latimes--2020-05-02--Gig workers are now eligible for special unemployment benefits. But many won't get them

The good news for nearly 3 million self-employed Californians , gig workers and independent contractors is they are now eligible for special unemployment benefits .
The bad news for many is they probably won ’ t get them .
“ For folks having to deal with this , it has been insanely frustrating , ” said Kyle Petrozza , 38 , a Los Angeles freelance commercial photographer .
Petrozza is among untold numbers of recently idled workers who have found themselves shut out of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program , or PUA , a key provision of the Coronavirus Aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March by President Trump .
The PUA , which launched in California on Tuesday , was designed to help business owners , gig workers and others who did not qualify for traditional unemployment or had exhausted their benefits .
But there ’ s a catch for Petrozza and legions of others who toil in creative industries and gig economies : If they were on an employer ’ s payroll and earned wages of $ 1,300 or more during any quarter in the previous 18 months , that so-called W-2 amount would become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disqualify them from claiming their self-employment income .
In Petrozza ’ s case , he had W-2 income of about $ 3,400 in 2019 , a fraction of the net income from his commercial photography business .
That translated to a regular unemployment benefit of $ 159 a week , far less than he would have received through Pandemic Unemployment Assistance , he said .
Petrozza calculated that the difference in benefits will cost him thousands of dollars .
Such mixing of payroll work and self-employment is common among entertainers , photographers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the year .
Many have dubbed themselves “ hybrid ” workers .
California musicians are among the hardest hit , said Los Angeles attorney Jordan Bromley , who estimates that more than 100,000 of them could be shut out of pandemic unemployment assistance .
Though the vast bulk of their income is from self-employment , Bromley said , most also pick up occasional W-2 work .
“ A couple of union gigs and it knocks you out of the PUA , ” said Bromley , who is on the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 60 professional organizations .
“ That ’ s what we are seeing.
” The group has been reaching out to state officials and members of Congress to find a solution to the problem , Bromley said .
State officials ’ hands appear to be tied by how the CARES Act was written , he said , so it will require a legislative fix .
Loree Levy , deputy director of the California Employment Development Department , which oversees the unemployment system , agreed that the CARES Act leaves no room for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance .
“ As long as an individual is eligible for a regular [ unemployment insurance ] claim , that individual can not be found eligible for a PUA claim , ” she said .
In a Facebook Live chat Friday , California Labor Secretary Julie Su sympathized with affected workers but offered little immediate hope .
“ I hear you , ” Su said .
“ I have heard from a lot of you .
I have spoken to some of you who said that seems incredibly unfair because California is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and do a whole bunch of different kinds of jobs and sometimes the W-2 is a very small part of your overall income.
” Su said she is aware of efforts to change the rules .
“ But until that happens , we have to comply with what the federal law says about PUA , ” she said .
Steven Wilkin , an electronic musician who lives in Los Angeles and also has worked as a ride-share driver , said he “ completely got hosed on the PUA ” because of W-2 pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 2019 income .
“ They took a W-2 from me that I had in the third quarter of 2019 for a commercial I did , ” he said .
“ It was one day of work and it paid $ 2,000 and they issued me a W-2.
” Based on that amount , he was granted $ 77 a week in regular unemployment benefits and has been unable to secure pandemic unemployment assistance .
He figures the difference between the two benefits will cost him about $ 6,000 .
Wilkin , 39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the belief — in some cases gleaned from information on the state ’ s Employment Development Department website or through phone calls to its call center — that they could file for regular unemployment benefits and then either cancel them or update them with their self-employment income when the PUA opened up .
They have since learned that is not the case .
“ Nope , sorry , your W-2 income disqualifies you and there ’ s nothing you can do about it , ” Wilkin said .
“ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I woke up at 3:30 this morning because I have so much anxiety about it.
” Michelle Faucheux , 45 , a freelance commercial film producer who lives in Silver Lake , said that when she applied for unemployment benefits , a $ 5,000 W-2 from nearly 18 months ago popped up .
It was but a small slice of her self-employed income reported on Internal Revenue Service 1099 forms , she said .
“ I have this one W-2 that is not allowing me to get the full benefit , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a tiny bit of my income , ” she said .
Faucheux said she placed repeated phone calls in vain to the EDD , which has been overwhelmed by new claims in recent weeks and has been dogged by technical problems including computer crashes that have frozen the applicant web page .
She said she finally got a one-sentence answer to her many emails asking how to claim her self-employment income .
“ ‘ Your 1099 income does not qualify ’ — that ’ s all it said , ” Faucheux said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits based on her $ 5,000 W-2 income .
“ It ’ s very frustrating , ” she said .
“ I feel like I ’ ve been beating my head against the wall .
… I have had a lot of emotional distress over it.
” More than 2.8 million Californians were gig workers or independent contractors in California by 2016 , according to an analysis of IRS data published last year by a group of academic and government researchers .
Before the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program , they would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pandemic assistance program offers them up to 39 weeks of benefits at $ 167 a week , and comes with an additional $ 600 weekly CARES Act stipend through July .
State officials said the $ 167 will be raised to a maximum of $ 450 a week for recipients who earned more than $ 17,368 in 2019 , but they have not provided a timetable for that .
More than 3.5 million unemployment claims have been filed in recent weeks , California officials say , and they expect a similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The overwhelming volume has only compounded problems for people like Gil Imber , the organist for the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL .
Imber , who is an hourly wage earner on the Ducks ’ payroll during hockey season , is self-employed the rest of the year .
He derives off-season income from self-employment sources , including playing the organ at Loyola Marymount baseball games and from his website CloseCallSports.com , which tracks and analyzes close and controversial calls .
The Ducks were generous enough to pay him through the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And he was delighted to learn that his non-Ducks gigs , which vanished with the spread of COVID-19 , would qualify for unemployment benefits .
“ I thought , ‘ Oh , great , the CARES Act is going to take care of me , ’ ” said Imber , 32 , who lives in Sherman Oaks .
“ The problem was that at the end of March and in early April , nobody knew how to apply for it , ” he said .
His attempts to apply based on his self-employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in getting unemployment benefits for his Ducks income -- a situation he had specifically tried to avoid .
Now he ’ s not sure what to do with the money .
“ I am wholeheartedly afraid to spend it ... What if I am not entitled to it , for one reason or another ?
” he said .
“ Moralistically , I don ’ t want to touch that money , ” he said .
“ But we do have bills to pay .
”

Freelance commercial photographer Kyle Petrozza at his home in Los Angeles. “For folks having to deal with this, it has been insanely frustrating,” he said.
The good news for nearly 3 million self-employed Californians, gig workers and independent contractors is they are now eligible for special unemployment benefits.
The bad news for many is they probably won’t get them.
“For folks having to deal with this, it has been insanely frustrating,” said Kyle Petrozza, 38, a Los Angeles freelance commercial photographer.
Petrozza is among untold numbers of recently idled workers who have found themselves shut out of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, or PUA, a key provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act signed in March by President Trump.
Advertisement
The PUA, which launched in California on Tuesday, was designed to help business owners, gig workers and others who did not qualify for traditional unemployment or had exhausted their benefits.
But there’s a catch for Petrozza and legions of others who toil in creative industries and gig economies: If they were on an employer’s payroll and earned wages of $1,300 or more during any quarter in the previous 18 months, that so-called W-2 amount would become the basis for unemployment benefits — and disqualify them from claiming their self-employment income.
In Petrozza’s case, he had W-2 income of about $3,400 in 2019, a fraction of the net income from his commercial photography business. That translated to a regular unemployment benefit of $159 a week, far less than he would have received through Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, he said.
Petrozza calculated that the difference in benefits will cost him thousands of dollars.
Such mixing of payroll work and self-employment is common among entertainers, photographers and seasonal workers who pick up freelance work the rest of the year. Many have dubbed themselves “hybrid” workers.
California musicians are among the hardest hit, said Los Angeles attorney Jordan Bromley, who estimates that more than 100,000 of them could be shut out of pandemic unemployment assistance.
Advertisement
Though the vast bulk of their income is from self-employment, Bromley said, most also pick up occasional W-2 work.
“A couple of union gigs and it knocks you out of the PUA,” said Bromley, who is on the board of Music Artists Coalition, which is part of a 60-organization group working on CARES Act issues that affect its members. “That’s what we are seeing.”
The group has been reaching out to state officials and members of Congress to find a solution to the problem, Bromley said. State officials’ hands appear to be tied by how the CARES Act was written, he said, so it will require a legislative fix.
Loree Levy, deputy director of the California Employment Development Department, which oversees the unemployment system, agreed that the CARES Act leaves no room for interpretation about who can receive the pandemic assistance.
“As long as an individual is eligible for a regular [unemployment insurance] claim, that individual cannot be found eligible for a PUA claim,” she said.
In a Facebook Live chat Friday, California Labor Secretary Julie Su sympathized with affected workers but offered little immediate hope.
“I hear you,” Su said. “I have heard from a lot of you. I have spoken to some of you who said that seems incredibly unfair because California is a very diverse economy, people are creative and do a whole bunch of different kinds of jobs and sometimes the W-2 is a very small part of your overall income.”
Su said she is aware of efforts to change the rules.
“But until that happens, we have to comply with what the federal law says about PUA,” she said.
Steven Wilkin of Los Angeles is an electronic musician who also has worked as a ride-share driver. He said he “completely got hosed on the PUA” because of W-2 pay that made up just 3.7% of his 2019 income. (Brandon Hardy
)
Steven Wilkin, an electronic musician who lives in Los Angeles and also has worked as a ride-share driver, said he “completely got hosed on the PUA” because of W-2 pay that made up just 3.7% of his 2019 income.
“They took a W-2 from me that I had in the third quarter of 2019 for a commercial I did,” he said. “It was one day of work and it paid $2,000 and they issued me a W-2.”
Based on that amount, he was granted $77 a week in regular unemployment benefits and has been unable to secure pandemic unemployment assistance. He figures the difference between the two benefits will cost him about $6,000.
Wilkin, 39, and others said they had operated under the belief — in some cases gleaned from information on the state’s Employment Development Department website or through phone calls to its call center — that they could file for regular unemployment benefits and then either cancel them or update them with their self-employment income when the PUA opened up.
They have since learned that is not the case.
“Nope, sorry, your W-2 income disqualifies you and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Wilkin said. “I’m so upset by the whole thing. I woke up at 3:30 this morning because I have so much anxiety about it.”
Commercial film producer Michelle Faucheux of Los Angeles is being shut out of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits because she is among the so-called hybrid earners who have both self-employment and payroll income. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Michelle Faucheux, 45, a freelance commercial film producer who lives in Silver Lake, said that when she applied for unemployment benefits, a $5,000 W-2 from nearly 18 months ago popped up. It was but a small slice of her self-employed income reported on Internal Revenue Service 1099 forms, she said.
“I have this one W-2 that is not allowing me to get the full benefit, even though it is not my full income, just a tiny bit of my income,” she said.
Faucheux said she placed repeated phone calls in vain to the EDD, which has been overwhelmed by new claims in recent weeks and has been dogged by technical problems including computer crashes that have frozen the applicant web page.
She said she finally got a one-sentence answer to her many emails asking how to claim her self-employment income.
“‘Your 1099 income does not qualify’ — that’s all it said,” Faucheux said.
She gave up and filed for benefits based on her $5,000 W-2 income.
“It’s very frustrating,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been beating my head against the wall. … I have had a lot of emotional distress over it.”
She’s hardly alone.
More than 2.8 million Californians were gig workers or independent contractors in California by 2016, according to an analysis of IRS data published last year by a group of academic and government researchers.
Before the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, they would have been ineligible for benefits for their self-employment income.
The pandemic assistance program offers them up to 39 weeks of benefits at $167 a week, and comes with an additional $600 weekly CARES Act stipend through July.
State officials said the $167 will be raised to a maximum of $450 a week for recipients who earned more than $17,368 in 2019, but they have not provided a timetable for that.
More than 3.5 million unemployment claims have been filed in recent weeks, California officials say, and they expect a similar number of new ones through the PUA.
The overwhelming volume of unemployment benefit applications has only compounded problems for people like Gil Imber, the organist for the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL. (Edward Torres
)
The overwhelming volume has only compounded problems for people like Gil Imber, the organist for the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL.
Imber, who is an hourly wage earner on the Ducks’ payroll during hockey season, is self-employed the rest of the year.
He derives off-season income from self-employment sources, including playing the organ at Loyola Marymount baseball games and from his website CloseCallSports.com, which tracks and analyzes close and controversial calls.
The Ducks were generous enough to pay him through the end of the coronavirus-shortened season, Imber said. And he was delighted to learn that his non-Ducks gigs, which vanished with the spread of COVID-19, would qualify for unemployment benefits.
“I thought, ‘Oh, great, the CARES Act is going to take care of me,’” said Imber, 32, who lives in Sherman Oaks.
“The problem was that at the end of March and in early April, nobody knew how to apply for it,” he said.
His attempts to apply based on his self-employment income during the reigning confusion wound up in getting unemployment benefits for his Ducks income -- a situation he had specifically tried to avoid.
Now he’s not sure what to do with the money.
“I am wholeheartedly afraid to spend it ... What if I am not entitled to it, for one reason or another?” he said.
“Moralistically, I don’t want to touch that money,” he said. “But we do have bills to pay.”


latimes--2020-05-02--Fear, uncertainty, exhaustion: One doctor's shift in the UCLA emergency room

Lisa Dabby sees fear in the patient ’ s eyes .
They are wide and bugged out .
The pupils are haloed in white .
Brow beaded with sweat , the patient sits in street clothes , alone on a plastic chair in a tent set up in a driveway , a makeshift emergency room .
Dabby takes her stethoscope and hears a crackle inside the lungs .
She is a doctor in the ER at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica .
She treats patients who might otherwise die from unexpected trauma and illness .
This patient is drowning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken a history — fever , body ache , cough — so Dabby asks simple questions requiring nothing more taxing than a nod or a shake of the head .
She promises tests , a bed , oxygen and wishes she could do more .
Like everyone , she listens to politicians and public health officials debate when to reopen the country .
Each morning she looks at the numbers and is encouraged : The curve seems to be flattening .
But still she worries .
“ People keep referring to us as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later over the phone .
“ We ’ re not the front line .
Every individual in our country is the front line .
All the coronavirus wants to do is spread , and everyone needs to realize they have the power to stop it.
” The patient drowning in lung fluid weighs on her mind .
It is an evening shift in April , and in subsequent phone interviews she vividly recalls the events of this night .
The patient arrives at the hospital and is directed to the COVID-19 screening tent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyes is the terror she sees in the most severe cases .
She finishes her exam , steps outside the tent , unsnaps her gown , removes her gloves and uses sanitizer .
The alcohol stings her dry , cracked hands .
She looks at the patient ’ s X-ray .
“ Ohh , ” she sighs , and catches herself .
Whitish-gray patches cloud the far reaches of the lungs , where the picture is normally black .
Ground-glass opacities , she thinks , repeating a textbook description , the classic presentation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurse helps the patient to a room inside the hospital .
Dabby hasn ’ t lost anyone to COVID-19 , although three patients are on ventilators upstairs .
For weeks , staff at the hospital had waited for an anticipated wave of cases that never arrived , but each day brings a steady stream , which might be manageable if the disease itself were manageable .
Without a cure or treatment , however , the playbook is always changing .
“ It is frustrating , unsettling — I don ’ t have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
“ For the first time in my life , I don ’ t know what will work .
I ’ ve been asked to treat an illness without the answers.
” She recalls another patient sobbing with fear .
Dabby is returning from the Personal Protective Equipment room with clean goggles , a new face mask , fresh gloves and an unsoiled gown , double checked that all the buttons are snapped .
She sees this patient sitting by herself and disconsolate .
“ I have nobody , no family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am just really scared to die alone.
” Dabby takes a nearby chair .
Patients can ’ t read expressions through protective garb , so Dabby reaches out and cups the patient ’ s open hand in her own .
Through purple medical gloves , Dabby feels warmth .
Isolation and illness are a terrible combination , and her words come easily .
“ We ’ re very good at screening , ” she says , “ and there is nothing dangerous happening right now with your heart and lungs .
Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll get an X-ray , an EKG and send a swab out for COVID testing.
” Dabby doesn ’ t see a need to expedite the test , but she will call a social worker to sit with the patient .
“ I feel thoroughly sad for the world right now , ” Dabby says over the phone .
She is calling from her home in Brentwood where she lives with her husband and three children .
“ This is a lonely time for people who live alone.
” She says she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a stretch , but now she needs Benadryl to help .
Early in the pandemic , she kept waking at 4 a.m. with her heart racing .
She got up , made tea and started reading posts from other doctors , various journals , anything that might help her with her patients .
She concedes : The pace is wearing her out .
Other patients stand out in her mind .
Two came to the ER in March , just hours apart from one another .
They were young — late 30s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have given them a second thought if she had passed them on the street .
They made her realize that some of her assumptions about this pandemic — afflicting mostly older people , those with co-morbidities — have exceptions , and she doesn ’ t know what to do .
She never likes feeling helpless .
It reminds her of why she became a doctor , the feeling during childhood of watching her grandparents die two years apart and being unable to do anything .
She knows what to do about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internal bleeding , respiratory distress , but now she struggles for answers .
Dabby also recalls another earlier case : a young woman , pregnant with twins , due in a week , who tested positive for COVID-19 and wanted to know if she would be able to hold her babies .
Could she breastfeed them ?
Could her husband join her in the delivery room ?
That uncertainty hovers over everything in the ER , even for one of the cases this night , an apparent overdose .
This patient is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like everyone who comes into the emergency room , is treated as if infected with the coronavirus .
Dabby watches as nurses move in with a hand-held respiratory bag , something they have done countless times .
Their first reflex — care in a matter of seconds — has betrayed them .
They are not wearing their PPEs .
Each day brings changes to the most ordinary procedures .
Workflow and safety are constantly reassessed .
For the overdose patient — who may or may not have COVID-19 — time is running out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses squeeze and relax the respiratory bag .
They administer medication to block the effects of a possible opioid .
Breathing slows .
Eyes are shut .
The patient is nonverbal , not moving .
Because of COVID-19 , intubation is now one of the riskiest procedures in the emergency room .
Early studies suggested that the coronavirus was transmitted through droplets , conversational spittle falling to the ground no farther than six feet away .
Today experts believe it can be passed in aerosol form , the mist of the breath hanging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A technician helps Dabby into a new set of PPEs and a face shield fitted with a special respirator to keep her safe from airborne pathogens .
Seconds feel like minutes as she watches the patient decline .
Dabby asks a nurse to add anesthesia and a paralyzing drug to the patient ’ s IV .
Dabby guides a laryngoscope between the tongue and the epiglottis .
The vocal cords come into view , two pearly strands .
A tracheal tube follows , and a respiratory therapist switches on a ventilator .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ care unit , and a near-lethal combination of opiates , alcohol and marijuana is eventually metabolized .
One of her last patients before the end of her shift is a surgeon with fever , body aches , cough and the distress of having contracted the virus .
Dabby takes a swab and promises expedited handling .
“ Let ’ s take it one step at a time , ” she advises .
“ Stay at home until you get the results.
” She thinks about her own vulnerability and what she might bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotels , but her husband doesn ’ t want her to move out .
So she set rules : no sharing food or the same bathroom , no hugging , no kissing .
“ I feel like there is a struggle between my commitment as a professional and my responsibility to my family , ” she says on the phone .
“ That is what is really scary .
It is one thing for me to be in harm ’ s way , but it is not fair to my family.
” Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and puts her scrubs in a bag .
She wipes down her stethoscope , pen , phone , glasses and identification badge .
In her garage , she drops the bag of scrubs on the floor , where it sits for a week , time for the virus to die .
Inside her home , her husband and young children are asleep .
This is her loneliest hour .
She showers , washes her hair and scrubs her skin .
She goes to a room away from her family and climbs into bed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the patient who was drowning in open air , eyes wide with fear .
After three weeks on a ventilator , the patient is now on dialysis .
In addition to the lungs , COVID-19 can attack the kidneys .
The patient is breathing without help , but still fighting for life .

Lisa Dabby sees fear in the patient’s eyes. They are wide and bugged out. The pupils are haloed in white.
Brow beaded with sweat, the patient sits in street clothes, alone on a plastic chair in a tent set up in a driveway, a makeshift emergency room.
Dabby takes her stethoscope and hears a crackle inside the lungs.
She is a doctor in the ER at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica. She treats patients who might otherwise die from unexpected trauma and illness.
Advertisement
This patient is drowning in open air.
A nurse has taken a history — fever, body ache, cough — so Dabby asks simple questions requiring nothing more taxing than a nod or a shake of the head. She promises tests, a bed, oxygen and wishes she could do more.
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling
from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
Like everyone, she listens to politicians and public health officials debate when to reopen the country. Each morning she looks at the numbers and is encouraged: The curve seems to be flattening.
But still she worries.
“People keep referring to us as the front line,” she says later over the phone. “We’re not the front line. Every individual in our country is the front line. All the coronavirus wants to do is spread, and everyone needs to realize they have the power to stop it.”
The patient drowning in lung fluid weighs on her mind.
It is an evening shift in April, and in subsequent phone interviews she vividly recalls the events of this night. The patient arrives at the hospital and is directed to the COVID-19 screening tent. The terror Dabby sees in the eyes is the terror she sees in the most severe cases.
She finishes her exam, steps outside the tent, unsnaps her gown, removes her gloves and uses sanitizer. The alcohol stings her dry, cracked hands.
Dr. Lisa Dabby, an emergency room physician with UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, wears a PAPR (powered air-purifying respirator) as she works with nursing staff in the temporary initial screening area, assembled in the covered entranced to the hospital emergency room. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
She looks at the patient’s X-ray.
“Ohh,” she sighs, and catches herself.
Whitish-gray patches cloud the far reaches of the lungs, where the picture is normally black.
Ground-glass opacities, she thinks, repeating a textbook description, the classic presentation of multi-focal pneumonia and COVID-19.
Advertisement
A nurse helps the patient to a room inside the hospital.
Dabby hasn’t lost anyone to COVID-19, although three patients are on ventilators upstairs.
For weeks, staff at the hospital had waited for an anticipated wave of cases that never arrived, but each day brings a steady stream, which might be manageable if the disease itself were manageable.
‘I have nobody, no family, and I am just really scared to die alone.’ — COVID-19 patient
Without a cure or treatment, however, the playbook is always changing.
“It is frustrating, unsettling — I don’t have the right adjective for it,” she says. “For the first time in my life, I don’t know what will work. I’ve been asked to treat an illness without the answers.”
::
She recalls another patient sobbing with fear.
Dabby is returning from the Personal Protective Equipment room with clean goggles, a new face mask, fresh gloves and an unsoiled gown, double checked that all the buttons are snapped.
Advertisement
She sees this patient sitting by herself and disconsolate. “I have nobody, no family,” the patient says, “and I am just really scared to die alone.”
Dabby takes a nearby chair. Patients can’t read expressions through protective garb, so Dabby reaches out and cups the patient’s open hand in her own.
Through purple medical gloves, Dabby feels warmth. Isolation and illness are a terrible combination, and her words come easily.
“We’re very good at screening,” she says, “and there is nothing dangerous happening right now with your heart and lungs. Your oxygen level looks good.”
The patient nods.
“We’ll get an X-ray, an EKG and send a swab out for COVID testing.”
“This a lonely time for people who live alone,” Dabby says. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Dabby doesn’t see a need to expedite the test, but she will call a social worker to sit with the patient.
“I feel thoroughly sad for the world right now,” Dabby says over the phone. She is calling from her home in Brentwood where she lives with her husband and three children.
“This is a lonely time for people who live alone.”
She says she used to sleep easily, eight hours at a stretch, but now she needs Benadryl to help.
Early in the pandemic, she kept waking at 4 a.m. with her heart racing. She got up, made tea and started reading posts from other doctors, various journals, anything that might help her with her patients.
She concedes: The pace is wearing her out.
::
Other patients stand out in her mind.
Two came to the ER in March, just hours apart from one another. They were young — late 30s, early 50s — and she wouldn’t have given them a second thought if she had passed them on the street.
They made her realize that some of her assumptions about this pandemic — afflicting mostly older people, those with co-morbidities — have exceptions, and she doesn’t know what to do.
She never likes feeling helpless. It reminds her of why she became a doctor, the feeling during childhood of watching her grandparents die two years apart and being unable to do anything.
She knows what to do about heart attacks, strokes, sepsis, internal bleeding, respiratory distress, but now she struggles for answers.
Dabby also recalls another earlier case: a young woman, pregnant with twins, due in a week, who tested positive for COVID-19 and wanted to know if she would be able to hold her babies.
Could she breastfeed them? Could her husband join her in the delivery room?
Dabby didn’t know.
That uncertainty hovers over everything in the ER, even for one of the cases this night, an apparent overdose. This patient is a rag doll, barely breathing, and like everyone who comes into the emergency room, is treated as if infected with the coronavirus.
Dabby watches as nurses move in with a hand-held respiratory bag, something they have done countless times.
“Wait!” Dabby calls out.
Their first reflex — care in a matter of seconds — has betrayed them. They are not wearing their PPEs. Each day brings changes to the most ordinary procedures. Workflow and safety are constantly reassessed.
For the overdose patient — who may or may not have COVID-19 — time is running out.
Dabby discusses safety measures with Santa Monica firefighters as they walk through the ER. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Fully dressed in PPEs, the nurses squeeze and relax the respiratory bag. They administer medication to block the effects of a possible opioid.
But nothing works.
Breathing slows. Eyes are shut. The patient is nonverbal, not moving.
Dabby decides to intubate.
Because of COVID-19, intubation is now one of the riskiest procedures in the emergency room.
Advertisement
Early studies suggested that the coronavirus was transmitted through droplets, conversational spittle falling to the ground no farther than six feet away. Today experts believe it can be passed in aerosol form, the mist of the breath hanging in the air and filling a room.
Intubation increases exposure to droplets and aerosol.
A technician helps Dabby into a new set of PPEs and a face shield fitted with a special respirator to keep her safe from airborne pathogens.
Jorge Velasco, a senior emergency trauma technician, helps Dabby prepare for the emergency room. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Seconds feel like minutes as she watches the patient decline.
Dabby asks a nurse to add anesthesia and a paralyzing drug to the patient’s IV. Dabby guides a laryngoscope between the tongue and the epiglottis. The vocal cords come into view, two pearly strands.
A tracheal tube follows, and a respiratory therapist switches on a ventilator.
The patient is taken to the intensive care unit, and a near-lethal combination of opiates, alcohol and marijuana is eventually metabolized.
The COVID-19 test comes back negative.
One of her last patients before the end of her shift is a surgeon with fever, body aches, cough and the distress of having contracted the virus.
Dabby takes a swab and promises expedited handling. “Let’s take it one step at a time,” she advises. “Stay at home until you get the results.”
She thinks about her own vulnerability and what she might bring home. Some doctors are staying in hotels, but her husband doesn’t want her to move out.
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So she set rules: no sharing food or the same bathroom, no hugging, no kissing.
“I feel like there is a struggle between my commitment as a professional and my responsibility to my family,” she says on the phone. “That is what is really scary. It is one thing for me to be in harm’s way, but it is not fair to my family.”
::
Before going home, she changes her clothes and puts her scrubs in a bag. She wipes down her stethoscope, pen, phone, glasses and identification badge.
In her garage, she drops the bag of scrubs on the floor, where it sits for a week, time for the virus to die.
Inside her home, her husband and young children are asleep. This is her loneliest hour.
She showers, washes her hair and scrubs her skin.
She goes to a room away from her family and climbs into bed. In her mind, she sees the patient who was drowning in open air, eyes wide with fear.
After three weeks on a ventilator, the patient is now on dialysis. In addition to the lungs, COVID-19 can attack the kidneys.
The patient is breathing without help, but still fighting for life.


latimes--2020-05-02--Three dead in South Los Angeles crash

Three dead in South Los Angeles crash

Three people died Friday night in a car crash in south Los Angeles , according to the Los Angeles Police @ @ @ @ @ at 7:13 p.m. near the intersection of Compton Boulevard and Imperial Highway , LAPD Officer @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t clear how many cars were involved , and Madison said he had @ @ @ @ @ Friday night .

Three people died Friday night in a car crash in south Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The collision occurred at 7:13 p.m. near the intersection of Compton Boulevard and Imperial Highway, LAPD Officer Drake Madison said.
It wasn’t clear how many cars were involved, and Madison said he had no additional information as of Friday night.


latimes--2020-05-02--Northern California official ousted after saying elderly, ill, homeless should be left to die in pan

Northern California official ousted after saying elderly, ill, homeless should be left to die in pandemic

A planning commissioner of a Northern California city was removed from his post Friday night after saying that just as a forest fire clears dead brush , “ the sick , the old , the injured ” should be left to meet their “ natural course in nature ” during the coronavirus pandemic .
Via a Zoom meeting , the five-member City Council of Antioch , a city of about 110,000 people 35 miles east of Oakland , voted unanimously to remove Ken Turnage II from his post as chairman of the city ’ s planning commission .
Turnage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antioch , had characterized the elderly , the homeless and people with weak immune systems as a drain on society who should be left to perish as COVID-19 sweeps through Contra Costa County , where it has killed 28 people and infected 907 to date .
“ If we were to live our lives , let nature run its course , yes we will all feel hardship , we will all feel loss , ” he wrote on Facebook .
But “ as a species , ” he continued , the deaths would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare and Social Security systems and free up jobs and housing .
As for “ our homeless and other people who just defile themselves by either choice or mental issues , ” Turnage wrote , the virus would “ fix what is a significant burden on our society.
” Turnage said in a phone interview that despite his history of “ provoking dialogue and discussion ” on his Facebook page , he knew these comments were “ a little more edgy ” as he wrote them .
He insisted his personal views had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planning commissioner .
For several hours on the conference call , city officials read aloud comments submitted by 92 people , who by turns voiced support for Turnage and disgust for his statements .
How could Turnage be trusted with shaping city development on the planning commission , some asked , after describing homeless people as a “ significant burden ” that a deadly virus could “ fix ?
” His words were “ Nazi-like , ” one said , espousing “ a Hitler death wish ” and a “ lawsuit waiting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a maggot , ” said another .
One woman , who said she was 72 years old and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor , asked : “ If someone is my age , do we simply let them die ?
” But others defended Turnage ’ s right to express his views on a personal Facebook account , no matter their substance .
By stripping the commissioner of his post , the City Council was trampling freedom of speech , they said .
“ Communism in the making , ” one remarked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an uncomfortable truth : That the economic shutdown was causing more damage than the virus , which this resident called “ no worse than the flu.
” After the council stripped him of his post , Turnage said that if residents had lost confidence in him , “ that ’ s their opinion and I can ’ t help that.
” As for residents comparing his views to Nazism , he said : “ It ’ s for shock value .
That analogy does not go together.
” He was “ naive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could provoke “ not a mainstream conversation.
” “ It ’ s not like it used to be , ” he lamented , “ when you could have an opinion , talk about it and then sit down and have a beer together and talk about football .
”

A planning commissioner of a Northern California city was removed from his post Friday night after saying that just as a forest fire clears dead brush, “the sick, the old, the injured” should be left to meet their “natural course in nature” during the coronavirus outbreak.
Via a Zoom meeting, the five-member City Council of Antioch, a city of about 110,000 people 35 miles east of Oakland, voted unanimously to remove Ken Turnage II from his post as chairman of the city’s planning commission.
Turnage, who owns a home restoration company in Antioch, had characterized the elderly, the homeless and people with weak immune systems as a drain on society who should be left to perish as COVID-19 sweeps through Contra Costa County, where it has killed 28 people and infected 907 to date.
“If we were to live our lives, let nature run its course, yes we will all feel hardship, we will all feel loss,” he wrote on Facebook. But “as a species,” he continued, the deaths would alleviate strain on the country’s healthcare and Social Security systems and free up jobs and housing.
As for “our homeless and other people who just defile themselves by either choice or mental issues,” Turnage wrote, the virus would “fix what is a significant burden on our society.”
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Turnage said in a phone interview that despite his history of “provoking dialogue and discussion” on his Facebook page, he knew these comments were “a little more edgy” as he wrote them.
He insisted his personal views had no bearing on his duties as a planning commissioner.
For several hours on the conference call, city officials read aloud comments submitted by 92 people, who by turns voiced support for Turnage and disgust for his statements. How could Turnage be trusted with shaping city development on the planning commission, some asked, after describing homeless people as a “significant burden” that a deadly virus could “fix?”
His words were “Nazi-like,” one said, espousing “a Hitler death wish” and a “lawsuit waiting to happen.”
“Repulsive enough to gag a maggot,” said another.
One woman, who said she was 72 years old and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, asked: “If someone is my age, do we simply let them die?”
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But others defended Turnage’s right to express his views on a personal Facebook account, no matter their substance. By stripping the commissioner of his post, the City Council was trampling freedom of speech, they said.
“Communism in the making,” one remarked.
Another said Turnage was simply expressing an uncomfortable truth: That the economic shutdown was causing more damage than the virus, which this resident called “no worse than the flu.”
After the council stripped him of his post, Turnage said that if residents had lost confidence in him, “that’s their opinion and I can’t help that.” As for residents comparing his views to Nazism, he said: “It’s for shock value. That analogy does not go together.” He was “naive,” he said, to think he could provoke “not a mainstream conversation.”
“It’s not like it used to be,” he lamented, “when you could have an opinion, talk about it and then sit down and have a beer together and talk about football.”


latimes--2020-05-01--Millions skipped California's 2020 primary. Will coronavirus change who votes in November?

California ’ s 2020 presidential primary officially entered the history books Friday , as state officials certified a final tally and a rate of voter turnout that , while one of the highest in recent elections , still saw fewer than half of the state ’ s registered voters cast a ballot .
In all , 46.89 % of registered voters cast ballots in the March 3 primary , which was moved up from June with hopes that turnout would be high and presidential candidates would be forced to address issues mattering most to Californians .
Turnout was noticeably lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of voters showed up .
It was one of three counties tied for the second-lowest turnout in the state .
While both the 2016 and 2008 primaries saw a higher percentage of registered voters participate , California Secretary of State Alex Padilla focused on the almost 9.7 million ballots cast , only behind the total number in 2008 .
“ If we look at the participation , it was the second-highest in almost 40 years , ” he said .
“ I think we continue to see the impact from several of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic presidential primary statewide with 36 % support , followed by former Vice President Joe Biden at 27.9 % .
But most of the Democratic Party ’ s delegates were awarded by congressional district , with Biden and Sanders winning support in each of the state ’ s 53 districts .
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren won delegate votes in nine districts , while former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg won votes in seven districts .
The early primary may not earn a place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it might be remembered as California ’ s last major civic event of the pre-coronavirus era .
The likelihood that the pandemic lingers well into the fall has convinced a wide swath of elections experts that California must mail a ballot to each of the state ’ s 20.6 million voters for the November general election .
In short , they want to encourage voters to show up by staying home .
“ There is no way that any Californians should have to risk their health and possibly their life to exercise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marc Berman ( D-Palo Alto ) said .
Berman has introduced legislation to require counties to mail every registered voter a ballot for the Nov. 3 election , a one-time change in response to public health guidelines for physical distancing .
Lawmakers , who will reconvene in Sacramento next week on a limited work schedule , will consider the proposal later this month .
Fourteen counties already mail a ballot to every voter under provisions of a 2016 law that swaps new “ vote centers ” for traditional neighborhood polling places .
L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join that system without mailing all voters a ballot , is now poised to do so for November after the March election saw widespread problems including long lines at in-person vote centers that are now being investigated by auditors .
But millions more still prefer voting on election day , despite an almost two-decades-old state law that allows anyone to become a permanent absentee voter for any reason .
And because voter turnout is traditionally higher in general elections , a temporary shift to all-mail voting could create significant work for elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Given the COVID-19 pandemic , I absolutely believe we should mail every voter a ballot in California , ” Padilla said Friday .
“ We have six months to educate the public.
” Potential disagreements are already developing between local and state elections officials over the extent to which absentee voting should be the only option .
The California Assn .
of Clerks and Election Officials wrote to Gov .
Gavin Newsom last month to request changes to sharply limit in-person voting and to give new discretion to counties on how it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations that will allow for proper social distancing and space for line queuing , issuing , voting and receiving ballots will be extremely challenging .
The safety and health of the voters , poll workers and county employees are of the utmost importance , ” Joseph Holland , the registrar of voters in Santa Barbara County and the association ’ s president , wrote in the April 13 letter .
But Padilla said Friday that options must be available .
“ It ’ s important to maintain , and I ’ m committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations as possible , ” he said in an interview .
A shift to sending every voter a ballot to be cast remotely — and expecting it will be — could also put enormous pressure on vote counting .
A variety of California laws have allowed voters as much leeway as possible for returning ballots at the last minute .
Millions more of these late votes , cast by citizens who aren ’ t sure of their choices until the final hours , could prove problematic .
“ The COVID-19 infection curve is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flatten .
We need to flatten the voting curve , ” said Kim Alexander , president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation .
“ We need to encourage people to stagger their return of those ballots.
” The influx of 11th-hour ballots could be unprecedented .
Rob Pyers , the research director of the nonpartisan California Target Book , pointed out last month in a social media posting that historical data from previous November elections suggest some 6 million ballots could remain uncounted on election day .
In their letter to Newsom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of days they have to count ballots , similar to the extension he ordered for the March election .
Whether turnout for the March election met the expectations of those who championed an early presidential primary is unclear .
A slightly larger share of the state ’ s registered voters participated in the 2016 primary , many showing up for that year ’ s race between Democrats Hillary Clinton and Sanders .
The highest turnout for a presidential primary in the last quarter of a century was in February 2008 when Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic primary and Sen. John McCain won the Republican contest .
The 2008 primary was unique , though , in that both major political parties had competitive primaries .
Not so this time , Alexander said .
“ The March primary wasn ’ t for everyone , ” she said .
“ There ’ s a question as to how much you can expect turnout will increase when there ’ s only one partisan primary at stake.
” But Alexander pointed out that even interested voters could have been left out in numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unaffiliated voters , who are registered with “ no party preference , ” had to take special action to be able to cast a ballot in the Democratic primary and were excluded from the GOP contest .
But not all of those voters realized the need for an additional step until the end , when some communities — not just in Los Angeles — experienced long lines in the hours just before the polls closed on March 3 .
“ It ’ s not a surprise people are going to be deterred by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Key to the efforts to move most , or close to all , voters to participating remotely in November is the cost .
Counties , whose leaders have long criticized state leaders for imposing election mandates without also providing enough funding , are under enormous fiscal pressures from public health efforts to lessen the spread of the coronavirus .
Sending more ballots by mail incurs costs related to postage — including the state law requiring prepaid return postage — and means possible delays by the U.S .
Postal Service could further affect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those ballots long after election day .
“ It ’ s now my job to advocate for as much funding as possible , ” said Berman , whose legislation to make the change has not yet been reviewed for potential costs .
“ That ’ s going to be very difficult .
”

California’s 2020 presidential primary officially entered the history books Friday, as state officials certified a final tally and a rate of voter turnout that, while one of the highest in recent elections, still saw fewer than half of the state’s registered voters cast a ballot.
In all, 46.89% of registered voters cast ballots in the March 3 primary, which was moved up from June with hopes that turnout would be high and presidential candidates would be forced to address issues mattering most to Californians. Turnout was noticeably lower in Los Angeles County, where 38% of voters showed up. It was one of three counties tied for the second-lowest turnout in the state.
While both the 2016 and 2008 primaries saw a higher percentage of registered voters participate, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla focused on the almost 9.7 million ballots cast, only behind the total number in 2008.
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“If we look at the participation, it was the second-highest in almost 40 years,” he said. “I think we continue to see the impact from several of the voting reforms we’ve championed.”
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic presidential primary statewide with 36% support, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden at 27.9%. But most of the Democratic Party’s delegates were awarded by congressional district, with Biden and Sanders winning support in each of the state’s 53 districts. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren won delegate votes in nine districts, while former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg won votes in seven districts.
The early primary may not earn a place in the history books for voter enthusiasm, but it might be remembered as California’s last major civic event of the pre-coronavirus era. The likelihood that the pandemic lingers well into the fall has convinced a wide swath of elections experts that California must mail a ballot to each of the state’s 20.6 million voters for the November general election.
In short, they want to encourage voters to show up by staying home.
“There is no way that any Californians should have to risk their health and possibly their life to exercise the right to vote,” Assemblyman Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) said.
Berman has introduced legislation to require counties to mail every registered voter a ballot for the Nov. 3 election, a one-time change in response to public health guidelines for physical distancing. Lawmakers, who will reconvene in Sacramento next week on a limited work schedule, will consider the proposal later this month.
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Fourteen counties already mail a ballot to every voter under provisions of a 2016 law that swaps new “vote centers” for traditional neighborhood polling places. L.A. County, which was allowed this year to join that system without mailing all voters a ballot, is now poised to do so for November after the March election saw widespread problems including long lines at in-person vote centers that are now being investigated by auditors.
But millions more still prefer voting on election day, despite an almost two-decades-old state law that allows anyone to become a permanent absentee voter for any reason. And because voter turnout is traditionally higher in general elections, a temporary shift to all-mail voting could create significant work for elections officials and voting rights groups.
“Given the COVID-19 pandemic, I absolutely believe we should mail every voter a ballot in California,” Padilla said Friday. “We have six months to educate the public.”
Potential disagreements are already developing between local and state elections officials over the extent to which absentee voting should be the only option. The California Assn. of Clerks and Election Officials wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom last month to request changes to sharply limit in-person voting and to give new discretion to counties on how it would be handled.
“Finding suitable voting locations that will allow for proper social distancing and space for line queuing, issuing, voting and receiving ballots will be extremely challenging. The safety and health of the voters, poll workers and county employees are of the utmost importance,” Joseph Holland, the registrar of voters in Santa Barbara County and the association’s president, wrote in the April 13 letter.
But Padilla said Friday that options must be available.
“It’s important to maintain, and I’m committed to maintaining, as many in-person voting locations as possible,” he said in an interview.
A shift to sending every voter a ballot to be cast remotely — and expecting it will be — could also put enormous pressure on vote counting. A variety of California laws have allowed voters as much leeway as possible for returning ballots at the last minute. Millions more of these late votes, cast by citizens who aren’t sure of their choices until the final hours, could prove problematic.
“The COVID-19 infection curve is not the only curve we need to flatten. We need to flatten the voting curve,” said Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. “We need to encourage people to stagger their return of those ballots.”
The influx of 11th-hour ballots could be unprecedented. Rob Pyers, the research director of the nonpartisan California Target Book, pointed out last month in a social media posting that historical data from previous November elections suggest some 6 million ballots could remain uncounted on election day. In their letter to Newsom, elections officials asked him to extend the number of days they have to count ballots, similar to the extension he ordered for the March election.
Whether turnout for the March election met the expectations of those who championed an early presidential primary is unclear. A slightly larger share of the state’s registered voters participated in the 2016 primary, many showing up for that year’s race between Democrats Hillary Clinton and Sanders. The highest turnout for a presidential primary in the last quarter of a century was in February 2008 when Clinton beat then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic primary and Sen. John McCain won the Republican contest.
The 2008 primary was unique, though, in that both major political parties had competitive primaries. Not so this time, Alexander said.
“The March primary wasn’t for everyone,” she said. “There’s a question as to how much you can expect turnout will increase when there’s only one partisan primary at stake.”
But Alexander pointed out that even interested voters could have been left out in numbers large enough to make a difference. Unaffiliated voters, who are registered with “no party preference,” had to take special action to be able to cast a ballot in the Democratic primary and were excluded from the GOP contest. But not all of those voters realized the need for an additional step until the end, when some communities — not just in Los Angeles — experienced long lines in the hours just before the polls closed on March 3.
“It’s not a surprise people are going to be deterred by all of that,” she said.
Key to the efforts to move most, or close to all, voters to participating remotely in November is the cost.
Counties, whose leaders have long criticized state leaders for imposing election mandates without also providing enough funding, are under enormous fiscal pressures from public health efforts to lessen the spread of the coronavirus. Sending more ballots by mail incurs costs related to postage — including the state law requiring prepaid return postage — and means possible delays by the U.S. Postal Service could further affect the need for elections workers to count those ballots long after election day.
“It’s now my job to advocate for as much funding as possible,” said Berman, whose legislation to make the change has not yet been reviewed for potential costs. “That’s going to be very difficult.”


latimes--2020-05-01--'Freedom' protest against coronavirus orders leads to arrests at California Capitol

They came with babies strapped to their chests , flags waving and even a speedboat parked at the curb to symbolize California ’ s closed beaches .
Hundreds of people — likely more than 1,000 — crowded around the California State Capitol on Friday to protest Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s social distancing orders amid a pandemic that has now killed more than 2,000 Californians .
With nary a mask in sight , protesters called Newsom a tyrant and showed their support for President Trump , evidenced by Trump 2020 gear everywhere , including for sale .
But despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing , most were quick to absolve him of their anger over current conditions in the Golden State .
Susan Dorrity , a retired mortgage broker from Modesto , said the president was smart to leave decisions about closures to governors .
“ Not opening up as of May 1 is on the governor , not on him , ” she said .
“ God is behind Trump.
” The demonstration was unauthorized and not permitted by the California Highway Patrol , but CHP officers did not disperse protesters until late in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handful of arrests .
A woman who identified herself only as Michelle expressed outrage as multiple California Highway Patrol officers secured her wrists with plastic ties .
“ We were peacefully assembling and I am getting arrested , ” she fumed as her 14-year-old daughter stood by , separated from other family members .
The young girl fled past the line of officers in tactical gear with batons out , into a press of protesters , searching for her sister .
Other protests took place elsewhere in California on Friday , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees and other frontline workers who say employers are not protecting them from the contagion .
The Capitol rally kicked off just as Newsom was giving his daily briefing a few blocks away .
Asked about the protest at the still-closed building , Newsom said he supports the right to civic action and promised announcements about changes to closure orders in coming days .
“ I believe in freedom of expression , ” he said .
“ And thank them for their expression of free speech.
” About the time Newsom was speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the open sunroof of a gold Lexus SUV stuck in gridlock in front of the Capitol .
Along with those on foot , hundreds more circled in the building in cars , license plates covered in duct tape , blaring their horns and ringing cowbells .
Amid the clanging and beeps , she shouted a message for Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
“ We are healthy and we need to open up , ” she yelled .
Overhead , a plane circled trailing a banner with Newsom ’ s photo and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tyranny.
” Leigh Dundas , a Southern Californian lawyer involved in previous protests , stood in a tan speedboat parked on the street , railing against Orange County beach closures on a sound system , while protesters on the steps chanted “ freedom.
” “ The cops are pushing back the protesters off the steps of our house , ” she yelled as highway patrol officers began moving protesters away from Capitol steps around 1:30 p.m. “ Freedom !
” She yelled , and the crowd joined in the chant .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unconstitutional ... and I ’ m not OK with it , ” she said later .
As of Friday , the COVID-19 pandemic had sickened more than 50,000 people and killed more than 2,050 in California .
Nationwide , it has killed more than 65,000 .
Among the political activists were some small-business owners new to political dissent and facing crushing financial losses .
Mike Owen runs Crystal Basin Cellars , a winery in El Dorado County .
Owen said he was lucky because alcohol sales were considered an essential service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we are doing tons of delivery and shipping , ” own said .
Still , he ’ s gone from 20 employees to about four , and is frustrated that those he laid off have been unable to get unemployment benefits so far .
“ This is the point where thankfully people have some reserves , family , he said .
But he believes the shutdown is more about politics than public safety .
“ We are all participating right now in Gavin Newsom ’ s run for president , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise his profile.
” Jim , another small business owner who asked that his last name not be used , runs a bounce house company in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville .
This time of year is usually busy for his 300 jumpers and 13 employees but the shutdown has wiped him out financially .
“ All my schools , my graduation parties , field days , they ’ re gone .
Just like that , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know what to do.
” Jim said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build the company , starting in his garage .
Within weeks of the virus hitting , people began to cancel .
“ I ’ ve never given back so many refunds , ” he said .
“ I went insolvent.
” He laid off all his workers except for one .
But that employee used to make more than $ 1,000 a week .
Now “ it ’ s maybe $ 140 .
I mean , just scraps.
” Jim said he had never been to a rally before last week ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlike many draped in patriotic colors , he wore a black polo shirt with his company logo .
As he stood watching police and protesters face off , his jaw tightened with emotion .
“ We shut down the country for a cold , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve got to stop talking .
”

A protester walks into the water in Hermosa Beach following a rally voicing their disagreement with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s closure of beaches. The residents were joined by about 100 people in chanting to “open the beach,” and then a march to the sand and eventually water, near the Hermosa Beach Pier. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Hundreds of people converge in downtown Los Angeles to demand the reopening of the California economy. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters demanding the end of the coronavirus lockdown wave flags in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters in downtown Los Angeles call for the end of stay-at-home orders. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters call for the end of coronavirus stay-at-home orders outside City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters demanding that stay-at-home rules be lifted gather outside L.A. City Hall on Friday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A Los Angeles police officer stands outside City Hall on Friday as protesters call on the city and state governments to lift stay-at-home orders. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A protester calling for the end of stay-at-home restrictions, left, argues with a counterprotester outside L.A. City Hall. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A proponent of opening the economy as quickly as possible, right, gets into a verbal altercation with a counterprotester at Los Angeles City Hall. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Hundreds of people converge in downtown Los Angeles to call on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to lift stay-at-home orders and reopen the state economy, saying the coronavirus lockdown has hurt workers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles)
Protesters demand that California’s stay-at-home rules be lifted at Huntington Beach on Friday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters converge on Huntington Beach on Friday to demand stay-at-home rules be lifted. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Hundreds of protesters gather at the state Capitol in Sacramento to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
California Highway Patrol officers take into custody a woman who refused to follow orders to move off the state Capitol grounds in Sacramento during a protest Friday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
More than 1,500 people took part in a protest at the Capitol in Sacramento, seeking a reopening of the California economy. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
California Highway Patrol officers take into custody a woman who refused to follow orders to move off the Capitol grounds during a protest Friday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Mounted police line up to keep protesters on the sidewalk at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters rally at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Hundreds of protesters rally at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Motorists join the protesters at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Mounted police line up to keep protesters on the sidewalk at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
An aerial view of surfers in the waters off Huntington Beach on Friday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Huntington Beach lifeguards patrol with a boat to try to clear surfers out of the water while protesters rallied nearby. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Gareth Davies of Aliso Viejo waves the U.S. flag in Huntington Beach while protesting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s closure of Orange County beaches. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A protester holds a U.S. flag outside his car while joining a rally at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to reopen beaches and lift stay-at-home orders. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Alicia Cruz, center, of Elk Grove, Calif., takes part in a protest at the California State Capitol. She said she was there to protect civil liberties, her children’s future and future livelihoods. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Over 1,500 people attended a rally at the capitol in Sacramento, May 1, 2020. asking for the reopening of the economy, closed due to the coronavirus. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Over 1,500 people attended a rally at the capitol in Sacramento, May 1, 2020. asking for the reopening of the economy, closed due to the coronavirus. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Over 1,500 people attended a rally at the capitol in Sacramento, May 1, 2020. asking for the reopening of the economy, closed due to the coronavirus. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
They came with babies strapped to their chests, flags waving and even a speedboat parked at the curb to symbolize California’s closed beaches.
Hundreds of people — likely more than 1,000 — crowded around the California State Capitol on Friday to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom’s social distancing orders amid a pandemic that has now killed more than 2,000 Californians.
With nary a mask in sight, protesters called Newsom a tyrant and showed their support for President Trump, evidenced by Trump 2020 gear everywhere, including for sale. But despite the president’s back-and-forth support of social distancing, most were quick to absolve him of their anger over current conditions in the Golden State.
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Susan Dorrity, a retired mortgage broker from Modesto, said the president was smart to leave decisions about closures to governors.
“Not opening up as of May 1 is on the governor, not on him,” she said. “God is behind Trump.”
The demonstration was unauthorized and not permitted by the California Highway Patrol, but CHP officers did not disperse protesters until late in the afternoon when tense moments led to a handful of arrests.
A woman who identified herself only as Michelle expressed outrage as multiple California Highway Patrol officers secured her wrists with plastic ties.
“We were peacefully assembling and I am getting arrested,” she fumed as her 14-year-old daughter stood by, separated from other family members. The young girl fled past the line of officers in tactical gear with batons out, into a press of protesters, searching for her sister.
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Other protests took place elsewhere in California on Friday, along with actions by grocery clerks, warehouse employees and other frontline workers who say employers are not protecting them from the contagion.
The Capitol rally kicked off just as Newsom was giving his daily briefing a few blocks away. Asked about the protest at the still-closed building, Newsom said he supports the right to civic action and promised announcements about changes to closure orders in coming days.
“I believe in freedom of expression,” he said. “And thank them for their expression of free speech.”
About the time Newsom was speaking, Susan West stood waving a flag out the open sunroof of a gold Lexus SUV stuck in gridlock in front of the Capitol. Along with those on foot, hundreds more circled in the building in cars, license plates covered in duct tape, blaring their horns and ringing cowbells. Amid the clanging and beeps, she shouted a message for Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“We are healthy and we need to open up,” she yelled.
Overhead, a plane circled trailing a banner with Newsom’s photo and a slogan that read: “End his Tyranny.”
Leigh Dundas, a Southern Californian lawyer involved in previous protests, stood in a tan speedboat parked on the street, railing against Orange County beach closures on a sound system, while protesters on the steps chanted “freedom.”
Protesters brought a boat to the California State Capitol on Friday to protest coronavirus beach shutdowns. (Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times)
“The cops are pushing back the protesters off the steps of our house,” she yelled as highway patrol officers began moving protesters away from Capitol steps around 1:30 p.m.
“Freedom!” She yelled, and the crowd joined in the chant.
“What’s going on at this point is unconstitutional ... and I’m not OK with it,” she said later.
As of Friday, the COVID-19 pandemic had sickened more than 50,000 people and killed more than 2,050 in California. Nationwide, it has killed more than 65,000.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
Among the political activists were some small-business owners new to political dissent and facing crushing financial losses.
Mike Owen runs Crystal Basin Cellars, a winery in El Dorado County. Owen said he was lucky because alcohol sales were considered an essential service.
“We’ve had to pivot and we are doing tons of delivery and shipping,” own said.
Still, he’s gone from 20 employees to about four, and is frustrated that those he laid off have been unable to get unemployment benefits so far. “This is the point where thankfully people have some reserves, family, he said.
But he believes the shutdown is more about politics than public safety. “We are all participating right now in Gavin Newsom’s run for president,” he said. “The conflict is going to raise his profile.”
Jim, another small business owner who asked that his last name not be used, runs a bounce house company in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville. This time of year is usually busy for his 300 jumpers and 13 employees but the shutdown has wiped him out financially.
“All my schools, my graduation parties, field days, they’re gone. Just like that,” he said. “I don’t know what to do.”
Jim said it had taken him 10 years to build the company, starting in his garage. Within weeks of the virus hitting, people began to cancel.
“I’ve never given back so many refunds,” he said. “I went insolvent.” He laid off all his workers except for one. But that employee used to make more than $1,000 a week. Now “it’s maybe $140. I mean, just scraps.”
Jim said he had never been to a rally before last week’s similar event at the Capitol, and unlike many draped in patriotic colors, he wore a black polo shirt with his company logo. As he stood watching police and protesters face off, his jaw tightened with emotion.
“We shut down the country for a cold,” he said. “I’ve got to stop talking.”


latimes--2020-05-01--Trump and Mnuchin pressure well-heeled private schools to return federal loans

Elite private schools , including Brentwood School in West L.A. , drew criticism Friday from President Trump , who said through a spokesman that those with “ significant endowments ” should consider returning money they have received from a federal coronavirus aid program .
“ The president has made clear that he does not believe private schools with significant endowments should be receiving [ Paycheck Protection Program ] money and those that have should consider returning it , ” White House spokesman Judd Deere said .
Trump ’ s comments followed earlier statements on Friday by Treasury Secretary Steven T. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism of private schools that have taken loans from the $ 660-billion PPP , which is designed to help small businesses affected by the coronavirus crisis and is part of the federal CARES Act that was signed into law March 27 .
Mnuchin went a step further than Trump , saying in a tweet that such schools “ should return the loans.
” Both Trump and Mnuchin ’ s children attend exclusive private schools that have received PPP loans .
The Times reported Thursday that Brentwood School , where at least two of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took funding of an undisclosed sum .
Barron Trump , one of the president ’ s sons , attends St. Andrew ’ s Episcopal School in Potomac , Md.
, which said in a statement Friday it would keep the PPP money it received .
A representative of Brentwood did not respond to a request for comment Friday .
Deere , the White House spokesman , also referenced Trump ’ s previous statements on aid for universities .
Harvard was among those in line to receive another form of funding under the CARES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following critical remarks from Trump .
Calling Harvard ’ s endowment “ one of the largest ... maybe [ in ] the world , ” Trump said last month of the aid : “ They shouldn ’ t be taking it.
” Brentwood School , a K-12 facility with more than 1,100 students on two campuses , said Thursday that its PPP loan would help it navigate a future that could include “ a potential decline in enrollment and charitable giving , accompanied by increased demand for financial assistance and other escalating expenses.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an endowment of $ 17.4 million , according to Internal Revenue Service data .
UCLA education professor Tyrone Howard criticized Brentwood ’ s decision to accept a PPP loan , contrasting the institution with public schools that he expects to struggle financially amid the pandemic .
“ That ’ s not a good look , ” said Howard of Brentwood ’ s move .
“ There ’ s just something that ’ s not equitable about that.
” Officials at several other expensive L.A.-area private schools — where high school tuition costs range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — told The Times that their administrations opted to not apply for PPP loans , which are forgivable if certain parameters are met .
Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles , Marlborough School in Hancock Park , Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica , and Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada Flintridge did not apply for the funding , their representatives said .
This week , Mnuchin has been critical of another well-heeled L.A. organization that received a PPP loan .
In a CNBC interview Tuesday , he called it “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a now-returned $ 4.6-million PPP loan .
Allocations of the PPP funding have come under intense scrutiny , with several other high-profile businesses and organizations , including Shake Shack Inc. , saying they would give back their loan after facing public pressure .
Mnuchin has threatened to hold participating companies criminally liable if they do not meet criteria for the program , whose loans are designed to help pay for workers ’ salaries .
On April 26 , the Small Business Administration , which backs the PPP loans , issued revised guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , public companies with other financing options shouldn ’ t seek the money .
It also cautioned entities receiving the loans that they might be asked to certify the funding was required for continued operation .
The new guidance made at least one private school think twice .
Polytechnic School in Pasadena said it received a PPP loan on April 24 , but after reviewing the SBA ’ s updated directive , decided Thursday to reverse course .
“ We determined , based on the new guidelines , that we would return the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of school at Polytechnic .
He added that the school already is “ seeing some financial impacts ” and anticipates “ broader and more profound consequences on our community in the months to come.
” Brentwood ’ s leadership also outlined the pandemic ’ s effect on the school , saying in its Thursday statement that “ the dramatic and enduring impacts of COVID-19 will continue to affect our school financially , and in other ways , over the course of at least the next year.
” Founded in 1972 , Brentwood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flockhart and investor Lance Milken , son of billionaire Michael Milken , the former junk bond king .
Tuition ranges from $ 37,500 a year for kindergarten through fifth-grade students to $ 44,000 for sixth- through 12th-grade pupils .
Brentwood has said that salaries and benefits for faculty and staff are the school ’ s largest operating expense , and it noted that its endowment “ does not contribute interest income to our operating budget.
” “ We rely on donations beyond tuition revenue each year to balance our budget , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17.4-million endowment as of 2017 — the most recent year for which data were available — is lower than some of its peers .
Harvard-Westlake had an endowment of $ 146.8 million in 2018 , Polytechnic ’ s was $ 75.3 million in 2017 , and Malborough ’ s was $ 50 million 2016 , according to IRS data .
Schools are typically reluctant to pull from their endowment to fund operating costs .
Some donations to an endowment have restrictions on how the money can be used .
However , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement that its “ strong endowment ” and “ recognition that there are many organizations with much greater need than ours ” led to its decision to not seek PPP funding .
Lower-cost private institutions , including Catholic schools , have been hit hard — and many were struggling financially before the pandemic .
All 240 schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese applied for PPP funding , with 39 successful so far .
Tuition is typically $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 a year , with financial aid available .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Diocese of San Bernardino has received no funding to date , even though 20 of its 26 schools reported a sudden drop in tuition revenue .
The result has been layoffs or salary reductions for 110 out of 741 employees even as schooling continues via distance learning , spokesman John Andrews said .
The federal support “ would be a major help … a huge thing , ” Andrews said .
Private prep schools may not be the first entity that comes to mind when considering aid for small businesses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and times are tough for many of them , said Mary Menacho , interim executive director for the California Assn .
of Independent Schools , the organization for 224 private schools in the state .
“ All of these schools are small businesses when it comes down to it … [ and ] have really bent over backwards to keep their programs going and their people employed , ” she said .

Daniel Miller, Paloma Esquivel, Howard Blume

President Trump said through a spokesman on Friday that private schools with “significant endowments” should consider returning any Paycheck Protection Program loans they have received.
Elite private schools, including Brentwood School in West L.A., drew criticism Friday from President Trump, who said through a spokesman that those with “significant endowments” should consider returning money they have received from a federal coronavirus aid program.
“The president has made clear that he does not believe private schools with significant endowments should be receiving [Paycheck Protection Program] money and those that have should consider returning it,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said.
Trump’s comments followed earlier statements on Friday by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, who stepped up his previous criticism of private schools that have taken loans from the $660-billion PPP, which is designed to help small businesses affected by the coronavirus crisis and is part of the federal CARES Act that was signed into law March 27. Mnuchin went a step further than Trump, saying in a tweet that such schools “should return the loans.”
Both Trump and Mnuchin’s children attend exclusive private schools that have received PPP loans. The Times reported Thursday that Brentwood School, where at least two of Mnuchin’s children are students, took funding of an undisclosed sum.
Barron Trump, one of the president’s sons, attends St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Md., which said in a statement Friday it would keep the PPP money it received.
A representative of Brentwood did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
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Deere, the White House spokesman, also referenced Trump’s previous statements on aid for universities. Harvard was among those in line to receive another form of funding under the CARES Act but opted not to take it following critical remarks from Trump.
Calling Harvard’s endowment “one of the largest ... maybe [in] the world,” Trump said last month of the aid: “They shouldn’t be taking it.”
Brentwood School, a K-12 facility with more than 1,100 students on two campuses, said Thursday that its PPP loan would help it navigate a future that could include “a potential decline in enrollment and charitable giving, accompanied by increased demand for financial assistance and other escalating expenses.” In 2017, the school had an endowment of $17.4 million, according to Internal Revenue Service data.
UCLA education professor Tyrone Howard criticized Brentwood’s decision to accept a PPP loan, contrasting the institution with public schools that he expects to struggle financially amid the pandemic.
“That’s not a good look,” said Howard of Brentwood’s move. “There’s just something that’s not equitable about that.”
Officials at several other expensive L.A.-area private schools — where high school tuition costs range from 38,000 to $44,000 a year — told The Times that their administrations opted to not apply for PPP loans, which are forgivable if certain parameters are met.
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Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, Marlborough School in Hancock Park, Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica, and Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada Flintridge did not apply for the funding, their representatives said.
This week, Mnuchin has been critical of another well-heeled L.A. organization that received a PPP loan. In a CNBC interview Tuesday, he called it “outrageous” that the Los Angeles Lakers received a now-returned $4.6-million PPP loan.
Allocations of the PPP funding have come under intense scrutiny, with several other high-profile businesses and organizations, including Shake Shack Inc., saying they would give back their loan after facing public pressure. Mnuchin has threatened to hold participating companies criminally liable if they do not meet criteria for the program, whose loans are designed to help pay for workers’ salaries.
On April 26, the Small Business Administration, which backs the PPP loans, issued revised guidelines for the program that make clear big, public companies with other financing options shouldn’t seek the money. It also cautioned entities receiving the loans that they might be asked to certify the funding was required for continued operation.
The new guidance made at least one private school think twice. Polytechnic School in Pasadena said it received a PPP loan on April 24, but after reviewing the SBA’s updated directive, decided Thursday to reverse course.
“We determined, based on the new guidelines, that we would return the funds,” said John Bracker, head of school at Polytechnic. He added that the school already is “seeing some financial impacts” and anticipates “broader and more profound consequences on our community in the months to come.”
Brentwood’s leadership also outlined the pandemic’s effect on the school, saying in its Thursday statement that “the dramatic and enduring impacts of COVID-19 will continue to affect our school financially, and in other ways, over the course of at least the next year.”
Founded in 1972, Brentwood’s board members include actress Calista Flockhart and investor Lance Milken, son of billionaire Michael Milken, the former junk bond king. Tuition ranges from $37,500 a year for kindergarten through fifth-grade students to $44,000 for sixth- through 12th-grade pupils.
Brentwood has said that salaries and benefits for faculty and staff are the school’s largest operating expense, and it noted that its endowment “does not contribute interest income to our operating budget.”
“We rely on donations beyond tuition revenue each year to balance our budget,” the school said.
Brentwood’s $17.4-million endowment as of 2017 — the most recent year for which data were available — is lower than some of its peers. Harvard-Westlake had an endowment of $146.8 million in 2018, Polytechnic’s was $75.3 million in 2017, and Malborough’s was $50 million 2016, according to IRS data.
Schools are typically reluctant to pull from their endowment to fund operating costs. Some donations to an endowment have restrictions on how the money can be used. However, in the case of Malborough, the girls school said in a statement that its “strong endowment” and “recognition that there are many organizations with much greater need than ours” led to its decision to not seek PPP funding.
Lower-cost private institutions, including Catholic schools, have been hit hard — and many were struggling financially before the pandemic. All 240 schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese applied for PPP funding, with 39 successful so far. Tuition is typically $5,000 to $10,000 a year, with financial aid available. Now many families are simply unable to pay.
The Diocese of San Bernardino has received no funding to date, even though 20 of its 26 schools reported a sudden drop in tuition revenue. The result has been layoffs or salary reductions for 110 out of 741 employees even as schooling continues via distance learning, spokesman John Andrews said.
The federal support “would be a major help … a huge thing,” Andrews said.
Private prep schools may not be the first entity that comes to mind when considering aid for small businesses. But that’s what they are, and times are tough for many of them, said Mary Menacho, interim executive director for the California Assn. of Independent Schools, the organization for 224 private schools in the state.
“All of these schools are small businesses when it comes down to it … [and] have really bent over backwards to keep their programs going and their people employed,” she said.
Times staff writer Sonali Kohli contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-02--Magnitude 3.5 earthquake registered near Calexico, Calif.

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Saturday at 4:44 p.m. Pacific time four miles from Calexico , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred five miles from El Centro , Calif. , seven miles from Imperial , Calif. , 14 miles from Brawley , Calif. , and 39 miles from San Luis , Ariz..
In the last 10 days , there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred at a depth of 9.8 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

The location and shaking intensity of a magnitude 3.5 earthquake reported Saturday four miles from Calexico, Calif.
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Saturday at 4:44 p.m. Pacific time four miles from Calexico, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred five miles from El Centro, Calif., seven miles from Imperial, Calif., 14 miles from Brawley, Calif., and 39 miles from San Luis, Ariz..
In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 9.8 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-05-02--L.A. County reports 691 new coronavirus cases and 38 deaths

Los Angeles County public health officials on Saturday announced 691 new COVID-19 cases and 38 related deaths .
“ For those of you who are grieving a loved one lost to COVID-19 , we are so sorry for your loss , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county health director , said in a statement .
The county has recorded a total of 24,894 cases and 1,209 deaths .
More than 158,000 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus and received results , with about 14 % testing positive , officials said .
“ As we plan for L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mapping a path forward that allows us to appropriately acknowledge the very real risks of COVID-19 and , together , do everything possible to continue to slow the spread and save lives , ” Ferrer said .
The Department of Public Health is working toward relaxing some of the provisions of the county ’ s stay-at-home order , but businesses and residents will still need to practice physical distancing and infection control measures , and some orders and directives from health officers will remain in place , the department said in a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and related deaths has risen steadily , L.A. County has not seen a rapid spike sufficient to overwhelm the healthcare system , as has been seen in New York City and other locations .
Ferrer said Friday that it ’ s important to respect the stay-at-home orders currently in place and to ensure that any loosening occurs gradually so that case levels continue to be manageable .
“ The conditions we faced in February and March and April haven ’ t changed significantly , ” she said .
“ We still have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among people who are in close contact with each other .
Ninety-five percent of us have still not been infected , and until there ’ s a vaccine , most residents in L.A. County can be infected at any time over the months to come.
” County officials have said that four benchmarks must be reached in order for L.A. 's stay-at-home orders to be eased .
Hospitals will need to make sure they can maintain capacity to treat people who are sick with COVID-19 and those with standard medical needs .
Protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable residents , including the elderly , homeless people and those who live in institutional settings .
The county must be able to test , isolate and quarantine all those who are ill and conduct surveillance to prevent further spread .
And physical distancing and infection control measures must be maintained , including when businesses start to reopen .
“ While we ’ re planning for recovery , there will still need to be health-officer orders in our new normal , and directives to help us make sure that we ’ re opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any huge outbreaks and overwhelming our healthcare system , ” Ferrer said .

Nurse practitioner Sharlene Gan and medical assistant Celia Cerna of Los Angeles Christian Health Centers take a swab sample from Demetria Nichols on April 30 at the Midnight Mission in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County public health officials on Saturday announced 691 new COVID-19 cases and 38 related deaths.
“For those of you who are grieving a loved one lost to COVID-19, we are so sorry for your loss,” Barbara Ferrer, the county health director, said in a statement.
The county has recorded a total of 24,894 cases and 1,209 deaths. More than 158,000 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus and received results, with about 14% testing positive, officials said.
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“As we plan for L.A. County’s recovery phase, we are mapping a path forward that allows us to appropriately acknowledge the very real risks of COVID-19 and, together, do everything possible to continue to slow the spread and save lives,” Ferrer said.
The Department of Public Health is working toward relaxing some of the provisions of the county’s stay-at-home order, but businesses and residents will still need to practice physical distancing and infection control measures, and some orders and directives from health officers will remain in place, the department said in a news release.
Though the number of coronavirus cases and related deaths has risen steadily, L.A. County has not seen a rapid spike sufficient to overwhelm the healthcare system, as has been seen in New York City and other locations.
Ferrer said Friday that it’s important to respect the stay-at-home orders currently in place and to ensure that any loosening occurs gradually so that case levels continue to be manageable.
“The conditions we faced in February and March and April haven’t changed significantly,” she said. “We still have a new virus that is easily spread among people who are in close contact with each other. Ninety-five percent of us have still not been infected, and until there’s a vaccine, most residents in L.A. County can be infected at any time over the months to come.”
County officials have said that four benchmarks must be reached in order for L.A.’s stay-at-home orders to be eased.
Hospitals will need to make sure they can maintain capacity to treat people who are sick with COVID-19 and those with standard medical needs. Protections must be in place for the most vulnerable residents, including the elderly, homeless people and those who live in institutional settings.
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The county must be able to test, isolate and quarantine all those who are ill and conduct surveillance to prevent further spread. And physical distancing and infection control measures must be maintained, including when businesses start to reopen.
“While we’re planning for recovery, there will still need to be health-officer orders in our new normal, and directives to help us make sure that we’re opening slowly and carefully so that we avoid any huge outbreaks and overwhelming our healthcare system,” Ferrer said.