Updating . .   

Firefighter dies battling wildfire sparked by gender-reveal party pyrotechnics -- A firefighter has died while battling the El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County, which has burned more than 20,000 acres. Few details were immediately available. Hayley Smith, James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ Alma Fausto, Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register -- 9/18/20

Newsom held back from attacking Trump directly on climate change. Here’s why -- During a visit last week to the charred remains of the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area in Butte County, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that he was tired of the “ideological BS” and urged people to reject politicians in denial about the “climate damn emergency” facing the country. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Fast-moving Snow fire, sparked by burning car, prompts evacuations near Palm Springs -- A fast-moving, uncontained fire prompted evacuations near Palm Springs after more than doubling in size overnight, authorities said. The blaze, dubbed the Snow fire, was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Snow Creek community west of Palm Springs, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

‘A tsunami of fire’: North Complex fire victims couldn’t outrun or hide from the flames -- As a rapidly growing wildfire barreled toward Lake Oroville, residents of the small mountain communities lying in its path had to decide what to do. Two told their families they planned to seek shelter at a nearby pond. Another said he would leave only when he could see the fire from his home. Luke Money, Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

‘Unstoppable.’ How the Bear Fire erupted into a deadly disaster for tiny Berry Creek -- The Bear Fire looked like it would behave itself. It had been burning for three weeks in the Plumas National Forest, the result of a mid-August lightning strike, but hadn’t done any lethal damage. Dale Kasler and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/20

The Siege at Station 62 -- Firefighters found the man facedown, clothes tattered, unable to speak, burns covering most of his body. The only place to try to save him was a tiny firehouse, itself in the path of the latest flames to ravage Butte County. Lizzie Johnson and Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Worried you won’t get mail-in ballot due to wildfires? Here’s what to do in California -- With the general election 45 days away as of Friday, Californians who have been evacuated or whose homes have been impacted by the fires will need to take a few extra steps to make sure they’re able to send in their vote-by-mail ballots. Brooke Wolford in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/20

Virus 

Coronavirus testing kiosk at Union Station foretells future of pandemic recovery -- Andrew Raposa stood in line outside Union Station in Los Angeles on a recent Wednesday with a handful of friends waiting to be tested for the coronavirus at a unique walk-up kiosk. David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/18/20

California recalls N95 masks obtained through $90M contract with Santa Clara-based company -- California is recalling N95 masks obtained through a $90 million contract with Advoque, a company based in Santa Clara, after federal regulators revoked certification for the masks last week. Sophia Bollag and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/20

Capt. Brett Crozier explains why he sent email warning of Roosevelt coronavirus outbreak -- Faced with a “bureaucratic logjam” of Naval decisionmakers and a spiraling coronavirus outbreak aboard his aircraft carrier, Capt. Brett Crozier told investigators he sent his now-famous email warning of possible sailor death and illness knowing he would be jeopardizing his military career, but confident it would help avoid a “larger catastrophe.” Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Indoor dining might resume by month’s end in SF. Will it be enough to save struggling restaurants? -- San Francisco restaurants may once again welcome diners inside as soon as the end of the month, Mayor London Breed announced Friday morning, news that should please both struggling restaurateurs and people hungering for the indoor dining experience. Michael Cabanatuan, Nora Mishanec and Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

L.A. County restrictions on indoor shopping centers are unjust, mall lawsuit alleges -- The operator of a sports apparel store in Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance has filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County in an effort to ease countywide restrictions on operating businesses in indoor malls during the COVID-19 pandemic. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

Coronavirus updates: California COVID-19 activity still on decline; poll shows concern -- There’s continued good news in California’s battle with the coronavirus, with the statistics reflecting more than a month of steady progress in tamping down virus activity. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/20

Could coronavirus cause a better flu season? Maybe -- As people in many parts of the country protect themselves from COVID-19 by wearing face masks, constantly washing and sanitizing their hands, and avoiding school, concerts and other types of indoor gatherings, they’re also inadvertently protecting themselves from influenza. Marisa Kendall, Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/18/20

Elections  

Fox: The Ballot Box Kiosk Merely Adds to Vote Safety Concerns -- Los Angeles County is already responding to the controversary of mail-in ballots and possible slow or reduced post office service for the election by planting 123 vote collection kiosks in the county. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/18/20

Jobs  

California unemployment is falling. But economy still in deep hole from COVID-19 shutdown -- Unemployment fell again in California last month, state officials announced Friday, but the economy has still recovered only one-third of the jobs that were lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/20

Coronavirus economy: Bay Area powers to big job gains in August -- The Bay Area job market rocketed to big gains in August that were larger than the increases for July, offering a hint that the easing of coronavirus-linked business shutdowns by government officials might have bolstered hiring, a labor report issued Friday shows. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/18/20

Landlords & Tenants  

Eviction bans taking a bite out of landlords’ bottom line -- Real estate agent Adam Bray-Ali hopes to retire someday off the income from his small portfolio of triplexes and four-plexes. But lately, his side job as a landlord isn’t going so well. Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 9/18/20

School   

San Diego County schools will lose their chance to reopen if county falls to lowest tier -- California public health officials said Thursday that if a county falls to the lowest tier of its state reopening system, schools in the county that have not reopened will lose their chance to reopen. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/18/20

A dramatically diminished L.A. school police force under proposed cuts -- Two months after a divided Los Angeles Unified school board slashed funding for its police department by more than a third, the contours of a dramatically diminished force emerged this week. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

 

California Policy & Politics Friday Morning  

Newsom signs bill requiring businesses to disclose coronavirus infections -- Supporters of the bill, AB685, say it is a crucial step in protecting many essential workers still on the job. Opponents say it is not clear when employers have to sound the alarm to workers and what exactly needs to be disclosed. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/20

California workers to get stronger family leave protections under new state law -- Like many expectant parents, Kevin and Stephanie Zapata have been calculating how much time they can afford to take off work for the birth of their second child in late December. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Katy Murphy Politico -- 9/18/20

Supervisors join calls for Sheriff Villanueva to step down -- Two Los Angeles County supervisors joined with several members of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission in calling on Sheriff Alex Villanueva to resign, citing his tense relationship with the Board of Supervisors and his resistance to oversight of the department. Leila Miller, Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

SF corruption scandal widens: Two business leaders charged with bribing City Hall official -- Federal prosecutors on Thursday added two more names to their list of alleged co-conspirators in a far-reaching corruption scandal centered on San Francisco’s City Hall, charging the leaders of an Oakland construction management firm with bribery of a local official. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

UC national labs suspend diversity training after Trump administration order -- The Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, managed by the University of California but federally funded, has suspended its employees’ diversity training program by order of the Trump administration, which recently called such programs “divisive, anti-American propaganda,” The Chronicle has learned. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Elections  

GOP’s hold on one of its few California House seats may be slipping -- A seemingly safe San Diego County congressional seat is suddenly in play in what is yet more bad news for California Republicans. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

California prison guard union places bull’s-eye on Black lawmaker’s photo in political ad -- The union representing California prison guards posted pictures and video online of a new political ad announcing its intent to “target” South Los Angeles Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, obscuring the Black lawmaker’s face with a bull’s-eye — and drawing criticism that the image amounted to a threat. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

Proposition 16: Why some Asian Americans are on the front lines of the campaign against affirmative action -- Six years ago, when California lawmakers mounted a campaign to repeal the state’s ban on affirmative action in college admissions, Chinese American opponents of the proposal flooded lawmakers with calls, emails and petitions. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/18/20

California’s cash bail system favors the rich. Would replacing it help people of color? -- Californians in November will head to the ballot box to vote on Prop 25, a measure that, if passed, would make the state the first to eliminate cash bail permanently. The new system would give judges greater discretion on setting the terms for pretrial release based on a risk assessment model. Nadia Lopez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/20

Unemployment Scams  

Unemployment fraud: Scammers use “complex” schemes in California, EDD says -- State labor investigators have begun to pierce a “complex” web of unemployment fraud and have helped catch and arrest 34 suspects for alleged scams linked to jobless claims, the government agency reported Thursday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/18/20

California’s unemployment agency was warned about identity theft risks in 2019 -- California’s auditor warned the state’s unemployment agency 18 months ago that its use of Social Security numbers on some mailed documents “continues to put some Californians at risk of identity theft.” David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/18/20

Reopen  

More L.A. County reopenings could come in October if COVID-19 dip continues -- If Los Angeles County can continue its downward trend of coronavirus cases, Los Angeles County could see additional reopenings in the next month, the county’s public health chief said Wednesday. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

Coronavirus: As deaths tick up in California, other metrics continue to improve -- Counties around the state reported another 3,472 cases of the virus, according to data compiled by this news organization — close to the daily average for the past week, which has fallen about 30% in the past two weeks and more than 60% from its peak. Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/18/20

Virus 

A city transformed: SF marks 6 months of surreal living -- Six months down, and who knows how many more to go. Take a stroll around San Francisco. It’s a half-anniversary that no one is celebrating, or even half-celebrating. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Virus Workplace  

Cal/OSHA will create emergency COVID workplace safety rules -- After months of discussion, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health will move forward with emergency statewide standards to address what worker advocates have been calling “an occupational health emergency.” Jie Jenny Zou in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

Strawberry-producing Santa Barbara County announces new COVID-19 protections for temporary ag workers -- Starting this week, Santa Barbara County has adopted new rules aimed at preventing explosive COVID-19 outbreaks among farmworkers brought on a special visa from other countries to harvest produce in the U.S. Jackie Botts CalMatters -- 9/18/20

Workers demand McDonald’s to provide better working conditions -- Activists joined workers at a McDonald’s in Boyle Heights last week demanding management to return jobs back to four employees after they went on a strike over lack of safety and security at a store during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jacqueline Garcia CalMatters -- 9/18/20

Virus Real Estate  

‘Just mind-blowing’: Despite fires and virus, Bay Area home prices hit record -- Neither the coronavirus nor the wildfires put much of a damper on Bay Area real estate in August, as the median price of an existing single-family home hit a record high of $1,068,000, according to a California Association of Realtors report issued Thursday. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Back to School   

SF private schools inch closer to reopening, but public schools may not return until January -- The students’ desk chairs were precisely 6 feet apart, the windows were open and the new air filtration systems hummed as San Francisco public health officials jotted down observations while inspecting every corner of a private school campus on Thursday. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Orange Unified announces starting dates for in-person instruction -- The Orange Unified School District will begin in-person instruction for its students starting Sept. 28. The return to in-person instruction will happen in phases, with pre-K and some first-graders starting Sept. 28. Students will trickle back by grade level until the final group of high schoolers start Oct. 20. Steve Fryer in the Orange County Register -- 9/18/20

Back to Campus   

UC should prepare for online classes, limited dorms beyond fall, UC Health chief says -- The University of California’s top health executive has told UC officials to prepare to continue online learning and limited access to campus beyond the fall as the COVID-19 pandemic will probably cause at least another year of disruption to university operations. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

Education 

UC bans race-based quotas for admissions and hiring, setting limits for possible return of affirmative action -- University of California regents banned the use of quotas based on race and gender in admissions, hiring and contracting Thursday — underscoring their intent to limit how they would restore affirmative action if state voters approve its use again. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

For California’s new head of special education, ‘nothing is insurmountable’ -- Special education in California may face vast challenges — funding shortfalls, teacher shortages and distance learning, to name a few — but Heather Calomese is undeterred. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 9/18/20

Street   

Half of BART police use-of-force incidents were against Black men last year, report shows -- BART police officers used force more frequently last year than the previous year and nearly half of all incidents were against Black men, who are a small share of the trains’ riders, a new report revealed. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Sheriff adds details to Dijon Kizzee shooting but some questions remain -- Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said Dijon Kizzee was riding his bike on the wrong side of the street when he was stopped by two South L.A. deputies in an incident that ended with the pair firing 19 shots at him. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

Muslim woman files federal lawsuit over LAPD officers removing her hijab -- A Muslim woman has alleged in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that her civil and religious rights were violated when Los Angeles police officers pulled her from a Police Commission meeting and forcibly removed her religious head covering last year. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/18/20

Wildfire    

California firefighters keep losing their own houses while battling to save others -- Firefighter Geoffrey Keller had just finished a 24-hour shift on Aug. 18 cutting down brush around the blazes in the Santa Cruz Mountains when he received a frantic call from his wife, Allegra. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Berry Creek fire-prevention project from 2018 stymied by red tape -- In October 2018, just under two years before the deadly Bear Fire leveled Berry Creek, the community was selected to receive an $836,000 state grant for pruning vegetation and clearing fuel from potential fire spots. Matthias Gafni and Michael Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Six ways California can reduce dangerous wildfires -- Experts on wildfires say the safety of California’s nearly 40 million residents will require a multipronged approach, including thinning overgrown forests, better community planning and adapting to a warming climate. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Breathe  

Smoky, hazardous air from fires shuts Yosemite National Park -- Yosemite National Park closed temporarily at 5 p.m. Thursday and will likely remain closed through the weekend because of smoky skies and hazardous air quality, according to a park statement. Mary Forgione in the in the Los Angeles Times$ Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/18/20

Transit  

‘A good start’: SF officials say they’ll work to reduce frivolous appeals of needed transit projects -- Sometimes it takes an emergency to get anything done in San Francisco. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has developed the popular Slow Streets program, created emergency bus-only lanes and found street space for coronavirus test sites and pop-up food pantries. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

Homeless  

Taylor: The extreme difficulty of moving off the streets and into a home -- Jenn Oakley is ready to move to a home with basic necessities like power and running water. But Oakley, who lives in one of the Tuff Sheds set up by Oakland to help shelter homeless people, is running into roadblocks. Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/18/20

POTUS 45  

For Trump, It’s Not the United States, It’s Red and Blue States -- A statement by the president this week was an insight into how he views the country as composed of parts that either are for him or against him. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 9/18/20

Cash-strapped Trump campaign awaits a bailout from big donors -- Republican Party megadonors are racing to bail out President Donald Trump’s cash-strapped reelection campaign, with a newly formed super PAC pouring a further$25 million into battleground states. Alex Isenstadt Politico -- 9/18/20

Beltway   

'Talk about losers': The top moments from CNN’s kid-gloves town hall with Biden -- For the second time this week, a presidential candidate fielded questions from voters in a town hall setting. But if ABC’s event with President Donald Trump was an icy grilling, CNN’s drive-in conversation with Joe Biden Thursday was more like an affable reunion of old acquaintances. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 9/18/20

 

-- Thursday Updates   

Evacuation warnings for Antelope Valley as Bobcat fire expands -- New evacuation warnings are in effect for parts of the southern Antelope Valley as the nearby Bobcat fire swelled to 50,539 acres, the U.S. Forest Service said Thursday. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Nathaniel Percy in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/17/20

Two more victims of North Complex fire ID’d as deadly fires continue to burn. At least 15 have been killed to date -- The Butte County Sheriff’s Office said that Mark Delagardie, 61, and Kin Lee, 64, both of Berry Creek, died in the fire when it raced through the small town. Fifteen people have died in the fire to date. The 12 identified so far lived in either Berry Creek or Feather Falls. They ranged in age from 16 to 79. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

‘Erratic’ fire behavior possible on North Complex as Northern California winds pick up -- After days of calmer weather conditions in the north Sierra Nevada foothills, where the deadly North Complex wildfire continues to burn, crews are bracing for more gusty winds Thursday and Friday that will have the potential to again flare up fire activity. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/17/20

Wildfires have burned over 5 million acres in the West. Are they too big for Washington to ignore? -- With massive wildfires across the West burning more than 5 million acres and displacing tens of thousands of people, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon says this is the moment for Congress to reform the nation’s fire management policies, or brace for more Septembers like this one. Anna M. Phillips, Jennifer Haberkorn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/20

Where wildfires meet COVID-19, disaster relief is forced to evolve -- James Wood checks his clipboard and bangs on the door at a Motel 6. The air is thick with smoke. “Red Cross,” he calls, loudly, through his heavy, protective mask. “Dinner!” Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/20

‘The fires are coming for you’: These Californians found Oregon no longer an escape -- Brinkley Capriola was looking forward to Oregon’s fresh air. The 26-year-old photographer was in Sonoma keeping a wary eye on encroaching wildfire threats and smoky skies when she decided to make the move to Portland, where many of her friends and former University of Oregon classmates still lived. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

Virus 

California is turning the corner on the coronavirus. Will it last? -- After months of bleak figures and forecasts, California now appears to be riding a wave of success beating back the coronavirus as officials express cautious optimism about what is next for the state. Soumya Karlamangla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/20

COVID-19 cases leap in outbreak at ICE detention center in Adelanto -- The Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Adelanto is in the grips of a COVID-19 outbreak, according to federal officials. The confirmed case count more than doubled within a few days. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/20

Orange County mayors call on governor to let Disneyland and Knott’s reopen -- Six months after theme parks closed across California because of the pandemic, Orange County politicians, trade-worker union leaders and tourism promoters expressed frustration that the state has yet to give Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm a path to reopen. Hugo Martín in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/20

It’s been six months since the Bay Area sheltered in place: What have we learned? -- On a dreary, otherwise unremarkable gray Tuesday in March, the Bay Area hunkered into isolation, the first place in the nation shut down by the nascent coronavirus pandemic. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

Where are they now? Pandemic profiles -- To commemorate six months of sheltering in place, The Chronicle revisits the Bay Area’s most memorable coronavirus stories. Aidin Vaziri, Heather Knight, Sam Whiting, Annie Vainshtein, and Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

Charts show Bay Area’s coronavirus spikes vs. biggest hot spots of pandemic -- Virus hot spots have shifted throughout the pandemic from major cities on the coasts — to the South and Southwest and now to the Midwest. The coronavirus has wreaked havoc in skilled nursing homes and other congregate facilities, in prisons, and particularly among low-income essential workers and communities of color. Kellie Hwang and Mike Massa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

Virus Risk Perception 

Californians divided along racial, income lines on coronavirus fears and public restrictions -- Worries about the coronavirus and support for continuing and even increasing state and local restrictions are highest among the state’s poor and communities of color, while concerns are far lower among white residents and the better-off, according to a new poll. “It’s a tale of two different Californias,” said Mark Baldassare, CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California and the poll’s director. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

Virus Economy  

San Diego hotel sales come to near standstill since COVID-19 -- The dollar volume of San Diego County hotel sales plummeted by 70 percent during the first half of this year, yet another indicator of an industry facing huge financial challenges amid a pandemic that has already forced some properties to default on their loans. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/17/20

Virus Workplace 

Californians who contract COVID-19 at work get additional help under new law -- California will relax the burden of proof to receive workers’ compensation benefits for some employees who contract COVID-19 on the job under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Thursday. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/20

Jobs   

‘Jobless recovery’: Hiring resumes as layoffs stay high -- Another 860,000 Americans filed for unemployment insurance last week as the nation’s economic recovery continued to strain against the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

Reopen  

If no post-Labor Day coronavirus surge, LA County could enter less risky recovery phase by October -- Los Angeles County could move to the next, less risky tier of pandemic recovery by early October, if positive current trendlines hold, the county’s public health chief said on Wednesday, Sept. 16 — but only if Labor Day’s gatherings fail to fuel a COVID resurgence. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/17/20

Street   

One of two deputies shot in Compton attack released from hospital -- “He has a long road ahead for recovery. But he’s not alone,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said on Twitter. “We, as a community, are in this together.” Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/20

Judge rejects bid to oust Santa Clara County DA from concealed-gun permit corruption case -- A judge Thursday rejected a bid to disqualify Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s office from prosecuting a pay-to-play corruption case involving concealed-gun permits issued by the sheriff’s office, after defense attorneys claimed Rosen’s past friendship with one of the defendants posed an insurmountable conflict of interest. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/17/20

As protests over systemic racism persist, schools find themselves in the middle -- “They teach it as if, ‘OK, slavery happened, then they abolished it. Then, you know, the last racists on earth killed Abraham Lincoln and died in prison,’” said Archie. “They do away with it as if it’s no longer an issue.” Elyse Pham in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/17/20

Elections  

What is Proposition 16? Affirmative action back on the ballot, in a more diverse and Democratic California -- The fall campaign to repeal California’s ban on affirmative action is a testament to the tectonic shift in the state’s politics since the 1990s — and a test of how far left its voters have swung from their politically purple past. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/17/20

In attack ad, California prison guards put bullseye on legislator -- Maybe you saw the video on Facebook before it was deleted: Glen Stailey, president of the state prison guards’ union, rails against “failed public safety policies” and “cheap political points” and announces that “it is time to bring accountability back to the state Capitol.” Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 9/17/20

Proposition 16: Why some Asian Americans are on the front lines of the campaign against affirmative action -- Six years ago, when California lawmakers mounted a campaign to repeal the state’s ban on affirmative action in college admissions, Chinese American opponents of the proposal flooded lawmakers with calls, emails and petitions. Their campaign, mobilized on the group messaging app WeChat and in Chinese-language media, was successful, and the constitutional amendment died in the Legislature. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/17/20

Election 2020: A breakdown of California’s 12 ballot propositions -- From affirmative action to rent control, voters could have a dramatic impact on life in the Golden State. The good news: This year, there’s less homework: only 12 statewide propositions, five fewer than 2016. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/17/20

Caltrain funding measure on the ballot offers lifeline to the struggling rail service as ridership drops -- Caltrain is counting on a sales tax increase on the November ballot to keep the system running through the coronavirus crisis and fund long-term improvements to make service more frequent and accessible. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

Fox: New PPIC Poll on Propositions: One Anticipated Outcome, One Surprise -- The Public Policy Institute of California’s September poll measured the current standing of two ballot measures: Proposition 15, the property tax increase on commercial property, and Proposition 16 to rescind the ban on affirmative action. As expected, the Prop 15 battle is going to be close with a slim majority in favor at the present time. However, despite all the action around social justice the last few months, the affirmative action ban repeal trails badly. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/17/20

Also . . .   

UC national labs suspend diversity training after Trump administration order -- The Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, managed by the University of California but federally funded, has suspended its employees’ diversity training program by order of the Trump administration, which recently called such programs “divisive, anti-American propaganda,” The Chronicle has learned. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/17/20

Marijuana seller’s story of ‘badass’ Mexican sisters was a cultural misstep, Latinas say -- The story of the three Mexican sisters who broke into the cannabis industry started out like a fairy tale and ended up like a reality television show gone awry. Dorany Pineda in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/17/20

East Bay woman sues fertility doc for ‘medical rape’: using his own sperm -- A Livermore woman is suing a fertility doctor for using his own sperm to impregnate her twice with her children– something she didn’t discover until 40 years later through an at-home DNA test. Angela Ruggiero, Thomas Peele in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/17/20

 

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