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Experts, California residents question curfew effectiveness -- Come Saturday night, California will join other states and nations in trying a partial overnight curfew as its latest desperate attempt to stem a surge in coronavirus cases, though experts said its effect may be more symbolic than real and many law enforcement agencies are refusing to enforce it at all. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 11/21/20

Coronavirus infection rate hits unprecedented levels in California and officials worry how bad it will get -- California capped a week of unprecedented coronavirus spread, with officials unsure how much worse it will get while placing hope that new restrictions could help slow infections as the holidays approach. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

L.A. County coronavirus cases top 4,000 Friday; possible stay-at-home orders loom -- As Los Angeles County braced for a possible return to business closures and stay-at-home orders on Friday, Nov. 20, public health officials reported another day of alarmingly high new coronavirus cases, this time hitting 4,272. David Rosenfeld, Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/21/20

East San Fernando Valley: A ‘perfect storm’ for alarming coronavirus spread -- The largely Latino working class community fits all the hallmarks of higher coronavirus infection rates. David Rosenfeld, Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/21/20

California’s new stay-at-home order now in effect: What you need to know -- A modified stay-at-home order goes into effect for much of California as of Saturday morning, part of a new effort to slow the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Here are the details of the order: Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

Curfew could come to San Francisco within days; drop to purple tier expected as soon as Sunday -- San Francisco could return to the state’s most restrictive purple tier as early as Sunday as cases of COVID-19 surge, which would place the city under California’s new curfew order within two days and force almost all indoor activities to shut down. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

Here’s how law enforcement agencies will — or won’t — enforce it -- Despite a major surge in coronavirus cases, many Southern California policing agencies say they’re taking an education-first approach to the new curfew that takes effect for much of the state Saturday rather than aggressive enforcement. Alex Wigglesworth, Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

As COVID surges in California nursing homes, experts worry what’s ahead -- Despite remaining sequestered inside their walls for more than eight months, almost totally isolated from family members and the outside world, residents of long-term care facilities across California now face another dangerous spread of the coronavirus in their midst. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/21/20

San Diego County reports record number of new COVID-19 cases -- San Diego County health officials on Friday reported 1,091 new coronavirus cases, a single-day record, with county hospitals hitting 76% of total capacity. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/21/20

Judge To Rule Monday On San Diego Businesses Lawsuit On Indoor Operations -- A judge is expected to issue a written ruling Monday on a request from four San Diego County businesses seeking to resume indoor operations following the county's recent slide into the restrictive purple tier of the state's coronavirus reopening plan. KPBS -- 11/21/20

Why more companies don’t test employees for coronavirus -- Brandon Hudgins works the main floor at Fleet Feet, a running-shoe store chain, for more than 30 hours a week. He chats with customers, measuring their feet and dashing in and out of the storage area to locate right-size shoes. Sometimes, clients drag their masks down while speaking. Others refuse to wear masks at all. Hannah Norman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

A cellphone-based COVID alert soon will be available to UC San Diego Health users -- About two weeks after 18-year-old Philip Tajanko moved into his UC San Diego dorm room, he tested positive for COVID-19. He has no idea where he caught the disease. Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/21/20

Video visits rolling out at five California state prisons -- Each eligible inmate will receive a free 30-minute video visit every 30 days, the department said. The video visits will take place on weekends and holidays. Visitors must make reservations and have the necessary equipment and internet access. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

Masked and loving it -- In a year defined by upheaval, the mask has become controversial. But for many in the Bay Area, it shines as a personal statement — a blank canvas for self-expression. Tony Bravo and Kelsey McClellan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

How to be a responsible Bay Area shopper this holiday season -- But their challenges are still immense: They are trying to survive financially and keep employees healthy amid the frightening surge of coronavirus cases. And even as holiday shopping holds the promise of increased sales, many customers are strapped for cash, as unemployment benefits vanish for many by the end of December. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

Borenstein: More will die from COVID because of timid Newsom response -- With decisive action desperately needed, the governor sidelined himself with the dinner debacle at French Laundry. Daniel Borenstein in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/21/20

Policy & Politics 

Republican Rep. Garcia claims victory in tight CA-25th Congress race – and Christy Smith isn’t happy about it -- Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Saugus, has declared victory in the roller-coaster race against Christy Smith in the race for the 25th Congressional District — a declaration that brought a strong rebuke from Smith that it was “dangerous to the democratic process” with votes still being counted. The item is in the San Jose Mercury$ Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 11/21/20

Cabaldon concedes to Guerrero in West Sacramento election, ending long run as mayor -- Christopher Cabaldon has conceded that he lost his bid for re-election as mayor of West Sacramento, ending a lengthy run that saw the city develop its waterfront and dramatically expand its housing stock. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/21/20

California Republican leaders go all in on Trump’s election subterfuge, but some are more vocal than others -- To U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the general election was a resounding success for his party. “Not one Republican incumbent lost,” McCarthy said during a news conference last week. Except, of course, President Trump. Maya Lau, Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

A child’s death fuels questions about air ambulance system in OC -- As the 7-year-old lay dying, a fire helicopter with an 18-minute arrival time was dispatched to a serious traffic accident instead of a sheriff's helicopter a minute away. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 11/21/20

Lopez: Want to make a fortune in overtime? Apply today to the L.A. Fire Department -- It turns out that at the Los Angeles Fire Department, coronavirus testing duty isn’t the only way to make a small fortune in overtime pay. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

How this one policy change could lead to housing equity in Sacramento neighborhoods -- Sacramento is poised to allow more affordable, denser homes to be built in some of the city’s most desirable — and largely racially segregated — neighborhoods. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/21/20

After years of on drawing board, construction begins on new Sacramento courthouse -- The new 17-floor, 53-courtroom courthouse on the block bordering H and G streets and 5th and 6th streets will be erected directly behind the federal Robert Matsui United States Courthouse on I Street and will replace the Gordon Schaber Courthouse at 720 9th St. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/21/20

 

California Policy and P  olitics Saturday Morning  

San Francisco could move to purple tier as early as Sunday -- In the most-restrictive tier, many businesses with indoor operations, such as movie theaters and museums, must either move everything outdoors or close down. In San Francisco, this would include movie theaters, gyms, museums and houses of worship, Colfax said. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

Coronavirus curfew starts at 10 p.m. Saturday. Will you notice a difference? -- With most of the Bay Area’s businesses, including restaurants and bars, already shut down by 10 p.m. during the pandemic, most don’t expect much of an impact. And few folks are decrying the loss of nightlife, which has largely been in hibernation since March. Michael Cabanatuan, Justin Phillips and Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

Kaiser Permanente begins testing Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine candidate on adolescents -- Parents of some teenagers in the Sacramento region already have begun signing their children up for trials of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate produced by drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/21/20

California employers bring back workers, but recovery worries linger -- California’s pandemic-plagued economy perked up in October, as employers brought back tens of thousands of furloughed workers. But the state has regained less than half the jobs it lost in the spring’s catastrophic downturn, and economists predict the recovery may have already stalled. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

Southern California still 639,300 jobs short of pre-coronavirus employment -- Southern California bosses added 141,000 jobs in October but ongoing pandemic-linked business limitations leave the region 639,300 workers short of pre-coronavirus employment. Jonathan Lansner in the Orange County Register -- 11/21/20

Weary but determined, California’s small, family-owned farms fight through the pandemic -- Now, Vince Bernard is being forced to make some heart-wrenching choices. What if he can’t, because of declining sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic, afford the water to keep all his trees alive? Lucas Kwan Peterson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

Sacramento DMV headquarters employees got eight COVID-19 notices in two weeks -- The headquarters building isn’t open to general customers. About 3,200 people work there, and 40% are teleworking either part time or full time, DMV spokeswoman Anita Gore said in an emailed statement. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/21/20

San Diego sheriff announces COVID-19 cases at 3 county jails; 3 inmates hospitalized -- The Sheriff’s Department said that due to the outbreaks, it was cutting off in-person social visits at all county jails beginning Saturday. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/21/20

California Hospitals Applying Early Lessons As They Brace For A COVID-19 Surge -- Shortly after announcing a statewide 10 p.m. curfew this week, California health officials drew attention to a looming problem: strained hospital capacity. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 11/21/20

Tahoe ski season opens with great snow, new COVID restrictions -- This year, resorts and ski areas are limiting day tickets and requiring non-pass-holders to buy their tickets online in advance for specific dates, a way of controlling the number of people allowed on a hill at one time. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

Policy & Politics 

California NAACP leader resigns amid conflict-of-interest backlash -- Political consultant Alice Huffman has resigned as president of the California NAACP after a turbulent election season in which several Black leaders criticized her for endorsing ballot measures they saw as bad for African-American communities — while she was paid $1.7 million to work on the proposition campaigns. Laurel Rosenhall CalMatters Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks and Marcus Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/21/20

California Democratic lawmaker absent from Covid-19 hearing during Maui conference -- A Democratic state lawmaker was absent from a Tuesday legislative hearing titled "Safeguarding Our Frontline Workers During COVID-19" while attending a conference in Maui with lobbyists and other legislators despite warnings not to travel during a coronavirus surge. Katy Murphy Politico -- 11/21/20

One of Newsom's children quarantines after potential exposure from classmate at school -- Newsom's child was exposed at his private school and has been in a 14-day quarantine, communications director Nathan Click said in an email. Carla Marinucci Politico Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

How risky was that Napa party Gavin Newsom attended? -- A model calculates a 12% chance that a guest at a small dinner party in Napa Valley is infected with the virus. Whether indoors or outdoors, dining in a restaurant is “amongst the riskiest things we do for COVID,” a UC San Francisco health expert said. James Bikales CalMatters -- 11/21/20

Citing French Laundry fiasco, San Diego mayor looks to challenge Newsom in 2022 -- A potential Republican challenger is trying to seize on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s public-relations nightmare following the governor’s attendance at a dinner party at the French Laundry and anger over new state coronavirus restrictions. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

Newsom ends California economic task force despite widespread pandemic closures -- Despite a Covid-19 resurgence that is forcing widespread business closures, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that he has dissolved his star-studded economic task force co-chaired by former Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 11/21/20

These seven Californians could get jobs in the Biden administration -- Only a few people really know who will end up serving in President Biden’s administration — and they aren’t saying. That hasn’t stopped rampant speculation. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

Parents of Saugus High School shooting victims file wrongful-death lawsuits -- The parents of the two Saugus High School students who were killed during a shooting by a classmate last year have filed wrongful-death lawsuits against the school district. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

Bay Area agency seeks to restrict car commuting after pandemic is over -- The Metropolitan Transportation Commission wants companies with 50 or more employees to cap car commutes to 40% of their workforce by 2035, as part of a state goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

‘Silicon Valley dudes buying Teslas’: California struggles to expand electric-car market -- Maya Katz-Ali said she never thought she would be able to afford an electric car. She thought it was something unattainable, something for the elite. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

Street  

‘This is one of the most brutal, unprovoked police beatdowns I’ve seen’: Vallejo settles police beating suit for whopping $750,000 -- The city has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle a suit with a man who was wrestled into the pavement and placed into a now-banned carotid hold by several officers investigating a report of a man shooting a slingshot at kids, according attorneys representing him. Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ Otis R. Taylor Jr. in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/21/20

L.A. County sheriff cannot ignore watchdog’s subpoena, judge rules -- A California judge Friday put Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva on his heels in his running power struggle with county officials, upholding the authority of an oversight commission to compel the sheriff to answer questions about how he runs the department. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

L.A. County sheriff’s deputy charged with rape -- A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has been charged with rape and sexual assault during an off-duty encounter with a woman two years ago, prosecutors said Friday. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

Wildfire  

Deadly fire ravages Eastern Sierra town, then rains douse it, sheriff says -- The wind-blown blaze that destroyed much of an Eastern Sierra town and killed an elderly woman Tuesday jumped from home to home so fast that people were unable to save possessions before frantically evacuating, residents and authorities said Friday. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

POTUS 46  

Meeting With Schumer and Pelosi, Biden Keeps Focus on Virus and Economy -- On his 78th birthday, President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. ignored President Trump's continued efforts to subvert the election results. Michael Crowley in the New York Times$ -- 11/21/20

POTUS 45  

Trump attacks on election falter as Biden pushes ahead on transition -- President Trump falsely insisted again Friday that he had won the election even as President-elect Joe Biden met with top Democrats in Congress and pressed forward with his transition — a split screen without parallel in American history. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/21/20

-- Friday Updates

How Bank of America helped fuel California’s unemployment meltdown -- Lawmakers are examining the bank’s role in mass account freezes and untold amounts of missing money for thousands of struggling jobless Californians — as well as where the bank may have failed to keep unemployment money safe from fraud. Lauren Hepler and Stephen Council CalMatters -- 11/20/20

State agency exposes jobless Californians to identity theft and fraud, audit says -- The state’s Employment Development Department has “continued to place Californians at risk of identity theft,” despite warnings last year that its policy of including Social Security numbers in mailings is dangerous, the state auditor found Thursday. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/20

Legislature campaigns: Did big political spenders get what they paid for? -- You can’t always get what you want, but for special interests in California politics, spending $34 million sure does help. That’s the amount of unrestricted political spending that industries and unions with regular business in the capitol pumped into Legislative races across the state this year. Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 11/20/20

California Republican leaders go all in on Trump’s election subterfuge, but some are more vocal than others -- To U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the general election was a resounding success for his party. “Not one Republican incumbent lost,” McCarthy said during a news conference last week. Except, of course, President Trump. Maya Lau, Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

Why a county in the State of Jefferson rejected Trump this time -- Butte County sits amid a sea of red in Northern California. This is not blue country. Tehama, Plumas, Yuba, Sutter, Colusa and Glenn counties form a ring around Butte and all favored President Donald Trump over President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/20/20

Controversial ethnic studies draft approved by California commission, moves to final round -- The state’s ethnic studies draft curriculum moved forward for final approval, but faced another round of controversy in a two-day state department meeting filled with hours of public comment, line edits to the current draft and debates on who gets representation and how. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/20

How will Gavin Newsom pick Kamala Harris’ replacement? Ethnicity, electability, experience? -- To say that Gov. Gavin Newsom is under pressure is an understatement. Lara Korte and Kim Bojórquez -- 11/20/20

Sheriff Villanueva faces contempt hearing for ignoring civilian board’s subpoena -- Sheriff Alex Villanueva was ordered to explain in a hearing early next year why he should not be held in contempt for defying a subpoena to appear before the civilian board that oversees his department and talk about the coronavirus problem in the jails, a judge ruled on Friday, Nov. 20. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/20/20

Santa Clara Co. undersheriff indicted in concealed-gun permit corruption probe -- Rick Sung had been implicated by the primary defendant in case alleging that political donations were brokered into illicit access to coveted concealed-carry gun permits. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/20

Anti-mask protesters flash Nazi salutes at Solano board meeting -- A small group of anti-mask protesters extended their arms in a Nazi salute and yelled “sieg heil” before a Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, angry that they were required to follow virus-prevention guidelines. Michael Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20

Los Gatos rock act reportedly kicked off Facebook for Proud Boys post -- Trapt, the Los Gatos rock act that has been very vocal in its support of President Trump on social media, has reportedly been kicked off Facebook for a post related to the Proud Boys movement. Jim Harrington in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/20

Covid 

New COVID-19 restrictions hit L.A. County today: What you need to know -- Starting Friday, Los Angeles County will order restaurants and nonessential stores to close their doors to the public at 10 p.m. and place a cap on the number of people allowed at outdoor gatherings — a maximum of 15 people from no more than three households. It’s part of an attempt to slow the dangerous spread of Covid-19. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

‘The virus doesn’t care — day or night’: Is there real science behind COVID curfews? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced a curfew for California counties in the purple reopening tier to control the spread of the coronavirus. But experts are mixed on whether such measures have any tangible effect. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20

Late-night restaurant owners want to play fair. So far, they say, Newsom hasn’t -- When the first pandemic shutdown hit in March, Brett Gallo, owner of the Bamboo Club in Long Beach, had to find creative ways to do business. He pivoted to delivery and created a pickup system in the Bamboo Club’s parking lot for drive-through customers. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

New California workplace rules for COVID-19 are out. Some businesses aren’t happy -- During a major outbreak, defined as 20 or more cases within a 14-day period, employers will be required to provide workers with testing at least twice a week. The rules also require that workers quarantining due to an exposure be paid. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20

Distributing vaccine will be biggest health operation in L.A. history. Can the bureaucracy pull it off? -- For Los Angeles County, this effort has already included acquiring 16 ultra-cold storage freezers to be installed across the region. They can store tens of thousands of doses at temperatures as low as minus 86 degrees Celsius. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

• Every California county’s coronavirus case rate in one interactive chart -- The novel coronavirus has plagued each of California’s 58 counties, but as early outbreaks proved, the spread of the virus can vary greatly from county to county. This chart shows the new case rate for each county since late March. Harriet Blair Rowan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/20

L.A. is facing the most dangerous moment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s how we got here -- According to the Los Angeles Times’ independent tally of cases, nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases were reported, continuing an unprecedented climb in the spread of disease and precariously placing L.A. County on a path to even more stringent disease control measures, including the return of a stay-at-home order. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

Rural California, Sacramento hospitals brace for crush of COVID-19 patients. Are they ready? -- Sprawling, sparsely populated Siskiyou County along California’s northern border hit a milestone this week. After months of dodging a major COVID-19 outbreak, seven people were hospitalized with coronavirus infections, and the number of available ICU beds briefly dropped to zero. Jason Pohl and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/20

As COVID-19 surges in Sacramento, teachers call for stronger safety measures before reopening -- The leaders of nearly every teachers union in Sacramento County are calling for public schools to remain closed while COVID-19 infection rates are surging and are demanding more transparency from health and school officials about positive virus tests in districts. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/20

Negative COVID-19 test ‘not a passport’ to travel, officials warn, as demand surges -- California residents who think a negative coronavirus test gives them the greenlight to travel this holiday season should think again, officials say. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

A lot of questions, concerns about LAUSD’s COVID-19 testing program for student-athletes -- The Los Angeles Unified School District received a positive reaction from coaches, athletes and parents when it laid out its plan in October for sports to return to its high school campuses after being shut down since March by the coronavirus pandemic. Tarek Fattal in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 11/20/20

How one San Francisco venue is partying through the pandemic -- For instance, each pod of attendees at their events gets its own marked-off space on the street, everyone gets temperature checks at the door, and people are allowed indoors only to use the restrooms. To make sure guests follow the rules, security guards monitor the crowds. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20

Back to Street  

Garcetti’s signature homeless program shelters thousands, but most return to the streets -- In the spring of 2018, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti put his personal stamp on the city’s response to homelessness by announcing a departure from its primary focus of building permanent housing. Garcetti proposed to open a homeless shelter in each of L.A.'s 15 council districts. Benjamin Oreskes, Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

Jobs  

California unemployment rate falls below 10% for first time since March, but gains could be temporary -- The state has regained less than half of the non-farm jobs lost during the March and April due to the pandemic, according to the state’s Employment Development Department. This marks the first time since March California has seen unemployment below 10%. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20