands and some advice into his mind:
If you go, you have to work hard. If you don’t work hard, no one will give you anything.
For the record: An earlier version of this article gave the incorrect maiden name for Samuel Magaña’s wife, Hortensia. It is Rodriguez, not Ramirez. The article also misattributed a quote to Magaña’s son, Sam Jr. It was Magaña’s daughter Diana who said: “He came to this country to make money, period. And so that way, he could help his family but also others.”
The teenager found that out almost immediately. Magaña had to hang from a railcar to evade Border Patrol agents and cross into the United States. He picked fruit and cotton in the Central Valley and took classes to learn not only English, but also how to write in Spanish, since his education back home had ended in the third grade.
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Arriving in Los Angeles in the 1950s, Magaña became general manager of a Mexican food factory owned by Romana Acosta Bañuelos, who went on to become the first Latina to serve as U.S. treasurer. He used that experience to open a small market in Gardena with his wife that they named after their first daughter, Diana.
Over the next 50 years, the Magañas grew Diana’s Mexican Food Products into a $35-million Norwalk-based conglomerate that now includes five restaurants, two tortilla plants, a tamale factory and an industrial bakery. Their corn and flour tortillas are staples of small markets across Southern California; their delivery trucks — emblazoned either with a photo of a smiling 3-year-old Diana that serves as the company’s logo or a 1990s-era shot of an adult Diana with her brother and sister as they stand behind a cornucopia of their family’s products — are part of the Southern California landscape.
“He came to this country to make money, period,” said his daughter Diana. “And so that way, he could help his family but also others.”
Magaña died Monday of natural causes. He was 88.
“May his legacy endure among us as an inspiration to continue working on behalf of our fellow men, as he did in his life,” Marcela Celorio, Mexico’s consul general in Los Angeles, said in a statement.
Tensha, Sam Jr. and Diana Magaña appear in a 1994 publicity photo for Diana’s Mexican Food Products. (Courtesy of Diana’s Mexican Food Products)
Becoming a tortilla mogul happened to Magaña by accident. He had no restaurant experience when he began to work in 1950 for Bañuelos, who ran a Mexican deli near downtown Los Angeles at the time. Four years later, he helped her open Ramona’s Mexican Food in South Los Angeles, and stayed on as the plant’s general manager for the next 15 years.
At Ramona’s, Magaña met and married Hortensia Rodriguez, who convinced him that the two should open their own business. So in 1969, the young parents bought a market in Gardena and converted a back room into their living quarters. On weekends, Samuel drove to Tijuana to bring back as many products and ingredients as possible to sell to the growing Mexican population in the South Bay.
“Every morning before I would go to school, I’d see customers come in and talking to my parents,” said his daughter, Diana Magaña-Haagen. “They had that immigrant spirit you hear and read about. They didn’t have an education, but they were streetwise.”
Advertisement
While the market and restaurant flourished, what really took off were Hortensia’s homemade corn and flour tortillas. Former cooks told Samuel to sell them some to use at their new restaurants. Customers asked for dozens to go. Markets wanted packets to stock.
Remembering the large-scale skills Samuel learned at Ramona’s, the Magañas opened their first tortilla factory in Maywood in 1973. In addition to their own line, Samuel co-packaged products for private labels and created specialty items for clients. Among Diana’s customers: Taco Bell founder Glenn Bell, who commissioned Magaña to improve his taco shells.
“There is no other country like this country for opportunities,” Magaña told the Los Angeles Times in 1983. “Anybody who is determined to become successful can do it.”
And in a foreshadowing of Mexican food’s global popularity, Samuel and his family traveled to Japan as early as the 1990s to hawk their products; today, Diana’s says it’s the country’s most popular tortilla brand.
“My mom was the ambitious one with ideas,” said their daughter Tensha Magaña Berry. “My dad was the hard worker who took pride in being able to produce whatever the demands of the consumer.”
“There is no other country like [the United States] for opportunities,” Samuel Magaña told the Los Angeles Times in 1983. “Anybody who is determined to become successful can do it.” (Rick Corrales / Los Angeles Times)
But even as the company grew, Magaña insisted his family stay with tradition. While competitors cut their masa with cheaper ingredients to reduce costs, the company continues to nixtamalize its own corn, resulting in a better, earthier flavor for tortillas and tamales. When Diana suggested that the family replace the photos of her and her siblings for a more contemporary look, her father refused.
“Dad said, ‘No, this is a family-run business,’” she said. “‘This is what people know us as. This is important.’”
Magaña worked at Diana’s until about two months ago, and spent his off-time on philanthropy. He and his wife provided funds to build a basketball court and a children’s park in his hometown of Amaculí, a learning center in Huntington Park and even helped Mexican immigrants transport their deceased family members back to Mexico for burial.
“When I envision him, what comes to mind is how employees would stop him in the parking lot and he’d talk to them all as long as they wanted,” said Sam Jr., now president of Diana’s. “He’d give them interest-free loans, or just relationship advice — whatever they needed. He never forgot his roots. He remembered that he was one of them, too.”
Magaña was preceded in death by his wife, who passed away in 2008. He is survived by his children Diana, 55, Sam Jr., 49, and Tensha, 45, and seven grandchildren.
“His biggest legacy wasn’t the empire but that we can walk around and meet people, and they just love us because of our father,” said Diana. “They just transfer that love to us.”


latimes--2020-09-24--Mountain lion found dead, apparently struck by traffic on 101 Freeway in Calabasas

A mountain lion was found dead along the 101 Freeway in Calabasas this week , the latest big cat to die while trying to cross a Southern California roadway .
Officers from the California Highway Patrol ’ s West Valley office discovered the lion Wednesday morning and said it “ appeared to have been struck and killed by a vehicle.
” “ It ’ s always unfortunate when this happens , ” officials wrote on Twitter .
Such incidents are not uncommon .
Since National Park Service biologists began researching cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains in 2002 , motorists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the study area , according to a federal report from June 2019 .
And the death toll has grown since then .
A 4-year-old male mountain lion known as P-61 was struck and killed on the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass a year ago .
It ’ s not yet known whether the mountain lion found Wednesday was part of the federal study .
Officials with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said a full necropsy was planned .
Along with the obvious dangers posed by passing cars , freeways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mountain lions from roaming freely — effectively siloing them into isolated genetic pools .
The consequences of that low genetic diversity are becoming apparent .
Earlier this month , researchers said they had discovered deformities linked to inbreeding among cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains .
One remedy that ’ s being pursued is a wildlife overpass that would cross the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills .
Such a bridge , conservationists say , would not just let lions avoid traffic , but by allowing more intermingling , also help diversify the gene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent these needless deaths and the extinction of this threatened population of mountain lions , ” according to Beth Pratt , California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation .
The federation is leading a fundraising campaign for the bridge that has already raised about $ 15.4 million of its $ 85-million goal .
Officials said they hope to break ground next year .
“ It ’ s important that we all understand the reality of what is at stake for California ’ s mountain lions and how the same roads and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world are deadly barriers to these cats , ” Pratt said in a statement Wednesday .
“ This magnificent mountain lion deserved better than this brutal death , ” which occurred only miles from the site of the proposed crossing at Liberty Canyon .
However , conservationists say that a highway crossing — while vital — won ’ t be a cure-all for the beleaguered cougars .
J.P. Rose , an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity , said land-use planning is also a culprit that needs to be addressed .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to temporarily protect these cats under the state ’ s Endangered Species Act , L.A. County continues to approve damaging sprawl projects that will block remaining wildlife corridors , ” Rose said in a statement .
“ California ’ s big cats deserve better.
” Freeways and development are far from the only threat cougars face in Southern California .
Wildfires can destroy their already limited habitat , and they also periodically fall prey to rat poison .
This year hasn ’ t been all bad news on the big cat front , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a baby boom — with 13 kittens born to five mountain lion mothers between May and August , according to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area .

The body of a mountain lion was found on the 101 Freeway in Calabasas on Wednesday morning.
A mountain lion was found dead along the 101 Freeway in Calabasas this week, the latest big cat to die while trying to cross a Southern California roadway.
Officers from the California Highway Patrol’s West Valley office discovered the lion Wednesday morning and said it “appeared to have been struck and killed by a vehicle.”
“It’s always unfortunate when this happens,” officials wrote on Twitter.
Such incidents are not uncommon. Since National Park Service biologists began researching cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains in 2002, motorists had struck and killed 17 of them in the study area, according to a federal report from June 2019.
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And the death toll has grown since then. A 4-year-old male mountain lion known as P-61 was struck and killed on the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass a year ago.
California California’s mighty predator — the mountain lion — faces ‘extinction vortex’ As the mountain lions of Southern California approach what some experts call an “extinction vortex,” environmentalists are demanding that state officials grant the big cats protective status — a move that could potentially ban development on thousands of acres of prime real estate.
It’s not yet known whether the mountain lion found Wednesday was part of the federal study. Officials with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said a full necropsy was planned.
Along with the obvious dangers posed by passing cars, freeways also serve as near-impassable barriers that prevent mountain lions from roaming freely — effectively siloing them into isolated genetic pools.
The consequences of that low genetic diversity are becoming apparent. Earlier this month, researchers said they had discovered deformities linked to inbreeding among cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains.
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One remedy that’s being pursued is a wildlife overpass that would cross the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. Such a bridge, conservationists say, would not just let lions avoid traffic, but by allowing more intermingling, also help diversify the gene pool.
The crossing would “help prevent these needless deaths and the extinction of this threatened population of mountain lions,” according to Beth Pratt, California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation.
The federation is leading a fundraising campaign for the bridge that has already raised about $15.4 million of its $85-million goal. Officials said they hope to break ground next year.
“It’s important that we all understand the reality of what is at stake for California’s mountain lions and how the same roads and highways that connect us with the wider world are deadly barriers to these cats,” Pratt said in a statement Wednesday.
“This magnificent mountain lion deserved better than this brutal death,” which occurred only miles from the site of the proposed crossing at Liberty Canyon.
However, conservationists say that a highway crossing — while vital — won’t be a cure-all for the beleaguered cougars. J.P. Rose, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said land-use planning is also a culprit that needs to be addressed.
“While state wildlife officials have taken steps to temporarily protect these cats under the state’s Endangered Species Act, L.A. County continues to approve damaging sprawl projects that will block remaining wildlife corridors,” Rose said in a statement. “California’s big cats deserve better.”
Climate & Environment Southern California mountain lions get temporary endangered species status The state Fish and Game Commission on Thursday set the stage for a fierce environmental battle by granting temporary endangered species status to the several hundred cougars still roaming Southern California and the Central Coast.
Freeways and development are far from the only threat cougars face in Southern California.
Wildfires can destroy their already limited habitat, and they also periodically fall prey to rat poison.
This year hasn’t been all bad news on the big cat front, however. There’s also been a baby boom — with 13 kittens born to five mountain lion mothers between May and August, according to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.


latimes--2020-09-24--'Gimme Shelter': How wildfires ravaging California make its housing crisis harder to solve

Two years ago , Paradise Community Village , an affordable housing complex in Paradise , burned down when the Camp fire devastated the town .
Earlier this month , developers were set to hold a groundbreaking to rebuild the complex when thick smoke from a nearby wildfire canceled the event .
The story reveals the stark challenges facing California as it deals with a housing affordability crisis at the same time that climate change-driven wildfires put more of California ’ s land at risk of burning .
On this episode of “ Gim me Shelter : The California Housing Crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequent and more destructive wildfires are making it harder for the state to address its housing problems and how Gov .
Gavin Newsom and other elected officials might react .
Our guest is Seana O ’ Shaughnessy , president and chief executive of Community Housing Improvement Program , the nonprofit developer behind Paradise Community Village .
We discuss why the firm decided to rebuild the project and how they are planning to make it more safe for residents .
“ , ” a biweekly podcast that looks at why it ’ s so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state can do about it , features Liam Dillon , who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times , and Matt Levin , data and housing reporter for .
You can subscribe to “ Gim me Shelter ” on , , , , and .

Rubble of Paradise Community Village, an affordable apartment complex in Paradise, Calif., that was destroyed by the Camp fire in 2018.
Two years ago, Paradise Community Village, an affordable housing complex in Paradise, burned down when the Camp fire devastated the town.
Earlier this month, developers were set to hold a groundbreaking to rebuild the complex when thick smoke from a nearby wildfire canceled the event.
The story reveals the stark challenges facing California as it deals with a housing affordability crisis at the same time that climate change-driven wildfires put more of California’s land at risk of burning. On this episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast,” we discuss how more frequent and more destructive wildfires are making it harder for the state to address its housing problems and how Gov. Gavin Newsom and other elected officials might react.
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Our guest is Seana O’Shaughnessy, president and chief executive of Community Housing Improvement Program, the nonprofit developer behind Paradise Community Village. We discuss why the firm decided to rebuild the project and how they are planning to make it more safe for residents.
“ Gimme Shelter ,”a biweekly podcast that looks at why it’s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CalMatters .


latimes--2020-09-24--'If you think it's bad now, just wait': California faces new fire threats, further straining resourc

'If you think it's bad now, just wait': California faces new fire threats, further straining resources

California has already endured its worst fire year in recorded history , but with more heat and wind in the forecast , officials say conditions could get even worse as the state enters the peak of its traditional burning season .
Another heat wave is bearing down on California — presenting an unwelcome double threat in a state where firefighting resources are already stretched thin .
Conditions like those expected this weekend can make it harder to contain still-burning fires and easier for new ones to spark .
The heat will arrive at what ’ s already a dangerous time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , some of California ’ s worst blazes have ignited in October , November and even December , when hot Santa Ana , sundowner and diablo winds bear down , fanning the flames .
“ There are another two months of drama ahead , ” climatologist Bill Patzert said .
“ If you think the season is bad now , just wait.
” Firefighters are scrambling to increase containment of the more than 20 major fires now burning across the state — from the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — before the worst of the heat and winds begin .
They warn that intense winds , combined with hot and dry conditions , can lead to explosive fire growth — even in blazes that have been burning for weeks .
The North Complex fire , for example , had been slowing before , propelled by winds , it morphed into a monster that has now burned nearly 2,000 structures and killed 15 people .
Five of the six largest blazes ever recorded in California have ignited since August .
Although crews have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control , some — including the massive August Complex fire — remain mostly uncontained .
Adverse changes in the weather , such as increasing temperatures or winds , present new challenges in fighting those already immense and complicated conflagrations .
On Thursday , firefighters working the North Complex fire in Butte County were trying to battle flare-ups pushing into the Forbestown area , said Shane Lauderdale , a Cal Fire branch director .
“ [ The ] focus of the teams in there today will be going in deep for mop-up activities for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ in front of our change in weather.
” At the August Complex — by far the largest in California history at more than 862,000 acres — officials warned that gusty conditions expected this week could lead to spot fires .
“ Any embers up on the ridges will be able to be lofted and put forward so ... there ’ s a potential for spot fires ahead of the fire , maybe up to a mile with those types of winds , ” Karen Scholl , operations section chief for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said during a briefing Wednesday morning .
“ It all depends on where the embers start from.
” In Trinity County , one of California ’ s most rugged and forested counties , firefighters are bracing for tough days ahead .
With fire crews stretched thin , volunteer departments are making last stands across the area , asking for help and equipment to save homes that belong to family and friends .
Kody Ables , a volunteer and dozer driver with the Southern Trinity Volunteer Fire Department in Mad River , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night saw the fire reach that trench — then fly over in places , with embers starting small burns .
On Wednesday , after a night shift , he woke to a call that the fire was within a few hundred yards of a friend ’ s house .
“ It ’ s starting to scare me , ” he said .
Ables says his unit runs on a shoestring budget , funded by cookouts and an annual rodeo that was canceled this year amid coronavirus concerns .
Now , the crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boots that can handle structure fires and new fire suits .
“ Ours , they are pretty outdated , ” he said .
“ We are doing the best we can.
” The forecast is not encouraging .
This upcoming heat event is on track to be “ major , prolonged and potentially record-breaking , ” according to UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain .
A large area of high pressure covering almost the entire West Coast is expected to build over the weekend , eventually boosting the mercury to record-threatening peaks in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to David Sweet , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
Although the heat won ’ t spike to levels seen in mid-August and during Labor Day weekend , temperatures could climb 10 to 20 degrees above normal .
“ We ’ ll have to be concerned about the rapid spread of fires , ” Sweet said .
It appears Central California through southern Oregon will see the “ most anomalously hot ” temperatures , Swain wrote on Twitter , as well as “ very dry air and modest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very elevated fire weather conditions once again , ” he said , “ which will aggravate existing fires and be conducive to new starts.
” Swain said the heat wave would likely last through the first week of October — an ominous forecast given how bone-dry California remains .
Even beyond the upcoming heat wave , fire experts say the conditions in California are primed for destructive fires that will take much more than Mother Nature to tame .
“ The broad confluence of factors that you got there in California — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] in the Sierra and then over 2 million properties at risk — shouldn ’ t be a surprise , ” said Tom Harbour , retired fire chief of the U.S. Forest Service .
“ It ’ s trite to say [ but ] this isn ’ t the worst of it.
” A fire weather watch will be in effect Saturday through Monday for a swath of Northern California , thanks to hot temperatures combined with low humidity and gusty winds , said Daniel Berlant , a spokesman for the California Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch covers a somewhat horseshoe-shaped area , stretching from just above Redding southeast into the Sierra foothills , as well as down into and around the San Francisco Bay Area .
“ The atmosphere is going to be dry and warm , ” meteorologist Drew Peterson said , “ and all these ingredients together lead to critical fire weather.
” Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokesman Jeff Smith said the utility ’ s meteorologists were closely monitoring the conditions but that no decision had been made about possible power shutoffs .
Although Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , “ very hot and dry conditions will bring an elevated threat for large fire Sunday through early next week , ” according to a forecast from the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center .
“ Even though winds will be fairly light , rapid rates of spread will be possible in the afternoons where fuels and topography are favorably aligned , ” that forecast states .
“ Fires will be able to burn actively at night since humidity recovery will be very poor.
” Those conditions seem set to further strain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the largest blazes the state has ever seen .
One of those is the Creek fire in the Sierra foothills northeast of Fresno .
At more than 290,000 acres , it ’ s the sixth-largest fire recorded in state history — and the biggest standalone blaze that ’ s not part of a complex of fires .
“ Things are going to be kind of slow and steady before we start building the heat Saturday and especially late in the weekend and into the following week , ” said Mark Pellerito @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although the fire was 34 % contained as of Thursday morning , that figure — which represents how much of a fire ’ s edge firefighters think they can stop from expanding — is only part of the equation .
Unburned fuels in the fire footprint can still potentially flare up , particularly during adverse weather .
Don Watt , a fire behavior analyst for Cal Fire Incident Management Team 1 , described these as “ islands inside the fire.
” “ As we continue to get warm and dry , those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have a lot of smoldering material , ” he said during a briefing .
“ There ’ s a very high concentration of dead and downed fuels with the tree mortality , ” he said this week , and “ those will take weeks to burn out in some areas.
” The forecast also is a concern for crews battling the Bobcat fire , which has blazed a destructive trail through the Angeles National Forest from the foothills above Monrovia to the Antelope Valley .
Crews , however , have made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blaze , which ignited Sept. 6 and has burned more than 113,000 acres .
As of Thursday morning , containment was at 50 % , nearly tripling in a little over 36 hours .
Containment of the sprawling August Complex — burning in and around the Mendocino , Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests — now sits at 39 % , but its sheer size poses a massive challenge for fire crews .
As of Sunday , officials said the fire ’ s perimeter was more than 568 miles .
By comparison , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sacramento by car .
The enormity of that fire is one of a number of alarming data points wrought by the 2020 fire season .
So far this year , there have been over 8,000 wildfires that have burned more than 3.6 million collective acres statewide , the most in any year on record , according to Cal Fire .
Over 18,200 firefighters are currently battling blazes across the state .
There have been 26 confirmed deaths in the historic firestorm , including three firefighters , and more than 6,600 structures have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chabria contributed to this report from Sacramento , Dolan from Orinda , Calif. , and Money , Hayley Smith , Joseph Serna and Paul Duginski from Los Angeles .

Luke Money, Anita Chabria, Faith E. Pinho

Arizona firefighters pitch in on a backfire operation Tuesday near Mt. Wilson. Crews are continuing to battle the Bobcat fire in the area.
California has already endured its worst fire year in recorded history, but with more heat and wind in the forecast, officials say conditions could get even worse as the state enters the peak of its traditional burning season.
Another heat wave is bearing down on California — presenting an unwelcome double threat in a state where firefighting resources are already stretched thin. Conditions like those expected this weekend can make it harder to contain still-burning fires and easier for new ones to spark.
The heat will arrive at what’s already a dangerous time from a fire perspective. In recent years, some of California’s worst blazes have ignited in October, November and even December, when hot Santa Ana, sundowner and diablo winds bear down, fanning the flames.
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“There are another two months of drama ahead,” climatologist Bill Patzert said. “If you think the season is bad now, just wait.”
Firefighters are scrambling to increase containment of the more than 20 major fires now burning across the state — from the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest to the North Complex fire northeast of Oroville — before the worst of the heat and winds begin.
They warn that intense winds, combined with hot and dry conditions, can lead to explosive fire growth — even in blazes that have been burning for weeks. The North Complex fire, for example, had been slowing before, propelled by winds, it morphed into a monster that has now burned nearly 2,000 structures and killed 15 people.
Five of the six largest blazes ever recorded in California have ignited since August. Although crews have made substantial strides in getting those under control, some — including the massive August Complex fire — remain mostly uncontained.
Adverse changes in the weather, such as increasing temperatures or winds, present new challenges in fighting those already immense and complicated conflagrations.
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On Thursday, firefighters working the North Complex fire in Butte County were trying to battle flare-ups pushing into the Forbestown area, said Shane Lauderdale, a Cal Fire branch director.
“[The] focus of the teams in there today will be going in deep for mop-up activities for the next three days,” he said, “in front of our change in weather.”
At the August Complex — by far the largest in California history at more than 862,000 acres — officials warned that gusty conditions expected this week could lead to spot fires.
“Any embers up on the ridges will be able to be lofted and put forward so ... there’s a potential for spot fires ahead of the fire, maybe up to a mile with those types of winds,” Karen Scholl, operations section chief for the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team, said during a briefing Wednesday morning. “It all depends on where the embers start from.”
In Trinity County, one of California’s most rugged and forested counties, firefighters are bracing for tough days ahead. With fire crews stretched thin, volunteer departments are making last stands across the area, asking for help and equipment to save homes that belong to family and friends.
Kody Ables, a volunteer and dozer driver with the Southern Trinity Volunteer Fire Department in Mad River, has been building containment lines for 15 days. Tuesday night saw the fire reach that trench — then fly over in places, with embers starting small burns.
On Wednesday, after a night shift, he woke to a call that the fire was within a few hundred yards of a friend’s house.
“It’s starting to scare me,” he said.
Ables says his unit runs on a shoestring budget, funded by cookouts and an annual rodeo that was canceled this year amid coronavirus concerns. Now, the crew needs new tires for their truck, boots that can handle structure fires and new fire suits.
“Ours, they are pretty outdated,” he said. “We are doing the best we can.”
The forecast is not encouraging. This upcoming heat event is on track to be “major, prolonged and potentially record-breaking,” according to UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain.
Seasonable weather will persist through Friday. A robust warming trend is then forecast this upcoming weekend and into early next week. Triple digit temperatures will be possible inland while 80°s to potentially even 90°s possible closer to the coast. Stay tuned! #CAwx #CAHeat pic.twitter.com/h92A3BGesA — NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) September 24, 2020
A large area of high pressure covering almost the entire West Coast is expected to build over the weekend, eventually boosting the mercury to record-threatening peaks in some parts of California early next week, according to David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Although the heat won’t spike to levels seen in mid-August and during Labor Day weekend, temperatures could climb 10 to 20 degrees above normal.
“We’ll have to be concerned about the rapid spread of fires,” Sweet said.
It appears Central California through southern Oregon will see the “most anomalously hot” temperatures, Swain wrote on Twitter, as well as “very dry air and modest offshore flow.”
“This will create very elevated fire weather conditions once again,” he said, “which will aggravate existing fires and be conducive to new starts.”
Swain said the heat wave would likely last through the first week of October — an ominous forecast given how bone-dry California remains.
Even beyond the upcoming heat wave, fire experts say the conditions in California are primed for destructive fires that will take much more than Mother Nature to tame.
“The broad confluence of factors that you got there in California — the Mediterranean climate, the [dead trees] in the Sierra and then over 2 million properties at risk — shouldn’t be a surprise,” said Tom Harbour, retired fire chief of the U.S. Forest Service. “It’s trite to say [but] this isn’t the worst of it.”
A fire weather watch will be in effect Saturday through Monday for a swath of Northern California, thanks to hot temperatures combined with low humidity and gusty winds, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The watch covers a somewhat horseshoe-shaped area, stretching from just above Redding southeast into the Sierra foothills, as well as down into and around the San Francisco Bay Area.
“The atmosphere is going to be dry and warm,” meteorologist Drew Peterson said, “and all these ingredients together lead to critical fire weather.”
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokesman Jeff Smith said the utility’s meteorologists were closely monitoring the conditions but that no decision had been made about possible power shutoffs.
Although Southern California was not included in the watch area, “very hot and dry conditions will bring an elevated threat for large fire Sunday through early next week,” according to a forecast from the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center.
“Even though winds will be fairly light, rapid rates of spread will be possible in the afternoons where fuels and topography are favorably aligned,” that forecast states. “Fires will be able to burn actively at night since humidity recovery will be very poor.”
Those conditions seem set to further strain crews working to get a handle on some of the largest blazes the state has ever seen.
One of those is the Creek fire in the Sierra foothills northeast of Fresno. At more than 290,000 acres, it’s the sixth-largest fire recorded in state history — and the biggest standalone blaze that’s not part of a complex of fires.
“Things are going to be kind of slow and steady before we start building the heat Saturday and especially late in the weekend and into the following week,” said Mark Pellerito, an incident meteorologist for the fire.
Although the fire was 34% contained as of Thursday morning, that figure — which represents how much of a fire’s edge firefighters think they can stop from expanding — is only part of the equation. Unburned fuels in the fire footprint can still potentially flare up, particularly during adverse weather.
Don Watt, a fire behavior analyst for Cal Fire Incident Management Team 1, described these as “islands inside the fire.”
“As we continue to get warm and dry, those will continue to burn, and we’ll have a lot of smoldering material,” he said during a briefing.
“There’s a very high concentration of dead and downed fuels with the tree mortality,” he said this week, and “those will take weeks to burn out in some areas.”
The forecast also is a concern for crews battling the Bobcat fire, which has blazed a destructive trail through the Angeles National Forest from the foothills above Monrovia to the Antelope Valley.
Crews, however, have made significant progress in their fight against the blaze, which ignited Sept. 6 and has burned more than 113,000 acres. As of Thursday morning, containment was at 50%, nearly tripling in a little over 36 hours.
Containment of the sprawling August Complex — burning in and around the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests — now sits at 39%, but its sheer size poses a massive challenge for fire crews.
As of Sunday, officials said the fire’s perimeter was more than 568 miles. By comparison, San Diego is about 500 miles from Sacramento by car.
The enormity of that fire is one of a number of alarming data points wrought by the 2020 fire season. So far this year, there have been over 8,000 wildfires that have burned more than 3.6 million collective acres statewide, the most in any year on record, according to Cal Fire. Over 18,200 firefighters are currently battling blazes across the state.
There have been 26 confirmed deaths in the historic firestorm, including three firefighters, and more than 6,600 structures have been destroyed.
Times staff writers Pinho and Chabria contributed to this report from Sacramento, Dolan from Orinda, Calif., and Money, Hayley Smith, Joseph Serna and Paul Duginski from Los Angeles.


latimes--2020-09-24--Recent rise in COVID-19 cases threatens to slow L.A. reopening, mayor says

With recent increases of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County after nearly a month of decline , L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said the next few weeks will be crucial if the city wants to see more reopenings .
“ The bottom line : This virus is still here , and it ’ s still very dangerous , ” said Garcetti , noting the uptick in hospitalizations , cases and the transmission rate in L.A. County .
If the positivity rate and the number of COVID-19 cases remain low , the county will be able to enter a new tier on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Garcetti said , which means fewer restrictions .
Los Angeles County is in Tier 1 , which means schools and many businesses are closed .
To progress through the tiered system , a county must meet certain thresholds for two consecutive weeks .
The mayor urged Angelenos to try to keep numbers low so the county can move into the new tier in early October .
Garcetti also said he supports the county ’ s decision to keep nail salons closed for the time being .
Los Angeles County Public Health Director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials are in discussion with the Board of Supervisors to determine when such reopenings may take place .
As the county continues to reopen , Garcetti said he hopes “ we will prioritize our youngest and most vulnerable children , getting them back to safe learning environments as our highest priority.
” In recent weeks , officials have reported a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections , hospitalizations and deaths .
The county ’ s daily case count is currently seven cases per 100,000 , and the seven-day average positivity rate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reported 8 % in July .
But over the last week , the number of cases has increased slightly , and the projected transmission rate has crept past 1 % to 1.02 % .
It ’ s possible those numbers are early indicators that there will be a spike in infections related to Labor Day weekend activity , but Ferrer said officials are monitoring data through the end of the week to determine that assessment .
“ This is a crucial week for us , ” she said Wednesday .
There have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County this year than over the same time period in the last three years .
Ferrer said Wednesday that although not every death in 2020 has been related to COVID-19 , the spike translates to “ thousands of deaths that would not have otherwise occurred ” without the virus .
The data disproves theories that the virus is no more serious than influenza , she said .
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 6,000 people in L.A. County .
Officials announced 31 additional deaths Wednesday and 1,265 cases , totaling more @ @ @ @ @

People walk along Santee Alley in downtown Los Angeles. L.A. County can only enter a new tier on the state’s color-coded reopening blueprint if the positivity rate and number of COVID-19 cases remain low.
With recent increases of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County after nearly a month of decline, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said the next few weeks will be crucial if the city wants to see more reopenings.
“The bottom line: This virus is still here, and it’s still very dangerous,” said Garcetti, noting the uptick in hospitalizations, cases and the transmission rate in L.A. County.
If the positivity rate and the number of COVID-19 cases remain low, the county will be able to enter a new tier on the state’s color-coded reopening blueprint, Garcetti said, which means fewer restrictions.
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Los Angeles County is in Tier 1, which means schools and many businesses are closed. To progress through the tiered system, a county must meet certain thresholds for two consecutive weeks.
The mayor urged Angelenos to try to keep numbers low so the county can move into the new tier in early October.
Garcetti also said he supports the county’s decision to keep nail salons closed for the time being. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday that that health officials are in discussion with the Board of Supervisors to determine when such reopenings may take place.
As the county continues to reopen, Garcetti said he hopes “we will prioritize our youngest and most vulnerable children, getting them back to safe learning environments as our highest priority.”
In recent weeks, officials have reported a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths. The county’s daily case count is currently seven cases per 100,000, and the seven-day average positivity rate is 3% — a notable drop from a reported 8% in July.
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But over the last week, the number of cases has increased slightly, and the projected transmission rate has crept past 1% to 1.02%. It’s possible those numbers are early indicators that there will be a spike in infections related to Labor Day weekend activity, but Ferrer said officials are monitoring data through the end of the week to determine that assessment.
“This is a crucial week for us,” she said Wednesday.
There have been 18% more deaths in Los Angeles County this year than over the same time period in the last three years. Ferrer said Wednesday that although not every death in 2020 has been related to COVID-19, the spike translates to “thousands of deaths that would not have otherwise occurred” without the virus.
The data disproves theories that the virus is no more serious than influenza, she said.
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 6,000 people in L.A. County. Officials announced 31 additional deaths Wednesday and 1,265 cases, totaling more than 260,200 confirmed infections.


latimes--2020-09-24--Spread of the Bobcat fire slows dramatically as some residents return home

Fire officials announced continued success in the fight against the massive Bobcat fire , with U.S. Forest Service officials reporting the blaze is 50 % contained .
“ Progress continues to be made on containment , ” the Forest Service said in a tweet Thursday morning .
“ Fire activity has moderated and only 253 acres were added overnight , for a total of 113,986.
” Containment estimates for the destructive fire are now holding steady at Sept. 30 , one month earlier than initially projected .
It ’ s something fire crews attribute to cooperative weather and the successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blaze ’ s vast perimeter .
“ A lot of it came down to doing tactical firing and securing lines , ” said Forest Service spokesman Larry Smith , adding that “ hard work , a lot of firing operations , positive winds and higher relative humidity ” also played a role in getting a foothold on the fire .
Smith also said the fire ’ s transition from the Angeles National Forest — which is full of dry vegetation that hasn ’ t burned in many decades — into the low-lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antelope Valley helped slow the spread of the flames .
“ It ’ s not as receptive for spot fires , ” he said , “ and it ’ s a lot easier to get mechanical equipment out there.
” Evacuation orders are beginning to be lifted as well : Residents in the can now return home : • North of East Avenue W-14 , south of Pearblossom Highway , east of 155th Street East , west of 165th Street East • North of Big Pine Highway and Highway 2 , south of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vista Road , west of 263rd Street • North of Fort Tejon Road , south of East Avenue V , east of 87th Street East , west of 121st Street East The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department , which lifts evacuation orders , says it will lift more orders and notices once fire officials give “ the OK that there is no fire risk to anyone ’ s safety.
” “ It is only after all the command agencies — fire , forestry , L.A. County , [ California Highway Patrol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deputy Graciela Medrano said .
Evacuation orders remain in place for several communities in the Angeles National Forest and the foothills north of the blaze .
Evacuation warnings have been lifted in Altadena and Pasadena , but remain for some areas threatened by the fire .
The Red Cross shelter at Palmdale High School has also closed .
Smith said Thursday ’ s firefighting efforts would remain on the western and far northeastern fronts of the blaze .
The cause of the fire remains under investigation , although officials are looking into around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the reported ignition of the fire nearby .
The Bobcat fire has destroyed nearly 50 structures , more than two dozen of them homes .
A remains in effect Thursday , according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District , which noted that smoke from the Bobcat and El Dorado fires was drifting northwest .
As of Thursday , 8,000 wildfires have burned at least 3.6 million acres in California .
The Bobcat fire is now considered one of the .

A helicopter makes a water drop near Mt. Wilson-Red Box Road and Angeles Crest Highway on Wednesday while battling the Bobcat fire.
Fire officials announced continued success in the fight against the massive Bobcat fire, with U.S. Forest Service officials reporting the blaze is 50% contained.
“Progress continues to be made on containment,” the Forest Service said in a tweet Thursday morning. “Fire activity has moderated and only 253 acres were added overnight, for a total of 113,986.”
Containment estimates for the destructive fire are now holding steady at Sept. 30, one month earlier than initially projected. It’s something fire crews attribute to cooperative weather and the successful placement of containment lines around much of the blaze’s vast perimeter.
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“A lot of it came down to doing tactical firing and securing lines,” said Forest Service spokesman Larry Smith, adding that “hard work, a lot of firing operations, positive winds and higher relative humidity” also played a role in getting a foothold on the fire.
Smith also said the fire’s transition from the Angeles National Forest — which is full of dry vegetation that hasn’t burned in many decades — into the low-lying desert terrain of Juniper Hills and the Antelope Valley helped slow the spread of the flames.
“It’s not as receptive for spot fires,” he said, “and it’s a lot easier to get mechanical equipment out there.”
Evacuation orders are beginning to be lifted as well: Residents in the following areas can now return home:
North of East Avenue W-14, south of Pearblossom Highway, east of 155th Street East, west of 165th Street East
North of Big Pine Highway and Highway 2, south of 138th Street East, east of Largo vista Road, west of 263rd Street
North of Fort Tejon Road, south of East Avenue V, east of 87th Street East, west of 121st Street East
East Fork areas: Julius Klein Conservation Camp 19, Camp Williams and the River community
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which lifts evacuation orders, says it will lift more orders and notices once fire officials give “the OK that there is no fire risk to anyone’s safety.”
“It is only after all the command agencies — fire, forestry, L.A. County, [California Highway Patrol] — are in agreement,” Deputy Graciela Medrano said.
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Evacuation orders remain in place for several communities in the Angeles National Forest and the foothills north of the blaze. Evacuation warnings have been lifted in Altadena and Pasadena, but remain for some areas threatened by the fire. The Red Cross shelter at Palmdale High School has also closed.
Smith said Thursday’s firefighting efforts would remain on the western and far northeastern fronts of the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, although officials are looking into Southern California Edison utility equipment around Cogswell Dam that experienced an incident minutes before the reported ignition of the fire nearby.
The Bobcat fire has destroyed nearly 50 structures, more than two dozen of them homes.
A smoke advisory remains in effect Thursday, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which noted that smoke from the Bobcat and El Dorado fires was drifting northwest.


latimes--2020-09-24--Magnitude 3.1 earthquake strikes near Healdsburg, Calif.

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Thursday at 7:42 a.m. 10 miles from Healdsburg , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 12 miles from Clearlake , Calif. , 15 miles from Windsor , Calif. , 19 miles from Santa Rosa , Calif. , and 28 miles from Rohnert Park , Calif .
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 0.9 miles .
In the last 10 days , there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a recent three-year data sample .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

The quake was reported at 7:42 a.m. Thursday near Healdsburg, Calif.
A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Thursday at 7:42 a.m. 10 miles from Healdsburg, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 12 miles from Clearlake, Calif., 15 miles from Windsor, Calif., 19 miles from Santa Rosa, Calif., and 28 miles from Rohnert Park, Calif.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 0.9 miles.
In the last 10 days, there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-09-24--Californians divided on party lines about climate change's role in fires, poll finds

Reeling from the worst fire season in California ’ s history , 3 in 4 state voters say wildfires pose a greater threat today than ever before , yet they are divided sharply along party lines about what role climate change plays in the infernos , according to a new poll .
The widespread belief that California ’ s wildfire threat is greater now than in years past was held by 74 % of surveyed voters , and included majorities ofcoastal and inland voters , regardless of region , age , sex and political ideology , according to a poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Governmental Studies .
“ It ’ s a belief you don ’ t have to argue with people about , it ’ s really out there , ” said Mark DiCamillo , a veteran pollster and institute director .
Deep fissures exist , however , and many of them are attributable to partisan politics , DiCamillo said .
About 83 % of Democrats consider wildfires to be a “ much more ” serious threat today than in the past , while only 59 % of Republicans share that same belief , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party preference or another party designation , it was 72 % and 70 % , respectively .
Asked if climate change was a major , minor or nonexistent factor in contributing to a greater number of California wildfires , roughly two-thirds of those polled said they considered it a major factor .
That view appeared to be dictated largely by political affiliation however : 90 % of Democrats said it was a major factor compared to 19 % of Republicans .
About 70 % of voters without a party preference said climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polled , 46 % of Republicans and 61 % of those who described themselves as “ very conservative ” said climate change was not a factor in recent fires , even as scientists say climate change has exacerbated the fires due to increasing temperatures and drying of vegetation .
Only 2 % of Democrats , 1 % of people who described themselves as “ very liberal ” and 9 % of people without a party preference said climate change was not a factor .
While its heartening that a majority of Californians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires has changed with time , the denial of climate change among conservatives indicates there is still a ways to go , said Kristina Dahl , a senior climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists .
The fossil fuel industry denied climate change and its role in it for years and those doubts have been given a huge platform by President Trump and other GOP lawmakers in recent years , she said .
“ Those seeds of doubt were planted very deliberately and a long time ago , ” Dahl said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public ’ s thinking on climate change and also provides convenient talking points to relevant authority figures who feel the same way.
” During a recent visit to California , Trump was pressed by California ’ s natural resources secretary , Wade Crowfoot , to acknowledge the role climate change played in recent fires .
“ It ’ ll start getting cooler .
You just watch , ” Trump responded .
“ I wish science agreed with you , ” Crawfoot said .
“ I don ’ t think science knows , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s remarkable that such a large slice of California believes the threat of wildfires is worse than in the past , DiCamillo said , it ’ s also notable that there ’ s alignment in what government can — or can ’ t — do to help .
About 54 % of those polled said they were not confident their local , state and federal governments would be able to protect them from wildfires , while only 10 % said they were confident they could .
In a unified show of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 12 % of Republicans and 9 % of voters with no party preference said they were confident that these governments could protect their local area from wildfire threats , the survey found .
The most skeptical , by political ideology , were very conservative voters ( 63 % ) followed by somewhat conservative voters ( 59 % ) and very liberal voters ( 58 % ) , who all told pollsters they had no confidence in the government ’ s ability to help .
The results are likely a reflection of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California ’ s forests have been undermanaged for generations , and it will take longer than 10 years to improve them .
Also , the concept of wildfire mitigation is complicated .
Voters ’ thoughts on how likely their individual communities may suffer serious damage from wildfires in the next decade , meanwhile , were divided nearly evenly among those who thought it was extremely or very likely ( 31 % ) , somewhat likely ( 30 % ) and not very likely ( 25 % ) .
Overall , more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely that residents in their local community would suffer serious damage from a wildfire in the next decade , including 8 % of respondents who said saying they ’ ve already suffered such damage .
But diving into the numbers , the attitudes grew more pessimistic moving away from city centers and into rural settings that are most vulnerable to fire .
About 44 % of Orange County residents , 38 % of L.A. County residents and 33 % of Central Valley residents believe it ’ s not likely their area will experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But 39 % of rural Northern California voters , 35 % San Diego and other Southern California voters and 34 % of Bay Area voters believe it ’ s extremely or very likely that they will .
About 28 % of L.A. County voters believe it ’ s extremely or very likely wildfires will damage homes in the area in the next decade , 38 % said it ’ s unlikely and 6 % said they already have .
Nearly a quarter , 23 % , of Northern Californians told pollsters their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 85 % of voters in that region said that wildfires posed a minor or major threat to their family living situation .
About 66 % of that constituency also said that climate change was a major contributor to the wildfire threat .
Overall , while three-quarters of Californians believe the threat of wildfires is increasing , fewer of them thought it was a threat to their community personally .
Dahl said that was not a surprise , and she ’ d like to see how Californians feel in a quiet fire year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It echoes the phenomenon we see nationally ... many more people feel global warming will affect someone else [ rather ] than it will affect them personally , ” Dahl said .
“ Whether this is human nature , wishful thinking that we ’ ll be excepted from the tragedy of climate change or whether people believe they have a greater deal of resilience , there can be a lot of complex factors into a response to that question.
” As of Thursday , some 8,000 wildfires have burned at least 3.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California this year while destroying more than 6,600 buildings .
The Berkeley IGS poll , supervised by DiCamillo , was administered online in English and Spanish from Sept. 9-15 among 7,198 registered California voters .
The margin of error for the full sample is estimated at roughly 2 percentage points .
Further details on the poll questions and data can be found at the Berkeley IGS website .

Reeling from the worst fire season in California’s history, 3 in 4 state voters say wildfires pose a greater threat today than ever before, yet they are divided sharply along party lines about what role climate change plays in the infernos, according to a new poll.
The widespread belief that California’s wildfire threat is greater now than in years past was held by 74% of surveyed voters, and included majorities ofcoastal and inland voters, regardless of region, age, sex and political ideology, according to a poll performed by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies.
“It’s a belief you don’t have to argue with people about, it’s really out there,” said Mark DiCamillo, a veteran pollster and institute director.
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Deep fissures exist, however, and many of them are attributable to partisan politics, DiCamillo said.
California Photos: Bobcat fire rages in the Angeles National Forest Fears of a significant spread of the Bobcat fire dissipated as Santa Ana winds failed to materialize, but foothill communities remain on high alert.
About 83% of Democrats consider wildfires to be a “much more” serious threat today than in the past, while only 59% of Republicans share that same belief, the poll found. Among those with no party preference or another party designation, it was 72% and 70%, respectively.
Asked if climate change was a major, minor or nonexistent factor in contributing to a greater number of California wildfires, roughly two-thirds of those polled said they considered it a major factor. That view appeared to be dictated largely by political affiliation however: 90% of Democrats said it was a major factor compared to 19% of Republicans. About 70% of voters without a party preference said climate change was a major factor.
Of those polled, 46% of Republicans and 61% of those who described themselves as “very conservative” said climate change was not a factor in recent fires, even as scientists say climate change has exacerbated the fires due to increasing temperatures and drying of vegetation. Only 2% of Democrats, 1% of people who described themselves as “very liberal” and 9% of people without a party preference said climate change was not a factor.
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While its heartening that a majority of Californians, including Republicans, see the threat of wildfires has changed with time, the denial of climate change among conservatives indicates there is still a ways to go, said Kristina Dahl, a senior climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The fossil fuel industry denied climate change and its role in it for years and those doubts have been given a huge platform by President Trump and other GOP lawmakers in recent years, she said.
“Those seeds of doubt were planted very deliberately and a long time ago,” Dahl said. “That’s something that pervades the public’s thinking on climate change and also provides convenient talking points to relevant authority figures who feel the same way.”
During a recent visit to California, Trump was pressed by California’s natural resources secretary, Wade Crowfoot, to acknowledge the role climate change played in recent fires.
“It’ll start getting cooler. You just watch,” Trump responded.
“I wish science agreed with you,” Crawfoot said.
“I don’t think science knows, actually,” Trump said.
While it’s remarkable that such a large slice of California believes the threat of wildfires is worse than in the past, DiCamillo said, it’s also notable that there’s alignment in what government can — or can’t — do to help.
About 54% of those polled said they were not confident their local, state and federal governments would be able to protect them from wildfires, while only 10% said they were confident they could. In a unified show of skepticism, only 10% of Democrats, 12% of Republicans and 9% of voters with no party preference said they were confident that these governments could protect their local area from wildfire threats, the survey found.
The most skeptical, by political ideology, were very conservative voters (63%) followed by somewhat conservative voters (59%) and very liberal voters (58%), who all told pollsters they had no confidence in the government’s ability to help.
The results are likely a reflection of a number of truths, Dahl said. California’s forests have been undermanaged for generations, and it will take longer than 10 years to improve them. Also, the concept of wildfire mitigation is complicated.
Voters’ thoughts on how likely their individual communities may suffer serious damage from wildfires in the next decade, meanwhile, were divided nearly evenly among those who thought it was extremely or very likely (31%), somewhat likely (30%) and not very likely (25%). Overall, more than a third of voters thought it was highly likely that residents in their local community would suffer serious damage from a wildfire in the next decade, including 8% of respondents who said saying they’ve already suffered such damage .
But diving into the numbers, the attitudes grew more pessimistic moving away from city centers and into rural settings that are most vulnerable to fire.
About 44% of Orange County residents, 38% of L.A. County residents and 33% of Central Valley residents believe it’s not likely their area will experience fire damage in the next 10 years. But 39% of rural Northern California voters, 35% San Diego and other Southern California voters and 34% of Bay Area voters believe it’s extremely or very likely that they will. About 28% of L.A. County voters believe it’s extremely or very likely wildfires will damage homes in the area in the next decade, 38% said it’s unlikely and 6% said they already have.
Nearly a quarter, 23%, of Northern Californians told pollsters their community had already experienced wildfire damage, and 85% of voters in that region said that wildfires posed a minor or major threat to their family living situation. About 66% of that constituency also said that climate change was a major contributor to the wildfire threat.
Overall, while three-quarters of Californians believe the threat of wildfires is increasing, fewer of them thought it was a threat to their community personally. Dahl said that was not a surprise, and she’d like to see how Californians feel in a quiet fire year, should we get another one.
“It echoes the phenomenon we see nationally ... many more people feel global warming will affect someone else [rather] than it will affect them personally,” Dahl said. “Whether this is human nature, wishful thinking that we’ll be excepted from the tragedy of climate change or whether people believe they have a greater deal of resilience, there can be a lot of complex factors into a response to that question.”
As of Thursday, some 8,000 wildfires have burned at least 3.6 million acres and killed 26 people in California this year while destroying more than 6,600 buildings.
The Berkeley IGS poll, supervised by DiCamillo, was administered online in English and Spanish from Sept. 9-15 among 7,198 registered California voters. The margin of error for the full sample is estimated at roughly 2 percentage points. Further details on the poll questions and data can be found at the Berkeley IGS website.