latimes--2020-02-29--In Los Angeles County D.A.'s race, it's reform vs. tradition. Where does each candidate stand?

When voters head to the polls on March 3 , they will make one choice that could change the course of criminal justice policy in Los Angeles County .
Two-term incumbent Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey is trying to fend off a pair of challengers who embody a nationwide push to elect more progressive prosecutors : former San Francisco Dist .
Atty .
George Gascón and former Los Angeles County public defender Rachel Rossi .
The three candidates have engaged in a hotly contested campaign that included a combative January debate marked by raucous protests , which Lacey cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public debates .
The race has also attracted millions of dollars in outside money from police unions backing Lacey and Northern California progressives hoping to boost Gascón ’ s chances .
So where does each candidate stand on some of the biggest issues affecting public safety in Los Angeles County ?
Who supports them ?
How did they get here ?
Below , The Times breaks down each candidate ’ s resume and positions on key issues ahead of Tuesday ’ s primary : Lacey , 63 , became a deputy district attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dist .
Atty .
Steve Cooley ’ s second in command before she was elected to replace him in 2012 .
She ran unopposed for a second term in 2016 .
She is the first woman and first African American to be elected district attorney in L.A. County .
Under her leadership , the office has won a number of high-profile cases , convicting the “ Grim Sleeper ” serial killer and securing a plea deal that sent Marion “ Suge ” Knight to prison for 28 years on manslaughter charges .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein , already convicted on similar charges in New York City this week .
Community activists have criticized her for declining to bring charges against police officers in a number of high-profile use-of-force cases .
A career cop , Gascón , 65 , rose through the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department , becoming an assistant chief .
He went on to serve as police chief in Mesa , Ariz. , and San Francisco , before he was appointed district attorney there in 2011 .
He served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lacey last year .
One of the stars of a nationwide push to elect progressive prosecutors , Gascón was a co-author of Proposition 47 , the controversial bill that reduced a number of felonies to misdemeanors .
He was also among the first prosecutors in the nation to successfully expunge a wide array of marijuana convictions after Californians voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis and helped set the table for San Francisco ’ s shift from the use of cash bail .
Law enforcement groups and others said his policies led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco .
The newest face in the contest , Rossi , 36 , served as a county and federal public defender in Los Angeles for several years .
She went on to serve as a legal advisor to U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin ( D-Illinois ) and aided him in crafting the First Step Act , which reduced some mandatory minimum sentences at the federal level and increased the chances for minimum-risk inmates to receive early release .
She worked as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on criminal justice reform issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reformer .
Some have questioned her lack of prosecutorial experience .
Where do they stand ?
Lacey issued a directive in 2017 to make defendants eligible for a pre-filing diversion program if they had been charged with some low-level non-violent crimes , including simple drug possession and drinking in public .
The move , she said , could be beneficial to homeless defendants often charged with those crimes .
She also joined a multiagency effort to void warrants and tickets for more than 2 million minor offenses , the fines for which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to services and housing .
Gascón directed prosecutors in San Francisco to stop prosecuting homeless defendants and those with substance abuse problems for low-level and nonviolent offenses .
He has also pushed for the expansion of a pre-booking diversion program , launched in San Francisco , for low-level drug offenders as an alternative to jail .
Rossi has said crimes such as public urination and sleeping outside should never be prosecuted .
If elected , she would urge deputy district attorneys to consider not filing charges if a homeless defendant committed only a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also vowed to prosecute landlords who unfairly raise rents and work to stop other practices that contribute to homelessness .
Lacey continues to support capital punishment , and her line prosecutors has sent 22 people to California ’ s death row since 2012 .
Lacey has said her office uses the threat of execution sparingly , seeking the death penalty in only 3 % of all eligible cases in 2018 .
Rossi and Gascón have both said they will not seek the death penalty in any cases if elected .
Gascón this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defendants sentenced to death by the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office , if elected .
Lacey is supported by the unions representing LAPD officers , county sheriff ’ s deputies and deputy district attorneys .
She also has the backing of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti , U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-San Francisco ) and U.S. Rep. Adam B. Schiff ( D-Burbank ) .
Gascón won the endorsement of the L.A. County Democratic Party , U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-San Francisco ) and Rep. Maxine Waters ( D-Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rank-and-file officers , Gascón also has the support of former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck , who is the interim head of the Chicago Police Department .
Rossi shared the endorsement with Gascón of the Real Justice political action committee , which has backed a number of progressive candidates in district attorney ’ s races across the nation .
She also picked up endorsements from a number of political organizations in Los Angeles including the Black L.A. Young Democrats and the Los Angeles African American Women ’ s political action committee .
Lacey has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of controversial shootings in L.A. County since 2012 .
She ignored Beck ’ s recommendation to charge an officer in the shooting of an unarmed homeless man in Venice in 2018 and also declined to charge a Long Beach police officer who shot an unarmed teen .
Lacey has noted the difficulty of successfully prosecuting law enforcement in such cases , and said critics rarely look at all the evidence in a case before passing judgment on a shooting .
Records show her office has charged more than 90 police officers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported legislation that tightened rules on when officers can use deadly force in California .
He did not file charges in any officer-involved shootings in San Francisco during his tenure , including the killing of Mario Woods Records show 32 law enforcement officers faced charges during his tenure , including several sheriff ’ s deputies accused of organizing a jailhouse fight ring .
Rossi has said that , if elected , she would call on the state attorney general ’ s office to grant her power to have special prosecutors investigate officer use-of-force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would help avoid the inherent bias of a district attorney ’ s office making filing decisions involving police agencies with which they normally work alongside .

When voters head to the polls on March 3, they will make one choice that could change the course of criminal justice policy in Los Angeles County.
Two-term incumbent Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey is trying to fend off a pair of challengers who embody a nationwide push to elect more progressive prosecutors: former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascón and former Los Angeles County public defender Rachel Rossi.
The three candidates have engaged in a hotly contested campaign that included a combative January debate marked by raucous protests, which Lacey cited as a reason to turn down further public debates. The race has also attracted millions of dollars in outside money from police unions backing Lacey and Northern California progressives hoping to boost Gascón’s chances.
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So where does each candidate stand on some of the biggest issues affecting public safety in Los Angeles County? Who supports them? How did they get here? Below, The Times breaks down each candidate’s resume and positions on key issues ahead of Tuesday’s primary:
Jackie Lacey
Lacey, 63, became a deputy district attorney in 1986 and rose to be former Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley’s second in command before she was elected to replace him in 2012. She ran unopposed for a second term in 2016. She is the first woman and first African American to be elected district attorney in L.A. County.
Under her leadership, the office has won a number of high-profile cases, convicting the “Grim Sleeper” serial killer and securing a plea deal that sent Marion “Suge” Knight to prison for 28 years on manslaughter charges. Last month, she brought sexual assault charges against fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, already convicted on similar charges in New York City this week.
Community activists have criticized her for declining to bring charges against police officers in a number of high-profile use-of-force cases.
George Gascón
A career cop, Gascón, 65, rose through the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department, becoming an assistant chief. He went on to serve as police chief in Mesa, Ariz., and San Francisco, before he was appointed district attorney there in 2011. He served two terms before stepping down to challenge Lacey last year.
One of the stars of a nationwide push to elect progressive prosecutors, Gascón was a co-author of Proposition 47, the controversial bill that reduced a number of felonies to misdemeanors. He was also among the first prosecutors in the nation to successfully expunge a wide array of marijuana convictions after Californians voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis and helped set the table for San Francisco’s shift from the use of cash bail.
Law enforcement groups and others said his policies led to a surge in property crimes in San Francisco.
Rachel Rossi
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The newest face in the contest, Rossi, 36, served as a county and federal public defender in Los Angeles for several years. She went on to serve as a legal advisor to U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) and aided him in crafting the First Step Act, which reduced some mandatory minimum sentences at the federal level and increased the chances for minimum-risk inmates to receive early release.
She worked as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on criminal justice reform issues. Rossi is running as an outsider and reformer. Some have questioned her lack of prosecutorial experience.
Where do they stand?
Homelessness
Lacey issued a directive in 2017 to make defendants eligible for a pre-filing diversion program if they had been charged with some low-level non-violent crimes, including simple drug possession and drinking in public. The move, she said, could be beneficial to homeless defendants often charged with those crimes.
She also joined a multiagency effort to void warrants and tickets for more than 2 million minor offenses, the fines for which also often prove to be a roadblock to services and housing.
Gascón directed prosecutors in San Francisco to stop prosecuting homeless defendants and those with substance abuse problems for low-level and nonviolent offenses. He has also pushed for the expansion of a pre-booking diversion program, launched in San Francisco, for low-level drug offenders as an alternative to jail.
Rossi has said crimes such as public urination and sleeping outside should never be prosecuted. If elected, she would urge deputy district attorneys to consider not filing charges if a homeless defendant committed only a crime out of need. She has also vowed to prosecute landlords who unfairly raise rents and work to stop other practices that contribute to homelessness.
Death penalty
Lacey continues to support capital punishment, and her line prosecutors has sent 22 people to California’s death row since 2012. Lacey has said her office uses the threat of execution sparingly, seeking the death penalty in only 3% of all eligible cases in 2018.
Rossi and Gascón have both said they will not seek the death penalty in any cases if elected. Gascón this week announced a plan to seek to resentence defendants sentenced to death by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, if elected.
Endorsements
Lacey is supported by the unions representing LAPD officers, county sheriff’s deputies and deputy district attorneys. She also has the backing of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-San Francisco) and U.S. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank).
Gascón won the endorsement of the L.A. County Democratic Party, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-San Francisco) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles). Despite the opposition from rank-and-file officers, Gascón also has the support of former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who is the interim head of the Chicago Police Department.
Rossi shared the endorsement with Gascón of the Real Justice political action committee, which has backed a number of progressive candidates in district attorney’s races across the nation. She also picked up endorsements from a number of political organizations in Los Angeles including the Black L.A. Young Democrats and the Los Angeles African American Women’s political action committee.
Police accountability
Lacey has prosecuted one law enforcement officer among a number of controversial shootings in L.A. County since 2012. She ignored Beck’s recommendation to charge an officer in the shooting of an unarmed homeless man in Venice in 2018 and also declined to charge a Long Beach police officer who shot an unarmed teen.
Lacey has noted the difficulty of successfully prosecuting law enforcement in such cases, and said critics rarely look at all the evidence in a case before passing judgment on a shooting. Records show her office has charged more than 90 police officers in misconduct cases since 2013.
Gascón has supported legislation that tightened rules on when officers can use deadly force in California. He did not file charges in any officer-involved shootings in San Francisco during his tenure, including the killing of Mario Woods . Records show 32 law enforcement officers faced charges during his tenure, including several sheriff’s deputies accused of organizing a jailhouse fight ring.
Rossi has said that, if elected, she would call on the state attorney general’s office to grant her power to have special prosecutors investigate officer use-of-force cases. The move, she said, would help avoid the inherent bias of a district attorney’s office making filing decisions involving police agencies with which they normally work alongside.


latimes--2020-03-02--The leader of California's Republican Party has a strategy for success: Never mention Trump

If the leader of the California Republican Party had her way , GOP candidates in this state would never mention President Trump ’ s name .
Not that Jessica Millan Patterson is trashing Trump — it ’ s hard to imagine a state Republican leader badmouthing a GOP president — but she devours the polls like every political pro .
And polls consistently show that throughout most of California , Trump ’ s name is dirt .
The latest poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that among likely voters , 94 % of Democrats and 57 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s job performance .
It was approved by 84 % of Republicans , but they ’ ve become increasingly scarce in California .
So for any Republican candidate running in a competitive district against a Democrat , warmly embracing the unpopular president would be a vote-killer .
Patterson , chairwoman of the California Republican Party , says legislative candidates should campaign only on state and local issues and avoid all subjects presidential .
Congressional candidates might assail Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ call for single-payer , government-only health insurance — tying it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on the everyday problems of California voters , she says .
“ Our focus in California is on keeping it local , ” Patterson told me when asked how Republican candidates should handle Trump .
“ We ’ re going to be talking about things happening here and affecting voters ’ lives — focused on what ’ s happening in Sacramento .
Democrats have given us a lot to work with.
” She ’ d also change the vocabulary of state politicians .
They ’ d discard Sacramento-speak and talk to voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and concerns .
“ Everyone in Sacramento talks in a different language , ” she complains .
Such as ?
“ ’ Bill numbers , ’ ‘ authors ’ and ‘ coauthors , ’ ‘ hearings , ’ ‘ amendments.
’ ” Well , yeah , it ’ s the basic language of governing , presumably taught in high school civics classes .
But it does prompt eye glazing and drowsiness .
“ They should talk to voters about how much more some [ Democratic proposal ] is going to cost them as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Talk about issues that are important to people.
” One more thing , she says : Republican politicians should show up more .
“ Democrats show up , ” Patterson says .
“ Many voters don ’ t think Republicans care about their problems.
” She doesn ’ t mean merely showing up at campaign fundraisers .
She ’ s talking about showing up at meetings in lodge halls and local hangouts to listen to voters ’ problems and discuss solutions — “ engaging every single community ” and gaining trust .
Patterson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day to talk about how she ’ s trying to rebuild the crumbled California Republican Party one year after being elected its chairwoman at a state convention .
She ’ s articulate , energetic and savvy .
Delegates chose her over a firebrand conservative .
Patterson ran as a pragmatist .
Sacramento consultant and former advisor to Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger Cassandra Pye , who is black , told The Times at the convention : “ We ’ ve been a party that ’ s essentially got a face that is primarily white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s time we turn the party over to another generation and to some folks that look more like the rest of California.
” Patterson ’ s election was a significant step in that direction .
She is the first Latino and first woman to be elected head of the California Republican Party .
Moreover , the two Republican leaders of the Legislature are women : Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield and Assemblywoman Marie Waldron of Escondido .
A lifelong political junkie , Patterson , 39 , grew up in Montebello and went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science .
After college , she immediately began working in politics .
She lives in Simi Valley with her two young daughters and husband , an assistant dean at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering .
As the full-time CRP chairwoman , Patterson is paid $ 250,000 annually — almost twice the $ 127,500 salary California Democrats pay their state chairman , Rusty Hicks .
Patterson ’ s parents were both Democrats — her dad a Teamsters union shop steward and her mom a “ Reagan Democrat.
” Her father was of Mexican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainian , a strong Catholic drawn toward the GOP by its opposition to abortion .
Patterson also is anti-abortion , but says she has never been a “ pro-life ” activist .
In California , where voters strongly support abortion rights , Republican candidates wisely stopped focusing on the issue several years ago .
The last two Republican governors — Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson — were both “ pro-choice ” abortion rights advocates .
But Californians haven ’ t elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006 .
It ’ s strictly one-party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in both legislative houses .
And Democrats dominate the California delegation to the U.S. House by 46 to 7 .
Republicans lost half their seats in 2018 when Democrats tagged GOP incumbents as Trump toadies .
“ Coming out of November 2018 , we were in incredibly dark times , ” Patterson says .
“ But that darkness has been filled with some hope , some excitement and just the right amount of people being pissed off — about everything from homelessness to just being able to afford staying in California any longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruitment , volunteer recruitment and online contributions.
” Patterson says the party raised $ 1 million online last year , a 1,000 % increase .
There has been a 33 % increase in major donors .
But Republican voter registration has fallen in recent decades to 23.7 % of the electorate , far behind Democrats , who are at 44.6 % .
The GOP even trails “ no party preference ” independents , 25.9 % .
Democrats could be a huge help to California Republicans by dumping Trump in November .

Jessica Millan Patterson, now-chairwoman of the California Republican Party, speaks to delegates after her nomination during the party convention in Sacramento on Feb. 23, 2019.
If the leader of the California Republican Party had her way, GOP candidates in this state would never mention President Trump’s name.
Not that Jessica Millan Patterson is trashing Trump — it’s hard to imagine a state Republican leader badmouthing a GOP president — but she devours the polls like every political pro. And polls consistently show that throughout most of California, Trump’s name is dirt.
The latest poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that among likely voters, 94% of Democrats and 57% of independents disapprove of Trump’s job performance. It was approved by 84% of Republicans, but they’ve become increasingly scarce in California.
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So for any Republican candidate running in a competitive district against a Democrat, warmly embracing the unpopular president would be a vote-killer.
Patterson, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, says legislative candidates should campaign only on state and local issues and avoid all subjects presidential.
Congressional candidates might assail Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ call for single-payer, government-only health insurance — tying it to all Democrats — but they should similarly focus on the everyday problems of California voters, she says.
“Our focus in California is on keeping it local,” Patterson told me when asked how Republican candidates should handle Trump. “We’re going to be talking about things happening here and affecting voters’ lives — focused on what’s happening in Sacramento. Democrats have given us a lot to work with.”
She’d also change the vocabulary of state politicians. They’d discard Sacramento-speak and talk to voters in plain words about their daily problems and concerns.
“Everyone in Sacramento talks in a different language,” she complains.
Advertisement
Such as? “’Bill numbers,’ ‘authors’ and ‘coauthors,’ ‘hearings,’ ‘amendments.’”
Well, yeah, it’s the basic language of governing, presumably taught in high school civics classes. But it does prompt eye glazing and drowsiness.
“They should talk to voters about how much more some [Democratic proposal] is going to cost them as taxpayers,” Patterson says. “Talk about issues that are important to people.”
One more thing, she says: Republican politicians should show up more.
“Democrats show up,” Patterson says. “Many voters don’t think Republicans care about their problems.”
She doesn’t mean merely showing up at campaign fundraisers. She’s talking about showing up at meetings in lodge halls and local hangouts to listen to voters’ problems and discuss solutions — “engaging every single community” and gaining trust.
Patterson showed up at my office the other day to talk about how she’s trying to rebuild the crumbled California Republican Party one year after being elected its chairwoman at a state convention. She’s articulate, energetic and savvy. Delegates chose her over a firebrand conservative. Patterson ran as a pragmatist.
Sacramento consultant and former advisor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Cassandra Pye, who is black, told The Times at the convention:
“We’ve been a party that’s essentially got a face that is primarily white and male and old. It’s time we turn the party over to another generation and to some folks that look more like the rest of California.”
Patterson’s election was a significant step in that direction. She is the first Latino and first woman to be elected head of the California Republican Party.
Moreover, the two Republican leaders of the Legislature are women: Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield and Assemblywoman Marie Waldron of Escondido.
A lifelong political junkie, Patterson, 39, grew up in Montebello and went to Cal State Northridge, majoring in political science. After college, she immediately began working in politics. She lives in Simi Valley with her two young daughters and husband, an assistant dean at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
As the full-time CRP chairwoman, Patterson is paid $250,000 annually — almost twice the $127,500 salary California Democrats pay their state chairman, Rusty Hicks.
Patterson’s parents were both Democrats — her dad a Teamsters union shop steward and her mom a “Reagan Democrat.” Her father was of Mexican descent. Her mother was Irish and Ukrainian, a strong Catholic drawn toward the GOP by its opposition to abortion. Patterson also is anti-abortion, but says she has never been a “pro-life” activist.
In California, where voters strongly support abortion rights, Republican candidates wisely stopped focusing on the issue several years ago. The last two Republican governors — Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson — were both “pro-choice” abortion rights advocates.
But Californians haven’t elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006. It’s strictly one-party rule in Sacramento. Democrats hold supermajorities in both legislative houses.
And Democrats dominate the California delegation to the U.S. House by 46 to 7. Republicans lost half their seats in 2018 when Democrats tagged GOP incumbents as Trump toadies.
“Coming out of November 2018, we were in incredibly dark times,” Patterson says. “But that darkness has been filled with some hope, some excitement and just the right amount of people being pissed off — about everything from homelessness to just being able to afford staying in California any longer …
“We see that in candidate recruitment, volunteer recruitment and online contributions.”
Patterson says the party raised $1 million online last year, a 1,000% increase. There has been a 33% increase in major donors.
But Republican voter registration has fallen in recent decades to 23.7% of the electorate, far behind Democrats, who are at 44.6%. The GOP even trails “no party preference” independents, 25.9%.
Democrats could be a huge help to California Republicans by dumping Trump in November.


latimes--2020-03-02--Man with handgun is shot and killed by police at Santa Ana church

A man was shot and killed by Santa Ana police on Sunday afternoon after wielding a handgun inside a Catholic church , according to authorities .
The man , who has not been identified but is thought to be a Santa Ana resident , appeared at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Center Street in between Masses , Santa Ana police Cpl .
Anthony Bertagna said .
About 15 people were there at the time .
Several people flagged down an officer who just happened to be outside the church at 4:15 p.m. and informed him of the man with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man inside the church and shot him , Bertagna said .
It wasn ’ t yet clear what caused the officer to fire his weapon .
The man ran from the church and died in a street about 100 yards away , authorities said .
Bertagna said the man was distraught over a family issue and possibly suicidal .
“ Why he chose to come to the church , we don ’ t know at this point , ” Bertagna said .
Investigators have not disclosed whether the man ’ s gun was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been a second man with a gun , but officers were unable to locate another suspect in the neighborhood .
The name of the officer who shot the man has not been released .

A man was shot and killed by Santa Ana police on Sunday afternoon after wielding a handgun inside a Catholic church, according to authorities.
The man, who has not been identified but is thought to be a Santa Ana resident, appeared at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Center Street in between Masses, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. About 15 people were there at the time.
Several people flagged down an officer who just happened to be outside the church at 4:15 p.m. and informed him of the man with the gun. The officer found the man inside the church and shot him, Bertagna said. It wasn’t yet clear what caused the officer to fire his weapon.
The man ran from the church and died in a street about 100 yards away, authorities said.
Bertagna said the man was distraught over a family issue and possibly suicidal.
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“Why he chose to come to the church, we don’t know at this point,” Bertagna said. Investigators have not disclosed whether the man’s gun was loaded.
Parishioners reported that there may have been a second man with a gun, but officers were unable to locate another suspect in the neighborhood.
The name of the officer who shot the man has not been released.


latimes--2020-03-02--GOP candidate for L.A. congressional district tweets coronavirus conspiracy theory

The only Republican running for the 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles has repeatedly tweeted that the novel coronavirus was “ man made ” and implicated Pope Francis , Hillary Clinton and others in the spread of the illness .
“ Bill Gates is one of the financiers of the Wujan ( sic ) lab where it was being developed , ” congressional candidate Joanne Wright wrote in a Feb. 24 tweet that has since been deleted .
“ I wouldn ’ t put it past them and by ‘ them ’ I mean everyone from [ Rep. ] Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Pope.
” Wright ’ s tweets appear to refer to a conspiracy theory that posits the coronavirus was created in a laboratory in Wuhan , China , where the COVID-19 outbreak was first reported .
The California Republican Party has denounced Wright ’ s comments .
“ These views are not representative of the @ CAGOP regarding this serious public health issue , ” the organization tweeted Saturday .
In addition to incumbent Jimmy Gomez , Wright is running against three Democratic candidates who are vying for the seat that represents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. Wright , a real estate broker and vocal supporter of President Trump , did not respond to a request for comment .
As recently as September , Wright has tweeted from her personal Twitter account the slogan for QAnon , a far-right conspiracy theory that centers on a supposed secret plot by an alleged “ deep state ” against Trump and his supporters .
Wright posted a video in May titled “ QANON THE GREAT AWAKENING ” that promoted the conspiracy theory .
The California GOP has endorsed Wright by default because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that district , according to Cynthia Bryant , executive director of the California Republican Party .
Bryant said the organization plans to review the rule that gives automatic endorsements to GOP candidates if they ’ re the sole Republican on the ballot .
“ There ’ s a little thing called the 1st Amendment , ” Bryant said of Wright ’ s tweet .
“ Candidates can say whatever they want to.
” So much coronavirus-related misinformation has proliferated in recent weeks that the World Health Organization coined a term for the flurry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton ( R–Ark . )
questioned the origins of the coronavirus on Fox News in mid-February , noting that a large laboratory is “ a few miles away ” from a seafood market that had a large cluster of some of the first cases detected .
“ We don ’ t have evidence that this disease originated there but because of China ’ s duplicity and dishonesty from the beginning , we need to at least ask the question to see what the evidence says , ” Cotton said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists condemned the coronavirus conspiracy theories in a statement , saying that several scientists have concluded that the virus originated in wildlife .
“ The rapid , open , and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumors and misinformation around its origins , ” the scientists wrote .
As of Sunday , 40 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in California .

An image of a coronavirus cell. Joanne Wright, the lone Republican vying for the 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles, circulated a conspiracy theory about the origins of the new coronavirus in a now-deleted tweet.
The only Republican running for the 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles has repeatedly tweeted that the novel coronavirus was “man made” and implicated Pope Francis, Hillary Clinton and others in the spread of the illness.
“Bill Gates is one of the financiers of the Wujan (sic) lab where it was being developed,” congressional candidate Joanne Wright wrote in a Feb. 24 tweet that has since been deleted. “I wouldn’t put it past them and by ‘them’ I mean everyone from [Rep.] Adam Schiff to George Soros, Hillary Clinton and the Pope.”
Wright’s tweets appear to refer to a conspiracy theory that posits the coronavirus was created in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 outbreak was first reported.
The Corona virus is a man made virus created in a Wuhan laboratory. Ask @BillGates who financed it. https://t.co/wVaUbsDOH4 — JoanneWrightForCongress (@JWrightforCA34) February 27, 2020
The California Republican Party has denounced Wright’s comments. “These views are not representative of the @CAGOP regarding this serious public health issue,” the organization tweeted Saturday.
In addition to incumbent Jimmy Gomez, Wright is running against three Democratic candidates who are vying for the seat that represents swaths of central, east and northeast L.A.
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Wright, a real estate broker and vocal supporter of President Trump, did not respond to a request for comment.
As recently as September, Wright has tweeted from her personal Twitter account the slogan for QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory that centers on a supposed secret plot by an alleged “deep state” against Trump and his supporters.
Wright posted a video in May titled “QANON THE GREAT AWAKENING” that promoted the conspiracy theory.
The California GOP has endorsed Wright by default because she is the lone Republican running in that district, according to Cynthia Bryant, executive director of the California Republican Party. Bryant said the organization plans to review the rule that gives automatic endorsements to GOP candidates if they’re the sole Republican on the ballot.
“There’s a little thing called the 1st Amendment,” Bryant said of Wright’s tweet. “Candidates can say whatever they want to.”
So much coronavirus-related misinformation has proliferated in recent weeks that the World Health Organization coined a term for the flurry of unsubstantiated claims: “infodemic.”
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R–Ark.) questioned the origins of the coronavirus on Fox News in mid-February, noting that a large laboratory is “a few miles away” from a seafood market that had a large cluster of some of the first cases detected.
“We don’t have evidence that this disease originated there but because of China’s duplicity and dishonesty from the beginning, we need to at least ask the question to see what the evidence says,” Cotton said.
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A group of 27 prominent public health scientists condemned the coronavirus conspiracy theories in a statement, saying that several scientists have concluded that the virus originated in wildlife.
“The rapid, open, and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumors and misinformation around its origins,” the scientists wrote.
As of Sunday, 40 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in California.


latimes--2020-03-01--From tiny clubs to packed arenas, musicians of all stripes are rocking the vote for Bernie Sanders

“ They say Bernie ’ s up there in age , ” rapper Chuck D proclaimed to a packed crowd of 17,000 Bernie Sanders supporters at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday night .
“ Hey , I ’ m 59 — I ’ m an old-ass rapper , ” joked the leader of revolutionary hip-hop legends Public Enemy .
“ But it ain ’ t about us .
It ’ s about y ’ all.
” Two days ahead of California ’ s Democratic presidential primary , the 78-year-old Sanders , after taking the stage to the thump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Band ’ s “ Power to the People , ” introduced Chuck D as someone “ who has spoken truth to power for decades.
” After his brief speech , Chuck and his four-man crew performed a 30-minute set featuring bits and pieces of such classic hip-hop agit-prop as “ Bring the Noise , ” “ Black Steel in the Age of Chaos ” and , fittingly , “ Fight the Power.
” Timothy Alford Jr. , 32 , of Palmdale , said Chuck D ’ s endorsement of Sanders simply solidified his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the same things as Sanders for 30 years , ” Alford said .
Among musicians , Chuck D is far from alone for his full-throated support of the Democratic-Socialist-turned-Democratic-frontrunner .
The Vermont senator has drawn endorsements from a wide range of Gen X and millennial rock musicians— from Vampire Weekend , the Strokes and Portugal .
the Man to Jack White , Best Coast and Bon Iver .
Many are not only supporting Sanders by word but also performing at fundraisers or other rallies : Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver played Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strokes performed for him in New Hampshire , and neo-soul group Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats are playing to boost Sanders ’ efforts in Minnesota on Monday on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries .
Sanders is “ the only non-corporate candidate , so by default , he ’ s the only person who you can trust what he ’ s saying , ” the Strokes ’ frontman Julian Casablancas told Rolling Stone .
“ Whatever energy an announcement can give , [ we wanted ] to get that attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important .
We would probably do anything he asked.
” Sonic Youth singer and bassist Kim Gordon has participated in politically and socially oriented rallies in years past , but this election has come out in public support for Sanders .
Taking Sanders ’ grassroots campaign ethic to heart , she invited her more than 300,000 Instagram followers to join her in canvassing precincts door-to-door last month in the San Fernando Valley .
“ I feel like it ’ s kind of the bleakest moment or maybe the most hopeful moment right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Or it could be both .
Bernie is such an inspirational figure .
He ’ s been saying the same thing for years , and he ’ s the only candidate who has grown the Democratic party , who has done outreach to the Latino community , to people who ’ ve never been approached , as well as to black communities .
He really helped create this movement that ’ s bigger than any candidate.
” In addition to winning support in the rock community , Sanders also has won over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them Cardi B. , Lizzo , Run the Jewels ’ Killer Mike , Anderson .Paak , Lil Yachty and rapper T.I.
, as well as pop stars including Miley Cyrus , Zedd and Ariana Grande .
Some musicians have lined up behind other candidates : Cher and singer/actress Rita Wilson — and her husband , Tom Hanks — are stumping for former Vice President Joe Biden , while John Legend , Melissa Etheridge , Rosanne Cash and Aimee Mann are backing Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
John Mellencamp is supporting former New York mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these endorsements beg the question in 2020 : What does such support mean in the age of social media ?
Unlike in decades past , when rock and pop stars ’ support was considered essential to amplifying candidates ’ public profiles or policy positions — it was virtually a rite of passage in recent decades when Bruce Springsteen would perform in support of Democratic presidential frontrunners — today politicians can reach out directly voters through Twitter , Instagram and Facebook posts and advertisements .
Voters themselves also voluminously broadcast their own preferences to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the dozens or in the millions .
For Cash , an outspoken activist for most of her life and the daughter of country music icon Johnny Cash , a tweet announcing her support for Warren wasn ’ t posted with any expectation it would suddenly push the 70-year-old former schoolteacher to the front of the Democratic pack .
“ People are pretty entrenched these days , there ’ s not much dialogue , ” Cash said .
“ I don ’ t know what impact I ’ ll have .
If I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tiny ripple .
What ’ s important to me is to participate in the process.
” “ For any given celebrity or artist , I think their political impact is diluted because of the online ecosystem we have now , ” said Nate Sloan , professor of musicology at USC .
“ I think the exception to that is endorsements by artists that are unexpected in some way .
“ One would be rapper Killer Mike , who has been a really strong supporter of Bernie Sanders ’ campaign .
His endorsement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American inner-city rapper endorsing a left-wing Jewish socialist from Vermont .
It reaches communities Sanders might not otherwise reach.
” At the same time , Sloan cited another artist who has more in common with Sanders — 74-year-old rock star Neil Young , who last month took his oath of U.S. citizenship so he can vote in the November election and soon thereafter posted a scathing attack on President Donald Trump , laying out his concerns about climate change , his animosity toward Trump and his support for Bernie Sanders .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making public statements about politics backfired , ” USC ’ s Sloan said .
“ Lady Gaga was actually used by Trump in 2016 for her support of a Democratic candidate , and that became a rallying cry for how many people didn ’ t like her .
“ Neil Young has a fan base that ’ s somewhat older , probably white , probably male — a lot of people who would be voting for Trump , ” said Sloan .
“ Perhaps his letter may have more impact than one coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Young , Cash or other veteran musicians don ’ t , though , is millions of social media followers .
Young has more than 450,000 Twitter followers , Cash has just under 120,000 .
Gaga , by contrast , has 81 million , Taylor Swift has nearly 86 million , and 2016 Hillary Clinton advocate Katy Perry has more than 108 million , translating into massively greater potential reach for whatever issues or candidates they decide to support .
Swift notably ended her historically apolitical public profile during the 2018 Congressional midterm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phil Bredesen and House of Representative candidate Jim Cooper .
Cooper won his race , while Republican Marsha Blackburn ultimately narrowly defeated Bredesen .
Swift ’ s message urging her 120 million Instagram followers to vote , however , was followed by a wave of more than 434,000 new registrations — with nearly two-thirds from people under 30 — in the first five days after her post went up , according to Vote.org .
For all the political and cultural divisiveness many have complained about in recent years , some say they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actively engaging with politics ahead of the November election .
L.A. singer-songwriter Julia Holter was one of a handful of local indie musicians who performed on Feb. 24 at an unofficial fundraiser for Sanders at the Lodge Room in Highland Park .
“ It was a very warm feeling at the show — just people there for a cause and not taking themselves seriously , no divas , ” she said .
Filled to capacity , the event ended up raising $ 10,000 for the Sanders campaign .
“ In today ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s important for people to feel something positive .
”

“They say Bernie’s up there in age,” rapper Chuck D proclaimed to a packed crowd of 17,000 Bernie Sanders supporters at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday night. “Hey, I’m 59 — I’m an old-ass rapper,” joked the leader of revolutionary hip-hop legends Public Enemy. “But it ain’t about us. It’s about y’all.”
Two days ahead of California’s Democratic presidential primary, the 78-year-old Sanders, after taking the stage to the thump of John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band’s “Power to the People,” introduced Chuck D as someone “who has spoken truth to power for decades.” After his brief speech, Chuck and his four-man crew performed a 30-minute set featuring bits and pieces of such classic hip-hop agit-prop as “Bring the Noise,” “Black Steel in the Age of Chaos” and, fittingly, “Fight the Power.”
Timothy Alford Jr., 32, of Palmdale, said Chuck D’s endorsement of Sanders simply solidified his own.
“Public Enemy has been saying the same things as Sanders for 30 years,” Alford said.
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Chuck D performs with Public Enemy Radio during the Bernie Sanders rally at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (Dania Maxwell/Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Among musicians, Chuck D is far from alone for his full-throated support of the Democratic-Socialist-turned-Democratic-frontrunner. The Vermont senator has drawn endorsements from a wide range of Gen X and millennial rock musicians— from Vampire Weekend, the Strokes and Portugal. the Man to Jack White, Best Coast and Bon Iver. Many are not only supporting Sanders by word but also performing at fundraisers or other rallies: Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver played Sanders events in Iowa in January; the Strokes performed for him in New Hampshire, and neo-soul group Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats are playing to boost Sanders’ efforts in Minnesota on Monday on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries.
Sanders is “the only non-corporate candidate, so by default, he’s the only person who you can trust what he’s saying,” the Strokes’ frontman Julian Casablancas told Rolling Stone. “Whatever energy an announcement can give, [we wanted] to get that attention to Bernie. That’s way more important. We would probably do anything he asked.”
Sonic Youth singer and bassist Kim Gordon has participated in politically and socially oriented rallies in years past, but this election has come out in public support for Sanders. Taking Sanders’ grassroots campaign ethic to heart, she invited her more than 300,000 Instagram followers to join her in canvassing precincts door-to-door last month in the San Fernando Valley.
“I feel like it’s kind of the bleakest moment or maybe the most hopeful moment right now,” she told The Times. “Or it could be both. Bernie is such an inspirational figure. He’s been saying the same thing for years, and he’s the only candidate who has grown the Democratic party, who has done outreach to the Latino community, to people who’ve never been approached, as well as to black communities. He really helped create this movement that’s bigger than any candidate.”
In addition to winning support in the rock community, Sanders also has won over a number of hip-hop artists, among them Cardi B., Lizzo, Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike, Anderson .Paak, Lil Yachty and rapper T.I., as well as pop stars including Miley Cyrus, Zedd and Ariana Grande.
Some musicians have lined up behind other candidates: Cher and singer/actress Rita Wilson — and her husband, Tom Hanks — are stumping for former Vice President Joe Biden, while John Legend, Melissa Etheridge, Rosanne Cash and Aimee Mann are backing Sen. Elizabeth Warren. John Mellencamp is supporting former New York mayor and media mogul Michael Bloomberg.
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(Another notable exception: Chuck D’s longtime Public Enemy bandmate Flavor Flav, who was fired from the group after sending a cease-and-desist order to Sanders on Friday that accused the campaign of using Flav’s “unauthorized likeness, image, and trademarked clock” to promote the rally. On Sunday, Public Enemy announced in a statement that “Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio will be moving forward without Flavor Flav. We thank him for his years of service and wish him well.”)
All these endorsements beg the question in 2020: What does such support mean in the age of social media? Unlike in decades past, when rock and pop stars’ support was considered essential to amplifying candidates’ public profiles or policy positions — it was virtually a rite of passage in recent decades when Bruce Springsteen would perform in support of Democratic presidential frontrunners — today politicians can reach out directly voters through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook posts and advertisements. Voters themselves also voluminously broadcast their own preferences to their own followers, whether those number in the dozens or in the millions.
For Cash, an outspoken activist for most of her life and the daughter of country music icon Johnny Cash, a tweet announcing her support for Warren wasn’t posted with any expectation it would suddenly push the 70-year-old former schoolteacher to the front of the Democratic pack.
“People are pretty entrenched these days, there’s not much dialogue,” Cash said. “I don’t know what impact I’ll have. If I make any waves, it’s a tiny ripple. What’s important to me is to participate in the process.”
“For any given celebrity or artist, I think their political impact is diluted because of the online ecosystem we have now,” said Nate Sloan, professor of musicology at USC. “I think the exception to that is endorsements by artists that are unexpected in some way.
“One would be rapper Killer Mike, who has been a really strong supporter of Bernie Sanders’ campaign. His endorsement has been particularly surprising — an African American inner-city rapper endorsing a left-wing Jewish socialist from Vermont. It reaches communities Sanders might not otherwise reach.”
At the same time, Sloan cited another artist who has more in common with Sanders — 74-year-old rock star Neil Young, who last month took his oath of U.S. citizenship so he can vote in the November election and soon thereafter posted a scathing attack on President Donald Trump, laying out his concerns about climate change, his animosity toward Trump and his support for Bernie Sanders.
“We’ve seen examples where certain artists making public statements about politics backfired,” USC’s Sloan said. “Lady Gaga was actually used by Trump in 2016 for her support of a Democratic candidate, and that became a rallying cry for how many people didn’t like her.
“Neil Young has a fan base that’s somewhat older, probably white, probably male — a lot of people who would be voting for Trump,” said Sloan. “Perhaps his letter may have more impact than one coming from Lady Gaga.”
What Gaga has that Young, Cash or other veteran musicians don’t, though, is millions of social media followers. Young has more than 450,000 Twitter followers, Cash has just under 120,000.
Gaga, by contrast, has 81 million, Taylor Swift has nearly 86 million, and 2016 Hillary Clinton advocate Katy Perry has more than 108 million,translating into massively greater potential reach for whatever issues or candidates they decide to support.
Swift notably ended her historically apolitical public profile during the 2018 Congressional midterm elections, endorsing Democratic Tennessee senatorial candidate Phil Bredesen and House of Representative candidate Jim Cooper.
Cooper won his race, while Republican Marsha Blackburn ultimately narrowly defeated Bredesen. Swift’s message urging her 120 million Instagram followers to vote, however, was followed by a wave of more than 434,000 new registrations — with nearly two-thirds from people under 30 — in the first five days after her post went up, according to Vote.org.
For all the political and cultural divisiveness many have complained about in recent years, some say they’ve found a measure of comfort in actively engaging with politics ahead of the November election.
L.A. singer-songwriter Julia Holter was one of a handful of local indie musicians who performed on Feb. 24 at an unofficial fundraiser for Sanders at the Lodge Room in Highland Park. “It was a very warm feeling at the show — just people there for a cause and not taking themselves seriously, no divas,” she said. Filled to capacity, the event ended up raising $10,000 for the Sanders campaign.
“In today’s climate,” Holter said, “it’s important for people to feel something positive.”


latimes--2020-03-01--Californians who already voted for Buttigieg or Steyer grapple with desire for a do-over

There may be plenty of second chances in life , but there are very few when it comes to voting — a bitter pill to swallow for those Californians who voted for any of the presidential candidates that dropped out before Tuesday ’ s statewide election .
The sudden exit from the race Sunday by Pete Buttigieg , former mayor of South Bend , Ind.
, sparked some brief interest on social media about the rules governing a possible revote .
No doubt similar questions were raised by those who cast early absentee ballots for Tom Steyer , the billionaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday .
The answer , in a word : no .
There ’ s no provision in California election law for a second chance once a ballot has been mailed or cast in person at a polling place or regional vote center .
“ Once you vote , you vote , ” said Kim Alexander , president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation .
“ There ’ s no do-over.
” Other candidates have also dropped out since the first ballots were mailed out more than a month ago .
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , almost two weeks after some California counties began mailing out ballots .
Of the 20 Democrats whose names appear on the ballot , almost half have formally suspended their campaigns since late December , when the list was certified by state elections officials .
There are no firm numbers on how many of California ’ s 20.7 million registered voters have already weighed in .
Paul Mitchell , whose for-profit campaign research firm , Political Data Inc. , tracks ballots as they are returned , said about 20 % of all mailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials as of Friday .
But he said that underestimates how much of the race is already over , as millions of ballots that were mailed out won ’ t be returned .
“ Our data suggests 40 % of those who will participate have already voted , ” Mitchell said .
California has gradually become an absentee-voting state over the last few election cycles .
In the 2018 statewide primary election , 67 % of all votes were cast somewhere other than an in-person polling location .
Several counties are now encouraging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ballot in the mail .
Some voters openly speculated Sunday on social media whether they could simply go to a local election site and cast a second ballot , even though they had already voted by mail .
In many cases , that second ballot would cancel the first one out when elections officials entered the information into their systems .
But in all cases , a voter choosing to do so could be accused of violating California election law .
“ The second ballot puts a voter at risk of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Alexander said .
Supporters of Buttigieg who have yet to mail in an absentee ballot , even if it ’ s been marked for the now-former Democratic candidate , are in luck .
They can surrender that ballot at any local voting site through the close of polls at 8 p.m. Tuesday and ask for a new ballot .
And those who were already expected to vote in person — almost 2 million might still do so in Los Angeles County — can still back another candidate in the race .
Mitchell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still might shape the outcome of the California primary in an important way .
The state ’ s Democratic presidential primary is , in fact , mostly a series of smaller primaries .
Those contests are in each of the state ’ s 53 congressional districts , where 271 delegates will be awarded using a formula that excludes any delegate receiving less than 15 % of the vote .
The most recent poll conducted for the Los Angeles Times by UC Berkeley ’ s Institute of Governmental Studies found Buttigieg was poised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contests .
If those votes have already been cast , that offers him a role in what happens when a nominee is chosen at the Democratic National Convention in July .
That could offer at least somewhat of a silver lining to those disappointed by Buttigieg ’ s decision to step aside .

There may be plenty of second chances in life, but there are very few when it comes to voting — a bitter pill to swallow for those Californians who voted for any of the presidential candidates who dropped out before Tuesday’s statewide election.
The sudden exit from the race Sunday by Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Ind., sparked some brief interest on social media about the rules governing a possible revote. No doubt similar questions were raised by those who cast early absentee ballots for Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate change activist who left the race Saturday.
The answer, in a word: no. There’s no provision in California election law for a second chance once a ballot has been mailed or cast in person at a polling place or regional vote center.
“Once you vote, you vote,” said Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. “There’s no do-over.”
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Other candidates have also dropped out since the first ballots were mailed out more than a month ago. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang abandoned his White House bid Feb. 11, almost two weeks after some California counties began mailing out ballots. Of the 20 Democrats whose names appear on the ballot, almost half have formally suspended their campaigns since late December, when the list was certified by state elections officials.
There are no firm numbers on how many of California’s 20.7 million registered voters have already weighed in. Paul Mitchell, whose for-profit campaign research firm, Political Data Inc., tracks ballots as they are returned, said about 20% of all mailed ballots had been received by local elections officials as of Friday. But he said that underestimates how much of the race is already over, as millions of ballots that were mailed out won’t be returned.
“Our data suggests 40% of those who will participate have already voted,” Mitchell said.
California has gradually become an absentee-voting state over the last few election cycles. In the 2018 statewide primary election, 67% of all votes were cast somewhere other than an in-person polling location. Several counties are now encouraging absentee voting by sending all registered voters a ballot in the mail.
Some voters openly speculated Sunday on social media whether they could simply go to a local election site and cast a second ballot, even though they had already voted by mail. In many cases, that second ballot would cancel the first one out when elections officials entered the information into their systems. But in all cases, a voter choosing to do so could be accused of violating California election law.
“The second ballot puts a voter at risk of being accused of trying to vote twice,” Alexander said.
Supporters of Buttigieg who have yet to mail in an absentee ballot, even if it’s been marked for the now-former Democratic candidate, are in luck. They can surrender that ballot at any local voting site through the close of polls at 8 p.m. Tuesday and ask for a new ballot. And those who were already expected to vote in person — almost 2 million might still do so in Los Angeles County — can still back another candidate in the race.
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Mitchell said those who voted early for Buttigieg still might shape the outcome of the California primary in an important way. The state’s Democratic presidential primary is, in fact, mostly a series of smaller primaries. Those contests are in each of the state’s 53 congressional districts, where 271 delegates will be awarded using a formula that excludes any delegate receiving less than 15% of the vote.
The most recent poll conducted for the Los Angeles Times by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies found Buttigieg was poised to win delegates in some of those regional contests. If those votes have already been cast, that offers him a role in what happens when a nominee is chosen at the Democratic National Convention in July. That could offer at least somewhat of a silver lining to those disappointed by Buttigieg’s decision to step aside.


latimes--2020-03-01--Churches take new precautions amid coronavirus concerns

With more cases of coronavirus announced Sunday , some churches are making changes designed to better protect parishioners .
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino , which serves San Bernardino and Riverside counties , announced that parishes have the option “ to implement liturgical restrictions that are allowed during the annual flu season , ” according to a letter from the Office of the Vicar General .
They include encouraging parishioners to refrain from holding or shaking hands during service , even during rituals that usually require it ; to receive Communion by hand instead of on their tongue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consecrated wine .
Ministers should also sanitize their hands before and after distributing Communion and stay home if they ’ re sick , the letter says .
The Diocese of Orange has made those restrictions mandatory because of the local health emergency declared by Orange County last week , according to a statement sent to pastors .
The bishop has also exempted those who are sick from attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation until further notice .
Los Angeles archdiocese officials have not issued restrictions but announced a series of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health .
The moves come as California announced new cases .
Two healthcare workers at a hospital in Solano County have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus after being exposed to a patient who was initially admitted there , while three more people were diagnosed with the virus in Santa Clara County .
The two healthcare workers were exposed to the virus from a patient who was being treated at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville , officials said .
The female patient has since been transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of “ community spread , ” meaning the source of infection is unknown .
That woman was not immediately tested for the virus because she did not fit federal testing criteria at the time .
Officials had already expressed concern that she could have infected others in that time .
One of the infected healthcare workers is a Solano County resident and the other lives in Alameda County , officials said .
They are both in isolation at home .

A shelf of sold out protective masks and low supply of protective gloves at a CVS Pharmacy in Oakland, Calif.
With more cases of coronavirus announced Sunday, some churches are making changes designed to better protect parishioners.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, which serves San Bernardino and Riverside counties, announced that parishes have the option “to implement liturgical restrictions that are allowed during the annual flu season,” according to a letter from the Office of the Vicar General.
They include encouraging parishioners to refrain from holding or shaking hands during service, even during rituals that usually require it; to receive Communion by hand instead of on their tongue; and to refrain from drinking the consecrated wine.
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Ministers should also sanitize their hands before and after distributing Communion and stay home if they’re sick, the letter says.
The Diocese of Orange has made those restrictions mandatory because of the local health emergency declared by Orange County last week, according to a statement sent to pastors.
The bishop has also exempted those who are sick from attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation until further notice.
Los Angeles archdiocese officials have not issued restrictions but announced a series of efforts designed to give flexibility to protect health.
The moves come as California announced new cases.
Two healthcare workers at a hospital in Solano County have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus after being exposed to a patient who was initially admitted there, while three more people were diagnosed with the virus in Santa Clara County.
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The two healthcare workers were exposed to the virus from a patient who was being treated at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, officials said. The female patient has since been transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and is considered the nation’s first announced case of “community spread,” meaning the source of infection is unknown.
That woman was not immediately tested for the virus because she did not fit federal testing criteria at the time. Officials had already expressed concern that she could have infected others in that time.
One of the infected healthcare workers is a Solano County resident and the other lives in Alameda County, officials said. They are both in isolation at home.


latimes--2020-03-01--Second person dies of coronavirus in Washington state as cases spread on West Coast

A second person has died of the novel coronavirus in Washington state as the number of those infected with the disease continues to rise across the country , including California , health officials said Sunday .
The man , who was described as being in his 70s and suffering from preexisting health problems , died Saturday at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland , a suburb of Seattle , state health officials said .
Four additional cases were confirmed in King County — all in elderly patients — bringing the total number of cases there to 10 .
The news came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital in California ’ s Solano County were reported to have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus after being exposed to a patient who was initially admitted there , and three more people were diagnosed with the virus in Santa Clara County , officials announced Sunday .
The two healthcare workers were exposed to the virus from a patient who was being treated at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville , officials said .
The female patient has since been transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and is considered the nation ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” meaning the source of infection is unknown .
That woman was not immediately tested for the virus because she did not fit federal testing criteria at the time .
Officials had already expressed concern that she could have infected others in that time .
The case led to 124 nurses and healthcare workers being asked to self-quarantine , according to the California Nurses Assn .
“ Our two health care workers who tested positive have been in isolation at home since the day we learned they had contact with the patient who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brewer , president of NorthBay HealthCare Group , said in a statement .
“ We took immediate and comprehensive measures intended to stop any further spread of the virus , including working with public health officials to trace the contacts the two workers may have had.
” One of the infected healthcare workers is a Solano County resident and the other lives in Alameda County , officials said .
They are both in isolation at home .
The case is the first for Alameda County , which has declared a local public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not unexpected in the Bay Area , and we are ready for cases here , ” Dr. Erica Pan , health officer for the Alameda County Public Health Department , said in a statement .
“ This is not the time to panic ; now is the time for all of us to work together.
” Meanwhile , three more people were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Santa Clara County on Sunday , health officials said .
One is an adult woman with chronic health conditions .
An investigation into how she acquired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santa Clara County Public Health Department said Sunday evening .
The other two patients are a husband and wife who had recently traveled to Egypt .
All three are hospitalized , officials said .
Additional information about their condition was not available .
The Public Health Department was working to identify all those who had come into contact with the three cases and said it would also conduct community surveillance “ to determine the extent of possible disease spread in our community.
” In addition to more than 60 cases of COVID-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have announced that at least 10 people appear to have contracted the virus in their communities .
An outbreak at a long-term care facility in Washington state is expected to push that total higher in the coming days , officials said .
Of the new cases reported in Washington on Sunday , two involved men in their 60s with underlying health conditions .
One was in critical but stable condition at Valley Medical Center in Renton ; the second was in critical condition at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases were thought to be related to the long-term care facility , Life Care Center of Kirkland , where officials announced Saturday that one resident and one staffer had been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 50 others had developed symptoms .
In addition , 25 firefighters who responded to calls at the facility were possibly exposed to the virus and have been quarantined , the International Assn .
of Fire Fighters announced Sunday .
The firefighters followed proper protocols , including those related to personal protective equipment , based on information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the information Life Care Center provided to dispatchers “ may not have been completely accurate , ” the firefighters union ’ s statement said .
Authorities announced Saturday that a King County man in his 50s with underlying medical conditions had become the first person in the U.S. to die from the coronavirus .
Officials said they did not know how he became ill , though he was admitted to EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland at the same time as at least one of the other COVID-19 patients in Washington .
Researchers scrambling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections in the Seattle area suspect that the virus has been circulating for weeks undetected in Washington state .
Trevor Bedford , a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center , tweeted Saturday that genetic similarities between the state ’ s first case Jan. 20 and a case announced Friday indicated that the newer case may have descended from the earlier one .
The Jan. 20 case , the first known in the U.S. , was that of a man who had traveled to Wuhan , China .
He recovered after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I believe we ’ re facing an already substantial outbreak in Washington State that was not detected until now due to narrow case definition requiring direct travel to China , ” Bedford wrote on Twitter .
“ Our best current expectation is a few hundred current infections.
” Bedford , who uses powerful computers and complex statistical methods to study the rapid spread of viruses , was not available Sunday for interviews , said Claire Hudson , communications manager at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center .
She referred reporters to a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers at Fred Hutch are contributing to scientific efforts to test , track and model the evolving COVID-19 outbreak .
In collaboration with the global scientific community and public health officials , they are working to track the genomic profile of the virus , understand its evolution compared to related viruses , and design vaccine study protocols.
” Amid fears that COVID-19 is already circulating in local communities , stores across Southern California and nationwide have been experiencing a surge in demand for health gear , shelf-stable food and other supplies as people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stock up in case of quarantine or scarcity .
Some stores said the number of customers was similar to crowds seen during the Christmas holiday .
Lines also formed outside Costco stores in the Seattle and Portland areas as shoppers stocked up on food and supplies .
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino , which serves San Bernardino and Riverside counties , announced that parishes have the option “ to implement liturgical restrictions that are allowed during the annual flu season , ” according to a letter from the Office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parishioners to refrain from holding or shaking hands during service , even during rituals that usually require it ; to receive Communion by hand instead of on their tongue ; and to refrain from drinking the consecrated wine .
Ministers should also sanitize their hands before and after distributing Communion and stay home if they ’ re sick , the letter says .
The Diocese of Orange has made those restrictions mandatory because of the local health emergency declared by Orange County last week , according to a statement sent to pastors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sick from attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation until further notice .
Experts said the virus was most likely to start spreading in coastal hubs of international travel .
San Francisco , New York and Los Angeles typically receive the most passengers flying from Wuhan , China , where the outbreak began , on a daily basis .
Officials on Saturday announced that a woman described as “ a household contact ” of a Santa Clara County patient whose diagnosis was made public Friday had also contracted the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is working to identify any people the Santa Clara County woman may have come into contact with who may be at risk , officials said .
Voluntary quarantining extended to students at UC Davis and other college campuses , and workers at the NorthBay and UC Davis hospitals where the Solano County woman , who had no known links to foreign travel , was treated .
Three UC Davis students were put in 14-day isolation Thursday as one awaited test results after showing mild coronavirus symptoms .
On Saturday , it was determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
Another of those students also has tested negative for the virus .
It ’ s likely that the spate of new cases was brought to light because of increased local testing capabilities and updated federal screening guidelines .
The Solano County woman who was eventually diagnosed with the coronavirus was not tested for several days because she did not fit screening criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which at the time recommended that only those with symptoms of the virus and a recent history of travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus patient , should be tested .
On Thursday , the CDC updated its guidelines to recommend testing of anyone with severe respiratory illness , regardless of whether they had traveled or were known to have been otherwise exposed to the coronavirus .
The move was widely interpreted to be a response to the woman ’ s diagnosis .
In Washington , those new guidelines prompted officials at EvergreenHealth Medical Center to “ look at our most critically ill patients , ” which led to the testing of the first King County man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Dr. Frank Riedo , medical director of infection control .
That man was reported as having the coronavirus by Washington ’ s Public Health Laboratories , which only recently acquired coronavirus test kits , Dr. Jeffrey Duchin , health officer for Public Health Seattle and King County , said Saturday .
“ If we had the ability to test earlier , ” Duchin said , “ I ’ m sure we would have identified patients earlier in the community.
” California ’ s health department recently announced eight testing labs that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Orange , Ventura , San Diego , Contra Costa , Alameda , Santa Clara and Tulare counties .
Officials also announced the arrival of 1,200 testing kits from the federal government .
“ The availability to test at California ’ s public health laboratories is a significant step forward in our ability to respond rapidly to this evolving situation , ” Dr. Sonia Angell , director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer , said in a statement .
“ As we face the likelihood of community transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we need it is essential to better inform public health response and protect our communities.
” Testing at state laboratories also resulted in new diagnoses in Washington , Illinois and Rhode Island .
The person who tested positive in Illinois is hospitalized in isolation , officials said .
The Rhode Island patient , a person in their 40s , was also being treated at a hospital .
The patient , who had traveled to Italy in mid-February , had limited travel in Rhode Island since returning and had not returned to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence said Sunday on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” that more than 15,000 testing kits were sent to local public health laboratories over the weekend .
That came after he spoke with multiple governors who described increasing local testing capacity as a top priority , he said .
In addition , Pence said , the Food and Drug Administration has approved a testing regimen that local authorities can use , and the government is working with a commercial provider to send out an additional 50,000 test kits .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re leaning into it , ” Pence said .
“ And more importantly , we ’ ve established a process in a number of cities across the country where if someone presents at a local hospital with a respiratory ailment , we want them also tested for coronavirus , and so that ’ s why we ’ re going to move a lot of volume of testing kits.
” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Sunday brushed aside criticism over the Trump administration ’ s handling of developments surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I appreciate that people are concerned , and that is why we ’ re being radically transparent about what we know , and also what the full range of potential scenarios could be , ” he said on ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” Azar added that the administration intended to treat Americans as “ adults ” and “ explain to them that we don ’ t know where this will go , that we will see more cases.
” But some of the administration ’ s messaging remained confused .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was looking “ very strongly ” at the southern border in connection with moves to keep the virus out , but Azar , in his ABC interview , played down the prospect of any move to curtail normal movement of people and goods from Mexico .
“ That ’ s not one of the highest-priority areas that we ’ re looking at right now , because Mexico only has a couple of cases , ” he said .
The Health and Human Services secretary also made a point of praising a senior official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers who dealt with repatriated Americans had not been given adequate training or protective gear .
Despite news reports that the Health and Human Services whistleblower sought federal protection and complained of being improperly reassigned after raising the alarm , Azar suggested the administration was glad the senior official spoke up .
“ We appreciate the whistleblower bringing forward any concerns , ” he said on “ This Week , ” adding that the agency was “ aggressively ” looking into whether there was “ validity to the concerns.
” Both Azar and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week with coordinating the administration ’ s coronavirus response , complained that the president ’ s opponents were seeking to politicize the outbreak .
Pence , interviewed on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press , ” was asked repeatedly about comments by Trump ’ s allies suggesting that Democrats relished the outbreak as a chance to tarnish the president — particularly the president ’ s son Donald Trump Jr. saying that Democrats “ seemingly hope [ the virus ] comes here and kills millions of people so that they could end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pence largely deflected the questions but also seemed to defend such remarks as valid .
“ When you see voices on our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side , I think that ’ s important , and I think it ’ s justified.
” Azar , on ABC , defended the president ’ s use last week of the word “ hoax ” to describe criticism of the way the administration had handled the virus threat to date .
“ He ’ s talking about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ We don ’ t need to have this made a political issue.
” But there was more criticism Sunday from former Vice President Joe Biden , fresh from his Democratic primary victory in South Carolina .
“ The idea that Donald Trump said just several days ago this was a Democratic hoax — what in God ’ s name is he talking about ?
” Biden said on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union.
” “ What in God ’ s name is he talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Has he no shame ?
We ’ re in a situation where — and I respect Vice President Pence , and his , him being put in charge , but we should be hearing from the scientists.
” Wigglesworth , Karlamangla and Vives reported from Los Angeles , King from Washington , D.C. and Read from Seattle .

Alex Wigglesworth, Soumya Karlamangla, Ruben Vives, Laura King, Richard Read

A coronavirus health advisory is posted last month in the emergency department at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.
A second person has died of the novel coronavirus in Washington state as the number of those infected with the disease continues to rise across the country, including California, health officials said Sunday.
The man, who was described as being in his 70s and suffering from preexisting health problems, died Saturday at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, a suburb of Seattle, state health officials said. Four additional cases were confirmed in King County — all in elderly patients — bringing the total number of cases there to 10.
The news came hours after two healthcare workers at a hospital in California’s Solano County were reported to have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus after being exposed to a patient who was initially admitted there, and three more people were diagnosed with the virus in Santa Clara County, officials announced Sunday.
The two healthcare workers were exposed to the virus from a patient who was being treated at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, officials said. The female patient has since been transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and is considered the nation’s first announced case of “community spread,” meaning the source of infection is unknown.
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That woman was not immediately tested for the virus because she did not fit federal testing criteria at the time. Officials had already expressed concern that she could have infected others in that time.
The case led to 124 nurses and healthcare workers being asked to self-quarantine, according to the California Nurses Assn.
“Our two health care workers who tested positive have been in isolation at home since the day we learned they had contact with the patient who had contracted the virus,” Aimee Brewer, president of NorthBay HealthCare Group, said in a statement. “We took immediate and comprehensive measures intended to stop any further spread of the virus, including working with public health officials to trace the contacts the two workers may have had.”
One of the infected healthcare workers is a Solano County resident and the other lives in Alameda County, officials said. They are both in isolation at home.
The case is the first for Alameda County, which has declared a local public health emergency in response.
“This news is not unexpected in the Bay Area, and we are ready for cases here,” Dr. Erica Pan, health officer for the Alameda County Public Health Department, said in a statement. “This is not the time to panic; now is the time for all of us to work together.”
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Meanwhile, three more people were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Santa Clara County on Sunday, health officials said.
One is an adult woman with chronic health conditions. An investigation into how she acquired the infection was just launched, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said Sunday evening.
The other two patients are a husband and wife who had recently traveled to Egypt.
All three are hospitalized, officials said. Additional information about their condition was not available.
The Public Health Department was working to identify all those who had come into contact with the three cases and said it would also conduct community surveillance “to determine the extent of possible disease spread in our community.”
In addition to more than 60 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. linked to travel abroad, officials have announced that at least 10 people appear to have contracted the virus in their communities. An outbreak at a long-term care facility in Washington state is expected to push that total higher in the coming days, officials said.
Of the new cases reported in Washington on Sunday, two involved men in their 60s with underlying health conditions. One was in critical but stable condition at Valley Medical Center in Renton; the second was in critical condition at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the cases were thought to be related to the long-term care facility, Life Care Center of Kirkland, where officials announced Saturday that one resident and one staffer had been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 50 others had developed symptoms.
In addition, 25 firefighters who responded to calls at the facility were possibly exposed to the virus and have been quarantined, the International Assn. of Fire Fighters announced Sunday. The firefighters followed proper protocols, including those related to personal protective equipment, based on information they received from emergency dispatchers, but the information Life Care Center provided to dispatchers “may not have been completely accurate,” the firefighters union’s statement said.
Authorities announced Saturday that a King County man in his 50s with underlying medical conditions had become the first person in the U.S. to die from the coronavirus. Officials said they did not know how he became ill, though he was admitted to EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland at the same time as at least one of the other COVID-19 patients in Washington.
Researchers scrambling to unravel the mystery of increasing coronavirus infections in the Seattle area suspect that the virus has been circulating for weeks undetected in Washington state.
Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, tweeted Saturday that genetic similarities between the state’s first case Jan. 20 and a case announced Friday indicated that the newer case may have descended from the earlier one.
The Jan. 20 case, the first known in the U.S., was that of a man who had traveled to Wuhan, China. He recovered after being hospitalized and treated in isolation.
“I believe we’re facing an already substantial outbreak in Washington State that was not detected until now due to narrow case definition requiring direct travel to China,” Bedford wrote on Twitter. “Our best current expectation is a few hundred current infections.”
Bedford, who uses powerful computers and complex statistical methods to study the rapid spread of viruses, was not available Sunday for interviews, said Claire Hudson, communications manager at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She referred reporters to a statement, which said:
“Infectious disease researchers at Fred Hutch are contributing to scientific efforts to test, track and model the evolving COVID-19 outbreak. In collaboration with the global scientific community and public health officials, they are working to track the genomic profile of the virus, understand its evolution compared to related viruses, and design vaccine study protocols.”
Amid fears that COVID-19 is already circulating in local communities, stores across Southern California and nationwide have been experiencing a surge in demand for health gear, shelf-stable food and other supplies as people try to protect themselves from the virus and stock up in case of quarantine or scarcity. Some stores said the number of customers was similar to crowds seen during the Christmas holiday.
Lines also formed outside Costco stores in the Seattle and Portland areas as shoppers stocked up on food and supplies.
Churches are also taking precautions.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, which serves San Bernardino and Riverside counties, announced that parishes have the option “to implement liturgical restrictions that are allowed during the annual flu season,” according to a letter from the Office of the Vicar General.
They include encouraging parishioners to refrain from holding or shaking hands during service, even during rituals that usually require it; to receive Communion by hand instead of on their tongue; and to refrain from drinking the consecrated wine. Ministers should also sanitize their hands before and after distributing Communion and stay home if they’re sick, the letter says.
The Diocese of Orange has made those restrictions mandatory because of the local health emergency declared by Orange County last week, according to a statement sent to pastors. The bishop has also exempted those who are sick from attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation until further notice.
Experts said the virus was most likely to start spreading in coastal hubs of international travel. San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles typically receive the most passengers flying from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, on a daily basis.
Officials on Saturday announced that a woman described as “a household contact” of a Santa Clara County patient whose diagnosis was made public Friday had also contracted the virus. The county’s health department is working to identify any people the Santa Clara County woman may have come into contact with who may be at risk, officials said.
Voluntary quarantining extended to students at UC Davis and other college campuses, and workers at the NorthBay and UC Davis hospitals where the Solano County woman, who had no known links to foreign travel, was treated. Three UC Davis students were put in 14-day isolation Thursday as one awaited test results after showing mild coronavirus symptoms. On Saturday, it was determined that that student did not have the virus. Another of those students also has tested negative for the virus.
It’s likely that the spate of new cases was brought to light because of increased local testing capabilities and updated federal screening guidelines.
The Solano County woman who was eventually diagnosed with the coronavirus was not tested for several days because she did not fit screening criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which at the time recommended that only those with symptoms of the virus and a recent history of travel overseas, or contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient, should be tested.
On Thursday, the CDC updated its guidelines to recommend testing of anyone with severe respiratory illness, regardless of whether they had traveled or were known to have been otherwise exposed to the coronavirus. The move was widely interpreted to be a response to the woman’s diagnosis.
In Washington, those new guidelines prompted officials at EvergreenHealth Medical Center to “look at our most critically ill patients,” which led to the testing of the first King County man who later died of the coronavirus, said Dr. Frank Riedo, medical director of infection control.
That man was reported as having the coronavirus by Washington’s Public Health Laboratories, which only recently acquired coronavirus test kits, Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, health officer for Public Health Seattle and King County, said Saturday.
“If we had the ability to test earlier,” Duchin said, “I’m sure we would have identified patients earlier in the community.”
California’s health department recently announced eight testing labs that can handle coronavirus cases, in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and Tulare counties. Officials also announced the arrival of 1,200 testing kits from the federal government.
“The availability to test at California’s public health laboratories is a significant step forward in our ability to respond rapidly to this evolving situation,” Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer, said in a statement. “As we face the likelihood of community transmission here in California, having this resource where we need it is essential to better inform public health response and protect our communities.”
Testing at state laboratories also resulted in new diagnoses in Washington, Illinois and Rhode Island.
The person who tested positive in Illinois is hospitalized in isolation, officials said.
The Rhode Island patient, a person in their 40s, was also being treated at a hospital. The patient, who had traveled to Italy in mid-February, had limited travel in Rhode Island since returning and had not returned to work, officials said.
Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that more than 15,000 testing kits were sent to local public health laboratories over the weekend.
That came after he spoke with multiple governors who described increasing local testing capacity as a top priority, he said.
In addition, Pence said, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a testing regimen that local authorities can use, and the government is working with a commercial provider to send out an additional 50,000 test kits.
“So we’re addressing it. We’re leaning into it,” Pence said. “And more importantly, we’ve established a process in a number of cities across the country where if someone presents at a local hospital with a respiratory ailment, we want them also tested for coronavirus, and so that’s why we’re going to move a lot of volume of testing kits.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Sunday brushed aside criticism over the Trump administration’s handling of developments surrounding the spread of the coronavirus.
“I appreciate that people are concerned, and that is why we’re being radically transparent about what we know, and also what the full range of potential scenarios could be,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.” Azar added that the administration intended to treat Americans as “adults” and “explain to them that we don’t know where this will go, that we will see more cases.”
But some of the administration’s messaging remained confused. President Trump told reporters Saturday that the administration was looking “very strongly” at the southern border in connection with moves to keep the virus out, but Azar, in his ABC interview, played down the prospect of any move to curtail normal movement of people and goods from Mexico.
“That’s not one of the highest-priority areas that we’re looking at right now, because Mexico only has a couple of cases,” he said.
The Health and Human Services secretary also made a point of praising a senior official in his department who raised concerns that workers who dealt with repatriated Americans had not been given adequate training or protective gear.
Despite news reports that the Health and Human Services whistleblower sought federal protection and complained of being improperly reassigned after raising the alarm, Azar suggested the administration was glad the senior official spoke up.
“We appreciate the whistleblower bringing forward any concerns,” he said on “This Week,” adding that the agency was “aggressively” looking into whether there was “validity to the concerns.”
Both Azar and Pence, who was tasked by Trump last week with coordinating the administration’s coronavirus response, complained that the president’s opponents were seeking to politicize the outbreak.
Pence, interviewed on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” was asked repeatedly about comments by Trump’s allies suggesting that Democrats relished the outbreak as a chance to tarnish the president — particularly the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. saying that Democrats “seemingly hope [the virus] comes here and kills millions of people so that they could end Donald Trump’s streak of winning.”
Pence largely deflected the questions but also seemed to defend such remarks as valid. “When you see voices on our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side, I think that’s important, and I think it’s justified.”
Azar, on ABC, defended the president’s use last week of the word “hoax” to describe criticism of the way the administration had handled the virus threat to date.
“He’s talking about the partisan sniping that we’re seeing,” he said. “We don’t need to have this made a political issue.”
But there was more criticism Sunday from former Vice President Joe Biden, fresh from his Democratic primary victory in South Carolina.
“The idea that Donald Trump said just several days ago this was a Democratic hoax — what in God’s name is he talking about?” Biden said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“What in God’s name is he talking about?” Biden repeated. “Has he no shame? We’re in a situation where — and I respect Vice President Pence, and his, him being put in charge, but we should be hearing from the scientists.”
Wigglesworth, Karlamangla and Vives reported from Los Angeles, King from Washington, D.C. and Read from Seattle.