A woman wails over a casket as family and friends surround her to comfort her as they gather to mourn the loss of Kristapor Artin and Suren Vanyan, both volunteer fighters who lost their lives to the Nagorno-Karabakh war, at the Yerablur Military Memorial Cemetery in Yerevan, Armenia, on Thursday Oct. 15, 2020. The conflict, which began on Sept, 27, is between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces over Nagorno-Karabakh a disputed region, which is also internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan has killed hundreds including dozens of civilians from both sides, and the death toll continues to mount.

Khurshid Muhammadi, 16, trains for boxing at Berzhad Boxing Gym three times a week in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday Nov. 9, 2020. Like many younger generation Afghans who grew up during the time of war, they are adamant to stay and fight, hoping the Taliban -- if they return -- cannot rule a changed Kabul. Many others are determined to leave. What will happen to our achievements? says Khurshid Muhammadi, a player on the ten-year-old Afghan womens national soccer team. We may not be able to work and again have to wear head-to-toe burqas the Taliban once forced women to wear in public.

Saher Melody, clockwise from left, Sajad Temurian, Jawad Sezdah, Hadi Hashemi, Soaban Fareed, SeraJ AaToon AaToor, Hasib Ahmadi, Qais Khaksar, Hamed Bass, and Tamim Mats practice their free styling lyrics at their music studio LBR record in the Pul-e-Surkhta neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday Oct. 24, 2020. Jawad Sezdah and his friends are artists who raps AfghanistanÕs darkening future. Most days they sit around a circle at their club, a second-floor makeshift studio with a picture of Tupac Shakur is taped on the wall, in west Kabuls Pul-e-Surkhta neighborhood. They smoke weed, drink tea, and practice freestyle lyrics and breakdance together.

Jarunee Phonsrikaew looks off into the distance as she takes a moment to herself while picking tobacco leaves on a farm in Bokheung-Myeon, South Korea, on July 8, 2020. be known in Thai as the phi noi, or little ghost people entering South Korea in growing numbers on tourist or other visas and disappearing into rural and industrial corners for tough jobs with the promise of pay much higher than what they could earn at home. These migrant workers have become an indispensable part of agriculture in the aging, hyper-urban nation.

Cemetery workers lower the casket of Juan Velasco, who died of COVID-19 symptoms, as his family, to the right, watches the burial at the Municipal Pantheon 13 cemetery, in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 27, 2020. The coronavirus is killing so many people in Tijuana that the morgue has run out of refrigerator space for bodies. Since the pandemic is in its early months and much is unknown, cemetery workers use the protective gear as they bury coffins of confirmed and suspected victims of COVID-19 and to prevent further spread of the highly contagious disease in Tijuana. Funeral homes have effectively canceled viewings and are now in the business of transporting the dead from the hospital to the cemetery directly. White crosses dot the rocky hillside in the Valle Redondo, at Municipal Cemetery No. 13, a crowded public cemetery, mostly for the poor and working-class, located about four miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border in far eastern Tijuana. Grave diggers dig rows and rows of empty holes in anticipation for the rising death rates and burials.

As they roared through villages, past shoulder-high cannabis stalks that filling the air with a sweet fragrance, Hazrat Bilal, 24, right, and other Afghan National Police officers sing a somber melody as they patrol the Panjwai district outside of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Sunday Oct. 25, 2020. We sre going to war, he sang as his wild-haired buddies in camouflage fatigues laughed and joined in, rifles in one hand, cigarettes in the other. We are going to join the fight.

At the beginning of her journey, Valentina Dur‡n carries her month-old son, Samuel and walks along Route 55 near Cœcuta, Colombia. Nine miles from the border, Dur‡n started feeling lightheaded. She had been diagnosed with low blood pressure and malnutrition. The midday sun beat down. Cargo trucks whizzed past, spraying dust that stuck to her skin. The boy let out a whimper. I know, love, I know, she cooed. Don’t cry.

Colombian Police guarding the Colombia-Venezuela border stand guard as Venezuelan migrants rush to cross the border from San Antonio del Tchira in Venezuela to Colombia through "trochas," illegal paths, which are often controlled by the Òcolectivos, a armed paramilitary organization supporting the Nicol‡s Maduro and the Bolivarian government, near the Sim—n Bol’var International Bridge, in Cœcuta, Colombia.

Migrant mothers holding their children watch as others disembark from the truck that transported them through the cold plateau, known as El Pramo de Berl’n the most dangerous part of the Andes to get to the other side, on the outskirts of Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Wilvelis Pacheco 13, center right, and other Venezuelan migrants look on as a truck drive closes the tarp to cover the rear to avoid getting caught by the authorities. The truck is ferrying across the cold plateau, known as El Pramo de Berl’n the most dangerous part of the Andes to get to the other side, towards Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Venezuelan children sleep on the ground after their families arrive on foot at the campground in Bochalema, Colombia. All around them, other travelers arranged thin blankets on the uneven dirt amid chatter of backaches and blisters and the cold. The next morning, people bathed in the river. These rest stops are vital for the caminantes, or walkers, as they provide a temporary refuge from the dangers of the road, especially in darkness. Its also the only place where they may find an opportunity for food, water and some other necessary supplies.

Venezuelans migrants traveling by foot, take a bath in the river at the campgrounds in Bochalema, Colombia, before they start on their aÊ120-mileÊjourney on that climbs more than 9,000 feet to a long and frigid plateau El Pramo de Berl’n before descending into the park-filled city of Bucaramanga.

Venezuelan migrants make their way up a steep hill in Pamplona, Colombia. Each day an estimate of 5000 people flee Venezuela. They simply walk out. The most popular way out is through the Colombian border city of Cœcuta. Then comes one of the most difficult parts of the trip: a 120-mile passage that climbs more than 9,000 feet to a long and frigid plateau -- El P‡ramo de Berl’n -- before descending into the park-filled city of Bucaramanga.

Ramon Cohil, 33, stretches his legs and airs out his feet covered entirely in a layer of dead skin, near La Laguna, Colombia. The caminantes, or walkers, have to make a perilous 120-mile journey on that climbs more than 9,000 feet to a long and frigid plateau El P‡ramo de Berl’n before descending into the park-filled city of Bucaramanga. From there, they continue on their journey in separate paths, to nearby Colombian cities, or neighboring countries sometimes as far south as Chile.

Through the rain and cold and carrying their worldly possessions - Venezuelans migrants walk the perilous journey through the cold plateau, known as El P‡ramo de Berl’n the most dangerous part of the Andes to get to the other side, towards Bucaramanga in Colombia.

Jason Figeroa hugs his wife Herminda Flores, who is also 6 month pregnant, as they take shelter at a city park after finishing a multi-day journey on foot from Cucuta to Bucaramanga, Colombia. The couple, along with their 4-year-old son were robbed by masked thugs who took everything away from them, including their money and clothes right outside of Bucaramanga and the family had finish their journey in their underwear. Strangers have since donated some clothes for them to wear and they are trying to figure out their next steps.

A man stands in the classroom and hangs his head low, in the aftermath of an attack on Kabul University, Afghanistans largest university, where three gunmen fired weapons and detonated explosives, concentrating their attacks in the the law faculty building, the National Legal Training Center building that was equipped with the financial support of the Government of the United States of America, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday Nov. 3, 2020.

Nahida Muhradi, a 22-year-old law student weeps as she is reunited with family members while recovering from her gunshot wounds, sustained after a recent attack on Kabul University, Afghanistans largest university, where three gunmen fired weapons and detonated explosives, concentrating their attacks in the the law faculty building, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday Nov. 2, 2020.

Security forces guard the perimeter after an attack on Kabul University, Afghanistans largest university, where three gunmen fired weapons and detonated explosives, concentrating their attacks in the the law faculty building, the National Legal Training Center building that was equipped with the financial support of the Government of the United States of America, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday Nov. 2, 2020.

Medical staff move Mohammad Sadeqe, 33, out of the operating theater, after Sadeqe, a forensic medicine teacher was injured after an attack on Kabul University, AfghanistanÕs largest university, where three gunmen fired weapons and detonated explosives, concentrating their attacks in the the law faculty building, the National Legal Training Center building that was equipped with the financial support of the Government of the United States of America, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday Nov. 2, 2020.

At Ali Abad Hospital, family members beg officials to be reunited with their loved ones, after casualties were rushed to local hospitals after a recent attack on Kabul University, Afghanistans largest university, where three gunmen fired weapons and detonated explosives, concentrating their attacks in the the law faculty building, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday Nov. 2, 2020.

Bloody remains of items could be seen in the classroom floor from the dead attack Kabul University, Afghanistans largest university, where three gunmen fired weapons and detonated explosives, concentrating their attacks in the the law faculty building, the National Legal Training Center building that was equipped with the financial support of the Government of the United States of America, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday Nov. 3, 2020.

Friends and classmates of Seba Asqari, 20 visit her gravesite after she was killed in an attack on Kabul University, Afghanistans largest university, where three gunmen fired weapons and detonated explosives, concentrating their attacks in the the law faculty building, the National Legal Training Center building that was equipped with the financial support of the Government of the United States of America, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday Nov. 3, 2020.

Sayed-Masih Sadaat, 23, would not budge from the head of the grave covered in flower petals as he mourns the death of his cousin, Sayeda Marzia Tahery, a 20-year old public administration and diplomacy student who was killed in the attack on Kabul University, Afghanistans largest university, where three gunmen fired weapons and detonated explosives, concentrating their attacks in the the law faculty building, the National Legal Training Center building that was equipped with the financial support of the Government of the United States of America, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday Nov. 3, 2020.

Students protest outside the Pharmacy building to highlight the need to protect public educational institutions and civilians at Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday Nov. 8, 2020. This protest was organized by students in response to the aftermath of a deadly attack where 3 gunmen killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens more, after they stormed the campus and detonated explosives, in the law faculty building, inflicting carnage and terror in a public institution of learning.

As Sergio Garcia stands in the doorway to calmly explain the next steps after death, Georgina Barajas Rios, grieves for her mother who just passed away, Maria Ruiz Olmedo, 71, after she suffered from symptoms that match COVID-19 symptoms, at their home, in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 29, 2020.

Red Cross paramedics Michael Zavala, 22, center, gets help from the patients' family members as they load the patient onto a stretcher to load into an ambulance for medical transport to a nearby hospital after determining that the patient did not need to treated for COVID-19 symptoms, but instead for other ailments, during an emergency call in Tijuana, Mexico, on May 2, 2020.

Valeria de la torre Beaven attends to an emergency call where a patient reportedly suffers from difficulty breathing, in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 28, 2020.

Red Cross paramedics Federico PŽrez Ram’rez and Valeria de la torre Beaven work quickly to stabilize a patient who was shot in the back of the head at a crime scene where three men were gunned down, in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 28, 2020. Even before the coronavirus arrived, this sprawling town was dealing with a high murder rate. The city closed out 2019 with about 2,185 homicides, about 321 fewer than the year before. The pandemic has effectively added more workload. The paramedics will handle anywhere from a dozen to nearly 50 coronavirus related calls now.

Guillermo Dionisio Molina, tears up as he talks on the phone and watches the Red Cross paramedics transport his brother, Eduardo Dionisio Molina, 41, who has symptoms related to COVID-19, to a nearby hospital from their home in the Pobladoejido Matamoros neighborhood of Tijuana, Mexico, on April 29, 2020. Eduardo Molina gasped for air and kept repeating in a high pitched voice, "I don't want to go alone, I don't want to go alone," as he tears up while laying on the stretcher.

Dr. Alan Muro, takes a moment to collect himself after the Red Cross first response vehicle unit crashed into a divider in a car accident, and almost flipped over, on its way to an emergency call, in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 30, 2020. The driver of the ambulance fell asleep at the wheel after working a 48 hour shift and was exhausted.

Sergio Garcia prepares an oxygen mask for a patient exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and readies the patient for medical transport in the Pobladoejido Matamoros neighborhood of Tijuana, Mexico, on April 29, 2020.

A man and a woman embrace outside the waiting area of the Red Cross clinic as members of the public are not allowed inside due to strict quarantine protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, in Tijuana, Mexico, on April 28, 2020.

Ulises Rodr’guez, the Chief-on-duty, left, supervises a decontamination and removal of personal protective equipment after paramedics complete an emergency call or medical transport related to COVID-19, at the Red Cross base in Tijuana, Mexico, on May 2, 2020.

Michael Zavala, 22, a Red Cross paramedic, searches a home after they respond to a call for deceased person, but paramedics did not find any signs of a cadaver, or anyone for that matter, during an emergency call, in Tijuana, Mexico, on May 2, 2020.

RIVERSIDE, CA - MARCH 31, 2020: Grace Carter,15 of Riverside practices her dance routine in the isolation of her bedroom since her dance classes and school were canceled during the coronavirus pandemic on March 31, 2020 in Riverside, California. On this Tuesday night, Carter would normally be at her dance studio practicing for an upcoming competition, instead she has to use the Zoom app on her iPhone to practice with her dance group."It's hard. My bedroom is a smaller space. I miss all my friends at the studio, " she said. "It's harder using Zoom because there is a delay in the music, but it's the best way right now. " Her competition scheduled for the end of the month has been canceled. Carter has been dancing since she was three-years-old.

SANTA ANA, CA - MAY 30, 2020: Orange County Sheriff deputies maintain a police block as a firecracker thrown by a protester explodes behind them during a protest against the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on May 30, 2020 in Santa Ana, California.

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 28, 2020: A protester tosses a bottled water on a CHP vehicle as other Black Lives Matter protesters swarm the car in a rally in front of LAPD headquarters to protest the death of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on May 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 8, 2020: Season ticket holder Keith Hupp, left, and David Lopez, right, watch the Dodgers play the San Francisco Giants from a far overlook spot because of the coronavirus pandemic in Elysian Park on August 8, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. They are listening to the game on the radio since they are too far away to hear the sounds form the game. No fans are allowed in the stadium.

RIVERSIDE, CA - NOVEMBER 26, 2020: Wearing a mask Dalilah Stoye,13, left, leads the family in a blessing before eating their Thanksgiving feast on November 26, 2020 in Riverside, California. Despite windy conditions, the families still ate outside on a backyard patio with heaters on each table. “We’re trying to adapt and make the best of the holidays. We want to keep the family together and are keeping with the health protocols,” Robert McIntosh said.

JOSHUA TREE, CA - DECEMBER 12, 2020: Billy Folsom of Joshua Tree sits on the same spot on the couch where his wife Kim loved to sit and stare out the window at the desert scenery on December 12, 2020 in Joshua Tree, California. Kim died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer, but because of the Covid surge Billy had to drive 100 miles to try and find a hospital that would admit her in Riverside County. She was admitted to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, but was sent home after 2 days. She died at home before he could get her to another hospital.

RIVERSIDE, CA - NOVEMBER 30, 2020: Karen Morea, 62, hugs her dog Jack-Jack inside her tiny village home in a parking lot adjacent to a Riverside shelter on November 30, 2020 in Riverside, California. She has been here almost two months after living on the streets. Los Angeles is embracing the idea of tiny homes to get homeless off the streets, but the buildings are sitting in storage.

CHERRY VALLEY, CA - AUGUST 1, 2020: Firefighter Taylor Barnett from Carpinteria-Summerland Fire department monitors the huge plume from the out-of-control Apple fire north of Banning during the coronavirus pandemic on August 1, 2020 in Cherry Valley, California.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 29, 2020: Schools were shuttered when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Three neighborhood families got creative and formed their own home school in Southern California. Former third grade teacher Kristen Bristow listens as her daughter Andie ,6, tries to avoid typing class during home school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on April 29, 2020 in Riverside, California. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 29, 2020: Kat Bristow, 12, sits at the piano in the Roth’s living room playing the flute during music class taught by her neighbor music producer Gabe Roth during home school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on April 29, 2020 in Riverside, California. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 23, 2020: Ellie Bristow, left, gives her science presentation to the class at the Roth’s dining room table home school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on April 23, 2020 in Riverside, California. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 16, 2020: Ellie Bristow, 11, checks in with her 5th grade teacher during a geometry class as her sister Andie, 6 works on a book report at the kitchen table in home schooling session during the coronavirus pandemic on April 16, 2020 in Riverside, California. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 23, 2020: Students and parents of “Brothbush Academy” walk from the Bristow’s to the Furbush’s for a cooking class during home school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on April 21, 2020 in Riverside, California. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 21, 2020: Veronica Roth teaches yoga PE class in the front yard during home school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on April 21, 2020 in Riverside, California. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 17, 2020: In the backyard, David Bristow helps his daughter Ellie, 11, shoot a bow-and-arrow in archery PE class during home school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on April 17, 2020 in Riverside, California. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 29, 2020: Kat Bristow, 12, snuggles her sister Andie, 6, while they team up for a science presentation during home school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on April 29, 2020 in Riverside, California. Their mom, former third grade teacher Kristen Bristow monitors the students. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

RIVERSIDE, CA- APRIL 23, 2020: Carmen Furbush finds a quiet corner of the living room room for reading time during home school in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on April 23, 2020 in Riverside, California. The Bristow’s, Roth’s and Furbush’s, who are also neighbors, have quarantined together and are home schooling the 8 children amongst them using the parents as teachers. They’ve named the school “Brothbush Academy” coined from the families’ last names.

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5, 2020: For days, Trump supporters rallied in protest to push their fraudulent claim that the election was stolen outside the Maricopa County Election Center as presidential ballots are tabulated. Far-right radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones incites the crowd of Trump supporters who have been protesting into the night in the parking lot at the Maricopa County Election Center on November 5, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5, 2020: A gun toting Trump supporter who would only give his last name, Alan of Mesa, attends a protest in the parking lot at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center as ballots continue to be counted inside the building on November 5, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona has an open cary gun law.

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5, 2020: A Trump supporter wears glasses that illuminate the word “MAGA” while attending a “Stop the Steal” protest in the parking lot at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center as presidential ballots continue to be counted inside the building on November 5, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona.

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5, 2020: Trump supporters brought their guns, Trump flags and patriotic shirts to protest in the parking lot at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center as ballots continue to be counted inside the building on November 5, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. Many chanted “Count the Vote.”

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5, 2020: Trump supporters with some holding signs staying “Stop the Steal” protest in the parking lot at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center as ballots continue to be counted inside the building on November 5, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5, 2020: Trump supporters bow their heads in prayer while protesting in the parking lot at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center as ballots continue to be counted inside the building on November 5, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 7, 2020: As storm clouds move in, a Trump supporter holds a cross up to the sky while attending a pro-Trump rally to defy the election results hours after Biden was named President-elect outside the Maricopa County elections building on November 7, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona.

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 7, 2020: Trump supporter Elizabeth Lund of Gilbert holds her rosary and a religious photo while attending a “Stop The Steal” rally on the same day Biden was named President-elect on November 7, 2020 at the State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. Thousands of pro-Trump supporters attended the rally.

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 6, 2020: A pro-Trump family prays for favorable election returns while gathering outside the Maricopa county elections building with other Trump supporters to protest election results on November 6, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump supporters have gathered outside the election building all day waiting for more election results to come in for Maricopa County.

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 6, 2020: Paintings of President Trump lean against a fence near a trash can the day before Joe Biden was named President- elect in the parking lot at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center where day long rallies were being held by Trump supporters to negate the election results on November 6, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona

RIVERSIDE, CA - JUNE 1, 2020: Black Lives Matter protests were widespread across the United States after the killing of the unarmed Black man George Floyd and Southern California was no different. Demonstrators retreat as Riverside County Sheriffs fire pepper pellets after law enforcement announced an unlawful assembly and protesters did not leave during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020 in Riverside, California. Thousands of protesters marched through the street of downtown Riverside and police allowed them to stay 90 minutes after the 6pm curfew.

RIVERSIDE, CA - JUNE 1, 2020: Riverside County Sheriffs fire tear gas towards protesters after they moved a fence into the street during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020 in Riverside, California. Thousands of protesters marched through the street of downtown Riverside and police alloyed them to stay 90 minutes after the 6pm curfew.

RIVERSIDE, CA - JUNE 1, 2020: Riverside County Sheriffs advance on demonstrators who refused to disperse after curfew during a protest against the death of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020 in Riverside, California. Thousands of protesters marched through the street of downtown Riverside and police alloyed them to stay 90 minutes after the 6pm curfew.

RIVERSIDE, CA - JUNE 1, 2020: Riverside County Sheriffs and Riverside Police push back demonstrators who refused to disperse after curfew during a protest against the death of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020 in Riverside, California. Thousands of protesters marched through the street of downtown Riverside and police alloyed them to stay 90 minutes after the 6pm curfew.

RIVERSIDE, CA - JUNE 1, 2020: Demonstrators take cover as Riverside County Sheriffs fire pepper pellets into the crowd after law enforcement announced an unlawful assembly and protesters did not leave during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020 in Riverside, California. Thousands of protesters marched through the street of downtown Riverside and police alloyed them to stay 90 minutes after the 6pm curfew.

RIVERSIDE, CA - JUNE 1, 2020: Thousands of protesters marched to the Robert Presley Detention Center and were met with a road block of law enforcement during a protest against the death of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020 in Riverside, California. Thousands of protesters marched through the street of downtown Riverside and police allowed them to stay 90 minutes after the 6pm curfew. Those that remained were dispersed as law enforcement fired pepper pellets.

RIVERSIDE, CA - JUNE 1, 2020: Fireworks thrown by protesters explode at the feet of Riverside Police officers during a demonstration against the death of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020 in Riverside, California. Thousands of protesters marched through the street of downtown Riverside and police allowed them to stay 90 minutes after the 6pm curfew.

RIVERSIDE, CA - JUNE 1, 2020: A demonstrator screams in pain after being injured while running from plastic rounds fired by Riverside County Sheriffs to push back protesters who refused to disperse after curfew during a protest against the death of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020 in Riverside, California. Thousands of protesters marched through the street of downtown Riverside and police alloyed them to stay 90 minutes after the 6pm curfew.

"Elle's bad hair" A portrait of actress Elle Lorraine from the film, “Bad Hair,” photographed at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020 in Park City, Utah. Lorraine's character is an ambitious woman who gets a hair weave to fit into an image-obsessed world of music television, but soon realizes her flourishing career may come at a great cost and her new hair may have a mind of its own.

"gainz pods" Trying to adapt to business closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, Peet Sapsin and his wife Trinh devised their “Gainz Pods” for his Inspire South Bay Fitness, in Redondo Beach, CA, creating safety and distance building nine pods with PVC piping and shower curtains. Jennie Reynoso works out in her “Gainz Pod,” during Peet Sapsin’s “HIIT” class, which stands for high intensity interval training,

“Beach Protest” Hermosa Beach residents Ashley Puida, left and Aaron Reed led a group of dozens, onto the sand south of the Hermosa Beach Pier, following a vocal gathering and protest on Pier Plaza in Hermosa Beach, CA, on May Day, Friday, May 1, 2020. The protesters were voicing their disagreement with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s closure of beaches, during the coronavirus pandemic. The Hermosa residents were joined by about 100 people in chanting to “open the beach,” and then a march to the sand and eventually water, near the Hermosa Beach Pier. The crowd enjoyed the water and sand for about 25 minutes before leaving, under threat of citation from the Hermosa Beach Police Department.

“Homeless fire” A homeless man is forced to move from his encampment at the corner of S Grand Avenue and W 54th Street, above the 110 Freeway, after another homeless encampment was engulfed in flames, in Los Angeles, CA,Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020.

“Leo on film” A portrait of Oscar and Golden Globe winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio made with an 8x10-inch film camera, who is nominated for a leading actor Oscar for his role in the Oscar-nominated film, “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” photographed at the Chateau Marmont hotel in West Hollywood, CA, Jan 17, 2020.

“Witch SUPers” Boats and silhouettes of dozens of witches on stand-up paddleboards make their way across King Harbor in Redondo Beach, CA, taking part in a Halloween float, sparked by a Facebook group titled, “Witches SUPers of South Bay Paddle,” Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. Most in some form of costume, but primarily witches, with many kids and several dogs onboard.

"Quaran-Tan" Adhering to the California stay-at-home self quarantine order during the coronavirus pandemic, sisters Britta, left and Haley Cameron, 23, joined by their dog Kiki, utilize a patch of astroturf next to their home driveway in Redondo Beach, CA, on a warm day, Thursday, April 23, 2020. Haley, recently returning from her college apartment in Arizona, chose to spend quarantine with her parents and sister, but misses being able to sun tan at the nearby beach.

“Virtual hug” First Grade teacher Caitlin Hicks gives a “virtual hug” to Sid Solomon, 6 (7 in August), as she greets her students one final time, with social distance, picking up their years’ work and see each other in person for the first time in months because of the coronavirus pandemic, at Center Street Elementary, in El Segundo, CA, on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

“Decisions” A man flips off the screen, while watching the Vice Presidential debate and the Dodgers and Padres National League Championship Series from outdoor seating at Pedone's Pizza, in Hermosa Beach, CA,Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is seen on screen, below Democratic Vice Presidential candidate and California Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence.

“Pensive Picard” Actor, director and producer, Sir Patrick Stewart, has returned to his role as Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: Picard,” and is photographed during the coronavirus pandemic, socially distanced in the backyard of his Los Angeles, CA, home, on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

Bioluminescent waves glow off the coast of Hermosa Beach, CA, Sunday, April 26, 2020. The phenomenon is associated with a red tide, or an algae bloom, filled with dinoflagellates which react with bioluminescence when jostled by the moving water. During the daytime, due to the pigmentation of the dinoflagellates, the water can turn a deep red, brown, or orange color, giving red tides their name.

In a nondescript room, #311, at the end of a long hall, at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, California, the lifeless body of Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, was discovered. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her 14-day isolation period and wasn’t discovered for several days. Kristina McGuire, an investigator with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner arrived with Jerry Meza, forensic attendant, do handle the removal of her body and compile a report of her findings at the scenes. On this day, Oct. 8, 2020, in Los Angeles County, there were more than 270,000 positive cases of COVID-19, with death over 6,700. Within three months, at year’s end, the County would be under siege, with positive cases passing 900,000 and deaths topping 12,000. At the end of 2020, the United States had more than 20 million positive cases and over 300,000 deaths from COVID-19.Karmen Parga, a scrub tech at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, shows her last text interaction with Judy Bounthong, her friend for decades who had tested positive for Covid-19, in Long Beach, CA, on Oct. 22, 2020. Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, died from coronavirus complications, while isolated in her room at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA.

Kristina McGuire, an investigator with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner enters a room at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, with Jerry Meza, forensic attendant, where they recovered the lifeless body of Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her isolation period, she wasn’t discovered for several days.

Kristina McGuire, an investigator with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner, exams the lifeless body of Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her isolation period and wasn’t discovered for several days.

Work badges for Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, are found on a dresser, after her deceased body was discovered at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her isolation period, she wasn’t discovered for several days.

Kristina McGuire, an investigator with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner, right and Jerry Meza, forensic attendant, prepare to wrap and transport the lifeless body of Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, in her room at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her isolation period, she wasn’t discovered for several days.

Kristina McGuire, an investigator with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner, right and Jerry Meza, forensic attendant, prepare to wrap and transport the lifeless body of Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, in her room at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her isolation period, she wasn’t discovered for several days.

Kristina McGuire, an investigator with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner, right and Jerry Meza, forensic attendant, prepare to transport the lifeless body of Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, in her room at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her isolation period, she wasn’t discovered for several days.

Kristina McGuire, an investigator with Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner walks toward Jerry Meza, forensic attendant, to help move the gurney carrying the lifeless body of Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech who died of coronavirus complications, at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Bounthong, who worked at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital, died near the end of her isolation period, she wasn’t discovered for several days.

Kristina McGuire, an investigator with the Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner, combs through belongings, looking for clues about the life of a deceased Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech, found dead in her room at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. McGuire has to document all the property of the deceased and create a report of her findings. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her isolation period and wasn’t discovered for several days.

The empty, stained bed, where the lifeless body of Judy Bounthong, 58, an ob-gyn tech at Emanate Queen of the Valley Hospital was found by Los Angeles County Dept. of Medical Examiner-Coroner workers, at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in West Covina, CA, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Bounthong died of coronavirus complications, near the end of her isolation period, she wasn’t discovered for several days.

Singer and actress Andra Day is photographed in promotion of her debut film, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” in the backyard of a home in Calabasas, CA, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. Day portrays songstress Billie Holiday, during the period in her life when the U.S. government was working to prosecute her on drug charges, believed to be retribution for her music helping integrate audiences and her singing political songs like “Strange Fruit.”

Actor and director George Clooney will be seen in the Netflix film, “The Midnight Sky,” which he directs and stars in, and is photographed in the driveway of his Studio City, CA, home, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. Clooney is a lone scientist who travels through the Arctic Circle in an effort to warn a returning spaceship of a global catastrophe.

Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman is photographed in promotion of his Netflix film, “Mank,” in the garage, of a Palm Springs, CA, home, on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. Oldman stars as 1930s screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, trying to finish "Citizen Kane."

Actress Rashida Jones stars in the film, “On the Rocks,” and is photographed in the back yard of a Los Angeles, CA, home, on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. Jones plays a mother of two young kids and wife who worries her husband is cheating and her suspicions are encouraged by her larger-than-life dad, played by Bill Murray. Jones is photographed with a floral creation from the Bloome and Plume studio of artist Maurice Harris, who, coincidentally, had a show on the Quibi app, produced by Jones.

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer returns to the screen with her starring role in the film, “French Exit,” and is photographed at 1 Hotel West Hollywood in West Hollywood, CA, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020. Pfeiffer plays an heiress who loses her wealth and moves to Paris with her son, bringing along their cat, who happens to be a reincarnation of her dead husband.

Actor Steven Yeun is photographed in promotion of the film, “Minari,” in the driveway, of a Pasadena, CA, home, on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020. Yeun portrays the father of a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny farm in Arkansas in search of better opportunities.

Director Chloé Zhao, holding a branch from her persimmon tree, is photographed in promotion of her film, “Nomadland,” in the backyard of her home, outside Los Angeles, CA, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Zhao’s second movie, Marvel’s “The Eternals,” was also supposed to release in 2020, but was pushed into 2021 because of Covid-19.

Screenwriter and director Aaron Sorkin is photographed in promotion of his film, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” at the Four Seasons hotel, in Los Angeles, CA, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. This is the second film Sorkin has written and then ended up directing, his first being 2017’s “Molly’s Game.”

Academy Award-winning actress Regina King is photographed in promotion of her directorial debut with her film, “One Night in Miami,” in a backyard, of a North Hollywood, CA, home, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. King’s film imagines a fictionalized 1964 hotel room meeting between Cassius Clay, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke and Malcom X, and they discuss the responsibility of being successful black men during the civil rights movement.

Actor Riz Ahmed is photographed for his Amazon Studios film, “Sound of Metal,” at the Oceana hotel, in Santa Monica, CA, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. In the film, Ahmed portrays a drummer that experiences increasing hearing loss and the struggles associated with figuring out how to keep living.

Monrovia, CA, September 15, 2020 - Castle Snider, 8, looks on as flames engulf the hillsides behind his backyard as the Bobcat Fire burns near homes on Oakglade Dr.

Joaquin Phoenix hugs girlfriend Rooney Mara after winning the Oscar for Actor In a Leading Role at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, Sunday, February 9, 2020.

Los Angeles, CA, Wednesday, November 11, 2020 - As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches health officials warned of a surge in infections if families traveled and congregated to celebrate. Instead of heeding warnings, thousands signed up for free testing, then traveled anyway. Thousands of cars line up for Covid-19 testing at Dodger Stadium. According to the World Health Organization - A novel strain of coronavirus — SARS-CoV-2 — was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The virus has now spread to over 200 countries and territories across the globe, and was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization

Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, October 27, 2020 - Julio Urias is mobbed as the Dodgers win the World Series at Globe Life Field. The Dodgers beat the Tampa Rays in six games, 32 years after their last championship.

LOS ANGELES, CA, TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 - Democratic Presidential hopeful, Joe Biden reacts to Super Tuesday voting results showing he won 10 states, catapulting him to the Democratic Party nominee for President at the Baldwin Hills Recreation Center.

Los Angeles, CA, Sunday July 26, 2020 - Dodgers team photographer Juan Ocampo photographs the action from field level seats occupied by hundreds of fan photos during a game against the Giants at Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles, CA, August 4, 2020 - Felipe Juarez, a victim of Covid-19, is memorialized at Continental’s first outdoor service in compliance of a State and City mandates preventing indoor gatherings. Under a large canopy in the parking lot of the Continental Funeral Home in East Los Angeles, more than two dozen folding chairs carefully placed several feet apart faced the cherrywood casket of 59-year-old Felipe Juarez.Juarez died of COVID-19 four days after the same disease killed his younger brother. And a month after it took the life of his sister in Mexico.After such an unspeakable series of losses, the family felt forced to settle for a funeral that was nothing if not surreal. Family members, (including his wife and grandson embracing), gathered to say their goodbyes amid the melodic chime of a passing ice cream truck and the noise of rush hour traffic on Beverly Boulevard.Philip Juarez, 31, felt like he was disrespecting his father, but he knew the pandemic left the family no choice. Still, he said, “it’s hard to accept.”

Arlington, Texas, Sunday, October 18, 2020. Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (10) tags out Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) to start double play in the fourth inning in game seven of the NLCS at Globe Life Field.

LOS ANGELES, CA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 - Los the New Orlea Angeles Lakers guard LeBron James flips powder in the air during a pre-game ritual in front of rapt fans before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center.

Los Angeles, CA, August 26, 2020 - Liliana Ruiz roller skates in front of a phalanx of LAPD officers as Black Lives Matter protesters are pinned in the Third St. tunnel, downtown.

Los Angeles, CA, August 27, 2020 - Devo bandleader Mark Mothersbaugh, 70, survived Covid-19 and is recovering at his Hollywood Hills home.

San Diego, CA, Saturday, May 23, 2020 - As the first wave of Covid-19 infections spread throughout the country, a San Diego based pro wrestling club known as FIST Combat, held a series of “drive in” events. Despite government mandated “stay at home” orders, they staged matches at an industrial park parking lot and charged $20. After a few events San Diego County officials shut them down during the summer surge. Dirty Ron McDonald, (Mikey Gordon, FIST Combat owner), wrestles Guy Cool.

The Holser Fire consumed more than 1,000 acres by the end of its first day just East of Lake Piru. the end of the year, 9,639 fires had burned 4,177,856 acres, more than 4% of California’s roughly 100 million acres of land, making 2020 the largest wildfire season recorded in the state’s modern history. On August 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom reported that the state was battling 367 known fires. According to the National Interagency Fire Center.

A phalanx of Ventura County Fire engines heads to an active front burning near Arcadia, CA. The Bobcat Fire burned 115,796 acres in the central San Gabriel Mountains, in and around the Angeles National Forest. It was one of the largest fires on record in Los Angeles County. The intensity of the fire season has been attributed in part to decades of poor forest management as well as increased warming due to climate change.

Firefighter Juan Quiroga handles a gas can as members of the Blue Ridge, Arizona hot shot crew prepare to execute a burn out operation on the Bobcat Fire. A combination of dry brush, steep terrain and high winds, the fire burned for nearly four months.

Firefighters monitor the progress of the Bobcat fire as it burns deep in the Angeles National Forest. Several types of wildlife and aquatic creatures such as fish, frogs and western pond turtles face extinction as a result of the fires.

LaVerne Engine 761 arrives to battle the Bobcat fire burning near homes in Monrovia. After the fires, some home owners were having trouble finding home insurance as some insurers pulled out of certain zip codes or even certain counties. Most remaining insurers have raised prices.

Firefighter Sam Wycoff ignites dry brush as members of the Blue Ridge, Arizona hot shot crew execute a burn out operation as the Bobcat Fire progresses closer to Mt. Wilson, home of the Mt. Wilson Observatory and numerous communication towers deemed vital to Los Angeles County.

Blue Ridge, Arizona hotshot firefighter Keith Lemcke shoots a flare into dry brush as Kurt Mattocks supervises during a burn out operation on the Bobcat Fire. It was reported that nearly 3400 fire personnel were deployed throughout the country at the height of fire season.

Marcus Owen, with bullhorn, leads a rally for George Floyd as hundreds of protesters gather outside Los Angeles City Hall in a daylong protest on June 2. A week after Minneapolis Police Office Derek Chauvin kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for nearly eight minutes as fellow officers stood nearby. Despite crying out “I can’t breathe!” Chauvin did not relent and Floyd died. In support of Black Lives Matter, protests attended by thousands erupted in 2,000 cities in 60 countries, according to press reports.

A June 14th parade of busses and cars arrive for an “All Black Lives Matter” celebration on Hollywood Blvd. weeks after protests and riots erupted in response to the murder of George Floyd. According to Wikipedia - Nationwide protests precipitated a cultural reckoning on racial injustice in the United States and have led to numerous legislative proposals on federal, state, and municipal levels intended to combat police misconduct, systemic racism, qualified immunity and police brutality in the United States, while the Trump administration has drawn widespread criticism for what critics called its hardline rhetoric and aggressive, militarized response.

Los Angeles police officer James Decoite scans upper floor windows for people throwing objects at law enforcement as they surround a group of Black Lives Matter protesters during a June 2 downtown protest. LAPD responded with greater force as protests continued through the summer. Often shooting demonstrators and journalists with non-lethal rounds (rubber bullets).

Los Angeles police officer Mayra Ugarte screams at protesters to move back as she and fellow officers attempt to restore order after Santa Monica businesses were vandalized and looted as unrest continues in the wake of the death of George Floyd. According to Wikipedia - While the majority of protests have been peaceful, demonstrations in some cities escalated into riots, looting and street skirmishes with police and counter-protesters. At least 200 cities in the U.S. had imposed curfews by early June, while more than 30 states and Washington, D.C. activated over 96,000 National Guard, State Guard, 82nd Airborne, and 3rd Infantry Regiment service members

Janaya Khan, right, embraces Black Lives Matter LA co-founder Melina Abdullah at a downtown Los Angeles demonstration, September 23, the day a Kentucky grand jury refused to charge Louisville police officer Myles Cosgrove who shot and killed Breonna Taylor, a black woman, after breaking into her apartment late at night on a raid.

AJ Lovelace tries to stop looters from breaking into a Walgreens store at Santa Monica and Highland. “We need peace and we need someone to talk to each other,” he said after the looters fled the scene. He was one of hundreds of protestors on June 1, marching numerous blocks demonstrating against police brutality and the death of George Floyd. According to Wikipedia - It was later estimated that between May 26 and August 22, 93% of individual protests were "peaceful and nondestructive" and The Washington Post estimated that by the end of June, 96.3% of 7,305 demonstrations involved no injuries and no property damage.

Looters departing a Santa Monica department store on June 31, flee police as unrest continues in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. According to Wikipedia - Arson, vandalism, and looting between May 26 and June 8 were tabulated to have caused $1–2 billion in insured damages nationally—the highest recorded damage from civil disorder in U.S. history, "eclipsing the record set in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of the police officers who brutalized Rodney King."

Elyssa Wells yells out protesting the death of George Floyd as she sits with others on Grand Ave., downtown Los Angeles, June 28, defying police orders to leave the area. The group finally dispersed after LAPD officers moved to clear the streets. According to Wikipedia - Nationwide, the protests precipitated a cultural reckoning on racial injustice in the United States and have led to numerous legislative proposals on federal, state, and municipal levels intended to combat police misconduct, systemic racism, qualified immunity and police brutality in the United States,

Black Lives Matters protesters demonstrate at the South LA Sheriff’s Station hours after Dijon Kizzee was shot to death by deputies, August 31. Video shows Kizzee, who was stopped by deputies while riding a bicycle in a nearby neighborhood, was shot 19 times while fleeing the scene.

Protesters raise their hands as LAPD officers converge on them from both sides in the Third St. underpass, August 26.According to Wikipedia - Polls in summer 2020 estimated that between 15 million and 26 million people had participated at some point in the demonstrations in the United States, making the protests the largest in U.S. history.

Taevion Rushing is a soft shooter with hard edges, a senior guard who has a star quality — with bouncy dreadlocks, pretty-boy pink sneakers and undeniable personal magnetism — but nothing to show for it through three years on varsity.Some of his Jaguar teammates remain leery of Tae. They think he was a big part of why last year’s team played so selfishly. After he quit midseason, chemistry improved.Rushing leads his team out of the locker room early in the season.

Flint has always done its talking through basketball, particularly after the shops shuttered and moved elsewhere. These Jaguars grew up with the stories — of a hard-working culture at General Motors, of a trio of young men from their neighborhoods who came together as the “Flintstones” to win a national basketball championship at Michigan State — but little of the community investment to mold them in the same blue-collar way.

The Flint water crisis grabbed the nation and shook it in 2014. A state government made a financial decision that ended up poisoning a city that’s 54% Black, becoming a brazen example of systemic racial injustice in America. Long after the news trucks pulled out and societal watchdogs found fresher injustices. Rival players from Beecher High enter the visitors locker room before a late season game on the Jaguar’s home court.

“It’s rough on someone like me, in my 23rd year in this building,” says his teacher, who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of retribution. “We’re not teaching them. They’re not learning the real life consequences. With the water crisis, much of what our community has done is given people excuses for poor behavior. And then we wonder why they’re not being successful.”This teacher has been trying to get through to Tae, who is in real danger of not graduating. But she can’t teach him to care.

Flint had once been a model for industrial cities, but as the auto industry went into decline, basketball players became Flint’s greatest export. GM began its long goodbye in the 1980s, right as the Flint public high schools were on a remarkable five-year run of winning Michigan’s Class A state title over Detroit schools.But, even before the water crisis, Flint schools’ pipeline to the next level began to rust. It wasn’t that the city didn’t have talent. At some point, a generation of kids had become convinced that they had to leave the city to be developed. For instance, the Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma is from Flint but was groomed in the suburb of Grand Blanc. The Nuggets’ Monte Morris starred one mile north of the city at Beecher, giving this week’s Western Conference Finals a genuine Flint flavor. Miles Bridges, of Michigan State and the Charlotte Hornets, played his freshman year at Flint Southwestern before leaving for prep school.

“They say they love basketball, but some people just like it. I wish he would have taken it seriously. He could have gone to a high [Division I school] or something,” said Beecher High basketball star Jalen Terry about Taevion. Taevion buries his face in his hands as coach Jackson critiques their loss to Bendle High the day before.

Davison won the state football championship in the fall. These Cardinals know much more about what it takes to win big games than the Jaguars.“We ain’t been here before!” coach Jackson says before tip. “Let’s make history!”Flint flies from the start. The Jaguars get on top with their full-court pressure defense, learning early that Davison doesn’t have the mental stamina to keep up.Before long, the Davison fans are the ones yelling at the refs, booing and stomping their feet in protest. Nobody in the host gym here in Grand Blanc — a Flint suburb which fittingly translates to “Big White” — can believe it: Flint has the tougher team tonight.“This reminds me of the old Flint teams,” says a woman in the stands.Flint 74, Davison 58.

aevion’s family supports him, but they’re detached from the details that can get him out of here. His three older sisters went to college, yet they’re only starting to talk about it with Tae, who’s five months from graduation.“I want him to go away, just to see something different,” Verona says. His family cheers him on during a game against rival Beecher High School.

Taevion spends much of his free time at the home of his grandparents, Dennis and Linda Rushing. Dennis said watching Tae’s existence is hard for him. Dennis spent almost four decades at the same Buick plant; now his children and grandkids wouldn’t have those kind of opportunities.“One thing about our clan,” he said, “never been shy from work. Never was any loafers that just decided they was gonna live off somebody else’s being. I don’t want him to end up like that.“If we have one flaw, it’s the fact that we take from ourselves and give to our grandkids, because a lot of times their parents can’t step up to the plate When he ask for another T-shirt or jersey or something, I’ll mumble and grumble…”But Dennis will give in, he said. He seemed disappointed in himself just as much if not more than in Tae.

On a night he should have been practicing for the district title game, the best high-school guard left in Flint is playing for fun, wearing Crocs instead of sneakers, the braids of his hair flying wildly in the cold, lake-swept winds that could take him anywhere.In months to come, Tae will graduate and spend the summer going back and forth about which junior college to attend. Looking at his Flint career in sum, he did not win the big game, did not become a Division I recruit, did not fulfill Flint’s destiny of old. So what was gained?“I got close with my teammates,” he says. “I like this season the best because we are a team.” He plays a pickup game with cousins.