The coroner’s office today released the names of two of three men who were killed when a car and a truck that had been involved in a crash were struck by a car on the 405 Freeway in Carson.

They were Vladislav Cizmic, 26, and Thearin Ath, 34. The coroner’s office identified the other man Friday as Richard Le, 31, of Long Beach.

Authorities arrested the woman who was driving the car involved in the original crash, which occurred about 1 a.m. Friday on the northbound 405 south of Carson Street, according to the CHP.

The suspect, a woman in her 20s, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Her name was not released.

According to the preliminary investigation, the woman was driving a Toyota Prius in the No. 3 lane when it hit a Chevrolet Silverado pulling a trailer, and the Silverado went out of control and hit the center divider wall of the freeway, said CHP Officer Simeon Yarbrough.

The Prius and the Silverado blocked the No. 1 and 2 lanes, and the Silverado’s trailer blocked the carpool lane, Yarbrough said.

Two men got out of the Silverado, and the suspect got out of the Prius, Yarbrough said.

A short time later, a Toyota Corolla operated by an Uber driver pulled over on the right freeway shoulder, and a passenger got out and ran across the freeway lanes to offer help, Yarbrough said.

A few minutes later, a Toyota Camry driven by Mohammad Vahhaj, 62, of San Pedro, approached the scene going about 55-60 mph in the No. 1 lane, the CHP reported.

“(Vahhaj) observed lanes blocked ahead, with pedestrians outside vehicles,” a CHP statement said. “He steered left in order to avoid colliding with a female pedestrian.”

The female pedestrian was the driver of the Prius, Yarbrough said. The Camry struck two of the men and then struck one of the disabled vehicles, and the impact led to the death of the third man, the CHP reported. The freeway was closed until about 5:30 a.m.

Yarbrough urged motorists involved in freeway crashes to pull over to the right shoulder whenever possible, and to stay in their vehicles until help arrives.

“And don’t drink and drive,” Yarbrough said.

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ORLANDO, Fla. >>Orlando gunman Omar Mateen spoke in Arabic to a 911 dispatcher, identified himself an Islamic soldier and demanded to a crisis negotiator that the U.S. “stop bombing Syria and Iraq,” according to transcripts released by the FBI on Monday.

The FBI provided a partial, printed transcript of three conversations Mateen had with the police during the worst mass shooting in mode U.S. history

Those communications, along with Facebook posts Mateen made before and after the shooting, add to the public understanding of the final hours of Mateen’s life.

The first call came more than a half hour after shots rang out, when Mateen told a 911 operator, “Praise be to God, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of God,” he told the dispatcher, referring to God in Arabic.

“I let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings.”

Mateen’s name and the groups and people to whom he pledged allegiance were omitted from the excerpt. But the FBI has previously stated that he pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State.

Shortly after the call, Mateen had three conversations with crisis negotiators in which he identified himself as an Islamic soldier and told a negotiator to tell America to stop bombing Syria and Iraq and that is why he was “out here right now,” according to the excerpt.

The release came a day after tens of thousands of people held a candlelight vigil in the heart of downtown Orlando for the 49 victims who died in the massacre. The victims also were remembered at church services and at makeshift memorials throughout Orlando.

“As a community, it’s important that we gather together to show our support because only together can we move forward,” said Gabrielle Claire, a musician and Universal Orlando worker who says she knew three Pulse victims who died. She was holding a “Hugs for Healing” sign at the vigil and numerous strangers came up to hug her.

“We don’t have to be afraid of holding each other. We don’t have to be afraid of saying to other people, ‘I’m here for you,’” she said.

Meanwhile, hospital officials said four people remained in critical condition Monday moing, more than a week after they were wounded in the attack.

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LONG BEACH - A man was stabbed Sunday night in the Cambodia Town area of Long Beach, authorities said.

The stabbing was reported at 8:50 p.m. in the 1500 block of Gaviota Avenue, said Long Beach police Lt. Melvin McGuire.

The victim was taken to a hospital where his vital signs were stable, McGuire said.

No suspect was in custody and the investigation is ongoing, he said.

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By The Associated Press

NEW YORK >> Trump spokesman: Manager Corey Lewandowski leaving Trump campaign.

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برچسب: نویسنده: جمشید رضایی تاريخ: دوشنبه 31 خرداد 1395 ساعت: 21:33

By City News Service

LONG BEACH - A man was stabbed tonight in the Cambodia Town area of Long Beach, authorities said.

The stabbing was reported at 8:50 p.m. in the 1500 block of Gaviota Avenue, said Long Beach police Lt. Melvin McGuire.

The victim was taken to a hospital where his vital signs were stable, McGuire said.

No suspect was in custody and the investigation is ongoing, he said.

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برچسب: نویسنده: جمشید رضایی تاريخ: دوشنبه 31 خرداد 1395 ساعت: 20:31

LOS ANGELES >> A wildfire that for days has threatened hundreds of homes and popular seaside campgrounds near Santa Barbara was half-surrounded and held in check, though firefighters were about to face the hottest day yet and the kind of dry, torrid conditions prevailing from the West Coast all the way to New Mexico.

A Red Flag waing for late Sunday and early Monday, signaling dangerously dry heat and high winds, was declared for the hilly coastal area west of Santa Barbara.

The fire was 51 percent contained after buing more than 2 square miles since starting on Wednesday.

Meanwhile near downtown Los Angeles, a small-but-dangerous brush fire threatened a densely populated, hilly neighborhood along a freeway amid sizzling temperatures Sunday.

Crews knocked down the blaze in the Silver Lake neighborhood after it damaged two homes, destroyed three shed-like structures, scorched yards and sent trees up in flames.

Neighbors scrambled with garden hoses and buckets, while water-dropping helicopters and scores of firefighters chased embers and doused steep hillsides to keep the flames from spreading.

The blaze only charred 8 acres but gave urban residents a scare.

Paul Gaffner had been swimming at a pool a few minutes from his home and was plaing to run errands when he saw heavy smoke near his house.

“Man, that fire is at my house,” he said he thought.

When he arrived, his neighbor was hosing down flames in his backyard. In his flip-flops and shorts, he joined the fight as neighbors chipped in help protect their houses.

“It was a lot going on,” Gaffner said as he handed out bottles of Gatorade to firefighters. “You’ve got it in front of you, you don’t have time to panic.”

Another wildfire that broke out Sunday forced the evacuation of about 75 people from a tiny town in the Califoia desert near the Mexico border.

It had surged to over 2 square miles amid triple-digit temperatures near the town of Potrero, a ranching community just a few miles north of Tecate, Mexico, and about 40 miles southeast of San Diego.

In New Mexico, a 28-square-mile fire that erupted last week and destroyed 24 homes in the Manzano Mountains south of Albuquerque was largely uncontained. But higher humidity oveight allowed crews to strengthen lines around the fire and keep a lookout for hot spots where flames could jump the line.

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In easte Arizona, a fire that has bued 19 square miles southwest of Show Low advanced south, but containment increased to 40 percent.

Is there yet another high-rise in San Pedro’s future?

Los Angeles County supervisors last week approved purchasing San Pedro’s vacant courthouse building for $5.2 million, opening the way for community ideas on how to use the 1.8-acre property.

The state owns more than 95 percent of the property, which the county intends to purchase for full ownership. It then will work with the community and developers to determine a new use.

The “highest and best use likely will be a mixed-use, medium- to high-rise project consisting of amenities for public gathering, as well as cultural, retail, restaurant and residential uses with a parking structure,” states a motion by county Supervisor Don Knabe, who represents the area.

The property, the motion states, should be geared to become “a focal point of civic activity.”

U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn, D-San Pedro, who is ruing for Knabe’s seat on the Board of Supervisors, already has asked the board to consider setting up a community advisory committee made up of business owners and local residents to help the county determine redevelopment plans.

“This project will provide a tremendous opportunity for redevelopment in San Pedro,” she wrote in her letter to county CEO Sachi A. Hamai.

“Supervisor Knabe and Councilman (Joe) Buscaino, along with the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and the San Pedro neighborhood councils would be a great team to help assemble a diverse board that would be apt to provide suggestions and feedback on this vital project.”

The supervisors approved the purchase Tuesday, noting that Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign the bill needed to move the transaction forward by the end of this month.

The building at 505 S. Centre St. is considered a plumb site because of its strategic location at the easte edge of the historic downtown shopping district and just a few blocks away from Harbor Boulevard and the entrance to the waterfront. It could provide a needed transition piece in linking the two districts, both undergoing revitalization efforts.

Several ideas already have been floated, including restaurants, an entertainment venue, high-end bowling alley or other family recreation attraction, a school, movie theater, park, town plaza, parking structure or local history museum.

The courthouse closed in June 2014 along with nearly a dozen other county courthouses in a budget-slashing move. The San Pedro courthouse, which opened in 1969, brought hundreds of people into the downtown area. When it closed, area restaurants and shops noticed the downtu in business.

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The facility handled criminal, civil, small claims and traffic matters in its six courtrooms. Those cases were moved to Long Beach. Since closing, it has been used for court storage space.

The property consists of a two-story concrete-and-steel building and a metered, surface parking lot for 70 cars that has been used by local restaurants.

ORLANDO, Fla. >> U.S. Attoey General Loretta Lynch said Sunday that the FBI will release a partial transcript of the conversations between the gunman within the Pulse gay nightclub and Orlando police negotiators.

Meanwhile, Orlando residents paused throughout the day — at a bar in the early moing hours, at moing church services and at an evening candlelight vigil in the heart of downtown — to remember the victims of the worse mass shooting in mode U.S. history, exactly a week later.

“We are hurting. We are exhausted, confused, and there is so much grief,” said Larry Watcho, a ministerial inte, during a sermon at Joy Metropolitan Community Church in Orlando, whose congregants are predominantly gay. “We come to have our tears wiped away and our strength renewed.”

Lynch said in interviews Sunday on several news shows that the FBI would release a partial, printed transcript of the conversations between gunman Omar Mateen from within the Pulse nightclub and Orlando police negotiators. Armed with a semi-automatic weapon, Mateen went on a bloody rampage at the club June 12 that left 49 people dead and 53 others seriously hurt. Mateen died in a hail of police gunfire after police stormed the venue.

Lynch told ABC’s “This Week” that the top goal while intensifying pressure on ISIL — the extremist group thought to have inspired Mateen — is to build a complete profile of him in order to help prevent another massacre like Orlando.

“As you can see from this investigation, we are going back and leaing everything we can about this killer, about his contacts, people who may have known him or seen him. And we’re trying to build that profile so that we can move forward,” Lynch said.

Lynch said she would be traveling to Orlando on Tuesday to meet with investigators.

Investigators are still interviewing witnesses, and looking to lea more about Mateen and others who knew him well, including members of his mosque.

A lawyer for the Council of American-Islamic Relations said that the FBI interviewed a man who worshipped at the same mosque as Mateen. Omar Saleh said he sat in on the Friday interview at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, the same mosque that Mateen attended near his home. Saleh said the interview lasted about 30u2009minutes.

Speaking to CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Lynch said that a key goal of the investigation was to determine why Mateen targeted the gay community. The victims were predominantly gay and Hispanic since it was “Latin night” at Pulse.

At the Parliament House, a gay club and resort near downtown Orlando, the music stopped as patrons paused for a moment of silence at 2u2009a.m., the time Mateen started shooting at Pulse just a few miles away.

Megan Currie, a Joy Metropolitan Community Church member, said during a Sunday moing sermon that Mateen’s attack was an effort to put fear in the gay community.

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“This was a hate crime and this happened because someone was homophobic,” Currie said.

Florida Gov.u2009Rick Scott described the attack as “devastating” while praying at the First Baptist Church of Orlando. He said the gunman targeted “two very vulnerable populations.”

“But here is the positive out of it ... people have come together,” Scott said. “There are so many people who have done so many wonderful acts.”

Around the city, people left balloons, flowers, pictures and posters at a makeshift memorial in front of the city’s new performing arts center and at Orlando Regional Medical Center where 49u2009white crosses were emblazoned with red hearts and the names of the victims.

A rainbow appeared over Lake Eola Park Sunday evening as tens of thousands of people tued out for an evening vigil to honor the victims of the shooting. The park was filled with people holding white flowers, American flags and candles.

One of those people attending, Traci Hines-McKenzie, says the timing of the rainbow was perfect.

The crosses were built by a Chicago carpenter with a history of constructing crosses for victims of mass shootings. Greg Zanis drove from Illinois to Orlando last week and installed the crosses at the medical center, where many of the 53u2009shooting victims who survived were taken for treatment.

He said Sunday that the crosses are a message for people of all faiths: “Quit judging and start loving.”

Alex Sanz in Orlando contributed to this report.

High temperature records fell across Southe Califoia on Sunday, the second day of a heat wave that is just getting started and expected to deliver its biggest blow today.

The triple-digit temperatures expected today and power outages due to Sunday’s heat have prompted state regulators to issue a flex alert to cope with an increased electricity demand.

The alert, which will be in effect from 10u2009a.m. to 9u2009p.m. today, asks the public to tu off ueeded lights, set air conditioning to 78u2009degrees or higher and not use major appliances until the alert is over. It also asks people to limit the opening and closing of refrigerator doors and shift power-intensive processes by businesses to the early moing or late evening hours.

The statewide electric supply system will be stressed to provide the 45.3u2009billion watts of electricity that is projected to be sucked up by customers, the Califoia Independent System Operator said in a news release issued Sunday.

Cal-ISO and other state agencies have waed that heat waves this summer may draw more power than can be generated, due to supply imbalances of natural gas.

The Southe Califoia Gas Co.’s giant underground natural gas storage facility at Porter Ranch in the Sanu2009Feando Valley was taken off line due to massive leaks. That means natural gas-fired electrical generators in the Southland may not have enough fuel to generate the electricity needed to meet demand, state officials said.

Gusty sundowner winds are also expected today which should continue to fuel the Sherpa fire now buing near Goleta in Santa Barbara County, the National Weather Service reported.

The heat wave, which began Saturday, pushed thermometers to 110 in Glendale by noon Sunday.

Red Flag Waings were posted Sunday for the entire county. Fire weather — hot, dry air, strong winds and low humidity — was clamped over Southe Califoia by a huge high pressure system over the Four Coers region and is expected to produce dangerously hot conditions today in all areas across the basin, according to the weather service.

High-temperature records were broken in Riverside, Thermal, Palmu2009Springs, Indio, Idyllwild, Santau2009Ana, Ramona, Escondido, Chulau2009Vista, Alpine, Elu2009Cajon, Palomaru2009Mountain, Campo, Borrego, Burbank, Sandberg and Woodlandu2009Hills.

On Sunday, weather and health experts issued ste waings for people to stay cool or face illness.

By 2u2009p.m., unofficial readings of 112 were observed in the weste Sanu2009Feando Valley at Wietka. Other eye-popping readings included 109 near Agourau2009Hills and 96 at the official downtown Losu2009Angeles weather station at USC.

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Many beaches were not much cooler: It was 94 at Sealu2009Beach and 88 at Zumau2009Beach. In places where ocean breezes straggled ashore, it was much cooler: 79 at LAX, and 67 at the Santau2009Monica Pier.

Stagnant air stymied the usual coastal breezes in the L.A. coastal plain, where many homes do not have air conditioning. One weather service thermometer at Beverlyu2009Hills read 107 at noon.

This upcoming week’s “dangerously hot conditions” will result from “an extremely strong area of high pressure” over Arizona and New Mexico, the weather service said. Phoenix hit a high of 118 Sunday, breaking a record of 115 set nearly 50 years ago, the weather service said. It tied for the fifth-hottest day ever in Phoenix.

Minor relief was expected in coastal and valley areas begiing Tuesday, but the Sanu2009Gabriel Mountains and the Santau2009Clarita Valley were to remain dangerously hot.

An excessive heat waing was expected to remain in effect until late today in the Losu2009Angeles area.

By 5u2009p.m. Sunday, excessive heat had led to several outages throughout Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southe Califoia Edison officials said. Power went out for nearly 1,200 in Studio City, 223 in Compton, 20 in Torrance, 79 in Culveru2009City and 1,015 in Westu2009Covina, according to LAWP and SCE officials. .

On the moing of May 31, Peter Boada had a hankering for some doughnuts.

He jumped into his 2007 Toyota Prius and started it up, but the normally quiet hybrid sedan sounded like a race car on the NASCAR circuit. Oveight, thieves had sawed off the catalytic converter, leaving no functioning exhaust system.

“The thought occurred to him, ‘if they took mine, they probably took yours, too,’ ” said his girlfriend, Xandy Mancao, 31. Boada, 30, was exactly right. When Mancao rushed out to her car — also a 2007 Prius and also parked in front of their apartment — she was greeted by the same deafening sound as she engaged the ignition switch — a roar echoing through Highland Park where they live, and a sound becoming increasingly more common in other parts of southeast Los Angeles and the west San Gabriel Valley during the past eight months.

Catalytic converter thefts spreading

A Los Angeles Police Department task force operating out of the Devonshire Division in the San Feando Valley from March through October 2015 resulted in arrests of 10 bands of thieves, some with four people in each, as well as the take-down of a scrap dealer in Pacoima who was selling the stolen devices to an extraction company in Texas, said Sgt. Pablo Monterrosa, who participated in the task force.

While the number of catalytic converter thefts was 500 in 2014, there were 300 in the first three months of 2015 alone. That rate has since slowed to about 100 or more a year for the San Feando Valley, he estimated.

However, by mid-October and throughout November, residents of Silverlake, Echo Park, Glassel Park and Eagle Rock reported a rash of thefts, according to social media posts, bloggers and chat rooms. The LAPD’s Northeast Division reported nine converters all stolen out of Toyota Prius models during that time.

The thieves are spreading to other areas where the police aren’t paying as close attention to this crime because of stretched resources, he said. “Now, unfortunately, we don’t have the manpower and time to go after them in these other locations,” Monterrosa said.

“Over the past couple of years, everyone is experiencing spikes in catalytic converter thefts. You have people who deal in these things that go from location to location and then they leave. It is transitory,” said LAPD Detective Carmine Sasso.

What is a catalytic converter worth?

Thefts of catalytic converters can fetch thieves $100 to $160 each — easy paydays of more than $1,000 a night when multiplied by several stolen converters. Unscrupulous scrap metals dealers then extract the precious metals within the device that can sell for more than $1,000 per ounce on the spot market.

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Platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold are the most common metals found in these devices.

Car owners feel the sting when forced to cough up between $1,000 and $3,000 for new converters and exhaust system repairs. Even with comprehensive insurance, deductibles can still result in $500 to $1,000 in out-of-pocket expenses.

“Even if you have to take a hit for $1,000, that is a lot of money for anybody,” sympathizes Monterrosa.

The dark side of recycling

Though recycling is a common and encouraged practice in Southe Califoia, a recycling market with easy, promising payouts is attractive to would-be thieves. Auto parts are recycled and made into other consumer products but at a deep cost to middle-class Southe Califoians.

“The whole world gets into recycling but this brings its dark shade of crime,” said Sgt. Jerry Johnson with the Alhambra Police Department.

One inteet ad from an online scrap metal dealer with no address urges potential customers to send pictures of the catalytic converters and they’ll send an estimate and a mailing address. “Wanted Dead or Alive Catalytic Converters,” reads the site, offering “Reward of up to $200 each.” The site explains: “We Pay You the Highest Price for the Precious Metals Inside: Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium. It’s that easy!”

Thefts hitting Alhambra, Silverlake, Eagle Rock

Alhambra experienced eight catalytic converter thefts in May, Johnson said. So far this year, the city has had 16 thefts. Of the eight in May: four were Honda Accords; two were Honda Elements and two were Toyota Camrys, he said.

Each vehicle was parked on a residential street, where crews have easy access and don’t have to break into a garage or home.

Thefts have occurred in Eagle Rock in April, Silverlake in March, Lake Balboa in April and Glassel Park in May, according to detailed Idea on blogs created specifically for victims to share their frustrations about a lack of police help and large repair bills.

Priuses are new targets

A mechanic said last October he replaced the catalytic converters on four Priuses that converter theives had hit. Replacement costs more than $2,400 per car, including parts and labor, he wrote on a chat room site. Because Toyotas seem to be the newest target, mechanics are having difficulties getting the parts because they are out of stock or back-ordered, Mancao said.

Older model Toyotas may be targeted by thieves because of the easy access to the devices, experts said. Others said these may contain more of the precious metals than those on other makes and models. “They preferred Hondas and Toyotas,” Monterrosa said.

“The most common one is the Toyota Prius, but when they come in, I can’t get the converters. They have to go to the dealers,” said Kirk, a mechanic at Advanced Mufflers in Pasadena.

Another model popular among catalytic converter thieves is the Honda Element, which sits high off the street and makes for easier access. “Every day is a mystery for me in the moing: Is my catalytic converter stolen or not?” wrote Tony of Northeast Los Angeles on a blog site.

Organized crews scour neighborhoods

Some thieves operate as a team, using walkie-talkies to communicate between the thief stealing the catalytic converter with a battery-powered saw in hand and a mechanic’s creeper used to quickly slide undeeath the parked car, and those standing watch at the top of the street, he said. One thief used a minivan with a secret compartment in the floorboard to hide the stolen devices.

Mancao wished her neighbor, who saw someone under her car in the middle of the night, would have called police. “She didn’t do anything. She just watched them.”

She’s hoping to pay only $800 for a used converter. But since her car was not operable, the battery died. She figures she’ll be out $1,000 total for the converter and battery because she does not have comprehensive (theft) insurance.

Is early release of prisoners to blame?

In the LAPD Harbor Division, near Wilmington, where several scrap yards are located, the police are seeing one to two catalytic converter thefts per week, said Detective Sasso, Harbor Area Auto Coordinator.

He blames Prop. 47, the ballot measure that reduces charges for some nonviolent drug and property crimes. Sasso says criminals on the street are savvy about what crimes will get longer sentences. He says these thefts are often reduced to misdemeanors by the Los Angeles City Attoey.

The ballot measure has also reduced the number of inmates from state prisons by more than 4,500, putting more petty thieves on the streets, he said.

“Prop. 47 has had a huge impact on property crimes,” Sasso said. “They know they get less time for a property crime. It is a lot less risk to them than putting a gun in someone’s face.”

Solutions include clamps or garages

Solutions such as parking in a garage or a lighted carport are not practical for residents of Los Angeles neighborhoods with apartments, small homes and narrow streets.

Some mechanics sell a clamp or a lock for the catalytic converter. But Karen Valenti, owner of North Hollywood Discount Auto Repair, wonders if a thief can cut through that cable or snap the clamp off.

Valenti repairs at least one missing catalytic converter per week in her shop. She believes the thefts go up when prisoners are released back into the neighborhoods. “They lea in jail how to steal catalytic converters so then someone else is out and they start doing it,” she said.

Mancao, who works in downtown L.A. in the fashion industry, has been carpooling with friends or taking the Gold Line. But when she gets the money, she’ll have her Toyota Prius repaired. She only wishes there’s a guarantee it won’t happen again.

“I might put a note under my car that says ‘bad karma,’ you know, as a joke. That might deter someone,” she said.

From the sea breeze-swept playground of McGaugh Elementary, children can glimpse enormous military ships hovering offshore.

It’s an awe-inspiring sight that Seal Beach residents come to take for granted. Right in their picturesque backyard stretches the 5,200-acre Naval Weapons Station and its bustling wharf, where missiles, torpedoes and gun ammunition are loaded onto destroyers and assault ships.

Since its last renovation in 1953, the World War II-era dock has remained frozen in time. A dilapidated, inoperable radar system —now a home for birds — is just one throwback that lends the setting a vintage feel.

But that lack of change is about to change.

In March, the Navy aounced plans to remodel Anaheim Bay so it can accommodate more and bigger ships. The project will demand a Herculean effort that involves scooping out tons of ocean floor and, possibly, adding a breakwater that could reconfigure the shape of waves.

Historically, about 60 percent of the Navy’s fleet has traveled the Atlantic Ocean and 40 percent the Pacific, but those numbers will flip.

“The Navy is aligning to a national strategy that places a higher premium on operations in the Pacific,” said retired Navy vice admiral Peter Daly, CEO of the U.S. Naval Institute in Aapolis, Maryland. “That’s a vast area of ocean: 100 million square miles.”

Daly pointed out that a Navy presence does more than protect the country militarily. It also runs interference for cargo vessels coming and going in the Pacific Rim’s bustling byways.

“Ninety percent of our foreign trade comes by sea to us, most of it via the Pacific Ocean,” he said. “It is in the national interest to support thriving economic activity.”

The Navy has come up with three alteatives for the redesign, each with its own potential advantages and drawbacks. Environmental reviews and public Idea will take at least three years, and the project itself another three years.

On an April evening, about 100 locals showed up for an informational meeting at the Mary Wilson Library in Old Town. Construction and environmental engineers stood beside poster-sized renderings of the three plans and answered questions, some of them freighted with worry.

Ken Holst, who lives in neighboring Surfside, expressed conces about Alteatives 2 and 3, both of which include a breakwater some 1,500 feet off the gated community’s beach.

“My son surfs and I like to body surf,” Holst said. “If there’s a breakwater, we won’t have waves. And what effect would a breakwater have on sea life?”

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Alteative 1, apparently, would have little extra impact on the ocean. However, it allows pleasure boats to continue navigating Anaheim Bay, arguably a security risk.

Huntington Harbour, adjacent to Seal Beach, is separated from the coastline by Pacific Coast Highway. Since the harbor’s development in the 1960s, private boats have chugged past Navy ships to enter and leave their moorings.

“That’s a little too close for comfort,” said Jazmin Atencia, a facility plaer for the Navy who chatted with attendees at the town meeting.

It’s a practice that today can seem quaint. “Nobody was thinking about the types of terrorism we have to be prepared for now,” said Gregg Smith, spokesman for the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

Alteatives 2 and 3 would solve that dilemma by steering private vessels away from the bay through a chael dug next to it. But that would require altering the environs.

Jonathan Warren, meteorologist with forecaster website Surfline, described Surfside as a popular spot for local surfers in general, not just residents. That’s because the nearer of two jetties forming triangular Anaheim Bay produces a “unique wave,” he said.

“Ironically, the shape of the wave is helped by man and now it could be ruined by man,” Warren said.

A breakwater also would compromise water quality, he said: “It would slow down the in-and-out flow of water, trapping boat fuel and other pollutants.”

Chapman University biology professor William Wright, who specializes in marine invertebrates, questioned the feasibility of burrowing a chael.

“Chaels along a wave-swept coast are always problematic,” Wright said. “A huge volume of water and sand go through there. It’d be hard to keep the chael free of sediment. My guess is that they would have to dredge it every year.”

If the three plans were up for a popular vote, both Wright and Warren would cast theirs for Alteative 1, hands down. “But I do understand the Navy’s desire for more privacy,” Warren said.

The first option improves security to some degree, at least. While small boats could continue to access Anaheim Bay, a floating barrier would fuel them along the edge of the east jetty.

“Military and private boats interact around the world, including in San Diego,” the Naval Institute’s Daly said. “I’m quite confident in the Navy’s ability to defend its ports.”

That layered defense includes patrol boats, watch persoel and keep-out zones. Private boats caot enter the bay during the half-hour it takes for ships to dock or depart.

During a remodel, the ammunition pier — the primary weapons port for the Navy’s Pacific Fleet — caot simply shut down. So before work begins, a new 1,100-long dock must be built in a different location from the current, slightly smaller one, which eventually will be demolished.

Two rocky man-made peninsulas, called moles, separate the docking area from the rest of the bay. In all three alteatives, the weste mole’s tip — shaped like Italy’s boot — would be lopped off to widen the tu-around basin for ships.

Afterward, the ocean floor that had been undeeath the “boot” would be dredged to level it out with the rest of the 40-foot-deep bay.

Whatever revisions await the Navy Weapons Station, its 900-acre National Wildlife Refuge will remain untouched.

The wide-open space, which almost certainly would have been developed years ago if not for the Navy’s presence, harbors three endangered species — the Califoia clapper rail, Califoia least te and Belding’s Svaah sparrow — as well as numerous great blue herons and other birds.

More prime property, earmarked by the Navy for weapons storage and office buildings, occupies land between Seal Beach Boulevard and Bolsa Chica Road, from the 405 Freeway to the ocean.

“It’s a buffer that helps keep us small,” said Seal Beach City Councilwoman Ellery Deaton. “We like it that way.”

Deaton said she wants to lea more about the “ramifications of each alteative” before expressing an opinion.

As a town, Seal Beach proudly embraces its neighbor. “The Navy has been an excellent partner for our city,” Deaton said.

The feeling is mutual. “Seal Beach is considered a destination station,” Smith said. “It’s an awesome, supportive community. A lot of people who come here do not want to leave.”

Last week’s mass shooting is reopening wounds left by the Sanu2009Beardino terrorist attack, and the hearts of those still grieving now ache for the Orlando massacre’s survivors and victims’ friends and family.

Some people have just begun emerging from a numbness that’s gripped them since Dec.u20092, when masked terrorists shot 36u2009people at the Inland Regional Center. Fourteen people died.

Many who survived or lost someone that day are now experiencing flashbacks and more grief after a lone gunman shot and killed 49u2009people and wounded 53 at an Orlando gay nightclub Juneu200912.

The family of Sanu2009Beardino County health inspector Damian Meins, who was killed at the center, took part in a Washington, D.C., press conference Thursday to press Congress to support gun law reforms that might prevent future mass shootings.

His wife, Trea Meins of Riverside, and daughters Tina and Tawnya Meins were devastated by the new bloodshed, as were victim Daniel Kaufman’s boyfriend and the wife of Nicholas Thalasinos.

“Our hearts are with Orlando,” 33-year-old Longu2009Beach resident Tina Meins said by phone Thursday.

Jeifer Thalasinos, who waited nine hours at Sanu2009Beardino’s family reunification center Dec.u20092 for word of her husband’s fate, said she began crying when she saw the phone number for the Orlando attack’s reunification center broadcast on TV that Sunday.

“I just lost it, ’cause I know what these people are going through,” she said.

Rialto resident Ryan Reyes, who had dated Kaufman nearly three years, said he was extremely hurt by the Orlando shooting carried out by Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Ft. Pierce, Fla., Muslim who vowed “Islamic state vengeance” for U.S. and Russian airstrikes in posts on Facebook.

But Reyes urged Americans not to demonize all Muslims in the wake of such attacks and potentially push more people toward radical Islam.

“If somebody kept saying, ‘You’re an evil, hateful person,’ that gets intealized. ‘OK, you think I’m a monster? I’ll give you a monster,’u2009”said Reyes, 33.

Orlando triggers flashbacks

Waiting for those killed to be identified by coroners and then to be notified is especially painful for family and friends, said Thalasinos and Tina Meins.

“When you’re waiting to find out, and you’re not getting information back, you pretty much know. But you still want to hear, ‘Yes, they’re gone.’ You still need that,” said Thalasinos, 41, of Colton.

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She feared the worst had happened to her health inspector husband as soon as news of the Dec.u20092 attack was reported.

“I knew he was gone from the minute I heard there was a shooting in Sanu2009Beardino,” she added. “I just had a feeling.”

Thalasinos, the Meins family and others began re-experiencing the grief and trauma of their loved ones’ killings as the number of people reported dead or wounded in the Orlando shooting climbed through the day.

“We’re reliving it all over again,” said Thalasinos, who stays in touch with other victims’ relatives and survivors.

A teacher, she didn’t finish the school year and instead took the past two weeks off because of the stress from the six-month aiversary on Juneu20092. She stayed home for two days after the Orlando shooting.

Thwart radicalization

The nation has tried to understand what motivated Mateen’s rampage at a gay bar he’d hung out in and where he reportedly tried to hook up with other men.

Reyes said neither that nor Mateen’s use of gay dating apps confirms Mateen was gay. Mateen may have been scoping out targets and club security and trying to entice individuals to kill one by one, Reyes said.

“He could have been doing this for so many reasons,” Reyes added.

Reyes, who once dated a nonpracticing Muslim, questioned whether a Muslim’s struggle with his sexual identity and homosexuality would push him to massacre others in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community at the club that night.

He acknowledged people often don’t get the support they need, but can get through a difficult transition by persevering.

“Coming out is no piece of cake,” he said. “It was a very long, hard road to get to where I am.”

Reyes believes Americans are failing to see how their own actions may contribute to some attacks reported to be inspired by radical Islam.

Immigrants come to the U.S. for the freedom they hear about, including religious freedom. Yet when they get here, some, including Muslims, may not feel they’re actually free to peacefully practice their religion, Reyes said.

The Sanu2009Beardino and Orlando terrorist attacks were both carried out by U.S. bo Muslims in their late 20s who are believed to have become self-radicalized.

After attacks involving radical Islam, Reyes said he has seen people treat law-abiding Muslims like terrorists, hurting them and making them feel like they don’t belong. Islamic extremist group recruiters prey on marginalized Muslims, giving them acceptance and telling them they’ll be heroes, Reyes said.

Kaufman ran the IRC’s coffee shop and was the only Dec.u20092 victim who didn’t work for Sanu2009Beardino County. After losing Kaufman to an attack by Muslims, Reyes encourages the public to “embrace Muslims” as “brothers and sisters in humanity” and examine what’s happening here that draws some young Muslims to radicalism.

“The Muslim community is just as desperate to put an end to it as anyone else,” he said. “These people are giving their religion a bad name.”

Coping with attacks

The Meins family can’t understand why Mateen, who had been on a federal terrorist watch list, was able to buy guns and carry out the country’s 133rd mass shooting in 2016. Tina Meins said the family is pushing for gun law reform to fight for her dad and others hurt by gun violence.

Reyes and Thalasinos are encouraging the Florida attack’s survivors and victims’ loved ones to surround themselves with those they’re close to and not let anyone rush them through the grieving process.

Let relatives and friends know when you need to be alone to process things. Reyes advised people to find the right outlets for anger.

“Anger is one of those things in this type of situation,” he said. “You’re going to hit anger a lot — for so many reasons. Anger is normal, but do not let your anger tu to hate.”

Thalasinos advises survivors feeling survivor guilt to acknowledge it’s not their fault they survived and realize they couldn’t have saved others.

Meins wants Orlando victims’ friends and family to know they have her family’s love and support.

“We know how hard it is to accept, and how much harder it is to try to carry on with your life,” she said. “You’re always searching for meaning and just trying to understand.”

Thalasinos added, “The grieving process lasts pretty much forever.”

LOS ANGELES >> Actor Anton Yelchin, who was best known for his role as Chekov in the new “Star Trek” films, was found dead early Sunday after he was crushed by his own vehicle at his Studio City home, Los Angeles police said.

The 27-year-old star was found deceased at about 1:10 a.m. Sunday in the driveway of his home in the 3800 block of Berry Drive, said Officer Jey Houser of LAPD’s Media Relations Section.

The victim’s unspecified vehicle had rolled backward on his steep driveway, piing him against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence, Officer Regina Smith of LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division said.

“The victim was a well-known actor who was en route to meet with friends for (an unspecified) rehearsal,” Smith said. “When he didn’t show up, friends responded to his residence, where they located him deceased by his own vehicle.”

• Social Media: ‘Star Trek’ co-stars and other celebrities react to tragic death of Anton Yelchin

It appeared Yelchin had momentarily exited his car, leaving it in the driveway, and was behind it when it rolled back, she said. He suffered trauma as a result of being pied between the vehicle and the brick pillar, she added.

Yelchin’s family was notified by friends who discovered him, Smith said.

Paramount Pictures, in a statement, said all of their staff joins the world in mouing the sudden death of Yelchin.

“As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will (be) missed by all,” the company said. “We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family.”

Jodie Foster, who directed Yelchin in the 2011 film “The Beaver,” called Yelchin “a rare and beautiful soul with his unstoppable passion for life.”

“He was equal parts serious thinker and the most fun little brother you could ever dream of. I am so honored to have been able to direct such a deep actor, so committed and genuine,” Foster said in a statement, released by her publicist. “I will forever be grateful for all of those little exchanges we shared, his contagious enthusiasm, his questions, his company. My heart breaks for his mom and dad who were a part of every anecdote. He carried their love into everything he touched.”

Yelchin launched his career with small roles in indie films and television shows before he starred in films like the crime thriller “Alpha Dog” and the teen comedy “Charlie Bartlett.” His most prominent role was in the rebooted “Star Trek” films — the third of which, “Star Trek Beyond” comes out next month.

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The last film to be released that Yelchin starred in was the thriller “Green Room,” which came out in April, according to his publicist Jeifer Allen.

Yelchin, who was bo in Russia, was an only child. His parents, both professional figure skaters, moved the family to the U.S. when Yelchin was a child.

The actor attended the high school Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies in Reseda, according to IMDb.

Yelchin was an animal lover, a real film buff who not only loved making films but watching and studying them, and an avid photographer, Allen said. His parents also lived in Studio City, she said.

Yelchin’s family requests privacy at this time, Allen said.

Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to call Valley Traffic Division Detective William Bustos at 818-644-8021. During non-business hours or on weekends, they should call 1-877-LAPD-247. Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous should call 1-800-222-TIPS.

The Associated Press and staff writer Bob Strauss contributed to this report.

Another round of property sales is on Tuesday’s agenda for the Long Beach City Council.

Council watchers can also look forward to a debate over medical marijuana after Councilwoman Suzie Price revealed Friday that she will ask her colleagues to support a ballot measure to regulate how medical marijuana patients can obtain caabis in Long Beach. That measure may appear on the November ballot alongside a more permissive initiative supported by medical marijuana advocates.

Property votes

Califoia officials last year gave City Hall permission to sell off former redevelopment agency properties, and the council has completed several sales this year. Recent examples include last week’s move to sell a lot near the crossing of Third Street and Pacific Avenue, where a developer plans a large apartment complex, as well as the site of the former Jergins Trust Building near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue. There, a developer plans a luxury hotel.

On Tuesday the council will consider selling:

• A lot encompassing about 44,800 square feet of space near the southwest intersection of East Broadway and Long Beach Boulevard, in the downtown area, for $7.3 million to Raintree-Evergreen, LLC. The Laguna Niguel-based firm, which has already won approval to build apartments at an adjacent lot, has proposed to link the sites to develop apartments, co-working office space, an electric vehicle charging station, retail space and an outdoor plaza.

• A 67,200-square-foot property near the southwest coer of Anaheim Street and Walnut Avenue, in the Cambodia Town area, for $2.5 million to a joint venture involving BRIDGE Housing Corp. and The Children’s Clinic. The organizations are respectively headquartered in San Francisco and Long Beach and have proposed to build a 92-unit apartment complex for seniors, restaurant space and a community health clinic.

• A 19,500-square-foot lot near the southwest coer of the intersection of Anaheim Street and Lime Avenue, north of St. Mary Medical Center, for $500,000 to CJDT Development Group, LLC. The company, which has offices in Temple City, plans to renovate a vacant art deco hotel building at the site to accommodate restaurants and working space.

• A property of about 48,000 square feet along the easte side Long Beach Boulevard between 49th and Arbor Street, in the Addams area, for $1.25 million to City Ventures, LLC. City Ventures, of Irvine, has already gained the council’s permission for a townhome project on former redevelopment land north of this site. Here, the developer similarly plans a 27-townhome project.

Medical marijuana

The council punted on the medical marijuana question in February after members couldn’t agree on whether to allow dispensaries, or restrict caabis suppliers to providing delivery services with the possibility that retail dispensaries may be permitted in the future.

That move was made with the expectation that Long Beach’s supporters of medical marijuana would push forward with a pending ballot initiative that would ask voters to end the city’s prohibition of dispensaries.

The City Clerk’s office aounced Friday that officials can begin the process of verifying whether supporters have gathered enough signatures to qualify an initiative that would allow roughly 30 dispensaries in Long Beach, based on the city’s population level.

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Price, the councilwoman who called for the delivery-focused model, wants the council to consider a competing measure that would ask voters to approve that policy.

If the council agrees, a competing ballot measure would appear on the November ballot if the version supported by medical marijuana advocates qualifies for a vote.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 333 W. Ocean Blvd.

CORONA >> A Long Beach man was arrested Sunday in coection with two hit-and-run crashes on Corona-area freeways.

The first crash occurred about 12:30 p.m. in the northbound lanes of the 15 Freeway south of Magnolia Avenue, said Califoia Highway Patrol Sgt. Nathan Baer. At the time, there was heavy traffic on the freeway.

A man driving a red Dodge Challenger along the right shoulder side-swiped a pickup that was hauling a trailer, Baer said.

The Challenger didn’t stop, Baer said. It continued north to the 15/91 interchange. Just before entering the transition road to the westbound 91 Freeway, the Challenger crashed into a Toyota Siea minivan.

The driver again neglected to stop, Baer said, and proceeded west on the 91.

Baer located the Challenger west of the Maple Street exit in Corona and pulled it over. The driver, identified as 18-year-old Cesar Gonzalez, was taken into custody without incident.

Gonzalez was booked into jail on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident. Officers have yet to determine whether Gonzalez was under the influence of narcotics when the crashes occurred, Baer said.

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LOS ANGELES >> Scattered power outages were reported across Southe Califoia, as temperatures approached 115 in some areas.

Nearly 1,200 customers lost power this afteoon in Studio City after at least one circuit went out, according to a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokeswoman said.

The outage which was centered east of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and was reported at 1:50 p.m., according to LADWP spokeswoman Kim Hughes.

“A total of 1,183 customers are currently without power,” Hughes told City News Service at 2:30 p.m..

“A circuit went out,” she said. “We don’t know what caused it, but crews are on scene and working on the problem.”

Hughes said she didn’t know yet when power would be restored to those customers.

In Brea, police said about 1,600 homes were blacked out this afteoon. Southe Califoia Edison officials said the power went out at 1:45 and did not have an estimated repair time.

Brea police said a cooling station had been opened at the Brea Community Center, as temperatures of 105 were reported in nearby Fullerton.

Other outages reported by the SC Edison automated reporting system included 1,015 accounts in West Covina, 81 locations in Mission Viejo and 79 accounts in Culver City.

By Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix has broken a hot-weather record set nearly 50 years ago on this date, hitting 117 degrees amid a heat wave boiling parts of the Southwest.

The National Weather Service says the high temperature surpassed the record for June 19 just before 1 p.m. Plus, meteorologist Mark O’Malley says there are still a few more hours to go before the temperature reaches its peak.

Forecasters say some areas could see a high of up to 120. The previous record was 115 back in 1968.

A strengthening ridge of high pressure lifting out of Mexico is on course to scorch portions of Arizona and southeast Califoia on Sunday and Monday.

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برچسب: نویسنده: جمشید رضایی تاريخ: دوشنبه 31 خرداد 1395 ساعت: 6:06

NORWALK >> A man was hospitalized in grave condition Sunday after he was shot in a residential Norwalk neighborhood late Saturday, authorities said.

The shooting was first reported at 11:33 p.m. in the 14400 block of Claressa Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Hank Ortega said.

The victim, 33, was believed to be walking down the street when an attacker or attackers approached in a dark-colored vehicle and opened fire, the sergeant said.

Paramedics took the wounded man to a hospital, where he was listed in grave condition, Ortega said.

No further details regarding the circumstances of the shooting were available as the investigation continued Sunday afteoon.

Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s Norwalk Station at 562-863-8711. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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LOS ANGELES >> Actor Anton Yelchin, who was best known for his role as Chekov in the new “Star Trek” films, was found dead early Sunday after he was crushed by his own vehicle at his Studio City home, Los Angeles police said.

The 27-year-old star was found deceased at about 1:10 a.m. Sunday in the driveway of his home in the 3800 block of Berry Drive, said Officer Jey Houser of LAPD’s Media Relations Section.

The victim’s unspecified vehicle had rolled backward on his steep driveway, piing him against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence, Officer Regina Smith of LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division said.

“The victim was a well-known actor, who was en route to meet with friends for rehearsal,” Smith said. “When he didn’t show up, friends responded to his residence, where they located him deceased by his own vehicle.”

• Social Media: ‘Star Trek’ co-stars and other celebrities react to tragic death of Anton Yelchin

It appeared Yelchin had momentarily exited his car, leaving it in the driveway, and was behind it when it rolled back, she said. He suffered trauma as a result of being pied between the vehicle and the brick pillar, she added.

Yelchin’s family was notified by friends who discovered him, Smith said.

Paramount Pictures, in a statement, said all of their staff joins the world in mouing the sudden death of Yelchin.

“As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will (be) missed by all,” the company said. “We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family.”

Yelchin launched his career with small roles in indie films and television shows before he starred in films like the crime thriller “Alpha Dog” and the teen comedy “Charlie Bartlett.” His most prominent role was in the rebooted “Star Trek” films — the third of which, “Star Trek Beyond” comes out next month.

Yelchin, who was bo in Russia, was an only child. His parents, who were professional figure skaters, moved the family to the U.S. when Yelchin was a baby.

The actor attended the high school Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies in Reseda, according to IMDb.

Yelchin’s family requests privacy at this time, according to his publicist.

Anyone with additional information about the collision is asked to call Valley Traffic Division Detective William Bustos at 818-644-8021. During non-business hours or on weekends, they should call 1-877-LAPD-247. Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous should call 1-800-222-TIPS.

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The Associated Press and staff writer Bob Strauss contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES >> Temperatures hit 110 at Glendale by noon today, as a pressure cooker of high pressure sat clamped above the southweste United States and made coastal June Gloom a fond memory.

Red Flag Waings were posted today for the entire county. Fire weather - - hot, dry air, strong winds and low humidity -- was clamped over Southe Califoia by a huge high pressure system over the Four coers region, and would produce dangerously hot conditions today and Monday in all areas across the basin, according to the National Weather Service.

Woodland Hills hit 106 at 1 p.m., it was 105 at Fullerton, Corona, Riverside and Van Nuys.

Coastal areas did not escape the moing’s blast fuace. At noon, it was 95 at Redondo Beach, 84 at Zuma Beach and 102 in the hills above Malibu.

Stagnant air stymied the usual coastal breezes in the L.A. coastal plain, were many homes do not have air conditioning. One NWS thermometer at Beverly Hills read 107 at noon.

A cluster of triple-digit readings had already popped up in the San Feando Valley, including 101 at a backyard NWS-affiliated weather station in Wietka.

The excessive heat waing was expected to remain in effect until late Monday in the Los Angeles area.

Gusty sundowner winds are also expected today which should continue to fuel the Sherpa fire now buing near Goleta in Santa Barbara County, the NWS reported.

On Saturday, the first day of this heat wave, the temperatures peaked at 98 degrees in Burbank; 97 degrees in Lancaster and Topanga Canyon; 96 degrees in Fullerton; 91 degrees in Long Beach; and 87 degrees in downtown Los Angeles.

Extreme heat was blamed for at least one power outage Saturday in Garden Grove; that affected 21 customers, according to Southe Califoia Edison.

Monday is expected to be the hottest day, with temperatures ranging between 100 and 110 degrees, according to the NWS.

This upcoming week’s “dangerously hot conditions” will result from “an extremely strong area of high pressure” over Arizona and New Mexico, the NWS said. Minor relief was expected in coastal and valley areas begiing Tuesday, but the San Gabriel Mountains and the Santa Clarita Valley were to remain dangerously hot.

Those headed to the mountains for the weekend face increased chances of wildfires. The high heat combined with humidity levels in the single digits and teens “will likely bring an extended period of elevated fire danger across much of southwest Califoia Saturday through Tuesday,” according to an NWS statement.

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“Dangerous heat-related illness is possible, especially for sensitive populations, those conducting outdoor activities, and people without access to air conditioning,” the NWS said.

Dr. Karen Smith, Califoia Department of Public Health director and State Public Health officer, underscored the seriousness of the hazards posed by high temperatures.

“Heat-related emergencies cause dozens of deaths in Califoia each year and prompt thousands of people to seek treatment at local emergency rooms,” Smith said. “In 2006, nearly 200 people died in Califoia from extreme heat. High temperatures need to be taken very seriously. People should protect themselves and watch out for others who might be vulnerable.”

The Department of Public Health recommends that Southe Califoians stay safe during the heat wave by:

-- keeping an eye on media reports for the latest weather forecasts and information from local officials;

-- leaing the waing signs of heat-related illnesses;

-- staying out of direct sunlight;

-- staying hydrated;

-- reducing physical activity;

-- identifying a cool location, such as a mall, library, theater or designated cooling center (the Los Angeles Police Department recommends calling 311 within city limits and 211 within county limits to find the nearest cooling station);

-- using cool compresses, misting and baths to lower body temperatures;

-- wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing;

-- wearing sunscreen;

-- checking on pets, friends, family and neighbors who may be especially sensitive to excessive heat.

Additionally, the NWS notes that anyone overcome by the high temperatures should call 911 because heat stroke is an emergency.

The agency also reminds residents they should never leave people or pets in enclosed vehicles, even for a few minutes.

Besides not leaving animals in a parked car, city animal services officials say pet owners must make sure their animals are kept cool during the heat wave.

Pet owners should watch for signs of heat stroke, such as fast and noisy breathing, difficulty swallowing and distressed behavior.

If heat stroke is suspected, pet owners should place a cold, wet towel on the back of the animal’s head, and towel-wrapped cold compresses on their back legs and belly. The pet should be immediately taken to a veterinarian to be checked.

Other tips include:

-- making sure the pet has fresh drinking water served in a large container, instead of a shallow bowl, to allow the water to remain cold longer;

-- giving your dog ice cubes to eat or adding them to the water bowl;

-- avoid buing dogs’ paws by keeping them off hot pavement or concrete during walks, and if necessarily do the walks early or later in the day when it is cooler; and

-- taking extra care to provide shade to pets with lighter coats because they are more likely to be sunbued.

Also of conce is the state’s power grid, prompting Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials to urge customers to reduce their energy use whenever possible.

“During times of extreme heat, we strongly encourage customers to conserve electricity as long as it does not jeopardize their health,” DWP General Manager Marcie Edwards said. “Doing simple things such as tuing up your thermostat to 78 degrees and tuing off your lights will save electricity use and reduce the risk of outages.”

DWP officials noted that outages can occur during episodes of high heat when residents and businesses crank up their air conditioners at the same time. According to the utility, conservation is particularly essential from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The utility recommended that customers save energy by:

-- tuing thermostats to 78 degrees or higher;

-- tuing off uecessary lights;

-- adjusting water heaters to 120 degrees;

-- using major appliances only late in the evening or early in the moing; and

-- tuing off pool pumps.

Residents were urged to prepare for possible power outages by having flashlights and batteries readily available and keeping a battery-operated radio handy.

DWP officials also recommended that people keep a phone charger in a car to ensure they can contact friends or relatives during an outage, keep a supply of non-perishable food and have a cooler available to use for food that needs to be refrigerated.

As news broke Sunday moing of the death of Anton Yelchin, his co-stars, friends and other celebrities moued the loss of the actor.

Yelchin, 27, who was best known for his work in films such as”Star Trek” and “Fright Night,” was hit and killed by his own vehicle at his Studio City home.

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UC Riverside researcher Sara Mednick isn’t so sure that all the answers to memory lie in the brain.

Mednick, a psychology professor, studies the relationship between sleep and memory. The latest study by her and her team of researchers suggests that the heart may play a key role in creating long-term memory.

Her study, “Autonomic Activity During Sleep Predicts Memory Consolidation in Humans,” appears in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In the study, subjects were given a series of word groups and keywords to remember.

One group of subjects then spent a period of quiet wakefulness watching a video, while two other groups took naps. Both nap groups experienced REM sleep. Some nappers did not stay in certain sleep stages long enough to be considered to have full naps.

The subjects were monitored not only for brain activity but also for heart rate.

Those with a greater heart rate variability – differences in time between individual heartbeats – scored highest on the memory tests.

“It basically means there’s a lot more going on with memory consolidation than we thought,” Mednick said.

She believes her study is the first to look at the autonomic nervous system’s contribution to memory processing in humans. Animal studies she said, have shown a distinct link. For instance, she said, in experiments where an animal’s vagus nerve – which sends signals from the gut to the brain – was cut, memory was impaired.

“One of the easy ways to look at the autonomic system is to look at heart rate variability,” Mednick said.

That measure has been a popular point of research in recent years, she said.

“Heart rate variability is related to a lot of different topics – cognition, diabetes, coronary health, hypertension,” she said. “I wanted to test it out with sleep and memory.”

Prior to their sleep and resting periods, subjects in the study were given a series of three-word groups and asked to identify a fourth word associated with all three. In one instance, they saw the words “cookies,” “sixteen” and “heart.” The solution word “sweet” is common to all three: cookies are sweet, sweet sixteen and sweetheart. They were also given word analysis tests, such as ink is to pen as lead is to ____, in this case the answer being pencil. Pencil was considered a prime word and might later need to be used as a solution to a new word association problem.

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Following the rest/nap period, the subjects were scored on their performance on word association tests that repeated sequences they’d been given in the initial test, tests that were completely new or tests whose solutions came from the prime words they’d identified in the word analysis test. This latter test was considered a measure of not only memory but of creativity.

“You’re creating a list of words in someone’s mind that they’ll be more likely to use to solve these creative problems, which is exactly how creativity works,” Mednick said. “You can create associations between things using tools that other people wouldn’t have.”

Those subjects who had a partial nap scored the highest on all the tests. When Mednick and her team factored in heart rate variability, they found that 73-percent of those with the highest scores on the primed test also had the highest heart rate variability.

“It’s pretty extraordinary to account for that much variability,” she said. “It’s hard to know what the causal factors are here, but it’s clear it’s playing a large role.”

Mednick said she is working on follow-up studies to determine what those causal factors might be. She said she is examining different areas where memory is stored and looking at how the mechanisms for memory processing might be tued off an on.

She plans to continue studying the role the heart plays in all of this.

“There’s a whole world below the neck that we need to be considering,” she said.

LOS ANGELES >> Anton Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new “Star Trek” films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a fatal traffic collision early Sunday moing, his publicist, Jeifer Allen confirmed.

Yelchin started small with roles in indie films and various television shows, before breaking out in films like the crime thriller “Alpha Dog” and the teenage comedy “Charlie Bartlett.” His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted “Star Trek” films — the third of which, “Star Trek Beyond” comes out in July.

Yelchin, an only child, was bo in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. Yelchin’s family requests privacy at this time.

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LOS ANGELES >> The forgetful blue fish of “Finding Dory” is box office gold. The Pixar sequel far-surpassed its already Ocean-sized expectations to take in $136.2 million in North American theaters, making it the highest-grossing animated debut of all time, according to comScore estimates Sunday. The 2007 film “Shrek the Third” was the previous record-holder with a $121.6 million debut.

“Finding Dory,” which comes 13 years after “Finding Nemo” hit theaters, is also now the second-largest June opening of all time behind “Jurassic World.” The well-reviewed film features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks and played particularly well with audiences, who gave the film an A CinemaScore — Pixar’s 17th film in a row to receive the impressive grade.

Going into the weekend, analysts expected “Finding Dory” to do big, $100 million plus business, but never this much.

“The thought was ‘could this be the movie to eclipse “Toy Story 3’s” opening,’ not, ‘could it become the biggest animated opening of all time,’” said Paul Dergarabedian, comScore’s senior media analyst. “That’s the power of the Pixar brand.”

“Toy Story 3” was the biggest Pixar opening ever until now with $110.3 million.

Disney’s Executive Vice President of Distribution Dave Hollis was particularly heartened that the film did such robust late night business on both Friday and Saturday.

“That’s really a testament to this being a picture for everyone — not just for families,” Hollis said.

“Finding Dory” has the animated seas to itself until “The Secret Life of Pets” opens July 8.

The Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson buddy comedy “Central Intelligence” also had a relatively muscular weekend, with a better-than-expected $34.5 million, putting it in second place.

“It’s a real home run,” said Jeff Goldstein, Waer Bros.’ executive vice president of domestic distribution. “These two comedians are just stars. They coect with their audience and each other in such a strong way. You just laugh when you watch them.”

“Central Intelligence” cost a reported $50 million to make and scored especially well with younger audiences, who the studio hopes will propel the word of mouth in weeks to come. The next major comedy releases don’t come until mid-July with “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” and “Ghostbusters.”

In third place, the James Wan horror pic “The Conjuring 2” fell 62 percent in its second weekend in theaters, eaing $15.6 million and bringing its domestic total to $71.7 million.

Rounding out the top five were “Now You See Me 2,” with $9.7 million and “Warcraft,” with $6.5 million, both of which opened last weekend.

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Overall, the weekend is down nearly 5 percent from last year, when “Inside Out” launched with $90.4 million and “Jurassic World” eaed $106.6 million in its second weekend in theaters.

Still, Dergarabedian notes that the comparatively big audiences this weekend are good for the business in the long run since they’ll be exposed to trailers for upcoming summer films. The success of “Finding Dory” and “Central Intelligence” also comes at a critical moment after a few weekends of underwhelming sequels and all out flops.

“A movie like ‘Dory’ can reinvigorate a marketplace that has been in the doldrums for the last few weeks,” he said. “It helps everyone.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1.”Finding Dory,” $136.2 million.

2.”Central Intelligence,” $34.5 million.

3.”The Conjuring 2,” $15.6 million.

4.”Now You See Me 2,” $9.7 million.

5.”Warcraft,” $6.5 million.

6.”X-Men: Apocalypse,” $5.2 million.

7.”Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” $5.2 million.

8.”Me Before You,” $4.2 million.

9.”Alice Through the Looking Glass,” $3.6 million.

10.”Captain America: Civil War,” $2.3 million.

WESTMINSTER >> Bob Dole thought he could win Califoia with a “fishhook” strategy. George W. Bush came armed with $15 million. John McCain was bullish, too. They all lost.

Donald Trump’s prediction that he can capture the biggest prize in the November presidential election, the state’s 55 electoral votes, rubs up against a dismal history for Republicans over a generation. The names on the ballot have changed, but the outcome has been the same — double-digit wins for Democrats since 1992.

Here’s Trump’s challenge: unite Republicans while finding millions of new supporters in a state where Democrats hold every statewide office and both chambers of the Legislature. They also have a 3.1 million edge in voters, a number equal to the population of Iowa.

In 1996, Dole was brimming with confidence about his chances against then-President Bill Clinton. Dole’s campaign aimed to drive up vote margins in Republican-friendly communities down the state’s interior spine, then up through coastal counties in the south, roughly in the shape of a fishhook. Money and staff poured in. Dole’s ruing mate, Jack Kemp, had special credentials: He grew up in Los Angeles.

It wasn’t even close. Clinton ran up a 51-to-38 percent win.

“Since 1996, the Califoia electorate has swung even more to the left,” said Ken Khachigian, a former chief speechwriter in the Reagan White House who ran Dole’s campaign in the state.

“Five months out, it’s political malpractice to rule out any possibility,” Khachigian added. But a Republican win in Califoia “comes as close as anything to an exception.”

The home turf of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, Califoia was once Republican in presidential elections. But pronounced demographic shifts, particularly a boom in the Hispanic population, have transformed the state.

The number of Hispanics, blacks and Asian-Americans combined has outnumbered whites in Califoia since 1998, and Latinos alone now outnumber the white population. Most of the new voters are Democrats or independents who tend to vote like them.

Trump is looking to expand his support at a time when he already faces challenges with Hispanics and women. That stems in part from his promise to build a wall along the border with Mexico and his verbal attacks on U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is hearing a lawsuit against Trump University. Trump also has criticized New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who heads the Republican Goveors Association.

Richard Hoyt, a registered independent from Westminster, in Orange County, is the kind of voter Trump needs to pull his way. But the 64-year-old retired engineer says he’s leaning toward Clinton, in part because of Trump’s statements about Curiel and the judge’s family’s Mexican roots.

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Hoyt said he would give Trump a “zero for his maerisms” and added: “I can’t imagine how all of the sudden he’s going to change.”

Part of Trump’s challenge is simple arithmetic.

In Califoia’s June 7 primary, the billionaire businessman ran essentially unopposed, pulling in about 1.5 million votes, or about 75 percent of the total. Ted Cruz and John Kasich were still on the ballot, though they earlier dropped out of the race.

Analysists predict 14 million people are likely to vote in November.

To win, Trump would need a heroic tuout from the state’s 4.9 million Republicans, while finding 2 million or more swing voters to get near a majority. Indeed, some of those swing voters could be lurking in counties where Republican candidates have outperformed the party’s registration numbers.

But there are more than 8 million Democrats, and the state’s 4.2 million independents — about 1 in 4 voters — tilt Democratic.

Trump’s state director, Tim Clark, emphasized that Trump’s supporters are strongly motivated in a year when many voters are looking for candidates from beyond Washington. As an outsider, Trump could appeal to a vast pool of dormant voters soured on status quo politics, Clark said.

“Elections are won by those who show up, and those who show up are those motivated by their candidate,” Clark added.

The last significant push by a Republican to win Califoia was in 2000, when Bush was backed by $15 million, then lost to Democrat Al Gore by 12 points. In 2004, Bush’s campaign vowed to compete in Califoia, but the campaign effectively shut down in early autumn.

McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee against Barack Obama, boasted about competing in Califoia, but he lost by 24 points. Mitt Romney suffered a 23-point loss to Obama in 2012.

Aside from her registration advantage, Clinton also has a formidable get-out-the-vote operation. The campaign made 2 million phone calls in the final days before the state primary. Trump has no comparable organization. An energized Hispanic tuout is likely, favoring Clinton, who also carried the state in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary.

Republicans remain healthy in pockets of Califoia, including parts of the vast farm belt and the so-called Inland Empire ruing east and north of Los Angeles. But party registration overall has withered to 27 percent of the state total, compared with 45 percent for Democrats.

Independents now outnumber Republicans in nearly two dozen of the state’s 53 congressional districts.

Former Gov. Pete Wilson, a Ted Cruz supporter who now backs Trump, is the last Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in the state, in 1988.

He acknowledges the steep climb Trump faces, but said in an unpredictable political year Trump could make inroads with independents and voters wary of Clinton. At the minimum, he said Trump could win a tactical victory if he forces Democrats to compete on their own ground.

Democrats “will have to respond and they will have to spend time and money here,” he said.

BIGFOOT, Texas >> The worst oil bust since the 1980s is putting Texas and other oil producing states on the hook for thousands of newly abandoned drilling sites at a time when they have little money to plug wells and seal off environmental hazards.

As U.S. rig counts plunge to historic lows, and with at least 60 oil producers declaring bankruptcy since 2014, energy-producing states are confronting both holes in their budgets and potentially leaking ones in the ground. In Texas alone, the roughly $165 million price tag of plugging nearly 10,000 abandoned wells is double the entire budget of the agency that regulates the industry.

The problem is forcing states to get creative: Texas regulators now want taxpayers to cover more of the clean-up, supplementing industry payments. Wyoming and Louisiana are riling drillers with steeper fees. Oklahoma is reshuffling money among agencies in the face of a $1.1 billion state budget shortfall, while regulators also grapple with earthquakes linked to oil and gas activities.

“As downtown tus go, this one happened faster and accelerated. It moved downward faster than the big downtu we had in the ‘80s,” said John Graves, a Houston oil consultant. “For some people in our industry, it’s been more intense.” Crude prices that peaked above $100 a barrel in 2014 plunged by 60 percent in just six months.

But these responses — if they even wind up working — are still years from meeting the growing backlog of untended wells. Texas officials predict the number of orphaned wells could soar to 12,000, which would be nearly 25 percent more than what regulators can’t keep up with now. Landowners, meanwhile, are growing restless with abandoned pump jacks and damage while drillers wa that crackdowns would only put them out of business faster at a time when oil has finally crept from below $30 a barrel to about $50.

“It’s the magnitude because this bust is so deep. In Wyoming they had a single operator walk away, and instead of it being 5, 10, 20 wells, it was 150,” said Bruce Baizel, who monitors oil and gas regulators for the environmental group Earthworks. “It’s not the small, marginal operators. You’re starting to get into some medium-sized independents walking away from things.”

Orphaned wells are potential environmental hazards below ground as well as rusted-out eyesores above. A 2011 report by the multistate Ground Water Protection Council found at least 30 cases of groundwater contamination in Texas caused by orphan wells between 1993 and 2008.

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In the Bigfoot Field south of San Antonio, tall stalks of weedy thistle surround dormant wellheads, some stained with crude or leaking fluids. State regulators place a higher priority on bigger hazards.

The problem is not new. Energy-rich state had thousands of orphaned wells on the books for decades, particularly in Texas, where the backlog exceeded 25,000 in the early 2000s before landowners pressured lawmakers to light a fire under state regulators. Landowners are getting antsy again, as the state’s Republican comptroller, Gle Hegar, has predicted that a third of oil producers in Texas will go bankrupt this summer.

“These landowners are chained to a corpse,” said Trey Scott, a managing partner of Trinity Mineral Management, which represents landowners who own thousands of acres in the Texas oil patch. With the state facing an average cost of $17,000 per well, Scott said, “If you have those wells, your chances of getting them plugged are slim to none.”

Such expenses are normally covered by fees paid by producers, a reliance that Texas regulators say is no longer sufficient as they appeal for more taxpayer funding. Texas hasn’t raised the price of required bonds on drillers since 1991, which are as low as $25,000 for smaller operators. Last year, Texas collected $4 million from drillers who abandoned more than 1,500 wells — about a fifth of the cost of plugging all of them. Texas lawmakers won’t decide whether to give regulators more money until 2017, while a critical report by the state’s Sunset Commission in April urged finally hiking bonding rates “to protect both the environment and public safety.”

Last winter, Louisiana started requiring producers to put up a new bond of $7 for every foot drilled in an attempt to deal with the state’s roughly 3,000 abandoned wells. After drillers revolted, however, Louisiana’s Office of Conservation in April suspended the new bonding until August.

“The state’s broke and they’re trying to raise funds however they can,” said Dempsey Oil Company owner Jimmy Dempsey, an operator in northwest Louisiana. “It doesn’t take a genius to fill a well with concrete.”

In Oklahoma, budget cuts to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission have led to fewer well-plugging contracts. Nearly $400,000 in emergency funding that Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin sought for the agency this year was used instead for technology upgrades and earthquake monitoring.

“We’re not going to have that same luxury next year,” Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s Director of Finance Cleve Pierce said of the state’s well-plugging dollars.

Associated Press writer Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

ORLANDO, Fla. >> Although the killer is known, the investigation continues into what motivated and enabled Omar Mateen to carry out the worst mass shooting in mode U.S. history.

Attoey General Loretta Lynch said in interviews Sunday on several news shows that the FBI would release a partial printed transcript of the conversations between gunman Mateen from within the Pulse nightclub and Orlando police negotiators. Armed with a semi-automatic weapon, Mateen went on a bloody rampage at the club June 12 that left 49 people dead and 53 others seriously hurt. Mateen died in a hail of police gunfire after police stormed the venue.

Lynch told ABC’s “This Week” that the top goal while intensifying pressure on ISIS — the extremist group thought to have inspired Mateen — is to build a complete profile of him in order to help prevent another massacre like Orlando.

“As you can see from this investigation, we are going back and leaing everything we can about this killer, about his contacts, people who may have known him or seen him. And we’re trying to build that profile so that we can move forward,” Lynch said.

Lynch said she would be traveling to Orlando on Tuesday to meet with investigators.

Speaking to CBS’ “Face The Nation,” Lynch said that a key goal of the investigation was to determine why Mateen targeted the gay community.

Investigators are still interviewing witnesses, and looking to lea more about Mateen and others who knew him well, including members of his mosque.

A lawyer for the Council of American-Islamic Relations said that the FBI interviewed a man who worshipped at the same mosque as Mateen. Omar Saleh said he sat in on the Friday interview at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, the same mosque that Mateen attended near his home. Saleh said the interview lasted about 30 minutes.

Meantime, the wave of support for shooting victims and survivors continued Sunday. Memorial services were scheduled for a number of churches in Orlando and a vigil was to be held Sunday evening. Around the city, people prayed on the street and left balloons, flowers, pictures and posters have been left to honor the victims.

Dozens of people waited several hours at Realm Tattoos to get one of the recently drawn “One Pulse” tattoos etched into their skin. The tattoos are free, but people are encouraged to leave a donation for the victims, which will be distributed by Southe Nights, another Orlando nightclub.

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Jonathan Betancourt, 36, the shop’s owner, said he was surprised at how fast the community came together in such a short time.

“We love to tattoo. This is what we live for. Come in, show your love,” Betancourt said. “You always got to pay it forward. This is my way to pay it forward.”

Javier Heandez, like many in the nation, awoke June 12 to the horrific news that someone had killed 49 people at a gay Orlando nightclub.

The shocked 27-year-old was rattled, leaing a single man, Omar Mateen, had entered the club — a sanctuary for the local gay community — and opened fire on hundreds of iocent people.

“It took me back to being at my favorite (gay) club in Pomona, 340, and how that could have been me,” the Ontario man said. “It was something that hit me and the gay community hard.”

When the names of the victims began to surface, Heandez felt a sickening in the pit of his stomach.

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34.

Stanley Almodovar III, 23.

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20.

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22.

“We started seeing the Latino names and their pictures and it really hit home,” said Heandez, co-founder of Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Coalition.

Alessandro Negrete of Boyle Heights felt that same pang of sadness as he listened to the names come over the radio and on social media as he drove home from a Las Vegas trip.

“Hearing those names, most of them were familiar,” said Negrete, an LGBTQ activist living in Boyle Heights. The majority of the 49 men and women killed in the country’s worst mass shooting were Latino, and the attack took place during Latin night, according to the club’s Facebook page.

“Looking at their faces, that could have been me,” Negrete said.

For Negrete and other Latinos in the LGBTQ community, the Sunday massacre, which President Barack Obama has recently called an act of terror and a hate crime, shined a spotlight on an issue that has not been discussed enough: the targeting of people of color within the community.

“A Latinx transwoman was shot the other day in Santa Ana,” said Negrete. Latinx is a term being used with increasing frequency on social media, replacing the “o” in Latino with “x,” making the masculine identifier gender-neutral.

“We are targets daily, but in that intersection of black and brown, we are being targeted at a higher rate, and I think we need to talk about our safety.

In the case of the June 10 Santa Ana shooting, a police department spokesperson said officers have concluded it was not a hate crime. The suspect did not know the victim was transgender.

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According to a 2012 report from the National Coalition of Anti-Terrorist Programs that focuses on hate violence against the gay community, LGBTQ people of color were almost twice as likely to experience physical violence.

Black, Latino LGBTQ

Of the 49 people killed Sunday, 23 were Puerto Rican, according to Univision, which confirmed the information with the Puerto Rican govement. At least eight others were Latinos.

Nearly three-quarters of the victims of all anti-LGBTQ slayings in 2012 were people of color, according to the report. Blacks made up 54 percent of the total victims and Latinos 15 percent.

The attack on Pulse by 29-year-old Mateen, an American citizen from Fort Pierce, Florida, has rocked the LGBTQ Latino community, a community that faces pushback because it not only challenges societal norms but also deeply entrenched cultural and religious beliefs — all of which make it difficult for LGBTQ people to be themselves.

“What the mainstream media and most people don’t realize is that for queer people of color, a place like Pulse, places like the now-to down Circus Disco (in Hollywood) or Arena and OZ (in New Orleans) or Alibi (in Pomona), these are all safe spaces and sanctuaries and some of the few safe spaces queer people of color have,” said Anthony Ocampo, a sociology professor at Cal Poly Pomona who identifies as gay.

“(That’s because) they experience marginalization in their community and families and then they experience racism. Not making that coection and not saying it was a gay club and that the victims were people of color and airbrushing what happened at Pulse is infuriating,” Ocampo said.

For many Latino LGBTQ people, going out to gay clubs and establishments is more than a fun night out, Ocampo added. It’s a place where they can experience the liberties most straight people, even those within their own racial and immigrant communities, are free to indulge in.

“At home, sometimes they can’t hold hands or kiss their partner like straight couples can, and they caot be who they are because of the whole issues of homophobia and machismo,” said Richard Zaldivar, founder and executive director of The Wall Las Memorias, a Los Angeles-based community health and wellness organization dedicated to serving the Latino and LGBTQ community. A memorial etched with the names of those who have lost their lives to AIDS stands in Lincoln Park, 3501 Valley Blvd.

“They are unable to deal with their sexuality,” he said. “When Latinos are dealing with their sexuality, they may want a safe space to hang out, where they grow and nurture one another and that can happen in these clubs and locations.”

That safe space was ripped from them when Mateen opened fire on Pulse, a nightclub that some suggest Mateen had visited several times. Investigators have not said if Mateen may have been gathering information on the location or visited for personal reasons.

“Here we have these young people who died at the expense of a man who could be mentally ill, who may have been dealing with his own inteal homophobia,” Zaldivar said.

The gunman’s first wife, Sitora Yusufiy, said she was not sure about his sexuality.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he might be gay. And it doesn’t surprise me that he was leading two totally different lives and was in such deep conflict within himself,” she told CNN’s Don Lemon. “I hope people can truly understand that this is one insane person that did such a tragic thing.”

Even within gay safe spaces, minority LGBTQ people can still feel marginalized, sometimes unconsciously.

West Hollywood, a traditionally gay-friendly city, may not always be accessible to people of color because it’s an affluent and predominantly white area, said Ocampo.

Zaldivar agrees and hopes to create some of those same spaces within the Latino community through outreach that focuses on mothers and churches.

“Many times, (LGBTQ) Latinos don’t feel comfortable in white settings,” said Zaldivar, who founded his organization 23 years ago. “We are family-oriented, and we are close to our moms. Mom is our best friend.”

Zaldivar is hoping to create more safe spaces outside of clubs and instead in the communities where people live. Communities that in the past may have shued their gay children and neighbors due to cultural and religious norms and traditions.

When he first began reaching out and talking about LGBTQ issues within the Latino community, one of the first organizations he sought out was Mothers of East Los Angeles, or MELA, created by a group of Latina mothers under the guidance of Monsignor John Moretta of Resurrection Church in the 1980s which fought the construction of a state prison in its neighborhood. Congregants are still active in the community.

“We were in a room full of elderly women with the image of the Guadalupe above us and they voted unanimously to join us,” Zaldivar said. “That was our blessing. We then mobilized churches and unions and gay Latinos in our community with really no resistance except the institutional homophobia.”

For Heandez and others in the LGBTQ community, President Obama’s speech calling the attack both an act of terror and a hate crime is a significant and validating statement.

“Going back to the begiing of our movement when we had a president, (Ronald) Reagan, who was ignoring the facts and ignoring our community and now we have a president who made this statement, I think that that definitely gives our community dignity,” Heandez said. “He was acknowledging that hate against our community, and I think it brings hope to the younger generations.”

The shooting in Orlando has brought many of the issues facing the minority LGBTQ community to the forefront, something the Latino activists welcome but say it should never should have taken the death of 49 people to start those conversations.

“It took one Matthew Shepard to galvanize the gay community,” said Negrete. Shepard was a gay man who was beaten, tortured and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming on the night of Oct. 6, 1998. He died six days later. “Sunday, we lost 50 people. How many more do we have to lose to galvanize ourselves?”

Reporter Lauren Williams contributed to this report.

It’s time to crank up those air conditioners, because the heat wave has arrived.

All across Southe Califoia, temperatures will crest into the triple digits and likely break records. By Monday, the inland valleys could see highs greater than 108 and the deserts could see highs greater than 120.

The high temperatures have prompted the National Weather Service to put out an excessive heat waing that will last through Monday for coastal areas, Tuesday for the inland valleys and Wednesday for the mountains and deserts.

But what is creating the heat, exactly?

National Weather Service meteorologists say an unusually strong high pressure system — one of the strongest to be seen in years — is compressing, and therefore heating, the air over a large swath of the southweste United States. Such systems happen during the summer, experts say, but usually not as early as June and not with such strength.

“These kinds of high pressure systems, we usually expect in mid- to late summer,” said Bill Patzert, a climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. “The hottest months are usually August and September and in June we often expect ‘June Gloom.’ ... May and June tend to be our mildest months.”

Why this is happening is anyone’s guess, said National Weather Service meteorologist Brandt Maxwell.

“You can’t point to one thing and say, ‘Aha, that’s why the high is one of the strongest ever,’ ” he said, adding it could be the result of dry conditions or low-pressure systems over other areas of the United States.

Experts say the heat created by the system will be exacerbated for a couple of reasons.

The high pressure system is arriving on the cusp of the summer solstice, when the days are the longest, Patzert said, meaning more solar radiation and more time for things to stay hot.

Richard Miich, a professor of earth sciences at UC Riverside, says that sometimes North American monsoon conditions help keep summers cool. But, he says, that tends to happen in midsummer — meaning it’s too early in the season for that.

One thing that experts agree on is that it’s going to be exceptionally hot, so much so that people will want to avoid the outdoors during the middle portion of the day.

The National Weather Service is encouraging people who have to do strenuous activities to limit those activities to the moing or evening hours.

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“They can’t go out ruing in the middle of the day and go jogging,” said Miich. “They’ve got to do it in the moing or they’ve got to do it in the evening.”

The Weather Service also recommends that people know the signs and symptoms of heatstroke, wear loose-fitting clothing and drink plenty of water.

FORECASTED HIGHS

CHINO HILLS:

• 106 on Sunday

• 106 on Monday

• 96 on Tuesday

FULLERTON:

• 102 on Sunday

• 103 on Monday

• 91 on Tuesday

HUNTINGTON BEACH:

• 74 on Sunday

• 82 on Monday

• 74 on Tuesday

LOS ANGELES:

• 98 on Sunday

• 103 on Monday

• 87 on Tuesday

MONROVIA:

• 102 on Sunday

• 106 on Monday

• 94 on Tuesday

ONTARIO:

• 103 on Sunday

• 108 on Monday

• 99 on Tuesday

PALM SPRINGS:

• 116 on Sunday

• 121 on Monday

• 116 on Tuesday

RANCHO CUCAMONGA:

• 102 on Sunday

• 107 on Monday

• 97 on Tuesday

RIVERSIDE:

• 103 on Sunday

• 108 on Monday

• 98 on Tuesday

SAN BERNARDINO:

• 104 on Sunday

• 108 on Monday

• 100 on Tuesday

TEMECULA:

• 108 on Sunday

• 108 on Monday

• 97 on Tuesday

VAN NUYS:

• 104 on Sunday

• 107 on Monday

• 94 on Tuesday

YUCAIPA:

• 101 on Sunday

• 106 on Monday

• 98 on Tuesday

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT STROKE

• Altered mental state

• One or more of the following symptoms: throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, shallow breathing

• Body temperature above 103°F

• Hot, red, dry or moist skin

• Rapid and strong pulse

• Fainting or losing consciousness

Source: National Weather Service

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION

• Heavy sweating

• Weakness

• Cool, pale, clammy skin

• Fast, weak pulse

• Possible muscle cramps

• Dizziness

• Nausea or vomiting

• Fainting

Source: National Weather Service

Some guys, it seems, are always in the spotlight.

They entertain us with their musical magic, make us laugh by drawing on a bottomless well of humor and thrill us with their acrobatic athletic skills. Others devote endless hours to managing our complex, diverse cities or keeping them safe.

And some still manage to find time to be really good dads.

On this Father’s Day, we take a peek into the lives of several prominent Southe Califoia men whose careers and community contributions are exemplary and whose children are top priority.

The board member

Mike Gomez, who sits on the Long Beach Little League board of directors, had always wanted to share the joy of playing baseball with his children.

That was easy with his first child, 8-year-old daughter Isabella, who began playing T-ball two years ago and is picking up the sport well.

But younger brother Michael was bo with Down syndrome. And Gomez thought he’d never get the opportunity to introduce the game to him. Until recently.

A while back, he noticed Michael, who is 5, taking an interest in what his sister was doing at a practice, picking up a baseball and ruing onto the field.

“I had to do something,” Gomez said. “We just decided we caot give up on this kid.”

So Gomez, who works as a production-line coordinator at the Fender guitar factory in Corona, lobbied to create a “challenger” division in the Long Beach Little League catering to special-needs children. During the just-completed inaugural season, the division drew 10 participants.

He said the division will be back next spring.

“I expect to at least double, if not triple, because we have gotten such a positive response,” he said. “Just because they have something not normal, we shouldn’t give up on them. And that’s what this program is all about.”

The rocker

Travis Barker is best-known for pounding drums shirtless, exposing his tatted-up chest, in loud, boisterous Blink-182 concerts and for surviving a terrifying 2008 plane crash that killed two close friends and left him badly injured.

The 40-year-old Fontana native also is a committed dad.

He has a 12-year-old son, Landon, and 10-year-old daughter, Alabama. And despite being a wildly famous rock star, he makes a point of spending time with them and isn’t shy about including them in very-public events.

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They have appeared alongside him in the brightest of spotlights, including on the stage of the Grammy Awards.

Then there’s the unforgettable, make-you-want-to-smile pose he and the kids struck, as they hammed it up at Knott’s Scary Farm, the popular Halloween-themed event put on every year by Orange County’s Knott’s Berry Farm.

Barker’s affection for his children came through loudly in the release last fall of his memoir, “Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums.”

“I have trunks filled with every piece of art they’ve ever made,” he wrote. “I love staying home with the kids. I’ll shave Landon’s head and give him a Mohawk, and I’ll braid Alabama’s hair.”

In an interview at that time, Barker said he is honest with them about unpleasant things in his past.

“And I try to lead by example now.”

The comedian

Irvine-bo movie star Will Ferrell isn’t exactly hesitant to bring along the kids, either.

Take the time that Ferrell, who is 48, had a star-studded audience in stitches when he trotted onto the stage at the 2013 Emmy Awards.

All of them — including dad — were dressed in shorts. The youngest carried a blanket.

“What?” he asked the oldest boy. “No, you caot play ‘Angry Birds’ right now. No. Just share the tablet. Fine, take tus, 30-second tus.”

After maintaining that he couldn’t find child care, Ferrell said he was there to deliver the final two awards of the night. Then he tued to his sons again.

“You have to go to the bathroom? I asked you backstage if you had to go to the bathroom? You’re just going to have to hold it, OK?” Ferrell said, as two of the boys covered their mouths to hold back laughter. “This is the Emmys. Don’t blow this for me.”

The sons are Magnus, 12, Mattias, 9, and Axel, 6.

When Ferrell received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame a little later, in March of 2015, the three were there for that milestone as well. According to media reports, upon dad’s encouragement, the boys ran “laps” around his new star. And they proceeded to steal the show.

The ex-football player

The Los Angeles Rams are back — though some of us won’t believe it until they actually step on the field for an NFL game — and perhaps it’s time for us to brush up on franchise history. One big former L.A. Ram is Kermit Alexander, who played defensive back for the team in the 1970s. He is perhaps best-known for delivering the crushing blow that ended gifted Chicago Bears ruing back Gale Sayers’ career.

He’s also a gentle father and continues to fill that role today, at 75.

Alexander brought up two children of his own, then helped raise wife Tami Alexander’s daughter. He adores their granddaughter, Cyauna, who is 11.

When Cyauna began attending elementary school, Kermit Alexander made a pointing of meeting the child as her mom dropped her off.

“Kermit would walk the mile down the road every moing, sit on a bench and make sure she had her hug and kiss before she started her school day,” Tami Alexander said.

He also makes a point of being there for five adopted children, whom the Riverside couple brought to the U.S. from Haiti following the devastating earthquake in January 2010. They range in age from 22 to 15.

One is in college; one is working construction; the others are in high school. Not surprisingly, several excel in sports. But Tami Alexander said the former star didn’t push them into sports and doesn’t try to live vicariously through them.

“Kermit is really gifted at stepping back,” she said. “It’s not like he jumps up there and says, ‘Let me coach, let me help.’ He just has conversations with the kids.”

Dad wants the children to be happy, no matter what their interests.

“He could care less if they could throw a baseball or pick up a basketball,” she said. “He’d be just as happy if they were in the spelling bee or were a bookworm.”

The police chief

We’ll start with a dark hour from the past year, one fresh on people’s minds.

Who could forget the calm, fatherly presence San Beardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan projected in the aftermath of the Dec. 2 terrorist attack that stole 14 lives? Repeatedly, he patiently answered questions and delivered updates, while reassuring rattled millions watching on TV.

Burguan, 45, who lives in the Lake Arrowhead area, is also a father. He and his wife have raised four kids, two of whom are his biological children.

There’s the 25-year-old son who splits time working in the restaurant business and at a mountain resort during the winter. A 24-year-old stepson followed in his footsteps and is a police officer in a “nearby city.”

Burguan said he also has a 22-year-old daughter who graduated from Cal State San Beardino and works for the city of San Beardino — no, not the Police Department. The youngest, a 19-year-old stepdaughter, attends Riverside City College, plays volleyball and is studying to become a nurse.

In typical cop fashion, Burguan is hesitant to talk openly about his private life or name names. He suggests there’s nothing special about him. He says he deals with the same struggles of every other father, trying to balance the demands of career and family.

But he was quick to say his children are “incredibly important” and he’s proud of what they’ve achieved.

“We would all talk about the memories of camping, and sitting on the beach with a campfire going when the kids were little,” Burguan said.

Those days are gone now. “It’s pretty unrealistic for us to re-create those kinds of moments,” he said. “But that’s the cycle of life.”