Updating . .   

UC raises tuition despite student outcry, touting more financial aid and budget stability -- The 4.2% increase in tuition and fees — $534 added to the current annual level of $12,570 — will apply only to incoming undergraduates next year and stay flat for up to six years for them. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ Janie Har Associated Press Omar Shaikh Rashad in the San Francisco Chronicle Katherine Swartz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/22/21

L.A. County’s alarming new coronavirus surge: How bad will it get? -- Health officials say Los Angeles County is in the midst of a new coronavirus surge — with an average daily case count that’s now nine times higher than it was just four weeks ago. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Delta and lambda variants in California: What you need to know -- The Bay Area has become an “emerging hot spot” as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge throughout the region and state, driven by the highly contagious delta variant. Jessica Flores, Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/22/21

San Mateo County buildings to require masks for all -- San Mateo County employees and members of the public visiting county buildings will have to wear face masks whether vaccinated or not starting Monday to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the board president said Thursday. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/22/21

COVID-19 activity jumps in San Diego County and likely to continue rising -- This summer is starting to look like last summer, at least where coronavirus is concerned. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/22/21

Southern California cities rebel against new mask mandate, hinting at delta variant drama to come -- Los Angeles County’s new mask mandate is infuriating officials in the sprawling region, leading to angry denunciations as some irate local leaders demand resignations and threaten to cut ties and form their own public health departments. Erica Werner in the Washington Post$ -- 7/22/21

Fire  

Tamarack Fire burning near South Lake Tahoe crosses Nevada border -- The Tamarack Fire burning through nearly 44,000 acres near South Lake Tahoe crossed the border into Nevada late Wednesday as flames encroached on Highway 395, prompting evacuation warnings. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/22/21

From heavy metals to COVID-19, wildfire smoke is more dangerous than you think -- When Erin Babnik awoke on the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, in Paradise, Calif., she thought the reddish glow outside was a hazy sunrise. But the faint light soon gave way to darkness as smoke from the burgeoning Camp fire rolled in. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

From air purifiers to filters, how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke -- In 2020, smoke from California’s wildfires blanketed the state in ash, soot and thick, hazy skies for weeks, with some plumes from the fires reaching as far away as Europe. Already this year, smoke from the region’s fires have spread across much of the U.S. and Canada. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Staying Aloat

One-third of Californians struggle to pay for basic necessities -- Nearly one in three California families don’t earn enough money to pay for basic necessities like food, healthcare, taxes, rent, and childcare, even though a majority of the families had at least one working adult, according to a new study by the United Ways of California. Jesse Bedayn in the San Jose Mercury$ Erika Paz CalMatters -- 7/22/21

Workplace   

Report on powerful water agency finds no widespread issues in handling employee complaints -- A powerful Southern California water agency accused by some employees of sexual harassment and other workplace violations “generally provides a safe and respectful working environment” for people of color, women and LGBTQ+ workers, a report on the agency concludes. Adam Elmahrek in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Garcetti spokesman complained of being ‘hit on’ by mayor’s advisor, former aide testifies -- For much of the past year, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s spokesman has responded to allegations that a high-level advisor engaged in sexual harassment and that top staffers in the mayor’s office did nothing about it. Richard Winton, Dakota Smith, David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Guns  

Feds announce plan to crack down on firearms trafficking in the Bay Area -- Federal officials with the U.S. Department of Justice are launching a crackdown on gun trafficking in five regions across the nation — including the Bay Area and Sacramento, officials said. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/22/21

Water  

Forever chemicals: California unveils health goals for contaminated drinking water -- It’s California’s first big step toward regulating “forever chemicals,” which are ubiquitous in California and around the globe. The proposed goals — which aim to make the cancer risk negligible — are many times lower than federal guidelines for drinking water. Rachel Becker CalMatters -- 7/22/21

As drought slams California and Oregon, Klamath farmers grow fish to quell a water war -- It’s a strange place to find fish, deep in the high desert, where drought-baked earth butts against scrubby mountains. Anita Chabria, Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Transit  

Bullet train budget battle: Should California spend more on urban transit, not high-speed rail? -- Gov. Newsom wants $4.2 billion to finish the Central Valley link for the bullet train, but legislators aren’t sold. The governor and fellow Democrats are negotiating whether to spend more on urban transportation projects. Marissa Garcia CalMatters -- 7/22/21

Also . . .   

Businesses, California government websites down briefly during major internet outage -- Numerous major websites experienced technical problems Thursday morning, apparently linked to a service disruption at a major content distribution network. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/22/21

San Diego Rep. Levin forms bipartisan caucus for safe disposal of nuclear fuel waste -- Rep. Mike Levin Wednesday announced the formation of a Spent Nuclear Fuels Solutions Caucus in Congress to guide the disposal of nuclear waste from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and other power plants around the United States. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/22/21

The Britney effect: How California is grappling with conservatorship -- As the pop star’s court case raises alarms and prompts legislation, here’s an explanation of how conservatorship is — and isn’t — working in California. Jocelyn Wiener CalMatters -- 7/22/21

California Policy and Politics Thursday Morning  

L.A. County sees big spike in coronavirus: 2,551 new cases in one day -- Los Angeles County reported its largest single-day total of new coronavirus cases in months as the region races to wrap arms around what officials now say is a new surge of the pandemic. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Worried About Breakthrough COVID Cases? Here's What to Know -- There have been a number of recent reports of fully vaccinated people testing positive for the coronavirus — at the White House, Congress, the Olympics and Major League Baseball. And with the fast-spreading delta variant driving up infections, hospitalizations and deaths, a lot of people are wondering whether the vaccines are as protective as we thought. Rob Stein NPR via KQED -- 7/22/21

Fire  

Wildfires: PG&E will place 10,000 miles of electric lines underground -- Pacific Gas & Electric, the state’s largest power company, said Wednesday that it plans to place 10,000 miles of power lines underground to reduce the possibility of sparking massive wildfires in Northern and Central California — but the utility provided no timeline for the project and limited details of how it would be paid for. Fiona Kelliher, George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/22/21

Policy & Politics 

California's recall 'reboot' has no buzz - and that could be bad news for Gavin Newsom -- Now that the list of certified candidates seeking to replace Gavin Newsom in a recall election is nearly final, we can safely report that one thing is missing that was in abundance the last time Californians were asked if they wanted to boot their governor in 2003: Buzz. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/22/21

Attacked by recall backers, Newsom defends record on crime and takes action on retail theft -- Facing criticism from recall supporters for California’s rise in gun violence and retail theft, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday called for more accountability and enforcement but insisted the state is on right path on criminal justice. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/22/21

Judge puts Larry Elder on recall ballot, throws out tax return requirement -- Conservative talk show host Larry Elder wins his lawsuit to be a replacement candidate in the California recall. A judge rules that a tax return requirement doesn’t apply to recalls. Laurel Rosenhall CalMatters Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ Jeremy B. White Politico Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/22/21

California congressman bulldozes Asian-run pot greenhouses, quotes ‘Apocalypse Now’ -- In May, a Northern California sheriff’s office asked on Facebook for volunteers to help bulldoze the marijuana greenhouses that have recently popped up by the hundreds on private property in one small area of the remote county. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/22/21

Taxes  

California filmmakers to get more tax breaks in new law. Do incentives keep shows here? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom late Wednesday signed a law offering another $124 million in annual tax credits to the industry over the next four years. It comes on top of the $330 million a year California already provides to the film and television industry in tax credits. Katherine Swartz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/22/21

Street  

Rep. Waters seeks federal probe of L.A. County deputies’ alleged Executioners gang -- Rep. Maxine Waters on Wednesday requested that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate allegations that a violent gang of deputies called the Executioners runs operations at the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Compton station. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Prisons close as California inmate population dwindles -- California authorities have ordered the closure of state prisons for the first time in nearly two decades: Four are destined to be shut down, and three more are being discussed for possible closure. Grady Thomson Capitol Weekly -- 7/22/21

Want to understand recent Bay Area crime trends? Look to car theft and larceny -- The coronavirus pandemic upended crime trends across California. Most cities have seen homicides rise, assaults and rapes decline, and overall property crime rates go down. But even in a highly unusual era for crime, the Bay Area stands out when it comes to two types of property crime: larcenies and auto thefts. Susie Neilson, Dan Kopf in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/22/21

Workplace   

San Diego Black contractors group urges SANDAG to reject project labor agreement platform -- SANDAG’s board on Friday is expected to approve a project labor agreement platform affecting billions of dollars in future construction work in the region, but a group representing Black contractors is urging it to reconsider. Anissa Durham in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/22/21

Homeless  

San Diego’s new homelessness czar will focus on equity, collaboration -- San Diego’s new top official on homelessness has spent the last 15 years exploring solutions to the problem across Southern California, including work in Los Angeles, Santa Ana and Riverside. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/22/21

Housing  

‘Upzoning’ in my backyard? California bill won’t turocharge home building, study says -- A bill advancing through the California Legislature to allow for denser home building in single-family zones would be likely to produce an uptick in the state’s housing supply, but the so-called upzoning probably won’t cause mass redevelopment, according to a report published Wednesday. Andrew Khouri, Ari Plachta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Education  

A dozen Downey High School students stranded on Mt. Baldy are airlifted to safety -- School district officials were investigating what went wrong after more than a dozen students and staff from Downey High School were rescued from Mt. Baldy over two days, with two teenagers spending a frigid night on the mountain. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

How California plans to deter costly special education disputes -- The threatened deluge of post-pandemic special education litigation may be averted — or at least minimized— by a new initiative in California encouraging parents and schools to resolve disputes before heading to court. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 7/22/21

Transit  

Will S.F. Muni ever be able to reach 100% of pre-pandemic service? -- Julia Bauer waited for daylight on a recent Friday morning before leaving her apartment in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, stealthily clutching pepper spray in her pocket as she walked the three blocks past a maze of drug dealers to the closest Muni bus stop. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/22/21

Environment  

What was most common item found on beaches? It wasn’t plastic -- The San Diego chapter alone had 1,986 volunteers who collected almost 2,000 pounds of trash. Cigarette butts were the most numerous single item, with 8,131 recorded locally. Otherwise, the refuse was plastic foam, plastic food wrappers, bottlecaps and plastic fragments. Phil Diehl in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/22/21

California’s electric car revolution, designed to save the planet, also unleashes a toll on it -- The precious cargo on the ship docked in San Diego Bay was strikingly small for a vessel built to drag oil rigs out to sea. Machines tethered to this hulking ship had plucked rocks the size of a child’s fist from the ocean floor thousands of miles into the Pacific. Evan Halper, Carolyn Cole, Jackeline Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/22/21

Breathe  

Air quality board requires Richmond, Martinez refineries to drastically cut air pollution -- Air quality regulators voted Wednesday to require local refineries to significantly reduce air pollutants created in the production of gasoline, a move they acknowledged will cost money but defended because it’ll make breathing safer for nearby residents. Shomik Mukherjee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/22/21

Also . . .   

$20,000 trash cans. No kidding. S.F. looks to roll out prototypes on street corners -- San Francisco has long wanted to replace its universally loathed green trash receptacles seen on sidewalks all over the city. On Wednesday, a supervisors’ committee learned new prototypes will cost between $12,000 and $20,000 each. “$20,000 a can is ridiculous,” Supervisor Matt Haney said. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/22/21

‘How big can we go?’: How the Sacramento region aims to end food insecurity -- In the middle of March 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic slammed daily life to a halt for many Californians, Sacramento leaders met on a Saturday for a kind of emergency war council to tackle the region’s response to the all-consuming public health crisis. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks and Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/22/21