LOS ANGELES

CONNECTING CALIFORNIA--Not one day.

CALBUZZ--Thoughtful people who have witnessed President Trump’s ignorant, incompetent, idiotic news conferences on the Coronavirus find themselves ready to slit their wrists when they see that the president’s approval rating has gone up to 49% in the latest Gallup Poll.

ALPERN AT LARGE--One good thing about this terrible COVID-19 pandemic is that we're all evolving and (hopefully!) getting smarter and more aware of what good science and business practices should be for our nation (and always were), while becoming less tolerant of sensationalism.

@TheGussReport – Last year, I reported in this column that the LAPD was ordered by a Los Angeles judge to pay me roughly $2,000 (about $100 of which was for my expenses) due to its ongoing abuses of my 1^st Amendment and Civil Rights for continually threatening me as I reported on corruption and failure in Los Angeles government.

COUNTER PUNCH-The United States has become the new center of the global coronavirus pandemic, with over 80,000 cases, more than China or Italy. 

GELFAND’S WORLD--At some point, we will look back and try to rate the performance of our city’s institutions, including not only the government but the private and the volunteer sectors.

DEEGAN ON LA-Forget developers coveting your building as a potential tear-down, or your landlord using the Ellis Act to close it or convert it to condos.

VOICES-Suicide is not illegal in the U.S, but when one of our law enforcement officers takes his (or her) own life yet no one saw the probable emotional isolation that caused a “caretaker” to separate from his family, his mission and from himself -- it symbolizes a crime of failure on the part of society. 

25^TH AMENDMENT-Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

VOICES--Good news from politics may seem hard to come by against a backdrop of pandemic and polarization.

ALPERN AT LARGE--With issues from overdensification to homeless to transportation, we're no longer in the position to debate whether we can tolerate too much densification, inadequate health resources, a lackluster effort to reduce homelessness, and an unreasoned approach to border, economic and security policies. 

PUBLIC HEATH-I would like to start this article by thanking Governor Gavin Newsom for his statements in a press conference on Saturday, March 21, 2020.

MY TURN-Whether it be lions culling the weaker members from a zebra herd or a virus or other micro-organism attacking humans, the gene pool of all living species only retains its viability through continual subjugation to what appears to be hostile attacks of nature.

ONE MAN’S OPINION-Covid-19 is not the problem. Donald Trump is not the problem. We the People are our own enemy.

EASTSIDER-While most of us are suddenly huddled in our homes for the duration, yet there is a great need to help one another, how did the Neighborhood Councils get left out of the program? And what can we do about it? 

OTHER WORDS-Social distancing is hard, and it’s not fun.

CITYWATCH SPECIAL REPORT--In 2001, the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System or LACERS* was 100.4% funded, it had a surplus of $557.7 million (no unfunded liability), and its annual contribution from the City was approximately $70 million. 

PLANNING WATCH-When I was a college student, one of my wisest professors taught us that deep crises were the best time to understand a society.

BCK FILE--With most of us sheltered in place, in tandem with 24/7 media coverage  and online exposure, it’s common to experience high levels of anxiety about COVID-19.

VOICES-The City of Los Angeles’ six animal shelters are closed to the public because of Coronavirus and Mayor Garcetti’s “Safer at Home” orders.

DEEGAN ON LA-Like in the winnowing process, where the wheat is separated from the chaff, the politico in LA who right now emerges with the highest intrinsic value to our city is Mayor Eric Garcetti.