latimes--2020-03-07--Taking an Uber or Lyft pollutes more than driving, California finds. Next stop: Regulations

Behind the tap-of-your-phone convenience of hailing an Uber or Lyft lies an inconvenient truth : Such rides generate more carbon emissions than simply driving yourself .
The increased pollution comes primarily from “ deadheading , ” that is , drivers traveling to pick up a passenger or cruising the streets while waiting for a ride request .
Deadheading accounts for about 40 % of the miles logged by Uber and Lyft vehicles in California , according to recent analysis by state air quality regulators .
“ That means that for a one-mile trip , on average there ’ s about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver that trip , ” said Don Anair , clean vehicles program research director for the Union of Concerned Scientists , an environmental group that recently released its own report backing up some of the state ’ s findings .
“ People don ’ t see that .
They only see the vehicle pull up and they take their trip.
” But the status quo may not hold for long .
The California Air Resources Board is now developing the world ’ s first regulations to reduce the climate impacts of ride hailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s end , seek to rein in traffic and pollution from an industry that has quickly risen to overtake taxis , in large part by avoiding regulation to begin with .
There are more than 600,000 ride-hail vehicles in California , and they emit about 50 % more greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile traveled than an average car statewide , according to an analysis released by air quality officials in December .
The Union of Concerned Scientists study , however , concluded that ride hailing is even worse for the climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s because riders aren ’ t only taking Uber or Lyft instead of their own private vehicles , they ’ re taking them when they otherwise would have used lower-carbon options such as public transit , biking or walking .
When you factor in displacement of cleaner transportation , a typical ride-hail trip is about 70 % more polluting than the average trip it replaces , the group ’ s analysis found .
Ride-hail companies have the ability to reduce their emissions by providing subsidies to help drivers buy or lease electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Lyft are already under pressure from investors to stem hefty losses that have raised questions about their business model .
If they convert quickly to electric cars , it could drive up costs for hailing a ride — a prospect that worries some customers .
“ Uber ’ s not going to pay .
So they ’ ll pass it down to us , ” said Mukaila Kazeem , 36 , of Long Beach , who occasionally uses Uber or Lyft to get to the airport or concerts at the Hollywood Bowl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to regulate , or fix this , without someone paying more.
” The move to regulate ride hailing is a result of Senate Bill 1014 , the 2018 law that requires California regulators to impose rules to reduce the industry ’ s greenhouse gas emissions .
“ We ’ re trying to be leaders in stopping the climate crisis , ” said state Sen. Nancy Skinner ( D-Berkeley ) , who authored the legislation .
“ Having these convenient cars belching out fossil-fuel fumes is not helping us.
” Skinner ’ s bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of transitioning the ride-hail fleet to 100 % zero-emission vehicles by 2029 , but that language was removed by state lawmakers .
That leaves it to state regulators to formulate the targets .
That ’ s OK because it provides flexibility , Skinner said .
“ Maybe the original goal they set for ride-hailing companies is lower than I had in mind , but if they increase it over time , will still achieve the objective.
” The Air Resources Board ’ s emissions estimates , based on detailed , confidential data Lyft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed the 640,000 ride-hail vehicles operating in California in 2018 released only a small fraction of the state ’ s carbon emissions , accounting for about 1 % of vehicle miles and greenhouse gas emissions from light-duty vehicles .
Regulators said they are nonetheless concerned about increased pollution from an industry that has grown exponentially since Uber introduced the service in 2010 .
Less than 1 % of the miles traveled are electric , or zero emission , the air board ’ s analysis found .
The Air Resources Board staff plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the end of this year .
Starting in 2023 , the state would begin imposing increasingly stringent pollution standards , along with the requirement that the percentage of number of miles driven in electric vehicles grows over time .
The approach will also include measures to encourage better integration with public transit and increased use of pooled rides — two strategies that experts say can push carbon emissions from ride-hail trips lower than private cars .
“ This is a really groundbreaking regulation , ” Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And it ’ s part of our multi-pronged strategy to reduce emissions from passenger transportation.
” Slashing transportation pollution remains one of California ’ s most vexing climate challenges .
The sector is the state ’ s largest source of planet-warming emissions , accounting for about 40 % of the statewide total , and and that output has been rising the last few years .
Passenger vehicles make up the bulk , contributing about 28 % of the state ’ s total greenhouse gas emissions .
Even with growing numbers of electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal of cutting greenhouse gases 40 % below 1990 levels by 2030 without reducing vehicle miles traveled .
Environmental groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club are urging the Air Resources Board to draft ride-hail rules that achieve the same goal initially sought in the legislation , including a target that achieves 100 % electrification by 2030 .
At the January hearing , Austin Heyworth , Uber ’ s senior manager of public policy for California , said the company supports the regulation .
“ We remain a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] and light-duty emissions , but we ’ re up to the challenge , as an industry , of having this applied to us first , ” Heyworth said .
Lyft spokeswoman Campbell Matthews said in a statement that the company “ is striving to make every ride 100 % electric over time ” and is also encouraging use of shared rides and public transit in conjunction with ride hailing .
Nicole Moore , a healthcare worker who lives in the San Gabriel Valley and works about 20 hours a week driving her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupancy is a big obstacle to increasing driver earnings and easing pollution .
“ There ’ s nights where I drive down a busy boulevard in L.A. and more than three-quarters of the cars have Uber or Lyft stickers on them .
I ’ ve counted them , ” Moore said .
The result , she added , is congestion , carbon emissions and drivers “ not able to make a good living.
” Moore is a member of the organizing committee of Los Angeles-based Rideshare Drivers United , which is advocating for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards and caps on the number of new vehicles joining the fleet .
“ We ’ re lucky if we have 40 % occupancy , so that means 60 % of the time our app is on we don ’ t have anybody in the car , ” Moore said .
She said she wants to be part of the solution , “ but as drivers we have almost no control over what ’ s happening .
...
The responsibility for this rests with the companies.
” Research since about 2016 has shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the increase in driving and congestion , most notably in busy urban centers .
An analysis of six U.S. metro areas last year by the consulting firm Fehr & Peers , commissioned by Uber and Lyft , found that while ride hailing makes up only about 2 % of miles driven overall , that percentage can be much higher in the urban core .
In San Francisco , the analysis found that about 13 % of vehicle miles were generated by Uber and Lyft .
Taxis also log a lot of deadheading miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ array of local and environmental restrictions .
In Los Angeles , they are are subject to model-year restrictions that bar older , more polluting vehicles .
And starting in July , L.A. ’ s Department of Transportation will prohibit solely gas-powered taxis from joining the fleet , allowing only clean-air models like hybrids or electric cars .
In California , ride-hail services are under the jurisdiction of the state Public Utilities Commission , and local governments are barred from regulating them .
In recent comments , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride-hail companies and is looking at ways to force them to use electric vehicles .
“ The mayor ’ s ofice is already at the table with ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft , as well as charging providers , to work on electrifying ride-hailing vehicles , and we ’ re advocating for regulatory reforms at the state level , ” Harrison Wollman , a spokesman for Garcetti , said in an email .
Other U.S. cities have moved to address the traffic impacts of Uber and Lyft .
Chicago imposed a tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and public transit , and New York has capped the number of ride-hail vehicles in an effort to ease congestion .
“ Ours is the first one that is an environmental performance metric , ” said Joshua Cunningham , chief of the state Air Resources Board ’ s Advanced Clean Cars Branch .
“ We think that this approach is more comprehensive.
” Washington state could follow suit .
A bill in that state ’ s Legislature would launch similar programs to cut carbon emissions from ride hailing .
There are some indications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be dialed back without too much difficulty .
The state ’ s analysis shows vehicles in the ride-hailing fleet , as a whole , are already are more efficient that the statewide average , with a higher percentage of newer , more fuel-efficient cars and hybrids .
When Uber and Lyft trips are pooled , made in electric vehicles or combined with public transit , their carbon emissions dip below that of typical private vehicle trips , according to the Union of Concerned Scientists .
That means the biggest benefit would come from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anair of the Union of Concerned Scientists .
He commended the ride-hail companies for launching some pilot projects aimed at getting more electric vehicles into their fleet , but says such initiatives have not been done on nearly a large enough scale .
“ To get on track , it ’ s really going to take a concerted effort and investment , ” Anair said .

California air quality regulators are developing the world’s first emissions regulations aimed at reducing the climate impact from ride hailing. Above, a driver with Uber and Lyft stickers at LAX.
Behind the tap-of-your-phone convenience of hailing an Uber or Lyft lies an inconvenient truth: Such rides generate more carbon emissions than simply driving yourself.
The increased pollution comes primarily from “deadheading,” that is, drivers traveling to pick up a passenger or cruising the streets while waiting for a ride request. Deadheading accounts for about 40% of the miles logged by Uber and Lyft vehicles in California, according to recent analysis by state air quality regulators.
“That means that for a one-mile trip, on average there’s about another 0.7 miles of driving around to deliver that trip,” said Don Anair, clean vehicles program research director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental group that recently released its own report backing up some of the state’s findings. “People don’t see that. They only see the vehicle pull up and they take their trip.”
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But the status quo may not hold for long. The California Air Resources Board is now developing the world’s first regulations to reduce the climate impacts of ride hailing. The rules, expected by year’s end, seek to rein in traffic and pollution from an industry that has quickly risen to overtake taxis, in large part by avoiding regulation to begin with.
There are more than 600,000 ride-hail vehicles in California, and they emit about 50% more greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile traveled than an average car statewide, according to an analysis released by air quality officials in December.
The Union of Concerned Scientists study, however, concluded that ride hailing is even worse for the climate than air quality officials found. That’s because riders aren’t only taking Uber or Lyft instead of their own private vehicles, they’re taking them when they otherwise would have used lower-carbon options such as public transit, biking or walking.
When you factor in displacement of cleaner transportation, a typical ride-hail trip is about 70% more polluting than the average trip it replaces, the group’s analysis found.
(Los Angeles Times)
Ride-hail companies have the ability to reduce their emissions by providing subsidies to help drivers buy or lease electric cars, for example. But Uber and Lyft are already under pressure from investors to stem hefty losses that have raised questions about their business model. If they convert quickly to electric cars, it could drive up costs for hailing a ride — a prospect that worries some customers.
Advertisement
“Uber’s not going to pay. So they’ll pass it down to us,” said Mukaila Kazeem, 36, of Long Beach, who occasionally uses Uber or Lyft to get to the airport or concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. “There’s no way to regulate, or fix this, without someone paying more.”
The move to regulate ride hailing is a result of Senate Bill 1014, the 2018 law that requires California regulators to impose rules to reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“We’re trying to be leaders in stopping the climate crisis,” said state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), who authored the legislation. “Having these convenient cars belching out fossil-fuel fumes is not helping us.”
Skinner’s bill was initially drafted with a statewide goal of transitioning the ride-hail fleet to 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2029, but that language was removed by state lawmakers. That leaves it to state regulators to formulate the targets.
That’s OK because it provides flexibility, Skinner said. “Maybe the original goal they set for ride-hailing companies is lower than I had in mind, but if they increase it over time, will still achieve the objective.”
The Air Resources Board’s emissions estimates, based on detailed, confidential data Lyft and Uber provided under the law, showed the 640,000 ride-hail vehicles operating in California in 2018 released only a small fraction of the state’s carbon emissions, accounting for about 1% of vehicle miles and greenhouse gas emissions from light-duty vehicles.
Regulators said they are nonetheless concerned about increased pollution from an industry that has grown exponentially since Uber introduced the service in 2010. Less than 1% of the miles traveled are electric, or zero emission, the air board’s analysis found.
The Air Resources Board staff plans to bring the rules to the 16-member panel toward the end of this year.
Starting in 2023, the state would begin imposing increasingly stringent pollution standards, along with the requirement that the percentage of number of miles driven in electric vehicles grows over time. The approach will also include measures to encourage better integration with public transit and increased use of pooled rides — two strategies that experts say can push carbon emissions from ride-hail trips lower than private cars.
“This is a really groundbreaking regulation,” Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols said at a public meeting in January. “And it’s part of our multi-pronged strategy to reduce emissions from passenger transportation.”
Slashing transportation pollution remains one of California’s most vexing climate challenges. The sector is the state’s largest source of planet-warming emissions, accounting for about 40% of the statewide total, and and that output has been rising the last few years. Passenger vehicles make up the bulk, contributing about 28% of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Even with growing numbers of electric vehicles, California will not reach its goal of cutting greenhouse gases 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 without reducing vehicle miles traveled.
Environmental groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club are urging the Air Resources Board to draft ride-hail rules that achieve the same goal initially sought in the legislation, including a target that achieves 100% electrification by 2030.
At the January hearing, Austin Heyworth, Uber’s senior manager of public policy for California, said the company supports the regulation.
“We remain a small portion of [vehicle miles traveled] and light-duty emissions, but we’re up to the challenge, as an industry, of having this applied to us first,” Heyworth said.
Lyft spokeswoman Campbell Matthews said in a statement that the company “is striving to make every ride 100% electric over time” and is also encouraging use of shared rides and public transit in conjunction with ride hailing.
Nicole Moore, a healthcare worker who lives in the San Gabriel Valley and works about 20 hours a week driving her plug-in hybrid for Lyft, said low occupancy is a big obstacle to increasing driver earnings and easing pollution.
“There’s nights where I drive down a busy boulevard in L.A. and more than three-quarters of the cars have Uber or Lyft stickers on them. I’ve counted them,” Moore said. The result, she added, is congestion, carbon emissions and drivers “not able to make a good living.”
Moore is a member of the organizing committee of Los Angeles-based Rideshare Drivers United, which is advocating for restrictions on the industry, including emissions standards and caps on the number of new vehicles joining the fleet.
“We’re lucky if we have 40% occupancy, so that means 60% of the time our app is on we don’t have anybody in the car,” Moore said. She said she wants to be part of the solution, “but as drivers we have almost no control over what’s happening. ... The responsibility for this rests with the companies.”
Research since about 2016 has shown that ride hailing is fueling some of the increase in driving and congestion, most notably in busy urban centers.
An analysis of six U.S. metro areas last year by the consulting firm Fehr & Peers, commissioned by Uber and Lyft, found that while ride hailing makes up only about 2% of miles driven overall, that percentage can be much higher in the urban core. In San Francisco, the analysis found that about 13% of vehicle miles were generated by Uber and Lyft.
Taxis also log a lot of deadheading miles, but they have long faced an array of local and environmental restrictions. In Los Angeles, they are are subject to model-year restrictions that bar older, more polluting vehicles.
And starting in July, L.A.’s Department of Transportation will prohibit solely gas-powered taxis from joining the fleet, allowing only clean-air models like hybrids or electric cars.
In California, ride-hail services are under the jurisdiction of the state Public Utilities Commission, and local governments are barred from regulating them.
In recent comments, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said the city has some power to regulate ride-hail companies and is looking at ways to force them to use electric vehicles.
“The mayor’s office is already at the table with ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft, as well as charging providers, to work on electrifying ride-hailing vehicles, and we’re advocating for regulatory reforms at the state level,” Harrison Wollman, a spokesman for Garcetti, said in an email.
Other U.S. cities have moved to address the traffic impacts of Uber and Lyft. Chicago imposed a tax on trips downtown to encourage pooled rides and public transit, and New York has capped the number of ride-hail vehicles in an effort to ease congestion.
“Ours is the first one that is an environmental performance metric,” said Joshua Cunningham, chief of the state Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Cars Branch. “We think that this approach is more comprehensive.”
Washington state could follow suit. A bill in that state’s Legislature would launch similar programs to cut carbon emissions from ride hailing.
There are some indications that the industry’s pollution could be dialed back without too much difficulty. The state’s analysis shows vehicles in the ride-hailing fleet, as a whole, are already are more efficient that the statewide average, with a higher percentage of newer, more fuel-efficient cars and hybrids.
When Uber and Lyft trips are pooled, made in electric vehicles or combined with public transit, their carbon emissions dip below that of typical private vehicle trips, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
That means the biggest benefit would come from electrification and increasing pooled rides, said Anair of the Union of Concerned Scientists. He commended the ride-hail companies for launching some pilot projects aimed at getting more electric vehicles into their fleet, but says such initiatives have not been done on nearly a large enough scale.
“To get on track, it’s really going to take a concerted effort and investment,” Anair said.


latimes--2020-03-07--A homeless man, a Corgi and a rescue mission on two legs and four

A lot of us see the great need all around and we want to do something useful but we ’ re not sure how .
What can we do for someone who has lost a job and lost housing ?
For someone who is teetering on the edge ?
This is a story about how help need not be huge to be hugely helpful , and about how helping often helps the helpers too .
This is also a story about Corgis , those dogs famously fit for a queen .
Corgis are sweet and smart and known for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspire in , their people .
Let me start by saying that Ted and Sandy Rogers loved their Corgi as much as it is possible to love .
I know this because I ’ ve known Ted for years on Twitter , and he used to post as many proud photos of the dog as he did entries on his well-read blog about biking .
I came to know and love “ the Corgi ” from a distance through Ted ’ s photos and descriptions .
I smiled when I saw her showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and costumes .
I was proud of her for the way she took care of Ted .
When diabetes walloped Ted about five years ago , the Corgi somehow learned just how to help him .
He described how she watched over him and prodded him and licked him when his blood sugar plunged dangerously low .
He credited these attentions on multiple occasions with saving him from the ER .
So I knew how devastated Ted was last spring when the Corgi herself became ill .
I was devastated for him too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corgi , whose proper name was Sienna , died of cancer in August at age 13 , Ted and Sandy , who have no human children , sank deeply into their grief .
Ted told me that on many a morning he no longer saw a good reason to get out of bed .
Late in the fall , a friend forwarded the couple , who live in Hollywood , a perfectly timed request .
She had spotted it on Craigslist while trying to find them some solace .
A man was looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home for a few months .
“ I ’ ve been with him for most of his life , ” he wrote .
“ Although he loves me dearly , soon after meeting you , he ’ ll love you just as much.
” Ted and Sandy weren ’ t ready yet for a new dog .
Still , borrowing one sounded good .
“ We figured it would be kind of us helping him , him helping us , ” Sandy said of the then-stranger ’ s plea .
That the Corgi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evident to them at first glance .
The two , who had been together since the Corgi , now 11 , was 1 , were obviously deeply bonded .
Ted and Sandy knew better than most how hard it must be for the man to give up his best friend for any reason , even temporarily .
But they didn ’ t want to pry and so they didn ’ t ask a lot of questions .
On Sunday afternoons though , when the man visited their apartment to lie on their carpet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tummy and toss his dog balls , which the Corgi caught in his mouth , the couple began to learn how much their help mattered .
Bear with me here because this is where telling the story gets tricky .
What has happened to the foster Corgi ’ s person has happened to many people .
It isn ’ t his fault .
He ’ s had a run of bad luck .
But shame is tenacious and the foster Corgi ’ s person can ’ t seem to shed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me tell you some things about him , he won ’ t let me tell you his name .
Or even the name of the Corgi .
He ’ s that worried that someone who knows him from his previous life will see how far he ’ s fallen and judge him .
The foster Corgi ’ s person , you see , has a PhD and used to have a great , six-figure job in a company that recruited him here from the Midwest .
Since he lost that job in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t been the same for either him or his dog .
At first he had the padding of severance and savings .
He sold his condo back home for more cash .
He had confidence that he ’ d bounce back .
He didn ’ t immediately comprehend how quickly his circumstances could slide downward .
In short order , however , he went from making more money than he could spend and living in a two-bedroom apartment with two big TVs and a new king-size bedroom set to having roommates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then to being homeless , going to social-service organizations to seek out short-term emergency housing .
Before long , this highly educated professional in his 50s had joined the masses driving for Uber .
And when he could no longer make his car payments and so lost his car , he started renting the cars he drove for Uber by the hour , working longer hours still to cover the rental fees and so not netting very much at all .
At the same time , he was trying to teach himself new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science , which offered better job prospects .
And he was doing this as he and his Corgi bumped from place to place .
Short stints all , they spent time in his sister ’ s place in Northern California , a bare-bones Airbnb whose cost a relative footed for a month , a group home in south L.A. , a single-room occupancy hotel on skid row .
The people who ran that skid row SRO were great , by the way , he said .
But his fellow residents were rough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nearby Starbucks with his laptop to apply himself to his extraction plan , he ran the few blocks with the Corgi because the environment felt dangerous .
The Corgi was stressed .
The Corgi ’ s person was stressed , especially because , while the Corgi now was his sole comfort , finding places that would accept a dog was proving to be very difficult .
The owner of the first transitional housing he arrived at changed the locks after he showed her the paperwork for his emotional support animal .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car .
He went through an extensive application process for a program that would have given him housing rent-free for two years to help him get back on his feet , but having the Corgi with him proved a sticking point .
Enter Ted and Sandy and the respite they offered .
From the moment they laid eyes on the foster Corgi , they felt the magnitude of their responsibility .
“ You could see how traumatized he was , ” Ted said .
“ And from that point our goal became to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy.
” And also , he said , to give the foster Corgi ’ s person “ a better dog than we took over.
” Ted said this on the first day I actually met him in person — along with Sandy and the foster Corgi and the foster Corgi ’ s person , who responded gratefully , saying of his dog , “ It ’ s been a rough year , a very rough year for him.
” The Corgi ’ s foster people soothed him .
They took him on adventures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ d been warned that he had trouble with other dogs , so Ted , who had trained Sienna , trained the foster Corgi to focus rather than panic at the sight of them and got the foster Corgi to make his first four-legged friends .
I was with Ted the other day when he took the foster Corgi ’ s person out to show him — and to show him the ropes .
When the foster Corgi calmly sniffed one dog while another dog sniffed him , we all kvelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I frequently mention , one of the hardest things , people tell me , about falling on hard times is the isolation that often follows .
The foster Corgi ’ s person , now in a group home in the Valley , has felt alone and lonely and depressed .
He ’ s felt hopeless at times thinking of other men he ’ s known in his life who lost their jobs in their 50s and never recovered .
Ted and Sandy understand hardship .
They ’ ve had to downsize their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health .
Talking to them , getting their encouragement , has helped the foster Corgi ’ s person keep the faith in a better future , just as the Corgi ’ s presence has helped Ted and Sandy ready themselves to take the big step of welcoming another dog into their lives .
With any luck , the foster Corgi and his person will be living together again soon .
The Corgi ’ s foster people will find a wonderful new dog of their own .
Which leads me back to that question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and highly motivated data scientist ?
Anyone know of a good home that will welcome a man and his dog trying to catch a break ?
If you met the foster Corgi ’ s person , you ’ d see his worth right away .
And as for the foster Corgi , each time I have visited him and his extended family of people , he has made the rounds , offering himself up to everyone in the room .
As I ’ ve tried to take notes , he has nuzzled my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my heart .

A corgi staying with a foster family in Hollywood nuzzles up to his visiting owner, who is homeless.
A lot of us see the great need all around and we want to do something useful but we’re not sure how. What can we do for someone who has lost a job and lost housing? For someone who is teetering on the edge?
This is a story about how help need not be huge to be hugely helpful, and about how helping often helps the helpers too.
This is also a story about corgis, those dogs famously fit for a queen.
Advertisement
Corgis are sweet and smart and known for the utter devotion they show to, and inspire in, their people. Let me start by saying that Ted and Sandy Rogers loved their corgi as much as it is possible to love.
I know this because I’ve known Ted for years on Twitter, and he used to post as many proud photos of the dog as he did entries on his well-read blog about biking. I came to know and love “the corgi” from a distance through Ted’s photos and descriptions. I smiled when I saw her showing off her belly and wearing her bandannas and costumes. I was proud of her for the way she took care of Ted.
When diabetes walloped Ted about five years ago, the corgi somehow learned just how to help him. He described how she watched over him and prodded him and licked him when his blood sugar plunged dangerously low. He credited these attentions on multiple occasions with saving him from the ER.
So I knew how devastated Ted was last spring when the corgi herself became ill. I was devastated for him too, from a distance.
After the corgi, whose proper name was Sienna, died of cancer in August at age 13, Ted and Sandy, who have no human children, sank deeply into their grief. Ted told me that on many a morning he no longer saw a good reason to get out of bed.
The foster corgi’s person takes him for a walk along with Ted Rogers. ( Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Late in the fall, a friend forwarded the couple, who live in Hollywood, a perfectly timed request. She had spotted it on Craigslist while trying to find them some solace.
A man was looking to get his corgi an emergency foster home for a few months. “I’ve been with him for most of his life,” he wrote. “Although he loves me dearly, soon after meeting you, he’ll love you just as much.”
Ted and Sandy weren’t ready yet for a new dog. Still, borrowing one sounded good.
“We figured it would be kind of us helping him, him helping us,” Sandy said of the then-stranger’s plea.
That the corgi and his person loved each other was evident to them at first glance. The two, who had been together since the corgi, now 11, was 1, were obviously deeply bonded.
Ted and Sandy knew better than most how hard it must be for the man to give up his best friend for any reason, even temporarily.
But they didn’t want to pry and so they didn’t ask a lot of questions.
On Sunday afternoons though, when the man visited their apartment to lie on their carpet with his dog and rub his dog’s tummy and toss his dog balls, which the corgi caught in his mouth, the couple began to learn how much their help mattered.
Bear with me here because this is where telling the story gets tricky.
What has happened to the foster corgi’s person has happened to many people. It isn’t his fault. He’s had a run of bad luck.
The foster corgi and his person on a Sunday visit. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
But shame is tenacious and the foster corgi’s person can’t seem to shed it. So while he’ll let me tell you some things about him, he won’t let me tell you his name. Or even the name of the corgi. He’s that worried that someone who knows him from his previous life will see how far he’s fallen and judge him.
The foster corgi’s person, you see, has a PhD and used to have a great, six-figure job in a company that recruited him here from the Midwest. Since he lost that job in a specialized field four years ago, things haven’t been the same for either him or his dog.
At first he had the padding of severance and savings. He sold his condo back home for more cash. He had confidence that he’d bounce back. He didn’t immediately comprehend how quickly his circumstances could slide downward.
In short order, however, he went from making more money than he could spend and living in a two-bedroom apartment with two big TVs and a new king-size bedroom set to having roommates and then to being a roommate and then to being homeless, going to social-service organizations to seek out short-term emergency housing.
Before long, this highly educated professional in his 50s had joined the masses driving for Uber. And when he could no longer make his car payments and so lost his car, he started renting the cars he drove for Uber by the hour, working longer hours still to cover the rental fees and so not netting very much at all.
At the same time, he was trying to teach himself new skills to enter the field of data science, which offered better job prospects.
And he was doing this as he and his corgi bumped from place to place. Short stints all, they spent time in his sister’s place in Northern California, a bare-bones Airbnb whose cost a relative footed for a month, a group home in south L.A., a single-room occupancy hotel on skid row.
The people who ran that skid row SRO were great, by the way, he said. But his fellow residents were rough. And each morning when he headed to a nearby Starbucks with his laptop to apply himself to his extraction plan, he ran the few blocks with the corgi because the environment felt dangerous.
The corgi was stressed. The corgi’s person was stressed, especially because, while the corgi now was his sole comfort, finding places that would accept a dog was proving to be very difficult.
The owner of the first transitional housing he arrived at changed the locks after he showed her the paperwork for his emotional support animal. They had to sleep that night in the car. He went through an extensive application process for a program that would have given him housing rent-free for two years to help him get back on his feet, but having the corgi with him proved a sticking point.
Enter Ted and Sandy and the respite they offered. From the moment they laid eyes on the foster corgi, they felt the magnitude of their responsibility.
Ted and Sandy Rogers of Hollywood enjoy time with their foster corgi. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
“You could see how traumatized he was,” Ted said. “And from that point our goal became to make him comfortable again to make him happy.” And also, he said, to give the foster corgi’s person “a better dog than we took over.”
Ted said this on the first day I actually met him in person — along with Sandy and the foster corgi and the foster corgi’s person, who responded gratefully, saying of his dog, “It’s been a rough year, a very rough year for him.”
The corgi’s foster people soothed him. They took him on adventures. They took him to The Grove. They’d been warned that he had trouble with other dogs, so Ted, who had trained Sienna, trained the foster corgi to focus rather than panic at the sight of them and got the foster corgi to make his first four-legged friends.
I was with Ted the other day when he took the foster corgi’s person out to show him — and to show him the ropes. When the foster corgi calmly sniffed one dog while another dog sniffed him, we all kvelled.
The we is important. As I frequently mention, one of the hardest things, people tell me, about falling on hard times is the isolation that often follows.
The foster corgi’s person, now in a group home in the Valley, has felt alone and lonely and depressed. He’s felt hopeless at times thinking of other men he’s known in his life who lost their jobs in their 50s and never recovered. Ted and Sandy understand hardship. They’ve had to downsize their lives a lot because of Ted’s health.
Talking to them, getting their encouragement, has helped the foster corgi’s person keep the faith in a better future, just as the corgi’s presence has helped Ted and Sandy ready themselves to take the big step of welcoming another dog into their lives.
With any luck, the foster corgi and his person will be living together again soon. The corgi’s foster people will find a wonderful new dog of their own. Which leads me back to that question of help. Anyone need a smart and highly motivated data scientist? Anyone know of a good home that will welcome a man and his dog trying to catch a break?
If you met the foster corgi’s person, you’d see his worth right away. And as for the foster corgi, each time I have visited him and his extended family of people, he has made the rounds, offering himself up to everyone in the room. As I’ve tried to take notes, he has nuzzled my arm, skewing my letters but winning my heart.


latimes--2020-03-06--Earthquake: 5.5 quake felt near Mexico border

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake was reported Friday evening at 7:52 p.m. Pacific time 27 miles from San Luis , Ariz. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 32 miles from Calexico , Calif. , 34 miles from Somerton , Ariz. , 35 miles from Yuma , Ariz. , and 39 miles from El Centro , Calif .
In the last 10 days , there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of six earthquakes with magnitudes between 5.0 and 6.0 occur per year in the United States , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Find out what to do before , and during , an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning more about the system , visit our @ @ @ @ @ @

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake was reported Friday evening at 7:52 p.m. Pacific time 27 miles from San Luis, Ariz., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 32 miles from Calexico, Calif., 34 miles from Somerton, Ariz., 35 miles from Yuma, Ariz., and 39 miles from El Centro, Calif.
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 six earthquakes with magnitudes between 5.0 and 6.0 occur per year in the United States, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-03-07--Amid coronavirus concerns, USC will test online classes next week

USC said Friday it would conduct lectures and seminars online rather than in classrooms for three days next week to test the ability to operate remotely should the coronavirus spread and force the campus to suspend in-person contact .
While there are no coronavirus cases at USC , the university said in a statement Friday the test was among “ precautionary measures to ensure that we are prepared for any potential disruptions to teaching and learning at USC.
” “ Our university must be nimble and flexible in the event that we need to make any further changes to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zukoski in a letter to the campus Friday .
“ We have about 7,000 lecture classes this spring .
We need to test our technical capabilities to ensure academic continuity in an online environment should there be a disruption.
” The test will occur March 11-13 .
During that time , the university will be operating normally with all services and events running as usual .
“ I emphasize that this is a test of our capabilities , ” Zukoski said in his letter .
“ The university is fully functional .
Student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , libraries , health centers , and recreation and athletics facilities are open .
Campus events are scheduled to take place as planned .
Employees are expected to be at work.
” The move comes as other universities are dealing with the spread of coronavirus .
Three UCLA students who were under self-isolation due to possible coronavirus exposure each tested negative for the virus , Chancellor Gene D. Block said in a statement Friday night .
The University of Washington announced Friday it was moving all instruction online for the next two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of classrooms as the death toll from COVID-19 in that region continued to rise .
L.A. County confirmed two additional cases of the new coronavirus Friday , bringing the total to 13 .
The new cases still don ’ t point to community spread in Los Angeles County , L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said .
She estimated that 50 people in the county have been tested for COVID-19 and emphasized that more tests are coming back negative than positive .

USC will conduct all classes online for three days next week to test the ability to operate remotely in the face of the coronavirus.
USC said Friday it would conduct lectures and seminars online rather than in classrooms for three days next week to test the ability to operate remotely should the coronavirus spread and force the campus to suspend in-person contact.
While there are no coronavirus cases at USC, the university said in a statement Friday the test was among “precautionary measures to ensure that we are prepared for any potential disruptions to teaching and learning at USC.”
“Our university must be nimble and flexible in the event that we need to make any further changes to the semester,” said Provost Charles F. Zukoski in a letter to the campus Friday. “We have about 7,000 lecture classes this spring. We need to test our technical capabilities to ensure academic continuity in an online environment should there be a disruption.”
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The test will occur March 11-13. During that time, the university will be operating normally with all services and events running as usual.
“I emphasize that this is a test of our capabilities,” Zukoski said in his letter. “The university is fully functional. Student residential colleges, dining halls, offices, libraries, health centers, and recreation and athletics facilities are open. Campus events are scheduled to take place as planned. Employees are expected to be at work.”
The move comes as other universities are dealing with the spread of coronavirus.
Three UCLA students who were under self-isolation due to possible coronavirus exposure each tested negative for the virus, Chancellor Gene D. Block said in a statement Friday night.
The University of Washington announced Friday it was moving all instruction online for the next two weeks, keeping more than 50,000 students out of classrooms as the death toll from COVID-19 in that region continued to rise.
L.A. County confirmed two additional cases of the new coronavirus Friday, bringing the total to 13.
The new cases still don’t point to community spread in Los Angeles County, L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
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She estimated that 50 people in the county have been tested for COVID-19 and emphasized that more tests are coming back negative than positive.


latimes--2020-03-06--An atmospheric river with subtropical moisture is taking aim at Southern California next week

An unstable low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska will tap into subtropical moisture , bringing the potential for heavy rain in Southern California on Tuesday and Wednesday , the National Weather Service said .
The southern part of the Sierra Nevada could see heavy , wet snow , and parts of Arizona and Nevada are also expected to get heavy rain .
The cutoff low will merge with a weak to moderate atmospheric river , focusing precipitation on Central and Southern California .
Atmospheric rivers are a concentrated stream of water vapor in the middle and lower levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moves across the ocean without interruption until it encounters an obstacle such as coastal mountains in California .
Lifting up and over these mountains causes the moisture to condense and fall as precipitation .
The instability of the low-pressure system will make thunderstorms with downpours and small hail possible .
Rainfall rates of up to one inch per hour are possible in the thunderstorms .
There is a limited risk of mud and debris flows in first- and second-year burn areas because of the potentially heavy downpours .
Minor urban flooding and rock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There will be heavy seas with gale-force winds off the coast , and beach lightning is possible .
Snow levels will remain well above 7,000 feet until late Wednesday because of the warm nature of the storm , but accumulations of 1 to 2 feet are possible at the highest resort levels .
The region could see 60 % to 100 % of normal March rainfall with this storm , according to Eric Boldt , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
Monthly normal rainfall is 2 to 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm of the season so far , ” said Bill Patzert , a former climatologist with NASA ’ s Jet Propulsion Laboratory , adding that it “ could lift us off our knees , but not out of the continuing drought conditions.
” Jan Null , a veteran meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services in Northern California , agreed : “ Even in the wettest parts of Southern California the amounts won ’ t move the needle much ; even less on the Central Coast and Southern Sierra and not enough to notice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yosemite.
” “ This looks like a Central and Southern California event .
Not a Northern California snow maker , ” said Patzert .
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that almost all of the areas of the state that are neither abnormally dry nor in moderate drought are in the southern part of the state .
Next week ’ s storm is expected to begin with rain in San Luis Obispo and western Santa Barbara counties at about sunrise on Monday , with a chance of light rain elsewhere .
Rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California region Tuesday and Wednesday , and peak Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday in Ventura and Los Angeles counties .
The coast and valleys can expect from an inch to 2.5 inches , while the foothills and mountains can expect from 2 to 4 inches .
A colder storm is possible the following week on March 17-18 as a wet pattern is expected to continue .

A storm supplied with subtropical moisture could bring moderate to heavy rain and a chance of thunderstorms to the Southland.
An unstable low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska will tap into subtropical moisture, bringing the potential for heavy rain in Southern California on Tuesday and Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. The southern part of the Sierra Nevada could see heavy, wet snow, and parts of Arizona and Nevada are also expected to get heavy rain.
The cutoff low will merge with a weak to moderate atmospheric river, focusing precipitation on Central and Southern California.
Atmospheric rivers are a concentrated stream of water vapor in the middle and lower levels of the atmosphere. The stream of moisture moves across the ocean without interruption until it encounters an obstacle such as coastal mountains in California. Lifting up and over these mountains causes the moisture to condense and fall as precipitation.
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A cutoff low will tap into subtropical moisture, making heavy rain possible. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The instability of the low-pressure system will make thunderstorms with downpours and small hail possible. Rainfall rates of up to 1 inch per hour are possible in the thunderstorms. There is a limited risk of mud and debris flows in first- and second-year burn areas because of the potentially heavy downpours. Minor urban flooding and rock falls on canyon roads are also possible. There will be heavy seas with gale-force winds off the coast, and beach lightning is possible.
Snow levels will remain well above 7,000 feet until late Wednesday because of the warm nature of the storm, but accumulations of 1 to 2 feet are possible at the highest resort levels.
The region could see 60% to 100% of normal March rainfall with this storm, according to Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Monthly normal rainfall is 2 to 3 inches.
This could be “the storm of the season so far,” said Bill Patzert, a former climatologist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, adding that it “could lift us off our knees, but not out of the continuing drought conditions.”
Jan Null, a veteran meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services in Northern California, agreed: “Even in the wettest parts of Southern California the amounts won’t move the needle much; even less on the Central Coast and Southern Sierra and not enough to notice at all north of about Monterey to Yosemite.”
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“This looks like a Central and Southern California event. Not a Northern California snow maker,” Patzert said.
(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that almost all of the areas of the state that are neither abnormally dry nor in moderate drought are in the southern part of the state.
Next week’s storm is expected to begin with rain in San Luis Obispo and western Santa Barbara counties at about sunrise on Monday, with a chance of light rain elsewhere. Rain will spread to all of the Southern California region Tuesday and Wednesday, and peak Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The coast and valleys can expect from an inch to 2.5 inches, while the foothills and mountains can expect from 2 to 4 inches.
A colder storm is possible the following week on March 17-18 as a wet pattern is expected to continue.


latimes--2020-03-06--Anxiety, chardonnay and anger at Trump: Friday on a cruise line hit by coronavirus

A day that started with hope ended with anger and frustration as passengers on the Grand Princess learned some on the ship tested positive for coronavirus , bringing the specter of a quarantine at sea .
More than 3,500 people are currently on the vessel , which is holding off the coast of San Francisco in international waters as officials decide where — or if — it should dock now that two passengers and 19 crew members have tested positive for COVID-19 .
“ We are doing a bit of Trump bashing , having a glass of wine , trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure out what to do with my dog and get her out of the kennel tomorrow , canceling hotel reservations for tomorrow night , ” said Debbi Loftus , a Wisconsin passenger who is traveling with her elderly parents .
“ The normal stuff anyone does on a Friday afternoon.
” Loftus was not the only one unhappy with the administration .
Vice President Mike Pence announced the positive cases during a news conference Friday afternoon , before passengers had been informed .
The cruise line and the captain of the ship both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results prior to the televised announcement .
Multiple passengers interviewed by the Los Angeles Times said they would have preferred the news be given to them first .
Adding more uncertainty for some passengers was President Trump ’ s statement Friday that he would prefer any quarantine take place on the ship , rather than allowing passengers to dock in California — in part to prevent increasing the number of confirmed cases on U.S. soil .
Pence said the vessel would be allowed to dock at a noncommercial port this weekend , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s apparent to me that President Trump is not concerned about the crew and passengers aboard Grand , but rather the numbers , ” said Karen , a Canadian passenger who asked to be identified only by her first name for privacy reasons .
As passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship ended their first full day confined to their cabins , the reality of a possible quarantine began to set in , along with boredom and anxiety .
Fears of the future were mixed with minor but immediate concerns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ overburdened staff attempts to bring room service to more than 3,500 passengers .
Coffee was late , one meal was sandwiches and chili , a few waited hours for delivery .
The crew passed out forms asking what prescriptions might be needed if a long stay was mandated .
“ We ’ re trying to stay positive and hoping for a great outcome , ” said Karen , early in the day .
Her biggest frustration Friday morning was that room service , “ understandably overloaded , ” hadn ’ t yet brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on hold to report the missing java , watching the ship ’ s webcam on television so that she could “ feel like I ’ m outside.
” The previous night , the captain told passengers they were working with the crew to arrange for “ deck time for exercise and fresh air.
” Karen said hearing that “ kinda scared us into thinking this may go on longer than expected.
” Despite two updates from the captain during the day , there was little new information .
Passengers played cards , watched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people said the broadband was limited .
The crew dropped off Sudoku sheets , puzzles and a craft kit .
Outdoor time never materialized .
“ My take on this , ” Karen said in the afternoon , is “ hope for the best , prepare for the worst.
” Another way some passengers spent time : cleaning .
With no cleaning services coming in and a fear of germs in abundance , Karen tried to get a pair of gloves before cleaning her bathroom .
Another passenger wiped down her walls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those who spoke to The Times all agreed on one point : The crew was doing its best , delivering thousands of meals three times a day , answering requests and attempting to maintain the quarantine as anxiety mounts .
Many of the crew members are Filipino or other foreign nationals , guests said .
“ Our captain and crew [ are ] doing the best they can under such unforgiving conditions , ” said Karen , the Canadian passenger .
About 62 people have been under lockdown longer because of possible exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For one of those , the experience was already feeling grim .
“ I am in solitary , ” said a person who has been isolated for days .
Now , there is worry that the end is not in sight .

As of 1998, the Grand Princess was the largest cruise vessel ever built. It is now a top U.S. focus in containing the coronavirus outbreak.
A day that started with hope ended with anger and frustration as passengers on the Grand Princess learned some on the ship tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the specter of a quarantine at sea.
More than 3,500 people are currently on the vessel, which is holding off the coast of San Francisco in international waters as officials decide where — or if — it should dock now that two passengers and 19 crew members have tested positive for COVID-19.
“We are doing a bit of Trump bashing, having a glass of wine, trying to cancel airplane reservations, trying to figure out what to do with my dog and get her out of the kennel tomorrow, canceling hotel reservations for tomorrow night,” said Debbi Loftus, a Wisconsin passenger who is traveling with her elderly parents. “The normal stuff anyone does on a Friday afternoon.”
Loftus was not the only one unhappy with the administration. Vice President Mike Pence announced the positive cases during a news conference Friday afternoon, before passengers had been informed. The cruise line and the captain of the ship both later said they were unaware of the results prior to the televised announcement. Multiple passengers interviewed by the Los Angeles Times said they would have preferred the news be given to them first.
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Adding more uncertainty for some passengers was President Trump’s statement Friday that he would prefer any quarantine take place on the ship, rather than allowing passengers to dock in California — in part to prevent increasing the number of confirmed cases on U.S. soil. Pence said the vessel would be allowed to dock at a noncommercial port this weekend, though he did not say where.
“It’s apparent to me that President Trump is not concerned about the crew and passengers aboard Grand, but rather the numbers,” said Karen, a Canadian passenger who asked to be identified only by her first name for privacy reasons.
As passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship ended their first full day confined to their cabins, the reality of a possible quarantine began to set in, along with boredom and anxiety. Fears of the future were mixed with minor but immediate concerns.
Food service has been delayed as an overburdened staff attempts to bring room service to more than 3,500 passengers. Coffee was late, one meal was sandwiches and chili, a few waited hours for delivery. The crew passed out forms asking what prescriptions might be needed if a long stay was mandated.
“We’re trying to stay positive and hoping for a great outcome,” said Karen, early in the day.
Her biggest frustration Friday morning was that room service, “understandably overloaded,” hadn’t yet brought coffee. She was passing time waiting on hold to report the missing java, watching the ship’s webcam on television so that she could “feel like I’m outside.”
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The previous night, the captain told passengers they were working with the crew to arrange for “deck time for exercise and fresh air.”
Karen said hearing that “kinda scared us into thinking this may go on longer than expected.”
Despite two updates from the captain during the day, there was little new information. Passengers played cards, watched movies and browsed the internet — multiple people said the broadband was limited. The crew dropped off Sudoku sheets, puzzles and a craft kit. Outdoor time never materialized.
“My take on this,” Karen said in the afternoon, is “hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”
Another way some passengers spent time: cleaning. With no cleaning services coming in and a fear of germs in abundance, Karen tried to get a pair of gloves before cleaning her bathroom. Another passenger wiped down her walls. One washed clothes in the bathtub.
Those who spoke to The Times all agreed on one point: The crew was doing its best, delivering thousands of meals three times a day, answering requests and attempting to maintain the quarantine as anxiety mounts. Many of the crew members are Filipino or other foreign nationals, guests said.
“Our captain and crew [are] doing the best they can under such unforgiving conditions,” said Karen, the Canadian passenger.
About 62 people have been under lockdown longer because of possible exposure on the previous cruise to Mexico. For one of those, the experience was already feeling grim.
“I am in solitary,” said a person who has been isolated for days.
Now, there is worry that the end is not in sight.


latimes--2020-03-06--Amid coronavirus outbreak, Vietnamese American student alleges teacher singled him out for coughing

Amid coronavirus outbreak, Vietnamese American student alleges teacher singled him out for coughing in class

Amid worries about the global coronavirus outbreak , a 13-year-old Vietnamese American student at Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood is alleging that he was singled out by his teacher — and ultimately forced to transfer classes — after coughing in his honors science class .
The student , eighth-grader Dylan Muriano , said his teacher sent him to the nurse ’ s office in early February after he coughed as a result of swallowing water .
Muriano said that the unnamed teacher refused to answer when he asked whether it was because he is Asian .
The teacher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s or principal ’ s office multiple times , said attorney Gloria Allred , who is filing a complaint on Muriano ’ s behalf with the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Education .
Allred said that as part of what she called the “ ongoing retaliation ” against Muriano , the teacher ignored his requests for classroom help and forced him to sit in a corner of the classroom .
She said Muriano was forced to transfer to another science class but was made to give up the honors class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even give me an apology , ” Muriano said at a press conference Friday at Allred ’ s office .
The Los Angeles Unified School District said it had no comment .

Amid worries about the global coronavirus outbreak, a 13-year-old Vietnamese American student at Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood is alleging that he was singled out by his teacher — and ultimately forced to transfer classes — after coughing in his honors science class.
The student, eighth-grader Dylan Muriano, said his teacher sent him to the nurse’s office in early February after he coughed as a result of swallowing water. Muriano said that the unnamed teacher refused to answer when he asked whether it was because he is Asian.
The teacher subsequently sent him to the dean’s or principal’s office multiple times, said attorney Gloria Allred, who is filing a complaint on Muriano’s behalf with the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Education.
Allred said that as part of what she called the “ongoing retaliation” against Muriano, the teacher ignored his requests for classroom help and forced him to sit in a corner of the classroom. She said Muriano was forced to transfer to another science class but was made to give up the honors class.
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“My teacher wouldn’t even give me an apology,” Muriano said at a press conference Friday at Allred’s office.
The Los Angeles Unified School District said it had no comment.


latimes--2020-03-06--LAX sees decline in passengers amid coronavirus, vows more aggressive cleaning

As cases of COVID-19 spike in the United States , Los Angeles International Airport is being cleaned more deeply and more regularly in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus , officials said Friday .
Officials also said there has been a 5 % drop in airline seats in and out of LAX in March and that safety officer screened 20 % fewer passengers Thursday compared with the same day last year .
Crews are regularly deep-cleaning hand rails , escalators , elevator buttons , bathroom doors and other areas of the airport that get touched by lots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and kiosks in the customs area are being sanitized hourly , as are terminal bathrooms .
“ We are doing everything in our power to make sure the environment at LAX is as safe and clean as possible , ” said Justin Erbacci , the interim chief executive at Los Angeles World Airports , the city agency that runs LAX .
Experts say the best defense against the coronavirus is to avoid touching your face , to avoid contact with sick people , and to wash your hands regularly with hot water and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When hand-washing isn ’ t an option , experts recommend using hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of at least 60 % .
LAX has installed 250 hand-sanitizer stations in the terminals and has 300 more arriving soon , officials said .
Sanitizer has also been handed out to all airport employees , including the handlers who walk therapy dogs through the terminals .
As travelers cancel business travel , vacations and trips to conferences , flight volumes at LAX have fallen .
Less travel could mean less revenue for the airport , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be determined , officials said , adding they are “ planning ahead internally to reduce expenses .
`` That includes limiting overtime , deferring trips to conferences and other discretionary spending , and a hiring freeze on all open jobs that are not considered critical , officials said .
On Friday , a second LAX worker tested positive for coronavirus , officials said Friday .

As cases of COVID-19 spike in the United States, Los Angeles International Airport is being cleaned more deeply and more regularly in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, officials said Friday.
Officials also said there has been a 5% drop in airline seats in and out of LAX in March and that safety officer screened 20% fewer passengers Thursday compared with the same day last year.
Crews are regularly deep-cleaning hand rails, escalators, elevator buttons, bathroom doors and other areas of the airport that get touched by lots of hands, officials said.
Touchscreens and kiosks in the customs area are being sanitized hourly, as are terminal bathrooms. “We are doing everything in our power to make sure the environment at LAX is as safe and clean as possible,” said Justin Erbacci, the interim chief executive at Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that runs LAX.
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Experts say the best defense against the coronavirus is to avoid touching your face, to avoid contact with sick people, and to wash your hands regularly with hot water and soap, scrubbing for 20 seconds. When hand-washing isn’t an option, experts recommend using hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of at least 60%.
LAX has installed 250 hand-sanitizer stations in the terminals and has 300 more arriving soon, officials said. Sanitizer has also been handed out to all airport employees, including the handlers who walk therapy dogs through the terminals. As travelers cancel business travel, vacations and trips to conferences, flight volumes at LAX have fallen.
Less travel could mean less revenue for the airport, but the full impact has yet to be determined, officials said, adding they are “planning ahead internally to reduce expenses.”That includes limiting overtime, deferring trips to conferences and other discretionary spending, and a hiring freeze on all open jobs that are not considered critical, officials said.
On Friday, a second LAX worker tested positive for coronavirus, officials said Friday.


latimes--2020-03-06--Grand Princess passengers angry they learned of coronavirus cases from Pence instead of ship's capta

Grand Princess passengers angry they learned of coronavirus cases from Pence instead of ship's captain

Debbi Loftus is among the passengers aboard the Grand Princess who have been stranded off the coast of San Francisco , awaiting test results to determine whether they have the coronavirus .
She and others on board found out Friday that at least 21 people tested positive .
But the news came during a news conference from Vice President Mike Pence .
And that left her and others unhappy .
“ This really sucks that the government decided that they should be the one to break the news , ” Loftus said minutes after word broke .
“ Right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are extremely angry that we are hearing this from the vice president rather than our captain.
” At 3:30 p.m. , the ship ’ s captain apologized to passengers that they had to hear of the positive cases from the vice president ’ s address , according to one person on board .
The captain told passengers that the ship was not given advance notice of the announcement .
The captain also told them that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now discussing with the ship ’ s medical personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results .
Princess Cruises said in a statement that it also was unaware of the test results prior to Pence ’ s statement .
“ We were notified by Vice President Pence while he was conducting a press conference and simultaneously ” by the CDC , the company said in a statement .
The ship ’ s doctor was working to inform those tested of their results , the statement continued .
A source familiar with the process said government officials knew for several hours that there were multiple positive results from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has 3,533 people .
These include 2,422 guests and 1,111 teammates .
In total , they represent 54 nationalities .
Pence said the federal government is working with the state of California to bring the cruise ship into a noncommercial port over the weekend and quarantine those aboard as necessary .
Those who tested positive included 19 crew members and two passengers .
Karen , a Canadian passenger who asked to be identified only by her first name , said her fears extended to what could come next .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said moments later .
“ I ’ m terrified of a quarantine on board.
” “ That changes things , ” said another person on the ship .
“ I ’ m not going home anytime soon .
”

The Grand Princess cruise ship passes the Golden Gate Bridge on Feb. 11. Scrambling to keep the coronavirus at bay, officials ordered the cruise ship to hold off at the California coast on March 5 to await testing of those aboard, after a passenger on an earlier voyage died and at least one other became infected.
Debbi Loftus is among the passengers aboard the Grand Princess who have been stranded off the coast of San Francisco, awaiting test results to determine whether they have the coronavirus.
She and others on board found out Friday that at least 21 people tested positive. But the news came during a news conference from Vice President Mike Pence.
And that left her and others unhappy.
“This really sucks that the government decided that they should be the one to break the news,” Loftus said minutes after word broke. “Right now I, and I know my parents, are extremely angry that we are hearing this from the vice president rather than our captain.”
At 3:30 p.m., the ship’s captain apologized to passengers that they had to hear of the positive cases from the vice president’s address, according to one person on board.
The captain told passengers that the ship was not given advance notice of the announcement. The captain also told them that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now discussing with the ship’s medical personnel how to inform people of their individual results.
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Princess Cruises said in a statement that it also was unaware of the test results prior to Pence’s statement. “We were notified by Vice President Pence while he was conducting a press conference and simultaneously” by the CDC, the company said in a statement. The ship’s doctor was working to inform those tested of their results, the statement continued.
A source familiar with the process said government officials knew for several hours that there were multiple positive results from the testing done aboard the cruise liner, which has 3,533 people. These include 2,422 guests and 1,111 teammates. In total, they represent 54 nationalities.
Pence said the federal government is working with the state of California to bring the cruise ship into a noncommercial port over the weekend and quarantine those aboard as necessary. Those who tested positive included 19 crew members and two passengers.
Karen, a Canadian passenger who asked to be identified only by her first name, said her fears extended to what could come next.
“I’m not afraid of this virus,” she said moments later. “I’m terrified of a quarantine on board.”
“That changes things,” said another person on the ship. “I’m not going home anytime soon.”


latimes--2020-03-06--More than 675,000 L.A. County ballots still haven't been counted

Nearly 32 % of ballots cast in Los Angeles County in Tuesday ’ s primary election remained to be counted as of Friday , leaving undecided the outcome of some races , including the contest for district attorney .
County election officials said that a wave of vote-by-mail ballots left at vote centers and still arriving by mail contributed to the number of untallied votes .
The county registrar ’ s office said it had counted 1,447,938 votes as of Friday .
It estimated that 678,050 ballots remained to be counted .
The county was accepting mailed ballots through Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postmarked by election day .
With so many votes still outstanding , the outcome of some races still hangs in the balance .
Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey needs to get 50 % of the vote , plus one , to avoid a November runoff election .
The latest count showed her with 615,864 votes .
That puts her just a few votes below 50 % , compared with 337,962 for George Gascon ( 27.44 % ) and 277,933 for Rachel A. Rossi ( 22.56 % ) .
Los Angeles County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a new voting system on Tuesday that was hobbled by reports of broken machines and hours-long waits .
California ’ s chief elections officer , Secretary of State Alex Padilla , rebuked local officials Thursday over the voting day mishaps .
“ I ’ m beyond frustrated and disappointed in what I saw on Tuesday , and I ’ m committed to making sure it doesn ’ t happen again , ” Padilla said .
“ Clearly , voters deserve better.
” The county says it won ’ t have final certification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials said they will update totals every Tuesday and Friday until then .

Election official Zahra Katimi, left, answers questions about filling out provisional ballots at the vote center at Santa Monica Place mall on Tuesday.
Nearly 32% of ballots cast in Los Angeles County in Tuesday’s primary election remained to be counted as of Friday, leaving undecided the outcome of some races, including the contest for district attorney.
County election officials said that a wave of vote-by-mail ballots left at vote centers and still arriving by mail contributed to the number of untallied votes.
The county registrar’s office said it had counted 1,447,938 votes as of Friday. It estimated that 678,050 ballots remained to be counted. The county was accepting mailed ballots through Friday evening, as long as they were postmarked by election day.
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With so many votes still outstanding, the outcome of some races still hangs in the balance.
Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey needs to get 50% of the vote, plus one, to avoid a November runoff election. The latest count showed her with 615,864 votes. That puts her just a few votes below 50%, compared with 337,962 for George Gascon (27.44%) and 277,933 for Rachel A. Rossi (22.56%).
Los Angeles County, with 5.5 million registered voters, rolled out a new voting system on Tuesday that was hobbled by reports of broken machines and hours-long waits.
California’s chief elections officer, Secretary of State Alex Padilla, rebuked local officials Thursday over the voting day mishaps.
“I’m beyond frustrated and disappointed in what I saw on Tuesday, and I’m committed to making sure it doesn’t happen again,” Padilla said. “Clearly, voters deserve better.”
The county says it won’t have final certification of the election results until March 27. Officials said they will update totals every Tuesday and Friday until then.


latimes--2020-03-07--21 aboard Grand Princess cruise ship test positive for coronavirus; passengers angry, concerned

Twenty-one people on the Grand Princess off the San Francisco coast have tested positive for the novel coronavirus , Vice President Mike Pence said Friday , an announcement that angered and deflated many passengers on the cruise ship .
Pence said the federal government is working with the state of California to bring the cruise ship into a noncommercial port over the weekend and quarantine those aboard as necessary .
Those testing positive included 19 crew and 2 passengers .
“ All passengers will be tested , ” the vice president said several hours after testing kits were delivered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be quarantined will be quarantined.
” A state source described conversations about moving passengers and crew members as fluid and said talks between the state and federal government will resume Saturday .
A representative for Princess Cruises said that the ship would not dock Friday night , but was moving 20 nautical miles “ for logistical purposes.
” Pence said 24 people on the cruise ship had tested negative , and one test has been inconclusive .
There has been one California death reported , a man who disembarked from the Grand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cruise to Mexico .
The ship was scheduled to return to San Francisco again Wednesday after a subsequent trip to Hawaii , but it has been held offshore while authorities evaluate crew members and passengers with symptoms of the virus .
For much of the day , passengers contacted on the ship had been in largely good spirits .
But the announcement — and the way it was delivered by Pence with no advance warning for those on board — left some frustrated and bitter .
One of those was Debbi Loftus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents .
“ This really sucks that the government decided that they should be the one to break the news , ” Loftus said minutes after word broke .
“ Right now I , and I know my parents , are extremely angry that we are hearing this from the vice president rather than our captain.
” A source familiar with the process said government officials knew for several hours that there were multiple positives from the testing done aboard the cruise liner , which has 3,533 people onboard .
These include 2,422 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total , they represent 54 nationalities .
Karen , a Canadian passenger who asked to be identified only by her first name , said she fears what could come next .
“ I ’ m not afraid of this virus , ” she said moments later .
“ I ’ m terrified of a quarantine onboard.
” “ That changes things , ” said another person on the ship .
“ I ’ m not going home anytime soon.
” At 3:30 p.m. , the ship ’ s captain apologized to passengers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases from the vice president ’ s address , according to one person on board .
The captain told passengers that the ship was not given advance notice of the announcement .
The captain also told passengers that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is discussing with the ship ’ s medical personnel how to inform people of their individual results .
In a statement , Princess Cruises said it also was unaware of the test results prior to Pence ’ s statement .
Visiting the CDC on Friday , President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who leads the task force in charge of the response , decide whether to allow passengers stuck on the cruise ship to disembark .
But he said several times that he would be inclined to leave them on board because bringing them ashore would increase the number of official cases on American soil .
“ I like the numbers being where they are .
I don ’ t need to have the numbers being doubled because of one ship , ” Trump said .
“ A lot of people think we should do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We have to take care of Americans.
” Brian Ferguson , a spokesman for the Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services , said in a statement that federal and state government “ have been working in close collaboration overnight and throughout the day to quickly stand up a solution that meets the health needs for those on board and protects public health.
” He added that Trump and Gov .
Gavin Newsom spoke Friday morning , with the governor also speaking with Pence throughout the day .
Friday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helicopter crew delivering kits to the Grand Princess to test about 100 passengers for COVID-19 .
The next day , Princess Cruises spokeswoman Negin Kamali confirmed that the CDC had “ recommended that guests should remain in their staterooms for the remainder of the cruise.
” In a statement Friday night , California Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins called for a “ safe , sane and science-based ” resolution to the process .
“ We have to be better than just leaving all these people out at sea , ” Atkins said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , families , seniors , and others all wanting nothing more than to be safe and to get treatment if they need it .
With the proper precautions in place and following the protocols called for by science , we can protect the public health while preserving our basic humanity .
Any attempt to use these passengers as pawns or scapegoats for political cover has to be rejected by anyone with a working moral compass.
” Not all experts are supportive of quarantining passengers aboard the ship .
Don Milton , an expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of Maryland , said such plans offer risks of their own .
“ Cruise ships , college dorms and nursing homes , take your pick , ” Milton said .
“ There is a lot of recirculated air.
” Milton said challenges including narrow hallways and the logistics of getting people to shore would make it hard to disembark passengers without spreading the virus further .
“ How do you get people off the ship and into a better quarantine facility without exposing a lot of other people ?
” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Public Safety said another man who had been on the cruise ship was found unresponsive at his home and officers performed CPR .
He later died .
On Friday , Santa Clara County officials said that the man tested negative for COVID-19 .
On Wednesday , a 75-year-old Placer County man for COVID-19 died after returning from the cruise .
Placer health officials said the man had underlying health conditions .
He was the county ’ s second confirmed case of COVID-19 .
Officials said close contacts of the man were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That ’ s close to home , ” said one neighbor , who asked not to be identified as he stood on his lawn .
“ I ’ m in my 70s , so this is a big deal.
” Passengers on the vessel — both current and those who may have been exposed earlier — told the Los Angeles Times that the response to the outbreak by the company and health officials had been filled with missteps .
In particular , passengers said that Princess Cruises was lax on health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about the risks they faced , even as the ship ’ s condition became international news .
Meanwhile , significant precautions over the spread of coronavirus in California were announced Friday night .
Stanford University said that it will move classes online for the final two weeks of the winter quarter .
USC said it would conduct lectures and seminars online rather than in classrooms for three days next week to test the ability to operate remotely should the campus be forced to suspend in-person contact .
Times staff writers Noah Bierman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Anita Chabria, Melody Gutierrez, Noam N. Levey, Richard Winton

Twenty-one people on the Grand Princess off the San Francisco coast have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Vice President Mike Pence said Friday, an announcement that angered and deflated many passengers on the cruise ship.
Pence said the federal government is working with the state of California to bring the cruise ship into a noncommercial port over the weekend and quarantine those aboard as necessary. Those testing positive included 19 crew and 2 passengers.
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“All passengers will be tested,” the vice president said several hours after testing kits were delivered to the ship. “Those that need to be quarantined will be quarantined.”
A state source described conversations about moving passengers and crew members as fluid and said talks between the state and federal government will resume Saturday. A representative for Princess Cruises said that the ship would not dock Friday night, but was moving 20 nautical miles “for logistical purposes.”
Pence said 24 people on the cruise ship had tested negative, and one test has been inconclusive.
There has been one California death reported, a man who disembarked from the Grand Princess last month in San Francisco after a cruise to Mexico. The ship was scheduled to return to San Francisco again Wednesday after a subsequent trip to Hawaii, but it has been held offshore while authorities evaluate crew members and passengers with symptoms of the virus.
For much of the day, passengers contacted on the ship had been in largely good spirits. But the announcement — and the way it was delivered by Pence with no advance warning for those on board — left some frustrated and bitter.
One of those was Debbi Loftus, on the ship with her elderly parents.
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“This really sucks that the government decided that they should be the one to break the news,” Loftus said minutes after word broke. “Right now I, and I know my parents, are extremely angry that we are hearing this from the vice president rather than our captain.”
A source familiar with the process said government officials knew for several hours that there were multiple positives from the testing done aboard the cruise liner, which has 3,533 people onboard. These include 2,422 guests and 1,111 crew members. In total, they represent 54 nationalities.
Karen, a Canadian passenger who asked to be identified only by her first name, said she fears what could come next.
“I’m not afraid of this virus,” she said moments later. “I’m terrified of a quarantine onboard.”
“That changes things,” said another person on the ship. “I’m not going home anytime soon.”
At 3:30 p.m., the ship’s captain apologized to passengers that they had to hear of the positive cases from the vice president’s address, according to one person on board.
The captain told passengers that the ship was not given advance notice of the announcement. The captain also told passengers that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is discussing with the ship’s medical personnel how to inform people of their individual results.
California Stanford University will move classes online due to coronavirus Yolo County announced its first case of coronavirus, becoming the 13th county in California with a patient who has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement, Princess Cruises said it also was unaware of the test results prior to Pence’s statement.
Visiting the CDC on Friday, President Trump said he would ultimately let Pence, who leads the task force in charge of the response, decide whether to allow passengers stuck on the cruise ship to disembark. But he said several times that he would be inclined to leave them on board because bringing them ashore would increase the number of official cases on American soil.
“I like the numbers being where they are. I don’t need to have the numbers being doubled because of one ship,” Trump said.
“A lot of people think we should do it the other way,” he said. “We have to take care of Americans.”
Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said in a statement that federal and state government “have been working in close collaboration overnight and throughout the day to quickly stand up a solution that meets the health needs for those on board and protects public health.”
He added that Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke Friday morning, with the governor also speaking with Pence throughout the day.
Friday’s announcement was the result of a helicopter crew delivering kits to the Grand Princess to test about 100 passengers for COVID-19. The next day, Princess Cruises spokeswoman Negin Kamali confirmed that the CDC had “recommended that guests should remain in their staterooms for the remainder of the cruise.”
In a statement Friday night, California Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins called for a “safe, sane and science-based” resolution to the process.
“We have to be better than just leaving all these people out at sea,” Atkins said. “There are Americans on board, families, seniors, and others all wanting nothing more than to be safe and to get treatment if they need it. With the proper precautions in place and following the protocols called for by science, we can protect the public health while preserving our basic humanity. Any attempt to use these passengers as pawns or scapegoats for political cover has to be rejected by anyone with a working moral compass.”
Not all experts are supportive of quarantining passengers aboard the ship.
Don Milton, an expert on the spread of infectious disease at the University of Maryland, said such plans offer risks of their own.
“Cruise ships, college dorms and nursing homes, take your pick,” Milton said. “There is a lot of recirculated air.”
Milton said challenges including narrow hallways and the logistics of getting people to shore would make it hard to disembark passengers without spreading the virus further.
“How do you get people off the ship and into a better quarantine facility without exposing a lot of other people?” he asked.
On Thursday, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety said another man who had been on the cruise ship was found unresponsive at his home and officers performed CPR. He later died. On Friday, Santa Clara County officials said that the man tested negative for COVID-19.
On Wednesday, a 75-year-old Placer County man who had tested positive for COVID-19 died after returning from the cruise.
Placer health officials said the man had underlying health conditions. He was the county’s second confirmed case of COVID-19. Officials said close contacts of the man were being quarantined and monitored for the illness.
“That’s close to home,” said one neighbor, who asked not to be identified as he stood on his lawn. “I’m in my 70s, so this is a big deal.”
Passengers on the vessel — both current and those who may have been exposed earlier — told the Los Angeles Times that the response to the outbreak by the company and health officials had been filled with missteps.
In particular, passengers said that Princess Cruises was lax on health screening protocols prior to boarding and withheld information about the risks they faced, even as the ship’s condition became international news.
Meanwhile, significant precautions over the spread of coronavirus in California were announced Friday night.
Stanford University said that it will move classes online for the final two weeks of the winter quarter. USC said it would conduct lectures and seminars online rather than in classrooms for three days next week to test the ability to operate remotely should the campus be forced to suspend in-person contact.
Times staff writers Noah Bierman and Taryn Luna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-07--3 UCLA students test negative for coronavirus

Three UCLA students tested negative for the coronavirus .
The students had been in self-isolating off campus .
Officials asked students to seek medical attention if they developed flu-like symptoms .
Like other UC campuses , UCLA has added more hand sanitizer stations , increased cleanings with antiviral and antibacterial solutions and employed electrostatic sprayer systems to disinfect hard-to-reach surfaces in high-use areas .
UCLA also is preparing to expand the use of remote tools to stream lectures , create online meeting spaces and administer tests should the campus suspend in-person classes , as the University of Washington announced it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts are holding information sessions to answer questions , debunk rumors and provide resources .
The next one is scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. at De Neve Auditorium and will be livestreamed and updated information can be found on UCLA ’ s website for COVID-19 .
In addition , UCLA is prohibiting official university travel to China , South Korea , Italy , Iran and Japan and “ strongly discourages ” personal travel to those countries because of their risk level as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arriving from these areas must self-isolate for 14 days .
The university will keep residence halls open during the weeklong spring break , which begins March 23 , for students unable to travel home .
Last week , UC Davis announced that a student who was placed in isolation tested negative for the virus .
Two of the student ’ s roommates had also been isolated .
At least 12 counties in California have reported confirmed cases of the coronavirus .
There are currently at least 60 known cases in the state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now has 11 coronavirus cases with the announcement of four new cases Thursday .

Three UCLA students tested negative for the coronavirus.
The students had been in self-isolating off campus.
Officials asked students to seek medical attention if they developed flu-like symptoms.
Like other UC campuses, UCLA has added more hand sanitizer stations, increased cleanings with antiviral and antibacterial solutions and employed electrostatic sprayer systems to disinfect hard-to-reach surfaces in high-use areas.
UCLA also is preparing to expand the use of remote tools to stream lectures, create online meeting spaces and administer tests should the campus suspend in-person classes, as the University of Washington announced it would do beginning Monday.
Campus health experts are holding information sessions to answer questions, debunk rumors and provide resources. The next one is scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. at De Neve Auditorium and will be livestreamed and updated information can be found on UCLA’s website for COVID-19.
In addition, UCLA is prohibiting official university travel to China, South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan and “strongly discourages” personal travel to those countries because of their risk level as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to campus guidance. Any traveler arriving from these areas must self-isolate for 14 days. The university will keep residence halls open during the weeklong spring break, which begins March 23, for students unable to travel home.
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Last week, UC Davis announced that a student who was placed in isolation tested negative for the virus. Two of the student’s roommates had also been isolated.
At least 12 counties in California have reported confirmed cases of the coronavirus. There are currently at least 60 known cases in the state, and one death.
Los Angeles County now has 11 coronavirus cases with the announcement of four new cases Thursday.