$2.75 DESIGNATED AREAS HIGHER © 2021 MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021 latimes.

com

Calls for BIDEN’S

reform
of state
Medical
Board
Times investigation
finds physicians who
abused patients had
licenses reinstated.
By Kim Christensen,
Brittny Mejia
and Jack Dolan
Legislators, regulators
and one of California’s most
powerful healthcare lobbies
are calling for drastic re-
forms in response to revela-
tions that the state Medical
Board gave licenses back to
doctors who sexually
abused patients.
The push for change at
AGENDA
APPEARS
DEAD IN
WATER
Finger-pointing ensues
after Manchin says he
won’t back president’s
social spending plan.
By Eli Stokols
WASHINGTON —
Democratic Sen. Joe
Manchin III appeared to pull
the plug on the centerpiece
of President Biden’s domes-
tic agenda, saying Sunday
that he cannot support the
Photographs by Francine Orr Los Angeles Times House-passed version of
AFGHAN REFUGEES Abdul Matin Qadiri and his wife shop for groceries in Seattle in November. They and his party’s massive social
their four children spent two anxious nights in a Kabul airport before being able to board an evacuation flight. spending package, prompt-
ing a sharp rejoinder from
the White House and send-

Their families fled Vietnam.

the Medical Board of Cali- ing delicate negotiations
fornia, which oversees the into a spiral of bitter accusa-
discipline of doctors in the tions.
state, followed a Los Angeles “I cannot vote to contin-
Times investigation that ue with this piece of legisla-

Now it’s time to ‘give back’

found since 2013 the panel re-
instated 10 physicians who
had lost their licenses for
sexual misconduct. They in-
cluded two doctors who
abused teenage girls and
one who beat two female pa-
tients when they reported
him for sexually exploiting
them.
One of the doctors, a Bak-
ersfield internist, reported
his primary accuser — an
undocumented immigrant
from Mexico — to immigra-
tion officials in a bid to pre-
vent her from testifying
against him, according to
the board’s records.
“That’s evil, pure evil,”
said state Sen. Melissa Hur-
tado (D-Sanger), whose dis-
trict includes Bakersfield.
She noted that her own
parents immigrated from
Mexico.
“The board is severely
broken; it’s absolutely in-
sane that you have someone
who has committed these
horrible acts on individuals
and there’s no justice,” Hur-
tado said.
[See Board, A8]
Afghans find compassion and
generosity from fellow refugees
By Kurtis Lee
SEATTLE — Thuy Do
couldn’t look away from the
devastating clip playing on a
loop on television news —
hundreds of Afghans run-
ning alongside a massive
U.S. Air Force cargo plane,
desperately trying to flee
their home country. The
frantic frowns felt so famil-
iar, reminding her of images
of refugees packed onto heli-
copters to escape Vietnam
more than four decades ear-
lier.
So during the summer,
Do, a doctor in her late 30s
FINANCIAL WOES: Islamic countries scramble to help Afghanistan avert an economic collapse. WORLD, A3
whose family left Vietnam
when she was a girl and re-
settled in Seattle, sat down
in her living room with her
husband and talked about
how they could help.
“We just knew we had to
do something,” she said, re-
flecting on the initial shock
of the Taliban takeover of Af-
ghanistan in August. “This
is a time for us to give back.”
Many time zones away,
past jagged mountain
ranges and the vast Pacific
Ocean, Abdul Matin Qadiri
settled into a corner inside
Hamid Karzai International
Airport, where he and his
[See Afghans, A6]
tion. I just can’t,” Manchin of
West Virginia said on “Fox
News Sunday.” “I’ve tried
everything humanly pos-
sible. I can’t get there. This is
a no on this legislation.”
Manchin, the Democrats’
50th vote in the evenly di-
vided Senate, had wavered
for months on whether he
would support the $1.75-tril-
lion package, which would
extend child tax credits and
provide new subsidies for
child care, preschool and
elder care. The proposal also
included $555 billion to com-
bat climate change — the li-
on’s share of Biden’s plan to
curb carbon emissions as
part of an uncertain global
effort to avert a catastrophic
further rise in the planet’s
temperature.
After talks last week be-
tween Biden and Manchin
failed to resolve the impasse,
the Senate left town Sunday
morning without voting on
THANH TAN is a founder of Viets for Afghans. The the bill, which Democrats
grass-roots group in Washington state aids refugees. call “Build Back Better.” In a
statement Thursday eve-
ning, Biden expressed opti-
[See Manchin, A12]

Rapper’s killing backstage

at concert shakes industry
By Alex Wigglesworth,
James Queally and
Christian Martinez
The fatal stabbing of
Drakeo the Ruler backstage
during a concert at Expos-
ition Park that brought to-
gether some of the biggest
names in rap music left fans
stunned and authorities
searching for his killer.
The brazen attack oc-
curred Saturday night be-
Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times hind the main stage of the
GRANT GERSHON conducts the Los Angeles Master Chorale. For Ger- Once Upon A Time in L.A.
shon, the word “hallelujah” is perfect because it can have different meanings. music festival at Banc of Cal-
ifornia Stadium, prompting
COLUMN ONE
officials to abruptly cancel
the event before some of the
artists, including Snoop
Dogg, had performed. Police
have released few details
about what happened and
have not confirmed Drakeo
was the victim.
But a person with direct
knowledge of the incident
told The Times that Drakeo
had been attacked by a
group of people. He later
died from his injuries, ac-
cording to the source, who
requested anonymity to dis-
cuss the matter candidly.
Another source said a vi-
deo of the incident showed
An influence on
L.A. hip-hop
Rapper found acclaim
with several mixtapes
while facing criminal
charges. CALIFORNIA, B5
people running up on stage
and security trying to break
up a fight. Another video
captured Drakeo on the
ground with emergency per-
sonnel treating him.
It was unclear who had
access to the backstage
area. No arrests had been
[See Rapper, A12]

Hallelujah: The remarkable Boric captures

Chile presidency

story behind this joyful word Leftist congressman,

35, becomes youngest
leader in the nation’s
history. WORLD, A3
Hah-lay-ay-loo-YAH!
By Deborah Netburn But what does hallelujah mean, ex- Philippines asks
actly? And why does it continue to reso- for typhoon aid
t begins with the violins — orderly nate with us, untranslated, thousands of

I and baroque. The choir rises. The

audience rises. And before you know
it, the concert hall, church, rec center
or school auditorium fills with the
triumphant sound of one of the most be-
loved musical works of the season: Han-
del’s “Hallelujah” chorus.
years after it first appeared in the Hebrew
bible?
And what is it about hallelujah that in-
spires composers and songwriters to de-
ploy it so frequently and reverentially
from Handel to Ray Charles to Leonard
Cohen?
Death toll from Rai has
reached at least 146, and
more devastation might
be reported. WORLD, A3

Over the next four minutes (and
change) the choir will repeat the word hal-
lelujah 48 times, but the audience and mu-
sicians never seem to tire of it. Credit Han-
del’s vibrant melody, but also the almost
mystical power of that combination of
vowels and consonants.
HalleLUjah!
HalleLUjah!
Hospitals brace
for winter surge
Nam Y. Huh Associated Press
The Oxford English Dictionary defines Public health officials
hallelujah as “a song or shout of praise to paint a grim picture in L AKERS FALL TO BULLS
God,” but biblical scholars will tell you it’s which Omicron spreads
actually a smash-up of two Hebrew words: widely. CALIFORNIA, B1 LeBron James, right, shoots over Alfonzo McKin-
“hallel” meaning “to praise” and “jah” nie during L.A.’s 115-110 loss in Chicago. SPORTS, D1
meaning Yahweh, or God.
But that’s just the official meaning. For Weather
Grant Gershon, director of the Los Ange- Mostly cloudy. L.A. Basin: 65/49. B6
[See Hallelujah, A8]

BUSINESS INSIDE: California’s utilities regulator is poised to slash solar incentives. A9

A2 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Educators bear weight of assessing threats
School systems rely
on Secret Service and
experts as they watch
for potential violence.
By Carolyn Thompson
School systems nation-
wide rely on high-level ex-
pertise from the U.S. Secret
Service and others as they
work to stay vigilant for
signs of potential student vi-
olence, training staff, sur-
veilling social media and
urging others to tip them off.
When it comes to how to
respond to a possible threat,
however, it’s the local educa-
tors who make the call.
In the Nov. 30 shooting at
a high school in Oxford
Township, Mich., author-
ities say the 15-year-old stu-
dent charged with killing
four peers was allowed to re-
main in school despite trou-
bling behavior including a
drawing of a handgun and a
person with bullet wounds.
The school’s handling of the
student before the shooting
is among the topics under
investigation.
Security experts and
school administrators say
there is detailed guidance to
help schools recognize con-
cerning behavior and when
to intervene. But exactly
how to respond, including
whether to remove students
from school property or in-
volve law enforcement, is for
school officials to decide in
each individual case.
Educators routinely as-
sess how to deal with behav-
ior that can include men-
tions of weapons in a
social media post and stu-
dents “joking” about bomb
threats, all while weighing
safety concerns against a
student’s right to an educa-
tion.
“There is no such thing as
the perfect school safety and
crisis response protocol,”
said Stephen Brock, a lead
author on the subjects for
the National Assn. of School
Psychologists’ curriculum.
Widely accepted best
practices for threat assess-
Economy and COVID drove Latino voters toward Trump
Some Republicans
believe the 2020
results point the way
to even greater gains.
By David Lauter
In a country of deeply
dug-in voters, Latinos pro-
vide the great exception.
Although most Latino
voters cast ballots for Demo-
crats, as a group their parti-
san loyalties are less fixed
and less predictable than
many other Americans. At
least for now, Latinos form
the essential swing group in
U.S. politics.
In last year’s election, a
significant number of Latino
voters swung toward the
GOP — not a majority, but
enough to bolster former
President Trump’s margins
in Florida and Texas and to
narrow President Biden’s
victory in states from Ne-
vada to Wisconsin.
For Democrats, that
swing was deeply ominous:
Their chance to hold on to
power rests on the ability to
keep together an alliance of
white liberals and over-
whelming majorities of
Black, Latino and Asian vot-
ers — the sort of multiracial
coalition that gave Demo-
crats their current narrow
control of the Senate by de-
livering them twin victories
in Georgia 11 months ago.
By contrast, successful
wooing of Latino voters in
Texas provides one big rea-
son why the GOP has
blunted Democratic efforts
to replicate the Georgia ex-
perience there.
Some Republicans be-
lieve the 2020 results point
the way toward even greater
gains in Latino communi-
ties, especially among work-
ing-class voters, mirroring
how their party has won over
large parts of the white
working class.
Not surprisingly, both
parties have focused on
what happened last year
among Latinos and what it
may portend for the future.
This past week saw a ma-
jor new analysis from Equis
Research, a leading Demo-
BEST PRACTICES for threat assessment were adapted from Secret Service guidance developed since the
1999 Columbine school massacre. Above, students attend a Dec. 1 memorial for victims in Oxford, Mich.
ment have been adapted
from Secret Service guid-
ance developed in the
years since the 1999 Col-
umbine school massacre in
Colorado. The agency’s Na-
tional Threat Assessment
Center recommends multi-
disciplinary teams of school
administrators, security
and mental health profes-
sionals be established to as-
sess whether a student
would be helped by counsel-
ing, should be reported to
police, sent back to class or
something in between.
To set blanket policy —
for example, always sending
students home for certain
acts — would be to go back-
ward to an era of zero-toler-
ance policies, when every-
one was punished but few
students got help, said Lina
Alathari, chief of the Secret
Service National Threat As-
sessment Center.
“You have to rely on your
A MIAMI campaign rally in 2019. Joe Biden won more than 6 in 10 Latino voters
in 2020, about 8 percentage points lower than what Hillary Clinton got in 2016.
cratic firm that focuses on
Latino voters.
We’ll take a look at what
researchers found and also
examine other data on the
role that religion plays in
shaping the voting behavior
of Latinos.
One key to understand-
ing the overall picture: In a
country as closely divided
as the U.S., even relatively
small shifts can tip the bal-
ance in big ways.
In 2020, Biden won more
than 6 in 10 Latino voters.
That’s a good showing by
most measures but was
about 8 percentage points
lower than what Hillary
Clinton got in 2016, Equis
found, citing data from the
Democratic voter analysis
firm Catalist.
The shift among Latinos
translates into about 1.2%
of the overall electorate.
Biden’s nationwide victory
came about largely because
he did about 3 percentage
points better than Clinton
did among white voters, a
larger group that also has
higher turnout than Lat-
inos.
What lay behind the Lat-
ino shift?
“The simplest story re-
mains the most powerful,”
Equis Research’s co-found-
PERSPECTIVES
assessment to guide your re-
sponse, which is why this
multidisciplinary approach
is so important. You want
the mental health perspec-
tive, but you also want the
[student resource officer]
perspective because they
will bring that operational,
investigative mind set to ask
the questions, whether
something is an imminent
risk or not,” she said.
Michael Lubelfeld, super-
intendent of North Shore
School District 112 in High-
land Park, Ill., described an
“all hands on deck” ap-
proach whether a report
comes in about a scuffle be-
tween students or a serious
threat.
He recalled a scenario in
one of the district’s middle
schools last year, in which a
child was overheard “indi-
cating he wanted to do a vi-
olent act.” It was close to the
end of the day, with little
er, Carlos Odio, wrote: “The
economy and its intersec-
tion with COVID became
voters’ top priority.”
When Trump ran against
Clinton, his constant at-
tacks on immigration alien-
ated even many conserva-
tive Latino voters, the firm
found, analyzing polling
data from the Democracy
Fund’s Voter Study Group.
But in the 2020 cam-
paign, Trump largely
avoided the topic, and that
paid him a significant divi-
dend.
Real-world success
On the eve of the 2016
election, immigration and
“voting to support the Lat-
ino community” were the
top two issues cited by Lat-
inos in explaining how they
intended to vote, according
to surveys by UCLA political
science professor Matt Bar-
reto and Gabriel Sanchez,
his partner at BSP Re-
search.
By 2020, the share of Lat-
ino voters citing those two
factors had dropped almost
in half, while the economy
and COVID-19 had jumped
to the top.
Trump’s rhetoric wasn’t
the only factor — Republi-
time to investigate. So
Lubelfeld summoned police,
who arrived in force.
“It was unsubstantiated
but we didn’t have time to
really do a thoughtful inves-
tigation,” he said, “so we bas-
ically called in the cavalry
and then informed the com-
munity why we did it.”
“I would rather overre-
act,” he said, “and I can take
the criticism for that.”
The Michigan attack
came only hours after the
defendant, Ethan Crumbley,
returned to class after the
school summoned him and
his parents to discuss worry-
ing behavior, including the
drawing with the gun and
the words: “The thoughts
won’t stop. Help me.” Ethan
told a counselor it was part
of a video game he was de-
signing.
After the shooting, au-
thorities learned his father
had bought a gun, which his
Joe Raedle Getty Images
cans had real-world gains to
brag about.
The first three years of
Trump’s term — before the
pandemic — saw significant
economic growth in Latino
communities. Latino fam-
ilies enjoyed faster growth in
wealth between 2016 and 2019
than either Black or white
families, and Latino unem-
ployment dropped to a his-
torically low point, accord-
ing to data from the Federal
Reserve Board.
Those economic gains
provided a powerful talking
point for Trump’s cam-
paign.
Economics doesn’t ex-
plain everything, however.
One of the biggest and most
persistent political divisions
among Latinos falls along
religious lines, noted Natalie
Jackson, director of re-
search at the Public Religion
Research Institute.
“Hispanic Protestants
look more like white Protes-
tants than Hispanic Catho-
lics,” Jackson said. “It’s the
largest gap we see in our
data among Hispanics.”
Between 2016 and 2020,
that religious division grew
larger, she added.
The divide recapitulates
a pattern seen in Latin
America in which Protes-
Paul Sancya Associated Press
son is accused of using, four
days before. A prosecutor, in
taking the unusual step of
charging the parents with
involuntary manslaughter,
said James and Jennifer
Crumbley knew their son
had access to the gun but
didn’t ask him about it after
being shown the drawing,
and resisted taking him
home from school after the
meeting. They have pleaded
not guilty.
There are legal consider-
ations for schools, especially
if a student’s behavior is not
found to pose an imminent
risk, said Melissa Reeves, a
psychologist and coauthor
of the NASP’s curriculum.
If parents don’t agree
with the school and the situ-
ation doesn’t seem to merit
intervention from a social
services agency, “our hands
are tied because we are le-
gally obligated to educate,”
she said. “We can’t deny ac-
tant evangelical churches
have been strong supporters
of conservative movements.
During the election year,
57% of Latino Protestants,
but just 27% of Latino Cath-
olics, approved of Trump’s
conduct in office, Public
Religion Research Institute
surveys found. Latino Prot-
estants were also signifi-
cantly more likely to approve
of policies like building a
wall along the U.S.-Mexico
border.
The greater salience of
economic issues — and the
de-emphasis of immigration
— lowered a barrier that had
kept many conservative
Latinos from voting for
Trump in 2016.
Overall, Latinos disap-
proved of Trump, and ma-
jorities opposed several of
his policies, including ex-
panded deportations and,
especially, family separa-
tions.
But some of Trump’s
policies garnered strong ap-
proval among Latinos.
‘Defund the police’
In polling of Latino voters
this year, the economic
stimulus early in the pan-
demic (77% approval) and
the rapid development of
vaccines (74%) got espe-
cially favorable reviews as
parts of Trump’s legacy,
Equis found. He also got fa-
vorable majorities for his
push to reopen the economy
(66%) and his emphasis on
living without fear of COVID
(55%).
One factor that did not
seem to have had much im-
pact: “Defund the police.”
Contrary to a lot of con-
ventional wisdom, there
wasn’t any significant move-
ment toward Trump among
Latinos after the murder of
George Floyd in May 2020,
the event that sparked
months of protests and
the rise of the “defund”
slogan, Equis noted, citing
data from Nationscape, a
massive research project
by UCLA and the Democ-
racy Fund.
In fact, the debate over
policing may have galva-
nized some more liberal Lat-
ino voters to turn out for Bid-
L AT I M E S . C O M
cess to education.”
Districts have faced law-
suits from parents claiming
schools have overreacted
and unfairly punished stu-
dents for harmless remarks
or actions or underreacted
to tragic consequences.
“You’re damned if you do,
you’re damned if you don’t,”
said Dan Domenech, execu-
tive director of the School
Superintendents Assn., a
national group. In this third
school year disrupted by the
pandemic, he said, students
are acting out more than
ever, further straining the
people tasked with figuring
out if a student is just blow-
ing off steam or about to
erupt.
Meriden, Conn., Supt.
Mark Benigni said the dis-
trict has gotten pushback
for searching students’ bags,
sending them home or in-
volving police.
“The last thing I want to
do is keep a kid out of school,
I know they can’t learn when
they’re not here,” he said.
“But at the end of the day,
my obligation is to make
sure I’m creating a safe envi-
ronment, and I’m not going
to apologize when I need to
suspend a student.”
Near the start of the
school year in September, an
emailed threat from a high
school student circulated
among students at Fleming
County Schools in Ken-
tucky. The student was ex-
pelled after a review by the
district’s threat assessment
team.
Supt. Brian Creasman
said the student did not
have access to weapons, but
the team determined the
student needed help.
“We’re going to take as
long as we need to make sure
we’re not putting that stu-
dent who may have issues
back into a classroom who
could hurt him or herself
or hurt others,” Creasman
said. “It’s not necessarily
about punishing the kid for
communicating the threat.
We want to help the kid ad-
dress what is going on.”
Thompson writes for the
Associated Press.
en, the Equis study suggests.
By contrast, “the social-
ism attack broke through,”
Equis found, especially
among conservative voters
and those who get their news
from social media and con-
servative outlets.
The Republican attack
dovetailed with strong be-
liefs that many Latino voters
hold about the value of hard
work, Equis found in focus
groups. That finding high-
lights a big vulnerability
Democrats now face, and
not just with Latino voters.
Democrats continue to
have a strong advantage
over Republicans among
Latino voters as the party
that “cares about people like
you” and the “party of fair-
ness and equality.”
But the two parties come
out roughly even when poll-
sters ask Latino voters
which is the “party of the
American Dream” or which
is the party that is “better for
American workers,” accord-
ing to surveys conducted
this year by Democracy
Corps, a leading Democratic
organization.
For a party that has long
seen itself as the tribune of
the working class, that’s an
uncomfortable and poten-
tially dangerous place to be.
The four years of Trump
accelerated a shift of more
affluent college graduates,
mostly whites, toward
Democrats. Support from
those voters helped Demo-
crats regain control of the
House in 2018 and played an
important role in Biden’s
victory.
That change, which be-
gan long before Trump, also
helps explain why Demo-
crats have won a majority of
the votes in seven of the past
eight presidential elections
— an unsurpassed record in
American politics.
But that streak for
Democrats will be difficult to
sustain if the party’s gains at
the upper end of the income
scale come at the cost of
losing more working-class
voters.
What happens among
Latino voters will go a long
way toward determining
whether Democrats suffer
that fate.
L AT I M E S . C O M
A SUMMIT in Pakistan of Islamic countries and major powers yields promises to set up a fund to provide humanitarian aid to Af-
ghanistan through the Islamic Development Bank. Above, a family camped outside the Directorate of Disaster in Herat, Afghanistan.
Islamic world trying to prop up Afghans
Efforts aim to stave off
‘horrendous’ impact a
collapse would have
on region and world.
By Kathy Gannon
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
— Islamic countries scram-
bled on Sunday to find ways
to help Afghanistan avert an
imminent economic col-
lapse that they say would
have a “horrendous” global
impact.
The hastily called meet-
ing of the Organization of Is-
lamic Cooperation in Islam-
abad ended with a promise
to set up a fund to provide
humanitarian aid through
the Islamic Development
Bank, which would provide a
cover for countries to donate
without dealing directly
with Afghanistan’s Taliban
rulers.
In a news conference at
the end of the summit, Paki-
stani Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi also de-
scribed what he called good
news from the United
States, whose special repre-
sentative on Afghanistan,
Tom West, attended the
summit.
He said West met on the
sidelines with the Taliban
delegation led by the interim
foreign minister, Amir Khan
Muttaqi. According to
Leftist lawmaker captures polarized election in Chile
At 35, Gabriel Boric
will become the
youngest president in
the nation’s history.
By Jorge Poblete
and Patrick J.
McDonnell
SANTIAGO, Chile —
Leftist Congressman Gabri-
el Boric, 35, will become the
youngest president in Chi-
le’s history after winning a
comfortable victory in the
South American nation’s
most polarized election
since its return to democ-
racy more than 30 years ago.
With virtually all of the
vote counted, the millennial
progressive who burst into
prominence a decade ago as
a shaggy-haired student
protest leader had garnered
almost 56% of the ballots.
That compared with
about 44% for his opponent,
José Antonio Kast, 55, a far-
right career politician and
admirer of Chile’s former
military dictatorship.
In a Twitter message,
Kast said he had spoken
with Boric and conceded.
“From today [Boric] is
president-elect of Chile and
deserves all our respect and
constructive collaboration,”
Kast said, about an hour af-
ter polls closed. “Chile al-
ways comes first.”
Boric is to take office
March 11 for a single four-
year term. He will be 36 on in-
Qureshi, West also said that
he was mandated to “en-
gage” with the Taliban, that
U.S. humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan would not carry
preconditions and that
there could be as much as
$1.2 billion available through
the World Bank in money
that could be released to Af-
ghanistan.
There was no immediate
response from the U.S. to
Qureshi’s statements.
There has been a growing
call for the U.S. and other
countries to release upward
of $10 billion in frozen Afghan
assets. However, the U.S.
has said at least some of that
money is tied up in litigation
involving the survivors and
the families of victims of the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
carried out by Al Qaeda
while being harbored in Af-
ghanistan by the Taliban
during the group’s previous
rule.
Sunday’s talks brought
together dozens of foreign
ministers as well as the spe-
cial representatives on Af-
ghanistan of major powers,
including China, the U.S.
and Russia. It also included
the U.N. undersecretary
general on humanitarian af-
fairs, and the president of
the Islamic Development
Bank, Muhammad Su-
laiman al Jasser, who offered
several concrete financing
proposals. He said the IDB
can manage trusts that
GABRIEL BORIC will face a divided Congress that
will force him to negotiate with the right-wing oppo-
sition as he tries to implement a sweeping agenda.
auguration day.
“I’m going to be the presi-
dent of all Chileans, those
who voted for me, those who
didn’t, those who did not
vote,” Boric said Sunday in a
video call with outgoing
President Sebastián Piñera.
Boric will face a divided
Congress that will force him
to negotiate with the right-
wing opposition as he begins
to attempt to implement a
sweeping agenda.
Still, the results repre-
sented the latest triumph for
the left in Latin America,
where the COVID-19 pan-
demic has battered econo-
mies and left many voters
soured on traditional politi-
cal parties. Leftist leaders
have been elected since 2020
in two of Chile’s neighbors,
Bolivia and Peru, and a cen-
ter-left president leads adja-
THE WORLD
could be used to move mon-
ey into Afghanistan, jump-
start businesses and help
salvage the deeply troubled
economy.
At the outset of the sum-
mit, several participating
nations called for a quick
opening of the country’s
banking system and collec-
tively, with the United Na-
tions and international
banking institutions, a plan
to provide assistance to Af-
ghanistan. Pakistani Prime
Minister Imran Khan urged
Washington to drop precon-
ditions for releasing desper-
ately needed funds and re-
starting Afghanistan’s
banking systems.
Khan seemed to offer the
Taliban a pass on its limits
on education for girls, urging
the world to understand
“cultural sensitivities” and
saying human rights and
women’s rights meant differ-
ent things in different coun-
tries. Still other speakers, in-
cluding Organization of Is-
lamic Cooperation Chair-
man Hussain Ibrahim Taha,
emphasized the need for the
protection of human rights,
particularly those of women
and girls.
“This gathering is about
the Afghan people,” said
Qureshi, who warned that
without immediate aid, Af-
ghanistan was certain to col-
lapse. The consequences
would be “horrendous,” he
said, not just in Afghan lives
Marcelo Hernandez Getty Images
cent Argentina.
The runoff vote in Chile
featured a study in contrasts
— the leftist former student
activist allied with the Com-
munist Party and the ultra-
conservative free marketeer
who reminds many of former
President Trump and his
South American devotee,
Brazilian President Jair Bol-
sonaro.
In recent weeks the race
became a contest to attract
middle-of-the-road voters,
with both candidates mod-
erating some of their more
extreme positions. The re-
sults showed that Boric had
more success in wooing vot-
ers beyond his leftist base.
In first-round voting last
month, Kast narrowly fin-
ished first and Boric second
in fragmented balloting that
saw no one garner a major-
Petros Giannakouris Associated Press
lost to starvation and dis-
ease — but also because of
the mass exodus that would
most certainly follow. He
predicted chaos would
spread, allowing terrorism
and the drug trade to flour-
ish.
Martin Griffiths, the U.N.
undersecretary for humani-
tarian affairs and emergency
relief coordinator, warned
that Afghanistan cannot
survive on donations alone.
He urged donor countries to
show flexibility, allowing
their money to pay salaries
of public sector workers and
support “basic services such
as health, education, elec-
tricity, livelihoods, to allow
the people of Afghanistan
some chance to get through
this winter and some en-
couragement to remain
home with their families.”
Beyond that, Griffiths
said, “We need constructive
engagement with the de
facto authorities to clarify
what we expect from each
other.”
Afghanistan’s teetering
economy, he added, requires
decisive and compassionate
action, or “I fear that this fall
will pull down the entire
population.”
Griffiths said families
simply do not have the cash
for everyday purchases such
as food and fuel, as prices
soar. The cost of fuel is up by
about 40%, and most fam-
ilies spend 80% of their mon-
ity, leading to Sunday’s run-
off.
Both candidates repre-
sent a stunning rebuke of
the centrist left and right
parties that have alternated
governing Chile since 1990,
after the 17-year military rule
of the late Gen. Augusto
Pinochet.
Many voters — both left-
and right-leaning citizens —
seemed motivated to cast
ballots in an effort to prevent
a candidate they considered
an extremist from taking
power.
“I voted for Boric only so
that right-wing fascism
doesn’t win,” Felipe Mal-
inarich, 23, who studied
physical training but works
fixing washing machines,
said after voting in the work-
ing-class neighborhood of
San Bernardo, south of San-
tiago. “I decided to give the
lesser evil a chance.”
Among those voting for
Kast was Lucía Barrera, 69, a
stay-at-home mother.
“This is a critical election
for Chile because, in my
humble opinion, our free-
dom is at stake,” Barrera
said after casting her ballot
in the affluent area of Las
Condes, east of Santiago.
“The leftist candidate is al-
lied with the Communist
Party, which we all know is
not democratic.”
Running under the ban-
ner of the leftist I Approve
Dignity coalition, Boric has
repeatedly denounced “neo-
liberalism,” the conservative
free-market strategy pio-
M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
ey just to buy food.
He rattled off a number of
stark statistics.
“Universal poverty may
reach 97% of the population
of Afghanistan. That could
be the next grim milestone,”
he warned. “Within a year,
30% of Afghanistan’s GDP
could be lost altogether,
while male unemployment
may double to 29%.”
Next year the U.N. would
be asking for $4.5 billion in
aid for Afghanistan — its sin-
gle largest humanitarian aid
request, he said.
In what appeared to be a
message to the Taliban dele-
gation, Qureshi and subse-
quent speakers, including
Taha, emphasized the pro-
tection of human rights, par-
ticularly those of women and
girls.
In an interview with the
Associated Press last week,
Muttaqi said that Af-
ghanistan’s new rulers were
committed to the education
of girls and women in the
workforce.
Yet four months into Tali-
ban rule, girls are not al-
lowed to attend high school
in most provinces, and
though women have re-
turned to their jobs in much
of the healthcare sector,
many female civil servants
have been barred from com-
ing to work.
Gannon writes for the
Associated Press.
neered by the so-called Chi-
cago Boys — influential Chi-
lean economists trained at
the University of Chicago.
“If Chile was the cradle of
neoliberalism, it will also be
its grave!” declared Boric in
July.
Since emerging from
Pinochet’s dictatorship,
Chile — the world’s leading
copper producer and a de-
pendable U.S. ally — has
been widely viewed as a
wealthy bastion of stability
and economic progress in a
volatile region. However,
mass street protests in 2019
exposed deep divisions in
the nation of 19 million
where, amid considerable
wealth, half of workers
earn about $500 a month.
Opposition to a transit fare
hike quickly expanded into
a nationwide mobilization
against inequality.
Kast, a former congress-
man who admires Pino-
chet’s rule, ran on a socially
conservative, anti-immi-
grant and tax-cutting
agenda reminiscent of
Trump. His law-and-order
pronouncements appealed
to many still irate about the
2019 unrest, which left at
least 31 people dead, para-
lyzed Chile for months and
resulted in torched shop-
ping malls, supermarkets
and subway stations.
Special correspondent
Poblete reported from
Santiago and Times staff
writer McDonnell from
Mexico City.
A3
Filipino
officials
seek aid
as storm
toll rises
Typhoon deaths reach
146, but some areas
remain cut off and
unable to report in.
associated press
MANILA — The death
toll in the strongest typhoon
to batter the Philippines this
year has reached at least
146, and the governor of an
island province hit espe-
cially hard by Typhoon Rai
said there may be even
greater devastation that has
yet to be reported.
Gov. Arthur Yap of Bohol
province in the central Phil-
ippines said 72 people died
there, 10 were missing and 13
were injured.
The number of fatalities
may increase significantly
once communications are
restored to all parts of the
province, he said. So far, only
33 of 48 mayors had been
able to report back to him.
Officials were trying to
confirm a sizable number of
deaths elsewhere caused by
landslides and extensive
flooding.
In statements posted on
Facebook, Yap ordered
mayors in his province of
more than 1.3 million people
to invoke their emergency
powers to secure food packs
and drinking water for large
numbers of people. Food
and water have been ur-
gently sought in several
hard-hit towns.
After joining a military
aerial survey of typhoon-
ravaged towns, Yap said, “It
is very clear that the damage
sustained by Bohol is great
and all-encompassing.”
He said the initial inspec-
tion did not cover four towns
where the typhoon blew in as
it rampaged through central
island provinces on Thurs-
day and Friday. The govern-
ment said about 780,000 peo-
ple were affected, including
more than 300,000 residents
who had to evacuate.
At least 64 other typhoon
deaths were reported by the
disaster-response agency,
the national police and local
officials.
On the Dinagat Islands,
one of the southeastern
provinces first pounded by
the typhoon, officials sepa-
rately reported 10 deaths
from just a few towns, bring-
ing the overall fatalities so
far to 146.
President Rodrigo Du-
terte flew to the region Sat-
urday and promised $40 mil-
lion in aid. He met officials
in Maasin City in Southern
Leyte province, where he
was born. Duterte’s family
later relocated to the south-
ern city of Davao, where he
served as a longtime mayor
before rising to the presi-
dency.
“The moment I was born
into this world, I told my
mother, ‘Let’s not stay here,
because this place is really
prone to typhoons,’ ” Du-
terte told officials.
At its strongest, the ty-
phoon packed sustained
winds of 121 mph and gusts of
up to 168 mph, making it one
of the most powerful to hit
the archipelago in recent
years.
Floodwaters rose rapidly
in Bohol’s riverside town of
Loboc, where residents were
trapped on their roofs and in
trees. They were rescued by
the coast guard the follow-
ing day.
On the Dinagat Islands,
the roofs of nearly all houses,
including emergency shel-
ters, were either damaged or
blown away, an official said.
At least 227 cities and
towns lost electricity, which
has since been restored in
only 21 areas, officials said,
adding that three regional
airports were damaged, in-
cluding two that remain
closed.
The deaths and wide-
spread damage left by the
typhoon in the largely Ro-
man Catholic nation ahead
of Christmas brought back
memories of the catastro-
phe inflicted eight years ago
by another typhoon, Haiyan,
one of the most powerful on
record. It hit many of the
central provinces that were
pummeled last week, leaving
more than 6,300 people dead
in November 2013.
A4 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M

THE NATION

He fought
the law, and
the law won
Man who beat police
at the U.S. Capitol on
Jan. 6 gets longest jail
term yet for rioters.
associated press
WASHINGTON — A
Capitol rioter who attacked
police officers working to
hold back the angry pro-
Trump mob on Jan. 6 was
sentenced to more than five
years behind bars, the most
so far for anyone sentenced
for involvement in the insur-
rection.
Robert Palmer, 54, of
Yuki Iwamura Associated Press Largo, Fla., wept as he told
A MOBILE CLINIC conducts COVID-19 testing Friday in New York’s Times Square. President Biden is ex- U.S. District Judge Tanya
pected to speak about government assistance and risks for the unvaccinated, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. Chutkan that he recently
watched a video of his ac-
wrote. “They kept spitting
out the false narrative about
a stolen election and how it
was ‘our duty’ to stand up to
tyranny.”
Palmer, who has been
held at the District of Co-
lumbia jail among fetid con-
ditions that prompted a re-
view by authorities, said it
wasn’t fair that he be puni-
shed so severely when the
ringleaders were not.
The judge agreed — to a
point. “It is true that the
people who extorted you
and encouraged you and ral-
lied you to go and take action
have not been charged,” she
said. “That is not the court’s
decision. I have my opinions,
but they are not relevant.”
Before Palmer’s sentenc-
ing of 63 months, the longest
prison term handed down

Omicron is ‘raging,’ Fauci says tions that day and could not
believe what he was seeing.
“Your honor, I’m really,
really ashamed of what I
did,” he said through tears.
for a Capitol rioter was 41
months. That was the sen-
tence received by both Jacob
Chansley, the Arizona man
who wore a horned fur hat,
Palmer was one of several bare chest and face paint in-
about infections. ing it free to register a new “The one thing that’s very rioters sentenced Friday in side the Capitol, and New
Ahead of Biden speech Fauci, director of the business. clear, and there’s no doubt District of Columbia court Jersey gym owner Scott
National Institute of Allergy The administration is ex- about this, is its extraordi- for their actions that day, Fairlamb, the first person to
Tuesday, advisor says and Infectious Diseases, pecting an increase in break- nary capability of spreading, when the mob descended to be sentenced for assaulting
‘the real problem’ is tried to defend the presi- through infections with the its transmissibility capa- disrupt the certification of a law enforcement officer
dent’s earlier promise in a surge of holiday travelers. bility. It is just, you know, Joe Biden’s victory following during the riot.
the unvaccinated. separate interview Sunday Fauci said most people who raging through the world, a rally by then-President “It has to be made clear ...
on CNN’s “State of the have been vaccinated and really,” Fauci said. “And if Trump. Scores of police trying to stop the peaceful
By Josh Boak Union.” gotten a booster should be you look even here in the were beaten and bloodied, transition of power and
“The idea about hoping OK if they take precautions United States, you have five people died, and about assaulting law enforcement
WILMINGTON, Del. — and having an aspiration that include wearing masks some regions that start off $1.5 million in damage was officers is going to be met
The Omicron variant of the to be independent of the in crowded settings. with a few percent of the iso- done to the U.S. Capitol. with certain punishment,”
coronavirus is “just raging virus after a period of time Sens. Elizabeth Warren lates that are positive, now Palmer is the 65th de- the judge said. “There are
around the world,” the White is understandable and rea- of Massachusetts and Cory going up to 30%, 40% and, fendant to be sentenced. going to be consequences.
House’s top medical advisor sonable,” Fauci said. “But Booker of New Jersey say some places, 50%.” More than 700 people have I’m not making an example
said Sunday, and President the one thing that we know they have tested positive for Psaki’s announcement been charged. of you. I’m sentencing you
Biden is planning to give “a from now almost two years’ COVID-19, as the country Saturday on Twitter came A college student who for the conduct you did.”
stark warning of what the experience with this virus is deals with another surge in after Vice President Kamala posted online that “Infamy Courtright sobbed as she
winter will look like” for un- that it is really very unpre- cases and the emergence of Harris told the LosAngeles is just as good as fame” after told U.S. District Judge
vaccinated Americans. dictable.” the Omicron variant. Times that the Biden ad- she climbed through a bro- Christopher Cooper that “if I
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Yet the president seems In separate statements ministration “didn’t see ken window at the Capitol could take back anything in
country’s leading infectious- potentially stuck in a nega- Sunday, the Democrats said Delta coming. I think most was sentenced to a month in my life it would be my ac-
disease expert, told NBC’s tive feedback loop with a risk they had been fully vacci- scientists did not — upon jail for her actions. Gracyn tions on Jan. 6.”
“Meet the Press” that “the that infections could worsen nated with two doses and a whose advice and direction Courtright, 23, of Hurricane, She had posted photos of
real problem” for the U.S. the supply chain challenges booster and their symptoms we have relied — didn’t see W.Va., didn’t injure anyone, herself online — like scores
hospital system is that “we facing the United States and were mild. They also encour- Delta coming.” She added: and her sentence reflected of other rioters — reveling in
have so many people in this fuel inflation. aged others to get the trio of “We didn’t see Omicron that. the moment. “Can’t wait to
country who are eligible to Gov. Jared Polis (D- shots if eligible. coming. And that’s the na- But Palmer made his way tell my grandkids I was
be vaccinated who have not Colo.) told NBC that Biden Biden plans to speak ture of what this, this awful to the front line during the here!” she wrote. After the
yet been vaccinated.” should stop talking about Tuesday on the status of the virus has been, which as it chaos and started to attack, riot, Courtright dug in on
The prospect of a winter vaccination as two shots and fight against COVID-19 and turns out, has mutations throwing a wooden plank, social media when she was
chilled by a new wave of co- a booster and, instead, de- to discuss government help and variants.” spraying a fire extinguisher, criticized for her actions,
ronavirus infections is a re- scribe it as “three doses” for communities in need The vice president’s then hurling it when it was before eventually deleting
versal from the optimism that are needed to maximize of assistance, White House words raised doubts as to done. He rooted around for her accounts. Courtright is
projected by Biden about 10 protection. Press Secretary Jen Psaki the administration’s strate- other objects, prosecutors among the youngest of those
months ago, when he sug- Polis pivoted to inflation, tweeted. The president also gy for addressing the pan- said. He was briefly pepper- charged in the Capitol riot.
gested at a CNN town hall which is running at a nearly will warn about the risks for demic. sprayed by police before he Her attorney argued that
that the country would be four-decade high, saying Americans who “choose to Fauci told NBC that he attacked officers again with Courtright had no idea what
essentially back to normal Biden needs to show the remain unvaccinated.” had seen the variants com- a pole. she was doing and wasn’t a
by this Christmas. country how he is address- Fauci told NBC that the ing and thought Harris’ He pleaded guilty to at- political activist — she
Biden has been careful ing that challenge as part of president would again urge statement “was taken a bit tacking officers. didn’t even vote in the elec-
to not overpromise, yet the his upcoming remarks on people to get a booster shot, out of context,” adding that Palmer said in a hand- tion she was there to protest.
nation’s confidence has the Omicron variant. highlight increased avail- he believed she was referring written letter to the judge The judge said the rec-
been battered by an unre- “We can do very concrete ability of testing, discuss to “the extraordinary num- that he felt betrayed by ommended six months in
lenting wave of COVID-19 things that actually reduce “surge teams” for besieged ber of mutations ... particu- Trump and his allies who fed prison was too high and sen-
mutations and variations the costs for Americans,” hospitals and explain how larly with Omicron.” them conspiracy theories. tenced her instead to 30
that have left many Ameri- said Polis, noting that important it is to provide “Trump supporters were days, one year of supervised
cans emotionally exhausted, Colorado is cutting vehicle COVID-19 vaccines for the Boak writes for the lied to by those at the time release and 60 hours of com-
dispirited and worried registration fees and mak- rest of the world. Associated Press. who had great power,” he munity service.

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By Seth Borenstein show the city used to have is the cause, said University Christmas snow in 1981 to
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Letters to the Editor snow measurements on average was slightly above downward slide of white The line where there’s at
Want to write a letter to be cost (along with our
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For submission guidelines, the 1980s. That’s especially But what does that climate warming, the pro- mals, said NOAA climate
see latimes.com/letters. The Newsroom
Know something important
true in a belt across the na- warming trend, natural spects of a white Christmas scientist Imke Durre. Wash-
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What’s more, the snow From 1981 to 1990, on aver- National Snow and Ice Data line is consistent with a
and practices, our readers’ that does fall doesn’t mea- age, almost 47% of the coun- Center in Boulder, Colo. warmer December,” Durre
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reached at
sure up to past depths. try had snow on the ground A separate analysis by said.
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or online at commsdept@latimes.com. Christmases is relatively according to an analysis of tion looks at “climate nor- small increases in the
latimes.com/readersrep.
L.A. Times Store small, and they caution ground observation data by mals” — 30-year periods for chance of Christmas snow
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For print and online and front pages at sions. But it’s a noticeable the Associated Press. across the lower 48 states. A A data set from Rutgers
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land. 38% of the country, with an 2020 shows that more sta- tinental U.S. in the last week
Founded Dec. 4, 1881 The retired Dubuque, average depth of 2.7 inches. tions are seeing statistical of December to be slightly
Vol. CXLI No. 17 Iowa, educator, known for The change was particu- odds for a white Christmas increasing, not decreasing,
LOS ANGELES TIMES $884 annually. Thursday & Sunday $468
the nativity scenes in his larly pronounced in a swath shrink — but the agency cau- said climate scientist David
(ISSN 0458-3035) annually. Saturday & Sunday $468 annually. front yard, said snow on from about the Mason- tions against drawing a con- Robinson, whose data based
is published by the Los Angeles Times, Sunday $468 annually. Monday–Saturday
2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA $936 annually (also includes Sundays, Christmas is supposed to be Dixon line to just north of clusion about any trend. on satellite imagery goes
90245. Periodicals postage is paid at Los except 2/20, 4/17, 9/4, and 10/9).
Angeles, CA, and additional cities. Monday–Friday $884 annually.
part of the holiday: “The one Detroit, Chicago and Ne- In much of Iowa and back to 1966.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Pricing for all subscriptions includes the that makes my heart warm braska. The Christmas snow eastern Washington, the “There’s no trend. You
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Home Delivery Subscription Rates (all rates All subscriptions may include up to eight is after going to midnight cover there went from an changes are bigger than else- just don’t see it,” Robinson
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to most areas) issue, your account balance will be charged an
Mass and coming outside, average of nearly 55% in the where, according to NOAA. said.
Print + unlimited digital rates: additional fee up to $4.49, in the billing period and it’s snowing.” 1980s to slightly above 41% From 1981 to 2010, Often people in their 60s
Seven-day $21/week, $1,092 annually. when the section publishes. This will result in
Thursday–Sunday $16/week, $832 shortening the length of your billing period. But the weather in now, the Arizona data show. Dubuque’s chance for a and 70s think there are fewer
Future Premium issues may include: 101
annually. Thursday & Sunday $7/week,
$364 annually. Saturday & Sunday Restaurants 12/12/21, Year in Review 12/26/21,
Dubuque hasn’t cooperated Average snow depth fell white Christmas was 63%; white Christmases, he add-
$9/week, $468 annually. Sunday $9/week, New Year/New You 1/16/22, Spring in recent years. from 3.5 inches to 2.4 inches. now, it’s down to 42%. The ed, because the 1960s had a
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$16/week, $832 annually (also includes 4/3/22, 101 California Best 5/22/22, Fall “We don’t have white The numbers are small chance of a white Christmas greater-than-usual number
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Sundays, except 2/20, 4/17, 9/4, and 10/9).
Monday–Friday $16/week, $832 annually. 10/2/22, Holiday Gift Guide 11/20/22, , Year in
Christmas,” said boutique enough that it’s difficult to in Walla Walla, Wash., of Christmases with snow.
Print-only rates: Review 12/25/22. Dates are subject to change owner Bill Kaesbauer. “We tell whether this is a mean- dropped in half: from 19% in
Seven-day $1,144 annually. Thursday–Sunday without notice.
haven’t had any in years.” ingful trend and, if so, 1981-2010 to 9.5% now. Borenstein writes for the
Printed with soy-based ink on recycled newsprint from wood byproducts.
The last one in Dubuque whether climate change or Denver’s airport station Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES TIMES MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021 A5
A6 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Afghans receive help from fellow refugees
[Afghans, from A1]
wife and their four children
would spend two nights
waiting anxiously for an
evacuation flight. As soon as
word had begun to spread of
the Taliban entering Kabul,
the nation’s capital, Qadiri,
who had worked alongside
the U.S. military as a me-
chanic, decided to flee as
soon as possible.
“It was life or death,” said
Qadiri, who is in his mid-40s.
“We had to get out.”
In the weeks that fol-
lowed, through a process
shaped by generosity, coinci-
dence and deep understand-
ing, the paths of Do and
Qadiri — whose journeys
were separated by 30 years —
intersected in the place they
both now call home: the Pa-
cific Northwest.
::
The federal government,
as U.S. forces withdrew from
Afghanistan, has evacuated
about 83,000 people to the
United States, with some
transported to American
military bases from Texas to
New Jersey to await word
about where they’d begin to
build new lives.
About 35,000 people re-
main at Department of
Defense installations. But
36,000 have either obtained
proper legal paperwork or
have been assisted by gov-
ernment-approved resettle-
ment agencies and are
now housed in communities
across the country, accord-
ing to the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security. Addi-
tional evacuees are awaiting
U.S.-bound flights at mili-
tary bases in the Middle East
and Europe.
To augment the effort,
the Biden administration re-
cently announced a pilot
program allowing groups of
at least five individuals —
who must, among other
things, pass strict federal
background checks — to ap-
ply to become “sponsor cir-
cles,” helping Afghan ref-
ugees to resettle for at least
three months. The initiative
is designed to supplement
the efforts of resettlement
agencies.
In Washington state,
about 1,200 refugees have al-
ready been resettled, and
Gov. Jay Inslee has an-
nounced that he expects
nearly 1,700 more Afghan ref-
ugees will move to the state
in the months ahead. To
help prepare, resettlement
groups and sponsor circles
here have gone into over-
drive.
Among the sponsor cir-
cles is Viets for Afghans, a
grass-roots group founded
by Vietnamese refugees and
the children of refugees after
the fall of Kabul on Aug. 15.
This, members say, feels like
an opportunity that’s impos-
sible to pass up in order to
pay forward the support
their families once received.
“We see our families —
our own loved ones — in the
current situation with
Afghan refugees,” said
Thanh Tan, who helped
start the group while partici-
pating in a series of group
texts with friends.
Despite age differences,
the members are united in
their lives having been
shaped by their families’ de-
parture after American
troops withdrew from what
was then South Vietnam in
1975. They are bonded by
memories and stories of
struggle, of arriving in a new
country with few resources
and options, and surviving
in part due to the kindness of
strangers. Each has relatives
who escaped by boat, part of
a humanitarian crisis in
which 800,000 Vietnamese
fled over a span of two dec-
ades.
Tan’s parents and oldest
sister fled Vietnam by boat
in 1978, three years after U.S.
forces pulled out of the coun-
try, and the capital, known
then as Saigon, fell to the
North Vietnamese army.
The relatives slept in
wooden shacks in a refugee
camp in Malaysia for six
months, eating rationed red
beans and rice before being
resettled in Olympia, Wash.
“My family was fortunate
to arrive here when they
did,” said Tan, 40.
When they got to Wash-
ington, there was already
a robust Vietnamese com-
munity following the first
group of refugees who’d re-
sponded to a 1975 invitation
from then-Gov. Dan Evans.
Evans’ welcoming stance
came, in part, as a response
to California Gov. Jerry
Brown’s initial opposition to
resettling refugees. (In the
years that followed, however,
tens of thousands of Viet-
namese built lives in South-
ern California, most notably
in Orange County.)
Nearly 500 Vietnamese
ABDUL MATIN QADIRI prays in a Seattle home provided to him and his family by a Vietnamese American doctor and her husband.
refugees arrived in Washing-
ton in May 1975, and the state
now has more than 100,000
residents of Vietnamese de-
scent.
“We saw that open hand
to our community,” Tan said.
“We have to give back. ... This
community is known for its
openness to immigrants.”
On a recent soggy eve-
ning, Tan and other mem-
bers of Viets for Afghans
huddled at a Vietnamese
restaurant in downtown Se-
attle. Over steaming bowls of
pho, they mapped out a plan
for the group’s official launch
as a sponsor circle.
Since August, the group
had raised more than $15,000
online, and its website shows
side-by-side images of Viet-
namese refugees boarding
helicopters in the 1970s and
hundreds of Afghans packed
into a military plane depart-
ing Kabul. To date, the
group has helped three
Afghan families.
Jefferey Vu, an engineer
at Boeing, is a member of the
group. His dad, fleeing Viet-
nam along with his own par-
ents and his nine siblings, ar-
rived at Camp Pendleton in
1975. They were housed at
the San Diego County Mar-
ine base before being reset-
tled in the Seattle area.
After a background
check and vetting, Vu re-
cently temporarily moved
out of his downtown Seattle
apartment, which has be-
come the home of a woman
who recently fled Af-
ghanistan. Vu, who is still
paying rent on his apart-
ment, is living with his girl-
friend and other family for
now.
“That history sticks with
me today. It’s full circle,” Vu
said. “In America, you can
pay it forward. ... That’s what
we hope to do.”
::
During the early years of
Do’s childhood, her family’s
life centered on efforts to
leave Vietnam. Soon after
the war ended but before Do
was born, her parents had
sought to escape by boat,
but they struggled and had
to turn around. In the years
that followed, they made two
more failed attempts to
leave.
They gave up for a while,
but in 1991, through a govern-
THUY DO with son Frederick in Seattle. “We just knew we had to do something” to help Afghans, she said.
JEFFEREY VU, an engineer at Boeing, is a member of Viets for Afghans. He
recently gave up his Seattle apartment to a woman who fled Afghanistan.
ment program, Do, her par-
ents and her three siblings fi-
nally flew to the U.S., moving
into a small house in south
Seattle, where many other
Vietnamese families — in-
cluding extended family of
their own — already lived. Do
was 9.
“My family knew a lot of
people,” she said. “There
was support from family and
other refugees like us.”
Seattle became home —
the city where she went to el-
ementary school, middle
school, high school and col-
lege. She made friends, got
married and graduated from
the University of Washing-
ton School of Medicine in
2010. She and her husband
began a family and she
started her own private
practice in south Seattle,
now home to immigrants
from Vietnam, the Phil-
ippines and East Africa.
“I’ve built a life here,” she
said on a recent afternoon in
her living room with her hus-
band, Jesse Robbins, a self-
defense instructor, seated
next to her. “Many of my
friends, many of my patients
are immigrants like myself.”
Robbins, who knows Vu
through community activist
circles, heard from him
about the early efforts of Vi-
ets for Afghans.
Robbins and Do knew
that shelter would be the top
priority for the thousands of
Afghan refugees headed to
the U.S., and they knew they
were in a position to help.
They own two houses — the
one they live in and a vacant
three-bedroom property a
few blocks away that they
would occasionally rent out
short-term.
“It all came together
really fast,” Robbins said.
In early September, they
reached out to several
groups, including the local
Jewish Family Service,
which has worked alongside
resettlement agencies in
finding housing for Af-
ghan families. Within a
few days, after background
checks and paperwork were
cleared, the group placed an
Afghan couple and their six
children in the vacant home.
The family stayed only a
week before a resettlement
agency found them a new
house. Then the couple got a
message from World Relief, a
global Christian humanitar-
ian organization based in
Baltimore that is among the
resettlement agencies ap-
proved by the federal gov-
ernment. Another family ur-
gently needed housing and
would be arriving in Seattle
soon.
::
The only life Qadiri knew
was on the streets of Kabul.
He was there when U.S.
forces invaded Afghanistan
in 2001, and in the years that
followed, as he started a fam-
ily and grew familiar with the
Photographs by
constant background noise
of Humvees and Chinook
helicopters.
Over the years, Qadiri
worked as a mechanic on
U.S. military vehicles. He
forged friendships and felt a
sense of camaraderie with
Americans, who he believed
were genuinely trying to help
his country.
In 2018, he applied for a
special immigrant visa, the
first step toward a then far-
off dream of one day moving
to the United States. The
process took three years and
he finally received his visa
this year, he said. He knew
the U.S. planned to with-
draw, but he didn’t expect
the Taliban to quickly con-
quer the country.
“It all became very chaot-
ic,” he said.
Qadiri arrived at the
Kabul airport on Aug.18,
three days after the Taliban
takeover. It was just after 11
p.m. when he and his wife
and their four children fi-
nally made it into the termi-
nal because of the visa. They
slept inside the airport,
curled up in tattered blan-
kets. Outside, thousands
more pushed toward entry
points frantically trying to
get in.
Soon, the family mem-
bers would board a hulking
plane bound for Qatar,
where they spent seven days,
before being flown to Wash-
ington Dulles International
Airport. Qadiri was ex-
L AT I M E S . C O M
Francine Orr Los Angeles Times
hausted. The family tested
negative for the coronavirus.
“It was draining,” Qadiri
said through an interpreter,
who speaks Dari. “But we
were finally in America, so
there was joy.”
The next leg of their trip
brought them to Seattle and
then, with help from World
Relief, to Do’s spare resi-
dence. They arrived at the
two-story blue house on a
chilly, overcast morning in
September.
“I’m just grateful to be
out of Afghanistan,” Qadiri
said on a recent morning. He
wore a long-sleeved shirt
emblazoned with the word
“Army,” for the U.S. military
branch, and spoke with an
ease that he said he hadn’t
felt in a long time. A steady
rain fell outside as he
lounged on the living room
couch.
Qadiri has distant
friends who live in Kent,
Wash., and Renton, Wash.,
both suburbs of Seattle
where sizable Afghan immi-
grant populations reside.
“That,” he said, “gives me
peace and ease.”
::
Since Qadiri and his fam-
ily arrived, Do has tried to
give them space. The
COVID-19 pandemic lingers
and the shock of leaving
their home country so
quickly can be a lot, she ima-
gines.
They live a mile apart in a
neighborhood lined with
Ethiopian and Vietnamese
grocery stores, as well as a
light rail train that cuts
through its core, shuttling
passengers between Seattle-
Tacoma International Air-
port and downtown.
In recent weeks, Do has
stopped by briefly to deliver
sweaters and heavy jackets
so the family can stay warm
in the damp winter weather.
She also dropped off an ex-
tra television and tea kettle.
“We just want them to be
comfortable,” she said, not-
ing that a language barrier
— Qadiri speaks mostly Dari
— makes even short conver-
sations difficult.
A social worker has been
assigned by World Relief to
help Qadiri find permanent
housing — hopefully an
apartment in Kent, he says,
near the friends he knows
from Kabul.
Some days, he tries to
catch up on the news in Af-
ghanistan. He sees that the
Taliban is raiding homes of
citizens who helped Ameri-
cans during the war. He tries
his best to look forward, not
back — at least not right
now, when everything is so
new.
“I am slowly building a
new life,” he said.
Most days, he stays in-
side the house. He prays. He
hasn’t seen much of Seattle,
he says, because he doesn’t
have a car or a driver’s li-
cense. Once a week, he walks
to the nearby Safeway to
purchase groceries with aid
from World Relief. His wife
bakes naan and the family
eats dinner together. He
wants to become a mechanic
in the Seattle area and has
started to look for work.
“Soon, I need to work,” he
said. “That is the American
way — work hard and good
will happen.”
One day this month,
Qadiri and his family moved
out of Do’s house. A new fam-
ily, through Viets for
Afghans, soon arrived.
LOS ANGELES TIMES MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021 A7

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A8 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
The remarkable history of a joyful word
[Hallelujah, from A1]
les Master Chorale, hallelu-
jah is a perfect word because
it can take on different
meanings.
“It’s this sound that is
just so full of possibilities,”
he said. “You can fill it with
whatever you need to say or
communicate.”
In Handel’s great chorus,
the word is joyous, victori-
ous, accompanied by trum-
pets and drums. In Sergei
Rachmaninoff ’s “All Night
Vigil,” however, hallelujah
reflects a more quiet devo-
tion. Repeated over and over
again, it serves almost as a
mantra.
“I imagine an older Rus-
sian person in front of an
icon, just murmuring to
themselves, ‘Hallelujah, hal-
lelujah, hallelujah,’ ” Ger-
shon said.
As a side note, the Rus-
sians add an extra vowel
sound to their hallelujah and
drop the “H” so it is pro-
nounced Ah-lay-lu-ee-yah.
That opens up even more
possibilities to the liquid,
fluid approach to the word,
Gershon said.
Hallelujah first appears
in the Book of Psalms — a
compendium of sacred po-
ems in the Jewish Bible that
dates to the 5th or 4th cen-
tury BC. There it generally
prefaces the beginning of a
passage or shows up at its
conclusion.
“Hallelujah functions as
a summary,” said Chris
Blumhofer, assistant profes-
sor of New Testament at
Fuller Theological Seminary
in Pasadena. “It’s meant to
usher you into the experi-
ence of praising who God is
and what God’s done.”
Sarah Bunin Benor, di-
rector of the Jewish Lan-
guage Project and a profes-
sor at Hebrew Union College
in Los Angeles, said hearing
the word makes her think of
the Hallel — a recitation of
Psalms 113-118 chanted by ob-
servant Jews on holidays.
“We say it on Rosh
Hodesh, the first day of the
month celebration. It’s part
of the Passover Seder,” she
said. “It’s a very joyous
prayer, very beautiful and
very meaningful.”
Hallelujah shows up just
four times in the New Testa-
ment, all in the Book of Rev-
elation. All four come at the
climax of the text, when God
delivers his people from the
destructive power of Baby-
lon. In response to this deliv-
erance the people cry out,
“Hallelujah!”
“They are praising the
salvation from oppression
and violence,” Blumhofer
said. “They are praising God
for delivering his promises
and protecting his people.”
Times’ report spurs calls to reform Medical Board
[Board, from A1]
“We should abolish the
board and start over,” she
said. “I think it’s reasonable
and people would be so
happy with it.”
Robert E. Wailes, presi-
dent of the powerful Califor-
nia Medical Assn., which pa-
tient advocates have long ac-
cused of obstructing reform
and shielding bad doctors
from disciplinary action,
called the cases detailed in
The Times’ report “abhor-
rent and intolerable.”
The physicians’ behavior
should disqualify them for
life, Wailes said.
The Times investigation
detailed the cases of several
doctors who were convicted
of crimes stemming from
their sexual misconduct.
“Each instance is a fla-
grant abandonment of what
it means to be a doctor and
constitutes heinous criminal
behavior that should result
in the permanent revocation
of a license to practice medi-
cine,” Wailes said. “Any phy-
sician who violates a pa-
tient’s trust and the sanctity
of the physician-patient re-
lationship in this way has no
place in the medical profes-
sion.”
In sharp contrast to its
earlier opposition to some
disciplinary measures,
Wailes pledged that the as-
sociation, which lobbies for
physicians, “will champion
the necessary reforms to en-
sure California patients are
protected from criminal
sexual misconduct” by doc-
tors.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who
appointed half of the board’s
current members and is ulti-
mately responsible for their
performance, declined to be
interviewed for this story.
Erin Mellon, a spokes-
woman for the governor,
wrote via email: “Any claims
GRANT GERSHON, conductor and director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, says of the word hallelujah:
“It’s this sound that is just so full of possibilities. You can fill it with whatever you need to say or communicate.”
‘Personally, hallelujah sounds so much more
beautiful than simply just “Praise the Lord.” ’
Scholars can’t say for
sure why hallelujah was pre-
served intact when nearly
every other Hebrew word in
the Bible was translated
first into Greek and then
into Latin (amen is another
notable exception). Markus
Rathey, a professor of early
Christian music at Yale
University, said it suggests
the word was already
charged with an emotion
that transcended its linguis-
tic meaning.
“I must say, personally,
hallelujah sounds so much
more beautiful than simply
just ‘Praise the Lord,’ ”
Rathey said. “Hallelujah is
almost music already, even
without a musical setting.”
That musical power
comes through no matter
the spelling. The Oxford
English Dictionary lists
eight English translitera-
tions from the Hebrew, in-
cluding alleluia, allelujah
and hallelujiah. There’s even
an adjective: hallelujatic.
of sexual assault, especially
against minors, should be
taken seriously.” She called
on lawmakers to “hold peo-
ple accountable” but did not
specify how they should do
so.
She also said the gover-
nor expects board members
to “use their full authority”
to hold doctors accountable
but did not say whether he
thinks they have done so in
the cases cited by The
Times.
Meanwhile, the doctors
who admitted to having had
sexual misconduct with
teenagers — Esmail Nad-
jmabadi in Bakersfield and
Hari M. Reddy of Victorville
— have current licenses and
have resumed practicing.
Both have declined to an-
swer specific questions
about their cases, with Nad-
jamabadi saying, “That’s an-
cient history; it’s over. I’ve
moved on with my life.”
Also back practicing is
Zachary Cosgrove, a Bak-
ersfield family practitioner
who had sex with three fe-
male patients, then turned
violent when they reported
him to authorities, accord-
ing to Medical Board re-
cords. He kicked and
punched one, threw furni-
ture at another and told the
third, “You’d better just kill
yourself. ... That’s going to
hurt less than what I’m go-
ing to do to you,” according
to the records.
Like the others, Cosgrove
went to therapy and admit-
ted to the allegations
against him before success-
fully petitioning for re-
instatement of his license.
Cosgrove could not be
reached for comment for
this story. He previously told
The Times he went through
a lot of rehabilitation and
“absolutely” deserved to get
his license back.
All those vowels lend
themselves to music.
“It’s like the perfect word
to sing,” Gershon said. “It
has all these long vowels,
and all the consonants are
liquid as well. It feels like this
beautiful flowing stream of
sound.”
Historically, the word has
offered composers and vo-
calists the opportunity to
use the voice in unusual
ways, Rathey said.
“Because it’s only one
word and it has that final
long ‘ah,’ it inspired compos-
ers to write very beautiful, al-
most instrumental lines
that put celebration and the
sound of music in the fore-
ground,” he said. “The focus
is not on the word anymore;
it’s really on playing with
sound and virtuosity.”
Thousands of works of
classical liturgical music use
hallelujah, in part because
there was a great need for
them. In the first half of the
traditional Mass in the
DR. ZACHARY COSGROVE said he went through
rehabilitation and deserved to get his license back.
Any sexual contact with
patients violates a physi-
cian’s code of ethics as laid
out by the American Medical
Assn. and violates California
law.
But a Times review of all
petitions for reinstatement
since 2013 found that doctors
whose licenses were revoked
or surrendered due to sexual
misconduct succeeded in
getting them back more
than half the time.
That’s a significantly
higher rate than for doctors
who lost their licenses for all
other reasons, including
fraud, drug abuse and gross
negligence, according to the
Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times
— M ARKUS R ATHEY,
professor of early Christian music at Yale University
Catholic, Anglican and Lu- ing it again,” Rathey said.
theran traditions, there are “It’s almost like a beautiful
two biblical readings sepa- dress that you get out for cel-
rated by several musical ebration on Easter morn-
pieces. One of them is “Hal- ing.” (In fact, Handel’s “Mes-
lelujah.” siah,” composed in 1741, was
“There were ‘Hallelujahs’ originally intended for
that were sung by the con- Easter week.)
gregation, but at a major There is no set time that
church it could be an oppor- the word is sung (or not
tunity for a composer to cre- sung) in the nondenomina-
ate a larger-scale piece that tional church that Deborah
is performed by a choir,” Smith Pollard attends in
Rathey said. Michigan, but she said it
Hallelujah was seen as so shows up when the spirit,
joyous that it had to be put emotion and joy begin to cre-
away for the 40 days of Lent. scendo.
It was considered too cele- “When the praises are so
bratory for such a subdued high, somebody is saying
time of the ecclesiastical hallelujah,” said the profes-
year. sor who studies gospel
There are stories of choir music at the University of
boys in the Renaissance Michigan-Dearborn. “May-
making a tiny coffin and be it’s pastor, or maybe it’s
putting the word hallelujah somebody in the choir sing-
in it, only to resurrect it at ing it. All of a sudden, you
Easter. might see members of the
“Even if you don’t notice audience singing or saying
that it’s gone, I know the feel- hallelujah.”
ing on Easter morning when Smith Pollard also sees
all of a sudden you are sing- the word being used outside
Lawson said she has di-
rected the staff to look into
notifying victims before re-
instating doctors’ licenses
and providing a venue for
victims to be heard during
the reinstatement process.
Former state Sen. Jerry
Hill (D-San Mateo) said The
Times’ findings were gut-
wrenching — and indicative
of deep flaws in the Medical
Board’s oversight of doctors.
Hill spent three years trying
to pass legislation requiring
doctors on probation for cer-
tain violations, including
sexual misconduct, to notify
patients of their status.
Hill, whose Patient’s
Right to Know Act became
law in 2019, has long con-
tended the Medical Board
protects doctors at the ex-
pense of patient safety, in
large part because of pres-
sure from the physicians’
lobby.
“It’s just incredible. It’s
just shocking,” Hill said of
The Times’ report. “As I see
it, the Medical Board clearly
has failed the people of Cali-
fornia in so many ways. They
Gary Coronado Los Angeles Times should be replaced by peo-
ple who represent the people
of California, not the Califor-
nia Medical Assn. and the
review. bad doctors of California.”
In a recent interview, Hill said he was especially
Medical Board President troubled by The Times’ find-
Kristina Lawson said she ing that the Medical Board
was “unable to verify” The reinstates a larger percent-
Times’ findings and refused age of doctors whose li-
to discuss the details of indi- censes are revoked for sexu-
vidual cases or explain why al misconduct than for other
the board granted specific violations.
reinstatements, citing pri- “What I see is that a value
vacy laws. has been established by the
She conceded that the Medical Board that it’s OK,
board has “room for im- or less significant, to sexu-
provement.” She said it is ally abuse someone and scar
bound by state regulations them for life than perhaps to
that prevent it from deeming scar them by a knife in a
some offenses — such as sex- faulty surgery,” he said. “It’s
ual misconduct with a minor outrageous.”
— as reasons for permanent Hill also said the board’s
disqualification. three-year waiting period for
L AT I M E S . C O M
the church. She is also a ra-
dio host, and for the last 12
years she’s hosted an annual
gospel concert and fundrais-
er put on by DTE Energy,
which provides heat for
many people in the Detroit
area. The event is called
“Hallelujah for Heat.”
Smith Pollard thought it
was a cute name for when
she first heard it. Then her
furnace broke down in a cold
Detroit winter.
“When we got it working
again, the first thing I said
was, ‘Hallelujah!’ ” she said.
“You immediately go: Praise
God, I’ve got heat again!”
“You don’t have to be in
the church, or a Christian, or
tied to the Jewish communi-
ty to use that word,” she
said. “Hallelujah shows up in
the community.”
It shows up in Ray
Charles’ “Hallelujah I Love
Her So,” where the singer
uses it to implicitly thank
the divine for bringing the
woman next door into his
life. Hip-hop artists like
Chief Keef and Logic have ti-
tled songs “Hallelujah” as
they celebrate their own suc-
cess.
Recently, the L.A.-based
band Haim released a Fleet-
wood Mac-inspired song in
which the word serves as a
way to acknowledge the
blessing of having friends
and family help them
through life’s challenges.
But by far the most popu-
lar and famous use of hal-
lelujah in popular music is
Leonard Cohen’s haunting
and frequently covered
“Hallelujah,” written in 1984.
The song does not rely on
biblical quotations, but it
does make use of biblical sto-
ries: It’s about David, who
consorts with Bathsheba,
and orchestrates her hus-
band’s death so he can
marry her. And it’s about
Samson, who, instead of sav-
ing his people from a hostile
army, runs off with Delilah,
who cuts his hair, leaving
him powerless.
But ultimately, the song
is about all of us — our
failings, our imperfections,
and our desire to have a rela-
tionship with the unknow-
able divine, said Marcia
Polly, author of “From This
Broken Hill: God, Sex and
Politics in the Work of Leon-
ard Cohen.”
“He articulates in the
song what we know about
ourselves,” she said. “It’s
about our relationship with
the transcendent and with
other people, how we breach
those relationships, and
sever them, and yet still we
have to come back to hallelu-
jah.”
Amen. (But that’s anoth-
er story.)
doctors to apply for re-
instatement after their li-
censes have been revoked is
not long enough for those
who have sexually abused
patients.
“That is way shorter than
it should be under any cir-
cumstances,” he said.
Most of the board’s 15
members — eight are doc-
tors — have been reluctant
to speak publicly.
Eserick “TJ” Watkins,
who was appointed two
years ago by the Senate
Rules Committee, is the ex-
ception. He has become a
hero to patients rights advo-
cates.
In an interview last week,
Watkins said he will focus his
efforts in the coming year on
ensuring patients who were
harmed by their physicians
have a voice in the disci-
plinary process.
None of the victims of the
doctors who committed sex-
ual misconduct were invited
to speak at the reinstate-
ment hearings. Those inter-
viewed by The Times didn’t
know their abusers had
gotten their licenses back
until Times reporters told
them.
The victims are the “obvi-
ous voice missing in the
room when we deliberate in
private,” Watkins said, add-
ing that “they are nobody” in
the eyes of some fellow board
members.
He called the reinstate-
ments “sickening” and ques-
tioned whether his col-
leagues would have voted
the same way if the women
had been called to testify, if
they had been sitting there
in the room.
“We’re not protecting the
public at all,” Watkins said.
“If you can’t stand up in the
face of sexual misconduct,
then when are you going to
stand up?”
L AT I M E S . C O M
California’s plan to slash solar incentives
Want to install or already have rooftop panels? How the proposed changes would affect you.
By Sammy Roth
It’s been two years since Califor-
nia reached 1 million solar roofs, a
landmark in the fight against cli-
mate change. Now the story of so-
lar power in the Golden State may
be approaching another turning
point.
The California Public Utilities
Commission is poised to overhaul
the state’s main solar incentive
program, known as net metering.
The agency’s proposal would, in ef-
fect, make rooftop solar more ex-
pensive and could be approved as
soon as Jan. 27.
Officials say the changes are
needed to keep the lights on, pre-
vent electricity rates from rising
and encourage people to install
batteries, while still growing the so-
lar market. Solar executives say
they would backfire and crater a
thriving industry.
Here’s what the utilities com-
mission’s proposed decision would
do:
8 Reduce payments to solar
customers who send electricity to
the power grid when their systems
generate more than they need. In-
stead of being compensated at the
retail rate — the same rate they pay
for electricity from the grid —
newly enrolled net metering cus-
tomers would be paid at the much
lower “avoided cost” rate. That
would amount to about 5 cents per
kilowatt-hour of electricity, down
from 20 to 30 cents today, accord-
ing to the California Solar & Stor-
age Assn.
8 Add a monthly “grid partici-
pation charge” of $8 per kilowatt for
homes (but not businesses) that
install solar. A home with a six-kilo-
watt system would be charged $48
per month, or $576 per year. Low-
income and tribal homes would be
exempt.
8 Add a temporary “market
transition credit” to lessen some of
those higher costs for households
that want to go solar. The credit
would be available for four years,
with homes that install solar pan-
els locking in the savings for a dec-
ade. In Southern California Edison
territory, the credit would start at
$5.25 per kilowatt of solar for low-
income customers and $3.59 per
kilowatt for everyone else, before
decreasing each of the next three
years. For Pacific Gas & Electric
customers, the credits would start
at $4.36 per kilowatt and $1.62 per
kilowatt, respectively. San Diego
Gas & Electric customers wouldn’t
receive any credits, because the
commission believes that solar is
already cost-effective enough for
them due to the utility’s especially
high electricity rates.
8 Require homes that already
have solar panels to switch from
the existing net metering program
to the new program described
above — known as “net billing” —
no later than 15 years after their
systems were installed. Low-in-
come homes could keep operating
under the more favorable terms of
the old program for 20 years after
installation.
8 Create a “storage evolution
fund” to encourage homes and
businesses that already have solar
to add batteries. Utility customers
currently enrolled in net metering
would receive rebates of $200 per
kilowatt-hour for installing an en-
ergy storage system — but only if
they switch to the newly revised so-
lar incentive program within four
years. The rebate would drop the
longer they wait. For a typical resi-
dential battery system of 13 kilo-
watt-hours, the rebate would start
at $2,600.
8 Create an “equity fund” that
would spend as much as $600 mil-
lion over four years, bringing clean
energy to low-income and polluted
neighborhoods. The details would
be worked out later.
8 Allow homes and businesses
to install solar systems big enough
to meet 150% of their energy de-
mand, to help power electric cars
or electric heating systems they
might add later. That’s much big-
ger than is currently allowed.
Another key change: Homes
and businesses that already have
solar (or go solar under the new
rules) would pay higher rates for
electricity from the grid during
some times of day and lower rates
at other times.
All monopoly utility customers
are shifting to these “time of use”
rates to encourage energy con-
sumption when supplies are abun-
dant and discourage it when sup-
plies are tight. But solar homes
would see an especially high differ-
ence between “peak” and “off peak”
rates. In Edison territory, they’d
pay 48 cents per kilowatt-hour on
summer weekday evenings and 19
cents on winter mornings.
Only customers of Edison,
PG&E and Sempra Energy subsid-
iary SDG&E would be affected by
the new rules. Solar homes served
by publicly owned utilities such as
the Los Angeles Department of
Water and Power wouldn’t see
changes.
If you’re served by a govern-
BUSINESS
OFFICIALS SAY changes are needed to keep the lights on, keep electricity rates from rising and encourage people to install batter-
ies. Above, Juan Alcantara, left, Sal Miranda and Lee Kwok of Grid Alternatives, a nonprofit, install panels on a Watts home in June.
‘We recognize that this program
needs to be updated in order to
reduce nonparticipant impacts.
But at the end of the day, we need
more rooftop solar.’
ment-run “community choice”
agency — such as the Clean Power
Alliance in Los Angeles and Ven-
tura counties, which uses Edison’s
poles and wires to bring you elec-
tricity — you’d have to pay the new
monthly “grid participation fees.”
But the compensation rate for your
solar power would drop only if local
elected officials decide it should.
Here’s what many of the groups
and people involved in the rooftop
solar debate have to say:
Environment advocates
The Sierra Club isn’t happy
with the proposed decision. Nei-
ther are the Climate Center, Coali-
tion for Community Solar Access,
Environment California, Environ-
mental Working Group and Vote
Solar.
The Save California Solar coali-
tion— whose members include
hundreds of groups focused on cli-
mate action, public health, conser-
vation and equitable housing —
called the state agency’s proposal
“a giveaway to investor-owned util-
ities.”
Especially interesting is the Si-
erra Club’s position, which doesn’t
align neatly with those of either the
solar or utility industries. The club
had proposed gradually lowering
compensation payments to new
solar customers. It had also joined
with advocacy group Vote Solar
and nonprofit installer Grid Alter-
natives to propose higher compen-
sation rates for low-income homes.
The utilities commission’s plan
wouldn’t do either of those things.
Instead, it fully endorses the “cost
shift” argument made by utility
companies and others — that net
metering leads to higher electricity
rates for Californians who can’t af-
ford solar.
“The ‘cost shift’ narrative has
been wildly overblown,” Sierra
Club attorney Katherine Ramsey
said. “We recognize that this pro-
gram needs to be updated in order
to reduce nonparticipant impacts.
But at the end of the day, we need
more rooftop solar.”
One group’s stance
At least one major environmen-
tal group supports the decision.
That would be the Natural Re-
sources Defense Council, which
largely agrees with the utility in-
dustry that net metering is a mas-
sive giveaway from the poor to the
rich.
NRDC senior scientist Mohit
Chhabra said he’s especially
pleased with the $600-million equi-
ty fund, which he expects will help
pay for solar panels for low-income
homes. He sees that as a better
model than the Sierra Club’s pro-
posal, because it would make it
easier for low-income families to
buy solar systems rather than
— K ATHERINE R AMSEY,
attorney for the Sierra Club
lease them, and thus reap more of
the long-term savings.
Chhabra said the primary goal
of net metering shouldn’t be to add
as much rooftop solar as possible
— it should be to meet California’s
overall climate goals, which will re-
quire a lot of rooftop solar but also
many other forms of clean energy.
That includes large solar and wind
farms that generate power at a
lower cost than rooftop systems
due to economies of scale.
“Cheap, clean, pollution-free
electricity for everybody is the first
step. And then do your best to
make sure solar is distributed
equally,” Chhabra said. “Don’t flip
those two things.”
Utility industry
In a statement, Edison called
the proposal “a meaningful step”
that will “reduce the financial bur-
den on non-solar customers who
have subsidized net energy meter-
ing by significantly overpaying
rooftop solar customers.” PG&E
offered similar praise, saying the
current system has “resulted in
deep inequities between custom-
ers with rooftop solar and those
without.”
SDG&E was more circum-
spect, saying it would “reserve
comment until our experts have an
opportunity to review the 204-page
proposed decision and evaluate its
impact to our customers.”
Then there’s the Affordable
Clean Energy for All campaign,
which lists more than 100 diverse
supporters but whose sole funders
are the utility companies. Cam-
paign spokesperson Kathy Fair-
banks said the proposed decision
“recognizes we can grow rooftop
solar in California while taking
steps to reduce inflated subsidies
that have put an unfair cost burden
on renters, seniors, disadvantaged
communities and other working
Californians who don’t have the
ability or means to install rooftop
solar systems.”
Solar industry
Brad Heavner, policy director
for the California Solar & Storage
Assn., said one of the utilities com-
mission’s biggest mistakes is as-
suming that rooftop solar costs
$2.34 per watt, based on data from
the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory. He pointed to a differ-
ent data set from Lawrence Berke-
ley National Laboratory showing
that installed system costs hit
$3.87 per watt in California last
year.
He also said new solar homes
would be hit with higher fees than
the commission is letting on, pay-
ing an additional $12 per month in
Edison territory and $16 per month
in SDG&E territory, because of
their time-of-use electric rates
M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
(with PG&E customers getting off
scot-free, at least initially). That
would bring new monthly fees for
non-low-income homes to $38 for
typical Edison and PG&E custom-
ers and $64 for typical SDG&E cus-
tomers, after accounting for the
new “market transition credit.”
Then there’s the reduced pay-
ment rate for electricity exported
to the grid. Heavner estimated
that a typical new solar customer
would see this compensation drop
by $675 per year in Edison territory,
$985 in PG&E territory and $1,290
in SDG&E territory.
Heavner estimated that those
changes would lengthen the typi-
cal payback period — how long it
takes solar customers to make
back their upfront investments
through lower bills — to 19 years for
Edison customers and 16 years for
PG&E customers — far short of
the 10 years the commission said it
is targeting (except for an esti-
mated nine-year payback in
SDG&E territory). For low-income
homes, paybacks would be 11 or 12
years regardless of the utility.
For comparison, payback peri-
ods currently hover around five
years.
Consumer watchdogs
The Utility Reform Network, a
ratepayer advocacy group, spends
much of its time fighting the util-
ities on rate increases — but it
largely agrees with them on net
metering.
TURN attorney Matthew
Freedman thinks a 10-year pay-
back is a good target, and he’s open
to increasing the “market transi-
tion credit” if the commission used
flawed data, to make sure 10 years
is what consumers get.
“I think 10 years is fair for people
to get their money back,” Freed-
man said. “Customers don’t need
that subsidy forever to invest in so-
lar.”
Mike Campbell, a program
manager at the commission’s Pub-
lic Advocates Office, also likes the
proposed decision. He called it “a
positive step in addressing the in-
equities in the current net energy
metering program,” saying in an
email that it would compensate so-
lar customers fairly while advanc-
ing the state’s climate goals — in
part by encouraging battery instal-
lation.
Severin Borenstein, a UC
Berkeley energy economist and
net metering critic, said the com-
mission’s plan does “a good job ad-
dressing the cost shift inequity.”
But he also emphasized that elec-
tricity rates are far higher than
they should be for monopoly utility
customers, and fixing net metering
is like a Band-Aid for this bigger is-
sue.
Right now, Borenstein said via
email, Californians pay electric
rates that cover all sorts of utility
expenses that have nothing to do
with generating power, including
clean energy subsidies and proj-
ects that reduce the risk of wild-
fires. He thinks those “fixed” costs
should be paid for differently, al-
lowing for lower electricity rates
overall. That might mean less mo-
tivation to install solar, but it would
also make people more likely to in-
vest in electric vehicles and electric
heating — key parts of California’s
climate strategy.
A9
Gary Coronado Los Angeles Times
“If state leaders still want to pri-
oritize rooftop solar, they could
avoid shifting costs onto low and
middle income households ... by
subsidizing rooftop systems di-
rectly, and transparently, with a
program covered by the state
budget,” Borenstein wrote in June.
Home building industry
In 2018, California became the
first state to require solar panels on
most new homes. But that require-
ment was predicated on solar-pow-
ered homes being “cost effective”
— and the California Building In-
dustry Assn., a trade group for
home builders, says the proposed
changes to net metering might
jeopardize the legality of the man-
date by making solar no longer cost
effective.
The group warned the Public
Utilities Commission last month
that fixed monthly charges for so-
lar customers — as the agency has
now proposed — would “severely
impact the financial viability” of
rooftop solar on new homes. The
group recommended “a steady
glide path with small increments
on any additional fees to custom-
ers.”
Dan Dunmoyer, the group’s
chief executive, agrees that some
changes to net metering are war-
ranted. But he also wants the solar
mandate to succeed. Although his
group is still analyzing the propos-
al, his first impression is that it
could be a recipe for failure.
“If you’re paying $500 or $600
that you weren’t paying before this
change [to net metering], what
does that do to families that are
trying to balance their family
budgets?” Dunmoyer asked.
The California Energy Commis-
sion, which crafted the solar man-
date, is “evaluating the impacts of
the [net metering] proposal on the
cost effectiveness of the energy
code,” spokesperson Lindsay
Buckley said in an email.
Wall Street
Within 12 hours of the utilities
commission releasing its proposal,
Morgan Stanley put out an
analysis.
The investment bank wrote
that the net metering plan “would
in our view be heavily damaging to
near-term rooftop solar growth
and margins.” Morgan Stanley
analysts called the proposed
monthly fees “surprisingly high,”
saying they would “largely to com-
pletely eliminate the economic
benefits of rooftop solar in Califor-
nia, absent the inclusion of stor-
age.”
At the same time, “storage can
provide a longer-term offset,” they
wrote. For Sunrun in particular —
the nation’s largest rooftop solar
installer, based in San Francisco —
Morgan Stanley projected that by
2024, “the company will have suffi-
cient storage volumes to offer all
prospective California customers
the ability to include storage with
solar,” which would save custom-
ers money.
This article was originally
published in Boiling Point, a
weekly email newsletter about
climate change and the
environment. Go to
latimes.com/boilingpoint to
sign up.
A10 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M / O P I N I O N

OPINION

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

Slam the brakes on Tesla’s

self-driving madness
behind the wheel and send the DMV regular
California isn’t treating the reports on crashes as well as incidents in
which the human driver had to take over to
automaker’s ‘beta test’ like other avoid a crash.
autonomous cars tested on roads. What accounts for the difference? Nei-
ther Tesla nor the DMV is saying much.
Tesla disbanded its press office and doesn’t
n recent years, some Tesla owners take questions from the media. DMV Direc-

I have had the option to buy a $10,000

software upgrade to test what the
company calls its “Full Self-Driving”
package, essentially making ordinary
drivers on public roads part of a vast experi-
ment of the company’s autonomous vehicle
technology. The problem is, unlike a real ex-
periment, this one lacks oversight to track
successes and failures, and — most impor-
tant — to ensure public safety.
It’s time for state and federal regulators
to step in.
In a spate of recent videos, users of Tes-
la’s “self-driving” technology have shown
that these cars cannot safely drive them-
selves. They’re crossing double yellow lines
and heading toward oncoming traffic, fail-
ing to stop for cars crossing the street and
steering toward metal posts and roadside
boulders.
“Collisions were avoided only because of
swift action by the driver,” state Sen. Lena
Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) wrote in a letter
to the head of the California Department of
Motor Vehicles, as reported recently by The
Times’ Russ Mitchell.
How widespread are the problems? It’s
hard to say because Tesla isn’t reporting its
data to the DMV, which regulates the test-
ing of autonomous vehicles in the state. Are
some of the mishaps due to humans using
Tesla’s systems in the wrong way? Who
knows. Tesla has not publicized that any
special training is required of test drivers.
While Tesla follows the Silicon Valley
ethos of “move fast and break things,” doz-
ens of other companies experimenting with
self-driving technology on California roads
are following a reasonable set of rules. They
must have a trained and certified test driver
tor Steve Gordon has not spoken publicly
about how his agency regulates self-driving
cars and has declined numerous interview
requests from The Times.
But the answer appears to boil down to
the difference between what Tesla is telling
its customers and what it’s telling govern-
ment regulators.
While the fine print on Tesla’s website
says that “Full Self-Driving” is “intended for
use with a fully attentive driver who has
their hands on the wheel,” the message in-
grained in the branding sure sounds like a
car that drives itself. The message to DMV
officials, however, is that the technology is
not actually capable of self-driving and,
therefore, is subject to less regulation.
Even though Tesla CEO Elon Musk rou-
tinely brags about his company’s driverless
technology — helping fuel his rise to become
the world’s second-richest person and, now,
Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” —
Tesla has so far convinced the DMV not to
treat its “Full Self-Driving” cars as autono-
mous vehicles that must follow the same
rules other companies obey when testing on
California roads.
Instead, a DMV spokesperson told The
Times, Tesla informed the agency that “Full
Self-Driving” cars are in a different category,
known as “level 2,” which incorporates more
common driver-assistance tools like auto-
matic steering and cruise control but still re-
quires attention from a human driver.
California cannot continue letting Tesla
have it both ways. If the cars are automated
enough to be marketed as “Full Self-Driv-
ing,” then they must be required to follow
the same testing rules as other autonomous
vehicles that roam our roads. If the cars are
Ben Margot Associated Press
A TRUCK LOADED with cars departs the Tesla plant in Fremont, Calif., in
May 2020. The company has offered customers “Full Self-Driving” technology.
not automated enough to be regulated as Times. Government leaders serve the public
autonomous vehicles, then Tesla should not and shouldn’t be allowed to hide from the
be allowed to market the technology as “Full media.)
Self-Driving.” The federal government has a role to play
“I can call my umbrella a parachute, but as well. The National Highway Traffic Safety
that doesn’t make it true. It just makes it Administration has stepped up scrutiny of
more dangerous,” notes Bryant Walker advanced driving technology since Presi-
Smith, an expert in autonomous vehicle law dent Biden took office. It opened an investi-
at the University of South Carolina. gation this summer into Tesla’s “Autopilot”
Under a state law passed nearly a decade system, a precursor to “Full Self-Driving”
ago, the DMV has the power to regulate that has been involved in 11 crashes, leaving
“Full Self-Driving” Teslas the same way it one person dead and 17 people injured. And
regulates other companies that are devel- it announced it will investigate a crash last
oping autonomous vehicles. This does not month in Brea in which a Tesla in “Full Self-
necessarily require a change in law, though Driving” mode took a left turn into the
it’s good to see that lawmakers on the wrong lane. Two U.S. senators have asked
Assembly and Senate transportation com- the Federal Trade Commission to look at
mittees are asking the DMV for more whether Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” brand-
information and considering potential legis- ing amounts to deceptive marketing.
lation if it turns out Tesla is operating in a These are good first steps but not the
legal gray area. kind of robust oversight that will make peo-
Gov. Gavin Newsom — a longtime Tesla ple confident in this emerging technology.
owner who has known Musk for 20 years and California can continue being a cradle of
called him “one of the world’s greatest inno- innovation while demanding more account-
vators and entrepreneurs” — should lean on ability from the companies that are devel-
DMV Director Gordon to make Tesla play oping the future of transportation on our
by the same rules as the companies it com- roads.
petes with. (While he’s at it, we hope The safety of millions of drivers, cyclists
Newsom will tell Gordon to talk to The and pedestrians demands nothing less.

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

Congress and monsters?); mystical (wiz-

ards? witches?); spiritual The ‘smoldering
UFOs. Really (ghosts?); “sciencey” (quan-
tum fluctuations? space-
anger’ in doctors
Re “Whoa, trippy. U.S. offi- time bubbles?); or meteoro- Re “One result of baked
cials are taking UFOs seri- logical (ball lightning?). goods as thank-yous: ‘Muf-
ously,” Opinion, Dec. 16 But until there’s conclu- fin rage,’ ” Opinion, Dec. 12
sive evidence one way or the
If your goal is to turn the other, all (including that Thanks to Dr. Jillian
Los Angeles Times into a these things are some sort Horton for her poignant
tabloid, you are going about of “craft”) are equally prob- essay on “muffin rage,”
it the right way by publish- able. which perfectly captures the
ing an op-ed article saying Keep an open mind and smoldering anger behind
that Congress must “lead keep calm. our thousand-yard stares
this conversation” on UFOs. Robert Lieberman after a night of incessant
There is not a single Redondo Beach demands and grueling
piece of physical evidence decision-making, and as
that flying saucers and little witnesses to unspeakable
green men have visited our
planet, and relabeling UFOs
Solar customers suffering and death.
Although my training
as UAPs — unidentified
aerial phenomena — doesn’t
boon to utilities was perhaps decades before
hers, I came to believe that
change that reality. The Re “A big cut in rooftop solar no one else besides my
best you can do is show a incentives?” Dec. 14 fellow residents had any
Luis Sinco Los Angeles Times photograph of a flake of understanding of what we
A DOWNTOWN encampment. A recent poll found deep frustration over plastic that has fallen onto Over a typical 25-year life witnessed and what we did.
homelessness in Los Angeles and a willingness to be taxed again to address it. the image plane of a video span, a rooftop solar system We stood alone, as Horton
camera. costs about 6 cents per and her colleagues did, and

The problem isn’t money. It’s us The author of this op-ed

article claims that, “In
setting up this office, Con-
kilowatt hour of electricity
produced. Most installers
have finance programs
as other staff did too.
I applaud her suggestion
that we closely observe our
Re “A new bid to boost housing,” Dec. 16 gress has legitimized the where the monthly cost is medical colleagues whenev-
long-ridiculed topic of less than the utility bill. er we offer what we consider
UAPs.” No, it has merely Instead of putting road- to be encouragement. It is

T
here’s another city ballot initiative in the works to levy a new tax to help
debased itself further in the blocks in front of rooftop so important to reach out to
fund housing for homeless people. Let’s be real about this problem.
eyes of the public. solar, utilities should en- those who are hurting and
More than $1 billion has been set aside to fund housing and services for I trust this government courage and embrace it. to give them a chance to talk
homeless people these last few years. Polls have shown that voters in Los Ange- “office” will also study the Our solar installation about how they feel in a
les support building more housing and shelters, and they overwhelmingly existence of leprechauns, generates twice the power nonjudgmental fashion.
blame local politicians for the state of affairs. as they also “may pose a we use, and the utility under If we do so, we will find
A better question to ask in surveys is this: Do you approve of having a homeless housing challenge to U.S. national net metering pays us only 3 ourselves healing too.
development or shelter next door to you, across the street from you, down the street from security.” cents per kilowatt hour for C.F. Sharp, MD
you or even in your neighborhood? I bet you would get a much different response than the Steven Morris the other half and sells it for Pasadena
polls we’ve seen. Torrance up to 36 cents. That sounds
like a win-win for them. ::
Every time there’s a project to build housing or shelters for homeless people, housed
:: With the addition of
community members gather to stop the project. So we need to stop blaming the politicians
homeowner and community I have no idea why I try to
and instead blame ourselves, because the problem will never be solved as long as people say, Calling UAPs “craft” is a battery backup, solar will be explain “rights” to anti-
“Not in my neighborhood.” huge canard. Unidentified a 24/7 power source. The vaxxers. These people have
David Craft, Los Angeles aerial phenomena are just future business model for no realization that there are
that — unidentified. utilities will be the manage- only limited personal rights
Professionals who spend ment of distributed local when one lives in a society.
We do not need another The proposed tax on lords. Rents are now what- time seriously studying power, mostly from wind Certain language is not
ballot measure for more home sales above $5 million ever the market will bear, such things abandoned the and solar. permitted in certain places.
taxes of any kind. What we in Los Angeles to alleviate and competition is severely term “unidentified flying Rooftop solar is part of One must respect traffic
need is accountability. homelessness is a bad idea. restricted. That leads to object” many years ago for a the solution, not the prob- rules. One has to act with
It is amazing to me that A better idea is to tax those evictions and the ensuing reason: There is not, nor has lem. some deportment in public.
people keep voting for more who caused the homeless- inability of those tenants to there ever been, credible Dennis Arntz I am sure that the con-
taxes when there does not ness crisis. ever again pass a required proof that anything is flying. Laguna Niguel cept of personal rights
seem to be accountability. In the 2007-09 recession, credit check to rent an There have been thou- regarding these vaccines
Billions have been collected about 10 million homes were apartment. sands of sightings of strange :: began when our former
and spent statewide over lost to foreclosure. Well, There is no surefire things in the air in the past president said the pan-
the last several years, and it they weren’t really lost; they solution, but landlords 17 years. That all but 143 Despite the cost, we felt demic would end in April
isn’t getting people off the were purchased from the owning three or more units remain unexplained in last pretty good about our re- 2020 when it got warmer.
streets. banks in bulk by real estate should be required to pay June’s UAP report from the cent home solar investment. Phyllis Molloff
We need the measure investment trusts and other city and county taxes on Pentagon really shows that Now we are feeling we Fallbrook
that City Councilman Joe hedge funds at deep dis- rental receipts and a sur- there’s little cause for con- would have been better off
Buscaino, a mayoral candi- counts. Those mega-owners charge on units unrented for cern. investing our $24,000 in
date, is putting forward: no now control the rental mar- more than two months. If One could make up all Southern California Edison HOW TO WRITE TO US
camping on sidewalks or in ket, and if you want to rent they do not pay, then they sorts of weird explanations stock. That company is the Please send letters to
other public places if you are you have to play by their should be denied access to for these remaining sight- real shaper of California’s letters@latimes.com. For
offered housing or shelter. rules. courts for evictions. ings: cryptozoological future. submission guidelines, see
Dafni Black No longer do we deal Terrence Cooney (undiscovered airborne Michael Wall latimes.com/letters or call
Culver City with mom-and-pop land- Studio City creatures? flying spaghetti Three Rivers, Calif. 1-800-LA TIMES, ext. 74511.

Executive Chairman Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong

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L AT I M E S . C O M / O P I N I O N
A HOMELESS encampment at Echo Park Lake in December 2020. Los Angeles has more than 65,000 unhoused residents.
A volunteer turned
de facto caseworker
L.A.’s homeless services are hopelessly
overburdened, and J. needs my help now
By Daniel Polansky
met J. in 2019, the first time I did home-
I less outreach. She was living on an
island in the L.A. River, hidden by a
high wall of arundo reeds. She was
bright and bubbly, with a laugh that
you could hear across a quarter mile of
concrete. I found offering candy bars to
unhoused strangers intimidating, but inter-
acting with J. was easy.
Over the years I followed her up and
down the river as she was forced to move by
winter rains and city cleanup crews. When
the pandemic started, I left masks outside
her tent. Once she showed me pictures of
her kids. Last Christmas I baked her cook-
ies. Volunteers are not supposed to have
favorites, but I do, and J. is mine.
About six months ago, something inside
J. snapped. Formerly social to a fault, she
took to isolating herself, surrounded by an
increasing collection of detritus. She lost
weight and began exhibiting fits of para-
noia. Her drug use worsened.
Homelessness is invariably entropic, but
the decline is not constant, and J. has
crossed a precipice.
I fear that without help she will end up
dead or lost entirely. But J. is not capable of
navigating the social service system on her
own, and I have found myself, a private
citizen without formal training or authority,
acting as, effectively, an unpaid service
provider.
J. is one of the more than 65,000 un-
housed residents of Los Angeles, of whom
about 48,000 live unsheltered. The Los An-
geles Homeless Services Authority, tasked
House Speaker Donald Trump? Please, no
NICHOLAS GOLDBERG
When I first heard the
rumblings that Donald
Trump could become the
next speaker of the House, I
rolled my eyes.
What fresh insanity,
right? Like most people, I
believed the speaker of the
House had to be an elected
member of Congress.
Think back to the speakers you’ve heard
of. Not just the most recent ones, but also
Sam Rayburn of Texas. Tip O’Neill, the Bos-
ton pol who dominated the House of Repre-
sentatives when I was coming of age. Newt
Gingrich, who changed the course of conser-
vative American politics. James K. Polk!
Henry Clay!
Every single one of them, and every single
one of their predecessors going back to Fred-
erick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania in 1789,
was a member of the House. So pardon my
ignorance for thinking it was a requirement.
In fact, there is no law or constitutional
mandate that limits the speakership to an
elected representative. There isn’t even a
House rule about it. It’s just a norm, and we
know what those are worth these days.
To become speaker, all a person needs to
do is win an absolute majority of votes cast by
the elected members of the House. That
person could be the D.C. dog catcher or some
wild-eyed madman proclaiming the end of
days outside the Capitol or a child chosen at
random from a nearby fourth-grade class-
room.
Or, worse yet, it could be Donald Trump.
The first I heard of this awful idea was
back in June, when it was floated by Trump
sycophant Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). He
suggested that if the GOP were to win a ma-
jority in the House in the midterm — as it is
expected to do — its members could then
vote Trump in as their leader.
“Can you just imagine Nancy Pelosi hav-
ing to hand that gavel to Donald J. Trump?”
Gaetz crowed in a speech in June.
OP-ED
with addressing this crisis, is not a central-
ized agency and has limited operational
authority. It functions by dispersing money
to private service providers, each with their
own policies. The resultant chaos is wors-
ened by L.A.’s byzantine political structure
and geographic sprawl.
Case managers are underpaid and
chronically overburdened, and turnover is
so rapid that many unhoused people have
never met their case managers. The op-
erating paradigm prioritizes permanent
supportive housing over street-level serv-
ices, and the reality is that L.A. County does
not have anywhere close to the amount of
this housing to be able to shelter those who
currently need it. Statewide, things are
equally bleak — at the current rate of con-
struction it will take 40 years to address the
lack of housing, which doesn’t account for
the inevitable growth of the unhoused popu-
lation.
In short, it will be a long time before J.
will have a place to call her own, and she
doesn’t have that time. The quickest way to
get her out of her tent is to get her into a
temporary housing shelter — a bed and a
cubicle in a large public dorm. It’s a small
first step, but it will at least ensure her daily
safety.
But shelters are operating at decreased
capacities because of COVID, and just get-
ting J.’s name on the wait list requires using
backdoor contacts I’ve acquired over my
time doing volunteer outreach. The process
proves opaque, requiring communication
with an astonishing array of people.
J.’s intake appointment gets changed,
canceled, uncanceled and changed once
A Trump spokesman dismissed the idea,
saying the former president had “zero desire”
to be speaker.
But then in November, former Trump
Chief of Staff Mark Meadows suggested it
again. “As you know, you don’t have to be an
elected member of Congress to be speaker,”
he added on Trump confidant Stephen K.
Bannon’s “War Room” podcast.
Then Bannon chimed in, suggesting the
ex-president could “come in [as speaker] for
100 days to sort things out” and then go back
to running for president in 2024. By “sort
things out,” he apparently meant beginning
impeachment proceedings against President
Biden.
Two weeks ago, Gaetz announced that
he’d spoken to Trump about the speakership
but refused to offer any details. Other right-
wing pundits and pols have come out in favor
of the idea.
None of this should be taken too seriously.
These guys are provocateurs. Then again,
given the state of politics in the U.S. right
now, can even lunatic propositions be ruled
out?
Some experts have opined that the
speaker rumors were just a way of trolling
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
(R-Bakersfield), who is in line to become
speaker if the GOP takes control.
They suggest the idea is being pushed by
the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus
because of dissatisfaction with McCarthy.
Even though he’s a reliable Trump boot-
licker, apparently McCarthy is not enough of
a wacko for Reps. Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor
Greene (R-Ga.) and their ilk.
Trump, unsurprisingly, has failed to rule
out taking charge of the House. “Well, I’ve
heard the talk, and it’s getting more and
more,” he said. He added that he had “a good
relationship with Kevin, and hopefully we will
do everything traditionally.”
I’d consider that weak reassurance if I
were McCarthy.
The big question in my mind is what’s in it
for Trump? He’d get some headlines, yeah.
And some more disruption, plus an opportu-
M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Luis Sinco Los Angeles Times
more. Her phone never works, and I find
myself at the river almost daily, coordinat-
ing the intake process and keeping up her
spirits. She can bring only two suitcases into
the shelter, and so we spend one boiling
Friday afternoon boxing up some of her
possessions for storage.
Every step of this process highlights its
brokenness, but still, on the day J. is to move
into the shelter I feel uncharacteristically
positive. I announce myself from a hole in
the fence that serves as J.’s door. When she
doesn’t answer, I go inside. Even with what
we’ve put into storage there are still shop-
ping bags full of clothes and housewares and
broken electronics. After she doesn’t answer
a third time, I break an ironclad rule and
open J.’s tent without permission.
Finding it empty is like being punched in
the stomach — a moment of shock and then
a growing ache.
Living on the streets of L.A. means cop-
ing with brutal conditions: the ravages of
weather, lack of access to hygiene, sub-
stance abuse and untreated chronic phys-
ical ailments. Theft is constant, and vi-
olence, especially against women, is horrify-
ingly common.
It is madness to believe that living under
such conditions would not affect a person,
physically and mentally. People who need
help aren’t always polite, don’t always say
thank you or show up for appointments.
This is frustrating, but that is irrelevant. We
must stop treating housing and homeless
services as if they are rewards for good be-
havior.
The issue is not whether the people living
in your neighborhood encampment are
worthy of assistance, but whether they
should be living in encampments at all. We
have to keep making efforts, for our own
sake nearly as much as for the sake of the
unhoused. Allowing the most vulnerable
among us to die on our streets must dimin-
ish the humanity in us all.
When I find J. days later, she is frantically
high and penitent as a truant. She explains
that she got scared, that she couldn’t stand
to leave her stuff behind. She says she knows
she has a problem. She says she wants to go
to rehab. She says she needs help.
This last is most certainly true.
Daniel Polansky is a writer living in Los
Angeles.
nity to press Pelosi’s face into the mud.
But it’s hardly his sort of job. “Effective
speakers do a lot of glad-handing, do favors,
deal with minor issues like ‘Fix the carpet in
my office’ — and other grunt work,” says
Matthew Green, a professor of political
science at Catholic University who studies
Congress. “You need to be loyal to the institu-
tion and to the members of the institution.”
Not that the job isn’t powerful. Speakers
have a role in appointing committee mem-
bers and chairs, decide points of order, recog-
nize who gets to speak on the floor and have
significant control over what measures
move forward. They can dole out or withhold
favors. They play a leading role in negotia-
tions with the president, and they’re usually
leader of the majority party caucus. They’re
also third in line of presidential succession,
after the vice president.
It would be a disaster if Trump were given
the gavel. Because, first, he shouldn’t be in
any position of power whatsoever. But also
because Congress should be overseen by an
elected official, accountable to voters — not
by an unelected, irresponsible demagogue
with only his own interests at heart.
One Democrat recently introduced a bill
to bar nonmembers of Congress from becom-
ing speaker. But it strikes me as unlikely to
become law.
There’s also the possibility that if Trump
became speaker, it could be challenged in
court. But there’s no guarantee the court
would take such a highly political case.
So should we prepare ourselves for
Speaker Trump?
Well, probably not, but when it comes to
our ex-president, you can’t rule out any bit of
chicanery or malevolence.
Trump and his acolytes could be trolling
for the heck of it, or it could be a sinister plot,
like the equally unimaginable but all too real
effort to delegitimize and reverse the 2020
election.
I didn’t take that too seriously either at
first, and boy was I wrong.
@Nick_Goldberg
A11
bell hooks
was a
mighty fire
By Rebecca Walker
b
ell hooks was one of the
mighty fires in which I was
forged, the first person to say I
was a real writer, to tell me I
had something urgent to
share with the world.
I had grown up with serious tute-
lage on all things race, class and gen-
der, but bell taught me more: how to
read, how to see, how to discern what
lay beneath. bell was my mentor, my
friend, my sister in struggle.
We met when I was her student at
Yale, but she taught me for the next 30
years. We were outsiders together in
her bare New Haven, Conn., studio,
the heat cranked against the blister-
ing cold. A decade later we talked
story over Indian takeout in her West
Village apartment, with its wall of
books facing her bed.
In my 40s, I drove for hours in the
rain to see her new house at the top of
a hill, and back down for tea in
her “main” house — modest, full of
Buddhas and African sculptures,
magic chests with tiny drawers burst-
ing with packs of Juicy Fruit gum.
A glorious painting of poppies.
We talked about real estate and
Buddhism, about what we wanted in
our lovers. We talked about people we
knew and whether they could be
trusted, about people we didn’t know
and whether they were as brilliant or
ignorant or fascinating or uninterest-
ing as they seemed. We talked about
family and strife, survival and spirit,
going away and coming home.
We talked about art and politics. A
film about Black love was also about
the sublimation of female desire. A
television show about slavery was also
about white supremacy’s endless fas-
cination with the brutalization of
Black bodies. A book about Black fe-
male empowerment was also an ode to
late-stage capitalism.
We laughed and laughed because
even though I cannot tell a joke to save
my life, bell was funny, impish, quick to
find humor in absurdity. Her laughter
was her salvation. Was ours. But there
are other things I need to tell you.
bell hooks was a free woman. She
saw racism in feminism, classism in
progressivism, and white supremacy
in a lover’s kiss. bell didn’t speak truth
to power because bell was power; bell
left the margins way back before she
taught us that we were all in them.
She stormed the center like a gen-
eral: without permission, or the faint-
est idea that it might not be hers to
claim. Her mind, free and unfettered,
unafraid of knowing its own velocity,
galloped ahead to take her rightful
place, far beyond the mediocrity of the
status quo.
bell hooks was both demon and de-
mon slayer. On the page, at the
lectern, chatting on the phone or sofa:
bell shredded illusions of segregation
and solidarity, dismantled ideologies
of exclusion and inclusion, eviscer-
ated purveyors of hypocrisy and truth.
No idea was too sacred, no com-
rade too cherished. bell burned it all to
the ground, and when we asked why,
she told us that criticism was a form of
love, an expression of hope, an act of
faith. Some winced, and some left her
side, but most of us came to accept her
coda: If you want a better crop, you
might have to raze the one that came
before.
bell hooks was a genius. She could
read a book in an hour, two or three
books in a day, and tell you which mat-
tered and which did not. bell beat the
Ivy League at its own game: Taking
refuge in the ivory tower, she taught
her students to transgress. When the
gatekeepers tried to tamp her fire, she
took their accolades and rode them all
the way home.
bell turned Black rage into Black
love, transformed a wound of passion
into a quest for communion, and ele-
vated outlaw culture to high art by
changing the definitions of both. Her
mind was a diamond. Sharp, pen-
etrating, clear, relentless.
bell lived as a radical Black woman,
a fierce intellectual in these divided
United States for over 60 years. She
published more than 30 books and
mentored countless students. At her
death she was revered by many, be-
holden to none.
if bell sounds like a superhero, it’s
because she was one: indomitable and
flawed, beautiful and bewitching. She
was generous and full of need, and her
friends and foes were often indistin-
guishable. She came with an origin
story, always kept a secret lair, and ap-
peared invincible to the untrained eye.
But there was always kryptonite, be-
cause like every great superhero, bell
was a lover.
Beneath the armor, on the other
side of the sword, beat a mighty heart
that believed in people, in our collec-
tive goodness and ability to change,
evolve, grow. bell believed the world
could be saved, if only we would all
wake up and reject the stories that
keep us separate, and embrace the
ones that make us whole. This, then, is
bell’s greatest gift: her unshakable
faith that we can all be free.
Rebecca Walker is an author,
producer and cultural critic. Her 10th
book, “Women Talk Money: Breaking
the Taboo,” will be published in
March 2022.
A12 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Senator says he can’t back Biden spending plan
[Manchin, from A1]
mism that talks would con-
tinue into the new year and
eventually lead to an agree-
ment.
But Manchin, whose re-
luctance to get behind the
legislation has grown as in-
flation has risen to levels not
seen in decades, sounded on
Sunday like his mind is
made up. It’s still possible,
though seemingly unlikely,
that the senator’s firm state-
ment just days before
Christmas does not fore-
close the possibility of nego-
tiations continuing in the
new year, possibly on a
pared-down version of the
House-passed legislation.
“I’ve tried. I mean I really
did. And the president was
trying as hard as he could,”
Manchin said. “He has an
awful lot of irons in the fire
right now. A lot. More on his
plate than he needs for this
to continue.”
In response, the White
House issued a scathing
statement by Press Secre-
tary Jen Psaki, who said the
senator’s comments were
“at odds with his discussions
this week with the President,
with White House staff, and
with his own public utter-
ances.”
Manchin, she said, had
given Biden a “written out-
line” last week of a package
he could support that would
have been “the same size
and scope” as the presi-
dent’s framework, leading
the administration to be-
lieve continued talks would
eventually lead to an agree-
ment.
“Senator Manchin prom-
ised to continue conversa-
tions in the days ahead, and
to work with us to reach that
common ground,” Psaki
continued. “If his comments
on Fox and written state-
ment indicate an end to that
effort, they represent a sud-
den and inexplicable rever-
sal in his position, and a
breach of his commitments
Police search for performer’s killer Stunned rappers
[Rapper, from A1]
made as of Sunday morning,
said Officer Luis Garcia, an
LAPD spokesman. “Detect-
ives are still trying to figure
things out,” he said.
The rapper, whose real
name is Darrell Caldwell, 28,
was scheduled to perform at
the concert, which had a
stacked lineup of popular
artists that included Ice
Cube, 50 Cent and Al Green.
Caldwell’s death came as his
career was gaining rising ac-
claim, with many fans and
music critics calling him an
innovative and creative lyri-
cist. He’d recently been re-
leased from custody after a
series of closely followed
court battles.
The California Highway
Patrol said it was handling
the investigation and asked
anyone with information to
call the Southern Division
Investigative Services Unit
at (323) 644-9550.
Soon after the stabbing
occurred about 8:30 p.m., or-
ganizers ended the event as
patrons moved to get out.
“Out of respect for those in-
volved and in coordination
with local authorities, art-
ists and organizers decided
not to move forward with re-
maining sets so the festival
was ended an hour early,”
Live Nation said in a state-
ment.
Some attendees said they
were not promptly told the
event was over.
“I can definitely see why
they wouldn’t want to create
a panic by saying somebody
got stabbed, but maybe they
should have just shut the
music off and told people
there was a technical issue,”
said Troels Trier, 36, who
flew in from Denmark with
friends to attend the festival.
“People were standing liter-
ally for hours waiting while a
DJ played.”
Trier described the
festival as poorly organized,
with few security measures,
long lines for food and drink,
and crowds of unmasked
people that were difficult to
navigate.
He and his friends were
surprised when they were
able to walk in without any-
one checking their tickets or
belongings, he said. Un-
aware that only clear bags
were permitted, Trier
brought a black backpack.
“Nobody checked it — I
walked straight in,” he said.
“You could have brought
anything in.”
One of the headliners, the
Game, performed just one
song before exiting the stage
with no explanation, leading
to a 30-minute break before
the next performer, Ice
Cube, began, Trier said.
SS
SEN. JOE Manchin III, followed by reporters after meeting with Senate Demo-
crats on Friday at the Capitol, says he cannot support the “Build Back Better” bill.
to the President and the
Senator’s colleagues in the
House and Senate.”
The castigation, which
came after months of diplo-
matic statements refusing
to criticize Manchin or nego-
tiate with him through the
press, finally made the ad-
ministration’s frustration
clear. Yet Psaki vowed that
negotiations would continue
because the legislation was
“too important to give up.
We will find a way to move
forward next year.”
Manchin, according to a
person with knowledge of
the conversation, did have
an aide inform the adminis-
tration of his position
shortly before going on tele-
vision Sunday. But he did
not engage with the White
House himself. He ex-
panded on his reasoning —
and offered even harsher
words for his fellow Demo-
crats — in a statement is-
sued shortly after his televi-
sion appearance.
“My Democratic col-
mourn the death
of hip-hop star
DRAKEO THE RULER, 28, whose real name is Darrell Caldwell, died after
being attacked backstage at a concert at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday.
Al Green then per-
formed, Trier said, and
Snoop Dogg was supposed
to take the stage at 8:30 p.m..
The rapper, who was a co-
promoter of the festival with
Live Nation, later said in a
statement that he heard
about the altercation while
he was in his dressing room
and chose to immediately
leave the grounds.
“My condolences go out
to the family and loved ones
of Drakeo the Ruler,” he
wrote. “I’m not with any-
thing negative and as one of
the many performers, I was
there to spread positive
vibes only to my city of LA.”
Photographer Bridget
Arias said she was working
the event backstage, watch-
ing George Clinton perform
at about 8 p.m., when she
heard one person say,
“Drakeo got stabbed.”
“Then another person
confirmed it, and then it was
kind of like the monkey
game, where everyone kept
repeating a version of what
was happening,” she said.
Shortly after, festival se-
curity ordered her and oth-
ers to leave, she said, though
in the confusion they were
still stuck in their cars hours
later.
Caldwell was a South
L.A. native who achieved
legendary status in the West
Coast rap scene for pioneer-
ing a singular sound he
called “nervous music.” He
released 10 mixtapes and
put out his first studio al-
bum this year. He recorded
the mixtape “Thank You for
Using GTL,” a reference to
prison communications
company Global Tel Link,
with verses recorded over a
phone while he was being
held at Men’s Central Jail
awaiting trial in connection
leagues in Washington are
determined to dramatically
reshape our society in a way
that leaves our country even
more vulnerable to the
threats we face,” he said. “I
cannot take that risk with a
staggering debt of more
than $29 trillion and infla-
tion taxes that are real and
harmful to every hard-work-
ing American at the gasoline
pumps, grocery stores and
utility bills with no end in
sight.”
The senator, who is up for
reelection in 2024 in a state
that Biden lost by 40 per-
centage points, also cited
a second Congressional
Budget Office report, which
Republicans requested, that
determined the legislation
would cost $4.5 trillion if the
subsidies and credits in-
cluded were extended. The
White House dismissed that
CBO score as “fake,” arguing
that the proposal as written
would cost far less and be
fully paid for.
In her statement, Psaki
with the 2016 shooting death
of a 24-year-old man.
Caldwell was acquitted of
felony murder and at-
tempted murder charges,
but L.A. County prosecutors
sought to retry him on con-
spiracy charges and weap-
ons offenses. They alleged
that his rap collective, Stinc
Team, was a street gang, and
attempted to use his lyrics
and videos as evidence,
drawing outcry from civil
rights and free speech advo-
cates.
The controversial trial
drew even more attention
when the court imposed a
sweeping gag order on Cald-
well and his legal team that
prohibited them from dis-
cussing the case on social
media or in the press and di-
rected them to take down
postings proclaiming his in-
nocence. The move
prompted the Reporters
Committee on Freedom of
the Press, the Los Angeles
Times and the First Amend-
ment Coalition to file a
friend of the court brief urg-
ing the court to lift the gag
order, which the brief de-
scribed as unconstitutional.
The trial court vacated
the gag order in October
2020. The second case was
ultimately resolved with a
plea deal, and Caldwell was
released in November of the
same year.
He released his biggest
single to date, “Talk to Me”
featuring Drake, this Febru-
ary.
Friends and colleagues of
the rapper were mourning
his death.
“We spent the hardest
two years together fighting
for his freedom, facing life,
before walking out a free
man just over a year ago,”
tweeted attorney John
Kent Nishimura Los Angeles Times
rebutted Manchin’s argu-
ment about inflation, noting
that the plan is “fully paid
for” and that Biden has
made clear to Manchin he
doesn’t support extending
the programs beyond what’s
in the legislation.
“That’s not what the
President has proposed, not
the bill the Senate would
vote on, and not what the
President would support,”
she said.
But Republicans say any
new benefits would probably
be extended at a later date.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-
S.C.), one of the lawmakers
who sought the second CBO
score probably in hopes of
influencing Manchin, took a
victory lap praising his
Democratic colleague.
“The CBO analysis con-
firmed Senator Manchin’s
worst fears about Build
Back Better,” Graham said.
“He has always stated that
he will not support a bill full
of gimmicks, a bill that add-
ed to the debt or a bill that
Wyatt Winfrey Associated Press
Hamasaki, who defended
Drakeo against criminal
charges. “Through it, we be-
came friends and then like
family. I don’t even know
how to start processing
this.”
Eric Mora, 65, met the
rapper about four months
ago when he made a delivery
to his Hollywood Hills home.
Mora had spent time in pris-
on for a crime he did not
commit and said the two hit
it off as they discussed the
criminal justice system’s
flaws and how lucky they
were to be free.
“It was a mutual under-
standing of how traumatiz-
ing that can be,” he said.
Drakeo invited Mora in-
side, he said, and they ex-
changed numbers. Mora’s
nephew is an aspiring rap-
per named Cairo DeNiro,
and Drakeo agreed to listen
to his music and consider
collaborating with him, he
said.
Mora learned of the rap-
per’s death on Sunday. “I
was shocked,” he said. “Sur-
prised. Sad. Shocked.”
“I feel bad for his family,”
he added. “It’s a tragedy.”
The scene outside Banc
of California Stadium was
quiet Sunday save for the
crews tearing down stages
used for the festival. A lone
sign and flowers posted on a
fence along Figueroa Street
read “Drakeo West Coast
Luv RIP.”
On Martin Luther King
Boulevard, near the back-
side of one of the stages, a
few blue and white balloons
fluttered in the wind above a
set of candles.
Times staff writers Mikael
Wood, Nate Jackson and
August Brown contributed
to this report.
made inflation worse.”
Several Democrats, ap-
parently caught off guard by
Manchin’s move, insisted
that their agenda must still
move forward.
“It’s not over yet,” Sen. Al-
ex Padilla (D-Calif.) insisted
during an appearance on
MSNBC.
One of the most vulnera-
ble House Democrats, Vir-
ginia Rep. Abigail Span-
berger, who voted for the leg-
islation despite the political
risk in her conservative dis-
trict, said in a statement
that the provisions in the bill
remain “critical for the long-
term health, safety, and se-
curity of our families and our
communities.” She blasted
Manchin, saying it was “un-
acceptable” that he “walked
away from productive nego-
tiations.”
“We cannot act like this
moment is the end,” she con-
tinued. “Children, families,
and the future of our planet
are counting on us.”
The defeat of Biden’s am-
bitious domestic program
would mark a devastating
setback for a president who
suggested that his 36 years
in the Senate would enable
him to succeed in bridging
divides and entered office
envisioning a historic, Presi-
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt-
style agenda in response to
the pandemic and resulting
economic instability.
The legislation’s demise
means the expiration next
month of the 2021 child tax
credit that had given quali-
fying families up to $300 per
month for each child under
age 6 and up to $250 per
month for each child ages 6
through 17. Beyond that, new
proposals to subsidize the
cost of child care, preschool
and elder care are off the ta-
ble, for now. The White
House had argued such ben-
efits were a prudent re-
sponse to rising inflation.
The development was ex-
actly what House progres-
Snoop Dogg and
Drake offer their
condolences for
Drakeo the Ruler.
By Matt Pearce
Rapper Snoop Dogg said
Sunday that he was sad-
dened and “PRAYING FOR
PEACE IN HIP-HOP” after
fellow performer Drakeo the
Ruler was fatally stabbed at
the Once Upon a Time in
L.A. concert at Banc of Cali-
fornia Stadium.
“My condolences go out
to the family and loved ones
of Drakeo the Ruler,” Snoop
Dogg said in a statement on
Twitter. He wrote that he
was in his dressing room
when the stabbing hap-
pened and decided to im-
mediately leave the festival,
where he had been set to per-
form later Saturday evening.
“I’m not with anything
negative and as one of the
many performers, I was
there to spread positive
vibes only to my city of L.A.,”
the statement said.
Drakeo the Ruler — a
South L.A. native whose real
name was Darrell Caldwell
— was backstage when an al-
tercation broke out among
several people and he was
stabbed, a source told The
Times.
Ice Cube and 50 Cent
were among the performers
also in the festival’s lineup.
As of Sunday morning, no
arrests had been made in the
killing.
Prominent stars in the in-
dustry mourned the loss.
“For real wtf are we doing,”
the popular rapper Drake
wrote in an Instagram Sto-
ries post. “[You] always
picked my spirit up with
your energy RIP Drakeo.”
The rapper Saweetie
tweeted: “Man Drakeo was
always hella cool & respect-
ful. Prayers up for his family
RIP The Ruler.”
The rapper Jim Jones
urged other rappers to stay
safe. “They know who we are
cause of our fame but we
don’t know who they are be-
cause of our fame,” Jones
wrote in an Instagram post.
“Feels like we lost a rapper
every week this year. ... Rap-
pers have the most danger-
ous job in the world I stand
on my statement.”
Caldwell, 28, had been ac-
L AT I M E S . C O M
sives were worried about in
October, when they had ini-
tially withheld their support
for the Senate-passed bipar-
tisan infrastructure bill —
the other half of Biden’s jobs
agenda — out of concern
Manchin and other Demo-
cratic moderates wouldn’t
back the social spending leg-
islation.
They had planned to pass
the package through a proc-
ess known as budget recon-
ciliation, which requires just
50 Senate votes, allowing
Vice President Kamala Har-
ris to break the tie in the
evenly divided Senate. No
Republicans supported the
measure.
The progressives eventu-
ally agreed to vote on the in-
frastructure package after
Biden said he had gotten
Manchin and others to agree
in principle to a framework
for the Build Back Better
legislation.
But that agreement does
not appear to have held.
The most outspoken
Senate progressive, Sen.
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), was
among the first to react.
During an interview on
CNN, Sanders said that
Manchin will have to explain
to his constituents in West
Virginia, “a state that is
struggling,” why he’d stand
in the way of new Medicare
subsidies for dental cov-
erage and investments
aimed at combating climate
change.
“Let Mr. Manchin explain
to the people why he doesn’t
have the guts to stand up to
powerful special interests,”
he said, calling for a full Sen-
ate vote on the legislation
next month even if it fails.
“We’ve been dealing with
Mr. Manchin for month after
month after month,” Sand-
ers said. “But if he doesn’t
have the courage to do the
right thing for the working
families of West Virginia and
America, let him vote no in
front of the whole world.”
quitted of murder and at-
tempted murder in the 2016
killing of a 24-year-old man.
Prosecutors tried Cald-
well again on related con-
spiracy charges, which
ended with a plea deal by
Caldwell, who left prison in
November 2020.
“We spent the hardest
two years together fighting
for his freedom, facing life,
before walking out a free
man just over a year
ago,” Caldwell’s attorney,
John Hamasaki, tweeted.
“Through it, we became
friends and then like family. I
don’t even know how to start
processing this. Thanks for
the kind messages.”
Others in the music in-
dustry offered their tributes
to the influential South L.A.
rapper, noting his death was
all the more tragic because
of the legal challenges he
surmounted.
“RIP Drakeo, the great-
est West Coast artist of a
generation, a legend who in-
vented a new rap language of
slippery cadences, nervous
rhythms, and psychedelic
slang, who beat life twice
only to suffer the most tragic
fate conceivable,” tweeted
music journalist Jeff Weiss.
“My love to his friends, fam-
ily, and anyone who under-
stands the struggle that he
endured and loved his mu-
sic. He was special, a legit ge-
nius and a kind, caring
friend.”
Long Beach rapper
Joey Fatts raised concerns
about security at the venue
where Caldwell was stabbed,
and he referenced the
Astroworld festival where 10
people were killed in a crowd
surge during a Travis Scott
concert.
“Drakeo was killed while
working. Was there for a per-
formance,” he tweeted. “No
reason why a knife should be
able to be snuck into a music
festival.”
Festival organizers for
Once Upon a Time in L.A.
did not immediately re-
spond to a request for com-
ment about security condi-
tions.
The festival’s public-fac-
ing social media platforms
have made no acknowledg-
ment of the performer’s
death. Its most recent posts
were Saturday night, telling
attendees the show was
ending early and to head for
the exits, without saying
why.
 B

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

Hospitals brace
for ‘significant’
Omicron wave
However, officials
express optimism that
new treatments and
vaccines will prevent
repeat of last winter.
By Rong-Gong Lin II
and Emily
Alpert Reyes
With officials Sunday
painting a grim picture of a
winter in which the Omicron
variant spreads with devas-
tating speed, California hos-
pitals are trying to do what
they can to prepare for the
weeks and months ahead.
Allen J. Schaben Los Angeles Times Public health officials are
fornia has been eyeing the
effects of the seasonal flu,
which was squelched last
year by the precautions peo-
ple were taking to prevent
COVID-19 — and could re-
emerge as a serious threat as
people have let down their
guard about masking, hand-
washing and social distanc-
ing, Gin said.
She urged people to get
vaccinated against flu, as
well as COVID-19 shots and
boosters, to give themselves
more protection and help
ease the strain on health-
care workers.
At hospitals, “people are
tired. We have been at this
[See Omicron, B2]

When
NEIGHBOR ARIA SADLER, 4, pedals past Jeff Norton’s La Mirada home, decorated in tribute to expecting some kind of wave
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” Norton’s faux second story drew scrutiny from city officials. of new infections to sweep
through during the winter,
and depending on how large

A merry Christmas, happy it is, that could tax the hospi-

ending for ‘Vacation’ home
City allows well-decked home to keep faux second story
By Nathan Solis
The glow danced on the faces of
children and adults who gathered on
a recent December evening at what’s
become an annual Christmas tradi-
tion: the transformation of Jeff Nor-
ton’s La Mirada home into a “Na-
tional Lampoon’s Christmas Vaca-
tion” display.
This year’s design, which includes
a faux second story on Norton’s
home, was almost canceled by code
enforcement, because the addition
was unpermitted and deemed unsafe
by the southeastern L.A. County city.
“What does it mean to take that
CAPITOL JOURNAL
down?” Norton, 46, said recently,
pointing to the fake second story on
his house, clad in a red Santa Claus
cap. “It means Christmas is over.”
The entire display would have
been put on hold if he had been forced
to disassemble the plastic addition
meant to make his home look more
like the suburban Chicago house in
the 1989 comedy starring Chevy
Chase.
Norton said that at a minimum he
had faced a $1,200 fine, which he’d
planned to pay, viewing it as the price
for keeping the display up.
But after receiving an outpouring
of support from the community, news
coverage from local media — and a
Christmas miracle — the city re-
lented, Norton said. The display can
stay up until Jan. 1 as part of an
agreement with the city, he said.
“The residents of La Mirada really
fought hard for me,” said Norton,
who takes donations from guests at
his display and in return gives out
merchandise such as commemora-
tive magnets or the glass moose mug
used in the movie. Norton jokes that
he stopped counting how much
money he’s spent on his passion proj-
ect, but estimates it’s around
$100,000.
The city of La Mirada did not re-
spond to numerous requests for com-
[See Home, B2]
tal system in a way not seen
since the summer Delta
will kids
surge.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Presi- under 5
dent Biden’s chief medical
advisor on the pandemic,
said Sunday that the nation
should be prepared for big
be able to
spikes in hospitalizations
and deaths, especially in
areas with low vaccination
get a jab?
rates, because of the re-
markable spread of Omi-
cron. Pfizer says a lower
“We are going to see a sig-
nificant stress in some re- dose of its vaccine did
gions of the country on the not generate a potent
hospital system, particu-
larly in those areas where immune response in
you have a low level of vacci- 2- to 4-year-olds.
nation,” he told CNN.
People who are vacci-
nated and have received By Jessica Roy
booster shots are still ex-
pected to be well protected Kids as young as 5 can
against hospitalization and now get vaccinated against
death, even with Omicron. COVID-19. But what’s the
But Fauci and others say timeline for children young-
that with Omicron’s spread, er than that?
they expect more break- Last week, Pfizer-BioN-
through infections among Tech announced that data
vaccinated people — mean- from its ongoing trial of 2- to
ing they are at higher risk for 4-year-olds indicate that the
coming down with mild vaccine dosage used — 3
symptoms and being conta- micrograms, or one-tenth of
gious. the adult dose — did not pro-

Look closely, then pick a charity Those who are unvacci-

nated will be at the highest
risk in a winter surge, ex-
perts say, and there are still
many of them. In addition,
duce a potent immune re-
sponse in that group after
two shots.
But the two-shot re-
gimen did produce a re-
GEORGE SKELTON becomes a lump of coal. vaccinated people who sponse — comparable to the
in sacramento “We try to assure that haven’t gotten their booster one seen in 16- to 25-year-
charitable money goes to shot will likely be at greater olds — in infants between 6
This is the help people instead of being risk of a breakthrough infec- months and 2 years old. Chil-
season for misdirected to noncharita- tion with Omicron than with dren 5 to 11 receive a 10-
giving to chari- ble purposes — like into the previous variants. microgram dose, or one-
ties — and personal bank accounts of The limiting factor for third of the formulation for
maybe throw- board members,” says state many hospitals will not be people 12 and older.
ing your money Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta. beds but people to staff Pfizer said it does not
away. “We’re talking about mil- them, said Dr. Nancy Gin, plan to test a higher dose for
Let’s as- lions of dollars.” regional medical director of children under 5 at this time
sume that Many charities net 80% quality for Kaiser Perma- but will test trial subjects’
most charities are good. to 90% or even more of the nente Southern California. immune response after ad-
They’re sincere, effective donations collected by their “What is going to be a ministering a third dose.
and legitimate. But too paid fundraisers. But many concern for the entire medi- “The goal here is to
many are inefficient, self- also receive as little as 5% to cal community this year is understand the potential of
serving or even fake. 25% — or worse. Some even that ‘Great Resignation’ protection of the third dose,”
Too often, donors are end up owing a fundraiser that we’ve been hearing Jerica Pitts, a spokeswoman
filling the pockets of profes- money because overhead about with regard to health- for Pfizer, told the New York
sional fundraisers rather Luis Sinco Los Angeles Times exceeds the amount col- care personnel,” she said. Times. “We are studying 3
than helping the needy or a STATE Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta helps APLA Health lected. Besides Omicron, Kaiser micrograms at this time.”
worthy cause. The donation staffers fill grocery bags this month for its clients. [See Skelton, B4] Permanente Southern Cali- [See Kids, B6]

Coronavirus
cases double in
L.A. County
Health officials report
3,512 cases on Sunday,
sparking concerns of a
new winter surge. B3
6 charged in
crimes against
Asian women
Arrests in San Jose
follow yearlong probe
into 70 robberies and
thefts. B3
Architect who
changed look of
modern cities
Richard Rogers, who
put elevators and air
ducts on the outside of
buildings, dies. B4
Bird is the word
at annual count
Citizen scientists
mobilize to document
the San Diego region’s
avian population. B5
Lottery ...................... B2
California’s population continues to decline
Experts cite pandemic
deaths, fewer births
and less immigration
as three key reasons.
By Sarah Parvini
California’s population
has continued to decline af-
ter falling for the first time
on record, new demographic
data show — underscoring
shifting immigration pat-
terns, declining birthrates
and the large number of
deaths at the hands of the
pandemic.
The state’s population
declined by 173,000 between
July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021,
bringing the estimated total
population to 39.37 million,
according to data released
by the state Department of
Finance on Friday. The
0.44% decline is slightly less
than the population loss re-
ported for 2020, demogra-
phers said.
Three main factors con-
tributed to California’s net
population loss, demogra-
phers found: a continued de-
cline in birthrates; fewer for-
eign immigrants, which offi-
cials attributed to federal
policy in recent years; and
more than 55,000 pandemic-
related deaths.
Officials also attributed
the decrease to the loss of
53,000 international stu-
dents because of pandemic
restrictions, as well as de-
clines in domestic in-migra-
tion.
“The first two factors —
which mirror nationwide
trends — have contributed
to the state’s population
growth slowing and plat-
eauing,” the state Depart-
ment of Finance said.
Al Seib Los Angeles Times “Though a new federal ad-
HIKERS LOOK at downtown L.A. on Nov. 11. The state population fell 0.44% ministration took office in
from July 2020 to July 2021. One expert says there’s no evidence of a “CalExodus.” [See Population, B6]
B2 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Omicron sparks worry of ‘difficult winter’
[Omicron, from B1]
for nearly two years,” Gin
said. “The emergence of
Omicron has renewed con-
cerns about surges and a dif-
ficult winter.”
Kaiser Permanente
Southern California, which
has 4.8 million members
across Southern California,
the Inland Empire and
nearby areas, believes it is
“well positioned to be able to
absorb the volume at this
time,” Gin said.
As it stands, “we’re only
using about 15% of all of our
ventilator capacity for
Southern California,” Gin
said — far less than last win-
ter, when some of the medi-
cal centers were at 60% or
more of their ventilator ca-
pacity.
Some doctors are con-
cerned that people are so fed
up with the pandemic that
they won’t wear masks at a
time when transmission is
expected to climb as the
more transmissible Omi-
cron variant spreads.
“My concern — and the
concern across the country
— is the fatigue with regard
to mask wearing and social
distancing,” said Dr. Steph-
anie Hall, chief medical offi-
cer for Keck Medicine of
USC and USC Norris Com-
prehensive Cancer Center.
“People are tired. And
they’re not sticking with it.”
Hall urged people who
are planning to gather with
loved ones for the holidays to
get tested for the corona-
virus and isolate if they are
positive, to avoid travel if
possible and to keep wearing
masks in public spaces,
washing hands and adher-
ing to social distancing.
At L.A. County’s massive
public hospital system,
COVID-19 hospitalizations
“have remained steady over
the last two months,” Health
Services Director Dr. Chris-
tina Ghaly said in a state-
ment.
“We are not seeing a rapid
increase, and we credit so far
lower COVID-19 numbers
this December to everyone
who has gotten vaccinated,
including getting the boost-
er shot if eligible,” Ghaly
said. “However, we recog-
nize that other hospitals
‘Christmas Vacation’ springs up on cul-de-sac
[Home, from B1]
ment to corroborate Nor-
ton’s timeline of events.
Since 2018, Norton has
wowed neighbors and visi-
tors with his elaborate dis-
play, which glows like a
Christmas beacon in the
quiet, suburban neighbor-
hood. Scenes staged from
the movie sit in Norton’s
frontyard, complete with
mannequins dressed as
characters from the zany
comedy, along with vehicles
from the movie and a wall of
Christmas lights.
The characters include
Clark Griswold, played by
Chase in multiple “Vaca-
tion” movies as the dad at
the center of everything that
goes wrong, and Cousin Ed-
die, played by Randy Quaid,
who is propped up near an
RV emptying out a fake sep-
tic tank on Norton’s drive-
way.
Norton’s 1972 Ford Con-
dor RV is mocked up to look
like the one from the movie,
after being salvaged from a
campground where it sat for
20 years, before he rescued
it, Norton said.
“I started with an RV and
a regular store mannequin,”
Norton said. “I noticed there
was some excitement, and
then I went out and bought
three pallets of lights.”
Norton jokes that he and
his wife divorced, not over
the Griswold display, but be-
cause of his “childlike ac-
tions.” He says his daugh-
ters love the transformation
of the home, but they think
he’s a bit crazy.
Norton, who works in
classic car sales, has painted
his home the same shade
of yellow as the Griswold
home and installed green
shutters.
For the holiday season, a
station wagon and a police
cruiser are parked in front,
along with other man-
nequins arrayed in various
poses from the movie, such
as Griswold in a hockey
mask holding a chain saw
ready to trim a Christmas
tree that won’t fit in his living
room, much to the dismay of
his yuppie neighbors, also
represented with man-
nequins. And the scene
where his boss is wrapped
up in a bow in a holiday ges-
NIKO BARNER waits to receive a COVID vaccine from nurse Christopher King last month. People who are
vaccinated and boosted are expected to be well protected against hospitalization and death from Omicron.
‘My concern — and the concern across the country — is
the fatigue with regard to mask wearing and social
distancing.’
across L.A. County have be-
gun to see some increases in
inpatient volume and that
other regions in the United
States are experiencing a
surge in patients.
“As we continue to man-
age this evolving pandemic,
including the danger pre-
sented by a virus that con-
tinues to mutate, we cannot
emphasize enough how
critical it is for everyone 5
and older to get vaccinated
and for those 16 years and
over to get the booster shot if
they are 6 months or more
JEFF NORTON, right, puts finishing touches on his La Mirada home, decorated
in tribute to the 1989 comedy “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
“I STARTED with an RV and a regular store mannequin. ... There was some
excitement, and then I went out and bought three pallets of lights,” Norton said.
ture gone wrong.
Kizzy Peterson, visiting
from Paramount, took a
selfie in front of the home
as fake snow rained
chief medical officer for Keck Medicine of USC and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
past their last dose,” Ghaly
said. “We also encourage ev-
eryone to maintain vigilance
over the holidays — for ex-
ample, by limiting attend-
ance at large gatherings and
wearing a mask when in in-
door public spaces.”
Dr. Francis Collins, head
of the National Institutes of
Health, offered similar ad-
vice Sunday on CBS: “A big
message for today is, if
you’ve had vaccines and a
booster, you’re very well pro-
tected against Omicron
causing you severe disease.
Photographs by
from pumps installed by
Norton.
“The owner definitely put
a lot of time and thought into
it,” Peterson said. “Around
So anybody listening to this
who is in that 60% of Ameri-
cans who are eligible for a
booster but haven’t yet got-
ten one, this is the week to do
it. Do not wait.”
Some hospital officials
in Los Angeles and Orange
counties have expressed op-
timism about the coming
winter.
Last winter, “we had far
fewer tools in our tool belt.
Almost nobody was vacci-
nated. We were only begin-
ning to roll out the mono-
clonal antibody treat-
Allen J. Schaben Los Angeles Times
these times it brings a lot of
holiday spirit. The detail is
immaculate. I don’t think he
missed anything at all.”
Daughter and mother
Francine Orr Los Angeles Times
— D R . S TEPHANIE H ALL ,
ments,” said Dr. Richard
Riggs, chief medical officer
for Cedars-Sinai. Now, he
said, “we understand better
about the low oxygen or hyp-
oxia that may occur and how
we can monitor that in cer-
tain people so they don’t
have to be hospitalized.”
At two of the Providence
hospitals in Orange County,
elective surgeries are going
ahead as usual, and
COVID-19 units are using a
typical allotment of beds.
It is a far cry from a year
ago, when vaccines were not
Myranda and Minerva Zap-
per from Cypress have vis-
ited the “Griswold home”
since 2019. In a sign of true
dedication, they’ve brought
crowds of family and friends
to see the display.
“Last year, we brought a
group of like 20 of us,” Min-
erva said. “I love it.”
“I love how colorful it is,”
Myranda said. “Everything
they’ve put into this house, it
just makes it marvelous, and
very wow.”
Albert Saldovar of La
Habra said his 27-year-old
son, Damian, recently
watched “Christmas Vaca-
tion” for the first time. His
parents looked on and
chuckled as he stood in awe
of the display.
“They told me that it’s hi-
larious, goofy, a funny mov-
ie,” Damian said. “This
house is a pretty good repli-
ca of the movie. If you’ve seen
the movie and you want to
see the movie in real life,
come on down here.”
Several of Norton’s
neighbors, who did not want
to be identified, said they en-
joy the Griswold spectacle
right outside their front
door.
One woman said she
doesn’t mind the lights, but
the crowds can get a bit an-
noying.
Another neighbor said it
makes traffic and parking a
headache around the holi-
days.
Norton’s home is on a cul-
de-sac, and the entire street
is blocked off to allow pedes-
trians to see the display from
the street.
A 1989 Los Angeles Times
review highlighted how
“Christmas Vacation” fuses
imagery from “It’s a Wonder-
ful Life” and “The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre” in a
single visual gag.
To Norton, the marriage
of seasonal sentimentality
and raunchy humor that is
“Christmas Vacation”
makes it a timeless classic.
“This movie is it for
Christmas. I can watch
‘Home Alone’ and do all that
stuff, but for me ‘National
Lampoon’s Christmas Vaca-
tion’ is the absolute funniest
movie, hands down, period,
dot com,” Norton said. “I
love this movie.”
L AT I M E S . C O M
widely available, fewer ther-
apies were on hand and
fewer people had gotten the
virus and recovered to gain
some immunity, said Dr.
Charles Bailey, medical di-
rector for infection preven-
tion with Providence Mis-
sion Hospital in Mission
Viejo and Providence St.
Joseph Hospital Orange.
However, Bailey said, “we
certainly have a game plan
in place to rapidly increase
capacity, should that need
arise,” by converting other
units in the hospital to ac-
commodate COVID-19 pa-
tients. His hope is that even
if COVID-19 infections surge,
more people can be treated
outside of the hospital this
time around.
New drugs “may be useful
and — at least on paper —
seem to be capable of dra-
matically decreasing the se-
verity of illness and prevent-
ing hospitalization,” he said.
“So hopefully, even if the
COVID numbers go up, a
smaller proportion than in
prior surges will need to be
hospitalized.”
If people do need to be
hospitalized, Bailey said, “I
think we can treat people
more efficiently and hope-
fully get them out of the hos-
pital ... more expeditiously.”
At Ventura County Medi-
cal Center, COVID-19 hospi-
talizations have more than
doubled in the last eight
weeks, said Chief Executive
Dr. John Fankhauser.
So far, “the numbers are
still not taxing our capacity,”
Fankhauser said.
But the medical center
has become more mindful
about maintaining its sup-
plies of personal protective
equipment and keeping an
eye on where it needs to in-
crease staffing. It is also
stressing the importance of
vaccinations and booster
shots, not only in the com-
munity but for healthcare
workers who were early to
get vaccinated.
More is known this time
around about combating
the virus, Fankhauser said,
but “our healthcare workers
are really experiencing the
impact of a sustained crisis.”
That means working
more hours and putting off
breaks. “But I think the big-
gest impact is really the
emotional impact of having
to be in harm’s way week
after week after week,”
Fankhauser said, especially
when “a lot of the severe
disease is vaccine-prevent-
able.
“Only 20% of our eligible
community have not re-
ceived any vaccination, and
yet that group of people
make up about 80-plus per-
cent of the severely ill pa-
tients that are hospitalized
in our county,” Fankhauser
said. With another wave on
its way, “if individuals are
not yet vaccinated, now is
the time.”
Lottery results
Tonight’s Powerball Jackpot:
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Sales close at 7 p.m.
For Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021
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Winners per category:
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winners of prize(s)
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California winners per category:
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winners of prize(s)
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5 0 —
4 + P-ball 2 $32,789
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1 + P-ball 31,474 $5
P-ball only 74,951 $4
Winning jackpot ticket(s) sold in other
states: None
For Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021
Fantasy Five: 7-13-25-28-34
Daily Four: 9-4-6-2
Daily Three (midday): 7-1-2
Daily Three (evening): 4-4-3
Daily Derby:
(6) Whirl Win
(8) Gorgeous George
(11) Money Bags
Race time: 1:41.39
Results on the internet:
www.latimes.com/lottery
General information:
(800) 568-8379
(Results not available at this number)
L AT I M E S . C O M
Bigoted
leaflets
found in
2 cities
By Ruben Vives
Fliers filled with anti-
semitic theories about the
COVID-19 pandemic were
found in driveways and front
lawns of several neighbor-
hoods in Pasadena and Bev-
erly Hills over the weekend,
according to law enforce-
ment officials.
The Beverly Hills Police
Department said it had re-
ceived reports about leaflets
late Saturday and that they
were similar to the ones that
had been distributed last
month before the start of
Hanukkah.
The flier “contains prop-
aganda-style hate speech re-
lated to the COVID pan-
demic and the Jewish peo-
ple,” the department said in
a statement. More than 200
fliers had been collected.
The fliers mentioned a
“COVID agenda” and
named several federal
health and corporate offi-
cials while also noting they
were Jewish. “Every Single
Aspect of the COVID
Agenda Is Jewish,” the leaf-
lets read.
The fliers, which have
also been distributed in
other parts of the country in-
cluding Texas and North
Carolina, mark the latest in
antisemitic incidents this
year in Southern California.
Beverly Hills Vice Mayor
Lili Bosse took to social
media to express her out-
rage.
“Once again, words of
Jew hatred were dropped on
the sidewalks of our city,”
she said on Twitter. “As we
have fought for ‘Never
Again,’ I am sickened to see
once again this despicable
act occur in front of our
homes.”
In Pasadena, city and po-
lice officials said they col-
lected more than 200 similar
fliers after residents began
reporting them early Sun-
day.
Lt. Anthony Burgess of
the Pasadena Police De-
partment said the fliers were
enclosed in a plastic bag
with pebbles to weigh them
down and had been distrib-
uted overnight in a four-
block area.
The Pasadena City Coun-
cil released a statement say-
ing it would stand united
against all forms of hate
speech.
UC San Diego warns of virus surge
Wastewater samples
indicate elevated
levels in the region.
By Jonathan Wosen
SAN DIEGO — UC San
Diego officials are warning
that samples from the Point
Loma Wastewater Treat-
ment Plant have the highest
levels of the coronavirus the
university has seen since
February. Both the Delta
and Omicron variants of the
virus are fueling the rise.
Officials are concerned
that the elevated levels
could result in a surge in
cases soon. The treatment
plant processes flushed
waste from households and
businesses.
Researchers have consis-
tently found that when viral
levels go up in wastewater,
cases increase within a
couple of weeks — putting
the region on track for a siz-
able surge around the start
of 2022. That has scientists
and public health officials
again urging people to get
vaccinated and boosted,
and to think hard before at-
tending unmasked indoor
gatherings.
“There will be an unprec-
edented surge in COVID
cases in San Diego. That is
already in motion,” said Rob
Knight, a microbiome ex-
pert and one of the leaders of
UC San Diego’s wastewater
surveillance effort. “There’s
still an opportunity to keep
this in the wastewater and
out of the hospitals and out
of the morgue.”
The surprise weekend
A WAVE of robberies targeting Asian Americans in San Jose mirrors a statewide trend of rising hate crimes.
6 charged in San Jose robberies
Investigators say the
suspects directed hate
crimes against women
of Asian descent.
By Christian Martinez
Six men have been ar-
rested after a yearlong inves-
tigation into 70 robberies,
thefts and burglaries target-
ing victims of Asian descent
in San Jose, authorities said
last week.
Anthony Michael Rob-
inson, 24; Cameron Alonzo
Moody, 27; Derje Damond
Blanks, 23; Hassani
Burleson Ramsey, 24; Clar-
ence Jackson, 21; and Malik
Short, 21, were arrested from
Guilty plea in S.F. corruption probe
associated press
SAN FRANCISCO — A
former San Francisco public
works director agreed to
plead guilty to accepting
bribes and kickbacks to
settle a federal corruption
case that has ensnared
several City Hall officials
and insiders.
In agreeing Friday to
plead guilty to a federal
fraud charge, Mohammed
Nuru admitted to “a stagger-
SCIENTISTS collect wastewater at UC San Diego in 2020. Increased levels of
coronavirus — both the Delta and Omicron variants — are turning up in samples.
announcement was the cul-
mination of a short, intense
scramble by the university.
Around 4:30 p.m. Friday,
Knight got a text message
from a member of his team
reporting the sharp in-
crease. The university’s
COVID-19 monitoring team
hustled to make sense of the
data.
The main question was
whether Omicron was driv-
ing the uptick. It would have
taken at least a week to come
up with an answer via genet-
ic sequencing. Instead, re-
searchers worked late into
the night and Saturday
morning to run a molecular
test designed to distinguish
variants. That test revealed
that both the Delta and
CITY & STATE
September to November
and charged in the inci-
dents, with hate crime en-
hancements.
Investigators recovered
multiple firearms during the
arrests, including one un-
serialized “ghost gun,” the
San Jose Police Department
said in a news release
Wednesday.
The six men were part of
a crew that worked together,
police said. The incidents,
many of which targeted
Asian American women in
the Little Saigon neighbor-
hood of San Jose, occurred
between October 2020 and
September 2021. Some of the
victims were injured during
the robberies, police said.
“When it’s clear that
Asian American women are
being targeted, that creates
ing amount of public corrup-
tion” during his nine years
leading the city’s Depart-
ment of Public Works, acting
U.S. Atty. Stephanie M.
Hinds said in a statement.
That included instances
in which he accepted money,
trips, jewelry, meals and
other goods and services
from city contractors and
developers in exchange for
preferential treatment and
confidential information
about city business.
“For years, Nuru held a
Omicron variants were con-
tributing to the rise.
“It’s like you have two
pandemics going on at once,
with different strains of the
virus,” Knight said.
Wastewater testing
works because although
COVID-19 is best known for
its attack on the airways, the
virus also slips inside the
cells that line the intestines
and can be shed through
stool before a person feels
sick. Local data throughout
the last year show that leaps
in wastewater viral levels
presage infections spotted
by standard nose and throat
swabs.
UCSD’s announcement
included a statement from
Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Di-
fear in many, many Asian
American women in a com-
munity,” said Santa Clara
County Dist. Atty. Jeff
Rosen. “Charging the hate
crime enhancement recog-
nizes that this is a crime
against those individual
victims, but it’s also a crime
against this whole commu-
nity of Asian Americans, and
specifically Asian American
women, who are frightened
that they’re targeted and
worried they’re going to be
next.”
Rosen said the suspects
targeted Asian American
women in particular based
on stereotypes and alleged
that the suspects used racist
slurs in communications
with one another.
Nearly 36% of the San
Jose population is of Asian
powerful and well-paid
public leadership position at
San Francisco City Hall, but
instead of serving the public,
Nuru served himself,” Hinds
said.
Nuru’s attorney, Ismail
Ramsey, said in a statement
that “Mohammed is ready to
accept responsibility in this
matter and begin to put it
behind him.”
Federal prosecutors re-
quested that Nuru serve at
least nine years in prison,
though a judge could sen-
Erik Jepsen UC San Diego
ego County’s public health
officer, noting that the new
findings confirm growing
evidence that Omicron is
spreading.
Dr. Christopher Long-
hurst, chief medical officer of
UC San Diego Health,
pleaded with the public to
get tested early and often for
the virus.
“If you feel the slightest
symptoms, if you think you
might have had contact with
someone with COVID-19, if
you’ve gathered in crowds
without masks, if you’re
planning a get-together —
test, test, test,” he said in a
statement. “Don’t wait.”
Wosen writes for the San
Diego Union-Tribune.
M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Jeff Chiu Associated Press
descent, as is nearly 40% of
Santa Clara County, accord-
ing to U.S. census numbers.
Rosen noted that Santa
Clara County has seen an in-
crease in hate crimes over
the last two years with a “sig-
nificant” increase in the
number committed against
people of Asian descent.
“We’ve prosecuted more
hate crimes in the last year
than in any year before in our
county. And we’ve prose-
cuted more hate crimes
against Asian Americans
than ever before in our
county,” he said.
That increase mirrors
the statewide trend that saw
hate crimes against Asians
rise by 107% in 2020. Hate
crimes against Black people
rose by 88%, and anti-Latino
crimes rose by 38%.
tence him to up to 20. He also
faces potentially hundreds
of thousands of dollars in
fines. In exchange for his
guilty plea on the fraud
charge, prosecutors agreed
to drop additional charges,
including lying to the FBI
and money laundering.
Nuru was among the first
of 12 people and three corpo-
rate entities to face federal
charges as a result of the De-
partment of Justice’s inves-
tigation into public corrup-
tion in the city and county of
San Francisco.
Federal authorities said
the investigation is not over.
“Today’s announcement,
while significant, is by no
means the end of the FBI’s
investigation into the cor-
rupt conduct we have uncov-
ered in San Francisco city
government,” FBI Special
Agent in Charge Craig Fair
said.
Man sought in spate
of business burglaries
By Lila Seidman
A man nicknamed “Two
O’clock Rock” by police is
being sought in connection
with the burglary of more
than 60 businesses in the
San Fernando Valley this
year, authorities said.
The suspect’s curious
moniker is tied to what de-
tectives with the Los Ange-
les Police Department said
are his signature habits.
Typically, the suspect
targets businesses between
2 a.m. to 4 a.m., police said in
a news release last week.
First, he reportedly can-
vasses a location and leaves
rocks in front of the busi-
nesses he plans to burglar-
ize.
Police say the man then
throws a rock through the
front door to get inside,
where he takes cash from the
register.
Or, police said, he often
flees with the locked cash
register.
Surveillance video pro-
vided by police shows what
appears to be a man in a
dark blue hoodie and jeans
pick up a rock outside a busi-
ness and hurl it into glass
door, shattering it on first
B3
Virus
cases
double
in L.A.
By Laura Newberry and
Alex Wigglesworth
Los Angeles County
health officials on Sunday
reported 3,512 new corona-
virus cases, more than twice
as many as were recorded
just a few days before.
That tally follows 3,730
new cases reported in LA.
County on Saturday — the
highest single-day total in
months — sparking con-
cerns of another winter
surge.
Meanwhile, COVID-19
hospitalizations are on the
rise in California as the Omi-
cron variant spreads. There
were 3,557 COVID-19 pa-
tients in the state’s hospi-
tals as of Saturday, an in-
crease of roughly 13% from
two weeks before, according
to The Times’ tracker.
On Sunday, L.A. County
reported that 742 people
were hospitalized with
COVID-19, and nine people
had died from the virus.
Businesses in L.A.
County are reporting
outbreaks among workers,
including 132 staff members
who recently tested positive
at SpaceX corporate head-
quarters in Hawthorne, 85
workers at the FedEx ship-
ping center near Los Ange-
les International Airport
and 28 staffers at Gjelina, a
popular Venice restaurant.
California recorded 49
cases of the Omicron var-
iant as of Wednesday; 38
were in L.A. County. That’s
much lower than the 184,700
identified cases of the Delta
variant, which remains the
state’s dominant strain.
Health officials expect
the number of Omicron
cases to rise, as the variant
is believed to be more conta-
gious than Delta and better
at evading immunity gener-
ated by vaccines or previous
infections. Experts say vac-
cines still offer protection
against severe illness and
death caused by Omicron.
Although there are early
indications that Omicron
might cause less severe ill-
ness than other variants,
hospitals could be over-
whelmed if enough people
become infected, officials
say. That warning comes as
the system already faces
multiple challenges, includ-
ing significant staffing
shortages and increased de-
mand for other healthcare
services.
Nationally, the U.S. Cen-
ters for Disease Control and
Prevention forecasts that
there could be more than 1
million new coronavirus
cases recorded the week of
Christmas. By contrast,
around Halloween, there
were 500,000 new weekly
cases.
blow.
Businesses have been
targeted within LAPD’s
Devonshire, Van Nuys,
North Hollywood, Topanga
and West Valley divisions, as
well as the cities of Burbank
and San Fernando, accord-
ing to police.
Police are seeking help
from the public to identify
the man, whom they de-
scribed as 5 feet 10 and about
150 to 180 pounds, with a re-
ceding hairline.
He generally wears a dark
hooded sweatshirt, blue-
jeans and black shoes, and
sometimes glasses, police
said.
He has been seen riding a
bicycle or driving an early-
2000s four-door, dark-col-
ored Nissan Maxima or Sen-
tra, according to the state-
ment by police.
Anyone with information
concerning the burglaries or
the suspect is asked to call
Det. J. Eastburn at (818) 832-
0936 or Det. C. Parchman at
(818) 832-0941 with LAPD’s
Devonshire Division.
Anonymous tips can be
made by calling the Los An-
geles Regional Crime Stop-
pers at (800) 222-TIPS or
visiting lacrimestoppers
.org.
B4 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Do some homework before donating
[Skelton, from B1]
“Operation costs
shouldn’t be more than
50%,” Bonta says.
I’d say 35% tops. If more
than 35 cents of my dollar
are going into a fundraiser’s
wallet, count me out.
The attorney general
each year prepares a
lengthy report on charitable
fundraisers. It shows how
much they collect — and
how much they turn over to
the charity or keep them-
selves.
Bonta recently went on a
little-noticed statewide tour
warning the public about
scammers while promoting
local reputable charities.
“Fraudulent organiza-
tions are always seeking to
capitalize on people’s desire
to help,” he cautioned.
“Do your research before
giving. Find out how the
charity spends its dona-
tions. How much is spent
directly on the charitable
cause? How much goes to
overhead and employee
compensation?”
Yeah, right!
You can waste your
breath pumping a phone
solicitor for answers. Or call
the charity and curse while
waiting on hold.
Or click onto the attor-
ney general’s website and
fumble around for the
“Summary of Charitable
Solicitation Campaigns
Conducted by Professional
Fundraisers.” And if you
find it, dig into the 271 pages.
But more likely, you’re
too harried with the holi-
days. Moreover, you don’t
have much time left to send
out charitable donations
before Jan. 1 so they can be
deducted on 2021 income
tax returns.
So, you wing it.
MARKETPLACE
JOBS · REAL ESTATE · MORE
MANY CHARITIES net as little as 5% to 25% of donations collected — or worse. Above, state Atty. Gen.
Rob Bonta this month shares tips and resources on avoiding scams when making holiday-season donations.
The attorney general’s
report shows the total
amount of donations col-
lected nationally by fund-
raisers soliciting in Cali-
fornia. Most charities don’t
use independent fundrais-
ers, the attorney general’s
office says. So, the report
provides only a partial
picture.
But those fundraisers
surveyed collected slightly
more than $1 billion in 2020,
up $220 million over 2019.
The good news is that
Business
Opportunities
Most Accurate
Audio Design MFG Firm
seeks working partner
Thomas (385) 238 1920
Legal Notices
Unscramble these Jumbles,
one letter to each square,
to form four ordinary words.
CWLNO
TAAEB
HXAEEL
ZENSEE
©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
All Rights Reserved.
Print your
answer here:
Saturday’s
charities overall received
82% of the haul, 3.4% higher
than in 2019 and 13.2% more
than five years earlier.
A major reason for chari-
ties scoring bigger cuts and
donors kicking in more
money is that increasing
numbers of people are con-
tributing online. There’s less
overhead soliciting elec-
tronically than by phone or
mail. And it’s easier for a
donor than writing a check
and mailing it. At least for
younger generations.
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Get the free JUST JUMBLE app • Follow us on Twitter @PlayJumble
(Answers tomorrow)
Jumbles: SKIER YAHOO LOOSEN
Answer: He thought he could pick up the heavy box by
himself but was — SORELY MISTAKEN
Among my frustrations
are the harassing phone
calls from solicitors.
“If you feel pressured or
threatened, just hang up.”
Bonta said.
I hang up anyway. Get off
my phone line!
Another gripe is that
charities are never satisfied.
Even if I give in December,
I’m pestered every month in
perpetuity. They clog my
mailbox all year long. I trash
the junk.
Some send me nickels or
latimes.com/placead
800-234-4444
THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME
By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek
Now arrange the circled letters
to form the surprise answer, as
suggested by the above cartoon.
PERMIT
Luis Sinco Los Angeles Times
dimes — even an occasional
dollar? Ridiculous. I pocket
it and toss the envelope. If
they can afford to mail
money to millions of people,
they don’t need my $50.
Actually, $50 barely pays
for a solicitation. So, the
charity sells my address,
phone number and personal
information to other solici-
tors. That’s why I get pleas
from outfits that I’ve never
heard of. Hate that, too.
The shady charities
often use seductive words in
their titles such as “cancer,”
“veterans,” “firefighters”
and “children.” They’re
leeching off legitimate chari-
ties.
In January, then-Atty.
Gen. Xavier Becerra and
other attorneys general
across the country pounced
R ICHARD ROGERS, 1933 – 2021
Lauded British
architect advised
on urban planning
associated press
ichard Rogers,
R the British archi-
tect who helped
change the look
of modern cities
by putting features such as
elevators and air ducts on
the outside of his buildings,
has died at 88.
Rogers burst into public
view in 1972 when work be-
gan on the Pompidou Centre
in Paris, a futuristic block of
scaffolding-like metal pipes
and glass walls that he de-
signed with another young
architect, Renzo Piano. Rog-
ers’ other major designs in-
cluded London’s Millen-
nium Dome and the Lloyd’s
of London building.
But Rogers also wanted
his designs to be part of
revitalized urban land-
scapes, arguing that parks
and public spaces should be
developed alongside office
buildings and that mass
transit and improved com-
munications should replace
private cars.
Rogers Stirk Harbour &
Partners, the architectural
firm he founded, announced
Rogers’ death Sunday.
“Through Richard, as a
young graduate, I learnt
that architecture was about
much more than the design
of buildings, its social and
political impacts were
equally important,” Ivan
Harbour, a senior partner at
the firm, said in a statement.
“He was not an archetypical
architect, but he was a
unique and wonderful hu-
man being.”
In a career that spanned
almost 60 years, Rogers
won his profession’s highest
honor, the Pritzker Archi-
tecture Prize, in 2007 and
France’s Legion of Honor in
1986. He was also a member
of Britain’s House of Lords.
Born in 1933 in Florence,
Italy, Rogers and his Anglo-
Italian family moved to Eng-
land before World War II.
As a child, Rogers strug-
gled to read and couldn’t
memorize his schoolwork.
Depressed and at the bot-
tom of his class, he was sent
L AT I M E S . C O M
on a group called Healing
Heroes that falsely adver-
tised that it used 100% of its
donations to help wounded
veterans. It really was
spending only 16% on vets.
The deceivers were shut
down and forced to pay
$95,000 to a legitimate veter-
ans charity.
Some of the worst short-
changing fundraisers collect
money for public safety
charities. Bonta reported
that several worthy-sound-
ing police and fire organiza-
tions received only small
cuts from their solicitors.
They included the Cali-
fornia Fraternal Order of
Police, Firefighters Charita-
ble Foundation, Irvine
Police Assn., Volunteer
Firefighters Alliance, Cali-
fornia Police Youth Chari-
ties and National Assn. of
Chiefs of Police. All received
just 20% or less of the money
that was donated to them.
Also on that list were the
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Foundation, Veterans Sup-
port Foundation, American
Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, Child-
hood Leukemia Assn. and
United Cancer Support
Foundation.
At the upper end, these
charities received at least
90% of their donations:
Everytown for Gun Safety,
Food for the Poor, Habitat
for Humanity International,
Save the Children Federa-
tion, International Fellow-
ship of Christians & Jews,
Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society and Sierra Club.
The safest bet is to do-
nate directly to local chari-
ties whose work you can
observe.
I give mostly to a journal-
ism scholarship fund at the
Sacramento Press Club. I
know 100% of my donation
goes to a promising student
who needs it.
But for charities that
spend less than 65 cents of
the donated dollar as adver-
tised — or flood my mailbox
and call incessantly — bah,
humbug.
to a special school, where
he was diagnosed with dys-
lexia.
He later trained at the
Architectural Assn. School
of Architecture in London
before earning a master’s
degree from Yale University
in Connecticut.
Rogers credited his par-
ents, a doctor and an artist,
as well as his cousin, post-
war Italian architect Ernes-
to Rogers, with inspir-
ing his interest in archi-
tecture.
“They instilled me with a
clear understanding of how,
if we build well, we can create
a socially inclusive environ-
ment,” he told the Yale Cen-
ter for Dyslexia & Creativity.
In 1998, Rogers was asked
to chair the British govern-
ment’s Urban Task Force,
which was charged with
identifying the causes of
urban decline and creating
a strategy to reverse it. He
also advised the mayors of
London and Barcelona on
architecture and urban
strategies.
Rogers believed his work
on the task force — which
laid out a vision for compact
cities “where people live,
work and enjoy leisure time
at close quarters” — to be
one of his most important
achievements.
In 1995, Rogers was the
first architect asked to deliv-
er the BBC Reith Lectures,
an annual series designed to
increase public understand-
ing and debate about impor-
tant issues.
Two years before the
Kyoto Protocol was ratified,
Rogers warned that cities
were one of the main drivers
of global warming because
they were designed around
automobiles.
As an alternative, Rogers
promoted a vision of densely
populated cities developed
around technology and
mass transit.
“We are witnessing
technological developments
that, if creatively exploited,
could give our cities a new
lease of life, making them
greener, more sociable, more
beautiful,” he said. “Above
all, more exciting.”
L AT I M E S . C O M
DRAKEO THE RULER
Rapper helped define
sound of L.A hip-hop
South L.A. native won
acclaim with mixtapes
of ‘nervous music.’
By August Brown
rakeo the Ruler,
D whose surrealist
slang made him
one of the most
original stylists
in Los Angeles hip-hop, died
Sunday morning from in-
juries after a stabbing at the
Once Upon a Time in L.A.
festival. He was 28.
A representative for
Drakeo confirmed his death
to The Times.
Drakeo’s attorney John
Hamasaki said in a the beds was full.”
statement, “We spent the
hardest two years together
fighting for his freedom, fac-
ing life, before walking out a
free man just over a year ago.
Through it, we became
friends and then like family. I
don’t even know how to start
processing this.”
The rapper, born Darrell
Caldwell, was raised in
South L.A. and attended
Washington High in the
Westmont neighborhood.
He quickly developed an idi-
osyncratic but evocative
palette of lyrics. Drakeo
called it “nervous music” for
good reason — his music
drips with paranoia, but
opens up to a rich inner
world.
“I know how to code
everything and I switch it up
every time I get bored,” he
told The Times in 2018. “Peo-
ple think I just make up
‘I know how to code everything and I switch it up every
time I get bored. People think I just make up words,
but everything means something.’
Bird nerds mobilize for annual count
Analysis of yearly
survey paints a
picture of avian
population’s health
across the country.
By Jennifer Van Grove
SAN DIEGO — The holi-
days aside, it’s the most
wonderful time of the year
for San Diego’s most dedi-
cated, self-described bird
nerds.
On Saturday morning,
140 of them fanned out in
birding parties from the tip
of Point Loma to the South
Bay and east into Bonita to
comprehensively document
the region’s bird population.
Their wildlife adven-
tures, locally orchestrated
by the San Diego Audubon
Society, are part of what’s
known as the Christmas
Bird Count. The nationwide
science project is in its 122nd
year and extends across
three weeks in December
and January. The project
asks professional ornithol-
ogists and hobbyist bird
watchers to compile a place-
in-time count of every bird
they can find in their com-
munity.
Regional data are val-
idated by a local expert, en-
tered into the digital plat-
form eBird and later ana-
lyzed by researchers at Cor-
nell University.
“The data then informs
policy, as well as paints a pic-
ture of how our bird popula-
tion is doing across the
county in different areas,”
said Travis Kemnitz, who is
executive director of the San
Diego chapter of the Na-
tional Audubon Society.
“The general public will
probably see a lot of people
with cameras and binocu-
lars, and ... have no clue that
there’s this massive science
effort going on.”
The local chapter is spe-
cifically focused on a 15-mile-
diameter circle, centered on
the Sweetwater River in
Chula Vista. The circle ex-
tends south to the Tijuana
River Valley, north to Balboa
Park, east to the Sweetwater
Reservoir and west six miles
offshore.
So far, this year’s count
has yielded 207 different
species, said Justyn Stahl,
words, but everything
means something.”
After being discovered by
local hip-hop production
hero DJ Mustard, Drakeo
helped define the region’s
evolving rap sound, along-
side peers like 03 Greedo, G
Perico and Shoreline Mafia,
in the wake of imaginative,
challenging superstar acts
of the 2010s like Tyler, the
Creator
Lamar.
and Kendrick
On 2016’s “Impatient
Freestyle,” he began with an
evocative boast — “If I could
write a movie I would re-cre-
ate ‘The Exorcist’ / I’m heav-
en-sent, n— think twice who
you messing with” — before
quickly turning to the depri-
vations of jail: “Giving n—
hell ’cause up top they say
Drakeo recorded several
popular and acclaimed mix-
tapes, including 2018’s “Cold
Devil” and 2020’s “Thank
You for Using GTL.”
But his rap success ar-
rived at a difficult time in his
young life. Until last year, he
was on trial in connection
with the killing of a 24-year-
old man in 2016. Drakeo had
faced a potential life sen-
tence on charges of first-de-
gree murder, attempted
murder and conspiracy to
commit murder.
He recorded his vocals
for “Thank You for Using
GTL” via telephone while at
Men’s Central Jail in L.A.,
the title a sly yet bleak allu-
sion to the company that
connects phone services in
jail. The album, in which
Drakeo’s voice comes
through on a staticky phone
line punctuated with the
JUSTYN STAHL, who serves as the Christmas Bird Count compiler for San
Diego, meets with volunteers at Chula Vista Marina View Park to collect data.
MATT SADOWSKI, one of about 140 volunteers
collecting bird data in the San Diego area on Dec. 18.
the 41-year-old North Park
resident and wildlife biolo-
gist who coordinates the
event. Stahl, who is respon-
sible for compiling the local
data, said the preliminary
total will grow as teams work
to find missing species. Last
year, San Diego’s Christmas
Bird Count documented 220
species, which was the sec-
ond-most diverse count of
more than 2,400 recorded in
the Western Hemisphere,
the nonprofit said.
Of note this year, a non-
native species resurfaced in
a new locale, Stahl said.
“The Swinhoe’s white-
eye is an East Asian bird that
was introduced in Los Ange-
les and Orange County,
probably by accident,” he
company’s automated mes-
sages, was hailed as one of
the great pieces of art ever
made behind bars.
His rap crew Stinc Team
had been labeled a gang by
L.A. County prosecutors,
who played music videos of
Drakeo holding weapons in
court. On “GTL,” Drakeo
took dark glee in how ob-
sessed prosecutors were
with using his rap career as
evidence in his trial: “This
might sound real, but it’s fic-
tional / I love that my imagi-
nation gets to you,” he
rapped on album closer “Fic-
tional.”
After he was acquitted of
felony murder and at-
tempted murder charges,
county prosecutors sought
to retry Drakeo on conspira-
cy charges related to the
slaying.
Caldwell ultimately ac-
cepted a plea deal and was
released in November 2020.
His lyrics alluded to an
omnipresent sense of dan-
ger around him. “Don’t be
shy, I got killers with me,
stupid / I march with sticks, I
ain’t worried ’bout no group-
ies,” he rapped on “Talk To
Me,” his biggest single to
date, with over 32 million
Spotify plays.
“I live a nervous life. I
gotta look around and watch
my back from police and
these other [people] out
here,” he told The Times in
2018. “[People] want to kill
me. I can’t be driving around
in $100,000 cars on the run,
listening to soft-ass [mu-
sic].”
Drakeo released his most
recent studio album, “The
Truth Hurts,” in February,
Photographs by
said. “Last year, for the first
time, somebody recorded
four at Kimball Park in Na-
tional City. This year, they
were there and in Coronado
for the first time.”
The survey extends into
the waters off San Diego’s
coastline, where teams spot-
ted an abundance of surf
scoter sea ducks and black
brant geese, as is often the
case. However, one species
of water bird was noticeably
absent during Lesley Han-
da’s 3½-hour tour of the
South Bay. The experi-
enced, part-time ornithol-
ogist, who works as geogra-
pher at Camp Pendleton, is
the area leader for the
Christmas Bird Count’s San
Diego Bay section.
Rogelio Pulido lights a candle Sunday at a memorial in Los Angeles for rapper
Drakeo the Ruler, who was fatally stabbed at a music festival Saturday.
with cameos from superstar
Drake and Don Toliver. His
most recent mixtape, “So
Cold I Do Em 2,” came out on
Dec. 7.
On Saturday, the L.A.
Fire Department responded
to a call at 8:40 p.m. about an
altercation at the music fes-
tival being held at Banc of
California Stadium in Ex-
position Park.
A source who was not au-
thorized to speak publicly
identified the victim as
Drakeo.
The festival’s remaining
sets were canceled.
In a statement Sunday
morning, Snoop Dogg — a
co-promoter of the festival
with Live Nation — wrote on
social media that he’s “sad-
dened by the events that
took place last night at the
Once Upon a Time in L.A.
festival.... My prayers go out
to everyone affected by the
tragedy. Please take care,
love one another and stay
safe y’all. I’m praying for
peace in hip-hop.”
Caldwell is survived by
his son and brother, the L.A.
rapper Ralfy the Plug.
— D RAKEO THE RULER ,
in a 2018 interview with The Times
Nelvin C. Cepeda San Diego Union-Tribune
At 7 a.m., the 42-year-old
East County resident set off
in a small boat from Pepper
Park in National City, trav-
eled south to the South Bay
Salt Works and looped
around the bay, covering the
water region south of the
San Diego-Coronado Bay
Bridge. In total, she counted
2,956 birds and 24 species.
“One of the bird species
that I did not see ... was the
redhead duck. They only oc-
cur in some areas in San Di-
ego County, and San Diego
Bay is one of the areas that
they like,” said Handa, who
is also a San Diego Audubon
Society board member and
has been participating in the
count since 2011.
The duck was, however,
spotted by a different group
somewhere else, which
speaks to the significance of
all of the citizen scientists
who show up every year.
San Diego’s central and
South County Christmas
bird count concluded Sat-
urday, but the data-compil-
ing continues elsewhere,
with birders trekking
around Anza-Borrego
Desert State Park on Sun-
day and Lake Henshaw on
Monday. Bird counts are
also scheduled for Ocean-
side, Rancho Santa Fe and
Escondido between Dec. 26
and Jan. 2.
Van Grove writes for the San
Diego Union-Tribune.
M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
PAYING TRIBUTE
Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times
OBITUARY NOTICES
Place a paid notice latimes.com/placeobituary
Search obituary notice archives: legacy.com/obituaries/latimes
MARQUARDT, Michael
“Mickey” Dennis
September 7, 1982 - December 7, 2021
Michael “Mickey” Dennis Marquardt
passed away suddenly at home
December 7th, 2021. Born September
7th, 1982 at Huntington Memorial
Hospital in Pasadena, California,
Mickey was the son of Dennis L.
Marquardt and Clare Collins Marquardt.
He was a graduate of St. Francis High
School in La Canada Flintridge, where
he ran cross country and track. After
attending Pasadena City College, he
received his BFA in Studio Art from
Loyola Marymount University in Los
Angeles. Mickey was an admirer
and lover of animals, nature, and all
things horticulture. He could always
find the details and the beauty in
each, which was evident in his art
and in his succulent creations. He was
able to render anything into a work
of art. Mickey was a loyal friend and
left a lasting impression on all those
he would meet. He always thought
of others and his empathy surpassed
the normal confines of friendship. He
is predeceased by his mother, Clare
Collins Marquardt. Mickey is survived
by his father, Dennis Marquardt,
his twin brother, Martin Marquardt
(Mary), younger brother, Andrew
Marquardt (Karen), older sister,
Katherine Marquardt; nephews, Calvin
and Kennan and niece, Camille, and
his dog, Roxie. The family is working
on plans for a memorial at the end of
January. The family is making plans for
a memorial celebration at the end of
January. In lieu of flowers, donations
may be made to the Pasadena
Humane Society and The Source www.
thesourcelgbt.org
MORINISHI, Grace Y
March 8, 1933 - December 10, 2021
Grace Yoshiko (Ishimine) Morinishi,
88, Calexico-born resident of Fountain
Valley, passed away on December 10,
2021. Services will be private. She is
predeceased by her husband Yoshihiro
“Robert” and survived by her children,
Ron (Carolyn), Paul, Gale Zimmerman
and Kent (Becky); eight grandchildren;
one great-grandson; siblings Mary
Oda, Thomas Ishimine and Donna Sill
and many other relatives.
To place
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B5
ROGERS, Geraldine Boyd
October 7, 1933 - December 1, 2021
Early on the morning of December
1, 2021, Geraldine Boyd Rogers
decided after a long confrontation
with Alzheimer’s Dementia to lower
the curtain on this life interrupted
finally by a suspected stroke. Born on
October 7, 1933, she grew up during
a time when motion pictures were
shown in theatres and she loved all
theatre. Her life could be seen as a
three act play, daughter, wife, and
mother. The curtain opened in Fresno,
California, directed by the late James
M. Boyd and the late Doris Munger.
Her older sibling’s brother Jack Boyd
(predeceased) and a sister Donna Boyd
Carter (predeceased) were mostly
off-stage during the first act. The
family moved to Glendale, Ca. about
the time Geraldine entered the third
grade at Columbus Elementary School.
Although shy at first, Gerry’s smile
and great laugh soon began lifelong
friendships with three classmates.
Together they went to movies and
thought about being movie stars.
Geraldine in particular began to
enjoy play acting. As the quartet
advanced in school to Toll Junior High
School and then Herbert Hoover High
School in Glendale, Gerry’s love of
play acting was fulfilled when she
auditioned to play the mother in the
school play, “Life With Father”. Her
first performance was described by a
play reviewer as a “remarkable talent
in her first theatrical venture giving
an excellent performance” She went
on to appear in a number of plays
and musicals including “Good News”
and “The Chocolate Soldier.” Her
amateur career continued when she
entered Glendale College known for
its Theatre Arts department. It was
there that she met her husband to be,
Beauchamp Rogers. He too loved her
infectious smile and laugh. Gerry was
also an active member in high school
and college groups with her three
dear friends at Glendale Presbyterian
Church. All are believers that Jesus
Christ is Lord and Savior. Early in their
courtship, Gerry invited Beauchamp to
go to the mountains with her and the
church group to a Forest Home College
Briefing Conference. This experience
resulted thanks to Gerry’s influence
with Beauchamp led to the Lord. Forest
Home became an important part of
their lives. The couple’s relationship
grew closer and during the next
several months they appeared in
several College productions especially
“Philadelphia Story” in the key roles.
They played brother and sister in the
College production of “Hay Fever” and
also in the Hilltop Players”Wuthering
Heights”. The Korean War called
Beauchamp to service in the Army
but before he was sent overseas Gerry
suggested they be married. Some
friends and advisors said it was a bad
idea and tried to change their minds
but Gerry had made up her mind and
friends say when that happens there
is no change. Act Two commenced at
this point. After a ten day honeymoon
during which she was also rehearsing
the play “The Heiress” they were
separated by an ocean for eighteen
months while her husband served the
Armed Forces Radio Services” Far East
Network in Tokyo. They wrote letters
to each other every day and got deeply
acquainted this way becoming a loving
couple though parted... His return
home set the stage for Act Three. When
her husband had to leave she decided
the give up play acting and became a
life actor. She began as a member of
the secretary pool at Peerless Pump in
Los Angeles but her talent quickly led
to a promotion to Executive Secretary.
Upon her husband’s return from the
Far East she gave birth to their first
son and Gerry had the starring role
of a full time Mom. The couple added
two more sons over the years and saw
all three become fine young men.
With the nest emptying, she decided
to return to work beginning with two
part time jobs until she found her new
career. She called the job as Executive
Secretary to the Dean of Admissions at
Occidental College as a dream job. She
enjoyed being Office Manager, working
with admission officers, meeting
potential students and parents and the
college life in general. She won high
praise from her colleagues. During the
Third Act, Her husband was busy in Los
Angeles as a Broadcast Journalist. The
curtain slowly descends without the
Star. She leaves her closest players
on stage: Her husband of 68 years
Beauchamp (Beach) Rogers; their sons,
Paul Rogers (Jill von Hartmann) and
Andrew Rogers (Leslie Snow Rogers).
Also survived by two Grandchildren
Alexandra Rogers and Nathaniel
Rogers. Son David Rogers (Cecily Moira
Brady-Rogers) preceded her into the
bright never ending Life; Gerry and
Beach Rogers are long time members
of Glendale Presbyterian Church. For
over 20 years Gerry loved teaching
Sunday school classes of 7th grade
girls. A Celebration Memorial Service
will be held Saturday January 22, 2022
at 11AM at the church in Glendale, CA.
B6 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 L AT I M E S . C O M

Today in Southern California Today in North America

Clouds on the increase: Clouds will steadily be on the increase today with a storm positioned offshore. These Still stormy in the Northwest: A storm will continue to bring rain and
clouds will filter out the sun through much of the day. Clouds will continue to thicken across the region tonight mountain snow to portions of the Northwest. Meanwhile, a storm devel-
as the storm slowly moves east. It will turn out rather cloudy on Tuesday, but any rain will hold off until later oping over the Gulf of Mexico will bring rain to the coastal South with
Wednesday. Rain will then become heavier by Thursday. showers in store for parts of Florida. It will be mainly dry elsewhere.
▲

◗
5-day forecasts Pressure: L Low H High Warm Front Cold Front Jet Stream Trough
High/low temperatures are average forecasts for entire zone.
Temps –0 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100+ Rain T-storm Snow Ice
L.A. Basin Valleys Beaches Mountains Deserts
Today 65/49 64/46 62/47 50/18 68/47
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy; cool Mostly cloudy; cool Inc. clouds Mostly cloudy
Tuesday Mostly cloudy 65/49 Mostly cloudy 64/48 Mostly cloudy 64/48 Mostly cloudy 49/24 Cloudy 69/50
Wednesday A p.m. shower 62/52 A shower 60/50 A shower 59/53 Cloudy 48/27 Cloudy 71/54
Thursday Rain 57/45 Rain 55/43 Rain 57/45 Rain; colder 40/18 Rain 62/50
Friday Clouds, sun 56/44 Partly sunny 54/43 Partly sunny 55/45 Clouds, sun 34/17 Sunny 61/46

Air quality Good Moderate Unhealthful for: Sensitive people All Not Available
SANTA VENTURA CO. Santa Clarita South Coast Air Quality Management District forecasts air quality
BARBARA CO. Santa Paula 63/42 Hesperia
Santa Ojai 64/46 LOS ANGELES CO. 56/30
Barbara 63/46 Simi Valley
Chatsworth SAN BERNARDINO CO.
54/40 64/45 Burbank Monrovia
Ventura Camarillo 63/46
66/45 66/50
58/47 59/41 Pomona/ Yucca Valley
UCLA 58/39
Oxnard
Westlake 64/48 L.A. Downtown Fairplex Ontario San Bernardino
58/44 Woodland 65/49 67/47 66/46
Village 66/44
Hills Whittier
64/44 Chino
66/44
Santa Monica Hills 69/38 Riverside RIVERSIDE CO.
62/47 65/46 Fullerton 67/35
Surf and sea Torrance 64/43
POINT CONCEPTION TO MEXICO 62/43 Santa Ana U.S. cities
Inner waters: Winds variable 0-10 Long 64/48 ORANGE CO. Hemet Palm
knots throughout the day. Wind Beach Newport Irvine 68/42 Springs High 90 in Vero Beach, Fla.
waves 2 feet or less with a west 62/45 Beach 65/47 68/47 Low –17 in Big Trails, Wyo.
swell of 2 feet. Mission Viejo
62/48 Temecula Sunday Today Sunday Today
Surf zone: The potential for strong Laguna 67/48 City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Sky City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Sky
rip currents is moderate at Los 68/40
Beach San Albany 31 28 .14 33 26 Pc Seattle 45 39 Tr 39 36 R
Angeles, Ventura, S.B and San Diego 62/52 Clemente Albuquerque 44 18 -- 51 26 Su Tampa 83 73 -- 77 68 Cy
county beaches and low at Orange
64/50 SAN DIEGO CO. Anchorage 21 19 Tr 27 18 Sn Tucson 69 40 -- 70 42 Pc
County beaches. Aspen 33 4 -- 38 11 Su Tulsa 41 26 -- 53 30 Su
Oceanside
Atlanta 55 49 .20 52 40 Pc Washington, D.C. 47 45 Tr 44 30 Su
County Height Period Direction Temp Sun and moon 66/42 Austin 55 40 .04 56 35 Pc Wichita 41 9 -- 52 21 Su
Santa Barbara 2-4’ 13 sec WSW 57 Baltimore 45 44 Tr 44 26 Su
Today’s rise/set
Ventura 2-4’ 13 sec WSW 58 Escondido Ramona Boise 37 27 .01 39 20 Cy World
Los Angeles 2-4’ 14 sec WSW 60 Los Angeles Co. Orange Co. Ventura Co. 67/42 68/38 Boston 37 32 .62 35 30 Su Acapulco 86 71 -- 87 74 Su
Orange 1-3’ 11 sec S 61 Sun 6:54a/4:47p 6:53a/4:47p 6:59a/4:51p Buffalo 30 28 Tr 40 31 Pc Amsterdam 46 43 .28 43 27 Pc
Moon 6:07p/8:20a 6:06p/8:18a 6:11p/8:25a Poway
San Diego 2-4’ 11 sec SSW 61 Burlington, Vt. 25 23 .22 30 28 Cy Athens 48 41 .07 58 46 Su
65/44 Charleston, S.C. 70 62 .06 53 43 Pc Bangkok 84 70 -- 86 68 Su
Charlotte 62 55 .51 50 30 Pc Barcelona 55 41 -- 57 40 Pc
Tides San Diego Chicago 37 28 -- 42 25 Su Berlin 45 42 .04 37 29 Su
L.A. Outer Harbor, in feet. 62/47 Cincinnati 38 32 -- 45 25 Su Cabo San Lucas 77 60 -- 80 55 Pc
Dec. 26 Jan. 2 Jan. 9 Jan. 17
Today 8:54a 5.9 Hi 2:37a 2.6 Lo Cleveland 34 33 .08 43 29 Su Cairo 64 54 .02 58 49 W
11:12p 3.5 Hi 4:23p -0.5 Lo Columbia, S.C. 66 62 1.16 51 37 Pc Dubai 81 68 -- 81 64 Su
Tue. 9:27a 5.8 Hi 3:09a 2.7 Lo
Almanac Columbus 37 32 -- 42 24 Su Dublin 49 39 -- 45 41 Cy
Sunday Downtown readings Dallas/Ft.Worth 48 34 -- 51 36 Pc Havana 88 64 -- 85 64 Su
11:57p 3.5 Hi 5:00p -0.3 Lo Denver 61 21 -- 59 33 Su Ho Chi Minh City 88 75 -- 89 74 Hz
Temperature Los Angeles Fullerton Ventura Precipitation Los Angeles Fullerton Ventura Detroit 30 29 .01 40 26 Pc Hong Kong 67 56 .05 66 59 Sh
UV index High/low 65/42 66/39 65/53 24-hour total (as of 4 p.m.) 0.00 0.00 0.00 El Paso 53 37 -- 60 30 Su Istanbul 46 41 .04 47 36 Cy
Minutes to burn for sensitive people Normal high/low 67/48 68/45 66/44 Season total (since Oct. 1) 3.06 1.76 2.84 Eugene 43 38 1.89 51 41 R Jerusalem 53 42 -- 49 41 Sh
High/low a year ago 71/45 76/43 70/56 Last season (Oct. 1 to date) 0.11 0.18 0.21 Fort Myers 84 69 Tr 82 69 Cy Johannesburg 61 52 .06 74 57 Ts
Las Vegas, 45 Phoenix, 45
Record high/date 86/1917 83/2004 84/1985 Season norm (Oct. 1 to date) 2.63 2.29 3.29 Hartford 38 35 .35 36 25 Su Kuala Lumpur 84 74 .31 89 74 Hz
Los Angeles, 60 San Francisco, 60 Record low/date 32/1897 34/2006 32/1967 Humidity (high/low) 64/23 79/39 80/31 Honolulu 83 71 .04 81 68 Sh Lima 71 63 -- 71 63 Pc
Houston 60 46 -- 55 41 R London 41 40 -- 45 37 Cy
California cities Indianapolis 38 30 -- 44 26 Su Madrid 54 43 -- 52 41 Pc
Sunday Today Tuesday Sunday Today Tuesday Sunday Today Tuesday Jacksonville, Fla. 79 62 Tr 59 54 Ts Mecca 86 69 -- 84 61 Pc
Kansas City 38 16 -- 46 23 Su Mexico City 69 48 -- 71 46 Pc
City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Hi Lo City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Hi Lo City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Hi Lo Knoxville 45 42 .07 49 32 Su Milan 42 29 -- 43 35 Pc
Anaheim 69 45 -- 67 44 69 47 L.A. D’ntown/USC 65 42 -- 65 49 65 49 San Diego 63 40 -- 62 47 63 50 Las Vegas 53 33 -- 55 39 Pc Montreal 23 19 .24 29 23 Cy
Avalon/Catalina 64 40 -- 58 51 59 53 L.A. Int’l. Airport 63 44 -- 61 48 62 49 San Francisco 50 41 -- 56 49 54 50 Louisville 38 33 -- 48 30 Su Moscow 32 27 .30 20 0 Sn
Bakersfield 55 34 -- 55 39 60 45 Laguna Beach 63 38 -- 62 52 63 53 San Gabriel xx xx xx 66 47 68 50 Medford 49 33 .12 46 37 Cy Mumbai 88 75 -- 87 70 Hz
Barstow 54 28 -- 57 34 59 38 Lancaster 53 24 -- 53 27 56 31 San Jose 57 32 -- 56 46 57 51 Memphis 46 39 -- 51 35 Pc New Delhi 63 38 -- 66 44 Hz
Big Bear Lake 53 18 -- 50 18 49 24 Long Beach 62 39 -- 62 45 65 47 San Luis Obispo 58 32 -- 59 42 64 47 Miami 85 74 .37 82 71 Pc Paris 43 37 .01 43 29 Cy
Bishop 49 21 -- 50 21 54 27 Mammoth Lakes 30 -2 -- 35 10 37 21 Santa Ana 65 44 -- 64 48 66 51 Milwaukee 35 29 -- 41 21 Pc Prague 41 37 .28 35 25 Cy
Burbank 68 40 -- 66 45 68 47 Mission Viejo 68 42 -- 67 48 67 51 Santa Barbara 61 35 -- 54 40 59 45 Minneapolis 29 7 Tr 24 6 Pc Rome 57 36 -- 57 38 Pc
Camarillo 63 36 -- 59 41 63 45 Monrovia 66 45 -- 66 50 68 52 Santa Clarita 66 37 -- 63 42 63 44 Nashville 47 39 Tr 51 34 Su Seoul 40 17 .02 51 34 Pc
Chatsworth 68 37 -- 63 46 65 48 Monterey 58 39 -- 58 45 60 52 Santa Monica Pier 65 41 -- 62 47 64 48 New Orleans 55 54 .47 56 47 R Singapore 86 75 .04 88 77 Cy
Chino 71 34 -- 69 38 69 40 Mt. Wilson 56 45 -- 54 32 56 36 Santa Paula 69 37 -- 64 46 66 47 New York 41 39 .03 40 32 Su Taipei City 70 54 Tr 73 64 Cy
Compton 65 39 -- 64 45 66 45 Needles 61 38 -- 65 44 64 43 Santa Rosa 50 36 -- 51 44 49 45 Norfolk 51 47 .86 44 35 Su Tokyo 50 35 -- 52 42 Su
Dana Point 61 37 -- 62 52 63 51 Newport Beach 62 47 -- 62 48 62 48 Simi Valley 69 53 -- 64 45 64 45 Oklahoma City 45 14 -- 55 27 Su Vancouver 43 30 .10 36 25 Su
Death Valley 62 34 -- 60 42 62 44 Northridge xx xx xx 66 45 68 50 Tahoe Valley 45 6 -- 42 15 42 30 Omaha 39 16 -- 36 18 Su Vienna 43 37 .06 39 27 Sf
Del Mar 64 45 -- 60 47 62 49 Oakland 50 35 -- 56 46 55 50 Temecula 67 34 -- 68 40 69 42 Orlando 86 71 Tr 77 66 Ts
Escondido 71 37 -- 67 42 66 46 Oceanside 64 31 -- 66 42 66 45 Thousand Oaks 67 50 -- 64 45 66 45 Philadelphia 44 42 Tr 42 29 Su Key: Su sunny; Pc partly cloudy; Cy cloudy; Fg
Eureka 56 45 .09 54 47 53 45 Ojai 69 30 -- 63 46 66 47 Torrance 54 54 -- 62 43 64 46 Phoenix 69 43 -- 70 47 Pc foggy; Prcp precipitation; Dr drizzle; Hz;hazy Sh
Fallbrook 68 46 -- 68 43 66 44 Ontario 67 39 -- 66 44 66 45 UCLA 67 52 -- 64 48 65 48 Pittsburgh 33 31 .01 41 25 Su showers; Ts thunderstorms; R rain; Sn snow; Sf
snow flurries; I ice; Rs rain/snow; W windy; Tr
Fresno 58 33 -- 54 40 57 48 Palm Springs 69 42 -- 68 47 69 50 Van Nuys 69 38 -- 66 43 67 47 Portland, Ore. 41 33 1.70 45 38 R trace. Notes: National extremes exclude Alaska
Fullerton 66 39 -- 64 43 64 45 Pasadena 68 43 -- 65 49 67 51 Ventura 65 53 -- 58 47 60 49 Providence 39 37 .12 38 29 Su and Hawaii. Missing data indicated by “xx”.
Hemet 67 33 -- 68 42 68 42 Paso Robles 58 30 -- 54 34 60 42 Whittier Hills 69 41 -- 65 46 67 45 Raleigh/Durham 62 52 .68 47 29 Pc
Hesperia xx xx xx 56 30 57 37 Redding 50 37 -- 53 35 48 42 Woodland Hills 70 32 -- 66 44 68 47 Reno 42 23 Tr 44 21 Pc
Huntington Beach 65 37 -- 62 48 64 48 Riverside 68 29 -- 67 35 67 39 Wrightwood 53 35 -- 51 38 53 41 Richmond 50 44 .20 47 27 Su Forecasts by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
Idyllwild 57 29 -- 54 40 55 43 Sacramento 46 39 -- 49 35 49 44 Yorba Linda 68 43 -- 67 45 68 44 St. Louis 40 23 -- 49 27 Su
Irvine 67 38 -- 65 47 67 48 San Bernardino 70 37 -- 66 46 66 47 Yosemite Valley 40 29 -- 50 34 48 41 Salt Lake City 34 18 -- 38 21 Hz

For children under 5,

a vaccine waiting game
[Kids, from B1] nia have received at least Pfizer is testing a third dose
Dr. Leian Chen, the lead one dose — far behind the of its mRNA vaccine for the
physician at UCLA Health state’s overall vaccination 2-to-4 age group and observ-
Pediatrics in Marina del Rey, rate of 73.6%. ing and analyzing that data
says she has conversations Here’s what to know before applying for an emer-
about vaccinating younger about COVID-19 vaccina- gency-use authorization.
kids daily. tions for kids. “If the three-dose study is
“I have some families who successful,” the company
will very eagerly ask every said in a news release,
visit,” she said.
What’s the status “Pfizer and BioNTech ex-
Elementary-age children for kids under 5? pect to submit data to regu-
have been eligible for vacci- This summer, Pfizer and lators to support an Emer-
nation since early Novem- Moderna said trials were gency Use Authorization
ber, when the Centers for underway for COVID-19 vac- (EUA) for children 6 months
Disease Control and Preven- cines for kids as young as 6 to under 5 years of age in the
tion gave emergency-use months. In a November first half of 2022.”
authorization to Pfizer’s email to The Times, in re- Pfizer in late September
vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds. sponse to a query about the reported that its vaccine for Carolyn Cole Los Angeles Times
The American Academy timeline for children under 5, 5- to 11-year-olds was safe PFIZER is testing its vaccine for 2- to 4-year-olds before applying for authoriza-
of Pediatrics reported that Pfizer representative Kit and effective. The company tion. Above, a preschooler at the Hooper Elementary Education Center in June.
more than 7 million children Longley said, “We expect ini- filed for an EUA on Oct. 7; it
have had COVID-19 in the tial data for children 2 was granted Nov. 2. emergency-use authoriza- na’s two-dose mRNA that the company is delay-
U.S., representing 17.2% of through 4 as early as [the That’s similar to the tion about a month after the vaccine and the one-dose ing filing a request for emer-
cases overall. fourth quarter of 2021] and timeline for the adult vac- request is submitted. Johnson & Johnson vaccine gency-use authorization for
But progress has been data for children under 2 cine, which was granted in the United States. 6- to 11-year-olds while the
slow: Since vaccines became likely in the beginning of emergency-use authoriza- Moderna has filed an FDA reviews the data for 12-
What about J&J
available to that age group, next year.” tion three weeks after Pfizer EUA application to be able to 17-year-olds.
the L.A. Times vaccine Friday’s announcement filed for it. So if you were to and Moderna? to vaccinate 12- to 17-year- An emailed statement
tracker indicates only 22% of indicates that this timeline use previous timelines as an Only adults 18 and older olds. A representative of from Johnson & Johnson
eligible children in Califor- is on track, though now indicator, you would expect are eligible to receive Moder- Moderna said in an email said Phase 2 and 3 clinical
trials were underway for 12-
to 17-year-olds.
Meanwhile, the CDC has
recommended that most eli-

Factors cited in continued population drop gible Americans opt for one
of the mRNA vaccines in-
stead of the Johnson &
Johnson shot.

[Population, from B1] had positive population policy, I don’t think we will
What’s the COVID
January, immigration poli-
cies were not altered until
‘As long as a number of employers growth rates, continuing a
trend that started in 2016.
see as many people moving
to California.” outlook for winter?
late February, and lags in im- maintain this telework policy, All nine counties in the The lower number of peo- Chen, the pediatrician,
plementing these changes San Francisco Bay Area had ple moving to the state is said she expects to see more
remain. The additional I don’t think we will see as many a drop in population for the compounded by rising hous- COVID-19 cases in children
Covid-19-related deaths on
top of these existing trends
people moving to California.’ first time, demographers
said.
ing prices, he said.
“Housing prices are not
in the coming weeks.
“We’ve seen that kids
further compounded the an- — Walter Schwarm, The decline could be ex- cheaper now. They are more definitely do get COVID.
nual loss.” chief demographer with the state Department of Finance plained in part by the pan- expensive,” he said. “That And fortunately, most are
Net international migra- demic-driven trend of re- makes getting people to OK,” she said. “But some do
tion to California declined mote work, in addition to the move to California difficult get severely ill. And others
significantly to 27,000 people seat. fornia. That immigration other main factors halting — especially when they don’t do have long COVID symp-
in fiscal year 2020 to 2021, re- But there is no evidence flow is an important part of growth, Schwarm said. have to right now.” toms.”
searchers said, reflecting of a “CalExodus,” said Wal- our diversity and force for “If we are hiring in the Still, Schwarm expects She said she fields ques-
the suspension of visa proc- ter Schwarm, chief demog- the economy as well. We are Bay Area and other places, California’s outlook to im- tions from parents about the
essing in March 2020 rapher with the state De- attracting a well-educated, they’re currently not in of- prove. Without pandemic- long-term safety of vaccines
through December 2020, partment of Finance. ready-to-work, dynamic im- fice. So none of the individu- related deaths, he said, the and the reports of side
which was extended to cer- “Until immigration is a migrant population that als hired in the last year and state would have seen much effects such as myocarditis.
tain types of foreign worker consistent force again, Cali- really helps the state consid- a half have had to move to less population loss. She has personally reviewed
visas through June 2021. fornia may bounce around erably.” California,” Schwarm said. “If we are talking a year the data, for both her pa-
Demographers noted the zero for a while, with slight Twenty counties, largely “They could be working for from now, we could be back tients and herself.
first population decline ever positives and negatives,” in the Central Valley, the any number of California to zero or positive growth,” Her 7-year-old became
recorded in the state earlier Schwarm said. “It really is Sacramento Valley and the firms, still residing in states he said. eligible for vaccination,
this year, highlighting larger immigration that in the last Inland Empire saw popula- they were in previously. As “Let’s hope Omicron along with millions of other
trends that recently led to 10, 15 years has provided the tion gain, estimates show. long as a number of employ- doesn’t turn out to be as children, this fall. She de-
the loss of a congressional majority of growth in Cali- And most inland counties ers maintain this telework deadly as other variants.” cided to get him vaccinated.
 D

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

UCLA
prepares
for the
latest
Jaquez
Gabriela, sister of
Jaime Jr., is proud of
her roots and ready to
make her mark too.
By Luca Evans

The superlatives swirl

around Gabriela Jaquez,
clinging to her like the No. 4
on the back of her Camarillo
High basketball jersey.
Gritty. Tough. Ferocious.
Jaquez averages 31 points
a game, and yet when
praised, her scoring prowess
seems to take a backseat to
her intangibles.
The senior, who has
signed with UCLA, puts
gusts of wind between her- Photographs by Nam Y. Huh Associated Press
self and the rest of her team- DeMAR DeROZAN scored 38 points against the Lakers to lift the Bulls, playing their first game in more than a week since a COVID-19
mates when running full- outbreak. The Lakers had several players and coach Frank Vogel in the NBA’s protocols and also were without injured Anthony Davis.
court sprints. If she loses a
shooting drill in practice, no-

Only positives are off court

body is beating her the next
time it’s run. In a press drill,
as Camarillo girls’ basket-
ball coach Mike Prewitt in-
structs his players to not let
Jaquez touch the ball, she
evades a triple-team trap to
snatch a pass and dribble
away.
“She plays with a fire in
her belly,” Prewitt said.
Last season, Jaquez
dropped 52 points in a play-
off game, the second most
ever in Ventura County girls’
basketball history. This sea-
son, she has spearheaded
Camarillo to a 10-0 record.
Next season, she’ll look to
carve out playing time
among a talented UCLA
freshman class.
In brief moments of quiet
when she’s not powering
through defenders, Jaquez
unconsciously runs her fin-
gers over a silver crucifix
looped around her neck.
Her parents got the neck-
lace when she was a baby.
She wears it because “it’s
cute,” Jaquez says. Yet it’s
also a reminder of where her
tenacity comes from — of the
family she carries as close to
her heart as the cross.
::
Gloria Jaquez comes
from a family of 14 siblings in
Zapotlanejo, Mexico.
She met Jaquez’s grand-
father in Oxnard after visit-
ing one of her sisters, and
she married him in her early
20s. A licensed beautician in
Mexico, Gloria came to the
U.S. and earned her cosme-
[See Jaquez, D5]
Piecemeal lineup
symbolizes need
to make pieces fit
in strange season
HELENE ELLIOTT
CHICAGO — Meet
your Los Angeles
Lakers, as they
appeared Sunday
night against the
Bulls.
Even for the
Lakers, who are in
the middle of a sea-
son full of adjustments and
changes, the team they assembled
for their 115-110 loss at United Center
was more than a little bizarre. A
sprained left knee took Anthony
Davis out of the lineup. COVID
protocols have done a number on
their starters, their bench depth,
and their coaching staff. Thirty-six-
year-old Trevor Ariza, out for the
first 30 games because of an ankle
injury, made his season debut.
Isaiah Thomas, in his second game
after being signed to a 10-day hard-
ship exception contract, played
more than 32 minutes.
Can’t tell who’s left without a
scorecard.
“You had a backup coach, we
had a G League guy out there — a
[See Elliott, D4]
Lakers depleted
by protocols and
injury, but Davis
glad it isn’t worse
CHICAGO 115, LAKERS 110
By Dan Woike
CHICAGO — Lakers coach
Frank Vogel wasn’t on the sideline,
another one of his players entered
the NBA’s health and safety proto-
cols, and one of team’s biggest stars
had on a bulky knee brace visible
through his sweats.
And all things considered, there
was good news to be celebrated
Sunday. That news just didn’t in-
clude a win.
Anthony Davis, whom the Lak-
ers lost for at least four weeks Fri-
day night in Minnesota, detailed
how things could’ve been way
worse, how his left knee popped
loud enough for him to hear and
how the pain built and built until he
collapsed.
The prospect of the next month
without Davis could seem bleak,
but there were worse possible out-
comes, and with the Lakers’ luck 31
games into this season, no one
would’ve been shocked by one.
LeBRON JAMES mustered 31 points and 14 rebounds against “Mentally, I’m fine,” Davis said
Javonte Green and Chicago but couldn’t lead the Lakers to a win. [See Lakers, D4]

EARLY VISITS NO
ROMAN HOLIDAYS
Rams’ future star quarterback remembers the
Wolfpack’s losses to UCLA at the Coliseum
By Ben Bolch
The quarterback who would go on to be-
come the NFL’s most valuable player in
1969 and still holds the Rams’ franchise
record for touchdown passes was given al-
most no chance the first time he played a
game at the Coliseum.
Roman Gabriel’s North Carolina State
Wolfpack, losers of six consecutive games,
were described as “hapless” by Los Angeles
Times writer Al Wolf in his story previewing
the nonconference game between the out-
of-towners from the Atlantic Coast Confer-
ence and UCLA in November 1959. The
Bruins, coming off a dominant victory over
Stanford, were 13-point favorites.
The Wolfpack had two things going for
them: what Wolf described as a “huge” line
weighing an average of 220 pounds, giving
them a significant advantage over their
Bruins counterparts who averaged 196
pounds, and Gabriel. The 6-foot-3 sopho-
more was already a rising star in his team’s
double wing-T offense and an inspiration
to a growing legion of followers as a Filipino
American.
The game played out largely as ex-
pected — UCLA prevailed 21-12 after the
Wolfpack tacked on a late touchdown —
but it was only a prelude to a far more
dramatic rematch a year later.
Each team had lost only once when they
met in October 1960 at the Coliseum in
what was hailed as a showdown between Harold P. Matosian Associated Press
Gabriel and highly touted UCLA quarter- NORTH CAROLINA STATE quarterback Roman Gabriel (18) is hit as he sweeps
[See Gabriel, D2] around left end in the Wolfpack’s 7-0 loss to the Bruins during the 1960 season.

Ramsey comes off COVID-19 list USC pauses men’s basketball program NHL halts cross-border travel
Star cornerback can play Tuesday against Seattle COVID-19 outbreak within the team forces cancella- Games involving travel between teams based in U.S.
as Rams seek to move into a tie atop NFC West. D2 tion of Oklahoma State game and halt of activities. D6 and Canada will be postponed starting Monday. D6
D2 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
PRO CALENDAR
MON
20
TUE
21
RAMS
SEATTLE
4
Ch. 11
NEXT: SUNDAY AT HOUSTON, 10 A.M., CH. 2
CHARGERS
PHOENIX
7 Edge rusher Leonard
TNT
LAKERS
SAN at
ANTONIO Sacramento
7:30
BSSC BSSC
CLIPPERS
KINGS
NEXT: DEC. 27 VS. SAN JOSE, 7, CH. 13
DUCKS
Shade denotes home game.
TODAY ON THE AIR
TIME EVENT
BASKETBALL
4:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston
6 p.m. G League Winter Showcase, Ignite vs. Austin
7:30 p.m. San Antonio at Clippers
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
4 p.m. Stetson at Miami
5 p.m. Incarnate Word at Purdue
5 p.m. Western Michigan at Notre Dame
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
11:30 a.m. Myrtle Beach Bowl, Tulsa vs. Old Dominion
PRO FOOTBALL
2 p.m. Las Vegas at Cleveland
5:15 p.m. Minnesota at Chicago
SOCCER
6 p.m. Mexico, women, Tigres UANL vs. Monterrey
WINTER SPORTS
5 p.m. Hockey, women, U.S. Olympic trials, United States TV: NBCSN
vs. Canada
Gabriel got a peek at L.A. while at N.C. State
[Gabriel, from D1]
back Billy Kilmer.
Gabriel had accounted for 10 of his
team’s 11 touchdowns — six by passing,
four by rushing — while already logging a
school-record 140 completions in his ca-
reer with more than a season to play.
Meanwhile, Kilmer was averaging 188
yards passing per game, fifth in the na-
tion.
The game’s only highlight belonged to
Kilmer. He completed a controversial 10-
yard touchdown pass in the second quar-
ter to a diving Marv Luster for the game’s
only score in a 7-0 victory for the Bruins.
Gabriel had a 31-yard touchdown pass
called back because of holding, and sub-
sequent drives to the UCLA 12- and 25-
yard lines were also thwarted.
That gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead in the
series and bragging rights for more than
60 years heading into the Holiday Bowl
matchup between UCLA (8-4) and No. 18
N.C. State (9-3) on Dec. 28 at Petco Park
in San Diego.
Gabriel experienced much happier
moments in the Coliseum while playing
for the Rams from 1962 to 1972. No one else
in franchise history has matched Gabri-
el’s 154 touchdown passes, and his 22,223
yards passing rank third, behind Jim Ev-
erett (23,758) and Marc Bulger (22,814).
He was inducted into the College Football
Hall of Fame in 1989.
Gabriel, 81, recently corresponded
with The Times over email about his
memories of playing the Bruins and his
hopes for a Wolfpack breakthrough:
When you came into the first meeting
against UCLA, in November 1959, it was
the first time the Wolfpack had played a
game in California in school history.
How big of a deal was the trip for the
team and what was the level of excite-
ment among the players for flying
across the country?
If you recall, we played only three
home games that season and seven on
the road (including Mississippi South-
ern, UCLA, South Carolina and Mary-
land in a row to end the season and get
guaranteed money for the program).
We flew to California in a four-engine
prop plane. It was a long trip and exciting
to play in a stadium that could hold over
100,000 fans. (Old Riddick, our home sta-
dium, could seat about 17,000.)
Your team visited a movie studio and
Disneyland in the days before the game.
What do you remember about those ex-
periences and the team’s mindset going
into the game?
We were more excited to see the L.A.
Coliseum and play the game.
What was the atmosphere like at the
Coliseum, which would become your fu-
ture home years later when you played
for the Rams?
It was fantastic playing a game in a
place that held the Olympics (in 1932 and
1984).
UCLA raced to a 14-0 lead and looked like
it might win in a runaway. Then the Wolf-
pack were driving deep into Bruins ter-
ritory in the fourth quarter, trailing 21-6,
when UCLA was credited with a contro-
versial interception at the one-yard line.
S L AT I M E S . C O M / S P O RT S
WED
22
THU
23
FRI
24
Rams receive a major boost
as Ramsey is cleared to play
Cornerback comes off
COVID-19 list ahead
of Tuesday’s game
SAN against the Seahawks.
ANTONIO
7:30 By Gary Klein
SpecSN
After nearly a week of
continuing uncertainty
about their roster, and how
7
it might affect their chance
to make a run to the NFC
West title, the Rams got a
at double dose of good news
Vegas
Sunday.
7
Star cornerback Jalen
BSW
Ramsey, who had been on
the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19
list since last Monday, was
activated to the roster and
will play Tuesday against
the Seattle Seahawks at
SoFi Stadium. Ramsey had
been put on the list only
hours before the Rams de-
feated the Arizona Cardi-
nals, the team that had the
best record in the NFL.
“That’s a huge deal for
ON THE AIR us,” Rams coach Sean Mc-
Vay said of Ramsey’s return
TV: NBA during a videoconference
with reporters, “and I was
TV: ESPN2
ecstatic when I got the call
TV: BSSC that he was cleared.”
R: 570, 1330 The Detroit Lions, with a
big hand from former Rams
TV: BSSC quarterback Jared Goff, de-
feated the Cardinals (10-4)
TV: Big Ten
on Sunday, positioning the
TV: ACC Rams (9-4) to move into a
first-place tie with Arizona if
TV: ESPN, ESPND they beat the Seahawks
(5-8).
“Of course our players
TV: NFL look at that kind of stuff,”
R: 830, 980
McVay said, “but I think the
TV: 7, ESPN, ESPND focus and concentration is,
‘Let’s take care of our busi-
TV: TUDN ness.’ ”
Ramsey is the second
star player in two days to re-
turn to the Rams’ roster.
On Saturday, wide re-
ROMAN GABRIEL , shown as a freshman in 1959, played at North Carolina State
before being taken by the Rams with the second pick of the 1962 NFL draft.
GABRIEL PLAYED 11 seasons with the Rams, becoming the franchise’s career
leader in touchdown passes with 154. Gabriel was named the league’s MVP in 1969.
Marcio Jose Sanchez Associated Press
JALEN RAMSEY and the Rams can move into a
first-place tie in the NFC West with a win Tuesday.
ceiver Odell Beckham Jr.
was among six players who
came off a list that still in-
cludes more than 20 roster
and practice-squad players.
Running back Darrell
Henderson also came off the
list Saturday and is ex-
pected to share carries with
Sony Michel, who was highly
productive in Henderson’s
place in victories over the
Jacksonville Jaguars and
Arizona.
Outside linebacker Von
Miller, safety Jordan Fuller
and offensive lineman Rob
Havenstein are starters who
remain on the list.
With Ramsey sidelined
against the Cardinals, de-
fensive coordinator Raheem
Morris used defensive backs
David Long, Kareem Orr
and Terrell Burgess to com-
plement starting corner-
back Darious Williams in the
30-23 victory.
But Ramsey’s versatility
and influence on a game are
nearly irreplaceable. So
Harry Harris Associated Press
that earned him honors as
the NFC defensive player of
the week.
“He’s capable of that any
day,” Morris said of Donald,
adding, “He can do it again
at any moment.”
Floyd intercepted a pass,
nose tackle Greg Gaines re-
corded a sack, interior line-
man A’Shawn Robinson
played well, and Miller
helped steer Cardinals
quarterback Kyler Murray
into Donald.
Donald said the events of
the last week, which in-
cluded the Rams shutting
down their Thousand Oaks
facility for several days, pro-
duced an unexpected bene-
fit.
“It was a mini bye week,”
Donald said. “You got to stay
off your feet, rest up a little
Morris and McVay were ea- bit, get some of the aches
ger to welcome him back. and pains out of your body a
“The swagger, the game- little bit more. ... I think it
day leadership he provides kind of helped us.”
— just the presence,” McVay The enhanced COVID-19
said. “When you’re around protocols, the roster moves
Jalen Ramsey, you just feel precipitated by positive
better about our chances as tests, and the NFL’s decision
a team. He’s got that kind of Friday to postpone the game
effect.” scheduled for Sunday until
If Fuller is not cleared by Tuesday all made for a
Tuesday, Morris said Ram- “wild” few days, Donald said.
sey could assume his defen- While the team awaits
sive signal-caller duties, test results that could en-
though rookie linebacker able other players to return
Ernest Jones is regarded as from the reserve/COVID-19
the most likely candidate to list, the Rams welcomed
do so. back running back Jake
Ramsey’s return Funk and linebacker Travin
strengthens a defense that Howard from injured re-
against Arizona received a serve. Both are expected to
standout performance from play on special teams
its front — the best collective against the Seahawks.
effort since Miller was ac- “I’m just glad we got kind
quired at the November of some type of control, to
trade deadline. the point where guys are
Aaron Donald tipped a coming back healthy and
pass that led to an intercep- we’re able to get back on
tion by Jones, and the defen- some type of little schedule
sive tackle also amassed and get to play some ball
three sacks, a performance Tuesday,” Donald said.
Halfback Ron Podwika and a UCLA de-
fender both leaped and fought for the
ball and officials ruled that the Bruin
came away with it. What do you remem-
ber about the play that essentially
sealed UCLA’s 21-12 victory?
We had never played against a single-
wing team, but defensive coordinator Al
Michaels made some adjustments that
kept us in the game.
All the hype going into the rematch a
year later centered on you and UCLA
counterpart Billy Kilmer, both among
the top quarterbacks in the country. Was
there revenge on your mind flying back
across the country, especially consider-
ing you had to play the Bruins on the
road two years in a row?
No, we were just happy to play against
the great Billy Kilmer, who later became
my friend.
It momentarily looked like you had tak-
en the lead in the second quarter when
you completed a 31-yard touchdown
pass to John Morris before the play was
wiped out by a holding penalty. How
frustrating was that setback in such a
tightly contested game?
On the road, penalties were always
hurtful.
The only score in the game came on a
controversial play. UCLA’s Marv Luster
made a 10-yard touchdown catch in the
second quarter, but N.C. State coach
Earle Edwards contended after the
game that Luster had picked the ball off
the grass. What do you remember about
that play and what was said about it
among your teammates and coaches?
Our game film did show that the ball
hit the ground.
You went on to win a most valuable play-
er award with the Rams in 1969 as part of
a decorated NFL career. What were your
favorite memories of your time with the
Associated Press Rams?
Getting my degree from N.C. State
and having such great friends and team-
mates that I will always cherish. Going to
Vietnam with Bob Hope, acting in movies
with John Wayne (“The Undefeated”)
and Jackie Gleason (“Skidoo”) and rais-
ing money for my hometown through the
Roman Gabriel celebrity charity golf
events and Eagles Fly for leukemia. (We
built the first Ronald McDonald House in
the United States.)
Did you become a UCLA fan while living
in Los Angeles?
Yes, a Mark Harmon fan.
Were you happy the Rams moved back
to Los Angeles in 2016?
Yes, they never should have left.
Where are you living now and what are
you up to these days?
I split time between Wilmington, N.C.,
and Little River, S.C. I am retired with
heart problems and arthritis but happy.
How closely do you continue to follow
the Wolfpack and will you watch their
Holiday Bowl game against UCLA?
What’s your prediction for the game?
Yes, and go Pack!
L AT I M E S . C O M / S P O RT S S M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 D3

NFL WEEK 15

STANDINGS

West
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
W L T Pct. PF PA AFC NFC Div.
Packers hold on late, clinch division
Arizona 10 4 0 .714 378 284 4-0-0 6-4-0 4-1-0 Packers 31, Ravens 30 Total Net Yards...........346 354 difficult task trying to stop Rodgers and the
Rushes-yards..........25-96 26-143
GREEN BAY 31, BALTIMORE 30 Green Bay ............0 14 7 10—31 Passing ....................250 211 Green Bay receivers. The Ravens mounted
RAMS 9 4 0 .692 366 293 3-1-0 6-3-0 2-2-0 Baltimore.............7 7 3 13—30 Punt Returns..............0-0 0-0 enough time-consuming drives of their own
San Francisco 8 6 0 .571 360 314 2-1-0 6-5-0 1-4-0 associated press First Quarter Kickoff Returns .........5-76 4-105
Bal—Andrews 8 pass from Huntley
Interceptions Ret. .......0-0 0-0 to keep the game close, but the Packers had
Seattle 5 8 0 .385 272 262 3-2-0 2-6-0 2-2-0 Comp-Att-Int .......23-31-0 28-40-0
(Tucker kick), 2:33. Sacked-Yards Lost.....3-18 1-4 the ball first after a 14-14 halftime tie.
North W L T Pct. PF PA AFC NFC Div. BALTIMORE — Aaron Rodgers tied Second Quarter Punts ...............3-48.667 1-42.0 Baltimore appeared to have Green Bay
GB—Dillon 2 run (Crosby kick), 12:50. Fumbles-Lost .............0-0 0-0
y-Green Bay 11 3 0 .786 359 302 3-1-0 8-2-0 3-1-0 Brett Favre for a major franchise record, and Penalties-Yards .........8-76 8-56 (11-3) stopped on a third-down incompletion,
Bal—Andrews 9 pass from Huntley
Minnesota 6 7 0 .462 344 333 2-3-0 4-4-0 2-1-0 the Green Bay Packers won the NFC North. (Tucker kick), 7:07. Time of Possession..31:10 28:50 but minimal contact by Kevon Seymour was
Both of those accomplishments felt a bit GB—Adams 3 pass from Aa.Rodgers Individual Leaders enough for a pass-interference flag. Rodgers
Chicago 4 9 0 .308 231 332 2-3-0 2-6-0 2-2-0 (Crosby kick), 1:09. RUSHING: Green Bay, Jones 13-58, Dil-
e-Detroit 2 11 1 .179 243 366 0-4-1 2-7-0 1-4-0 like formalities as the season wound down, Third Quarter lon 7-22, Aa.Rodgers 4-11, Lazard 1-5. found Aaron Jones for a nine-yard touch-
South W L T Pct. PF PA AFC NFC Div. but this latest victory for the Packers in- GB—Jones 9 pass from Aa.Rodgers Baltimore, Huntley 13-73, Murray 7-48, down on the next play.
(Crosby kick), 7:40. Freeman 6-22.
Tampa Bay 10 4 0 .714 410 306 4-0-0 6-4-0 2-2-0 cluded plenty of drama. PASSING: Green Bay, Aa.Rodgers 23- The Ravens drove into Green Bay terri-
Bal—FG Tucker 38, 3:20.
New Orleans 7 7 0 .500 313 285 2-2-0 5-5-0 2-2-0
Rodgers threw three touchdown passes Fourth Quarter
31-0-268. Baltimore, Huntley 28-40-0- tory before another devastating penalty.
215.
— tying Favre on Green Bay’s career list — GB—Valdes-Scantling 11 pass from RECEIVING: Green Bay, Adams 6-44, With Baltimore running the ball effectively
Atlanta 6 8 0 .429 258 384 3-1-0 3-7-0 2-3-0
and the Packers became the first team this Aa.Rodgers (Crosby kick), 12:54. Valdes-Scantling 5-98, Lewis 3-40, and preparing to go for it on fourth and one
Carolina 5 9 0 .357 271 313 2-3-0 3-6-0 2-1-0 GB—FG Crosby 29, 9:26. Deguara 3-16, Lazard 2-23, Jones 2-12,
season to clinch a division title when they Bal—Huntley 3 run (Tucker kick), 4:47. T.Davis 1-22, Dillon 1-13. Baltimore, An- in the red zone, Ben Cleveland committed a
East W L T Pct. PF PA AFC NFC Div. beat Baltimore 31-30 on Sunday. Green Bay Bal—Huntley 8 run (pass failed), :42. drews 10-136, Brown 10-43, Duvernay 3- false start.
TEAM STATS GB Bal 13, Proche 1-8, Bateman 1-5, Wallace
Dallas 10 4 0 .714 401 293 2-3-0 8-1-0 4-0-0 nearly squandered a 14-point lead in the final The Ravens settled for a field goal, and
First downs .................26 24 1-5, Murray 1-3, Freeman 1-2.
Philadelphia 6 7 0 .462 337 291 2-3-0 4-4-0 0-2-0 quarter but held on when the Ravens missed Green Bay drove 88 yards, taking an 11-point
Washington 6 7 0 .462 266 324 1-4-0 5-3-0 1-1-0 a two-point conversion in the final minute. point conversion pass was incomplete. lead on an 11-yard pass from Rodgers to
N.Y. Giants 4 10 0 .286 238 331 1-4-0 3-6-0 1-3-0 The Packers have won the NFC North “We were just trying to go get the win right Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
three straight seasons. there,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh That was Rodgers’ 442nd touchdown
AMERICAN CONFERENCE “I think at moments like this, it’s impor- said. “I think our chances of winning right pass, pulling him even with Favre. He com-
West W L T Pct. PF PA AFC NFC Div. tant, as much as you win with class, you have there were a little bit higher than in overtime, pleted 23 of 31 passes for 268 yards. Rodgers
Kansas City 10 4 0 .714 385 296 5-4-0 5-0-0 4-1-0 to savor these a little bit. These are special,” maybe, if you calculate it out.” has thrown for 13 touchdowns without an in-
CHARGERS 8 6 0 .571 379 370 5-4-0 3-2-0 2-2-0 Rodgers said. “I think it’s important to keep It was the third consecutive loss for Balti- terception over his last four games and
Denver 7 7 0 .500 285 243 3-6-0 4-1-0 1-2-0 that perspective on how special accomplish- more, which also fell to Pittsburgh two week- didn’t appear limited by his toe injury.
Las Vegas 6 7 0 .462 283 360 4-4-0 2-3-0 1-3-0 ing this is three years in a row.” ends ago on a missed two-point conversion. Valdes-Scantling indicated he’d be hold-
North W L T Pct. PF PA AFC NFC Div. With Ravens quarterback Lamar Jack- The Ravens dropped into a first-place tie in ing onto the ball from Rodgers’ milestone
Baltimore 8 6 0 .571 334 315 5-5-0 3-1-0 1-3-0 son out because of a sprained ankle, Tyler the AFC North with Cincinnati. Cleveland touchdown pass.
Cincinnati 8 6 0 .571 369 303 6-3-0 2-3-0 3-1-0
Huntley nearly led Baltimore (8-6) all the could join that group atop the division with a “I definitely kept that football,” Valdes-
way back from a 31-17 deficit. His eight-yard win Monday night against Las Vegas. Scantling said. “That one is not going any-
Cleveland 7 6 0 .538 278 289 4-5-0 3-1-0 2-2-0
touchdown run with 42 seconds left pulled Ravaged this season by injuries — espe- where. You know if it was broken, I would’ve
Pittsburgh 7 6 1 .536 291 335 5-4-0 2-2-1 2-2-0 the Ravens to within one, but Huntley’s two- cially in the secondary — Baltimore faced a given it to him, but that one is mine.”
South W L T Pct. PF PA AFC NFC Div.
Tennessee 9 5 0 .643 337 309 6-4-0 3-1-0 4-1-0
Indianapolis 8 6 0 .571 398 300 7-3-0 1-3-0 3-2-0
e-Houston 3 11 0 .214 207 372 3-7-0 0-4-0 3-2-0
e-Jacksonville 2 12 0 .143 196 370 2-7-0 0-5-0 0-5-0 Bills ...........................31 Steelers....................19 Cowboys ..................21
East W L T Pct. PF PA AFC NFC Div. Panthers..................14 Titans .......................13 Giants.........................6
New England 9 5 0 .643 367 227 7-2-0 2-3-0 3-1-0
Buffalo 8 6 0 .571 394 243 5-5-0 3-1-0 3-1-0
Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns, Ben Roethlisberger ran for his first DeMarcus Lawrence forced a fumble and
and Buffalo’s defense had four sacks and an touchdown in three years, Chris Boswell made two other big plays that led to 15
Miami 7 7 0 .500 285 312 5-5-0 2-2-0 3-2-0
interception in snapping a two-game skid. kicked four field goals and Pittsburgh kept points, and the Dallas defense forced four
e-N.Y. Jets 3 11 0 .214 250 428 3-7-0 0-4-0 0-5-0
Devin Singletary sparked what had been its playoff hopes alive. turnovers for the third straight game as the
y-Clinched division, e-Eliminated from playoffs a pedestrian running attack with a season- The Steelers forced the Titans into four Cowboys inched closer to their first playoff
Thursday Houston 30, Jacksonville 16 best 86 yards, and a much-maligned and turnovers and needed every one of them to berth since 2018.
Kansas City 34, L.A. Chargers 28, OT Miami 31, N.Y. Jets 24 COVID-19-depleted offensive line delivered win for the second time in three games. Trevon Diggs had his league-leading 10th
Saturday Pittsburgh 19, Tennessee 13
Indianapolis 27, New England 17 San Francisco 31, Atlanta 13 in both run blocking and pass protection. Despite the miscues, Tennessee drove interception, one shy of the team record set
Sunday Cincinnati 15, Denver 10 Allen and the Bills are looking forward to into Pittsburgh territory in the final mo- by Everson Walls in 1981. Greg Zuerlein
Buffalo 31, Carolina 14 Green Bay 31, Baltimore 30
Dallas 21, N.Y. Giants 6 New Orleans 9, Tampa Bay 0 an AFC East showdown at division-leading ments, but receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine kicked three field goals, and the Cowboys
Detroit 30, Arizona 12 New England next weekend. They meet for was tackled inches short of a first down at got a touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to
the second time in three weeks following the the 11-yard line with 27 seconds to go. Dalton Schultz and a 13-yard touchdown
Patriots’ 14-10 win at Buffalo. Pittsburgh remained in the mix in the run by Ezekiel Elliott in winning their third
Carolina, which dropped its fourth muddled AFC North despite managing just straight game, all on the road.
CONFERENCE SEEDS straight and lost for the ninth time in 11 168 yards of total offense. New York lost its third in a row with
How teams would stand if season were over. Four division winners in games, had no kicker after Zane Gonzalez backup quarterback Mike Glennon starting
each conference earn the top four seeds, with only No. 1 earning a hurt his quadriceps before the game. Tennessee .........10 3 0 0—13 Interceptions Ret........0-0 1-23 for the injured Daniel Jones. Receiver Ster-
playoff bye. The top three non-division winners complete the seven Pittsburgh............0 3 7 9—19 Comp-Att-Int.......23-32-1 16-25-0 ling Shepard tore an Achilles tendon late.
teams that qualify in each conference. Carolina ..............0 8 0 6—14 Rushes-yards .......29-151 27-119 First Quarter Sacked-Yards Lost ....4-36 3-15
Buffalo................0 17 7 7—31 Passing....................124 193 Punts...............3-47.667 5-39.8
Ten—Tannehill 1 run (Bullock kick), Fumbles-Lost.............5-3 0-0 Dallas .................6 9 6 0—21 Interceptions Ret.......3-18 0-0
NFC DIVISION In Contention AFC DIVISION In Contention Second Quarter Punt Returns ...........1-16 2-31 7:41.
Kickoff Returns ........4-70 3-49 Penalties-Yards ........7-68 5-30 N.Y. Giants ...........3 0 3 0— 6 Comp-Att-Int .......28-37-0 19-36-3
Buf—Singletary 16 run (Bass kick), Interceptions Ret........1-0 1-12 Ten—FG Bullock 26, 1:13. Time of Possession .39:08 20:52 Sacked-Yards Lost.....3-14 1-3
1 Packers 11-3 8 Wash. 6-7 1 Chiefs 10-4 8 Ravens 8-6 14:13. Second Quarter
First Quarter
Punts ...................4-40.0 2-50.5
Comp-Att-Int.......18-38-1 19-34-1 Individual Leaders
Buf—Diggs 11 pass from Allen (Bass Dal—Elliott 13 run (kick failed), 6:37. Fumbles-Lost .............3-1 1-1
2 Cowboys 10-4 9 Vikings 6-7 2 Patriots 9-5 9 Browns 7-6 Sacked-Yards Lost ....4-32 4-17 Pit—FG Boswell 36, 10:35. RUSHING: Tennessee, Foreman 22- NYG—FG Gano 35, :37.
kick), 9:41. Punts ..................4-45.5 5-37.6 Ten—FG Bullock 32, :18. Penalties-Yards .........6-45 6-34
3 Bucs 10-4 10 Eagles 6-7 3 Titans 9-5 10 Steelers7-6-1 Car—Newton 4 run (DJ.Moore pass Fumbles-Lost.............2-0 1-0 108, Hilliard 9-49, McNichols 6-26, Tan- Second Quarter Time of Possession..33:23 26:37
from Newton), 1:48. Penalties-Yards ........5-55 8-67 Third Quarter nehill 5-18. Pittsburgh, Harris 12-18,
Dal—FG Zuerlein 26, 10:30. Individual Leaders
4 Cardinals10-4 11 Falcons 6-8 4 Bengals 8-6 11 Dolphins 7-7 Buf—FG Bass 26, :00. Time of Possession .31:25 28:35 Pit—Roethlisberger 1 run (Boswell D.Johnson 1-10, Claypool 1-7, Roethlis-
Dal—FG Zuerlein 42, 1:39.
kick), 3:08. berger 3-0. RUSHING: Dallas, Pollard 12-74, Elliott
WILD CARD 12 Seahawks 5-8 WILD CARD 12 Broncos 7-7 Third Quarter Individual Leaders PASSING: Tennessee, Tannehill 23- Dal—FG Zuerlein 27, :00. 16-52, Prescott 2-(minus 1). N.Y. Giants,
Buf—Davis 20 pass from Allen (Bass Fourth Quarter Third Quarter Booker 8-74, Barkley 15-50, Glennon
RUSHING: Carolina, Newton 15-71, 32-1-153. Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger 16-
5 RAMS 9-4 5 Colts 8-6 13 Raiders 6-7 kick), 5:52. Hubbard 8-40, Anderson 2-33, Abdullah Pit—FG Boswell 28, 13:24. 25-0-148. NYG—FG Gano 42, 12:05. 1-0.
Fourth Quarter 4-7. Buffalo, Singletary 22-86, Allen 3- Pit—FG Boswell 46, 7:20. RECEIVING: Tennessee, Westbrook- Dal—Schultz 1 pass from Prescott (kick PASSING: Dallas, Prescott 28-37-0-
6 49ers 8-6 6 CHARGERS8-6 24, McKenzie 1-8, Breida 1-1. Pit—FG Boswell 48, 4:29. Ikhine 4-32, Rogers 4-30, Hilliard 4-10, failed), 2:05. 217. N.Y. Giants, Glennon 13-24-3-99,
Car—Abdullah 23 pass from Newton Attendance—59,521.
7 Saints 7-7 7 Bills 8-6 PASSING: Carolina, Newton 18-38-1- McNichols 3-25, Foreman 2-27, Firkser Attendance—77,413. Fromm 6-12-0-82.
(run failed), 11:01. TEAM STATS Ten Pit
156. Buffalo, Allen 19-34-1-210. 2-19, Hollister 1-5, Swaim 1-5, Pruitt 1-1, TEAM STATS Dal NYG RECEIVING: Dallas, Schultz 8-67,
Buf—Davis 14 pass from Allen (Bass First downs ................22 12
RECEIVING: Carolina, DJ.Moore 6-48, McMath 1-(minus 1). Pittsburgh, D.John- First downs .................23 15 Lamb 6-50, Gallup 3-32, Elliott 3-20, Pol-
kick), 2:07. Total Net Yards ..........318 168
Abdullah 4-48, Anderson 3-29, Zylstra 2- son 5-38, Freiermuth 4-37, Washington Total Net Yards...........328 302 lard 3-13, Sprinkle 2-21, Cooper 2-8,
Attendance—65,398. Rushes-yards .......42-201 17-35
TEAM STATS Car Buf 17, Tremble 1-8, Thomas 1-5, Hubbard 3-36, Harris 2-8, Gentry 1-17, McCloud Rushes-yards........30-125 24-124 Turner 1-6. N.Y. Giants, Engram 4-33,
1-1. Buffalo, Davis 5-85, Knox 4-38, Passing....................117 133 1-0. Passing ....................203 178 Barkley 4-24, Golladay 3-53, Slayton 2-
First downs ................19 21
SCHEDULE Times Pacific Total Net Yards ..........275 312 Beasley 4-35, Diggs 4-35, Singletary 1-
10, McKenzie 1-7.
Punt Returns ...........2-48
Kickoff Returns ........2-40
3-39
2-38
FIELD GOALS MISSED: Pittsburgh,
Boswell 56.
Punt Returns..............0-0
Kickoff Returns .........2-50
0-0
1-15
23, Shepard 2-15, Booker 2-8, C.Johnson
1-16, Rudolph 1-9.

TODAY
Las Vegas at Cleveland.........................................2 p.m.
Minnesota at Chicago ..............................................5:15
TUESDAY
Bengals ....................15
Seattle at RAMS ...................................................4 p.m. Broncos ...................10
Washington at Philadelphia...........................................4
THURSDAY Cincinnati’s Khalid Kareem snatched
San Francisco at Tennessee ...........................5:20 p.m. the ball from Denver backup quarterback
SATURDAY
Drew Lock on second and goal early in the
fourth quarter and the Bengals stayed in
Cleveland at Green Bay....................................1:30 p.m.
Indianapolis at Arizona.............................................5:15 the thick of the crowded AFC playoff race.
SUNDAY
The Bengals won despite star rookie re-
ceiver Ja’Marr Chase being held to a single
RAMS at Minnesota ............................................10 a.m.
CHARGERS at Houston................................................10 catch for three yards and Tee Higgins man-
Detroit at Atlanta .........................................................10 aging only 23 yards on two catches.
New York Giants at Philadelphia..................................10 Lock was in for Teddy Bridgewater, who
Jacksonville at New York Jets ......................................10 was hospitalized overnight for evaluation of
Tampa Bay at Carolina.................................................10 a head injury after a collision that appeared
Buffalo at New England ...............................................10
Baltimore at Cincinnati ................................................10 to knock him unconscious in the third. The
Chicago at Seattle ...........................................1:05 p.m. collision also sent Bengals linebacker Joe
Denver at Las Vegas ................................................1:25 Bachie from the game with a leg injury.
Pittsburgh at Kansas City ........................................1:25
Washington at Dallas...............................................5:20
Cincinnati ............3 3 9 0—15
NEXT MONDAY Denver.................0 3 7 0—10
First Quarter
Miami at New Orleans......................................5:15 p.m.
Cin—FG McPherson 53, 6:34.
JAN. 2
Second Quarter
Philadelphia at Washington.................................10 a.m.
Den—FG McManus 54, 10:44.
Carolina at New Orleans..............................................10 Cin—FG McPherson 58, :00.
Tampa Bay at New York Jets........................................10 Third Quarter
Miami at Tennessee ....................................................10 Cin—FG McPherson 26, 6:21.
Jacksonville at New England .......................................10 Den—T.Patrick 25 pass from Lock (Mc-
Manus kick), 1:22.
Oakland at Indianapolis...............................................10
Cin—Boyd 56 pass from Burrow (pass
Kansas City at Cincinnati ............................................10 failed), :40.
New York Giants at Chicago.........................................10
Atlanta at Buffalo.........................................................10
Attendance—76,134.
TEAM STATS Cin Den
Houston at San Francisco ...............................1:05 p.m. First downs .................12 19
Total Net Yards...........249 292
Broncos at CHARGERS ....................................1:05 p.m.
RAMS at Baltimore...................................................1:25
Rushes-yards........26-113
Passing ....................136
34-133
159
Detroit at Seattle .....................................................1:25 Punt Returns ............3-22 2-18
Arizona at Dallas......................................................1:25 Kickoff Returns .........1-23 0-0
Minnesota at Green Bay ..........................................5:20
Interceptions Ret. .......0-0 0-0
Comp-Att-Int .......15-22-0 18-34-0
Sacked-Yards Lost.....3-21 3-27
Punts ...............7-52.571 6-51.5
Fumbles-Lost .............0-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards .........6-42 6-60
Time of Possession..27:19 32:36
Individual Leaders
RUSHING: Cincinnati, Mixon 17-58,
Perine 4-30, Burrow 5-25. Denver,
J.Williams 15-72, Gordon 15-53, Bridge-
water 3-10, Lock 1-(minus 2).
PASSING: Cincinnati, Burrow 15-22-0-
157. Denver, Bridgewater 12-22-0-98,
Lock 6-12-0-88.
RECEIVING: Cincinnati, Boyd 5-96,
Uzomah 3-18, Higgins 2-23, Perine 2-13,
Chase 1-3, Mixon 1-2, D.Sample 1-2. Den-
ver, Fant 5-57, J.Williams 4-9, Okwueg-
bunam 3-58, T.Patrick 3-42, Sutton 2-12,
Gordon 1-8.
FIELD GOALS MISSED: Denver, Mc-
Manus 51.
Lions ........................30
Cardinals ................12
Kyler Murray had a shaky performance
and that helped Detroit stun Arizona.
The third-year quarterback was 23 for 41
for 257 yards with a touchdown and an inter-
ception, adding up to a 72.9 passer rating.
The Cardinals started the day tied for
the NFL’s best record and were undefeated
on the road while the Lions were at the bot-
tom of the league standings going in.
Arizona missed its chance to get in the
playoffs for the first time since 2015 with a
win over a team it was favored to beat by
nearly two touchdowns.
Arizona ................0 0 6 6—12 Passing ....................293 212
Detroit.................3 14 7 6—30 Punt Returns ............2-18 2-24
First Quarter Kickoff Returns .........3-79 1-17
Interceptions Ret. .......0-0 1-50
Det—FG Patterson 37, 6:10. Comp-Att-Int .......29-50-1 21-26-0
Second Quarter Sacked-Yards Lost.....2-20 2-4
Punts ...................3-44.0 3-44.333
Det—St. Brown 37 pass from Goff (Pat-
terson kick), 14:53. Fumbles-Lost .............1-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards .........7-83 6-49
Det—J.Reynolds 22 pass from Goff Time of Possession..28:08 31:52
(Patterson kick), :19.
Third Quarter
Individual Leaders
Ari—FG Prater 29, 11:22.
Det—Cabinda 6 pass from Goff (Patter- RUSHING: Arizona, Edmonds 6-53,
Conner 8-39, Ward 1-6, McCoy 1-3,
son kick), 8:10.
K.Murray 4-3, Moore 1-1. Detroit,
Jack Dempsey Associated Press Ari—FG Prater 29, 3:54.
C.Reynolds 26-112, Jefferson 5-9, St.
Fourth Quarter Brown 1-5, Igwebuike 2-0.
CARTED OFF Det—FG Patterson 47, 13:15.
Ari—Kirk 26 pass from K.Murray (pass
PASSING: Arizona, K.Murray 23-41-1-
257, McCoy 6-9-0-56. Detroit, Goff 21-
failed), 4:40. 26-0-216.
Broncos’ Teddy Bridgewater is at- Det—FG Patterson 45, 2:46. RECEIVING: Arizona, Kirk 9-94, Ertz 6-
Attendance—45,211. 74, Green 4-64, Wesley 3-19, Moore 3-9,
tended to after he was injured. TEAM Ari Det Conner 2-31, Isabella 1-13, Ward 1-9. De-
Bridgewater has movement in his First downs .................23 22 troit, St. Brown 8-90, J.Reynolds 6-68,
Total Net Yards...........398 338 Raymond 2-20, Igwebuike 2-11, Zylstra 1-
extremities and is expected to be OK. Rushes-yards........21-105 34-126 16, Cabinda 1-6, C.Reynolds 1-5.

JAN. 3
Cleveland at Pittsburgh....................................5:15 p.m.
49ers .........................31
Falcons.....................13
Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 235 yards
and a touchdown, San Francisco ran for
three more scores and the 49ers won for the
fifth time in six games.
The 49ers scored touchdowns on four
straight drives to beat the Falcons and re-
main in wild-card position.
Atlanta got stopped at the goal line on its
first possession of the game and lost a fum-
ble on a strip sack by Nick Bosa on the open-
ing drive of the second half.
Atlanta ................3 7 3 0—13 Kickoff Returns .......4-103 2-13
San Francisco.......3 14 14 0—31 Interceptions Ret. .......0-0 0-0
Comp-Att-Int .......19-32-0 18-24-0
First Quarter
Sacked-Yards Lost.....3-23 0-0
Atl—FG Koo 48, 7:12. Punts ...................2-49.5 4-49.0
SF—FG Gould 30, 1:21. Fumbles-Lost .............1-1 2-1
Second Quarter Penalties-Yards .........4-29 5-35
SF—Juszczyk 6 run (Gould kick), 9:14. Time of Possession..29:22 30:20
Atl—Gage 20 pass from Ryan (Koo Individual Leaders
kick), 4:00.
RUSHING: Atlanta, Davis 6-21, Ryan 5-
SF—Samuel 10 run (Gould kick), :33. 20, Patterson 11-18, Ollison 1-3. San
Third Quarter Francisco, Je.Wilson 21-110, Samuel 6-
SF—Je.Wilson 5 run (Gould kick), 29, Hasty 1-13, Juszczyk 1-6, Garoppolo
11:11. 3-4.
PASSING: Atlanta, Ryan 19-32-0-236.
Atl—FG Koo 22, 6:28.
SF—Jennings 4 pass from Garoppolo San Francisco, Garoppolo 18-23-0-235,
(Gould kick), 1:17. Samuel 0-1-0-0.
TEAM STATS Atl SF RECEIVING: Atlanta, Gage 8-91, K.Pitts
First downs .................13 23 4-77, Zaccheaus 2-53, Hurst 2-6, Patter-
Total Net Yards...........275 397 son 2-5, Ollison 1-4. San Francisco, Kittle
Rushes-yards..........23-62 32-162 6-93, Samuel 4-60, Jennings 3-28, Je.W-
Passing ....................213 235 ilson 2-9, Aiyuk 1-36, Juszczyk 1-6, Hasty
Punt Returns ............1-24 2-8 1-3.
Texans.....................30
Jaguars ....................16
Tremon Smith returned a kickoff 98
yards for a touchdown and Houston ended a
three-game slide despite playing without
seven starters, including five defenders.
Smith escaped five Jaguars near the 30-
yard line — Jacksonville’s Rayshawn Jenk-
ins broke his right ankle trying to make the
tackle — before coasting to Houston’s first
kickoff return for a score since Oct. 4, 2009,
ending the longest drought in the NFL.
Davis Mills’ second touchdown pass to
Brandin Cooks sealed the Texans’ eighth
win in a row over the Jaguars.
Houston.............14 6 3 7—30 Passing ....................206 189
Jacksonville ..........3 7 3 3—16 Punt Returns ............3-31 3-49
First Quarter Kickoff Returns .......2-122 2-36
Interceptions Ret. .......0-0 1-3
Hou—Cooks 22 pass from Mills (Fair-
bairn kick), 6:39.
Comp-Att-Int .......19-30-1 22-38-0
Sacked-Yards Lost.......1-3 3-21
Jac—FG Wright 22, 1:42. Punts .................4-48.25 5-47.4
Hou—T.Smith 98 kickoff return (Fair-
Fumbles-Lost .............0-0 0-0
bairn kick), 1:26.
Penalties-Yards .........9-65 4-40
Time of Possession..29:59 29:53
Second Quarter
Jac—J.Robinson 1 run (Wright kick),
12:09. Individual Leaders
Hou—FG Fairbairn 52, 3:06. RUSHING: Houston, Burkhead 16-41,
Hou—FG Fairbairn 51, :00.
D.Johnson 6-24, Freeman 3-8, Mills 1-2.
Third Quarter Jacksonville, J.Robinson 18-75, Lawrence
5-21, Shenault 1-10, Ogunbowale 1-1.
Hou—FG Fairbairn 25, 10:39.
PASSING: Houston, Mills 19-30-1-
Jac—FG Wright 38, 4:47.
209. Jacksonville, Lawrence 22-38-0-
Fourth Quarter 210.
Jac—FG Wright 35, 11:18. RECEIVING: Houston, Cooks 7-102,
Hou—Cooks 43 pass from Mills (Fair- Dorsett 2-43, Akins 2-24, N.Collins 2-14,
bairn kick), 2:22. Conley 2-12, Brown 2-5, Burkhead 1-6,
TEAM STATS Hou Jac D.Johnson 1-3. Jacksonville, Treadwell 6-
First downs .................13 21 57, O’Shaughnessy 4-60, Shenault 4-39,
Total Net Yards...........281 296 J.Robinson 3-13, M.Jones 2-14, Austin 1-
Rushes-yards..........26-75 25-107 11, Manhertz 1-11, Ogunbowale 1-5.
Saints .........................9 Dolphins..................31
Buccaneers ..............0 Jets............................24
On a night when they were looking to DeVante Parker caught an 11-yard touch-
clinch their first NFC South title since 2007, down pass from Tua Tagovailoa with 3:37
the Buccaneers lost their two Pro Bowl re- left and Duke Johnson rushed for two scores
ceivers, Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris in Miami’s sixth straight win.
Godwin (knee), in the first half against New Johnson, who grew up in Miami and was
Orleans and were shut out for the first time the go-to back because of virus-related is-
in Tom Brady’s tenure as Tampa Bay’s sues, finished with 107 yards in 22 carries.
quarterback. Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins
The 9-0 defeat to the Saints marked only caught a touchdown pass early in the fourth
the third shutout of Brady’s NFL career quarter for the Dolphins, who became the
with him as the starter, and first since Week second team in NFL history to get to 7-7 af-
14 of the 2006 season, when he was a member ter starting the season 1-7.
of the New England Patriots and opposed
N.Y. Jets .............10 7 0 7—24 Rushes-yards........24-102 42-183
Joey Harrington and the Nick Saban- Miami .................0 10 7 14—31 Passing ....................126 196
coached Miami Dolphins. First Quarter Punt Returns ............2-23 1-5
Kickoff Returns ...........0-0 0-0
Both of Brady’s top targets were ruled NYJ—Berrios 2 run (Pineiro kick), 7:02. Interceptions Ret.......2-38 0-0
NYJ—FG Pineiro 27, 4:30. Comp-Att-Int .......13-24-0 16-27-2
out to begin the second half. Sacked-Yards Lost.....6-44 1-0
Second Quarter
Punts ...................6-46.5 3-53.0
Mia—D.Johnson 1 run (Sanders kick),
New Orleans...........3 3 0 3—9 Punts ...............9-45.778 8-42.0 Fumbles-Lost .............1-1 2-1
13:43. Penalties-Yards .........3-32 5-45
Tampa Bay .............0 0 0 0—0 Fumbles-Lost .............1-0 1-1
NYJ—Z.Wilson 1 run (Pineiro kick), Time of Possession..25:38 34:22
First Quarter Penalties-Yards .........6-41 3-30 9:29.
Time of Possession..29:45 30:15
NO—FG Maher 39, 5:44. Mia—FG Sanders 24, 1:59.
Individual Leaders Individual Leaders
Second Quarter Third Quarter
RUSHING: New Orleans, Hill 11-33, Ka- RUSHING: N.Y. Jets, Coleman 8-50,
NO—FG Maher 35, 14:55. Mia—D.Johnson 6 run (Sanders kick),
mara 11-18, Ingram 9-10. Tampa Bay, Carter 8-18, Walter 2-12, Wilson 4-12,
9:44.
Fourth Quarter Jones 8-63, Fournette 9-34, Vaughn 3- Berrios 2-10. Miami, D.Johnson 22-107,
Fourth Quarter Gaskin 10-54, Tagovailoa 7-19, Brissett
NO—FG Maher 42, 7:28. 19, Brady 1-2.
TEAM STATS NO TB PASSING: New Orleans, Hill 13-27-0- Mia—Wilkins 1 pass from Tagovailoa 1-2, Wilson 1-1, Fejedelem 1-0.
First downs .................11 17 154. Tampa Bay, Brady 26-48-1-214. (Sanders kick), 14:08. PASSING: N.Y. Jets, Wilson 13-23-0-
NYJ—Echols 20 interception return (Pi- 170, Cole 0-1-0-0. Miami, Tagovailoa 16-
Total Net Yards...........212 302 RECEIVING: New Orleans, Callaway 6-
Rushes-yards..........31-61 21-118 112, Smith 2-17, Kamara 2-13, Ingram neiro kick), 7:45. 27-2-196.
Passing ....................151 184 2-8, Trautman 1-4. Tampa Bay, Fournette Mia—Parker 11 pass from Tagovailoa RECEIVING: N.Y. Jets, Crowder 5-40,
Punt Returns ............2-38 7-41 7-33, Godwin 6-49, Johnson 4-41, (Sanders kick), 3:37. Griffin 2-39, Kroft 2-35, Berrios 1-26,
Kickoff Returns ...........0-0 2-33 Gronkowski 2-29, Brate 2-22, Miller 2-18, Attendance—66,035. Wesco 1-19, Cole 1-9, Carter 1-2. Miami,
Interceptions Ret. .......2-1 0-0 Jones 2-8, Evans 1-14. TEAM STATS NYJ Mia Gesicki 5-43, Parker 4-68, Ford 3-51,
Comp-Att-Int .......13-27-0 26-48-1 FIELD GOALS MISSED: Tampa Bay, First downs .................16 23 D.Johnson 1-20, Wilson 1-9, Smythe 1-4,
Sacked-Yards Lost.......2-3 4-30 Succop 45. Total Net Yards...........228 379 Wilkins 1-1.
D4 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 S L AT I M E S . C O M / S P O RT S

NBA

Lakers’ losses mounting on and off court

[Lakers, from D1] players lack.
before Sunday’s 115-110 loss to the
Chicago Bulls. “I’m in good spirits
‘I’m in good spirits just Thanks to 37 points in the sec-
ond quarter and a defensive effort
just being around the team — obvi- being around the team that held Chicago to 22 in the third,
ously avoided a major injury, which the Lakers were in terrific position
has kind of got my spirits back up — obviously avoided to steal a win from the Bulls, who
because I just didn’t know.”
That kind of uncertainty has
a major injury, which were playing their first game in
more than a week since having two
been this team’s trouble all season, has kind of got my postponed because of their own
the Lakers mostly uncertain what COVID-19 outbreak.
kind of performance they’d deliver spirits back up.’ But DeMar DeRozan scored 38
on a nightly basis. And just when it after spending two weeks in the
seemed as if they maybe found — Anthony Davis protocols, and the Bulls came up
some threads of consistency to with clutch offensive rebounds to
hold on to, this trip happened. push ahead and hold off the Lak-
They lost players to the proto- dropped the next two. ers. Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso
cols starting last Monday with “We were getting into it, and combined for 36 points and 13 re-
Talen Horton-Tucker. Positive now something else happened,” bounds to haunt their old team.
COVID-19 tests quickly spread into Davis said. “It’s our entire team, The Lakers got a big night from
the team’s traveling party and though. Like, we started playing James, functioning largely as the
broadcast team, the roster chang- well, start getting a rhythm with team’s center, as he scored 31
ing on a daily basis. Needing bodies each other, and then all the COVID points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
to fill out the roster, the team stuff happened and then more in- Anthony hit five threes off the
signed veteran guard Isaiah juries. bench as he scored 21, but he and
Thomas on Friday. “So it’s not where we want to be, Wayne Ellington both missed po-
With Kent Bazemore freshly in but we’re not in a terrible spot.” tential game-tying shots.
the protocols, the Lakers had to Maybe it’s not terrible, but it And Westbrook, who had a solid
start Thomas on his third day with certainly isn’t good. They quickly all-around game with 20 points,
the team. Add in a substitute coach fell behind by 10 to Chicago before nine rebounds and eight assists,
in David Fizdale with Vogel also in catching fire in the second quarter, couldn’t finish on a spinning, left-
the protocols (he said he’s asymp- LeBron James and Westbrook bar- handed layup over Nikola Vucevic
tomatic), and the chaos continued reling to the rim and Carmelo An- in the final minute. Westbrook and
in the finale of a three-game trip. thony and Thomas hitting shots James also combined for 10 of the
“This year has been a lot of dif- from the outside. Lakers’ 20 turnovers.
ferent things,” Russell Westbrook And Trevor Ariza, whom Vogel “You try to find ways to be able
said, “especially for our team.” has called one of the keys to the to not let this deter you,” West-
Entering the trip, the Lakers Lakers’ versatility, made his sea- brook said. “Sometimes you can
Nam Y. Huh Associated Press (16-15) had won five of their last sev- son debut and showed some of the play well and still lose games. You
LONZO BALL (2) and Bulls backcourt mate Alex Caruso com- en games. After opening it with a proficiency on both ends of the just try to keep your head up and
bined to score 36 points against their former Lakers team. last-second win in Dallas, the team court that many of their other role stay positive.”

STANDINGS
Standings have been arranged to reflect how the teams will be
determined for the playoffs. Teams are ranked 1-15 by record. Divi-
sion standing no longer has any bearing on the rankings. The top six
They must figure
it out — and fast
teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. Teams seven
through 10 will participate in a play-in tournament with the top-
seeded team playing the lowest qualifying play-in team. The next-
lowest qualifying team would play the second, etc. Head-to-head
competition is the first of several tiebreakers, followed by conference
record. (Western Conference divisions: S-Southwest; P-Pacific; N-
Northwest; Eastern Conference divisions: A-Atlantic; C-Central; S-
Southeast).
WESTERN CONFERENCE [Elliott, from D1] on the fly, trying to figure out how
Team W L PCT GB L10 Rk. couple G League guys,” said David to play with the lineups we have
1. Phoenix 24 5 .828 8-2 P1 Fizdale, the assistant coach who and the people we have available,”
2. Golden State 24 6 .800 1
⁄2 6-4 P2 stepped in after Frank Vogel en- said Russell Westbrook, who
3. Utah 20 9 .690 4 8-2 N1 tered the NBA’s COVID protocols scored 20 points but committed a
4. Memphis 19 12 .613 6 8-2 S1 on Sunday. team-high six of the Lakers’ 20
5. CLIPPERS 16 14 .533 81⁄2 5-5 P3 “But you know, the thing about collective turnovers on Sunday.
6. Denver 15 14 .517 9 6-4 N2
this team’s character is it’s just a “New guys stepping in that haven’t
next-man-up mentality, and they been here, so we have to do what
7. LAKERS 16 15 .516 9 6-4 P4
really brought the effort and a we can. That’s it. Just go out and
8. Minnesota 15 15 .500 91⁄2 5-5 N3
collective team energy.” play hard and let the rest take care
9. Dallas 14 15 .483 10 4-6 S2
Effort and energy are fine, and of itself.”
10. Portland 13 18 .419 12 3-7 N4
those assets did put the Lakers The players who were unavail-
10. Sacramento 13 18 .419 12 5-5 P5 ahead for some good chunks of the able on Sunday because they were
fourth quarter. But DeMar in protocol — Kent Bazemore,
12. San Antonio 11 18 .379 13 5-5 S3 DeRozan showed why he ranks Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-
13. Houston 10 20 .333 141⁄2 6-4 S4 second in the NBA in fourth-quar- Tucker, Dwight Howard, Malik
14. New Orleans 10 21 .323 15 5-5 S5 ter points, scoring 19 to send the Monk and Austin Reaves — might
15. Oklahoma City 9 19 .321 141⁄2 3-7 N5 Lakers — what’s left of them, not be out long term. Davis’ ab- Nam Y. Huh Associated Press
anyway — back home with a 1-2 sence is another story. LeBRON JAMES , left, has to continue taking on a bigger role,
EASTERN CONFERENCE
record on this trip. When he was in the lineup there with Russell Westbrook, as the Lakers go into a tough stretch.
Team W L PCT GB L10 Rk.
And it doesn’t get any easier: were plenty of reasons to wonder
1. Brooklyn 21 9 .700 7-3 A1
The Lakers come home to face whether the Lakers had the right they can’t afford to let up. had been canceled after 10 of their
2. Chicago 18 10 .643 2 6-4 C1 Phoenix on Tuesday and San parts to become a championship “That’s what you tell yourself,” players went into protocol, and
3. Cleveland 19 12 .613 21⁄2 8-2 C2 Antonio on Thursday before being team, if they’d ever mesh well Westbrook said, “but also you’ve although they got some bodies
4. Milwaukee 19 13 .594 3 5-5 C3 featured in a Christmas Day show- enough, ever consistently regain got to read the game because the back on Sunday, Zach LaVine was
5. Miami 18 13 .581 31⁄2 5-5 S1 case against the Brooklyn Nets on the defensive chops that served game will tell you always what to a notable absence.
6. Washington 16 15 .516 51⁄2 3-7 S2 Saturday. With both the Lakers them so well in their 2019-20 title. do, whether that’s scoring more, “It’s going around the league.
7. Boston 15 15 .500 6 5-5 A2 and the Nets missing key players Without Davis, who is due to be passing more, rebounding more, It’s going around other leagues,”
7. Philadelphia 15 15 .500 6 5-5 A3 to the COVID protocols — the reevaluated four weeks after the whatever that may be. Anthony said.
7. Charlotte 16 16 .500 6 3-7 S3 Nets’ list includes the Big Three of injury he suffered on Friday at “But AD obviously is a huge “This is reality. This is life. This
10. Atlanta 14 15 .483 61⁄2 4-6 S4 James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Minnesota, there are more rea- part of our team and we’ve got to is stuff that we have to deal with,
10. Toronto 14 15 .483 61⁄2 5-5 A4 Kevin Durant — that might not sons to wonder whether the Lak- figure out how to play without him not just as basketball players, but
turn out to be the marquee ers can pull it off. for some time. It’s something that as people, society. These are
12. New York 13 17 .433 8 2-8 A5 matchup the TV networks envi- Much of the leadership and we’ve got to adjust to. It’s some- things that we’re dealing with
13. Indiana 13 18 .419 81⁄2 4-6 C4 sioned. scoring burdens will fall on West- thing we can figure out.” right now.”
14. Orlando 6 25 .194 151⁄2 2-8 S5 “Obviously we’re doing things brook and LeBron James, and They really have no choice but Fizdale said he was in contact
15. Detroit 5 24 .172 151⁄2 1-9 C5
to figure something out, and fast. with Vogel via text at halftime and
Westbrook acknowledged it again after the game, and that
was strange to see Fizdale running Vogel gave him some bullet points.
things on Sunday, but that was in “And he sent me some great ideas
TODAY’S GAMES CLIPPERS TONIGHT keeping with a strange season. that really helped us and then
Favorite Line Underdog Time VS. SAN ANTONIO “This year there’s been a lot of postgame, he was tremendously
at CLIPPERS OFF San Antonio 7:30 p.m. When: 7:30. different things, especially for our supportive and proud of his staff,”
at Boston OFF Philadelphia 4:30 p.m. On the air: TV: Bally Sports SoCal; Radio: 570, 1330. team,” Westbrook said. Fizdale said.
at Memphis 9 Oklahoma City 5 p.m. Update: This could be the opportunity for third center Serge Ibaka to play “But Fiz was a head coach in “That’s a tough spot for a
at Chicago OFF Houston 5 p.m. for the first time since Dec. 6. Ibaka (personal reasons) is probable, while this league before. He under- coach. It’s weird to be honest with
at Utah 12 Charlotte 6 p.m. backup center Isaiah Hartenstein will not play after spraining an ankle stands. He did a great job tonight. you. I don’t ever want to coach a
at Golden State OFF Sacramento 7 p.m. Saturday in Oklahoma City. Those are big Nikes to fill: The Clippers (16-14, Unfortunately we just couldn’t get team under tough circumstances,
losers of two straight) have been 11.4 points per 100 possessions better the win.” obviously. We want Frank on that
SUNDAY’S RESULTS when Hartenstein plays. Also ruled out is Marcus Morris Sr. (health and Carmelo Anthony correctly sideline. I’m just happy that he
at Chicago 115, LAKERS 110 at Detroit 100, Miami 90 safety protocols), while Paul George (elbow) is questionable. The Spurs’ pointed out that the Lakers are trusted me to do the job — and
Portland 105, at Memphis 100 at Sac. 121, San Ant. 114 11-18 record belies some of the NBA’s best victories, including road wins hardly alone in struggling to find hurry back, coach.”
at Minn. 111, Dallas 105 at Phoenix 137, Charlotte 106 over Golden State and Utah. Dejounte Murray leads San Antonio with consistent lineups and perform- Hurry back to whatever the
New Orleans at Phila., PPD Cleveland at Atlanta, PPD 17.7 points per game and 8.5 assists and is second with 8.4 rebounds. ances. Lakers might look like on Tuesday,
Denver at Brooklyn, PPD — Andrew Greif The Bulls’ previous two games and beyond.

BULLS 115, LAKERS 110
LAKERS
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Ellington.................35 2-5 0-0 1-4 3 3 6
James ....................39 11-21 8-11 1-14 6 5 31
Jordan....................20 4-5 1-1 3-7 0 4 9
I.Thomas ................32 5-11 0-0 1-2 1 4 13
Westbrook ..............38 9-19 2-6 2-9 8 4 20
Anthony..................29 7-17 2-2 0-5 1 2 21
Rondo....................23 2-2 1-2 1-3 4 3 5
Ariza ......................15 1-1 0-0 0-1 2 0 3
C.Brown Jr. ...............5 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 2
Totals 42-82 14-22 9-46 25 25 110
Shooting: Field goals, 51.2%; free throws, 63.6%
Three-point goals: 12-34 (Anthony 5-12, I.Thomas
3-7, Ellington 2-5, Ariza 1-1, James 1-7, Westbrook
0-2). Team Rebounds: 13. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked
Shots: 8 (Anthony 2, James 2, Westbrook 2, Jordan,
Rondo). Turnovers: 19 (Westbrook 6, James 4, Rondo
4, I.Thomas 2, Anthony, C.Brown Jr., Jordan). Steals: 6
(Anthony 2, Ellington, James, Rondo, Westbrook).
Technical Fouls: Westbrook, 8:20 third.
CHICAGO
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
DeRozan.................34 11-24 16-17 1-4 6 2 38
Green ....................34 3-9 2-2 5-6 2 3 9
Vucevic ..................34 8-17 0-0 4-13 2 0 19
Ball .......................38 7-15 2-2 1-4 4 3 19
Caruso ...................37 6-11 2-4 2-9 2 2 17
White.....................24 2-7 1-2 0-1 2 2 5
McKinnie ................17 1-4 0-2 1-2 1 3 2
T.Bradley ................10 2-4 0-0 2-3 1 1 4
Jones Jr. ...................5 0-2 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
Cook .......................2 0-0 2-2 0-0 0 1 2
Totals 40-93 25-31 16-43 20 17 115
Shooting: Field goals, 43.0%; free throws, 80.6%
Three-point goals: 10-30 (Caruso 3-5, Vucevic 3-6,
Ball 3-9, Green 1-2, Jones Jr. 0-1, McKinnie 0-3,
White 0-4). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers:
None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Green 2, Ball). Turnovers: 10
(Caruso 3, DeRozan 3, Ball, McKinnie, Vucevic,
White). Steals: 10 (T.Bradley 3, Ball, Caruso,
DeRozan, Green, McKinnie, Vucevic, White). Techni-
cal Fouls: None.
LAKERS 22 37 25 26— 110
Chicago 28 33 22 32— 115
A—21,560. T—2:19.
Pistons 100, Heat 90
MIAMI
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P
Robinson................33 2-11 0-0 0-3 4 1
Tucker ....................20 3-7 1-2 3-4 1 2
Dedmon .................27 5-6 0-0 0-5 2 5
Lowry.....................42 3-12 11-16 2-5 10 2
Vincent ..................31 3-11 1-3 0-3 5 3
Strus .....................33 7-16 6-8 1-4 1 4
Garrett ...................18 2-2 0-0 0-1 0 2
Yurtseven................18 2-5 2-4 1-12 0 4
Okpala ...................14 1-4 0-0 1-2 0 4
Totals 28-74 21-33 8-39 23 27
Shooting: Field goals, 37.8%; free throws, 63.6%
Three-point goals: 13-43 (Strus 4-11, Tucker 2-5,
Lowry 2-9, Robinson 2-10, Dedmon 1-1, Garrett 1-1,
Vincent 1-6). Team Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers:
None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Yurtseven 2, Garrett). Turn-
overs: 13 (Lowry 4, Dedmon 3, Yurtseven 2, Okpala,
Robinson, Tucker, Vincent). Steals: 4 (Lowry, Okpala,
Strus, Vincent). Technical Fouls: Robinson, 8:25
third.
DETROIT
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Bey .......................36 7-13 9-10 0-4 2 1 26
Diallo.....................29 7-10 1-3 0-7 2 2 15
Stewart ..................29 2-5 2-5 3-14 1 5 7
Cunningham ...........31 2-4 0-0 0-3 10 6 4
Hayes.....................20 3-7 4-4 0-2 1 4 11
Joseph ...................23 4-9 1-2 0-3 4 2 9
F.Jackson ................22 4-9 2-2 1-1 1 3 12
Lyles......................18 3-8 2-2 0-6 3 1 8
Lee........................18 1-6 0-0 0-4 0 3 3
Garza.......................7 2-4 1-2 2-2 0 1 5
McGruder .................2 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
Totals 35-75 22-30 6-47 24 28 100
Shooting: Field goals, 46.7%; free throws, 73.3%
Three-point goals: 8-32 (Bey 3-6, F.Jackson 2-7,
Stewart 1-1, Hayes 1-3, Lee 1-3, Diallo 0-1, Cunning-
ham 0-2, Garza 0-2, Joseph 0-3, Lyles 0-4). Team
Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots: 2
(Lyles 2). Turnovers: 13 (Cunningham 4, Diallo 3,
Hayes 2, Lee 2, Lyles, Stewart). Steals: 4 (Cunning-
ham 2, Hayes, Lyles). Technical Fouls: Diallo, 8:25
third
Miami 23 25 19 23— 90
Detroit 20 26 33 21— 100
A—15,188. T—2:22.
Trail Blazers 105, Grizzlies 100
PORTLAND
T Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
6 Little ......................35 4-8 4-5 4-9 3 3 12
9 Nance Jr. ................28 1-3 0-0 1-11 2 2 2
11 Nurkic ....................33 4-10 1-2 2-11 1 3 9
19 Lillard ....................37 9-19 11-12 0-5 5 3 32
8 Powell ....................34 10-16 3-4 0-3 4 3 28
24 Covington ...............33 5-7 0-0 1-8 0 2 13
5 Simons ..................20 2-9 5-5 1-2 2 1 9
6 McLemore ..............14 0-2 0-0 0-2 0 1 0
2 Totals 35-74 24-28 9-51 17 18 105
90 Shooting: Field goals, 47.3%; free throws, 85.7%
Three-point goals: 11-32 (Powell 5-8, Covington
3-5, Lillard 3-9, Nance Jr. 0-1, Nurkic 0-1, Little 0-2,
McLemore 0-2, Simons 0-4). Team Rebounds: 9.
Team Turnovers: 5. Blocked Shots: 9 (Covington 4,
Little 2, Nance Jr. 2, Powell). Turnovers: 20 (Nurkic 7,
Lillard 5, Powell 5, Simons 2, Little). Steals: 4
(Nance Jr. 2, Covington, Little). Technical Fouls:
None.
MEMPHIS
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Brooks ...................34 12-25 9-9 1-3 3 5 37
Jackson Jr. ..............20 3-6 5-6 1-2 1 6 11
Adams ...................35 5-8 3-3 4-9 5 0 13
Bane .....................33 4-12 0-0 0-2 2 4 9
Jones.....................30 2-8 0-0 0-0 5 0 5
Anderson................27 5-14 1-3 0-4 1 2 11
Melton ...................22 3-10 1-2 2-5 4 4 9
Konchar .................12 1-4 0-0 1-2 1 0 3
Tillman...................12 0-2 2-2 1-5 0 0 2
Tillie ......................10 0-2 0-0 0-1 0 1 0
Totals 35-91 21-25 10-33 22 22 100
Shooting: Field goals, 38.5%; free throws, 84.0%
Three-point goals: 9-34 (Brooks 4-10, Melton 2-5,
Konchar 1-3, Jones 1-4, Bane 1-8, Anderson 0-1,
Tillie 0-1, Jackson Jr. 0-2). Team Rebounds: 10. Team
Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 5 (Anderson, Bane,
Jackson Jr., Melton, Tillman). Turnovers: 8 (Anderson
2, Jackson Jr. 2, Melton 2, Bane, Tillman). Steals: 13
(Anderson 4, Adams 3, Melton 2, Bane, Brooks,
Jones, Tillman). Technical Fouls: Grizzlies, 11:28 first
Portland 28 23 26 28— 105
Memphis 32 20 28 20— 100
A—15,977. T—2:22.
Kings 121, Spurs 114
SAN ANTONIO
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Johnson .............31 5-14 4-4 2-11 1 2 16
Vassell ...............27 5-7 0-0 0-2 1 1 11
Poeltl .................33 2-10 0-0 5-8 3 3 4
Murray ...............35 11-17 3-4 0-7 9 2 25
White.................24 2-8 1-1 1-1 2 0 5
Forbes ...............26 7-12 0-0 0-1 0 1 18
Walker IV ............25 8-16 0-0 2-3 4 1 19
Landale..............10 1-2 4-4 1-2 0 1 7
Bates-Diop .........10 3-3 0-0 0-4 0 1 7
T.Jones ...............10 0-0 0-0 0-3 4 0 0
Eubanks...............3 1-2 0-0 2-2 0 0 2
Totals 45-91 12-13 13-44 24 12 114
Shooting: Field goals, 49.5%; free throws, 92.3%
Three-point goals: 12-25 (Forbes 4-8, Walker IV 3-4,
Johnson 2-5, Bates-Diop 1-1, Landale 1-1, Vassell 1-3,
White 0-3). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: None.
Blocked Shots: 8 (Bates-Diop 2, Poeltl 2, Eubanks,
Forbes, Vassell, White). Turnovers: 14 (Forbes 3, John-
son 2, Murray 2, Vassell 2, Eubanks, Landale, Poeltl,
T.Jones, White). Steals: 7 (Johnson 2, Forbes, Landale,
Murray, Poeltl, White). Technical Fouls: None.
SACRAMENTO
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Barnes ...............40 4-11 5-6 1-7 3 0 14
Metu..................31 2-8 5-6 1-6 1 2 9
Thompson ..........28 4-10 0-0 3-8 1 3 8
Haliburton ..........37 12-19 0-0 1-4 11 5 27
Hield .................39 10-18 2-2 1-3 4 2 29
Harkless .............32 2-3 0-1 0-2 1 3 4
D.Jones ..............19 9-15 3-3 4-8 1 1 23
Ramsey................8 3-4 0-0 0-1 1 2 7
Robinson..............2 0-3 0-0 0-1 0 1 0
Totals 46-91 15-18 11-40 23 19 121
Shooting: Field goals, 50.5%; free throws, 83.3%
Three-point goals: 14-25 (Hield 7-9, Haliburton 3-5,
D.Jones 2-2, Ramsey 1-1, Barnes 1-3, Harkless 0-1,
Robinson 0-1, Metu 0-3). Team Rebounds: 7. Team
Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 3 (D.Jones 2, Thompson).
Turnovers: 11 (Haliburton 3, Thompson 3, D.Jones,
Harkless, Hield, Metu, Ramsey). Steals: 11 (Metu 4,
Harkless 3, Haliburton 2, Hield, Ramsey). Technical
Fouls: None.
San Antonio 27 29 29 29— 114
Sacramento 37 26 28 30— 121
A—15,091. T—2:03.
Timberwolves 111, Mavericks 105
DALLAS
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Finney-Smith .......37 9-13 2-2 2-3 3 3 23
Porzingis .............23 2-9 9-9 0-3 1 1 13
Powell ................19 3-4 0-0 2-4 2 5 6
Brunson..............38 6-13 4-4 0-2 11 5 18
Hardaway Jr. ........40 10-19 4-5 0-6 6 2 28
Kleber ................30 2-4 0-0 2-14 3 4 6
S.Brown..............20 1-7 0-0 0-4 0 2 3
Burke .................16 2-8 0-0 0-3 1 2 4
M.Brown ...............9 1-4 2-2 1-2 0 1 4
Ja.McLaughlin........2 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 36-82 21-22 7-41 27 25 105
Shooting: Field goals, 43.9%; free throws, 95.5%
Three-point goals: 12-41 (Hardaway Jr. 4-13,
Finney-Smith 3-5, Kleber 2-4, Brunson 2-5, S.Brown
1-6, Ja.McLaughlin 0-1, Porzingis 0-2, Burke 0-5).
Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked
Shots: 2 (Hardaway Jr., Porzingis). Turnovers: 10
(Brunson 5, Powell 2, S.Brown 2, Hardaway Jr.).
Steals: 5 (Hardaway Jr. 2, Finney-Smith, Porzingis,
S.Brown). Technical Fouls: Kleber, 00:20 first.
MINNESOTA
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Beasley ..............30 4-13 1-2 0-1 5 2 13
Vanderbilt ...........38 3-4 0-2 1-10 2 3 6
Towns.................33 6-15 11-13 3-7 6 5 24
Beverley..............30 2-6 5-6 1-8 4 4 10
Russell ...............34 8-16 2-2 0-2 3 2 22
McDaniels...........31 5-8 0-0 0-1 1 2 12
Reid...................20 2-6 3-4 1-4 2 2 8
Nowell................18 6-9 2-2 0-4 3 1 16
Bolmaro ...............1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Totals 36-77 24-31 6-37 26 22 111
Shooting: Field goals, 46.8%; free throws, 77.4%
Three-point goals: 15-34 (Russell 4-7, Beasley 4-
12, Nowell 2-2, McDaniels 2-4, Reid 1-2, Towns 1-3,
Beverley 1-4). Team Rebounds: 10. Team Turnovers:
None. Blocked Shots: 3 (Beverley 2, Vanderbilt).
Turnovers: 9 (Towns 4, Beverley 2, McDaniels, Rus-
sell, Vanderbilt). Steals: 6 (Reid 2, Beasley, Beverley,
Towns, Vanderbilt). Technical Fouls: Vanderbilt,
00:19 second
Dallas 25 25 38 17— 105
Minnesota 27 29 30 25— 111
A—16,127. T—2:26.
Suns 137, Hornets 106
CHARLOTTE
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Mil.Bridges.......32 10-16 4-4 2-5 0 0 26
Hayward ..........26 4-13 0-0 0-2 3 0 9
Plumlee ...........16 1-3 2-2 3-9 4 3 4
Ball.................24 2-12 4-4 5-10 7 2 9
Rozier..............21 2-10 0-0 0-3 0 0 4
McDaniels........27 2-5 5-6 1-3 2 0 10
I.Smith ............24 2-6 0-0 1-2 3 4 5
Oubre Jr...........23 6-15 5-6 1-5 0 1 18
Washington ......23 4-13 3-4 0-1 4 0 13
Bouknight ........12 1-5 1-2 0-2 2 1 4
Richards ............8 2-2 0-0 0-1 1 1 4
Totals 36-100 24-28 13-43 26 12 106
Shooting: Field goals, 36.0%; free throws, 85.7%
Three-point goals: 10-45 (Mil.Bridges 2-6, Washington 2-9,
I.Smith 1-2, McDaniels 1-2, Bouknight 1-3, Hayward 1-5, Ball
1-6, Oubre Jr. 1-7, Rozier 0-5). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turn-
overs: None. Blocked Shots: 6 (Richards 3, Ball, Hayward,
I.Smith). Turnovers: 9 (I.Smith 4, Ball 2, McDaniels, Mil-
.Bridges, Rozier). Steals: 12 (Ball 2, McDaniels 2, Mil.Bridges
2, Richards 2, Washington 2, I.Smith, Oubre Jr.). Technical
Fouls: None.
PHOENIX
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Mik.Bridges ......30 6-10 0-0 2-4 5 0 16
Crowder...........21 4-6 3-3 0-6 1 2 14
Ayton ..............23 6-10 3-4 2-15 2 1 15
Booker ............26 6-15 0-0 0-6 5 4 16
Paul ................24 6-9 0-0 0-2 9 2 14
Payne..............24 5-6 0-0 0-6 7 3 11
Shamet ...........22 5-11 1-2 1-3 2 0 15
Johnson...........21 5-12 0-0 1-4 1 1 12
Payton.............15 0-3 0-0 1-1 1 4 0
McGee ............15 9-10 1-2 1-7 1 4 19
J.Smith ..............8 2-2 1-2 2-3 0 0 5
Wainright ...........5 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Totals 54-95 9-13 10-57 35 21 137
Shooting: Field goals, 56.8%; free throws, 69.2%
Three-point goals: 20-41 (Mik.Bridges 4-6, Booker 4-8,
Shamet 4-10, Crowder 3-4, Paul 2-4, Johnson 2-6, Payne 1-1,
Payton 0-1, Wainright 0-1). Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers:
1. Blocked Shots: 8 (Ayton 3, Crowder, Johnson, McGee, Payne,
Wainright). Turnovers: 17 (Payton 6, Payne 3, McGee 2, Ayton,
Booker, Crowder, Johnson, Mik.Bridges, Paul). Steals: 5 (Payne
2, Booker, McGee, Paul). Technical Fouls: None.
Charlotte 15 32 33 26— 106
Phoenix 37 32 39 29— 137
A—17,071. T—2:03.
L AT I M E S . C O M / S P O RT S
Jaquez ready to make mark at UCLA
[Jaquez, from D1]
tology license here, running
a successful beauty salon for
many years.
Gloria lives in Camarillo
now, and can often be seen in
the stands at her grand-
daughter’s games.
“I think she just takes a
lot of pride in us that we
[brother, Jaime, and her] get
to play on such a huge
stage,” Jaquez said of her
grandmother, “and repre-
sent the Mexican culture as
well.”
Jaquez’s grandmother
tells stories of her life as a
young woman in Zapot-
lanejo. She wasn’t allowed to
play sports growing up,
Jaquez said, and had to be a
“real girly-girl.”
“I had to ask her, ‘Did you
ever think you would have a
6-foot-tall granddaugh-
ter?’ ” Jaquez said. “She al-
ways laughs at me when I say
that.”
Family is extremely im-
portant to Jaquez, her father
Jaime Jaquez Sr. said. Ath-
letics are prevalent, with
older brother Jaquez Jr.
playing at UCLA, younger
brother Marcos a football
player at Camarillo and par-
ents former basketball play-
ers at Concordia University
in Irvine.
Jaquez credits much of
her natural drive to her
grandmother.
“Hard work is just in my
blood,” Jaquez said, “be-
cause she came over.”
::
The toughness also
comes as a byproduct of hav-
ing two brothers who play
sports.
Her father remembers
one particular instance
when his youngest son wad-
PREP BASKETBALL TOP 25
By Eric Sondheimer
Rk. School (W-L)
1 SIERRA CANYON (10-1)
2 CORONA CENTENNIAL (8-1) Getting ready for Classic at Damien (2)
3 DAMIEN (12-0)
4 HARVARD-WESTLAKE (12-1) Brady Dunlap is greatly improved (4)
5 ROLLING HILLS PREP (10-0) Still need to face top teams (6)
6 MATER DEI (7-2)
7 ETIWANDA (8-2)
8 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (9-1)
9 ST. BERNARD (7-1)
10 COLONY (7-0)
11 S.O. NOTRE DAME (11-2)
12 SANTA MARGARITA (9-0)
13 ST. JOHN BOSCO (10-2)
14 CAPISTRANO VALLEY
CHRISTIAN (11-0)
15 TAFT (9-1)
16 RIVERSIDE POLY (10-1)
17 CREAN LUTHERAN (5-0)
18 CROSSROADS (8-3)
19 BISHOP MONTGOMERY (8-1) Won Mission Prep opener (21)
20 GARDENA SERRA (7-3)
21 ST. ANTHONY (7-3)
22 ANAHEIM CANYON (10-2)
23 MIRA COSTA (11-1)
24 WEST RANCH (7-4)
25 LOYOLA (11-1)
Kempe, Sparks key Kings’ victory
The forward scores in
third period and the
recalled goalie stifles
short-handed Capitals.
KINGS 3
WASHINGTON 2
associated press
WASHINGTON — Adri-
an Kempe scored the
tiebreaking goal midway
through the third period to
give the Kings a 3-2 win over
the undermanned Washing-
ton Capitals on Sunday
night.
Washington was missing
forwards Nicklas Back-
strom, Evgeny Kuznetsov,
T.J. Oshie and Michael Sgar-
bossa, all on the COVID-19
list.
Oshie was placed on the
list earlier Sunday, and
Sgarbossa was a late
scratch.
The Kings were missing
forward Phillip Danault,
who was placed on the non-
roster/COVID-19 list.
Garret Sparks, recalled
from the minors before the
game, stopped 33 shots for
his first NHL win since
March 20, 2019.
In January 2019, Sparks
suffered a concussion in
practice with the Toronto
Maple Leafs and has strug-
M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 D5
Mel Melcon Los Angeles Times
GABRIELA JAQUEZ , sister of UCLA men’s player Jaime Jaquez Jr., will be a Bruin herself next season after a productive prep career.
dled over and punched his brothers in whatever back- memorabilia, she and her knows this about his daugh- Before she’d left, she’d
sister. She punched back. yard game they played, and mom, Angela, rediscovered ter: Show or tell Jaquez she given Jaquez an official offer.
Her younger brother tackled she still does. When her a piece of paper Jaquez had can’t do something, and On her birthday, Close was
her. She tackled him back. brother visits from UCLA, written as a goal: to play for she’s going to do it. ready to go to sleep when she
“It’s funny, because I the two will go at each other UCLA. “I had a chip on my shoul- got a text from assistant
think my daughter had her in games of one-on-one. “I was just like, ‘Wow,’ ” der,” Jaquez said. “I always coach Tony Newman to hop
pacifier in her mouth,” “She attacks, does her Jaquez said. “I just sat with knew I was going to play in a on a quick Zoom call.
Jaquez Sr. said. “She wasn’t moves, tries her best,” the paper … my mom was really good school, because I Close logged on, and
backing down.” Jaquez Jr. said. “I try to not kind of tearing up.” knew I wouldn’t let myself Jaquez was there, sur-
She never did. She liked give her all the confidence in But a frustrated Jaquez not. I would do whatever I rounded by family. Beaming,
to fight. She’d try to beat her the world that she can score wasn’t seeing offers of any could to get where I wanted she announced, “I want to be
on me, so I kind of try a little kind come in after a sopho- to be.” a Bruin!”
bit harder when she tries to “We went bananas,”
go at me.”
A decade or so later, she
gets a standoffish look on
‘I had a chip on my Close said. “I was almost
like, ‘Oh, just not sure I can
handle anything else,’ but
Comment (last week’s ranking)
her face when opponents try
to rough her up.
shoulder. I always knew I you know what, it was ex-
actly the medicine I needed
“You just go, ‘Uh oh,’ ” at exactly the right time.
Bronny James leads opening win in Hawaii (1) Prewitt said.
The look was there in her
was going to play in a really “She held onto her
dream, even when it took us
Coach Mike LeDuc goes for win No. 1,000 (3)
52-point performance last
season, which ended in good school. ... I would do a little longer to get on the
Gabriela Jaquez train.”
heartbreak with a one-point There are five Mexican
loss. The look has been there
plenty of times this season —
whatever I could to get players in NBA history.
Jaquez and her family are
Lost in Florida tournament (5)
Practicing for Classic at Damien (8)
after committing to UCLA,
Jaquez suddenly has a tar- where I wanted to be.’ well aware of the lack of rep-
resentation at the profes-
Malik Moore is finding his range (9) get on her back. sional level. Her father’s fa-
Opponents are trying to
— G ABRIELA JAQUEZ , UCLA signee
vorite team growing up was
First loss in Las Vegas tournament (10)
see how physical they can the Lakers, but he always
vs. West Torrance on Monday (11) get away with playing her, more season during which Her shooting percentage wished they had a player
vs. Valencia on Thursday (12) Prewitt said. Nothing has she averaged over 20 points. went from 41% her sopho- with a last name that ended
worked. She’s averaging 31.0 The reason for the holdout more season to 48% as a jun- in “ez.”
Rockwell Reynolds helping lead the way (13)
points and 13.6 rebounds in at the time, UCLA coach ior. After winning MVP of the “I never saw that growing
On TV vs. LB Wilson on Wednesday (14) leading Camarillo to an 11-0 Cori Close said, was Jaquez’s EYBL Nike Nationals, offers up,” Jaquez Sr. said. “I can
Playing in Las Vegas (15) record entering the Tourna- perimeter game. Her three- finally started pouring in just imagine the inspiration
ment of Champions on point percentage hovered in from Pac-12 schools. that my son and then my
Tuesday in Santa Barbara. the high 20s. daughter is going to have on
Waiting for West Valley League to begin (16)
“She competes,” Prewitt During the pandemic, :: people.”
Playing in Covina tournament (19) said. “Holy Toledo, she com- Jaquez spent hours each day With a national platform
Opening win in Las Vegas (NR) petes.” at the park working on her It was last July 29, Close’s at UCLA, Jaquez is looking
Bounced back with win over Desert Pines (7) jumper. Last year, she birthday, and she was forward to not only finding
:: switched AAU teams to play watching film in Spain. her own path, but being a
with Cal Stars, a club based The UCLA women’s role model on a bright stage.
Hosting own tournament this week (17) It has always been in Oakland. Twice a month, coach was overseas for a “I take a lot of pride in be-
Gave Harvard-Westlake strong battle (20) Jaquez’s dream to attend she’d hop on a Friday flight month while coaching USA ing a Mexican American
UCLA. When she was in ele- to Northern California, Basketball’s U19 World Cup that can be an example to
vs. Buena Park on Thursday (22) mentary school, she’d tell practice that night, twice team. At the same time, she many others,” she said.
At Claremont on Wednesday (23) her grandmother that she Saturday and once again knew her father, Don, was in Perhaps Jaquez will tuck
Facing top opponents (18) was going to play basketball Sunday morning before fly- poor health. He died a few the crucifix underneath the
there. A week ago, digging ing back that day. days later. It was an emo- blue of her Bruins uniform
Tournament action next week (25) through old file cabinets of Jaquez’s father said he tional time. next season too.
NHL STANDINGS
Pacific
WESTERN CONFERENCE
W L OL Pts GF GA
Carolina
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Metropolitan W
21
L
7
OL
1
Pts
43
GF
95
GA
62
Vegas 20 11 0 40 111 94
KINGS 3, CAPITALS 2 DUCKS 17 9 6 40 103 89 Washington 18 6 7 43 108 81
KINGS .....................................0 1 2 — 3 Calgary 15 7 6 36 87 62 N.Y. Rangers 19 7 4 42 86 77
Washington ..............................1 1 0 — 2 Pittsburgh 17 8 5 39 91 76
FIRST PERIOD: 1. Was., McMichael 4
Edmonton 18 11 0 36 101 90
Columbus 14 13 1 29 91 95
KINGS 14 11 5 33 80 79
(Snively), 7:58. Penalties—Grundstrom,
KINGS (interference), 1:52. Eller, WSH (inter- San Jose 15 14 1 31 78 85 Philadelphia 12 12 5 29 77 95
ference), 10:50. Malenstyn, WSH (holding), Vancouver 14 15 2 30 81 90 New Jersey
N.Y. Islanders
10
8
15
12
5
6
25
22
82
57
105
77
15:13. Seattle 10 17 3 23 84 108
SECOND PERIOD: 2. Was., Schultz 2 Atlantic W L OL Pts GF GA
(Hathaway, Sheary), 13:47. 3. KINGS, Lizotte Central W L OL Pts GF GA
3 (Iafallo, Kopitar), 17:04 (sh). Minnesota 19 8 2 40 108 85 Tampa Bay 19 6 4 42 94 77
Penalties—Lemieux, KINGS (fighting), 1:32. Toronto 20 8 2 42 98 76
Nashville 19 10 1 39 89 79
Malenstyn, WSH (fighting), 1:32. van Riems- Florida 18 7 4 40 104 87
dyk, WSH (roughing), 1:32. Lizotte, KINGS St. Louis 17 9 5 39 106 85
Detroit 15 13 3 33 88 104
(roughing), 1:32. Lemieux, KINGS (rough- Colorado 17 8 2 36 115 91
ing), 1:32. Andersson, KINGS (slashing), Winnipeg 14 11 5 33 90 87 Boston 14 10 2 30 71 69
4:09. Schultz, WSH (tripping), 6:56. Lizotte, Buffalo 10 15 5 25 82 104
KINGS (hooking), 9:46. Lizotte, KINGS (un- Dallas 14 12 2 30 75 81
sportsmanlike conduct), 9:46. Wolanin, Chicago 11 15 4 26 72 97 Ottawa 9 17 2 20 79 101
KINGS (high-sticking), 16:42. Arizona 6 21 2 14 56 109 Montreal 7 21 3 17 67 109
THIRD PERIOD: 4. KINGS, Wolanin 1 (Roy),
2:50. 5. KINGS, Kempe 12 (Brown, Roy), Note: Overtime or shootout losses worth one point.
9:36. Penalties—Andersson, KINGS
(roughing), 2:11. Sheary, WSH (roughing),
2:11. van Riemsdyk, WSH (hooking), 10:03.
SHOTS ON GOAL: KINGS 5-9-10—24. Was. RESULTS
14-11-10—35. Power-play conversions— KINGS 3 Garret Sparks stopped 33 shots in his Kings debut and
KINGS 0 of 4. Was. 0 of 6.
GOALIES: KINGS, Sparks 1-0-0 (35 AT WASHINGTON 2 Adrian Kempe capped three unanswered goals for L.A.
shots-33 saves). Was., Vanecek 6-4-5 (24- VEGAS 4 Shea Theodore scored twice and former Islander Robin
21). Att—18,573 (18,277). T—2:39.
AT N.Y. ISLANDERS 3 (SO) Lehner made 29 stops after receiving a video tribute.
AT WINNIPEG 4 Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Paul Stastny all scored
Luis M. Alvarez Associated Press the end of a period like that, ST. LOUIS 2 in the Jets’ first win under interim coach Dave Lowry.
THE KINGS’ Adrian Kempe, top right, celebrates it puts them on the board, it
PITTSBURGH 3 Tristan Jarry made a last-second stop on Andreas
with his teammates after scoring in the third period. gets them some energy and
Johnsson to seal seven straight wins for the Penguins.
AT NEW JERSEY 2
some life and a possibility,”
gled since. he in turn, playing as well as he said. “We just let our BOSTON
Ppd.
“It’s been a long road he did tonight, it’s a chapter guard down, so we needed to AT OTTAWA
back here,” Sparks said. in a book.” do better than that.” NASHVILLE
“I’ve been through a ton. I Blake Lizotte scored Connor McMichael and Ppd.
AT CAROLINA
got to step into a situation short-handed and Christian Justin Schultz each had a
TORONTO
where they needed me.” Wolanin also had a goal for goal for Washington. Ppd.
AT SEATTLE
Kings coach Todd McLel- the Kings, who trailed by two Kempe’s 12th goal of the
lan was thrilled with Sparks’ late in the second period. season, which fluttered off ARIZONA
Ppd.
performance. Washington coach Peter his stick in front of the net, AT VANCOUVER
“He’s had some real highs Laviolette said he thought beat Vitek Vanecek, who
and some real lows,” McLel- the short-handed goal was made 21 saves. TODAY’S GAMES
lan said. “For the group to vital. The Capitals had won DUCKS at Edmonton, ppd. Columbus at Buffalo, 4 p.m.
play hard and come back “I don’t know if it turned their last five games against Montreal at N.Y. Islanders, ppd. Colorado at Detroit, ppd.
with him, I think for him, and the tide, but it certainly at the Kings. Minnesota at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.
D6 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 S L AT I M E S . C O M / S P O RT S

THE DAY IN SPORTS

NHL is halting more games

staff and wire reports

The NHL season will con-

tinue despite the recent in-
crease in positive tests for
the coronavirus, the NHL
and NHL Players’ Assn. said
Sunday, but games involving
travel between teams based
in the U.S. and Canada will
be postponed starting Mon-
day and extending through
Thursday, the last day be-
fore the league’s scheduled
holiday break.
The league and the play-
ers union also said they are
“actively discussing” play-
ers’ scheduled participation
in the Beijing Winter
Charlie Neibergall Associated Press Olympics hockey tourna-
IOWA STATE’S Tre Jackson, right, and Southeast- ment and they expect to
ern Louisiana ’s Roscoe Eastmond battle for the ball. make a determination “in
the coming days.” It appears
TOP 25 BASKETBALL ROUNDUP increasingly unlikely that
players will travel to China

No. 11 Iowa State

for the Games.
The NHL formulated two
schedules, one with a break
to allow players to represent

is a perfect 11-0
their homelands at the
Olympics and another that
did not halt play in the event Scott Audette Associated Press
players don’t go to China. TIGER WOODS embraces his 12-year-old son, Charlie, after they finished their
That second schedule could final round at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Fla. They placed second.
2013-14 season, when the Cy- be adjusted to accommo-
associated press
clones went 14-0. date games that have been lanta, Denver at Brooklyn, quarterback Bo Nix an- ery from a right wrist injury
postponed. and New Orleans at Phila- nounced on Instagram that will force him to miss the
Caleb Grill and Izaiah No. 17 Texas 60, Stanford The latest NHL post- delphia. Also shelved were he’s transferring to Oregon. ATP Cup on Jan. 1-9 and an-
Brockington combined for 53: Andrew Jones scored 13 ponements include the Orlando’s game at Toronto other tournament in Sydney
37 points and No. 11 Iowa points and Texas beat Stan- Kings’ scheduled game on Monday and Washing- In a remarkable return on Jan. 9-15 ahead of the
State pulled away from visit- ford in the Pac-12 Coast-to- against Edmonton on ton’s game at Brooklyn on from a car crash 10 months Australian Open.
ing Southeastern Louisiana Coast Challenge in Las Wednesday at Staples Cen- Tuesday. ago on the Palos Verdes
for a 77-54 victory Sunday to Vegas. The Longhorns (8-2) ter and the Ducks’ games at The postponements Peninsula that badly dam- Former Bills linebacker
remain unbeaten. used a 13-0 second-half run Edmonton on Monday and came on the same day that aged his right leg, Tiger Harry Jacobs, who was a
Grill finished with 20 to pull away. Timmy Allen at Vancouver on Thursday. the Atlanta Hawks an- Woods and 12-year-old son key member of Buffalo’s 1964
points on seven-for-11 shoot- and Dylan Disu each added Sunday’s announcement nounced star guard Trae Charlie set a tournament and 1965 AFL championship
ing for the Cyclones (11-0), in- 11 points. Harrison Ingram brought the number of post- Young entered the league’s record with 11 consecutive teams, died Friday. He was
cluding six for 10 from three- had 15 points and seven re- ponements to 39, with addi- health and safety protocols. birdies and pushed John 84. The team announced
point range. bounds for Stanford (6-4). tional postponements pos- Leaguewide, through Daly and his son to the finish Jacobs’ death. He had Alz-
Brockington added 17 sible after the holiday break. Sunday evening, there were at the PNC Championship in heimer’s disease.
points on seven-for-12 shoot- Women The league also an- at least 75 players from 20 Orlando, Fla. Daly and John
ing. He also grabbed 11 re- No. 13 Michigan 74, No. 5 nounced that Detroit Red teams who have either been Daly II, a freshman at Ar- The next big leap in
bounds. Baylor 68 (OT): Leigha Wings games would be post- ruled out to play — or in the kansas, won by two strokes. snowboarding was made on
Southeastern Louisiana Brown scored 25 points to poned at least through case of the postponed “We had just the best a halfpipe at Copper Moun-
(4-8) shot just 37% from the lead Michigan over Baylor in Dec. 26. games, would have been time ever,” Woods said. tain, Colo. Japanese star
field. the Hall of Fame Women’s — Helene Elliott ruled out — because they are The birdie streak ended Ayumu Hirano finished fifth
The last time Iowa State Showcase in Uncasville, in the protocols. on the final hole, a par five. at the Dew Tour event, but
won its first 11 games was the Conn. It was the Wolverines’ Team Daly shot a 15-under- he became the first person to
first win over a top-five team. ETC. Devin Booker scored 16 par 57 in the scramble for- land a triple-cork jump in
The game was a rematch of points in his return to mat and finished at 27-under competition.
last season’s NCAA tourna- COVID further Phoenix’s lineup after miss- 117 over two rounds, breaking Ayumu’s Japanese team-
ment overtime thriller that ing seven games because of a by one the tournament mark mate, Yuto Totsuka, placed
PAC-12 Baylor won 78-75. affects NBA hamstring injury, and the set by Davis Love III and his first.
STANDINGS NBA-leading Suns set a sea- son three years ago. Team Defending Olympic
No. 6 Louisville 69, No. 7 The NBA postponed a to- son scoring high in a 137-106 Woods also shot a 57. champion Chloe Kim of the
Conf. Overall
Connecticut 64: In Un- tal of five games involving victory over the visiting U.S. edged out Queralt
TEAM W L W L casville, Hailey Van Lith nine teams in response to Charlotte Hornets. … Sad- The top 50 from the final Castellet of Spain to win the
USC 2 0 12 0 scored 10 of her 16 points late rising coronavirus numbers, diq Bey had 26 points, and golf world ranking of the year women’s event.
UCLA 2 0 8 1 and Louisville (10-1) out- raising the number of games the host Detroit Pistons was set, adding 10 players to
Arizona 1 0 11 0 lasted Connecticut (6-3), that have been pushed back beat the Miami Heat 100-90 the Masters field in April. In- Norwegian skier Henrik
Colorado 1 1 9 3 which was playing its third this season to seven. to end their skid at a fran- cluded are Matthew Wolff, Kristoffersen won the Alta
straight game without in- Called off were three Sun- chise-record-tying 14 games. Mackenzie Hughes and Badia giant slalom in Italy. …
Washington State 1 1 8 4 jured star Paige Bueckers. day games: Cleveland at At- Ryan Palmer. The final Sofia Goggia of Italy won
Utah 1 1 7 4 The Washington Mystics ranking, along with other the women’s World Cup su-
Stanford 1 1 6 4 won the WNBA draft lottery criteria, puts the field at 83. per-giant slalom in Val
California 1 1 7 5 for the first time. Washing- The list also includes d’Isere, France.
ton had the third-best Woods, who has not deter-
Arizona State 1 1 5 7 SOUTHLAND chance — 17.8% — to win the mined whether he will be Manchester City moved
Washington 0 1 5 4
MEN top pick but beat the odds. able to compete at Augusta further atop the English Pre-
Oregon 0 2 6 6 The Indiana Fever will National on April 8-11. mier League standings, eas-
Duquesne 76, UC Irvine 54: Leon Ayers III had a career-best
Oregon State 0 2 1 10
24 points as the Dukes (5-7) defeated the Anteaters (5-4) in draft second. Atlanta will ing past host Newcastle 4-0.
Akron, Ohio. Emmanuel Tshimanga scored 14 for UC Irvine. pick third and Dallas fourth. Chinese tennis star Peng … Depleted by coronavirus
SUNDAY’S RESULTS New York will select fifth, fol- Shuai denied saying she was infections, first-place Real
No. 17 Texas 60, Stanford 53 at UC Santa Barbara 73, Florida A&M 62: Ajay Mitchell lowed by Dallas, Chicago, sexually assaulted, despite a Madrid was held to a 0-0
at California 61, Dartmouth 55 scored 13 points, Amadou Sow added nine points and 10 re- Minnesota, Seattle, Indiana, November social media post draw against visiting Cadiz
San Francisco 66, at Arizona State 65 bounds, and the Gauchos (6-4) beat the Rattlers (2-9). Las Vegas and Connecticut. attributed to her that ac- in the Spanish league to end
TUESDAY’S GAMES Sacramento State at UC Riverside: The Hornets-High- cused a former top Commu- a 10-game winning streak
landers game was called off because of COVID-19 concerns. The men’s basketball nist Party official of forcing across all competitions.
No. 10 USC vs. Oklahoma State ....... Canceled
Florida A&M at Arizona State................2 p.m. game scheduled for Tuesday her into sex. Jorge Molina scored three
WOMEN
Fresno State at Utah .......................... 4 p.m. between No. 15 Ohio State times in Granada’s 4-1 home
No. 7 Kansas at Colorado ................... 6 p.m. No. 24 Ohio State at UCLA: Canceled (COVID-19 protocols) and visiting Tennessee Mar- U.S. Open champion win over Mallorca to become
Pepperdine at Oregon .........................6 p.m. tin was canceled because of Emma Raducanu, 19, was the oldest player (39 years
Utah Valley at Washington....................6 p.m. TODAY continuing COVID-19 issues voted the BBC’s sports per- and 241 days) to score a hat
Nicholls State at Oregon State ..............8 p.m. MEN in the Buckeyes program. ... sonality of the year. … Domi- trick in the top five Europe-
Long Beach State at San Diego, canceled (COVID-19) Former Auburn starting nic Thiem’s lengthy recov- an leagues.

COVID-19 forces USC men’s basketball to pause

times last season. One
No. 10 Trojans cancel matchup with Stanford was
moved four times because of
Tuesday matchup COVID-19 issues. Down the
with Oklahoma State stretch last season, the Tro-
jans ended up playing four
because of outbreak games in seven days before
within the team. jump-starting a run to the
Elite Eight.
The status of USC’s up-
By Ryan Kartje coming conference schedule
this season is still up in the
USC’s sensational start air. The Trojans’ next sched-
to the basketball season is uled matchup isn’t until
officially on hold amid an Dec. 30, when Arizona State
outbreak of COVID-19 within is slated to come to Galen
its program. Center. USC gets No. 8 Ari-
The No. 10 Trojans’ final zona after that in a marquee,
trip of the nonconference in-conference matchup of
season was cut short Sun- top-10 teams.
day, as the team was forced The sudden pause comes
to cancel its Tuesday night amid a rash of outbreaks
matchup against Oklahoma forcing cancellations across
State and pause all team ac- college basketball. UCLA
tivities because of several has canceled each of its last
confirmed positive cases. three games, including a
The nonconference matchup against North Car-
matchup in Oklahoma City, olina, as it deals with
which was billed as part of COVID-19 issues. Bruins
the Compete 4 Cause Clas- coach Mick Cronin was
sic, will not be rescheduled. among those forced to iso-
It’s the first game USC’s late amid an outbreak
basketball team has had within the program.
canceled outright since last For USC, it’s particularly
December, when the Tro- unfortunate timing. The
jans were also forced to Trojans had already found
pause team activities amid their stride during a 12-0
an outbreak of the virus. start.
That outbreak claimed two And with a crucial
nonconference games, while stretch of conference play
a conference matchup with ahead in late December and
Oregon State was resched- early January, they will be
uled for later in the season. forced to recapture that Kyusung Gong Associated Press
USC was forced to re- magic after a lengthy time USC, OFF TO a 12-0 start this season thanks in part to leading scorer Isaiah Mobley, canceled its game Tues-
shuffle its schedule several away from team activities. day night against Oklahoma State and halted all activity because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the team.
LOS ANGELES TIMES MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021 DD1

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

Liam Eisenberg For The Times

AN APPRECIATION

What THE SHOW’S L.A. FILM

CRITICS ASSN.

Going
we owe
bell THE PRIZE their
hooks ‘Jeopardy!,’ a staple of ABC stations for decades, own
could be focus of a network bidding war next year.
By Lynnée Denise
BY STEPHEN BATTAGLIO AND MEG JAMES
way
ast summer, the beloved game has aired “Jeopardy!” on its owned TV sta-

“I am driven to write,
compelled by a constant
longing to choreograph, to
bring words together in pat-
terns and configurations
that move the spirit.”
I met bell hooks in 2014.
She was a primary collabo-
rator in developing a con-
cept I call DJ Scholarship.
In fact, the notion — to re-
position the DJ’s role from a
party purveyor to an archiv-
ist, cultural custodian and
information specialist of
music with critical value —
emerged from a commis-
sioned mixtape, “Soulful
Critical Thought: bell hooks
and the Making of a DJ
Scholar.” My selections were
true to who I thought
hooks was, both within and
beyond print. And what she
was was a genius. She was
vulnerable and complex,
sharp and unashamed of
how she walked the world.
And with courage, discipline
and dedication, she carved
out space for me to exist.
[See Hooks, E2]
L
show “Jeopardy!” was getting
pummeled with bad publicity
over a botched search for a
new host.
But Sony Pictures Television’s stumbles
trying to find a successor to the late Alex
Trebek did not seem to matter much to
fans. In the 2021-22 television season, the
program is averaging 9.1 million viewers, up
6% compared with last year, according to
Nielsen data.
So far this season, the audience for “Jeop-
ardy!” has surpassed that for every prime-
time broadcast entertainment show, in-
cluding NBC’s “The Voice.” It’s been a big-
ger draw than the Grammy Awards; its
crowd nearly equals the turnout for this
year’s Oscars telecast. Only NFL football
telecasts consistently perform better.
The program’s resilience at a time when
traditional TV audiences are shrinking has
not gone unnoticed. Although Disney/ABC
An insider look at
tions since 1984, competitors ViacomCBS
voting for the best of
and NBCUniversal have discussed making
2021, from ‘Drive My
a play to get the legendary game show and
Car’ to ‘Barb & Star.’
“Wheel of Fortune” for their major-market
TV stations, according to several network By Justin Chang
and Jen Yamato
and studio executives not authorized to dis-
cuss the matter publicly.
“Drive My Car,” an ele-
The intense interest is setting up a dy- gant, multithreaded drama
namic for an old-fashioned network bid- from Japanese director-co-
writer Ryusuke Hamaguchi,
ding war next year among buyers looking won best picture from the
for an edge for their stations as they com- Los Angeles Film Critics
pete for a diminishing pool of viewers. Assn. on Saturday. It was
the latest of the many times
“Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” are that L.A. critics have chosen
syndicated on TV stations across the coun- a non-English-language film
as the year’s best, following
try. ABC has long had the rights to the show
such earlier winners as “Par-
in the country’s five largest TV markets, in- asite” and “Roma.” “Drive
cluding on its Los Angeles outlet KABC, My Car,” adapted from a
Haruki Murakami short
WABC in New York and KGO in San Fran-
story, also won the organiza-
cisco. tion’s screenplay prize.
“Everybody wants it,” said one high-level Other honorees included
the 1920s Montana western
entertainment executive. “The Power of the Dog” for
Disney/ABC would [See ‘Jeopardy!,’ E6] director Jane Campion, cin-
ematographer Ari Wegner
and supporting actor Kodi
Smit-McPhee, who tied in
that category with Vincent

All the right angles for a stunning scene

A ‘Succession’ shot
wows fans. Were Old
Masters consulted?
Experts break it down.
By Paula Mejía
Over three gripping sea-
sons, HBO’s “Succession”
has followed ruthless mem-
bers of the Roy family as
they wheedle and extort
their way to a place atop the
media empire they feel enti-
tled to. The Season 3 finale
packed an emotional wallop
as patriarch Logan Roy —
and Shiv’s husband, Tom
Wambsgans — forged an un-
HBO holy alliance to sell Waystar
SCENE from the Season 3 finale of “Succession,” with Kieran Culkin, left, Jeremy to the tech firm GoJo; the
Strong and Sarah Snook, has drawn comparisons to Renaissance and Baroque art. deal effectively cuts the Roy
children out of controlling
the family business.
Yet the twist ending
wasn’t the moment that
seemed to resonate most
with fans. Instead, it was an
intimate frame depicting
three Roy siblings, Roman
(Kieran Culkin), Kendall
(Jeremy Strong) and Shiv
(Sarah Snook), united in
their misery as it dawns on
them that their father really
is selling their birthright. In
the scene, they sheepishly
attempt to comfort one an-
other as their worlds unrav-
el. This unusual intimacy is
brought into sharp relief by
the blistering midday sun
hovering above them, the
angles of a rectangular
building that frame their fig-
ures and the low, wide-angle
[See ‘Succession,’ E6]
Lindon (“Titane”). Penélo-
pe Cruz won lead actress for
“Parallel Mothers,” Ariana
DeBose won supporting ac-
tress for “West Side Story”
and Simon Rex won lead ac-
tor for “Red Rocket.” Céline
Sciamma’s “Petite Maman”
[See Critics, E3]
‘Station Eleven’
series vs. book
How the HBO Max
pandemic tale veers
from the book it’s
based on and why. E3
Drakeo helped
define L.A. rap
The hip-hop artist, 28,
known for his palette
of evocative lyrics,
died from stabbing. B5
Comics ................... E4-5
What’s on TV .......... E6
E2 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
A central figure in
Black feminist thought
[Hooks, from E1]
Placing her ideas on the
turntables created a sound-
track of her range and rigor.
The mixtape moved her to
invite me to Berea, Ky., on
several occasions. We broke
bread, shared intimate sto-
ries about our histories and
exchanged visions of our fu-
ture. In her home, she
pointed out her most pre-
cious possessions and
places: her books, her
kitchen, her meditation
space.
When she was ill in the
last two years, I visited bell
several times. Knowing she
was alone, I sent her poetry
and tinctures. When we
spoke by phone, she talked
about not wanting to die
alone — and not wanting to
be part of a legacy of Black
female scholars who die pre-
maturely, get quoted, exca-
vated, rendered a once-was
figure in the archive without
being fully honored for their
complexity. hooks died
Wednesday at age 69.
The question of hooks’
legacy is urgent and right-
fully demanding. We owe her
the scholarly care reserved
for men like Frederick Doug-
lass and Frantz Fanon, as
bell was equally profound
and prolific. We hold her
memory close with Toni
Morrison, whose work she
studied through her 1983
dissertation. hooks was an
influential voice in the leg-
endary scholarship of Sai-
diya Hartman, her former
teacher’s assistant at Yale.
She is part of a lineage of
women who call on diverse
genres of literature to access
the inner-life worlds of Black
people. Her writing is a tes-
tament to the passionate po-
etics of Black performance.
We can never thank bell
hooks enough. She was an
educator and public intel-
lectual who hand-wrote the
first drafts of all her books.
She crafted critical lectures
in the fiery spirit of her ma-
ternal great-grandmother
and (chosen) namesake Bell
Sarah Hooks, born in 1893.
She was the product of
many Black Southern wom-
Watch clips from Mass Q&A
Fran Kranz
Director, Writer
Reed Birney
Actor - Richard
About the film: Years after an unspeakable tragedy
tore their lives apart, two sets of parents agree to talk
privately in an attempt to move forward. In Fran Kranz’
writing and directing debut, he thoughtfully examines
their journey of grief, anger and acceptance by coming
face-to-face with the ones who have been left behind.
WATCH NOW
at latimes.com/screenings
Virtual screening sponsored by Bleecker Street
Karjean Levine Getty Images
BELL HOOKS, in 1996,
gifted world a compass
out of the shadows.
en whose sharecropping
feminism shaped the voice
that encircles us. We owe bell
hooks for how she laid her
body on the academic front
line — how she nuanced
questions about Black life
that set us up for a more
imaginable freedom.
One strategy to achieve
this freedom, she believed,
was radical love. bell hooks
gave Black women a new
way to understand the life of
a mind as the starting point
for activism and personal
transformation. Thank you
was never enough.
A central figure in Black
feminist thought, she forced
us to reckon with how patri-
archy sometimes appears on
the faces of our mothers. She
helped bring new language
to our critique of popular
culture, to show how the leg-
acy of slavery revealed itself
through the American
imagination. But to call her
a cultural critic falls short.
Her conviction that “im-
perialist white supremacist
capitalist patriarchy” is an
active system that lives in
us all means that imagined
freedom is for all of us or
none of us. It’s a provocation
she channeled through mul-
tiple disciplines — critic, film
scholar, literary professor
and public intellectual. bell
hooks’ radical insistence
that imperialism, white su-
premacy, capitalism and pa-
Martha Plimpton
Actress - Gail
Ann Dowd
Actress - Linda
triarchy are interlinked is
just as relevant in this cen-
tury as W.E.B. Du Bois’ pre-
diction that the problem of
the last century would be
the color line.
We owe her for the way
we wrapped ourselves in her
intellectual curiosity, which
became a force field around
the Black people she laid
theoretical hands on. Hands
that drew on leftist litera-
ture, Buddhist psychology,
soulful arguments, and
sound interventions against
racialized and gendered
capitalism. We must offer
our own contributions and
bodies of work, because bell
hooks gave us a compass
out of the shadows. We all
found a piece of ourselves in
the multiplicity of curi-
osities she carried in her
reading, writing and listen-
ing practice.
Anyone engaging with
her work now must ask
deeper questions about care
as an inherent part of Black
feminist collective memory
work. She told me that if
theory isn’t life changing, it
deserves less of her atten-
tion. In the last years of her
life, she turned that atten-
tion toward love and mys-
tery. Mystery books occu-
pied space in every room.
She had rituals to fill the
space of uncertainty, alone-
ness and pandemic fatigue.
The rituals carried her
through the seasons.
December deaths are es-
pecially hard. They hold the
quiet of winter reflection.
Greg Tate, James Brown
and Teena Marie left us days
or weeks before the new year.
So when I learned of bell
hooks’ declining condition
and held her hand in her last
days, I thanked her for what
she gave me — and us — be-
fore she transitioned in her
pre-Kentucky-winter home.
Denise is an artist, scholar,
writer and DJ whose work
reflects on underground
cultural movements. An
L.A. native, she is the
Sterling Brown ’22 visiting
professor of Africana
Studies at Williams College.
Jason Isaacs
Actor - Jay
“NO WAY HOME” has wowed critics and fans alike, and it shows at box office.
Box office falls into
‘Spider-Man’s’ web
‘No Way Home’
snares a pandemic-
best $253 million to
debut in first place.
By Christi Carras
With great power comes
great profitability.
“Spider-Man: No Way
Home” came out swinging
at the domestic box office
over the weekend, collecting
a pandemic-best $253 mil-
lion at theaters, according
to estimates from measure-
ment firm Comscore.
On Friday alone, the
most anticipated movie of
the year took in $121.9 million
— the second-highest open-
ing-day tally in domestic box
office history and the most
lucrative December debut of
all time, according to figures
from Sony Pictures. The Fri-
day opening was also the
best in Sony Pictures and
“Spider-Man” franchise his-
tory. “No Way Home” cost
$200 million to make.
Sony and Marvel’s suc-
cessful release comes as the
rapidly spreading Omicron
coronavirus variant has
started to dampen other do-
mestic entertainment and
sports events.
“This weekend’s historic
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
results, from all over the
world and in the face of
many challenges, reaffirm
the unmatched cultural im-
pact that exclusive theat-
rical films can have when
they are made and marketed
with vision and resolve,”
Tom Rothman, chairman
and chief executive of Sony
Pictures’ Motion Picture
Group, said in a statement.
With this “Spider-Man”
installment, Marvel has offi-
cially swept the top five the-
atrical debuts since pan-
demic shutdowns began in
March 2020. In second place
was Sony’s “Venom: Let
There Be Carnage” ($90 mil-
lion), followed by Disney’s
“Black Widow” ($80.4 mil-
lion) “Shang-Chi and the
Legend of the Ten Rings”
($75.4 million) and “Eter-
nals” ($71 million).
To date, only two movies
have opened above “No Way
Home” at the domestic box
Info Line
ROYAL
11523 Santa Monica Blvd. West L.A.
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FLEE C
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JULIA C
4:30 PM
MARX CAN WAIT
3:10 5:20 7:30
BARGAIN IN ( ) CLOSED CAPTION
office: 2019’s “Avengers:
Endgame” ($357.1 million)
and 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity
War” ($257.7 million), which
were distributed by Disney.
The previous biggest
opening for a Spidey film
was 2007’s “Spider-Man 3”
($151.1 million), then 2017’s
“Spider-Man: Homecom-
ing” ($117 million), 2002’s
“Spider-Man” ($114.8 mil-
lion), 2019’s “Spider-Man:
Far From Home” ($92.6 mil-
lion), 2014’s “The Amazing
Spider-Man 2” ($91.6 mil-
lion), 2004’s “Spider-Man 2”
($88.2 million), 2012’s “The
Amazing Spider-Man”
($62 million) and 2018’s “Spi-
der-Man: Into the Spider-
Verse” ($35.4 million).
Directed by Jon Watts,
“No Way Home” sees the
lives of Peter Parker (Tom
Holland), girlfriend MJ
(Zendaya) and best friend
Ned (Jacob Batalon) spiral
into chaos after Spider-Man
is unmasked and a multi-
verse full of familiar faces
from alternate timelines is
accidentally unleashed.
The cast also includes
Benedict Cumberbatch as
Doctor Strange, Benedict
Wong as Wong and Marisa
Tomei as Aunt May, as well
as a number of returning vil-
lains from previous Spider-
Man sagas, including Willem
Dafoe as the Green Goblin,
Jamie Foxx as Electro and
Alfred Molina as Doc Ock.
The grand finale of the
Holland trilogy has wowed
critics — scoring 94% on re-
view aggregation site Rotten
Tomatoes — as well as audi-
ences polled by Cinema-
Score, which gave the buzzy-
film a rare A-plus grade.
Much like its titular web-
slinging teen, “No Way
Home” was destined for
greatness after making a
killing in advance ticket
sales. As usual, Sony has
opted to release it exclu-
sively in theaters, a strategy
that has given the studio a
significant edge over com-
petitors streaming new ti-
tles simultaneously during
the public health crisis.
It also helps that your
friendly neighborhood Spi-
der-Man continues to be one
of the most popular charac-
ters in the Marvel canon, re-
cently spurring a turbulent
intellectual property dis-
TM
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MINAMATA E
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1:10 7:15
NIGHTS OF CABIRIA I
FRANCE
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SPIDERMAN: NO WAY
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HOME C
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BENEDETTA
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NON-STANDARD PRICING
L AT I M E S . C O M / CA L E N DA R
Sony Pictures
pute between Disney and
Sony over the human-arach-
nid hero.
In the months leading up
to “No Way Home,” count-
less fan theories about what
— and especially who —
might be introduced into the
multiverse have triggered
the Spidey senses of diehard
Marvel enthusiasts, who
likely flocked to theaters im-
mediately if for no other rea-
son than to find out which of
those rumors were true.
“ ‘No Way Home’ ... does
strive to pull off something
memorable, and largely suc-
ceeds,” writes Times film
critic Justin Chang. “It’s rare
to see such surreally elabo-
rate narrative gymnastics
arise from what is basically a
long-running game of corpo-
rate tug-of-war ... but there is
something admittedly dis-
arming about the solution
that ‘No Way Home’ hits up-
on. Without saying too much
... three parallel Spider-Man
universes that once were
forced to stand apart now
get to belatedly salute each
other, in a warm, even recon-
ciliatory spirit.”
Disney’s animated musi-
cal “Encanto” claimed sec-
ond place, with $6.5 million,
according to Comscore. Also
new to theaters over the
weekend was Oscar-winning
director Guillermo del
Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,”
starring Bradley Cooper,
Cate Blanchett, Rooney
Mara and Toni Collette. The
Searchlight Pictures period
drama landed in fifth place,
grossing $3 million and con-
tinuing a trend of adult-driv-
en prestige titles under-
whelming at the North
American box office.
Falling to third place in
its sophomore weekend was
another adult-skewing film:
20th Century Studios and
Steven Spielberg’s “West
Side Story,” which picked up
$3.4 million for a domestic
cumulative of $18 million.
Launching in wide re-
lease this weekend are
Warner Bros.’ “The Matrix
Resurrections,” Universal
Pictures’ “Sing 2” and 20th
Century Studios’ “The
King’s Man.”
Times staff writer Matt
Pearce contributed to this
report.
www.LAEMMLE.com
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SPIDERMAN: NO WAY
HOME C
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BEING THE RICARDOS E
4:20 PM
DON’T LOOK UP E
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WEST SIDE STORY C
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BENEDETTA
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FOR 12/20/2021 ONLY
L AT I M E S . C O M / CA L E N DA R
Detours in ‘Station Eleven’ journey
TV spin on pandemic
tale veers from book
at points. The series
creator explains why.
By Ashley Lee
The first minutes of
“Station Eleven” take place
during a stage play. When an
actor suddenly pauses his
lines and collapses, Jeevan,
played by Himesh Patel,
jumps up from his seat and
rushes onstage to help. “He’s
having a heart attack,” he
says.
This scene is also the
opening of the book on
which the HBO Max series
is based. In the 2014 best-
seller, Jeevan is introduced
as a paramedic in training,
which is why he’s able to rec-
ognize the symptoms and
begin CPR. On-screen, how-
ever, Jeevan hasn’t yet made
such a career change; in-
stead, he calls out for a doc-
tor while looking down help-
lessly at the collapsed actor.
It’s a small but significant
tweak, says series creator
Patrick Somerville.
“He’s this guy who wants
to help others but is not
equipped to. To help the au-
dience be present for his
journey right along with him,
it made a lot more sense that
his dream of becoming a
healer began in a moment we
get to watch ourselves, not
something that happened
weeks ago that we have to tell
you about in some expos-
itory scene later.”
On-screen and on the
page, “Station Eleven”
sprawls across numerous
timelines before, during and
after a devastating pan-
demic that nearly wipes out
humanity. A finalist for a Na-
tional Book Award and the
PEN/Faulkner Award, the
book has sold more than a
million copies and has been
translated into 33 languages.
It remained a hot buy as
COVID-19 spread through-
out the world, even as its au-
thor, Emily St. John Mandel,
told The Times in March
2020: “I would not recom-
Insider look at L.A. critics’ best of ’21 vote
[Critics, from E1]
was named best film not in
English, the doc “Flee” won
the animation prize, and the
Questlove-directed concert
picture “Summer of Soul”
won for documentary/non-
fiction film and editing.
Times critic Justin
Chang and reporter Jen
Yamato, who are members
of the L.A. organization, sat
down to discuss the results.
CHANG: Well, Jen, where to
begin? Our L.A. Film Critics
meeting began on a sunny
Saturday morning and
ended, nearly seven ex-
hausting hours later, with
some of us feeling like the
characters at the end of M.
Night Shyamalan’s “Old” (a
movie that actually scored
one vote, I believe).
During those seven
hours, we voted to give
awards to, among other
things, Steve Saklad’s glori-
ously kaleidoscopic produc-
tion design for “Barb & Star
Go to Vista Del Mar,” and to
Rex for his fearlessly unin-
hibited lead performance in
“Red Rocket.” Those were
probably two of our more
startling choices; a sub-
limely silly Hollywood come-
dy and a former adult-film
actor (playing a former
adult-film actor) aren’t your
typical awards-season
fodder. But I’ve always felt
that our finest moments as
an organization are those
when we shake off whatever
Oscar-narrative obligations
people like to saddle us with
and just … vote for what we
love.
And we loved a lot, as
evidenced by a couple of tie
victories throughout the
day. Our New Generation
prize, given to a breakout
filmmaker or performer,
was awarded jointly to
Shatara Mitchell Ford, who
made one of the year’s
sharpest debut features
with “Test Pattern,” and
Tatiana Huezo, who made a
powerful swerve from non-
fiction into fiction with the
devastating “Prayers for the
Stolen.” Seeing Smit-Mc-
Phee share the supporting
actor prize with Lindon in
the wild French thriller
“Titane” especially thrilled
me. I’m delighted to think
that more people might be
tempted to seek out Lindon,
one of France’s greatest
actors, in a movie that puts
HIMESH PATEL and Matilda Lawler play a surprising duo in adaptation of “Station Eleven” on HBO Max.
‘Station
Eleven’
Where: HBO Max
When: Anytime
Rated: TV-MA (may be
unsuitable for children
under age 17)
mend reading ‘Station Elev-
en’ in the middle of a pan-
demic.”
Tweaks are inevitable in
any spine-to-screen adapt-
ation, and this 10-episode se-
ries “departs significantly
[from the book] in details,
events, characters and char-
acterizations,” writes Times
critic Robert Lloyd, who has
also deemed it one of the
best shows of the year. “It
jumps between periods to
“DRIVE MY CAR” has been named year’s best picture by Los Angeles critics.
a thrillingly demented new
spin on “auto-erotica.”
Most of all, we loved
“Drive My Car,” our best
picture winner, and also
“The Power of the Dog,”
which won best director.
With those two awards, we
basically echoed the choices
made by our fine colleagues
over in the New York Film
Critics Circle earlier this
month.
YAMATO: Now, I will con-
fess that one vote for the
“beach that turns you old”
movie was mine, in the
editing category, because
sometimes you do have to
go your own way. James
Wan’s “Malignant,” my No. 1
moviegoing experience of
2021, had the support of a
passionate few of us in the
directing category. These
are symbolic gestures
toward a more open-minded
future, as nonprestige genre
films are hardly ever consid-
ered this time of year, much
like sublimely silly Holly-
wood comedies. Even Jamie
Dornan is campaigning this
season for the wrong film, in
which he performs a heart-
warming musical number.
The right answer is, of
course, “Barb & Star Go to
Vista Del Mar,” in which
Dornan belts out “Edgar’s
Prayer” and dances on
sun-swept sandy beaches. It
was in our second category,
for best music, that “Barb &
Star” first gathered surpris-
ing and vocal momentum.
build out character relations
and motivations, and to
plant the seeds of coinci-
dence that will flower into
closure.”
Somerville got Mandel’s
blessing on the key changes,
as the series was created
without her involvement. “I
think we both agreed that
it’ll be healthy and make
more sense for both our lives
and the creative process to
wall it off,” Somerville says of
meeting with Mandel.
“As a novelist who is also
a TV writer, I can’t tell you
how many times I’ve seen
bad s— happen to books I
love,” he adds.
“A lot of times, producers
think you can just do a one-
to-one mapping of a novel
into a script, and you just
can’t. I love the book so much
and wanted to do it justice,
and I really loved the idea of
Although “Parallel Moth-
ers’ ” Alberto Iglesias de-
servingly took the top prize
for his latest score for Pedro
Almodóvar, with Jonny
Greenwood’s scores for
“Power of the Dog” and
“Spencer” the close runner-
up, that first surge for Kris-
ten Wiig and Annie Mumo-
lo’s underappreciated re-
sort fantasia left an electri-
fying crackle in the air and a
feeling of ... hope? Excite-
ment?
The music category not
going to any of the actual
movie musicals this year
says something about tem-
pering mainstream expec-
tations against actual dis-
covery. It also introduced
another running theme of
Saturday’s vote: how to dole
out awards to nominees who
contributed excellent work
to multiple films?
CHANG: That Dornan
drew more votes for “Barb &
Star Go to Vista Del Mar” —
a much better performance
in a much better movie than
“Belfast” — is one reason
I’m proud to be a member.
But yes, every year we run
into this multiple-citation
issue. In addition to Green-
wood’s “Power of the Dog”
and “Spencer” scores (we
could have also cited him for
“Licorice Pizza”), there was
our eminently worthy cine-
matography winner, Ari
Wegner (“The Power of the
Dog”), who also did superb
and very different work on
adaptation being done at a
high level in order to protect
something of value.”
Throughout the process,
the creative team prioritized
expectations from the wide
“Station Eleven” readership.
“The bar is incredibly high,
not just in casting and story-
telling but also in the details:
How do you make these
things, which someone just
wrote from her imagination,
functional and real on-
screen?” says executive pro-
ducer Jessica Rhoades. “Au-
thors everywhere create
things, but you actually don’t
have to make choices about
what they look like. We had
to make these decisions
knowing that the audience
who loves the book is waiting
to see what we chose.”
The changes are evident
throughout the first three
episodes, now streaming on
Janus Films
“Zola.” When Hamaguchi
won screenplay and placed
runner-up for director, his
hardcore fans raised the
possibility of citing his other
great movie of 2021, “Wheel
of Fortune and Fantasy.”
But in the end, “Drive My
Car” stood alone, like the
mammoth achievement it
is.
One reason I love our
runner-up announcements
is that they provide some
sense of just how much love
there was among our 50 or
so voting members for such
a wide range of movies. But
even those runners-up don’t
tell the whole story. You
wouldn’t guess that “Pass-
ing,” “The Green Knight”
and “The Lost Daughter”
were three of the most
fiercely loved movies of the
day. Or that, in a lead ac-
tress field dominated by
non-English-language
performances, Serbian
actor Jasna Duricic was
very much in the mix for her
searing performance in
“Quo Vadis, Aida?” (our
runner-up for non-English-
language film), alongside
bigger Hollywood names
like Olivia Colman (“The
Lost Daughter”) and Kris-
ten Stewart (“Spencer”).
Or that, if Nicolas Cage
missed out on a lead actor
placement for his splendid
work in “Pig,” it wasn’t for
lack of trying among pas-
sionate fans in the group.
And while none of this year’s
musicals might have placed
M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Parrish Lewis HBO Max
HBO Max. For example,
much of the action takes
place in Chicago, where
Somerville lived for nine
years, rather than Mandel’s
native Toronto, because “the
architecture of that city
speaks to the specificity of
the places in Episode 1.” (Af-
ter all productions were
paused because of the
COVID-19 pandemic, “Sta-
tion Eleven” was able to re-
sume filming — in Toronto.)
Readers may be taken
aback by the series’ pairing
of Jeevan with Kirsten (Ma-
tilda Lawler), a child actor in
the aforementioned play
who is unable to reunite with
her parents, for numerous
foundational scenes. “In the
book, the experience of the
chaos from the pandemic is
all internal and independ-
ent, but telling a story that
way on TV is not very inter-
in our music-score category,
the abundance of love for
Andrew Garfield (“Tick,
Tick ... Boom!”), Mike Faist
(“West Side Story”) and
Olga Merediz (“In the
Heights”), alongside the
supporting actress victory
for DeBose, showed that
those achievements did not
go unappreciated.
We all bring our individu-
al cinephile passions with us
into every association meet-
ing. One of them for you,
Jen, is nonprestige genre
fare (and I was very glad I
heeded your advice and
recently caught up with the
deliriously unhinged “Malig-
nant.”) Similarly unlikely to
find itself in the awards-
season conversation: a
movie like the captivating
and mysterious “Memoria,”
which hasn’t even opened in
an L.A. theater yet but
outpaced some of the sea-
son’s more vaunted Oscar
contenders in our best
picture race.
That this group contin-
ues to propose vital alterna-
tives to the standard movie-
industry narratives — like
C.W. Winter and Anders
Edström’s “The Works and
Days,” the winner of our
Douglas Edwards experi-
mental film award — is one
of the best reasons for it to
exist.
YAMATO: I think it’s a
promising sign when so
many different films inspire
passion from critics during
deliberations. This year,
there was love for Janicza
Bravo’s “Zola,” Denis Ville-
neuve’s “Dune,” Julia
Ducornau’s “Titane,” Leos
Carax’s “Annette” and Jo-
achim Trier’s “The Worst
Person in the World,” to
name a few. “Petite Ma-
man,” from fantastic French
filmmaker Céline Sciamma
— whose “Portrait of a Lady
on Fire” was our cinemato-
graphy co-winner and for-
eign language runner-up in
2019 — is another film that
earned frequent mentions.
After we awarded best
picture to Hamaguchi’s
three-hour opus “Drive My
Car,” that Sciamma support
carried “Petite Maman” into
the winner’s slot as our
newly titled best film not in
English.
Of course, these systems
of categorization can be
imperfect. Jonas Poher
E3
esting,” says Somerville.
“We also needed the show
to be funny sometimes — not
to be glib about tragedies but
more to get the tone we
needed to make people feel
safe — and it’s an absolutely
comic setup to have two peo-
ple who don’t know each
other well, or have different
ideas about what’s right and
wrong, have to work together
to get somewhere.”
Additionally, the third ep-
isode details a backstory
and a thriller-like fate for Mi-
randa (Danielle Deadwyler),
the creator of the fictional
graphic novel from which
Mandel’s novel, and the
HBO Max series, take their
name. All of it was invented
specifically for the screen.
“We started from scratch
with Miranda in terms of
where she came from and
how that graphic novel is in-
credibly grounded in her
character,” Somerville says
of the comic that shares the
title of the series. “We wanted
to show the life of an artist
and not do it in an eye-roll
way. In the end, to us, she
feels like a real person.”
What’s on-screen is what
Rhoades considers “the tru-
est form of adaptation.”
“When you tell someone
about a book you’re reading,
you don’t really tell them
what it’s about plot-wise;
you tell them how it makes
you feel, what you love about
it and what it makes you
think about and how it
makes you reflect on your
own life,” she says. “I think
the same is true about the
series, in that it makes you
feel everything you feel when
reading the book.”
That feeling is one of un-
likely and yet undeniable
hope that comes from a
shared artistic experience,
whether it be reading a book,
watching a TV show or any-
thing else. “I hope people
take comfort in turning to
art to get through things, as
we have throughout this
pandemic,” says Rhoades.
“Whatever is the thing that
makes you comfortable and
safe and connects you to
other people is the thing
that matters.”
Rasmussen’s hybrid docu-
mentary “Flee,” for exam-
ple, rendered via animation,
came up in both categories.
It won the latter, with the
well-loved Japanese film
“Belle” earning runner-up,
while in the doc/nonfiction
race, Questlove’s “Summer
of Soul” triumphed, fol-
lowed by Robert Greene’s
“Procession.”
Overall, I did wonder if
the (mostly bigger) films
that screened later in the
season, or whose distribu-
tors took much longer to
make physical and digital
screeners available to crit-
ics, might have benefited
from prioritizing earlier
access and more viewing
options. This year, our
group issued an open letter
to studios calling for more
consistent COVID-19 proto-
cols at in-person screenings
and greater screener access,
not just during awards
season but year-round,
particularly for disabled
and at-risk members of our
professional community. It’s
not the films whose compa-
nies sent out fancy candles
and coffee table books and
paraded their A-list stars
around that I voted for this
year, but those I had time to
sit with, whose magic (and
shimmer) sank into my soul
and stayed there.
CHANG: As the latest
COVID-19 surge begins
impacting the film business
— and it will surely do so, no
matter how many breath-
less “Spider-Man: No Way
Home” box office reports
get filed — I think the senti-
ments expressed in that
letter will be more relevant,
not less. And it’s worth
remembering that this
year’s bounty of superb
movies, which might seem
like a refreshing sign of
normalcy, belies the fact
that nothing about our
situation is normal. And
may not be for a while, if
ever.
You can see this in the
very art form we gather to
salute. This has been a
triumphant year for movies,
some of the most tri-
umphant of which — like
“Drive My Car,” “Parallel
Mothers” and “Petite Ma-
man” — are explicitly about
loss, about the acceptance
and embrace of things we
know we cannot change.
E4 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
SUDOKU
KENKEN
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
repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.
HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis
Aries (March 21-April 19):
Some habits are hangovers
from when such behavior
was necessary. When the ne-
cessity left, the habit stayed.
Now it’s a fond memory or a
waste of motion; you decide.
Taurus (April 20-May
20): Domestic life will be im-
proved by implementing one
key change. This behavior
might feel strange and
forced at first but with repe-
tition becomes comfortable.
Gemini (May 21-June 21):
Don’t advise or instruct.
People don’t like to be told
what to do today. Model all
you want to see and they’ll
likely follow your lead.
Cancer (June 22-July 22):
What comes around goes
around, and rather immedi-
ately today. You’re inclined
to make supportive and lov-
ing contributions.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22):
Too much politeness can be
impolite. If it sets a tone that
CROSSWORD
Edited By Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
By Dan Schoenholz
ACROSS
1 Get ready, as for surgery
5 Dada lover?
9 Breathe like a hot dog
13 Trevi Fountain city
14 “Yeah, right!”
15 Stomach woe
16 “In memoriam” bio
17 Shout
18 Caulking need
19 Dome-shaped frozen
areas at the two ends of
the Earth
22 Distinctive manner of
writing, say
23 Sit-__: protests
24 Bro’s sibling
27 One in charge of a depot
32 Throw in
35 Zip, in soccer
36 Slow musical movement
37 Cognac, crème de cacao
and cream cocktail
42 Swahili’s language
group
43 1950s prez
44 On the __: sneakily
45 Over an extended
period
50 Scratch (out), as a
living
51 Smidgen
52 Harbor cities
56 Junior high ... and what
each set of circles is?
60 “__ Secretary”: Téa
Leoni title role
63 Ultra-modest skirt
64 Microsoft browser
65 Banishment
66 Enthusiastic
67 Big jump
68 Came’s opposite
69 Basketball Hall of
Famer Archibald or
Thurmond
70 Share on Facebook, say
DOWN
1 Yorick’s skull in
“Hamlet” and the
dagger in “Macbeth,”
e.g.
2 Automaton
3 Poet Dickinson
4 Rose features
5 Polite request
6 “Just __ ... ”
makes people uncomfort-
able, it defeats the purpose
of manners. Your unexpect-
ed behavior will delight.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Long after others give up,
you’ll hold on. Your tenacity
doesn’t feel like effort; you’re
inclined to follow through.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23):
You’ve been working in the
dark, metaphorically. Some-
one must know where the
light switch is. Your inquisi-
tiveness will save the day.
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21):
You’re not trying to win
someone over. You want to
express yourself. Your bold-
ness makes a difference.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-
Dec. 21): Everyone in the
group is committed to meet-
ing a common goal. You may
not technically be the team
leader but it will fall to you to
keep everyone motivated.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan.
19): Maybe you’ve been shar-
ing a little too much. The
good stuff is meant for you
too. The world is your poem
7 1,760 yards
8 Merged union: Abbr.
9 In addition to
10 Assume a role
11 Bottom line
12 Give it a go
15 Swedish university city
20 Like a prof. emeritus
21 Columnist Landers
24 Transmits
25 Major chip maker
26 Kid’s bedtime request
28 “... have you __ wool?”
29 Andalusian aunt
30 Messin’ around, in rap
slang
31 With 41-Down, boomer’s
kid
32 “Steal This Book”
author Hoffman
33 Had a beer, say
34 “Divine Comedy” poet
38 Utmost degree
39 Eventually and aptly,
after “in”
40 Heart test: Abbr.
41 See 31-Down
46 Young fellow
47 Extra guy who’s “out”
COMICS
12/20/21
to read; your mystery to
solve; your beauty to revel in.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb.
18): Your stellar work ethic
disallows anything but your
best. Today, this entails tak-
ing more than your share of
responsibility and continu-
ing after glamour wears off.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March
20): Stick to your plan. You
might have to pass on a spur-
of-the-moment opportunity
but you aren’t missing out.
Keep your word to yourself.
Today’s birthday (Dec.
20): Reality flickers. There’s
the sense that this could fi-
nally be the real world. Then,
life streams in as surreal or
sublime. You’ll assimilate all.
Your courage opens oppor-
tunity. You’re a graceful surf-
er of circumstance and a
powerful provider. Gemini
and Aries adore you. Lucky
numbers: 4, 33, 2, 19, 6.
Mathis writes her column
for Creators Syndicate Inc.
The horoscope should be
read for entertainment.
© 2021 Tribune Content Agency
48 Scanned bars:
Abbr.
49 Of little value
53 Wyoming’s state sport
54 Roman wraps
55 Took a nap
56 Brewer’s need
57 Etna output
58 Leave the room
59 One of a cube’s six
60 Kitty’s sound
61 Lumberjack tool
62 Terrible racket
ANSWER TO
PREVIOUS PUZZLE
12/20/21
BRIDGE
By Frank Stewart
Cy the Cynic constantly
battles his weight — a losing
battle in the midst of all the
holiday parties.
“I’m starting to resemble
a candied yam,” Cy told me
ruefully. “I need a bathroom
scale that’s seasonally ad-
justed.”
Cy’s play in today’s deal
could have used adjustment.
In a penny game, Cy picked
up a mammoth hand and
launched into 3NT. He won
the first spade with the ace
and cashed his high hearts,
hoping for a 3-3 break. When
East discarded, Cy tried the
A-K of diamonds. No luck
there either; West threw a
club.
So the Cynic led to dum-
my’s king of spades and re-
turned a club to finesse with
ASK AMY
Put a book on every bed
Dear Readers: Every year
at Christmastime, I ask
readers to put “a book on ev-
ery bed.” I do so in memory
of my mother, Jane, whose
weekly trips to our town’s li-
brary always yielded arm-
loads of books.
The idea came from his-
torian David McCullough,
who recounted the Christ-
mas mornings of his youth,
when the first thing he woke
up to was a wrapped book at
the base of his bed. Working
with my local literacy part-
ner Children’s Reading Con-
nection (childrensreading
connection.org), this cam-
paign has grown to include
schools, libraries and book-
sellers who have donated
books to families that might
not have access to them.
This year, I am thrilled
that author Jacqueline
Woodson agreed to share a
personal literacy story.
Woodson is the winner of,
well, all the awards for her
genre-spanning work, in-
cluding the Newbery and
Caldecott, as well as a Mac-
Arthur grant. Her books
“Brown Girl Dreaming” and
“The Day You Begin” are
both important to the chil-
dren in my life. She writes:
A Pile of Books
The other night, a friend
was describing her love for
books. She said that love be-
FAMILY CIRCUS By Bil Keane
ARGYLE SWEATER By Scott Hilburn
BLISS By Harry Bliss
L AT I M E S . C O M / CA L E N DA R
his queen. West won and
cashed three spades and the
jack of hearts for down one.
“They say 13 points oppo-
site 13 will make game,” Cy
growled. “I had 26 in my
hand plus a king in dummy
and couldn’t do it.”
After Cy took his high
diamonds, he could lead a
spade to dummy and exit
with a heart. West could
cash three spades but would
then have to lead a club to
Cy’s A-Q.
You hold: ♠ K 4 ♥ 6 4 3 2
♦ 7 5 4 ♣ 6 4 3 2. Your partner
opens two clubs, you re-
spond two diamonds (nega-
tive), he bids two hearts and
you try 2NT (still negative).
Partner then bids three dia-
monds. What do you say?
Answer: Your hand is far
from hopeless; you have four
hearts, a king and a possible
ruffing value. Bid four
gan when she was a child and
her dad would bring a pile of
books to read to her before
she went to sleep.
As I listened, I imagined
what it would have been like
to have “a pile of books” and
someone who had the time
at the end of the day to read
them to me. Or better, to be
able to read them to myself.
The books I had as a child
were borrowed from the li-
brary or were the worn
books that had moved
through many hands before
landing, often in a state of
disrepair, in my own hands.
Books were both a neces-
sity and a luxury in my child-
hood.
My mother wanted us to
read constantly but didn’t
have the money to buy us
“piles of books.”
To have a brand-new
book to open at night — its
crisp unbroken binding, the
scent of its pages, the soft
rush of air and excitement
that comes with turning
them — this is my dream for
every child.
A pile of books begins
with one. And like a child, it
grows.
Jacqueline Woodson
To support independent
bookstores, which have had
to pivot during the pan-
demic (like all of us), I’m pre-
senting some recently pub-
DENNIS THE MENACE By Hank Ketcham
MARMADUKE By Brad & Paul Anderson
SPEED BUMP By Dave Coverly
hearts. Some players might
have raised two hearts to
three; I would judge the
hand a bit too weak for that
call.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
♠K4
♥6432
♦754
♣6432
WEST EAST
♠ Q J 10 5 2 ♠763
♥J975 ♥ 10 8
♦J ♦ Q 10 9 8 6
♣K87 ♣ J 10 9
SOUTH
♠A98
♥AKQ
♦AK32
♣AQ5
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — ♠ Q
Tribune Content Agency
lished books in various cate-
gories, selected by some of
my favorite booksellers.
From Jill Yoemans,
owner of White Whale Book-
store in Pittsburgh, three
recommendations for early
readers:
“Mia Mayhem Is a Super-
hero!” by Kara West and
Leeza Hernandez.
“I’m on It! (Elephant &
Piggie Like Reading!)” by
Andrea Tsurumi and Mo
Willems.
“Narwhal: Unicorn of the
Sea” (A Narwhal and Jelly
Book) by Ben Clanton.
From Lisa Swayze, gen-
eral manager of Buffalo
Street Books in Ithaca, N.Y.,
buffalostreetbooks.com:
“The young-adult cate-
gory has some of the most
diverse, exciting and revolu-
tionary writing happening
today. Buffalo Street Books’
No. 1 pick this year is ‘This
Poison Heart’ by Kalynn
Bayron. Once you’re entan-
gled in this heart-stopping
story, you won’t be able to
put the book down.
“We also recommend
‘Firekeeper’s Daughter’ by
Angeline Boulley, ‘We Are
Not Broken’ by George M.
Johnson and ‘We Are Inevi-
table’ by Gayle Forman.”
Send questions to Amy
Dickinson by email to aska
my@amydickinson.com.
L AT I M E S . C O M / CA L E N DA R
DOONESBURY By Garry Trudeau
LA CUCARACHA By Lalo Alcaraz
CANDORVILLE By Darrin Bell
HALF FULL By Maria Scrivan
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE By Stephan Pastis
LIO By Mark Tatulli
ZITS By Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman
TUNDRA By Chad Carpenter
PRICKLY CITY By Scott Stantis
FRAZZ By Jef Mallett
NON SEQUITUR By Wiley
COMICS
Doonesbury is on vacation. This is a reprint.
M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 E5
DILBERT By Scott Adams
BABY BLUES By Jerry Scott & Rick Kirkman
CRANKSHAFT By Tom Batiuk & Chuck Ayers
JUMP START By Robb Armstrong
9 CHICKWEED LANE By Brooke McEldowney
TO OUR READERS
The “9 Chickweed Lane” comic that we syndicated comic strips we publish.
published Dec. 1 included an ethnic The Comics pages should be a place
slur and did not meet our standards. where our readers can engage with
We regret that it was published and societal issues, reflect on the human
apologize. We have decided to discon- condition, and enjoy a few laughs. We
tinue publication of “9 Chickweed intend to maintain that tradition in a
Lane” and to review all of the other way that is welcoming to all readers.
BLONDIE By Dean Young & John Marshall
GET FUZZY By Darby Conley
BIZARRO By Wayno and Piraro
DRABBLE By Kevin Fagan
MUTTS By Patrick McDonnell
PEANUTS By Charles M. Schulz
E6 M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21
Scene had all the right angles
[‘Succession,’ from E1]
perspective. The camera
lingers for a discomfiting
few seconds while the three
of them silently fall apart
together. It’s as though
we’re huddled in the fetal
position next to them.
The scene is a notable de-
parture for “Succession,” a
show frequently shot at eye
level and in an observational
style, often at a remove.
“We have a very specific
role that the camera plays,
which is, for the most part, a
combination of being as in-
visible as possible whilst at
the same time helping sell
the idea that the camera is
barely keeping up with the
events that are out of our
control,” says director Mark
Mylod, who helmed the Sea-
son 3 finale. “And we have to
document them and cap-
ture them on the fly, with all
the imperfections that go
with that.”
Although the dynamics
in this scene played out
spontaneously among the
three actors, the intention
behind it involved using “the
location so that [Shiv] could
effectively walk upstage, re-
main in the shot, and come
back and grow into the
three-shot again,” Mylod
says. “There was an ele-
ment of geometry to that.”
Given the series’ idiosyn-
cratic shooting style — with
characters partially block-
ing others or quick-zoom
shots employed in lieu of
close-ups — this beautifully
rendered composition is a
startling contrast. Some
fans have gone a step fur-
ther, likening the still to a
painting that wouldn’t be
out of place in a museum
and not unlike art of the
Renaissance or Baroque era
à la Michelangelo or Arte-
misia, respectively. One fan
even traced the golden ratio,
a mathematical principle
critical to Renaissance art-
ists such as Leonardo da
Vinci, onto a screen grab of
the wrenching moment
among the Roys.
The internet’s proclivity
for singling out a well-com-
posed image and deeming it
“Renaissance” isn’t a new
phenomenon. An astonish-
ing 2014 photo depicting an
unruly Ukrainian parlia-
ment fracas drew Renais-
sance-esque parallels; writ-
ing about the phenomenon,
Fast Company described
the image as “in line with
classic art — elevating the
participants to the level of
avenging angels, rather
than nationalist leaders at
odds over the Crimean cri-
sis.”
There’s a subreddit dedi-
cated to mining everyday
A ‘Jeopardy!’
bidding war?
[‘Jeopardy!,’ from E1]
like to hold on to the pro-
grams for its stations even
while the Burbank enter-
tainment giant’s priority is
expanding its streaming
platforms, Disney+, Hulu
and ESPN+, people familiar
with the matter said.
ABC-owned TV stations
have the rights to “Jeopar-
dy!” and “Wheel of Fortune”
in their markets through the
2022-23 season — paying
around $1 million per week.
Negotiations and a decision
on where the two shows go
are months away, but poten-
tial contenders have infor-
mally expressed interest
and held internal discus-
sions on what it would take
to claim the prize.
The shows are produced
by Sony Pictures Television
and distributed to TV sta-
tions by CBS Media Ven-
tures. Representatives for
both companies declined
comment for this story.
“Jeopardy!” has always
been an attractive program-
ming property, as it’s the
highest-rated syndicated
game show on TV. But its
stature in recent years has
been enhanced by the state
of the rest of the television
landscape, where tradi-
tional viewing outside of live
sports has eroded rapidly.
The rise of streaming vi-
deo has siphoned viewers
away from traditional TV,
diminishing the number of
options outside of live
sports that can change the
fortunes of a network. The
ability of “Jeopardy!” to feed
a massive audience into a
network’s primetime lineup
enhances its value.
“Because of its timeless-
ness, it’s a safe bet,” said Bill
Hague, executive vice presi-
KIERAN CULKIN, left, Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook play siblings vying to succeed their dad (Brian Cox).
‘Succession’
Where: HBO Max
When: Any time
Rating: TV-MA (may be
unsuitable for children
under age 17)
moments that evoke an “Ac-
cidental Renaissance” im-
age, and a “Tabloid Art His-
tory” Twitter account has
drawn parallels between
Keanu Reeves on the set of
“John Wick: Chapter 3 —
Parabellum” and a Fran-
cisco Goya painting. Enter-
prising, very online artists
have rendered photo-
graphs-turned-memes into
watercolor pieces, such as
one of a chaotic New Year’s
Eve 2016 scene in Manches-
ter, England. Like the “Suc-
cession” scene in question,
countless images the online
masses have dubbed Ren-
aissance in style have had
the golden ratio superim-
posed on them.
Comparing a contempo-
rary image to a Renaissance
painting isn’t really about
accuracy, says Amanda
Brennan, an internet librar-
ian and senior director of
trends at the social media
agency XX Artists.
“It doesn’t matter to the
average person when the
dent of the media consulting
firm Magid. “It’s as much of
a sure thing as you can get.”
For ViacomCBS, the
game shows also could be a
draw for its streaming serv-
ice Paramount+, which of-
fers a feed of local CBS sta-
tions to subscribers.
“Jeopardy!” took a filmmaker Garrett Zevgetis
pounding in the press in Au-
gust after Sony turned to
Mike Richards, the show’s
executive producer, as host.
Some viewers were upset,
questioning whether the
search was rigged because
Richards appeared to have
the inside track. Richards
ended up hosting only a
handful of shows before
stepping down after it was
revealed that he had made
inappropriate comments on
a podcast and was a defend-
ant in two sexual harass-
ment lawsuits.
The drama, after a pa-
rade of celebrity fill-ins who
were supposedly audi-
tioning for the job, was not
well received.
To mop up the mess,
Sony handed the reins to
Ken Jennings and Mayim
Bialik, who are committed
to the program for the rest of
the current season. Sony
executives, according to in-
siders, have been studying
the ratings, mulling whether
to pick Jennings or Bialik or
continue the tag-team ap-
proach. A less attractive op-
tion is to begin the search
anew.
Despite the clumsy
hand-off, the game show on
which contestants provide
quiz answers in the form of a
question has remained a TV
fixture since it was created
in 1964 by big band singer-
turned talk show host Merv
Griffin. Although Trebek
painting was created,” she
says. “People are just say-
ing, ‘Yeah, this image evokes
all of the feelings that a
painting would.’ ” (It’s
worth noting that previ-
ously, “Succession” has sub-
tly used art from the Renais-
sance and Baroque eras as a
part of its set design, includ-
ing Dutch artist Peter Lely’s
painting “Portrait of Louise
de Keroualle, Duchess of
Portsmouth,” which is on
view at the Getty.)
While shooting this scene
in the finale, Mylod didn’t
have a specific inspiration in
mind; he says the composi-
tion of the three actors was
driven by the emotion that
the moment in the story de-
manded.
“I’m not an academic
filmmaker. Any smarts I
might have is instinct and
what you might call emo-
tional intelligence,” he says.
“When you’re in the mo-
ment or when you’re build-
ing with your colleagues, all
of this becomes somewhat
subliminal and intuitive. I
hadn’t thought, ‘Oh, let’s
make this a Rembrandt-
style shot or something.’
“That scene, what it
called for emotionally, for
me, was stillness. Which is a
very powerful tool in ‘Suc-
cession,’ because we don’t
do it very often. And when it
does happen, it tends to
have an impact when we do
MAYIM BIALIK has been sharing guest hosting duties this season on the long-
running syndicated game show “Jeopardy!” At right is contestant John Klass.
became a pop culture icon
during his 37 years as host,
he was never the main at-
traction.
“Alex Trebek used to say
that ‘Jeopardy!’ was popular
because of the game and the
contestants, not because of
him,” said Claire McNear,
author of “Answers in the
Form of Questions: A De-
finitive History and Insid-
er’s Guide to Jeopardy!”
“Even as this has been a tu-
multuous year for ‘Jeopar-
dy!,’ the basic format is still
there: 61 clues, three con-
testants, and a game that’s
always been designed to be
played along with from
home.”
McNear believes the at-
tention on guest hosts and
the controversy that fol-
lowed may have rekindled
the interest of people who
had fallen out of the habit of
watching the show. (The in-
cumbent, Disney/ABC,
would like to avoid any more
controversy and is said to
want approval over the per-
manent host in its next
deal.)
The current season of
“Jeopardy!” also has been
buoyed by the winning
streaks of champion con-
it correctly.”
This rare moment of still-
ness is undoubtedly what
has captivated viewers. It
also may offer a reason why
this composition has con-
jured comparisons to Ren-
aissance or Baroque im-
agery in the eyes of the inter-
net, says Richard Rand, as-
sociate director for col-
lections at the Getty
Museum.
“The drama [of ‘Succes-
sion’] is told through the
human experience, right?
And that’s always been the
case with Renaissance or
Baroque paintings. … The
human body was the con-
duit for the drama,” he says.
“The way the [Roy siblings
are] gathered and their
body postures and gestures
are obviously right out of
paintings that are generally
familiar to most viewers,
even if there’s no one spe-
cific painting that it’s emu-
lating.
“They’re communicating
through their body gesture
as much as through the
words they speak. And
that’s key to painting, of
course, because we can’t
hear people speak, so we
have to understand what
they’re thinking through
their facial expressions and
gestures. It’s often very sub-
tle, because there were rules
about decorum in Old Mas-
ter painting, where you
testant Matt Amodio,
whose 38 victories is second
to Jennings’, the all-time
champ. The show also made
history with Amy Schneider,
the first transgender con-
testant to make the Tourna-
ment of Champions, where
top winners from each sea-
son compete.
“Players like that create a
ton of buzz and inevitably
draw attention toward the
show,” said McNear.
While “Jeopardy!” is
bound to have some aggres-
sive suitors when negotia-
tions heat up next year,
there are risks in moving it
to new outlets.
ABC’s TV stations have
the highest ratings among
broadcasters in the nation’s
top markets thanks to
strong local news opera-
tions. Those stations also
have “ABC World News
Tonight With David Muir” —
the most-watched network
evening newscast — leading
into “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel
of Fortune” on several of
ABC’s outlets.
Even if Sony and CBS
Media Ventures can get a
higher license fee for “Jeop-
ardy!” and “Wheel,” moving
them to lower-rated NBC,
L AT I M E S . C O M / CA L E N DA R
Graeme Hunter HBO
didn’t really want to show
people in extremis, with
wild facial expressions. I
think ‘Succession’ is good at
that: Sometimes people
freak out ... but usually
they’re all composed and
measured, even while
they’re being horrible and
vicious.”
In Rand’s view, great TV
and cinema implement “the
techniques of the Old Mas-
ters to compose a scene, cre-
ate the tableau of the figures
to enhance the drama and
to bring depth and emo-
tional richness to it.” That
nods to the practice of tab-
leaux vivants, or living pic-
tures made with real-life ac-
tors or models. (“Arrested
Development” famously
parodied the practice in an
episode in which members
of the Bluth family reen-
acted Michelangelo’s “The
Creation of Adam.”)
Ultimately, the composi-
tion of the Roy siblings mid-
disintegration is an inspired
choice that evokes a bevy of
interpretations: Depeche
Mode for some fans, the sub-
lime gut punch one might
experience before a large
fresco for others. “The way
this image depicts an emo-
tion … like, f— yeah,” says
Brennan, who has never
watched ‘Succession.’ “I
would see it in a museum
and want to sit there and ru-
minate on it.”
Jeopardy Productions
CBS or Fox stations could
cut into the ad revenue gen-
erated by the shows.
Sony and CBS retain two
minutes of ad time along
with paid promotional an-
nouncements on each pro-
gram sold to national adver-
tisers.
Executives who have
gone through previous re-
newal negotiations for
“Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of
Fortune” said they would
bet against the programs
moving because of the po-
tential risk in disrupting the
tune-in habits of a largely
older audience.
Fox Television Stations
made a serious run for the
shows the last time they be-
came available. But one exe-
cutive familiar with the last
round of discussions who
was not authorized to com-
ment publicly said company
officials never truly believed
ABC would let the pair go.
“It’s too valuable as lead-
in to their prime time,” the
executive said. “There are
certain things station
groups don’t do, and one
them is that you let one of
the top shows go to a direct
competitor. It does not hap-
pen in the big markets.”
TV Highlights
The prime-time TV grid is
on hiatus in print. You can
find more TV coverage at:
latimes.com/whats-on-tv.
SERIES
Dynasty The prime-time
soap returns with a season
premiere, followed by a new
holiday episode. 8 and 9 p.m.
The CW
Holiday Baking Champi-
onship The finalists incor-
porate lights into their
holiday party theme cake
designs before the winner is
announced in the season
finale. 8 p.m. Food Network
Landscapers Christopher
(David Thewlis) opens up
about his past as the cou-
ple’s relationship with
Susan’s (Olivia Colman)
parents comes under the
spotlight in this new epi-
sode of the quirky crime
drama. 9 p.m. HBO
Tough Love With Hilary
Farr (premiere) 9 p.m.
HGTV
SPECIALS
The Secrets of Christmas:
Revealed This new holiday
special imagines a massive
data breach at the North
Pole, revealing the inner
workings and mysteries of
Santa’s Christmas opera-
tion. 8 p.m. KTTV
Christmas at Belmont
Belmont University alum-
nus Josh Turner is host and
featured guest artist for this
traditional holiday event,
broadcast from Nashville.
10 p.m. KOCE
SPORTS
NFL Football The Minne-
sota Vikings visit the Chi-
cago Bears, 5 p.m. ABC and
ESPN
NHL Hockey The Ducks
visit the Edmonton Oilers,
6:30 p.m. BSW
NBA Basketball The San
Antonio Spurs visit the
Clippers, 7:30 p.m. BSSC
TALK SHOWS
CBS Mornings Lorne Mi-
chaels; author Adam Grant.
(N) 7 a.m. KCBS
Today (N) 7 a.m. KNBC
Good Morning America
(N) 7 a.m. KABC
Live With Kelly and Ryan
Jason Biggs; Kristin
Chenoweth. (N) 9 a.m.
KABC
The View Condoleezza Rice
guest co-hosts; Pete
Buttigieg. 10 a.m. KABC
Kelly Clarkson Tom Hol-
land, Zendaya and Jacob
Batalon. (N) 2 p.m. KNBC
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Melanie C; Preacher
Lawson. (N) 3 p.m. KNBC
Amanpour & Company
(N)11 p.m. KCET; midnight
KVCR; 1 a.m. KLCS
Nightline (N) 12:37 a.m.
KABC
MOVIES
Candy Cane Candidate
After her recent city council
campaign ends in a loss, a
woman (Jacky Lai) returns
to her hometown for Christ-
mas. There she runs into old
high school nemesis Parker
(Jake Epstein), who de-
feated her in a bid for class
president. Mickeey Nguyen,
Kara Duncan and Steph-
anie Herrera co-star in this
holiday romantic comedy.
8 p.m. Lifetime
On These Grounds In this
explosive 2021 documentary,
revisits a racially charged
2015 incident at a South
Carolina high school where
a white security officer was
summoned to the classroom
of a math teacher who re-
ported that a Black student
was creating a disturbance.
A classmate’s video of the
violence that followed went
viral. 8 p.m. Starz
Reopening Night Film-
maker Rudy Valdez takes
viewers behind the scenes at
the Public Theater in New
York as the cast, crew and
staff prepare to mount an
adaptation of Shake-
speare’s “The Merry Wives
of Windsor.” The eagerly
awaited production would
mark the return of live thea-
ter following more than a
year of pandemic-imposed
closures. 10 p.m. HBO
Josh Stringer The CW
DANIELLA ALONSO
in “Dynasty” on The CW.
L AT I M E S . C O M / CA L E N DA R M O N DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 21 EE1
Monday, December 20, Prime-time: Broadcast
Monday TV Highlights 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm
CBS Entertainment One Last Time: Tony Bennett NCIS (TV14) Å NCIS: Hawai’i (TV14) Å News Å The Late Show
Tonight (N) Å and Lady Gaga (TVPG) Å (11:35)
NBC Access Holly- Annie Live! A live performance of the musical that tells the story of an extraordinary young News Å Jimmy Fallon
wood (N) Å orphan who overcomes life’s obstacles with inspirational hope and optimism. Å (TV14) Å
CW 2 & 1/2 Men Dynasty (TVPG) (Season Pre- Dynasty (TVPG) That Holiday News Å Sports Final News Å Friends
(TV14) Å miere) Fallout from Blake’s Spirit. Carrington Manor (N) (10:45) (TVPG)
gala finally begins to settle is decorated to the hilt as Å (11:35) Å
and Blake and Cristal work only the Carringtons can;
on the next phase of his Blake and Cristal come to
campaign; as Alexis remains an agreement regarding his
in jail and proclaims her in- political future; Dominique
nocence, Amanda sets out to proceeds with her plans and
see who might be responsi- turns to Jeff for assistance.
ble for the murder. (N) Å (N) Å
ABC NFL Football Minnesota News Å Wheel of For- Jeopardy! Unsolved LA: The Disappear- News Å Jimmy Kimmel
Vikings at Chicago Bears. (5) tune (N) Å (TVG) (N) Å ance of Mitrice Richardson (11:35) Å
KCAL Family Feud News Å News Å News Å Sports Central black-ish Å black-ish Å
FOX TMZ (TVPG) The Secrets of Christmas: Revealed (TV14) A massive data News Å You Bet Your You Bet Your
(N) Å breach results in the release of millions of secret docu- Life With Jay Life With Jay
ments revealing the confidential inner-workings and mys- Leno (TVPG) Leno (TVPG)
teries of Santa’s entire Christmas operation. (N) Å (N) Å Å
Wilford Harewood The CW MyNet Big Bang Å Big Bang Å Big Bang Å King of Queens King of Queens Seinfeld Å Seinfeld Å The Simpsons L&O: SVU
PRIME-TIME SOAP “Dynasty” returns for a new KCET Visiting Å Death in Paradise (TVPG) Å Father Brown Å Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries Amanpour and Company Å
season, with Rafael de la Fuente, Maddison Brown. UNIVISION ¿Qué le pasa a La rosa de Guadalupe (TV14) Vencer el pasado (TVPG) (N) La desalmada (TV14) (N) Noticias Noticiero Uni-
mi familia? Å vision
SERIES KOCE Antiques Road- Antiques Roadshow (TVG) Repeat The Sounding Joy! A Christmas at Belmont (TVG) All Is Bright! Tell Me More
show (TVG) Highlights from past seasons Concordia Christmas The mu- Belmont University students A Concordia With Kelly Cor-
Dynasty In the aftermath of her shooting by her former (7) Å include a dress worn by Mar- sical ensembles of Concor- present holiday favorites and Christmas rigan (TVPG)
assistant, Fallon’s (Elizabeth Gillies) estranged husband ilyn Monroe. Å dia University Irvine. classic songs. (N) Å (TVG) Å Å
(Adam Huber) turns to Sam and Kirby (Rafael de la Fuente, KDOC News (N) Dateline Å Dateline (TVPG) Å Family Guy Family Guy Seinfeld Å Seinfeld Å
Maddison Brown) for help. Also, Adam (Sam Underwood) is KLCS Finding Your Legacy List With Matt Paxton The Restorers (TVG) Å A St. Thomas Christmas: Bloom World News News Å
deeply suspicious about his long-lost sister Amanda (Eliza Roots (7) Å (TVG) Å Eternal (TVG) Å
Bennett), and she mistrusts him. Elaine Hendrix and Grant Monday, December 20, Prime-time: Premium Cable Channels
Show also star as the prime-time soap returns. A new holiday 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm
episode follows. 8 and 9 p.m. The CW Cinemax Domino ›› Phantom ›› (2013) Ed Harris, David Ducho- Cinderella Man ››› (2005) Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger. Despite a
(2005) Keira vny. While on a classified mission, the string of losses and injuries, boxer Jim Braddock makes a dramatic come-
Holiday Baking Championship Host Jesse Palmer Knightley. (R) captain of a Cold War-era Soviet submarine back and faces champion Max Baer. (PG-13) (9:40) Å
throws a holiday open house for judges Duff Goldman, Nancy (5:50) Å discovers that KGB agents are taking over
Fuller and Carla Hall, where he plans to serve dessert char- his vessel. (R) Å
cuterie boards prepared by the bakers. After the bottom two Encore Prancer ›› (1989) Sam Elliott, Rebecca Godzilla ›› (1998) Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno. Nuclear testing in the The Grudge
competitors face off in an elimination challenge of dueling Harrell. A widower’s daughter finds a South Pacific produces a giant mutated lizard that wreaks havoc upon ›› (2004)
wounded reindeer that she is sure must be New York City. (PG-13) Å (11:22) Å
holiday piñata desserts, the finalists incorporate lights into from Santa’s sleigh. (G) (7:13) Å
their holiday party theme cake designs before the winner is
EPIX Escape From Condor (TVMA) Kat is wit- Britannia Britannia (TVMA) Divis has Kiss the Girls ›› (1997) Morgan Freeman,
announced in the season finale. 8 p.m. Food Network Alcatraz ››› ness to Volk taking the law (TVMA) a dream that causes tension Ashley Judd. After escaping from a serial
(1979) Clint into his own hands; Mae’s Hella makes in his relationship with Cait, killer, a doctor helps police and a forensic
Landscapers Christopher (David Thewlis) opens up Eastwood. discussions with Senator Aulus an offe. in the midst of their prepa- psychologist track the madman. (R) (10:25)
about his past as the couple’s relationship with Susan’s (PG) (6:05) Thrush have unintended (8:50) Å rations for the Trial of Water. Å
(Olivia Colman) parents comes under the spotlight. Lancing Å consequences. Å (9:40) Å
and Wilkie (Kate O’Flynn, Samuel Anderson) have a break- HBO The Little Things ›› (2021) Denzel Wash- Landscapers (TVMA) Chris- Reopening Night (2021) Following the cast, Landscapers
through in this new episode of the quirky crime drama. 9 p.m. ington, Rami Malek. A deputy sheriff joins topher opens up about his crew and staff of Public Theater as they (TVMA) Å
HBO forces with a sergeant to search for a serial past as the couple’s relation- prepare to mount an adaptation of Shake-
killer who’s terrorizing Los Angeles. (R) ship with Susan’s parents speare’s Merry Wives. The production
Tough Love With Hilary Farr In the premiere of this (6:47) Å comes under the spotlight; marks the return of live theatre following
Lancing and Wilkie have a more than a year of closures in the city. Å
home improvement series, a couple’s small home lacks room breakthrough. (N) Å
for entertaining or home office. 9 p.m. HGTV
Showtime Rolling Like Dexter: New Blood (TVMA) Billions (TVMA) Chuck re- Billions (TVMA) Axe’s latest Yellowjackets (TVMA) The
Thunder Angela arrests someone who turns to his alma mater to move takes him back to his Yellowjackets tangle with
SPECIALS (TVMA) may be the culprit in a cold pursue an opportunity; Axe’s roots but puts him in Mike the birds and the bees,
One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and (6:30) Å case. Å big venture is sidelined by a Prince’s line of fire. Å navigating love, lust and DIY
family crisis. Å surgery. Å
Lady Gaga The two entertainers perform duets and solo
songs honoring their shared love of the Great American Starz The Unholy On These Grounds (2021) Police presence Power Book II: Ghost Tariq races against Hightown This Is the
› (2021) in the classroom turns controversial when the clock for Yasmine; with her family and (TVMA) End ›››
Songbook at Radio City Music Hall to celebrate Bennett’s Jeffrey Dean a video showing a white officer throwing a Mecca pressuring her, Monet struggles (10:48) Å (2013) James
95th birthday in this encore broadcast. 8 p.m. CBS Morgan. (PG- Black teenager to the ground goes viral. Å to wear the Tejada crown, and questions Franco. (R)
13) (6:17) Å whether she has to anymore. (9:45) Å (11:41) Å
Annie Live! A rebroadcast of a live performance of the be-
TMC The Last Black Dark Waters ››› (2019) Mark Ruffalo. A tenacious attorney Milk ›››› (2008) Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch. In San
loved musical that tells the story of an extraordinary young Man in San uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of Francisco, Harvey Milk becomes the first openly gay man
orphan who overcomes life’s obstacles with inspirational Francisco unexplained deaths to one of the world’s largest corpora- elected to a notable U.S. public office, before being assas-
hope and optimism. 8 p.m. NBC (2019) (R) tions. While trying to expose the truth, he soon finds him- sinated by Dan White in 1978. (R) (10:10) Å
(6) Å self risking his future, his family and his own life. Å
The Secrets of Christmas: Revealed This new holiday
Monday, December 20, Prime-time: Cable News Channels
special imagines a massive data breach at the North Pole, re-
7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm
sulting in the release of millions of secret documents reveal-
Bloomberg Markets: Asia Technology (TVG) Å Daybreak: Middle East Å Daybreak: Europe (TVG) Å Bloomberg Markets: Europe
ing the inner workings and mysteries of Santa’s Christmas
operation. 8 p.m. KTTV CNBC Shark Tank Shark Tank (TVPG) Å The News With Shepard Smith Money Court (TVPG) Å Dateline (TVPG) Å
CNN Don Lemon (7) Anderson Cooper (TVPG) Å CNN Tonight Å Don Lemon Tonight Å Newsroom (N) Å
Christmas at Belmont Belmont University alumnus CSPAN Politics and Public Policy Today (6) Å Politics and Public Policy Today Å
Josh Turner is host and featured guest artist for this tradi-
CSPAN2 Karen Tumulty After Words (7:55) Peter Bergen, the Rise and Fall Michelle Duster, Ida B. the Public Affairs Events
tional holiday event, filmed at the university’s Fisher Center (7) of Osama Bin Laden Queen
for the Performing Arts in Nashville. Broadcast by PBS for Fox B America Works American Built American Built How America Works Å Paid Program Paid Program Paid Program Paid Program
the 19th consecutive year, the concert features nearly 650 mu-
Fox News Ingraham (7) Gutfeld (N) Å News Å Tucker Carlson Å Hannity Å
sic students and members of the Belmont School of Music
performing songs of the Christmas season. 10 p.m. KOCE MSNBC Last Word (7) The 11th Hour (N) Å The Rachel Maddow Show Last Word Å The 11th Hour Å
NEWSNTN Banfield (7) On Balance With Leland Vittert Dan Abrams Live Å NewsNation Prime Å Banfield Å
SPORTS SN-1 News News News News News News

College Football Myrtle Beach Bowl: Old Dominion ver- Monday, December 20, Prime-time: Cable
sus Tulsa, 11:30 a.m. ESPN 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm
A&E Escape Plan Olympus Has Fallen ›› (2013) Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart. (R) Å Den of Thieves ›› (2018) Gerard Butler,
College Basketball Creighton visits DePaul, 3:30 p.m. (5:30) Å Pablo Schreiber. (R) Å
FS1; Stetson visits Miami, 4 p.m. BSSC; St. John’s visits Set- AMC Four Christ- Scrooged ››› (1988) Bill Murray, Karen Allen. A ruthless Fred Claus ›› (2007) Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti. The
on Hall, 5:30 p.m. FS1 mases ›› TV-network chief meets the ghosts of Christmases past, yuletide season brings headaches for Santa Claus, who
(2008) (PG- present and yet to come. (PG-13) Å bails his ne’er-do-well brother Fred out of trouble and puts
NFL Football The Minnesota Vikings visit the Chicago 13) (6) Å him to work in his factory. (PG) Å
Bears, 5 p.m. ABC and ESPN Animal P Homestead (7) Homestead Rescue (TVPG) Homestead Rescue (TVPG)
NHL Hockey The Ducks visit the Edmonton Oilers, 6:30 BBC A Stand by Me O Brother, Where Art Thou? ››› (2000) George Clooney, John Turturro. The Patriot ››› (2000) Mel Gibson, Heath
(6) Å (PG-13) Å Ledger. (R) Å
p.m. BSW
BET Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection ›› Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns ›› (2008) Tyler Perry, Angela Bassett. (PG- Martin
NBA Basketball The San Antonio Spurs visit the Clip- (2012) Tyler Perry, Eugene Levy. (6) Å 13) Å (TVPG) Å
pers, 7:30 p.m. BSSC Bravo Below Deck Below Deck (TV14) (N) Å Below Deck (TV14) (N) Å Below Deck (TV14) Å Goodfellas ›››› (1990)
(TV14) (7) Å Robert De Niro. (R) Å
TALK SHOWS CMT Last Standing Last Standing Last Standing Mom (TV14) Mom (TV14) Mom (TV14) Mom (TV14) Mom (TV14) Mom (TV14)
CBS Mornings Lorne Michaels; author Adam Grant. (N) Comedy The Office (TV14) (7:45) Å The Office Å The Office Å The Office Å The Office Å The Office Å The Office Å The Office Å
7 a.m. KCBS Discovery Street Outlaws Street Outlaws (TV14) With only three races left in the points championship, Ryan Martin remains in first place by a nar-
(N) (7) Å row margin. (N) Å
Today (N) 7 a.m. KNBC
Disney Bunk’d (TVG) Raven’s Home (TVG) Å Raven’s Home Holidays Un- Disney’s Magic Bake-Off (TVG) Good Luck Jessie: NYC Christ-
KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA (7:25) Å (TVG) Å wrapped Å Å mas (TVG) Å
E! Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Pop (TV14) Å
Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC
Food Holiday Baking Holiday Baking Championship (TVG) (Season finale) The bak- Christmas Cookie Challenge Christmas Cookie Challenge
Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Championship ers create dessert charcuterie boards and piñata desserts, (TVG) Tsunami Cookies. Å (TVG) Christmas Illusions.
(TVG) (7) Å then the competitors take on holiday party theme cakes Å
Live With Kelly and Ryan Jason Biggs; Kristin and incorporate lights into their designs. (N) Å
Chenoweth. (N) 9 a.m. KABC Freeform The Santa Clause ››› (1994) The Santa Clause 2 ›› (2002) Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell. (G) Å The 700 Club Å
Tim Allen. (PG) (6:20) Å
The View Condoleezza Rice guest co-hosts; Pete
FX A Very Harold Office Christmas Party ›› (2016) Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn. Hoping to Office Christmas Party ›› (2016) Jason
Buttigieg. 10 a.m. KABC & Kumar close a sale and save their jobs, two co-workers must rally their colleagues Bateman, Olivia Munn. (R) (10:15) Å
Christmas (6) to throw an epic Christmas party. (R) Å
Rachael Ray LeVar Burton; chef Andrew Zimmern. (N)
10 a.m. KTTV FXX The Simpsons Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy
Hallmark Check Inn to Open by Christmas (2021) Alison Sweeney, Erica Durance. Sugar Plum Twist (2021) Jamie Gray Hyder, Ektor Rivera.
The Dr. Oz Show Microwave chefs share tips. (N) 1 p.m. Christmas A woman finds an unopened Christmas card from an old After failing to get the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy a balle-
KTTV (2019) (6) Å secret admirer. Å rina creates her own dance — with a Latin twist. Å
HGTV Love It or List Love It or List It (TVPG) Å Tough Love With Hilary Farr Love It or List It (TVPG) Å Love It or List It (TVPG) Å
The Drew Barrymore Show (N) 2 p.m. KCBS It (7) Å (Premiere) (N) Å
The Kelly Clarkson Show Tom Holland, Zendaya and Ja- History Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens: Declassified (TVPG) (N) Å
cob Batalon (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”); Dan & Shay IFC 2 & 1/2 Men 2 & 1/2 Men 2 & 1/2 Men 2 & 1/2 Men 2 & 1/2 Men 2 & 1/2 Men 2 & 1/2 Men 2 & 1/2 Men 2 & 1/2 Men
performs. (N) 2 p.m. KNBC Lifetime My Favorite Candy Cane Candidate (2021) Jacky Lai, Jake Epstein. Julia Merry Liddle Christmas Baby (2021) Kelly Rowland, Thomas
Christmas returns to her hometown after a stunning defeat in her Cadrot. The Liddle family has much to be merry about this
Dr. Phil (N) 3 p.m. KCBS Melody (2021) campaign for city council. While trying to drown her sor- Christmas as Jacquie and Tyler prepare for the arrival of
(6) Å rows, she finds herself facing off with an old rival when the their first baby, while her sister, Treena, and her husband,
The Ellen DeGeneres Show Melanie C; Preacher Lawson town holds an emergency election. Å Julian, are thinking about adoption. Å
(“America’s Got Talent Las Vegas Live”). (N) 3 p.m. KNBC MTV Shrek 2 Shrek ››› (2001) Voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy. Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness
(2004) (6) Å (PG) Å (TV14) Å (TV14) Å (TV14) Å (TV14) Å
To the Contrary With Bonnie Erbé Anita Hill. 5 p.m.
KVCR Nat Geo Life Below Zero Life Below Zero (TVPG) (N) Å Life Below Zero: New Year Life Below Zero: New Year Called to the Wild Å
(7) Å (TV14) (N) Å (TVPG) (N) Å
Amanpour & Company (N)11 p.m. KCET; midnight Nickelodeon Hotel Transylvania 2 ›› (2015) Voices of Star Trek: SpongeBob Friends Friends Friends Friends
KVCR; 1 a.m. KLCS Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg. (PG) (7) Å Prodigy Å Animated. Å (TV14) Å (TVPG) Å (TV14) Å (TVPG) Å
OWN Deadline (7) Deadline: Crime (TV14) Deadline: Crime (TV14) Deadline: Crime (TV14) Deadline: Crime (TV14) Å
Nightline (N) 12:37 a.m. KABC
Paramount Scream 2 ››› (1997) David Arquette. A masked killer continues to pursue Scream 3 ›› (2000) David Arquette, Neve Campbell. (R)
a California student and her friends at an Ohio college. (R) Å Å
MOVIES
Sundance NCIS (7) Å NCIS (TVPG) Å NCIS (TVPG) Å NCIS (TVPG) Å NCIS (TVPG) Å
The Wizard of Oz Judy Garland stars as Dorothy in this Syfy Twister ››› (1996) Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton. (PG-13) (7) Å Salt ››› (2010) Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber. (PG-13) Å Point Break Å
1939 adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s fantasy series. She and TBS American Dad American Dad American Dad American Dad American Dad American Dad American Dad American Dad American Dad
her little dog, Toto, follow the yellow brick road, making TCM Fitzwilly ››› (1967) Dick Van Dyke. (7) Å Lady in the Lake ›› (1946) Robert Montgomery. Å Larceny, Inc. ›› (1942) Å
friends with an unlikely trio along the way. Ray Bolger, Bert
TLC Family Chantel The Family Chantel (TV14) 90 Day Fiancé (TVPG) (N) 1000-Lb. Sisters (TV14) (N) The Family Chantel (TV14)
Lahr, Jack Haley, Margaret Hamilton and Frank Morgan co-
star. 7 p.m. TNT TNT The Wizard of Oz ›››› (1939) Judy Garland, Frank Morgan. The Wizard of Oz ›››› (1939) Judy Garland, Frank Morgan. The Intern ››
(G) (7) Å (G) (9:15) Å (2015) Å
Candy Cane Candidate After her recent city council cam- Toon The LEGO Batman Movie ››› (2017) Voices King of the Hill King of the Hill Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers American Dad American Dad
paign ends in a loss, a woman (Jacky Lai) returns to her of Will Arnett, Michael Cera. (PG) (7) Å (TVPG) (TVPG) (TV14) Å (TV14) Å (TV14) Å (TV14) Å
hometown for Christmas. There she runs into old high school Travel Mysteries of Mysteries of the Unknown (TVPG) A scientist’s sticky situa- UFO Witness (TV14) (N) Å UFO Witness (TV14) Å
nemesis Parker (Jake Epstein), who defeated her in a bid for the Unknown tion leads to a super invention. (N) Å
class president. Mickeey Nguyen, Kara Duncan and Steph- TruTV Jokers (TV14)Jokers (TV14) Jokers (TV14) Jokers (TV14) Jokers (TV14) The Replacements ›› (2000) Keanu Reeves. (PG-13) Å
anie Herrera co-star in this holiday romantic comedy. 8 p.m. TV Land Andy GriffithRaymond Å Raymond Å Raymond Å Raymond Å Raymond Å Raymond Å King of Queens King of Queens
Lifetime USA Chicago P.D. WWE The superstars of the WWE square off in the ring and behind the scenes. (N) Å That’s My Jam (TVPG) Å
On These Grounds In this explosive 2021 documentary, VH1 VH1 Family Reunion: Love & Hip Miracles Across 125th Street (2021) Nick Cannon, Lil’ Kim.
Family Reunion VH1 Family Reunion: Love & Hip
(TV14) (7) Å Hop Edition (TV14) AHarlem rapper confronts his past on Christmas Eve. Å Hop Edition (TV14)
filmmaker Garrett Zevgetis revisits a racially charged 2015 in-
cident at a South Carolina high school where a white security Monday, December 20, Prime-time: Cable Sports Channels
officer was summoned to the classroom of a math teacher 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm
who reported that a Black student was creating a disturb- BSSC NBA Basketball San Antonio Spurs at Clippers. (Live) Postgame Clippers NBA Basketball
ance. A classmate’s video of the violence that followed went BSW NHL Hockey (Live) (6:30) Postgame The Card Life Poker Poker
viral. 8 p.m. Starz ESPN NFL Football (Live) (5) SportsCenter (N) NFL Rewind SportsCenter Å NFL Rewind
Reopening Night Filmmaker Rudy Valdez takes viewers ESPN2 NBA G League E60 NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace has a SportsCenter (N) Å Around the Pardon the SportsCenter
Basketball (6) breakout season. Horn Å Interruption Å
behind the scenes at the Public Theater in New York as the
FS1 The 2021 World Series: Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros Skip and Shannon: Undisputed TMZ Sports College Basketball Å
cast, crew and staff prepare to mount an adaptation of
Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” The produc- NFL NFL GameDay Final (7:45) NFL Total Access (8:15) Å NFL Total Access (9:15) Å NFL Total Access (10:15) Å Total Access
tion would mark the return of live theater following more NBC Sports Super High Roller Bowl Å Super High Roller Bowl Å Super High Roller Bowl Å Super High Roller Bowl Å High Roller
than a year of pandemic-imposed closures. 10 p.m. HBO SNLA Dodgers Rewind From Sept. 15, 2021. (7) Farewell to Vin Sports Shrines of LA
EE2 MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021 LOS ANGELES TIMES

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