Updating . .
SF Muni driver beaten with bat after asking passengers to wear masks -- The three men reportedly boarded the bus at 11th and Division streets in SoMa without face coverings. The driver told the passengers they needed to put on masks if they wanted to remain on the bus, as required by San Francisco’s health order. Andrew Chamings in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/24/20
Coronavirus is killing more Californians than ever before, and cruel inequities are worsening -- California reached another bleak coronavirus milestone this week, recording more than 100 daily deaths in the worst fatality numbers since the pandemic began. But just as troubling, health officials and experts say, is how COVID-19 is stalking certain groups, such as essential workers, and those in institutions including nursing homes and prisons, at much greater rates than those who have the ability to stay home. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Sean Greene, Priscella Vega, Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
ER Doctor Saw COVID-19 Devastate New York. Now, He's Doing It Again In California -- Dr. Louis Tran, an emergency physician, spent much of May in New York City ICUs treating patients with COVID-19. Now, he's back at home in San Bernardino County in California, fighting the same virus on a different coast. Christianna Silva NPR -- 7/24/20
LAPD officer dies after contracting coronavirus, sources say -- A Los Angeles police officer died of the coronavirus early Friday, the first sworn officer in the city to succumb to the deadly pandemic, law enforcement officials told The Times. The officer had been sick for at least a week, according to a flier for a fundraiser to aid with his medical bills. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
‘Everywhere you go you’re at risk’: As coronavirus surges, Orange County struggles to pinpoint sources of infection -- Amid a recent surge in coronavirus cases, Orange County is struggling to determine precisely where residents are being infected, its top health official said this week. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
As coronavirus ravaged nursing homes, inspectors were not being tested -- But despite requiring routine testing of residents and employees, there’s one group California health officials have knowingly sent from nursing home to nursing home without first testing them for the lethal virus: state inspectors. Jack Dolan, Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
Officials slam ‘egregious’ errors by state’s COVID-19 testing lab, nurses at California prison -- Health officials in Lassen County said state contractors testing for COVID-19 in prisons have been using unreliable methods to collect samples, a misstep that officials worry could have exacerbated an outbreak in the rural California county. Jason Pohl in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/24/20
San Jose among 12 cities feds are tracking for worrisome COVID-19 uptick -- San Jose is among 12 cities the White House is closely tracking after worrisome COVID-19 outbreaks, a top federal health official said in a call Wednesday — although city officials here said they were not among those invited to participate, and were not aware of the Trump administration’s concerns about the rise in cases locally. Fiona Kelliher, Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/24/20
This Tahoe county and town are asking tourists to stay away -- To help control the coronavirus pandemic, Placer County and the town of Truckee have come together to discourage tourists from visiting on weekends through August 17. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/24/20
Bay Area parents rush to form ‘pandemic pods’ for the school year. The backlash is fierce -- The fear and desperation erupted just over a week ago as parents realized schools would not reopen in August as hoped, and their kids would be stuck in front of screens, again, learning to read and solve equations despite a largely disastrous two months of distance learning in the spring. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/20
Virus and Workplace
With coronavirus surging, California workplaces come under greater scrutiny -- With coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths hitting new records this week in California, officials are pushing for greater enforcement of workplace safety rules as a key step in slowing the spread. Luke Money, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Paul Sisson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
Working parents face a child-care crisis. Here’s how L.A. employers are handling it -- The scramble began in March. Offices shut down, then schools and day-care centers. Sam Dean in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
Workers face layoffs at Cal Expo after pandemic prompts State Fair cancellation -- Cal Expo plans to lay off at least half its staff after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the California State Fair and intensified what was already a difficult financial situation. Dale Kasler and Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/24/20
A COVID-19 death renews questions of Uber and Lyft’s responsibility to drivers -- Chuck Beckner begged his 71-year-old mother not to drive for Uber and Lyft during the pandemic. She didn’t listen. Then COVID-19 took Billie Sue Matchke’s life. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/24/20
Hundreds gather in Huntington Beach to be baptized with cold dunk in the ocean -- Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered several types of businesses and houses of worship to close again because of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. But the state orders do not preclude churches from having outdoor services as long as they take precautions, such as social distancing and wearing masks. Deepa Bharath in the Orange County Register -- 7/24/20
Policy & Politics
Time to Begin Learning about Those Confusing Ballot Propositions -- For voters who don’t spend their days engrossed in policy issues, the uncomfortable initiative season is upon us. How to decide on the 12 propositions on the November ballot? Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/24/20
Education
School police give way to more counselors in California districts as demands grow for reform -- Faced with a soaring budget deficit and a growing fear of school shootings, Fontana Unified took a drastic step in the early 2010s: First, the board laid off the district’s entire staff of 69 counselors. And then it bought its police department 14 automatic rifles. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 7/25/20
California school districts brace for an online back-to-school season -- Most California schools are preparing for a new reality of entirely remote classes this fall, after Gov. Gavin Newsom last week announced that schools cannot offer in-person instruction if they are in counties the state is closely monitoring for coronavirus spread. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 7/25/20
Preventions
Glendale’s Poop Fairy returns, tells folks that it really stinks when you don’t wear a mask -- Glendale’s Poop Fairy is back. And she thinks it stinks when folks don’t wear masks in public. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/24/20
Preventable diseases could come back as coronavirus has parents skipping kids’ vaccines -- In April, at the height of the state’s strictest stay-at-home restrictions, childhood vaccination rates in California fell by around 50%, according to state data. The numbers ticked up in May and June, but remained significantly below 2019 levels. Claudia Boyd-Barrett in the Orange County Register -- 7/24/20
California Policy & Politics Friday Morning
Schools may soon apply for waivers to reopen — but only with union support -- School districts, chartermms and private schools in L.A. County may begin applying within days for waivers that would allow them to reopen elementary schools in person — but public schools will have to show they have union support, county public health officials said Thursday. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 7/24/20
‘Learning hubs’ opening across SF to help 6,000 kids in need with distance education -- San Francisco officials are readying an unprecedented educational assistance program for the fall meant to help up to 6,000 children with their distance-learning needs, as parents and students confront the reality of starting the school year without classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/20
California's watch list: What it monitors, and why it matters for the Bay Area -- Most Bay Area counties are currently on the state’s coronavirus watch list. That designation can have a huge impact on the restrictions a county must impose on businesses, schools and other areas — and just what those restrictions include has changed dramatically in recent weeks. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/20
Record number of coronavirus cases, deaths in California spur debate over new restrictions -- As California posted its highest COVID-19 daily death toll of 250 and case counts soared beyond those of other states, politicians and public health experts turned Thursday to the next logical question: What to do about it? Tatiana Sanchez and Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/20
No mask, pay a fine? Bay Area starts moving to enforce coronavirus rules -- Napa and Marin counties were the first to approve fines of up to $500 for people who refuse to comply with state and local health orders, but officials in some other jurisdictions now say they’d like to see that extended throughout the region. That would be a significant shift — so far, officials have relied mostly on voluntary compliance, with very little enforcement. Marisa Kendall, Erin Woo, Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/24/20
California prisons must set aside space for COVID-19 patients, judge orders -- A federal judge overseeing litigation concerning the treatment of California inmates has ordereRichard Wintond the state to set aside at least 100 beds at each of its 35 prisons to handle potential coronavirus outbreaks and prevent a repeat of the devastating spread at San Quentin. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Matt Kristoffersen in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/24/20
Alameda County sheriff’s deputy dies of COVID-19 complications -- Deputy Oscar Rocha, 57, had been in critical condition in an area hospital’s intensive care unit for nearly three weeks, and had worked most of his 25-year career in either the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland or the Santa Rita Jail. George Kelly in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/24/20
COVID contact tracers: Inside the work of California’s disease detectives -- As California’s counties struggle to keep up with the ballooning demand for contact tracing, the county with the greatest number of cases, Los Angeles, has thus far maintained a relatively robust contact tracing program. And to coax those hesitant to cooperate, the county just announced a pilot program to give $20 gift cards to people who agree to be interviewed by a contact tracer. Meredith Lackey CalMatters -- 7/24/20
How Stanford plans to use pooled testing to prevent Bay Area coronavirus outbreaks -- That means specimens from eight people, who were swabbed individually, will be combined and tested together in the lab. A part of each person’s specimen will be preserved and set aside in case it needs to be retested. If the entire pool tests negative, there is no need to test each specimen separately — saving time and lab resources. If the pool tests positive, only then would each individual specimen need to be tested. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/2
Through the looking-glass: Family members fight restricted access to loved ones in long-term care -- Maitely Weismann moved her 77-year-old mother from New York into a Los Angeles assisted living facility in mid-March, planning frequent visits to help her settle in. The timing couldn’t have been worse, as California’s pandemic lockdown had just banned virtually all visits in long-term care homes. Barbara Feder Ostrov and Jocelyn Wiener CalMatters -- 7/24/20
SF's Ferry Building Marketplace fully re-opens after being reclassified -- San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace announced Thursday that it is fully open for business, just three days after malls were ordered to close because the county was placed on the state watch list for increased transmission of the coronavirus. Matthew Tom in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/24/20
UC Davis surgical team nurses say new policy requiring mandatory OT endangers patients -- Surgical team nurses at UC Davis Health protested Thursday outside the medical center in Sacramento, saying management’s move to require them to work overtime poses a danger to patient health. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/24/20
Stressed Business
Owner of Flights restaurants fuming over Mountain View landlord’s lawsuit amid COVID-19 -- Hult is one of a growing number of desperate and frustrated small business owners caught up in legal dramas with landlords and insurance companies while their quarantined customer base and revenue streams are nosediving or non existent. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/24/20
A ‘danger to our existence’: Why San Jose home builders say the city is tying their hands -- Despite continued demand for new construction and remodeling projects, San Jose is issuing only a fraction of building permits it did before the pandemic hit the region, and now many home builders and contractors fear their livelihood is at stake. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/24/20
Presidio on course to lose up to $30 million this year -- The board that runs San Francisco’s vast Presidio national park on Thursday held its first public hearing since the onset of the coronavirus and confronted the dilemma that it is on course to lose $20 million to $30 million this year — even as local residents are seeking it out as a green respite. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/20
LA Apparel allowed to reopen following massive coronavirus outbreak -- Los Angeles Apparel, the mammoth South L.A. garment factory beset by a coronavirus outbreak, is being allowed to reopen after complying with mandates from the county Department of Public Health, Health Officer Muntu Davis said on Thursday, July 23. More than 300 garment workers were sickened at the facility and four people died, health officials said. David Rosenfeld, Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/24/20
Policy & Politics
California Legislature will let some lawmakers vote remotely amid COVID-19 pandemic -- Citing the threat of coronavirus, both houses of the California Legislature plan to allow some members at higher risk for COVID-19 to weigh in on pending bills from their districts when the Legislature reconvenes in Sacramento next week, a change in the rules that has drawn criticism from some current and former lawmakers. Patrick McGreevy, John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Beam Associated Press -- 7/24/20
Is America’s biggest gas utility abusing customer money? California demands answers -- The nation’s largest gas utility has spent months fighting an investigation by a California consumer watchdog agency, saying the company’s constitutional rights are being trampled and refusing to give regulators full access to its financial records. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
Pandemic accelerates San Diego’s efforts to create ‘city of the future’ using technology -- San Diego city officials said they are using the COVID-19 pandemic to reinvent how the city operates, including greater use of technology, more people working from home, streamlined problem-solving and increased focus on city assets like buildings. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/24/20
Un-Masking
Outdoor worship service in Redding defies California mask order, alarming health officials -- Hundreds of worshipers, led by an organizer affiliated with a megachurch whose members believe they can heal the sick and raise the dead, gathered Wednesday at the Sundial Bridge in Redding, flouting mask-wearing orders and bans on large crowds. Ryan Sabalow and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/24/20
Chula Vista Church Renews Challenge To State’s COVID-19 Restrictions -- A Chula Vista church that challenged California's COVID-19 restrictions in a legal fight that went before the U.S. Supreme Court has filed an amended complaint in its bid to see churches reopened during the pandemic. KPBS -- 7/24/20
Cannabis
CCSF raises bar on higher learning by offering Cannabis Studies degree -- In addition to smoking marijuana, college students can now major in it. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/20
Courts
COVID-19 surge prompts SF federal court to postpone jury trials -- Citing the resurgence in coronavirus cases, the San Francisco federal court postponed jury trials Thursday until October, even as a handful of trials proceed in local courts. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/20
Judicial panel says judges may attend demonstrations, but need to monitor participation -- Judges are not required to remain silent on turbulent issues, such as racial justice and police killings. But a California judicial ethics panel had some advice Wednesday for any judges who may be considering attending a protest demonstration or a similar political event: Don’t go, unless you’re sure it won’t raise questions about your impartiality. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/24/20
Housing
Southern California’s housing market rebounds, but it may not last -- The Southern California housing market is showing signs of heating up after a coronavirus-induced slump. Sales are still below year-earlier levels but are up sharply from spring, when stay-at-home orders all but froze the market. Some real estate agents say they are even seeing bidding wars. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
Environment
NOAA’s La Niña watch could signal a dry winter for Los Angeles -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a La Niña watch earlier this month, meaning that conditions are favorable for development of a La Niña in the next six months. A La Niña typically means a dry winter across the southern United States, including Southern California. Paul Duginski in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
Also . . .
Attorney for top L.A. County official accuses sheriff of defamation over Facebook Live comments -- An attorney representing Los Angeles County’s chief executive officer has accused Sheriff Alex Villanueva of defamation and threatened to take legal action against him over comments he made Wednesday on a live Facebook broadcast. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
Parole recommended for Manson follower Leslie Van Houten -- After a hearing at the women’s prison in Chino, California, commissioners of the Board of Parole Hearings found for the fourth time that Van Houten was suitable for release, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 7/24/20
UC Davis researcher accused of hiding ties to Chinese military is hiding in consulate, U.S. says -- A UC Davis cancer researcher, suspected of being a clandestine member of the Chinese military, has taken refuge in the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco, according to U.S. prosecutors. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/24/20
POTUS 45
‘Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.’ Didn’t Mean What Trump Hoped It Did -- Presidents and those who would be president often boast of their qualifications — their education, their experience, their achievements. And then there is President Trump, who is boasting about his dementia test. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 7/24/20
Beltway
Biden predicts that Trump will try to ‘indirectly steal’ the election -- Joe Biden on Thursday night warned donors that President Trump will try to “indirectly steal” the 2020 election by making a case against mail-in ballots, a voting method that many are expected to use to avoid exposure to the coronavirus during November’s election. Annie Linskey in the Washington Post$ -- 7/24/20
Republican infighting leads to embarrassing setback on aid -- Amid a series of crises — with 30 million Americans unemployed and coronavirus cases spiking nationally — White House officials and Senate GOP leaders couldn’t even come to an agreement among themselves on a starting point for a new relief package, let alone begin bipartisan talks with Democrats. Marianne Levine and John Bresnahan Politico -- 7/24/20
-- Thursday Updates
California needs to shut down again to contain coronavirus, Bay Area lawmaker warns -- State Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, put forth a proposal Thursday that would require every county to keep residents at home again, except for essential trips, until the rate of positive tests over 14 days drops below 2% in both the county and its neighbors. As of Wednesday, the statewide positive test rate for the previous week was 7.6%. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/23/20
California records highest coronavirus death total in a day as fatalities pass 8,000 -- Wednesday’s 157 fatalities — the state’s highest one-day toll yet, according to The Times’ coronavirus tracker — pushed California’s fatalities above 8,000. The sobering death toll continues what’s been an unprecedented week in California in terms of the COVID-19 outbreak. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/23/20
California was impatient. Now it tops New York for most coronavirus cases -- California is No. 1 in part because it is the most populous state but also because millions of residents have been unwilling, or unable, to practice the social distancing and mask-wearing that public health experts say are the best measures to keep SARS-CoV-2 somewhat in check. Luke Money, James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/23/20
LA County reports 64 more coronavirus deaths – plus another day of 2,200-plus hospitalizations -- Los Angeles County reported 64 coronavirus-related deaths and 3,266 new cases — both above daily averages, even amid recent weeks’ alarmingly resurgent outbreak — as well as a fourth consecutive day of more than 2,200 hospitalizations, on Wednesday, July 22. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/23/20
The more we stay home, the less the coronavirus spreads. Here’s the evidence -- For instance, when residents of a typical county cut their visits to nonessential businesses in half, a single infected person transmitted the virus to 46% fewer people than she would have in a county where business proceeded as usual, the study authors found. In some counties, that reduction could end the outbreak. Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/23/20
Disneyland tightens COVID-19 mask requirements at Downtown Disney -- Disneyland has updated two face covering policies at Downtown Disney to prohibit neck gaiters and bandanas and close the so-called “sip and stroll” loophole. Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 7/23/20
More restaurants and stores reopen at Downtown Disney -- A pair of restaurants will reopen and a new retail shop has debuted at Downtown Disney as the outdoor shopping mall next to Disneyland continues a gradual return to the new normal following an extended coronavirus closure. Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 7/23/20
Schooling
SF will open ‘learning hubs’ across city to help 6,000 school children with distance learning -- San Francisco officials are readying an unprecedented educational assistance program for the fall meant to help up to 6,000 children with their distance-learning needs, as parents and students confront the reality of starting the school year without classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/23/20
L.A. County could use parks, libraries as learning sites amid school closures -- Los Angeles County is considering using parks and libraries as alternative learning sites for students as most schools remain shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. Tomás Mier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/23/20
Poll: Most San Diegans agree with mandated school closures -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order to keep schools closed in counties with high coronavirus case numbers provoked disappointment from parents and schools, and even a lawsuit. But a new poll of San Diego County shows that most adults agree with the controversial order. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/23/20
Teachers' mantra: ‘I am not a child care provider’ -- Teachers are afraid and parents are desperate. Both want children to succeed. But the tension across the country over access to an education and the promise of a safe working environment has escalated as school start dates near, at times pitting them against each other in the pandemic. Mackenzie Mays Politico -- 7/23/20
Bay Area students choose gap year over remote or unpredictable college experience: ‘People are bailing’ -- Sadie Fleig eagerly anticipated her freshman year of college — moving away from home, embracing campus life, making new friends. But this spring, as she witnessed the wild uncertainty of life in the age of coronavirus, she realized her vision might not match reality. Ron Kroichick in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/23/20
Stressed Business
‘This is not a solution.’ Sacramento nail salon owners rebel against operating outdoors -- Although Gov. Gavin Newsom declared this week that nail salons could operate outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic, salon owners say the governor’s overture is unworkable. Dale Kasler and Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/23/20
One month in, outdoor dining is an important yet messy lifeline for S.F. restaurants -- Now, the city’s restaurants have been serving diners outside for about a month — and owners are generally grateful. But the results are mixed, with some restaurants not seeing new customers despite efforts. And San Francisco’s often chilly, windy weather doesn’t inspire alfresco dining. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/23/20
Staying Afloat
'It's a mess': Congress prepares to lurch over unemployment aid cliff -- Tens of million unemployed Americans are about to lose their economic lifeline during the worst recession in 80 years, with eviction protections set to expire at the same time. Sarah Ferris and Andrew Desiderio Politico -- 7/23/20
U.S., California job losses grow as unemployed face benefit cuts -- Another 1.4 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, just as the benefits they can receive are about to be slashed, deepening the humanitarian and economic crises stemming from the pandemic. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/23/20
Workers fear returning to work. Many are resisting the call -- Many, especially those backed by powerful labor unions, are resisting. They cite the failure of employers over the last four months to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, even in hospitals, nursing homes, fast-food outlets, grocery stores and warehouses where workers were deemed “essential” by the state. Margot Roosevelt, Hugo MartÍn, Taylor Avery in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/23/20
Jobless Sacramento workers rely on weekly $600 benefit. What happens if it disappears? -- Jeremy Lanni hates to think what the past few months would have been like without the extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits he received after the coronavirus pandemic struck and he lost his restaurant job in Sacramento. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/23/20
Policy & Politics
LAPD begins cost cutting, and units must ‘show your relevance,’ chief says -- During a recent meeting with officers from the elite but troubled Metropolitan Division, Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore offered support for their crime-fighting mission, but also a warning he’d previously shared with command staff. With significant reductions in the force looming, every unit is under a microscope — and must prove its worth. Kevin Rector, Richard Winton, Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/23/20
Put people of color on California boards or pay $100K, proposed law says -- As California corporations tout their efforts to address systemic racism and increase diversity within their companies, their boardrooms tell a different story. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/23/20
These California inmates risked death to fight wildfires. After prison, they’re left behind -- Herrera is among the more than 2,000 inmate firefighters assigned to the state’s wildfires each year who are usually barred from getting firefighting jobs after they’re released due to their record of convictions and state licensing rules. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/23/20
How Trump’s coronavirus immigration orders affect visas and green cards -- President Trump tweeted in April that he would “temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” leading to confusion and panic. For those affected by the rapidly shifting regulations, it can be hard to make sense of documents written in inscrutable legalese. Tweets can’t capture the full picture of the new rules, or may distort them entirely. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/23/20
Sacramento City Council to consider placing ‘strong mayor’ measure on Nov. 3 ballot -- The City Council will consider placing a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot to give the mayor more power and overhaul the city government structure – a move Mayor Darrell Steinberg supports. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/23/20
Fox: Will Masks Interfere with Courtroom Justice? -- The fact that wearing or not wearing a mask has become a political symbol of state authority versus freedom seems so far out of bounds with medical reality. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/23/20
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