Updating . .   

California COVID-19 plunges to new lows, fueling hope big reopening won’t bring new surge -- California will fully reopen its economy next Tuesday under remarkably favorable conditions, with the COVID-19 risk rapidly receding and new cases being reported at the lowest levels in 14 months. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

Officials raise alarms about another respiratory virus as COVID-19 fades -- As COVID-19 fades, officials are warning about a rise of a different respiratory virus — usually a problem in the fall-and-winter cold season — that may be making a comeback as spring fades into summer. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

County health agencies — fighting disease — also have to fight for state funds -- As the governor and lawmakers wrangle over the budget, local public health departments are underfunded and overwhelmed. Outdated equipment and insufficient staff hamper handling of everything from asthma to syphilis. Barbara Feder Ostrov and Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters Adam Beam Associated Press -- 6/11/21

The delta coronavirus variant has California experts worried. Here's what you need to know -- Also known by its scientific name, B.1.617.2, the variant was first detected in India in December, and experts believe it caused the devastating surge in coronavirus infections in the country over recent months. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

L.A. teachers union pact mandates masks and coronavirus tests for all this fall -- Masks will remain on for students and staff at Los Angeles schools this fall, and coronavirus testing will continue for all, under a tentative agreement announced Thursday between district officials and the teachers union. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

Q&A: California reopens next week — Can I trash all my COVID masks? -- California is set to hit a major milestone Tuesday when progress against the deadly coronavirus will allow the state to reopen. But don’t throw the masks away just yet, even if you’re vaccinated. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/11/21

Open  

California Capitol to reopen to the public next week after long COVID-19 restrictions -- On June 15, the Capitol will allow 500 members of the public to be in the building at any given time, Legislative leaders announced Friday. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/21

These 7 Sacramento museums will still require masks due to low local COVID vaccine rate -- A group of seven museums in Sacramento, including the Crocker Art Museum, announced Friday they will continue to require all visitors to wear masks beyond Tuesday, when state and local health officials are set to loosen face covering restrictions for the fully vaccinated. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/21

Heat  

First heat wave of the season to bake Southern California amid worsening drought -- Amid worrisome drought conditions plaguing much of the American West, the first heat wave of the season is headed to Southern California. The National Weather Service warned of the potential for record-breaking heat, beginning Monday and stretching late into next week. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

Water  

How dire is the drought? One of California's biggest reservoirs could hit its lowest level ever -- Normally at this time of year, workers at Lake Oroville’s two marinas are preparing for a deluge of visitors eager to spend the summer lazing on houseboats, zipping across the water on speed boats or cruising the sprawling lake’s rocky nooks and coves in search of salmon. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Street  

FBI wants to keep fortune in cash, gold, jewels from Beverly Hills raid. Is it abuse of power? -- When FBI agents asked for permission to rip hundreds of safe deposit boxes from the walls of a Beverly Hills business and haul them away, U.S. Magistrate Steve Kim set some strict limits on the raid. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

Deliveryman in viral Pacific Heights video shared experience after hearing other couriers talk about harassment -- A deliveryman whose viral video captured what he called “everyday” racial harassment in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights told The Chronicle on Thursday that he decided to publicly share the video after discussing discrimination with other bicycle couriers. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Policy & Politics 

Recall fever strikes California as angry voters take on politicians in large numbers -- After nearly 20 years on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, Linda Parks thought her last political campaign was behind her. But Parks, a Republican-turned-political-independent who will be termed out of office at the end of next year, has once again found herself suiting up for political battle. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

California cities kick back sales tax to online retailers. Proposed law aims to show how much -- A bill moving through the Legislature aims to reveal how much money California cities are losing out to a group of local governments that gave tax-sharing deals to e-commerce giants like Amazon in bids to court warehouse jobs for their communities. Isabella Bloom in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/21

Immigration  

U.S. illegally pushes Mexican migrant children back over border without access to protection: report -- Amnesty International outlines how the U.S. treats unaccompanied migrant children from Mexico different from other nationalities, denying a chance to request asylum. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/11/21

Also . . .   

Can California Realtors tackle a housing shortage, rising prices and inequality? -- Dave Walsh bought his first property in 1980, a modest three-bedroom house in San Jose for $67,500. Decades later, Walsh has climbed up the property and career ladders. That modest home he used to own is worth $1.2 million, and Walsh now serves as president of the California Association of Realtors. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/11/21

L.A. Times’ Robert Greene awarded Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing -- Robert Greene of the Los Angeles Times was awarded the Pulitzer Prize on Friday for a series of editorials that advanced the cause of criminal justice reform, in a year when that subject moved to the front of the political agenda in much of America. James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

 

California Policy and Politics Friday Morning  

California's shifting rules on masks and workplace safety confuse, frustrate businesses -- With strict statewide workplace masking and social distancing rules now in place until the end of the month, many businesses are frustrated and confused as the state moves to do away with masks in most other situations and fully reopen next week. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

California debates public health spending as virus recedes -- But left out of the governor’s $267.8 billion budget proposal last month: Money to rebuild local public health departments, whose staffing shortages and fragmented funding were exposed by the coronavirus, impeding a more coordinated response to the crisis. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 6/11/21

When and where do I need to wear a mask in California, before and after June 15? -- Under the new “Beyond the Blueprint” framework, the state’s mask mandate will change — but some confusion has surrounded the rules, especially for the workplace. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

California's high-speed rail project to get back nearly $1 billion in federal funding that Trump cut -- California will receive $929 million in grant funding toward its high-speed rail project — funding that former President Donald Trump had previously canceled in 2019 — under a deal announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office late Thursday night. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Vaccine  

California vaccine lottery winner thought call from state 'was a joke' -- Gov. Gavin Newsom identified one of the first 15 winners of the state’s $50,000 lottery for residents who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 — a man named Tony who said he initially dismissed the news as a gag. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Kaiser launches COVID-19 vaccine trial for children 5 to 11 in Northern California -- It’s been a hard year for 11-year-old Luci Guardino. Distance learning wasn’t easy, and she missed being able to have her friends over. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

Open  

Cases double in Sonoma County ahead of June 15 reopening -- Sonoma County is officially in the orange tier of the state’s color-coded risk system. But over the past week, its numbers have slipped closer to red tier status, indicating substantial virus spread. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

School  

L.A. teachers union pact mandates masks and coronavirus tests for all this fall -- Masks will remain on for students and staff at Los Angeles schools this fall, and coronavirus testing will continue for all, under a tentative agreement announced Thursday between district officials and the teachers union. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 6/11/21

Bay Area school reopenings still have cloud of uncertainty despite unity from health officials -- The 10 Bay Area health officers stood on the steps of a San Francisco Mission District middle school, unmasked, hugging, kissing cheeks and shaking hands, together for the first time since they ordered the region’s residents to shelter in place more than a year ago. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Water  

Nearly all the Bay Area is now in 'exceptional' drought category - and the outlook's grim -- The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that seven of the Bay Area’s nine counties moved to the “exceptional” drought category in the last week. San Mateo and Santa Clara counties remained in “extreme” drought, the second-worst category, as of Tuesday. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Capitol Siege   

Former O.C. police chief, five others indicted on Capitol riot conspiracy charges -- Two Orange County extremists — a former police chief and his partner in organizing Stop the Steal rallies — have been indicted along with members of the Three Percenters militia for their roles in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Anita Chabria, Paige St. John, Richard Winton, Hannah Fry, Del Quentin Wilber in the Los Angeles Times$ Alanna Durkin Richer Associated Press Spencer S. Hsu and Rachel Weiner in the Washington Post$ -- 6/11/21

Rocklin man indicted in U.S. Capitol siege is one of four Sacramento-area defendants -- The seven-count indictment filed Thursday in federal court in Washington charges Tommy Frederick Allan with obstruction of an official proceeding, theft of government property, entering and remaining on the floor of Congress and other charges related to the siege of the Capitol that day. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/21

Policy & Politics 

Democrats push for speedy Newsom recall as new analysis pegs cost at $215 million -- An analysis released Thursday projects the recall election against Gov. Gavin Newsom will cost at least $215 million, less than what elections officials initially estimated but a large enough price tag that local governments across California will need the state to pick up the tab. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/11/21

California isn't building enough charging stations for electric cars -- That’s the conclusion of a report released this week by the California Energy Commission, which found that charging infrastructure isn’t being built fast enough in the state to meet its lofty transportation and climate change goals. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

S.F. Supervisor Aaron Peskin says he's entering alcohol treatment after complaints -- San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin said Thursday he is in treatment for alcohol use, a day after The Chronicle asked him to respond to complaints about his behavior, including allegations that he was under the influence during a Board of Supervisors meeting. Mallory Moench, Heather Knight, Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Street  

O.C. Fire Authority’s 1st female pilot cites ‘boys club mentality’ in discrimination suit -- Helicopter pilot Desiree Horton had more aerial firefighting experience than any of her colleagues at the Orange County Fire Authority when she arrived from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection two years ago to become the local agency’s first female pilot. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

'He scares me': VTA releases personnel report showing mass shooter was subject of 4 investigations -- The workplace history of the man who shot and killed nine co-workers in a San Jose rail yard last month shows glimpses of an uncooperative and combative employee, a man whose behavior once led a co-worker to say she feared Samuel James Cassidy could “go postal.” Julie Johnson, Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Workplace  

Black city employees accuse Long Beach of racial discrimination in lawsuit -- One man was accused of stealing batteries. Another served as the only Black manager among seven departmental managers. One woman stayed in the same unclassified position, at risk of losing her job at any moment, for 19 years. One was told she was part of her department’s “problem children.” And another saw her raise revoked because of an alleged mistake in salary calculations. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

The fallout from the Bay Area restaurant labor shortage? Complaints of slow service and 'Karen' Yelp reviews -- The sign posted at Concord’s Gen Korean BBQ was meant as an explanation, even an apology, to diners dealing with long waits or other service issues. A staffing shortage was to blame, it said, and asked customers to “not pull a ‘Karen’ and write us a bad Yelp review, as we are trying our best to maintain great service.” Elena Kadvany in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Landlords and Tenants  

California says changes ahead for rental relief program -- After widespread criticism from tenants and landlords, state officials said Thursday they plan to streamline applications and step-up outreach efforts to more quickly deliver $2.6 billion in emergency rental assistance. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/11/21

Education  

S.F. police investigate alleged theft of petitions in signature drive to recall school board members -- Police said that about 11:20 a.m. on May 30, officers responded to a reported theft at Third Avenue and Clement Street and spoke to a campaign volunteer who said a man approached him during the signature drive, took the petition paperwork and then walked away. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

LA Unified expands early literacy program -- After months of distance learning, literacy assessments at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year showed faltering reading levels among Los Angeles Unified’s youngest students. But a new program aims to change that. Betty Márquez Rosales EdSource -- 6/11/21

Fire  

PG&E's new CEO faces her greatest test yet - the coming fire season -- When Patti Poppe took the reins of PG&E Corp. in January, she assumed a sobering double challenge: rehabilitating one of the most criminally convicted companies in U.S. history while confronting climate change. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/21

Develop  

Huge apartment, condo project to go up near Union City BART station -- Almost 1,000 apartments and condominiums will be built near BART’s Union City Station after the the City Council this week approved the big development. The project by Newport Beach-based developer Integral Communities also will feature nearly 31,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space that could include a grocery store. Joseph Geha in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/11/21

Also . . .   

State bar admits ‘mistakes’ in handling years of complaints against Tom Girardi -- The State Bar of California acknowledged Thursday that its investigators had mishandled years of complaints against disgraced legal titan and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast member Tom Girardi. Harriet Ryan, Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

Long Beach replaces rainbow lifeguard tower, a symbol of pride, burned in suspected arson -- When Long Beach resident Rich Charley heard on the morning of March 23 that the city’s rainbow lifeguard tower had been destroyed in a fire, he decided to see the smoky skeletal remains for himself. Myung Chun, Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

L.A. Times seeks to make depositions public in sexual harassment case involving former Garcetti aide -- The Los Angeles Times has asked a judge to make public testimony in a lawsuit in which an LAPD officer alleges he was sexually harassed by Mayor Eric Garcetti’s former advisor. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/21

Thursday Updates   

Newsom slams judge who overturned California's assault weapons ban as state appeals ruling -- State officials are appealing a federal judge’s ruling last week that declared California’s assault weapons ban unconstitutional, pitching the state into a fresh legal battle over a prohibition that has been in place for 32 years. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Proposed tax on California gun sales resurfaces after Democrats blocked it -- Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, said he’ll revive the effort on Thursday, a week after it failed to gain enough Democratic votes to clear the Assembly. He said he’s hoping a logistical change to Assembly Bill 1223 will buy him time to lobby for it. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/21

Skelton: California is sitting on a massive surplus. It’s time for Newsom to spend on gun control -- Sacramento’s vault is overflowing with tax money, and a big chunk of it should be spent on efforts to reduce shooting deaths. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Vaccine  

You’ll still need a mask at work after California’s COVID reopening on June 15. Here’s why -- A California state board on Wednesday withdrew proposed updates to its COVID workplace safety rule, meaning the current regulation — which requires masks to be worn at all times indoors, as well as outdoors if less than six feet away from others — will stay in effect for now. The proposed updates had called for relaxing masking and social distancing requirements and letting workers not wear masks indoors if everyone else around them is fully vaccinated. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/21

Who can stop wearing masks, and where: California’s COVID reopening rules explained -- With California set to reopen its economy fully on June 15, wearing a mask will become optional in many public settings. After weeks of discussions, officials on Wednesday offered the clearest outline yet of what is to come. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Can you spread COVID if you’re vaccinated, have no symptoms and test positive? -- For much of the pandemic, the keen sensitivity of the primary test for COVID-19 has been a blessing, detecting even small amounts of the virus that can spread silently among people who might not feel sick. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/10/21

Cannabis dispensary offering 1-cent products as COVID-19 vaccine incentives -- Add cheap weed to California’s growing list of vaccination incentives. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Virus  

The new coronavirus Delta variant: Why some are worried, and some are not -- As California heads to a full reopening on Tuesday, federal officials are expressing concerns about the highly infectious Delta variant circulating in the U.S. and dozens of other countries worldwide. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

School  

Bay Area school reopenings still have cloud of uncertainty despite unity from health officials -- Yet across California and in some Bay Area communities, doubts linger about what classes will look like in the fall and whether there will be enough wiggle room in state law for districts to limit a return to in-person instruction. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/21

Policy & Politics 

Newsom recall will cost California taxpayers $215 million, state officials say -- An analysis released Thursday projects the recall election against Gov. Gavin Newsom will cost at least $215 million, less than what elections officials initially estimated but a large enough price tag that local governments across California will need the state to pick up the tab. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Forgetting Joe Manchin: Democrats ran on bipartisanship and some are regretting it -- Democrats might want to think twice about ripping West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin for wanting to appear bipartisan — many of them ran on a promise to do the same. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/21

Katie Hill fights to make revenge porn a federal crime and ponders another run for office -- Katie Hill has faced deep lows since resigning from Congress after nude images of her were disseminated around the globe without her consent. She feared for her physical safety during her divorce; she had suicidal ideation, nightmares, mounting legal debt and anxiety about being recognized. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Caitlyn Jenner, once an ‘American hero,’ struggles to win support from California voters -- Caitlyn Jenner’s initial ascent into American social strata was astronomical. Before 1976, she was relatively unknown: a dyslexic kid from Westchester, New York, who had traveled to Iowa on a football scholarship before heading to California to pursue athletic glory. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/21

White, Asian families have most to gain if Congress restores tax break Trump capped, report says -- Black and Hispanic families in California would get far less of a benefit than white and Asian households if Congress repeals the federal income tax deduction limits on state and local taxes, a study of the impact finds. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/21

Will psychedelics become legal in California? -- Amid growing scientific research into therapeutic uses for psychedelic drugs and a progressive push to soften punishment for drug crimes, California lawmakers are considering a bill to legalize magic mushrooms, Ecstasy and several other hallucinogenic substances. Marissa Garcia CalMatters -- 6/10/21

Street  

‘He scares me’: VTA documents show coworker worried future mass shooter could ‘go postal’ -- Samuel Cassidy’s workplace behavior was investigated four times before May 26 shooting. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/10/21

Jobs  

California unemployment claims: fewest since COVID closures began -- California workers filed the fewest unemployment claims since just before government agencies began to order wide-ranging business shutdowns to combat the coronavirus, a welcome counterpoint to the dreary statewide economy. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/10/21

Housing  

Lumber is wildly expensive now. Even picnic table prices are through the roof -- The cost of a common commodity has scrambled summer plans, and it’s not gas: Soaring lumber prices are making new homes, renovations and even simple picnic tables drastically more expensive. Andrew Khouri, Carly Olson, Andrew Mendez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Sacramento’s latest answer to inflated rents: These downtown apartments are 267 square feet -- There’s a growing belief that one answer to Sacramento’s soaring rents and to the state’s affordable housing crisis is to think small. Really small. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/21

Homeless  

Q&A: How Councilman Mike Bonin plans to fix Venice’s homelessness crisis -- After spending weeks reporting on the homelessness crisis in Venice, Times reporters Benjamin Oreskes and Doug Smith sat down with Councilman Mike Bonin, who has represented the area since 2013. Benjamin Oreskes, Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Education  

California has the largest drop in spring college enrollment numbers in the nation -- California leads the nation with the largest drop in spring 2021 college enrollment numbers largely due to a steep decline in community college students, who have particularly struggled with pandemic hardships, according to a report released Thursday. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/21

Develop  

Developers funded Sacramento County climate action plan. Environmentalists see a conflict -- Sacramento County leaned on developers last year to help fund its long-delayed climate action plan, raising conflict of interest concerns among environmentalists who say the early drafts do not have enough detail to be an effective blueprint for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Michael Finch II in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/10/21