Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIn mid-April, doctors arrived at Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena, which had been hurriedly converted into a field hospital, and were told to prepare for 30 to 60 coronavirus patients to arrive within days. They spent the weekend working feverishly to get ready.California officials envisioned the cavernous former stomping ground of the Sacramento Kings and an adjoining facility as a place where hundreds of patients could be treated, but in the first week just one arrived. The pace never increased, and the 250 assembled medical workers —...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIn mid-April, doctors arrived at Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena, which had been hurriedly converted into a field hospital, and were told to prepare for 30 to 60 coronavirus patients to arrive within days. They spent the weekend working feverishly to get ready.California officials envisioned the cavernous former stomping ground of the Sacramento Kings and an adjoining facility as a place where hundreds of patients could be treated, but in the first week just one arrived. The pace never increased, and the 250 assembled medical workers —...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAfter assessing the hilly terrain around a Sunland house where a homeless man had holed up one morning in May 2017, the Los Angeles Police Department’s heavily armed SWAT team requested more firepower — and got it in the form of a helicopter equipped for “aerial shooting,” dubbed “Sniper-1.”By the time they’d left the scene hours later, the team had fired more than 40 rounds at 29-year-old Anthony Soderberg, including more than a dozen from the helicopter — a first in LAPD history. Many of the rounds were fired from hundreds of feet...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAfter assessing the hilly terrain around a Sunland house where a homeless man had holed up one morning in May 2017, the Los Angeles Police Department’s heavily armed SWAT team requested more firepower — and got it in the form of a helicopter equipped for “aerial shooting,” dubbed “Sniper-1.”By the time they’d left the scene hours later, the team had fired more than 40 rounds at 29-year-old Anthony Soderberg, including more than a dozen from the helicopter — a first in LAPD history. Many of the rounds were fired from hundreds of feet...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementA month into his stay-at-home order and under pressure to lift restrictions, Gov. Gavin Newsom drew a line in the sand: In order to safely reopen and suppress the coronavirus, California needed to be able to test everyone with COVID-19 symptoms and trace the contacts of confirmed cases. “The most important framework is our capacity to expand our testing to appropriately address the tracing and tracking of individuals, the isolation and the quarantine of individuals,” the governor said of his thresholds for reopening at an April 14 news...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementA month into his stay-at-home order and under pressure to lift restrictions, Gov. Gavin Newsom drew a line in the sand: In order to safely reopen and suppress the coronavirus, California needed to be able to test everyone with COVID-19 symptoms and trace the contacts of confirmed cases. “The most important framework is our capacity to expand our testing to appropriately address the tracing and tracking of individuals, the isolation and the quarantine of individuals,” the governor said of his thresholds for reopening at an April 14 news...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThere are growing glimmers of hope that California’s surge in coronavirus cases could be peaking — but don’t expect the pandemic-shattered economy to share much of this progress in the short term.A Los Angeles Times analysis found that its first weekly reduction in new confirmed coronavirus cases for the first time in 12 weeks. For the seven-day period that ended Sunday, California reported 59,697 new coronavirus cases, a drop of 9% from the previous week of 65,634 cases, which was a pandemic record.If the trends continue, it would...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThere are growing glimmers of hope that California’s surge in coronavirus cases could be peaking — but don’t expect the pandemic-shattered economy to share much of this progress in the short term.A Los Angeles Times analysis found that its first weekly reduction in new confirmed coronavirus cases for the first time in 12 weeks. For the seven-day period that ended Sunday, California reported 59,697 new coronavirus cases, a drop of 9% from the previous week of 65,634 cases, which was a pandemic record.If the trends continue, it would...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementLos Angeles County has paid out roughly $55 million in settlements in cases in which sheriff’s deputies were alleged to belong to a secret society, records obtained by The Times show, illuminating the entrenched nature of a subculture that has plagued the Sheriff’s Department for years. The figure comes from a list that includes payouts in dozens of lawsuits and claims involving deputies associated with tattooed groups accused of glorifying an aggressive style of policing. The report, prepared by L.A. County attorneys, lists nearly 60...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementLos Angeles County has paid out roughly $55 million in settlements in cases in which sheriff’s deputies were alleged to belong to a secret society, records obtained by The Times show, illuminating the entrenched nature of a subculture that has plagued the Sheriff’s Department for years. The figure comes from a list that includes payouts in dozens of lawsuits and claims involving deputies associated with tattooed groups accused of glorifying an aggressive style of policing. The report, prepared by L.A. County attorneys, lists nearly 60...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementWeak environmental protections, safety rules and labor and civil rights protections may be cutting lives short in conservative states and deepening the divide between red and blue states, according to a new study on links between life expectancy and state policy.The report, published Tuesday in the health policy journal Milbank Quarterly, finds that states where residents live longest, including California, tend to have much more stringent environmental laws, tougher tobacco and firearms regulations and more protections for workers,...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementWeak environmental protections, safety rules and labor and civil rights protections may be cutting lives short in conservative states and deepening the divide between red and blue states, according to a new study on links between life expectancy and state policy.The report, published Tuesday in the health policy journal Milbank Quarterly, finds that states where residents live longest, including California, tend to have much more stringent environmental laws, tougher tobacco and firearms regulations and more protections for workers,...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementWith the future of TikTok imperiled as President Trump in the U.S., an L.A.-based economy that has sprung up in just the last two years for the app’s mostly young creators and influencers is at risk of tumultuous change.TikTok is not just a fun diversion for bored lip-syncing teens.The startling popularity of the app has already given rise to a new Hollywood industry, with the most popular TikTok stars raking in tens of thousands of dollars per month; entire management companies have sprouted to manage these talents.Aspiring TikTok...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementWith the future of TikTok imperiled as President Trump in the U.S., an L.A.-based economy that has sprung up in just the last two years for the app’s mostly young creators and influencers is at risk of tumultuous change.TikTok is not just a fun diversion for bored lip-syncing teens.The startling popularity of the app has already given rise to a new Hollywood industry, with the most popular TikTok stars raking in tens of thousands of dollars per month; entire management companies have sprouted to manage these talents.Aspiring TikTok...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementSouthern California Gas Co. is taking its battle with state officials over climate change policy to court, arguing in a new lawsuit that the California Energy Commission has failed to promote natural gas as required by state law.The lawsuit, filed Friday in Orange County Superior Court, is the latest attempt by SoCalGas to shield itself against efforts to phase out gas, a planet-warming fossil fuel used for heating, cooking and power generation. The company, which maintains its headquarters in Los Angeles and is owned by Sempra Energy...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementSouthern California Gas Co. is taking its battle with state officials over climate change policy to court, arguing in a new lawsuit that the California Energy Commission has failed to promote natural gas as required by state law.The lawsuit, filed Friday in Orange County Superior Court, is the latest attempt by SoCalGas to shield itself against efforts to phase out gas, a planet-warming fossil fuel used for heating, cooking and power generation. The company, which maintains its headquarters in Los Angeles and is owned by Sempra Energy...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAs California grapples with a deluge of requests for unemployment benefits amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some state workers processing claims say they are buckling under pressure, hampered by outdated technology, bureaucratic red tape and a shortage of trained, experienced staff.The state Employment Development Department is so overwhelmed that Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged last week that nearly 1 million unpaid claims may be eligible for payment but require more information, with estimates that the backlog won’t be eliminated until the...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAs California grapples with a deluge of requests for unemployment benefits amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some state workers processing claims say they are buckling under pressure, hampered by outdated technology, bureaucratic red tape and a shortage of trained, experienced staff.The state Employment Development Department is so overwhelmed that Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged last week that nearly 1 million unpaid claims may be eligible for payment but require more information, with estimates that the backlog won’t be eliminated until the...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |Advertisement/A shell of a burned car sits along Avenida Miravilla days after the Apple fire rushed through on its way to the nearby San Bernardino National Forest, where it has burned more than 26,000 acres. /The Apple fire continues to burn thousands of acres north of Cabazon. /The Apple fire continues to burn thousands of acres with little containment. A helicopter hits a hot spot north of Banning. /A sign of gratitude along Oak Glen Road, not far from the presumptive source of the Apple fire, where investigators say they believe a spark from a...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |Advertisement/A shell of a burned car sits along Avenida Miravilla days after the Apple fire rushed through on its way to the nearby San Bernardino National Forest, where it has burned more than 26,000 acres. /The Apple fire continues to burn thousands of acres north of Cabazon. /The Apple fire continues to burn thousands of acres with little containment. A helicopter hits a hot spot north of Banning. /A sign of gratitude along Oak Glen Road, not far from the presumptive source of the Apple fire, where investigators say they believe a spark from a...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementA fiery crash early Sunday in Thousand Oaks left two people dead, and social media accounts indicate one of the victims was the younger brother of singer .Neither family members nor authorities have confirmed his identity, but friends on social media identified 18-year-old Ryan Breaux as one of two young men who died in the single-car crash. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office was not immediately available for comment Monday. identified the other victim as Ezekial Bishop, a track and field student-athlete who enrolled in the...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementA fiery crash early Sunday in Thousand Oaks left two people dead, and social media accounts indicate one of the victims was the younger brother of singer .Neither family members nor authorities have confirmed his identity, but friends on social media identified 18-year-old Ryan Breaux as one of two young men who died in the single-car crash. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office was not immediately available for comment Monday. identified the other victim as Ezekial Bishop, a track and field student-athlete who enrolled in the...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementOn a cloudy recent morning, shark researchers from Cal State Long Beach followed a young white shark as it wound its way along the shore off Del Mar in San Diego County.Using a drone to spot the animal and an inflatable boat to follow it, they traced the shark’s path across the rocky reef as it darted past surfers.For the record:The footage they captured didn’t represent a rare appearance of the ocean predator among beachgoers, but an everyday occurrence on the Southern California coastline. White sharks, known popularly as great...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementOn a cloudy recent morning, shark researchers from Cal State Long Beach followed a young white shark as it wound its way along the shore off Del Mar in San Diego County.Using a drone to spot the animal and an inflatable boat to follow it, they traced the shark’s path across the rocky reef as it darted past surfers.For the record:The footage they captured didn’t represent a rare appearance of the ocean predator among beachgoers, but an everyday occurrence on the Southern California coastline. White sharks, known popularly as great...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementPresident Trump claimed Monday that he has the authority to issue an executive order on mail-in ballots, whose increasing use, he argues, could increase election fraud and uncertainty, though it is is unclear what he could do to curtail the practice.“I have the right to do it,” Trump told reporters at a White House press conference. “We haven’t gotten there yet, we’ll see what happens.”Trump added that Republicans are planning to file suit as soon as Tuesday to try to block Nevada’s expansion of mail-in voting.Nearly all election...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementPresident Trump claimed Monday that he has the authority to issue an executive order on mail-in ballots, whose increasing use, he argues, could increase election fraud and uncertainty, though it is is unclear what he could do to curtail the practice.“I have the right to do it,” Trump told reporters at a White House press conference. “We haven’t gotten there yet, we’ll see what happens.”Trump added that Republicans are planning to file suit as soon as Tuesday to try to block Nevada’s expansion of mail-in voting.Nearly all election...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementLos Angeles County’s top public health official Monday announced an investigation into over the weekend that seemed to fly in the face of social distancing requirements as coronavirus cases continue to rise in Southern California.Barbara Ferrer, director of the county’s public health department, said both her office and the state would be investigating the July 31 event on Vine Street.“We had inspectors out there the very next day. As many of you know, that place is shuttered and closed for business. The owners have said they only...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementLos Angeles County’s top public health official Monday announced an investigation into over the weekend that seemed to fly in the face of social distancing requirements as coronavirus cases continue to rise in Southern California.Barbara Ferrer, director of the county’s public health department, said both her office and the state would be investigating the July 31 event on Vine Street.“We had inspectors out there the very next day. As many of you know, that place is shuttered and closed for business. The owners have said they only...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementOne by one workers at the Farmer John pork processing plant began getting sick with the coronavirus in March.Public health officials had created a system to help contain such outbreaks: The county’s fast-expanding army of contact tracers would be notified within 24 hours of people who tested positive for the virus. The county workers would call the patients, make sure they were isolated and determine who else they may have infected.But the tracers never found the epidemic in the plant, famed for making Dodger Dogs.By the time the...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementOne by one workers at the Farmer John pork processing plant began getting sick with the coronavirus in March.Public health officials had created a system to help contain such outbreaks: The county’s fast-expanding army of contact tracers would be notified within 24 hours of people who tested positive for the virus. The county workers would call the patients, make sure they were isolated and determine who else they may have infected.But the tracers never found the epidemic in the plant, famed for making Dodger Dogs.By the time the...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementCoronavirus hospitalizations in Los Angeles and Orange counties have dropped over the last week, which may be evidence that actions taken to limit the virus’ spread are working, public health officials said Sunday.There were 1,784 confirmed coronavirus patients in L.A. County hospitals Saturday compared with 2,017 last Saturday, a drop of nearly 12%, according to . 19% fewer coronavirus patients in its hospitals — 554 Saturday versus 687 a week before.“We are hopeful that collective actions taken over the past couple of weeks have...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementCoronavirus hospitalizations in Los Angeles and Orange counties have dropped over the last week, which may be evidence that actions taken to limit the virus’ spread are working, public health officials said Sunday.There were 1,784 confirmed coronavirus patients in L.A. County hospitals Saturday compared with 2,017 last Saturday, a drop of nearly 12%, according to . 19% fewer coronavirus patients in its hospitals — 554 Saturday versus 687 a week before.“We are hopeful that collective actions taken over the past couple of weeks have...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAt the beginning of the year, it looked like Jeremy Miller and his 9-year-old daughter were finally going to have a home of their own. They’d been homeless and relying on family, shelters and motels for housing. But he’d found stable work in the Kern County oil fields and had enough money for an $875-a-month, two-bedroom rental in Bakersfield.They moved into the apartment in March, and Miller lost his job within days. The pandemic caused a worldwide drop in demand for oil, triggering mass layoffs in the oil patch. Miller tried to find...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAt the beginning of the year, it looked like Jeremy Miller and his 9-year-old daughter were finally going to have a home of their own. They’d been homeless and relying on family, shelters and motels for housing. But he’d found stable work in the Kern County oil fields and had enough money for an $875-a-month, two-bedroom rental in Bakersfield.They moved into the apartment in March, and Miller lost his job within days. The pandemic caused a worldwide drop in demand for oil, triggering mass layoffs in the oil patch. Miller tried to find...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThe pandemic may have slowed the city, but it hasn’t stopped it.Starting well before dawn, essential workers toil at factories and markets and restaurants. Some remain deep into the night; the lucky ones work from home. Parks and beaches and hiking trails beckon those desperate for a break.But COVID-19 has not been an equal-opportunity scourge. Those who see no choice but to work outside their homes are far more exposed than those who have the luxury of sheltering in place. Those in crowded households are far more likely to fall ill...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementThe pandemic may have slowed the city, but it hasn’t stopped it.Starting well before dawn, essential workers toil at factories and markets and restaurants. Some remain deep into the night; the lucky ones work from home. Parks and beaches and hiking trails beckon those desperate for a break.But COVID-19 has not been an equal-opportunity scourge. Those who see no choice but to work outside their homes are far more exposed than those who have the luxury of sheltering in place. Those in crowded households are far more likely to fall ill...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementU.S. law enforcement’s a decade ago will go on trial before an international tribunal, after the organization it has authority to hear the case.The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, part of the Organization of American States, will determine whether officials with Customs and Border Protection violated the human rights of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas and his family. It is the first known that the organization will hear involving someone killed by U.S. law enforcement.In 2010, officials beat Hernandez Rojas and shot him with a...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementU.S. law enforcement’s a decade ago will go on trial before an international tribunal, after the organization it has authority to hear the case.The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, part of the Organization of American States, will determine whether officials with Customs and Border Protection violated the human rights of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas and his family. It is the first known that the organization will hear involving someone killed by U.S. law enforcement.In 2010, officials beat Hernandez Rojas and shot him with a...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |Advertisement. . . . . These are among the Instagram accounts linked to some of L.A.'s most elite private schools — but created by students and alumni who are going public with personal stories of racism that have otherwise gone unheard.In an outpouring born of the national , these private school letter-writers talk of their encounters with bias, exclusion and microaggressions at schools where annual tuition can run as high as $40,000, and class sizes can be as low as 15 students. Their comments offer an unsparing counterpoint to the guarded...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |Advertisement. . . . . These are among the Instagram accounts linked to some of L.A.'s most elite private schools — but created by students and alumni who are going public with personal stories of racism that have otherwise gone unheard.In an outpouring born of the national , these private school letter-writers talk of their encounters with bias, exclusion and microaggressions at schools where annual tuition can run as high as $40,000, and class sizes can be as low as 15 students. Their comments offer an unsparing counterpoint to the guarded...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAnthony Bruce could barely talk about the beach that bears his family’s name without feeling a sharp pain, a tug at the heart.More than a century ago, his ancestors had turned this small corner of Manhattan Beach into a popular resort — one where Black people could dip their toes in the sand and bask in their own slice of the California dream.But their white neighbors, in this very white town, ran them all away. “This is our legacy, this beach,” Bruce said. “It has haunted my family for ages.”AdvertisementToday, most see Bruce’s Beach...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementAnthony Bruce could barely talk about the beach that bears his family’s name without feeling a sharp pain, a tug at the heart.More than a century ago, his ancestors had turned this small corner of Manhattan Beach into a popular resort — one where Black people could dip their toes in the sand and bask in their own slice of the California dream.But their white neighbors, in this very white town, ran them all away. “This is our legacy, this beach,” Bruce said. “It has haunted my family for ages.”AdvertisementToday, most see Bruce’s Beach...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementCalifornia’s first major wildfire of the year grew to more than 20,000 acres overnight after destroying one home, forcing thousands more to be evacuated and sending up a plume of smoke so massive that it generated its own winds, authorities said.The Apple fire in Riverside County was burning up steep and rugged hillsides as it spread north and east toward the San Gorgonio Wilderness while continuing to threaten homes to the south. The fire had burned at least 20,516 acres and was 0% contained as of 3 p.m. Sunday.The terrain is...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementCalifornia’s first major wildfire of the year grew to more than 20,000 acres overnight after destroying one home, forcing thousands more to be evacuated and sending up a plume of smoke so massive that it generated its own winds, authorities said.The Apple fire in Riverside County was burning up steep and rugged hillsides as it spread north and east toward the San Gorgonio Wilderness while continuing to threaten homes to the south. The fire had burned at least 20,516 acres and was 0% contained as of 3 p.m. Sunday.The terrain is...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIf you were looking for evidence that Republicans in Congress have no sympathy for workers facing illness or worse from the COVID-19 pandemic, look past the party’s proposal to cut unemployment benefits.Instead, focus on the provision in its coronavirus relief bill that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calls a must-have in any bill that passes: liability protection for employers whose employees get sick at work. This proposal has received scant attention in coverage of the GOP plan. But it’s more vicious than you could...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementIf you were looking for evidence that Republicans in Congress have no sympathy for workers facing illness or worse from the COVID-19 pandemic, look past the party’s proposal to cut unemployment benefits.Instead, focus on the provision in its coronavirus relief bill that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calls a must-have in any bill that passes: liability protection for employers whose employees get sick at work. This proposal has received scant attention in coverage of the GOP plan. But it’s more vicious than you could...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementYou can lay the hand-wringing about the failing condition of the American economy aside for a moment, because one sector is blazingly fat and likely to become even more so between now and election day.We’re talking about spending on California ballot measure campaigns.Twelve measures will be on the state’s November ballot. Some of them concern issues unrelated to any particular business’ pocketbook. Those include measures devoted to voting rights (two measures would expand the franchise to parolees and 17-year-olds), affirmative action...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |AdvertisementYou can lay the hand-wringing about the failing condition of the American economy aside for a moment, because one sector is blazingly fat and likely to become even more so between now and election day.We’re talking about spending on California ballot measure campaigns.Twelve measures will be on the state’s November ballot. Some of them concern issues unrelated to any particular business’ pocketbook. Those include measures devoted to voting rights (two measures would expand the franchise to parolees and 17-year-olds), affirmative action...WW…

Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |Jennifer Trujillo made a 30-minute trip from her home in San Diego County to the country roads of Wildomar in Riverside County for the first time in weeks. For the last year, the Pala resident had made the trek up every Sunday to attend the service at Bundy Canyon Christian Church, a complex of colorful old-timey buildings along a rural road. The coronavirus outbreak had sidelined Trujillo, 37, from her trips to church, leaving her to reading the Bible and practicing her faith at home. She knew about the worries of church services leading to...…Copyright © 2020, Los Angeles Times | | | |Jennifer Trujillo made a 30-minute trip from her home in San Diego County to the country roads of Wildomar in Riverside County for the first time in weeks. For the last year, the Pala resident had made the trek up every Sunday to attend the service at Bundy Canyon Christian Church, a complex of colorful old-timey buildings along a rural road. The coronavirus outbreak had sidelined Trujillo, 37, from her trips to church, leaving her to reading the Bible and practicing her faith at home. She knew about the worries of church services leading to...WW…