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Protesters chained to governor’s home as prison deaths mount -- Demonstrators chained themselves to a fence outside Gov. Gavin Newsom’s home on Monday, calling for mass inmate releases and an end to immigration transfers because of the coronavirus pandemic, as deaths mounted at a San Francisco Bay Area prison. Don Thompson Associated Press Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/27/20

Gov. Newsom says Californians need to ‘wake up’ to spread of coronavirus -- Nearing the end of one of the most disheartening months for California’s coronavirus response, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday once again implored Californians to take the pandemic seriously. Wes Goldberg, Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/27/20

A passing of an era: Former Sacramento Councilman, cop Robbie Waters dies from coronavirus -- Robbie Waters, who served on the Sacramento City Council for 16 years after a long career in law enforcement, including one term as county sheriff, died in the pre-dawn hours Monday after recently testing positive for COVID-19. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/27/20

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia’s mother, Gabriella O’Donnell, dies at age 61 from coronavirus -- Two weeks ago, Garcia announced that both his mother and his stepfather had contracted the virus and were on ventilators at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Garcia’s stepfather, Greg O’Donnell, is still on a ventilator, Garcia said in a Monday statement. Hayley Munguia in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/27/20

L.A. County nears state’s safety threshold for positive coronavirus infections. Will it last? -- California continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations in hotspot counties, while some areas have seen signs of stability over the last week. But as July nears its end, it’s unclear in which direction the state as a whole will veer. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/27/20

California vs. New York: One state's pandemic has been deadlier, but the numbers are more complex than case counts -- Their journeys began at about the same time, but California and New York immediately diverged down two very different paths during the coronavirus pandemic. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20

The coronavirus surge is back. California hospitals face familiar worries about PPEs and beds -- Look at nearly any point on the map in California and you can see an area that has a hospital with a battle on its hands. Cathie Anderson and Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/27/20

California desperate for signs of turnaround after stunning coronavirus setbacks -- Coronavirus cases surging. Hospitals filling up. Reopening of schools postponed. Battles over wearing masks in public intensifying. July has brought a month of grim COVID-19 headlines for California, with a state once seen as a model of prevention enduring a new surge in cases as the economy rapidly reopened. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Maura Dolan, Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/27/20

How SF’s Laguna Honda averted coronavirus disaster -- In the early days of the pandemic, the prospect of a deadly coronavirus surge at Laguna Honda nursing home in San Francisco seemed terrifying — and inevitable. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20 -- 7/27/20

CalPERS got 10,000 calls about retirement as California leaders talked about pay cuts -- A surge of California public workers called CalPERS to check their retirement options as Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature talked about pay cuts last month, according to call data. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/27/20

School  

Here’s homeschool parents’ advice for surviving another round of online learning -- With the coronavirus keeping millions of California school children stuck at home when the new school year starts, it’s good to know there are some parents out there who not only survive the experience on a year-round basis, but purposely choose it. Daniel Wu in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/27/20

What are ‘pandemic pods,’ and how will they help California parents teach their kids this fall? -- When Sacramento-area schools were ordered to start the next school year online, Lauren Davis of Folsom knew she had to take action. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/27/20

These California moms were never going to send their kids to school in a pandemic. Here’s why -- Sacramento mom Erin Gottis knew she wasn’t going to send her 9-year-old son Mason back into the classroom this fall well before his school district announced plans to start the academic year with distance learning. Mason has severe asthma and Type 1 diabetes. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/27/20

Should I quit my job? California parents grapple with education in a pandemic -- As the majority of schools across the state prepare to start the school year teaching remotely, parents have started investigating their options for how they can maintain their child’s education while still holding down a job. Ricardo Cano and Lauren Hepler CalMatters -- 7/27/20

Also . . .   

Sheriff’s sexist slur and accusations of ‘blood money’ ramp up feud with L.A. County supervisors -- During a recent broadcast on Facebook, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva spent several minutes criticizing Supervisor Hilda Solis for her comments earlier that week on systemic brutality and racism by police toward people of color. Alene Tchekmedyian, Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/27/20

Developers allegedly bribed an L.A. councilman. What happens to their building plans? -- Federal officials have charged Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar in an ongoing pay-to-play probe, accusing him of running a criminal enterprise fueled by bribes from real estate developers seeking to build in his downtown district. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/27/20

Hollywood ‘kowtowing’ to China takes heat from Washington. But why now? -- After a half year of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 crisis, China’s beleaguered movie theaters reopened last week with films that ranged from local patriotic blockbuster “Wolf Warrior 2" to Pixar’s “Coco.” For Hollywood, the return of the film industry’s most important foreign market was cause for cautious optimism. Ryan Faughnder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/27/20

LA volunteers place free-food fridges around town for needy -- Money has been tight for Susana Martinez since the coronavirus pandemic hit and her employer slashed her hours. When the Los Angeles woman heard there was an unlocked refrigerator stocked with food outside a South Los Angeles grocery store, she rushed to have a look. John Rogers and Aron Ranen Associated Press -- 7/27/20

Fox: Taking Care of Workers; What About Businesses? -- Governor Gavin Newsom announced additional worker protection proposals on Friday to confront the spread of the coronavirus. While these additional protections along with pending legislation the returning legislature will consider are aimed at offering benefits for workers, not enough has been offered for employers who struggle to keep their businesses open. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/27/20

 

California Policy & Politics Monday Morning  

Even with incomplete data, L.A. County records 1,703 new coronavirus cases and 10 related deaths -- Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday reported 1,703 new COVID-19 cases and 10 related deaths. However, they cautioned that the information is incomplete, and the true numbers could be higher. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/27/20

Amid coronavirus warnings, Oakland’s Lake Merritt sees increased police presence -- Days after officials had scolded residents for excessive gatherings amid the coronavirus surge, Lake Merritt in Oakland was mostly quiet on Sunday afternoon, with police patrols dramatically increased. Rusty Simmons in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20

Richer, whiter Bay Area cities got coronavirus testing quickly. Low-income areas didn’t -- As the coronavirus dug into the Bay Area’s low-income Latino and Black neighborhoods this spring, doctors and community leaders pleaded for more testing sites. Cynthia Dizikes and Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20

Walters: Becerra slants two ballot measure titles -- California’s attorneys general are empowered to write official titles for statewide ballot measures but the current AG, Xavier Becerra, continues the practice of providing slanted and partisan summaries. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 7/27/20

Street  

As Oakland picks up from Saturday night rampage, mayor condemns vandalism by ‘agitators’ -- Cleanup crews in Oakland swept up shattered glass, boarded up broken windows and removed graffiti at police headquarters and several other locations Sunday after a peaceful protest against racism and police misconduct ended in chaos and arrests Saturday night. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20

Seven hurt, four arrested in scuffle between police and protesters in downtown L.A. -- Seven people, four of them police officers, were treated for minor injuries after scuffles between police and protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night, according to authorities. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/27/20

Oakland protesters set fire to courthouse, smash windows -- A protest in Oakland, California, in support of racial j ustice and police reform turned violent when a small group of demonstrators wearing helmets and goggles and carrying large signs that doubled as shields set fire to a courthouse, vandalized a police station and shot fireworks at officers, authorities said. Associated Press -- 7/27/20

Hundreds march in LA area Sunday after protests end with injuries, arrests Saturday -- Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in Westwood on Sunday, July 26, to protest police violence and to stand in solidarity with protesters in Portland, Ore. who have recently clashed with federal police officers. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/27/20

Sacramento Demonstrators March In Solidarity With Portland Protesters; Some Damage Downtown -- Demonstrators marched through Sacramento’s central city on Saturday night in solidarity with protesters in Portland, advocating a message of defunding and dismantling the police. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 7/27/20

Black Lives Matter rally met by All Lives Matter counter protesters in Loomis -- A Black Lives Matter protest in Loomis was met with counter protesters Saturday. The event, which started at 4 p.m. and lasted close to three hours, was organized by a Loomis woman. Molly Burke in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/27/20

Oakland council proposes increasing Police Commission powers, but voters to have final say -- Oakland’s voters will decide in November whether to give more power to the Police Commission and whether to create an independent inspector general. Brett Simpson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20

Policy & Politics 

Little time, big agenda when California lawmakers return -- California lawmakers are returning to work Monday for a furious five-week sprint that will include contentious debates about police brutality, unemployment benefits, hospital mergers and a moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 7/27/20

SF’s Muni Metro to roll out big changes in August, but reopening carries risks -- In San Francisco, a city where it’s difficult to move a bus stop without causing an uprising, the head of transportation has taken on a much greater challenge: He wants to reinvent the subway. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20

Caltrain measure backers in San Mateo warn against SF plan -- San Mateo County officials stand firm in their opposition to a revised proposal by San Francisco and Santa Clara County outlining conditions to approve a possible November sales tax measure for Caltrain, the Peninsula rail line teetering on the edge of financial devastation. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20

Democrats winning money wars in several California congressional races -- Central Valley Democratic Rep. Josh Harder has opened up a huge financial lead in his re-election race against Republican Ted Howze, whose financial support virtually disappeared after reports of bigoted anti-Black and anti-Muslim posts on his social media accounts. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/27/20

Education 

Schools want to hire more counselors amid budget woes -- With students facing ever-growing levels of depression and anxiety as the pandemic wears on, nearly everyone agrees that school districts need to expand their mental health services. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 7/27/20

POTUS 45  

Trump now says he won’t throw first pitch at Aug. 15 Yankees game -- The president says his “strong focus on the China Virus” will prevent him from doing what he said he was going to do three days earlier. Politico -- 7/27/20

Beltway   

What Polling Can Tell Us 100 Days From the Election -- The 2020 presidential election marks an important milestone Sunday as the race enters its final 100 days. Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, Joe Biden and President Trump have been mostly derailed from conducting the kind of campaigns voters have come to expect. Randy Yeip in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/27/20

 

-- Sunday Updates   

‘Open today, closed tomorrow’ is the new normal for hair, nail salons due to coronavirus -- In his “last lifetime,” Travis Vu closed his hair salon after the coronavirus forced state leaders to impose a lockdown in a reeling California in late March. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/20

They defied health rules for a storybook San Francisco wedding. The virus didn’t spare them -- The doors were locked. Rows of pews were taped off. The guests were arriving, as instructed, from an underground parking garage through a back door that led to the church interior. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/20

Outdoor religious gatherings draw warnings and rebukes from health officials -- Along Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, electronic road signs were programmed to read: CANCELED SATURATE OC. Alex Wigglesworth, Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/20

When contact tracing fails: Testing delays thwart California COVID-19 trackers -- A surge in COVID-19 cases and a shortage of contact tracers has for weeks hampered Sacramento County’s efforts to contact and warn people exposed to coronavirus. Now, an additional hurdle is inhibiting the county’s contact tracing: testing slowdowns. Sophia Bollag, Tony Bizjak, and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/26/20

Coronavirus cases trickle into California’s addiction treatment centers; some workers worry -- As the quest for sobriety continues during the pandemic, state-licensed and certified addiction treatment facilities have reported 89 COVID-19 cases at 55 different sites, according to data from the Department of Health Care Services. Teri Sforza in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/26/20

SF may erase presidents’ names from schools -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt — each name in this pantheon of presidents faces possible purging from a San Francisco school, according to a recently released working paper drawn up by the school district’s Names Advisory Committee. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/20

California public health officials battle a water park that won't close -- For nearly two months, a back-and-forth battle has been waged between Shasta County health officials and the WaterWorks Park in Redding. Katie Dowd in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/20

They made a home under L.A.’s freeways. But soon they could be forced to move -- The 105 Freeway roared overhead as homeless outreach worker Daniel Ornelas knelt to speak with Genia Hope. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/20

Bay Area college students trapped in pre-coronavirus leases -- Before the pandemic, San Jose State University student Betty Lee signed a lease at 27 North, a modern downtown apartment tower close to campus, for her senior year. As the school shut down and transitioned to online classes, Lee lost her part-time jobs and moved home to Brentwood. With money tight, she asked to renegotiate her lease. Louis Hansen, Erin Woo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/26/20

By easing its bar exam score, will California produce more Black and Latino lawyers? -- For more than three decades, California has clung to one of the nation’s toughest testing standards for law school students hoping to practice law in the most populous state in the country. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/20

The Pandemic Is Putting A Squeeze On The Sacramento Housing Market -- As the pandemic has forced people to spend more time in their homes, it's also made it much more difficult to find a new house if you wanted to move. Both nationwide and in the Sacramento area, housing inventories are down significantly. Kacey Sycamore Capital Public Radio -- 7/26/20

Coronavirus pandemic puts a spotlight on Stockton’s guaranteed income experiment -- If there was ever a good time to convince people guaranteed income can make a difference, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs figured it’d be in the middle of a pandemic that is taking a heavier toll in poor neighborhoods and among Black and Latinx communities. Laurence Du Sault CalMatters -- 7/26/20

Top White House officials say Congress might need to rush narrow relief bill to avoid unemployment aid lapse -- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that Congress might have to pass a narrow piece of legislation this week to ensure enhanced unemployment benefits don’t expire for millions of Americans. Erica Werner and Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 7/26/20

 

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