Updating . .   

Trump supporters linked to plot on California Democratic HQ had guns, zip ties, steroids -- FBI agents found zip-tie handcuffs that allegedly were to be used in their plot, court records say, as well as anabolic steroids. Court filings say Copeland has lived in California since 2007 but talked of leaving for a “more conservative state.” Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/21

Caitlyn Jenner: Still running for governor despite reports of Australian 'Celebrity Big Brother' TV stint -- Citing the Australian tabloid the Advertiser, the UK tabloid the Daily Mail reported Friday that Jenner, 71, flew to Sydney this week to appear on a season of “Celebrity Big Brother,” even though the recall election in which she is running to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom is less than two months away. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Mackenzie Mays Capital Public Radio -- 7/16/21

VP Kamala Harris taps into California donor base for Democratic Party fundraiser -- The event was billed to California donors as a “virtual homecoming” for Harris, according to a Democratic National Committee official. Harris was attorney general of California and represented the state in the U.S. Senate prior to serving as vice president. Francesca Chambers in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/21

Feds say two Trump supporters plotted attack against Democratic HQ in Sacramento -- Two Bay Area men have been indicted on charges of plotting to blow up the Democratic headquarters building in Sacramento because of their belief that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and authorities have seized 49 weapons — including machine guns and bombs, court records say. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/21

These are weapons belonging to men accused of plotting to blow up California’s Democratic HQ -- Federal officials say two Northern California men plotted to blow up the Democratic headquarters building in Sacramento to protest then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, and court records indicate they had a well-stocked arsenal. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/21

Fire  

Sugar fire becomes California’s first mega-fire of the year as Dixie fire triples in size -- As the Dixie fire in Butte County balloons in size, the Sugar fire burning in Plumas National Forest north of Sacramento has become the first 100,000-acre fire in California this year. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Fast-moving Dixie Fire in Butte County grows to nearly 8,000 acres -- The wildfire burning near the footprint of the deadly 2018 Camp Fire has grown to nearly 8,000 acres, according to CalFire. The blaze — called the Dixie Fire — has been burning around the Feather River Canyon along Highway 70 in Butte County since Tuesday. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Michael McGough -- 7/16/21

Water  

Amid escalating drought, Bay Area residents slow to cut back on water use -- As the sun began to rise over Santa Rosa’s Montgomery Village neighborhood, the headlights of a city work truck brought into view utility official Shiloh Jones’ target: wasted water. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Vaccine  

With new mask rules, L.A. County is asking the vaccinated to help the unvaccinated -- Officials have been desperately trying to convince those who have not gotten their shots to do so. But with limited success. So the county is now requiring everyone — vaccinated and unvaccinated — to wear masks inside public places. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Bay Area health officers recommend masks indoors for all -- Bay Area health officers Friday recommended that face masks be worn in public indoor places by everyone regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated, walking back freedom that had been granted to the inoculated just a month ago amid alarm over a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases chiefly among the unvaccinated. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/21

7 SF Bay Area counties recommend - but don't require - indoor masks for vaccinated individuals -- Public health departments in seven Bay Area counties and one city issued advisories Friday morning recommending that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wears masks in public indoor places as COVID-19 cases spread across the region because of the highly contagious delta variant. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

COVID-19's delta variant is quickly spreading in California. Are restrictions coming back? -- We reached out to all nine counties via email and heard back from five. Here's what those who responded said. Amy Graff, Eric Ting in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/16/21

Vaccine ‘obstinance’ is fueling Delta variant’s spread across America -- The Delta variant crept into Americans’ consciousness through a distant haze of funeral pyres. But now that the coronavirus strain first detected in India has burst upon communities across the United States, it has taken on a distinctly American look and feel. Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Policy & Politics 

‘More Gary Coleman than Arnold Schwarzenegger’: Caitlyn Jenner’s historic run struggles -- When Caitlyn Jenner launched her bid for governor in late April, the Olympic Gold medal-winning decathlete and reality television star’s website had just two options: “Shop” and “Donate.” Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Larry Elder talks politics on the radio. Can he get votes in the California recall election? -- Larry Elder is normally not a fan of recall elections. As a nationally syndicated talk radio host and longtime columnist, Elder says he believes elected officials should be able to finish their term before voters get to decide whether or not to keep them. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/21

Sempra hires former US energy secretary under Trump -- In his time at DOE, Brouillette espoused a policy of pursuing “American energy dominance” and has been a booster of exporting U.S-produced liquefied natural gas, or LNG, to foreign markets. Sempra has aggressively moved into the LNG export space. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/16/21

Street  

Police officers treat Black and white men differently. You can hear it in their tone of voice -- Scientists who analyzed the body camera footage from more than 100 police officers have found a subtle but clear pattern: During traffic stops, officers spoke to Black men in a less respectful and less friendly tone than they did to white men. Amina Khan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Former California police officer to plead guilty to taking bribes from gang member -- A former Montebello police officer has agreed to plead guilty to accepting at least $14,000 in bribes to escort illegal drug shipments and access federal databases, enabling a gang member to remain under the radar of law enforcement. Scott Schwebke in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/21

A's

Oakland plan rejects key pieces of A's vision for Howard Terminal stadium, setting up showdown -- Oakland released a tentative financial plan for development of a waterfront stadium at the Howard Terminal on Friday that clashed with the A’s vision for the property, showing how far apart the sides are and raising fresh doubts about the baseball team’s future in the city. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Cannabis  

California opens new marijuana agency 5 years after legalization, aiming to simplify rules -- Five years after California legalized recreational marijuana, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law aimed at simplifying how the state regulates the growing industry. Isabella Bloom in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/21

COVID Economy  

California’s jobs recovery is starting to losing steam -- California’s unemployment held steady in June as the state continues to recover from pandemic losses, though the pace of adding jobs has slowed as workers take their time rejoining the labor force. Carly Olson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

With millions of Americans looking for work, why can’t businesses find employees? -- An interview with UC Berkeley Labor Center’s new director of the low-wage work program, Enrique Lopezlira. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/21

COVID boomtown: Silicon Valley company values soar, fueled by tech -- Silicon Valley’s tech companies are gaining value at a dramatic pace, a sign the technology and life sciences industries in the region have managed to prosper despite coronavirus woes that jolted the economy. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/21

Homeless  

California will spend a record amount on homelessness. Here’s where it’s going -- California will spend a record $4.8 billion over two years to alleviate homelessness after legislators Thursday unanimously passed key details of a new state budget. The package, once signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will mark the state’s largest financial commitment to date in assisting people without adequate and safe housing. Ari Plachta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Shyong: Is homelessness a property rights issue or a human rights issue? We have to decide -- Everyone in Los Angeles seems to agree that homelessness is an emergency, and that consensus has existed for years. Frank Shyong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Doctors   

Critics say physicians ‘cartel’ obstructing efforts to punish bad doctors -- As injured patients and consumer rights groups fight for tougher penalties on grossly negligent doctors, California’s powerful physicians lobby is working hard behind the scenes to water down any proposed reforms. So far, the lobbyists seem to be winning. Melody Gutierrez, Jack Dolan, Kim Christensen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Climate  

Study: Hotter temps increased workplace injuries in California; incidents undercounted -- Hotter temperatures in California significantly increase the risk that workers will be injured on the job, according to a new study that finds these incidents are vastly undercounted in official records. Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Education  

Baseball team suspended. Marching band dissolved. Does UC Davis have a culture problem? -- Two years ago, UC Davis did the unthinkable. It completely dismantled one of the university’s most recognizable and beloved institutions, the school’s marching band, following an investigation into binge drinking, hazing and sexual misconduct. Ryan Sabalow, Margo Rosenbaum, Dale Kasler, and Joe Davidson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/21

California Policy and Politics Friday Morning  

What L.A. County’s new indoor mask rules mean for dining, shopping and more -- With coronavirus cases rising significantly among the unvaccinated, Los Angeles County has restored a mask mandate for in indoor public spaces. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Pandemic-weary LA County crestfallen over news of masks’ return, mere weeks after restrictions eased -- Disappointment. It was in the air on Thursday; July 15, as medical leaders lamented the the reluctance of so many Los Angeles County residents to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, stalling the onset of the much-coveted herd immunity. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/16/21

Los Angeles is mandating masks for all again. What about in the Bay Area? -- Asked Thursday at a news conference about whether San Francisco might reinstate its mask mandate indoors for vaccinated people, Mayor London Breed said that the city is “considering providing guidance on suggested mask (usage). ... We’re looking at changes to the policy but not necessarily a mandate.” Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

More California communities urge wearing masks indoors amid surging Delta variant -- As California grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases amid the highly transmissible Delta variant, Sacramento and Yolo counties are now recommending that all residents, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors. Melissa Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Policy & Politics 

Larry Elder, conservative Black rival in Newsom recall, downplays racism in America -- Of the three dozen Republican candidates hoping to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the recall election, perhaps none brings a larger national audience than Larry Elder. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Trump associate Richard Grenell will not run in California recall -- Former Trump administration official Richard Grenell said Thursday he will not run to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom in the September recall election. “I’ve made a decision not to run,” Grenell said on Sean Hannity's Fox News show one day before the candidate filing deadline. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 7/16/21

Judge may throw out most of sexual harassment lawsuit against Inglewood mayor -- A Los Angeles Superior Court judge appears poised to throw out all but one portion of a lawsuit accusing Inglewood and Mayor James T. Butts Jr. of wrongful termination, sexual harassment and retaliation, because the mayor’s former assistant did not file her lawsuit on time. Jason Henry in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/16/21

Long-serving California Republican Rep. Jerry Lewis dies -- Former Republican Rep. Jerry Lewis, who became a hero in his community for steering hundreds of millions of federal dollars to projects in his inland Southern California district, but was criticized as an exemplar of pork-barrel spending abuses, has died. He was 86. Associated Press -- 7/16/21

Reps. Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene move America First rally from OC to Riverside -- Republican U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene have moved Saturday’s planned America First rally east, from Orange County to Riverside, after their original venue abruptly canceled them last week and their teams spent a week trying to find a new O.C. location. Gaetz, who represents a Florida district, and Greene, a representative from Georgia, said they won’t share where the event will be held until 24 hours in advance, citing “security concerns.” Brooke Staggs, Jeff Horseman in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 7/16/21

Barabak: He called out Trump’s election lie. Fellow Republicans pushed to fire him -- For Jason Roe, returning to Michigan from San Diego was a homecoming twice over. The Republican campaign strategist was born and raised in Michigan, and the job he took after moving back — executive director of the state GOP — was a position his father once held. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Street  

Black youths nine times more likely to be incarcerated than whites in California -- As California shuts down its remaining juvenile prisons, a new report says Black youths in the state were nine times as likely to be incarcerated as whites, a disparity that was twice the national average. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Amid nationwide spike in overdose deaths, L.A. County jail program gives lifesaving medicine directly to inmates -- In May and June, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department began placing doses of naloxone inside the living areas of their jails. The small nozzles, branded as Narcan and resembling over-the-counter nasal sprays, were attached to the walls of dormitories so that anyone inside who sees another inmate appearing to overdose can rip the doses off the wall and administer the medicine themselves. Josh Cain in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/16/21

‘A specific fetish for forcing himself upon women’: Prosecutors lay out expansive account of the case against Paul Flores -- San Luis Obispo prosecutors anticipate that dozens of women will testify about the predatory — and at times violent — sexual behavior of Paul Flores, a San Pedro man charged with the murder of a 19-year-old college student who vanished 25 years ago and has never been found, according to court papers made public Thursday. Matthew Ormseth, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Security guards shot at when they responded to fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Vallejo -- After the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Vallejo on Wednesday evening, several people armed with handguns opened fire at security guards who responded to the shooting, but the gunfire struck no one, police said Thursday. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Judge says lawsuit demanding better COVID-19 practices in San Diego jails may proceed -- A class-action lawsuit accusing Sheriff Bill Gore of not doing enough to protect San Diego County jail inmates from the deadly coronavirus may proceed to trial, under an order issued by a Superior Court judge. Jeff McDonald, Kelly Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/16/21

George Floyd mural vandalized outside Laugh Factory in Hollywood -- The work — a large image of Floyd’s face alongside the names of other victims of police killings — was vandalized late Sunday or early Monday, Laugh Factory communications director Greg Waskul said. Rachel Schnalzer in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

San Bruno police say they arrested woman who had enough fentanyl to kill 65,000 people -- San Bruno police arrested a Northern California woman on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale and seized roughly 65,000 potentially fatal doses of fentanyl, a deadly opioid, police said. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

7 jail staff, 2 inmates hospitalized in altercation at Pitchess Detention Center -- Officials said an inmate assaulted one of the deputies. More inmates became involved and other deputies responded to the scene. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

LAPD officers fatally shoot man on busy Hollywood Boulevard after calls about armed suspect -- Los Angeles police officers fatally shot a man on a busy stretch of Hollywood Boulevard on Thursday after receiving multiple 911 calls about a suspect matching the man’s description brandishing a gun on the block, police said. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

Disney Jobs  

Disney to relocate 2,000 California jobs to central Florida -- Disney has yet to identify the 2,000 positions that will move to the Lake Nona community, but company officials said it would primarily involve employees in the parks, experiences and products division. The move to Florida has been in the works since 2019, Disney officials said. Hugo MartÍn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

COVID Economy  

Parklets vs. parking: Permanent outdoor dining in S.F. sets off debate over street space -- Wade Warrens, a West Portal resident for more than two decades who’s watched local businesses close, said his neighborhood is livelier now than even before the pandemic. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Many Jobs Lost During the Coronavirus Pandemic Just Aren’t Coming Back -- Companies see automation and other labor-saving steps as a way to emerge from the health crisis with a permanently smaller workforce. Lauren Weber in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/16/21

Workplace   

'Victory for workers': State's high court rules on pay for employees who work through lunch, breaks -- Employees in California who are ordered to work through their half-hour lunch period or 10-minute rest breaks are entitled to an extra hour’s pay at their “regular rate of compensation.” What that rate amounts to for the thousands whose regular pay includes commissions or bonuses wasn’t clear until Thursday, when the state Supreme Court ruled in the employees’ favor. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Tech Workers Who Swore Off the Bay Area Are Coming Back -- Critics said the pandemic would make the industry flee San Francisco and its southern neighbor, Silicon Valley. But tech can’t seem to quit its gravitational center. Kellen Browning in the New York Times$ -- 7/16/21

Uber settles dispute over sexual assault data with California Public Utilities Commission -- Uber and the California Public Utilities Commission have filed a proposed $9 million settlement in a long-running dispute over whether the ride-hailing giant must hand over data on riders and drivers who were sexually assaulted while using the service. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

No Strings  

Has the time come for universal basic income? -- Universal basic income was championed by Martin Luther King Jr., promoted by Silicon Valley citizens as the “social vaccine for the 21st century” and endorsed by 2016 presidential candidate Andrew Yang, but the notion of government-guaranteed payments to residents has never really caught on. Now its time may have come. Jesse Bedayn in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/21

Housing  

City loan was supposed to help fix S.F. public housing where London Breed grew up. Has it? -- Two months after San Francisco started emergency repairs on a dilapidated public housing complex, incremental progress has been made, although some tenants who sued over conditions say they’ve seen no improvements yet. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Education  

UC mandates COVID-19 vaccinations and will bar most students without them from campus -- The University of California announced Thursday that COVID-19 vaccinations will be required before the fall term begins for all students, faculty and others, becoming the nation’s largest public university system to mandate the vaccines even though they don’t have full federal approval. Teresa Watanabe, Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael Burke EdSource -- 7/16/21

S.F. schools offer limited remote learning opportunities in the fall -- In a message sent to families Thursday evening, the district wrote that they are preparing for a full school reopening, 5 days a week. Emma Talley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

A maskless student with a speech disability got barred from summer school. The family is suing Palo Alto's school district -- When a Palo Alto high school student didn’t wear his mask on the first day of summer school this month, he was sent to the office. But the student has a speech-related disability that makes it hard for him to pronounce certain sounds and letters clearly — and also means he cannot wear a mask safely, according to a lawsuit filed against the Palo Alto Unified School District by the student’s father, A.J. Gokcek. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

'Worst moments of my life.' Former Berkeley High student alleges repeated abuse by teacher -- Soon after Rachel Phillips arrived at H Building for her senior yearbook photo shoot, she felt a hug from behind. She said she quickly realized it was her chemistry teacher, the one she alleges sexually assaulted and harassed her throughout her four years a t Berkeley High School. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

California moves to adopt historic $6 billion broadband plan -- After decades of advocacy and a pandemic year that forced schools to shift to online instruction, California is preparing to make its largest investment in expanding public broadband access to date. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 7/16/21

California cuts the number of tests teachers must take to earn credential -- California’s newly approved state budget allows teacher candidates to skip two of the tests that had been required to earn a teaching credential if they take approved coursework. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 7/16/21

Fire  

Dixie Fire, raging near the site of the devastating 2018 Camp Fire, prompts evacuations -- Firefighters on Thursday struggled to gain containment of a 2,250-acre wildfire burning near the footprint of the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in Plumas and Butte counties. Julie Johnson, Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Sugar Fire Doubles Back on Doyle, Leaving Residents With Evacuation Whiplash -- A faint glow over the ridgeline turned into cascading flames at dusk, as a column from the Sugar Fire blitzed toward the homes on Pickens Road. Late last week, the same fire had narrowly missed this neighborhood in Doyle, a town of fewer than 1,000 residents in rural Lassen County. Now, it was back to take another shot. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 7/16/21

Water  

California drought: La Niña could dash hopes of desperately needed rain this winter -- The punishing drought conditions afflicting most of California are expected to endure for months, climate experts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association said Thursday. There is a 60% chance, NOAA experts said, of a La Niña event this winter — conditions that would likely bring about a cool and very dry winter. Omar Shaikh Rashad in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Cambria declares a stage 4 water shortage emergency, asks residents to cut use by 40% -- The Cambria Community Services District Board of Directors unanimously declared a stage 4 water shortage emergency during a public meeting on Thursday afternoon, implementing the most severe restrictions in San Luis Obispo County to date. MacKenzie Shuman San Luis Obispo Tribune -- 7/16/21

These NASA satellite images show total devastation of water sources in California's drought -- To illustrate the severity of California’s deepening drought, NASA on Thursday published a series of satellite images showing the state’s rapidly disappearing snowcaps and reservoirs. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/21

Power  

The energy transition: ‘The days when people couldn’t pay attention to their electricity supply are over’ -- California seeks to create an electric grid that’s clean, reliable and affordable but it comes with costs. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/16/21

Develop  

Developer wants to create $1M housing down payment fund for San Diego teachers. But, there’s a catch -- A housing developer wants to create a new down payment fund for teachers — but will only give the money if its project is approved. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/16/21

Also . . .   

Lopez: They want to age wine in the ocean off Santa Barbara. The Coastal Commission is wary -- Even in a state known for wine innovation and a willingness to embrace new fads, it was a quirky idea: aging bottles of wine at the bottom of the ocean, about a mile off Santa Barbara. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21

A man set his car on fire alongside Interstate 80 to try to scare away bears, CHP says -- According to CHP Officer Carlos Perez, officers responded around 5:30 a.m. to reports of a car fire alongside Interstate 80 near the Farad exit. When officers arrived, they found that a man had lit a fire on the hood of his car in an attempt to “keep bears away,” Perez said. Amelia Davidson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/21