Updating . .   

Coronavirus cases spiked after these counties reopened. Now, officials are scaling back -- Sonoma County was one of the first regions in California to begin reopening after months of restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

San Francisco unveils reopening timeline, sets dates for schools, sports, gyms, restaurants to reopen -- So long as the city continues to limit the transmission of the virus and suppress the numbers of new cases and hospitalizations, it will shift to the next phase of reopening starting June 15, when most indoor retail sales, outdoor restaurant dining, non-emergency medical appointments and professional sporting events — without fans in the seats — will be allowed to resume. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Why the Bay Area isn’t relaxing its lockdown orders yet -- The Bay Area is growing increasingly isolated in its commitment to enforcing strict lockdown orders meant to stop the spread of coronavirus, as the United States on Wednesday recorded its 100,000th death from COVID-19 and California passed 100,000 confirmed cases of the illness. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/20

Bay Area churches keep services online, though state allows them to reopen -- The end of the Easter season will most likely be celebrated this Sunday in the same fashion as it began — with Bay Area churches offering online celebrations but nothing that invites people inside the hallowed walls of church sanctuaries. Sam Whiting and Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Reopening California could easily backfire into second wave without masks and distancing, officials warn -- “There is a lot at stake as we reopen,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday. “More people being around one another can result in more transmission of COVID-19 — just more cases and likely more hospitalizations and deaths. This is why it couldn’t be more important for us to take care of each other when we’re out of our homes.” Hannah Fry, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Rural California county see 1st virus cases, slows reopening -- A rural Northern California county that had been one of the state’s two counties without any reported coronavirus cases now has at least five, prompting the county to temporarily rescind its orders allowing the reopening of restaurants, shopping and other services. Lassen County, home to about 30,000 people, had reported no coronavirus cases until May 22. Associated Press -- 5/28/20

California reopening speeds up even as state hits 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases -- Even as California surpassed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, many communities continued to push forward with reopening the economy with the hope that social distancing and other safety measures would prevent new outbreaks. Phil Willon, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Policy & Politics 

California Senate plan would reject most of governor’s cuts -- The California Senate’s plan to make up the state’s estimated $54.3 billion budget deficit rejects Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed cuts to public education and health care programs — and instead takes more money from reserves and delays billions of dollars in payments to school districts. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 5/28/20

Fox: Demystifying the Legislative Process -- California’s legislative process may not follow the normal structure in these abnormal times. How the process works out—including the Senate’s possible use of remote voting and the Assembly’s meeting as a committee of the whole—is taking shape to deal with the threat of the coronavirus. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/28/20

More Testing  

California requires universal testing at nursing homes, overruling L.A. County -- California’s health department has issued new instructions to all skilled nursing facilities to test everybody in their facilities in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus, a move that overrules a more lax testing policy allowed by Los Angeles County. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

CVS adds these 42 drive-thru coronavirus testing sites in LA and Orange counties -- Patients must register in advance at CVS.com beginning Friday to schedule an appointment. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window or a location in the parking lot at a few stores, where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions, and a CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/28/20

Virus Economy 

Coronavirus ravages poorer L.A. communities while slowing in wealthier ones, data show -- In mid-April, while officials urged people to stay home, limit shopping trips and wear masks, infection rates in poor communities for the first time overtook wealthy ones, a Times analysis of county health data shows. Tony Barboza, Ben Poston, Ryan Menezes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

SF to pay low-wage workers who get COVID-19 to stay home and isolate -- San Francisco officials rolled out a program Wednesday that seeks to provide some relief to workers who contract COVID-19, but can’t afford to miss a paycheck while in self-isolation. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

‘Shock in the labor market’: California, nation see no end to unemployment deluge -- A reopened economy? Not for the 2.1 million Americans who filed new unemployment claims last week. Carolyn Said and Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Gavin Newsom wants to close prisons as coronavirus shreds California’s budget -- The coronavirus pandemic and state budget woes are pushing California toward its first prison closures in nearly two decades. In a revised budget plan unveiled this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed shuttering two state prisons within the next three years, ultimately saving the state about $400 million annually. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

These lenders didn’t make it easier to find homeowner relief, watchdog says -- Millions of American homeowners who are eligible for relief under the CARES Act were provided inconsistent or confusing information by more than two dozen banks that hold federally backed mortgages, a federal watchdog has found. And even after federal officials contacted some of the banks, they failed to change their messaging. Erin B. Logan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Virus Workplace 

Amazon won’t say how many workers have gotten COVID-19. So workers are tracking cases themselves -- Jumpp and Doan, who until this week worked at a store in Tustin, a city in Orange County, say they do this because their co-workers don’t feel safe; they aren’t able to gauge the risk of reporting for work to their warehouse or store because Amazon won’t tell them how many people are believed to have gotten infected there. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

‘I had to do something’: Black barbers and stylists go underground as L.A. salons stay shut -- Dondae Settles felt he had no other choice. State and local officials had forced him to shutter his South Los Angeles barbershop to slow the spread of the coronavirus. With rent on his commercial spaces due on the first of the month, the 44-year-old said he needed to find a way to bring in money. Angel Jennings in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

San Diego salons are open — and expecting an avalanche of business -- Salons and barbershops are officially allowed to reopen in San Diego County, stirring an emotional reaction from hairstylists and salon owners throughout the region. But good luck getting an appointment any time soon. Brittany Meiling, Lauren J. Mapp in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/20

Reopen 

Record crowds trash Ventura County waterfall with litter, human waste -- The closure of Paradise Falls in Wildwood Regional Park — located in northwestern Thousand Oaks — will be in place until further notice, according to the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Sunbathing, lounging now allowed at Ventura County beaches -- Residents are again able to sprawl out and soak up some rays in Ventura County as officials further ease restrictions that had allowed only active recreation in parks and along the shore in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Asserting Sovereignty, Indian Casinos Defy California’s Governor and Reopen -- It was a high-stakes gamble: a chance to win big at the slot machines but risk getting infected with the coronavirus. Braving a cold drizzle last week, hundreds placed their bet, lining up for hours in front of the Viejas Casino and Resort, a glass-and-stone Indian casino east of San Diego that was reopening despite pleas from California’s governor, Gavin Newsom. Thomas Fuller in the New York Times$ -- 5/28/20

Also . . .   

Photos: Black Lives Matter-LA joins national protests over the the death of George Floyd -- Outrage over the the death of George Floyd, a black man killed after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground with his knee, spurred demonstrators to take to the the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Organized by Black Lives Matter-LA, hundreds of demonstrators briefly blocked the 101 Freeway and marched around the Civic Center. Gabriella Angotti-Jones, Dania Maxwell, Jason Armond in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Vandalism during heated L.A. protest over George Floyd death sparks concern from police -- In a statement, the LAPD said: “We hear your anger & your pain. We will always facilitate freedom of speech. Period. All we ask is that protests are held in a safe & legal manner.” Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Wednesday night that he was also “troubled by the violence on the freeway.” Richard Winton, Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Trump continues to claim broad powers he doesn’t have -- Threatening to shut down Twitter for flagging false content. Claiming he can “override” governors who dare to keep churches closed to congregants. Asserting the “absolute authority” to force states to reopen, even when local leaders say it’s too soon. As he battles the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump has been claiming extraordinarily sweeping powers that legal scholars say the president simply doesn’t have. Jill Colvin Associated Press -- 5/28/20

 

 

California Policy & Politics Thurday This Morning  

Too soon for data, California reopens more businesses -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has crafted himself as a data-driven governor, letting the facts dictate what has been a largely cautious approach to public safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now some California health officials are wondering if that’s still the case as he moves rapidly through his four phases for reopening. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 5/28/20

Newsom faces growing concerns that he's reopening California too quickly -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rapid reopening strategy is drawing concerns from lawmakers and public health officials who fear the governor is basing decisions more on political pressure than science. Victoria Colliver and Carla Marinucci Politico -- 5/28/20

Sonoma County cases rise weeks after allowing some services, holds off on in-store retail -- Several weeks after it began lifting restrictions on some businesses, Sonoma County is holding off on reopening other services largely due to a recent rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, according to its health officer. Matt Kawahara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Orange County reports 5 new deaths as coronavirus hospitalizations hit new high -- Orange County health officials reported five additional coronavirus-linked fatalities Wednesday, raising the region’s death toll to 136. The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized countywide also hit a new high — 274 — in the latest update. That figure includes 101 people who were in intensive care, down slightly from the previous report. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

LA allows shopping, worship sooner than expected in pandemic -- Retail shops and offices were allowed to open Wednesday and the largest Roman Catholic archdiocese in the U.S. announced a plan to resume services as Los Angeles County took another step toward a reopening that seemed hard to imagine a week ago. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 5/28/20

Placer County pushes to reopen gyms, nail salons, tourist venues -- As wide swaths of California more fully enter the second phase of the state’s reopening plan, officials in Placer County are pushing to go even further. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Why the Bay Area isn’t relaxing its lockdown orders yet -- The Bay Area is growing increasingly isolated in its commitment to enforcing strict lockdown orders meant to stop the spread of coronavirus, as the United States on Wednesday recorded its 100,000th death from COVID-19 and California passed 100,000 confirmed cases of the illness. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/20

Consumer groups urge auto insurers to extend premium cuts that expire Sunday -- In California, there was a 75% decrease in the number of highway car crashes from March 19 through May 19 compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary data from the California Highway Patrol. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

EDD launches “mass hiring” to answer phones, help jobless workers -- The state’s labor department, unprepared for an avalanche of jobless claims unleashed by coronavirus-linked business shutdowns, has launched a “mass hiring” to bring aboard hundreds of recruits to bolster the agency’s broken call center and other operations. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/20

O.C. company profited off fake coronavirus tests, prosecutors say -- A Huntington Beach company promised buyers an FDA-approved coronavirus home testing kit with results in 10 minutes. It pitched a disinfectant approved by the Environmental Protection Agency that could keep the virus off surfaces for 28 days. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

L.A. County sheriff reviewing deputies’ actions in video recorded by suspects complaining of harassment -- Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he does not want to “Monday morning quarterback” the incident, which began with the three men sitting in the car after being pulled over, until investigations into the suspects’ and deputies’ conduct are complete. Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Policy & Politics 

California lawmakers break from Newsom’s budget, extend deadline for federal cash -- California Senate Democrats are poised to reject $14 billion in budget cuts proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month, choosing instead to craft a spending plan that looks for other ways to erase the state’s deficit and assumes additional money for schools and social services will come from the federal government by early September. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Assemblyman Bill Brough loses committee assignments after sexual misconduct investigation -- Assemblyman Bill Brough (R-Dana Point) was removed from all committee assignments Wednesday after a state investigation found he made inappropriate comments and engaged in unwanted touching with an unidentified woman who filed a complaint with the Legislature. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Thompson Associated Press Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 5/28/20

Cash, casinos and a sexual harassment payout: Former Huizar aide agrees to plead guilty -- For years, George Esparza was known as one of Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar’s closest aides, driving him around town, attending to him at events and serving as his special assistant. David Zahniser, Joel Rubin, Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Joe Biden backs new California labor law as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash try to undo it -- Joe Biden has declared himself firmly against the California initiative to overturn the new state law requiring companies to provide more benefits to app-based workers for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and others. David Lightman and Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/20

California fights fires amid COVID-19 and a tight budget -- Strapped California, facing an unprecedented budget crisis as it battles COVID-19, is setting aside hundreds of millions of dollars to fight wildfires. Already, more than 1,300 fires — mostly small — have been reported as the hottest, driest months of the year approach. Sabrina Zunich Capitol Weekly -- 5/28/20

Walters: Budget item has an odd backstory -- What goes around comes around. One paragraph in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised, recession-hammered 2020-21 budget proposes to close a state veterans home in Barstow. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 5/28/20

Fox: Past Time for a Haircut -- As history reveals, poor economies make for political trouble. That’s why Gov. Gavin Newsom’s move to Stage 3 of his recovery plan, which means under certain conditions—and in all but 11 counties–hair salons and barbershops will open, is both an economic plus and good politics. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/28/20

Transit  

BART’s recovery plan: face masks, hand sanitizer and no crowds -- BART will continue requiring masks for any rider 13 or older even if Bay Area counties loosen their restrictions. The rule is part of a 15-point recovery plan the agency put forward Wednesday as the regional economy limps back to life. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Is BART running out of money? Budget showing serious shortfalls -- Confronted with the worst financial crisis in the agency’s 48-year history, agency staff managed to scrape together a $915 million budget to survive for one year. A full third of its projected revenue comes from one-time sources, including emergency stimulus funds, federal reimbursements for coronavirus-related expenses and a deferred payment for new railcars. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Covid-19 in Jail  

Coronavirus infection rates in some parts of L.A. County jails are 40% or higher -- As extensive testing for the novel coronavirus gets underway in the vast Los Angeles County jail system, high infection rates are emerging, with nearly 60% of one group of inmates testing positive. Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Entire jail camp tested for COVID-19 after two more Santa Clara county inmates test positive -- Two more Santa Clara County jail inmates tested positive for COVID-19 this week, prompting the testing of more than 300 men being held in the same minimum-security camp, and coming after another reported infection case from the weekend. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/20

Judge orders safety measures in O.C. jails, but denies inmate releases over coronavirus threat -- A federal judge ruled that Orange County’s sheriff acted with deliberate indifference toward the safety of inmates and ordered new social distancing requirements in the jails to combat spread of the coronavirus. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Nearly 700 Chino inmates to be transferred to coronavirus-free prisons -- State prison officials said Wednesday, May 27, that they will transfer almost 700 high-risk inmates out of the California Institution for Men in Chino, saying that the novel coronavirus has spread to “every housing unit” in the facility, where nine prisoners who contracted the disease have died. Brian Rokos, Richard K. De Atley in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 5/28/20

Staying afloat  

SF rolls out new program to help low-income wage-earners who contract COVID-19 -- The city’s “Right to Recover” program will provide eligible workers who have COVID-19 with two weeks of wage replacement, or $1,285, based on San Francisco’s minimum wage. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Crisis Budgets   

Palo Alto will eliminate 74 full-time positions at city hall, cut back popular services -- In the sharpest cutback of city services in decades, the Palo Alto City Council has decided to cut more than 70 full-time positions from city hall in an effort to dig out of a financial hole left by the coronavirus pandemic. Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/20

Reopen     

Newsom signals guidelines for reopening California’s gyms could come in June -- Speaking during a virtual conference call with some of the state’s fitness leaders, investor Tom Steyer and Chief of Staff Ann O’Leary, Newsom said the industry has “unique considerations” and he understands the urgency of offering a timeline for reopening fitness facilities. Rusty Simmons in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

Iconic Huntington Beach Pier reopens to public, but keep moving -- The pier’s debut follows San Clemente’s reopening in early May, where rules are in place that say people have to keep moving, with one-way, makeshift walkways set up for strollers and joggers. Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register -- 5/28/20

Real Estate  

In COVID’s first month, San Diego home prices rose fastest in California -- San Diego County not only saw prices increase in March during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic, it outpaced all markets in California. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/20

Landlords & Tenants  

Evictions to resume in Orange County for pre-COVID cases -- The Orange County Sheriff’s Department announced Wednesday, May 27, it plans to resume processing eviction orders next week that were handed down before the shutdown but halted to protect renters from becoming homeless during a health crisis. Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 5/28/20

Contra Costa County extends eviction moratorium, but drops big businesses from the protection plan -- Contra Costa County’s temporary ban on evictions of residential and commercial tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will continue through part of the summer, but county supervisors are tightening the rules on who is eligible for those protections. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/20

Education 

Thermometers, masks and lonely lunches: State schools chief previews what’s in store for students -- Schools across California are scheduled to reopen in just over two months, but few districts have figured out how to safely resume classes while covering the increased costs of in-person instruction during the coronavirus pandemic. So far, there is more state guidance on how to operate a hair salon than a school. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Roxana Kopetman in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/28/20

Stanford University forecasts staggering financial losses, workforce reductions -- Stanford president Marc Tessier-Lavigne said the university is forecasting a $267 million “negative financial impact” from COVID-19 over a six-month period. Kerry Crowley in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/20

How lottery money for disks and video tapes could help California’s community colleges -- California’s community colleges may be more than $1 billion dollars poorer next year, but $81 million that could save some classes from being cut are locked up in antiquated legal language, preventing colleges from tapping into desperately needed funds. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 5/28/20

California needs $500 million to buy enough computers, internet connections for all students -- California needs at least $500 million to address the immediate need for home computers and internet access for K-12 students, as most schools are expected to continue at least some distance learning next school year, said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond during a press conference Wednesday. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 5/28/20

With masks and social distance, these special ed students have already returned to school -- While educators across the state are struggling over how and when to bring students safely back to school in the fall, teachers in at least one California classroom have already figured it out. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 5/28/20

Layoffs  

Chevron to cut up to 15% of global workforce -- The second-largest oil producer in the U.S. said it wants to “compete in any operating environment and address current market conditions” which includes reducing operating costs, among other measures. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Homeless  

Haight neighborhood group sues to block SF’s Stanyan Street sanctioned homeless camp -- In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city is working to establish “safe sleeping” sites, where the homeless can have a place to sleep and basic services while maintaining social distancing in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Homeless crisis: Newsom proposes ditching environmental review when converting hotels into housing -- His plan was sent to the California Legislature on Friday to be added to the state budget negotiations, and if it remains intact it would eliminate a key tool opponents use to fight projects they don’t want in their neighborhoods. By law, the budget is supposed to be passed by June 15. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

Residents at Oakland 'Safe Quarantine' RV Site Complain of Power, Water and Safety Issues -- Less than a month after homeless residents began moving into 91 RVs in Oakland, residents are complaining about electricity that cuts out during the daytime, problems with water leaks and a lack of hand railings on steep steps. Erin Baldassari KQED -- 5/28/20

Environment   

Old reactor vessel from San Onofre nuclear plant heads to Utah -- A 770-ton chunk of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is on the move. Encased in a carbon steel cylinder, the reactor pressure vessel used by Unit 1 at the now-shuttered plant is getting shipped via rail to a licensed disposal facility in the town of Clive, Utah, about 75 miles west of Salt Lake City. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/20

Also . . .   

Protesters stop LA freeway traffic, smash patrol car windows -- Hundreds of people protesting the death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody blocked a Los Angeles freeway and shattered windows of California Highway Patrol cruisers on Wednesday. Christopher Weber Associated Press Matthew Ormseth, Richard Winton, Jessica Perez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

San Diego leaders denounce racist attacks against Asian Pacific Islander community -- In the past two months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 28 reported incidents of discrimination and verbal and physical threats, including four assaults, against members of the Asian American Pacific Islander community in San Diego County, a new report said. Andrea Lopez-Villafaña in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/20

Regulators bar Encino contractor from offering PACE loans -- The California Department of Business Oversight has barred an Encino contractor from offering PACE home improvement loans, alleging the company fraudulently signed homeowners up for financing that if unpaid can lead to foreclosure. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/20

William Carder dies — labor lawyer who won victories for UFW, Cesar Chavez -- Labor lawyer William Carder, whose work for the United Farm Workers included a Christmas Eve 1970 court order that freed UFW leader Cesar Chavez from jail, died of natural causes in Oakland on May 21, the union reported. He was 78. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/28/20

POTUS 45  

Executive Order Is Expected to Curtail Protections for Social Media Companies -- The move is almost certain to face a court challenge and signals the latest salvo by President Trump to crack down on online platforms. Maggie Haberman and Kate Conger in the New York Times$ -- 5/28/20

Beltway   

Biden calls for federal civil rights investigation into death of George Floyd -- Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday condemned the death of an African American man after he was taken into police custody in Minnesota, referring to the incident as a “horrific killing” that required a civil rights investigation by federal authorities. Sean Sullivan in the Washington Post$ -- 5/28/20

 

-- Wednesday Updates   

California, 2 other states sue over federal rollback of fuel economy standards -- California and two other states sued the Trump administration Wednesday for its sweeping rollback of fuel economy standards, claiming the new rules will increase air pollution, harm the economy and risk lives when the nation can least afford it. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/27/20

California coronavirus milestone: 100,000 cases. ‘It hasn’t ended’ -- The number of coronavirus infections in California is poised to surpass 100,000 Wednesday, marking a milestone that comes as the state is rapidly reopening its economy. Hannah Fry, Sarah Parvini, Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Shayna Rubin, Fiona Kelliher in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/27/20

California is reopening too quickly, posing ‘very serious risk,’ health officer warns -- In particular, Dr. Sara Cody, health officer for Santa Clara County — home to Silicon Valley and Northern California’s most populous county — said she was concerned by the decision to allow gatherings of up to 100 people for religious, political and cultural reasons. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ Matt Kawahara in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/27/20

A silent coronavirus threat looms large as California reopens businesses -- At Eaton Canyon, a popular Pasadena hiking area, so many people crowded the trail Saturday morning — many without masks and jammed close together — that rangers shut it down for the rest of the month. Rong-Gong Lin II, Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20

He was part of Amazon’s coronavirus hiring spree. Two weeks later he was dead -- With that human wave came the virus. The same week that Sentoso was called back into work, new cases of COVID-19 were reported at six warehouses across Southern California. Until now, no cases at the Irvine facility, known as DLA9, have been made public, and Sentoso’s death had gone unreported. Sam Dean in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/27/20

Policing during COVID-19: Officers face new threat in the line of duty -- Daily temperature checks are one of several new precautions law enforcement agencies instituted in recent months to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the coronavirus as they continue to do their jobs. Other precautions include donning masks and gloves when they interact with the public and regularly wiping down their police vehicles, which are shared from one shift to the next. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/27/20

Policy & Politics 

PG&E utility replacement if safety woes persist: Golden State Energy -- PG&E would be replaced by a non-profit company called Golden State Energy if the disgraced utility operates unsafely in the future and causes more catastrophes such as wildfires or explosions, under the provisions of a proposed state bill to be debated before a legislative panel Thursday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/27/20

Battle between Trump and California over car pollution heads to court -- California and nearly two dozen other states on Wednesday filed suit against the Trump administration, arguing that its decision to weaken fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks puts the public’s health at risk and is based on flawed science. Anna M. Phillips, Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20

California bullet train could end up needing subsidies, despite promises to voters -- When California voters approved bonds in 2008 to build a bullet train across much of the state, a ballot measure promised them that future passenger service would not require operating subsidies. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20

Family separation returns under cover of the coronavirus -- Three of the children — ages 10, 14, and 16 — just joined their father, Jose, after winning release from a government shelter where they had been held for more than two months. Now, they have deportation orders hanging over their heads. U.S. officials are fighting in court to take the three children and deport them to El Salvador — to no one. Molly O’Toole in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20

How Kamala Harris and other Bay Area lawmakers score in a ranking of bipartisanship in Congress -- The Bay Area doesn’t have a reputation for being politically purple. A new analysis suggests that its representatives in Congress aren’t, either. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/27/20

Trump threatens social media after Twitter fact-checks him -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened social media companies with new regulation or even shuttering after Twitter added fact checks to two of his tweets. Zeke Miller Associated Press -- 5/27/20

Reopen  

L.A. Archdiocese could resume daily Mass, scheduled confessions next week -- As California rolls back coronavirus-related restrictions on houses of worship, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has released guidelines to reopen churches for private prayer and public Mass as early as next week. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20

Google announces phased-in return to offices, but adds home-expenses ‘allowance’ -- Starting July 6, Google will allow employees to return to offices on a limited basis that would restrict worker numbers to about 10% of buildings’ capacities, Pichai said. That means an employee would probably come into the office “one day every couple of weeks,” he said. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/27/20

Runyon Canyon reopens for hiking with new coronavirus safety measures in place -- Park officials have reduced how many people can enter at one time, installed cameras and electric counters to monitor crowds, added additional staff and converted the trail into a one-way loop, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20

Six Flags gives a preview of what it’ll be like when theme parks reopen -- Six Flags Entertainment Corp. became the first major U.S. theme park company to release a set of safety protocols for the reopening of all its U.S. parks, saying it will limit the number of people allowed in, check guests’ temperatures and require everyone to wear masks and spread out in lines and on rides. Hugo Martín in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20

One-way halls, lunch at desk, playing alone. L.A. schools could reopen with stark rules -- Sixteen students to a class. One-way hallways. Students lunch at their desks. Children could get one ball to play with — alone. Masks are required. A staggered school day brings on new schedules to juggle. These campus scenarios could play out based on new Los Angeles County school reopening guidelines released Wednesday. Howard Blume, Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20

Virus Job Losses  

California Academy of Sciences announces layoffs, furloughs, pay cuts affecting hundreds -- San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences will let go a fifth of its over 500 employees, furlough others, and cut pay and hours for remaining employees. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/27/20

Also . .  

State workers could be reassigned for coronavirus work if volunteer drive comes up short -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration expects more state workers to volunteer for contact tracing assignments, and if they don’t, the state has the authority to reassign them to the work, according to an administration spokeswoman. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/27/20

SF’s shuttered office buildings could face new health threat: unsafe water -- Plumbing systems — the vast network of pipes that connect the city’s water system to cooling towers, showers, sinks, toilets and urinals — require a consistent water flow in order for water to stay safe. When there are no workers around to flush toilets or wash their hands, water stagnates in pipes. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/27/20

Sanctioned SF tent camp riles Haight-Ashbury neighborhood -- The cascade of tents hitting San Francisco’s liberal Haight-Ashbury has stunned merchants and residents alike, and led to an outcry over the city’s decision to set up a “safe sleeping site” at one of the neighborhood’s busiest intersections. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/27/20

Lopez: West L.A. property, surrounded by stars, on sale for $745,000. Are you dying to move in? -- What if I were to tell you that an exclusive piece of real estate is available on L.A.’s Westside, right next door to a couple of the biggest names in entertainment history. And you can pick it up at the recently discounted price of $745,000? Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/20