Updating . .   

Los Angeles County to restores indoor mask mandate for all -- Los Angeles County’s public health officer says a rapid and sustained increase in COVID-19 cases in the nation’s largest county requires a return to mandatory mask-wearing indoors even when people are vaccinated. Associated Press -- 7/15/21

12 California legislators won’t say if they’ve been vaccinated. Should they be forced to? -- As millions of Californians return to in-person work with a requirement to say whether they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19, legislators who represent some of those residents have refused disclosure, either ignoring the question or insisting their employers — the state’s taxpayers — don’t have the right to know. John Myers in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

Is homelessness Newsom’s weak point in recall? Republicans are counting on it -- The Gavin Newsom recall may have picked up steam as a referendum on the governor’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, but now homelessness is also taking center stage. Manuela Tobias CalMatters -- 7/15/21

Another stimulus is available for Californians. Are you eligible? -- More Californians can expect another $600 or $1,100 stimulus check, thanks to the second phase of the Golden State Stimulus. Madalyn Amato in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Newsom to tenants: Free money, really -- In Bell Gardens on Wednesday, the governor met with local leaders and beneficiaries of the program to spotlight — and maybe win a little praise for — state efforts to shield tenants from eviction and help them pay their back rent. Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 7/15/21

California approves 1st state-funded guaranteed income plan -- California lawmakers on Thursday approved the first state-funded guaranteed income plan in the U.S., $35 million for monthly cash payments to qualifying pregnant people and young adults who recently left foster care with no restrictions on how they spend it. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 7/15/21

Skelton: Does Larry Elder have a path to the governor’s office? Maybe, if Democrats don’t turn out -- Conservative radio host Larry Elder is the latest Republican trying to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom and get elected to replace him. And why not? George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

California’s immigrant crackdown propelled Latinos to Washington. After Trump, could it happen again? -- Businessman Lou Correa abandoned plans to join the Republican Party. Raul Ruiz, a UCLA student on the cusp of medical school, discovered a passion for public policy. Juan Vargas, who had weighed the seminary, finally found his calling — getting more Latinos to vote and run for office. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Virus  

COVID cases surging in California a month after reopening -- A month after California’s reopening lifted most pandemic restrictions, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising, worrying public health officials as they contend with the more infectious Delta variant and the lagging pace of vaccinations in some communities. Los Angeles County has drawn particular concern, with five straight days of more than 1,000 new cases, a five-fold increase from mid-June. Barbara Feder Ostrov CalMatters -- 7/15/21

Are the COVID surge and Delta variant putting California’s reopening at risk? What we know -- Could the recent COVID-19 resurgence force California to walk back its month-old reopening? The answer is no — at least for now. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Be wary of travel to Nevada, Florida amid COVID surge, L.A. County health officer says -- The Los Angeles County health officer has suggested that residents reconsider travel to states with the nation’s worst rates of coronavirus transmission, including Nevada and Florida. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Florida reopened to tourists early. Now, California is trying to catch up -- Florida has Disney World and the Keys. California has Disneyland and Yosemite National Park. Hugo MartÍn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Masking  

Sacramento County reissues mask recommendation in response to COVID Delta variant -- Sacramento County now recommends all residents wear masks in most public indoor settings to curb the spread of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, due to a “drastic” rise in local cases attributed to the Delta variant. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ Annie Vainshtein in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Will California backtrack on masks, reopenings as Delta variant sparks new COVID fears? -- The show must go on. Unless the Delta variant gets in the way. Dale Kasler and Katherine Swartz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

Will your family doctor start giving COVID vaccines? A new California effort encourages it -- For most of California’s seven-month vaccination campaign, the state has largely relied on mass sites and large hospital networks to get tens of millions of shots into arms as quickly as possible. Hannah Wiley and Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

School  

Small California school districts will refuse to follow mask mandate -- Superintendents in these tight-knit and typically more conservative communities want the state to let local districts make their own decisions, considering the success some of them have had with reopening their campuses last year without triggering COVID-19 outbreaks. Joe Hong CalMatters -- 7/15/21

U.S. Education secretary, visiting L.A., speaks about masks and COVID’s inequities -- U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona spoke with the Los Angeles Times this week about the deep education inequities exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic and how he thinks schools can address them; about the debate over school mask mandates; and about the potential impact of the Delta variant on in-person learning. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Fire  

California wildfires: Dixie Fire continues to grow in footprint of 2018 Camp Fire; no containment yet -- The Dixie Fire quickly chewed through 2,250 acres in Plumas County by Thursday morning and was 0% contained, according to Cal Fire. Crews said fighting the fire has been difficult because of the steep and rugged terrain surrounding the Feather River Canyon. Amelia Davidson in the Sacramento Bee$ Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

Fleeing high rents, he found a tiny town for his Burning Man dreams. Then came wildfire -- Mike Snook had a vision for this rough and faded California town on the Nevada border: It would be a refuge for the free spirits of Burning Man, those priced out of the Bay Area and looking for a place to build really big art. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Water  

With drought worsening, should California have much tougher water restrictions? -- When Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Californians to voluntarily conserve water last week as he stood in front of the retreating shoreline at Lopez Lake in San Luis Obispo County, some must have had déjà vu. Ari Plachta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Street  

‘Cop killer’ inscribed bullets, rifles, pipe bomb, genocide manifesto discovered after Campbell prowling arrest -- Wesley Charles Martines had reportedly written about his desire to ‘wipe out’ Black, Hispanic, and Jewish people. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/21

Homicides are up 36% in Bay Area's biggest cities. Deaths in Oakland are driving the surge -- Eighteen-year-old Demetrius Fleming-Davis sat in the middle seat of his friend’s truck, riding home through East Oakland when the gunfire started. Rachel Swan, Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

‘Flat out abuse.’ California lawmakers demand review of inmate welfare fund spending -- California lawmakers have joined a chorus of incarceration-reform advocates — including the author of “Orange Is the New Black” — in demanding reforms over how county sheriffs spend money they collect from inmate phone calls and commissary items, calling the system an abuse and pledging legislative changes. Jason Pohl and Michael Finch II in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

San Diego struggles to diversify firefighters with more women, minorities -- A new analysis shows firefighters in San Diego are still 95 percent male and 67 percent White despite efforts to recruit more women and minorities so that firefighters match up better with the city’s overall population. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/15/21

Homeless  

New modular homes for homeless women and children opening at Sacramento nonprofit -- About a year ago, Kristina Nestlerode was sleeping in a car. Today, she lives in a homeless shelter. In two months, she will move into a newly constructed modular home. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

COVID Economy  

COVID job market: California unemployment claims fall slightly, stay far worse than normal -- California workers filed slightly fewer initial claims for unemployment last week, but the filings remain far worse than the trends before coronavirus-linked business shutdowns began 16 months ago, the government reported Thursday. In sharp contrast to California’s battered job market, jobless claims in the United States fell to their lowest level since the business shutdowns began, the U.S. Labor Department reported. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/21

As costs rise, Bay Area restaurants are adding new fees to bills - on top of diner tips -- Diners who frequent Refuge in San Mateo, a popular pastrami restaurant that opened in late June, might have noticed a new charge on their checks: a 2% “wellness” fee. At the bottom of the restaurant’s menu is a notice that the fee will be added to all checks to “compensate (for) high labor cost in the Bay.” Elena Kadvany in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

COVID Exodus  

Austin was 'the biggest winner' of COVID tech migration. What happens to Silicon Valley? -- A year after the pandemic canceled its signature tech and arts conference, SXSW, the city has gone from a harbinger of the crisis to one of its biggest winners, according to local businesses and economic data. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

Oil  

Ship involved in major oil spill leaves San Francisco Bay forever -- With no fanfare and few people realizing, an infamous chapter in Bay Area environmental history has closed. Or rather, sailed away. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/21

Also . . .   

New Lady of La Vang statue expected to attract faithful from around the Vietnamese diaspora -- A canvas drape covered the statue, but that did not stop tourists from filming themselves in front of it. With a selfie stick decked in images of the old South Vietnamese flag, Vinh Hoang of Houston narrated for a Facebook post. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

San Diego Museum of Art sued for sexual harassment, racial discrimination -- Earlier this year, when Zelina Gaytan quit her job at the San Diego Museum of Art, she accused managers there of allowing drunk guests to grope the female staff. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/15/21

California Policy and Politics Thursday Morning  

Another California county urges vaccinated people to mask up indoors -- The highly transmissible delta variant has prompted Yolo County to urge residents to wear masks indoors again. “I am erring on the side of caution to slow the spread of the highly infectious delta variant,” said Dr. Aimee Sisson, the health officer for the county, in a press release on Wednesday. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

COVID outbreak sweeps through Sonoma County homeless shelter, including many vaccinated residents -- At least 59 residents at Sonoma County’s largest homeless shelter have tested positive for the coronavirus, with another possible 26 positive cases, county officials said on Wednesday. Nearly half of those who tested positive were fully vaccinated, said Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s health officer. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

COVID-19 rebounding in Orange County, other Southern California suburbs -- COVID-19 is rebounding across Southern California, swelling the numbers of infections and hospitalizations and prompting fresh calls for residents to get vaccinated. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Here’s what we know about Sacramento area’s COVID-19 surge, masks, hospitals and variants -- The number of COVID-19 cases continues to soar in Sacramento County. Yolo County health officials are recommending that all residents wear masks indoors and get tested after exposure to the virus. Rosalio Ahumada and Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

Policy & Politics 

California Supreme Court will be asked to grant extra time for state’s redistricting panel -- California’s citizen redistricting commission will ask the state’s Supreme Court to give the panel two extra weeks to draw political maps this fall and winter, saying that a delay from the federal government in providing new census data will otherwise limit public participation in the once-a-decade process. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Why Republicans want to pack the California recall ballot -- Republicans face long odds given a severe registration disadvantage and a brand still associated with former President Donald Trump, who remains deeply unpopular in this blue state. If they stand any chance, they need as many disgruntled voters as possible to remove Newsom. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 7/15/21

Vaccine  

Napa doctor charged in fake COVID-19 vaccination card scheme -- Federal prosecutors said Juli A. Mazi, 41, a California-licensed naturopathic doctor, was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count each of wire fraud and false statements relating to health care matters. She was in custody Wednesday afternoon and a court date was pending. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/21

Open  

Bay Area shifting to normal in small and large ways -- Offices slowly are reopening, as are the constellation of restaurants and bars around them. Masks no longer are wardrobe essentials. Roads are crowded once again. Public transit isn’t quite so empty. Carolyn Said, John King, Ryan Kost, Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

Street  

Border patrol: VTA shooter had ‘dark thoughts about harming’ two people -- The disgruntled VTA mechanic who gunned down nine coworkers in May harbored “dark thoughts about harming” two specific people, according to new details from a San Francisco airport encounter with customs agents when returning from the Philippines in 2016. Julia Prodis Sulek, Robert Salonga, Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/21

Heavily armed man detained trying to enter garage of downtown L.A. federal building -- Officials apprehended a heavily armed man Wednesday morning attempting to enter the parking garage of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown L.A. The man was stopped by security officers who noticed a firearm in his vehicle, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Orange County pays $195,000 to teen threatened at gunpoint by off-duty deputy -- The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $195,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by the son of a retired Orange County sheriff’s sergeant who said that an off-duty deputy pulled a gun on him in a skate park two years ago. Melissa Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Judge refuses to add 2 L.A. rape charges to murder case against Paul Flores in Kristin Smart disappearance -- A San Luis Obispo County judge Wednesday refused to allow prosecutors to add two rape charges from Los Angeles to the murder case against Paul Flores in the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Man accused of running down motorcycle officer pleads not guilty -- Moises Correa faces 35 years to life in state prison if convicted in connection with the crash that hurt a San Diego police officer. The item is in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/15/21

Workplace   

Striking USC nurses demand more staff and training, cite ‘profound patient safety issues’ -- Nurses at two USC hospitals that handle some of the country’s most challenging medical cases are protesting working conditions they say put both medical staff and hospital-goers at risk, the latest in a series of strikes by nurses nationwide that have spotlighted hospital safety. Carly Olson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Union workers plan protest against ‘corporate greed’ outside Disneyland -- Some Disneyland Resort workers will protest Saturday near the Happiest Place on Earth, accusing Disney of reaping billions in tax breaks while giving its “cast members” the short shrift. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 7/15/21

EDD   

Feds say they busted Maryland EDD fraud ring targeting California, 11 other states -- Federal agents say they have broken up an unemployment insurance fraud ring based in Maryland that targeted California and numerous other states with more than $2.6 million in claims. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

California labor secretary overcomes unemployment complaints, will join Biden administration -- California Labor Secretary Julie Su, who led the state’s unemployment agency during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped the state enforce a labor law that required businesses to give employment rights to more workers, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the deputy secretary of the federal Labor Department. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

Housing  

Apple spends $1 billion of $2.5 billion effort to fight California housing crisis -- Apple has spent $1 billion of its $2.5 billion pledge to improve housing access in California, with money going to assist first-time home buyers, fund new affordable homes and help the homeless. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

Education  

Berkeley drops objections to UC construction project for $82.64 million -- The city of Berkeley is dropping its objections to a University of California construction project on the northeast edge of campus and to continued increases in UC Berkeley enrollment in exchange for $82.64 million over the next 16 years to cover the city’s added costs in police and fire safety and other services. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

In LA, secretary of education says students need help with social and emotional health -- During a visit to Los Angeles on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona encouraged schools in California and elsewhere to help students heal after a school year that many spent in isolation. Michael Burke EdSource -- 7/15/21

Fire  

Dixie Fire explodes near Paradise, site of the devastating 2018 Camp Fire -- An out-of-control wildfire is burning near the footprint of the devastating 2018 Camp Fire, and officials warned residents in Butte County to prepare for possible evacuations. Julie Johnson, Omar Shaikh Rashad, Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

Beckwourth Complex hits 71% containment, new fire explodes in Plumas County -- Buoyed by better weather conditions, firefighters say they are gaining the upper hand on a Northern California wildfire that has raged for more than a week and are increasing containment of other fires that sparked across the state this weekend. But firefighters are struggling to contain a new fire rapidly expanding in Butte County. Amelia Davidson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

Water  

Almond growers had expected a record Central Valley harvest. Drought just took 13% -- Some growers have opted to strip nuts from branches so their trees can get by with less irrigation this summer, Monday’s report said. Water is especially short in parts of the western and southern San Joaquin Valley. John Holland in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

Guns  

Gun rights group threatens to sue San Jose over ‘unconstitutional’ firearm fees, insurance -- Even though San Jose has not yet released details of its proposed ordinance requiring legal firearm owners to pay for the cost of gun violence, a Second Amendment advocacy organization is already launching a campaign to stop it from taking effect. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

A's  

Any waterfront ballpark plan for Oakland A’s should include community benefits and affordable housing, local groups say -- If the city is eventually going to let the Oakland A’s build a waterfront ballpark and village at the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal, the team must agree to build affordable housing and provide community benefits, a group of residents and community leaders emphasized Wednesday. So far, the team has refused to include any affordable units among the 3,000 homes it wants to build on 55 acres at Howard Terminal. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/21\

Transit  

Restarting VTA light rail will take longer than expected, new leader says -- The new leader of the Valley Transportation Authority is pushing back the estimate to mid-August for the South Bay’s light rail system to resume operations after the deadliest mass shooting in Bay Area history. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/15/21

Climate  

Can San Diego County get ahead of the climate change curve? -- San Diego County is launching aggressive efforts to counter climate change, with a new climate action plan and a sweeping sustainability plan designed to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2035. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/15/21

Cannabis  

As illegal marijuana farms invade desert communities, officials reconsider cannabis regulations -- Faced with an invasion of massive, illegal pot farms in California’s high desert, Los Angeles County Supervisors have voted to boost enforcement and reconsider their current ban on commercial marijuana cultivation. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/15/21

Also . . .   

In major step, UCSF scientists translate unspoken words of paralyzed man into writing -- A team of UCSF scientists was able to translate the unspoken words of a completely paralyzed man into written speech, a transformative step toward developing implantable brain devices that could allow people no longer able to speak to communicate fluently. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21

California game wardens used DNA evidence to prove man illegally killed eight deer -- In California, it’s almost always illegal to kill female deer. But that didn’t stop a Marysville man from shooting seven does and then allegedly lying to a game warden about the body count, wildlife officials said. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/15/21

The plane crash shocked a quiet Monterey community. Now, 2 people are reported dead -- The plane — a twin-engine Cessna 421 — crashed into a residence in the Monterra Ranch neighborhood around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday. Authorities confirmed that no one was home at the time of the crash, but few additional details were officially confirmed about the incident some 24 hours after it occurred. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/15/21