Updating . .   

California to bar K-12 students from campus if they refuse to wear a mask under new rules -- California K-12 students who refuse to wear masks inside school classrooms and buildings, as required under new state rules, will be prohibited from entering their campus, and another form of education will be provided to them, according to new regulations the state released Monday. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

California wildfires destroy homes, threaten Yosemite National Park -- The River fire, which broke out about 20 miles southwest of Yosemite National Park on Sunday afternoon, exploded to 2,500 acres in just a few hours and had spread to 4,000 acres by Monday morning, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. More than 450 personnel — including some using air tankers — were battling the blaze, which was 5% contained. Chris Kuo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

California faces power shortage as fires threaten electric lines -- Over the weekend, a fast-moving wildfire in Oregon knocked out some transmission lines that carry electricity into California, reducing power supplies by as much as 3,500 megawatts, the California Independent System Operator said. The lines remained unreliable Monday. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

California hit by record-breaking fire destruction: ‘Climate change is real, it’s bad’ -- California is off to another record-breaking year of wildfires as the state enters its most dangerous months, with extreme heat and dry terrain creating the conditions for rapid spread. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Northern California Broiler Fire sparked by employee of cannabis company mowing dry grass -- An employee mowing dry grass around 2:45 p.m. July 7 started the Broiler Fire that destroyed three homes in Redwood Valley, according to a statement released by Flow Cannabis, the large cannabis operation in Mendocino County originally known as Flow Kana. Justine Frederiksen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/12/21

Breathe  

As wildfires intensify, California gets a grim reminder about far-reaching toxic smoke -- The deadliest wildfire in California history spewed a toxic cocktail of air pollution that could be detected 150 miles away. A study released Monday by the California Air Resources Board said the 2018 Camp Fire subjected area residents to unhealthy levels of particulate matter, zinc, lead and other dangerous chemicals. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/12/21

Virus  

Unvaccinated people face growing danger as Delta variant stalls herd immunity -- Recent spikes in coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County and elsewhere in California underscore a pandemic divergence, in which the unvaccinated face growing danger, while the vaccinated are able to move back to regular activities without fear of getting sick. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

FDA approval of a vaccine could compel thousands in California to get shots -- Pressure is mounting on the Food and Drug Administration to grant full approval for COVID vaccines, a move that could spur millions more Americans to get vaccinated — including thousands of Californians whose employers or universities plan to mandate the shots once the FDA approves one. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

Are COVID-19 symptoms different if I’m infected with the Delta variant? -- As public health officials continue to urge Americans to roll up their sleeves for COVID-19 vaccines, coronavirus infections have been on the rise in areas where vaccination rates remain low. That’s due in no small part to the Delta variant, which has become the dominant strain in the United States. Amina Khan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Cost of fighting COVID in California: $12.3 billion -- That’s more than the gross domestic product of 50 nations. More than the value of the Dodgers, Yankees and Giants combined. Almost double General Motors’ profits last year. Enough to give $313 to every single Californian. Barbara Feder Ostrov CalMatters -- 7/12/21

Policy & Politics 

Skelton: Newsom gets a C as governor. But that doesn’t mean he should be recalled -- Gavin Newsom has been an OK governor — not bad, but not that good. He deserves a C grade. Should he be expelled before his term ends? No. We don’t kick students out of school for a C average. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

‘Running against the woke left’: Can Sheriff Villanueva’s shift to the right work in L.A.? -- For a sheriff who swept into office by convincing liberal, progressive voters he was their candidate, Alex Villanueva is making strange moves these days. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Workplace   

Low-wage workers in California can’t afford to take family leave. This bill seeks to change that. -- California was the first state to offer paid leave to parents and caregivers. But many lower-paid workers can’t take advantage, even though money for the program gets taken from their paychecks. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 7/12/21

Child Care Payments   

Will your family get $300 monthly child tax payments? What you need to know -- Monthly $300 payments are in the works for California families struggling to make ends meet. The IRS begins the roll-out of the Child Tax Credit on July 15 as part of the American Rescue Plan. Qualifying households will receive up to $3,600 annually per child, which will benefit families across the state. Melissa Montalvo CalMatters -- 7/12/21

Eviction  

‘Gimme Shelter’: The holes in California’s COVID-19 eviction protections -- Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have feared that a wave of evictions will devastate millions of renters — particularly low-income residents who have borne the brunt of the pandemic. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Homeless  

Old methods failing, California cities take new steps to eradicate homeless camps -- After years of failed policy, California cities are trying new — sometimes controversial — strategies to get a handle on homeless encampments that have grown out of control during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sacramento’s mayor has proposed giving residents a right to housing and shelter, while also forcing homeless people to accept the accommodations they’re offered. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/12/21

Education  

California lacks timely data on who goes to college. This might fix that. -- California high schools say they make students college-ready, but rarely does the public have the data to see if students actually made it to college and thrived. Mikhail Zinshteyn and Charlotte West CalMatters -- 7/12/21

Housing  

This is how much single-family zoning is costing San Franciscans -- The Bay Area needs to build over 440,000 units of housing between 2023 and 2031 to keep pace with its population, an average of nearly 50,000 units a year, according to the Association of Bay Area Governments. Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

Shade  

Sacramento’s tree canopy reflects the city’s inequities. How a $250 million plan could help -- Sacramento is the so-called city of trees, but for many neighborhoods, that designation rings false. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/12/21

Also . . .   

'It's a miracle': British parachutist crashes through California home -- The residents of a family home in Atascadero, Calif. weren't at home last Tuesday afternoon, which was fortunate as that's when a British parachutist crashed through their roof and landed in their kitchen. Andrew Chamings in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/12/21

 

 

California Policy and Politics Monday Morning  

Fast-moving wildfire burning toward critical route to Yosemite park -- The River fire jumped from 800 acres to 2,500 acres in a few hours and was burning toward Highway 41, which leads to the Mariposa Grove and the southern entrance to Yosemite. By 10:15 p.m., it had burned 4,000 acres and was five percent contained, according to Cal Fire. Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Northern California wildfire grows, destroys homes amid extreme conditions -- Authorities received reports of homes destroyed in multiple communities, but no official figures have been released, said Lisa Cox, public information officer for the Beckwourth Complex fire. Video posted to social media showed homes ablaze in the town of Doyle. A damage assessment team was working on a tally. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

How bad is this fire season in California really going to be? -- Historic drought is creating dangerous conditions early, scientists and firefighters say. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/12/21

California and other parts of the West broil and burn -- Firefighters working in searing heat struggled to contain the largest wildfire in California this year while state power operators urged people to conserve energy after a huge wildfire in neighboring Oregon disrupted the flow of electricity from three major transmission lines. Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 7/12/21

State ISO issues flex alert for Monday, warns residents to conserve power -- In a statement Sunday afternoon, customers were urged to conserve their power between 4 and 9 p.m. to raise the odds of power interruptions, citing anticipated demand in the wake of incidents such as the Bootleg Fire that have knocked out transmission lines. George Kelly in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/12/21

Virus  

In troubling spike, L.A. County sees 3,000 new coronavirus cases in three days -- Los Angeles County has recorded more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases in three days, part of a troubling rise in cases as viral transmission increases among unvaccinated people. It was the first time since early March that the county reported three consecutive days with more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Policy & Politics 

Scuffle breaks out at Rep. Katie Porter’s town hall -- A melee broke out at Rep. Katie Porter’s district town hall meeting Sunday, with her supporters scuffling with supporters of former President Trump who were loudly interrupting the congresswoman as she spoke. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Walters: A union pot calls a union kettle black -- “The pot calling the kettle black” is an old saying about hypocrisy, applied to someone who does something while criticizing someone else for doing the same thing. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 7/12/21

Street  

Nearly 300 weapons exchanged for gift cards, skateboards in Vista -- Participants received a $100 gift card for handguns, rifles and shotguns or a $200 gift card for assault weapons. The item is in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/12/21

Homeless  

California heat wave causes misery as temperature records fall -- Anthony Wainscott has known his share of hardship, living the last two years on the streets of the Antelope Valley. But his personal misery index reached a new plateau during a weekend of record-setting heat. James Rainey, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Education  

How California’s new universal transitional kindergarten program will be rolled out -- In the wake of the pandemic, which shined a spotlight on the essential nature of early childhood education and care, universal transitional kindergarten is poised to become a reality in California. Karen D'Souza EdSource -- 7/12/21

Also . . .   

Community leaders react to the death of Father Joe Carroll -- Residents and community leaders throughout San Diego County on Sunday were mourning the death of Father Joe Carroll, a Catholic priest who spent some 40 years providing and enhancing services for the area’s homeless population. Lauryn Schroeder in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/12/21

On a Caltrain bar crawl, urban adventurers time drinks to the train schedule -- Sai Macherla had not foreseen himself spending Saturday afternoon with his arms around the neck of a mechanical bull, more than a dozen strangers applauding his efforts to stay in the saddle. But there he was, at the Old Pro in Palo Alto — a bar he’d never heard of, in a town he’d never been to. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

Sunday Updates   

‘Unrecognizable.’ Lake Mead, a lifeline for water in Los Angeles and the West, tips toward crisis -- Lake Mead, a lifeline for 25 million people and millions of acres of farmland in California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico, made history when it was engineered 85 years ago, capturing trillions of gallons of river water and ushering in the growth of the modern West. Jaweed Kaleem, Thomas Curwen, Allen J. Schaben in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/21

Virus  

In troubling spike, L.A. County sees more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases in two days -- Los Angeles County has recorded more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases in two days, part of a troubling rise in cases as viral transmission increases among unvaccinated people. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/21

Policy & Politics 

‘We need to fix this city’: Post-Garcetti Los Angeles at a crossroads -- On the 26th floor of City Hall, one lesson in the history of Los Angeles is abundantly clear. Accomplishments of the past are never greater than the problems of the present. Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/21

Democrats are in control at California’s Capitol. Why is the state budget still not done? -- They’ve enacted placeholder legislation to keep the government running while they hash out the final details, but the delay leaves Californians waiting for details on how money for critical areas including wildfires and infrastructure will be spent. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/11/21

5 Dead children led to California’s assault weapons ban. Survivors are fighting to keep it -- The building hasn’t changed much since Thao Ha, now 41, was a student. This story is a subscriber exclusive The front has a new black metal fence and a modern cement walkway, but the same stone sign reading “Cleveland School” still stands as it did in 1989. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/11/21

McManus: Trump’s still waging a war on truth — and it’s still bad for democracy -- Last month, as thousands of former President Trump’s loyal supporters waited for him at a rally in Ohio, a chant rose from the crowd. “Trump won!” they roared. “Trump won!” The former president agreed. “We won the election twice,” he said, “and it’s possible we’ll have to win it a third time.” Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/21

Workplace   

San Diego re-opening its pension system in wake of courts nullifying Proposition B -- With San Diego’s Proposition B pension cuts officially nullified by the courts, city officials are ready to start awarding pensions to all new hires again this month after a nine-year period when only new police officers got pensions. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/11/21

Fire  

As California wineries lose insurance, some fear this fire season will be their last -- Winemaker Matt Naumann expected his fire insurance costs to skyrocket. The annual premium to insure his small vineyard and winery in Placerville (El Dorado County) had risen steadily over the last three years, from $7,000 per year to $8,500 to $10,000. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/21

McCarthy: California wildfires fuel mental health fears and stress alongside paths of devastation -- They moved into Charley’s old place on my cul- de-sac a few months before the Woolsey fire in 2018 – a nice, middle-aged couple with a young daughter who played with all the kids in the neighborhood. They moved out this past March. They didn’t want to leave, they loved the neighborhood, but mentally, they just couldn’t take another wildfire season in California, they said. Dennis McCarthy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/21

Water  

South Bay teens create award-winning way to fight drought -- Aarushi Wadhwa, a student at Campbell’s Westmont High School, has discovered a unique way to conserve water and combat drought. Her team’s project, Aqua-Pods, took the top prize in the environment category in this year’s Ashoka Changemaker Challenge. Apala G. Egan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/21

Climate  

One way to save California salmon threatened by drought: Truck them to the mountains and back -- In California, it’s not unusual for wildlife officials to truck salmon between their native river habitat and the Pacific Ocean. That’s especially true during droughts, when the Sacramento River runs too low and too warm for the young fish to survive. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/21

Street  

Debate over Oakland violence prevention intensifies with dueling rallies -- On Nov. 8, Andre and Latanya Robinson lost their son, Andre Jr., 19, to gun violence in Oakland. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/21

Capitol Siege  

‘I’m willing to die, are you?'” Marin man charged in U.S. Capitol riot investigation -- Federal authorities are hunting for a Mill Valley man accused of attacking police during the riot at the U.S. Capitol this year. Evan Neumann, 48, is charged with six counts, including assaulting, resisting or impeding officers; obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Adrian Rodriguez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/21

Homeless  

‘No parking’ signs going up as Mountain View about to start crackdown on homeless RV campers -- Up until the coronavirus pandemic struck last year, Brenda Fajardo, 41, was living comfortably in a San Mateo apartment, taking care of her 2-year-old son and working odd jobs to make ends meet. Then she and her husband suddenly found themselves out of work and couldn’t afford to continue paying the high rents of the mid-Peninsula. Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/21

UC Santa Cruz graduates establishing homeless shelter for students -- Two recent UC Santa Cruz graduates are tackling the problem of housing insecurity among college students in the area. Connor Kensok and Abbi Cundall are both co-founding presidents of the Slug Shelter, a student-run organization created to house students who face homelessness during their studies. Ryan Stuart in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/11/21

No Strings  

Guaranteed income has extended a lifeline to South Bay former foster youth. Will concept go statewide? -- Veronica Vieyra is no stranger to the bottom falling out. After moving from Mexico when she was 9, Vieyra shared a cramped one-bedroom apartment in San Jose with her three younger brothers and a mother who worked several jobs in pursuit of the American dream. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/21

Border  

Mexican adults are crossing the border again and again in attempts to reach the United States -- Despite the public’s focus on unaccompanied children and families from Central America, adults from Mexico make up 80 percent of apprehensions along the California-Mexico border, the most of any demographic. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/11/21

Cannabis  

Illegal pot invades California’s deserts, bringing violence, fear, ecological destruction -- Before his corpse was dumped in a shallow grave 50 miles north of Los Angeles, Mauricio Ismael Gonzalez-Ramirez was held prisoner at one of the hundreds of black-market pot farms that have exploded across California’s high desert in the last several years, authorities say. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Louis Sahagún in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/11/21

Also . . .   

Father Joe Carroll, ‘Hustler Priest’ devoted to helping San Diego’s homeless community, dies at 80 -- Father Joe Carroll, a cheerful Catholic priest whose 40-year devotion to helping the homeless raised tens of millions of dollars and turned him into a San Diego icon, died Saturday night after a lengthy battle with diabetes. He was 80. John Wilkens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/11/21

Phillips: I found 'Eden' in West Oakland. It's surrounded by trauma -- At the end of an alley next to an older beige house on West Oakland’s 29th Street is a community garden with naturopathic medicine and live music. The ground is covered in wood chips. Sunflowers bloom next to newly-planted strawberries. A fountain trickles water along a stone walking path. Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/11/21