latimes--2020-03-22--California coronavirus death toll rises to 30, including five in L.A. County

The death toll rose in California this weekend as coronavirus cases spread and residents tried to adjust to extraordinary restrictions on their movement .
Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday confirmed one more coronavirus death , bringing the total number of deaths to five .
They also reported 71 new cases in the county , with the total number now at 409 .
There were 132 new cases reported in last 48 hours .
The number of coronavirus deaths statewide stands at 30 .
“ It is critical that everyone practices social distancing , obey the Safer at Home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can have COVID-19 , and anyone could unintentionally infect others , ” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer , Los Angeles County Public Health Director .
“ Please know that the actions you take today to stay 6 feet away from others and limit all non-essential activities outside your home are the best way for us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.
” The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus , in California now stands at more than 1,500 , with 30 deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases is a gross underestimation due to the lack of tests for the virus .
Testing picked up this week , but healthcare authorities said they still don ’ t have anything close to a firm estimate of how many people are infected .
More than 25,200 tests had been conducted in California , by both commercial and private labs , the state Department of Public Health said Saturday .
Results for more than 12,700 of them were pending .
A growing number of the cases in California are instances of community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not recently traveled or been in contact with another confirmed case .
Those cases indicate that the virus is spreading locally within communities .
Community transmission has been identified in California since late February , and since early March , most of the cases in the state have been unrelated to international travel , the state Public Health Department said Saturday .
Therefore , the state will no longer collect information about travelers returning to California from countries with confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 , the Public Health Department said .
In Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total number of those who have been infected is 47 , Ferrer said .
There are 138 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who have tested positive .
“ The risk is spread across everyone , ” she said .
On Saturday , a third Los Angeles police officer tested positive for the coronavirus .
The officer , who had recently returned from a vacation out of the country , was “ coughing and sweating ” during roll call earlier this week in the Central Division , which patrols areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Times .
At least 14 Los Angeles Police Department employees have shown symptoms and been tested for the virus , sources said .
The other two who tested positive are a sergeant in the Pacific Division , who is hospitalized , and the other is a high-ranking command staffer , the sources said .
The LAPD has now set up a plan for first-responder testing , they said .
On Saturday , Long Beach announced that it had recorded three more cases of the virus , for a total of 15 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , which rose from 65 to 95 , and Riverside County , which rose from 22 to 31 , with six deaths .
In Orange County , a resident of graduate student housing at UC Irvine tested positive for the coronavirus , the school said Saturday .
The person , who is not a student , had recently returned from an international trip and reported symptoms , Dr. Albert Chang , medical director of the UCI Student Health Center , said in a statement .
The person is isolated and in good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to others on campus is low , the school said .
Big Bear Lake mayor Rick Herrick tested positive for the coronavirus , becoming the first confirmed case in Big Bear Lake and the 10th in San Bernardino County , the city announced Saturday .
Herrick was tested on Thursday and received a positive result late Friday .
He is doing well and expected to recover , the city said .
“ This is not the announcement that I imagined , but I hope that by going public on what is normally a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning moment for our tight-knit community , ” Herrick said in a statement .
He said that he became sick with relatively mild symptoms about a week ago and self-quarantined at his home .
He will continue to conduct his mayoral duties from home , he said .
The mayor had limited contact with other city officials , and none are currently symptomatic , the release said .
Any members of the public who had contact with the mayor before he self-quarantined can call the San Bernardino County Public Health Department for advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a reserve police officer who tested positive for coronavirus is now in an intensive care unit at a local hospital , while another 20 officers or reserves remain self-quarantined , according to a source .
Eleven city firefighters have tested positive , and more than 50 are in self-quarantine .
Intensive care beds at L.A. County ’ s emergency-room hospitals are already at or near capacity , even as those facilities have doubled the number available for COVID-19 patients in recent days , according to newly released data .
Fewer than 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most occupied by patients who don ’ t have the virus , according to the data , which cover the roughly 70 public and private hospitals in Los Angeles County that receive emergency patients .
County health officials have advised doctors to refrain from testing some patients unless a positive result could change how they would be treated .
The guidance , sent to doctors in a letter on Thursday , was prompted by a crush of patients and shortage of test kits , and could make it difficult to ever know precisely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
The health department “ is shifting from a strategy of case containment to slowing disease transmission and averting excess morbidity and mortality , ” according to the letter .
Doctors should test symptomatic patients only when “ a diagnostic result will change clinical management or inform public health response.
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Friday deployed the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide that are serving residents facing food shortages .
Newsom said the short-term deployment will initially assist a food bank warehouse in Sacramento County and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties that have requested assistance with their programs .
The move came a day after he took the extraordinary action of telling most Californians so stay home .
The mandatory order allows residents to continue to visit grocery stores , pharmacies , farmers markets , food banks , convenience stores , takeout and delivery restaurants , banks , gas stations and laundromats .
People may also leave their homes to care for a relative or a friend or seek healthcare services .
Newsom asked Californians to practice social distancing when performing such “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to keep the grocery stores open , ” he said .
“ We ’ re going to make sure that you ’ re getting critical medical supplies .
You can still take your kids outside , practicing common sense and social distancing .
You can still walk your dog.
” On Saturday , after a day of confusion about the reach of Newsom ’ s historic executive order , the state announced that more stringent sets of mandatory restrictions implemented by some California counties and cities will remain in place .
Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said he strongly supported the move by Newsom , as well as a similar directive by New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , and urged residents of the two hard-hit states to heed the new orders .
President Trump also praised Newsom and Cuomo , saying , “ I applaud them ” for “ taking very bold steps ” to limit activities in their states .
On Saturday , Trump said he is continuing to work with the two governors .
“ We coordinate very much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday will be a key test of the governor ’ s order .
On Friday , automobile traffic was “ pandemic light.
” Hiking trails , meanwhile , were filled with cabin-fever sufferers who stayed the requisite six feet apart and smiled a lot more than normal , grateful to be anywhere but home .
The city of El Segundo blocked off parking spots in front of local restaurants , where sit-down service is prohibited , and posted cheerful “ Gundo to Go ” signs .
Masks and latex gloves were the garb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
At Los Angeles International Airport at 10:30 a.m. Friday , there were twice as many workers as there were travelers at the Air Canada counter in Terminal 6 .
The LAXit lot looked all but closed .
The four zones where travelers wait for Uber and Lyft rides had a total of three cars at 11:15 a.m .
There were 13 taxis .
And the travelers ?
Forget about it .
At Griffith Park , dog walkers and exercisers were out in force Friday morning .
People did lunges on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A sign flashed “ Observatory closed until further notice.
” Robert Dolan , a 64-year-old Los Feliz resident , said he ’ d been cooped up at home for nearly a week .
But on Friday he decided to resume his regular speed-walking routine .
“ I was feeling stuck in the house because of the coronavirus and all that , ” he said .
“ Finally I said today I need to get out of here , because it ’ s driving me crazy.
” He sat on a stone ledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tree .
He listened to the flow of water near his feet .
“ It ’ s better than it usually is , ” he said , “ because I ’ ve actually stopped and looked.
” Additional deaths were reported Friday across the state .
Contra Costa County announced its first death related to the virus : a person in their 70s who had an underlying medical condition and had recently traveled to Europe .
The patient died Thursday in an undisclosed hospital .
Riverside County .
Information about the victim wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County announced two additional deaths from COVID-19 on Friday , bringing its total to eight .

Alex Wigglesworth, Maria L. La Ganga, Richard Winton, James Queally

During the coronavirus epidemic people continue to walk, ride thier bikes, and play basketball at Junipero Beach in Long Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
People walk the beach, but maintain “social distancing” during the coronavirus outbreak at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
With all the stores closed, Fashion Island is a ghost town except for an occasional customer getting food for take-out Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
The Apple store is among all the stores which have closed during the coronavirus outbreak in Newport Beach. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Popular shopping destination Rodeo Drive is all but deserted as retail shops are shuttered in Beverly Hills. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
On the first day of L.A.’s ‘Safer at Home,” most major avenues and streets in downtown Los Angeles have very little traffic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Hollywood Blvd. is devoid of the usual crowds as most shops are closed. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Hollywood Blvd. is devoid of the usual crowds as most shops are closed. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
The intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
The city of Santa Monica has closed the Santa Monica Pier, and few people were on the beach Friday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Vehicles flow smoothly along Interstate 5 and the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles in this drone image. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
In this drone image, the Westfield Topanga mall parking lot sits empty, as new regulations have closed all indoor shopping centers in Canoga Park. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
School buses sit idle since all schools have been closed in Los Angeles County. The image was taken by drone. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The sparsely trafficked intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles is seen in a drone image. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Spooked by coronavirus fears, people from nearby Inland Empire cities lined-up to buy eggs at Maust’s California Poultry in Chino. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Xiao Ping, holding a tray of eggs, looks back at the long line of egg buyers on Saturda morning in Chino. Spooked by coronavirus people from nearby Inland Empire cities started lining up early morning at Maust’s California Poultry in Chino. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Drivers line-up to get a coronavirus test administered by Riverside County medical personnel at a drive-though testing facility at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. Those tested have symptoms or have had a risk of exposure. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Jesus Mendoza sells roses on the sidewalk in downtown Los Angeles. Mendoza said his business was overwhelmed by hundred of boxes of roses they could not sell. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
People run and walk on the Veterans Parkway in Manhattan Beach even with signage saying the space is closed to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus. (Dania Maxwell/Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
During the coronavirus pandemic, people continue to walk and ride their bikes along the path at Junipero Beach in Long Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
At Echo Park Lake, friends gather with their dogs and enjoy a Sunday afternoon in the park. Social distancing and home isolation remain in effect due to the coronavirus. (Carolyn Cole/Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Workers at the Ralphs grocery store in Westchester measure out social distancing guidelines for its customers with markers every six feet and limiting the number of customers it allows in to shop. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
The death toll rose in California this weekend as coronavirus cases spread and residents tried to adjust to extraordinary restrictions on their movement.
Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday confirmed one more coronavirus death, bringing the total number of deaths to five. They also reported 71 new cases in the county, with the total number now at 409. There were 132 new cases reported in last 48 hours.
The number of coronavirus deaths statewide stands at 35.
“It is critical that everyone practices social distancing, obey the Safer at Home Health Officer Order and assume that anyone can have COVID-19, and anyone could unintentionally infect others,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director. “Please know that the actions you take today to stay 6 feet away from others and limit all non-essential activities outside your home are the best way for us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.”
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The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, in California now stands at more than 1,500, with 30 deaths, but officials have said that the number of cases is a gross underestimation due to the lack of tests for the virus. Testing picked up this week, but healthcare authorities said they still don’t have anything close to a firm estimate of how many people are infected.
More than 25,200 tests had been conducted in California, by both commercial and private labs, the state Department of Public Health said Saturday. Results for more than 12,700 of them were pending.
A growing number of the cases in California are instances of community transmission, in which the person diagnosed had not recently traveled or been in contact with another confirmed case. Those cases indicate that the virus is spreading locally within communities.
Community transmission has been identified in California since late February, and since early March, most of the cases in the state have been unrelated to international travel, the state Public Health Department said Saturday. Therefore, the state will no longer collect information about travelers returning to California from countries with confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19, the Public Health Department said.
In Los Angeles County, the median age for the total number of those who have been infected is 47, Ferrer said. There are 138 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who have tested positive.
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“The risk is spread across everyone,” she said.
On Saturday, a third Los Angeles police officer tested positive for the coronavirus. The officer, who had recently returned from a vacation out of the country, was “coughing and sweating” during roll call earlier this week in the Central Division, which patrols areas that include downtown L.A., sources told The Times.
At least 14 Los Angeles Police Department employees have shown symptoms and been tested for the virus, sources said. The other two who tested positive are a sergeant in the Pacific Division, who is hospitalized, and the other is a high-ranking command staffer, the sources said. The LAPD has now set up a plan for first-responder testing, they said.
On Saturday, Long Beach announced that it had recorded three more cases of the virus, for a total of 15.
New cases were also reported in Orange County, which rose from 65 to 95, and Riverside County, which rose from 22 to 45, with six deaths.
In Orange County, a resident of graduate student housing at UC Irvine tested positive for the coronavirus, the school said Saturday.
The person, who is not a student, had recently returned from an international trip and reported symptoms, Dr. Albert Chang, medical director of the UCI Student Health Center, said in a statement. The person is isolated and in good condition, and the risk of transmission to others on campus is low, the school said.
Big Bear Lake mayor Rick Herrick tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first confirmed case in Big Bear Lake and the 10th in San Bernardino County, the city announced Saturday.
Herrick was tested on Thursday and received a positive result late Friday. He is doing well and expected to recover, the city said.
“This is not the announcement that I imagined, but I hope that by going public on what is normally a private, HIPAA-type subject can be a learning moment for our tight-knit community,” Herrick said in a statement.
He said that he became sick with relatively mild symptoms about a week ago and self-quarantined at his home. He will continue to conduct his mayoral duties from home, he said.
The mayor had limited contact with other city officials, and none are currently symptomatic, the release said. Any members of the public who had contact with the mayor before he self-quarantined can call the San Bernardino County Public Health Department for advice, officials said.
In San Jose, a reserve police officer who tested positive for coronavirus is now in an intensive care unit at a local hospital, while another 20 officers or reserves remain self-quarantined, according to a source. Eleven city firefighters have tested positive, and more than 50 are in self-quarantine.
Intensive care beds at L.A. County’s emergency-room hospitals are already at or near capacity, even as those facilities have doubled the number available for COVID-19 patients in recent days, according to newly released data.
Fewer than 200 ICU beds were available Wednesday, with most occupied by patients who don’t have the virus, according to the data, which cover the roughly 70 public and private hospitals in Los Angeles County that receive emergency patients.
County health officials have advised doctors to refrain from testing some patients unless a positive result could change how they would be treated.
The guidance, sent to doctors in a letter last week, was prompted by a crush of patients and shortage of test kits, and could make it difficult to ever know precisely how many people in the county contracted the virus.
The health department “is shifting from a strategy of case containment to slowing disease transmission and averting excess morbidity and mortality,” according to the letter. Doctors should test symptomatic patients only when “a diagnostic result will change clinical management or inform public health response.”
Sweeping orders
On Sunday, President Trump approved a request from Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a major disaster in California to help the state respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with “mass care,” emergency aid, unemployment assistance and disaster legal services, among others.
Newsom on Friday deployed the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide that are serving residents facing food shortages.
Newsom said the short-term deployment will initially assist a food bank warehouse in Sacramento County and will also assess the needs of other counties that have requested assistance with their programs.
The move came a day after he took the extraordinary action of telling most Californians so stay home.
The mandatory order allows residents to continue to visit grocery stores, pharmacies, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, takeout and delivery restaurants, banks, gas stations and laundromats. People may also leave their homes to care for a relative or a friend or seek healthcare services.
Newsom asked Californians to practice social distancing when performing such “necessary activities.”
“We’re going to keep the grocery stores open,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that you’re getting critical medical supplies. You can still take your kids outside, practicing common sense and social distancing. You can still walk your dog.”
On Saturday, after a day of confusion about the reach of Newsom’s historic executive order, the state announced that more stringent sets of mandatory restrictions implemented by some California counties and cities will remain in place.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he strongly supported the move by Newsom, as well as a similar directive by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and urged residents of the two hard-hit states to heed the new orders.
President Trump also praised Newsom and Cuomo, saying, “I applaud them” for “taking very bold steps” to limit activities in their states.
On Saturday, Trump said he is continuing to work with the two governors. “We coordinate very much with them,” he said.
Lives changing
Saturday will be a key test of the governor’s order.
On Friday, automobile traffic was “pandemic light.” Hiking trails, meanwhile, were filled with cabin-fever sufferers who stayed the requisite six feet apart and smiled a lot more than normal, grateful to be anywhere but home.
The city of El Segundo blocked off parking spots in front of local restaurants, where sit-down service is prohibited, and posted cheerful “Gundo to Go” signs. Masks and latex gloves were the garb of the day for those who ventured out.
At Los Angeles International Airport at 10:30 a.m. Friday, there were twice as many workers as there were travelers at the Air Canada counter in Terminal 6. The LAXit lot looked all but closed. The four zones where travelers wait for Uber and Lyft rides had a total of three cars at 11:15 a.m. There were 13 taxis. And the travelers? Forget about it.
At Griffith Park, dog walkers and exercisers were out in force Friday morning. People did lunges on the grass and push-ups on the picnic tables. A sign flashed “Observatory closed until further notice.”
Robert Dolan, a 64-year-old Los Feliz resident, said he’d been cooped up at home for nearly a week. But on Friday he decided to resume his regular speed-walking routine.
“I was feeling stuck in the house because of the coronavirus and all that,” he said. “Finally I said today I need to get out of here, because it’s driving me crazy.”
He sat on a stone ledge and watched a robin land on a tree. He listened to the flow of water near his feet.
“It’s better than it usually is,” he said, “because I’ve actually stopped and looked.”
Additional deaths
Additional deaths were reported Friday across the state. Contra Costa County announced its first death related to the virus: a person in their 70s who had an underlying medical condition and had recently traveled to Europe. The patient died Thursday in an undisclosed hospital.
Riverside County reported its fourth death . Information about the victim wasn’t immediately available.
Santa Clara County announced two additional deaths from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing its total to eight.


latimes--2020-03-23--Amid coronavirus, West Hollywood's LGBTQ community hears echoes of the AIDS crisis

This month , David Cooley , owner of the iconic West Hollywood LGBTQ club the Abbey Food & Bar , watched in horror as news changed by the hour — as restaurants shut in France , as countries sealed their borders with Italy , as friends in Barcelona were quarantined .
Cooley recognized the severity of the situation and acted before others did — partly because the new pandemic instantly recalled another health crisis that slammed his community 40 years ago .
He closed the Abbey and its sister club , the Chapel , on March 12 , four days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bolt their doors amid coronavirus fears .
And he worried that young people — who weren ’ t alive in the early 1980s when the first news reports broke about a mysterious “ gay cancer ” stalking U.S. cities — weren ’ t taking the new menace seriously enough .
“ I lived through the AIDS crisis , ” he said .
“ I was marching the streets and telling the people to get out of the bars and go home.
” It was the first time that Cooley had closed his business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as New York , San Francisco , Los Angeles and other metropolises closed businesses and restricted public movement , Cooley and other business owners along the Santa Monica Boulevard strip — the heart of the Los Angeles LGBTQ community — said it was surreal to see the area so desolate .
The blocks-long parade of bars and restaurants resembled a tranquil suburb more than the vibrant “ Boystown.
” The virus is affecting the LGBTQ community in numerous ways .
Organizers have announced that all events related to L.A .
Pride in June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Wednesday , officials announced that West Hollywood Mayor John D ’ Amico has tested positive for the coronavirus and is quarantined at home .
With 19 confirmed cases , West Hollywood has the most per capita in L.A. County .
Midafternoon Thursday , when clubs and bars normally would be preparing to open , the area was crisp and sunny but quiet .
Scattered people walked dogs or jogged down Santa Monica , some wearing masks , but street parking was abundant and many establishments were dark , with printed notices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Laurie Marhoefer , an expert on 20th century LGBTQ history and politics at the University of Washington , said the coronavirus could bring back traumatic memories for gay people who survived the AIDS crisis .
For many , those years were marked not only by fear of acquiring a deadly disease but also by anxiety over the vitriol directed at gay people for supposedly practicing a risky and promiscuous “ lifestyle ” — and rage at the seeming indifference of many politicians to swiftly address the outbreak .
Foreshadowing the current furor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the term “ Chinese virus , ” issues of social stigmatization overshadowed the AIDS crisis .
In Cuba , HIV-positive people were quarantined against their will , as were Haitian refugees .
“ The parallels are eerie , though , yes , the viruses are very , very different — all the misinformation , all the rumors , the confusion and fear mixed together , not knowing what ’ s safe and what isn ’ t , not knowing how much worse this will get , or who might get sick , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re all experiencing now is probably affecting this community in a particularly sharp way , because of this history.
” After the Abbey closed , Cooley ’ s staff divvied up the remaining inventory of food and took home grocery bags .
He also posted a letter on the Abbey ’ s website .
“ I know this will hurt my staff , some of which have been with me for 29 years , my loyal guests who have made the Abbey part of their lives , and my community , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safe space to support each other during the crisis , ” he wrote .
In the early ’ 90s , the Abbey , then a cafe , was a meeting place for gay people to safely discuss the AIDS epidemic .
Cooley sees similarities between that time and now .
“ People are not taking this as seriously as they should , ” he said .
“ During the AIDS crisis , people were still going out and people just thought they were above it , that they wouldn ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapidly.
” Others don ’ t see the same parallels .
Michael Niemeyer , who owns the club Micky ’ s West Hollywood , said he sees the coronavirus distinctly because of the way it ’ s evidently transmitted — through breathing and touching , rather than through blood and other bodily fluid transfer .
“ Plus , ” he said , “ I come from a time when government officials thought closing a gay bar was their civic duty.
” Niemeyer acknowledged that he didn ’ t realize the gravity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a regular flu .
On March 15 , before the state and L.A. stay-at-home directives went into effect , the handful of bartenders working at Micky ’ s wore latex gloves .
Customers made few comments about the virus , and the patio was packed .
That day , Niemeyer was visiting family in Florida , who persuaded him to take the virus more seriously .
He flew to Columbus , Ohio , and looked at renting a car in case flights to L.A. were canceled .
It cost $ 640 a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to close the bar .
“ I don ’ t know if we should have closed earlier , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve been in the gay bar business for 40 years , so I ’ ve seen everything but this.
” Niemeyer said he worries most about his 48 employees who are now out of work , especially those such as DJs and dancers who are independent contractors .
He also worries particularly about LGBTQ people of color who visit from neighborhoods where there aren ’ t as many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we ’ re closed for very long , it ’ s going to be very unhealthy for us , mentally , psychologically .
Online is great , but you still need to know there ’ s a community .
One of the things people love about West Hollywood — not just the bars — is that it ’ s a really pedestrian place , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t think we ’ re all that liberated in this case that we don ’ t need a neighborhood.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boutique Block Party WeHo , said Thursday that business was down by 80 % .
That night , Los Angeles County issued sweeping new rules to limit the spread of the virus , including ordering retail businesses that are considered nonessential to shut down .
Block closed his doors .
He had already purchased 6,000 masks from a vendor in China exclusively for West Hollywood residents .
He said he donated 130 to a group that advocates for homeless people in the area , is giving away others to seniors , disabled people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is selling the rest .
Block said his brother , who lived in China until February , is sick with COVID-19 symptoms .
He said he ’ s supplying a necessity for local residents , despite criticism that he ’ s contributing to mask shortages affecting front-line healthcare workers .
“ We have to be extra vigilant , ” he said .
“ It ’ s so concentrated here .
People are asymptomatic.
” He fears that the long-term economic effects of the coronavirus could speed up a gentrification process already underway in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this as almost a tremendous undertow that can suck out the last bastion of what we have here in our community , ” he said , “ before the big money comes in and buys it at a discount rate , and then all the sudden the gay bar is just a straight bar and the Block Party turns into American Apparel.
” Amid the uncertainty , one business seemed to be weathering the storm .
Shoshana Joseph and her wife , Marta Knittel , own Yogurt Stop , which has become one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strip .
The shop cut back hours but is still open until 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday .
Seeing the owners there an hour before their new opening time Thursday , two women hesitantly walked up to the shop .
Joseph waved them in .
“ Hi , ladies , ” she said .
“ We ’ re open for you.
” Since the most recent county directive , nearly all orders come through online delivery services .
Yogurt Stop is one of the few LGBTQ-owned small businesses left in the area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay afloat through the pandemic .
“ I think people need familiarity right now , ” she said .
More familiarity came Sunday afternoon in the form of a livestreamed drag show organized by the country-western-themed club Flaming Saddles .
Brunch couldn ’ t be served , but looks would be .

This month, David Cooley, owner of the iconic West Hollywood LGBTQ club the Abbey Food & Bar, watched in horror as news changed by the hour — as restaurants shut in France, as countries sealed their borders with Italy, as friends in Barcelona were quarantined.
Cooley recognized the severity of the situation and acted before others did — partly because the new pandemic instantly recalled another health crisis that slammed his community 40 years ago. He closed the Abbey and its sister club, the Chapel, on March 12, four days before Los Angeles County mandated that bars bolt their doors amid coronavirus fears.
And he worried that young people — who weren’t alive in the early 1980s when the first news reports broke about a mysterious “gay cancer” stalking U.S. cities — weren’t taking the new menace seriously enough.
“I lived through the AIDS crisis,” he said. “I was marching the streets and telling the people to get out of the bars and go home.”
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David Cooley, owner of the Abbey in West Hollywood, in a pride parade. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
It was the first time that Cooley had closed his business in 29 years.
Last week, as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other metropolises closed businesses and restricted public movement, Cooley and other business owners along the Santa Monica Boulevard strip — the heart of the Los Angeles LGBTQ community — said it was surreal to see the area so desolate. The blocks-long parade of bars and restaurants resembled a tranquil suburb more than the vibrant “Boystown.”
The virus is affecting the LGBTQ community in numerous ways. Organizers have announced that all events related to L.A. Pride in June will be postponed because of the pandemic. On Wednesday, officials announced that West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico has tested positive for the coronavirus and is quarantined at home. With 19 confirmed cases, West Hollywood has the most per capita in L.A. County.
Midafternoon Thursday, when clubs and bars normally would be preparing to open, the area was crisp and sunny but quiet. Scattered people walked dogs or jogged down Santa Monica, some wearing masks, but street parking was abundant and many establishments were dark, with printed notices about the coronavirus taped to their doors.
Laurie Marhoefer, an expert on 20th century LGBTQ history and politics at the University of Washington, said the coronavirus could bring back traumatic memories for gay people who survived the AIDS crisis. For many, those years were marked not only by fear of acquiring a deadly disease but also by anxiety over the vitriol directed at gay people for supposedly practicing a risky and promiscuous “lifestyle” — and rage at the seeming indifference of many politicians to swiftly address the outbreak.
Foreshadowing the current furor over President Trump’s use of the term “Chinese virus,” issues of social stigmatization overshadowed the AIDS crisis. In Cuba, HIV-positive people were quarantined against their will, as were Haitian refugees.
“The parallels are eerie, though, yes, the viruses are very, very different — all the misinformation, all the rumors, the confusion and fear mixed together, not knowing what’s safe and what isn’t, not knowing how much worse this will get, or who might get sick,” Marhoefer said. “The isolation we’re all experiencing now is probably affecting this community in a particularly sharp way, because of this history.”
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A sign on the fence of the Abbey in West Hollywood announces the bar’s temporary closure. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
After the Abbey closed, Cooley’s staff divvied up the remaining inventory of food and took home grocery bags.
He also posted a letter on the Abbey’s website. “I know this will hurt my staff, some of which have been with me for 29 years, my loyal guests who have made the Abbey part of their lives, and my community, who will no longer have the Abbey as a safe space to support each other during the crisis,” he wrote.
In the early ’90s, the Abbey, then a cafe, was a meeting place for gay people to safely discuss the AIDS epidemic. Cooley sees similarities between that time and now.
“People are not taking this as seriously as they should,” he said. “During the AIDS crisis, people were still going out and people just thought they were above it, that they wouldn’t get sick. This could spread even more rapidly.”
Others don’t see the same parallels.
Michael Niemeyer, who owns the club Micky’s West Hollywood, said he sees the coronavirus distinctly because of the way it’s evidently transmitted — through breathing and touching, rather than through blood and other bodily fluid transfer.
“Plus,” he said, “I come from a time when government officials thought closing a gay bar was their civic duty.”
Niemeyer acknowledged that he didn’t realize the gravity of the new coronavirus at first, equating it to a regular flu. On March 15, before the state and L.A. stay-at-home directives went into effect, the handful of bartenders working at Micky’s wore latex gloves. Customers made few comments about the virus, and the patio was packed.
That day, Niemeyer was visiting family in Florida, who persuaded him to take the virus more seriously. He flew to Columbus, Ohio, and looked at renting a car in case flights to L.A. were canceled. It cost $640 a day. He decided it was time to close the bar.
“I don’t know if we should have closed earlier,” he said. “I’ve been in the gay bar business for 40 years, so I’ve seen everything but this.”
Niemeyer said he worries most about his 48 employees who are now out of work, especially those such as DJs and dancers who are independent contractors. He also worries particularly about LGBTQ people of color who visit from neighborhoods where there aren’t as many queer-friendly spaces.
“I think, if we’re closed for very long, it’s going to be very unhealthy for us, mentally, psychologically. Online is great, but you still need to know there’s a community. One of the things people love about West Hollywood — not just the bars — is that it’s a really pedestrian place,” he said. “I don’t think we’re all that liberated in this case that we don’t need a neighborhood.”
Larry Block, owner of Block Party WeHo, posts a notice about masks he is making available to West Hollywood residents. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Larry Block, who owns the gay-friendly boutique Block Party WeHo, said Thursday that business was down by 80%. That night, Los Angeles County issued sweeping new rules to limit the spread of the virus, including ordering retail businesses that are considered nonessential to shut down.
Block closed his doors. He had already purchased 6,000 masks from a vendor in China exclusively for West Hollywood residents. He said he donated 130 to a group that advocates for homeless people in the area, is giving away others to seniors, disabled people and those in affordable housing, and is selling the rest.
Block said his brother, who lived in China until February, is sick with COVID-19 symptoms. He said he’s supplying a necessity for local residents, despite criticism that he’s contributing to mask shortages affecting front-line healthcare workers.
“We have to be extra vigilant,” he said. “It’s so concentrated here. People are asymptomatic.”
He fears that the long-term economic effects of the coronavirus could speed up a gentrification process already underway in the neighborhood.
“I look at this as almost a tremendous undertow that can suck out the last bastion of what we have here in our community,” he said, “before the big money comes in and buys it at a discount rate, and then all the sudden the gay bar is just a straight bar and the Block Party turns into American Apparel.”
Shoshana Joseph, left, and her wife, Marta Knittel, in their shop, Yogurt Stop. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Amid the uncertainty, one business seemed to be weathering the storm. Shoshana Joseph and her wife, Marta Knittel, own Yogurt Stop, which has become one of the last late-night businesses on the strip. The shop cut back hours but is still open until 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
Seeing the owners there an hour before their new opening time Thursday, two women hesitantly walked up to the shop. Joseph waved them in.
“Hi, ladies,” she said. “We’re open for you.”
Since the most recent county directive, nearly all orders come through online delivery services. Yogurt Stop is one of the few LGBTQ-owned small businesses left in the area. Joseph said her goal is just to stay afloat through the pandemic.
“I think people need familiarity right now,” she said.
More familiarity came Sunday afternoon in the form of a livestreamed drag show organized by the country-western-themed club Flaming Saddles. Brunch couldn’t be served, but looks would be.


latimes--2020-03-23--'It's just too much': Asian Americans confront xenophobia, economic devastation and the coronavirus

It ’ s been a long week for all of us , so forgive me if I don ’ t have the energy to participate in a debate about whether President Trump calling the virus “ Chinese ” is racist .
Of course it is .
And it ’ s something we ’ ve all seen before , when Vincent Chin was murdered in 1982 during a recession that politicians blamed on Japan ; when Muslim Americans were targeted after 9/11 ; when the AIDS crisis was blamed on gay men ; when Japanese Americans were sent to incarceration camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country faces an existential threat , fear looks for a target .
I ’ m weary of this debate because the harm to Asian Americans is already done , and what a pundit says will never change that .
Nor will yelling at Trump do any good — he has repeatedly shown throughout his presidency that he values his ego over the safety of the American people .
What we need to be talking about is how to protect people and neighborhoods from more economic and physical harm .
This epidemic threatens and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are all still trying to understand , but what ’ s increasingly clear is that the most permanent , drastic effects will be on the most vulnerable among us .
Asian American communities whose support systems have already been eroded by gentrification are fighting to protect their most vulnerable residents .
And for months , they ’ ve been suffering an economic slowdown fueled by misplaced xenophobic fear .
On Monday , I called community leaders in Chinatown .
Many Asian enclaves , like Chinatown , house large , low-income senior populations who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable to COVID-19 but least equipped to weather it .
In Chinatown , which houses more than 2,000 seniors in various living facilities , a longtime activist , King Cheung , says volunteers with the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development are trying to organize shopping runs for seniors .
Many of them lack internet access and speak dialects for which official information has not been translated , so volunteers have been knocking on doors and trying to get the word out .
Don Toy , another community leader , has been setting up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manor , a senior living facility on Broadway .
He gets the news to seniors by making announcements over the building ’ s PA system .
It ’ s been tough persuading the seniors to stay at home because many define themselves by their routines .
Autonomy is something they ’ ve worked hard for , and some of them don ’ t have their families around to help , Toy said .
On Tuesday , I reached out to Kristin Fukushima , managing director of the Little Tokyo Community Council .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread move to working remotely has eliminated the weekday lunch crowd that many businesses rely on .
The council is trying to organize donations and deliveries of food , toilet paper and other materials to seniors in Little Tokyo Towers , Miyako Gardens and several other facilities .
Other volunteers are translating emergency information into Japanese and Korean and compiling a list of resources for small businesses as well as ways for people to support them .
When I see Fukushima and others working around the clock , leading Zoom calls with dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. , I ’ m reminded that ethnic communities in Los Angeles have always relied on a human safety net made of people like Fukushima , Toy and Cheung .
That human safety net needs your support more than ever right now .
On Wednesday , a few hours after President Trump insisted on labeling the virus a Chinese virus in a news conference , I spoke with Jack Lee , whose son attends the fourth grade at a mostly white elementary school in Orange County .
During a basketball game , two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
Lee ’ s son said a curse word in response , and of the three children , he was punished by school authorities most harshly .
Lee was angry .
He wrote a long letter to the principal .
He made sure to tell his son that it was OK to defend himself .
He ’ s never had to talk with his son about race before .
His own parents , immigrants from Taiwan , never had to talk to him about it either .
But now he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I think there are some deeper conversations we ’ re going to need to have , ” Lee said .
On Thursday , I spoke with Andy Lam , part-owner of Alice ’ s Kitchen , a popular Hong Kong restaurant in Monterey Park .
Asian neighborhoods like those in the San Gabriel Valley have been experiencing slowdowns for several weeks already because media reports and public comments about the virus have repeatedly associated the coronavirus with Asian culture , food and identity .
Now , “ closed temporarily ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lease ” signs .
Lam , who worked for years in the restaurant supply business , said he knew of more than a dozen Chinese restaurants that had already closed .
He had to send most of his employees home , and he and two other co-owners of the restaurant are working the kitchen themselves to field the rare takeout order .
His friends are asking one another whether they should buy a gun .
The most stressful part is not knowing what the government will do next , Lam said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s nothing we can do , ” Lam said .
“ I can ’ t even tell you how long we will last.
” At the end of the day , I called my mother , who works at a hospital in Northern California .
I asked her to stay home , but her boss told her if she didn ’ t show up , she would lose her job .
At work , patients sometimes refuse to be seen by her , because suddenly an Asian woman in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , I talked to Khinn Muy Ung , 52 , who worked as a dealer at Hollywood Park Casino until March 14 , when widespread quarantine measures were announced and she lost her job .
She ’ s not sure if she ’ ll have work when the restrictions lift .
On top of that , she lives in a building in Chinatown where for the last year landlords have been trying to evict a population of low-income seniors , mostly of Southeast Asian descent .
Volunteers from the Chinatown Community for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the landlord ’ s multimillion-dollar home in Brentwood last October .
The landlord sold the property , but the new landlord was no different .
And so in February , as officials announced the first confirmed cases of coronavirus in California , she received another 60-day notice to move out .
Ung said she had no place else to go .
Her family lives far away , and she can ’ t afford market rent for a one-bedroom apartment , especially now that she has no money coming in .
Her rice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store , Ai Hoa , closed .
And she ’ s scared .
A few weeks ago , she was jogging in the park and a man followed her , shouting that she was Chinese and blaming her for bringing the virus to America .
“ I just pray to God .
Just let us live , ” Ung said .
“ Let us have peace .
I don ’ t understand what ’ s going on.
” Ung is a survivor who has dealt with fear and helplessness before , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 1970s .
She survived the long walk through the countryside to refugee camps in Thailand .
She ’ s dodged bullets and land mines and endured beatings and starvation .
But she doesn ’ t know how she ’ ll survive this .
A war you can run from , but eviction , layoffs , racism and a lethal new virus ?
“ It ’ s too much , Frank , ” Ung said .
“ It ’ s just too much.
” She ’ s crying now , and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , stuck here in my apartment , where I ’ ve been for two weeks , one self-quarantining man with a keyboard , working on an article that will either add to the noise or be drowned out by it .
I tell her I agree , it is too much , it ’ s not fair .
But there ’ s nothing else to say , so I don ’ t say anything , and for a minute , we ’ re just on the phone , crying together .

It’s been a long week for all of us, so forgive me if I don’t have the energy to participate in a debate about whether President Trump calling the virus “Chinese” is racist.
Of course it is. And it’s something we’ve all seen before, when Vincent Chin was murdered in 1982 during a recession that politicians blamed on Japan; when Muslim Americans were targeted after 9/11; when the AIDS crisis was blamed on gay men; when Japanese Americans were sent to incarceration camps during World War II. When this country faces an existential threat, fear looks for a target.
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I’m weary of this debate because the harm to Asian Americans is already done, and what a pundit says will never change that. Nor will yelling at Trump do any good — he has repeatedly shown throughout his presidency that he values his ego over the safety of the American people.
What we need to be talking about is how to protect people and neighborhoods from more economic and physical harm. This epidemic threatens and affects all of us in ways we are all still trying to understand, but what’s increasingly clear is that the most permanent, drastic effects will be on the most vulnerable among us.
Asian American communities whose support systems have already been eroded by gentrification are fighting to protect their most vulnerable residents. And for months, they’ve been suffering an economic slowdown fueled by misplaced xenophobic fear.
On Monday, I called community leaders in Chinatown. Many Asian enclaves, like Chinatown, house large, low-income senior populations who are language-isolated — people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 but least equipped to weather it.
Introducing our new podcast: Asian Enough “Asian Enough” is a podcast about being Asian American — with guests like John Cho, Lulu Wang, Mina Kimes, Margaret Cho and Padma Lakshmi.
In Chinatown, which houses more than 2,000 seniors in various living facilities, a longtime activist, King Cheung, says volunteers with the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development are trying to organize shopping runs for seniors. Many of them lack internet access and speak dialects for which official information has not been translated, so volunteers have been knocking on doors and trying to get the word out.
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Don Toy, another community leader, has been setting up lunch orders for the residents of Cathay Manor, a senior living facility on Broadway. He gets the news to seniors by making announcements over the building’s PA system. It’s been tough persuading the seniors to stay at home because many define themselves by their routines. Autonomy is something they’ve worked hard for, and some of them don’t have their families around to help, Toy said.
On Tuesday, I reached out to Kristin Fukushima, managing director of the Little Tokyo Community Council.
In Little Tokyo, she said, the widespread move to working remotely has eliminated the weekday lunch crowd that many businesses rely on. The council is trying to organize donations and deliveries of food, toilet paper and other materials to seniors in Little Tokyo Towers, Miyako Gardens and several other facilities. Other volunteers are translating emergency information into Japanese and Korean and compiling a list of resources for small businesses as well as ways for people to support them.
When I see Fukushima and others working around the clock, leading Zoom calls with dozens of volunteers and sending emails at 3 a.m., I’m reminded that ethnic communities in Los Angeles have always relied on a human safety net made of people like Fukushima, Toy and Cheung. That human safety net needs your support more than ever right now.
On Wednesday, a few hours after President Trump insisted on labeling the virus a Chinese virus in a news conference, I spoke with Jack Lee, whose son attends the fourth grade at a mostly white elementary school in Orange County.
During a basketball game, two classmates accused his son of having the coronavirus. Lee’s son said a curse word in response, and of the three children, he was punished by school authorities most harshly.
Lee was angry. He wrote a long letter to the principal. He made sure to tell his son that it was OK to defend himself. He’s never had to talk with his son about race before. His own parents, immigrants from Taiwan, never had to talk to him about it either. But now he’s looking for the right words, Lee said.
“I think there are some deeper conversations we’re going to need to have,” Lee said.
On Thursday, I spoke with Andy Lam, part-owner of Alice’s Kitchen, a popular Hong Kong restaurant in Monterey Park. Asian neighborhoods like those in the San Gabriel Valley have been experiencing slowdowns for several weeks already because media reports and public comments about the virus have repeatedly associated the coronavirus with Asian culture, food and identity.
Now, “closed temporarily” signs are being replaced by “for lease” signs. Lam, who worked for years in the restaurant supply business, said he knew of more than a dozen Chinese restaurants that had already closed. He had to send most of his employees home, and he and two other co-owners of the restaurant are working the kitchen themselves to field the rare takeout order. His friends are asking one another whether they should buy a gun.
The most stressful part is not knowing what the government will do next, Lam said.
“If they order us to shut down, there’s nothing we can do,” Lam said. “I can’t even tell you how long we will last.”
At the end of the day, I called my mother, who works at a hospital in Northern California. I asked her to stay home, but her boss told her if she didn’t show up, she would lose her job. At work, patients sometimes refuse to be seen by her, because suddenly an Asian woman in a face mask is a threat.
On Friday, I talked to Khinn Muy Ung, 52, who worked as a dealer at Hollywood Park Casino until March 14, when widespread quarantine measures were announced and she lost her job. She’s not sure if she’ll have work when the restrictions lift.
On top of that, she lives in a building in Chinatown where for the last year landlords have been trying to evict a population of low-income seniors, mostly of Southeast Asian descent.
Volunteers from the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development organized the tenants to protest at the landlord’s multimillion-dollar home in Brentwood last October. The landlord sold the property, but the new landlord was no different.
And so in February, as officials announced the first confirmed cases of coronavirus in California, she received another 60-day notice to move out.
Ung said she had no place else to go. Her family lives far away, and she can’t afford market rent for a one-bedroom apartment, especially now that she has no money coming in. Her rice costs have doubled since her Chinatown grocery store, Ai Hoa, closed. And she’s scared. A few weeks ago, she was jogging in the park and a man followed her, shouting that she was Chinese and blaming her for bringing the virus to America.
“I just pray to God. Just let us live,” Ung said. “Let us have peace. I don’t understand what’s going on.”
Ung is a survivor who has dealt with fear and helplessness before, as a young girl in Cambodia during the genocide of the 1970s. She survived the long walk through the countryside to refugee camps in Thailand. She’s dodged bullets and land mines and endured beatings and starvation.
But she doesn’t know how she’ll survive this. A war you can run from, but eviction, layoffs, racism and a lethal new virus?
“It’s too much, Frank,” Ung said. “It’s just too much.”
She’s crying now, and all of a sudden I’m crying too, stuck here in my apartment, where I’ve been for two weeks, one self-quarantining man with a keyboard, working on an article that will either add to the noise or be drowned out by it.
I tell her I agree, it is too much, it’s not fair. But there’s nothing else to say, so I don’t say anything, and for a minute, we’re just on the phone, crying together.


latimes--2020-03-23--Coronavirus will make California's affordable housing problems worse, experts say

California already faced a shortage of more than 1 million homes for low-income families before the novel coronavirus hit .
And now many advocates , economists and politicians say the pandemic is only going to make the situation worse .
Major job losses , particularly in low-wage restaurant and hospitality sectors , and what will probably be severely depressed tax revenues for California and its cities , could create an even greater need for affordable housing at a time when government has less money available to help finance it .
“ There ’ s all these households that are one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay their rent , ” said Carolina Reid , faculty research advisor at UC Berkeley ’ s Terner Center for Housing Innovation .
“ Well , now that paycheck is gone .
And there ’ s no prospect for when that paycheck is coming back.
” On Thursday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered all 40 million Californians to stay at home — with limited exemptions for crucial businesses , such as grocery stores — to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
While many people are now working from home , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hospitality workers , who have lost jobs and seen their hours cut as food service is limited to grocery stores , and takeout and delivery services .
Millions of residents were already facing severe cost burdens because of rent that has outpaced income growth at a time when overall housing production has remained low .
From 2000 to 2018 , the median annual cost to rent an apartment or home in California increased 40 % while incomes have gone up only 8 % after adjusting for inflation , according to a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California Housing Partnership Corp. , an advocacy organization .
These trends have contributed to a shortage of 1.3 million homes for low-income families , the analysis found .
Nevertheless , Matt Schwartz , the organization ’ s president and CEO , said there have been some encouraging signs .
Compared with prior years , the shortage of low-income homes had stabilized and the construction of new homes had increased , the analysis showed .
Moreover , spending on housing development is increasing , chiefly through the $ 6 billion in state funding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schwartz worries that the economic effects of the pandemic will ruin that progress .
“ It may swamp all of the state and local voters ’ best efforts to ramp up production — unless there ’ s a really big federal and state response now , ” he said .
So far , state and local government officials have focused on immediate assistance to renters and homeowners , with Newsom encouraging California cities , including Los Angeles , to pass temporary bans on evictions and foreclosures as a result of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ considering tapping city funds to help affected renters .
A focus on keeping people in their homes right now might help reduce the number of families who ’ ll need new housing after the pandemic .
But it also could sap tax revenue that government agencies might have otherwise used to support construction .
Additionally , if the economy continues its downward trajectory in the wake of the pandemic , it will decrease the money government has available to help Californians who are housing insecure .
Assemblyman David Chiu ( D-San Francisco ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the urgent need for state funding .
Lawmakers , Chiu said , have to prioritize these immediate requests when they return to their session next month after recessing amid fears of spreading the virus .
“ Our challenge as the Legislature when we reconvene is , how do we triage incredibly scarce public dollars , ” said Chiu , who is chairman of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee .
Before the virus hit , Chiu said , lawmakers had already started prioritizing funding requests for homeless housing and services over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , with budget pressures much greater , Chiu said the state needs to find ways of funding affordable housing that is less dependent on existing tax revenue , such as his pending legislation that would reduce homeowners ’ ability to deduct mortgage interest payments from their state taxes .
A recession , Chiu said , might make it less costly to build low-income housing through lower land and construction prices , and he believed the state should act accordingly .
“ Historically , what always happens is you have a housing boom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Low-income housing development has always tracked with those cycles .
This time , if we ’ re smart , we have to think about how to build affordable housing counter-cyclically.
” Some economists , however , say that the virus won ’ t worsen the already intense demand for housing in California .
Christopher Thornberg , founding partner of L.A.-based Beacon Economics , said a reasonable federal economic stimulus plan and public health measures should prevent the coronavirus from having lasting effects on the economy .
He considered the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should end after stay-at-home orders expire .
“ Housing is a long-run phenomenon , ” he said .
“ This is inherently a short-run phenomenon.
” Still , Thornberg said , without fundamental changes aimed at increasing building in the state , shortages of available housing will remain no matter what happens .
“ On the back end of the virus , ” he said , “ it ’ s going to be the same damn world .
”

Tyrone Dixon, 53, center, waits Friday after arriving with other homeless people at the Echo Park Community Center, which is being turned into a shelter because of the coronavirus pandemic.
California already faced a shortage of more than 1 million homes for low-income families before the novel coronavirus hit. And now many advocates, economists and politicians say the pandemic is only going to make the situation worse.
Major job losses, particularly in low-wage restaurant and hospitality sectors, and what will probably be severely depressed tax revenues for California and its cities, could create an even greater need for affordable housing at a time when government has less money available to help finance it.
“There’s all these households that are one paycheck away from not being able to pay their rent,” said Carolina Reid, faculty research advisor at UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation. “Well, now that paycheck is gone. And there’s no prospect for when that paycheck is coming back.”
On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all 40 million Californians to stay at home — with limited exemptions for crucial businesses, such as grocery stores — to slow the spread of the coronavirus. While many people are now working from home, that option isn’t available to restaurant and hospitality workers, who have lost jobs and seen their hours cut as food service is limited to grocery stores, and takeout and delivery services.
Millions of residents were already facing severe cost burdens because of rent that has outpaced income growth at a time when overall housing production has remained low.
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From 2000 to 2018, the median annual cost to rent an apartment or home in California increased 40% while incomes have gone up only 8% after adjusting for inflation, according to a new analysis of U.S. census data by the California Housing Partnership Corp., an advocacy organization. These trends have contributed to a shortage of 1.3 million homes for low-income families, the analysis found.
Nevertheless, Matt Schwartz, the organization’s president and CEO, said there have been some encouraging signs.
Compared with prior years, the shortage of low-income homes had stabilized and the construction of new homes had increased, the analysis showed. Moreover, spending on housing development is increasing, chiefly through the $6 billion in state funding that voters approved in 2018.
But now Schwartz worries that the economic effects of the pandemic will ruin that progress.
“It may swamp all of the state and local voters’ best efforts to ramp up production — unless there’s a really big federal and state response now,” he said.
So far, state and local government officials have focused on immediate assistance to renters and homeowners, with Newsom encouraging California cities, including Los Angeles, to pass temporary bans on evictions and foreclosures as a result of the virus. The Los Angeles City Council also is considering tapping city funds to help affected renters.
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A focus on keeping people in their homes right now might help reduce the number of families who’ll need new housing after the pandemic. But it also could sap tax revenue that government agencies might have otherwise used to support construction.
Additionally, if the economy continues its downward trajectory in the wake of the pandemic, it will decrease the money government has available to help Californians who are housing insecure.
Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) said that he’s hearing constantly about the urgent need for state funding. Lawmakers, Chiu said, have to prioritize these immediate requests when they return to their session next month after recessing amid fears of spreading the virus.
“Our challenge as the Legislature when we reconvene is, how do we triage incredibly scarce public dollars,” said Chiu, who is chairman of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.
Before the virus hit, Chiu said, lawmakers had already started prioritizing funding requests for homeless housing and services over the development of new low-income housing. Now, with budget pressures much greater, Chiu said the state needs to find ways of funding affordable housing that is less dependent on existing tax revenue, such as his pending legislation that would reduce homeowners’ ability to deduct mortgage interest payments from their state taxes.
A recession, Chiu said, might make it less costly to build low-income housing through lower land and construction prices, and he believed the state should act accordingly.
“Historically, what always happens is you have a housing boom and a housing bust,” he said. “Low-income housing development has always tracked with those cycles. This time, if we’re smart, we have to think about how to build affordable housing counter-cyclically.”
Some economists, however, say that the virus won’t worsen the already intense demand for housing in California.
Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of L.A.-based Beacon Economics, said a reasonable federal economic stimulus plan and public health measures should prevent the coronavirus from having lasting effects on the economy. He considered the job losses to be more like furloughs that should end after stay-at-home orders expire.
“Housing is a long-run phenomenon,” he said. “This is inherently a short-run phenomenon.”
Still, Thornberg said, without fundamental changes aimed at increasing building in the state, shortages of available housing will remain no matter what happens.
“On the back end of the virus,” he said, “it’s going to be the same damn world.”


latimes--2020-03-23--'This is serious.' Garcetti scolds Angelenos for not staying home as coronavirus spreads

Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday admonished Angelenos who haven ’ t taken orders to practice social distancing seriously , announcing the closure of the city ’ s golf courses , parking lots at Venice Beach and organized group sports at city parks as they have continued to attract throngs of people .
“ This weekend we saw too many images of too many people crowding beaches or canyons beyond their capacity .
Too many people , too close together , too often , ” Garcetti said during his daily briefing on the impact of the novel coronavirus .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will get sick , and the more people will die .
There ’ s no way to sugarcoat that.
” Starting Monday , parking lots near Venice Beach and the boardwalk will be closed , he said .
In Santa Monica , the city also decided to close its beach parking lots .
The measures build on Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s sweeping order , issued Thursday , urging Californians to stay home — with a few exceptions — and put distance between themselves and others to slow the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , which have closed most businesses in the city .
“ It doesn ’ t mean it ’ s time to find another place to get together .
This is serious , ” Garcetti said on Sunday .
“ Six feet matters .
There are no exceptions to that rule unless you are a first responder or a critical worker .
None.
” Also on Sunday , the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority said that it was closing all of its parks and trails , which include the parkland owned by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and parking lots also will be closed .
Many were packed over the weekend , as people — eager to get out of the house and into the warm weather after days of rain — flocked to the outdoor destinations .
While L.A. beaches have yet to close , Garcetti said that he will continue to work with the mayors of beach communities and county officials to assess whether they should stay open .
Asked by a reporter whether the city would hold residents accountable for breaking quarantine orders , Garcetti said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shy ” when it comes to approaching those who are seen doing so .
“ It is a misdemeanor , ” he said .
“ It is something we can enforce.
” Garcetti also announced an online portal for COVID-19 testing that is set to launch this week .
There will be an initial rollout of tests for “ the most vulnerable Angelenos , ” including those who are 65 or older and those with underlying health conditions , he said .
Residents who meet these criteria and also have experienced symptoms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing center , Garcetti said .
He did not specify how many tests will be available .
“ We ask for everybody ’ s patience as we ramp this up , ” he said .
“ Once we do , I hope to expand this [ testing ] capacity every single day as much as we can.
” To help cities in California beef up their response to the pandemic , President Trump on Sunday approved a request from Newsom to declare a major disaster and for the federal government to provide “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment assistance and disaster legal services .
The president said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would ship mobile hospital units to California within the next 48 hours .
The state is in line to get eight of these units , for a total of 2,000 beds .
The Navy hospital ship the USNS Mercy , which is based in San Diego , will be deployed to Los Angeles .
The ship can be stationed in the city in “ a week or less , ” FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said .
Though its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patients , it will accept patients with other medical issues in an attempt to relieve the burden on hospitals , Gaynor said .
Meanwhile , Garcetti urged L.A. residents with disposable income to donate to the city ’ s emergency crisis response fund , which will help pay for child care for medical workers , grants for families and individuals who need financial assistance and meals for seniors .
Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday confirmed one more coronavirus death , bringing the total to five .
They also reported 71 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total now 409 .
There were 132 new cases reported over the weekend .
The number of coronavirus deaths statewide stands at 30 .
Nevertheless , many L.A. County residents on Sunday behaved as if they weren ’ t living amid a global pandemic or subject to strict quarantine measures .
At Long Beach ’ s sun-drenched San Junipero Beach , groups of basketball players used all three hoops .
Men did pull-ups on the outdoor exercise machines and women exercised on the grass while bikers , joggers and in-line skaters flitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all wearing masks , took a walk along the shore .
A lone fisherman waded knee-deep in the water with his family nearby .
When he felt a tug , he called two children nearby to help pull the line .
Strangers , including the family , gathered to see the spectacle up close .
Besides the occasional mask and glove-wearer , it seemed to be a normal Sunday , despite numerous countywide and citywide orders to stay indoors .
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia expressed frustration at his fellow residents for not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you need to practice social distancing , ” he tweeted on Friday .
“ I am seeing tons of people out there acting like there ’ s no crisis , ” He wrote on his personal Twitter page .
On Sunday night , Garcia announced the closure of Long Beach ’ s public basketball , tennis and volleyball courts , as well as its dog parks , playgrounds and skate parks .
Earlier in the weekend , many insisted that they needed time outdoors in order to maintain their sanity .
Clifford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , couldn ’ t go to their gyms in Cerritos , as they had closed under government orders .
So they decided to go to Long Beach instead , where there are plenty of outdoor gyms and paths for running .
“ This is only Day Two , ” Castro said .
“ It sucks.
” “ It does suck , but you have to find different ways to stay active , ” Aquino replied .
Aquino said he feels safe using the machines because he ’ s able to keep a safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is too busy , he finds another , he said .
He wipes down each machine with a Lysol wipe before using it .
At the Home Depot in Paramount on Sunday , there was no shortage of hardware items — just parking spaces .
The lot was packed with shoppers eager to take on home renovation projects while they stay indoors .
Day laborers stood around , hoping to land a job .
Some approached shoppers , asking if they wanted help .
Under Newsom ’ s orders , Californians are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are considered essential businesses along with grocery stores and cannabis dispensaries .
Shoppers picked up and examined vegetable plants and fruit trees in the garden center .
They stood in narrow lines just inches apart from one another , waiting to pay .
Inside , nearly every aisle was bustling .
Elvis Smith , 44 , was in search of a wall heater to install at his South L.A. home .
He wore a paint respirator and black latex gloves .
Smith said he was surprised to see so many people at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practicing social distancing .
“ This is why I ’ m wearing this , ” he said of his respirator .
“ I don ’ t want to be standing next to someone who sneezes and I may get it.
” Back in Long Beach , worshipers gathered by a white statue of the Virgin Mary outside the Sagely Monastery on Ocean Boulevard .
Donald Armstrong , 72 , wore a surgical mask as he sat in a folding chair away from the mass of people .
He didn ’ t touch or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contracting the virus .
He knew of the state and local orders to remain indoors , but he wanted to come and see the Virgin Mary , which he has done occasionally for seven years .
Armstrong said he has watched some people remove face masks to kiss the statue .
He knows that they ’ re doing so because they believe it will protect them , but he doesn ’ t think it ’ s a good time for such rituals .
“ It ’ s great to have a strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But I still believe God has given people common sense .
These people are taking a risk.
” Times staff writers Patrick McGreevy and David Lauter contributed to this report .

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Ruben Vives, Laura Newberry

Golfers wait to start at the first hole at Roosevelt Golf Course in Griffith Park. Mayor Garcetti on Sunday admonished Angelenos who haven’t taken orders to practice social distancing seriously, announcing the closure of the city’s golf courses, parking lots at Venice Beach and organized group sports at city parks.
Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday admonished Angelenos who haven’t taken orders to practice social distancing seriously, announcing the closure of the city’s golf courses, parking lots at Venice Beach and organized group sports at city parks as they have continued to attract throngs of people.
“This weekend we saw too many images of too many people crowding beaches or canyons beyond their capacity. Too many people, too close together, too often,” Garcetti said during his daily briefing on the impact of the novel coronavirus. “The longer we do that, the more people will get sick, and the more people will die. There’s no way to sugarcoat that.”
Starting Monday, parking lots near Venice Beach and the boardwalk will be closed, he said. In Santa Monica, the city also decided to close its beach parking lots.
The measures build on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping order, issued Thursday, urging Californians to stay home — with a few exceptions — and put distance between themselves and others to slow the spread of COVID-19. Garcetti issued similar orders, which have closed most businesses in the city.
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The Los Angeles County health officer Saturday night issued orders largely matching Garcetti’s, and in a press release said that golf courses were ordered shut. The city of Los Angeles, which operates half a dozen golf courses, posted on Facebook at 6 a.m. Sunday announcing the closure of its golf courses.
“It doesn’t mean it’s time to find another place to get together. This is serious,” Garcetti said on Sunday. “Six feet matters. There are no exceptions to that rule unless you are a first responder or a critical worker. None.”
Also on Sunday, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority said that it was closing all of its parks and trails, which include the parkland owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Access roads and parking lots also will be closed. Many were packed over the weekend, as people — eager to get out of the house and into the warm weather after days of rain — flocked to the outdoor destinations.
While L.A. beaches have yet to close, Garcetti said that he will continue to work with the mayors of beach communities and county officials to assess whether they should stay open.
Asked by a reporter whether the city would hold residents accountable for breaking quarantine orders, Garcetti said that law enforcement officers will “not be shy” when it comes to approaching those who are seen doing so.
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“It is a misdemeanor,” he said. “It is something we can enforce.”
Garcetti also announced an online portal for COVID-19 testing that is set to launch this week. There will be an initial rollout of tests for “the most vulnerable Angelenos,” including those who are 65 or older and those with underlying health conditions, he said.
Residents who meet these criteria and also have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 will be directed to a local testing center, Garcetti said. He did not specify how many tests will be available.
“We ask for everybody’s patience as we ramp this up,” he said. “Once we do, I hope to expand this [testing] capacity every single day as much as we can.”
To help cities in California beef up their response to the pandemic, President Trump on Sunday approved a request from Newsom to declare a major disaster and for the federal government to provide “mass care,” emergency aid, unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.
The president said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would ship mobile hospital units to California within the next 48 hours. The state is in line to get eight of these units, for a total of 2,000 beds.
The Navy hospital ship the USNS Mercy, which is based in San Diego, will be deployed to Los Angeles. The ship can be stationed in the city in “a week or less,” FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said. Though its facilities will not be used to treat COVID-19 patients, it will accept patients with other medical issues in an attempt to relieve the burden on hospitals, Gaynor said.
Meanwhile, Garcetti urged L.A. residents with disposable income to donate to the city’s emergency crisis response fund, which will help pay for child care for medical workers, grants for families and individuals who need financial assistance and meals for seniors.
Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday confirmed one more coronavirus death, bringing the total to five. They also reported 71 new cases in the county, with the total now 409. There were 132 new cases reported over the weekend.
The number of coronavirus deaths statewide stands at 30.
Nevertheless, many L.A. County residents on Sunday behaved as if they weren’t living amid a global pandemic or subject to strict quarantine measures.
At Long Beach’s sun-drenched San Junipero Beach, groups of basketball players used all three hoops. Men did pull-ups on the outdoor exercise machines and women exercised on the grass while bikers, joggers and in-line skaters flitted past.
A family of three, all wearing masks, took a walk along the shore. A lone fisherman waded knee-deep in the water with his family nearby. When he felt a tug, he called two children nearby to help pull the line. Strangers, including the family, gathered to see the spectacle up close.
Besides the occasional mask and glove-wearer, it seemed to be a normal Sunday, despite numerous countywide and citywide orders to stay indoors.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia expressed frustration at his fellow residents for not following his guidance.
“Seriously people, you need to practice social distancing,” he tweeted on Friday. “I am seeing tons of people out there acting like there’s no crisis,” He wrote on his personal Twitter page.
On Sunday night, Garcia announced the closure of Long Beach’s public basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, as well as its dog parks, playgrounds and skate parks.
Earlier in the weekend, many insisted that they needed time outdoors in order to maintain their sanity.
Clifford Aquino and Ryan Castro, both 28, couldn’t go to their gyms in Cerritos, as they had closed under government orders. So they decided to go to Long Beach instead, where there are plenty of outdoor gyms and paths for running.
“This is only Day Two,” Castro said. “It sucks.”
“It does suck, but you have to find different ways to stay active,” Aquino replied.
Aquino said he feels safe using the machines because he’s able to keep a safe distance from others. If one area is too busy, he finds another, he said. He wipes down each machine with a Lysol wipe before using it.
At the Home Depot in Paramount on Sunday, there was no shortage of hardware items — just parking spaces.
The lot was packed with shoppers eager to take on home renovation projects while they stay indoors. Day laborers stood around, hoping to land a job. Some approached shoppers, asking if they wanted help.
Under Newsom’s orders, Californians are still permitted to visit hardware stores, which are considered essential businesses along with grocery stores and cannabis dispensaries.
Shoppers picked up and examined vegetable plants and fruit trees in the garden center. They stood in narrow lines just inches apart from one another, waiting to pay. Inside, nearly every aisle was bustling.
Elvis Smith, 44, was in search of a wall heater to install at his South L.A. home. He wore a paint respirator and black latex gloves.
Smith said he was surprised to see so many people at the store, many of whom were not practicing social distancing.
“This is why I’m wearing this,” he said of his respirator. “I don’t want to be standing next to someone who sneezes and I may get it.”
Back in Long Beach, worshipers gathered by a white statue of the Virgin Mary outside the Sagely Monastery on Ocean Boulevard.
Donald Armstrong, 72, wore a surgical mask as he sat in a folding chair away from the mass of people. He didn’t touch or even stand near the statue for fear of contracting the virus.
He knew of the state and local orders to remain indoors, but he wanted to come and see the Virgin Mary, which he has done occasionally for seven years.
Armstrong said he has watched some people remove face masks to kiss the statue. He knows that they’re doing so because they believe it will protect them, but he doesn’t think it’s a good time for such rituals.
“It’s great to have a strong faith like that,” Armstrong said. “But I still believe God has given people common sense. These people are taking a risk.”
Times staff writers Patrick McGreevy and David Lauter contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-23--Biden is right to pick a woman for vice president. Now he has to make the right choice

Joe Biden made a smart move by promising to choose a woman as his running mate .
Next he needs to be smart again and choose the right woman .
Pledging to select a female vice president was smart because it ’ s the right thing to do .
America , supposedly the land of equal opportunity , should have elected a woman president long ago .
The veep spot is just one step away .
The right thing isn ’ t always the smart thing politically .
But in this case it was for the Democratic front-runner .
Assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee , the right female running mate should help the ticket appeal to swing-vote suburban women in battleground states he must carry to oust President Trump in November .
Moreover , by promising unequivocally to select a woman , the former vice president will avoid a heap of pressure to do just that leading up to the party ’ s nominating convention in July .
With the issue off the board , it won ’ t distract him from his main message of anti-Trump , steady-handed , moderate pragmatism .
But it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a running mate who isn ’ t a campaign liability or distraction .
He needs someone who will help the ticket attract voters , or at least not drive them away .
For more than a year , California Sen. Kamala Harris , 55 , has been on the short list of speculators ’ VP contenders .
But selecting her might not be the smartest play .
Biden commented after Harris gave up her own presidential bid in December that he would consider the senator for “ anything she was interested in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman of color could excite the Democratic base — something Biden , 77 , doesn ’ t do .
He has all but clinched the nomination because Democrats consider him the most likely candidate to beat Trump , the quality they deem most important , polls show .
Harris , who is black , would be the first woman of color ever nominated for vice president by a major political party .
A Biden-Harris ticket would reflect the growing diversity of Democratic voters .
Those are the upsides .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris ’ selection by Biden would look too cynical , too blatantly political to many voters .
Moreover , a running mate should be able to deliver her home state for the ticket .
Harris isn ’ t needed for that .
California ’ s 55 electoral votes — roughly 20 % of the total required to win the presidency — are in the bag for any Democrat .
Anyway , she didn ’ t exhibit much lasting appeal as a presidential candidate , even among voters of color in her own state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Public Policy Institute of California found Harris was the first choice for only 9 % of home state Latinos and 9 % of other ethnicities , mostly black and Asian voters .
Biden was supported by 27 % of Latinos and 20 % of other non-white voters .
Biden doesn ’ t need a running mate ’ s help to win over black voters .
They have been his strength .
Harris also didn ’ t exactly compile a stellar record as state attorney general .
She was risk-averse — for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot propositions to abolish capital punishment and one to speed up executions , despite her professed career-long opposition to the death penalty .
The two abolition measures failed and the proposal to expedite executions passed .
Her risk-averse trait carried over onto the presidential campaign trail where she often stumbled , most notably in wavering awkwardly on universal healthcare .
This was despite aggressive , prosecutorial rhetoric .
But if Biden did choose Harris and they were elected , it would significantly alter California ’ s political landscape .
Harris would automatically become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom ’ s long-range White House ambitions .
But in the short term , Newsom would reap a political bonanza .
The governor would choose Harris ’ Senate successor .
Whom would he reward ?
There ’ s a long list of quality Democratic options : State Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra , a former congressman from Los Angeles ; U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank , who led the House impeachment of Trump ; Secretary of State Alex Padilla ; Lt. Gov .
Eleni Kounalakis ... Or Newsom could grab the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointed by the new governor , Kounalakis .
It ’ s doubtful he would do that .
If Newsom named a statewide official , he could also choose that person ’ s replacement and control a game of musical chairs .
But we ’ re getting way ahead of ourselves .
Biden has other women of color he could consider , including two Western Latinas : Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto , 55 , has a résumé similar to Harris ’ — she is a former state attorney general and first-term senator .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 60 , is a former U.S. House member .
Stacey Abrams , 46 , who is black , narrowly lost a 2018 race for Georgia governor and is frequently mentioned as a potential VP .
Get serious .
Maybe someday , but so far the highest office she has won is state legislator .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , 48 , is impressive .
And she could deliver a vital state that Hillary Clinton lost to Trump four years ago .
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , 70 ?
Too far left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Amy Klobuchar , 59 , could have broad appeal in the Midwest and assure victory in her home state , which supported Clinton only narrowly in 2016 .
Her presidential race never gained traction , but she ’ s smart , experienced , articulate , upbeat and her moderate ideology would be acceptable in battleground states .
She ’ s in sync with Biden politically .
Right now , Biden ’ s smartest choice seems to be Klobuchar .

California Sen. Kamala Harris, left, speaks as New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, right, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer listen during a Joe Biden campaign rally at Renaissance High School in Detroit. Harris and Whitmer have been floated as potential vice presidential picks for Biden.
Joe Biden made a smart move by promising to choose a woman as his running mate. Next he needs to be smart again and choose the right woman.
Pledging to select a female vice president was smart because it’s the right thing to do. America, supposedly the land of equal opportunity, should have elected a woman president long ago. The veep spot is just one step away.
The right thing isn’t always the smart thing politically. But in this case it was for the Democratic front-runner. Assuming Biden becomes the party’s presidential nominee, the right female running mate should help the ticket appeal to swing-vote suburban women in battleground states he must carry to oust President Trump in November.
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Moreover, by promising unequivocally to select a woman, the former vice president will avoid a heap of pressure to do just that leading up to the party’s nominating convention in July. With the issue off the board, it won’t distract him from his main message of anti-Trump, steady-handed, moderate pragmatism.
But it’s vital for Biden that he select a running mate who isn’t a campaign liability or distraction. He needs someone who will help the ticket attract voters, or at least not drive them away.
For more than a year, California Sen. Kamala Harris, 55, has been on the short list of speculators’ VP contenders. But selecting her might not be the smartest play.
Biden commented after Harris gave up her own presidential bid in December that he would consider the senator for “anything she was interested in,” including the vice presidency.
Selecting a woman of color could excite the Democratic base — something Biden, 77, doesn’t do. He has all but clinched the nomination because Democrats consider him the most likely candidate to beat Trump, the quality they deem most important, polls show.
Harris, who is black, would be the first woman of color ever nominated for vice president by a major political party. A Biden-Harris ticket would reflect the growing diversity of Democratic voters.
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Those are the upsides. They’re outweighed by downsides.
For starters, Harris’ selection by Biden would look too cynical, too blatantly political to many voters.
Moreover, a running mate should be able to deliver her home state for the ticket. Harris isn’t needed for that. California’s 55 electoral votes — roughly 20% of the total required to win the presidency — are in the bag for any Democrat.
Anyway, she didn’t exhibit much lasting appeal as a presidential candidate, even among voters of color in her own state.
A November poll of likely voters by the Public Policy Institute of California found Harris was the first choice for only 9% of home state Latinos and 9% of other ethnicities, mostly black and Asian voters. Biden was supported by 27% of Latinos and 20% of other non-white voters.
Biden doesn’t need a running mate’s help to win over black voters. They have been his strength.
Harris also didn’t exactly compile a stellar record as state attorney general. She was risk-averse — for example, not taking positions on two ballot propositions to abolish capital punishment and one to speed up executions, despite her professed career-long opposition to the death penalty. The two abolition measures failed and the proposal to expedite executions passed.
Her risk-averse trait carried over onto the presidential campaign trail where she often stumbled, most notably in wavering awkwardly on universal healthcare. This was despite aggressive, prosecutorial rhetoric.
But if Biden did choose Harris and they were elected, it would significantly alter California’s political landscape.
Harris would automatically become a potential president, stymieing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s long-range White House ambitions. But in the short term, Newsom would reap a political bonanza. The governor would choose Harris’ Senate successor.
Whom would he reward? There’s a long list of quality Democratic options: State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, a former congressman from Los Angeles; U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank, who led the House impeachment of Trump; Secretary of State Alex Padilla; Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis ...
Or Newsom could grab the Senate seat himself by resigning and being appointed by the new governor, Kounalakis. It’s doubtful he would do that.
If Newsom named a statewide official, he could also choose that person’s replacement and control a game of musical chairs.
But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves.
Biden has other women of color he could consider, including two Western Latinas: Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, 55, has a résumé similar to Harris’ — she is a former state attorney general and first-term senator. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, 60, is a former U.S. House member.
Stacey Abrams, 46, who is black, narrowly lost a 2018 race for Georgia governor and is frequently mentioned as a potential VP. Get serious. Maybe someday, but so far the highest office she has won is state legislator.
Some other women:
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, 48, is impressive. And she could deliver a vital state that Hillary Clinton lost to Trump four years ago.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 70? Too far left. Not a good fit.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 59, could have broad appeal in the Midwest and assure victory in her home state, which supported Clinton only narrowly in 2016. Her presidential race never gained traction, but she’s smart, experienced, articulate, upbeat and her moderate ideology would be acceptable in battleground states. She’s in sync with Biden politically.
Right now, Biden’s smartest choice seems to be Klobuchar.


latimes--2020-03-23--Earthquake: Magnitude 4.3 quake shakes near Ridgecrest, Calif.

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake was reported Sunday night at 10:53 p.m. Pacific time 23 miles from Ridgecrest , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 49 miles from California City , 67 miles from Pahrump , Nev. , 74 miles from Barstow and 81 miles from Tehachapi , Calif .
In the last 10 days , there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 1.2 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 .

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake was reported Sunday night at 10:53 p.m. Pacific time 23 miles from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 49 miles from California City, 67 miles from Pahrump, Nev., 74 miles from Barstow and 81 miles from Tehachapi, Calif.
In the last 10 days, there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 1.2 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
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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.