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California’s biggest heat wave of the year heightens drought and fire fears -- With a worsening drought gripping the West and wildfire season looming, California is bracing for the most severe heat wave of the year — one that promises to tax the state’s power supplies while also offering a grim preview of challenging months to come. Hayley Smith, Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

More than half of all eligible Californians are fully vaccinated -- More than half of Californians 12 and older, the current minimum age to be eligible for one of the vaccines against COVID-19, are fully inoculated, a significant milestone just days before the state’s major lifting of pandemic restrictions on June 15. Leonardo Castañeda in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/12/21

California moves to rescind dozens of emergency COVID-19 actions as reopening nears -- California has finalized plans for its full economic reopening next week, beginning the process of unwinding more than a year of pandemic-related restrictions and emergency actions while continuing efforts to persuade the skeptical and reluctant to get vaccinated. Luke Money, Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/12/21

Finally, Bay Area hospitals shutter COVID wards as threat of coronavirus recedes -- They’re dismantling triage tents and flipping COVID wings into overflow maternity wards. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/12/21

Here’s how Bay Area sports fans will be affected by state’s June 15 re-opening -- Oakland Athletics, SF Giants to immediately allow maskless fans at games, other Bay Area teams’ plans awaiting governor’s announcement Tuesday. Jon Becker in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/12/21

How California theme parks will verify visitors have been vaccinated -- Coronavirus guidelines call for Disney, Universal and other California theme parks to verify that visitors have been vaccinated once the state’s economy fully reopens on June 15 — but what does that mean and how are the parks supposed to pull off that massive undertaking? Brady MacDonald in the Orange County Register -- 6/12/21

Homeless  

Something surprising happened in Oakland when a homeless man organized a community discussion -- Nino Parker, who’s been homeless in Oakland for years, had a new set of worries in October when the city passed a policy that bars homeless people from living in encampments in parks and near homes. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

Lopez: The homeless situation in Venice is complicated. But that’s no excuse for inaction -- Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin, who finds himself at the center of a raging storm over homelessness in his district, isn’t surprised that so many of his constituents on the Westside are livid. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Policy & Politics 

These big banks were the least likely to serve Bay Area communities of color with PPP loans -- The economic crisis triggered by COVID-19 pummeled small businesses across the nation, especially those without safety nets and access to credit. To alleviate those struggles, Congress established the Paycheck Protection Program, designed to provide forgivable loans to needy businesses at no interest. Yoohyun Jung, Nami Sumida in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

City Hall silence: Why did so many stay quiet about Supervisor Aaron Peskin's behavior? -- Supervisor Aaron Peskin has bullied and berated people for years — often in front of his colleagues in public meetings, but nobody did much about it. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

Street  

Police I.D. driver suspected of plowing into outdoor diners, killing one -- San Jose police have identified the driver who allegedly crashed into an outdoor dining area of a sports bar in the Willow Glen neighborhood on Friday night, killing one person and injuring two. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

Preliminary injunction granted restricting L.A. County Sheriff’s Department use of force at protests -- A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction limiting the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s use of projectiles and chemical agents at protests, finding that it has indiscriminately fired them at peaceful protesters, legal observers and journalists. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Unstable Ground  

Here’s what would happen if a huge quake hit Los Angeles -- If a large earthquake ruptures the San Andreas fault, the death toll could approach 2,000, and the shaking could lead to damage in every city in Southern California — from Palm Springs to San Luis Obispo, seismologist Lucy Jones has said. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

What to do during and immediately after an earthquake -- California natives know the drill: During an earthquake, drop to the floor and cover your neck and head with your hands. If you can, get underneath a table and hold on until the shaking stops. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Japan and Mexico have earthquake early-warning systems. How does California’s compare? -- When it comes to building a state-of-the-art earthquake early warning system, California is behind. Victoria Kim, Kate Linthicum, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

We unboxed 4 premade earthquake kits, from $30 to $300 -- Everyone needs an earthquake kit. When the big one hits, you’ll need basic supplies, food and water to last you at least a couple of days until help arrives. Jenn Harris in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Earthquake apps: Which ones are worth downloading? -- Apps cannot predict when and where an earthquake will strike, but there is a relatively new early warning system for the U.S. West Coast. Those warnings will come through an app called MyShake. Madalyn Amato in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Your guide to retrofitting your home for earthquakes -- Picture this: You’ve just bought and moved into your first home. You’ve found the right shade of eggshell paint for the walls and family pictures have been hung. Madalyn Amato in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

How earthquakes happen: The science of a shake -- Californians have no doubt seen warnings about a major earthquake in headlines, science textbooks, Hollywood and more for years. And experts say we’re overdue. But to prepare for the Big One, it will help to know what one is. Madalyn Amato in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Lucy Jones says this is the most important thing you can do to prepare for a quake -- People, not kits. If you really want to be ready for the next big earthquake, forget the earthquake kit and go talk to your neighbors. Lucy Jones in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Boom  

Here’s what might have caused the latest mystery boom over San Diego -- The window-rattling boom that shuddered through parts of San Diego county Tuesday may have been — could have been— the result of aircraft from MCAS Miramar training over the ocean. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/12/21

Also . . .   

Pentagon adds ‘Ghost Fleet’ of autonomous ships to San Diego’s cutting-edge Navy squadron -- Late last month, the Nomad pulled into San Diego harbor after a 4,000-mile voyage from the Gulf of Mexico. The long, flat-bed ship was utterly nondescript — except for the fact that it had navigated nearly the entire trip on its own, without the aid of a human pilot. Andrew Dyer in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/12/21

California Policy and Politics Saturday Morning  

Masks for unvaccinated workers, not for vaccinated: new Cal/OSHA proposal -- Under new roles proposed by a beleaguered state board Friday, vaccinated workers in California will be able to cast aside their face coverings, but unvaccinated workers will have to continue to wear masks. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/12/21

California governor pledges consistent workplace mask rules -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that he’s confident the state’s workplace regulators will soon fall in line with California’s plan to drop virtually all masking and social distancing requirements next week for people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 6/12/21

No more tiers. Gavin Newsom signs order to officially end most COVID rules Tuesday -- There will still be some areas where everyone will be required to wear masks, including public transit, schools and prisons, but people will be able to ditch their masks in most settings under the loosened rules. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/12/21

Some Southern Californians are anxious — not excited — about June 15 reopening -- Nazia Siddiquei is happy that California is reopening Tuesday, June 15, because she wants the economy to be strong again. At the same time, the Corona woman is anxious. David Downey in the Orange County Register -- 6/12/21

S.F. to require vaccination for high-risk workplaces, stricter rules for indoor mega-events -- San Francisco will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for employees at hospitals, skilled nursing homes, residential care facilities, shelters and jails, and will go beyond state safety requirements for indoor events with more than 5,000 attendees, according to a new health order posted Friday. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

High Bay Area Vaccination Rates Likely to Tamp Down Future COVID-19 Outbreaks -- The Bay Area continues to outpace most of the country in terms of vaccination rates. Other key contenders include the state of Vermont and the city of Seattle. Marin County is leading the nine Bay Area counties with 78% of all residents at least partially vaccinated. San Francisco is next in line with 72%. Lesley McClurg KQED -- 6/12/21

School  

Schools Can Reopen Safely If They Follow Protocols, According to UCSF Study -- Researchers with UCSF say a safe return to schools in-person this fall depends a lot on how well those schools stick to an array of COVID-19 mitigation measures. Julia McEvoy KQED -- 6/12/21

Policy & Politics 

California reopens, but COVID emergency lives on. Why Newsom won't end it yet -- Even as Gov. Gavin Newsom lifts the most stringent pandemic restrictions on public life in California, he will keep in place the underlying state of emergency that has been the foundation for 15 months of coronavirus guidelines. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

California approaches budget deadline with a bill — but no deal -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers are gearing up to spend record amounts to address California's most intractable problems, but the sheer amount of cash is proving too much to handle. Debra Kahn Politico -- 6/12/21

Apple reaffirms privacy stance amid Trump probe revelations -- Seeking to protect its image as a guardian of personal privacy, Apple maintains it was blindsided and handcuffed by a Trump administration probe that resulted in the company handing over phone data from two Democratic congressmen. Michael Liedtke Associated Press -- 6/12/21

Former Garcetti aide says he might have hugged but never harassed -- Rick Jacobs, a former aide to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, has denied ever sexually harassing anyone, but conceded that he may have hugged the officer suing the city over Jacobs’ alleged behavior. He also said he may have made sexual jokes in front of the mayor’s security detail. Dakota Smith, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

San Diego Republican Party disinvites Union-Tribune from campaign event -- The county political party will host Caitlyn Jenner and other Republican gubernatorial candidates, but had conditions for coverage. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/12/21

Levin seeks ban on recurring donation tactic made famous by Trump -- Rep. Mike Levin is leading a push to ban campaign contributions that recur unless donors opt out, a tactic that federal regulators have decried as misleading after former President Donald Trump aggressively used the approach last year. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 6/12/21

Street  

Catalytic converter thieves shoot 12-year-old child in Oakland during confrontation by car owner -- A 12-year-old child was shot and wounded in Oakland early Friday morning after someone in their home threw a chair at people trying to steal the catalytic converter from their car, police said. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

Judge questions state’s request to drop most rape charges against O.C. surgeon and girlfriend -- An Orange County Superior Court judge Friday questioned the state attorney general office’s proposal to dismiss most of the rape charges filed against a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend, again delaying a decision and suggesting state prosecutors who replaced the district attorney’s office may be not up to the task. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

L.A. city attorney won’t charge 179 protesters, journalists arrested in Echo Park -- Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer will not file criminal charges against 179 protesters, journalists and legal observers who were arrested for failing to disperse from an Echo Park protest in March, his office confirmed Friday. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

City attorney declines to charge homeless Black man beaten during La Jolla arrest -- The San Diego City Attorney’s Office announced Friday that it will not file charges against a homeless Black man who was punched repeatedly in the head and legs during his arrest by two San Diego police officers in La Jolla, a decision cheered by his supporters. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/12/21

Eviction  

Evicted: A Girl’s Story -- As the pandemic ends, many California families are being forced out of their homes. Bre-Anna Valenzuela just wanted to keep hers together. Lizzie Johnson, Gabrielle Lurie in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

Workplace  

Southern California News Group journalists vote to unionize, joining labor wave -- Staffers at 11 Southern California newspapers, including the Orange County Register, voted Friday to unionize, joining a wave of newsrooms turning to organized labor amid job cuts and uncertainty in the newspaper industry. Carly Olson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Judge says Uber’s driver-rating system may be racist -- In a hearing this week about a lawsuit against the Bay Area ride-hailing giant by an Asian driver claiming the star-based ratings system puts non-white drivers at risk of termination, San Francisco U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria said that “the inference that Uber’s practice is racially discriminatory is … strong,” according to a new report. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/12/21

Power  

A heat wave is looming. Will there be enough power? -- A looming heat wave that is forecast to hit much of the Western Region next week may result in power outages, according to a heat bulletin Friday from the state’s California Independent System Operator, which monitors the power grid. Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/12/21

Water  

Drought prompts National Park Service to truck in water for Point Reyes elk -- The nearly 300 tule elk that roam the headlands of Tomales Point, and provide wildlife viewing for millions of visitors, usually rely on stock ponds and natural creeks, which are drying up after two years of extraordinarily little rain. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

Unstable Ground  

These are some of the major earthquake risks facing California -- It’s been three decades since two disastrous earthquakes shook California into looking more seriously at its seismic vulnerabilities. In 1989, Northern California was rocked by the Loma Prieta quake. Five years later, the Northridge quake hit Southern California. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/21

Guns  

Feinstein's support of Judge Benitez way back in 2004 turns around and bites her in 2021 -- When President George W. Bush’s nomination of Roger Benitez to a new federal judgeship in San Diego came under attack in 2004, the nominee drew crucial support from one of Congress’ most vocal advocates of gun control: Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

'America's Disease': Gun Violence, Gun Control and Where California Goes From Here -- In late May, a gunman opened fire at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light rail yard in San Jose, killing nine workers before turning the gun on himself. The following week — on National Gun Violence Awareness Day — a federal judge in San Diego overturned California's 32-year-old ban on assault weapons, ruling it a violation of the constitutional right to bear arms. Matthew Green KQED -- 6/12/21

Develop  

A's 'surprised' Oakland may consider plan by new group to buy half of Coliseum site -- An Oakland-based developer focused on creating economic opportunity for the Black community is offering to purchase the city’s share of the sprawling Coliseum site for $92.5 million — the latest twist in the saga over the A’s current home and the team’s future in the city. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

Howard Terminal: Key dates and negotiations around A's new ballpark -- The future of Major League Baseball in the East Bay might be at stake. The Oakland Athletics have been looking to resolve their stadium situation for years, but their latest proposal -- to build a new ballpark at Howard Terminal in the Jack London Square neighborhood on the waterfront -- is currently under consideration by the Oakland City Council. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/21

Also . . .   

Highway 99 closed through south Sacramento for bridge replacement. Here’s what to know -- A four-mile stretch of Highway 99 in south Sacramento was shutdown at 8 p.m. Friday for a Caltrans construction project, and it will stay closed for more than four days. Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/12/21