Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementPresident Trump threatened Monday to move the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina if its Democratic governor doesn’t immediately guarantee party members can fill a Charlotte arena in August, though the state’s coronavirus outbreak is far from contained.Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday loosened restrictions on hair salons, barbershops and restaurants, but larger venues such as gyms, bars, concert halls and arenas remain closed. The governor, who is up for reelection in November, has continued to limit public gatherings to no...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementPresident Trump threatened Monday to move the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina if its Democratic governor doesn’t immediately guarantee party members can fill a Charlotte arena in August, though the state’s coronavirus outbreak is far from contained.Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday loosened restrictions on hair salons, barbershops and restaurants, but larger venues such as gyms, bars, concert halls and arenas remain closed. The governor, who is up for reelection in November, has continued to limit public gatherings to no...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementMemorial Day weekend brought crowds to beaches, trails and parks, but officials said that for the most part there were no major problems and that most people appeared to be Health officials have said this holiday weekend will be a big test of whether California can ease stay-at-home restrictions while continuing to slow the spread of the coronavirus.Overall, officials said there were no major problems are beaches, though some places like the Venice Boardwalk saw dense crowds with some not wearing masks.Officials closed Eaton Canyon...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementMemorial Day weekend brought crowds to beaches, trails and parks, but officials said that for the most part there were no major problems and that most people appeared to be Health officials have said this holiday weekend will be a big test of whether California can ease stay-at-home restrictions while continuing to slow the spread of the coronavirus.Overall, officials said there were no major problems are beaches, though some places like the Venice Boardwalk saw dense crowds with some not wearing masks.Officials closed Eaton Canyon...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementVoters in New Mexico have a chance to send a historic all-female delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, no matter which party wins the races this fall.And the state’s three congresswomen may all be women of color, which would be another national milestone.Women are seeking the Democratic and Republican nominations in all six of the state’s primary races for three congressional seats. In each of those races, at least one Latina or one Native American woman is running in her respective party’s primary contests in what has...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementVoters in New Mexico have a chance to send a historic all-female delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, no matter which party wins the races this fall.And the state’s three congresswomen may all be women of color, which would be another national milestone.Women are seeking the Democratic and Republican nominations in all six of the state’s primary races for three congressional seats. In each of those races, at least one Latina or one Native American woman is running in her respective party’s primary contests in what has...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |The stories shaping CaliforniaGet up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week.You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.More From the Los Angeles Times…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |The stories shaping CaliforniaGet up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week.You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.More From the Los Angeles TimesWW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThree Republican groups have sued Gov. Gavin Newsom over to send mail-in ballots to California’s 20.6 million voters in November.The suit was brought by the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the California Republican Party.Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced the lawsuit on Sunday“His radical plan is a recipe for disaster that would create more opportunities for fraud & destroy the confidence Californians deserve to have in their elections,” McDaniel...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThree Republican groups have sued Gov. Gavin Newsom over to send mail-in ballots to California’s 20.6 million voters in November.The suit was brought by the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the California Republican Party.Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced the lawsuit on Sunday“His radical plan is a recipe for disaster that would create more opportunities for fraud & destroy the confidence Californians deserve to have in their elections,” McDaniel...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementOn Saturday afternoon, Pastor John DeBow watched with pride as his daughter defied social distancing edicts at the state Capitol by giving free haircuts to some of the people from across California who had gathered again to protest remaining restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. He was unaware that, a few yards away, a contingent of Proud Boys, an alt-right organization, had set up a tent attached to the stage. Some members were walking through the crowd in camouflage tactical vests and their trademark...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementOn Saturday afternoon, Pastor John DeBow watched with pride as his daughter defied social distancing edicts at the state Capitol by giving free haircuts to some of the people from across California who had gathered again to protest remaining restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. He was unaware that, a few yards away, a contingent of Proud Boys, an alt-right organization, had set up a tent attached to the stage. Some members were walking through the crowd in camouflage tactical vests and their trademark...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIllustrating the chilling effects the coronavirus crisis has had on the housing market, data released Tuesday show that Southern California home sales fell 26.6% in April compared with a month earlier, while year-over-year sales were down 31.5%.The data from DQNews reflect residential transactions that closed last month, meaning many opened escrow just before or in the wake of the stay-at-home restrictions . Aspects of the real estate industry were deemed essential by California leaders, but with restrictions that more or less .Sales...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIllustrating the chilling effects the coronavirus crisis has had on the housing market, data released Tuesday show that Southern California home sales fell 26.6% in April compared with a month earlier, while year-over-year sales were down 31.5%.The data from DQNews reflect residential transactions that closed last month, meaning many opened escrow just before or in the wake of the stay-at-home restrictions . Aspects of the real estate industry were deemed essential by California leaders, but with restrictions that more or less .Sales...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThe 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ban on in-person church services, in a split ruling that landed Friday night and is likely to further anger pastors who claim that California is trampling on religious freedoms. The in San Diego cannot reopen immediately, the two judges in the majority wrote in their order, because in this case “constitutional standards that would normally govern our review of a Free Exercise claim should not be applied.”“We’re dealing here with a highly contagious and often fatal disease for...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThe 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ban on in-person church services, in a split ruling that landed Friday night and is likely to further anger pastors who claim that California is trampling on religious freedoms. The in San Diego cannot reopen immediately, the two judges in the majority wrote in their order, because in this case “constitutional standards that would normally govern our review of a Free Exercise claim should not be applied.”“We’re dealing here with a highly contagious and often fatal disease for...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAs more parts of California reopen, some officials away — at least for now.Dr. Penny Borenstein, San Luis Obispo County’s health officer, asked tourists to not visit as many shops and restaurants this week. While officials have performed “spot checks” with hotels to deter tourism, Borenstein said the county would cite visitors only in the case of “egregious violations.”She said that before retail businesses can open their doors or restaurants can start offering dine-in service, they must perform a risk assessment, train their workers...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAs more parts of California reopen, some officials away — at least for now.Dr. Penny Borenstein, San Luis Obispo County’s health officer, asked tourists to not visit as many shops and restaurants this week. While officials have performed “spot checks” with hotels to deter tourism, Borenstein said the county would cite visitors only in the case of “egregious violations.”She said that before retail businesses can open their doors or restaurants can start offering dine-in service, they must perform a risk assessment, train their workers...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThe Memorial Day weekend is shaping up to be a major test for California amid eased coronavirus restrictions, as officials warn to prevent new outbreaks.Many parks, beaches and trails will be open, but officials are urging people to keep their distance and not spaces.In many counties, , retailers and even shopping malls will be open, though not in hard-hit areas like and many parts of the Bay Area.“The virus is still out there waiting for us to let our guard down,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis warned...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThe Memorial Day weekend is shaping up to be a major test for California amid eased coronavirus restrictions, as officials warn to prevent new outbreaks.Many parks, beaches and trails will be open, but officials are urging people to keep their distance and not spaces.In many counties, , retailers and even shopping malls will be open, though not in hard-hit areas like and many parts of the Bay Area.“The virus is still out there waiting for us to let our guard down,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis warned...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementJoe Biden, whose presidential bid was buoyed in the primary by support from African Americans, came under scrutiny on Friday for telling a radio host that black people who were considering voting for Trump “ain’t black.”The comments by the former vice president came at the end of a spirited interview with Charlamagne Tha God, a host of the popular radio show “The Breakfast Club.” A top campaign aide said Biden was joking, but Republicans quickly seized on the statement and some black Democrats expressed concern that the remark could...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementJoe Biden, whose presidential bid was buoyed in the primary by support from African Americans, came under scrutiny on Friday for telling a radio host that black people who were considering voting for Trump “ain’t black.”The comments by the former vice president came at the end of a spirited interview with Charlamagne Tha God, a host of the popular radio show “The Breakfast Club.” A top campaign aide said Biden was joking, but Republicans quickly seized on the statement and some black Democrats expressed concern that the remark could...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThis park’s reopening has set off a race to the desert among hundreds of hikers, climbers and adventure-starved families rushing to grab up the park’s 520 camping spots before the temperature climbs in coming days.Rangers say this influx, which began with Sunday’s low-profile reopening and picked up steam Tuesday and Wednesday, is manageable so far. But it may be the beginning of a hot, busy, complicated Memorial Day weekend. With a three-day weekend before them, Southern Californians will have to weigh the lure of desert vistas...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThis park’s reopening has set off a race to the desert among hundreds of hikers, climbers and adventure-starved families rushing to grab up the park’s 520 camping spots before the temperature climbs in coming days.Rangers say this influx, which began with Sunday’s low-profile reopening and picked up steam Tuesday and Wednesday, is manageable so far. But it may be the beginning of a hot, busy, complicated Memorial Day weekend. With a three-day weekend before them, Southern Californians will have to weigh the lure of desert vistas...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIf the presidential election were held in May, President Trump would lose.Election day isn’t until November, of course, and anyone doubting that the outcome can shift in 5½ months need only think about how much has changed in the past 2½.But that doesn’t make the current status of the campaign irrelevant. It’s one thing to say that the incumbent can catch up — he certainly can — it’s another to ignore the increasingly strong evidence that Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has a clear lead.Get our Essential Politics...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIf the presidential election were held in May, President Trump would lose.Election day isn’t until November, of course, and anyone doubting that the outcome can shift in 5½ months need only think about how much has changed in the past 2½.But that doesn’t make the current status of the campaign irrelevant. It’s one thing to say that the incumbent can catch up — he certainly can — it’s another to ignore the increasingly strong evidence that Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has a clear lead.Get our Essential Politics...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |Advertisementhopes to reopen in early June and limit the number of visitors by half to allow for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Lodgings and some campgrounds would reopen, and day visitors would be required to buy entry tickets in advance of their trips, according to a draft reopening plan presented Tuesday.The plan weighs how to protect health of the public and Yosemite workers, sustain access to the popular park and help reopen the local economy. It has not yet received federal approval or permission from Gov. Gavin Newsom to...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |Advertisementhopes to reopen in early June and limit the number of visitors by half to allow for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Lodgings and some campgrounds would reopen, and day visitors would be required to buy entry tickets in advance of their trips, according to a draft reopening plan presented Tuesday.The plan weighs how to protect health of the public and Yosemite workers, sustain access to the popular park and help reopen the local economy. It has not yet received federal approval or permission from Gov. Gavin Newsom to...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIt’s not so bad.That was the rationale in Barbados in 1647, when British merchants and wealthy planters, seeking to preserve the island colony’s slave trade, shrugged off the threat of the yellow fever epidemic that claimed thousands of lives.Also not so bad a hundred years later in Boston and other colonial seaports, when authorities played down the prevalence of smallpox so their customers overseas would keep welcoming their ships.Not so bad in New York and other cities in the 1830s, when President Andrew Jackson, one of Donald...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIt’s not so bad.That was the rationale in Barbados in 1647, when British merchants and wealthy planters, seeking to preserve the island colony’s slave trade, shrugged off the threat of the yellow fever epidemic that claimed thousands of lives.Also not so bad a hundred years later in Boston and other colonial seaports, when authorities played down the prevalence of smallpox so their customers overseas would keep welcoming their ships.Not so bad in New York and other cities in the 1830s, when President Andrew Jackson, one of Donald...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAn explosion in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday caused a large fire that left 11 firefighters injured, authorities said.Firefighters first received a call about 6:30 p.m. about a structure fire in the 300 block of Boyd Street south of Little Tokyo, said Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. While firefighters were inside attempting to find the source of the blaze, there was “a significant explosion, very high, very wide, rumbling the entire area,” Scott said. The explosion was so powerful that it blackened a...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAn explosion in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday caused a large fire that left 11 firefighters injured, authorities said.Firefighters first received a call about 6:30 p.m. about a structure fire in the 300 block of Boyd Street south of Little Tokyo, said Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. While firefighters were inside attempting to find the source of the blaze, there was “a significant explosion, very high, very wide, rumbling the entire area,” Scott said. The explosion was so powerful that it blackened a...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementKeira McGee carefully drew a small square of cloth across the handle of the city trash can outside her College Area home. She then dunked it quickly in a cleaning solution before tucking it away inside a small test tube filled with a pink liquid. Snapping the lid closed, she slipped the vessel inside a red-and-white cooler alongside 15 other identical specimen tubes.McGee is one of the first to sign up for a new research effort that seeks to learn more about how the spreads and mutates on common surfaces by enlisting an army of citizen...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementKeira McGee carefully drew a small square of cloth across the handle of the city trash can outside her College Area home. She then dunked it quickly in a cleaning solution before tucking it away inside a small test tube filled with a pink liquid. Snapping the lid closed, she slipped the vessel inside a red-and-white cooler alongside 15 other identical specimen tubes.McGee is one of the first to sign up for a new research effort that seeks to learn more about how the spreads and mutates on common surfaces by enlisting an army of citizen...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementActress Lori Loughlin, who maintained her innocence for 14 months, will plead guilty to fraud in according to a plea agreement filed in federal court.Loughlin was arrested in March 2019 and “Rick” Singer, a Newport Beach consultant at the heart of the admissions scandal, to pass off her two daughters, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, as promising rowing recruits, all but guaranteeing their admission to USC. Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, , prosecutors charged. Giannulli has agreed to plead guilty to fraud as well, court...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementActress Lori Loughlin, who maintained her innocence for 14 months, will plead guilty to fraud in according to a plea agreement filed in federal court.Loughlin was arrested in March 2019 and “Rick” Singer, a Newport Beach consultant at the heart of the admissions scandal, to pass off her two daughters, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, as promising rowing recruits, all but guaranteeing their admission to USC. Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, , prosecutors charged. Giannulli has agreed to plead guilty to fraud as well, court...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementLos Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva plans to defy a subpoena from a civilian oversight board to testify about coronavirus in the jails, escalating a battle with county officials and testing a system designed to keep his powers in check.Villanueva said he would not attend , instead sending Asst. Sheriff Bruce Chase to discuss the jail issues. He described testifying before the commission as a “public shaming.”This is the first time the commission has attempted to use the subpoena powers granted by Measure R, which was in March....…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementLos Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva plans to defy a subpoena from a civilian oversight board to testify about coronavirus in the jails, escalating a battle with county officials and testing a system designed to keep his powers in check.Villanueva said he would not attend , instead sending Asst. Sheriff Bruce Chase to discuss the jail issues. He described testifying before the commission as a “public shaming.”This is the first time the commission has attempted to use the subpoena powers granted by Measure R, which was in March....WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementLos Angeles is pushing forward with plans to limit how much delivery services such as Postmates, Grubhub and Uber Eats can charge restaurants, capping delivery fees at 15% of the purchase price for orders during the COVID-19 crisis.The City Council voted 14-0 Wednesday to ask city attorneys to draft such a law, following other cities including San Francisco and New York City. Restaurants currently pay as much as 30% in fees to third-party delivery apps, which Councilman Mitch .O’Farrell said that, during the pandemic, restaurants were...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementLos Angeles is pushing forward with plans to limit how much delivery services such as Postmates, Grubhub and Uber Eats can charge restaurants, capping delivery fees at 15% of the purchase price for orders during the COVID-19 crisis.The City Council voted 14-0 Wednesday to ask city attorneys to draft such a law, following other cities including San Francisco and New York City. Restaurants currently pay as much as 30% in fees to third-party delivery apps, which Councilman Mitch .O’Farrell said that, during the pandemic, restaurants were...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementCalifornia’s beachesright now, but the coronavirus has not stopped the sea from rising. With every tide and storm, continues to creep closer to shore — toppling bluffs, eroding our beaches and threatening homes and major infrastructure.Also on the rise is a heated battle over what gets saved — and who actually benefits — along the California coast.In a move this month that outraged environmentalists and caught coastal regulators off guard, a Republican senator pushed forward that would revise a key section in the state’s landmark...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementCalifornia’s beachesright now, but the coronavirus has not stopped the sea from rising. With every tide and storm, continues to creep closer to shore — toppling bluffs, eroding our beaches and threatening homes and major infrastructure.Also on the rise is a heated battle over what gets saved — and who actually benefits — along the California coast.In a move this month that outraged environmentalists and caught coastal regulators off guard, a Republican senator pushed forward that would revise a key section in the state’s landmark...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAn energy company with big ambitions to produce the clean fuel of the future announced a deal Tuesday with Lancaster officials to make hydrogen by using plasma heating technology — originally developed for NASA — to disintegrate the city’s paper recyclables at temperatures as high as 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit.Solena Group’s process has no commercial track record, and the company has not yet secured financing to build its $55-million facility in Lancaster, in northern Los Angeles County. Solena is one of many firms looking for ways to...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAn energy company with big ambitions to produce the clean fuel of the future announced a deal Tuesday with Lancaster officials to make hydrogen by using plasma heating technology — originally developed for NASA — to disintegrate the city’s paper recyclables at temperatures as high as 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit.Solena Group’s process has no commercial track record, and the company has not yet secured financing to build its $55-million facility in Lancaster, in northern Los Angeles County. Solena is one of many firms looking for ways to...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThe measures Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus and his plans to unwind them may discriminate against religious groups and violate their constitutional rights, the U.S. Justice Department warned in a letter Tuesday.In a three-page letter to the governor, Eric S. Dreiband, an assistant attorney general and the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said Newsom had shown “unequal treatment of faith communities” in restricting their abilities to gather and ultimately reopen.“Simply put, there...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThe measures Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus and his plans to unwind them may discriminate against religious groups and violate their constitutional rights, the U.S. Justice Department warned in a letter Tuesday.In a three-page letter to the governor, Eric S. Dreiband, an assistant attorney general and the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said Newsom had shown “unequal treatment of faith communities” in restricting their abilities to gather and ultimately reopen.“Simply put, there...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |The stories shaping CaliforniaGet up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week.You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.More From the Los Angeles Times…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |The stories shaping CaliforniaGet up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week.You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.More From the Los Angeles TimesWW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementOnly about half of the 15,000 hotel and motel rooms that California has leased for mostly homeless people to slow the spread of the coronavirus are now occupied, a review of state records by The Times shows.More than a month into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s program to get homeless people off the streets, the occupied rooms account for — at most — less than 5% of the 151,000 people who sleep on street corners, under bridges and in emergency shelters across California.As of Monday, 7,919 hotel rooms had guests and another 7,700 were vacant,...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementOnly about half of the 15,000 hotel and motel rooms that California has leased for mostly homeless people to slow the spread of the coronavirus are now occupied, a review of state records by The Times shows.More than a month into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s program to get homeless people off the streets, the occupied rooms account for — at most — less than 5% of the 151,000 people who sleep on street corners, under bridges and in emergency shelters across California.As of Monday, 7,919 hotel rooms had guests and another 7,700 were vacant,...WW…