Updating . .  

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

California Policy and P  olitics Friday Morning  

California imposes nighttime COVID-19 curfew but some resist -- California is imposing a nighttime curfew as its coronavirus figures soar but it will lean heavily on voluntary compliance and sheriffs of some counties say they won’t enforce it. Don Thompson and Elliot Spagat Associated Press Marisa Kendall, Evan Webeck, Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/20

Coronavirus: What does California’s new curfew mean? -- California’s acting public health officer Dr. Erica Pan on Thursday issued what she called a “limited stay at home order” imposing widespread limitations to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Here are answers to questions likely to arise: Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/20

What California’s new COVID-19 curfew means for counties in the Sacramento region -- Restaurants, movie drive-ins, cardrooms and other businesses opened late into the night and deemed non-essential throughout the Sacramento region will have to close early starting Saturday as a month-long curfew goes into effect across the state to stall the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases. Rosalio Ahumada, Michael McGough Dale Kasler, Molly Sullivan, and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/20/20

Coronavirus curfew met with frustration, resignation in Inland Empire -- Inland Empire businesses and government officials reacted with frustration and resignation Thursday, Nov. 19, to news that Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a 10 p.m. curfew for counties hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, including the Inland region. Beau Yarbrough in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 11/20/20

‘The virus doesn’t care — day or night’: Is there real science behind COVID curfews? -- Newsom said this week he and officials were still combing through the research, but experts say the science behind curfews during a pandemic is still relatively scant. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20

Oakland events space slapped with restraining order for violating pandemic rules -- An Alameda County judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Humanist Hall, an events space in Oakland, for defying public health orders by holding large indoor events. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20

Enforcement   

Some police agencies will not enforce new stay-at-home orders, is a ‘last resort’ for others -- Law enforcement officials throughout Southern California said they do not plan on arresting people or issuing fines to those who do not comply with the state’s new late evening curfews, which were ordered to begin Saturday amid a surge of coronavirus infections. Jonah Valdez in the Orange County Register -- 11/20/20

New California coronavirus curfew won’t be enforced locally, Fresno law enforcement says -- Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims reiterated the department’s stance that it does not have the manpower or the desire to have deputies monitor residents in violation of Newsom’s latest stay-at-home order meant to help slow the spread of the virus. Bryant-Jon Anteola in the Fresno Bee$ -- 11/20/20

Merced County Sheriff says his office won’t enforce COVID-19 curfew, other restrictions -- The social media post also states, “The Merced County Sheriff’s Office will not dispatch deputies for these purposes, and callers will be directed to County Health Officials.” Shawn Jansen in the Merced Sun-Star -- 11/20/20

Amid Spike In Cases, San Diego Sheriff Steps Up COVID-19 Compliance Enforcement -- San Diego County officials announced Thursday that law enforcement will step up COVID-19 compliance protocols, including education and citations, amid spiking coronavirus cases. KPBS Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/20/20

Covid Cost  

With federal aid nearly gone, OC officials fret over funding pandemic response in the new year -- Orange County officials say they expect to spend most or all of the $554 million in federal coronavirus aid received by the end-of-year deadline, but they’re apprehensive about how they’ll pay for pandemic needs that won’t stop when the money’s gone. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 11/20/20

Covid Vaccine 

Fresno bishop urges Catholics not to ‘jump on the COVID-19 vaccine bandwagon’ -- Citing ethical concerns about the use of embryonic stem cells in vaccine development, Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is urging Catholics not to “jump on the COVID-19 vaccine bandwagon.” Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

Covid Workplace  

Cal/OSHA requires face masks, sick pay in new COVID-19 worker protections -- Cal/OSHA approved temporary new standards Thursday, Nov. 19, that will require employers to establish stronger workplace protections against COVID-19 and make it easier for the state to pursue those who do not comply. Jason Henry in the Orange County Register -- 11/20/20

Covid School  

San Diego Unified expands “Phase One” meetings with teachers to more students -- On Dec. 7 San Diego Unified will start allowing middle and high school students, as well as preschoolers, infants and toddlers, to come to campus for short, in-person support sessions. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/20/20

Covid Vaccine 

Fresno bishop urges Catholics not to ‘jump on the COVID-19 vaccine bandwagon’ -- Citing ethical concerns about the use of embryonic stem cells in vaccine development, Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is urging Catholics not to “jump on the COVID-19 vaccine bandwagon.” Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

Policy & Politics 

GOP's Faulconer 'seriously considering' a run against Newsom -- San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said Thursday he is "seriously considering" a Republican challenge to Gov. Gavin Newsom, seizing on the governor's recent mistakes and saying the Democratic executive has failed the state in the Covid-19 crisis. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 11/20/20

State Sen. Bill Dodd among legislators who attended Maui conference despite COVID-19 surge -- State Sen. Bill Dodd, who represents part of Contra Costa County, confirmed Thursday he was among more than a dozen elected officials who attended a conference in Maui this week amid a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases. Shomik Mukherjee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/20

Auditor: California agency allowed $2.7 billion in bonds for affordable housing to expire -- As California slid deeper into the housing crisis from 2015 to 2017, a state agency let $2.7 billion in bond capacity that could have been used to build affordable housing expire, according to a report from the state auditor’s office. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20

Locking up young people in juvenile hall tops $500,000 in some California counties -- The cost to run California’s juvenile halls continues to skyrocket, pushing past $500,000 per youth annually in some counties, including Alameda, with young people kept in jail-like conditions despite reforms meant to force the system to rehabilitate instead of punish. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/20/20

California Legislature employee is arrested in child pornography case -- Brandon Martinez Bratcher, 28, turned himself in to authorities Monday after an illicit image was tracked to an IP address at the building that houses the state Legislature and governor’s office, said Sgt. Rod Grassmann, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

H1B 

Federal government officers coming to remote workers’ homes, Bay Area lawyer reports -- With the coronavirus pandemic pushing much of the U.S. into remote work, federal immigration officers are starting to make home visits to ensure that employers and foreign workers on the H-1B visa are complying with the terms of the work permits, a Bay Area immigration lawyer reports. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/20

Deporting the Firefighter  

California Turned Over an Incarcerated Firefighter to ICE -- Among the roughly 1,800 inmate firefighters who battled record-setting blazes in California this year was Bounchan Keola, a 39-year-old immigrant serving a 28-year prison sentence for a gang-related shooting when he was a teenager. Farida Jhabvala Romero, David Marks KQED -- 11/20/20

Wildfire  

Big Basin redwoods: Drone video shows extent of wildfire over famed state park -- Three months after the biggest wildfire in more than 100 years roared through Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, new drone video is showing the extent of the damage — but also the rebirth, which amazingly already has begun. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/20/20

Education 

Why special education advocates are hopeful about the Biden administration -- With new leadership headed to the U.S. Department of Education, special education advocates are expecting big changes in policies that affect students with disabilities — including more guidance on distance learning, more funding, and broader improvements that can benefit all students. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 11/20/20

Amid pandemic fears of student loss, University of California enrollment remains flat -- Enrollment across the University of California is expected to remain flat this fall, with a small increase in undergraduates — encouraging signs for the system amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which has resulted in most public universities across the country losing students. Michael Burke EdSource -- 11/20/20

Also . . .   

Southwest Airlines to offer direct flight to Hawaii beginning in March -- Long Beach Airport will join Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento and San Diego as Southwest gateways to Hawaii in March. Hunter Lee in the Orange County Register -- 11/20/20

TSA Debuts Coronavirus-Related Security Upgrades At San Diego International Airport -- There was some stark advice from the C-D-C Thursday. The agency said people shouldn’t travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. But if you do plan to be on an airplane, you’ll see changes in how the Transportation Security Administration is screening passengers at San Diego International Airport. John Carroll KPBS -- 11/20/20

California prison guards charged in inmate’s death, alleged cover-up scheme -- Two former prison guards have been charged in connection with the 2016 death of an inmate at California State Prison, Sacramento, and alleged efforts to cover up how he died. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

Owners of businesses tied to DTLA explosion strike plea deals -- The owners of two smoking and vaping supply stores in downtown Los Angeles where a large explosion left several firefighters seriously injured struck plea deals with prosecutors Thursday that call for their businesses to pay more than $100,000 to the city. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/20/20

Two Companies See a Golden Opportunity in the Tijuana River's Brown Waters -- Two competing forces – one from the United States and another from Mexico – are rethinking the region’s oldest and dirtiest problem, imagining it instead as a moneymaking opportunity. MacKenzie Elmer Voiceofsandiego.org -- 11/20/20

POTUS 46  

Biden brushes aside Trump attempts to overturn the election, confident his victory will stand -- President-elect Joe Biden tried Thursday to minimize as an irresponsible distraction the ever-escalating attempts by President Trump and his allies to undermine or overturn the presidential election results. Michael Scherer and Matt Viser in the Washington Post$ -- 11/20/20

POTUS 45  

Trump uses power of presidency to try to overturn the election and stay in office -- President Trump is using the power of his office to try to reverse the results of the election, orchestrating a far-reaching pressure campaign to persuade Republican officials in Michigan, Georgia and elsewhere to overturn the will of voters in what critics decried Thursday as an unprecedented subversion of democracy. Philip Rucker, Amy Gardner and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 11/20/20

Trump’s Attempts to Overturn the Election Are Unparalleled in U.S. History -- The president’s push to prevent states from certifying electors and get legislators to override voters’ will eclipses even the bitter 1876 election as an audacious use of brute political force. David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 11/20/20