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Bobcat fire looms large in Antelope Valley as gusty winds create potential for rapid growth -- Fire weather on Monday is threatening portions of the Antelope Valley, where the massive Bobcat fire continues to loom large after forcing evacuations and charring multiple homes. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Alma Fausto, Ruby Gonzales in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/21/20

Fires continue to take a toll on California air quality -- Conditions at one point were considered hazardous Monday morning in the area of Mammoth Lakes, meaning “everyone should stay indoors and reduce activity levels,” according to air quality monitors. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/20

Cal Fire posts 'damage map' with homes destroyed in North Complex -- Cal Fire released a preliminary damage assessment map showing homes that were damaged or destroyed in the North Complex, a group of fires burning east of Chico. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/21/20

Newsom wants to step up climate fight as wildfires rage. But will Californians pay up? -- When Gov. Gavin Newsom declared recently that “we have to step up our game” and accelerate California’s fight against climate change, it triggered a question in Chris Rufer’s mind: How much will this cost? Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/21/20

King: California is terrible at fixing large problems. But the climate emergency and housing crisis require big thinking -- The recent plague of smoke-darkened skies over the Bay Area did make one thing clear: We Californians are all in this together. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/20

Californians moved to Oregon for affordable housing. Wildfires left them homeless -- Shannon King, a single mother, left the Bay Area a decade ago as housing costs soared, hoping to find an affordable place to live in southern Oregon. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/20

School   

No place to study, hunger, inadequate computers hurting Eastside and South L.A. students -- Los Angeles families with school-age children in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles and Watts struggled with access to computers and adequate internet throughout the spring semester while facing job losses and food insecurity, issues that hampered online learning amid the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has found. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/20

Street   

President Trump calls injured California cops, one of whom can’t speak and wrote out her responses -- The call was detailed in a Saturday afternoon Facebook post from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Transit Service Bureau. It shows the 31-year-old, who was shot in the face, in bed with a writing pad in her lap. Her arms are heavily bandaged. Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN -- 9/21/20

Armed and Black. How a group of men licensed to carry guns say they are seeking racial justice -- The ad hoc group of about two dozen men — including a retired firefighter, a healthcare worker and a veteran — formed in the days after George Floyd’s killing in response to the local NAACP chapter putting out a call for residents in predominantly Black north Minneapolis to protect small businesses from destruction as fires and unrest engulfed the city. Kurtis Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/20

Virus 

California surpasses 15,000 coronavirus deaths, just behind Texas -- As of Sunday, California recorded 15,014 deaths, adding 27 Sunday and 77 Saturday — a reminder of the staggering loss even as new cases are falling. Los Angeles County has by far the most deaths from COVID-19 in the state, according to the Los Angeles Times tracker, with at least 6,353 people who have died. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/21/20

COVID-19 then and now: Six reasons why death rates are improving -- The sickest coronavirus patients can live for weeks with a gripping headache, profound nausea, burning lungs, malaise, cough and waves of pain in their bones. They may be tethered to a breathing machine. But eight months into the pandemic, fewer are dying. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/21/20

Orange County could stay in the red tier longer if coronavirus testing doesn’t pick up -- But the rate of new cases each day came in this week at 4.7 cases per 100,000 residents, dashing hopes that Orange County could spend only the minimum three weeks in the red tier and briskly move on to the orange tier by Sept. 29. Ian Wheeler in the Orange County Register -- 9/21/20

Shyong: In the midst of wildfires and a pandemic, domestic workers need protections more than ever -- Sandra Martinez, 45, a housekeeper, used to work three days a week before the pandemic struck. Now she does the same work for one day’s pay, because her employer thought one housekeeping appointment was less risky than three. Frank Shyong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/20

Coronavirus: Is it safe to dine indoors? Bay Area restaurants say their survival depends on it -- There’s a lot more to worry about now as Jean Pierre Iuliano welcomes diners to his Cafe Mare restaurant in Santa Cruz — in one of the few Bay Area counties open for indoor dining. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/21/20

Staying Afloat  

Extra $300 unemployment money is gone. How will people survive without it? -- It means hardships for millions all over California, unemployed people who were receiving an additional $300 a week from the federal government for five weeks. But that benefit has ended, and back in Washington, Congress has gone home for a long weekend, stuck in a partisan deadlock over whether to revive it. Jeong Park and David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/21/20

Elections  

California’s Proposition 24 would protect data-privacy law from being weakened in Legislature -- Two years ago, California legislators passed the first major statewide digital-privacy law in the country, giving consumers broad new rights to control how their personal information is used and sold. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/20

Are Placer and El Dorado counties still Republican strongholds? Here are the latest numbers -- Placer and El Dorado counties have long been Republican strongholds, reliably voting for conservative candidates in presidential elections every year since Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980. But a new wave of voters in the last four years have registered with the Democrats or refused to affiliate with either party, winnowing the registration gap. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/21/20

Supreme Court fight could elevate Kamala Harris’ profile -- Kamala Harris is poised to become a leading figure in the Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick, with her status as both a lawmaker and vice presidential nominee putting her in the center of the fight. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 9/21/20

Policy & Politics 

‘If you’re not counted, you don’t exist’: Census efforts continue in Sacramento County -- On a given Saturday, residents line up to get food assistance from River City Food Bank in Arden Arcade. Though people come for pasta, canned goods and other food, this summer many have walked away with something else: a completed census. Molly Burke in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/21/20

Ginsburg’s death sets up titanic battle over abortion rights -- In a political year dominated by a deadly pandemic and a fight for racial equality, the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg may rocket the abortion question back to the center of American consciousness, with the future of that constitutional right hanging in the balance in the selection of her successor. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/20

Fox: The LA Sheriff is Going Nowhere -- In LA County, the new sheriff in town–he’s only been in office 22 months–would surrender the office if some powerful politicians and political entities have anything to say about it. But Sheriff Alex Villanueva says he’s going nowhere and he’s probably right. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 9/21/20

Homeless  

Oakland: New proposed rules lay out where homeless residents can and can’t camp -- The new policy would prioritize clearing encampments in certain areas, including spaces within 150 feet of a school, within 50 feet of a protected waterway, residence, business, playground or public park, or within 25 feet of a homeless shelter. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/21/20

 

California Policy & Politics Monday Morning  

California fire activity ‘slowly picking up again,’ air quality worsens -- Major fires continue to burn through parts of Northern California, including the state’s largest ever, the August Complex in Mendocino and Humboldt counties, which had scorched 834,000 acres and continued to grow Sunday. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/20

New evacs ordered as Bobcat fire surges past 100,000 acres; nature center at Devil’s Punchbowl destroyed -- The nature center at the Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area was destroyed by the growing Bobcat fire, and flames were still menacing homes in foothilll communities of the southern Antelope Valley on Sunday, fire officials said. Richard K. De Atley, Josh Cain in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 9/21/20

Ignoring fire evacuation orders is rampant in California. That perilous choice endangers others, officials say -- The North Complex Fire had been burning for weeks through Plumas County when heavy winds suddenly drove an 8-mile-wide swath of flames into northeastern Butte County, prompting Cal Fire officials to frantically order evacuations. But many homeowners in the area stayed behind, even as flames driven by gusts of 35 mph swept across 70,000 acres in 24 hours starting on Sept. 8. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/20

Skelton: To study wildfire prevention, Berkeley experts are looking to Baja. Newsom should too -- For proof that climate change is not the primary cause of horrific Western wildfires, look at Baja California, Mexico George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/20

Virus 

First cases of flu hit Bay Area, marking start of a dangerous season ahead -- Bay Area hospitals have reported their first cases of influenza, signaling the start of what could be a turbulent flu season with COVID-19 in the mix. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/20

Coronavirus deaths in California top 15,000 -- As of Sunday, California recorded 15,014 deaths, adding 27 Sunday and 77 on Saturday. The state has more than 785,000 confirmed cases, the most of any state in the nation. California’s death toll, however, remains far below New York, which has recorded more than 33,000 fatalities. New Jersey has recorded 16,000, and Tex as also just crossed the 15,000 mark. David Zahniser, Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/20

Coronavirus leading to secondary pandemic of hunger in Baja California -- Nonprofits estimate up to 40 percent of Baja residents are living with food insecurity — and shutdown of city’s food bank isn’t helping. Wendy Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/21/20

Coronavirus economy: In Mountain View, tech gives and takes away -- It’s a warm Friday afternoon at a Mountain View sports pub just a stone’s throw from several Google offices, and tables inside and out should be filled with people celebrating the end of the workweek. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/21/20

Hundreds of Catholics gather in San Francisco to decry COVID-19 limits on worship -- As churches across the country are welcoming parishioners back inside their doors for the first time in months, Bay Area faith leaders and worshipers are growing increasingly rancorous with strict constraints public health officials continue to place upon their gatherings. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ Rusty Simmons in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/20

New Zealand ends all pandemic restrictions outside main city of Auckland -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday lifted all coronavirus restrictions across the country, except in second-wave hotspot Auckland, as the number of new infections slowed to a trickle. Reuters -- 9/21/20

California State Bar exam, delayed amid pandemic, becomes contentious -- Samuel Humy graduated from Cornell Law School this year and moved to California. With a job lined up with the Santa Clara County Public Defender Office, he planned to take the California State Bar exam over the summer and start work in early August as a full-fledged lawyer. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/20

Street   

Protesters gather in Pacific Beach and practice social distancing -- In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, protesters had to be creative Sunday to gather safely and still support the Black Lives Matter movement. Lauryn Schroeder in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/21/20

Police reform in Imperial Beach will be a long and methodical process -- Imperial Beach is re-evaluating how much money it spends on public safety and whether the current policing model is working. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/21/20

Policy & Politics 

California bill gives hope of employment to formerly incarcerated firefighters — but will it work? -- While AB 2147 was hailed as correcting a ‘historic wrong,’ prisoner reentry experts question whether the legislation will have its intended effect. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/21/20

With November election looming, San Diego’s biotech community eyes policy issues -- The life sciences have always been shaped by policy. Biotech companies from San Diego to San Francisco to Boston look to local, state and federal lawmakers to ensure that they have space to expand and funding to buoy their research. Jonathan Wosen in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/21/20

Walters: Forty-two years later, another property tax battle -- It’s been 42 years since California voters sharply altered the state’s political dynamics by overwhelmingly passing Proposition 13 to slash property taxes, ignoring virtually unanimous opposition from leaders of both political parties. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/21/20

Beltway   

When it comes to race relations, the left and the right are miles apart -- We know there’s a difference between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to views on race relations, but just how far apart they really are is eye-opening According to a survey from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, racial inequality is a top three issue for Democratic voters. But it does not even crack the top 10 for Republicans. Eugene Scott in the Washington Post$ -- 9/21/20

Ginsburg’s death will drive voter turnout. Will it help Democrats or Republicans? -- A presidential contest that had largely been a referendum on President Trump and, in particular, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly broadened into something more: a fight over control of the Supreme Court. Melanie Mason, Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/20

Biden’s $466 Million Bankroll Tops Trump by $141 Million -- Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden started September with a $466 million mountain of cash to take on President Donald Trump and the Republicans, completely reversing the GOP’s financial advantage in just four months. Bill Allison Bloomberg -- 9/21/20

Pressure mounts on GOP senators over filling Ginsburg seat -- Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden hammered President Donald Trump and leading Senate Republicans for trying to rush a replacement for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as pressure mounted on senators to support or oppose a quick vote to fill the seat. Laurie Kellman, Lisa Mascaro and Alexandra Jaffe Associated Press -- 9/21/20

 

-- Sunday Updates   

Bobcat fire approaches 100,000 acres, making it one of L.A. County’s largest blazes ever -- The Bobcat fire is approaching 100,000 acres, making it one of the largest wildfires in Los Angeles County history, and continues to threaten some desert communities as well as the Mt. Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains on Sunday. Alex Wigglesworth, Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/20

As California blazes rage, travel nurses fill critical need at fire camps -- When Hillary Mills became a travel nurse in August after being unemployed for several months, the 30-year-old Tiburon resident assumed the job would take her to hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. Tatiana Sánchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/20

EDD 

California halting new unemployment claims for 2 weeks during ‘reset’ with staff, technology -- California will not accept new unemployment claims over the next two weeks while the state’s Employment Development Department adopts new fraud prevention technology and works to clear out a backlog, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced late Saturday. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/20/20

Virus 

What California’s COVID approach could teach the country if Joe Biden wins -- Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom share the same basic COVID-19 philosophy: The government must focus on fighting the virus before the economy can recover. Sophia Bollag and Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/20/20

UC San Diego trying to avoid the coronavirus chaos that has upended SDSU -- San Diego State University is reeling from a calamitous outbreak of COVID-19. Is the same thing about to happen at UC San Diego? The answer will begin to emerge this weekend as 7,500 undergraduates start to move into meticulously cleaned dorms on the sprawling La Jolla campus for the start of the fall quarter. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/20/20

First cases of flu hit Bay Area, marking start of a dangerous season ahead -- Bay Area hospitals have reported their first cases of influenza, signaling the start of what could be a turbulent flu season with COVID-19 in the mix. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/20

Street   

How a really big check unraveled a well-oiled patronage system with Santa Clara County concealed-gun permits -- With prosecution getting underway for adviser and longtime political backer of Sheriff Laurie Smith, grand jury transcripts hint that corruption probe poses biggest political threat yet to sheriff’s two-decade tenure. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/20/20

Spate of deputy misconduct cases casts harsh spotlight on OC Sheriff’s Department -- For one week, it seemed like the Orange County Sheriff’s Department was aflame in bad news. Four different revelations about larcenous or fraudulent misconduct by sheriff’s personnel erupted the week of Sept. 7. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 9/20/20

Burglars switch to homes in S.F., as tourists, and their cars, stay away -- The coronavirus pandemic has put a lot of people out of work, but there’s one occupation that’s busier than ever — burglary. And more brazen too. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/20

 

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