$2.75 DESIGNATED AREAS HIGHER © 2021 D FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 latimes.

com

Jury CASES
finds SOAR AS
ex-cop VIRUS
guilty STRAIN
Minnesota officer
mistook gun for Taser,
SPREADS
killing Daunte Wright
during a traffic stop. Omicron is now the
By Amy Forliti dominant variant in
and Scott Bauer
much of the state,
MINNEAPOLIS — A health officials say.
suburban Minneapolis po-
lice officer who said she con- By Luke Money
fused her handgun for her
Taser was convicted of man- Photographs by Irfan Khan Los Angeles Times Omicron is now the most
slaughter Thursday in the DR. OLIVIA MA, left, and Dr. David Wong treat a COVID patient in an intensive care unit at identified variant of the cor-
death of Daunte Wright, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. This is a different kind of surge from last winter. onavirus in some parts of
prompting tears from the California, officials said

Frustration builds as
young Black man’s parents Thursday, marking a stun-
and a jubilant celebration by ning rise that has triggered a
supporters outside the new surge of infections, cast
courthouse who chanted, fresh uncertainty on holiday
“Guilty, guilty, guilty!” plans and prompted addi-
The mostly white jury de- tional measures aimed at

unvaccinated fill ICUs

liberated for about 27 hours checking the strain’s rapid
over four days before finding spread.
former Brooklyn Center Of- According to data re-
ficer Kim Potter guilty of leased Thursday by the Cali-
first-degree and second-de- fornia Department of Public
gree manslaughter. Potter, Health, at least three Cali-
49, faces about seven years in fornia health systems have
prison under the state’s sen-
tencing guidelines, but pros-
Doctors and nurses tire of seeing patients — nearly all of reported that Omicron ap-
pears to account for 50% to
ecutors said they would seek
a longer term. them not fully immunized — lose their lives to COVID 70% of new cases.
Officials stressed that full
Judge Regina Chu or- sequencing of the cases is
dered Potter taken into cus- still being done and did not
tody and held without bail, By Brittny Mejia identify the areas where
and scheduled her to be sen- Omicron was spreading
tenced on Feb. 18. Potter had COLTON — Nine patients fastest. Additionally, the
been free on $100,000 bond awaited their fates in an intensive state said, clinical and
posted the day last April care unit at Arrowhead Regional wastewater data suggest
that she was charged, which Medical Center in the Inland Em- Omicron is now spreading in
was three days after she pire. most parts of California.
killed Wright and a day after The youngest was 26, the oldest Daily reported co-
she quit the police force. 66. Four of them had already been ronavirus cases are soaring
As she was led away in intubated, a last-ditch effort to save in Los Angeles County as the
handcuffs, a Potter family their lives. Inside fourth-floor region grapples with the
member in the courtroom rooms bare of decor, each lay alone early effects of a new surge
shouted, “Love you, Kim!” in the dark, flat on their belly and se- fueled by the highly mutated
Potter’s attorneys left the dated because the pain of the tube Omicron variant.
courthouse without com- running down their throat would be A day after reporting
menting and didn’t immedi- too great otherwise. 6,509 new cases — more than
ately respond to phone mes- The number of COVID-19 pa- twice the figure from the day
sages or emails. tients in the unit on Wednesday before — county health offi-
Outside the courthouse, morning was about double that of a cials reported an even
dozens of people who had couple of weeks ago. But this was a higher infection total Thurs-
gathered erupted in cheers, different kind of surge from last win- day: 8,633.
hugs and tears of joy as the ter, when the hospital saw well over “This steep increase, one
verdicts were read. A jazz 100 COVID patients at its peak and of the steepest rises we’ve
band played “When the had to create a makeshift ICU out of “PATIENTS are still dying at an alarming rate, all unvaccinated,” ever seen over the course of
Saints Come Marching In.” the post-anesthesia care unit. said Beth Koelliker, a charge nurse at Arrowhead. “They haven’t the pandemic, reflects the
Two men jumped up and Over the last seven days, the stopped dying for two years. It’s hard to deal with that for so long.” increased circulation of
down holding each other’s public hospital, which is run by San Omicron and the associated
shoulders. Other people Bernardino County, has averaged 20 Difficult decisions Storm prompts closure rapid acceleration of trans-
then began jumping in place COVID-positive patients. mission associated with this
and chanting, “Guilty, guilty, The number of hospitalizations
about holiday travel of vaccine, testing sites variant,” county Public
guilty!” was undeniably not as bleak as it After missing get-togethers last Some move indoors; others will Health Director Barbara
They chanted, “Say his was last winter, but there was a sim- year, Americans weigh risks of shut for the week despite surge Ferrer said Wednesday.
[See Wright, A4] [See Cases, A6] seeing loved ones. CALIFORNIA, B1 in virus cases. CALIFORNIA, B2 [See Infections, A6]

J OAN DIDION, 1934 - 2021 Trump appeals Jan. 6

case to high court
Essayist, novelist, screenwriter Ex-president asserts
cords, even after President
Biden had approved their
release.
executive privilege to
California native shone brightest in social criticism and memoir keep his records from
While the legal dispute in-
volves the powers of the
president — and in this in-
House committee. stance, an ex-president — it
By Elaine Woo arises amid a partisan battle
By David G. Savage over Trump’s role in inciting
uring a reporting trip to an attack on Congress as

D San Francisco in the late

1960s, Joan Didion hap-
pened upon a 5-year-old
girl in a Haight-Ashbury
crash pad who described herself as
being in “High Kindergarten.” What
the child meant, Didion later wrote,
WASHINGTON — For-
mer President Trump asked
the Supreme Court on
Thursday to shield his White
House files from being
turned over to the House
committee investigating the
lawmakers met to certify
Biden’s victory over Trump.
In appealing an earlier
ruling that rejected Trump’s
executive privilege claims,
the former president’s law-
yers urged the Supreme
was that she was high on acid, appar- Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Court to “prevent two politi-
ently not for the first time. At issue is whether the cally aligned branches of
Whether she said it with irony was former president may in- government from wielding
not noted in Didion’s cool retelling in voke executive privilege to unfettered power to under-
“Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” her protect the privacy of his re- [See Trump, A9]
classic piece about societal disarray
in the psychedelic era. But the mem-
ory of the encounter made the author
momentarily speechless when an in-
terviewer asked her about it decades FDA authorizes Police kill girl,
later. 2nd COVID pill suspect at store
For a few moments she could only Merck’s antiviral treat- Teen in dressing room is
raise her arms beseechingly, like a ment is approved, but struck by a stray bullet
wizard summoning powers, before Cal Montney Los Angeles Times
experts note its flaws in North Hollywood.
the words finally burst out. compared with Pfizer’s CALIFORNIA, B1
PINNACLE OF AMERICAN LETTERS
“Let me tell you,” she declared in drug. PERSPECTIVES, A2
Joan Didion, with her daughter, Quintana, in 1969, wrote fiction, Weather
the 2017 documentary “Joan Didion:
nonfiction, essays and screenplays, including her bestselling novel Morning rain.
The Center Will Not Hold,” “it was Holiday storm
“Play It as It Lays” and memoir “The Year of Magical Thinking.” L.A. Basin: 61/52. B6
gold. You live for moments like that if
you’re doing a piece, good or bad.” brings rain, snow
An unsentimental chronicler of Wet weather is likely to
“moments like that” who, during Perfect, polished prose Where to begin reading linger through weekend.
more than a half-century at the pin- Didion offers lessons to all Cali- Take an expert tour of Didion’s Flood, debris warnings
nacle of American letters, examined fornians, a legacy earned from writing, from her early essays issued. CALIFORNIA, B1
[See Didion, A7] “special history.” CALIFORNIA, B1 to late memoirs. CALENDAR, E1

BUSINESS INSIDE: Amazon settles with labor board over workers’ right to organize. A8
A2 FR I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M

PERSPECTIVES

How bad is Omicron? Here’s what to watch for

Hospitalizations are
only part of the story
with the fast-spreading
coronavirus variant.
By Melissa Healy

The situation with the

Omicron variant is changing
so rapidly, it’s hard to know
where things stand.
Sometimes the news
seems ominous, as when the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention said the
strain went from 0.7% to 73%
of new infections in the U.S.
in just two weeks.
Other times the news
seems encouraging, as when
South African officials ob-
served that Omicron cases
appeared to recede almost
as dramatically as they had
spiked.
How can we tell what’s
really going on? Which indi-
cators will reveal the var-
iant’s true powers?
And when will we know
whether Omicron repre-
sents a setback in the pan-
demic, a disaster or an all-
out calamity?
Here’s a look at what to
watch for.

What’s the worst that could

happen?
We could learn that in
addition to being roughly 22
times more transmissible
than the original co-
ronavirus strain from
Wuhan, China, Omicron
causes more severe illness,
erodes the immunity pro- Victoria Jones Press Assn.
vided by vaccines or a prior MEDICAL STAFFERS at King’s College Hospital in London this week. Omicron infections are continuing to surge in Britain.
infection, and is resistant to
existing treatments. zle are beginning to fill in. searchers will scour medical
Researchers from Imperial records and revisit existing
What about the best-case College London have esti- groups of study participants
scenario? mated that Omicron is 5.4 to find answers to questions
That would be if Omi- times more likely to cause a like these.
cron infections cause little reinfection than the Delta They’ll also watch for
to no illness in most or all of variant. That means the changes in the way Omicron
those who become infected. impact of any negative infections play out to see
Even with high transmis- trends will be magnified. whether hallmark symp-
sion rates and a large num- How much worse it could toms like runaway inflam-
ber of “breakthrough” cases, be will depend on the next mation, blood-clotting
a variant that caused little bits of information to fall abnormalities and lung
more than sniffles or a few into place. It’s important to damage remain key features
days of fatigue might be figure out who Omicron of COVID-19. These findings
welcomed as the beginning infects and in whom it could point to important
of endemicity — a state in causes severe illness or factors that make some
which the virus remains death. people more vulnerable to
among us indefinitely. And In addition, knowing Omicron, and thus in great-
that could be the beginning when — and for how long — er need of vaccine protec-
of the end of the pandemic. people infected with Omi- tion.
cron are contagious is cru-
Is that likely? cial for keeping the strapped What about children?
For this best-case sce- healthcare sector from South African research-
nario to materialize, Omi- becoming overwhelmed, ers reported early on that
cron would need to drop the said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of children appeared more
coronavirus’ nasty habit of the National School of Trop- likely to be hospitalized if
causing severe illness and ical Medicine at Baylor Jerome Delay Associated Press they were infected with
death in people who are College of Medicine. TAKALANE Mulaudzi, 29, holds her arm after getting her COVID-19 vaccination Omicron — a trend that
elderly or medically fragile. in Soweto, South Africa, last week. Hospitalizations are still rising in that country. would depart from past
It also would have to stop When will we know? variants, and will be closely
causing “long COVID” — a The next two to eight require hospitalization. countries where Omicron bit less likely to require watched.
mysterious condition with weeks will be critical, said Death typically comes has been circulating for intensive hospital care than If younger patients gen-
an array of lingering symp- University of Minnesota within 30 days, although longer can offer early clues those whose breakthrough erally remain less likely
toms such as exercise intol- epidemiologist Michael many patients hold on for of what we could be in for. infections were caused to become ill, it will be im-
erance, sleep difficulties and Osterholm. With its trans- longer. But differing healthcare by the Delta or Beta var- portant to establish
brain fog — in more than mission superpowers, Omi- The trend that will begin systems, vaccination status iants. whether they nevertheless
half of those who have cron will probably cause a to tell the story of Omicron’s and population demo- The U.K. Health Security remain effective virus
cleared the virus. “national blizzard” of cases, virulence is a ratio. Re- graphics make the compari- Agency this week reported spreaders.
It would be nice, too, if an he said. No region is likely to searchers will calculate the sons imperfect. 45,145 confirmed Omicron
infection left at least a few be spared, because Omicron number of new Omicron This week, the World cases in England, Wales, Will vaccines still work?
months’ worth of immunity is just too good at spreading. infections reported on Day Health Organization re- Scotland and Northern Lab tests on Omicron
in its wake, or conferred X and compare it with the ported that hospitalizations Ireland, with 129 hospitali- have already indicated that
long-term immunity after How will we know if Omi- number of Omicron hospi- in South Africa and the zations and 14 deaths prob- the blood serum of vacci-
several infections. For a few cron makes people sicker? talizations roughly two United Kingdom continue ably attributable to the new nated people is less able to
decades, babies, senior In the United States, weeks later. They’ll also to rise, and said it was “pos- strain. But cases could stop the virus from invading
citizens and those with hospitalizations are the calculate the ratio of new sible” their healthcare sys- readily be three times as cells. But real-world data
high-risk medical condi- currency by which disease cases reported on Day X to tems would be over- high, the agency acknowl- will be needed to confirm
tions could be vaccinated to severity is most often COVID-19 deaths caused by whelmed. But the WHO edged. That uncertainty and flesh out those lab
prevent severe cases of judged. Hospital treatment Omicron three to four weeks also noted that data on about how many Omicron findings.
COVID-19. But eventually, runs the gamut from routine later. “We’ll know there’s a the clinical severity of Omi- cases there really are makes If people who are vacci-
while babies would continue to critical care, and a pa- problem if that ratio shifts,” cron infections are “still it tricky to pin down a neat nated and boosted begin
to get the short-term pro- tient’s journey is usually Hotez said. limited.” ratio of cases to hospitali- filling up hospitals and
tection of vaccine, most well-documented, com- One thing to note: If Earlier data from South zations. dying, that will be grim
people’s exposure to the pared with being sick at Omicron is more likely than Africa suggested Omicron evidence that vaccine pro-
virus each year would allow home. previous strains to cause infections might cause What would it mean if Omi- tection has been gravely
them to weather an infec- But epidemiologists call asymptomatic infections or milder disease and result cron sickened different undermined.
tion without much worry. hospitalization a “lagging extremely mild disease, and in less need for supplemen- groups of people? So far, the CDC says two
This is basically the truce indicator” of a virus’ viru- those patients aren’t tested, tal oxygen and hospitaliza- Are men still slightly doses of mRNA vaccine
mankind has reached with lence. Assuming Omicron’s that could throw off the tion. And a preliminary more likely to die than wom- appear to reduce the risk of
four other coronaviruses many mutations have not calculation in ways that study released Wednesday en? Is COVID-19 still a dis- severe illness with Omicron.
that cause what we call the changed the coronavirus’ overestimate Omicron’s on the science-sharing site ease most likely to cause But officials stress that
common cold. basic pattern of attack, it ability to make people sick. MedRxiv found that vacci- illness and death in elderly adding a booster shot will
usually takes a week or two nated South African health- people? Are asymptomatic strengthen that protection,
What should we be watch- after symptoms first appear What’s happening abroad, care workers who had infections still typical in and they’re urging vacci-
ing for? for a COVID-19 patient to and what can that tell us? breakthrough infections children? Over the coming nated Americans to get one
Some pieces of the puz- become sick enough to The experience of other involving Omicron were a weeks and months, re- if they’re eligible.

FDA authorizes Merck pill, but experts note its flaws

role in fighting the pandemic pregnancy. Women of child- patients compared with 30% driven by the Omicron var- $700 for each course of
associated press
than predicted just a few bearing age should use birth for Merck’s. iant. Antiviral pills, includ- Merck’s drug, which re-
weeks ago. Its ability to head control during treatment Some experts question ing Merck’s, are expected to quires patients to take four
WASHINGTON — U.S. off severe COVID-19 is much and for a few days after while whether there will be much be effective against Omicron pills twice a day for five days.
health regulators on Thurs- smaller than initially an- men should use birth con- of a role for the Merck drug in because they don’t target A review by Harvard Uni-
day authorized the second nounced, and the drug label trol for at least three months the U.S. the spike protein where versity and King’s College
pill against COVID-19, made will warn of serious safety is- after their final dose, the “To the extent that most of the variant’s worri- London estimated it costs
by Merck & Co., providing sues, including the potential FDA said. there’s an ample supply of some mutations reside. about $18 to make each 40-
another easy-to-use medi- for birth defects. The restrictions were ex- Pfizer’s pill, I think it won’t The FDA based its deci- pill course of treatment.
cation to battle rising Omi- The Food and Drug Ad- pected after an FDA advis- be used,” said Dr. Gregory sion on results showing Merck’s drug inserts tiny
cron infections. ministration authorized ory panel narrowly endorsed Poland of the Mayo Clinic, nearly 7% of patients taking errors into the coronavirus’
The Food and Drug Ad- Merck’s drug for adults with the drug last month, warn- referring to the Merck drug. the drug ended up in the genetic code to slow its re-
ministration authorization early symptoms of COVID-19 ing that its use would have to “There would be no reason, hospital and one died at the production. That genetic ef-
comes one day after the who face the highest risks of be strictly tailored to pa- given it has less efficacy and end of 30 days. fect has raised concerns that
agency cleared a competing hospitalization, including tients who can benefit most. a higher risk of side effects.” That compared with 10% the drug could cause muta-
drug from Pfizer. That pill is older people and those with The Pfizer pill works dif- For now, the FDA deci- of patients hospitalized who tions in human fetuses and
likely to become the first- conditions such as obesity ferently and doesn’t carry sion provides another po- were taking the placebo and possibly spur more virulent
choice treatment against and heart disease. The U.K. the same risks. Additionally, tential option against the nine deaths. strains of the virus.
the virus, thanks to its supe- first authorized the pill in Pfizer’s drug was roughly virus that has killed more Federal officials have FDA scientists said the
rior benefits and milder side early November. three times more effective in than 800,000 Americans, agreed to purchase enough variant risk is largely theo-
effects. Known as molnupiravir, testing, reducing hospital- even as health officials brace of the drug to treat 3.1 million retical because people take
As a result, Merck’s pill is the Merck drug will carry a ization and death by nearly for record-setting cases, people. the drug for such a short pe-
expected to have a smaller warning against use during 90% among high-risk hospitalizations and deaths The U.S. will pay about riod of time.
L AT I M E S . C O M S F R I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 A3

THE WORLD

China locks down city amid rise in virus cases

though the rule was not be- China has also been deal-
Restrictions on Xian’s ing rigorously enforced, ac- ing with a substantial out-
cording to some social media break in several cities in the
13 million residents posts. People who happened eastern province of Zhejiang
come as Beijing gears to be staying in hotels be- near Shanghai, although iso-
came stuck. lation measures there have
up to host Olympics. There was no word on been more narrowly tar-
whether the cases involved geted.
associated press
the new Omicron variant or “We are not receiving any
the far more common Delta new guests, and no present
BEIJING — China put a variant. China has recorded guests are allowed to leave
city of 13 million people into just seven Omicron cases: the hotel,” said a reception-
lockdown Thursday to four in the southern manu- ist at the Hanting Hotel in
stamp out an increase in co- facturing center of Guang- Xian, who gave only her sur-
ronavirus infections as the zhou, two in the southern name, Li.
country doubles down on its city of Changsha and one in Staff and guests are re-
“zero tolerance” policy just the northern port of Tianjin. quired to be tested every two
weeks before it is set to host Although the latest out- days, Li said. “There will be
the Winter Olympics. break is nearly 575 miles an impact on our business,
The restrictions in the southwest of the Olympic and we have no idea how
northeastern city of Xian host city of Beijing, any sign long it will last.”
took effect at midnight that the pandemic might be The owner of a local book-
Wednesday, with no word on worsening in China will raise shop said he had closed 10
when they might be lifted. questions about whether days before, “fearing the
They are some of the harsh- and how it will manage to worsening of the epidemic
est since China imposed a welcome thousands of ath- Li Yibo Xinhua situation.”
strict lockdown last year on letes, officials and journal- PEOPLE line up for coronavirus testing in Xian, China. With the Winter Games “I am now staying at
more than 11 million people ists when the Winter Games just weeks away, the government is determined to stem an increase in infections. home watching television,”
in and around the city of open on Feb. 4. said the owner, who gave
Wuhan, where the co- On the one hand, there throughout the pandemic ing and mass testing, has not Xian, the capital of Sha- only his surname, Xiao.
ronavirus was first detected is a tremendous amount of under their policy of seeking been entirely successful. It anxi province, a major center Movement outside his
in late 2019. national pride and invest- to stamp out every last case, has resulted in massive dis- of industry and a repository compound required permis-
One person from each ment riding on the Olympics and it’s hard to see how wel- ruptions to travel and trade, of imperial relics, including sion from the local neighbor-
household will be allowed and few would want a can- coming so many people from but Beijing credits it with the famous terra cotta hood committee, he said. “I
out every two days to buy cellation, postponement or abroad will square with that largely containing the warriors, reported 63 locally think the situation will get
household necessities, a gov- dramatic reimagining at this strategy. spread of the coronavirus. transmitted cases Thurs- better eventually, and I don’t
ernment order said. Other late stage. On the other, That zero tolerance pol- Overall, China has reported day, pushing the city’s total worry at all because we have
family members are re- Chinese authorities have icy, which has led to frequent 4,849 deaths and 113,299 to at least 211 over the last the government behind us,”
quired to stay at home, al- adopted strict measures lockdowns, universal mask- cases of COVID-19. week. he said.

Hong Kong
removes sculpture
marking massacre
at Tiananmen
on follow-up actions.
associated press
In October, the university
informed the now-defunct
HONG KONG — A mon- candlelight vigil organizer,
ument at a Hong Kong uni- the Hong Kong Alliance in
versity that commemorates Support of Patriotic Demo-
the 1989 Tiananmen Square cratic Movements of China,
massacre was removed by that it had to remove the
workers early Thursday over statue after “the latest risk
the objections of its creator assessment and legal ad-
from Denmark. vice.”
The 26-foot-tall “Pillar The organization had
of Shame,” which depicts said that it was dissolving,
50 torn and twisted bodies citing a climate of oppres-
Ariel Schalit Associated Press piled on top of one another, sion, and that it did not own
THE FINDS near the ancient city of Caesarea include a Roman gold ring. It has a gemstone carved with a was made by Danish sculp- the sculpture. The uni-
figure of a shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulders, considered one of the earliest symbols of Christianity. tor Jens Galschiot to versity was told to speak to
symbolize the lives lost dur- its creator instead.
ing China’s bloody military When reached by the As-

Israeli archaeologists find Roman,

crackdown on pro-democ- sociated Press, sculptor
racy protesters in Bei- Galschiot said he became
jing’s Tiananmen Square on aware of what was happen-
June 4, 1989. ing to the sculpture on
Workers barricaded the Wednesday only because of

medieval treasures in shipwrecks monument at the University

of Hong Kong late Wednes-
day night. Drilling sounds
and loud clanging could be
social media and other re-
ports.
“We don’t know exactly
what happened, but I fear
ago, respectively, archaeolo- the ancient city of Caesarea ment, called the item “ex- heard coming from the they destroy it,” he said.
associated press
gists said. They include hun- were figurines, bells and ce- ceptional.” boarded-up site, which was “This is my sculpture, and it
dreds of Roman silver and ramics, as well as metal arti- “On the gemstone is en- patrolled by guards. is my property.”
JERUSALEM — The Is- bronze coins dating to the facts that once belonged to graved an image of the The dismantling of the Galschiot said that he
rael Antiquities Authority mid-3rd century, as well as the ships, such as nails and a ‘Good Shepherd,’ which is sculpture came days af- would sue the university if
has announced the discov- more than 500 silver coins shattered iron anchor. really one of the earliest ter pro-Beijing candidates necessary to protect the
ery of remnants of two ship- from the Middle Ages found The authority made its symbols of Christianity,” he scored a landslide victory sculpture.
wrecks off the Mediterra- amid the sediment. announcement Wednesday, said. in the Hong Kong legisla- He had previously writ-
nean coast, replete with a They were found during just days before Christmas, Sharvit said that the Ro- tive elections, after amend- ten to the university to as-
sunken trove of hundreds of an underwater survey con- and underscored the discov- man ship is believed to have ments in voting laws sert his ownership of the
Roman and medieval silver ducted by the antiquities au- ery of a Roman gold ring, its originally hailed from Italy, allowed the vetting of all can- monument, although his re-
coins. thority’s Marine Archaeol- green gemstone carved with based on the style of some of didates to ensure that they quests had gone largely ig-
The finds made near ogy Unit in the last two the figure of a shepherd car- the artifacts. He said it re- are “patriots” loyal to Bei- nored.
the ancient city of Cae- months, said Jacob Sharvit, rying a sheep on his shoul- mained unclear whether any jing. More than 100 pro-
sarea were dated to the Ro- head of the unit. ders. remnants of the wooden The removal also hap- democracy activists have
man and Mamluk periods, Among other artifacts re- Robert Kool, head of ships remained intact be- pened in the same week that been arrested since the na-
around 1,700 and 600 years covered from the site near the authority’s coin depart- neath the sands. Hong Kong leader Carrie tional security law was im-
Lam traveled to Beijing to plemented in Hong Kong. It
report on developments in outlaws secession, subver-
the Chinese territory. Hong sion, terrorism and foreign

Gaza’s piles of old batteries pose hazard

Kong authorities have si- collusion to intervene in the
lenced dissent after China city’s affairs.
implemented a sweeping na- Critics say the law rolled
tional security law that ap- back freedoms promised to
peared to target much of the Hong Kong when it was han-
across the tiny and over- forces. The result: a daily it has to let them go out,” he territory’s pro-democracy ded over to China by Britain
associated press
crowded coastal territory. blackout of at least eight said. “We can sell them to movement following mass in 1997.
There are no recycling facili- hours, punctuated by longer factories in Israel, European protests in 2019. The “Pillar of Shame”
GAZA CITY — Virtually ties in Gaza and a punishing outages that can last for countries and all over the The “Pillar of Shame” monument has been up for
every household in the Gaza blockade imposed by Israel days during winter storms world.” monument became an issue over two decades, and ini-
Strip relies on batteries to and Egypt prevents the bat- or conflicts. But exporting batteries in October, with the uni- tially stood at Hong Kong’s
keep their home running — a teries from being shipped This has turned batteries is still banned, and Ayyad is versity demanding that it be Victoria Park before being
result of years of chronic abroad for safe disposal. into an integral part of day- facing a new dilemma: He removed, even as activists moved to the University of
power outages. According to the U.S. to-day life for the territory’s has about 500 tons of batter- and rights groups protested. Hong Kong on a long-term
These batteries, fueling Environmental Protection 2 million residents. ies accumulated in the ware- Galschiot offered to take it basis.
everything from lights to Agency, used batteries cre- The Gaza City munici- house. back to Denmark provided Each year on June 4,
internet routers to solar ate a number of risks to pub- pality has a hazardous waste He can’t resell, export or he was given legal immu- members of the now-de-
panels, have helped mitigate lic health and the environ- unit that is meant to safely dump them, and he has been nity from prosecution under funct student union would
one crisis. But they are caus- ment. Different types of bat- dispose of old batteries. But paying storage fees. He Hong Kong’s national secu- wash the statue to com-
ing another one as huge teries contain potentially Ahmed abu Abdu, head of called on Hamas to speak to rity law, but has not suc- memorate the Tiananmen
mounds of old and used bat- dangerous types of metals the unit, says very few bat- Egypt to facilitate their ex- ceeded so far. massacre. The city, together
teries pile up in a territory such as mercury, lead and teries reach him. Instead, a port. “No party has ever ob- with Macao, were previously
lacking the ability to safely cadmium, and some can small private industry has Hamas and Egypt have tained any approval from the only places on Chinese
dispose of them. catch fire. sprouted up. boosted trade cooperation the university to display the soil where commemoration
“There is a real danger Such risks are especially Every day, collectors in in recent years through a statue on campus, and the of the Tiananmen crack-
that these batteries are acute in Gaza, where the cars or donkey-drawn carts crossing in the border town university has the right to down was allowed.
collected and stored ran- healthcare system has been roam Gaza, calling on loud- of Rafah. The crossing is take appropriate actions to Over the last two years,
domly in the open air, not in ravaged by years of conflict speakers for people wishing used mainly to deliver goods handle it at any time,” the the annual candlelight vigil
warehouses,” said Moham- and lack of funds and where to sell old batteries. Depend- such as construction mate- university said in a state- in Hong Kong had been
med Musleh, an official with the environment is already ing on their size, old batter- rials, fuel and tobacco prod- ment Thursday. banned by authorities, who
Gaza’s Environment Au- in dire condition. Nearly all ies can fetch up to $2 apiece. ucts into Gaza. But it has “Latest legal advice given cited public risks from the
thority. of Gaza’s water is undrink- Khaled Ayyad is one of also been used to ship scrap to the university cautioned COVID-19 pandemic.
The most pressing able due to high saline levels dozens of merchants who metal out to Egypt. that the continued display of Twenty-four people were
threat, he said, is that “the caused by overextraction. buy the old batteries. For Research carried out the statue would pose legal charged over their roles in
batteries break and ooze liq- Israel bombed Gaza’s eight years, he has collected in 2013 by a Gaza neurologist risks to the university based the Tiananmen vigil last
uid that includes sulfuric ac- sole power plant during a and stored them at a ware- and an environmental sci- on the Crimes Ordinance en- year, during which activists
id and leaks into the soil and round of fighting in 2006 and house in northern Gaza. ence expert warned that acted under the Hong Kong turned up and thousands
then the water aquifer.” imposed the blockade with Ayyad has one goal in children of people dealing colonial government.” followed, breaking past bar-
The Environment Au- Egypt the following year af- mind: to export the batteries with discarded batteries The university said it had ricades in Victoria Park to
thority estimates that 25,000 ter the militant group and make a decent profit. have “different degrees” of requested that the statue be sing songs and light candles
tons of old batteries are piled Hamas seized power in the “As the Israeli side allows poisoning from lead expo- put in storage and would despite the police ban on the
up at several locations strip from rival Palestinian them [batteries] into Gaza, sure. continue to seek legal advice event.
A4 FR I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M

THE NATION

Texas board reverses

course on pardon for
Floyd in drug arrest
her aware of any issues prior
associated press
to the announcement from
the governor’s office.
AUSTIN, Texas — A “It really strains credibil-
Texas board that had unani- ity for them to say now that
mously supported a post- it’s out of compliance, after
humous pardon for George the board has already voted
Floyd over a 2004 drug arrest on it,” she said.
in Houston backpedaled in Floyd grew up and was
an announcement Thurs- laid to rest in Houston. In
day, saying “procedural er- June, former Minneapolis
rors” were found in their rec- Police Officer Derek Chau-
ommendation months after vin was sentenced to 22½
leaving the decision to Re- years in prison for Floyd’s
publican Gov. Greg Abbott. murder, which led to a na-
The unusual reversal was tional reckoning in the U.S.
announced by Abbott’s of- over race and policing.
fice two days before Christ- Pardons restore the
mas, around the time he rights of the convicted and
typically doles out his annu- forgive them in the eyes of
al pardons. the law. But in Floyd’s case,
The withdrawn endorse- his family and supporters
ment was met with outrage said a posthumous pardon
from a public defender who in Texas would show a Kent Nishimura Los Angeles Times
submitted the pardon appli- commitment to account- VICE PRESIDENT Kamala Harris, in her Washington office last week, is vaccinated and got a booster shot.
cation for Floyd, who spent ability.

Harris arrives in L.A. as staffers,

much of his life in Houston In February 2004, Floyd
before his death in 2020, was arrested in Houston for
when he was murdered by a selling $10 worth of crack co-
Minneapolis police officer. caine in a police sting, and
Allison Mathis, an attorney later pleaded guilty to a drug
in Houston, accused the
two-term governor
playing politics ahead of
Texas’ March Republican
of
charge and served 10 months
in prison. But the global
spotlight on the death of
Floyd in police custody 16
lawmakers test positive for virus
primary elections as he faces years later is not why prose- sure, the vice president will clusive at-home test on Sun- sizes the importance of vac-
challengers from the far cutors revisited his Houston By Nolan D. McCaskill continue with her daily day ahead of his grand- cination and booster,” not-
right. case. Instead, it was schedule,” Sanders said in daughter’s wedding, which ing that despite the likeli-
Floyd’s name was with- prompted by a deadly Hous- WASHINGTON — The her statement on Wednes- he will forgo. hood of breakthrough cases,
drawn along with two dozen ton drug raid in 2019 that in- coronavirus is sweeping day. She added that Harris More than a half-dozen vaccines should protect
other clemency recom- volved the same officer who through official Washington, and her husband, Second other members of Congress against severe illness, hospi-
mendations that had been arrested Floyd. with staffers for President Gentleman Doug Emhoff, have said they’ve tested pos- talizations and deaths.
submitted by the Texas Prosecutors say that offi- Biden and Vice President would remain in L.A. itive for the coronavirus this “COVID-19 breakthrough
Board of Pardon and Par- cer, Gerald Goines, lied to Kamala Harris recently test- through New Year’s. week, including Rep. Bar- cases are going to become
oles. In a letter dated Dec. 16 obtain the search warrant ing positive for the virus as a Another spokeswoman bara Lee (D-Oakland). All ubiquitous with the Omi-
but not released publicly un- for the raid that killed a hus- growing number of federal for Harris declined to dis- said they were fully vacci- cron variant,” said Amesh A.
til Thursday, the board told band and wife. Goines, who officials continue to disclose cuss how the potential co- nated, and most had gotten Adalja, senior scholar at
Abbott that it had identified is no longer on the Houston their own “breakthrough” ronavirus exposure might boosters. Johns Hopkins Center for
“unexplained departures” force and faces murder cases. affect her time in Southern Sen. Chris Coons (D- Health Security. “No one is
from its process of issuing charges, has denied wrong- Harris, who flew to Los California. Del.) said Thursday morn- going to escape infection in
pardons and needed to re- doing. More than 160 drug Angeles on Wednesday Biden, 79, has also had ing that after weeks of regu- the long run. However, if you
consider more than a third of convictions tied to him over night for a week of vacation, close contact in recent days lar testing, “last night I got are somebody who is fully
the 67 clemency recom- the years have since been came in close contact on with a staffer who had tested bad news — I tested pos- vaccinated, these cases are
mendations it sent to Abbott dismissed by prosecutors Tuesday with a staffer who positive. The half-hour of itive.” going to be mild and may not
this year, including the one due to concerns about his tested positive for the co- close contact occurred Coons said he had min- even prompt you to call your
in Floyd’s case. casework. ronavirus the next morning. aboard Air Force One last imal symptoms and is opti- doctor. This is a good thing
In October, the board had David Gutierrez, chair- The vice president, who Friday, the day Biden deliv- mistic he’ll recover after iso- and not something to panic
unanimously recommended man of Texas’ parole board, has been vaccinated and re- ered a commencement ad- lating and adhering to CDC about because the vaccines
that Floyd become the sec- said in the letter to Abbott ceived a booster shot, tested dress in South Carolina and guidelines. “Like millions of are protecting us against
ond person in Texas since that he ordered a review af- negative twice on Wednes- then flew to Wilmington, other families,” he added, “it what matters: severe dis-
2010 to receive a posthumous ter the board had recom- day and will be retested on Del., for the weekend. seems we’ll also be wrestling ease, hospitalization and
pardon from the governor. mended more clemency rec- Friday. House Majority Whip with another holiday spent death.”
“As a result of the Board’s ommendations this year Symone Sanders, Harris’ James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), on Zoom and canceled plans In a speech Tuesday, Bid-
withdrawal of the recom- than at any point in two dec- senior advisor and chief the No. 3 Democratic leader, for travel or gathering.” en cautioned that the Omi-
mendation concerning ades. He did not specify how spokesperson, said in a was with Biden in South The CDC said this week cron variant is “serious and
George Floyd, Governor Ab- Floyd’s recommendation statement Wednesday that Carolina, where the presi- that the Omicron strain of potentially deadly business
bott did not have the oppor- skirted the usual pro- the staffer, who is fully vacci- dent addressed the graduat- the coronavirus is more viru- for unvaccinated people.”
tunity to consider it,” Abbott cedures, instead only nated and boosted, had ing class at South Carolina lent than previous variants, His administration also an-
spokeswoman Renae Eze broadly pointing to several tested negative on Tuesday, State University. with the health agency nounced it was deploying
said in a statement. sets of rules that Gutierrez Monday and every day last Clyburn, 81, who is fully warning that the new var- 1,000 troops to hospitals, set-
Mathis called the last- said the board did not fol- week. vaccinated and received his iant can spread to others ting up additional vaccina-
minute reversal a “ridiculous low. “As [Centers for Disease booster shot in September, even if they’re vaccinated or tion sites and buying 500 mil-
farce.” She said the board — A call to a number listed Control and Prevention] tested positive for the co- have no symptoms. lion at-home rapid tests that
which is stocked with Abbott for Gutierrez was not an- guidance does not require ronavirus Wednesday night. The CDC also said that will be available to Ameri-
appointees — did not make swered Thursday. fully vaccinated people to He said he is asymptom- “the recent emergence of cans for free beginning next
quarantine after an expo- atic, but received an incon- Omicron further empha- month.

FOR THE RECORD

“Spencer” costumes: In
the Dec. 16 Envelope, an ar-
ticle about “Spencer” cos-
tume designer Jacqueline
most of the time yet looked
so wonderful and even radi-
ant. Just as in the film. I re-
member an interview where
Ex-officer convicted of manslaughter
Durran misattributed a she said her mother had
quote to her: “When I think that same ability.” It was [Wright, from A1] pened.” She said the traffic
of Diana as an image, I think spoken by the interviewer. name! Daunte Wright!” stop “just went chaotic.”
about how by her own ad- Also, a photo caption inac- Some held yellow signs that The maximum prison
mission she was so ill and curately described a gown said “guilty” in large block sentence for first-degree
stressed and felt so awful as peppermint. letters. manslaughter is 15 years.
Potter, who testified that Minnesota law sentences
she “didn’t want to hurt any- defendants only on their
body,” looked down without most serious conviction
showing any visible reaction when multiple counts in-
How to contact us when the verdicts were read. volve the same act and the
As Chu thanked the jury, same victim, and state
(800) LA TIMES
Potter made the sign of the guidelines call for about sev-
Home Delivery and latimes.com/mediakit or call cross. en years on that charge.
Membership Program (213) 237-6176. Potter’s attorneys ar- Prosecutors have said
For questions about delivery,
Reprint Requests gued that she should be al- they will seek to prove aggra-
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for information about our For the rights to use articles,
Membership program, please photos, graphics and page she’s sentenced, saying she what’s called an upward de-
contact us at (213) 283-2274 or reproductions, e-mail was not going to commit an- parture from sentencing
reprint@latimes.com or call
membershipservices@
(213) 237-4565. other crime or go anywhere. guidelines. In Potter’s case,
latimes.com. You can also “It is the Christmas holi- Ben Crump Law they alleged that her actions
manage your account at Times In Education
myaccount.latimes.com. day season,” Potter attorney DAUNTE WRIGHT holds his son, Daunte Jr., at his were a danger to others, in-
To get the digital
Los Angeles Times at no Paul Engh argued. “She’s a first birthday party. Wright was fatally shot April 11. cluding her fellow officers, to
Letters to the Editor devoted Catholic, no less, Wright’s passenger and to
Want to write a letter to be cost (along with our
published in the paper and newspaper–based teaching and there is no point to in- verdict brought a measure of they asked the judge that the couple whose car was
online? E-mail materials), contact us at carcerate her at this point in accountability for Potter but afternoon what to do if they struck by Wright’s after the
letters@latimes.com. latimes.com/tie, or email
Heidi.stauder@latimes.com time.” fell short of justice. were having difficulty agree- shooting. They also alleged
For submission guidelines, Chu rejected their argu- “Justice would be restor- ing. The guilty verdict on she abused her authority as
see latimes.com/letters. The Newsroom
Know something important
ments. ing Daunte to life and mak- the more serious first-de- a police officer.
Readers’ Representative “I cannot treat this case ing the Wright family whole gree count was reached at For first-degree man-
If you believe we have we should cover? Send a
made an error, or you have secure tip at any differently than any again,” Ellison said. “Justice 11:40 a.m. Thursday. slaughter, prosecutors had
questions about our latimes.com/tips. To send a other case,” she said. is beyond the reach that we Potter, who is white, shot to prove that Potter caused
press release go to the
journalistic standards
newsroom directory at
Potter, who didn’t smile have in this life for Daunte. and killed the 20-year-old Wright’s death while com-
and practices, our readers’ in court, had a big grin on her But accountability is an im- Wright during an April 11 mitting a misdemeanor — in
representative can be latimes.com/staff.
reached at
face in a mug shot taken portant step, a critical nec- traffic stop in Brooklyn Cen- this case, the “reckless han-
Media Relations
readers.representative For outside media requests when she was processed at a essary step on the road to ter as she and other officers dling or use of a firearm so as
@latimes.com, (877) 554-4000 and inquiries, e-mail women’s prison after the justice for us all.” were trying to arrest him on to endanger the safety of an-
or online at commsdept@latimes.com. trial. Ellison said he felt sym- an outstanding warrant for a other with such force and vi-
latimes.com/readersrep.
L.A. Times Store After Potter was led from pathy for Potter, who has weapons possession charge. olence that death or great
Advertising Search archives, merchandise the courtroom, prosecutor gone from being an “es- The shooting happened at a bodily harm to any person
For print and online and front pages at Erin Eldridge exchanged a teemed member to the com- time of high tension in the was reasonably foresee-
advertising information, go to latimes.com/store. long hug with a tearful Katie munity” to being convicted area, with Chauvin standing able.”
Bryant, Wright’s mother of a serious crime. trial just miles away. The second-degree man-
and a frequent presence at Wright’s mother hugged Jurors saw video of the slaughter charge required
Founded Dec. 4, 1881 the trial, and with Wright’s Ellison and said the verdicts shooting that was captured prosecutors to prove that
Vol. CXLI No. 21 father. Minnesota Atty. Gen. triggered “every single emo- by police body cameras and Potter caused Wright’s
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A6 FR I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 S L AT I M E S . C O M

Lamenting the needlessness of these cases

[Cases, from A1]
mering frustration. All of the
ICU patients, every single
one, was unvaccinated.
“It’s definitely frustrat-
ing, especially when now the
vaccine makes it almost pre-
ventable to be in this state,”
said charge nurse Beth Ko-
elliker, gesturing at the
rooms behind her. On a re-
cent Sunday, three people
died.
The needlessness of it all,
demoralizing.
“Patients are still dying
at an alarming rate, all un-
vaccinated,” she said. “They
haven’t stopped dying for
two years. It’s hard to deal
with that for so long.”
With the upcoming holi-
days and officials preparing
for the spread of the highly
infectious Omicron variant,
healthcare workers worry
about what’s coming. Al-
ready, Riverside and San
Bernardino counties have
seen a higher rate of
COVID-19 hospitalizations
than other areas of South-
ern California.
In San Bernardino
County, only 59% of
residents of all ages have re-
ceived at least one dose of
vaccine. The mortality rate
among the unvaccinated in
the county is nearly 10 times Photographs by Irfan Khan Los Angeles Times

higher than for those who DANIEL OCAMPO, a registered nurse at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, checks medications delivered by intravenous pumps to a
are fully vaccinated, accord- COVID-19 patient. In San Bernardino County, only 59% of residents of all ages have received at least one dose of vaccine.
ing to county data.
“It is a wake-up call for probably just finished eat- in jugular veins and in arter-
those still remaining unvac- ing, causing the drop. ies.
cinated, or those who have Still, Koelliker cracked “Critical illness with
not yet gotten their boosters the door to ask, “Doing OK?” COVID is not comfortable,”
who are eligible to do so,” The woman, who was not yet Converse said.
said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, intubated, signaled that she Working in the ICU, Ko-
an epidemiologist and infec- was. elliker said, is a “balance act
tious disease expert at the Right before Thanksgiv- of keeping yourself rested,
UCLA Fielding School of ing, Hernandez said, the keeping your mental space
Public Health. “The severe hospital went 48 hours with open.” Koelliker had taken
hospitalizations and deaths no COVID patients in the up hiking this year as a form
that are occurring now are ICU. After the holiday, “the of self-care.
virtually all preventable, had numbers just started to On the first hike she took
people simply gotten the climb,” the unit manager in January, she took a big
vaccine.” added. breath of fresh mountain air
There were 25 COVID pa- Asked whether they were and started to cry.
tients scattered throughout fearful of more cases coming, “Because I knew there
the Colton hospital on Koelliker said, “I know it’s were people here who
Wednesday. Of those, the coming. The winter is here.” couldn’t breathe or who had
three who were known to be “We’re preparing for the just died that morning or
fully vaccinated were worst but expecting better,” that night before, and
asymptomatic, 16 were un- said Hernandez, a regis- you just feel so guilty,” she
vaccinated, one was par- tered nurse. said.
tially vaccinated and the Around 10 a.m., Dr. Curtis Koelliker recalled the pa-
status of five was unknown. Converse, an attending pul- tients who had died. One
Many of them were DR. CURTIS CONVERSE, center, an attending pulmonary critical care inten- monary critical care inten- was a newlywed married a
were housed on the fourth sivist, confers with nurses. He knows well the damage COVID can do to lungs. sivist, made the rounds of week prior. There was a
floor. his patients. He pulled up mother and son. Another
In 4 North ICU, more rated with snowflakes, bells, “That’s really hard for elliker said, the more likely the chest X-ray of a patient with a newborn.
than 70 stockings were a Santa hat and a ther- family to deal with, not being that there are underlying in her 40s. The three who died Sun-
strung up along the windows mometer that read 36.5 (in able to hold their loved one’s diseases involved. It was There were no major day had all been unvacci-
on the recent Wednesday. Celsius). It was her “ugly hand,” Koelliker said. rare, she said, to see a young changes in her cloudy chest nated. By the time they
The names of each staff sweater.” The 66-year-old man in patient “who doesn’t have film, he told the staff mem- reached the ICU, it was too
member on the unit were On the walls between the next room had recently other health issues going bers gathered outside. late for the vaccine to offer
printed at the top, above rooms hung miniature been admitted. He was on on.” “The devastation on the them any hope.
penguins, presents or Christmas trees and red high-flow oxygen but was Shortly before 9 a.m., lungs is pretty intense,” he Although some patients
snowflakes. globes that read “Merry close to the threshold of re- nurses — one for every two said. “Unfortunately, this voice regret about not being
Nearby stood the tree Christmas.” The festive spir- quiring intubation. The patients — administered patient is pretty young, she’s vaccinated, others are ada-
that Zorina Hernandez, the it belied the grim circum- same was true of a woman morning medications and in mid-adulthood. Just very, mant that they
critical care unit manager, stances for patients inside. down the hall. conducted their assess- very sick.” still won’t do so, Koelliker
had ordered on Amazon. Ko- One woman had been on As Koelliker ran through ments. They wore yellow iso- Inside the room, only the said.
elliker, a registered nurse, a ventilator for close to two the ages of each patient — in lation gowns, white-and- top of the woman’s head was She expressed frustra-
had come in an extra day to weeks and probably their 60s, 50s, 40s and 20s — gray shoe covers and respi- visible over a teal blanket. tion that members of her
help festoon it with bows, wouldn’t be able to come off. it illustrated another trend ratory helmets. She lay face down, on her own family have also re-
tinsel, and red, green and Hospital staff had begun that healthcare workers in When beeping sounded belly. Patients are at times sisted being vaccinated.
gold ornaments. discussing palliative care the county have seen in the from a room, signaling that a kept on their bellies for 16 “I can see it here with my
Koelliker brought cup- with her family. The hospital last six months: Patients are patient’s oxygen had hours a day to help their own eyes,” Koelliker said.
cakes and holiday head- allows visitation for COVID younger than they were at dropped to 84, Koelliker lungs get more oxygen, Con- “We’re still having patients
bands to try to keep the patients at end of life, but the beginning of the pan- peeked inside. The 44-year- verse said. They had breath- die on us.”
mood light. family members are allowed demic. old woman was not in respi- ing tubes and another to uri- “If they could see what we
She wore a sweater deco- only outside the room. The younger they are, Ko- ratory distress and had nate through, along with IVs see,” Hernandez said.

Omicron fueling COVID-19 surges in California

[Infections, from A1] about 6.5% from two weeks causes largely mild disease,
And the surge isn’t just in ago. has been met with optimism
L.A. In San Francisco, public Deaths have remained in some corners.
health officials said the local relatively flat over that same “Would it be preferable to
case rate has tripled, which time. An average of 72 Cali- have Omicron be totally per-
they called “a clear indica- fornians have died from vasive and be relatively low
tion that we have entered COVID-19 each day over the degree of severity? Yes, obvi-
the fifth surge in the pan- last week. ously, that would be prefera-
demic.” In earlier waves, officials ble,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci,
“Omicron is rapidly noted a consistent cadence Biden’s chief medical advis-
spreading, and all evidence of the pandemic — with in- or.
points to the fact that we creases in cases triggering But, he added during a
need to do more to protect corresponding rises in hos- briefing Wednesday, “it’s
ourselves and others from pitalizations about two dangerous business to be
infection,” Dr. Grant Colfax, weeks later and then deaths able to rely on what you per-
San Francisco’s director of a few weeks after that. ceive as a lower degree of se-
health, said in a statement Hence, the full ramifica- verity.”
Thursday. “Boosters are key tions of Omicron’s recent “You can’t count on any-
right now for your own pro- spread are still to be felt. thing when you’re dealing
tection and those you love. “While many will be pro- with a virus that has fooled
We also want people to cele- tected in this round against us so many times before,”
brate the holidays more the most severe illness from Fauci said.
safely and with an extra dose Omicron because they are There’s also a math-
of caution.” fully vaccinated and they’re ematical reality that comes
On Monday, federal boosted where eligible, very into play. Omicron’s ultra-
health officials said Omi- Irfan Khan Los Angeles Times high case numbers can eas- contagious nature means an
cron was the dominant A COVID-19 patient receives treatment Wednesday in Colton. State data show ily cause significant stress to extraordinarily high num-
version of the coronavirus the Omicron variant behind 50% to 70% of cases in several health systems. our healthcare system,” Fer- ber of people could be in-
nationwide, accounting for rer said. fected in a short time.
an estimated 73% of new in- shadowed a similar devel- been difficult for some. Re- healthcare and high-risk However, there are prom- And even if a lower per-
fections last week. opment in California during cent heavy demand has left congregate settings to get a ising indications that the centage need hospital care, a
“Due to Omicron, we ex- a briefing Wednesday, say- residents facing empty store booster vaccine dose, as well variant — though highly in- high number of infections
pect a significant rise in ing, “We now are tracking shelves or contending with as plans to provide rapid fectious — may cause less- happening at once could
cases,” said Jeff Zients, Pres- well north of 50% of all of the long lines at screening sites. tests for students in K-12 severe symptoms. strain hospital systems, par-
ident Biden’s COVID-19 task sequenced genomes” being A winter storm that blew public schools and expand Early data from England, ticularly in areas where vac-
force coordinator. “Fully identified as Omicron. into the Southland on hours at busy screening Scotland, Denmark and cination rates are low.
vaccinated people, particu- As scientists race to Thursday exacerbated the sites. South Africa suggest that an “The problem is a num-
larly those with a boost, are understand the variant’s full problem, forcing some test- Over the weeklong period Omicron infection resulted bers problem,” Ferrer said.
highly protected. But due to impact, the best lines of de- ing and vaccine sites to head ending Thursday morning, in a 40% to 70% reduced need “So if Omicron causes less-
Omicron’s highly transmis- fense remain familiar: “Get indoors or close. California reported an aver- for hospitalization com- severe illness but it infects
sible nature, we will see fully vaccinated; get boosted; California officials have age of 9,674 new coronavirus pared with the Delta var- many more people, then
vaccinated people get wear a mask in public indoor said they are prepared to see cases per day — a 37% in- iant. even if you have a smaller
COVID. They’ll likely be settings in areas of substan- an uptick in cases linked crease from two weeks ago, There’s also no evidence number of the people who
asymptomatic or feel under tial and high-risk communi- with Omicron and have an- according to data compiled that people who are vacci- are infected get severe ill-
the weather for a few days. ty transmission; and take a nounced measures aimed at by The Times. nated and have received a ness, you could still end up
Let’s be clear: Unvaccinated test before you gather,” said helping the state against a COVID-19 hospitali- booster shot are getting se- with overwhelming num-
people are at a higher risk of Dr. Rochelle Walensky, di- wintertime resurgence. zations have also ticked up, verely ill with Omicron, un- bers.”
getting severely ill from rector of the U.S. Centers for Those include a state- albeit at a slower rate. The less they have a significantly
COVID, getting hospitalized Disease Control and Preven- wide mask mandate for in- number of coronavirus-pos- weakened immune system. Times staff writer
and dying.” tion. door public spaces and a re- itive patients statewide The prospect of a variant Rong-Gong Lin II
Gov. Gavin Newsom fore- Testing, however, has quirement for workers in Wednesday, 3,622, is up that spreads easily, but contributed to this report.
L AT I M E S . C O M F R I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 A7

JOAN DIDION, 1934 - 2021

A writer of edgy and elegant prose

[Didion, from A1] of “Play It as It Lays” (1972)
culture and consciousness and his novel “True Confes-
with a brittle awareness of sions” (1981); and “Up Close
disorder before turning her and Personal” (1996), which
lens on herself in books that starred Robert Redford and
plumbed the depths of per- Michelle Pfeiffer. Didion and
sonal tragedies, Didion died Dunne were celebrities in
Thursday at her home in their own right who at-
New York from complica- tended A-list Hollywood
tions of Parkinson’s disease, parties.
according to her publisher, They traveled together as
Alfred A. Knopf. She was 87. journalists and finished
The author bridged the each other’s sentences, a
worlds of Hollywood, jour- habit that writer Susan
nalism and literature in a ca- Braudy said made their con-
reer that arced most bril- versation sound like “a two-
liantly in the realms of social person monologue.” They
criticism and memoir. were, in Didion’s words, “ter-
Her essays explored an rifically, terribly dependent
eccentric range of subjects on one another.”
— shopping malls, John After two decades in Cali-
Wayne, sojourns in Hawaii fornia, they moved back to
and havoc in Haight-Ash- New York in 1988.
bury — in a style that was They were well settled
edgy, restrained and ele- into life there when, in late
gant. 2003, Quintana was hit by a
Readers of “Slouching series of illnesses: flu symp-
Towards Bethlehem” or toms that ballooned into
“The White Album,” her pneumonia and septic shock
most acclaimed nonfiction and finally landed her in a
collections, “could well fol- coma. On the evening of Dec.
low one of her paragraphs 30, after visiting her in the
into hell,” an admiring critic hospital, Didion and Dunne
once noted. She deployed were sitting down for a late
trenchant facts like surgical supper in their apartment
bombs, telling us, for exam- off Madison Avenue. Didion
ple, that seemingly placid was tossing a salad when
San Bernardino in the suddenly Dunne “slumped
mid-1960s was the kind of motionless” in his seat and
place where it was “easy to fell to the floor. “John was
Dial-A-Devotion, but hard talking, then he wasn’t,”
to buy a book,” where the fu- Didion would later note.
ture always looks good “be- One month shy of their
cause no one remembers the 40th wedding anniversary,
past.” he was dead from a massive
“Nobody writes better coronary. He was 71.
English prose than Joan “Life changes fast
Didion,” critic John Leonard Life changes in the in-
once wrote. “Try to rear- stant.
range one of her sentences, You sit down to dinner
and you’ve realized that the and life as you know it ends.”
sentence was inevitable, a She set down those
hologram.” words a few days later, will-
President Obama called ing herself to write her way to
her “one of our sharpest and understanding an unfath-
most respected observers of omable loss. Written in her
American politics and cul- trademark style — terse, el-
ture” when he presented her liptical, clinically detailed —
with the National Human- Associated Press “The Year of Magical Think-
ities Medal in 2012. But some ‘RESTRAINT AND PERCEPTION’ ing” chronicled the year af-
critics wanted more from Joan Didion in 1977. The Sacramento native’s memoir “The Year of Magical Thinking” was wholly personal ter Dunne’s death, when she
Didion than cool-eyed ob- and piercingly raw. It explored the time after the death of her husband and frequent collaborator, John went a little crazy. Quintana
servations: They wanted to Gregory Dunne. One critic wrote: “I can’t imagine dying without this book.” was in and out of conscious-
be told what it all meant. ness and Didion had to tell
“Didion,” Barbara Grizzuti her three times that her fa-
Harrison wrote in the Nation she circled toward the center mento, where she attended when I was crying and when dren and who are, tragically, ther was dead. She would
in 1979, “makes it a point of and back out again. But in C.K. McClatchy High I was not, cried in elevators too immature to know it. Ex- not erase her husband’s
honor not to struggle for her search for truth and School. She described her- and in taxis and in Chinese hibits A and B are Max, a 3- voice from the answering
meaning.” meaning in a world where, as self as the kind of girl who laundries.” year-old who “does not yet machine and refused to give
Didion wrote 19 books, in- she frequently declared, the “spent the entire time cut- Her doctor gave her the talk,” and Susan, the 5-year- away his shoes, reasoning
cluding the bestselling nov- center “does not hold,” she ting class, reading novels name of a psychiatrist, but old who tells Didion she is in that he would need them
els “Play It as It Lays” and “A told stories with icy clarity. and smoking in the parking she did not go to see him. “In- “High Kindergarten,” who when he was able to “come
Book of Common Prayer.” “My only advantage as a lot.” stead,” she wrote, “I got mar- regularly gets stoned on acid back.”
Her nonfiction includes reporter,” she wrote in When she was rejected by ried, which as it turned out supplied by her mother. While her previous book,
“Salvador,” “Miami,” “After “Slouching Towards Bethle- Stanford University, she was a very good thing to do.” All Didion’s heroines are “Where I Was From” (2003),
Henry” and “We Tell Our- hem,” “is that I am so phys- contemplated killing herself Dunne, a Time magazine the walking wounded, es- had been part memoir, com-
selves Stories in Order to ically small, so tempera- with an overdose of pain staffer she had met on a tranged from their own emo- bining analysis of the Cali-
Live.” mentally unobtrusive, and pills. blind date and married in tions and from those they fornia dream with recollec-
Two of her last books so neurotically inarticulate Instead, after moping for 1964, helped her through the profess to love. In “A Book of tions of Sacramento and the
were her most personal. that people tend to forget several months, she enrolled muddle. Common Prayer” (1977), deaths of her parents, “Mag-
“The Year of Magical that my presence runs as an English major at UC They moved to Califor- which some critics consider ical Thinking” was wholly
Thinking” (2005) was writ- counter to their best inter- Berkeley. She studied writ- nia, intending to stay six her finest novel, protagonist personal and piercingly raw.
ten after the unexpected ests. And it always does. ing with Mark Schorer, who months. It turned into 24 Charlotte Douglas leaves a The Times of London called
heart attack death of her That is one last thing to re- gave her a B for failing to years. comfortable life in San Fran- it “a masterpiece of restraint
husband and frequent col- member: writers are always write the required number of They earned only $7,000 cisco for the imaginary re- and perception.” Leonard
laborator, John Gregory selling somebody out.” short stories. from freelance assignments public of Boca Grande, hop- wrote: “I can’t imagine dying
Dunne. In a wrenching rumi- Didion’s ancestors trav- In 1956 she entered a writ- in their first year in Los An- ing to reconnect with a without this book.”
nation on grief, she ap- eled west with the original ing competition for college geles, but work grew steadi- daughter who dropped out Didion was stunned by
praised their 40-year part- Donner-Reed Party in the seniors and won the top ly, particularly for Didion. of college to become a revo- the book’s success, but the
nership and described how mid-1800s (but parted com- prize — a job writing promo- From 1965 to 1967 she wrote lutionary. In “Democracy” achievement was bitter-
losing him unhinged her. pany before the others met tional copy at Vogue maga- essays for Holiday, the Sat- (1984), Inez Victor has lost a sweet.
She also described a series of their doom) and settled in zine in New York. Under the urday Evening Post, the New daughter — to heroin addic- Quintana had recovered
grave illnesses that beset Sacramento, where Didion tutelage of a demanding ed- York Times Magazine and tion — and a sister, who is sufficiently to attend her fa-
their daughter, Quintana, was born on Dec. 5, 1934. Al- itor, she learned to compress American Scholar, produc- killed by their father. In “The ther’s funeral, which was
just before he died. though she would later her writing by producing ing most of the pieces that Last Thing He Wanted” held in March 2004. But a few
Then Quintana died in strike out for points east and eight-line photo captions. would be collected in (1996), Elena McMahon has days later she collapsed
August 2005, two months be- south, she retained her “Everything had to work, ev- “Slouching Towards Bethle- lost her mother, left her hus- from a cerebral hemorrhage.
fore “Magical Thinking” was clan’s conservative outlook ery word, every comma,” hem,” published in 1968. She band, alienated her daugh- Other complications fol-
published. Didion’s next and reverence for a certain Didion told Paris Review in dedicated the book to their ter and has cancer. lowed, and she died on Aug.
book, the memoir “Blue pioneer ethic. 2006. daughter, Quintana, whom Didion’s nonfiction was 26, 2005, at 39. In October,
Nights” (2011), was an effort Her father, Frank, was an She found New York in- she and Dunne adopted as no more consoling. “The the month “Magical Think-
to come to terms with her Air Force officer whose job toxicating. “Just around ev- an infant in 1966, some time White Album,” a collection of ing” was published, Didion
only child’s death and what necessitated frequent ery corner lay something cu- after Didion had suffered a 20 essays, took its title from placed her daughter’s ashes
she saw as her failings as a moves. With her mother, rious and interesting, some- traumatic miscarriage. the 1968 Beatles album with next to those of her husband.
mother. Eduene, and younger thing I had never before seen During this prolific pe- the blank white cover. Five years later Didion
“Magical Thinking” won brother, James, who died in or done or known about,” riod, Didion was experienc- The title essay is a jittery began to write “Blue
a 2005 National Book Award 2020, she lived near air bases she wrote years later. ing depression, the signs of embroidery of flashbacks — Nights,” named for the lin-
and was her bestselling in Washington, North Car- Yet she missed the Sacra- which included “an attack of of strangers who wandered gering twilights that pre-
work, with more than a mil- olina and Colorado during mento Valley — its heat, riv- vertigo, nausea, and a feel- into her house in Hollywood, cede the summer solstice
lion copies sold. She turned World War II. ers and comforting insular- ing that she was going to of a recording session with and a dark period in the au-
it into a play directed by It was a lonely existence ity. Homesickness drove her pass out,” according to a the Doors at which no music thor’s life when “I found my
David Hare and starring for a sensitive child. When to write her first novel, “Run psychiatric evaluation con- was recorded, of encounters mind turning increasingly to
Vanessa Redgrave as the Didion was 5, her mother, a River” (1963), which was set ducted at St. John’s Hospi- with Huey Newton, Cleaver illness, to the end of promise,
character named Joan Did- former librarian, gave her a among Sacramento’s tal in Santa Monica in June and Manson family member the dwindling of the days,
ion, which ran on Broadway notebook “with the sensible landed gentry in the 1940s 1968. As she later observed in Linda Kasabian. An excerpt the inevitability of the fad-
in 2007. suggestion that I stop whin- and ’50s. Like much of her “The White Album,” the at- from Didion’s psychiatric re- ing, the dying of the bright-
“Magical Thinking” was ing and learn to amuse my- writing, it portrays a world tack “does not now seem to port serves as a metaphor ness.”
the most overtly personal of self by writing down my faltering on the brink of in- me an inappropriate re- for a malfunctioning society. “Blue Nights” was a dual
Didion’s books, but in a thoughts.” In Colorado, she comprehensible change. A sponse to the summer of The collection ends with portrait — of Quintana as a
sense all her journalistic walked the grounds of a san- marriage ends, a way of life 1968,” a convulsive time of “Quiet Days in Malibu,” in troubled child who once
writing was personal. itarium near their home, collapses; murder and sui- anti-Vietnam War protests which she writes of a 1978 fire called Camarillo State Hos-
Whether the subject was eavesdropped on conversa- cide are the ways out. and the assassinations of that destroyed a greenhouse pital to find out what she
Nancy Reagan, Eldridge tions and wrote them down, With one book to her Martin Luther King Jr. and full of orchids where she should do if she went crazy,
Cleaver, Death Valley or Los “hoarding” and “rearrang- credit, Didion quit her full- Robert F. Kennedy. often sought refuge. and of Didion as a failed par-
Angeles freeways, her sen- ing” the bits of dialogue to time job at Vogue and free- She wrote the title essay What these events mean ent, too self-absorbed to rec-
sibility — ironic, yearning make stories. lanced as its movie critic. of “Slouching” in 1967. Bor- goes unsaid. (“I don’t like ognize her daughter’s emo-
and uneasy — guided her By the time she reached Her career as a film reviewer rowing from W.B. Yeats’ things that are stated tional difficulties. Published
grapplings with the world. her teens, she was copying ended after she turned in a bleak poem “The Second openly,” Didion once said.) when Didion was 75, it also
Her pieces exuded what the pages of Hemingway on her sardonic review of “The Coming,” she begins with But she leaves a clear im- lays bare the author’s strug-
New York Times Book Re- typewriter to learn how his Sound of Music,” the senti- the observation that the pression that an era was gles with getting older.
view called “her highly vul- sentences worked. mental 1965 blockbuster “center is not holding” in a closing and Malibu was her “During the blue nights
nerable sense of herself.” Although she said she about the Von Trapp family culture awash in bankrupt- Eden no more. “The fire had you think the end of day will
Unlike Norman Mailer, had a happy childhood, in and their escape from Nazi- cies, evictions, runaway chil- come to within 125 feet of the never come. As the blue
Hunter S. Thompson and scattered bits of writing she dominated Austria. Didion dren, absent parents. For a property, then stopped or nights draw to a close (and
other pioneers of literary offered evidence to the con- abhorred its sanitized, up- closer look at the chaos, she turned or been beaten back, they will, and they do) you
journalism, Didion did not trary. When she was 8 and beat view of one of history’s headed for San Francisco, it was hard to tell which. In experience an actual chill, an
become a character in her experiencing the disloca- darkest chapters. “Just “where the social hemor- any case,” she wrote, “it was apprehension of illness, at
own stories. A pale wisp of a tions of wartime, she started whistle a happy tune,” she rhaging was showing up” no longer our house.” the moment you first notice:
woman (90 pounds on a 5- having migraine headaches. wrote, “and leave the An- and the missing children Dunne had been her first the blue light is going, the
foot-2-inch frame), with When she was 13, she walked schluss behind.” had surfaced as hippies. editor on all the books she days are already shortening,
drab hair and wide-set eyes into the Pacific Ocean at By then New York’s The essay proceeds in wrote after they married. the summer is gone.... Blue
often hidden behind aviator night with her notebook be- charms and Didion herself fragments, held together by They also collaborated on nights are the opposite of
glasses, she was by her own cause she was curious about were wearing thin. She half a dozen aimless charac- several screenplays, includ- the dying of the brightness,
description “shy to the point suicide. She came to no avoided places in the city she ters who cannot implement ing “The Panic in Needle but they are also its warn-
of aggravation.” She pre- harm, but the migraines af- once had enjoyed, hurt peo- their visions, much less keep Park” (1971) with Al Pacino; ing.”
ferred to cultivate sources flicted her for life. ple she cared about and was a job; who rely on drugs to at- the 1976 remake of “A Star Is
on the periphery of stories, After the war, she and her constantly in tears. “I cried tain wisdom that remains Born” with Barbra Woo is a former Times staff
“picking up vibrations” as family returned to Sacra- until I was not even aware elusive; who fail their chil- Streisand; the adaptations writer.
A8 FR I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M

BUSINESS
Debt collectors texting you? Thank Trump
debt collectors have if the amount the collector is accounts receivable man-
The digital realm is no changed, and not necessari- seeking to collect is accu- agement industry” in more
ly in a good way for consum- rate,” the agency said. than four decades.
longer off limits, and ers. It reminded consumers But as Spider-Man
all those notices could Call it a delayed Christ- that they have rights under would say, with great power
mas present from Donald the federal Fair Debt Collec- comes great responsibility.
get ‘very confusing.’ Trump. tion Practices Act, which, It remains to be seen if
While Trump was presi- among other things, makes debt collectors will use their
DAVID LAZARUS dent, his business-friendly it illegal for a debt collector new cyberfreedom responsi-
Consumer Financial Protec- to threaten or harass peo- bly, or if some, particularly
If you splurged tion Bureau adopted new ple. the more unscrupulous
more this year rules allowing debt collec- Under the new rules, a ones, will exploit online
on holiday tors to email and text peo- collector reaching out via messaging as a cool new
goodies, you’re ple, as well as follow and electronic means must way to badger people into
not alone. message people via social clearly identify itself and its coughing up some cash.
More than media. purpose, and must specify Remember, not all debt
half of Ameri- Those new rules finally how the collector can be is collectable. In California,
cans planned took effect this month. reached with any questions the statute of limitations for
to boost their Kathleen Kraninger, who Carolyn Kaster Associated Press or disputes. consumer debt is four years.
holiday spend- headed the consumer KATHY KRANINGER led the CFPB in the Trump If a debt collector con- This means a creditor can’t
ing as part of efforts to agency under Trump de- era. The agency adopted rules allowing debt collectors tacts you via Facebook or prevail in court after four
shake off the pandemic spite zero prior experience to contact people via email, text and social media. some other social media years have passed.
blues, according to a recent in consumer affairs, said in a platform, its messages must But if you pony up even a
survey. Some said they’d be blog post last year that new challenging for people “to point: At a time when most be private and off-limits to small amount of any obliga-
spending as much as $1,000 rules were needed for “a tell whether it’s a real debt people are bombarded daily other users. tion older than four years,
more than a year ago. debt collection system that collector or a scammer.” with emails, texts and social The collector must be that’ll restart the debt
But about a third of works for consumers and “This could work both media messages from scam- upfront about its intentions clock, allowing the collector
survey respondents ac- industry in the modern ways,” she told me. “They mers, adding debt collectors before requesting to add to once again pursue legal
knowledged worries about world.” could ignore a real debt to the mix probably won’t do you as a friend or contact for action.
going deeper into debt — “Debt collectors and collector or they could re- consumers any favors. direct communication. It If you have questions
and those concerns are consumers have been spond to a scammer, believ- Legit messages may be also must provide an easy about any message saying
warranted. trapped in a time warp,” she ing it to be a real collection.” ignored. Bogus messages way of opting out if you you owe some cash, you’re
Household debt topped said. “They have been re- Sherry said an expected may cause people to send don’t want any further entitled by law to request
$15 trillion for the first time quired to communicate with surge in cybernotices from money to fraudsters. A online messages. details of the obligation —
ever in the third quarter, each other under standards collectors “will be very con- whole new level of vigilance If you’re having an issue and to ask if the debt falls
fueled in part by rising Congress enacted in 1977.” fusing” for many people, will be required from con- with a collector that isn’t within the statute of limita-
inflation, according to the Although that’s true, “and consumers are going to sumers. following the rules, you can tions.
New York Federal Reserve. consumer advocates warn have to pay very close atten- In announcing imple- lodge a complaint with the Collectors just gained
Total credit card balan- that unleashing debt collec- tion to respond appropri- mentation of the new rules CFPB via its website. some powerful new tools.
ces jumped by $17 billion to tors in the digital realm may ately and ensure their last month, the CFPB ac- ACA International, a But you’re not defenseless.
roughly $800 billion, revers- only complicate things for rights.” knowledged that things are trade group for debt collec- Know your rights. Use them.
ing the more financially people with financial obliga- I asked the under-new- now more complicated for tors, pushed hard during
cautious behavior that saw tions. management CFPB if consumers. the Trump administration David Lazarus’ column runs
many consumers paying Linda Sherry, a spokes- there’s any discussion at the “If a debt collector con- for the new rules to be Tuesdays and Fridays. He
down balances because of person for the advocacy agency about revising or tacts you about your debts, adopted. also can be seen daily on
COVID-19. group Consumer Action, rescinding the Trump-era you may have concerns The group called the KTLA-TV Channel 5 and on
That’s not the whole said the prospect of debt rules. No one got back to about whether the debt ability to email, text and Twitter @davidlaz. Send
story, though. You should collection via electronic me. collector is legitimate, message borrowers “the your tips to david.lazarus
also be aware that rules for messages may make it But Sherry makes a good whether the debt is yours or biggest development in the @latimes.com.

Amazon settles
with labor board
over workers’
right to organize
Wong said. “This opens up
associated press
new opportunities for union-
ization there as well as at
Under pressure to im- other companies.”
prove worker rights, Ama- Wong noted that the set-
zon has reached a settle- tlement comes as Amazon,
ment with the National La- the nation’s second-largest
bor Relations Board to allow private employer, after Wal-
its employees to freely organ- mart, is on a hiring binge
ize — and do so without re- while facing organizing ef-
taliation. forts at warehouses in Ala-
According to the settle- bama and New York.
ment, the online behemoth In November, the labor
said it would reach out to its board ordered a new union
warehouse workers — for- election for Amazon workers
mer and current — via email in Bessemer, Ala., based on
who were on the job anytime objections to the first vote
from March 22 to now to noti- that took place in April. The
Christina House Los Angeles Times fy them of their organizing move was a blow to Amazon,
“I FELT THAT it would be different — more measures to make sure we were OK. And there’s not,” said one rights. Amazon workers, which spent about a year ag-
grocery employee who previously had contracted COVID-19. Above, a Food 4 Less in Long Beach in February. who number 750,000 in the gressively campaigning for
U.S., will have more room to the Bessemer warehouse
organize. For example, Ama- workers to reject the union,

‘You just collapse’: Another fearful zon pledged it will not

threaten workers with disci-
pline or call the police
when they are engaging in
which they ultimately did by
a wide margin. The board
has not yet determined the
date for the second election,

holiday season for grocery workers union activity in exterior

nonwork areas during non-
work time.
Under the settlement,
and it hasn’t determined
whether it will be conducted
in person or by mail.

pandemic has made more eligible to receive a one-time vironment,” she said in an e- the labor board will be able
By Suhauna Hussain people aware of pressures re- payment of $100, she said. mail. to more easily sue Amazon ‘Amazon has been
After taking several
tail workers face, not all cus-
tomers are kind.
“We have been navigating
the COVID-19 pandemic for
Now, when Spencer
shops at the store, she hears
— without going through a
laborious process of admin-
very consistent in
months off following a bout
with COVID-19, Rachel Cam-
“I just got called a ‘Nazi
pedophile’ for telling some-
almost two years and, in line
with our values, the safety of
that it’s short-staffed. Some-
times customers wait 15 to 30
istrative hearings — if it finds
that the online company re-
holding a strong
pos went back to work as a one to put on a mask,” said our associates and custom- minutes in line to buy a few neged on its agreement. anti-union
grocery store cashier in July Kathleen Scott, who works ers has remained our top pri- items, Spencer said. “Whether a company has
with more knowledge about at an Albertsons grocery ority,” Rosales said in an Spencer wasn’t the only 10 employees or a million em- position.’
how to minimize the risk of store in Los Feliz. emailed statement. “We also one who decided to leave the ployees, it must abide by the
— Kent Wong,
contracting the disease on Scott said her employer continue to comply with all store. Nearly everyone in the National Labor Relations
director of the UCLA Labor
the job, and hopes of feeling has not issued new guidance government regulations and department she worked in Act,” NLRB general counsel
Center
safer. amid the rise in Omicron in- are carefully reviewing the has quit Whole Foods since Jennifer Abruzzo said in a
This week, a co-worker fections. Working through various components of the she left. A few went on to statement. “This settlement
Campos had been in close the pandemic has worn her requirements and learning work at Trader Joe’s, she agreement provides a cru- The campaign is being
contact with at her Ralphs and many of her co-workers from government agencies said. cial commitment from Ama- spearheaded by the Retail,
location tested positive for down, she said, and the tem- and other experts to deter- “No one I worked with is zon to millions of its workers Wholesale and Department
the virus, and she has heard porary $5-an-hour hazard mine our approach.” happy, and everyone I speak across the United States Store Union.
of several other infections pay boost mandated by the Grocers are facing a dou- to is looking for other em- that it will not interfere On Wednesday, the Ama-
among the staff, upending city has expired. Scott feels ble hit, said Burt P. ployment,” Spencer said. with their right to act collec- zon Labor Union, an inde-
any sense of control or safety they receive little support Flickinger III, managing di- “This is hard, underpaid, tively to improve their work- pendent group representing
as the Omicron variant of from their employer. She lik- rector of the retail consult- and underappreciated place by forming a union or workers in New York’s Stat-
the coronavirus sweeps ened the experience to run- ant Strategic Resource work.” taking other collective ac- en Island borough, refiled its
through California with ning a marathon. Group. They are short- On Wednesday morning, tion.” petition for a union election.
staggering speed. “When you get to the last staffed with employees out a supervisor notified Cam- She added that “working The group of workers with-
“I felt that it would be dif- three miles, you push your- with COVID-19, and in some pos that the co-worker Cam- people should know that the drew its first petition in mid-
ferent — more measures to self harder because you cases because other retailers pos had been in close contact National Labor Relations November to hold a vote to
make sure we were OK. And think it will be over soon,” are enticing away their work- with had tested positive. Board will vigorously seek unionize after lacking an ad-
there’s not,” said Campos, Scott said. “We keep feeling ers with signing bonuses and Campos said she did not re- to ensure Amazon’s compli- equate number of workers
who finds herself anxious like we got to that last mile, other perks. ceive instructions to quaran- ance with the settlement pledging their support. For-
and paranoid at work once and then there’s another Unionized employers tine or any further guidance. and continue to defend the mer Amazon employee
again. mile, and at some point you such as Kroger, which owns Campos worked for hours labor rights of all workers.” Christian Smalls is organiz-
Workers are struggling just collapse.” Ralphs, tend to have higher feeling paranoid, wondering A representative of Ama- ing the effort in Staten Is-
through another winter holi- Albertsons did not im- levels of worker retention be- if she was starting to feel zon.com Inc., based in Seat- land without the help of a na-
day season with a COVID-19 mediately respond to a re- cause of their better ben- sick. When she got a head- tle, couldn’t be reached im- tional sponsor.
surge, this one with a variant quest for comment. efits, Flickinger said. “Work- ache, she decided she’d had mediately for comment. The organizing drive is
spreading faster than any Kroger spokeswoman ers at these unionized gro- enough and left her shift Kent Wong, the director also happening during a mo-
before it. The week leading Vanessa E. Rosales said that cers tend to be productive early, clocking out around 5 of the UCLA Labor Center, ment of reckoning across
up to Christmas is usually a the company has taken a and loyal, whereas there’s far p.m. instead of her sched- called the settlement “un- corporate America as the
busy one for grocery stores, number of precautions, in- more turnover in restau- uled 9:30 p.m. end time. A precedented” and said it rep- pandemic and ensuing labor
and this year, food retailers cluding implementing sev- rants, particularly in fast headache was the same ini- resents a sea change in atti- shortage have given employ-
are expecting record-break- eral workplace safety poli- food,” Flickinger said. tial symptom Campos had tude at Amazon, which is ees more leverage to fight for
ing sales. cies at the onset of the pan- Dana Spencer quit her when she got COVID a year known to deploy fierce mea- better working conditions
For workers, that is not demic and making the ad- job at the Whole Foods in La- ago. sures against union activity and pay. Workers have
translating into more or bet- ministration of vaccines to guna Nigel, where she She is not scheduled to at its warehouses. staged strikes at Kellogg’s
ter protections at work, sev- workers a primary focus. As- worked for seven years, just work for the next two days. “Amazon has been very U.S. cereal plants as well as
eral employees said in inter- sociates who get the re- after Easter. “It was getting She plans to take tests and consistent in holding a at Deere & Co. and at Star-
views. And although the quired number of doses are to be an untenable work en- monitor her symptoms. strong anti-union position,” bucks, to name a few.
L AT I M E S . C O M F R I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 A9
MARKET ROUNDUP

Stocks surge; S&P 500

reaches another record
associated press
Major stock indexes
Wall Street added to its Daily Daily % YTD %
Index Close change change change
recent string of gains Thurs-
day, closing out a holiday- Dow industrials 35,950.56 +196.67 +0.55 +17.46
shortened week of trading S&P 500 4,725.79 +29.23 +0.62 +25.82
with a broad stock rally that Nasdaq composite 15,653.37 +131.48 +0.85 +21.45
nudged the Standard & S&P 400 2,795.82 +19.26 +0.69 +21.21
Gillian Flaccus Associated Press
Poor’s 500 to an all-time TESLA AGREED to update its touch-screen software after NHTSA opened an
Russell 2000 2,241.58 +19.68 +0.89 +13.51
high. investigation into concerns that people could play video games while driving.
The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, EuroStoxx 50 3,789.16 +35.04 +0.93 +21.90
its third straight gain. The Nikkei (Japan) 28,798.37 +236.16 +0.83 +4.93
benchmark index’s latest
milestone marks its 68th
record high this year. It’s
now up 25.8% for the year
Hang Seng (Hong Kong)
Associated Press
23,193.64 +91.31 +0.40 -14.83
Facing probe, Tesla disables
with just five trading days
left in 2021.
The Dow Jones indus-
trial average rose 0.6% and
close at 2,241.58.
Bond yields rose. The
yield on the 10-year Treasury
rose to 1.49% from 1.46% late
sumer spending, which ac-
counts for 70% of U.S. econo-
mic activity, could soften
and hurt economic growth.
games in moving vehicles
the Nasdaq gained 0.8%. The Wednesday. The latest report shows that about infotainment screens moving.
associated press
Russell 2000, a measure of Wall Street is trying to spending rose 0.6%, well be- with all automakers. A mes- NHTSA said that the
small-company stocks, rose gauge how corporate profits low the 1.4% surge in Octo- sage was left Thursday seek- Passenger Play feature
0.9%. in 2022 may be affected by in- ber. Under pressure from U.S. ing comment from Tesla, could distract the driver and
Stock indexes bounced flation, global supply chain Meanwhile, the Labor auto safety regulators, Tesla which has disbanded its me- increase the risk of a crash.
back this week after posting disruptions and the pan- Department reported that has agreed to stop allowing dia relations department. The probe covers about
weekly losses last week. demic. the number of Americans video games to be played on The agency said its inves- 580,000 Tesla Models S, X, Y
A surge in coronavirus In the near term, the out- applying for unemployment center touch screens while tigation of Tesla’s feature and 3 from the 2017 through
cases because of the Omi- look is being clouded by the benefits was unchanged last its vehicles are moving. will continue even with the 2022 model years.
cron variant has weighed on rapid spread of Omicron. week, remaining at a histori- The National Highway update. It was not clear In documents detailing
Wall Street, adding to con- Governments in Asia and cally low level that reflects Traffic Safety Administra- whether NHTSA would re- the investigation, NHTSA
cerns about higher inflation Europe have tightened trav- the job market’s strong re- tion said the company quire Tesla to do a formal re- said Passenger Play has
and its effect on economic el controls or pushed back covery from the coronavirus agreed to send out a soft- call with the update. In the been available since Decem-
growth. plans to relax curbs already recession last year. ware update over the inter- past the agency has asked ber 2020. Before that, game-
Traders may have been in place. About 80% of stocks in net so the function called Tesla why it should not be play was possible only when
encouraged by some prelim- Investors got some good the benchmark S&P 500 Passenger Play would be required to do recalls with its vehicles were in park.
inary research that suggests news Thursday as U.S. gained ground, with tech- locked and unavailable safety-related software up- The NHTSA documents
Omicron, while spreading health regulators author- nology and industrial com- while vehicles are in motion. dates. do not list any crashes or in-
much faster than the Delta ized Merck’s pill to treat panies accounting for a big The announcement “The Vehicle Safety Act juries caused by the prob-
variant, may cause less se- COVID-19. Regulators had share of the gains. Real es- comes one day after the prohibits manufacturers lem.
vere illness. previously cleared the way tate and utilities stocks agency said it would open a from selling vehicles with Tesla owner Vince Pat-
“COVID is spreading at for a treatment from Pfizer. lagged. formal investigation into defects posing unreason- ton, 59, filed the complaint
an incredible rate, but the Traders also weighed a Cisco systems, which distracted driving concerns able risks to safety, including last month after discovering
fact that this version just mix of economic data. makes routers and other about Tesla’s video games, technologies that distract the gaming feature could be
seems to be less lethal is The Commerce Depart- computer hardware, rose some of which could be drivers from driving safely,” used by drivers. Patton, who
giving people a lot of hope,” ment reported that U.S. con- 1.2%. Chipmaker Micron played while cars were being NHTSA’s statement said. loves his car and says he has
said J.J. Kinahan, chief sumer prices rose 5.7% in No- Technology rose 4.5%. driven. The agency said it as- nothing against Tesla, wor-
strategist with TD Ameri- vember versus a year earlier, Retailers and other com- An agency spokeswoman sesses how manufacturers ried that drivers would play
trade. “That’s giving people the fastest pace in 39 years, panies that rely on con- said in a statement Thurs- identify and guard against games and become danger-
real confidence going for- as a surge in inflation con- sumer spending gained day that the change came distraction hazards due to ously distracted.
ward as we head into 2022.” fronts Americans with the ground. Tesla jumped 5.8% after regulators discussed misuse or intended use of NHTSA already is inves-
The S&P 500 rose 29.23 holiday shopping season for the biggest gain in the concerns about the system screens and other conven- tigating why Tesla’s Auto-
points to 4,725.79. The index underway. S&P 500. Target rose 1.5% with Tesla. ience technology. pilot partially automated
rose 2.3% for the week. Its Businesses have been and Domino’s Pizza rose The first update went out The agency announced driving system keeps crash-
latest all-time high eclipsed dealing with supply chain 2.1%. Wednesday as part of Tesla’s Wednesday that it would for- ing into stopped emergency
the one it set Dec. 10. problems and higher raw European markets were holiday software release, mally investigate Tesla’s vehicles. It’s also looking
The Dow advanced 196.67 materials costs, and in turn higher, and Asian markets and the rest of the vehicles screens after an owner from into the performance of Tes-
points to 35,950.56, while the passing those costs off to closed higher overnight. were expected to get it the Portland, Ore., area filed la’s so-called Full Self-Driv-
Nasdaq rose 131.48 points to consumers. U.S. markets will be Thursday. a complaint when he discov- ing software after getting a
15,653.37. The Russell 2000 The higher prices have closed Friday in observance The statement said ered that a driver could play complaint that it nearly
picked up 19.67 points to raised concern that con- of Christmas. NHTSA regularly talks games while the cars were caused a crash.

Trump asks justices to block access to files

[Trump, from A1]
mine the Presidency and our
Republic.” They said the de-
cisions rejecting Trump’s
claim of privilege “effectively
gut the ability of former
presidents to maintain exe-
cutive privilege over the ob-
jection of an incumbent, who
is often (as is the case here) a
political rival.”
They are asking the court
to block release of any docu-
ments and grant review of
Trump’s appeal.
A federal judge and a
three-judge panel of the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit rejected Trump’s
executive privilege claims in
recent weeks.
“Presidents are not
kings, and the plaintiff is not
president,” wrote U.S. Dis-
trict Judge Tanya Chutkan,
an Obama appointee, in
a November ruling that
turned aside Trump’s
claims.
From the start, Trump’s
lawyers made clear they
were aiming their appeal
at the more conservative
Supreme Court with its
three Trump appointees. It
is unclear how quickly the
high court will act on the ap-
peal. It is likely to ask the
House committee and the
Biden administration for a
response before issuing a
ruling.
The case began in August
when the House committee
under Democratic control
asked the National Archives, Evan Vucci Associated Press
which has custody of presi- THEN-PRESIDENT Trump speaks in Washington on Jan. 6. A House committee wants to see his records leading up to the insurrection.
dential records, for “all docu-
ments and communications to shield these documents block the release. In refusing Trump’s legal portions of the Capitol that “you’ll never take back
related to efforts, plans, or was “not in the best interests They said the records claim, Judge Patricia Mil- building were badly dam- our country with weakness”
proposals to contest the of the United States,” given were protected by presi- lett, writing for the D.C. aged; and the lives of mem- and declared “[w]e fight like
2020 Presidential election the “unique and extraordi- dential privilege, and Con- Circuit, said that executive bers of the House and Sen- hell, and if you don’t fight
results” from April 2020 to nary circumstances.” gress had no “legitimate leg- privilege, “like all other Arti- ate, as well as aides, staffers, like hell, you’re not going to
January 2021. In a letter to David Fer- islative purpose” in obtain- cle II powers, resides with and others who were work- have a country anymore.”
Committee Chairman riero, the archivist of the ing them. the sitting President.” ing in the building, were en- Early in his hourlong ad-
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D- United States, White House The Constitution does She noted that the dangered,” she wrote. dress, Trump said he ex-
Miss.) also requested “docu- Counsel Dana Remus wrote not say Congress has a Supreme Court left open the Moreover, “there is a di- pected his supporters would
ments, communications, that “the constitutional pro- power to investigate, nor possibility in 1977 that for- rect linkage between the for- march “peacefully and patri-
videos, photographs and tections of executive privi- does it give the president an mer President Nixon could mer President and the otically” to the Capitol to
other media generated lege should not be used to “executive privilege” to still assert some claims of events of the day,” she add- “make your voices heard.”
within the White House on shield, from Congress or the refuse requests for informa- “confidentiality” in his White ed. House Democrats noted
Jan. 6, 2021 that relate to the public, information that re- tion. But both powers have House records. But in this Her opinion recounted during impeachment pro-
rally on the Ellipse, the flects a clear and apparent been asserted through most case, the balance of interests how the insurrection began. ceedings he used the word
march to the Capitol, the vi- effort to subvert the Consti- of American history and up- clearly favors Congress and Trump rallied his support- “fight” or “fighting” 20 times.
olence at the Capitol, and tution itself.” held by the courts. its need for information, ers at the Ellipse shortly be- When the speech con-
the activities of President In this instance, she add- Presidents and their wrote Millett, an Obama ap- fore noon on Jan. 6, and re- cluded, Millett wrote, “a
Trump and other high-level ed, Congress has a “compel- Cabinet secretaries fre- pointee who was joined in peated his false claims that large crowd of President
Executive Branch officials ling need” to investigate “an quently resist broad de- her ruling by two other the election was “rigged” Trump’s supporters — in-
that day,” the appeals court unprecedented effort to ob- mands for information from Democratic appointees. and “stolen,” she wrote. He cluding some armed with
noted. struct the peaceful transfer congressional committees. “Here, the House of Rep- told the crowd that “we’re weapons and wearing full
Under the Presidential of power” and the “most seri- But the two sides often work resentatives is investigating going to to walk down Penn- tactical gear — marched to
Records Act, Trump was no- ous attack on the operations out agreements to turn over the single most deadly at- sylvania Avenue” and “de- the Capitol and violently
tified of the request along of the Federal Government a significant amount of what tack on the Capitol by do- mand that Congress do the broke into the building to try
with Biden. since the Civil War.” was requested. Rarely are mestic forces in the history right thing and only count and prevent Congress’ certi-
In response, Biden said Lawyers for Trump filed these disputes resolved in of the United States. Lives the electors who have been fication of the election re-
asserting executive privilege suit in October seeking to court. were lost; blood was shed; lawfully slated.” He warned sults.”
A10 FR I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M / O P I N I O N

OPINION

EDITORIAL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lumps of coal or presents under the tree?

f Santa was really taking names for his 2021 naughty and nice list, surely the Jan. 6 insurrectionists would fill the

I top, along with former President Trump and other Republican politicians who have attacked our democracy and
continue to peddle the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen. ¶ But regrettably, there are plenty of others who
also deserve to be added to the dishonorable side of the ledger. Those disappointments are tempered by the heartwarm-
ing actions of those who populate the “nice” side of the compilation. Here is our annual tally of the people — and, in some
cases, the things — that deserve special recognition this year. — The Times editorial board

Naughty ing all college admissions tests despite a

thoughtful faculty report that called for re-
wrongs done to Black property owners in
the service of white supremacy and racial
Fox News host Tucker Carlson, for us- taining them. exclusion.
Manchin ing his enormous media platform to prom- Mayor Eric Garcetti for looking to bail The Derek Chauvin jury, which did its Goodman
ulgate conspiracy theories and misinfor- on Los Angeles early to become ambas- work amid enormous scrutiny and found
mation about the Jan. 6 attack on the Cap- sador to India. the defendant guilty of killing George
itol, the “deep state,” COVID-19 vaccines Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced former Floyd in 2020.
and too many other topics to mention Democratic governor of New York who re- Vanessa Nakate of Uganda and other
here. signed while under investigation for sexual youth activists at the U.N. climate summit
The countless conspiracy peddlers on harassment, and his brother Chris Cuo- in Glasgow, Scotland, for calling out world
social media whose lies and sophistry have mo, the disgraced former CNN host who leaders’ hollow promises and demanding
made it harder to end the pandemic, lead- was fired by the network after it was re- real action.
ing to preventable illness and death. vealed that he used his job to help his Scientists, for developing the first vac-
The world leaders and billionaires brother fight the sexual harassment accu- cine for malaria, a disease that kills hun-
with secret offshore accounts designed to sations. dreds of thousands a year in Africa, most of
hide their wealth and dodge taxes who Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who slunk them children.
were exposed in the Pandora Papers pub- off to Cancun after a winter storm in his NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover and
lished by the International Consortium of home state of Texas overwhelmed the its robotic helicopter, Ingenuity, for an in-
Villanueva Investigative Journalists. state’s electrical grid and cut off power to spiring and successful mission that in- Spears
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Vil- millions of his constituents, and caused cluded the first powered, controlled flight
lanueva, for numerous offenses. Among the deaths of more than 200 people. on another planet.
them: He failed to show up to the Civilian The recall supporters who abused the California’s top state and county elec-
Oversight Commission meetings despite state’s direct democracy system by push- tions officials for smoothly pulling off the
being subpoenaed, organized an off-the- ing politically motivated campaigns to recall election amid tight deadlines,
books investigative unit to look into his po- oust Gov. Gavin Newsom and other local piqued emotions and lots of unexpected
litical rivals, and sent deputies to patrol government officials because they didn’t turns of events.
Venice Beach despite it being under the ju- like their policies. Public school teachers for largely get-
risdiction of the Los Angeles Police De- The captain of the Ever Given for ting on board with the vaccine mandate,
partment. bringing global trade to a halt after his making campuses safer and allowing chil-
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III of container ship got wedged in the Suez Ca- dren to get back to the classroom.
West Virginia, whose opposition may have nal and blocked shipping traffic for a week. Britney Spears — yes, really — for
doomed President Biden’s “Build Back standing up to her father and others

Greene
Better” bill and its historic investment to
fight climate change. We’d say give him a Nice in control of her life by way of a probate
conservatorship, winning back her Osaka
lump of coal, but that would only add to Capitol Police Officer Eugene Good- independence and in the process revealing
the mountain of profits he makes from the man, for diverting Jan. 6 rioters away from serious problems in California’s conserva-
coal industry. the U.S. Senate chamber, giving senators torship system.
The Los Angeles firefighters and po- time to get out of harm’s way. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and
lice officers who not only refused to get Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), for having tennis star Naomi Osaka, for their
vaccinated against COVID-19 but sued the the courage to reject Trump’s lies about courage and frankness in discussing their
city to stop the mandate. What happened the presidential election being stolen, con- mental health and bringing attention to
to “protect and serve”? demning the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, support- the immense pressure felt by female ath-
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), ing the second impeachment of Trump, letes.
who equated wearing masks to protect and standing up for truth in the face of The L.A. school board for hiring an
against COVID-19 to the Holocaust, com- craven attacks by Republican leaders, experienced, promising new superintend-
pared Democrats to Nazis, called for the death threats and loss of her position as ent, Alberto Carvalho.
execution of various elected officials and House Republican conference chair. Larry Elder, whose reactionary con-
spread an antisemitic conspiracy theory The Bruce family, for keeping up the servative views as a candidate for governor
Carlson that the deadly 2018 Camp fire was caused fight to regain the Manhattan Beach scared Californians enough for them to Carvalho
by space lasers owned by the Rothschilds. property wrongly taken from a previous overwhelmingly reject the recall of Gov.
Los Angeles Times and Associated Press
Getty Images photos The UC Board of Regents for eliminat- generation and righting one of many Gavin Newsom. and Invision photos

LETTERS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The populace gives lip Democrats try to get some- cation than long-range
service to climate goals thing done; the Republicans infrastructure improve-
while legislators avoid the obstruct, to a person. ments.
draconian measures that Goldberg also compares Christine Hagel
would be required. Biden’s plan to President Orcutt, Calif.
Let’s face it: There is no Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New
way that California will Deal. In the 1930s, we were ::
meet its legal mandate to going through the worst
cut emissions 40% below depression in our history. I It’s ironic that Goldberg
1990 levels by 2030. am 91 and have vivid memo- begins a column about the
Glynn Morris ries of how we lived in those failure of “Build Back Bet-
Playa del Rey days. While FDR offered ter” with an anecdote about
hope, economically we God’s attempts to rescue a
:: didn’t really snap out of it man from a flood.
until World War II. The climate elements of
Re “Catastrophic changes Even though we’re politi- “Build Back Better” were an
in Alaska’s warming cally divided and Biden has attempt to rescue us from a
oceans,” Dec. 19 no coattails, but for future of floods and many
COVID-19, this economy other varieties of warming-
Alaska is just another would be bustling. related devastation.
bellwether ecosystem sig- No, Mr. Goldberg, it’s not But Goldberg writes
Myung J. Chun Los Angeles Times naling irreversible climate that many Americans are nothing about the obvious
AN ELECTRIC Nissan Leaf that is part of a car-sharing program is plugged in at change. Everyone alive now hungry for a New Deal; it’s urgency of these efforts,
an EV charging station in San Pedro on Dec. 2. lives somewhere that used that many Americans are preferring to concentrate
to be something else. hungry. solely on the politics.

Drive less. That goes for EVs too We have been in a period
of picking winners and
losers for some time now.
Nate Tucker
Costa Mesa
Don Shirley
Sherman Oaks

Re “California lagging on climate,” editorial, Dec. 19 This is what authoritarians ::

and oligarchs like best: a
sure thing. Wealth is Goldberg posits that
Democracy Day
lectric cars shouldn’t be regarded as the silver-bullet solution to lowering auto-

E mobile emissions. While they don’t run on gas, their batteries create their own set of
environmental problems.
What we need is to use our cars less. We have to stop looking at cars as the only viable
immune to ecosystem col-
lapses, and the shrinking
few that control the wealth
have no fiscal impetus to
Biden should be content
with success in doing what
his predecessor couldn’t —
legislating massive im-
Re “Looking ahead to more
political upheaval,” Dec. 22

Resolved: Jan. 6 shall,

option to get from Point A to Point B. We can start by carpooling to work, taking the bus to change. provements in the nation’s henceforth, be celebrated
run an errand and riding a bike for short trips. Alaska is only interesting infrastructure. nationally as “Democracy
A few tweaks in our driving habits can go a long way toward reducing our carbon foot- to them if the Arctic melts Goldberg suggests that Day,” commemorating
print, electric or not. enough to make oil extrac- Biden should thank God those who defended our
Kristen Kessler, Ventura tion cheap. that Sen. Joe Manchin III country, and dedicated to
Pam Brennan (D-W.Va.) thwarted his foreclosing future coup
Newport Beach proposed “Build Back Bet- attempts.
Your editorial is correct all, including renters, investment, which in turn ter” plan, as if passing that Steve Robinson
that California is falling through programs of com- will save customers money. social-spending legislation Glendale
behind in the fight against
climate change. As you
munity solar, microgrids
and virtual net energy me-
Wayne Morgan
Ventura
Legislators would not greatly enhance
Democrats’ prospects in
mention, we need bold
initiatives to replace fossil
tering.
8 Every new electric ::
and obstructers 2022 and 2024.
Yes, “Build Back Better”
FOR THE
fuel energy with renewable vehicle should be equipped Re “ ‘Build Back Better’ would cost more than the
RECORD
energy every place we can as to supply energy back to the There seems to be a may fail. But Biden doesn’t infrastructure law. But The article citation before a
soon as possible. grid. They could charge delusion among those who have to,” Opinion, Dec. 21 there’s a devil in the details: Dec. 21 letter to the editor on
Renewable electricity is during the day, and dis- formulate climate policy “Build Back Better” would the Torrance police scandal
key. The California Public charge a portion when that if they set a pollution Jonah Goldberg’s col- provide immediate benefits incorrectly said that Steve
Utilities Commission is needed. reduction mandate, it will umn urging Democrats to to working-class families — Lopez’s column, “A legacy of
proposing new rates that 8 Every new appliance surely happen. calm down over the “Build in the form of tax credits, discrimination,” was pub-
will discourage the adoption that draws a significant The mandates and tar- Back Better” bill was very reduced child care expenses lished Jan. 19. The column
of rooftop solar installation. amount of power should be gets never have the support- clever. I’d just point out a and so on — while infra- was published Dec. 19.
I don’t believe the commis- equipped with a controller ing, well-conceived, detailed couple of small points. structure spending, howev-
sion or the private utilities that could intelligently turn plan for how to reach the Goldberg says that not er beneficial to all Ameri-
are up to the renewable off the appliance if the grid goals. Broad guidelines like merely one or two senators cans, would be doled out HOW TO WRITE TO US
challenge with their busi- is suffering a power short- “increasing the percentage were against President over many years. Please send letters to
ness-as-usual playbook. age. of zero-emission vehicles Biden’s social spending Goldberg should factor letters@latimes.com. For
Here are some measures I These measures will sold” are made, but they plan, but 52. Yes, but 50 of in how the voting masses submission guidelines, see
think are needed. enhance grid resilience and rarely have the how-to spe- those were Republicans, not are far more motivated by latimes.com/letters or call
8 Make solar available to save the utilities on capital cifics. one with a backbone. The immediate personal gratifi- 1-800-LA TIMES, ext. 74511.

Executive Chairman Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong

News: Executive Editor Kevin Merida • Managing Editors Shani O. Hilton, Scott Kraft • Deputy Managing Editors Shelby Grad, Julia Turner • Creative Director Amy King •
Executive Sports Editor Christian Stone • Assistant Managing Editors John Canalis, Angel Jennings, Loree Matsui, Samantha Melbourneweaver • Opinion: Acting Editorial Page Editor
Terry Tang • Deputy Editorial Page Editor Mariel Garza • Business: President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Argentieri • Chief Human Resources Officer Nancy V. Antoniou •
FOUNDED DECEMBER 4, 1881 Chief of Staff; Head of Strategy and Revenue Anna Magzanyan • Chief Information Officer Ghalib Kassam • General Counsel Jeff Glasser • V.P., Communications Hillary Manning
L AT I M E S . C O M / O P I N I O N S F R I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 A11

OP-ED

20,000 revisions,
each bringing new
light to the Bible
By Hal Taussig
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not
pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

T
his sentiment is expressed in at least five
other places in the Bible, and yet perhaps
the most erudite institution of biblical schol-
ars has just released 20,000 changes in the
Bible.
An update to the New Revised Standard Version was
released digitally this month and is to be in print in May.
As you can imagine, such a task is not undertaken
lightly. The update represents more than four years of
intense work of the National Council of Churches and a
group of scholars in the Society of Biblical Literature.
Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group The result is careful and creative revisions. Like all
AN 1871 painting by Manuel Domínguez Sánchez shows the death of Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca. new biblical translations and updates over the past mil-
lennium, including the King James Version, this brings
new meanings to biblical texts. Each iteration of the

This may be the year Seneca’s self-therapy calls upon hu-

man beings to place the laws of nature,
whether we like them or not, at the cen-
Bible addresses some need in the culture at that mo-
ment. I hope the updated edition (known as NRSVue) fu-
els a wider public discussion about what the Bible is be-
coming in our era. For instance, the reasons for revisions

to have yourself a
ter of our thoughts. “Now I bear it in vary greatly, prompting the overall textual meanings to
mind,” he wrote in one letter, “not only spin out in many directions and broadening dialogue.
that all things are liable to death but For the past 70 years, the Revised Standard Version
that liability is governed by no set rules. and 1989’s NRSV have been the go-to English Bible for
Whatever can happen at any time can students and scholars. This month’s NRSV update is

stoic little Christmas happen today.”

Seneca is famous for this contempla-
tive model of self-healing. But in his
writings he underscores a second facet
especially well suited to opening a broader public con-
versation because it is not revised with a single-minded
agenda by one denomination or faith, but with multiple
nuanced goals by a joint working group including Jew-
of life that is vital to achieving a calm ish, Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic scholars. For
By Eli Merritt period of brutal and violent politics spirit. It is friends. During hard times, the public then, these revisions are not so much fine-
under five emperors. He served as a sen- philosophy was always his first consola- tuning of doctrine as expansion of the Bible’s range.

T
oday many Americans are ator during the reign of Caligula and as a tion and, after this, the “intimate bond” A handful of examples give a taste of that potential.
experiencing despair about tutor to Nero. of friendship. • Mark 14:69 (and similar verses)
climate change, the new Distilling the source of human misery Not surprisingly, he connected NRSV: And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began
surge in COVID-19 and the down to its essence, fear of death, Sene- friendship, illness and death into a again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of
uncertain future of our ca counseled his followers that if they soothing spiritual web. “There is noth- them.”
democracy. The best way to cope with wished to be happy they must first come ing, my good Lucilius,” he wrote, “quite NRSVue: And the female servant, on seeing him, be-
these “afflictions of the spirit,” accord- to peaceful terms with their own demise. like the devotion of one’s friends for sup- gan again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of
ing to the Roman Stoic philosopher Lu- “Rehearse death,” he advised Lucilius. porting one in illness and restoring one them.”
cius Annaeus Seneca, is not by pursuing “To say this is to tell a person to rehearse to health, or for dispelling one’s antici- This revision brings — with good reason — feminist
false cheer this holiday season but by his freedom.” Such practice is the only pation and dread of death.” consciousness to take away a demeaning translation
seeking equanimity with all life’s misfor- pathway to peace of mind, and, signifi- So unpredictable was death that that calls a woman a girl. So the “female servant”
tunes, including death itself. cant to Seneca, who spent much of his when Seneca was 61 and in the prime of quickly becomes someone with more agency and char-
Seneca, a contemporary of Jesus, be- life at the tempestuous court of Rome, his philosophical work, his former pupil, acter. Literally the revision makes her a bigger person,
lieved that the worst form of human suf- preparedness for death also places a Nero, ordered his execution. Suspected and the readers of the Bible today themselves have
fering is despair. After long personal ex- person above “political powers.” of plotting to overthrow Nero’s corrupt more room to be engaged.
perience and deep reading in philoso- Seneca did not come to these in- regime, Seneca was ordered to commit • Leviticus 4:8 (and more than 125 other verses with
phy, he concluded that the only antidote sights about life, death and politics eas- suicide and he complied. the same issue)
to this crippling state of existence is ily. He suffered his way into them. Early Were Seneca alive today, he would NRSV: He shall remove all the fat from the bull of sin
daily visualization — and radical accept- in life, his experience of severe asthma not advocate passivity in the face of cli- offering.
ance — of the calamities we fear most. charted his course to Stoicism. He once mate change and a global pandemic. He NRSVue: He shall remove all the fat from the bull of
A principal theme of his writings is became so prostrate with labored would advise us to fight and sacrifice for purification offering.
the salutary effect of mental rehearsal of breathing that he was sure he would die. our values, at all costs, as he did during The scholars explain that this improves upon an ear-
sickness, disability, loss of loved ones To relieve his suffering, he considered his lifetime. lier distortion of Hebrew hatta’t. The notion of “sin” has
and one’s own death. This is the way a taking his own life. “It was my Stoic Yet, to be most effective, and to live been removed, because they believe “purification offer-
person attains “true freedom” and “in- studies that really saved me,” Seneca re- well during your remaining days, he ing” more closely reflects the ancient Hebrew word. This
ward detachment.” corded. Identifying that “the fear of dy- would also say, “lay aside the load on revision opens up new biblical conversation and subject
As Seneca wrote in a series of letters ing” was the chief source of his despair, your spirit.” Get free of “the agony of matter without taking “sin” out of the larger biblical pic-
to one aspiring Stoic, Lucilius Junior, he adopted the belief, “Nothing is grim fear.” Accept your mortality and that of ture. With this revision, the 21st century Bible now joins
“We need to envisage every possibility when we have escaped that fear.” your loved ones and friends. To gain ulti- the many world cultures in which “purifying” is a regular
and to strengthen the spirit to deal with Later, the death of a close friend mate relief from despair, these are the practice but is less entangled in “sin” considerations.
the things which may conceivably come plunged Seneca into prolonged grief. things, Seneca counsels, that need to be • Matthew 4:24
about. Rehearse them in your mind: ex- His friend was “younger than I was, a “not just learnt, but learnt by heart.” NRSV: So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and
ile, torture, war, shipwreck.” To this list good deal younger too,” leaving the phi- they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted
of objects intended for deep meditation, losopher angered at the disorder of the Eli Merritt is a psychiatrist and with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics,
he added floods, volcanoes, plagues and universe. To tolerate this fact of life, too, political historian at Vanderbilt and paralytics, and he cured them.
fires. Seneca self-prescribed radical accept- University and the author of the NRSVue: So his fame spread throughout all Syria,
Born in Córdoba, Spain, Seneca ance and mental preparation to ease fu- forthcoming book “Disunion Among and they brought to him all the sick, those who were af-
spent most of his life in Rome during a ture anguish. Ourselves.” flicted with various diseases
and pains, people possessed
by demons or having epilep-
sy or afflicted with paraly-
Each iteration
sis, and he cured them. of the Bible
Younger Latinos are balking at the The scholars explain:
“When context permits,
NRSVue avoids translations
addresses some
cultural need.
vaccine, but it’s our elders who suffer
that identify people in terms
of a disability.” This brings a
modern sensibility to bear,
because we now believe that an illness or symptom is
JEAN GUERRERO drops to 60%. adults were “less trusting than their something a person has, not who they are. This reword-
Latinx children ages 5 to 11 are the older counterparts of government ing is helpful for scholarly, church and public readers.
Younger Latinos owe it least likely of all eligible children to have officials” regarding vaccine informa- The reference to demon possession … well, modern au-
to our elders to be fully received a dose. That means Latinx tion. They were also less likely to see diences can make of that what they will, no matter how
vaccinated and boosted millennials, who lag behind their par- vaccination as a “collective responsibil- we phrase it.
against COVID this ents in vaccinations, are not vaccinat- ity” than their elders, with half seeing it Each change illuminates not only how the old and
winter — or skip the ing their kids, even as many of them instead as a “personal choice.” new language speak to us, but also how we filter and
matriarch’s Nochebuena enlist their vulnerable parents for child- Anita Sreedhar and Anand Gopal frame the texts we consume. As this edition attempts to
party on Christmas Eve care. wrote in the New York Times recently both modernize and improve historical accuracy, we
and other family gather- We as a community will never escape that when the government fails people, need to notice some of the stunning cross-purposes in
ings. the deadly toll of this virus until we all there occurs “an erosion of the idea of a play within and about the Bible in any particular era.
But as Omicron races through our embrace the vaccine. For months, I’ve common good.” The erosion has his- To consider these 20,000-plus revisions, and to ob-
society, multiplying 70 times faster than tried and failed to convince my anti- torically coincided with cuts to social serve how our own understanding changes, is to see why
Delta, there’s a dangerous gap in vacci- vaccine relatives to get the jab for the services, as in the Reagan era. many scholars refer to “living” biblical texts. The real
nation rates for Latinos under 50 com- sake of older family members like my “Politicians insisted that it’s no character of such material develops and is alive in new
pared with rates for older Latinos — a mother, who has an autoimmune disor- longer the government’s job to ensure ways for each different time and situation.
gap that’s bigger than in any other der that heightens her risk. people’s well-being; instead, Americans Over the past 10 years I have been part of a project
ethnic group in Los Angeles County. Many other Latinos are grappling were to be responsible only for them- considering a fecund moment almost 2,000 years ago in
The age disparity, which applies espe- with similar concerns over relatives in selves and their own bodies,” they the formation of texts that eventually became Christian
cially to Latinx millennials and their regular contact with the unvaccinated. wrote. With that message, “ideas of canon. Our findings, presented in “After Jesus Before
children, could deepen the pandemic’s A 32-year-old labor organizer who spoke social solidarity and mutual obligation” Christianity,” portray a living and often shifting “word.”
already-disproportionate toll on our on condition of anonymity about her lost their force. One sees that ancient meaning-making, even among
families as breakthrough cases become relatives’ vaccination refusal told me This withdrawal from engagement is the early authors and audiences in the original lan-
the norm. she feels helpless, as her job skills have not true for all young Latinos. Angela A. guages, was strikingly similar to today’s expanding ter-
Latinos, who often live in multi- not translated on this front: “The hard- Gonzales, professor of justice and ritory for Bible engagement through swirling conversa-
generational households, should err on est people to organize is your family.” social equity at Arizona State Uni- tions, translations, revisions and interpretations.
the side of caution in the face of a mu- Part of the problem is the in- versity, has been studying how youths Those texts from the first few centuries of multiple
tating virus. We shouldn’t gamble with tractability of disinformation. Young of different ethnicities see the vaccine. Jesus groups were full of creativity, rich with nuance
the lives of our elders who’ve sacrificed Latinos are more likely to get news from Her preliminary analysis shows many from a time of great diversity. The word “christian” cer-
so much for us. social media platforms such as Face- Latinx youth are “collectivistic,” seeing tainly did not mean a member of a religion in the early
Too many Latinx millennials and book and TikTok, plagued by COVID vaccination as familial duty. “For oth- centuries. The word hardly existed at all in the first cen-
Gen Z mistakenly believe that if our disinformation targeting Latinos. ers, though, it’s almost the opposite: tury and varied widely in meanings among the second
abuelitos and older parents are vacci- But it’s more than that. Jonathan resistance to government intervention and third century users of the term. These authors’ con-
nated, they’re safe, and younger people Garcia, Oregon State University’s and suspicion about having to provide cept of gender was full of fluidity, which manifested in
around them can forgo the jab. But global health program director, told me personal information,” she told me. word choice and practice.
while the vaccine lowers a person’s systemic racism plays a part. Many who reject the vaccination Modern audiences might squirm over these agendas
chances of serious illness or death, it Research shows second-generation care a lot about family, argues Victor and ambiguities, but they are intrinsic to texts that
isn’t bulletproof. Unvaccinated people Mexican immigrants often experience Rios, professor of Latino sociology at come to be called scripture. Biblical scholar Vincent
can still serve as vehicles for COVID to worse health outcomes than the first UC Santa Barbara. They just haven’t Wimbush has coined a term for the process, “scriptur-
infect and endanger vaccinated rela- generation because of higher degrees of internalized the message that getting alizing,” which acknowledges the aliveness of texts and
tives. discrimination. While the first genera- vaccinated is necessary to protect how they become present through modifications in
Moreover, young Latinos are vulner- tion is somewhat protected in cultural others too. That might require engag- words and meanings. He now uses scripturalizing par-
able too. In California, Latinos ages 20 enclaves, their descendants tend not to ing the right messengers, such as popu- ticularly in the ways the Bible belongs to African Ameri-
to 54 have died from COVID at a rate be, and discriminatory experiences can lar artists. “We’re missing communica- cans throughout the last 400 years. Integrating earlier
more than eight times higher than that discourage people from trusting the tion to the younger generation as a scholarship in cultural studies while challenging white
of white people of those ages. Even health system. Many are predisposed to society because we’re not being cultur- domination of biblical study, Wimbush writes: “This
though Latinos nationwide are outpac- be suspicious of the government or fear ally responsible,” he told me. means seeing scripture as reflective of the basic ‘play-el-
ing white people in getting vaccinated, being used as “guinea pigs” for vac- Politicians and family members may ement’ in culture, as rites, performances, and their var-
the opposite is true in Los Angeles — a cines. not be the best messengers. But the ied veiling and unveiling operations and effects.”
trend driven by younger Latinos. Garcia says it’s important to not message, Rios said, does resonate: Don’t look to the latest biblical revision to settle the-
County data show about 87% of jump to conclusions about unvacci- “Take care of your community and your ological questions, but to raise important new ones,
Latinos age 65 and older have received nated youths. “We continuously blame family by taking care of yourself, by urging us to look deeper and wider into the texts as well
at least one dose of the vaccine, nearly people for health behaviors,” he said, getting that vaccine.” as into ourselves. The updated edition of the New Re-
the same as whites and Asians in that “rather than looking at the underlying It’s the best Christmas present we vised Standard Version is its own act of unveiling.
age group. But among Latinos in our root causes of health disparities.” can give our families. Protect abuelita.
30s and 40s, only 65% have received a A January study by the Kaiser Fam- Hal Taussig is the editor of “A New New Testament”
dose. For Latinos ages 18 to 29, the rate ily Foundation found younger Latino @jeanguerre and co-author of “After Jesus Before Christianity.”
 B

CALIFORNIA F R I D A Y , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 1 :: L A T I M E S . C O M / C A L I F O R N I A

CORONAVIRUS IN CALIFORNIA
Police kill
suspect, teen
girl at store
“It’s just absolutely
Officers shot at man, heartbreaking, and I cannot
find words to try to comfort a
and one round hit mother and a family, but I
shopper in dressing will ensure them and the
public and our people that
room, LAPD says. we will conduct a complete
and thorough investiga-
By Kevin Rector, tion,” LAPD Chief Michel
Gregory Yee, Moore, who was out of town
Richard Winton and with family but briefed on
Christian Martinez the incident, said in an inter-
view with The Times on
In an incident the police Thursday evening.
chief called “devastating Officers responded
and tragic,” an LAPD officer about 11:45 a.m. to reports of
fatally shot a teenage girl at a an assault with a deadly
Burlington clothing store weapon at the store near
during a chaotic confronta- Victory and Laurel Canyon
tion that also left a suspect boulevards, according to the
Gary Coronado Los Angeles Times dead and another person in- Police Department.
TINA LORD, left, greets her 13-year-old son, Elliot Wrigley, visiting from London, at LAX on Wednesday. jured. At the store, authorities
Some travelers are forging ahead despite the Omicron variant, sometimes with extra precautions. The teenager was at the encountered a man they
store in North Hollywood said was assaulting some-
trying on dresses for a one, and they opened fire,

Should I stay or should I go?

quinceañera, an LAPD according to preliminary
source confirmed. findings by the Police De-
Preliminary information partment. It was not im-
released by the Los Angeles mediately clear what
Police Department indi- prompted officers to shoot.
cated that police rounds The man was taken into

Families weigh the risks of travel amid Omicron-driven surge penetrated a wall, killing the
14-year-old girl in a dressing
custody and died at the
scene, said Officer Drake
room. Authorities said they Madison, a spokesperson for
found a metal cable next to the department.
“This feels like March 2020 all over clear answers. What if I give the virus the suspect whom police of- During a search for addi-
By Hannah Fry again,” Palmquist, a playwright, said. to a vulnerable relative? Can I go an- ficers were confronting but tional suspects or victims,
and Christian Martinez “It feels more uncertain and more other year without seeing my kids? that no gun was recovered. an officer found the slain
frightening than it did before.” What if we’re still in this situation next The violence late Thurs- girl, LAPD officials said in a
As the Omicron variant surged, Just as life seemed almost back to year? day morning, just two days Twitter post.
Tira Palmquist agonized about her normal, with children in classrooms, Some, like Palmquist, are forging before Christmas at a “One of the officer’s
trip to Ohio. case counts down and dinners with ahead despite their misgivings, some- bustling shopping district, rounds penetrated a wall
The Irvine resident is vaccinated friends resuming, along came Omi- times with extra precautions such as left many people stunned that was behind the suspect,
and boosted. But she has a preexisting cron, with its wicked combination of testing before and after arrival. and sparked questions beyond that wall was a
condition that increases her risk of se- extreme transmissibility and ability to Others are canceling their plans about what prompted police dressing room. Officers
vere COVID-19. She couldn’t shake a break through some vaccinated peo- and staying home. to open fire. [See Shooting, B5]
nagging feeling that perhaps she ple’s defenses. Brian Rosenbaum, 37, planned to
shouldn’t go. After sacrificing family get-togeth- fly with his family to the Austrian Alps
Ultimately, the desire to see her ers last Christmas, many Americans to spend Christmas with relatives
daughter won out. had booked plane tickets, hopeful they haven’t seen since the pandemic
This week, Palmquist, 58, boarded
a plane with her husband, both of
them wearing N95 masks.
about celebrating safely once again.
Now, they are weighing risks and
benefits, in a circular dialogue with no
started.
He was excited about his 3-year-
[See Travel, B2] Storm has burn
JOAN DIDION, 1934 - 2021
areas on alert
the threat of flash floods
Forecast of 3 to 6 and debris flows in several
areas, including those near
inches of rain prompts streams, rivers and wildfire
warnings of potential burn scars.
Authorities in Orange
flooding, debris flows. County issued a mandatory
evacuation order for resi-
By Hayley Smith dents near the Bond fire
burn zone, which will remain
A powerful storm that in effect through noon Fri-
has been pelting Northern day, while residents near the
California with rain and Alisal fire burn scar in Santa
snow arrived Thursday in Barbara County were told to
the Southland, where wet, prepare to shelter in place.
wintry weather is likely to Flood watches are also in
linger well into the holiday effect for portions of San Di-
weekend. ego, San Bernardino, Riv-
The storm snarled travel erside and Orange counties
and created icy hazards to through Friday morning.
the north, with officials in The alerts come roughly
Tuolumne County on Thurs- a week after another major
day issuing an evacuation storm swept through the
advisory after cracks were area and sucked vehicles
reported in the Twain Harte into the Los Angeles River,
Lake Dam. downed trees and prompted
Southern Californians rescues of residents trapped
Liz O. Baylen For The Times were also on edge as the by mudflows in Silverado
STUDENTS RAVE over Joan Didion’s essay “Trouble in Lakewood,” about the darker aspects of storm made its arrival with [See Storm, B2]
Californian suburbs, for its precise words and macro-analysis of a micro-story. She died Thursday.

Power of ‘our The daughter of

special history’ the Capitol City
Why author offers lessons to Sacramento shaped writer,
all Californians, even today her work and others’ views
GUSTAVO ARELLANO By Anita Chabria and Stuart Leavenworth
Luis Sinco Los Angeles Times
The assignment I give my Orange SACRAMENTO — The tennis shoes, dirty and LAKERS FANS Ricky Pohl and Karla De La Cruz
Coast College literary journalism worn to their foam core around the ankles, ap- wait in the rain before going inside Staples Center.
students every semester after our peared on the front lawn of Joan Didion’s childhood
first class is always the same: Read home a few months ago — a talisman of grief to an
six classics of narrative nonfiction, author who knew it intimately.
and write one-page summaries on On top was a note quoting “The Year of Magical
each. Thinking,” in cursive script written by a hand that Councilman Woman admits to
I send them the expected (Tom seemed shaky. “I kept his shoes. He would need Buscaino backs mid-flight attack
Wolfe on Southern California Kus- them, if he was to come back,” it read.
tom Kulture in the 1960s, Gay Talese on an aging Danielle Anderson, who moved into Didion’s el-
a larger LAPD Sacramento passenger
who broke Southwest
Joe DiMaggio) and the not — if you haven’t yet egant mansion in Sacramento earlier this year, Mayoral hopeful says attendant’s teeth
read Alice Walker searching for the grave of then- took it as “an indicator to us that this house is that if he’s elected, he’d pleads guilty. B3
forgotten Black novelist Zora Neale Hurston for something special to Sacramento.” boost the force to 11,000
Ms. magazine, then you don’t know what great Thursday, as a cold rain gave way to glowering officers by 2027. B3 Lottery ......................... B2
[See Arellano, B5] [See Sacramento, B4]

SPORTS ON THE BACK: CHRB equine medical director is accused of violations. B10
B2 FR I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M

Storm prompts evacuation order in O.C.

[Storm, from B1] An update on the per-
Canyon. son’s condition was not
Officials said burn areas available Thursday.
near the Alisal, Bond and El The Sierra Avalanche
Dorado fires are particularly Center has also issued warn-
vulnerable to the incoming ings of extreme avalanche
system. danger for the Central Sierra
“Near the burn scars, between Yuba Pass and
there could be debris flow — Ebbetts Pass, including
we do have definite concern the Greater Lake Tahoe
for that given the expected area, because of high-inten-
rainfall rate,” said Dan Gre- sity snowfall and strong
goria, a meteorologist with winds.
the National Weather Serv- Officials in Tuolumne
ice in San Diego. County said Thursday that
“Outside of those areas, the cracked dam at Twain
though, really anywhere, Harte Lake was “being han-
heavy rainfall could result in dled” and asked residents to
flash flooding.” remain calm.
Monrovia Canyon Park Water will begin to be re-
near the Bobcat fire burn leased from the lake, which
scar, which was littered with will create a rise in water
rocks and mud during the levels downstream, they
last storm, has been closed said.
indefinitely because of the The rest of the year
potential for further debris promises to be similarly
flows. wet and snowy, with a per-
And in a tragic indication sistent stormy pattern
of the dangers of flash Mel Melcon Los Angeles Times expected over the West
floods, officials said two bod- OH, THE WEATHER outside is frightful, but for 2-year-old Addison McConnell of Redondo Beach, it was the Coast through much of next
ies were recovered Thursday perfect opportunity to ride her scooter in the rain during a family outing on Thursday in Hermosa Beach. week.
from a vehicle that was Forecasters said a very
trapped in standing water Friday, while the high on County to the Sierra Ne- delays, road closures and Witnesses reported see- cold system over Montana
under a railroad overpass in Christmas is expected to top vada, including portions of near whiteout conditions ing a person playing in the could move down the West
Millbrae. out at 58 degrees. Plumas County and Lassen are possible in many moun- snow in the area and be- Coast on Saturday and
Det. Javier Acosta of the Snow levels were still Park. tain areas. lieved that the person had Sunday, delivering more
San Mateo County Sheriff ’s high — around 9,000 feet — The combination of gusty Snow sliding off the roof been buried. cold temperatures and the
Office said at least two cars but should drop below 8,000 winds, heavy mountain of the Mammoth Mountain “Extrication of the guest potential for additional rain
were trapped in the water, feet Friday and to 5,000 feet snow and valley rain will con- Inn buried a resort guest, began immediately and the and snow.
which he estimated to be a Saturday, according to tribute to “difficult if not prompting a rescue effort, individual was recovered af- Another storm is forecast
least 10 feet deep. Lund. impossible” travel condi- officials confirmed. ter approximately four min- on Monday, and still another
It took officials several The storm made a mess tions throughout much of Mammoth Mountain Ski utes,” Burke said. on Tuesday or Wednesday.
hours to drain the area of conditions in Northern the northern part of the Patrol was alerted to the “CPR was started right
and locate the victims, who California, and winter storm state this week, officials incident at 1:09 p.m., said away and the guest was Times staff writer Gregory
were identified only as watches and warnings were said. Lauren Burke, a resort transferred to the medics Yee contributed to this
adults. in effect from Humboldt Major holiday travel spokeswoman. and to Mammoth Hospital.” report.
In Los Angeles, patchy
rain began Thursday morn-
ing, turning into a steadier
downpour by the afternoon.
Some models also hinted
at the development of
thunderstorms over San
Luis Obispo and Santa
It’s Christmas — baby, please stay home?
Barbara counties on
Friday. [Travel, from B1] going to have to be more old son, Shaunne, to Orange
“Unsettled weather” will old son and 9-month-old careful engaging in those ac- County from San Francisco
prevail across the region daughter playing in the tivities.” last week to visit family.
through Sunday as the snow for the first time. In assessing their risk, It was Shaunne’s first
storm crawls across the But the children are too travelers should consider time on a plane. He’s too
area, officials said. The young to be vaccinated. factors including their young to wear a mask or get
storm could drop up to 3 He and his wife consulted health status, their mode of the vaccine. But Scott-
inches along the coasts and their pediatrician, whom transportation and whether James, a nurse, is confident
valleys and 6 inches in the Rosenbaum described as the people they’re visiting that he has some immunity
mountains. “straightforward” and “not have preexisting conditions, from breastfeeding, because
Officials advise residents super risk-averse.” Boden-Albala said. she’s fully vaccinated.
to be cautious while driving “We know that if he were The last time Laura Clat- “It made me feel a little
on slick or icy roads. to say something, we should terbuck saw her parents was bit better about it,” she said.
“It’s just really wet. Even take it really seriously,” two Christmases ago. “I was still anxious, but I
on my way to work this Rosenbaum said. “He said, They are in their 70s, and haven’t seen my family in so
morning, I was sliding ‘No, don’t go.’ ” Clatterbuck was afraid of fly- long.”
around,” said Kristan Lund, They immediately can- Allen J. Schaben Los Angeles Times ing to their home in Rich- Palmquist, the Irvine
a meteorologist with the Na- celed their flights. Instead, AIR TRAVEL has soared this holiday season, the mond, Va., and infecting woman with a daughter in
tional Weather Service in Rosenbaum’s relatives TSA says. Above, John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. them. Ohio, concluded after long
Oxnard. made plans to fly to Los An- This month, with every- discussions with her hus-
“People need to slow geles. Health Metrics and Evalua- lion travelers have passed one vaccinated, Clatterbuck band that flying masked and
down, have their lights on, be But COVID-19 again tion. through airports since Sat- and her husband were plan- fully vaccinated wasn’t sig-
very cautious about people reared its head. Because many people are urday, nearly double com- ning to brave the trip. Then, nificantly riskier than shop-
around them.” On Sunday, Rosen- now vaccinated, and be- pared with the same time Omicron hit. ping at a busy grocery store
The storm system will de- baum’s brother-in-law said cause Omicron appears to last year, according to the Clatterbuck, who is preg- or pharmacy.
liver bursts of heavy rain he had tested positive for the generally cause less severe Transportation Security nant with twin girls, has held The family members she
through Friday morning, coronavirus. They wouldn’t disease, there will be fewer Administration. off getting a booster shot is seeing are also vaccinated
Lund said. Saturday — be able to travel after all. daily deaths than during last As the pandemic contin- over concerns about pos- and have vowed to isolate
Christmas Day — should be Still, Rosenbaum is opti- winter’s devastating peak, ues, new variants will sible side effects for her un- and test before gathering in-
dry in the morning, but more mistic that future Christ- according to the projection. emerge, forcing people to born daughters. doors. Palmquist and her
moisture is likely to develop mases won’t be so fraught Still, Omicron’s high balance the need for in-per- She decided not to fly and husband tested negative for
in the afternoon. with uncertainty. transmissibility has raised son contact with the risk of risk getting herself or any- the coronavirus before their
The chilly storm is also “We’ll get back to it,” said concerns about whether it’s infection, said Bernadette one else sick. trip and would test again
delivering cooler tempera- Rosenbaum, a Los Angeles safe to travel. Boden-Albala, the founding “We definitely have when they reached their
tures that are well below nor- resident and community More than two-thirds of dean of the Program in Pub- FOMO not going back and daughter’s home.
mal. Downtown Los Angeles engagement director for respondents in an Axios/Ip- lic Health at UC Irvine. seeing our family,” she said, “I know I’m being selfish
will hover around 60 degrees the anti-poverty nonprofit sos poll published last week “We’re hoping the var- using an acronym for “fear of to a certain degree, but I just
Imagine LA. said they believed air travel iants are going to come in missing out.” “We have some really want to be able to see
The Omicron surge will would pose a large or moder- milder and milder forms, but family out here, so we’re go- my daughter,” she said. “Be-
probably continue into Jan- ate health risk — a 10% in- we’re not fully convinced of ing to see them for the holi- ing here on the West Coast
uary, potentially peaking crease from early November. that yet, so in a sense, we day instead, so we’re not and being so far from family
Lottery results later next month or in early Still, nearly 72% of re- have to live with that risk,” completely alone.” gets harder and harder.
Tonight’s Mega Millions February, according to a spondents said they plan to she said. “We have to balance Carrie Scott-James, 29, There’s an emotional need
Estimated jackpot: $187 million projection by the University see family or friends over the out family and friends and came to a different decision. to be with family — espe-
Sales close at 7:45 p.m. of Washington’s Institute for holidays. More than 10 mil- mental health. We’re all just She flew with her 11-month- cially this time of year.”
For Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021
SuperLotto Plus
Mega number is bold

11-16-20-21-26—Mega 5
Jackpot: $8 million
Winners per category:
Storm forces vaccination, testing sites to close
No. of Amount that we welcome the in- Tusia wanted to get “If I test positive, then I’ll unvaccinated Angelenos
winners of prize(s)
5 + Mega 0 — Some move indoors, crease in testing,” the de- tested as a precaution, be- be stuck in my bedroom for were five times likelier to get
partment said in an email. cause she recently under- the holidays,” Johnson said. infected, 21 times more likely
5
4 + Mega 21
0 —
$727
but others will shut “LA County residents are went hip surgery and spent Testing sites throughout to require hospitalization
4 487 $52 for the week despite doing the right thing by get- time in a hospital. Keijser re- Los Angeles County will be and 18 times likelier to die.
3 + Mega 500 $45 ting tested as a precaution cently traveled and wanted closed Saturday — Christ- Former emergency room
3 11,732 $9
a surge in virus cases. before gathering, getting to make sure she was clear to mas Day — including the physician Howard Fried-
2 + Mega 6,376 $9 tested if they have been ex- enjoy the holidays with her walk-up kiosk at Union Sta- man, 71, thinks he might
1 + Mega 29,102 $2 By Nathan Solis posed, and getting tested at family. tion. Dodger Stadium, one of have been exposed to some-
Mega only 42,791 $1 the first sign of symptoms.” “I’m grateful for these the few major testing hubs one with the coronavirus. He
Just ahead of the holiday The city of Long Beach, testing sites and to have operated by the city, is once balanced his umbrella over
Powerball weekend and amid a surge of which has its own health de- them open,” Tusia said as again a drive-through test- his shoulder while waiting in
Powerball number is bold
new coronavirus cases, a partment, closed its outdoor the rain fell midmorning. ing site for residents who line at the Curative site in
7-16-19-48-68—Powerball 15 winter storm in Los Angeles testing and vaccine sites “Hearing about break- need to get tested from in- Highland Park and trying to
Jackpot: $378 million County is forcing some cor- Thursday and will reopen through infections with peo- side their car. make an appointment on his
California winners per category: onavirus testing and vaccine next week. The Pacific Coast ple who are vaccinated is The surge in new cases phone for a test.
No. of Amount sites to head indoors or close Campus, Long Beach City some cause for concern. But this week signals a difficult “I’ve been feeling con-
winners of prize(s) because of the rain. College and Veterans Memo- we’re here, and it’s not that holiday season for Ange- gested lately and want to
5 + P-ball 0 —
Los Angeles County re- rial Stadium sites were big of an inconvenience.” lenos, Los Angeles County make sure,” Friedman said.
5 0 —
ported 6,500 new corona- closed because of the Maria Dones, 46, works Public Health Director Bar- “If it comes back positive,
4 + P-ball 2 $25,466
4 68 $374
virus cases Wednesday, a weather, the Long Beach with elderly patients as a bara Ferrer said. then we’ll just have to cancel
3 + P-ball 136 $194 staggering jump from the Department of Health and healthcare worker. She gets “If our case numbers con- our holiday plans.”
3 4,116 $7 previous week and solidi- Human Services an- tested regularly, and while tinue to increase at a rapid Malina Stearns, 35, had
2 + P-ball 3,260 $8 fying the dominance of the nounced. The outdoor test- she is aware that the Omi- pace over this week and been to a concert where sev-
1 + P-ball 25,357 $5 highly transmissible Omi- ing site at Houghton Park cron variant is highly trans- next, we could be looking at eral people tested positive
P-ball only 59,983 $4 cron variant. will be moved indoors. Test- missible, she doesn’t think case numbers we have never for the virus. Standing in a
Winning jackpot ticket(s) sold in other Now, the stormy weather ing will be available Thurs- it’s cause for alarm. seen before,” Ferrer said black hooded coat Thursday
states: None is complicating the logistics day and Friday, but the vac- “Compared to the other Wednesday. morning under a steady
For Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021 of testing residents across cination site will be closed surge we had when the pan- The massive jump in drizzle, Stearns said she’d
the region, with some out- Friday for Christmas Eve. demic first started, and then cases, Ferrer said, reflects been feeling sick.
Fantasy Five: 9-15-22-33-35 door operations forced to re- Still, some testing sites last winter, this is nothing,” increased circulation of the The tests at the Curative
Daily Four: 5-2-2-5 locate or wait to reopen until continued to administer na- Dones said while waiting in Omicron variant, which has site were PCR tests, which
after the holiday weekend. sal swabs Thursday, even in line to get tested. “It’s a pat spread rapidly since its pres- have a typical turnaround
Daily Three (midday): 2-3-2 L.A. County does not in- the rain. on the back, given that we ence was first confirmed in time of 24 to 48 hours, rather
Daily Three (evening): 7-1-2 tend to close any testing Joann Tusia, 71, leaned on have vaccines and new medi- California three weeks ago. than antigen tests, which
sites because of the rain. The a walker outside the Cura- cations coming out to fight “The reality is that the provide almost immediate
Daily Derby:
Department of Health Serv- tive testing site in the High- the virus.” vast majority of folks testing results, although not with
(9) Winning Spirit
(3) Hot Shot ices is planning to expand land Park neighborhood Adrienne Johnson, 38, positive today are infected the same degree of accuracy.
(8) Gorgeous George testing hours at sites while her daughter Zoe works as a stage manager with Omicron, a more easily “I’m just praying I don’t
Race time: 1:43.26 throughout the county. Keijser, 29, held an umbrella and wanted to get tested as a transmitted strain of the have COVID so I can see my
There has been an uptick in over her mother’s head. precaution ahead of the holi- virus,” Ferrer said. family,” Stearns said as she
Results on the internet: people getting tested, either There were no more ap- days. She’s expecting family She added, though, that waited in line.
www.latimes.com/lottery as a precaution ahead of the pointments available for the to visit and finds herself it’s unvaccinated residents
General information: holidays or due to the surge day, and most people lining wondering whether con- who remain particularly ex- Times staff writer Luke
(800) 568-8379
in new cases. up were hoping to get a walk- gestion or other symptoms posed to the worst effects of Money contributed to this
(Results not available at this number)
“It’s important to note up test at the site. are signs of the virus. COVID-19. From Dec. 5 to 11, report.
L AT I M E S . C O M F R I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 B3

CITY & STATE

Buscaino makes pledge to add more cops

The council voted in July U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, Police hiring has been an
Councilman, mayoral 2020 to reduce the number of who is also running for may- issue in every competitive
officers at the LAPD, follow- or, declined through a mayoral contest in L.A. over
candidate says he can ing widespread protests spokeswoman to weigh in on the past 20 years.
add 1,300 officers over police abuse after the Buscaino’s proposal. Anoth- James Hahn was elected
murder of George Floyd in er candidate, business in 2001 after promising to
without tax hike. Minneapolis. leader Jessica Lall, said she add 1,000 officers.
At the time, Buscaino wants to take stock of the But four years later, his
By David Zahniser cast one of two dissenting LAPD’s duties before an- opponent, Antonio Villar-
and Dakota Smith votes. nouncing how many officers iagosa, blasted Hahn for fail-
By the time that budget the agency should have. ing to reach that goal.
Los Angeles City Coun- year ended, sworn staffing “L.A. needs a strong pub- Villaraigosa defeated
cilman Joe Buscaino said had fallen below 9,400. By lic safety policy first, not Hahn in 2005, vowing to suc-
Thursday he would seek a then, council members had simply a target number with ceed at the LAPD where his
major expansion of the Po- voted to begin rebuilding no plan behind it,” said Lall, predecessor had not. By the
lice Department if elected staffing, bringing the force who heads the downtown- time he left office, Villarai-
mayor, taking the LAPD up up to 9,700. based Central City Assn. gosa had added about 800 of-
to 11,000 officers by 2027. City Atty. Mike Feuer, Mel Wilson, a San Fer- ficers, ensuring the depart-
Buscaino, one of several Patrick T. Fallon AFP via Getty Images who is also running for may- nando Valley businessman ment had more than 10,000
candidates running to re- JOE BUSCAINO voted against a cut in officers fol- or, promised earlier this year also seeking to replace officers for the first time in
place Mayor Eric Garcetti in lowing protests over the killing of George Floyd. to restore the LAPD to more Garcetti, said he supports its history.
next year’s election, said ad- than 10,000 officers. the idea of adding more than In 2013, mayoral candi-
ditional officers are needed grams, if any, would need to cording to figures posted on But he has also argued 1,000 officers — but also date Wendy Greuel
at a time when homicides be cut to accomplish such a the LAPD’s website. that, to make communities wants to see a patrol plan. announced that she wanted
and other crimes are in- significant staffing increase. How much Buscaino’s safer, the city must invest “It’s easy to say, ‘Yeah, to add another 2,000 LAPD
creasing. The LAPD is “We believe we can chip campaign promise will reso- more in mental health coun- let’s go for 11,000 officers,’ ” he officers — and planned to
budgeted for about 9,700 of- away at it each year until we nate is not certain. Activists selors, social workers, neigh- said. “But you need to really free up the money by cutting
ficers this year, but has been reach [11,000] in the fifth have argued over the past borhood cleanups and gun say, ‘Well, how are those offi- waste and “setting pri-
nearly 200 below that figure year,” Trujillo said. two years that the LAPD prevention programs. cers deployed?’ ” orities.”
in recent weeks. Buscaino, a former police should receive fewer dollars, “Buscaino’s proposal is a Trujillo said his boss is Her opponent, then-
Michael Trujillo, a Bus- officer, is running in a year not more, with the proceeds slogan. It’s not a plan,” he assuming that each addi- Councilman Garcetti,
caino campaign strategist, when the city is likely to have diverted to housing and so- said “The right question, I tional officer would cost the panned Greuel’s proposal,
said the hiring plan would be more homicides than at any cial programs. On Thursday, might suggest, is what are city $150,000, including calling it financially unre-
accomplished not by seek- point since 2006. The num- LAPD officers killed two the ingredients that will healthcare and pension alistic.
ing higher taxes or fees, but ber of shooting victims is up people — one of them a 14- make L.A. safer? Is it a num- costs. Buscaino also could He won the race and, over
by setting priorities within more than 50% compared to year-old girl — during a ber with nothing beneath it, tap state and federal funds the past 18 months, has pres-
the existing city budget. He two years ago, the last full shooting at a Burlington or is it all these comprehen- to help pay for the initiative, ided over the decline in
would not say what pro- year without COVID-19, ac- store in North Hollywood. sive strategies?” he said. LAPD staffing.

Woman admits
guilt in attack on
flight attendant
cases this year were related
By Hayley Smith to face masks.
Jaclyn Stahl, one of the
A California woman ac- prosecutors in the case
cused of punching a flight at- against Quinonez, said the
tendant in the face and incidents can be difficult to
breaking her teeth during a prosecute because of juris-
Southwest Airlines flight dictional issues and because
has pleaded guilty to a fed- witnesses scatter upon land-
eral felony charge, officials ing and crime scenes can lit-
announced this week. erally fly away.
Vyvianna Quinonez, 28, She said officials were
of Sacramento pleaded happy with the plea agree-
guilty Wednesday to one ment reached this week.
count of interfering with a “We feel like this is a just
flight crew, according to the and fair outcome consider-
U.S. attorney’s office in San ing all the factors, including
Diego. the victim’s injuries and the
The attack happened on defendant’s characteris-
Gary Coronado Los Angeles Times a May 23 flight from Sacra- tics,” Stahl said. “The de-
mento to San Diego. During fendant took responsibility
S TORM’S AFTERMATH the flight’s final descent, the early by pleading and not go-
flight attendant approached ing to trial.”
Jay Parker, 40, stands outside his home Wednesday in Silverado Canyon, where his yard was washed
Quinonez and asked her to The initial charges
away by flash floods last week. Parker, his wife and four children have been helping neighbors recover. fasten her seatbelt, stow her against Quinonez included
tray table and wear her face one count of assault, which
mask properly. Her failure to Stahl said the government
do so was in violation of fed- will likely move to dismiss at
eral rules and regulations, the time of sentencing.

Man gets 3 years in prison for threats officials said.

Instead of complying,
Quinonez began recording
the flight attendant on her
An attorney for Qui-
nonez, Knut Johnson, de-
clined to comment Thurs-
day.
cellphone and then pushed Due to the assault, the
that all of us Americans still shows fraud occurred and your entire family at risk the flight attendant, accord- flight attendant was not able
Electronic and audio enjoy, Lemke sought to quell the Supreme Court cases with his lies and other ing to admissions in the plea to perform her normal du-
freedom of expression, to in- will be successful. We words,” the message read. agreement. ties, and the captain had to
messages were sent to timidate and instill fear in blockchained and water- “We are armed and nearby Around that time, anoth- delay taxiing the airplane to
politicians, journalists others by threats of vi- marked ballots in 16 states. your house. You had better er passenger, Michelle Man- the gate to wait for law en-
olence,” U.S. Atty. Damian Trump will prevail. Spread have a word with him. We are ner, began recording the al- forcement officers to re-
after 2020 election. Williams said. “Today, [he] this message. … FAITH my not far from his either. Al- tercation on her cellphone. spond, federal officials said.
was rightly sentenced to fellow Republicans. Do not ready spoke to [the That video, which circulated “The flight attendant
By Gregory Yee prison for his conduct.” give up.” congressman’s son] and widely, showed Quinonez who was assaulted was sim-
According to court docu- As the Jan. 6 insurrection know where his kids are.” punching the flight attend- ply doing her job to ensure
A California man who ments and statements unfolded at the U.S. Capitol, The text messages in- ant, who then appeared the safety of all passengers
threatened members of made during public pro- Lemke sent a series of cluded a picture of a home in dazed and bloodied while aboard the plane,” acting
Congress and journalists re- ceedings, he sent threat- threatening text messages the same neighborhood as other passengers tried to in- U.S. Atty. Randy Grossman
garding the outcome of the ening electronic and audio to journalists, members of the home of the congress- tervene. said in a statement about
2020 presidential election messages to about 50 people Congress, other politicians man’s brother, prosecutors “It was scary. It was ridic- the plea. “It’s inexcusable for
has been sentenced to three from November 2020 and their families, prose- said. ulous. It was totally avoid- anyone to use violence on an
years in prison, federal pros- through early January 2021, cutors said. The messages also able,” Manner said via airplane for any reason, par-
ecutors said Tuesday. prosecutors said. A text message to a New claimed that a group of ac- phone Thursday. “It’s just ticularly toward a flight at-
Robert Lemke previously Lemke chose targets, York City-based relative of a tive and retired law enforce- unfortunate that it hap- tendant who is there to keep
pleaded guilty to making prosecutors said, whose journalist stated: “[The ment officers and military pened and went down this all the passengers safe. We
threatening interstate com- statements reflected the journalist’s] words are service members were near route.” are not going to tolerate vi-
munications, according to truth: that then-President putting you and your family the congressman’s brother’s Union leaders olence or interference with
the U.S. attorney’s office for Trump had lost the 2020 at risk. We are nearby, armed home and that the group condemned the attack, in the flight crew, and we will
the Southern District of New election. and ready. Thousands of us had “armed members,” which the flight attendant pursue criminal charges
York. According to authorities, are active/retired law en- prosecutors said. suffered three chipped against those who break the
Lemke, 36, was also sen- he told people to “be ready forcement, military, etc. Lemke did not have any teeth, two of which had to be law.”
tenced to three years of su- for war” in a post to Face- That’s how we do it.” law enforcement or military replaced by crowns, officials The maximum penalty
pervised release upon com- book on Nov. 7, 2020, the day Around the same time, affiliation, prosecutors said. said. for the charge against
pletion of his prison term, that most national media he also threatened the Prosecutors said he used The flight attendant’s left Quinonez includes 20 years
prosecutors said. organizations called the brother of a New York at least three phone num- eye was also bruised and in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“Rather than attempting race for Joe Biden. congressman, prosecutors bers and various electronic swollen, and a cut under her The ultimate sentence is
to effect change through the “Trump has refused to said. accounts to try to hide his eye required three stitches. up to the U.S. District Court
lawful forms of expression cede,” he wrote. “Evidence “Your brother is putting identity. She had a bruise in the judge, but Stahl said the
shape of fingers on her right parties have agreed to
forearm. jointly recommend a $5,000
Southwest Airlines fine and restitution in excess
spokesman Dan Landson of $20,000, which includes fi-

Parents charged in girl’s beating, stabbing said Thursday that the com-
pany appreciated federal
and local authorities’ work
nancial reimbursement to
Southwest Airlines as well as
paying for the victim’s phys-
to “bring this case to justice.” ical injuries and lost wages.
everything they can to keep Santos Salgado Beltran, Ana residents, prosecutors “Southwest Airlines has They are also jointly rec-
By Gregory Yee her safe,” said Dist. Atty. 34, faces one count each of said. Beltran and Billalba a zero tolerance policy when ommending three years of
Todd Spitzer, who called the attempted murder and tor- both face a sentence of 25 it comes to physical or verbal supervised release, which in-
The parents of an Orange case’s initial facts “beyond ture, prosecutors said. He years to life in state prison. If abuse against its employ- cludes no flying on commer-
County toddler were ac- disturbing.” More charges also faces two felony en- convicted on all counts, Bel- ees,” he said. cial airlines, anger manage-
cused of stabbing and beat- could be filed if the investiga- hancements of causing tran could face an additional The altercation occurred ment classes and communi-
ing their daughter and were tion reveals additional great bodily injury to a child sentence of 17 years and six against the backdrop of an ty service, she said.
charged with felonies Tues- crimes prosecutors can under the age of 5, and one months, and Billalba could alarming rise in incidents of Quinonez is scheduled to
day, authorities said. prove beyond a reasonable felony enhancement of the face an additional five years. bad behavior aboard air- be sentenced March 11.
The child is expected to doubt, Spitzer said. personal use of a deadly The parents were ar- craft. According to the Fed- Manner, the witness who
survive her injuries, accord- “Children should be sur- weapon. rested Sunday after a rela- eral Aviation recorded the video, said that
ing to the Orange County rounded by love, not vi- Ana Billalba, 27, faces one tive saw the toddler’s in- Administration, the number Quinonez was wrong to hit
district attorney’s office. olence, and it is our respon- count of torture with a felony juries and called police, of investigations related to the flight attendant but that
“A 2-year-old child should sibility as a society to stand enhancement of causing prosecutors said. Author- unruly passengers has sky- the situation had grown
not have to suffer the horrors up and protect our children great bodily injury to a child ities also found three other rocketed since early 2020, more “heated” than was
of being beaten and stabbed when their own parents have under the age of 5, prose- children at the home and with nearly 5,800 unruly pas- called for and that she also
— especially by the very peo- abdicated that responsibil- cutors said. placed them in the care of senger reports in 2021. wished the flight attendant
ple who are supposed to do ity,” he said. Both parents are Santa social services. More than 4,100 of the had responded differently.
B4 FR I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M

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Collectibles and Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices
Memorabilia
SUMMONS
Baseball Cards (Domestic Violence Restraining Order)
Cash paid 4 pre1975. Buying
all SPORTS CARDS of any size CASE NUMBER: 21STRO05853
collections. (310) 614-3312
(1) PERSON ASKING FOR PROTECTION:
ALEXANDRA HEARD

(2) NOTICE TO
(name of person to be restrained):
Construction/ JOHN BURKE MOHAN Pete Marovich Getty Images
Contractors The person in (1) is asking for Domestic Violence JOAN DIDION with President Obama, right, who
DV PAINTING Restraining Order against you. gave the author a National Humanities Medal in 2012.
* OPEN ON HOLIDAYS *
Over 15 Years Experience

Sacramento
(3) YOU HAVE A COURT DATE:
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805-248-1086 What if I don’t go to my court date?

and her work

If you do not go to your court date, the judge can
grant a restraining order that limits your contact
with the person in (1). If you have a child with the
person in (1), the court could make orders that
limit your time with your child. Having a
restraining order against you may impact your life
in the other ways, including preventing you from
having guns and ammunition. If you do not go to
[Sacramento, from B1] and swim in them and later
your court date, the judge could grant everything
that the person in (1) asked the judge to order. gray skies, more offerings dissect hydrologic reports to
How do I find out what the person in (1) is appeared on Anderson’s better understand how hu-
asking for? steps: a white poinsettia in a mans had replumbed them.
To find out what the person in (1) is asking the red pot, three bouquets of These studies shaped her
judge to order, go to the courthouse listed above.
Ask the court clerk to let you see your case file.
the supermarket variety, a later writings — such as the
You will need to give the court clerk your case vase of yellow roses. 2003 book “Where I Was
number, which is listed above. The request for All were left to honor From” — that debunked
restraining order will be on form DV-100, Request the acclaimed writer, who myths about Californians
for Domestic Violence Restraining Order. died Thursday, a daughter of being self-reliant. As she
Where can I get help?
Free legal information is available at your local the Capitol City whose rela- noted, California was de-
court’s self-help center. Go to tionship with it was knotty. pendent on the federal gov-
www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp to find your local She was at times nostalgic of ernment for flood control, ir-
center. Sacramento, and at times rigation and so many other
Do I need a lawyer?
homesick for a tight-knit services.
You are not required to have a lawyer, but you
may want legal advice before your court hearing. community. But her dreams She lived in the grand
For help finding a lawyer, you can visit didn’t fit on her wraparound “Didion House” for just two
www.lawhelpca.org or contact your local bar porch, or even in the fields years, before she graduated
association. and ranches that defined from C. K. McClatchy High
Date: December 06, 2021
this agricultural valley in her School in 1952 and departed
Sherri R. Carter, Clerk youth, or under the dome of for UC Berkeley. While at
By: /s/ Jose Cruz, Deputy the state building a few McClatchy, she wrote for the
blocks away. society pages of the Bee’s ri-
Published in the Los Angeles Times “She had a complicated val, the Sacramento Union,
12/10, 12/17, 12/24, 12/31/2021
relationship with Sacra- filling a role typically rele-
mento. She also had a real gated to women during that
love for it,” said Rob Turner, era. It gave her more of a win-
editor of Sactown Magazine, dow into the region’s upper
who interviewed Didion in crust, which she portrayed
2011. “It perhaps was con- in “Run River.”
straining while she was here, For many current Mc-
she had her eyes set on big- Clatchy students, Didion is a
ger things.” footnote among other illus-
It is a place Didion out- trious graduates, including
grew, but that never outgrew retired Supreme Court Jus-
her. At least once a week, tice Anthony M. Kennedy
said Anderson, someone and California Supreme
knocks on the front door or Chief Justice Tani Cantil-
stops her husband’s yard- Sakauye.
work to ask if this was Did- But for former student
YOUR PERFECT ion’s old house. Annabelle Long, who like

JOB
IS WAITING
For many, Didion herself
was a talisman that there is
more to this always-trying
Didion left Sacramento for
UC Berkeley and aspires to
be a writer, there is pride and
Search jobs. Post your resume. town than meets the eye. kinship in sharing a home-
Stand out from the crowd.
“For the longest time, I town, and leaving it.
latimes.com/jobs
was one of those kids that al- “I’ve been spending a lot
ways wanted to leave Sacra- of time thinking about her
THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME mento,” said Harrison Daly, Sacramento versus my Sac-
By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek
23, standing at the cash reg- ramento,” said Long, who
Unscramble these Jumbles, ister of the Avid Reader, a lo- just finished an essay about
one letter to each square,
Get the free JUST JUMBLE app • Follow us on Twitter @PlayJumble

to form four ordinary words. cal bookshop where Didion’s her own youth in the same
books were doing brisk busi- neighborhoods Didion fre-
SREHF ness Thursday. Daly began quented. “I don’t think Sac-
changing his mind about ramento is all that success-
the city after he found a copy ful in being the cultural place
of “Democracy,” Didion’s it tries to be. Sacramento
RNSLA fourth novel, at a library tries very hard and I think
PHOTO: LA Times book sale. that’s the same Sacramento
Her ability to capture that she wrote about as
Introducing grief touched him and gave well.”
the free him a sense of pride that After departing for UC
PUYGMS Hot Sacramento turned out Berkeley, Didion occa-
Property such talent, an indicator of sionally returned to Sacra-
newsletter. an underground “cultural mento — to see her parents
boom even though it ap- or take her late daughter
NCLEUT Celebrity home sales pears to be quiet,” he said. Quintana to see rivers and
and high-end real Didion was born in Sac- levees and other quirks of
Now arrange the circled letters
estate transactions ramento in 1934, and if she her old stomping grounds.
©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC to form the surprise answer, as had grown up in San Fran- But in her 2011 interview, she
All Rights Reserved. suggested by the above cartoon. accompanied by
stunning photos. cisco or Los Angeles, she said she hadn’t been back to
“ ” would have formed a much Sacramento since the 1990s,
Sign up at different take on California including when she was in-
(Answers tomorrow) than she did in the Central ducted into the California
latimes.com/HotProp
Jumbles: BRAWL VALVE FINALE QUORUM Valley. Hall of Fame in 2014.
Yesterday’s
Answer: She asked if she could borrow her sister’s favorite
Her ancestors had ar- It is not entirely clear
sweater, but the response wasn’t — FAVORABLE
rived in Sacramento in the why, past her teens, Didion
mid-1800s. Stories of the pio- so detached herself from

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book as contributing to the “Lady Bird.”
California myth, but it pro- But the city was a key
HOW TO PLACE AN AD vided a glimpse of how Sac- character in several of her
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homes starting at $5k. Text
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would overtop their banks, flowers, Anderson, who lives
forcing poverty-stricken where Didion once dreamed,
Sacramentans to escape in- contemplated what she
undation by converging on would do with the living trib-
one of the town’s few hills. utes. She wanted to leave
Wealthy families such as them out where others could
the McClatchys — owners of see them, share in their
the Sacramento Bee — meaning and grief. But it
would soon learn that Pover- was too sad to think of them
ty Ridge was a safe spot to dying there in the cold. She
build their mansions. Did- decided she would bring
ion’s father, Frank Didion, them in on Christmas, ar-
purchased one of these range them in a vase, and
houses in the 1940s at the give them a place of honor.
corner of 22nd and T Streets, And, she says, she will
YOUR PERFECT moving the family from a then do a toast — to Didion,

HIRE
IS WAITING
smaller home a few blocks
away.
For Didion, the city’s riv-
her life, and the beauty of
strong women.
Extend your reach. Access customized
technology. Simplify your search. ers were her constant com- Chabria reported from
latimes.com/jobs panion, an escape rather Sacramento and
than a fear. She’d raft them Leavenworth from Berkeley.
L AT I M E S . C O M F R I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 B5

OBITUARIES

CARA SCHNEIDER

L.A. educator knew students needed joy

could better serve her stu- moya Avenue Elementary ministrator of the Monroe nect with immigrant stu- about their goals and aspira-
By Melissa Gomez dents in the top job. School in Hollywood. Community of Schools, dents and their parents, tions, Hanley said, and she
“Every day, she came to After teaching for several leading 20 campuses in helping them with trans- would advise them on job
ara Schneider, a work with a great love for the years, she rose through the North Hills, Panorama City lations and connecting them openings or career goals.

C Fairfax High
School graduate
and longtime Los
Angeles teacher
and administrator, knew her
students well. She knew they
spoke Spanish, so she
community she worked so
hard to serve,” school board
President Kelly Gonez said
of Schneider during a recent
meeting. “Above all, Cara
was completely committed
to the mission of education.”
ranks, becoming an assist-
ant principal, principal and
eventually a director in Lo-
cal District Northwest.
Along the way, colleagues
said, she helped support
dozens of teachers and prin-
and Northridge East.
“If you knew her, you
would love her,” said board
member Scott Schmerelson,
who also worked with
Schneider.
During her first term on
with resources.
When she considered be-
coming an assistant princi-
pal, she hesitated because
she wanted to continue
working directly with stu-
dents, Orly said.
“So many of the teachers
I’ve worked with at Noble
have become principals or
assistant principals,” Han-
ley said, saying at least 15 for-
mer colleagues have gone on
to become administrators
learned the language. She Schneider died of cancer cipals in their classrooms the school board, Jackie But she also knew she with Schneider’s help. “She
knew they needed doses of on Nov. 5, her sister, Orly and guided several of them Goldberg came to know could further advocate for was invested in everybody.”
joy — and knowledge of the Schneider, said. She was 58. onto a path of school admin- Schneider as a “terrific them by taking on a higher Schneider treated the
Beatles in their lives — so When Schneider at- istration. As an administra- teacher” who hit the ground position. She served as prin- children of her colleagues
she blasted “Here Comes the tended UCLA in the 1980s, tor, she supported art pro- running when she began at cipal of Noble Avenue Ele- and friends as family, Hanley
Sun” once a week on the she wanted to teach in the grams and helped teachers Cheremoya. mentary School in North said, and is remembered for
school intercom. And when city where she grew up, Orly secure resources they As the product of LAUSD Hills for seven years. her resourcefulness. When
she was tapped to become said. She began working for needed to help their stu- schools, Schneider “felt that Laura Hanley was work- Hanley wanted her son
an assistant principal, she the Los Angeles Unified dents thrive. she wanted to give back to ing as a first-grade teacher Aidan to attend a magnet
didn’t want to leave her School District in 1987 as a In her last role at the dis- the community,” Orly said. at Noble when Schneider ar- school, Schneider helped
classroom, but she knew she bilingual teacher at Chere- trict, she served as an ad- Schneider sought to con- rived in 2007. At the start of her choose the right fit.
every week, before kicking At Noble, one teacher
off morning announce- struggled to get her students
ments, Schneider played to grasp reading material
“Here Comes the Sun” by and asked Schneider about

Police kill suspect, teenage girl the Beatles over the inter-
com, instilling in her stu-
dents a love for the English
rock band, Hanley said.
Schneider, on a visit with
implementing music into
the curriculum to help. One
morning, the teacher arrived
to find a piano in her class-
room, Hanley said, a gift
her students to Capitol Re- from Schneider, who would
[Shooting, from B1] “There’s not a police offi- cords to record their own often attend the innovative
[searched] the dressing cer in America who would renditions of songs, wore a classes.
room and found a 14 year old ever want this type of cir- Beatles shirt for the trip. “She just spent all day ev-
female victim who was cumstance to occur,” Moore A supporter of the arts, ery day finding solutions to
struck by gunfire,” the tweet stressed. she recruited Hanley to help problems so that schools
from the LAPD’s media rela- Moore said Deputy Chief host an annual multicultural could thrive and kids could
tions office read. Dominic Choi, who is acting event and direct a new arts reach the best of their poten-
A woman also injured chief in Moore’s absence, program at the school. In tial,” Hanley said.
was taken to a trauma cen- was on scene and had been Schneider, teachers found Schneider is survived by
ter, said Nicholas Prange, a provided a walk-through of someone whom they felt her siblings, Ben and Orly
spokesperson with the Fire the incident. comfortable confiding in Schneider.
Department. Her condition At a news conference,
wasn’t immediately known. Choi said the area behind
Moore said police were the suspect “just looks like a
still pulling video of the en- straight wall.”
counter, including from mul-
tiple closed-circuit cameras
A “very heavy” metal ca-
ble lock was found near the
OBITUARY NOTICES
in the store, but that it ap- Mel Melcon Los Angeles Times suspect, Choi said.
Place a paid notice latimes.com/placeobituary
peared the girl was in a LAPD OFFICIALS investigate at the scene in North Choi said it wasn’t yet Search obituary notice archives: legacy.com/obituaries/latimes
dressing room with her Hollywood after the fatal shooting by police officers. clear whether the lock
mother when she was prompted officers to shoot.
struck. cers were justified in open- “Preliminary investiga- To provide full transpar-
“We have a young girl who ing fire or should face ad- tion indicates that one of the ency, Moore said, he has di- KAZOVSKY, Gita
was in a dressing room be- ministrative sanction or deaths fell within the scope rected that the department Mount Sinai Memorial Parks -
hind a wall that my under- punishment, also called the of AB 1506,” according to a compile and release by Mon- Hollywood Hills 800-600-0076
standing was in the path of shooting tragic and promis- statement by Bonta’s office. day body-worn and closed- www.mountsinaiparks.org
where the officer fired,” ed it would be thoroughly in- After the investigation is circuit video of the incident,
Moore said. “This is a devas- vestigated. complete, findings will be as well as radio calls
tating and tragic circum- “I’m being kept apprised turned over to the depart- and other available informa-
stance, and it occurred dur- and I’m being assured this is ment’s special prosecutions tion.
ing the actions of one of our getting the highest attention section for independent re- The full investigation of
officers.” in terms of investigation,” view, according to the state- the shooting, however, will
CARROLL, Lynne Forbes
The Times was unable to Briggs said. “That’s what ment. take longer, he said.
April 16, 1946- December 2, 2021
contact any witnesses who they’re going through now.” Moore said it did not ap- “We’re asking for the pub-
would have been inside the California Atty. Gen. Rob pear that the officer who lic and the news media as Lynne Forbes Carroll passed away
store when the shooting oc- Bonta said the state Depart- fired “would have known well to allow us to conduct a quietly on December 2nd at Cedars-
curred. ment of Justice would inves- that there was anyone be- full investigation,” Moore Sinai Hospital. Lynne was the daughter RANDALL, George Wallace
Police have not identified tigate the shooting under hind there or that he was said. “The facts will be the of the late John J. and Eleanor Forbes, June 19, 1924 - December 10, 2021
and beloved wife of the late film
the suspect or the victims. rules set by a law — Assem- looking at anyone other facts, and we’ll have them producer, C. Gordon Carroll. She leaves
George “Gramps” Randall, WWII
William Briggs, president bly Bill 1506 — that took ef- than the suspect and a wall,” known.” veteran, POW in the European theater,
behind her brother John B. Forbes, and beloved grandfather of Naomi and
of the civilian Police Com- fect July 1 requiring his office but he said every aspect of sister-in-law Fletcher Forbes, niece Emily. He will be sorely missed by all
mission, which reviews all to independently investi- what occurred and why Times staff writer Lila Kim Forbes Tramel, nephew and niece who met him. George was always full
police shootings and decides gate all fatal police shoot- would be analyzed by LAPD Seidman contributed to this John E and Sharon Forbes, three great of kindness and compassion, his love
nephews, two great nieces, and many
whether the involved offi- ings of unarmed civilians. investigators. report. many friends.
of nature, and his ability to light up a
room with just a smile will be forever
with us.
A native New Yorker, Lynne came
to Los Angeles in the late 60’s after a SHIMAMOTO, GLENN E.
time living in Italy where she worked

Why Didion’s writing still resonates

Age 65 passed away on December
in commercial film production. In Los 14, 2021. He is survived by his wife,
Angeles, she worked in several smaller Liz Ann Shimamoto; children, Bryan
production companies before joining Shimamoto, Amy (Brian) Lew, and
Paramount Studios where she worked Grace Shimamoto; grandchildren,
in Children’s Production. Ava and Adam Shimamoto, and Ethan
[Arellano, from B1] precise words and her mac- did nothing with it to im- because I want my students and Theodore Lew; sisters, Lisa (Ralph
writing is. ro-analysis of a micro-story. prove her home state. to see that even someone Lynne was very passionate about Fernandez) Shimamoto and Diane
animals and animal rights. In addition (Wayne) Yokoyama; nephews, Blake
And I assign my class the They recognize the hypo- Her solution to what like Didion, so unlike them, to her strong support of the Lange
grand dame of California critical suburbanites that ailed California wasn’t to can still offer a valuable and Kai Yokoyama; he is also survived
Foundation, she had a steady stable of by other relatives.
letters, Joan Didion. Didion excoriates. The older take to the streets, but to lesson to Californians of all very fortunate rescue cats living their A public visitation will be held on
She’s everything they’re students in my class re- withdraw into her estate, or backgrounds today. best lives with her over the years. Wednesday, December 29 from 5-9
not: Privileged. Pedigreed. member the Spur Posse, the jet off to Latin America, My favorite passage in p.m. at Fukui Mortuary 707 E. Temple
Lynne was a friend to all who knew St. in Los Angeles. A private family
Possessor of polished prose. infamous gang of high where Didion always the essay is when Didion — her. Despite enduring years of severe
I tell my students none of school boys who scored seemed to sympathize far a fifth-generation Califor- service will be held on Thursday,
Rheumatoid Arthritis, she remained December 30 at Gedatsu Church in
this when I email them the each other on their sexual more with “people power” nian whose ancestors left positive, upbeat, and full of fun and Rosemead.
link to “Trouble in misdeeds that’s the center- than she did in the Golden the Donner-Reed Party life. We will all miss her infectious www.fukuimortuary.com
Lakewood,” the 1993 New piece of Didion’s essay; the State. What’s telling about before that group suffered laugh. 213-626-0441
Yorker essay Didion wrote younger ones recoil in dis- Didion as much as what she their grisly demise — dis-
about the quintessential gust that Spur Posse mem- wrote about is what she misses Lakewood as a ’burb
Southern California suburb bers were basically able to didn’t address. She went on of domestic dilettantes
DUROSS, Sister Kathleen
and how life there was far get away with their perver- at length about the Manson ruining a hard-fought para-
darker than its residents sity and admire Didion for murders but offered noth- dise. “Places like Lakewood
Ann
would have the world be- going after them and their ing on pioneering Los Ange- did not exist before the new
December 21, 1940 - December 9, 2021
DuRoss, Sister
To place
lieve. apologists. les Times columnist Rubén people came,” she wrote.
It’s my favorite Didion That my students so Salazar, whom Hunter S. “Places like Lakewood could
Kathleen Ann, C.S.J.
age 80, passed away an obituary
piece, because it captured a quickly get why Didion was Thompson memorably be seen, by people like my
moment in time when sub- important speaks to the wrote about for Rolling grandfather, as the wrong
on Thursday December
9, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. Born
December 21, 1940 in Los Angeles
ad please go
urbanites were realizing
that Southern California
writer’s legacy.
But I assign Didion not
Stone. She left it to her
husband, John Gregory
side of the California
dream.” California, a Sister of St. Joseph of
Carondelet since March 19, 1960. An
online to:
was no longer theirs, and just because of her bril- Dunne, to write about Cesar Even though Didion only girl with six brothers, Kathleen
were not happy about it at liance, but also to show my Chavez, while she busied wasn’t a radical, that cri- Ann was born into an Irish family--a
all. I remain in awe of her students how our concept of herself with ennui and John tique resonates with my family who treasured their heritage.
meticulous unmasking of what a journalist is sup- Wayne. students, strivers and Graduating from Mount St. Mary’s latimes.com/
polite society, her magisteri- posed to be has changed. She famously wrote: dreamers like all communi- College, she specialized in cardiac
al scope of California his- She had an insight into “What makes Iago evil? ty college students are. They
critical care and ministered in hospitals
throughout the Los Angeles Province.
placeobituary
tory, her prescient inclusion California and the human some people ask. I never know, like Didion, that the After earning her MSN from Catholic
of the anti-immigrant condition that transcends ask.” So I share with my good times can disappear University, she returned to Daniel
politics that went on to race and class, but it’s one pupils how that approach instantly. They know that Freeman Memorial Hospital where
dictate the state’s political different from how we see it isn’t good enough for to- California belongs not to she was a Clinical Nurse Specialist
in cardiac care where she was
life through the rest of the today. day’s California — and that those who quit it at the first instrumental in the initiation of the
1990s. I briefly lecture on Did- people get upset if you say inconvenience, but those cardiac rehabilitation program.
Few of my students — ion in our second class, after that. A Latina writer friend who stay for all the booms Her love for quiet and peace was
almost all either children of students turn in their as- of mine once stated on and busts. evident both in ministry and in her
immigrants or working signments. I share that she social media that she didn’t I imagine my students, hobbies of tole painting, quilting, or call
class — have ever heard of was a part of the so-called “get” Didion, and got white- heady on Didion’s words,
and baking. Family, friends and
benefactors all reaped the harvest of 1-800-234-4444
the New Yorker, though, let New Journalism, a literary splained incessantly for it, nodding in approval as her talents and generosity.
alone read Didion. Every movement that made celeb- as if she were a dolt for not Didion blasts Lakewooders She is survived by her brothers Paul
semester, I wonder if it’s rities out of outsized chroni- grasping Didion. Writer and their ilk. “New people,” DuRoss, Joe DuRoss, Dan DuRoss, Neil
maybe better if I update my clers who loved to dive into Myriam Gurba faced a she continued, “remained DuRoss and many nieces and nephews.
A Service of Remembrance will
list of canonical works and all corners of societies and fierce backlash last year for ignorant of our special be held via Zoom at the Carondelet
leave her off. And yet every emerge with rollicking sto- an essay tellingly titled “It’s history, insensible to the Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday
semester I’ve taught at ries. I also connect her to Time to Take California hardships endured to make January 12, 2022, 2 PM. Zoom link
Orange Coast College, it’s prophetic California doom- Back from Joan Didion,” all it, blind not only to the will be sent the week of the service.
“Trouble in Lakewood” that sayers such as Carey because Gurba blasted dangers the place still pre- Graveside service will be held Thursday
December 23, 2021, 10 AM at Holy
my classes inevitably rave McWilliams, Mike Davis and California’s intellectual sented but to the shared Cross Cemetery in Culver City, CA.
about the most. Frank Norris, who saw guardians for allowing responsibilities its contin- Donations in memory of Sister
I tell my students to something rotten at the Didion to take up so much ued habitation demanded.” Kathleen Ann DuRoss may be sent to:
argue in their one-page heart of the California space at the expense of My students might be Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,
reaction paper why each dream. other writers, even today. newcomers to her work but 11999 Chalon Road, Los Angeles, CA
90049. Please visit the mortuary’s
piece they read is consid- But I also point out that That’s why after I teach not the state. They’re as website, www.LAfuneral.com to
ered a classic of literary Didion is starting to fall out Didion in that first assign- much a part of Didion’s send the family messages and share
journalism. The answers for of favor with the California ment, I move on to other Californians as professional memories.
“Trouble in Lakewood” are writers of color of my gener- writers. But I nevertheless writers like myself, all of us
always the same. My stu- ation, who see in her an teach her — and specifically slouching toward whatever
dents enjoy her sparse, incredible talent who really “Trouble in Lakewood” — our future may be.
E10 FR I DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M / CA L E N DA R

COMICS

SUDOKU BRIDGE
2-2, four spades doubled ous distributions. Pass. You
By Frank Stewart would cost 800.) probably have no game, and
Cy isn’t apt, by his nature, if you bid again you may get
“My Christmas tree to trust anybody, but if he too high.
lights are ‘on the blink,’ ” Cy trusts the auction to be logi-
the Cynic told me. “I’m hav- cal, he may finesse in trumps North dealer
ing to test them all.” against East and then in Both sides vulnerable
“That must take a while.” clubs against West, making
NORTH
“I’m doing it,” Cy said his contract. ♠ 10 5
grimly, “by process of illumi- Cy, Unlucky Louie, Min- ♥K84
nation.” nie Bottoms and all my club ♦KQ9
In a penny game, the members wish for my read- ♣ A J 10 5 4
Cynic was South and ers a holiday season of peace WEST EAST
♠AJ87 ♠KQ9642
pushed on to five hearts and joy. ♥3 ♥ Q 10 9
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four spades. Cy ruffed the ♦ J 6 5 3 2 ♣ Q 8 2. Your part- ♣Q82 ♣7
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showed out, Cy tried the A-K two clubs. What do you say? ♥AJ7652
of clubs — and East dis- Answer: This problem is ♦ 10 8
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The bidding was illumi- of “Standard” bidding: Part- NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
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dark. East-West’s willing- imum bid in a new suit by 4♥ 4♠ 5♥ All Pass
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suggested shapely hands. (If range of hands. He could
KENKEN both hearts and clubs broke have 12 points or 18 with vari- Tribune Content Agency
Every box will contain a number; numbers depend on the size of the grid. For a 6x6
puzzle, use Nos. 1-6. Do not repeat a number in any row or column. The numbers in each
heavily outlined set of squares must combine to produce the target number found in the
top left corner of the cage using the mathematical operation indicated. A number can be ASK AMY
repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.

Let in-law in on feelings

Dear Amy: This little thing tion from the elder and are She is in a long-distance re-
has nagged me for many too timid to ask. lationship with another
years. My son has had two Many people don’t feel man.
marriages; both of his wives comfortable calling their in- I respect her right to date
have never felt comfortable laws “Mom” and “Dad” be- who she wants and don’t
calling me “Dad” or by my cause they already have par- want to make things weird
first name. Instead, they ents they address this way. by pushing the issue, but
have called me “Grampa” in When the grandchildren whenever we’re together, I
text messages, and even come along, the elder finally feel a pull of attraction that
when we’re together. has a real designation: is getting hard to ignore.
My son has been married “Grandpa.” I’m afraid if this contin-
to his current wife for 10 You don’t mention how ues, one of us may cross an
12/24/21 years now. What happened your son addresses his par- ethical line. I’d be happy to
today was the last straw: In a ents-in-law (if he has them). make a move if she broke up
group text message with my This might provide some in- with her boyfriend, but that
wife and me, our two kids sight. My point is that your isn’t my call to make.
HOROSCOPE and their spouses, the daughter-in-law won’t know Is she waiting for me to
daughter-in-law wrote: that this bothers you if you say something? Or just us-
confidence that prompted Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. “Thanks Grampa and aren’t brave enough to gen- ing me as a distraction be-
By Holiday Mathis you to take a chance. 18): Solving problems makes Gramma for babysitting for tly tell her. cause she’s lonely? Maybe
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): you smarter. You don’t see us!” I just wanted to fire back So, you say, “This might I’m just reading too much
Aries (March 21-April 19): The opportunity of the day problems as frustrating but “You’re welcome, Mother of sound like a minor thing, but into it? What’s the right
You’ll get what you weren’t looks a lot like work, which it as interesting little chal- the Grandkids!” would you mind calling me move here?
quite ready for. It’s proof is. It’s work leading to more lenges, a point of view that I have mentioned it off- by my first name? I am cool Smitten
that you don’t have to be per- work followed by the satis- will support your success. handedly to my son but that being ‘Grandpa’ when we’re
fectly prepared to make the faction of work well done. Pisces (Feb. 19-March has made no difference. with the kids or referring to Dear Smitten: The right
most of the moment. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): 20): You may have the im- Otherwise, I have a great the kids, but otherwise I’d move is to talk! “Are you
Taurus (April 20-May Those who don’t warm up to pulse to save things that will relationship with her. Would love it if you would just call waiting for me to say some-
20): You can’t describe or de- many feel safe around you. be of no further use. If you’re it be OK for me to say to her, me ‘Dave.’ Are you OK with thing?” “Am I reading too
fine authenticity; it’s differ- It’s not what you say but how not convinced of a thing’s in- “When the kids are not that?” much into this attraction?”
ent for each person and situ- you say things. Your connec- herent value, discard it. around, can you please call She might be relieved to If your conversation
ation. But you know it when tion with different genera- Today’s birthday (Dec. me by my first name, or know your preference. progresses and she ex-
you see it. Honest goodness tions will be especially nice. 24): This year will be the ex- ‘Dad?’ ” presses interest in you, I
is the prevailing note today. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): citing sort of ride that people I really do not want this to Dear Amy: I’ve recently be- hope you will make sure she
Gemini (May 21-June 21): You have a strong inclina- line up for, including climbs, go on another 10 years! come good friends with a knows that you are not will-
The spotlight swings to you tion about how you should swoops and thrilling twists. Say My Name woman and have begun to ing to date her while she is in-
for good reason. You’ve dem- be spending these moments. You’ll have the most fun develop romantic feelings volved with someone else. I
onstrated that you know Follow it. when you stay loose yet well Dear Say My Name: I for her. On more than one oc- suspect she will find this eth-
what to do in its glow. You’ve Sagittarius (Nov. 22- aligned. A long process know of younger-generation casion, we have shared mo- ical stand refreshing.
earned this attention. Enjoy. Dec. 21): Whatever mood you comes to a happy end. You’ll in-laws who never address ments that have led me to
Cancer (June 22-July 22): strike is magnified by the be certified. Surprises in their elder parents-in-law by believe that the feeling Send questions to Amy
Don’t worry about who’s day’s particulars. Start with your personal life bring out any specific name because might be mutual. Dickinson by email to ask
better and who’s best. As joy. Just when you think you your best. Taurus and they’ve never had any direc- There’s just one catch: amy@amydickinson.com.
you find satisfaction with couldn’t get happier, you do. Aquarius adore you. Your
being good at something, Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. lucky numbers: 8, 20, 16, 7, 44.
you feel rich indeed. 19): The only way to get the FAMILY CIRCUS By Bil Keane DENNIS THE MENACE By Hank Ketcham
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): kinks out of your plan is to Mathis writes her column
Self-doubt is normal, espe- start working it. When the for Creators Syndicate Inc.
cially before big moment. flow of productivity stops, it The horoscope should be
Dig deeper for the kernel of shows you what to fix. read for entertainment.

CROSSWORD
Edited By Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
By Jeffrey Wechsler © 2021 Tribune Content Agency
ACROSS
1 Tbsp., for example
4 Touchy monarch?
9 “United States of Al”
network
12 “Very droll”
14 Representation
15 Edible seed
16 Port near the Red Sea
17 To date
18 Wild party
19 Near-EGOT winner
Midler (she’s missing
the O)
21 Org. with admirals
ARGYLE SWEATER By Scott Hilburn MARMADUKE By Brad & Paul Anderson
22 Reviews briefly
23 Gets gasps from
24 Bit of rebar
25 Philippine currency
26 Word often contracted
27 Text lead-in
30 “Oversharing!”
32 Home of the Green
Wave
34 Shrewdness
36 Inventing middle name
37 Short two-pointer
41 “Critique of Judgment”
author
42 Animals drawn in the
Lascaux caves
43 Opposite of après 3 Start of a seasonal title 47 RBI, e.g.
44 Madrid pronoun 4 Fla. NBA team, on 48 Booty
45 Like email notifications scoreboards 49 Increase
48 33-Down members: 5 “Not a doubt in my 50 Not at all
Abbr. mind” up-front
51 Update follower, 6 Title, part 2 52 Puck handler?
perhaps 7 Chair’s prep job 53 Strong
52 “’And when I __ my lips 8 Wimbledon division 54 Gets rid of
let no dog bark!’”: “The 9 End of the title 56 Long range
Merchant of Venice” 10 Drumroll follower 59 Mary’s upstairs BLISS By Harry Bliss SPEED BUMP By Dave Coverly
55 Old TWA competitor 11 Comments neighbor
57 Coastal raptor 13 Part of a pot 64 MGM motto word
58 Shady place 15 Smelting fuel 65 Stale
60 Signs 20 “Around the Horn” airer
61 __ al-Fitr: end-of- 22 It’s risky to work on it ANSWER TO
Ramadan feast 26 Slightly PREVIOUS PUZZLE
62 Greek letter 28 Fix a messy package,
63 Apple product say
64 “Therefore ... ” 29 Certain rider’s pace
66 Natural resources 31 Grooving on
67 “Star Wars” role 33 Organization for
68 Star in Orion 48-Across
69 “That’s that!” 35 Short strings?
70 1974 CIA spoof 38 Comment about a
71 Word with home or bed familiar film
72 Tiny crawlers 39 With the contents of
this grid’s circles, part
DOWN of the refrain in 3-/6-/9-
1 Obsessed mariner Down
2 Added to the official 40 Salton, for one
playbook 46 __ control 12/24/21