Updating . .   

Californians must mask up outside their homes under new expanded mandate -- Faced with a startling spike in coronavirus cases, California health officials issued a new mandate this week requiring residents to wear face coverings whenever they’re outside their homes, with few exceptions. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Beam and Brian Melley Associated Press -- 11/17/20

What you can and can’t do under California’s new restrictions -- Most everywhere in California, diners will no longer be served indoors. Restaurants will be limited once again to outdoor and takeout service only in all but the handful of counties not in the purple tier. Marisa Kendall, Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/17/20

L.A. told to stay at home as much as possible as COVID-19 brings ‘new level of danger’ -- There are growing calls for Los Angeles County residents to stay at home as much as possible for the next two to three weeks as the coronavirus surges and the Thanksgiving holiday season brings new dangers. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Iris Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

Young people spreading coronavirus in L.A., but older and sicker suffer the most -- The disease is spiking across the county, affecting all age groups, but some remain most vulnerable. While the age of COVID-19 patients has declined, older people are still dying at very high rates from the illness. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/17/20

Hot Spots    

New Stanford study shows why Bay Area counties’ move to tighter reopening tiers can work -- Among these “places of interest,” full-service restaurants were found riskiest because people tended to gather there in higher densities and stay longer. According to the analysis, they presented more than triple the infection danger of the next-highest category, fitness centers. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/20

School   

What does California’s alarming COVID-19 surge mean for schools? -- An alarming rise in new coronavirus cases has prompted major reopening rollbacks that also will stall efforts to reopen campuses throughout Southern California and most of the state — and affect the education of millions of students. Howard Blume, Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

Business Challenge  

California businesses hit with new virus restrictions -- California gym owner D’Lee Daleo has spent months following ever-changing rules to keep her struggling business afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, so the prospect of tighter state regulations has her feeling demoralized. Adam Beam and Brian Melley Associated Press -- 11/17/20

Street  

San Diego must pay $1.5 million to man body slammed at trolley stop -- The city of San Diego must pay $1.5 million to a man who was pepper sprayed and thrown to the ground, resulting in severe face and head injuries, at an MTS trolley station when detectives mistakenly believed he was responsible after a small phone-charging device was thrown at them. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/17/20

Also . . .   

BottleRock festival postponed a 3rd time, deeper into 2021, due to COVID-19 pandemic -- The three-day event is now scheduled to return to Wine Country on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3 through Sept. 5, 2021. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jim Harrington in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/17/20

Will ‘Amtrak Joe’ Biden bail out California’s troubled bullet train? Don’t bet on it -- President-elect Joe Biden is a self-professed train fanatic who estimates that he has ridden more than 2 million miles on 16,000 trains. This fall, he rode the rails to campaign across Ohio and Pennsylvania, part of the “Build Back Better” train tour. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

The Trumpiest and most anti-Trump counties in California: Where does yours rank? -- November’s election results showed that most of California’s Democratic counties moved further away from President Donald Trump — and the bulk of its Republican counties did too. Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 11/17/20

Signs of life: Animals return to parks burned by Glass fire -- When the Glass fire seared through portions of Sonoma County’s Hood Mountain Regional Park in September, it left little in its wake: Once-stately pines and oaks stood starkly amid seared chaparral, and the ever-present chatter of chirping birds was replaced by an eerie silence. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

California Policy and P  olitics Tuesday Morning  

California governor imposes new restrictions in pandemic -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was pulling the “emergency brake” Monday on reopening the state’s economy as coronavirus cases surge at the fastest rate since the start of the outbreak. Adam Beam and Brian Melley Associated Press Erin Allday and Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew Sheeler and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ Victoria Colliver and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 11/17/20

Disneyland and Knott’s further from reopening with Orange County’s slide into most restrictive COVID-19 tier -- Gov. Gavin’s Newsom’s decision to move nearly all of California into the most restrictive tier of his Blueprint for a Safer Economy puts Disneyland, Knott’s and other major California theme parks one step further away from reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 11/17/20

New restrictions in San Francisco Bay Area after ‘explosion’ of new coronavirus cases -- Just three weeks ago, San Francisco was being lauded by infectious disease experts for keeping its coronavirus numbers low, despite being the second-densest city in the United States, behind New York. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

New COVID-19 rules limit indoor dining, gyms, churches in O.C., Ventura County and beyond -- That means indoor dining at restaurants and indoor gyms must shut down and move to outdoor operations, and houses of worship holding services indoors must revert to virtual or outdoor services. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

San Diego County sounds alarm on COVID violations, as state hits ‘emergency brake’ -- The San Diego County health department took its biggest swing to date at willful health-order violators Monday, serving cease-and-desist orders at 17 different establishments across the region as coronavirus case rates continued to climb. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/17/20

Entire Sacramento region moved to most restrictive COVID-19 tier amid growing state emergency -- The purple tier means a number of businesses and activities including restaurant dining, gyms, movie theaters and places of worship are required to close for indoor operations. Masks are now required whenever one leaves their house, with very few exceptions, the state health department said in its updated reopening “blueprint” guidelines. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/17/20

Some in L.A. are getting COVID-19 tests so they can party, socialize. Officials call this a disaster -- Desperately seeking to find a seemingly responsible way to hold dinner parties, some people have started to get tests for the coronavirus as a way to clear themselves to attend dinner parties without needing to wear masks or keep their distance. That’s absolutely the wrong thing to do, according to Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s director of public health. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

Garcetti announces expanded testing efforts in response to COVID surge -- Responding to a surge in coronavirus cases locally and statewide, Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday night announced an expansion of the city’s mobile testing program to provide COVID tests in under-served areas, as well as the establishment of testing at Los Angeles International Airport. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/17/20

State issues coronavirus safety fine to Farmer John plant in Vernon -- California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has fined a Farmer John meatpacking plant in Vernon, as well its temporary staffing agency, for failing to take adequate measures to protect workers from the coronavirus — a move that comes as the workplace safety agency ramps up such penalties against employers. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

Newsom pledges another $62M to prop up COVID hotel program -- Gov. Gavin Newsom poured another $62 million into his waning Project Roomkey program Monday, part of an ongoing effort to prevent any of the more than 22,000 homeless Californians sheltering in pandemic hotels from ending up back on the street. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/17/20

Is panic buying returning in San Diego amid rising COVID rates? -- Hoping to head off a repeat of consumer hoarding amid the widening coronavirus pandemic, grocers have reinstated limits on purchases like toilet paper and hand soap, a move that so far seems to be working. Lori Weisberg, Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/17/20

New COVID-19 outbreak forces transfer of dozens of county jail inmates -- An explosion of new coronavirus infections among San Diego County jail inmates has forced officials to relocate dozens of detainees. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/17/20

Moderna and Pfizer vaccines show ‘thrilling’ results. But when will they come to the Bay Area? -- But the Bay Area faces a long road ahead in obtaining and distributing vaccines to local residents, and most people probably won’t be able to get vaccinated until summer 2021. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/20

Stanford rebukes Scott Atlas following his controversial ‘rise up’ tweet -- Stanford University sought to distance itself Monday from Dr. Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the university’s Hoover Institution and key member of President Trump’s coronavirus task force, a day after Atlas encouraged people to “rise up” in response to new pandemic-related restrictions implemented by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Michael Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/17/20

Policy & Politics 

California lawmakers travel to Hawaii conference amid COVID-19 travel warnings -- Legislators from California and other states are gathering for an annual conference in Maui this week despite a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Golden State that resulted in travel warnings by health officials. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ Katy Murphy Politico -- 11/17/20

Newsom says he made ‘bad mistake’ attending pricey party -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday apologized for what he called “a bad mistake” in attending a birthday party that broke the very rules that he has been preaching to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 11/17/20

Newsom's cozy ties with top lobbyist showcased by French Laundry dinner party -- Not every political operative can celebrate their 50th birthday with the governor of America’s most populous state during a pandemic. Not every political operative is Jason Kinney. Jeremy B. White and Debra Kahn Politico -- 11/17/20

‘We are long overdue’: Leaders press Gavin Newsom to put a Latino in the U.S. Senate -- Latino elected officials and organizers in California continued to push Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday to name a Latino U.S. senator to replace Sen. Kamala Harris as she prepares to become the nation’s next vice president in nine weeks. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/17/20

Walters: Newsom displays hypocritical arrogance -- Gov. Gavin Newsom wasn’t born to wealth and privilege but as a youngster he was enveloped in it as the surrogate son of billionaire Gordon Getty. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 11/17/20

Covid and BART  

BART avoids station closures, weekend shutdowns but could lose up to 40% of staff -- BART riders have likely dodged station closures and weekend shutdowns — at least for now — but the transit agency might lose up to 40% of its staff to early retirement as it struggles to fill a huge budget hole. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/20

Street  

Sacramento County may declare racism a public health crisis. Here’s what that means -- The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will consider a resolution Tuesday that would declare racism a public health crisis, following in the footsteps of several local governments throughout the country after a wave of civil unrest over police shootings and violence. Michael Finch II and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/17/20

Education 

Pandemic surge puts on hold opening of regular classrooms for millions of California students -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “sounding of the alarm” to beat back the surge of the Covid-19 virus represents a severe setback for efforts to further reopen schools in California, as millions more students now attend schools in counties barred from offering face-to-face instruction in regular classes. Louis Freedberg and Ali Tadayon EdSource -- 11/17/20

UC San Diego’s foreign enrollment hits record. The pandemic may stop it from going higher -- UC San Diego maintained its standing as one of the nation’s 10 largest destinations for international students in fall 2019, enrolling a record 8,842 foreigners who made up nearly 25 percent of its student body. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/17/20

University of California agrees to $73M sex abuse settlement -- As part of the class-action lawsuit, more than 6,600 patients of Dr. James Heaps could receive part of the settlement — even if they have not accused the former University of California, Los Angeles, gynecologist of abuse. Stefanie Dazio Associated Press Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

After more than a year of enrolling students, Calbright College makes significant changes and learns from mistakes -- It’s been a rocky year for California’s first online community college since it first enrolled students. Ashley A. Smith EdSource -- 11/17/20

School Sports  

California youth sports on pause as Newsom halts plan to restart play -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday there was a plan in place to restart youth sports, but he halted the reboot as coronavirus numbers spike in California. James Patrick in the Sacramento Bee$ Dan Albano in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/17/20

Covid Budgets  

L.A. police union spurns City Hall’s request to meet on the budget crisis -- The union that represents more than 9,800 Los Angeles police officers has rejected a request from the city’s labor negotiators to meet and discuss the city’s financial crisis, dealing a fresh setback to Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council as they struggle to close a looming budget deficit. David Zahniser, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/20

ICE  

TRUTH Act forum will discuss San Diego Sheriff’s Department’s collaboration with ICE Tuesday -- The forum, which the county is obligated to hold under the Truth Act, will give residents insight as to what extent San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is working with federal immigration officials Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/17/20

Air B&B  

Airbnb IPO could generate billions for the Bay Area. How will housing prices react? -- Airbnb unveiled long-anticipated plans to go public Monday, defying concerns that the coronavirus pandemic had permanently hurt its business of short-term rentals and revealing the underlying strength of the San Francisco company’s business. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/20

Housing  

Anaheim will cut rents on more than 1,000 middle-income apartments -- Units in three apartment communities – two in the up-and-coming Platinum Triangle and one in downtown Anaheim – will be priced for the budgets of the so-called “missing middle,” working families who earn too much to qualify for low-income housing but still struggle to afford to live near where they work. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 11/17/20

Cannabis  

Costa Mesa to allow retail sales as OC voters show softening stance on cannabis -- Starting sometime in 2021, Santa Ana will no longer be the only city in Orange County to permit storefront sales of cannabis, and more widespread approval of related businesses could be on the way. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 11/17/20

Also . . .   

Faith leaders urge clemency for David Gilbert, father of S.F. D.A. Boudin -- A coalition of faith leaders is urging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to grant clemency to David Gilbert — the father of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin — who is serving a 75-years-to-life sentence for his participation in the fatal robbery of a Brink’s armored truck in 1981. Michael Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/20

POTUS 46  

‘More People May Die’ Because of Trump’s Transition Delay, Biden Says -- President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Monday sharpened his criticism of President Trump’s refusal to cooperate in an orderly transition, warning that “more people may die” from the coronavirus if the president does not agree to coordinate planning for the mass distribution of a vaccine when it becomes available. Michael Crowley and Michael D. Shear in the New York Times$ -- 11/17/20

Biden urges a new economic relief package and warns again of a ‘dark winter’ ahead -- President-elect Joe Biden urged Congress to immediately pass an economic relief package Monday as he warned that the coronavirus pandemic will worsen in the coming months. Anne Gearan and Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ Jim Tankersley and Alan Rappeport in the New York Times$ -- 11/17/20

POTUS 45  

Trump Sought Options for Attacking Iran to Stop Its Growing Nuclear Program -- President Trump asked senior advisers in an Oval Office meeting on Thursday whether he had options to take action against Iran’s main nuclear site in the coming weeks. Eric Schmitt, Maggie Haberman, David E. Sanger, Helene Cooper and Lara Jakes in the New York Times$ -- 11/17/20