latimes--2020-06-29--A glimpse at some of what's in California's new $202-billion state budget

Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Monday signed into law the key provisions of a new state budget , a spending plan that seeks to erase a historic deficit while preserving service levels for schools , healthcare and social services .
The $ 202.1-billion budget , a blueprint for the fiscal year that begins on Wednesday , is unlikely to be the final effort to address the economic impacts of the state ’ s COVID-19 pandemic .
A handful of budget-related items remain pending in the California Legislature , and lawmakers may revisit funding levels once a more clear picture of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In the face of a global pandemic that has also caused a recession across the world and here in California , our state has passed a budget that is balanced , responsible and protects public safety and health , education , and services to Californians facing the greatest hardships , ” Newsom said in a statement .
Legislators persuaded Newsom to largely replace the cuts he proposed last month to some of the state ’ s core programs with an assortment of other budget-balancing solutions : delayed payment plans , borrowing from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue estimates .
The final agreement also relies heavily on cash reserves , withdrawing almost half the money in California ’ s $ 16-billion “ rainy day ” fund .
While some budget choices were supported by lawmakers from both major political parties , the enacted plan largely reflects the priorities of majority Democrats .
Schools hold their own , but just barely When measured by total local and state tax dollars , the new budget essentially holds school spending flat at an average of about $ 12,000 per student .
But those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and community colleges won ’ t be receiving all of the money in a timely fashion .
The budget authorizes up to $ 12.5 billion in school funds — some of it owed now , most in the new fiscal year — to be paid late through a system of “ deferrals ” last used during the Great Recession .
School districts will be mostly on their own to replace the missing dollars , either by tapping district reserve funds or taking out loans .
The state agrees to pay back the borrowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget provision could help schools find cash : The state will temporarily pick up some of the employer ’ s contribution to pension payments covering teachers and other employees .
Outside of required spending , the state will allocate $ 5.5 billion in one-time funds to mitigate the impacts of changes brought on by the coronavirus crisis .
Most of the money will be divvied up based on a school district ’ s concentration of low-income and English-learning students , while another portion is focused on the effects on special education students .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in requirements for instructional minutes , given the pandemic ’ s impact on teaching plans for the new academic year .
These cuts get erased with Washington ’ s help A key component of the final deal between Newsom and Democratic lawmakers was how much new coronavirus relief California might receive this year from President Trump and Congress and what to do until it arrives .
The spending plan includes a list of more than $ 11 billion in spending cuts that will be reversed if at least $ 14 billion in new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs dominate the list , and the budget envisions federal dollars would allow some of the payment deferrals to be avoided .
Cuts to housing programs , court operations and child support administration would also be erased .
And steep pay cuts to state workers would be offset .
If less than $ 14 billion arrives from Washington , the budget requires those dollars to be doled out proportionally among the various programs slated for reinstatement .
California ’ s new budget has a variety of ways to assist Californians and government services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented public health crisis .
Counties and cities will receive $ 1.8 billion of the state ’ s share of existing federal coronavirus relief , much of it divvied up based on population .
The state ’ s infectious disease operations will be boosted , while recipients of various programs normally requiring in-person interviews to determine eligibility — those who receive in-home care and services for aged and blind , for example — will be able to renew participation by phone or videoconference .
Food bank services will receive additional state support .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as their families .
A new program will offer housing and mental health services to college students who left school after the onset of the coronavirus in the spring .
State tax dollars will continue to back child-care vouchers for essential workers .
Up to $ 15 million will be set aside as emergency financial aid for students at state colleges and universities who were denied federal help because of their immigration status .
And general fund dollars will be used to mitigate other coronavirus shortfalls , such as lost entrance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund California parks .
In 2012 , Gov .
Jerry Brown signed into law a limit of 48 months for Californians to receive aid from the state ’ s welfare assistance program , CalWorks .
Subsequent changes created a pair of 24-month maximum time limits on other work requirements .
The new budget sets the stage for erasing all of that and going back to what existed before Brown ’ s push : a single lifetime limit of 60 months for access to CalWorks services — consistent with federal rules and possibly offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time in recent years .
“ The pandemic has bought into very clear relief the reality faced by lower-income people , ” said Frank Mecca , executive director of the County Welfare Directors Assn .
of California .
“ Their lives aren ’ t linear.
” Local officials , Mecca said , have spent so much energy trying to manage the different “ clocks ” of eligibility that it ’ s left less time for helping clients get back on their feet .
The budget protects overall CalWorks funding by using a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and welfare services , a backup pool of funds that didn ’ t exist in previous recessions .
Elsewhere , the budget adds four more years of additional CalFresh benefits for those who live in communities without reliable access to safe drinking water .
And it offers new access to the state ’ s earned income tax credit for some Californians without legal immigration status if they have a child younger than 6 .
Medi-Cal , the state ’ s version of the federal Medicaid program , serves about 1 in every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the divide between rich and poor .
While almost two-thirds of the funding comes from the federal government , Newsom targeted a wide array of healthcare services for cuts under the budget he proposed last month .
Democratic legislators rejected many of those cuts , maintaining access to dental and vision services , occupational and physical therapy , and a diabetes prevention program .
They also refused to cut payments to doctors who treat Medi-Cal patients , an effort funded by new tobacco taxes that voters approved in 2016 .
Some programs will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extend for up to 12 months after childbirth for women diagnosed with a maternal mental health condition .
As part of a federal program , California will ensure Medi-Cal eligibility for people younger than 21 , or a former foster care youth under 26 , while incarcerated .
Additional services will be offered to treat opioid use disorders .
And the state Department of Health Care Services will have almost $ 200 million in tax revenues from the sale of legalized marijuana for education , prevention and treatment of youth substance use disorders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea into vogue for addressing the state ’ s homelessness crisis : purchasing empty hotels and running them for those in need of shelter .
The budget spends $ 550 million from this spring ’ s federal coronavirus relief aid to buy and refurbish motels , hotels and hostels for homeless Californians .
Local officials are already involved in this effort under the state-local partnership known as Project Roomkey , though the local effort in Los Angeles has struggled and Newsom ’ s push met with early resistance in other communities .
Counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help operate those facilities over the coming 12 months .
In many cases , these renovations will be exempt from provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act in hopes of speedy completion .
More state funding for homelessness efforts is also in the budget : $ 300 million will be spent on the homeless relief program that began last year .
Counties and cities will receive funding through the program .
And the budget boosts housing assistance , spending $ 300 million for housing counseling and mortgage relief programs and $ 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money comes from the state ’ s share of a 2012 national legal settlement after the mortgage crisis of the last recession — money the state tried to use to balance the budget in the past and was forced last year by the courts to spend specifically on housing help .
California ’ s projected budget deficit will be erased for the coming year mostly by surplus cash and longer payment plans , with only about $ 4.4 billion in new tax revenue .
Most of that money will come from two changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ net operating loss , where deductions total more than taxable revenues , will be canceled for three years retroactive to Jan. 1 on net incomes of more than $ 1 million .
New limits will also be placed for three years on business incentive tax credits , capped at offsetting no more than $ 5 million in tax liability for the same three-year period .
Budget watchers often dismiss small spending items in the annual spending plan as “ budget dust , ” costing so little relative to the overall dollar amounts as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the fine print offers a peek at how state government really operates .
A review by the Assembly Budget Committee cites more than $ 1.3 million in litigation costs for some of the environmental lawsuits the state has filed against the Trump administration , citing efforts to defend provisions of the Endangered Species Act and recent federal biological opinions affecting water use in California .
Cleanup costs continue to mount for California ’ s Mendocino Complex blaze , which burned some 410,000 acres in 2018 .
The budget sets aside $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lake County .
That ’ s on top of $ 3.2 million that ’ s already been spent .
It ’ s possible , but not certain , that the federal government will ultimately reimburse some of the costs .
The budget allocates $ 700,000 for the creation of a “ working group ” to help guide the state ’ s new Fair Pay to Play Act , the law that allows college athletes to receive endorsement deals .
Carrying out California ’ s new law imposing a moratorium on bobcat hunting will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fish and Wildlife by more than $ 2.7 million .
Implementing California ’ s smoking ban on state beaches and parks will cost $ 2 million in the coming year .
But those costs pale in comparison to the cost for picking up trash strewn alongside California ’ s highways : The budget boosts Caltrans ’ litter abatement program by $ 31.8 million .
That ’ s expected to grow to an increase of $ 43.4 million a year by the summer of 2024 .

Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2020-21 state budget on May 14. The final budget was signed by Newsom on Monday, two days before the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed into law the key provisions of a new state budget, a spending plan that seeks to erase a historic deficit while preserving service levels for schools, healthcare and social services.
The $202.1-billion budget, a blueprint for the fiscal year that begins on Wednesday, is unlikely to be the final effort to address the economic impacts of the state’s COVID-19 pandemic. A handful of budget-related items remain pending in the California Legislature, and lawmakers may revisit funding levels once a more clear picture of tax receipts develops after July 15.
“In the face of a global pandemic that has also caused a recession across the world and here in California, our state has passed a budget that is balanced, responsible and protects public safety and health, education, and services to Californians facing the greatest hardships,” Newsom said in a statement.
Legislators persuaded Newsom to largely replace the cuts he proposed last month to some of the state’s core programs with an assortment of other budget-balancing solutions: delayed payment plans, borrowing from various internal funds and more optimistic tax revenue estimates. The final agreement also relies heavily on cash reserves, withdrawing almost half the money in California’s $16-billion “rainy day” fund.
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While some budget choices were supported by lawmakers from both major political parties, the enacted plan largely reflects the priorities of majority Democrats.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Schools hold their own, but just barely
When measured by total local and state tax dollars, the new budget essentially holds school spending flat at an average of about $12,000 per student. But those numbers can be deceiving because K-12 schools and community colleges won’t be receiving all of the money in a timely fashion.
The budget authorizes up to $12.5 billion in school funds — some of it owed now, most in the new fiscal year — to be paid late through a system of “deferrals” last used during the Great Recession. School districts will be mostly on their own to replace the missing dollars, either by tapping district reserve funds or taking out loans. The state agrees to pay back the borrowed money down the road.
One other budget provision could help schools find cash: The state will temporarily pick up some of the employer’s contribution to pension payments covering teachers and other employees.
Outside of required spending, the state will allocate $5.5 billion in one-time funds to mitigate the impacts of changes brought on by the coronavirus crisis. Most of the money will be divvied up based on a school district’s concentration of low-income and English-learning students, while another portion is focused on the effects on special education students.
Schools will also receive some new flexibility in requirements for instructional minutes, given the pandemic’s impact on teaching plans for the new academic year.
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These cuts get erased with Washington’s help
A key component of the final deal between Newsom and Democratic lawmakers was how much new coronavirus relief California might receive this year from President Trump and Congress and what to do until it arrives.
The spending plan includes a list of more than $11 billion in spending cuts that will be reversed if at least $14 billion in new federal dollars arrive this fall. Education programs dominate the list, and the budget envisions federal dollars would allow some of the payment deferrals to be avoided. Cuts to housing programs, court operations and child support administration would also be erased. And steep pay cuts to state workers would be offset.
If less than $14 billion arrives from Washington, the budget requires those dollars to be doled out proportionally among the various programs slated for reinstatement.
Sweeping COVID-19 relief efforts
California’s new budget has a variety of ways to assist Californians and government services hit hard by the costs of the unprecedented public health crisis.
Counties and cities will receive $1.8 billion of the state’s share of existing federal coronavirus relief, much of it divvied up based on population.
The state’s infectious disease operations will be boosted, while recipients of various programs normally requiring in-person interviews to determine eligibility — those who receive in-home care and services for aged and blind, for example — will be able to renew participation by phone or videoconference.
Food bank services will receive additional state support. So too will people with developmental disabilities as well as their families. A new program will offer housing and mental health services to college students who left school after the onset of the coronavirus in the spring.
State tax dollars will continue to back child-care vouchers for essential workers. Up to $15 million will be set aside as emergency financial aid for students at state colleges and universities who were denied federal help because of their immigration status. And general fund dollars will be used to mitigate other coronavirus shortfalls, such as lost entrance fees and fuel taxes that usually help fund California parks.
A single time limit for welfare programs
In 2012, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a limit of 48 months for Californians to receive aid from the state’s welfare assistance program, CalWorks. Subsequent changes created a pair of 24-month maximum time limits on other work requirements.
The new budget sets the stage for erasing all of that and going back to what existed before Brown’s push: a single lifetime limit of 60 months for access to CalWorks services — consistent with federal rules and possibly offering new help to some who ran out of time in recent years.
“The pandemic has bought into very clear relief the reality faced by lower-income people,” said Frank Mecca, executive director of the County Welfare Directors Assn. of California. “Their lives aren’t linear.”
Local officials, Mecca said, have spent so much energy trying to manage the different “clocks” of eligibility that it’s left less time for helping clients get back on their feet.
The budget protects overall CalWorks funding by using a portion of a special cash reserve for health and welfare services, a backup pool of funds that didn’t exist in previous recessions.
Elsewhere, the budget adds four more years of additional CalFresh benefits for those who live in communities without reliable access to safe drinking water. And it offers new access to the state’s earned income tax credit for some Californians without legal immigration status if they have a child younger than 6.
Health services largely protected from cuts
Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, serves about 1 in every 3 Californians — a stark reminder of the divide between rich and poor. While almost two-thirds of the funding comes from the federal government, Newsom targeted a wide array of healthcare services for cuts under the budget he proposed last month.
Democratic legislators rejected many of those cuts, maintaining access to dental and vision services, occupational and physical therapy, and a diabetes prevention program. They also refused to cut payments to doctors who treat Medi-Cal patients, an effort funded by new tobacco taxes that voters approved in 2016.
Some programs will be expanded. Medi-Cal pregnancy coverage will extend for up to 12 months after childbirth for women diagnosed with a maternal mental health condition. As part of a federal program, California will ensure Medi-Cal eligibility for people younger than 21, or a former foster care youth under 26, while incarcerated.
Additional services will be offered to treat opioid use disorders. And the state Department of Health Care Services will have almost $200 million in tax revenues from the sale of legalized marijuana for education, prevention and treatment of youth substance use disorders.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Buying hotels to house the homeless
Coronavirus prevention efforts brought a new idea into vogue for addressing the state’s homelessness crisis: purchasing empty hotels and running them for those in need of shelter.
The budget spends $550 million from this spring’s federal coronavirus relief aid to buy and refurbish motels, hotels and hostels for homeless Californians. Local officials are already involved in this effort under the state-local partnership known as Project Roomkey, though the local effort in Los Angeles has struggled and Newsom’s push met with early resistance in other communities.
Counties will receive an additional $50 million to help operate those facilities over the coming 12 months. In many cases, these renovations will be exempt from provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act in hopes of speedy completion.
More state funding for homelessness efforts is also in the budget: $300 million will be spent on the homeless relief program that began last year. Counties and cities will receive funding through the program.
And the budget boosts housing assistance, spending $300 million for housing counseling and mortgage relief programs and $31 million for tenant legal aid. The money comes from the state’s share of a 2012 national legal settlement after the mortgage crisis of the last recession — money the state tried to use to balance the budget in the past and was forced last year by the courts to spend specifically on housing help.
Fewer business tax breaks
California’s projected budget deficit will be erased for the coming year mostly by surplus cash and longer payment plans, with only about $4.4 billion in new tax revenue. Most of that money will come from two changes directed largely at businesses.
Deductions for net operating loss, where deductions total more than taxable revenues, will be canceled for three years retroactive to Jan. 1 on net incomes of more than $1 million.
New limits will also be placed for three years on business incentive tax credits, capped at offsetting no more than $5 million in tax liability for the same three-year period.
Notable efforts to spend ‘budget dust’
Budget watchers often dismiss small spending items in the annual spending plan as “budget dust,” costing so little relative to the overall dollar amounts as to not merit significant debate.
Perhaps, but the fine print offers a peek at how state government really operates.
A review by the Assembly Budget Committee cites more than $1.3 million in litigation costs for some of the environmental lawsuits the state has filed against the Trump administration, citing efforts to defend provisions of the Endangered Species Act and recent federal biological opinions affecting water use in California.
Cleanup costs continue to mount for California’s Mendocino Complex blaze, which burned some 410,000 acres in 2018. The budget sets aside $2.2 million for debris removal in rural Lake County. That’s on top of $3.2 million that’s already been spent. It’s possible, but not certain, that the federal government will ultimately reimburse some of the costs.
The budget allocates $700,000 for the creation of a “working group” to help guide the state’s new Fair Pay to Play Act, the law that allows college athletes to receive endorsement deals.
Carrying out California’s new law imposing a moratorium on bobcat hunting will boost the budget of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife by more than $2.7 million. Implementing California’s smoking ban on state beaches and parks will cost $2 million in the coming year.
But those costs pale in comparison to the cost for picking up trash strewn alongside California’s highways: The budget boosts Caltrans’ litter abatement program by $31.8 million. That’s expected to grow to an increase of $43.4 million a year by the summer of 2024.


latimes--2020-06-29--L.A. could pay thousands of city workers up to $80,000 to retire

The Los Angeles City Council is poised to offer thousands of city employees cash payouts to retire , part of a major push to cut payroll costs during an unfolding financial crisis .
About 2,850 employees , or roughly 8.2 % of the city workforce , would be eligible for buyouts of up to $ 80,000 if they retire in the coming year , city budget analysts said .
The program would result in a major downsizing of the workforce , the largest since the 2008 recession , triggering new reductions in services .
Still , Mayor Eric Garcetti praised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee costs while relying on fewer employee furlough days to balance the budget .
“ It ’ ll save money .
It ’ ll save costs .
And it can perhaps lessen the furloughs , ” he said .
The council ’ s Budget and Finance Committee endorsed the buyouts Monday , setting the stage for a full council vote on Tuesday .
If approved , city employees who are eligible to retire — and have been facing the threat of furloughs — can begin applying for the retirement payouts next week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a range of dire financial scenarios , triggered both by a drop in projected tax revenue and by costly union contracts backed by Garcetti and the council in recent years .
The city ’ s employee unions had lobbied aggressively for the retirement program , describing it as a way to avert Garcetti ’ s furlough plan .
Furloughs would have delivered a 10 % pay cut to nearly 16,000 civilian city employees , saving the city about $ 150 million in the next budget year , according to city estimates .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upcoming year if half of the eligible workers agree to retire , said City Administrative Officer Rich Llewellyn , the high-level budget analyst .
If every eligible worker takes part in the program , the city will save $ 58.7 million , he said .
Councilman Bob Blumenfield voiced fears about the buyout strategy , saying it poses risks to the city ’ s finances and its operations .
“ If the economy gets worse and we end up having to do furloughs anyway , then we ’ ve made a mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve just made it worse by paying out these big lump sum payments.
” Llewellyn said he expects the average retirement buyout will range from $ 60,000 to $ 70,000 .
For each employee , the size of the buyout will depend their salary and years of service .
Jack Humphreville , who serves on the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates , voiced alarm over the proposal , saying the public has been given little time to study it .
The retirement program will be more expensive than furloughs or layoffs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payment roughly a year from now , he said .
Under the proposal , the city would pay $ 10,000 to each employee who retires during the fiscal year that starts Wednesday .
The remainder of the employee buyouts would be paid out in the 2021-22 fiscal year .
“ What they ’ re doing is kicking the can down the road , ” Humphreville said .
If every eligible employee takes part in the program , the city would spend $ 28.5 million on buyouts this year and another $ 128.6 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob Schoonover , president of Service Employees International Union Local 721 , praised city leaders for moving ahead with the initiative .
“ City workers are giving us their all during this pandemic , ” he said .
“ This is a key step in the right direction because at the end of the day , we owe these front-line heroes every possible effort to minimize the impact of the current budget crisis on them and their families.
” During the city ’ s last major budget crisis , the mayor and council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers .
The decision abruptly cut the size of the workforce .
But because it required the city to give workers their pensions ahead of schedule , city leaders had to spread the additional cost over 15 years .
This time around , city workers won ’ t be eligible for additional pension benefits .
The buyout initiative has been modeled after a program carried out recently at Los Angeles World Airports , which runs Los Angeles International Airport .
Agency spokeswoman Becca Doten said 331 employees , or 9 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the retirement incentives .
Doten said the airport program was sparked by a dramatic loss of revenue following the coronavirus shutdowns .

Faced with a major budget crisis, Los Angeles city leaders moved forward with a plan to offer buyouts to thousands of city employees.
The Los Angeles City Council is poised to offer thousands of city employees cash payouts to retire, part of a major push to cut payroll costs during an unfolding financial crisis.
About 2,850 employees, or roughly 8.2% of the city workforce, would be eligible for buyouts of up to $80,000 if they retire in the coming year, city budget analysts said.
The program would result in a major downsizing of the workforce, the largest since the 2008 recession, triggering new reductions in services. Still, Mayor Eric Garcetti praised the initiative, saying it would cut employee costs while relying on fewer employee furlough days to balance the budget.
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“It’ll save money. It’ll save costs. And it can perhaps lessen the furloughs,” he said.
The council’s Budget and Finance Committee endorsed the buyouts Monday, setting the stage for a full council vote on Tuesday. If approved, city employees who are eligible to retire — and have been facing the threat of furloughs — can begin applying for the retirement payouts next week.
The proposal comes as City Hall faces a range of dire financial scenarios, triggered both by a drop in projected tax revenue and by costly union contracts backed by Garcetti and the council in recent years.
The city’s employee unions had lobbied aggressively for the retirement program, describing it as a way to avert Garcetti’s furlough plan. Furloughs would have delivered a 10% pay cut to nearly 16,000 civilian city employees, saving the city about $150 million in the next budget year, according to city estimates.
The city will save $23.2 million in the upcoming year if half of the eligible workers agree to retire, said City Administrative Officer Rich Llewellyn, the high-level budget analyst. If every eligible worker takes part in the program, the city will save $58.7 million, he said.
Councilman Bob Blumenfield voiced fears about the buyout strategy, saying it poses risks to the city’s finances and its operations.
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“If the economy gets worse and we end up having to do furloughs anyway, then we’ve made a mistake,” he said. “Then we’ve just made it worse by paying out these big lump sum payments.”
Llewellyn said he expects the average retirement buyout will range from $60,000 to $70,000. For each employee, the size of the buyout will depend their salary and years of service.
Jack Humphreville, who serves on the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates, voiced alarm over the proposal, saying the public has been given little time to study it. The retirement program will be more expensive than furloughs or layoffs and leave the city with a big balloon payment roughly a year from now, he said.
Under the proposal, the city would pay $10,000 to each employee who retires during the fiscal year that starts Wednesday. The remainder of the employee buyouts would be paid out in the 2021-22 fiscal year.
“What they’re doing is kicking the can down the road,” Humphreville said.
If every eligible employee takes part in the program, the city would spend $28.5 million on buyouts this year and another $128.6 million next fiscal year, Llewellyn said.
Bob Schoonover, president of Service Employees International Union Local 721, praised city leaders for moving ahead with the initiative.
“City workers are giving us their all during this pandemic,” he said. “This is a key step in the right direction because at the end of the day, we owe these front-line heroes every possible effort to minimize the impact of the current budget crisis on them and their families.”
During the city’s last major budget crisis, the mayor and council gave early retirement to 2,400 civilian city workers. The decision abruptly cut the size of the workforce. But because it required the city to give workers their pensions ahead of schedule, city leaders had to spread the additional cost over 15 years.
This time around, city workers won’t be eligible for additional pension benefits.
The buyout initiative has been modeled after a program carried out recently at Los Angeles World Airports, which runs Los Angeles International Airport. Agency spokeswoman Becca Doten said 331 employees, or 9% of the department’s workers, have applied for the retirement incentives.
Doten said the airport program was sparked by a dramatic loss of revenue following the coronavirus shutdowns.


latimes--2020-06-29--L.A. County beaches will close Fourth of July weekend after coronavirus spike

Los Angeles County will close its beaches Friday and ban fireworks displays in anticipation of the Fourth of July holiday , a move health officials say is necessary in light of an alarming spike in coronavirus cases .
Although it was a “ difficult decision to make , ” the closures are crucial because so many people gather to celebrate , “ a recipe for increased transmission of COVID-19 , ” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement .
“ We all need to take this virus more seriously and residents and business owners must do their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Physical distancing isn ’ t optional , wearing a face covering isn ’ t optional , spending time only with those you live with isn ’ t optional — these are requirements in the Health Officer Order and are the tools we have to protect each other , our families and those most vulnerable in our communities.
” All public beaches , piers , public beach parking lots , beach bike paths “ that traverse that sanded portion of the beach ” and beach access points will be closed from 12:01 a.m. Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on fireworks displays applies only to the Fourth of July weekend .
A new health officer order will be issued Monday evening , Ferrer said .
“ I know how much we look forward to this time of year , ” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a Monday evening news briefing .
“ But not this year .
This year we have to think about saving lives to protect what we have in this country ... and to make sure our economy doesn ’ t take more steps backward.
” Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread , Los Angeles will revert to numbers reached at the height of the pandemic in about a week .
Over the next week , the county ’ s infection rate will increase , from one of every 140 people being infectious to one out of every 70 people .
At the same time , hospital capacity is decreasing .
Garcetti also said there is a “ hard pause ” on reopening any additional businesses , including concert halls , theme parks , movie theaters and bars .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles , to immediately close any bars and nightspots that are open “ It ’ s been clear around the country these are big public health threats , ” Garcetti said of bars .
“ These are already dangerous clusters .
These are regularly the spaces where spread is happening .
It seemed clear what was coming.
” The beach closure does not apply in Long Beach , which has its own health department .
“ Due to rising # COVID19 cases all @ CountyofLA beaches will be closing again temporarily this weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had almost 3,000 reported cases just today , ” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a tweet .
“ We can not risk having crowds at the beach this holiday weekend.
” Los Angeles County confirmed 22 additional coronavirus-related deaths and 2,903 new COVID-19 cases Monday , the largest single-day number of new infections the county has reported since the pandemic hit the U.S .
The daily tally brings the total number of coronavirus cases in L.A. County to more than 100,000 .
The alarming spike in cases is not just the result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , but instead is proof that community transmission has definitively increased .

Jaclyn Cosgrove, Colleen Shalby, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

Los Angeles County will close its beaches Friday and ban fireworks displays in anticipation of the Fourth of July holiday, a move health officials say is necessary in light of an alarming spike in coronavirus cases.
Although it was a “difficult decision to make,” the closures are crucial because so many people gather to celebrate, “a recipe for increased transmission of COVID-19,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.
“We all need to take this virus more seriously and residents and business owners must do their part,” Ferrer said. “Physical distancing isn’t optional, wearing a face covering isn’t optional, spending time only with those you live with isn’t optional — these are requirements in the Health Officer Order and are the tools we have to protect each other, our families and those most vulnerable in our communities.”
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All public beaches, piers, public beach parking lots, beach bike paths “that traverse that sanded portion of the beach” and beach access points will be closed from 12:01 a.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. The ban on fireworks displays applies only to the Fourth of July weekend. A new health officer order will be issued Monday evening, Ferrer said.
“I know how much we look forward to this time of year,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a Monday evening news briefing. “But not this year. This year we have to think about saving lives to protect what we have in this country ... and to make sure our economy doesn’t take more steps backward.”
Garcetti said that at the current rate of spread, Los Angeles will revert to numbers reached at the height of the pandemic in about a week. Over the next week, the county’s infection rate will increase, from one of every 140 people being infectious to one out of every 70 people. At the same time, hospital capacity is decreasing.
Garcetti also said there is a “hard pause” on reopening any additional businesses, including concert halls, theme parks, movie theaters and bars.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday ordered seven counties, including Los Angeles, to immediately close any bars and nightspots that are open
“It’s been clear around the country these are big public health threats,” Garcetti said of bars. “These are already dangerous clusters. These are regularly the spaces where spread is happening. It seemed clear what was coming.”
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The beach closure does not apply in Long Beach, which has its own health department.
“Due to rising #COVID19 cases all @CountyofLA beaches will be closing again temporarily this weekend, July 3rd through 6th. We had almost 3,000 reported cases just today,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a tweet. “We cannot risk having crowds at the beach this holiday weekend.”
Los Angeles County confirmed 22 additional coronavirus-related deaths and 2,903 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the largest single-day number of new infections the county has reported since the pandemic hit the U.S.
The daily tally brings the total number of coronavirus cases in L.A. County to more than 100,000.
The alarming spike in cases is not just the result of increased testing, Ferrer said earlier Monday, but instead is proof that community transmission has definitively increased.


latimes--2020-06-29--Riverside County hospitals hit 99% capacity for ICUs. That's not their biggest problem

Riverside County intensive care unit beds nearly hit capacity Sunday , when patients occupied 99 % of the normal number of beds .
Suspected and confirmed coronavirus patients account for about 35 % of those beds , said Riverside spokeswoman Brooke Federico .
The shortage prompted a local member of Congress , a medical doctor , to call for the county to act immediately .
“ I am calling on the County to immediately reverse their decision to rescind public health safety measures and reinstate their order to wear masks in public and to transparently communicate their social distancing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement mechanisms , ” U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz , ( D-Palm Desert ) said in an email .
Local health authorities said the official numbers on bed capacity paint a misleadingly bleak picture .
Though Riverside County normally offers 385 licensed ICU beds , hospitals have already placed some overflow patients in surge-capacity beds .
The extra beds are temporarily transitioned for intensive-care usage , with monitors , ventilators and IV pumps .
Michael Ditoro , chief operating officer at Desert Regional Medical Center , said the facility hit ICU-bed capacity “ well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The medical center ’ s surge beds are equally equipped to treat patients as regular ICU beds , he said .
Bed capacity might not be their biggest challenge , Ditoro said .
Instead , it ’ s scant staffing .
“ You don ’ t really have a centralized area with the beds all around it where it ’ s really quick to get to them .
Instead , you may be in a longer hall unit where you need staff closer to each room , ” he said of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at Eisenhower Health , reiterated the concern .
In the most drastic scenario , Eisenhower Health could accommodate 155 intensive-care patients .
“ But the question would be , ‘ Are you able to muster enough nursing staff and ancillary staff to run 155 ICU beds ?
’ ” he said .
Hospital staff has been creating surge-capacity plans since the coronavirus broke out in March , Williamson said .
He added that Eisenhower Health has planned five phases of surge capacity .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus peak , the number of ICU patients at the hospital will double .
There are about 3,560 total licensed hospital beds at the 17 hospitals in Riverside County , 37 % of which remain available , Federico said .
Hospitals have stated that many of these beds can be transformed for intensive-care usage .
Still , Williamson said only some rooms are ideally fit to treat COVID-19 patients , with negative pressure ventilation and transparent glass walls .
Though beds run low , many ventilators are unused .
Out of the 680 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available .
In late May , more than 60 patients from Imperial County were transferred to Riverside County for treatment .
The transfers have since dropped and now the number of Imperial County patients has been reduced to three , said Federico .
“ The state sent a medical assistance team to set up medical stations in Imperial County .
We saw fewer transfers after that , ” she said .
“ And now , our hospitals are not available to take as many transfers.
” The coronavirus situation in Riverside County remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County had tallied a total of 16,634 cases , 991 of which were reported since Friday .
The number of infections doubles approximately every 27 days .
Riverside County remains on the state ’ s “ Targeted Engagement ” watch list for counties that fall outside of acceptable health metrics defined by the California Department of Public Health .
To fall within the acceptable metrics , the county would need to have more available ICU beds , fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 people and a positive test rate lower than 8 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday that seven counties immediately close all bars and nightclubs , Riverside County was not included in the order .
State officials did suggest that local Riverside County officials put a similar order in place .
Riverside County residents are bound by Newsom ’ s California-wide order on June 18 that all people wear masks while in public or high-risk settings .
“ Wearing masks and social distancing are the most effective ways to reduce the spread of coronavirus .
It will take at least two weeks to see the results of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be put in place immediately .
Any delay will only prolong the surge and cause many more people to become infected , sick and possibly die , ” Ruiz said .

Paramedics load Bernie Erwig, 84, into an ambulance while he was removed from Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on April 8 in Riverside.
Riverside County intensive care unit beds nearly hit capacity Sunday, when patients occupied 99% of the normal number of beds. Suspected and confirmed coronavirus patients account for about 35% of those beds, said Riverside spokeswoman Brooke Federico.
The shortage prompted a local member of Congress, a medical doctor, to call for the county to act immediately.
“I am calling on the County to immediately reverse their decision to rescind public health safety measures and reinstate their order to wear masks in public and to transparently communicate their social distancing and stay at home surge intervention plans and enforcement mechanisms,” U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz, (D-Palm Desert) said in an email.
Local health authorities said the official numbers on bed capacity paint a misleadingly bleak picture.
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Though Riverside County normally offers 385 licensed ICU beds, hospitals have already placed some overflow patients in surge-capacity beds. The extra beds are temporarily transitioned for intensive-care usage, with monitors, ventilators and IV pumps.
Michael Ditoro, chief operating officer at Desert Regional Medical Center, said the facility hit ICU-bed capacity “well prior to COVID. Year after year.” The medical center’s surge beds are equally equipped to treat patients as regular ICU beds, he said.
Bed capacity might not be their biggest challenge, Ditoro said. Instead, it’s scant staffing.
“You don’t really have a centralized area with the beds all around it where it’s really quick to get to them. Instead, you may be in a longer hall unit where you need staff closer to each room,” he said of the surge units.
Alan Williamson, the vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at Eisenhower Health, reiterated the concern.
In the most drastic scenario, Eisenhower Health could accommodate 155 intensive-care patients. “But the question would be, ‘Are you able to muster enough nursing staff and ancillary staff to run 155 ICU beds?’” he said.
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Hospital staff has been creating surge-capacity plans since the coronavirus broke out in March, Williamson said. He added that Eisenhower Health has planned five phases of surge capacity. He predicts that at Riverside County’s coronavirus peak, the number of ICU patients at the hospital will double.
There are about 3,560 total licensed hospital beds at the 17 hospitals in Riverside County, 37% of which remain available, Federico said. Hospitals have stated that many of these beds can be transformed for intensive-care usage. Still, Williamson said only some rooms are ideally fit to treat COVID-19 patients, with negative pressure ventilation and transparent glass walls.
Though beds run low, many ventilators are unused. Out of the 680 ventilators in Riverside County, 499 remain available.
In late May, more than 60 patients from Imperial County were transferred to Riverside County for treatment. The transfers have since dropped and now the number of Imperial County patients has been reduced to three, said Federico.
“The state sent a medical assistance team to set up medical stations in Imperial County. We saw fewer transfers after that,” she said. “And now, our hospitals are not available to take as many transfers.”
The coronavirus situation in Riverside County remains bleak. As of Monday, Riverside County had tallied a total of 16,634 cases, 991 of which were reported since Friday. The number of infections doubles approximately every 27 days.
Which California counties are reopening? To contain the spread of COVID-19, parks, restaurants and stores are slowly reopening.
Riverside County remains on the state’s “Targeted Engagement” watch list for counties that fall outside of acceptable health metrics defined by the California Department of Public Health. To fall within the acceptable metrics, the county would need to have more available ICU beds, fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 people and a positive test rate lower than 8%.
Though Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Sunday that seven counties immediately close all bars and nightclubs, Riverside County was not included in the order. State officials did suggest that local Riverside County officials put a similar order in place.
Riverside County residents are bound by Newsom’s California-wide order on June 18 that all people wear masks while in public or high-risk settings.
“Wearing masks and social distancing are the most effective ways to reduce the spread of coronavirus. It will take at least two weeks to see the results of any action taken today, so these measures must be put in place immediately. Any delay will only prolong the surge and cause many more people to become infected, sick and possibly die,” Ruiz said.


latimes--2020-06-29--3 arrested on suspicion of murder in case of missing Coachella Valley couple

Three men have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a Coachella Valley couple who vanished more than three years ago , according to the Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Department .
Manuel Rios , 28 , of Coachella ; Abraham Fregoso , 32 , of Indio ; and Jesus Ruiz Jr. , 41 , of Stockton , were arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the presumed deaths of Jonathan Reynoso and Audrey Moran , who went missing in May 2017 , authorities said .
At the time , Reynoso was 28 and lived in Palm Desert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indio .
Riverside County jail records show Fregoso was taken into custody at 6:30 a.m. Friday at the California Men ’ s Colony , a state prison in San Luis Obispo , where he has been since June 2019 .
He is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center .
Ruiz was arrested at 7 a.m. Friday in Stockton and is also being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center , jail records show .
Rios has been in jail since Feb. 5 on gun and drug possession charges .
He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning .
Fregoso and Ruiz are both being held without bail .
All three may appear in court as early as Wednesday , jail records show .
The Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Department did not release specifics on what led to the arrest of the three men or why they believe that Moran and Reynoso are dead .
According to a news release , investigators “ obtained ” information during a “ lengthy missing person/homicide investigation.
” A Sheriff ’ s Department representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation Monday and cited the for details .
According to a Facebook group known as “ , ” Moran and Reynoso were last seen May 10 , 2017 , and were reported missing two days later .
The couple were still in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System ’ s database as of Monday morning .
Moran ’ s family said that the day she went missing , she told them she was going to pick up Reynoso after he returned from a trip with friends , the Desert Sun reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple was that evening when Moran ’ s sister received a selfie photograph of the two of them at Reynoso ’ s Palm Desert home , the newspaper reported .
Police said the photo was not taken the day it was sent , but when the image was made is not known .
Moran ’ s phone was turned off at some point after the picture was sent .
On May 12 , 2017 , the Palm Desert Police Department found a vehicle that Moran had been driving on the 10 Freeway in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palm Desert , according to a news release .
That information appears to have been the last update about the couple since they went missing , according to Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Department records .
When reached by phone Monday , Moran ’ s family did not wish to discuss her disappearance .
Reynoso ’ s family could not immediately be reached for comment .
Police said the investigation is ongoing and the public is encouraged to call the tip line at ( 760 ) 393-3544 with any information .

Jonathon Reynoso and Audrey Moran in an undated photo. The couple went missing in 2017.
Three men have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a Coachella Valley couple who vanished more than three years ago, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Manuel Rios, 28, of Coachella; Abraham Fregoso, 32, of Indio; and Jesus Ruiz Jr., 41, of Stockton, were arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the presumed deaths of Jonathan Reynoso and Audrey Moran, who went missing in May 2017, authorities said. At the time, Reynoso was 28 and lived in Palm Desert and Moran was 26 and lived in Indio.
Riverside County jail records show Fregoso was taken into custody at 6:30 a.m. Friday at the California Men’s Colony, a state prison in San Luis Obispo, where he has been since June 2019. He is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center.
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Ruiz was arrested at 7 a.m. Friday in Stockton and is also being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center, jail records show.
Rios has been in jail since Feb. 5 on gun and drug possession charges. He is being held in lieu of $1-million bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
Fregoso and Ruiz are both being held without bail.
All three may appear in court as early as Wednesday, jail records show.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department did not release specifics on what led to the arrest of the three men or why they believe that Moran and Reynoso are dead. According to a news release, investigators “obtained” information during a “lengthy missing person/homicide investigation.”
A Sheriff’s Department representative declined to provide further information about the investigation Monday and cited the news release for details.
According to a Facebook group known as “ Find Audrey Moran ,” Moran and Reynoso were last seen May 10, 2017, and were reported missing two days later. The couple were still in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System’s database as of Monday morning.
Moran’s family said that the day she went missing, she told them she was going to pick up Reynoso after he returned from a trip with friends, the Desert Sun reported.
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The last contact anyone had with the couple was that evening when Moran’s sister received a selfie photograph of the two of them at Reynoso’s Palm Desert home, the newspaper reported. Police said the photo was not taken the day it was sent, but when the image was made is not known. Moran’s phone was turned off at some point after the picture was sent.
On May 12, 2017, the Palm Desert Police Department found a vehicle that Moran had been driving on the 10 Freeway in Beaumont, about 45 miles west of Palm Desert, according to a news release. That information appears to have been the last update about the couple since they went missing, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department records.
When reached by phone Monday, Moran’s family did not wish to discuss her disappearance. Reynoso’s family could not immediately be reached for comment.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and the public is encouraged to call the tip line at (760) 393-3544 with any information.


latimes--2020-06-29--Newsom threatens to reverse California reopening as coronavirus spreads

Explaining his decision to require limited bar closures in seven counties , Gov .
Gavin Newsom warned Monday that the state will continue to pull back on reopening as COVID-19 spreads in California .
“ The bottom line is : We ’ re doing this because we have seen an increase in the spread of this virus , ” Newsom said .
“ We need to take further steps and that ’ s exactly what we did this weekend.
” Newsom reported a 45 % increase in coronavirus cases in the last seven days and said the rate of positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of Monday , the state is monitoring and working with 19 counties that have failed to meet guidelines for hospitalizations , transmission of the virus or sufficient testing for at least three days .
The governor warned about growing cases one day after he ordered a limited closure of bars in seven counties that have fallen short of the state ’ s guidelines for more than two weeks .
But the practical effect of the governor ’ s first action to impose restrictions that had been previously lifted in some areas remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only bars that do not serve food in Los Angeles , Fresno , Kern , San Joaquin , Tulare , Kings and Imperial counties .
Bars are allowed to remain open in those counties and serve alcohol if they sell dine-in meals in the same transaction and meet state safety guidelines for restaurants .
Establishments that do not traditionally serve food are also allowed to contract with an outside food vendor to remain open .
The state recommended that bars in eight other counties also close their doors under the same criteria .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ licensed to sell beer , wine and alcohol for on-premise consumption , but the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control does not keep a tally of how many of those bars regularly serve meals , said John Carr , a spokesman for the agency , in an email .
Carr said local health authorities approve kitchen facilities and food service to the public .
ABC works closely with state and local health departments , preferring education over enforcement , he said .
“ ABC agents can follow up on complaints and can also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ Compliance throughout California during the pandemic has been very good .
Whenever agents have paid a visit to a location , almost all of them have complied with the request to follow health guidelines and help stop the spread of COVID-19.
” Dr. Mark Ghaly , secretary of California Health and Human Services , said the goal of the order was to target bars that primarily serve alcohol .
The state guidelines for opening require restaurants to create space between customers and would not allow allow people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not meet those rules , an aide to Ghaly said .
Some businesses found ways to adapt in earlier stages of the reopening .
Moksa Brewing Co. in Rocklin expanded its menu beyond beer to include $ 2.50 hot dogs in order to open with Placer County restaurants in May .
Derek Gallanosa , head brewer at Moksa , said the brewery worked with the county to ensure they could safely deliver hot dogs from another restaurant and keep them warm in a catering chafing dish .
“ Initially we were like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sell you a hot dog .
It ’ s very low cost .
You don ’ t have to eat it , ’ ” Gallanosa said .
“ But it turns people were coming to us eating hot dogs .
So they didn ’ t mind it and it only is one food item on a single ticket.
” Gallanosa said the brewery adapted to meet physical distancing requirements and other state guidelines to reopen restaurants .
Pivoting to food service also allowed Moksa to boost business and open weeks before bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the county issues restrictions again , Gallanosa said , Moksa will bring back the hot dog deal .
“ We ’ re already prepared and just waiting for the day that we have to do it.
” he said .
Tom McCormick , executive director of the California Craft Brewers Assn.
, said many of the small breweries in his groups looked for ways to pivot to food service in order for their business to survive .
“ I ’ ve heard many heart-wrenching stories from members who really really struggled through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutdown .
Newsom threatened Monday to order the return of the stay-at-home directive in Imperial County , where he said the rate of positive cases has been as high as 23 % , if local officials did not do so on their own .
“ If they are unsuccessful in building consensus around going back into a stay-at-home order frame , the state of California will assert itself and make sure that happens , ” Newsom said .
He also warned that the state is considering additional restrictions in other areas .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are considering a number of other things to advance and we will be making those public as conditions change , ” he said .

Explaining his decision to require limited bar closures in seven counties, Gov. Gavin Newsom warned Monday that the state will continue to pull back on reopening as COVID-19 spreads in California.
“The bottom line is: We’re doing this because we have seen an increase in the spread of this virus,” Newsom said. “We need to take further steps and that’s exactly what we did this weekend.”
Newsom reported a 45% increase in coronavirus cases in the last seven days and said the rate of positive tests is now at 5.5%. As of Monday, the state is monitoring and working with 19 counties that have failed to meet guidelines for hospitalizations, transmission of the virus or sufficient testing for at least three days.
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The governor warned about growing cases one day after he ordered a limited closure of bars in seven counties that have fallen short of the state’s guidelines for more than two weeks. But the practical effect of the governor’s first action to impose restrictions that had been previously lifted in some areas remains unclear.
The new state requirement shutters only bars that do not serve food in Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, San Joaquin, Tulare, Kings and Imperial counties. Bars are allowed to remain open in those counties and serve alcohol if they sell dine-in meals in the same transaction and meet state safety guidelines for restaurants. Establishments that do not traditionally serve food are also allowed to contract with an outside food vendor to remain open.
The state recommended that bars in eight other counties also close their doors under the same criteria.
About 3,000 businesses across the state are licensed to sell beer, wine and alcohol for on-premise consumption, but the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control does not keep a tally of how many of those bars regularly serve meals, said John Carr, a spokesman for the agency, in an email.
Carr said local health authorities approve kitchen facilities and food service to the public. ABC works closely with state and local health departments, preferring education over enforcement, he said.
“ABC agents can follow up on complaints and can also visit the locations to help ensure compliance,” he said. “Compliance throughout California during the pandemic has been very good. Whenever agents have paid a visit to a location, almost all of them have complied with the request to follow health guidelines and help stop the spread of COVID-19.”
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California California’s mask order tests the limits of Newsom’s executive power Since shortly after the coronavirus outbreak began, Gov. Gavin Newsom has faced criticism from some over his ample use of executive authority during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California Health and Human Services, said the goal of the order was to target bars that primarily serve alcohol. The state guidelines for opening require restaurants to create space between customers and would not allow allow people to pack into smaller bars that cannot meet those rules, an aide to Ghaly said.
Some businesses found ways to adapt in earlier stages of the reopening.
Moksa Brewing Co. in Rocklin expanded its menu beyond beer to include $2.50 hot dogs in order to open with Placer County restaurants in May. Derek Gallanosa, head brewer at Moksa, said the brewery worked with the county to ensure they could safely deliver hot dogs from another restaurant and keep them warm in a catering chafing dish.
“Initially we were like, ‘Hey, we’re going to sell you a hot dog. It’s very low cost. You don’t have to eat it,’” Gallanosa said. “But it turns people were coming to us eating hot dogs. So they didn’t mind it and it only is one food item on a single ticket.”
Gallanosa said the brewery adapted to meet physical distancing requirements and other state guidelines to reopen restaurants. Pivoting to food service also allowed Moksa to boost business and open weeks before bars returned in Placer County in June. If the county issues restrictions again, Gallanosa said, Moksa will bring back the hot dog deal.
“We’re already prepared and just waiting for the day that we have to do it.” he said.
Tom McCormick, executive director of the California Craft Brewers Assn., said many of the small breweries in his groups looked for ways to pivot to food service in order for their business to survive.
“I’ve heard many heart-wrenching stories from members who really really struggled through this,” McCormick said of the shutdown.
Newsom threatened Monday to order the return of the stay-at-home directive in Imperial County, where he said the rate of positive cases has been as high as 23%, if local officials did not do so on their own.
“If they are unsuccessful in building consensus around going back into a stay-at-home order frame, the state of California will assert itself and make sure that happens,” Newsom said.
He also warned that the state is considering additional restrictions in other areas.
“Let me be forthright with you: We are considering a number of other things to advance and we will be making those public as conditions change,” he said.


latimes--2020-06-29--Huizar, facing felony charge, will no longer receive L.A. council salary, official says

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin moved Monday to have the city stop paying Councilman Jose Huizar his salary , saying it would be “ unacceptable ” for the councilman to continue receiving taxpayer funds while facing a felony charge in a federal corruption case .
Huizar had been earning nearly $ 214,000 per year .
Galperin , in a memo , said Huizar ’ s last day receiving a city salary was June 23 , the day he was charged with racketeering in a sprawling case in which he is accused of receiving $ 1.5 million in bribes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I believe strongly in the principle that all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law , the shocking information about Mr. Huizar ’ s misconduct is an unacceptable violation of the public trust , ” Galperin said .
“ As such , he should not and will not continue to receive any salary payments from my office and from the treasury of the people of Los Angeles.
” A Galperin spokesman said that the City Charter allows the city controller to stop salary payments when a council member is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to his office.
” The City Council voted to suspend Huizar from his post last week .
Huizar has not yet entered a plea , and his lawyers have offered minimal comment on the corruption probe , saying they plan to make their case in court , not in the media .
Attorneys for the councilman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Galperin ’ s action .
Federal prosecutors have portrayed Huizar as the leader of a pay-to-play scheme in which real estate developers were shaken down for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help in getting development projects through the city ’ s approval process .
In a 116-page affidavit , they alleged that businessmen provided Huizar cash , air travel , casino trips , casino chips , prostitution services and other gifts .
Two council members — Paul Krekorian and David Ryu — said Monday they want a formal review of the real estate projects highlighted in the Huizar case to determine whether their permits from the city should be suspended or revoked .
Krekorian and Ryu said they also want to explore new penalties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have engaged in corrupt activities at City Hall .
“ When these big real estate entitlement projects go forward and they are the product of fraud , the people committing that fraud should not be able to profit from it , ” Krekorian said .
Federal prosecutors have not filed charges against any of the developers in the Huizar case .
They also have not identified any of the high-rise developments , or the companies backing them , by name .
Nevertheless , details in the filings — project descriptions , campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors have been focused on four projects : a proposed 77-story skyscraper at 3rd and Figueroa Street ; a hotel redevelopment project planned across from the L.A. Live entertainment complex ; a 35-story tower approved in the city ’ s Arts District ; and a 20-story residential building planned at Olympic and Hill streets .
All four are located in Huizar ’ s district , which stretches from downtown and Boyle Heights to Eagle Rock .
Ryu and Krekorian also voiced support for the creation of a new inspector general to serve as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council members .
That proposal is scheduled to go before the council ’ s Rules , Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee on Tuesday .

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin moved Monday to have the city stop paying Councilman Jose Huizar his salary, saying it would be “unacceptable” for the councilman to continue receiving taxpayer funds while facing a felony charge in a federal corruption case.
Huizar had been earning nearly $214,000 per year. Galperin, in a memo, said Huizar’s last day receiving a city salary was June 23, the day he was charged with racketeering in a sprawling case in which he is accused of receiving $1.5 million in bribes and other improper financial benefits.
“While I believe strongly in the principle that all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, the shocking information about Mr. Huizar’s misconduct is an unacceptable violation of the public trust,” Galperin said. “As such, he should not and will not continue to receive any salary payments from my office and from the treasury of the people of Los Angeles.”
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A Galperin spokesman said that the City Charter allows the city controller to stop salary payments when a council member is not “devoting his time to duties related to his office.” The City Council voted to suspend Huizar from his post last week.
Huizar has not yet entered a plea, and his lawyers have offered minimal comment on the corruption probe, saying they plan to make their case in court, not in the media. Attorneys for the councilman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Galperin’s action.
Federal prosecutors have portrayed Huizar as the leader of a pay-to-play scheme in which real estate developers were shaken down for bribes and campaign donations in exchange for help in getting development projects through the city’s approval process. In a 116-page affidavit, they alleged that businessmen provided Huizar cash, air travel, casino trips, casino chips, prostitution services and other gifts.
Two council members — Paul Krekorian and David Ryu — said Monday they want a formal review of the real estate projects highlighted in the Huizar case to determine whether their permits from the city should be suspended or revoked.
Krekorian and Ryu said they also want to explore new penalties for developers and real estate companies found to have engaged in corrupt activities at City Hall.
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“When these big real estate entitlement projects go forward and they are the product of fraud, the people committing that fraud should not be able to profit from it,” Krekorian said.
Federal prosecutors have not filed charges against any of the developers in the Huizar case. They also have not identified any of the high-rise developments, or the companies backing them, by name.
Nevertheless, details in the filings — project descriptions, campaign contributions and hearing dates — show that prosecutors have been focused on four projects: a proposed 77-story skyscraper at 3rd and Figueroa Street; a hotel redevelopment project planned across from the L.A. Live entertainment complex; a 35-story tower approved in the city’s Arts District; and a 20-story residential building planned at Olympic and Hill streets.
All four are located in Huizar’s district, which stretches from downtown and Boyle Heights to Eagle Rock.
Ryu and Krekorian also voiced support for the creation of a new inspector general to serve as a watchdog over planning decisions handled by council members.
That proposal is scheduled to go before the council’s Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee on Tuesday.


latimes--2020-06-29--Seeking suspects, LAPD posts footage of people lighting fires, harming property during protests

The Los Angeles Police Department posted a collection of images and video online Monday showing people lighting fires and destroying property during recent protests in Los Angeles , and called for the public ’ s help in identifying suspects .
The FBI , working with the LAPD , has offered a $ 10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the highlighted incidents , which officials said endangered residents and undermined the message of peaceful protesters .
“ The FBI respects and supports those who are exercising their 1st Amendment rights , including the right to peacefully protest , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in charge of the FBI ’ s Los Angeles field office .
“ Individuals should not have to have their constitutionally protected rights hijacked by individuals committing criminal activity.
” The release of the photos and footage followed a month of legwork by a special task force created by the LAPD to hold people accountable for “ the serious crimes that occurred during the protests , specifically in the areas of violent assaults , the looting and ultimately the arson crimes , ” said LAPD Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher .
The LAPD and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors and police in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica — have collected evidence from residents and businesses from across the region .
The Santa Monica police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives have separately offered rewards for information about a restaurant fire and the theft of dozens of firearms from a sporting goods store in Santa Monica .
The incidents in question came amid a much larger movement in which tens of thousands of people marched peacefully in Los Angeles and around the world to protest police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
The city issued a curfew for several consecutive days at the end of May and early this month as some of the protests spiraled out of control and buildings were burned and businesses damaged .
Police have blamed rogue criminal elements for inciting chaos , while many protesters blamed the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies for escalating tensions and provoking clashes .
Some business owners have accused the LAPD of focusing too much on peaceful protesters and not enough on individuals breaking into stores on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and images released by police Monday showed people lighting fires inside two separate businesses and in an LAPD kiosk at the Grove in the city ’ s Fairfax district , dousing a police car with what the LAPD alleged was “ fire accelerant , ” and ripping the security gate off a storefront before they smashed their way in .
Other images depicted people whom police identified as suspects simply standing in the street , including a man they alleged assaulted an officer .
Some of the people shown are masked ; others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LAPD said it had identified more than 150 incidents in which officers were assaulted , at least 10 fires , and 20 crimes related to “ looting ” of local businesses .
They have charged one man for attempted murder after he allegedly fired at two sets of officers , and expect charges to be filed in more cases as more evidence is collected .
Police have repeatedly cited assaults on officers , fires and other damage to stores as reasons for the dispersal orders given during major protests that turned confrontational .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ badly injured many protesters as the officers tried to disperse crowds by using batons and firing foam and sponge projectiles and beanbags .
Officers appeared to violate the department ’ s own policies on how such weapons could be used .
Individuals suffered serious injuries to their heads , faces and genitals .
The Police Department is currently facing several lawsuits alleging its officers used excessive force and is in the process of completing an internal review of its response during the protests .

LAPD Officer Drake Madison posts images of suspects before LAPD Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher presides over a news conference to announce efforts by the multi-agency SAFE LA Task Force to find suspects involved in “significant crimes ... from recent protests and demonstrations.”
The Los Angeles Police Department posted a collection of images and video online Monday showing people lighting fires and destroying property during recent protests in Los Angeles, and called for the public’s help in identifying suspects.
The FBI, working with the LAPD, has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the highlighted incidents, which officials said endangered residents and undermined the message of peaceful protesters.
“The FBI respects and supports those who are exercising their 1st Amendment rights, including the right to peacefully protest,” said Voviette Morgan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. “Individuals should not have to have their constitutionally protected rights hijacked by individuals committing criminal activity.”
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LAPD Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher presides over a news conference to announce efforts by the multi-agency SAFE LA Task Force to find suspects involved in “significant crimes ... from recent protests and demonstrations.” (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
The release of the photos and footage followed a month of legwork by a special task force created by the LAPD to hold people accountable for “the serious crimes that occurred during the protests, specifically in the areas of violent assaults, the looting and ultimately the arson crimes,” said LAPD Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher.
The LAPD and its partners — including county and federal prosecutors and police in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica — have collected evidence from residents and businesses from across the region. The Santa Monica police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have separately offered rewards for information about a restaurant fire and the theft of dozens of firearms from a sporting goods store in Santa Monica.
The incidents in question came amid a much larger movement in which tens of thousands of people marched peacefully in Los Angeles and around the world to protest police killings of Black people, including the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The city issued a curfew for several consecutive days at the end of May and early this month as some of the protests spiraled out of control and buildings were burned and businesses damaged. Police have blamed rogue criminal elements for inciting chaos, while many protesters blamed the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies for escalating tensions and provoking clashes.
Some business owners have accused the LAPD of focusing too much on peaceful protesters and not enough on individuals breaking into stores on the protests’ periphery.
The footage and images released by police Monday showed people lighting fires inside two separate businesses and in an LAPD kiosk at the Grove in the city’s Fairfax district, dousing a police car with what the LAPD alleged was “fire accelerant,” and ripping the security gate off a storefront before they smashed their way in.
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Other images depicted people whom police identified as suspects simply standing in the street, including a man they alleged assaulted an officer. Some of the people shown are masked; others are not.
In total, the LAPD said it had identified more than 150 incidents in which officers were assaulted, at least 10 fires, and 20 crimes related to “looting” of local businesses. They have charged one man for attempted murder after he allegedly fired at two sets of officers, and expect charges to be filed in more cases as more evidence is collected.
Police have repeatedly cited assaults on officers, fires and other damage to stores as reasons for the dispersal orders given during major protests that turned confrontational.
A Times investigation found that LAPD officers badly injured many protesters as the officers tried to disperse crowds by using batons and firing foam and sponge projectiles and beanbags. Officers appeared to violate the department’s own policies on how such weapons could be used. Individuals suffered serious injuries to their heads, faces and genitals.
The Police Department is currently facing several lawsuits alleging its officers used excessive force and is in the process of completing an internal review of its response during the protests.


latimes--2020-06-29--As social unrest swept L.A. a curious trend emerged: Calls for police plunged

As social unrest swept across Los Angeles this month , police dispatchers were hit with a curious , if brief , trend .
Calls for service handled by officers — incidents ranging from loud parties and fireworks to domestic disputes and traffic stops — declined nearly by half during the two-week demonstration period .
That means each day there were 2,000 fewer calls for police compared with the department ’ s typical workload , according to a Times analysis of dispatch data .
The timing of the dramatic drop in calls was unmistakable : It began on May 27 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd clashed with police in downtown Los Angeles and continued during the nearly two weeks of demonstrations .
Police call levels returned to normal only around June 9 , the day of Floyd ’ s funeral , the records show .
It ’ s unclear what precisely led to the drop in the roughly 5,000 calls that officers respond to each day .
They fell in all police districts and among the most common types of cases , The Times analysis shows .
Perhaps the city was distracted , police say .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ high protest periods , residents were not calling police , partly distracted by what they saw on TV , partly perhaps because crime and disorder issues in neighborhoods abated for the period , and perhaps because such low-priority issues seemed petty , ” said Capt .
Paul Vernon , a veteran LAPD commander who heads the department ’ s Compstat Division , a unit that uses data to track and map crime .
The decline included typical complaints over trespassing , loud parties and minor hit-and-run accidents .
Those types of calls decreased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So too did traffic stops by officers .
Even the number of calls to quell the use of illegal fireworks — a hot topic in coronavirus-era Los Angeles — came crashing down .
Police suspect the demonstrations , some of which involved violence and looting and prompted a countywide curfew , sparked a combination of societal factors that changed their policing , if only temporarily .
Another factor contributing to the steep drop in calls for service was the behavior of the police themselves .
They sometimes call for backup support when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in the data .
But since many officers were shifted from their normal duties to monitor protests officers made fewer calls related to their own investigations .
Whatever the reasons , the decrease in calls across Los Angeles appeared to be a unique phenomenon among major cities in California .
The demonstrations in Los Angeles by some measures did appear larger and more intense and spanned more days than in other places .
The Times analyzed daily call volumes in San Francisco , San Jose , Sacramento and San Diego .
Calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if at all , and over a shorter period of time — as protests flared across the country amid a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement .
One exception among those The Times examined was the much smaller neighboring city of Santa Monica , where a spike in calls corresponded to the large and destructive May 29 protests and looting in that city ’ s downtown area .
Santa Monica officers typically have handled about 265 calls each day this year .
That more than doubled on May 29 , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s upscale business district stealing items and setting several fires .
The trend in Los Angeles emerged when The Times turned to the dispatch logs , which are available on Mayor Eric Garcetti ’ s open-data portal , seeking to answer a burning question on the minds of many Angelenos this spring : Has there been an explosion of illegal fireworks ?
The sporadic miniature explosions heard across the city this year has been a hot topic on social media and neighborhood platforms such as NextDoor , where residents have complained that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June run-up to July 4 , disturbing them and scaring their dogs .
Before and after the protests period , the daily calls to LAPD about fireworks were much more common than normal .
In the five months before June , the department has , on average , handled about 470 fireworks complaints .
That more than doubled in 2020 , according to the dispatch logs .
But during the protests the police received a brief respite from investigating fireworks complaints .
That ’ s when they , like other incidents , nosedived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from May 24 to 28 .
Then the protests began in earnest in Los Angeles , and there were only about 30 complaints over the next 12 days .
They ’ ve since skyrocketed again , according to the data , surpassing what would be expected in June .
Fireworks complaints , of course , are only a tiny fraction of the work officers each day on patrol .
A significant share of it , about 44 % , involves so-called code 6 calls , in which officers initiate their own incidents and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were cut in half during the protest period , falling from 2,350 on average per day to 1,180 .
Calls about suspicious people , narcotics activity , landlord-tenant disputes and family squabbles all declined significantly during the demonstrations , and many have returned to normal volumes since .
Dustin DeRollo , a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Protective League , the rank-and-file officers union , said the demonstrations meant vacations were canceled and significant numbers officers were called in to work .
Those who remained on patrol had little time for proactive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Due to the full mobilization of the department , neighborhood police patrols were left with a truly bare-boned police response , ” he said .

As social unrest swept across Los Angeles this month, police dispatchers were hit with a curious, if brief, trend.
Calls for service handled by officers — incidents ranging from loud parties and fireworks to domestic disputes and traffic stops — declined nearly by half during the two-week demonstration period. That means each day there were 2,000 fewer calls for police compared with the department’s typical workload, according to a Times analysis of dispatch data.
The timing of the dramatic drop in calls was unmistakable: It began on May 27, when protesters angry over the killing of George Floyd clashed with police in downtown Los Angeles and continued during the nearly two weeks of demonstrations. Police call levels returned to normal only around June 9, the day of Floyd’s funeral, the records show.
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It’s unclear what precisely led to the drop in the roughly 5,000 calls that officers respond to each day. They fell in all police districts and among the most common types of cases, The Times analysis shows.
Perhaps the city was distracted, police say.
“It would seem that during the high protest periods, residents were not calling police, partly distracted by what they saw on TV, partly perhaps because crime and disorder issues in neighborhoods abated for the period, and perhaps because such low-priority issues seemed petty,” said Capt. Paul Vernon, a veteran LAPD commander who heads the department’s Compstat Division, a unit that uses data to track and map crime.
The decline included typical complaints over trespassing, loud parties and minor hit-and-run accidents. Those types of calls decreased by 80% during the protest period. So too did traffic stops by officers.
Even the number of calls to quell the use of illegal fireworks — a hot topic in coronavirus-era Los Angeles — came crashing down.
Police suspect the demonstrations, some of which involved violence and looting and prompted a countywide curfew, sparked a combination of societal factors that changed their policing, if only temporarily.
Another factor contributing to the steep drop in calls for service was the behavior of the police themselves. They sometimes call for backup support when initiating investigations, and those calls are included in the data. But since many officers were shifted from their normal duties to monitor protests officers made fewer calls related to their own investigations.
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Whatever the reasons, the decrease in calls across Los Angeles appeared to be a unique phenomenon among major cities in California. The demonstrations in Los Angeles by some measures did appear larger and more intense and spanned more days than in other places.
The Times analyzed daily call volumes in San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and San Diego. Calls in those cities decreased much less dramatically, if at all, and over a shorter period of time — as protests flared across the country amid a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.
One exception among those The Times examined was the much smaller neighboring city of Santa Monica, where a spike in calls corresponded to the large and destructive May 29 protests and looting in that city’s downtown area.
Santa Monica officers typically have handled about 265 calls each day this year. That more than doubled on May 29, where looters spent hours in the city’s upscale business district stealing items and setting several fires.
The trend in Los Angeles emerged when The Times turned to the dispatch logs, which are available on Mayor Eric Garcetti’s open-data portal, seeking to answer a burning question on the minds of many Angelenos this spring: Has there been an explosion of illegal fireworks?
The sporadic miniature explosions heard across the city this year has been a hot topic on social media and neighborhood platforms such as NextDoor, where residents have complained that the ruckus is more intense than a typical June run-up to July 4, disturbing them and scaring their dogs.
Before and after the protests period, the daily calls to LAPD about fireworks were much more common than normal. In the five months before June, the department has, on average, handled about 470 fireworks complaints. That more than doubled in 2020, according to the dispatch logs.
But during the protests the police received a brief respite from investigating fireworks complaints. That’s when they, like other incidents, nosedived.
There were roughly 325 fireworks complaints from May 24 to 28. Then the protests began in earnest in Los Angeles, and there were only about 30 complaints over the next 12 days.
They’ve since skyrocketed again, according to the data, surpassing what would be expected in June.
Fireworks complaints, of course, are only a tiny fraction of the work officers do each day on patrol. A significant share of it, about 44%, involves so-called code 6 calls, in which officers initiate their own incidents and inform dispatchers of their locations. They were cut in half during the protest period, falling from 2,350 on average per day to 1,180.
Calls about suspicious people, narcotics activity, landlord-tenant disputes and family squabbles all declined significantly during the demonstrations, and many have returned to normal volumes since.
Dustin DeRollo, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the rank-and-file officers union, said the demonstrations meant vacations were canceled and significant numbers officers were called in to work. Those who remained on patrol had little time for proactive police work, he said.
“Due to the full mobilization of the department, neighborhood police patrols were left with a truly bare-boned police response,” he said.