California politicos respond to Trump's COVID diagnosis; San Diego Loyal coach explains forfeit
TGIF, everybody! It's been quite a week and quite a year. I'm happy to report that there are only 90 days remaining until we reach the end of 2020. Until then, I remain Winston Gieseke, philanthropy and special sections editor for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, and here are some of the important headlines happening in California on this first Friday in October.
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.
California politicians respond to Trump's COVID diagnosis
When President Donald Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, the reactions around the nation were mixed. The revelation raised many questions about how long the president has been infected, who else may have been exposed and what happens next.
Then on Friday afternoon, the president was admitted to the hospital, where he was expected to stay for a few days.
Meanwhile, California politicians weighed in with their reactions to the news.
"I pray for them all the time, including last night," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told CNN Friday morning, "so this was just a continuation of more prayers for their safety and their health and well-being. They will have the best of care — and that's a good thing — and hopefully this will be a message to the rest of the country, though, that you have to wear your mask, you have to be tested. We have to have the funding for testing, tracing, treatment. We have to have people wearing masks, engaged in sanitation and social distancing. That is not what the White House was engaged in. Now, hopefully, they will send a different message to the country. Or even if they don't, it will be a lesson learned by the rest of the country."
NPR also quoted Pelosi as saying: "This is tragic, it's very sad, but it also is something that going into crowds, unmasked and, all the rest, was sort of a brazen invitation for this to happen.
"This kind of changes the dynamic," Pelosi added, regarding the negotiations on a coronavirus relief bill. "They're seeing the reality as we've been saying all along."
A tweet from Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán said: "200k+ Americans have died of COVID-19. No one wants more deaths. The president will get treatment other Americans cannot — rapid/multiple COVID testing, top notch healthcare with daily doctor assessments and who knows what prescriptions. All Americans deserve the same care.
"Unfortunately, POTUS’ experience with COVID may determine if he changes his tune and attitude or not. If he quickly recovers & is symptom free, will he continue to mock those who wear a mask? Will he still say (re: deaths) 'it is what it is'? Or continue to downplay its danger?
"For his sake and that of our country, I hope not," Barragán concluded. "May the president’s diagnosis result in recovery along with the urgent and science based action our country needs. We need national testing, tracing and treatment."
Rep. Raul Ruiz, who represents the Coachella Valley in Congress and also is an emergency room physician, said he is keeping the country and the Trumps in his prayers and reminded everyone of personal safety measures they can take to avoid and slow the spread of COVID-19:
“I am praying for our country and for a full and speedy recovery for the president and first lady. Please, everyone, wear a mask, stay physically distanced six feet or more and wash your hands often to help stop the spread of this terrible virus," Ruiz tweeted.
Palm Desert Mayor Gina Nestande, a Trump supporter who attended the GOP convention in 2016, said, "First and foremost I am hoping he and the first lady have a speedy recovery."
And lastly, Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris went high when responding to the president's diagnosis by wishing the commander-in-chief well. "Doug and I join Joe Biden and Dr. Biden in wishing President Trump and the first lady a full and speedy recovery. We're keeping them and the entire Trump family in our thoughts," she wrote on Twitter.
An unsettling milestone: 4 million California acres burned
This unprecedented wildfire season has devastated the Golden State, killing 30 people, destroying thousands of homes and commercial buildings and forcing the evacuation of more than 96,000 residents.
And soon the blazes will reach a tragic milestone: 4 million acres burned.
Gov. Gavin Newsom toured fire-ravaged Napa County on Thursday and said the state was putting “all we have in terms of resources” into firefighting, particularly over the 36 hours of the wind period.
“I’ve got four young kids in elementary school, and I can’t imagine for the children and parents, the families that may be seeing these images, what’s going through your minds,” said Newsom, standing in front of a burned-out elementary school building.
Coach, player explain soccer team's reaction to homophobic comment
In sports news, coach Landon Donovan and player Collin Martin of the San Diego Loyal were interviewed Friday by Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" to discuss the team's decision to forfeit a game — and a chance at the playoffs — when a player from the Phoenix Rising wasn't disciplined after hurling a homophobic slur at Martin, who is openly gay.
As reported on goodmorningamerica.com, "U.S. soccer legend and current USL manager Landon Donovan took his team name to heart on Wednesday" when he pulled his team from the pitch mid-match despite a 3-1 lead.
It all began when a referee mistakenly gave Martin a red card that ejected him from the match. His teammates rushed to his defense, saying Martin hadn't done anything to deserve the penalty. At some point, Junior Flemmings, midfielder for the Phoenix Rising, allegedly made the antigay comment.
Donovan, visibly upset after hearing about the exchange, told Rising coach Rick Schantz that "this is beyond soccer." To which Schantz replied, "Come on, man, don't make a big scene."
"I give Collin tremendous credit because — in the heat of battle you want to play and compete and when you're beating a rival, really badly, you just want to finish the game and win the game," Donovan told Strahan on "GMA." "But Collin, to his immense credit, said something; he acted and he spoke and we just decided that if that player was not going to be removed from the game either through a red card by the referee or from the other team subbing him off the field, that we had to act and so I give our team a ton of credit for taking that stance."
"I was pretty shocked," Martin told Strahan. "I'm just at a point where in my career — I'm an out gay player and I can't stand for having a homophobic slur said to me during a game."
For his part, Flemmings has denied that the incident occurred. "At no point did I say a homophobic slur towards Collin Martin. I stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ movement," he tweeted.
Flemmings and the Phoenix Rising head coach have since been put on administrative leave.
Rock Hudson died on this day; young boys tragically killed by car in front of parents
On this day in history: It's been 35 years since Hollywood legend Rock Hudson passed away at his California home. According to The History Channel, "the news that Hudson, an international icon, had AIDS focused worldwide attention on the disease and helped change public perceptions of it."
On Friday, it was announced that Los Angeles socialite Rebecca Grossman has been charged with DUI and two counts of vehicular manslaughter for allegedly killing two young brothers with her car Tuesday night.
Police say the Iskander family was crossing the street in the crosswalk at about 7:10 p.m. in Westlake Village, when the mother saw two cars speeding toward them. She managed to pull two of her children to safety, but Mark, 11, and Jacob, 9, were struck and killed. Police allege that Grossman did not stay at the scene after the crash.
Police are searching for the second car and its driver.
In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: CNN, goodmorningamerica.com, history.com, NPR and people.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California politicians respond to Trumps' COVID diagnosis; San Diego Loyal coach explains forfeit
