Updating . .   

California revised its rules for masks at school, again. Here are the latest updates -- California public health officials issued revised COVID-19 safety rules for schools Tuesday in an attempt to more clearly spell out how educators must handle students who show up to class with out a mask. Jessica Flores Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Linh Tat in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/13/21

Policy & Politics 

Attack ads in Newsom recall race invoke dystopian California in decline -- When voters turn on their TVs or scroll social media over the next nine weeks, they will be deluged with ads telling the story of two vastly different Californias: One is “roaring back” from the pandemic under Gov. Gavin Newsom; the other is a borderline dystopia where issues like homelessness and wildfires have never been worse. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/13/21

Drawing a blank: No ‘D’ on the ballot for Newsom -- The governor won’t get “Democrat” listed next to his name on the recall ballot, rules the same judge who gave recall proponents more time to collect signatures. Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 7/13/21

Trying to figure out Sen. Joe Manchin? A Sandy Hook gun bill offers clues -- Nobody was more sensitive to the political peril of gun control than Sen. Joe Manchin III, a Democrat from deep-red West Virginia and a proud gun owner. But standing on the Senate floor five months after 20 children and six adults were gunned down in Newtown, Conn., he told colleagues this was “a defining time in public service” — a moment to ignore those risks. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/13/21

Charity and politics: California elected officials would have to disclose their connections under proposed rule -- After a year-long wait, the state’s campaign finance watchdog has a proposal to require elected officials to provide more information on special interest donations to their nonprofits. Laurel Rosenhall CalMatters -- 7/13/21

Faulconer calls for ‘war footing’ to fight California fires -- Faulconer released his one-page wildfire plan Tuesday amid days of scorching temperatures and fires across the U.S. West. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 7/13/21

Workplace   

Employers bow down to tech workers in hottest job market seen since the dot-com era -- There’s an air of desperation among tech employers this summer. Software talent, it seems, is in such high demand that companies are morphing how they hire. And workers are the ones with the power. Brittany Meiling in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/13/21

Fire  

Aggressive River fire burns structures near Yosemite; Sugar fire tops 90,000 acres -- The fast-moving River fire near Yosemite National Park exploded to more than 9,500 acres Tuesday as firefighters tried to protect communities in the area. Officials said at least four structures and four outbuildings have been destroyed and 600 others are threatened. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/13/21

California fires are burning faster, hotter, more intensely — and getting harder to fight -- The fires have burned more than 140,000 acres, from soaring mountains along the California-Nevada border to forest north of Mt. Shasta and the gateway to Yosemite. But many of 2021’s biggest blazes have one thing in common: They are burning faster and hotter than some firefighters have seen this early in the year. Hayley Smith, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/13/21

California spent over $1 billion on emergency wildfire suppression last year -- Each year, the wildfire season in California gets longer, fires get hotter and more destructive, and consequently, the government spends more money fighting those fires. The total emergency fire suppression cost for fiscal year 2021, which ran from July 2020 to June 2021, will likely surpass $1 billion for the first time. Yoohyun Jung in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/13/21

Power  

Weather eases but Californians told to save power as blackout threat looms from Oregon fire -- The manager of California’s electricity grid has issued another Flex Alert for Monday afternoon, pleading with residents to conserve power even as the intense weekend heat wave begins to fade. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/13/21

Virus  

Teachers, scholars, mentors: Eight priests died of COVID-19 in a Jesuit retirement home -- They devoted their lives to God and helping others. After they grew old, they came to a secluded campus in the hills of the Santa Clara Valley to spend the rest of their days in quiet contemplation. One by one, the retired priests succumbed to COVID-19. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/13/21

Vaccine  

Another warning about the J&J COVID vaccine. What you should know about latest risk -- Federal regulators Monday announced additional warnings for providers and recipients of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine about an observed increased risk of a rare neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barré Syndrome. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/13/21

Street  

How Sacramento sheriff used inmate welfare fund for cameras, fencing — and a Tahoe resort -- The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office employees booked a trip to the Beach Retreat & Lodge at Tahoe, a laid-back hotel on the south shore that touts beach access, in-unit fireplaces and balconies. There’s a view from every room. The November 2019 reservation for six people cost $2,018 — paid by Sacramento County’s inmates and their loved ones. Jason Pohl and Michael Finch II in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/13/21

COVID Stimulus  

California to send $600 stimulus payments to millions. When to expect your check -- State officials anticipate the payments will begin to be issued in early September, California Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer previously told The Sacramento Bee. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/13/21

Small S.F. businesses could get tens of thousands in pandemic back-rent help -- Supervisor Ahsha Safaí plans to introduce legislation Tuesday to create a commercial rent relief fund to help small businesses dig themselves out of debt as San Francisco emerges from lockdown and tries to recover from an economic downturn. Safaí wants to put $25 million in the fund, but the final amount is still being negotiated. Individual grants would be up to $35,000. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/13/21

COVID Economy  

Economy: Bay Area prices rocket higher as inflation grips region -- The cost of just about everything in the Bay Area surged in June, a grim addition to an already forbidding economic landscape that the region’s residents and workers are being forced to navigate amid coronavirus-linked woes. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/13/21

Student Loans  

California has a new ‘student loan bill of rights.’ Here’s how it will help borrowers -- Four million Californians owe nearly $150 billion in student loans, according to LendingTree. Those borrowers now have more rights under a law that went into effect this year and gained teeth this month with a new ombudsman’s office empowered to review complaints about student loan providers. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/13/21

Education

Latest ‘menstrual equity’ bill would require California’s public colleges to provide period products -- University of California Davis senior Audin Leung has spent their entire college career championing a novel concept — free period products throughout campuses. Emily Forschen CalMatters -- 7/13/21

Unprecedented California budget to usher in sweeping education changes -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature have seized a once-in-a-generation deluge of state and federal funding to set in motion a sweeping and ambitious set of education programs that seemed implausible six months ago. EdSource -- 7/13/21

Also . . .   

General Motors set to move into Pasadena -- General Motors officially announced on Tuesday, July 13, it’s bringing its Advanced Design Center to Pasadena, where it will invest $71 million to build a new campus that focuses on mobility that falls outside the production scope of traditional vehicles. The auto-making giant says it wants to bring the company closer to technology hubs, leading universities and design schools while creating jobs and increasing its own capacity. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/13/21

His job was to police bad lawyers. He became Tom Girardi’s broker to L.A.’s rich, powerful -- As an investigator for the State Bar of California, Tom Layton was responsible for policing the legal profession for rogue attorneys. Harriet Ryan, Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/13/21

This cell-cultured fish startup from San Diego is a semifinalist in XPrize contest -- San Diego startup BlueNalu, which is growing fish fillets in a lab directly from real fish cells, has made the first cut in the $15 million XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion competition, which aims to spark production of alternative proteins to help sustain future generations. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/13/21

California Capital Airshow returns to Sacramento region in 2021, with a twist -- The aerial display at Mather Airport will run three days instead of two, beginning with a new drive-in show Friday, Sept. 24, before more traditional shows the weekend of Sept. 25 and 26, organizers announced this week. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/13/21

It’s another day of searching for missing runner in Pleasanton regional park -- Search-and-rescue teams set out for the fourth day in a row Tuesday in their quest to find a missing man who went for a Saturday run in Pleasanton and disappeared. Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/13/21

California Policy and Politics Tuesday Morning  

In abrupt turnaround, California to let school districts decide how to enforce mask rules -- The complications of managing COVID-era education took a dramatic turn Monday, when state officials issued a rule barring unmasked students from campuses, and then, hours later, rescinded that rule — while keeping in place a mask mandate for all at K-12 schools. Instead, the latest revision allows local school officials to decide how to deal with students who refuse to wear masks, a spokesman for Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday night. Howard Blume, Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/13/21

Why is California still requiring masks at school? Here's what parents and experts say -- California’s new COVID-19 health rules for K-12 schools differ from CDC guidance in one key way: The state will require masks indoors for all students and adults who are sharing spaces with students, whereas the CDC recommends mask-wearing only for students and staff who are not yet vaccinated. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

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$ Linh Tat in the San Jose Mercury$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/12/21

California’s mask rule for schools prompts controversy -- The new rules angered parents who say the mask requirement will continue to stress children who already saw two school years upended by remote learning and missed milestones like proms, sports, concerts and graduations. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 7/13/21

Fire  

California wildfires: River Fire jumps to 9,000 acres in Madera, Mariposa counties -- A fast-growing wildfire burning across swaths of Mariposa and Madera counties exploded to 9,000 acres in just a day, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of people. Omar Shaikh Rashad in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

How an Oregon wildfire almost derailed California’s power grid -- The first sign of trouble came at 4:22 p.m. Thursday. Warning of “extreme temperatures across much of California,” officials urged the state’s tens of millions of residents to use less electricity the next evening, to make sure power demand didn’t outstrip supply and cause the lights to go out. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Dramatic photos capture California hit by record-breaking fires -- More than twice as many acres burned in the first six months of this year than during the same period last year — and hundreds more fires, officials said. Robert St. John, Noah Berger Associated Press in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Policy & Politics 

Newsom won’t be listed as a Democrat on recall ballot, judge says -- Gov. Gavin Newsom cannot identify himself as a Democrat on the September recall ballot because he missed the deadline to designate his party affiliation, a superior court judge in Sacramento ruled Monday. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Thompson Associated Press Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Jeremy B. White Politico Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ Scott Shafer KQED -- 7/12/21

Radio host Larry Elder enters California recall election -- Conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder entered California’s Sept. 14 recall election on Monday, bringing a well-known voice on the political right to a muddled Republican field trying to oust first-term Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Michael R. Blood Associated Press Carla Marinucci Politico -- 7/12/21

California lawmakers press corporations to add women, people of color to board rooms -- The Legislature’s diversity caucuses representing minorities, women and gay Californians are pressuring corporations headquartered in the state to diversify their leadership teams. Katherine Swartz and Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/12/21

Walters: Who should get online sales taxes? -- While 1% may not sound like much, if it’s 1% of $700 billion, it’s a lot of money to anyone not named Bezos, Gates or Buffet. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 7/13/21

Virus  

L.A. County sees new significant rise in COVID-19 cases, 99% involved the unvaccinated -- Los Angeles County officials reported the fourth straight day of more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, more troubling evidence that the disease is increasing its spread among the unvaccinated. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Marin County reports surge of new cases as delta variant dominates -- Marin County health officials unveiled a new coronavirus data dashboard on Monday to help residents keep track of variant activity in the region, following a sharp rise in infections driven by the highly contagious delta variant. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

California’s COVID response totaled $8.5 billion in direct costs last year, report says -- The state of California will have directly spent about $12.3 billion fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by next June, a recent state budget report estimated, including more than $8 billion over the past year. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/12/21

Vaccine  

Another warning about the J&J COVID vaccine. What you should know about latest risk -- Federal regulators Monday announced additional warnings for providers and recipients of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine about an observed increased risk of a rare neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barré Syndrome. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 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

CalPERS  

CalPERS banks 21% investment return, tripling its target for funding California pensions -- Riding a stock market surge, CalPERS on Monday reported a 21.3% return on its investments over the last fiscal year, reaching a record high-value of $469 billion. The return represents a sharp turnaround from the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when the fund’s value plunged by tens of billions of dollars before rebounding. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/12/21

COVID Economy  

S.F. parklets inch a step closer to becoming permanent part of the city -- Outdoor parklets for restaurants and businesses inched one step closer to becoming a permanent part of San Francisco’s post-pandemic cityscape on Monday as the members of Board of Supervisors’ committee approved a slightly-modified version of the ordinance regulating the shared spaces. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

Street  

Prosecutors in Kristin Smart murder case aim to add L.A. rape charges against Paul Flores -- San Luis Obispo County prosecutors are seeking to amend their murder case against Paul Flores in the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart to include two allegations of rape of unconscious women in the Los Angeles area. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Investigators said San Diego deputy neglected to check inmate found dead in 2020 -- Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board said deputy failed to perform safety check, the latest in a string of missteps in jails. Kelly Davis, Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 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

Education  

University of California will consider raising tuition for the first time since 2017 -- The University of California’s Board of Regents is picking up where it left off when the pandemic hit, and will vote July 22 on whether to raise undergraduate tuition for the first time since 2017, beginning a year from now. Nanette Asimov, Omar Shaikh Rashad in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/12/21

Cal State schools to give students iPads in effort to cut barriers to college enrollment -- Eight California State University campuses will give Apple iPads to incoming freshmen and transfer students, a technology initiative intended to help close the digital divide as students are seeking more online classes in the nation’s largest four-year university system. Colleen Shalby, Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

A Sacramento State campus in Placer County? Long-awaited project now a big step closer -- Placer County’s long and often painstaking quest for a major college campus has taken a big leap forward — a land developer completed a land transfer to Sacramento State. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/12/21

California community college students will soon be required to take ethnic studies -- The board of governors overseeing the state’s 116 community colleges voted unanimously Monday to amend the system’s general education requirements by adding an ethnic studies class. Michael Burke EdSource -- 7/13/21

Climate  

U.S. drilling approvals increase despite Biden climate pledge -- Approvals for companies to drill for oil and gas on U.S. public lands are on pace this year to reach their highest level since George W. Bush was president, underscoring President Biden’s reluctance to more forcefully curb petroleum production in the face of industry and Republican resistance. Matthew Brown Associated Press -- 7/12/21

Environment  

Pesticide caused kids’ brain damage, California lawsuits say -- Lawsuits filed Monday in California seek potential class-action damages from Dow Chemical and its successor company over a widely used bug killer linked to brain damage in children. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 7/12/21

17 million gallons of sewage discharged from Hyperion treatment plant, closing some beaches to swimming -- Debris flows overwhelmed the Hyperion sewage treatment plant in Playa del Rey on Sunday afternoon, forcing officials to use an emergency measure to discharge 17 million gallons of sewage through a pipe one mile offshore. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21

Also . . .   

Unlike Florida, California leaves the safety of aging high-rises largely in owners’ hands -- In California, no government agency is required to probe the bones of aging high rises to ensure they’re safe. Once a local city or county issues a certificate of occupancy — the final step in the building process, meaning people can move in — the government’s work is essentially done. Teri Sforza in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/12/21

Charlie went to the groomer for a bath and a trim. Within hours, he was dead -- Margolis is a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that the Culver City-based chain — a self-described “natural pet store inspiring healthy pet lifestyles” — has a “conveyor-belt style approach to dog grooming” that results in “serious injuries and deaths of innocent, vulnerable dogs, devastating their owners.” Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/12/21