In California: Why Kobe's chopper crashed. Will schools reopen? And playing football in a pandemic
From cloudy Palm Springs, I'm USA Today Network California Editor Julie Makinen, bringing you Tuesday's headlines.
In California brings you top Golden State stories and commentary from across the USA TODAY Network and beyond. Get it free, straight to your inbox.
NTSB: Kobe Bryant crash caused by pilot's poor decision-making, disorientation
The NTSB found that Zobayan was flying under visual flight rules, which means he had to be able to see where he was going, but decided to fly into thick clouds, where he became spatially disoriented. While he had been trained to fly using only his instruments, Zobayan had not received clearance to fly in such conditions that day.
The board identified "self-induced pressure" as a likely contributing factor to Zobayan's poor decision-making, as well as "plan continuation bias" – that he felt compelled to finish the flight because he was close to its final destination.
"By most measures, the interviews that we conducted, the pilot was well thought of, well-regarded. He was the chief pilot. Had good credentials," NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt said during a four-hour board meeting about the findings. "I think this illustrates that even good pilots can end up in bad situations."
The helicopter did not have the so-called “black box” recording devices, which were not required. One possible recommendation following the investigation could be for helicopters to have Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems, devices that signal when aircraft are in danger of crashing.
The helicopter Bryant was flying in did not have the system, which the NTSB has recommended as mandatory for helicopters. The FAA requires it only for air ambulances. Federal lawmakers have sponsored the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act to mandate the devices on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers.
Former NTSB Chairman James Hall said he hopes the FAA will require the systems as a result of the crash, Associated Press reported. “Historically, it has required high-profile tragedies to move the regulatory needle forward,” he said. The devices, known as TAWS, cost upward of $35,000 per helicopter and require training and maintenance.
SoCal high school football players join new league despite COVID restrictions. Health officials aren't happy.
Even though state and county public health guidelines say youth sports competitions are prohibited because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Winners Circle Champions League is finishing a winter season that includes 36 teams and about 1,550 players in Southern California.
Jordan Campbell, who founded the league, said that 18 games have been played weekly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on private property in San Bernardino County. The games are not open to the public.
Over the summer, neighboring Riverside County sent Campbell a cease-and-desist letter after his Corona-based company held football activities in Riverside. The company later signed an agreement with Riverside County agreeing to halt activities in the county.
The games are continuing, even as complaints pile up. The WCCL plans an even larger season beginning next month. Currently, 64 teams from across Southern California as well as a few teams from Northern California, Arizona and Hawaii are expected to participate.
High school coaches have mixed feelings about their players competing in club football. Some coaches believe that freshmen and sophomores who need to gain experience and game reps would benefit. On the other hand, a junior could risk injury and jeopardize playing again as his final two seasons could be held only four months apart.
“I’m not telling kids and families not to play club football," said James Dockery, who coaches Xavier Prep in Palm Desert. "I’m happy to have a discussion with them about the risks and the rewards, but I think the decision is different for everyone.
“It’s an interesting dilemma.”
Question of the week: Will schools reopen before summer?
San Francisco Mayor London Breed expressed doubt Tuesday that the city’s classrooms will reopen this school year, even as she pledged to begin vaccinating educators by the end of the month and the district reached a tentative deal with the unions to return students to the classroom, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Breed announced Tuesday that essential workers — like teachers — will be eligible for vaccinations beginning Feb. 24.
But Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a press conference Tuesday that schools are unlikely to physically reopen this school year if vaccinations for every teacher are a prerequisite, CalMatters reported. “When you’re receiving less than 600,000 first doses a week, and you start to do the math… then we need to be honest with people, and let them know… that it’s very unlikely that we’ll be able to accomplish that very idealistic goal before the end of the school year because of the scarcity of supply in vaccinations,” he said.
CalMatters' story gave a good overview of which counties are vaccinating teachers or have plans to do so, and which ones are not.
Several public-health experts as well as the governor, who’s under intense public pressure to reopen K-12 public schools this spring, have said in-person learning can be done safely without vaccinating educators if paired with strict preventative measures such as masking, ventilation and cohorting students.
Newsom has cited “low” numbers of transmission within reopened schools as evidence that in-person instruction has not resulted in higher community spread. In January, 87 cases were linked to schools, a figure Newsom said was lower compared to November and December despite the state’s surge in cases and deaths.
The state, however, has yet to publish any data on cases in schools to affirm figures cited by Newsom. It remains one of the few states that is not publicly tracking which schools are open and whether they’ve experienced outbreaks. Under new state guidance, the California Department of Public Health began collecting this information from schools Jan. 25; the agency said in a statement Friday that it will provide the information on its new school website “in the near future.”
In case you were wondering, no, Biden doesn't want Newsom recalled.
Speaking of the embattled governor, the White House has announced that President Biden “clearly opposes” the ongoing recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom, adding to a growing chorus of Democrats voicing support for California’s governor in recent days, the L.A. Times reported.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki issued the statement in a tweet Tuesday afternoon shortly after she fielded a question about Biden’s position on the recall effort during a White House briefing and responded that she had not discussed the matter with the president.
“In addition to sharing a commitment to a range of issues with @GavinNewsom from addressing the climate crisis to getting the pandemic under control, @POTUS clearly opposes any effort to recall @GavinNewsom,” Psaki said in the tweet.
Answers to your questions
Why isn't Kamala Harris presiding over Trump's impeachment trial? The San Francisco Chronicle explains.
Who's on the shortlist for an Oscar? The L.A. Times rounds up the finalists.
How full are my nearby ICUs? Here's a map that will show you.
Now that the Coachella music fest has been called off for April, how do I get a refund? Here are a few details.
In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: L.A. Times, San Francisco. Chronicle, CalMatters. We'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with the latest headlines.