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California attorney general launches teams to investigate fatal police shootings of civilians -- The state Department of Justice has opened field offices throughout California to investigate police shootings that kill unarmed civilians, and has told law enforcement agencies and county prosecutors that they must notify the state whenever such incidents occur, Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said Wednesday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

With Delta variant spreading, how worried should fully vaccinated people be? -- There is widespread scientific consensus that fully vaccinated people have an excellent chance of being protected from severe illness or death from any coronavirus strain, including Delta. In Los Angeles County, 99.8% of people who have died from the coronavirus since December have not been vaccinated. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

California has $5.2 billion in COVID aid to help you pay rent, utility debts. How to apply -- Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law to extend the state’s eviction moratorium through September and boost funding for a rent relief program set up to keep tenants and landlords out of debt. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/7/21

Mothers struggle to return to work as California reopens -- By May, employment among working women without children had almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, while mothers with school-aged children lagged more than 6% behind, according to an independent analysis by Misty L. Heggeness, a principal economist at the U.S. Census Bureau. Jesse Bedayn CalMatters -- 7/7/21

Policy & Politics 

California Republicans feud over party direction ahead of high-stakes recall -- California Republicans finally have the Gov. Gavin Newsom recall election they've dreamed about, but an emerging dilemma could divide their ranks: whether to endorse one candidate. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 7/7/21

Judge rejects bid to overturn rules that speed up release of California prisoners -- A judge in Sacramento tentatively rejected a request Tuesday by 44 California district attorneys who were seeking an order halting the state’s early release of thousands of inmates, but says there is a “likelihood” that the prosecutors ultimately will prevail. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/7/21

New poll numbers indicate S.F. board members in danger if recall election is held -- Siva Raj often receives gifts of thanks when he’s at farmers’ markets collecting signatures to qualify a recall effort of three San Francisco school board members for the ballot. Coffee, doughnuts, cookies, strawberries. “Everything!” he said with a laugh. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

'How can we help?': S.F. schools embrace customer service line to solve problems during pandemic -- When the pandemic hit and San Francisco schools closed, the chaos was overwhelming, with families and staff floundering to figure out technology, schedules, food distribution, and support for disabled or depressed students. District officials decided to do what is a no-brainer for companies and corporations: They set up a customer service help line. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

After decades of fighting and freeways, Orange County is finally getting a streetcar -- As metropolitan areas around California were building urban rail systems over the last few decades, one was a notable holdout: Orange County. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

Trump files suit against Facebook, Twitter and YouTube -- Former President Donald Trump has filed suit against three of the country’s biggest tech companies, claiming he and other conservatives have been wrongfully censored. Jill Colvin and Matt O'Brien Associated Press -- 7/7/21

McManus: Biden knows Afghanistan will get uglier. No wonder he’d rather not talk about it -- Last week, when reporters asked President Biden whether he worried that Afghanistan’s government might collapse in the face of Taliban military advances, he responded with ill-concealed annoyance. “I want to talk about happy things,” he said. Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

Street  

A place to sleep, party and kill: Abandoned L.A. buildings become MS-13 gang ‘destroyers’ -- It looked like just another tired apartment building on Rampart Boulevard. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

L.A. reels from alarming spike in killings, shootings amid fears of a violent summer -- A bloody Fourth of July weekend that left a dozen people dead across Los Angeles accelerated an already troubling increase in homicides and shootings in 2021, with some of the city’s poorest communities suffering the heaviest toll. Richard Winton, Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

Suburban police killings are more common yet face less scrutiny in Bay Area -- The reasons are complicated, but the reality is unsettling: more deaths in areas with fewer mechanisms to bring justice to families, transparency to the public or robust investigations of the officers involved. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Oakland surveillance video shows attempted armed robbery of news crew -- Police said they were seeking the public’s help in locating the two suspects believed to be involved in the incident, in which two men tried to rob the news crew at gunpoint as the crew attempted to film on the 100 block of 14th Street on the afternoon of June 28. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Illegal fireworks found inside California ice cream truck -- An ice cream truck in Pittsburg, Calif., was carrying more than just frozen treats. After a tip from a parent, police say they found a stash of M-1000 fireworks and other firecrackers in the truck Friday. Chris Kuo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

San Juan Capistrano man gets 156 years for sexual assaults on girl, 16, and woman, 19 -- A 45-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 156 years to life in state prison for sexual assaults on a 16-year-old girl in a garage in San Juan Capistrano and a young woman in her car at an Irvine gas station within a five-week period in 2016. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 7/7/21

Therapy that pays meth users to abstain backed by California lawmakers in face of federal regulatory roadblock -- In his many attempts to overcome a methamphetamine addiction that ground through two decades of his life, Tyrone Clifford Jr. remembers well the closest he came. “The most success I had,” he said, “is when my dealer was in jail.” Mark Kreidler in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Housing  

Inside one city’s multimillion-dollar effort to convert motels into affordable housing -- State-funding efforts to shelter unhoused residents in converted motels could be a game-changer for Motel Drive, an area of Fresno that city leaders say has long been overrun by drugs, human trafficking, and prostitution. Melissa Montalvo CalMatters -- 7/7/21

Are Bay Area rents bouncing back? What you need to know -- As California made reopening plans over the last three months, average prices for one-bedroom apartments climbed throughout the region, up 2.9% in San Jose, 3.6% in Oakland and 5.3% in San Francisco, according to listing site Zumper. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/7/21

Education  

Sacramento-area school official investigated for fraud. Was someone else to blame? -- On June 3, Chris Evans, the superintendent of Natomas Unified School District, had a one-on-one check-in with Ericka Harden. It was a routine talk with the recently elected school board member, though the backdrop for it was anything but. Jason Pohl and Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/7/21

USC’s presidential mansion sells for $25 million, a San Marino record -- The USC presidential mansion, which housed the university’s presidents for more than 40 years, just traded hands for $25 million. That’s $500,000 more than the asking price, making it the priciest home sale in San Marino history. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

Fire  

Dramatic video shows fire tornado forming over Northern California's Tennant Fire -- Dramatic footage released by the National Weather Service Wednesday shows a fire tornado whipped up by the Tennant Fire in Northern California’s Siskiyou County last month The new video of the fire tornado likely explains a swirling air mass picked up by NWS radars on June 29, the agency said. Emma Talley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Southland heat wave will bring ‘unstable’ conditions, intense fire danger -- As crews continue to combat wildfires in Northern California, the southern part of the state is preparing for extreme heat and elevated fire danger. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

Pace of California wildfires well ahead of disastrous 2020 -- The number of wildfires and amount of land burned in parched California so far this year greatly exceed totals for the same period in disastrous 2020. Between Jan. 1 and July 4 there were 4,599 fires that scorched 114.8 square miles (297 square kilometers), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Associated Press -- 7/7/21

Water  

UC Berkeley study: Marijuana farms not as thirsty as previously thought -- A recent study from the University of California Berkley Cannabis Research Center found permitted cannabis farmers are consuming less water than previously thought. The Cannabis Research Center began researching water use on cannabis farms in 2017, shortly after cannabis was legalized for recreational use in California. Isabella Vanderheiden in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/7/21

Also . . .   

Sacramento train builders to overhaul Amtrak’s fleet with Siemens’ record $3.4 billion deal -- Amtrak announced Wednesday that it would award a $3.4 billion contract to Sacramento-based Siemens Mobility to manufacture its latest line of energy-efficient trains. Amelia Davidson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/7/21

California Policy and Politics Wednesday Morning  

Mask mandate back at California Capitol after outbreak of nine new COVID cases -- The California Capitol has reinstated its mask mandate for all legislators and staff regardless of vaccination status after an outbreak of nine new COVID-19 cases was reported among employees last week. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/7/21

Can 'sniff training' restore COVID survivors' sense of smell? -- Cat Berner slid a chicken into the oven in November and turned to chopping vegetables. It didn’t take long for her roommate to come running into the kitchen of their San Francisco flat, crying, “What’s burning?” Berner whirled around. “What are you talking about?” Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Policy & Politics 

A new Republican enters California recall race to replace Gavin Newsom -- One of the California Legislature’s more vocal opponents of Gov. Gavin Newsom will run to replace him in the recall election this fall. Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, officially threw his hat in the ring Tuesday afternoon, saying he wants to “renew the meaning of ‘We the People.’” Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ Michael R. Blood Associated Press Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Walters: Should – and could – Gavin Newsom be recalled? -- Does Gavin Newsom deserve to be recalled three years into his first term as governor of California? Dan Walters CalMatters -- 7/7/21

California may move to regulate booming debt settlement industry -- A bill aims to create new rules for California’s mostly unregulated debt settlement industry. AB 1405, expected to pass through Senate committees, comes at a time when the industry expects to see a 75% increase in account enrollment. Erika Paz CalMatters -- 7/7/21

California to pay victims of forced, coerced sterilizations -- California is poised to approve reparations up to $25,000 to victims who were among the thousands of people — some as young as 13 — who decades ago were sterilized because state officials deemed them unfit to have children. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 7/7/21

When it comes to whistle-blowers like Julian Assange, Biden's actions look a lot like Trump's -- Unlike his predecessor, President Biden hasn’t called the press “the enemy of the people” or disparaged accurate but unflattering media accounts as “fake news.” He hasn’t cheered when reporters were body-slammed by a politician or shot with a rubber bullet by police. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Street  

San Diego’s most diverse police academy helps force look more like city’s population -- Two-thirds of the 48-member class launched in April are minorities, continuing a steady shift in the city’s 1,900-member police force toward matching up better with the ethnic breakdown of San Diego residents. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/7/21

LA cop cleared of wrongdoing for George Floyd ‘Valentine’ -- The Los Angeles police officer who shared a photo of George Floyd with the words “you take my breath away” in a Valentine-like format has been cleared of wrongdoing and will not face any punishment. Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 7/7/21

‘Everyone’s mother’ found dead in South L.A. home after being bound and gagged -- Shalonda Madison was eager to speak with her sister. The two were ironing out details for a memorial celebration for their mother, who had died of COVID-19. But calls to Fatima Johnson kept going to voicemail on Friday. Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

Homeless  

Jeff Kositsky stepping down from key San Francisco role in addressing homelessness -- Jeff Kositsky is stepping down as leader of San Francisco’s cross-agency effort to help people out of tent encampments, leaving a crucial role at a time when city leaders are embroiled in debate about tent encampments and use of police to deal with homelessness-related calls. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Education  

Coronado school board votes unanimously to appeal CIF ruling -- The Coronado Unified School Board voted 5-0 Tuesday to appeal the revocation of the Coronado High basketball championship title in wake of the controversial tortilla throwing incident last month. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/7/21

Critical race theory stirs debate in Southern California schools -- It has sparked heated discussion on social media and neighborhood message boards. It’s had parents swarming school board meetings in protest. Deepa Bharath in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/7/21

Mills College grads sue to block leaders from transforming historic women's school -- Graduates of the private women’s college in Oakland are asking an Alameda County Superior Court judge to issue a restraining order against Mills President Elizabeth Hillman and the college’s Board of Trustees that would stop them from advancing plans for Mills until at least 60 days after they have opened their financial books to the alumnae. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

California directs districts to offer remote independent study this fall -- With the pandemic still reverberating across California, districts must offer students an independent study option this fall, but with improvements to what was offered during the shutdown and pre-pandemic. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 7/7/21

Fire  

Evacuations ordered for Sugar fire near Plumas National Forest -- Evacuations were issued Tuesday for the Sugar fire, northeast of the community of Beckwourth by the Plumas National Forest. About 4:45 p.m., gusty winds carried the fire across a containment line, according to the Plumas National Forest. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/7/21

Wildfires threaten all of the West — and one group more than others -- The U.S. may be facing its worst wildfire season in a century, and a new analysis of census, insurance and wildfire data show Latino residents in western states face the greatest danger. Zack Colman Politico -- 7/7/21

Rural areas, counties ask for help as California fire season heats up -- Representatives of California’s counties are urging improved measures to cut wildfire risks in the state’s less populated areas, but questioned plans to impose widespread building restrictions. Jessica Hice Capitol Weekly -- 7/7/21

Guns  

Chula Vista police: 12-year-old accidentally shot himself with gun during sleepover -- A 12-year-old boy who died Saturday in Chula Vista accidentally shot himself with a gun a teen brought to a sleepover, police said. Investigators were looking into how the 15-year-old boy got access to the gun and to whom it belongs, Lt. Dan Peak said. No arrests had been made as of Tuesday afternoon. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/7/21

Develop  

Oakland agrees to begin negotiations with Coliseum suitors. Here's a look at who could buy the stadium -- The Oakland City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to enter into nonexclusive negotiations with possible bidders for the city’s share of the Coliseum site — a key step in determining the future of the ballpark. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/7/21

Also . . .   

San Diego properties are now worth a record $627 billion -- San Diego’s collective real estate portfolio is worth more than ever before, thriving instead of dying during a pandemic that introduced chaos and uncertainty into the market. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/7/21