Rough&Tumble California Policy and Politics

Updating . .

California lawmakers ask Newsom to act immediately on unemployment claims -- More than half the members of the California Legislature called on Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday to immediately begin paying unemployment benefits to many of the more than 1 million jobless workers whose claims have been stalled in the system as the state works to clear a months-long backlog. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

If 25 people gather in SF, odds are 34% that at least one has coronavirus: New tool shows risk -- Because you can’t see the coronavirus and many infected with it show no symptoms, it can be difficult to grasp how risky a certain situation is. But a new online tool is making that calculation a bit easier for people in the Bay Area and beyond. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/20

‘The kids are going stir-crazy’: L.A. battles mansion parties that could spread COVID-19 -- Television news started showing the images Monday night in prime time: hundreds of people at a mansion on Mullholland Drive, mingling, dancing and showing very little social distancing despite pleas from health officials to avoid social gatherings as COVID-19 continues to spread. Richard Winton, Luke Money, Jake Sheridan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

California voters worried about health impact of pandemic, but Republicans less so -- California voters at all levels are anxious about fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, especially the economic impacts, according to a new statewide poll by FM3 Research and Baughman Merrill. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/20

The children who need preschool the most are getting the least -- For decades, experts have understood 4 as an academic fault line, the year that cleaves wealthy and even middle-class children from their poor and working-class peers. Yet amid the pandemic, public preschools such as Darlene’s have struggled to reopen, despite being classed as essential. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

Street

California may crack down on bad cops in wake of George Floyd’s killing -- Just as the California Legislature was adjusting to the new reality of a session reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic, the killing of George Floyd on Memorial Day upended it again. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/20

Gig Work

California lawsuit: Uber, Lyft committed wage theft -- California sued Uber and Lyft on Wednesday for alleged wage theft in the latest legal salvo over whether drivers should be employees under AB5, the state’s new gig-work law. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/20

Policy & Politics

In Contra Costa, debate emerges over closing juvenile detention facility, rethinking incarceration of kids -- It’s the basketball courts that symbolize the difference in environments between the Orrin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility in unincorporated Byron — commonly called ‘the boys ranch’ — and the more traditional juvenile detention facility that sits near the Sheriff’s office in Martinez, Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia said during a 12-hour budget hearing that prompted a long discussion on the county’s juvenile justice system and whether to keep either institution open in the future. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/5/20

California Counties Empty Juvenile Halls to Combat COVID-19 -- Seeking to avoid outbreaks of coronavirus, within a matter of months, county officials across California have dramatically reduced the numbers of youth locked in juvenile detention facilities – a decrease that justice advocates long decrying the over-incarceration of the nation’s young people might once have dreamed of. Dan Morain The Imprint -- 8/5/20

Fox: California’s Choice: New and Enriched Public Programs or Freer Private Enterprise? -- Change is coming to California following the double whammy of a pandemic eruption and police reform protests. Responses to the extraordinary dual events will initially flow into California’s current cultural and political liberal tide—a move toward more government involvement in our lives and more spending. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/5/20

Guns

13-year-old Auburn boy killed while handling gun with friend and brother, police say -- A 13-year-old Auburn boy died of a gunshot injury following a Tuesday night incident that police are investigating as a possible accidental shooting. Authorities say the fatal incident involved a trio of minors handling a firearm that had not been properly locked up, which resulted in the arrest of one adult. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/5/20

Wildfire

California firefighters’ other enemy at the Apple fire: Coronavirus -- How do you fight a massive wildfire and keep almost 2,600 firefighters safe from COVID-19? Lots of social distancing and masks, of course, but also thousands of pre-packaged salads. Brian Rokos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/5/20

California Policy & Politics Wednesday Morning

California’s coronavirus test result data may be flawed, says top health official -- A steep decline in California’s coronavirus infection rate announced this week by Gov. Gavin Newson may not be accurate, according to the state’s top public health official who said Tuesday that the state’s data system used to process COVID-19 test results is marred with technical issues. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 8/5/20

School Waivers

No school opening waivers will be considered, L.A. County says, citing high COVID-19 rates -- The L.A. County Department of Public Health said Tuesday that it would not consider any applications for waivers enabling elementary schools to reopen, citing high local COVID-19 case rates. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/5/20

California School Waivers Will Require Detailed Planning -- As Gov. Gavin Newsom released details for California elementary schools seeking to return with in-person instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic, one of the state's two powerful teachers unions warned that reopening campuses would be “reckless." Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press -- 8/5/20

Your school wants a waiver to open in person? In the Bay Area, sit tight and wait -- In the Bay Area, one thing is clear: Most public schools in the region are avoiding the hassles and starting the school year online. But with the first day of school quickly approaching, some private schools are anxiously waiting for the go-ahead to apply for waivers. Daniel Wu, Erin Woo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/5/20

State gives more details for how San Diego County elementary schools can reopen -- New criteria for state waivers mean elementary schools in San Diego County can apply for a chance to reopen, despite the state’s mandate that schools in counties struggling with COVID-19 offer online education only. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/5/20

These O.C. parents have a message for Gov. Newsom, teachers’ unions: ‘Open up the schools.’ -- A pro-charter school group brought some 75 parents, teachers and a couple of Orange County Board of Education members together Tuesday evening to rally for the reopening of schools that were closed because of coronavirus concerns. Parents, they said, should be making the choice of whether their children learn on campus or online. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 8/5/20

Virus Aware

San Francisco warns residents not to drop guard even as coronavirus cases decline -- The public health director of San Francisco on Tuesday urged residents to remain vigilant about face coverings and physical distancing, even as the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and daily count of new cases have dropped. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

As summer progresses, social distancing in San Francisco parks proves challenging -- The chalk circßles that appeared in four San Francisco parks in late May weren’t an art installation or giant checkerboard game: The city’s parks and recreation team drew the circles 10 feet in diameter in the grass as boundaries, intended to encourage social distancing. Chace Beech in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

San Diego County approves plan to enforce COVID-19 health orders -- Under a plan approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, the county will spend $1.8 million over the next six months for 22 staff members to respond to businesses violating the public health orders. The move is part of an effort for the county, rather than law enforcement, to take the lead in enforcing its health order. Gary Warth, Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/5/20

San Diego City Council Expands Businesses Able To Operate Outdoors -- The San Diego City Council voted Tuesday to allow more businesses to operate outdoors in private parking lots, including gyms and hair salons, as well as houses of worship. KPBS -- 8/5/20

Flouting masking rules, health orders now an infraction in Santa Cruz County -- Violating masking rules and other pandemic-related restrictions is now an infraction in Santa Cruz County — punishable by fines starting at $100. Nicholas Ibarra in the Santa Cruz Sentinel -- 8/5/20

Virus and Prison

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Rejects Petition for Release -- In July, 42 incarcerated men filed individual petitions for release alleging that the agency violated the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. In a rare move last week, a Marin County Superior Court judge grouped these petitions into one case and ordered CDCR to issue a response. Shannon Lin, Lakshmi Sarah KQED -- 8/5/20

Virus Workplace

Some California teachers asked to return to empty classrooms during distance learning -- When Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered school districts to remain closed for in-person instruction in counties where coronavirus cases are spiking, some California teachers felt relieved. But now, several school districts are requiring teachers to conduct distance learning from their physical classrooms, sparking new fears as Covid-19 cases continue to climb across the state. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 8/5/20

Nurses statewide to protest shifting ratios at medical facilities -- The California Nurses Association plans to stage rallies at nearly 70 hospitals and medical centers Wednesday to protest waivers that allow facilities to staff some units below state-mandated nurse-patient ratios as nurses are shifted to more critical patients. Kevin Smith in the Orange County Register -- 8/5/20

San Diego city council passes extensions for businesses to operate outdoors during COVID crisis -- The San Diego City Council unanimously passed a pair of measures Tuesday extending the ability of local businesses to operate outdoors to help them survive the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/5/20

30 cases of coronavirus reported at Westlake Food 4 Less; workers demand better protections -- Thirty cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported at a Food 4 Less in Westlake, as the union that represents grocery store workers in Los Angeles demanded that the business institute better protocols to protect its staff. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

Policy & Politics

Senior CPUC official claims she’s being ousted after whistle-blowing -- One of the highest-ranking officials at the California agency that regulates private utilities says she is being forced out of her job after she sought to recover $200 million in fees owed to the agency. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/20

With Census Deadline Moved Up, Local Organizations Race Against An Undercount -- For Diaz, the stakes of an undercount, especially during a pandemic, couldn’t be higher. “We’re talking about trillions of dollars, if our communities are not counted, trillions of dollars over the next 10 years, which we won’t have for health care, emergency services, education, even school meals for future generations,” she said. Max Rivlin-Nadler KPBS -- 8/5/20

Walters: Should California borrow more or tax more? -- The state budget that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed earlier this summer had been hastily adjusted to cope with projections that state revenues would plummet by tens of billions of dollars due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden recession it sparked. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 8/5/20

L.A. County voters to decide whether to divert millions to social services and racial justice -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a measure Tuesday to let voters decide whether to boost spending on social services, in an initiative dubbed “Re-Imagine L.A. County” that has drawn strong opposition from labor unions and Sheriff Alex Villaneuva, who called it a veiled attempt to reduce funding for law enforcement. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

Mandate diversity? California bill would ban all-white corporate boards -- A bill in the Legislature aims to require people of color in the boardroom. Some say it’s unconstitutional, others say it is necessary to ensure diversity. Elizabeth Castillo CalMatters -- 8/5/20

Too many bills, too little time: Why COVID-19 has California Democrats feuding -- A common maxim in the California Legislature holds that lawmakers shouldn’t fall in love with their bills. This year, there are a lot of broken hearts in the Capitol. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/5/20

Census facing uncertainty, hostile president -- Every 10 years since the 18th century, the United States has counted noses. A lot is riding on this decennial tally. It affects the way federal funding is distributed and it can have a dramatic impact on the boundaries — and number — of political districts. Lana Schwartz Capitol Weekly -- 8/5/20

Elon Musk says Tesla headquarters could still move out of California -- Despite winning a standoff with local health officials over reopening his factory, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk is sticking with his threat to move company headquarters to another state. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

San Diego County funnels nearly $19 million into food programs as hunger skyrockets -- Before COVID-19, Community Through Hope was handing out meals to about 6,000 South Bay residents a month. Now, they’re serving about 30,000 a month — an increase of 400 percent. Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/5/20

California prosecutors to NFL: Take down your Stephon Clark public service announcement -- A week after the National Football League released a public service announcement about the killing of Stephon Clark as part of an anti-racism campaign, California prosecutors are asking the league to pull the video because they say it “misrepresents the facts” about Clark’s March 2018 shooting death at the hands of Sacramento police. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/5/20

A 'Wealth Test for Citizenship': California Advocates Slam Trump Plan to Hike Fees -- Immigration advocates in California decried the Trump administration’s decision to sharply increase the cost of U.S. citizenship, work permits and other immigration benefits at a time when non-citizens face particularly devastating job losses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Farida Jhabvala Romero KQED -- 8/5/20

Santa Clara County leaders shoot down proposed sales tax measure -- For the third time in two years, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez’s push to place a 5/8-cent sales tax measure on the ballot was shot down Tuesday. Joseph Geha in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/5/20

Sacramento City Council to place ‘strong mayor’ measure on November ballot -- Sacramento voters will decide in November whether the city should overhaul its system of government to make the mayor the most powerful position. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/5/20

Street

Deputies accused of being in secret societies cost L.A. County taxpayers $55 million, records show -- Los Angeles County has paid out roughly $55 million in settlements in cases in which sheriff’s deputies were alleged to belong to a secret society, records obtained by The Times show, illuminating the entrenched nature of a subculture that has plagued the Sheriff’s Department for years. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 8/5/20

Man charged with arson for setting fire at Pizzeria Mozza during George Floyd protests -- A 42-year-old Sylmar man was indicted on federal arson charges Tuesday in connection with setting fire to the building that houses Pizzeria Mozza in late May, as unrest gripped Los Angeles and some protests were marred by vandalism and thefts. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

Education

California legislators urge Newsom to sign bill requiring CSU students to take ethnic studies -- Within the next 12 days, Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide which ethnic studies courses California State University students must take to graduate. Ashley A. Smith EdSource -- 8/5/20

West Contra Costa Unified to rethink student safety after ending police contracts -- It’s a re-evaluation other California districts are making as well, following protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in May as well as students saying armed police officers make them feel less safe at school. Ali Tadayon EdSource -- 8/5/20

Covid Cancellation

First California theme park cancels 2020 season due to pandemic -- The first California amusement park has been forced to close for the year as summer drains away with no indication when state officials will issue COVID-19 protocols for safely reopening theme parks. Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 8/5/20

California water parks cancel summer season due to pandemic -- The summer that never started for two California water parks has officially come to end with swimmers never stepping foot in the wave pools, slipping down the tube slides or gliding along the lazy rivers due to the coronavirus pandemic. Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 8/5/20

Knott’s Scary Farm 2020 canceled due to coronavirus -- The cancellation of Knott’s Scary Farm 2020 drives another stake into the heart of Halloween as Knott’s Berry Farm joins Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood in scrapping lucrative seasonal events that bring hordes of haunt-happy fans to Southern California theme parks. Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 8/5/20

Stressed Local Budgets

Davis furloughs employees one day a month as COVID-19 pandemic squeezes city budget -- The city of Davis will furlough all its employees one day a month starting Aug. 14, as officials scramble to make up for huge revenue shortfalls caused by coronavirus pandemic. The furloughs, which will run from August to February, will save the city about $1 million. City Hall will be closed for services during furloughed days. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/5/20

Environment

Oil company Allenco and its leaders face criminal charges over deteriorating wells -- Allenco Energy, which has operated a South Los Angeles drill site that spurred an outcry over nosebleeds and headaches suffered by neighbors, is facing criminal charges for allegedly flouting a state order and failing to properly abandon wells. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

Billions for national parks as historic bill becomes law -- After spending his presidency denying climate change, placing coal and oil industry officials in top environmental jobs, and weakening dozens of public health and wildlife rules, President Donald Trump on Tuesday reversed course and signed a historic law to pump billions of dollars into long-neglected repairs and upgrades at America’s national parks. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/5/20

Fishing the L.A. River is more than a quarantine hobby. For some, it’s therapy -- “It’s my new therapy,” Bryant Recinos says before raising his fishing rod and whipping a hook tipped with a single corn kernel — plunk! — into the swirling blue-brown water of the Los Angeles River on an early Saturday evening. Lila Seidman, Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

Also . . .

Feds add more charges against Ed Buck, including drug distribution and enticing prostitution -- Ed Buck, who was indicted last year in connection with the overdose deaths of two Black men in his West Hollywood apartment, now faces four additional charges for allegedly distributing drugs over nearly a decade and enticing two people to engage in prostitution. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

Instead of returning to school this fall, Mexican students will watch TV -- The television has been called the “idiot box” and the “boob tube.” In Mexico, it will soon be the classroom. Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/20

POTUS 45

Trump Cherry-Picks Coronavirus Data in Briefing Appearance -- President Trump, in a news conference on Tuesday, cited a slew of statistics to argue that “our strong mitigation efforts are working very well.” Here’s a fact-check. Linda Qiu in the New York Times$ -- 8/5/20

Beltway

White House, Democrats agree to try for coronavirus relief deal on evictions, unemployment by week’s end -- The White House and Democratic leaders agreed to try to finalize a deal to address lapsed unemployment benefits and eviction restrictions by the end of this week and hold a vote in Congress next week, suddenly trying to rush stalled talks in the face of growing public and political unrest. Seung Min Kim, Erica Werner, Carol D. Leonnig and Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 8/5/20

Karen Bass eulogized Communist Party USA leader -- The finalist for the Democratic vice presidential pick described Oneil Marion Cannon as a "friend and mentor," without mentioning his communist past. Marc Caputo Politico -- 8/5/20

-- Tuesday Updates

L.A. Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey’s husband will face charges after waving gun at protesters -- The California attorney general’s office, which was investigating the matter due to the conflict of interest for local prosecutors, made the decision to bring charges earlier this week, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ Carla Marinucci Politico Brian Melley Associated Press -- 8/4/20

Caltrain saved? Officials reach a deal to place measure on ballot that could avert a shutdown -- Officials have reached a tentative deal in the do-or-die dispute over a three-county sales tax measure to keep Caltrain running. In a first step, the deal was approved by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/20

California health insurance rates increase slightly for 2021 -- Health insurance premiums for the 1.5 million Californians who purchase coverage through the state marketplace will go up an average of 0.6% next year, state officials announced Tuesday, the smallest increase yet attributed in part to a surge of new signups during the coronavirus pandemic. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 8/4/20

School

California health officials list conditions for an elementary school waiver -- The California Department of Public Health issued information Monday on what it would take for elementary schools to open for in-person instruction in counties where schools otherwise would be closed because of high rates of the coronavirus infection. John Fensterwald EdSource Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 8/4/20

Layoffs

American Airlines plans to lay off about 700 Bay Area workers -- The company will also permanently end operations at Oakland International Airport on that date. It operated limited service from Phoenix through early June, according to a WARN Act notice filed with state officials. American and its predecessor airlines had served Oakland for nearly 75 years. Anna Kramer in the San Francisco Chronicle$ George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/4/20

Landlords & Tenants

What to do about rent: California running out of time to avoid catastrophic wave of evictions -- The California Legislature has less than a month left in its pandemic-shortened session to deal with one of the state’s worst economic crises in decades, and there’s no greater emergency than what to do about the rent. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/20

Virus

This GOP consultant traveled to a July family gathering amid pandemic. ‘Big mistake’ -- The tweet Richard Costigan posted July 23 was bluntly honest: “We tried our best to limit exposure to #COVID19 but we slipped up somewhere.” Samantha Young in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/20

California undercounting COVID-19 cases due to ‘serious’ technical issue, counties say -- Health officials in multiple California counties say the electronic system used by most local health departments statewide to report data on infectious diseases is currently experiencing “serious” technical issues, resulting in coronavirus cases being significantly undercounted. Michael McGough Tony Bizjak, and Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/20

Newsom says teenager's death is 'sober reminder' COVID-19 can impact anybody -- California Gov. Newsom addressed the death of a teenager due to complications with the coronavirus Monday. Deaths in children infected with COVID-19 are extremely rare, and the teen was the first child to die from the virus in the state. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/20

Child care has been safe during the pandemic. That could be a good sign for schools -- Sabrina Lira Garcia is proud to work as a clinical assistant in the COVID-19 ward of a Los Angeles hospital, but sometimes she wishes she could just stay home with her infant son until the pandemic is over. Anna Almendrala in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/20

A Peninsula school district is offering pandemic day care for working families. Not everyone can afford it -- San Carlos parents are cheering that the school district is offering full-time pandemic daycare to working parents, but the cost — $1,750 a month —means it’s out of reach for some families. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/20

Your phone could be telling you if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19. Here’s why it’s not -- Local officials want to develop and test an application using code designed by Apple and Google, but the state hasn’t approved the project. Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/4/20

WFH is not working: I traded a car payment for an office lease — and I have no regrets -- My conscience tells me it’s money I should put toward student loans, retirement or savings for my growing family. Instead, I bought access to a private room where I can work. It has a door, a printer and a wastebasket. There’s a microwave where I can reheat my coffee. After months of working from home, this feels like an unreasonable luxury. Brittany Meiling in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/4/20

Policy & Politics

Trump’s base starting to erode, new poll shows -- President Trump’s support among Republicans and other conservative voters has begun to erode amid the continued coronavirus pandemic and its associated economic havoc, a new poll from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies shows. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/20

California congressman pressured Yosemite National Park for July 4 access, emails say -- Rep. TJ Cox tried to bypass Yosemite National Park’s lottery for vehicle permits over a holiday weekend, and when he wasn’t selected, he used his office to push the National Park Service to grant him tickets, according to internal National Park Service emails. Kate Irby in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/20

AIDS nonprofit sues to halt L.A. real estate projects tied to Huizar and Englander -- AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a global nonprofit that has been a pugnacious player in local politics, sued the city of Los Angeles on Tuesday to stop some real estate developments vetted under Councilman Jose Huizar from moving forward. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/20

L.A. Rep. Karen Bass surged up Biden’s VP list. Is she ready for the national stage? -- Los Angeles Rep. Karen Bass is an unlikely contender for vice president. The five-term congresswoman has never run for statewide office, much less a national one; she hasn’t faced a tough reelection race in her comfortably liberal district. Jennifer Haberkorn, Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/20

Also . . .

Sausalito confronts historic inequities as it considers affordable housing on waterfront -- For 32 years Sausalito has used strict zoning restrictions to protect its scrappy industrial waterfront, banning both housing and offices in the 225-acre Marinship district, which stretches for about a mile north of downtown. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/20

San Diego startups pull in a record $1.26B in second quarter despite COVID-19 -- Money pours into life science companies, while young technology and consumer products firms have a tougher time finding venture investors. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/4/20

Keep your hands clean, but avoid these dangerous hand sanitizers, FDA warns -- The culprit is methanol, a poor cousin of isopropyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol, the approved active ingredients in hand sanitizing products. Starting in late July, the FDA began detecting what it called a “sharp increase” in hand sanitizers that claimed to be made with ethyl alcohol but were contaminated by methanol. Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/20

California sued over climate change policy — by the nation’s biggest gas utility -- Southern California Gas Co. is taking its battle with state officials over climate change policy to court, arguing in a new lawsuit that the California Energy Commission has failed to promote natural gas as required by state law. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/20

Rare, giant bluefin tuna off Half Moon Bay have turned the fishing world upside down -- The arrival of rare giant Pacific bluefin tuna off of Half Moon Bay has turned the world of fishing upside down. Tuna ranging over 150 pounds in large schools have arrived as close as 3 miles from Pillar Point Harbor. Tom Stienstra in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/20

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