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Fast-spreading Tamarack Fire near Markleeville grows to 6,600 acres, prompts evacuations -- A lightning-sparked and quick-spreading wildfire near the forested town of Markleeville grew to 6,600 acres Saturday morning, prompting evacuations and destroying three structures, officials said. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/21

L.A. County sees another sharp rise in coronavirus cases as mask rules set to take effect -- Los Angeles County recorded more than 1,900 new coronavirus cases Friday, another major jump, as a mandatory mask restriction for inside public places takes effect Saturday night. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

Third strike: Anaheim venue latest to cancel Reps. Gaetz and Greene’s America First rally -- Less than 10 hours before Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene were scheduled to host an America First rally in Anaheim, the city announced that the planned venue had canceled the event. “We as a city shared our public safety concerns with the operator and the operator shares the concerns,” Anaheim spokesman Mike Lyster said Saturday morning. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 7/17/21

Charges cite Trump unrest in alleged plot on Democrats’ HQ -- Ian Benjamin Rogers had five illegal pipe bombs and nearly 50 weapons at his home and shop in California’s wine country, a “ThreePercenters” bumper sticker on his vehicle, a “white privilege card” at his house, and text messages that led federal prosecutors to charge him with conspiring to firebomb the state Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 7/17/21

What we know about the suspects in California Democratic HQ bombing plot in Sacramento -- One of the Northern California men accused of plotting to blow up the Democratic Party Headquarters in Sacramento was a prominent Wine Country mechanic specializing in Jaguar and Land Rover repairs. The other, according to court papers, was a repeat military deserter who lived in Sacramento, abused steroids and was rising the ranks of a far-right anti-government militia group. Jason Pohl and Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/21

Policy & Politics 

Hey, Californians. Why aren’t you at war over critical race theory, transgender athletes and voting? -- More than 5 million Republicans call California home — nearly a quarter of the state’s voters — and more than the number in Wyoming, South Dakota and South Carolina combined. While there is no lack of partisan fight in the state’s GOP — they’re trying to recall the Democratic governor, after all — the wedge issues fueling a frenzy on cable news are largely absent west of Nevada. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/17/21

Here Are The Billionaires Backing California’s Governor And His Opponent Caitlyn Jenner -- California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is facing a recall election in two months, has drawn far more support from billionaire donors than any of his opponents — by a compelling margin. Matt Durot Forbes -- 7/17/21

Street  

Would-be burglar shot by Santa Clara resident -- Police say suspect broke window, kicked open door during incident on 1000 block of Santa Clara Street. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/17/21

The San Diego Police Department is the only agency that won’t move toward full encryption -- When gunshots ring out in a neighborhood, a police scanner can come in handy. News reporters listen to scanner traffic to piece together what is happening. Sometimes residents tune in via cellphone apps. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/17/21

Climate  

San Diego leaders vow to get tough on climate after years of delays and lawsuits -- The San Diego region has talked a lot about shrinking its carbon footprint. However, over the last five years, plans to cut planet-warming emissions have been slow and frequently marked by litigation. Now newly elected leaders, such as county Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, are promising to get tougher on fossil fuels. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/17/21

California Policy and Politics Saturday Morning  

L.A.’s Mask Order Faces Push Back From Sheriff, Board Supervisor -- The sheriff said the order, set to take effect at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, isn’t “backed by science” and contradicts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, while a county board supervisor said departing from the state of California’s policies creates confusion at the local level. Linus Chua Bloomberg -- 7/17/21

Bay Area restaurants scramble with new mask guidance, including one that is laying off all unvaccinated staff -- Many restaurants were rushing Friday to respond to a new public health recommendation in seven Bay Area counties that advises vaccinated people to again wear masks indoors — with one cautious owner deciding to lay off any unvaccinated employees and others quickly announcing changes in their mask requirements for customers. Elena Kadvany, Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

New advice on masks causes some Bay Area workplaces to rethink in-person rules -- California rules for workplaces haven’t officially changed since they were updated last month, but companies are thinking twice in light of the new guidance from Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

LA County doctors, health officials say hospitalization surge possible -- The reality the county faces, multiple officials said, is that a potentially overwhelming spike in COVID-19 patients could come down to a numbers game. Hunter Lee, David Rosenfeld, Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/17/21

Half of Californians now urged to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status -- Seven Bay Area counties’ health offices on Friday urged the general public to mask up once again, regardless of vaccination status: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma, as well as the city of Berkeley. Sacramento, Yolo and Fresno counties issued similar recommendations earlier this week, and Los Angeles County announced plans to strengthen its recommendation to a mandate starting this weekend. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/17/21

FDA revokes approval of COVID-19 test given to hundreds of thousands in L.A. -- In January, the FDA had alerted the public that Curative’s test could produce false results, causing people to possibly delay treatment and unknowingly spread the virus. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

Lopez: Mad about the new mask mandate? Blame Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson -- Here we go again. The new L.A. County mandate, thanks to a rise in coronavirus cases, is for everyone to wear masks indoors whether they’re vaccinated or not. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

Policy & Politics 

Who's running against Newsom in the California recall election? The window has shut -- The state’s online campaign finance portal showed 82 candidates had filed statements of intention to run by late Friday, including 33 Republicans, 18 Democrats and 31 with other or no party preference, though there could be more that were not yet uploaded. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

As list of recall candidates takes shape, Jenner’s in Australia for a TV show -- The most famous candidate, Caitlyn Jenner, was not in the state, having flown to Sydney, Australia, this week to compete in the “Celebrity Big Brother” reality television show, Australian media reported. She filed her paperwork Thursday. Seema Mehta, Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

Legislature goes out with a budget bang -- The state constitution requires the Legislature to pass a budget by June 15. But the constitution is silent on how detailed that budget has to be. So this year, lawmakers passed a placeholder in mid-June, authorizing the state to spend an unprecedented amount of money but without offering much in the way of specifics. Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 7/17/21

Under fire, Feuer defends his office’s handling of DWP billing litigation -- Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer, who is running for mayor, railed this week against a 595-page report that found that attorneys in his office took part in a scheme to settle litigation that arose from a faulty billing system used by the Department of Water and Power. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

As protests mount, Reps. Gaetz, Greene move America First rally back to Orange County -- Less than 24 hours before Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene are scheduled to host an America First rally in Southern California, protesters have pushed the controversial GOP Congress members to move the event for a third time. The America First rally is now slated to take place Saturday night at the Anaheim Event Center on Harbor Boulevard. Brooke Staggs in the Orange County Register -- 7/17/21

California lawmakers eye legislation based on lessons learned from Surfside condo collapse -- But currently in the Golden State, 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 Orange County Register -- 7/17/21

DACA  

Federal judge rules against DACA program, throwing immigrant protections in doubt -- A federal judge on Friday suspended the program that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, finding the Obama administration unlawfully created it. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ Astrid Galvan Associated Press -- 7/17/21

COVID Economy  

That $28 billion to save local restaurants? In the Bay Area, tens of millions went to chains like Panera -- If you’ve read any food coverage in the past year, you’d know that the restaurant industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Soleil Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

No Strings  

Universal basic income? California moves to be first state to fund pilot efforts -- California lawmakers OK funding programs to guarantee some people — especially foster youth and pregnant women — an income floor. Jesse Bedayn CalMatters -- 7/17/21

Street  

Flexing new authority, California attorney general to review LAPD shooting in Hollywood -- California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office will investigate the fatal Los Angeles police shooting of a man on Hollywood Boulevard on Thursday, flexing a new authority for his office that took effect under a change to state law on July 1. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

Because of interference in investigation, Petaluma teen can't sue deputy who threw her to ground -- A divided federal appeals court refused Friday to allow a Petaluma teenager to sue for excessive force when a sheriff’s deputy threw her to the ground and rubbed her face in the gravel after the teen and her mother allegedly interfered with the officer’s investigation of suspected domestic violence. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

2 men pistol-whipped in Oakland daytime armed robbery -- Oakland police are investigating what they call a brazen daytime armed robbery in which two people were pistol-whipped near Madison Park on Thursday afternoon, officers said. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

Rite Aid worker killed after confronting shoplifters at Glassell Park store, police say -- The shooting occurred about 8:50 p.m. when two men tried to leave the store on the 4000 block of Eagle Rock Boulevard with unpaid merchandise and were stopped by the employee, Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Mike Lopez said. During the confrontation, one the men shot the employee with a handgun, said Lopez. Both suspects then ran. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

Workplace   

Website exposes L.A. County Fire employees’ COVID-19 vaccination details -- The vaccination details of nearly 5,000 Los Angeles County Fire Department employees were posted online this week, prompting concerns about medical privacy and demands for an investigation by a major employee union. Matt Stiles in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

Gig Work   

DoorDash, Grubhub sue San Francisco over permanent delivery fee cap -- San Francisco’s permanent cap on third-party delivery fees, the first in the nation, is headed to court. DoorDash and Grubhub sued the City of San Francisco on Friday, firing back at the cap as an “irrational law, driven by naked animosity and ill-conceived economic protectionism.” Elena Kadvany in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

Homeless  

S.F. has an unprecedented $1.1 billion to spend on homelessness. The pressure is on to make a difference -- For Pamela Tisdale, the amount of money that San Francisco plans to invest in homelessness — more than $1.1 billion over the next two years — is irrelevant as long as she lives in a small, temporary hotel room that has “rats galore.” Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

Fire  

Firefighting machinery at Salt Fire accidentally starts new blaze -- As crews neared full containment of the Salt Fire north of Shasta Lake on Friday afternoon, an excavator repairing fire lines caught fire and sparked a new blaze, sending firefighters scrambling to contain it, a fire official said. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

Threat of dry lightning deepens wildfire worries, as crews make slow progress against ongoing blazes -- Weekend weather forecasts predicting possible thunderstorms over the Bay Area fueled concerns Friday about dry lightning strikes sparking new wildfires across much of drought-stricken Northern California. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

Cause of last year's 380,000-acre Creek Fire can't be determined, Forest Service says -- Federal officials said Friday they could not make an official determination about what caused last year’s Creek Fire, a monstrous blaze that chewed up nearly 380,000 acres in the mountains northeast of Fresno and became the largest fire to burn in the Sierra Nevada. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

Water  

Drought-Stricken California Hasn't Mandated Statewide Water Restrictions. Here's Why -- Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, says one reason for the voluntary restrictions is that Californian's water use is down 16% compared to the last drought. That's when many people ditched their grassy lawns in favor of native plants and rock gardens. Others have installed home graywater systems. Ezra David Romero KQED -- 7/17/21

Power  

'Astonished and Appalled': Hayward Residents, Leaders Decry State's OK to Restart Power Plant That Exploded in May -- The California Public Utilities Commission and energy commission staff said reopening the Hayward power plant will allow the state to provide more reliable energy to California's strained power grid in the face of unprecedented heat in recent months, highlighting the tension between California's crucial energy needs and the safety of mostly Black and brown neighborhoods bearing the brunt of climate change. Ericka Cruz Guevarra KQED -- 7/17/21

Develop  

S.F. developer fined $1.2 million for cramming too many apartments into complex -- A San Francisco developer who illegally crammed 29 apartments into a housing complex in the Portola District that was approved for just 10 units has agreed to pay $1.2 million in fines to the city in addition to bringing the property into compliance with city building codes. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

A's

Oakland plan rejects key pieces of A's vision for Howard Terminal stadium, setting up showdown -- Oakland and the A’s dug into their positions Friday as the city released a tentative financial plan for development of a waterfront stadium at the Howard Terminal that doesn’t satisfy the baseball team’s demands. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

Aliso Canyon  

Frustration mounts as LA County declines to subpoena SoCalGas over list of Aliso Canyon leak chemicals -- One crucial piece of information to help answer questions about the chemicals, residents say, was a list of substances spilled during the gas leak. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 7/17/21

Environment  

Bird rescue operation in Long Beach seeks to save elegant terns -- A drone crash in June forced an estimated 3,000 of the sleek seabirds with their pointed orange bills to abandon their eggs on Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County. Experts say it’s possible that many of the birds set up camp on two commercial barges in nearby Long Beach Harbor. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/17/21

Also . . .   

West Nile virus found in Contra Costa County mosquitos -- Mosquitos infected with West Nile virus have been discovered in Contra Costa County multiple times this month, prompting officials to warn area residents Friday. The disclosure comes one week after California recorded its first West Nile virus death of the year in San Luis Obispo County. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21

Coyote killed after charging toddlers in S.F.'s Botanical Garden -- Federal wildlife officials killed a coyote that had charged at five toddlers in the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, city animal control officials said Friday. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/17/21