latimes--2020-01-03--California Democratic Party settles lawsuits alleging harassment and discrimination by former leader

The California Democratic Party has reached settlements in three lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and workplace retaliation involving its former leader , Eric Bauman .
A statement released by current party Chairman Rusty Hicks on Friday announced the settlements but did not indicate how much the party paid to resolve the legal actions .
“ Some of the California Democratic Party ’ s most sacred values are fairness , respect and dignity for all , ” Hicks said .
“ Those values empower so many grassroots leaders and activists to devote their time , talent and treasure to our Party ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his resignation in November 2018 following a report from The Times that revealed 10 party staff members and political activists had accused him of making crude sexual comments and engaging in unwanted touching or physical intimidation in professional settings .
On Friday , Bauman released a statement about the settlements through his attorney , Neal S. Zaslavsky .
“ I fully concur with CDP Chair Rusty Hicks ’ affirmation that some of the Party ’ s ‘ most sacred values are fairness , respect , and dignity for all.
, ’ ” Bauman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am pleased that the CDP ‘ has reached equitable settlements with ’ all parties.
” One of the lawsuits was filed in April by William Floyd , who served as Bauman ’ s assistant from March 2016 until November 2018 and claimed that Bauman performed oral sex on him without his consent on at least three occasions .
That same month , a second lawsuit was filed by former party operations director Tina McKinnor , former communications director John Vigna and party activist Spencer Dayton alleging racial discrimination , retaliation , sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claiming that the party failed to protect them .
The party has agreed to pay more than $ 1 million to settle that case , according to the Wall Street Journal , which first reported the settlements .
A third settlement was reached with Brendan Stepp , a former video editor and field cinematographer for the party who alleged that Bauman made repeated , unwanted sexual advances toward him .
The party previously paid $ 378,348 in legal settlements to former employees Alton Wang , William Rodriguez-Kennedy and Kate Earley , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October .
The trio originally filed suit last January , alleging a culture of harassment and sexual misconduct that was “ well-known and apparently tolerated ” by top officials .
Former Times staff writer Christine Mai-Duc contributed to this report .

Eric Bauman, former leader of the California Democratic Party, was named in three lawsuits settled by the party.
The California Democratic Party has reached settlements in three lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and workplace retaliation involving its former leader, Eric Bauman.
A statement released by current party Chairman Rusty Hicks on Friday announced the settlements but did not indicate how much the party paid to resolve the legal actions.
“Some of the California Democratic Party’s most sacred values are fairness, respect and dignity for all,” Hicks said. “Those values empower so many grassroots leaders and activists to devote their time, talent and treasure to our Party’s candidates and causes.”
Bauman announced his resignation in November 2018 following a report from The Times that revealed 10 party staff members and political activists had accused him of making crude sexual comments and engaging in unwanted touching or physical intimidation in professional settings. On Friday, Bauman released a statement about the settlements through his attorney, Neal S. Zaslavsky.
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“I fully concur with CDP Chair Rusty Hicks’ affirmation that some of the Party’s ‘most sacred values are fairness, respect, and dignity for all.,’” Bauman said. “In that spirit, I am pleased that the CDP ‘has reached equitable settlements with’ all parties.”
One of the lawsuits was filed in April by William Floyd, who served as Bauman’s assistant from March 2016 until November 2018 and claimed that Bauman performed oral sex on him without his consent on at least three occasions.
That same month, a second lawsuit was filed by former party operations director Tina McKinnor, former communications director John Vigna and party activist Spencer Dayton alleging racial discrimination, retaliation, sexual assault and harassment by Bauman, and claiming that the party failed to protect them.
The party has agreed to pay more than $1 million to settle that case, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the settlements.
A third settlement was reached with Brendan Stepp, a former video editor and field cinematographer for the party who alleged that Bauman made repeated, unwanted sexual advances toward him.
The party previously paid $378,348 in legal settlements to former employees Alton Wang, William Rodriguez-Kennedy and Kate Earley, according to campaign finance filings reviewed by The Times in October. The trio originally filed suit last January, alleging a culture of harassment and sexual misconduct that was “well-known and apparently tolerated” by top officials.
Former Times staff writer Christine Mai-Duc contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-03--Device resembling explosive found outside site of future homeless shelter in Venice

Devices that authorities say were made to look like explosives were discovered Thursday night in Venice at the site of a future homeless shelter that has been a long-standing point of contention .
Los Angeles police responded to the site at Sunset Avenue and Main Street just before 6 p.m .
The discovery prompted evacuation of nearby homes and streets for nearly five hours as the Los Angeles Police Department ’ s bomb squad inspected the item .
According to L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin , who represents the area , three devices that were designed to look like explosives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said that three devices were recovered , but none of them had the capability to detonate .
The official , who spoke on the condition of anonymity , said that the shelter site was not the target of the incident but would not elaborate further .
Plans to open a homeless shelter at the site were approved in December after an L.A. County Superior Court judge rejected a legal challenge to the project from residents who believed the site was too close to homes and schools .
The Venice Stakeholders Assn .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a “ magnet ” for homeless encampments and would diminish public safety .
Bonin said that if the discovery of the fake explosives was meant to slow progress on the housing project , “ it failed.
” “ This is an appalling incident perpetrated by a disturbed and cowardly person or persons , ” he said .
“ It is unacceptable and inhumane for people to be living and dying in sidewalk encampments in our neighborhoods .
It is imperative that we get people off the streets .
We will not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down from providing solutions to our homelessness crisis.
” LAPD said an investigation into who may have planted the false devices was ongoing .
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at ( 877 ) 527-3247 .
Times staff writers James Queally and Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report .

Devices that authorities say were made to look like explosives were discovered Thursday night in Venice at the site of a future homeless shelter that has been a long-standing point of contention.
Los Angeles police responded to the site at Sunset Avenue and Main Street just before 6 p.m. The discovery prompted evacuation of nearby homes and streets for nearly five hours as the Los Angeles Police Department’s bomb squad inspected the item.
According to L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents the area, three devices that were designed to look like explosives were found. A law enforcement official also said that three devices were recovered, but none of them had the capability to detonate.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the shelter site was not the target of the incident but would not elaborate further.
Plans to open a homeless shelter at the site were approved in December after an L.A. County Superior Court judge rejected a legal challenge to the project from residents who believed the site was too close to homes and schools. The Venice Stakeholders Assn. had sued , arguing that the shelter would be a “magnet” for homeless encampments and would diminish public safety.
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Bonin said that if the discovery of the fake explosives was meant to slow progress on the housing project, “it failed.”
“This is an appalling incident perpetrated by a disturbed and cowardly person or persons,” he said. “It is unacceptable and inhumane for people to be living and dying in sidewalk encampments in our neighborhoods. It is imperative that we get people off the streets. We will not be intimidated, and we will not back down from providing solutions to our homelessness crisis.”
LAPD said an investigation into who may have planted the false devices was ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (877) 527-3247.
Times staff writers James Queally and Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-03--Iranian Americans, what do you think about the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Suleimani?

The U.S. military carried out an airstrike that killed an Iranian commander , Gen. Qassem Suleimani , escalating the standoff @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. Embassy has urged all Americans to leave Iraq — where the killing happened @ @ @ @ @ to retaliate .
Los Angeles has one of the largest populations of Iranians outside of @ @ @ @ @ to know how those with ties to the region are handling the news .
If @ @ @ @ @ or have family in Iran or Iraq , tell us what you ’ re feeling @ @ @ @ @ about the killing of Suleimani .
To be clear , we care about the opinions @ @ @ @ @ but for this article , we are focusing on the members of the Iranian diaspora @ @ @ @ @ they are by the geopolitical crisis .

The U.S. military carried out an airstrike that killed an Iranian commander, Gen. Qassem Suleimani, escalating the standoff between Washington and Iran. The U.S. Embassy has urged all Americans to leave Iraq — where the killing happened — and Iran has vowed to retaliate.
Los Angeles has one of the largest populations of Iranians outside of Iran, so we want to know how those with ties to the region are handling the news. If you’re Iranian American or have family in Iran or Iraq, tell us what you’re feeling and what questions you have about the killing of Suleimani. To be clear, we care about the opinions of all our readers, but for this article, we are focusing on the members of the Iranian diaspora, given how directly affected they are by the geopolitical crisis.


latimes--2020-01-03--3.4 quake registered near King City, Calif.

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported Friday at 8:40 a.m. Pacific time 15 miles from King City , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 22 miles from Greenfield , Calif. , 26 miles from Coalinga , Calif. , 28 miles from Soledad , Calif. and 39 miles from El Paso de Robles ( Paso Robles ) , Calif .
In the last 10 days , there has been one earthquake 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 3.1 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you ’ re interested in learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported Friday at 8:40 a.m. Pacific time 15 miles from King City, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 22 miles from Greenfield, Calif., 26 miles from Coalinga, Calif., 28 miles from Soledad, Calif. and 39 miles from El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), Calif.
In the last 10 days, there has been one earthquake 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 3.1 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--2020-01-03--Illegal casino discovered in Hacienda Heights, authorities say

Sheriff ’ s investigators discovered what authorities described as an illegal gambling operation in Hacienda Heights on Wednesday night .
A deputy patrolling the area tried to detain a man and a woman shortly before 9:30 p.m. after he saw the man hand a woman a handgun , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department said in a news release .
The woman went inside a property in the 1300 block of Hacienda Boulevard and locked the door , authorities said .
Deputies gave orders via loudspeaker for her to exit but she did not , according to investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Special Enforcement Bureau responded and were able to convince the woman to come out ; she was accompanied by 11 other people , according to officials .
Police then served a search warrant on the property and found that it was housing “ an illegal gambling casino , ” the Sheriff ’ s Department said .
They recovered a handgun and a sawed-off shotgun from inside .
Eleven people were arrested on suspicion of illegal gambling , and two of them also face weapons charges .
In addition , the man who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a charge of possession of methamphetamine for sale , authorities said .

Sheriff’s deputies discovered what authorities described as an illegal gambling operation in Hacienda Heights on Wednesday night.
Sheriff’s investigators discovered what authorities described as an illegal gambling operation in Hacienda Heights on Wednesday night.
A deputy patrolling the area tried to detain a man and a woman shortly before 9:30 p.m. after he saw the man hand a woman a handgun, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
The woman went inside a property in the 1300 block of Hacienda Boulevard and locked the door, authorities said. Deputies gave orders via loudspeaker for her to exit but she did not, according to investigators.
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Tactical teams with the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau responded and were able to convince the woman to come out; she was accompanied by 11 other people, according to officials.
Police then served a search warrant on the property and found that it was housing “an illegal gambling casino,” the Sheriff’s Department said. They recovered a handgun and a sawed-off shotgun from inside.
Eleven people were arrested on suspicion of illegal gambling, and two of them also face weapons charges. In addition, the man who handed the gun to the woman faces a charge of possession of methamphetamine for sale, authorities said.


latimes--2020-01-03--Video shows suspect in fatal stabbing at downtown L.A. restaurant

Los Angeles police released surveillance video showing a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a downtown L.A. restaurant patron on @ @ @ @ @ .
Homer Garcia , 56 , was killed in the attack , which took place @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Place in the 100 block of East 7th Street .
Police said the @ @ @ @ @ after the two got into an argument .
Garcia died at a local hospital .
@ @ @ @ @ restaurant released by police on Thursday shows the suspect sitting at a counter as another @ @ @ @ @ the two appear to start arguing .
The 20-second clip ends with the suspect getting @ @ @ @ @ man .
The suspect , described as a man about 5 feet 10 between the @ @ @ @ @ , was last seen walking on 7th Street toward Los Angeles Street , police said @ @ @ @ @ asked to contact LAPD Det .
Martinez at ( 213 ) 484-3642 or Det .
@ @ @ @ @ 484-3643 .

Los Angeles police released surveillance video showing a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a downtown L.A. restaurant patron on New Year’s Day.
Homer Garcia, 56, was killed in the attack, which took place about 8:40 a.m. inside Margarita’s Place in the 100 block of East 7th Street.
Police said the suspect stabbed Garcia multiple times after the two got into an argument. Garcia died at a local hospital.
Video footage from inside the restaurant released by police on Thursday shows the suspect sitting at a counter as another man approaches him, and the two appear to start arguing. The 20-second clip ends with the suspect getting up and turning toward the man.
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The suspect, described as a man about 5 feet 10 between the ages of 40 and 50, was last seen walking on 7th Street toward Los Angeles Street, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact LAPD Det. Martinez at (213) 484-3642 or Det. Chung at (213) 484-3643.


latimes--2020-01-03--Port ships are becoming L.A.'s biggest polluters. Will California force a cleanup?

Ships visiting Southern California ’ s bustling ports are poised to become the region ’ s largest source of smog-causing pollutants in coming years , one reason state regulators want to reduce emissions from thousands more of them .
Air quality officials want to expand the number of ships that , while docked , must either shut down their auxiliary engines and plug into shore power or scrub their exhaust by hooking up to machines known as bonnets or “ socks on a stack.
” But some neighbors of the ports say the California Air Resources Board is not moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pollution .
Some also fear that the shipping industry and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will use their clout to weaken the proposed restrictions , which the Air Resources Board will decide on in the first half of the year .
“ We need relief ; it ’ s just that simple , ” said Theral Golden of the West Long Beach Assn.
, a neighborhood group that has long fought for cleaner air in a community that is among the hardest hit by port pollution .
At stake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in potential costs at the nation ’ s busiest seaport , which handles roughly 40 % of U.S. imports and remains overwhelmingly powered by diesel-spewing trucks , ships , locomotives and cargo-handling equipment .
The volume of shipments moving through the two ports has more than tripled since the mid-1990s , supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs .
But the growth in shipping activity also comes at the cost of people ’ s health across Southern California , especially near the ports .
Despite dramatic emissions cuts by the ports in recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Pedro and West Long Beach still have the region ’ s highest cancer risk from air pollution and higher rates of asthma compared with the rest of the state .
“ Right now we have larger ships carrying more cargo , and they ’ re bringing more pollutants , ” Golden added .
“ We understand that cargo has to move and goods have got to be moved .
But it should not be at the expense of our health , and at the expense of our children.
” It was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach ports pioneered a major effort to clean up their operations by phasing out their dirtiest sources of diesel pollution .
State regulations over the last six years have forced increasing numbers of container ships , refrigerated cargo ships and cruise ships docked at the largest ports to plug in or to connect to emissions controls .
But the rules do not apply to more than half of the 8,000 ocean vessels visiting California each year , according to figures provided by the Air Resources Board .
The Air Resources Board proposes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship calls and and vessel types , including tankers and roll-on/roll-off ships , which carry cars , trucks and other vehicles .
The rules would increase the number of ship visits subject to the rules from about 43 % today to about 71 % by 2029 , air board figures show .
Some of the vessels at issue are so large they are like floating warehouses or small cities .
If not plugged in while docked , they must keep their engines and boilers running .
In one 24-hour period in port , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel oil to equal the pollution from 10,000 cars , according to air quality officials .
But plugging in such hulking , power-hungry vessels isn ’ t simple .
On a recent weekday , diesel exhaust billowed skyward from the stacks of the Yang Ming Movement , a fully loaded container ship that rumbled into the Port of Los Angeles after its journey from Shanghai .
It took half a dozen workers and two hours to connect the 960-foot-long ship to the electrical grid .
Crew members slowly lowered electric cables as thick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vessel to longshoremen who attached the red and blue plugs , weighing 30 pounds each , into receptacles on the dock .
Port electrical workers flipped two giant switches so the ship could begin drawing from the grid .
“ She will run on electricity from shore power for the entire stay , ” says Bill Schopp , director of marine operations for TraPac terminal in Wilmington , where the vessel docked for nearly five days .
California made early gains at its ports more than a decade ago with rules that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel near the shore .
But in recent years , progress in fighting air pollution at the L.A.-Long Beach ports has waned , with some emissions creeping upward .
In 2018 , emissions of diesel particulate matter rose slightly at the Port of L.A. and has ticked up the last two years at the Port of Long Beach , according to their inventories .
The South Coast Air Quality Management District projects that by 2023 oceangoing ships will surpass heavy-duty diesel trucks to become Southern California ’ s largest source of smog-forming nitrogen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on cleaning the air , leaders in L.A. and Long Beach in 2017 decided to overhaul their joint Clean Air Action Plan with an updated , $ 14-billion blueprint that seeks to switch to zero-emission cargo-handling equipment by 2030 , and zero-emission trucks by 2035 .
The same year , the Air Resources Board instructed its staff to draft new shore power rules for ships that achieve “ up to 100 % compliance by 2030.
” The state predicts big improvements in health and air quality from strengthening the rules .
By 2031 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emissions of diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxides from docked ships by about half and reduce their contribution to cancer risk around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by 55 % over the same period .
Community groups say they shouldn ’ t have to wait that long for those health benefits and want regulators to adopt a more aggressive timeline .
“ Ships are massive polluters , and they have the most room to improve , ” said Peter Warren of the San Pedro & Peninsula Homeowners Coalition .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieve the greatest gains because their movements are tracked and they can ’ t hide , and there are solutions to make them cleaner.
” Environmentalists and community groups in some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods argue the public has long paid for port-related emissions with their health .
But the shipping industry has fought against tougher rules , which they argue would be too costly for the amount of pollution reduced .
“ We don ’ t think we need a brand-new rule , ” Mike Jacob , a vice president for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ocean carriers and marine terminal operators , told state regulators at a hearing in Oakland last month .
“ We think we need to be making small administrative tweaks to a successful rule and make it even better.
” Outfitting one ship with the equipment to plug into shore power costs $ 1 million or more , according to industry representatives .
They argue this price tag isn ’ t cost effective for ships that rarely make stops in California ; they say they ’ ll need more shore-based emissions capture systems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ports , which have spent hundreds of millions of dollars building outlets and other electrical infrastructure since they introduced shore power in the mid-2000s , have echoed industry concerns .
Heather Tomley , managing director of planning and environmental affairs for the Port of Long Beach , said the port supported moving forward with additional emissions controls .
“ But we also need to be realistic about the timeline that it will take for these technologies to develop and be proven , and for the infrastructure to be installed , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry $ 2.16 billion over the next decade to comply with the new rules , resulting in health benefits valued at $ 2.25 billion , including the avoidance of hundreds of early deaths from air pollution .
Air Resources Board staff plan to bring the final regulations to the 16-member panel for a final hearing in the spring .
Diane Takvorian , an Air Resources Board member who directs the Environmental Health Coalition based in the San Diego area , says further reductions from ships in port are critical because they are among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most disadvantaged communities .
“ This is a historic step and a big step , ” she said .
In harbor-area communities , neighborhood groups that want tougher pollution restrictions remain skeptical that new rules will be backed up with tougher enforcement , pointing to a history of noncompliance with ship plug-in requirements at the Port of L.A .
In 2015 , the Los Angeles Times revealed that the port had privately rolled back pollution-cutting measures at the China Shipping terminal , giving the company permission to violate shore power requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ port released an audit showing it also failed to meet pollution-reduction requirements at the TraPac terminal , including mandates that ships plug into shore-based electricity .
Last month , the Air Resources Board announced Shanghai-based shipping giant COSCO Container Lines had paid $ 965,000 in penalties after a state audit of its fleet ’ s visits to the ports of L.A. , Long Beach and Oakland discovered 2,600 violations of the shore power rules from 2014 to 2017 .
“ This is a resistant industry and it needs policing and auditing , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peninsula Homeowners Coalition .
“ If you ’ re going to make the rules stricter , you need to make the enforcement stronger too .
”

In December, a barge at the Port of Los Angeles uses a system, known as a bonnet or “sock on a stack,” that’s intended to scrub exhaust.
Ships visiting Southern California’s bustling ports are poised to become the region’s largest source of smog-causing pollutants in coming years, one reason state regulators want to reduce emissions from thousands more of them.
Air quality officials want to expand the number of ships that, while docked, must either shut down their auxiliary engines and plug into shore power or scrub their exhaust by hooking up to machines known as bonnets or “socks on a stack.”
But some neighbors of the ports say the California Air Resources Board is not moving fast enough to cut a rising source of pollution. Some also fear that the shipping industry and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will use their clout to weaken the proposed restrictions, which the Air Resources Board will decide on in the first half of the year.
“We need relief; it’s just that simple,” said Theral Golden of the West Long Beach Assn., a neighborhood group that has long fought for cleaner air in a community that is among the hardest hit by port pollution.
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Ruben Garcia, president of Advanced Environmental Group, points out the telescoping tube of an emissions capture system that’s attached to a barge at the Port of L.A. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
At stake in the battle are billions of dollars in potential costs at the nation’s busiest seaport, which handles roughly 40% of U.S. imports and remains overwhelmingly powered by diesel-spewing trucks, ships, locomotives and cargo-handling equipment. The volume of shipments moving through the two ports has more than tripled since the mid-1990s, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.
But the growth in shipping activity also comes at the cost of people’s health across Southern California, especially near the ports. Despite dramatic emissions cuts by the ports in recent years, neighboring communities such as Wilmington, San Pedro and West Long Beach still have the region’s highest cancer risk from air pollution and higher rates of asthma compared with the rest of the state.
“Right now we have larger ships carrying more cargo, and they’re bringing more pollutants,” Golden added. “We understand that cargo has to move and goods have got to be moved. But it should not be at the expense of our health, and at the expense of our children.”
It was more than a decade ago when the L.A.-Long Beach ports pioneered a major effort to clean up their operations by phasing out their dirtiest sources of diesel pollution. State regulations over the last six years have forced increasing numbers of container ships, refrigerated cargo ships and cruise ships docked at the largest ports to plug in or to connect to emissions controls. But the rules do not apply to more than half of the 8,000 ocean vessels visiting California each year, according to figures provided by the Air Resources Board.
The Air Resources Board proposes to extend such restrictions to additional ports, ship calls and and vessel types, including tankers and roll-on/roll-off ships, which carry cars, trucks and other vehicles. The rules would increase the number of ship visits subject to the rules from about 43% today to about 71% by 2029, air board figures show.
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The sun sets on the TraPac terminal at the Port of Los Angeles in Wilmington. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Largest polluters in L.A.
Some of the vessels at issue are so large they are like floating warehouses or small cities. If not plugged in while docked, they must keep their engines and boilers running. In one 24-hour period in port, a single cruise ship can burn enough fuel oil to equal the pollution from 10,000 cars, according to air quality officials.
But plugging in such hulking, power-hungry vessels isn’t simple.
On a recent weekday, diesel exhaust billowed skyward from the stacks of the Yang Ming Movement, a fully loaded container ship that rumbled into the Port of Los Angeles after its journey from Shanghai.
It took half a dozen workers and two hours to connect the 960-foot-long ship to the electrical grid. Crew members slowly lowered electric cables as thick as fire hoses down the side of the vessel to longshoremen who attached the red and blue plugs, weighing 30 pounds each, into receptacles on the dock. Port electrical workers flipped two giant switches so the ship could begin drawing from the grid.
“She will run on electricity from shore power for the entire stay,” says Bill Schopp, director of marine operations for TraPac terminal in Wilmington, where the vessel docked for nearly five days.
Crane mechanics prepare to connect container ship Yang Ming Movement to the TraPac terminal power grid. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
California made early gains at its ports more than a decade ago with rules that required vessels to switch to cleaner low-sulfur fuel near the shore. But in recent years, progress in fighting air pollution at the L.A.-Long Beach ports has waned, with some emissions creeping upward. In 2018, emissions of diesel particulate matter rose slightly at the Port of L.A. and has ticked up the last two years at the Port of Long Beach, according to their inventories.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District projects that by 2023 oceangoing ships will surpass heavy-duty diesel trucks to become Southern California’s largest source of smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution.
Amid concerns about backsliding on cleaning the air, leaders in L.A. and Long Beach in 2017 decided to overhaul their joint Clean Air Action Plan with an updated, $14-billion blueprint that seeks to switch to zero-emission cargo-handling equipment by 2030, and zero-emission trucks by 2035. The same year, the Air Resources Board instructed its staff to draft new shore power rules for ships that achieve “up to 100% compliance by 2030.”
The state predicts big improvements in health and air quality from strengthening the rules. By 2031, the rules are expected to slash emissions of diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxides from docked ships by about half and reduce their contribution to cancer risk around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by 55% over the same period.
(Los Angeles Times)
Community groups say they shouldn’t have to wait that long for those health benefits and want regulators to adopt a more aggressive timeline.
“Ships are massive polluters, and they have the most room to improve,” said Peter Warren of the San Pedro & Peninsula Homeowners Coalition. “They are also the right target to achieve the greatest gains because their movements are tracked and they can’t hide, and there are solutions to make them cleaner.”
Who pays?
Environmentalists and community groups in some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods argue the public has long paid for port-related emissions with their health. But the shipping industry has fought against tougher rules, which they argue would be too costly for the amount of pollution reduced.
“We don’t think we need a brand-new rule,” Mike Jacob, a vice president for the Pacific Merchant Shipping Assn., which represents ocean carriers and marine terminal operators, told state regulators at a hearing in Oakland last month. “We think we need to be making small administrative tweaks to a successful rule and make it even better.”
Outfitting one ship with the equipment to plug into shore power costs $1 million or more, according to industry representatives. They argue this price tag isn’t cost effective for ships that rarely make stops in California; they say they’ll need more shore-based emissions capture systems to comply.
Crane mechanics Chris Guinn and Martin Viduka work to connect the Yang Ming Movement to shore power Wednesday in Wilmington. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The L.A. and Long Beach ports, which have spent hundreds of millions of dollars building outlets and other electrical infrastructure since they introduced shore power in the mid-2000s, have echoed industry concerns.
Heather Tomley, managing director of planning and environmental affairs for the Port of Long Beach, said the port supported moving forward with additional emissions controls. “But we also need to be realistic about the timeline that it will take for these technologies to develop and be proven, and for the infrastructure to be installed,” she said.
The state estimates it would cost industry $2.16 billion over the next decade to comply with the new rules, resulting in health benefits valued at $2.25 billion, including the avoidance of hundreds of early deaths from air pollution. Air Resources Board staff plan to bring the final regulations to the 16-member panel for a final hearing in the spring.
Diane Takvorian, an Air Resources Board member who directs the Environmental Health Coalition based in the San Diego area, says further reductions from ships in port are critical because they are among the biggest pollution sources affecting the state’s most disadvantaged communities.
“This is a historic step and a big step,” she said.
Power cables are lowered from a container ship to longshoremen at TraPac terminal. Huge ships can spew out a massive amount of pollution idling in port. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Enforcement wanted
In harbor-area communities, neighborhood groups that want tougher pollution restrictions remain skeptical that new rules will be backed up with tougher enforcement, pointing to a history of noncompliance with ship plug-in requirements at the Port of L.A.
In 2015, the Los Angeles Times revealed that the port had privately rolled back pollution-cutting measures at the China Shipping terminal, giving the company permission to violate shore power requirements starting in 2009. In 2016 the port released an audit showing it also failed to meet pollution-reduction requirements at the TraPac terminal, including mandates that ships plug into shore-based electricity.
Last month, the Air Resources Board announced Shanghai-based shipping giant COSCO Container Lines had paid $965,000 in penalties after a state audit of its fleet’s visits to the ports of L.A., Long Beach and Oakland discovered 2,600 violations of the shore power rules from 2014 to 2017.
“This is a resistant industry and it needs policing and auditing,” said Warren of the San Pedro & Peninsula Homeowners Coalition. “If you’re going to make the rules stricter, you need to make the enforcement stronger too.”


latimes--2020-01-03--Earthquake: 3.1 quake hits near Ridgecrest, Calif.

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Thursday evening at 9:48 p.m. seven miles from Ridgecrest , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 35 miles from California City , 63 miles from Tehachapi , 67 miles from Rosamond and 68 miles from Barstow .
In the past 10 days , there have been four 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 recent three year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Thursday evening at 9:48 p.m. seven miles from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 35 miles from California City, 63 miles from Tehachapi, 67 miles from Rosamond and 68 miles from Barstow.
In the past 10 days, there have been four 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 2.2 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--2020-01-02--Anti-Semitic graffiti sprayed onto LGBTQ-friendly shop in West Hollywood

A man was seen on video footage spray-painting what appeared to be anti-Semitic graffiti onto an LGBTQ-friendly boutique in West Hollywood — the second act of anti-Semitic vandalism in the neighborhood this week , according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department .
On Tuesday morning , an employee of Block Party WeHo on Santa Monica Boulevard reported that someone had painted a five-point star that resembled the six-point Star of David , as well as the letters GD and LK , onto the store ’ s window , authorities said .
It was unclear what the letters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nearby business that showed a man painting the images sometime between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. Tuesday .
The incident is being investigated as a potential hate crime .
“ Anyone who has information on these incidents , or recognizes the suspect , please call West Hollywood Sheriff ’ s Station at ( 310 ) 855-8850 , ” the department said in a news release .
It was the second report of anti-Semitic graffiti in West Hollywood this week .
On Sunday , the Bayou WeHo , a New Orleans-themed restaurant and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its door that read “ Hitler was right ” and a similar five-point star , authorities said .
The incidents follow a rash of anti-Semitic acts across the U.S. On Dec. 10 , two shooters killed three people at a Jewish grocery store in Jersey City , N.J. A few days later , a lone man forced his way into the Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills and ransacked it , shredding prayer books and overturning chairs , investigators said .
And on Saturday , a man rushed into a rabbi ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Hanukkah celebration , hacking at people with a machete .
Five people were injured .
Hate crimes in Los Angeles County have reached their highest point in nearly a decade , according to an by the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations .
Religious crimes overall declined slightly , but anti-Jewish crimes rose 14 % and made up 83 % of religion-motivated crimes .

A man was seen on video footage spray-painting what appeared to be anti-Semitic graffiti onto an LGBTQ-friendly boutique in West Hollywood — the second act of anti-Semitic vandalism in the neighborhood this week, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
On Tuesday morning, an employee of Block Party WeHo on Santa Monica Boulevard reported that someone had painted a five-point star that resembled the six-point Star of David, as well as the letters GD and LK, onto the store’s window, authorities said. It was unclear what the letters referenced.
Deputies obtained security footage from a nearby business that showed a man painting the images sometime between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. Tuesday.
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The incident is being investigated as a potential hate crime.
“Anyone who has information on these incidents, or recognizes the suspect, please call West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at (310) 855-8850,” the department said in a news release.
It was the second report of anti-Semitic graffiti in West Hollywood this week. On Sunday, the Bayou WeHo, a New Orleans-themed restaurant and bar, opened Sunday to find graffiti on its door that read “Hitler was right” and a similar five-point star, authorities said.
The incidents follow a rash of anti-Semitic acts across the U.S.
On Dec. 10, two shooters killed three people at a Jewish grocery store in Jersey City, N.J. A few days later, a lone man forced his way into the Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills and ransacked it, shredding prayer books and overturning chairs, investigators said. And on Saturday, a man rushed into a rabbi’s home in Monsey, N.Y., during a Hanukkah celebration, hacking at people with a machete. Five people were injured.
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Hate crimes in Los Angeles County have reached their highest point in nearly a decade, according to an annual report by the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations. Religious crimes overall declined slightly, but anti-Jewish crimes rose 14% and made up 83% of religion-motivated crimes.
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-02--Man arrested in connection with Northern California highway rampage

A man who may have been high on methamphetamine smashed into eight cars on two Northern California freeways on New Year ’ s Day , repeatedly ramming some and injuring three people before plunging his pickup into an irrigation ditch and breaking into a home , the California Highway Patrol said Thursday .
Roderick Weston , 37 , of Rocklin was held after sowing terror for two hours before dawn Wednesday on Interstate 5 and Highway 152 in Merced County , authorities said .
He was arrested north of Dos Palos — about 80 miles from Fresno — and remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately clear whether he had an attorney .
Three people were treated but none had major injuries , authorities said .
Weston owns a marble and granite installation business .
A representative for the business and Weston ’ s spouse declined to comment , the Sacramento Bee reported .
CHP officers said that it appeared Weston was under the influence of meth and told investigators that he was driving like the video game “ Grand Theft Auto , ” Fresno television station KFSN-TV reported .
According to the CHP , Weston abruptly stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. , blocking both southbound lanes .
When a driver behind him stopped to avoid a crash , Weston jumped on her car hood but leaped off as she drove away , authorities said .
About two hours later , authorities said , Weston began striking vehicles in the fog on Highway 152 .
He drove the wrong way in eastbound lanes and made U-turns to approach vehicles that tried to get out of his way .
In some cases after rear-ending or sideswiping them , he backed up to strike them again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambulance was rammed several times and flipped on its side .
No patients were inside .
Ray Fernandez had pulled his Honda Civic off the road to sleep after celebrating New Year ’ s Eve at a casino .
“ I get woken up by my wife , ” Fernandez told KFSN-TV .
“ She ’ s telling me some guy is erratically driving so I started the car , and he just T-boned us and he backed up and he was screaming something and she started screaming , and he backed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his wife jumped out of the car .
“ The guy chased us with his car and then … asked if we were American , are we going to kill him and if we called the cops , ” Fernandez said .
“ We told him , ‘ No , man !
Can you just turn your car off because you ’ re scaring us .
You just ran us off the road and into the bushes.
’ “ Weston then began driving his truck in circles in the middle of the road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife were rescued by a passing Dodge Ram , which also allegedly was attacked by Weston .
At one point , Ram driver Jake Rianda said his truck was pinned against an exit sign .
“ At that point I back up and go forward and he catches up to us and rams us off the road three times and almost flips us , “ Rianda told KFSN-TV .
The group finally tried to hide in a gas station .
Authorities say Weston then drove through a fence and orchard , crashed into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby home before being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and assault with a deadly weapon .

A man who may have been high on methamphetamine smashed into eight cars on two Northern California freeways on New Year’s Day, repeatedly ramming some and injuring three people before plunging his pickup into an irrigation ditch and breaking into a home, the California Highway Patrol said Thursday.
Roderick Weston, 37, of Rocklin was held after sowing terror for two hours before dawn Wednesday on Interstate 5 and Highway 152 in Merced County, authorities said. He was arrested north of Dos Palos — about 80 miles from Fresno — and remained jailed Thursday. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had an attorney.
Three people were treated but none had major injuries, authorities said.
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Weston owns a marble and granite installation business. A representative for the business and Weston’s spouse declined to comment, the Sacramento Bee reported.
CHP officers said that it appeared Weston was under the influence of meth and told investigators that he was driving like the video game “Grand Theft Auto,” Fresno television station KFSN-TV reported.
According to the CHP, Weston abruptly stopped his Toyota Tundra on I-5 about 3:30 a.m., blocking both southbound lanes. When a driver behind him stopped to avoid a crash, Weston jumped on her car hood but leaped off as she drove away, authorities said.
About two hours later, authorities said, Weston began striking vehicles in the fog on Highway 152. He drove the wrong way in eastbound lanes and made U-turns to approach vehicles that tried to get out of his way. In some cases after rear-ending or sideswiping them, he backed up to strike them again, according to the CHP.
An ambulance was rammed several times and flipped on its side. No patients were inside.
Ray Fernandez had pulled his Honda Civic off the road to sleep after celebrating New Year’s Eve at a casino.
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“I get woken up by my wife,” Fernandez told KFSN-TV. “She’s telling me some guy is erratically driving so I started the car, and he just T-boned us and he backed up and he was screaming something and she started screaming, and he backed up and T-boned us again.”
Fernandez and his wife jumped out of the car.
“The guy chased us with his car and then … asked if we were American, are we going to kill him and if we called the cops,” Fernandez said. “We told him, ‘No, man! Can you just turn your car off because you’re scaring us. You just ran us off the road and into the bushes.’ “
Weston then began driving his truck in circles in the middle of the road, he said. Fernandez and his wife were rescued by a passing Dodge Ram, which also allegedly was attacked by Weston.
At one point, Ram driver Jake Rianda said his truck was pinned against an exit sign.
“At that point I back up and go forward and he catches up to us and rams us off the road three times and almost flips us,“ Rianda told KFSN-TV.
The group finally tried to hide in a gas station.
Authorities say Weston then drove through a fence and orchard, crashed into an irrigation ditch and broke into a nearby home before being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and assault with a deadly weapon.


latimes--2020-01-02--Deputies fatally shoot armed man after Riverside County car chase

Deputies fatally shot an armed man who fired at law enforcement after an hourlong car chase Thursday morning in Riverside @ @ @ @ @ Deputies initially responded to reports of a man in French Valley who appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ gun , the Riverside County Sheriff ’ s Department said on Facebook .
The man @ @ @ @ @ named , fled in his vehicle .
Deputies tailed him to Murrieta , where an @ @ @ @ @ truck .
The man then fired at deputies and struck several Sheriff ’ s Department @ @ @ @ @ department said .
At least one deputy fired back , the department said .
The @ @ @ @ @ , where a gun was found .
The name of the deputy involved was not @ @ @ @ @ else was injured .

Deputies fatally shot an armed man who fired at law enforcement after an hourlong car chase Thursday morning in Riverside County, authorities said.
Deputies initially responded to reports of a man in French Valley who appeared to be intoxicated and was waving a gun, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said on Facebook.
The man, who has not been named, fled in his vehicle. Deputies tailed him to Murrieta, where an armored rescue vehicle disabled his truck. The man then fired at deputies and struck several Sheriff’s Department’s vehicles, the department said.
At least one deputy fired back, the department said. The man died at the scene, where a gun was found.
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The name of the deputy involved was not immediately released. No one else was injured.


latimes--2020-01-02--Suspect arrested in connection with deadly New Year's Day shooting in Compton

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the New Year ’ s Day shooting that left a woman dead @ @ @ @ @ in Compton , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department said .
Eduardo Ubiarco @ @ @ @ @ shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday and was booked into Century Regional Detention Facility after the @ @ @ @ @ of West 154th Street .
He is being held on $ 1-million bail .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ common law ” husband of the woman who was killed .
The woman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ with gunshot wounds to his upper torso .
The woman ’ s two children , @ @ @ @ @ and 14 , were present when their mother was fatally shot .
The Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ was injured .
The weapon used has not been recovered .
As the investigation continues @ @ @ @ @ with information to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department ’ s Homicide @ @ @ @ @ 890-5500 .

A woman was killed and her father critically injured in a shooting Wednesday in the 2200 block of West 154th Street.
A suspect has been arrested in connection with the New Year’s Day shooting that left a woman dead and her father critically injured in Compton, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Eduardo Ubiarco, 37, was arrested shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday and was booked into Century Regional Detention Facility after the shooting in the 2200 block of West 154th Street. He is being held on $1-million bail.
Officials said Ubiarco is the “common law” husband of the woman who was killed. The woman’s father is in critical condition with gunshot wounds to his upper torso.
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The woman’s two children, between the ages of 10 and 14, were present when their mother was fatally shot. The Sheriff’s Department said neither child was injured.
The weapon used has not been recovered.
As the investigation continues, officials are asking anyone with information to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.


latimes--2020-01-02--U.S. sends more than 100 firefighters to help Australia battle flames

For the first time since 2010 , the federal government is sending U.S. firefighters — including some from California — to help combat Australia ’ s wildfires , which have burned about 12.35 million acres of land and killed at least 17 people .
According to the National Interagency Fire Center — the government agency that is coordinating the deployment of firefighters from the U.S. — roughly 100 firefighters have been been sent to Australia over the last four weeks , with 50 to 60 more planned to be dispatched Monday .
At least sixteen of those firefighters have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of acres across the state throughout the fall .
Canada is also sending firefighters to Australia for the first time .
Stephen Tulle , duty officer with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center , told CBC that a group of about 36 is assisting .
In November , the U.S. fire center sent a liaison to Australia to work with counterparts there on the U.S. resources needed to help battle the growing blazes .
Working in coordination with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management , Forest Service , National Park Service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wildlife Service , the U.S. center issued a sign-up document for firefighters interested in being dispatched .
Once those firefighters were vetted and cleared to travel internationally , groups began 30-day deployments on Dec. 5 .
The second group left Dec. 19 and a third left Monday .
A fourth group will leave Saturday , and another this Monday .
The firefighters who volunteered for the assignment are on paid status earning their normal salary , fire center public affairs officer Kari Cobb said .
Firefighting techniques vary in each state .
Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Forestry and Fire Protection , said that firefighters dispatched to Australia would need “ orientation and operational training prior to going out on the line.
” The exchange of fire resources is made through an agreement between the U.S. Department of the Interior and Emergency Management Australia .
“ It works really well because Australia has a different fire season than we do in the United States , ” Cobb said .
In August 2018 , Australia and New Zealand sent roughly 140 firefighters to the U.S. for nearly 30 days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Northern California , Washington and Oregon .
At least 17 people have died and roughly 1,400 homes have been destroyed since the fires started in Australia .
On Tuesday morning , 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the shore as winds pushed flames toward their homes .
On Thursday , Prime Minister Scott Morrison was confronted with criticism and jeers during a visit to Cobargo from residents who believe that too little is being done to mitigate a destruction that prompted New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ granting fire officials more authority .
It ’ s the third state of emergency for New South Wales in the last two months .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

A firefighter sprays fire retardant in Jerrawangala, in the Australian state of New South Wales, on Wednesday.
For the first time since 2010, the federal government is sending U.S. firefighters — including some from California — to help combat Australia’s wildfires, which have burned about 12.35 million acres of land and killed at least 17 people.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center — the government agency that is coordinating the deployment of firefighters from the U.S. — roughly 100 firefighters have been been sent to Australia over the last four weeks, with 50 to 60 more planned to be dispatched Monday. At least sixteen of those firefighters have been sent from California, where fires scorched thousands of acres across the state throughout the fall.
Canada is also sending firefighters to Australia for the first time. Stephen Tulle, duty officer with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, told CBC that a group of about 36 is assisting.
In November, the U.S. fire center sent a liaison to Australia to work with counterparts there on the U.S. resources needed to help battle the growing blazes. Working in coordination with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. center issued a sign-up document for firefighters interested in being dispatched.
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Once those firefighters were vetted and cleared to travel internationally, groups began 30-day deployments on Dec. 5. The second group left Dec. 19 and a third left Monday. A fourth group will leave Saturday, and another this Monday. The firefighters who volunteered for the assignment are on paid status earning their normal salary, fire center public affairs officer Kari Cobb said.
Firefighting techniques vary in each state. Scott McLean, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said that firefighters dispatched to Australia would need “orientation and operational training prior to going out on the line.”
The exchange of fire resources is made through an agreement between the U.S. Department of the Interior and Emergency Management Australia.
“It works really well because Australia has a different fire season than we do in the United States,” Cobb said.
In August 2018, Australia and New Zealand sent roughly 140 firefighters to the U.S. for nearly 30 days. Cobb said that the group was stationed in Northern California, Washington and Oregon.
At least 17 people have died and roughly 1,400 homes have been destroyed since the fires started in Australia. On Tuesday morning, 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the shore as winds pushed flames toward their homes.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was confronted with criticism and jeers during a visit to Cobargo from residents who believe that too little is being done to mitigate a destruction that prompted New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian to declare a seven-day state of emergency, granting fire officials more authority. It’s the third state of emergency for New South Wales in the last two months.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-02--Black drivers face more police stops in California, state analysis shows

Black drivers in some of California ’ s largest cities are stopped and searched by police at higher rates than white and Latino motorists , according to a new state analysis .
The state Department of Justice report , released Thursday , found that black people accounted for 15 % of all stops examined in California , though they make up only about 6 % of the state population , according to U.S. census figures .
White and Latino drivers were stopped at rates generally proportional to population estimates .
Police were most likely to stop black men they perceived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 34 .
The findings , the first scrutiny of racial bias in police stops released under a 2015 state law , appear to largely confirm what independent researchers and black drivers have long discussed : “ Driving while black ” represents an elevated risk of a law enforcement encounter .
“ The data released further verifies what we know to be true about racial profiling happening here in L.A. and throughout California by the police , ” community activist Alberto Retana said .
“ People of color , especially black people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times investigations last year found that Los Angeles police in the Metropolitan Division stopped black drivers at a rate more than five times their share of the city population , and the LAPD was more than four times as likely to search African American drivers during stops overall , compared with white motorists .
The investigations prompted Mayor Eric Garcetti and community activists including Retana to call for reforms , and recently , the Metro division cut back on pulling over vehicles as its primary crime-fighting tool .
Other investigations have found similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jose and in cities across the country .
The data included details for vehicle and pedestrian stops of 1.8 million people at the state ’ s eight largest law enforcement agencies for a six-month period from July 2018 through December .
The California Highway Patrol , a statewide agency charged with safeguarding highways , conducted the most stops , pulling over more than 1 million drivers .
The Los Angeles Sheriff ’ s Department and Los Angeles Police Department combined stopped more than 470,000 drivers .
The San Diego Sheriff ’ s Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff ’ s Department , San Bernardino Sheriff ’ s Department and San Francisco Police Department also contributed statistics .
“ The report is just the beginning of information that will allow even greater transparency for law enforcement and our communities , ” said Kings County Sheriff Dave Robinson , a member of the statewide board overseeing the data collection .
The statistics were collected as part of the Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015 , signed by then-Gov .
Jerry Brown .
Though it is the third annual report released under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contain the stop data .
The law will require every law enforcement agency in the state to collect and report profiling data by 2023 .
Police also searched black drivers at a rate nearly three times that of white motorists , the report found .
About 6 % of white drivers were searched after a stop , and nearly 10 % of all drivers were similarly checked .
But the rate jumped to nearly 19 % for black drivers , the highest percentage for any racial category examined .
Researchers have warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bias in policing .
Ron Lawrence , president of the California Police Chiefs Assn .
and chief of Citrus Heights Police Department in Northern California , cautioned that the data might not provide a complete picture of why officers make stops .
Lawrence said the report lacked details about whether stops occurred in high- or low-crime areas , and it didn ’ t provide enough context about whether the stops were initiated by officers or other means , such as a call for service .
“ A lot of those nuances aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s hard to interpret the ‘ why ’ behind some of this.
” Craig Lally , president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League , the union representing officers , said in a statement that the reporting was “ skewed and inaccurate ” in part because it required officers to give their perception of a person ’ s demographics , including race or ethnicity “ in portions of California where a significantly higher amount of people of color live.
” Lally also said the report failed to examine behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their actions .
To analyze some of why and how officers conduct stops , the report also looked at how often officers found contraband or evidence after a search .
“ Search yield ” data can help ferret out bias if data show that a certain demographic is searched more often than others , but with fewer instances of contraband being found .
The data released Thursday found that officers were most likely to find contraband when searching white drivers .
Law enforcement searches of people of color turned up contraband at lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparity in consequences .
While white drivers were more likely than black motorists to receive citations , they are less likely to be arrested .
Black drivers were cited in about 37 % of stops and arrested in about 15 % of incidents .
White drivers were arrested in about 11 % of stops , but cited in a higher proportion .
Overall , drivers perceived as of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent were most likely to receive a ticket , with more than 60 % being cited after a stop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Eva Bitran , a staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California , pointed out that the discrepancies in stops were more pronounced when the data for the California Highway Patrol were removed , possibly in part because that agency largely does not engage in community-based policing .
Examining individual data at the other seven reporting law enforcement agencies might provide a more nuanced view of urban policing in California , she said .
The report shows that of the nearly 337,000 stops reported by the Los Angeles Police Department , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though African Americans account for 9 % of the city ’ s population , according to U.S. census data .
White drivers made up about 18 % of LAPD stops , and account for about 28 % of the city ’ s population .
The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department reported nearly 137,000 stops , about 17 % of them involving African American drivers .
African Americans make up about 8 % of the county population , though the report ’ s authors used a weighted measure of census data for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies stopped white drivers in about 24 % of incidents .
Twenty-six percent of the county population is white , according to the report .
Melina Abdullah , a Cal State L.A. professor and Black Lives Matter organizer who has been an outspoken critic of law enforcement , said the stops are “ an albatross around [ the ] necks ” of black people , leading to community mistrust , large fines , increased insurance rates and incarceration .
“ The experience of driving while black has not changed , ” Abdullah said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of black life ... is a constant weight .
”

Black drivers in some of California’s largest cities are stopped and searched by police at higher rates than white and Latino motorists, according to a new state analysis.
The state Department of Justice report, released Thursday, found that black people accounted for 15% of all stops examined in California, though they make up only about 6% of the state population, according to U.S. census figures. White and Latino drivers were stopped at rates generally proportional to population estimates. Police were most likely to stop black men they perceived as being between the ages of 25 and 34.
The findings, the first scrutiny of racial bias in police stops released under a 2015 state law, appear to largely confirm what independent researchers and black drivers have long discussed: “Driving while black” represents an elevated risk of a law enforcement encounter.
“The data released further verifies what we know to be true about racial profiling happening here in L.A. and throughout California by the police,” community activist Alberto Retana said. “People of color, especially black people, aren’t surprised.”
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Los Angeles Times investigations last year found that Los Angeles police in the Metropolitan Division stopped black drivers at a rate more than five times their share of the city population, and the LAPD was more than four times as likely to search African American drivers during stops overall, compared with white motorists. The investigations prompted Mayor Eric Garcetti and community activists including Retana to call for reforms, and recently, the Metro division cut back on pulling over vehicles as its primary crime-fighting tool.
Other investigations have found similar disparities in Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose and in cities across the country.
The data included details for vehicle and pedestrian stops of 1.8 million people at the state’s eight largest law enforcement agencies for a six-month period from July 2018 through December.
The California Highway Patrol, a statewide agency charged with safeguarding highways, conducted the most stops, pulling over more than 1 million drivers. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles Police Department combined stopped more than 470,000 drivers. The San Diego Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Riverside Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and San Francisco Police Department also contributed statistics.
“The report is just the beginning of information that will allow even greater transparency for law enforcement and our communities,” said Kings County Sheriff Dave Robinson, a member of the statewide board overseeing the data collection.
The statistics were collected as part of the Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015, signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. Though it is the third annual report released under the mandate, it is the first to contain the stop data. The law will require every law enforcement agency in the state to collect and report profiling data by 2023.
Police also searched black drivers at a rate nearly three times that of white motorists, the report found. About 6% of white drivers were searched after a stop, and nearly 10% of all drivers were similarly checked. But the rate jumped to nearly 19% for black drivers, the highest percentage for any racial category examined.
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Researchers have warned that stop data alone do not confirm bias in policing. Ron Lawrence, president of the California Police Chiefs Assn. and chief of Citrus Heights Police Department in Northern California, cautioned that the data might not provide a complete picture of why officers make stops. Lawrence said the report lacked details about whether stops occurred in high- or low-crime areas, and it didn’t provide enough context about whether the stops were initiated by officers or other means, such as a call for service.
“A lot of those nuances aren’t in there,” Lawrence said. “It’s hard to interpret the ‘why’ behind some of this.”
Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing officers, said in a statement that the reporting was “skewed and inaccurate” in part because it required officers to give their perception of a person’s demographics, including race or ethnicity “in portions of California where a significantly higher amount of people of color live.”
Lally also said the report failed to examine behavior witnessed by officers that could have influenced their actions.
To analyze some of why and how officers conduct stops, the report also looked at how often officers found contraband or evidence after a search.
“Search yield” data can help ferret out bias if data show that a certain demographic is searched more often than others, but with fewer instances of contraband being found. The data released Thursday found that officers were most likely to find contraband when searching white drivers. Law enforcement searches of people of color turned up contraband at lower rates.
The report also found a disparity in consequences. While white drivers were more likely than black motorists to receive citations, they are less likely to be arrested. Black drivers were cited in about 37% of stops and arrested in about 15% of incidents. White drivers were arrested in about 11% of stops, but cited in a higher proportion.
Overall, drivers perceived as of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent were most likely to receive a ticket, with more than 60% being cited after a stop, compared with about half of white drivers.
Eva Bitran, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California, pointed out that the discrepancies in stops were more pronounced when the data for the California Highway Patrol were removed, possibly in part because that agency largely does not engage in community-based policing. Examining individual data at the other seven reporting law enforcement agencies might provide a more nuanced view of urban policing in California, she said.
The report shows that of the nearly 337,000 stops reported by the Los Angeles Police Department, about 28% involved African American motorists, though African Americans account for 9% of the city’s population, according to U.S. census data. White drivers made up about 18% of LAPD stops, and account for about 28% of the city’s population.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported nearly 137,000 stops, about 17% of them involving African American drivers. African Americans make up about 8% of the county population, though the report’s authors used a weighted measure of census data for more accurate comparisons. Sheriff’s deputies stopped white drivers in about 24% of incidents. Twenty-six percent of the county population is white, according to the report.
Melina Abdullah, a Cal State L.A. professor and Black Lives Matter organizer who has been an outspoken critic of law enforcement, said the stops are “an albatross around [the] necks” of black people, leading to community mistrust, large fines, increased insurance rates and incarceration.
“The experience of driving while black has not changed,” Abdullah said. “The recognition that it is part of black life ... is a constant weight.”


latimes--2020-01-02--Watch a huge wave knock a man off a rock into the ocean near Santa Cruz

A video shot along California ’ s Central Coast last month shows a man being knocked over by a giant wave and swept into the ocean near Bonny Doon Beach .
The man survived , officials said .
The clip was posted to Santa Cruz County ’ s Facebook page on Tuesday amid a warning from the National Weather Service that swells could reach 25 feet along some area beaches .
The high surf advisory was in effect until 9 p.m. Thursday .
The nine-second video shows a man standing on a rocky outcropping that ’ s struck by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backward before sweeping him into the water .
“ ... never turn your back on the ocean !
” the Facebook post reads .
“ Waves can sneak up on you , as this Bonny Doon beachgoer recently discovered ( he is fine after a rescue by State Parks ) .
” The 20-year-old man was knocked into the ocean on Dec. 20 , shortly after 4 p.m. , said Eddie Rhee-Pizano , Santa Cruz lifeguard supervisor for California State Parks .
By the time parks personnel , California Department of Forestry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had swum back to shore and was on the beach .
They treated the man for scrapes and transported him to a hospital .
His injuries are not believed to have been serious .
“ We still have a lot of energy in the water and some large waves , ” Rhee-Pizano said .
“ So we ’ re just trying to keep people away from the water as much as possible due to these large long-period waves that are hitting the coast.
” He urged visitors to heed warnings from the weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s important to realize when you have these high surf advisories , you need to stay high and dry , ” he said .
“ Never turn your back to the ocean and definitely stay off the rocky outcroppings and coastal bluffs for your safety.
” Bonny Doon Beach is known as a dangerous stretch of coastline during periods of rough surf .
In 2016 , two UC Santa Cruz students died after they were swept into the ocean by a wave while standing on a rock at the beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two women drowned after a wave knocked them from the cliffs where they were fishing just north of Bonny Doon .

A video shot along California’s Central Coast last month shows a man being knocked over by a giant wave and swept into the ocean near Bonny Doon Beach. The man survived, officials said.
The clip was posted to Santa Cruz County’s Facebook page on Tuesday amid a warning from the National Weather Service that swells could reach 25 feet along some area beaches. The high surf advisory was in effect until 9 p.m. Thursday.
The nine-second video shows a man standing on a rocky outcropping that’s struck by a giant wave, which sends him tumbling backward before sweeping him into the water.
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“... never turn your back on the ocean!” the Facebook post reads. “Waves can sneak up on you, as this Bonny Doon beachgoer recently discovered (he is fine after a rescue by State Parks).”
The 20-year-old man was knocked into the ocean on Dec. 20, shortly after 4 p.m., said Eddie Rhee-Pizano, Santa Cruz lifeguard supervisor for California State Parks.
By the time parks personnel, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and paramedics responded, he had swum back to shore and was on the beach. They treated the man for scrapes and transported him to a hospital. His injuries are not believed to have been serious.
Powerful waves continued to batter the beach Thursday.
“We still have a lot of energy in the water and some large waves,” Rhee-Pizano said. “So we’re just trying to keep people away from the water as much as possible due to these large long-period waves that are hitting the coast.”
He urged visitors to heed warnings from the weather service and take proper safety precautions.
“It’s important to realize when you have these high surf advisories, you need to stay high and dry,” he said. “Never turn your back to the ocean and definitely stay off the rocky outcroppings and coastal bluffs for your safety.”
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Bonny Doon Beach is known as a dangerous stretch of coastline during periods of rough surf.
In 2016, two UC Santa Cruz students died after they were swept into the ocean by a wave while standing on a rock at the beach. About three years before that, two women drowned after a wave knocked them from the cliffs where they were fishing just north of Bonny Doon.


latimes--2020-01-02--Strong snowpack is good news for California's water supply as storms hit the mark

After a slow start to California ’ s wet winter season , a series of storms that hammered the state at the tail end of 2019 dumped enough snow on the Sierra Nevada to kick off the new year with a solid snowpack .
That is good news for the state ’ s water supply , which has been taxed until recently by drought conditions .
The snowpack provides about 30 % of the annual fresh water supply for the state .
Its spring and summer runoff feeds rivers and reservoirs and eventually is distributed to various water agencies for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies .
A recent survey found that only 3.6 % of the state was abnormally dry , a major improvement from the drought years .
Surveyors with the California Department of Water Resources trudged through a snow-covered field Thursday at the department ’ s Phillips station — fresh powder crunching beneath their snowshoes —and plunged a hollow pole into the snowpack for the first monthly measurement that serves as an important marker for the state ’ s water supply .
The result — 33.5 inches deep — amounted to a promising start , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of average for the time of year and 44 % of the April 1 average in that location .
If all the snow were to melt at once it would amount to about 11 inches of water , said Sean de Guzman , chief of the agency ’ s snow surveys and water supply forecasting section .
“ It ’ s still too early to predict what the remainder of the year will bring in terms of snowpack , ” he said .
“ Climate change is altering the balance of rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why it is important to maintain our measurements of the snowpack to document the change , in addition to having critical information to forecast spring runoff.
” The snow season typically begins in December and ends on the first day of April , when the snowpack is normally at its highest .
However , surveyors will continue to measure the frozen reservoir as long as there ’ s powder on the ground , often through May .
How much snow falls during this period is critical to California ’ s annual water outlook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers .
Hours before official measurements were taken Thursday morning , agency spokesman Chris Orrock looked out across the snowy field at the Phillips station and remarked on the promising size of the snowy blanket , thanks to late November and early December storms .
“ We ’ re cautiously optimistic , ” Orrock said .
“ We had a really good December , probably the best December snowpack since 2010 , but just because it ’ s a good start doesn ’ t mean we ’ re going to have a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large field 30 miles west of Lake Tahoe — was grassy and dry when surveyors attempted to measure the snowpack in January 2018 .
In 2019 , conditions were significantly better , with the January snowpack measuring 25.5 inches and 80 % of average for the date .
That 2019 snowpack — which picked up later in the winter , boosted by a series of atmospheric rivers paired with cold fronts that pounded the state — was ultimately the fifth best in recorded history .
In early June , the snow blanketing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average , making it the largest June snowpack in nearly a decade , thanks to a wave of late spring rainstorms .
Some sections of the vast Sierra Nevada range have received more snow than others from recent storms .
The snowpack in the southern section of the range is 104 % of average for the date , while the central and northern sections are 90 % and 77 % of average , respectively .
However , those numbers could change with the help of a few solid winter storms in the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ A single atmospheric river storm can bring a significant amount of water in a short period of time and change things considerably , ” he said .
Experts say it ’ s still too early to predict how much rain the state will receive this winter .
A wildfire outlook report issued Wednesday by the Southern California Geographic Coordination Center in Riverside indicates that long-range models are edging toward the likelihood of drier than average weather for the rest of the winter , with some of the greater deficits occurring in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of long-range models had been consistent in showing well below normal precipitation this winter across California and much of the Southwest , ” the report states .
Despite the lackluster outlook , the state ’ s water supply appears to be in good shape so far .
As of Thursday , most of the state ’ s largest reservoirs were near or just above historical averages for January .
Lake Shasta , the state ’ s largest reservoir , is 73 % full , or 117 % of normal for the time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 59 % full , or 96 % of normal , while the Don Pedro Reservoir in Tuolumne County is 80 % full , or 121 % of its historical average .

Sean de Guzman, chief of snow surveys for the California Department of Water Resources, measures the snowpack during the first survey of the season at Phillips Station near Echo Summit, west of Lake Tahoe.
After a slow start to California’s wet winter season, a series of storms that hammered the state at the tail end of 2019 dumped enough snow on the Sierra Nevada to kick off the new year with a solid snowpack.
That is good news for the state’s water supply, which has been taxed until recently by drought conditions. The snowpack provides about 30% of the annual fresh water supply for the state. Its spring and summer runoff feeds rivers and reservoirs and eventually is distributed to various water agencies for farm irrigation, landscaping and urban drinking supplies.
A recent survey found that only 3.6% of the state was abnormally dry, a major improvement from the drought years.
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Surveyors with the California Department of Water Resources trudged through a snow-covered field Thursday at the department’s Phillips station — fresh powder crunching beneath their snowshoes —and plunged a hollow pole into the snowpack for the first monthly measurement that serves as an important marker for the state’s water supply.
The result — 33.5 inches deep — amounted to a promising start, officials said. That number is 97% of average for the time of year and 44% of the April 1 average in that location. If all the snow were to melt at once it would amount to about 11 inches of water, said Sean de Guzman, chief of the agency’s snow surveys and water supply forecasting section.
“It’s still too early to predict what the remainder of the year will bring in terms of snowpack,” he said. “Climate change is altering the balance of rain and snow in California. That is why it is important to maintain our measurements of the snowpack to document the change, in addition to having critical information to forecast spring runoff.”
The snow season typically begins in December and ends on the first day of April, when the snowpack is normally at its highest. However, surveyors will continue to measure the frozen reservoir as long as there’s powder on the ground, often through May. How much snow falls during this period is critical to California’s annual water outlook and is watched closely by state water managers.
Hours before official measurements were taken Thursday morning, agency spokesman Chris Orrock looked out across the snowy field at the Phillips station and remarked on the promising size of the snowy blanket, thanks to late November and early December storms.
“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Orrock said. “We had a really good December, probably the best December snowpack since 2010, but just because it’s a good start doesn’t mean we’re going to have a good season.”
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The Phillips station — a large field 30 miles west of Lake Tahoe — was grassy and dry when surveyors attempted to measure the snowpack in January 2018. In 2019, conditions were significantly better, with the January snowpack measuring 25.5 inches and 80% of average for the date.
That 2019 snowpack — which picked up later in the winter, boosted by a series of atmospheric rivers paired with cold fronts that pounded the state — was ultimately the fifth best in recorded history. In early June, the snow blanketing the vast mountain range was 201% of average, making it the largest June snowpack in nearly a decade, thanks to a wave of late spring rainstorms.
Some sections of the vast Sierra Nevada range have received more snow than others from recent storms.
The snowpack in the southern section of the range is 104% of average for the date, while the central and northern sections are 90% and 77% of average, respectively. However, those numbers could change with the help of a few solid winter storms in the next few months, said climatologist Michael Anderson.
“A single atmospheric river storm can bring a significant amount of water in a short period of time and change things considerably,” he said.
Experts say it’s still too early to predict how much rain the state will receive this winter. A wildfire outlook report issued Wednesday by the Southern California Geographic Coordination Center in Riverside indicates that long-range models are edging toward the likelihood of drier than average weather for the rest of the winter, with some of the greater deficits occurring in January and February.
“The majority of long-range models had been consistent in showing well below normal precipitation this winter across California and much of the Southwest,” the report states.
Despite the lackluster outlook, the state’s water supply appears to be in good shape so far.
As of Thursday, most of the state’s largest reservoirs were near or just above historical averages for January. Lake Shasta, the state’s largest reservoir, is 73% full, or 117% of normal for the time of year. Lake Oroville in Butte County is 59% full, or 96% of normal, while the Don Pedro Reservoir in Tuolumne County is 80% full, or 121% of its historical average.


latimes--2020-01-02--Suspect sought in fatal stabbing at downtown L.A. restaurant

Authorities on Thursday were continuing to search for a man suspected of fatally stabbing a patron inside a restaurant in @ @ @ @ @ Year ’ s Day .
Officers responding to a call about 8:40 a.m. at Margarita @ @ @ @ @ 100 block of East 7th Street found a man in his 50s with stab wounds @ @ @ @ @ to the Los Angeles Police Department .
The wounded man , who has not been @ @ @ @ @ a hospital where he was pronounced dead , police said .
Witnesses told authorities that @ @ @ @ @ another man before the second man pulled out a knife and stabbed him , police @ @ @ @ @ , the suspect — described as a man in his early to mid-50s — ran @ @ @ @ @ not been found .
A detailed description of the suspect was not immediately available .

A man in his 50s was fatally stabbed at a restaurant in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday morning. police said.
Authorities on Thursday were continuing to search for a man suspected of fatally stabbing a patron inside a restaurant in downtown Los Angeles on New Year’s Day.
Officers responding to a call about 8:40 a.m. at Margarita’s Place in the 100 block of East 7th Street found a man in his 50s with stab wounds in the restaurant, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The wounded man, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.
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Witnesses told authorities that the man had argued with another man before the second man pulled out a knife and stabbed him, police said.
After the stabbing, the suspect — described as a man in his early to mid-50s — ran from the area and has not been found. A detailed description of the suspect was not immediately available.