Updating . .
Garcetti says economy reopened too quickly, warns of new stay-at-home order -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday said L.A. opened too quickly and again warned that the cityß was close to imposing some type of new stay-at-home order as coronavirus cases continued to spike. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/20
Coronavirus backlash triggers wave of progressive activism from Asian Americans in Orange County -- After generations of benefiting from a conservative trope that painted Asian Americans as shining examples of how to assimilate and overcome racism, Tammy Kim said a wave of discrimination tied to the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped reality for many Asian Americans in Orange County. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 7/19/20
How Vietnamese Americans rallied behind nail salons during the California shutdown -- Nail salon owners say they face two obstacles: recovering from the hit to their bottom line from months of closure, as well as worries about their reputation. Debra Kahn Politico -- 7/19/20
Rep. Karen Bass: Flags must remain ‘at half-mast’ until John Lewis is laid to rest -- After urging President Donald Trump on Saturday to remain silent on the death of Rep. John Lewis, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass said flags must remain lowered until Lewis is laid to rest. Maria Carrasco Politico -- 7/19/20
San Diego’s beach neighborhoods use secret weapon to limit parking — illegally painted red curbs -- The longtime San Diego battle between beachgoers and the neighborhoods where they park has risen to a new level this summer in La Jolla Shores, where someone illegally painted 150 feet of curb red so no one would park there. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/19/20
California is trying to crack down on power line fires. Will it work? -- After years of failing to stop fiery catastrophes caused by California utility companies, state regulators are taking a different approach this year that they hope will prevent power lines from burning more neighborhoods to the ground. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/20
New records in Oakland police shooting raise questions about DA’s role in investigating cops -- Swerving on Fruitvale Avenue, the red Buick was spotted by two rookie Oakland cops. The Buick’s driver hooked a U-turn and sped off. The patrol car trailed for several blocks, its lights flashing and sirens blaring, before the Buick stopped. David DeBolt, Thomas Peele, Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/19/20
Trump Leans Into False Virus Claims in Combative Fox News Interview -- An agitated President Trump offered a string of combative and often dubious assertions in an interview aired Sunday, defending his handling of the coronavirus with misleading evidence, attacking his own health experts, disputing polls showing him trailing in his re-election race and defending people who display the Confederate flag as victims of “cancel culture.” Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 7/19/20
Trump declines to say whether he will accept November election results -- President Trump declined to say whether he will accept the results of the November election, claiming without evidence that mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic could “rig” the outcome. Felicia Sonmez in the Washington Post$ -- 7/19/20
California Policy & Politics Sunday Morning
Los Angeles County COVID-19 cases continue to surge after a record-breaking week -- After the worst week for new transmissions since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Los Angeles County reported an additional 2,770 positive cases and 37 deaths on Saturday. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/20
COVID-19 cases, deaths surpass flu numbers for the entire 2019-20 season in San Diego -- In just four months, the novel coronavirus has produced 2,362 more confirmed cases and 373 more deaths across San Diego County than influenza did during the entire 2019-20 season. And the COVID-19 curve, it is clear to see, is not a seasonal disease. Numbers are still increasing daily as the flu largely slumbers. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/19/20
Almost 500 people have died of COVID-19 in Orange County as cases approach 30,000 -- Orange County reported 25 more deaths connected to the novel coronavirus on Saturday, the third-highest day on record as the number of confirmed cases continues to surge. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/20
Sonoma speedway hosts 1,000-person drag racing competition amid mounting coronavirus crisis -- Noise echoed through the hills again Saturday at Sonoma Raceway in what was probably the Bay Area’s biggest sporting event in months — but the roar wasn’t coming from the grandstands. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/20
Concern grows in San Mateo County over potential state shutdown -- While San Mateo County has yet to be placed on California’s coronavirus watch list, beauty salons, houses of worship and other indoor businesses are trying to hang onto a small sense of normalcy, despite a potential countywide shutdown looming. Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/20
‘There will be damage.’ How new coronavirus shutdowns will hammer Sacramento’s economy -- Jay Brown, owner of King of Curls on Freeport Boulevard, has survived in the Sacramento business scene for 50 years by being nimble and finding market niches, starting with hair-styling for Black customers, then adding dreadlocks and hair braiding. He now faces a new challenge. Dale Kasler and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/19/20
Knott’s Berry Farm reopens: What it’s like to be back inside a theme park -- Knott’s Berry Farm returned without rides or shows for a Boysenberry-inspired food event that gave visitors a chance to walk through Calico Ghost Town again and the Buena Park theme park an opportunity to test out new COVID-19 health and safety measures. The limited-time Taste of Calico outdoor craft beer and food event runs at Knott’s on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through July 26. Brady MacDonald in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/19/20
Policy & Politics
Willie Brown: It’s not in the bag for Joe Biden. Far from it -- Those of you who think President Trump is politically dead and buried, think again. By my reckoning, Trump still has a 50-50 shot at winning re-election come November. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/20
Walters: High living costs make people poor -- There’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe recession it spawned are widening California’s economic divide. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 7/19/20
Education
Some parents lament school closure order even as they understand why it was given -- Molly Dimon, a parent of an 11-year-old daughter with autism, was counting on schools reopening this fall. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/19/20
‘We have to do better’: Bay Area districts scramble to improve distance learning after spring’s chaotic rollout -- When school starts next month for millions of California students, the majority will remain at home, logging into classes online and learning to read and write or solve for X from afar. But that doesn’t mean parents, teachers, principals and kids are happy about another stretch of distancing learning — one that will probably last longer than the marathon in the spring. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/20
Their new schools knew nothing about allegations against these teachers. Should they have? -- Kathryn Leehane wasn’t surprised to discover that former Presentation High teachers, named last week in a bombshell report that exposed years of sexual misconduct and coverups at the San Jose Catholic girls school, were still teaching in the Bay Area. Daniel Wu, Erin Woo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/19/20
Also . . .
Killings in Bay Area up 14% in first half of 2020 as Vallejo homicides spike -- With trains emptied, shopping districts shuttered and tourism on an indefinite timeout, Bay Area residents had some cause for relief during their pandemic-induced isolation: Crime, in many areas, stayed home too. But while reports of robberies, rapes and smash-and-grab auto burglaries fell in the region’s largest cities, the most serious of violent crimes — homicides — crept up 14% during the first half of 2020, stalling a broader historical trend of fewer killings, a Chronicle analysis found. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/20
SF is ousting last boat at Fisherman’s Wharf that sells seafood to public, angering devoted locals -- On a typical Saturday morning before the pandemic, hundreds of customers would form a line on Pier 47 to buy inexpensive whole halibut, black cod and rockfish from the Pioneer, the only fishing boat in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf that sold to the public. But now, the Port of San Francisco has halted the Pioneer’s retail fish sales, and its captain is looking for a new harbor to call home. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/20
POTUS 45
From ‘Sleepy Joe’ to a destroyer of the ‘American way of life,’ Trump’s attacks on Biden make a dystopian shift -- President Trump has launched a slash-and-burn campaign against an exaggerated caricature of his Democratic opponent, casting former vice president Joe Biden as a destroyer of basic freedoms and a threat to voters’ safety who would “let terrorists roam free” and “abolish the American way of life.” Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 7/19/20
Beltway
Biden leads by double digits as coronavirus takes a toll on the president, Post-ABC poll finds -- President Trump faces a significant challenge in his bid to win reelection in November, with former vice president Joe Biden holding a double-digit lead nationally and the president’s approval ratings crumbling amid a spreading coronavirus pandemic and a weakened economy, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Dan Balz and Scott Clement in the Washington Post$ -- 7/19/20
-- Saturday Updates
Urgent warnings to wear masks but so far only modest enforcement -- But even as more Californians are covering their faces as protection against COVID-19, compliance is spotty at best. Many law enforcement agencies say they plan to educate those found without masks but not issue fines. Luke Money, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/20
San Francisco mayor frustrated as virus cases rise statewide -- Francisco, one of the nation’s first cities to fully shut down and one of the slowest to reopen, joined California’s coronavirus watch list on Friday, and the mayor expressed frustration that people are attending social gatherings against health officials’ advice. Kathleen Ronayne and Janie Har Associated Press -- 7/18/20
Lopez: Gasping, afraid, alone. What it’s like to die a COVID-19 death -- They beg for help. They flail. Their eyes fill with terror. “We have people that are sitting in bed and they’re breathing like they’re running a marathon at full speed,” said Dr. Adupa Rao, a pulmonologist and critical care specialist at Keck Hospital of USC. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/18/20
Church with branches in Pasadena, Irvine and Corona sues over singing ban -- A church with campuses in Pasadena, Irvine and Corona has filed an emergency request with a federal judge seeking a temporary restraining order halting the threat of enforcement of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ban on singing and chanting in places of worship — enacted to help fight the spread of the coronavirus — at Sunday’s service and all future services. The item is in in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/18/20
Elk Grove seniors facility reports outbreak, UOP goes online for fall -- Sacramento County has seen another deadly week, this time adding to its coronavirus death toll by a dozen, according to public health officials. Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/20
Santa Clara County caught in undesirable state watch list quirk -- San Mateo County is the lone Bay Area county not on the watch list, but its 14-day case-per-capita figures appear likely to land the county on the watch list sometime in the near future. Eric Ting in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/18/20
Before new closures, California added record 558,000 jobs -- California added a record 558,000 jobs in June as many more businesses reopened but the gains announced Friday by the state are expected to be short-lived because of new closures put into effect in July as the coronavirus surged. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 7/18/20
At least 40 Alameda County sheriff’s deputies, staff test positive for COVID-19 -- The department counted its first two positive cases among employees back in March and didn’t record another until the end of June, said Sgt. Ray Kelly Saturday. But in the past month alone, about 41 sheriff’s employees — mostly sworn deputies — have come down with the virus. Fiona Kelliher in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/18/20
A grand sacrifice: What these owners did to keep Ole’s Waffle Shop open and everyone on the payroll -- Ken and Vickie Monize dreamed of retiring next year. After working seven days a week for decades at their family-owned diner — Ole’s Waffle Shop — they bought a flat lot in a Santa Rosa subdivision with a view of soaring redwood trees behind the back fence. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/18/20
Street
Weekend protests for social justice continue in Southern California -- Demonstrators will again gather on Saturday throughout Southern California for more protests and other actions challenging systemic racism and police brutality, and advocating for change. The nationwide movement sparked by the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in Minneapolis continues nearly eight weeks after he was killed while in police custody and now embraces a range of issues. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/18/20
Education
Classroom instruction planned in some parts of California -- Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that most counties will start the school year online due to soaring coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. But rural counties in the central and northern parts of the state have seen little of the virus and can bring students and teachers back to campus. Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 7/18/20
UC Davis unveils preliminary fall plans; full update expected later this month -- As coronavirus cases rise across California, colleges and universities are grappling with how best to bring students back — if at all. Maria Heeter in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/20
As parents of students look for alternatives, home schooling sees ‘explosive’ interest -- For Laila Barakat’s children, school will be home, like other students in their district. But they won’t participate in distance learning. Their teachers will be mom and dad. Mara Hoplamazian in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/18/20
Policy & Politics
SF Mayor London Breed shreds white progressives for projecting beliefs onto city's Black residents -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed recently spoke with Vogue about certain white progressives involved in the recent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd, and did not have very nice things to say. Eric Ting in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/18/20
U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard prompts questions about lessons learned -- Gilday said the Navy has ordered commanding officers of every ship in the fleet to assess the fire training levels of their people, whether they have enough of the necessary equipment and whether it is operable, and to assess whether the procedures they have in place are adequate. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/18/20
POTUS 45
Trump administration pushing to block new money for testing, tracing, and CDC in upcoming coronavirus relief bill -- The Trump administration is trying to block billions of dollars for states to conduct testing and contact tracing in the upcoming coronavirus relief bill, people involved in the talks said Saturday. Erica Werner and Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 7/18/20
Inside Trump’s Failure: The Rush to Abandon Leadership Role on the Virus -- The roots of the nation’s current inability to control the pandemic can be traced to mid-April, when the White House embraced overly rosy projections to proclaim victory and move on. Michael D. Shear, Noah Weiland, Eric Lipton, Maggie Haberman and David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 7/18/20
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