latimes--2020-01-23--Human bones found partially buried behind South L.A. home, police say

Investigators on Thursday combed through the backyard of a home in South Los Angeles after someone discovered partially buried human @ @ @ @ @ police said .
Police responded to a home in the 100 block of West 49th @ @ @ @ @ after they received a report of a suspicious death , said Officer Drake Madison of @ @ @ @ @ .
LAPD Lt. Ryan Rabbett told reporters at a news conference Thursday that an initial @ @ @ @ @ buried bones were human remains .
Video from the scene shows investigators sifting through dirt @ @ @ @ @ property .
Rabbett said police are working with the coroner ’ s office to determine @ @ @ @ @ .
No one has been arrested .
“ At this point , we can ’ @ @ @ @ @ victim has been deceased , ” Rabbett said .
“ The remains were found behind @ @ @ @ @ smaller structures — we ’ ll call them sheds .
”

Investigators on Thursday combed through the backyard of a home in South Los Angeles after someone discovered partially buried human bones at the residence, police said.
Police responded to a home in the 100 block of West 49th Street about 11 a.m. Wednesday after they received a report of a suspicious death, said Officer Drake Madison of the Los Angeles Police Department.
LAPD Lt. Ryan Rabbett told reporters at a news conference Thursday that an initial investigation determined that the partially buried bones were human remains.
Video from the scene shows investigators sifting through dirt in the back of the property. Rabbett said police are working with the coroner’s office to determine the person’s identity.
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No one has been arrested.
“At this point, we can’t determine how long the victim has been deceased,” Rabbett said. “The remains were found behind the home in between two smaller structures — we’ll call them sheds.”
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-23--This puppy got her head stuck in a tire. Five men and a power tool came to the rescue

Riverside County firefighters made a rather dramatic and darling rescue Wednesday after an inquisitive puppy stuck her nose where it didn ’ t belong .
The 3-month-old Australian cattle dog managed to wedge her head inside the hub of a tire in Coachella , hopelessly shackling herself inside the rim .
The Riverside County Department of Animal Services received a call shortly before 4:30 p.m. about the distressed pup .
When Officer José Cisneros arrived , he tried to lubricate the dog ’ s head with cooking oil in an effort to free her .
But the pup ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so tire , dog and rescuers all moved to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms .
Once there , the puppy was sedated to keep her calm .
Firefighters from Riverside County Fire Station No .
69 in Rancho Mirage were then called into action .
Three firefighters worked together to keep the puppy and the tire still , while two others — Tony Bribiesca and Virgil Messer — took turns using a reciprocating saw to cut a piece of the rim , which allowed for the dog ’ s release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , remained under observation throughout the night .
Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said the puppy was able to eat soon after being rescued .
The agency was working to return the puppy to her owners Thursday .

Riverside County authorities work to free a 3-month-old puppy who wedged her head inside the rim of a spare tire.
Riverside County firefighters made a rather dramatic and darling rescue Wednesday after an inquisitive puppy stuck her nose where it didn’t belong.
The 3-month-old Australian cattle dog managed to wedge her head inside the hub of a tire in Coachella, hopelessly shackling herself inside the rim.
The Riverside County Department of Animal Services received a call shortly before 4:30 p.m. about the distressed pup. When Officer José Cisneros arrived, he tried to lubricate the dog’s head with cooking oil in an effort to free her.
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But the pup’s neck was too swollen to dislodge, so tire, dog and rescuers all moved to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms.
Once there, the puppy was sedated to keep her calm. Firefighters from Riverside County Fire Station No. 69 in Rancho Mirage were then called into action.
Three firefighters worked together to keep the puppy and the tire still, while two others — Tony Bribiesca and Virgil Messer — took turns using a reciprocating saw to cut a piece of the rim, which allowed for the dog’s release.
The dog, nicknamed Wheelie Pup, remained under observation throughout the night. Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said the puppy was able to eat soon after being rescued. The agency was working to return the puppy to her owners Thursday.


latimes--2020-01-23--10-year-old struck by stray bullet at school in Oxnard, police say

A shooting near an elementary school in Oxnard on Thursday morning sent a 10-year-old student to the hospital , police @ @ @ @ @ struck about 11:30 a.m. by a stray bullet that had been fired off-campus by a @ @ @ @ @ another vehicle , Sgt .
Ricardo Vazquez said .
The child was taken to a @ @ @ @ @ not appear to be life-threatening , authorities said .
No other students were injured .
@ @ @ @ @ on lockdown following the shooting .
By 1 p.m. , police were allowing parents to @ @ @ @ @ a nearby reunification area .
The Oxnard Police Department is continuing to investigate the shooting @ @ @ @ @ information to call ( 805 ) 385-7600 .

A shooting near an elementary school in Oxnard on Thursday morning sent a 10-year-old student to the hospital, police said.
The child was struck about 11:30 a.m. by a stray bullet that had been fired off-campus by a person in a car at another vehicle, Sgt. Ricardo Vazquez said.
The child was taken to a hospital with injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening, authorities said. No other students were injured.
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*UPDATE 1/2* This incident concerns a car-to-car shooting. A ten-year old student at McAuliffe School was struck by a stray bullet and has been transported to a nearby hospital with a non-life threatening injury. — Oxnard Police Dept. (@OxnardPD1903) January 23, 2020
*Update 2/2* The child’s parents have been notified by the Oxnard School District, and all other students have been accounted for and are safe. The Oxnard Police Department has a strong presence in the area, and an investigation is in progress. — Oxnard Police Dept. (@OxnardPD1903) January 23, 2020
McAuliffe Elementary School was placed on lockdown following the shooting. By 1 p.m., police were allowing parents to pick up their children at a nearby reunification area.
The Oxnard Police Department is continuing to investigate the shooting and is asking anyone with information to call (805) 385-7600.


latimes--2020-01-23--Man traded fentanyl and heroin for grenades and machine guns, federal officials say

A U.S. citizen living in Tijuana has been indicted on charges of trading drugs for weapons , including machine guns and grenade launchers , which he intended to provide to Mexican gangs , federal authorities said this week .
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged Pedro Roberto Hernandez-Gomez with possession of machine guns , attempting to transport explosives , being a felon in possession of firearms , distribution of heroin and distribution of fentanyl .
Hernandez-Gomez , 31 , agreed to provide the narcotics in exchange for weapons , including grenades and handguns , according to the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine guns and grenade launchers were destined for criminal groups in Mexico , ” Carlos A. Canino , a special agent in charge of the L.A. field division of the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , said in a statement .
Court records show Hernandez-Gomez , a convicted felon , arranged the swap during a meeting Dec. 20 in Los Angeles with undercover agents from the ATF who were posing as firearms traffickers .
He returned to L.A. on Jan. 7 to trade a kilogram each of heroin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the affidavit .
The plan involved his taking possession of three Bushmaster 5.56-millimeter machine guns , three 40-mm grenade launchers and 72 inert grenades , which he thought were live explosives , according to a news release from the ATF .
Shortly after he loaded the weapons into his silver Dodge minivan , undercover agents arrested Hernandez-Gomez and found his U.S. passport in his vehicle .
Hernandez-Gomez told agents he planned to take the guns back to Tijuana and would receive a little over $ 100 for making the trip , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was expecting about $ 20,000 , a small percentage of the total value of the firearms .
“ This is a prime example of the type of violent criminal ATF targets along with the partnership of the U.S. attorney ’ s office , ” Canino said .
“ ATF works diligently to stop firearm trafficking schemes so guns do not end up in in the hands of criminals , gangs or cartels , and we will continue to do so.
” Hernandez-Gomez ’ s public defender , Howard Shneider , could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A U.S. citizen living in Tijuana has been indicted on charges of trading drugs for weapons, including machine guns and grenade launchers, which he intended to provide to Mexican gangs, federal authorities said this week.
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged Pedro Roberto Hernandez-Gomez with possession of machine guns, attempting to transport explosives, being a felon in possession of firearms, distribution of heroin and distribution of fentanyl.
Hernandez-Gomez, 31, agreed to provide the narcotics in exchange for weapons, including grenades and handguns, according to the federal affidavit.
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“It is clear these machine guns and grenade launchers were destined for criminal groups in Mexico,” Carlos A. Canino, a special agent in charge of the L.A. field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said in a statement.
Court records show Hernandez-Gomez, a convicted felon, arranged the swap during a meeting Dec. 20 in Los Angeles with undercover agents from the ATF who were posing as firearms traffickers. He returned to L.A. on Jan. 7 to trade a kilogram each of heroin and fentanyl for firearms and grenades, according to the affidavit.
The plan involved his taking possession of three Bushmaster 5.56-millimeter machine guns, three 40-mm grenade launchers and 72 inert grenades, which he thought were live explosives, according to a news release from the ATF.
Shortly after he loaded the weapons into his silver Dodge minivan, undercover agents arrested Hernandez-Gomez and found his U.S. passport in his vehicle. Hernandez-Gomez told agents he planned to take the guns back to Tijuana and would receive a little over $100 for making the trip, according to the affidavit. He also said he was expecting about $20,000, a small percentage of the total value of the firearms.
“This is a prime example of the type of violent criminal ATF targets along with the partnership of the U.S. attorney’s office,” Canino said. “ATF works diligently to stop firearm trafficking schemes so guns do not end up in in the hands of criminals, gangs or cartels, and we will continue to do so.”
Hernandez-Gomez’s public defender, Howard Shneider, could not immediately be reached Thursday for comment.


latimes--2020-01-23--Newsom pledged to fix California water politics. Now he's bogged down in the delta

Soon after taking office last year , Gov .
Gavin Newsom pledged to break through the “ status quo ” of California water politics , plagued by decades of litigation and impasse .
“ We have to get past the old binaries , like farmers versus environmentalists , or North versus South , ” the governor said in his 2019 State of the State address .
“ Our approach can ’ t be “ either/or.
” It must be “ yes/and.
” One year later , the Newsom administration appears to be a house divided on water , as competing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The main flash point is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta , a threatened estuary and source of water for a majority of Californians .
In an unusual public disagreement with a sister agency , the California Fish and Wildlife Department said proposed state rules for pumping water supplies from the delta would worsen conditions for delta smelt and other fish on the brink of extinction .
Newsom has also pledged to stand up to the White House on environmental issues .
Yet two months after state officials vowed to sue the Trump administration to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protections for imperiled native fish , no lawsuit has been filed .
And the state ’ s high profile attempts to negotiate a settlement with major water users over tough new flow requirements for delta tributaries have stalled .
“ A lot of people are wondering what ’ s going on , ” said Kim Delfino , California director for Defenders of Wildlife , an environmental group .
“ It ’ s a huge mess.
” In interviews , Natural Resource Agency officials rejected suggestions of internal conflict and disarray .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a divorce , I don ’ t think there ’ s a major split , ” fish and wildlife director Chuck Bonham said of his department ’ s polite , but highly critical comments on the Department of Water Resources ’ delta pumping proposal .
Rather , he said , two departments with different authorities are working their way through a complicated environmental review process in an unprecedented situation .
The State Water Project , which supplies Southern California with delta water , has historically adhered to federal Endangered Species Act protections for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imperiled species .
But in the face of the pending Trump rollbacks , the Newsom administration decided to do something California has never done before — develop its own set of delta fish protections under the California Endangered Species Act .
That has set the resources agency down a path strewn with political and practical potholes .
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other state project customers want the administration to go along with the Trump rollback and relax pumping restrictions that have cost them delta deliveries .
But embracing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a state that considers itself a leader of the Trump resistance .
Moreover , in formal comments filed Jan. 6 , the fish and wildlife department argued that delta protections need “ strengthening , not weakening.
” It added that “ any diminishment of existing protections could worsen these species conditions.
” The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has further complicated matters by signaling that its delta pumping operations would not comply with stricter state endangered species rules .
That would create a practical nightmare in the Northern California delta , which serves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s vast water supply system .
Tougher state standards , for example , could mean that federal irrigation customers of the Central Valley Project gain supplies at the expense of Metropolitan and other state customers .
On the other hand , if federal pumping violates state protections , California could block the reclamation bureau from using state canals it sometimes needs to deliver supplies to San Joaquin Valley farms .
That scenario has kept state and federal water managers talking .
“ I think all the agencies involved are open to finding a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits , ” said Natural Resources Sec .
Wade Crowfoot .
“ There is a lot of constructive discussion happening on a daily basis between the federal and state agencies on all manner of management questions.
” “ We think litigation should be the last resort , ” he added .
“ But if needed , we will pursue that.
” In a delta face-off with the Trump administration , California has some powerful weapons .
It controls state pumps that can export more water than the federal facilities .
And both reclamation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Improvement Act dictate that the federal water project meet state water quality standards .
“ We ’ re not powerless .
The state has some leverage , ” said Jeffrey Mount , a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California .
But “ nobody benefits from this kind of standoff — I get why the administration hasn ’ t pulled the trigger on the lawsuit.
” Environmental attorney Doug Obegi doesn ’ t .
Noting that California has filed dozens of lawsuits against Trump policies , Obegi said he is optimistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fish and wildlife will stick to its guns.
” “ I think fish and wildlife ’ s letter highlights their consistent and ongoing concerns with weakening protections for salmon and endangered species in the delta .
What ’ s unusual is that this dispute between the state agencies has seen the light of day , ” said Obegi , a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council .
To operate delta exports under the state Endangered Species Act , the water resources department must obtain a permit from fish and wildlife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In draft environmental documents released in November , the water resources department estimated that its proposed pumping rules would boost the State Water Project ’ s annual delta exports by an average of roughly 200,000 acre feet — enough to supply 400,000 households for a year .
But the department ’ s December permit application outlined a less aggressive pumping approach .
Water resources “ considered the feedback from parties , including fish and wildlife , and have come back with a permit application … that commits to no net increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes are possible before fish and wildlife issues the permit this spring , said water resources director Karla Nemeth .
“ I don ’ t think DWR was surprised by the fish and wildlife comments … because those are all the issues we ’ re talking about , ” she said .
“ There ’ s more work to do and we expect to keep going.
” Fish and wildlife biologists also rejected a premise of the Trump rollback and the initial water resources proposal .
Both would rely on real-time monitoring of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delta to dictate pumping levels instead of the strict seasonal guidelines that have been in place for the past decade .
Given that the numbers of delta smelt and longfin smelt have plummeted to record lows in recent years , fish and wildlife said such an approach could create “ a bias toward concluding that fish are not in the system when , in fact , they are.
” In a separate but related matter , the Newsom administration has been trying to negotiate a settlement with major water users to avert a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would make cities and farms leave more water in delta tributaries — and eventually the delta — to support migrating salmon .
Major river users upstream of the delta have already filed a slew of lawsuits to block the first set of flow standards , which were adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board in late 2018 .
Westlands Water District , California ’ s biggest irrigation agency , walked away from the settlement talks after the state declared it would sue to stop the federal rollbacks in the delta .
Crowfoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment of whether proposed settlement terms would satisfy the water board ’ s environmental standards .
Jeffrey Kightlinger , general manager of the Metropolitan water district , said his agency is still involved in the flow talks , but is unsure of the outcome .
The governor ’ s office , he observed , is “ trying to strike a balance — and that ’ s very hard with these thorny issues.
” “ I ’ ve seen them be pretty realistic that , ‘ Yes , we ’ re going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is an imperiled estuary and also a source of water for agri-business and a majority of Californians.
Soon after taking office last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to break through the “status quo” of California water politics, plagued by decades of litigation and impasse.
“We have to get past the old binaries, like farmers versus environmentalists, or North versus South,” the governor said in his 2019 State of the State address. “Our approach can’t be either/or. It must be yes/and.”
One year later, the Newsom administration appears to be a house divided on water, as competing interests pull it in opposite directions.
The main flash point is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a threatened estuary and source of water for a majority of Californians. In an unusual public disagreement with a sister agency, the California Fish and Wildlife Department said proposed state rules for pumping water supplies from the delta would worsen conditions for delta smelt and other fish on the brink of extinction.
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Newsom has also pledged to stand up to the White House on environmental issues. Yet two months after state officials vowed to sue the Trump administration to block a rollback of federal endangered species protections for imperiled native fish, no lawsuit has been filed.
And the state’s high-profile attempts to negotiate a settlement with major water users over tough new flow requirements for delta tributaries have stalled.
“A lot of people are wondering what’s going on,” said Kim Delfino, California director for Defenders of Wildlife, an environmental group. “It’s a huge mess.”
In interviews, Natural Resource Agency officials rejected suggestions of internal conflict and disarray.
“I don’t think there’s a divorce, I don’t think there’s a major split,” fish and wildlife director Chuck Bonham said of his department’s polite, but highly critical comments on the Department of Water Resources’ delta pumping proposal.
Advertisement
Rather, he said, two departments with different authorities are working their way through a complicated environmental review process in an unprecedented situation.
The State Water Project, which supplies Southern California with delta water, has historically adhered to federal Endangered Species Act protections for delta smelt, chinook salmon and other imperiled species.
But in the face of the pending Trump rollbacks, the Newsom administration decided to do something California has never done before — develop its own set of delta fish protections under the California Endangered Species Act.
That has set the resources agency down a path strewn with political and practical potholes.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other state project customers want the administration to go along with the Trump rollback and relax pumping restrictions that have cost them delta deliveries.
But embracing the Trump plans would not be good optics in a state that considers itself a leader of the Trump resistance.
Moreover, in formal comments filed Jan. 6, the fish and wildlife department argued that delta protections need “strengthening, not weakening.” It added that “any diminishment of existing protections could worsen these species conditions.”
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has further complicated matters by signaling that its delta pumping operations would not comply with stricter state endangered species rules.
That would create a practical nightmare in the Northern California delta, which serves as the center of the state’s vast water supply system.
Tougher state standards, for example, could mean that federal irrigation customers of the Central Valley Project gain supplies at the expense of Metropolitan and other state customers. On the other hand, if federal pumping violates state protections, California could block the reclamation bureau from using state canals it sometimes needs to deliver supplies to San Joaquin Valley farms.
That scenario has kept state and federal water managers talking.
“I think all the agencies involved are open to finding a way forward to meet their concerns without lawsuits,” said Natural Resources Sec. Wade Crowfoot. “There is a lot of constructive discussion happening on a daily basis between the federal and state agencies on all manner of management questions.”
“We think litigation should be the last resort,” he added. “But if needed, we will pursue that.”
In a delta face-off with the Trump administration, California has some powerful weapons. It controls state pumps that can export more water than the federal facilities. And both reclamation law and the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act dictate that the federal water project meet state water quality standards.
“We’re not powerless. The state has some leverage,” said Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. But “nobody benefits from this kind of standoff — I get why the administration hasn’t pulled the trigger on the lawsuit.”
Environmental attorney Doug Obegi doesn’t. Noting that California has filed dozens of lawsuits against Trump policies, Obegi said he is optimistic the state will sue “and that fish and wildlife will stick to its guns.”
“I think fish and wildlife’s letter highlights their consistent and ongoing concerns with weakening protections for salmon and endangered species in the delta. What’s unusual is that this dispute between the state agencies has seen the light of day,” said Obegi, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
To operate delta exports under the state Endangered Species Act, the water resources department must obtain a permit from fish and wildlife, which appears to be scoring some points.
In draft environmental documents released in November, the water resources department estimated that its proposed pumping rules would boost the State Water Project’s annual delta exports by an average of roughly 200,000 acre feet — enough to supply 400,000 households for a year.
But the department’s December permit application outlined a less aggressive pumping approach. Water resources “considered the feedback from parties, including fish and wildlife, and have come back with a permit application … that commits to no net increase in exports,” Crowfoot said.
More changes are possible before fish and wildlife issues the permit this spring, said water resources director Karla Nemeth.
“I don’t think DWR was surprised by the fish and wildlife comments … because those are all the issues we’re talking about,” she said. “There’s more work to do and we expect to keep going.”
Fish and wildlife biologists also rejected a premise of the Trump rollback and the initial water resources proposal. Both would rely on real-time monitoring of where imperiled fish are swimming in the delta to dictate pumping levels instead of the strict seasonal guidelines that have been in place for the past decade.
Given that the numbers of delta smelt and longfin smelt have plummeted to record lows in recent years, fish and wildlife said such an approach could create “a bias toward concluding that fish are not in the system when, in fact, they are.”
In a separate but related matter, the Newsom administration has been trying to negotiate a settlement with major water users to avert a legal war over new flow standards that would make cities and farms leave more water in delta tributaries — and eventually the delta — to support migrating salmon.
Major river users upstream of the delta have already filed a slew of lawsuits to block the first set of flow standards, which were adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board in late 2018.
Westlands Water District, California’s biggest irrigation agency, walked away from the settlement talks after the state declared it would sue to stop the federal rollbacks in the delta.
Crowfoot said his agency would soon release an assessment of whether proposed settlement terms would satisfy the water board’s environmental standards.
Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan water district, said his agency is still involved in the flow talks, but is unsure of the outcome.
The governor’s office, he observed, is “trying to strike a balance — and that’s very hard with these thorny issues.”
“I’ve seen them be pretty realistic that, ‘Yes, we’re going to have a lot of unhappy people.’ ”


latimes--2020-01-23--Amid fears over coronavirus outbreak, LAX passenger taken to hospital for evaluation

A traveler who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Mexico City was taken to a hospital early Thursday for an evaluation amid growing concerns over the spread of the deadly coronavirus .
The passenger , who was not identified , arrived at the airport on American Airlines Flight 2546 shortly before 6:40 p.m. Wednesday .
The person was screened by officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the airport after the flight .
Based on their recommendation , an ambulance was called shortly after midnight to take the person to a hospital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Montgomery could not provide specific symptoms the person was experiencing .
CDC officials could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday morning .
American Airlines confirmed in a statement that a traveler on one of its flights received medical attention at the airport .
“ The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority .
We are in close contact with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health officials and will coordinate with them on any required health and safety-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prepared statement .
If the passenger is determined to have contracted coronavirus , it would be the first confirmed case of the disease in California .
Los Angeles County public health officials Wednesday said it was “ very possible ” the area would see at least one patient , given the number of people traveling between China and the L.A. area .
“ A significant number of resources across Los Angeles County are focused on protecting the public ’ s health at large , ” said Barbara Ferrer , director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will keep everyone informed as more information becomes available .
We are urging the public to remain calm , as it is very unlikely that they are at risk of contracting this virus.
” On Tuesday , experts from the CDC confirmed that a man in Washington state had been sickened by the coronavirus , marking the first confirmed case in the United States .
The patient , a resident of Snohomish County , Wash. , recently returned to the U.S. after visiting the region around Wuhan , China , the epicenter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he began to experience pneumonia-like symptoms and notified his doctor about his travel history .
Test results for the virus returned positive over the weekend .
Though the United States has not seen a major outbreak , the virus has spread widely across Asia in the last month , killing at least 17 people and sickening hundreds more , according to Chinese officials .
In China , the illnesses from the newly identified coronavirus first appeared last month in Wuhan , an industrial and transportation hub in central China ’ s Hubei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Japan , South Korea and Thailand .
Singapore , Vietnam and Hong Kong reported their first cases Thursday .
Chinese health officials initially said that most patients infected with the virus in Wuhan were exposed to live animals in a large seafood market , suggesting that the virus jumped from another species into humans and may not spread directly from person to person .
But the Washington state patient , along with several others , said he had not visited the market .
On Monday , Zhong Nanshan , a Chinese government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the virus can be .
Airline passengers arriving from the outbreak regions are being screened for symptoms of the virus at LAX , San Francisco International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York .
The CDC said it would begin monitoring travelers at Chicago ’ s O ’ Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport this week .
City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report .

A passenger who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday evening was taken to a hospital amid fears over the spread of coronavirus.
A traveler who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Mexico City was taken to a hospital early Thursday for an evaluation amid growing concerns over the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The passenger, who was not identified, arrived at the airport on American Airlines Flight 2546 shortly before 6:40 p.m. Wednesday. The person was screened by officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the airport after the flight. Based on their recommendation, an ambulance was called shortly after midnight to take the person to a hospital, said Heath Montgomery, an LAX spokesman.
Montgomery could not provide specific symptoms the person was experiencing. CDC officials could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday morning.
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American Airlines confirmed in a statement that a traveler on one of its flights received medical attention at the airport.
“The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority. We are in close contact with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health officials and will coordinate with them on any required health and safety-related measures,” the airline wrote in a prepared statement.
If the passenger is determined to have contracted coronavirus, it would be the first confirmed case of the disease in California. Los Angeles County public health officials Wednesday said it was “very possible” the area would see at least one patient, given the number of people traveling between China and the L.A. area.
“A significant number of resources across Los Angeles County are focused on protecting the public’s health at large,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Department of Public Health. “We will keep everyone informed as more information becomes available. We are urging the public to remain calm, as it is very unlikely that they are at risk of contracting this virus.”
On Tuesday, experts from the CDC confirmed that a man in Washington state had been sickened by the coronavirus, marking the first confirmed case in the United States.
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The patient, a resident of Snohomish County, Wash., recently returned to the U.S. after visiting the region around Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. Once inside the U.S., he began to experience pneumonia-like symptoms and notified his doctor about his travel history. Test results for the virus returned positive over the weekend.
Though the United States has not seen a major outbreak, the virus has spread widely across Asia in the last month, killing at least 17 people and sickening hundreds more, according to Chinese officials.
In China, the illnesses from the newly identified coronavirus first appeared last month in Wuhan, an industrial and transportation hub in central China’s Hubei province. Other cases have been reported in Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong reported their first cases Thursday.
Chinese health officials initially said that most patients infected with the virus in Wuhan were exposed to live animals in a large seafood market, suggesting that the virus jumped from another species into humans and may not spread directly from person to person. But the Washington state patient, along with several others, said he had not visited the market.
On Monday, Zhong Nanshan, a Chinese government scientist, announced on Chinese state television that the virus can be transmitted between humans .
Airline passengers arriving from the outbreak regions are being screened for symptoms of the virus at LAX, San Francisco International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The CDC said it would begin monitoring travelers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport this week.
City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-23--Actress Annabella Sciorra confronts Weinstein from the witness stand

Annabella Sciorra was so new to the Hollywood scene in the early 1990s that she said she didn ’ t even know who Harvey Weinstein was when she first met the future Hollywood titan .
As they became acquainted over the next several years , Sciorra says the famed film mogul sent her a few strange gifts : a package that contained movies , licorice , popcorn and a bottle of Valium .
Then , later , a box of chocolate penises , she told jurors from the witness stand in a Manhattan courtroom Thursday .
But what began as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night in late 1993 or early 1994 , she alleges , when Weinstein pushed his way inside her Gramercy Park apartment and raped her .
“ I was trying to get him off of me .
I was punching him .
I was kicking him .
I was just trying to get him away from me and he took my hands and he put them over my head , ” Sciorra , 59 , said , nearly crying .
“ He got on top of me and he raped me.
” Sciorra ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time one of Weinstein ’ s accusers stared him down in a criminal court .
Weinstein , 67 , is charged in New York with first-degree rape , two counts of predatory sexual assault , one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree rape .
The charges stem from the alleged 2006 rape of Mimi Haleyi , a former employee of Weinstein ’ s production company , and an alleged 2013 assault against another woman .
Weinstein faces life in prison if convicted on all counts .
Sciorra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are expected to testify that Weinstein attacked them .
Her allegations date back too far to be prosecuted on their own , but her testimony during a trial that ’ s expected to be a watershed moment for the # MeToo movement could be a factor as prosecutors look to show that Weinstein has engaged in a pattern of predatory behavior .
Sciorra , wearing a long blue dress , took the witness stand shortly before 10 a.m. After standing and pointing toward Weinstein to identify him , she began telling jurors what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She had accepted a ride home from the movie mogul after a somewhat uneventful dinner at what she described as an Irish restaurant in Manhattan , not long after she starred in the Miramax-produced film “ The Night We Never Met.
” When she arrived home , Sciorra went upstairs to get ready for bed and put on a white cotton nightgown that was a family gift .
A few minutes later , she heard a knock at the door and opened it to find Weinstein standing outside .
She told jurors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and began unbuttoning his shirt .
“ I then realized that he thought we were going to be having sex , ” she said .
“ I realized , like , if he was taking off his shirt that he wanted to have sex.
” She says she asked him to leave and stepped away from him .
Before she could run , she said he grabbed the front of her nightgown , held her wrists above her head and raped her , ejaculating on her leg .
He then performed oral sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is for you , ” Sciorra recounted .
“ It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual , ” she said .
“ I didn ’ t really even know what was happening .
It was like a seizure or something.
” Sciorra said she never called police and said she was confused at the time .
She said she thought “ rape was something that happened in a back alleyway or a dark place , ” committed by “ someone you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to your head.
” Later , under cross-examination from Weinstein ’ s lead defense attorney , Donna Rotunno , Sciorra told the court “ at the time , I didn ’ t understand that that was rape , ” when asked why she hadn ’ t reported the Miramax co-founder in the 1990s .
The attack left her emotionally brutalized and she began drinking heavily and cutting herself , Sciorra told jurors .
A few weeks after the alleged assault , Sciorra saw Weinstein at a restaurant and tried to talk to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had blacked out .
“ That ’ s what all the nice Catholic girls say , ” she recalled him allegedly telling her in a manner she described as menacing .
She perceived the interaction as a threat to stay quiet .
The alleged attack touched off a series of incidents , Sciorra testified , including one during the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 .
Weinstein allegedly showed up at her hotel room door in his underwear while holding a bottle of baby oil in one hand and a videotape in the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the room ’ s telephone and Weinstein left , she said .
Sciorra also described Weinstein as obsessively trying to arrange a meeting with her while she was filming a movie in London in 1994 , saying the harassment got so bad that she changed hotels to hide her location after he showed up and banged on her hotel door .
Rotunno repeatedly harped on the fact that Sciorra could not provide an exact date or time of the assault and picked at more intimate details of the alleged rape .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reputation for defending men from sexual misconduct allegations , rapidly questioned Sciorra about the exact amount of time the assault lasted , or why she didn ’ t check who was at the door through a peephole .
She also pressured her about her decision to not contact law enforcement in London .
“ We ’ re very unsure about dates and times , ” Rotunno cracked early in her cross-examination , drawing the first of many frustrated objections from Manhattan Assistant Dist .
Atty .
Joan Illuzzi-Osborn .
Rotunno spent most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Sciorra felt intimidated by Weinstein , highlighting an exchange of messages she had with a colleague in 2017 .
The colleague asked for Sciorra ’ s cellphone number and then told her he was trying to obtain it on Weinstein ’ s behalf .
Sciorra responded , “ Oh , that ’ s interesting , ” and later asked whether Weinstein had any work for her , leaving Rotunno to ask why she reacted that way to hearing the man who allegedly assaulted her wanted to get in touch .
Sciorra said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fishing for information .
Rotunno finished her cross-examination by playing a two-decade-old clip of Sciorra appearing on the David Letterman show to promote the film “ Cop Land.
” In the interview , Sciorra joked around about her habit of lying about family anecdotes in interviews in the press .
“ I was caught in the last few years lying about a few things.… I would make up quite elaborate stories , ” Sciorra said in the brief footage shown as a clear implication she was not a credible witness .
Illuzzi-Osborn quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of context and taken from a comedy appearance .
Judge James Burke will soon have to decide whether to allow actress Rosie Perez to testify that Sciorra had told her about the alleged rape in 1994 , though she did not mention Weinstein by name .
Queally reported from New York and Fry reported from Los Angeles .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

James Queally, Hannah Fry, MICHAEL R. SISAK, TOM HAYS and JENNIFER PELTZ

Annabella Sciorra was so new to the Hollywood scene in the early 1990s that she said she didn’t even know who Harvey Weinstein was when she first met the future Hollywood titan.
As they became acquainted over the next several years, Sciorra says the famed film mogul sent her a few strange gifts: a package that contained movies, licorice, popcorn and a bottle of Valium. Then, later, a box of chocolate penises, she told jurors from the witness stand in a Manhattan courtroom Thursday.
But what began as merely inappropriate turned violent on a winter night in late 1993 or early 1994, she alleges, when Weinstein pushed his way inside her Gramercy Park apartment and raped her.
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“I was trying to get him off of me. I was punching him. I was kicking him. I was just trying to get him away from me and he took my hands and he put them over my head,” Sciorra, 59, said, nearly crying. “He got on top of me and he raped me.”
Sciorra’s two hours of wrenching testimony marked the first time one of Weinstein’s accusers stared him down in a criminal court. Weinstein, 67, is charged in New York with first-degree rape, two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree rape. The charges stem from the alleged 2006 rape of Mimi Haleyi, a former employee of Weinstein’s production company, and an alleged 2013 assault against another woman.
Weinstein faces life in prison if convicted on all counts.
Sciorra is the first of six accusers who are expected to testify that Weinstein attacked them. Her allegations date back too far to be prosecuted on their own, but her testimony during a trial that’s expected to be a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement could be a factor as prosecutors look to show that Weinstein has engaged in a pattern of predatory behavior.
Sciorra, wearing a long blue dress, took the witness stand shortly before 10 a.m. After standing and pointing toward Weinstein to identify him, she began telling jurors what happened the night of the alleged attack.
She had accepted a ride home from the movie mogul after a somewhat uneventful dinner at what she described as an Irish restaurant in Manhattan, not long after she starred in the Miramax-produced film “The Night We Never Met.” When she arrived home, Sciorra went upstairs to get ready for bed and put on a white cotton nightgown that was a family gift.
A few minutes later, she heard a knock at the door and opened it to find Weinstein standing outside. She told jurors he pushed his way inside the apartment and began unbuttoning his shirt.
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“I then realized that he thought we were going to be having sex,” she said. “I realized, like, if he was taking off his shirt that he wanted to have sex.”
She says she asked him to leave and stepped away from him. Before she could run, she said he grabbed the front of her nightgown, held her wrists above her head and raped her, ejaculating on her leg.
He then performed oral sex on her, telling her, “This is for you,” Sciorra recounted.
“It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual,” she said. “I didn’t really even know what was happening. It was like a seizure or something.”
Sciorra said she never called police and said she was confused at the time. She said she thought “rape was something that happened in a back alleyway or a dark place,” committed by “someone you didn’t know with a gun to your head.”
Later, under cross-examination from Weinstein’s lead defense attorney, Donna Rotunno, Sciorra told the court “at the time, I didn’t understand that that was rape,” when asked why she hadn’t reported the Miramax co-founder in the 1990s.
The attack left her emotionally brutalized and she began drinking heavily and cutting herself, Sciorra told jurors. A few weeks after the alleged assault, Sciorra saw Weinstein at a restaurant and tried to talk to him about the incident, telling him she had blacked out.
“That’s what all the nice Catholic girls say,” she recalled him allegedly telling her in a manner she described as menacing. She perceived the interaction as a threat to stay quiet.
The alleged attack touched off a series of incidents, Sciorra testified, including one during the Cannes Film Festival in 1997. Weinstein allegedly showed up at her hotel room door in his underwear while holding a bottle of baby oil in one hand and a videotape in the other. Terrified, she started hitting buttons on the room’s telephone and Weinstein left, she said.
Sciorra also described Weinstein as obsessively trying to arrange a meeting with her while she was filming a movie in London in 1994, saying the harassment got so bad that she changed hotels to hide her location after he showed up and banged on her hotel door.
Rotunno repeatedly returned to the fact that Sciorra could not provide an exact date or time of the assault and picked at more intimate details of her account.
The Chicago litigator, who has earned a reputation for defending men from sexual misconduct allegations, rapidly questioned Sciorra about the exact amount of time the assault lasted, or why she didn’t check who was at the door through a peephole. She also pressured her about her decision to not contact law enforcement in London.
“We’re very unsure about dates and times,” Rotunno cracked early in her cross-examination, drawing the first of many frustrated objections from Manhattan Assistant Dist. Atty. Joan Illuzzi-Osborn.
Rotunno spent most of the afternoon trying to challenge the idea that Sciorra felt intimidated by Weinstein, highlighting an exchange of messages she had with a colleague in 2017. The colleague asked for Sciorra’s cellphone number and then told her he was trying to obtain it on Weinstein’s behalf.
Sciorra responded, “Oh, that’s interesting,” and later asked whether Weinstein had any work for her, leaving Rotunno to ask why she reacted that way to hearing that the man who allegedly assaulted her wanted to get in touch. Sciorra said she was petrified of Weinstein and was fishing for information.
Rotunno finished her cross-examination by playing a two-decade-old clip of Sciorra appearing on the David Letterman show to promote the film “Cop Land.” In the interview, Sciorra joked around about her habit of lying about family anecdotes in interviews in the press.
“I was caught in the last few years lying about a few things.… I would make up quite elaborate stories,” Sciorra said in the brief footage shown as a clear implication she was not a credible witness.
Illuzzi-Osborn quickly pointed out that the appearance was wildly out of context and taken from a comedy appearance.
Judge James Burke will soon have to decide whether to allow actress Rosie Perez to testify that Sciorra had told her about the alleged rape in 1994, though she did not mention Weinstein by name.
Queally reported from New York and Fry reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-23--Erskine: Mt. Baldy is the best ski deal in California and just 80 minutes away

Mt .
Baldy is where clouds go to relax .
To reduce stress , you can do a lot of constructive things : drink to excess , canoodle , overeat .
But none is as perfectly overindulgent as a day on this ski hill wedged between heaven and earth , 80 easy minutes from downtown Los Angeles .
Mt .
Baldy is not just a ski hill ; it ’ s an Austrian waltz .
It ’ s all high-country hardscapes and concertos in the wind .
It ’ s both alluring and harsh .
The hiking is famously world-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you ’ re not careful , and sometimes even when you are .
The skiing is less intense yet still intense .
There were times when , had my ski caught an icy edge , I ’ d have launched all the way to the little college town of Claremont a dozen miles away .
Probably would ’ ve landed in some lit class I never finished .
Such prospects will keep you on your toes , all right .
You can ’ t fall in lust with the views up here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But best keep your wits about you — head on a swivel , knees loose , skis together , mind clear .
What you ’ ll notice about this little ski village is that there is nothing the least bit fussy about it .
Honestly , I don ’ t think a can of paint has been spent on the whole operation , and that includes the 100-year-old lodge .
The magical Mt .
Baldy Lodge , which greets you on arrival , seems cemented together with pine sap and cobwebs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ For $ 125 , you can rent a tidy cabin here and a trip back in time .
Or just nurse a hot chocolate and a shot of Jameson by the fire .
The onion rings are memorable too , at least as ski country grub goes .
So , naturally , the ski snobs sneer at Mt .
Baldy , dinging it for its ma-and-pa amenities and modest number of runs , treating its easy access and affordability as some sort of character flaws .
Shame on the snobs .
Because this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best ski deal in California .
Which means you can get out of here without having to donate a kidney .
I ’ m not calling this the best ma-and-pa ski resort in America , because I still have a few more to try — a couple in Vermont , one in Alaska .
But I ’ ll call it the best little resort a heartbeat away from Los Angeles .
You can zoom here at dawn from Redondo Beach and be home in time for your kid ’ s soccer game .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Friday , be in your boots by noon , and get in a hearty four hours .
If the lift lines are five deep , people look around in surprise , for usually you glide right on .
It ’ s so simple .
Chair 1 whisks you from the parking lot to the main lodge , the apex of the operation .
Chair 2 is your warmup run and takes you down to Chair 3 , which is the heart of the hill , with dozens of trails from intermediate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll be the only soul — watch those edges .
You can dart through trees and chatter over the moguls , or take creamy heart-thumping black diamond runs .
This time of year , the snow is bridal-gown gorgeous .
Most trails are groomed .
Baldy is open seven days a week , and if you go on a Tuesday , you ’ ll pretty much have the place to yourself .
The snow is good right now , still plentiful after an epic December , which is critical for a resort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottleneck Chair 1 can create at closing time , Baldy sells out at just 2,000 customers , which is about how many folks are in line for the loo on a typical day at Mammoth .
Thoreau had his ponds .
Sinatra had Vegas .
What ’ s left for chumps like you and me ?
Sweet Baldy , where you can snag a lift ticket for as little as 15 bucks online , a cold beer for $ 9 .
Mt .
Baldy , as one friend put it , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the muscles in my legs are roughly the same temperature at which bacon burns .
Indeed , God had a good day here .
The lodge went up in 1914 , and the ski hill opened in 1952 .
It fell on hard times in the late ’ 60s .
In the ’ 70s , Ron Ellingson rescued the resort and the lodge and still owns them both .
Some elbow grease here , some WD-40 there , didn ’ t ruin the place with overzealous ski town gentrification .
No Starbucks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t even a gas pump .
It ’ s kind of an elegant old piano , and you don ’ t hang hipster artwork and Edison lights all over something like that .
Ellingson ’ s son , Robby , now runs the place and has grown the full-time staff from four to 30-plus in his 10-year reign .
In summer , the resort hosts concerts and moonlight hikes , to help keep the lights on .
But Baldy is at its most glorious now , a big bowl of frosted flakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change quickly .
A sunny morning can morph into a dark and icy afternoon .
Though it requires little mountain driving , some of the S-turns would give a bobsledder the chills .
“ When the mountains are white , people come up , ” Robby Ellingson said .
“ This is the best start in my 10 years.
” Are there plans to expand it ?
Aren ’ t there always ?
A proposal to add two lifts dates to the early ’ 90s , so don ’ t hold your breath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modest ski hill for what it is — a snow-dusted curio in a world of mega-resorts that gobble each other up at every opportunity .
Ski monoliths have become the corporate farms of the American West .
That sounds so judgmental , but did a giant corporation ever make anything better ?
Note that you don ’ t have to be a skier to have a good time here .
Sightseers are welcome aboard the easy-to-use two-person chair — no ski skills required — from the parking lot to the Top of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride up through the lodgepole pines past the biggest pine cones ever , to the top where a memorable chunk of backcountry wilderness awaits at 7,800 feet .
Yep , even the clouds come here to recuperate .
Shouldn ’ t you ?
Directions : Mt .
Baldy is 20 minutes off the 210 Freeway near Claremont .
From L.A. , take the Baseline exit , then a left at the light to Padua Avenue .
Take a right on Padua and go 1.5 miles to Mt .
Baldy Road , then right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away ; the resort is five miles further .
Prices : Lift tickets $ 79- $ 99 but can be found online for as little as $ 15 .
Ski/rental/lesson combo packages run $ 60 .
Sightseeing tickets cost $ 24 .

The view from Mt. Baldy, where you can ski, snowboard or just take in the top of the clouds.
Mt. Baldy is where clouds go to relax.
To reduce stress, you can do a lot of constructive things: drink to excess, canoodle, overeat. But none is as perfectly overindulgent as a day on this ski hill wedged between heaven and earth, 80 easy minutes from downtown Los Angeles.
Mt. Baldy is not just a ski hill; it’s an Austrian waltz. It’s all high-country hardscapes and concertos in the wind. It’s both alluring and harsh. The hiking is famously world-class, though this mountain will kill you if you’re not careful, and sometimes even when you are.
The skiing is less intense yet still intense. There were times when, had my ski caught an icy edge, I’d have launched all the way to the little college town of Claremont a dozen miles away. Probably would’ve landed in some lit class I never finished.
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Such prospects will keep you on your toes, all right. You can’t fall in lust with the views up here. Oh, you probably will anyway. But best keep your wits about you — head on a swivel, knees loose, skis together, mind clear.
Huntington Beach resident Alex Soto, 33, gets some air at Mt. Baldy, where on a weekday you may have the place to yourself. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
What you’ll notice about this little ski village is that there is nothing the least bit fussy about it. Honestly, I don’t think a can of paint has been spent on the whole operation, and that includes the 100-year-old lodge.
The magical Mt. Baldy Lodge, which greets you on arrival, seems cemented together with pine sap and cobwebs. Wear-and-tear seems to fit the place. For $125, you can rent a tidy cabin here and a trip back in time. Or just nurse a hot chocolate and a shot of Jameson by the fire. The onion rings are memorable too, at least as ski country grub goes.
So, naturally, the ski snobs sneer at Mt. Baldy, dinging it for its ma-and-pa amenities and modest number of runs, treating its easy access and affordability as some sort of character flaws.
Shame on the snobs. Because this year in particular, Baldy is the best ski deal in California. Which means you can get out of here without having to donate a kidney.
I’m not calling this the best ma-and-pa ski resort in America, because I still have a few more to try — a couple in Vermont, one in Alaska. But I’ll call it the best little resort a heartbeat away from Los Angeles. You can zoom here at dawn from Redondo Beach and be home in time for your kid’s soccer game.
If the lift lines are five deep, skiers look around in wonder. Usually, you can glide right onto a two-person chair. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Or you can leave work early on a Friday, be in your boots by noon, and get in a hearty four hours. If the lift lines are five deep, people look around in surprise, for usually you glide right on.
It’s so simple. Chair 1 whisks you from the parking lot to the main lodge, the apex of the operation. Chair 2 is your warmup run and takes you down to Chair 3, which is the heart of the hill, with dozens of trails from intermediate to tragic.
On many trails, you’ll be the only soul — watch those edges. You can dart through trees and chatter over the moguls, or take creamy heart-thumping black diamond runs. This time of year, the snow is bridal-gown gorgeous. Most trails are groomed.
Baldy is open seven days a week, and if you go on a Tuesday, you’ll pretty much have the place to yourself. The snow is good right now, still plentiful after an epic December, which is critical for a resort with limited snow-making ability. Because of the bottleneck Chair 1 can create at closing time, Baldy sells out at just 2,000 customers, which is about how many folks are in line for the loo on a typical day at Mammoth.
Thoreau had his ponds. Sinatra had Vegas. What’s left for chumps like you and me? Sweet Baldy, where you can snag a lift ticket for as little as 15 bucks online, a cold beer for $9. Mt. Baldy, as one friend put it, “is an accomplishment.”
An hour in, the muscles in my legs are roughly the same temperature at which bacon burns.
Indeed, God had a good day here. The lodge went up in 1914, and the ski hill opened in 1952. It fell on hard times in the late ’60s. In the ’70s, Ron Ellingson rescued the resort and the lodge and still owns them both. Some elbow grease here, some WD-40 there, didn’t ruin the place with overzealous ski town gentrification. No Starbucks in sight. Heck, there isn’t even a gas pump.
Sightseers are welcome at Mt. Baldy. Here, visitors enjoy the scenic overlook near the restaurant at the top. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
It’s kind of an elegant old piano, and you don’t hang hipster artwork and Edison lights all over something like that. Ellingson’s son, Robby, now runs the place and has grown the full-time staff from four to 30-plus in his 10-year reign.
In summer, the resort hosts concerts and moonlight hikes, to help keep the lights on.
But Baldy is at its most glorious now, a big bowl of frosted flakes. Bring tire chains, because conditions change quickly. A sunny morning can morph into a dark and icy afternoon. Though it requires little mountain driving, some of the S-turns would give a bobsledder the chills.
“When the mountains are white, people come up,” Robby Ellingson said. “This is the best start in my 10 years.”
Are there plans to expand it? Aren’t there always? A proposal to add two lifts dates to the early ’90s, so don’t hold your breath on that.
Instead, relish this modest ski hill for what it is — a snow-dusted curio in a world of mega-resorts that gobble each other up at every opportunity. Ski monoliths have become the corporate farms of the American West. That sounds so judgmental, but did a giant corporation ever make anything better?
Note that you don’t have to be a skier to have a good time here. Sightseers are welcome aboard the easy-to-use two-person chair — no ski skills required — from the parking lot to the Top of the Notch cafe.
Just climb on, ride up through the lodgepole pines past the biggest pine cones ever, to the top where a memorable chunk of backcountry wilderness awaits at 7,800 feet.
Yep, even the clouds come here to recuperate. Shouldn’t you?
The landmark Mt. Baldy Lodge, where quaint and cozy cabins start at $125. It’s in the village just as you enter town. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times)
Essentials
Directions: Mt. Baldy is 20 minutes off the 210 Freeway near Claremont. From L.A., take the Baseline exit, then a left at the light to Padua Avenue. Take a right on Padua and go 1.5 miles to Mt. Baldy Road, then right again. The village is eight miles away; the resort is five miles further.
Prices: Lift tickets $79-$99 but can be found online for as little as $15. Ski/rental/lesson combo packages run $60. Sightseeing tickets cost $24.
Info: winter.mtbaldyresort.com


latimes--2020-01-23--New opposition leaves future of controversial housing bill SB 50 up in the air

With less than 10 days until a key deadline , major legislation that aims to increase housing growth in California is facing new opposition .
State Sen. Holly Mitchell ( D-Los Angeles ) and a coalition of groups representing low-income communities are now opposed to Senate Bill 50 , a bill that would allow mid-rise apartment complexes near transit stops and job centers and fourplexes in most single-family neighborhoods across the state .
Mitchell , a powerful lawmaker who is running for L.A. County supervisor and leads the Senate ’ s budget committee , told constituents at town halls over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill .
The groups , including the Alliance for Community Transit — Los Angeles and the Western Center on Law and Poverty , announced their position against SB 50 on Wednesday .
The bill “ fails to address our most serious concerns and will exacerbate the housing challenges experienced by low-income people , people of color and other vulnerable people , the very populations being hit hardest by California ’ s affordability crisis , ” the groups wrote in a letter to state Sen. Scott Wiener ( D-San Francisco ) , SB 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet these communities ’ housing affordability needs and has the potential to create new pressure and incentives for displacement.
” Separately , a group of tenant organizations from across the state sent a similar letter to Wiener on Wednesday .
The news is a blow to his efforts to advance SB 50 before the Jan. 31 deadline for it to pass the Senate .
Wiener has argued that boosting growth in already developed communities is essential to addressing the state ’ s housing affordability challenges and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with SB 50 for more than a year .
The legislation has become a hot-button issue in her race for the 2nd District seat on the Board of Supervisors amid concerns it could fuel more gentrification in South Los Angeles .
In August , she told The Times that she ’ d received more community feedback about SB 50 than for any other bill during the decade she ’ s served in the Legislature .
She said Los Angeles County needed to speed housing production and that residents should accept that their neighborhoods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t expect that we in L.A. County are going to be able to house and find housing for the 56,000 homeless people without our own neighborhoods beginning to look different , ” Mitchell said then .
( The number is actually closer to 59,000 . )
Mitchell was unavailable for an interview Wednesday , but at a candidate forum in South Los Angeles on Saturday , she said debate surrounding the bill had become too difficult to reach consensus .
“ I think fundamentally the bill number itself is too hot [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
This is the third year in a row that Wiener has tried to advance the legislation to boost growth around transit .
Following the bill ’ s failure in 2018 , the Bay Area senator began negotiating with the coalition of groups representing low-income communities and has made a number of changes to address their worries about gentrification and displacement .
As it stands now , SB 50 would require housing projects larger than 10 units to contribute funding or space for low-income housing .
Developers who hope to take advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from demolishing homes on properties where tenants have lived for at least seven years .
It also gives low-income residents living in neighborhoods near developments built under SB 50 a preference in moving into the new units .
In addition , communities at risk of gentrification would have five years to create their own blueprints for growth — compared to a two-year delay everywhere else .
Earlier this month , Wiener told The Times that he was optimistic about conversations with the coalition of groups representing low-income communities that would address the amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and defining the areas that would have more time to develop alternatives to SB 50 .
“ I actually think we ’ re close , ” Wiener said .
In a statement Wednesday , he said he had made progress with the coalition on promoting more affordable housing as recently as last week and noted that not all of the groups involved had signed Wednesday ’ s letter .
“ Opposing legislation while active negotiations are progressing — and with a full nine months left in the legislative process —isn ’ t helpful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a large number of organizations that advocate for affordable housing are supporting SB 50 or continue to be neutral while negotiating in good faith with my office.
” Wiener said he planned to continue discussions with the coalition , including the groups that announced their opposition .
Both Mitchell and the groups that sent Wednesday ’ s letter said they would consider changing their positions if the bill was amended .
But there ’ s not much time for that to happen prior to next week ’ s deadline for the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) cleared the way for negotiations to continue when she removed it last Friday from a committee led by an opponent of the bill .
“ While many communities still have clear concerns about SB 50 , our affordable housing crisis demands we make every attempt to reach agreement on potential solutions , ” Atkins said in a statement .
“ I hope the additional time afforded by this action contributes to the ongoing efforts being made by Sen. Wiener , housing advocates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter-approved constitutional amendment that requires bills to be publicly available for 72 hours before they ’ re passed , any more changes to SB 50 would likely need to occur by Monday so senators could vote on the updated bill by their scheduled adjournment .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has not endorsed SB 50 , but has encouraged continued negotiations as part of efforts to increase housing production statewide .
He told reporters on Wednesday his office was helping Wiener round up votes .
The governor said his staff met with the senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confident we ’ ll get something big done , ” Newsom told reporters in San Francisco .

State Sen. Holly Mitchell, who is running for the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, has come out against Senate Bill 50.
With less than 10 days until a key deadline, major legislation that aims to increase housing growth in California is facing new opposition.
State Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) and a coalition of groups representing low-income communities are now opposed to Senate Bill 50, a bill that would allow mid-rise apartment complexes near transit stops and job centers and fourplexes in most single-family neighborhoods across the state.
Mitchell, a powerful lawmaker who is running for L.A. County supervisor and leads the Senate’s budget committee, told constituents at town halls over the weekend that she was against the bill. The groups, including the Alliance for Community Transit — Los Angeles and the Western Center on Law and Poverty, announced their position against SB 50 on Wednesday.
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The bill “fails to address our most serious concerns and will exacerbate the housing challenges experienced by low-income people, people of color and other vulnerable people, the very populations being hit hardest by California’s affordability crisis,” the groups wrote in a letter to state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), SB 50’s author. “It fails to meet these communities’ housing affordability needs and has the potential to create new pressure and incentives for displacement.”
Separately, a group of tenant organizations from across the state sent a similar letter to Wiener on Wednesday.
The news is a blow to his efforts to advance SB 50 before the Jan. 31 deadline for it to pass the Senate. Wiener has argued that boosting growth in already developed communities is essential to addressing the state’s housing affordability challenges and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars.
Mitchell had been publicly wrestling with SB 50 for more than a year. The legislation has become a hot-button issue in her race for the 2nd District seat on the Board of Supervisors amid concerns it could fuel more gentrification in South Los Angeles.
In August, she told The Times that she’d received more community feedback about SB 50 than for any other bill during the decade she’s served in the Legislature. She said Los Angeles County needed to speed housing production and that residents should accept that their neighborhoods needed to change.
“You can’t expect that we in L.A. County are going to be able to house and find housing for the 56,000 homeless people without our own neighborhoods beginning to look different,” Mitchell said then. (The number is actually closer to 59,000.)
Mitchell was unavailable for an interview Wednesday, but at a candidate forum in South Los Angeles on Saturday, she said debate surrounding the bill had become too difficult to reach consensus.
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“I think fundamentally the bill number itself is too hot [of] a potato,” Mitchell said.
This is the third year in a row that Wiener has tried to advance the legislation to boost growth around transit. Following the bill’s failure in 2018, the Bay Area senator began negotiating with the coalition of groups representing low-income communities and has made a number of changes to address their worries about gentrification and displacement.
As it stands now, SB 50 would require housing projects larger than 10 units to contribute funding or space for low-income housing. Developers who hope to take advantage of SB 50 also would be prohibited from demolishing homes on properties where tenants have lived for at least seven years. It also gives low-income residents living in neighborhoods near developments built under SB 50 a preference in moving into the new units. In addition, communities at risk of gentrification would have five years to create their own blueprints for growth — compared to a two-year delay everywhere else.
Earlier this month, Wiener told The Times that he was optimistic about conversations with the coalition of groups representing low-income communities that would address the amount of low-income housing required by the bill and defining the areas that would have more time to develop alternatives to SB 50.
“I actually think we’re close,” Wiener said.
In a statement Wednesday, he said he had made progress with the coalition on promoting more affordable housing as recently as last week and noted that not all of the groups involved had signed Wednesday’s letter.
“Opposing legislation while active negotiations are progressing — and with a full nine months left in the legislative process —isn’t helpful,” Wiener said. “Fortunately, a large number of organizations that advocate for affordable housing are supporting SB 50 or continue to be neutral while negotiating in good faith with my office.”
Wiener said he planned to continue discussions with the coalition, including the groups that announced their opposition.
Both Mitchell and the groups that sent Wednesday’s letter said they would consider changing their positions if the bill was amended. But there’s not much time for that to happen prior to next week’s deadline for the bill to advance out of the Senate.
Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) cleared the way for negotiations to continue when she removed it last Friday from a committee led by an opponent of the bill.
“While many communities still have clear concerns about SB 50, our affordable housing crisis demands we make every attempt to reach agreement on potential solutions,” Atkins said in a statement. “I hope the additional time afforded by this action contributes to the ongoing efforts being made by Sen. Wiener, housing advocates, and community leaders.”
According to a voter-approved constitutional amendment that requires bills to be publicly available for 72 hours before they’re passed, any more changes to SB 50 would likely need to occur by Monday so senators could vote on the updated bill by their scheduled adjournment.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has not endorsed SB 50, but has encouraged continued negotiations as part of efforts to increase housing production statewide. He told reporters on Wednesday his office was helping Wiener round up votes. The governor said his staff met with the senator Tuesday night.
“I’m confident we’ll get something big done,” Newsom told reporters in San Francisco.
Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-24--'Drama. Competition. Fear': Those lucky red envelopes for the Lunar New Year yield much more than ca

'Drama. Competition. Fear': Those lucky red envelopes for the Lunar New Year yield much more than cash

Until she ’ s married , Alice Liu expects to welcome the Lunar New Year counting the treasured crispy bills she receives from older relatives to mark the red-gold , multigenerational festivities .
“ How much we get depends on how close we are to the giver , ” said the 27-year-old from Chino Hills .
“ And it ’ s a dance.
” That ’ s because when younger folks gather around their elders to share wishes for good health , before they receive bountiful gifts of cash -- a venerable Asian tradition known as red packets or red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be humble , to refuse , ” Liu said .
“ Do our parents and grandparents accept ?
Of course not .
But you play around while deep down , we all want the money , ” Liu added , laughing .
The funds could come in handy as she searches for a job .
Of all the traditions surrounding the biggest holiday in many Asian communities -- from cleaning the house and wearing new clothes for a fresh start , to lighting firecrackers to chase away evil spirits -- it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it ’ s called in Chinese , or “ li xi , ” as it ’ s known in Vietnamese , that inspires the most talk with endless comparisons over which relatives are big spenders and which are tightwads .
“ Drama .
Competition .
Fear .
The exchange of lucky money can involve all of these things .
It ’ s like a soap opera that you can ’ t remove yourself from , ” said John Tu , a businessman from Diamond Bar , in between sips of espresso at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development fusing shops and residential living in the heart of Monterey Park .
In anticipation of the Year of the Rat , dawning Saturday , he reflected on meeting people “ who literally go into debt to meet all the financial obligations ” that this season requires .
“ The pressure is constant .
You need to go all out and wine and dine the extended family -- not to mention these envelope gifts , ” he continued .
“ And you should see when the youngsters open them .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Look what I got !
’ They can ’ t help but brag and compare.
” Experts worry that the ancient custom has lost meaning .
A tradition that began with modest , symbolic amounts tucked into envelopes has grown over the top , requiring spending huge sums under a sense of obligation .
Meanwhile , the pool of people benefiting from the largesse has grown beyond immediate family members to the occasional mailman or trash collector .
“ In the early days in Vietnam , the envelopes didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often , only the men of the family went to work .
In modern postwar times , with more jobs , more financial benefits , families can be more generous and they feel they must pass on the tradition so that the younger generation will continue it when it ’ s their turn , ” said Kim Dzung Pham , senior lecturer in the foreign languages department at UC Riverside .
Her practice is to give to “ the best of my ability , ” yet she finds it “ unfair ” having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when one has just given the first round to the same recipients at Christmas .
“ Wouldn ’ t it be more reasonable to donate the money to nonprofit groups ?
” But the politics of the red packet are so intense that they can force some people to scrimp or to strategize -- at once eager to do it right or to find a way around the restrictions .
Many would agree that the main issue is how much to give .
As the new year nears , community banks report a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are staples in gifts going to acquaintances , co-workers or to combine in multiples to leave behind as tips .
Still , questions remain : Is giving $ 10 too little ?
Is $ 50 too much ?
Judy Liao , a cashier at Chengdu Taste restaurant in Alhambra , said she believes that $ 20 is the average .
That ’ s what she has designated for young relatives or the children of her friends .
Netting such money usually ends with marriage , when those who receive transition into those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , each will open a gleaming envelope to find $ 100 .
A mere $ 50 for her son or her daughter “ is not very enough .
Maybe he thinks toys will be better , ” she said , cradling 15-month-old Ethan .
But , she added : “ I must save .
This is tradition .
I do not skip.
” In fact , after toiling for months , she has set aside $ 3,000 for the Lunar New Year , intending to honor both her mother and mother-in-law with $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presenting a “ correct ” sum to the matriarchs and patriarchs of the family is a top priority .
Once in a while , they even hand over the dollars early in case grandmas and grandpas are short of cash and need to re-gift it .
Born in Hunan , China , Liao said if she were celebrating at home , she would choose to dole out something like 168 Chinese yuan , equal to just over $ 24 , since it contains auspicious numbers .
Jay Yang said he would “ make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Taiwan.
” To the fortysomething hairstylist from West Hollywood , “ this holiday is not as loud or as visible here in the U.S .
The atmosphere isn ’ t the same , but I can appreciate that people try .
“ What ’ s important is it ’ s about love for one another .
Even my mother still gives me a little money to bring good luck.
” That cultural concept of good luck has compelled mainstream brands to try to cash in on the action , with Nike recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It shows a girl who ’ s been told by her mother not to take “ hongbao , ” much to the dismay of a crafty aunt who conspires to outsmart her .
As the child ages , trying to deny the dollars turns into an annual showdown against her elder .
Greeting this holiday -- on the heels of Thanksgiving , Christmas , and New Year ’ s -- then having to head into Valentine ’ s Day means that consumers never stop spending , some say .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glendale , is careful to keep to a ritual of saving what ’ s inside his red envelopes in a separate account stashed in his native country , Taiwan .
Already , he worries about the future when he gets hitched and is required to start giving red envelopes .
He envisions opting for the “ safety of my finances ” over culture .
“ There ’ s so much pressure .
I think I will just take my kids out to buy some candy.
” In certain families , the politics surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members stop speaking to each other -- sometimes permanently .
About a decade ago , Tony Lee , now in his late 30s , happened to skip observing the holiday , choosing to go camping with college buddies instead .
Shocked , his mom accused the Rosemead writer of being disrespectful .
His dad angrily asked why he didn ’ t prepare the envelopes ahead of time “ so that your brother and sister and cousins ’ kids weren ’ t left empty-handed.
” “ I am the firstborn and my grandfather was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he stocked up on holiday sweets and pears at Tak Shing Hong , a neighborhood market in Monterey Park .
“ It turned out to be his last celebration .
My parents thought I was irresponsible since I can go to Mexico any time of the year -- but why at the new year ?
” For many months Lee , who is Korean-Chinese American , stopped being invited to family reunions .
But this weekend he fully plans “ to be present ” to “ mingle among the generations , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to be the black sheep .
You need to rise to the occasion.
” And then there are rivalries .
Joe Huang has always paled in comparison to his older brother , who ’ s a doctor .
“ I ’ m only an engineer , ” the 42-year-old Arcadia resident said wistfully , “ not having the big bucks and not the fancy medical school .
That ’ s why I have to spend way more.
” He brings lunch to work during the months of November and December so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can afford to dole out at least $ 100 to all the nieces and nephews , including his sibling ’ s three kids .
“ I make sure to save the $ 200 for the ones in college.
” Lisa Dao , 39 , of Los Angeles recounted how at first her Caucasian husband was befuddled by the tradition .
The two , who met in Houston , annually set aside $ 1,500 to $ 2,000 .
“ He didn ’ t understand why we had to spend so much and why we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In her husband ’ s family , wads of cash were associated with lottery winnings or gambling .
For Christmas , relatives drew names and weren ’ t required to shop for gifts for multiple generations .
In Dao ’ s circle , however , as the oldest of four , the Vietnamese American office manager is expected to set a strong example and follow cultural norms .
“ I already disappointed the parents by marrying outside the culture .
The least I could do is to shell out the money , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very strict about doing things for the sake of appearance , ” added her husband , Tim Harper .
“ Save face , save face -- that ’ s what it ’ s all about .
They do their utmost to preserve the reputation , and while I respect many customs , I can ’ t always be completely supportive .
“ To me , it ’ s a lot of money that can be better kept in a mutual fund or used for home improvements .
”

Cal State Los Angeles student Kenny Chang, 18, looks over red envelopes used for the Lunar New Year at the Tak Shing Hong Market in Monterey Park. Many families stuff money into the packets that are given to children and relatives to bring good luck in the new year. “It’s the Asian parents’ way of giving love since they really don’t express it,” Chang said.
Until she’s married, Alice Liu expects to welcome the Lunar New Year counting the treasured crispy bills she receives from older relatives to mark the red-gold, multigenerational festivities.
“How much we get depends on how close we are to the giver,” said the 27-year-old from Chino Hills. “And it’s a dance.”
That’s because when younger folks gather around their elders to share wishes for good health, before they receive bountiful gifts of cash -- a venerable Asian tradition known as red packets or red envelopes -- the proper response “is to be humble, to refuse,” Liu said.
“Do our parents and grandparents accept? Of course not. But you play around while deep down, we all want the money,” Liu added, laughing. The funds could come in handy as she searches for a job.
Of all the traditions surrounding the biggest holiday in many Asian communities -- from cleaning the house and wearing new clothes for a fresh start, to lighting firecrackers to chase away evil spirits -- it may be the ubiquitous “hongbao,” as it’s called in Chinese, or “li xi,” as it’s known in Vietnamese, that inspires the most talk with endless comparisons over which relatives are big spenders and which are tightwads.
“Drama. Competition. Fear. The exchange of lucky money can involve all of these things. It’s like a soap opera that you can’t remove yourself from,” said John Tu, a businessman from Diamond Bar, in between sips of espresso at the sleek Atlantic Times Square, a development fusing shops and residential living in the heart of Monterey Park.
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In anticipation of the Year of the Rat, dawning Saturday, he reflected on meeting people “who literally go into debt to meet all the financial obligations” that this season requires.
A shopper looks for decorations, red envelopes and other items for Lunar New Year celebrations at the Tak Shing Hong Market in Monterey Park. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
“The pressure is constant. You need to go all out and wine and dine the extended family -- not to mention these envelope gifts,” he continued. “And you should see when the youngsters open them. They’re shouting: ‘What did you get? Look what I got!’ They can’t help but brag and compare.”
Experts worry that the ancient custom has lost meaning. A tradition that began with modest, symbolic amounts tucked into envelopes has grown over the top, requiring spending huge sums under a sense of obligation. Meanwhile, the pool of people benefiting from the largesse has grown beyond immediate family members to the occasional mailman or trash collector.
“In the early days in Vietnam, the envelopes didn’t have much money because people were poorer and often, only the men of the family went to work. In modern postwar times, with more jobs, more financial benefits, families can be more generous and they feel they must pass on the tradition so that the younger generation will continue it when it’s their turn,” said Kim Dzung Pham, senior lecturer in the foreign languages department at UC Riverside.
Red envelopes are sold for Lunar New Year celebrations at the Tak Shing Hong Market in Monterey Park. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Her practice is to give to “the best of my ability,” yet she finds it “unfair” having to hand out another round of cash when one has just given the first round to the same recipients at Christmas. “Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to donate the money to nonprofit groups?”
But the politics of the red packet are so intense that they can force some people to scrimp or to strategize -- at once eager to do it right or to find a way around the restrictions.
Many would agree that the main issue is how much to give. As the new year nears, community banks report a run on the popular $2 bills that are staples in gifts going to acquaintances, co-workers or to combine in multiples to leave behind as tips.
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Still, questions remain: Is giving $10 too little? Is $50 too much?
15-month-old Ethan Liao and his mother, Judy Liao, 28, background, are looking forward to celebrating the Lunar New Year. Liao said she follows the Chinese tradition of putting money in a red envelope and giving it to relatives for good luck in the new year. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Judy Liao, a cashier at Chengdu Taste restaurant in Alhambra, said she believes that $20 is the average. That’s what she has designated for young relatives or the children of her friends. Netting such money usually ends with marriage, when those who receive transition into those who give.
For her own kids, each will open a gleaming envelope to find $100. A mere $50 for her son or her daughter “is not very enough. Maybe he thinks toys will be better,” she said, cradling 15-month-old Ethan. But, she added: “I must save. This is tradition. I do not skip.”
In fact, after toiling for months, she has set aside $3,000 for the Lunar New Year, intending to honor both her mother and mother-in-law with $500. Liao and others stressed that presenting a “correct” sum to the matriarchs and patriarchs of the family is a top priority. Once in a while, they even hand over the dollars early in case grandmas and grandpas are short of cash and need to re-gift it.
Born in Hunan, China, Liao said if she were celebrating at home, she would choose to dole out something like 168 Chinese yuan, equal to just over $24, since it contains auspicious numbers.
Jay Yang said he would “make a big deal if I were back in Taiwan.” To the fortysomething hairstylist from West Hollywood, “this holiday is not as loud or as visible here in the U.S. The atmosphere isn’t the same, but I can appreciate that people try.
“What’s important is it’s about love for one another. Even my mother still gives me a little money to bring good luck.”
That cultural concept of good luck has compelled mainstream brands to try to cash in on the action, with Nike recently premiering its first-ever Lunar New Year ad. It shows a girl who’s been told by her mother not to take “hongbao,” much to the dismay of a crafty aunt who conspires to outsmart her. As the child ages, trying to deny the dollars turns into an annual showdown against her elder.
Greeting this holiday -- on the heels of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s -- then having to head into Valentine’s Day means that consumers never stop spending, some say.
That’s why Eric Chang, a photographer from Glendale, is careful to keep to a ritual of saving what’s inside his red envelopes in a separate account stashed in his native country, Taiwan.
Already, he worries about the future when he gets hitched and is required to start giving red envelopes. He envisions opting for the “safety of my finances” over culture. “There’s so much pressure. I think I will just take my kids out to buy some candy.”
In certain families, the politics surrounding the holiday can become so volatile that members stop speaking to each other -- sometimes permanently.
About a decade ago, Tony Lee, now in his late 30s, happened to skip observing the holiday, choosing to go camping with college buddies instead. Shocked, his mom accused the Rosemead writer of being disrespectful. His dad angrily asked why he didn’t prepare the envelopes ahead of time “so that your brother and sister and cousins’ kids weren’t left empty-handed.”
“I am the firstborn and my grandfather was very old,” Lee explained as he stocked up on holiday sweets and pears at Tak Shing Hong, a neighborhood market in Monterey Park. “It turned out to be his last celebration. My parents thought I was irresponsible since I can go to Mexico any time of the year -- but why at the new year?”
For many months Lee, who is Korean-Chinese American, stopped being invited to family reunions. But this weekend he fully plans “to be present” to “mingle among the generations,” he said. “You don’t want to be the black sheep. You need to rise to the occasion.”
And then there are rivalries.
Cashier Rachel Yung stands behind boxes of red envelopes used for Lunar New Year celebrations at the Tak Shing Hong Market in Monterey Park. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Joe Huang has always paled in comparison to his older brother, who’s a doctor. “I’m only an engineer,” the 42-year-old Arcadia resident said wistfully, “not having the big bucks and not the fancy medical school. That’s why I have to spend way more.”
He brings lunch to work during the months of November and December so that when the new year unfolds, he can afford to dole out at least $100 to all the nieces and nephews, including his sibling’s three kids. “I make sure to save the $200 for the ones in college.”
Lisa Dao, 39, of Los Angeles recounted how at first her Caucasian husband was befuddled by the tradition. The two, who met in Houston, annually set aside $1,500 to $2,000. “He didn’t understand why we had to spend so much and why we had to give to so many.”
In her husband’s family, wads of cash were associated with lottery winnings or gambling. For Christmas, relatives drew names and weren’t required to shop for gifts for multiple generations. In Dao’s circle, however, as the oldest of four, the Vietnamese American office manager is expected to set a strong example and follow cultural norms.
“I already disappointed the parents by marrying outside the culture. The least I could do is to shell out the money,” she said.
“The Asians are very strict about doing things for the sake of appearance,” added her husband, Tim Harper. “Save face, save face -- that’s what it’s all about. They do their utmost to preserve the reputation, and while I respect many customs, I can’t always be completely supportive.
“To me, it’s a lot of money that can be better kept in a mutual fund or used for home improvements.”


latimes--2020-01-24--Former Jamaican police officer and two others charged with murder of Irvine man

A former Jamaican police officer and two other men have been charged with murder in connection to an October home invasion robbery in Irvine .
Devon Quinland , 33 , Andre Andrews , 34 , and Omar Miller , 41 , were each charged with felony counts of murder , conspiracy to commit a crime and assault with a firearm , according to the Orange County district attorney and Irvine Police Department .
The three men are also charged with the special circumstances of murder committed during the commission of a robbery and murder committed during the commission of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be eligible for the death penalty if convicted on all charges .
Irvine police arrested Quinland on Dec. 17 .
Andrews and Miller were arrested in Florida , where they live , and extradited to California on Wednesday .
Miller is a former Jamaican police officer .
“ The arrest and prosecution of these three individuals is a testament to the close working relationship the Irvine Police Department has across multiple jurisdictions and across state lines , ” Orange County Dist .
Atty .
Todd Spitzer said in a statement .
On Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Irvine Police Department and Orange County Fire Authority responded to a call of an injured man in a residential neighborhood in the city , authorities said .
A man told police that he and his roommate had been assaulted inside a home on Bayleaf Lane .
When officers entered the home , they found a second man with gunshot wounds .
The two were taken to a hospital where the gunshot victim , 20-year-old Raymond Alcala , was pronounced dead .
The other victim survived .
All three men charged are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jail .

A former Jamaican police officer and two other men have been charged with murder in connection to an October home invasion robbery in Irvine.
Devon Quinland, 33, Andre Andrews, 34, and Omar Miller, 41, were each charged with felony counts of murder, conspiracy to commit a crime and assault with a firearm, according to the Orange County district attorney and Irvine Police Department.
The three men are also charged with the special circumstances of murder committed during the commission of a robbery and murder committed during the commission of a burglary, authorities said.
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They could be eligible for the death penalty if convicted on all charges.
Irvine police arrested Quinland on Dec. 17. Andrews and Miller were arrested in Florida, where they live, and extradited to California on Wednesday. Miller is a former Jamaican police officer.
“The arrest and prosecution of these three individuals is a testament to the close working relationship the Irvine Police Department has across multiple jurisdictions and across state lines,” Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
On Oct. 26, at around 5:45 a.m., the Irvine Police Department and Orange County Fire Authority responded to a call of an injured man in a residential neighborhood in the city, authorities said.
A man told police that he and his roommate had been assaulted inside a home on Bayleaf Lane. When officers entered the home, they found a second man with gunshot wounds.
The two were taken to a hospital where the gunshot victim, 20-year-old Raymond Alcala, was pronounced dead. The other victim survived.
All three men charged are being held without bail in the Orange County Jail.