Updating . .   

L.A. to require proof of COVID vaccination at indoor restaurants, salons and other venues -- The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a new ordinance that requires proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to enter indoor restaurants, shopping centers, movie theaters, hair and nail salons and many other indoor venues. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/6/21

On split vote, San Diego County approves proof-of-vaccination requirement for new hires -- The requirement, a last-minute addition by Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher, was approved 3-2 Tuesday evening after hours of public comment on the county’s monthly COVID-19 update. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/6/21

Bay Area health officials to announce criteria for lifting mask mandates -- Health officials are finalizing criteria in which counties would be required to meet in order to lift the restrictions. Those criteria are likely to include case rates, vaccination rates and hospitalizations, according to officials. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/6/21

California is shaking off the worst of the Delta variant surge -- COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped by half from the summer peak, as California continues to steadily, if slowly, shake off the worst of the Delta surge. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ Aidin Vaziri, Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Oil   

How a coast crowded with ships, port gridlock and an anchor may have caused O.C. oil spill -- In a year that has set records for the number of ships coming and going through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Friday was not unusual. Winds were light, and the steady movement of traffic at sea was routine. Thomas Curwen, Richard Winton, Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Oil spill cleanup efforts continue as questions center on timing of pipeline shutdown -- As efforts continue to clean up and contain the oil spill off the Orange County coast Wednesday, questions about the accident are now focused on the timeline of when authorities were informed of the pipeline leak and why several hours elapsed between when a low-pressure alarm was tripped and the pipeline was shut off. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 10/6/21

Why do we still have offshore oil wells? How do they work? -- The oil spill that’s fouling Southern California beaches has many Californians wondering why the state still has offshore oil wells more than 50 years after the state declared an end to new drilling, and more than 35 years after the federal government stopped issuing new leases. Jon Healey, Karen Garcia, Madalyn Amato in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

From the sky, Coast Guard monitors movement of Orange County oil spill -- It was nearly 2 p.m. Tuesday when the Alenia C-27J Spartan, a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft, began its flight along the Orange County coast. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Dismayed by oil spill, some in Huntington Beach say it’s time to end offshore drilling -- A large yellow bulldozer pushed a mound of sand toward the mouth of the Huntington Beach Channel, creating a barrier that would hopefully slow the amount of oil that was floating up to the nearby wetlands. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Street  

California correctional officer alleged cover-ups in prison killings before his death -- A correctional sergeant who worked at a state prison outside Sacramento killed himself this summer after reporting corruption, harassment and cover-ups to prison officials and attorneys. Wes Venteicher and Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

Water  

Los Angeles shifts water supplies as drought hammers State Water Project -- With the project’s supplies now severely limited due to the drought, Southern California’s water agencies have begun shifting these precious supplies to areas that need it most, while Los Angeles is taking less from the State Water Project and instead receiving Colorado River water to fill the gaps. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Drought wants to knock out this small California town. The people who love it are trying to save it -- Ramon Chavez was a 7-year-old in Culiacán, Mexico, when his parents told him that they were traveling to the United States. He thought he was going to Disneyland. They ended up in Stratford. Priscella Vega, Brian van der Brug in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Policy and Politics  

Is Tracy too liberal? Republicans try to cut city out of tossup California district -- Groups of right-leaning San Joaquin Valley residents and farming families want to make one Democratic congressional district just a bit more Republican as the state prepares to redraw its legislative boundaries. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

At Reagan Library, Nikki Haley praises Reaganism but rarely mentions Trump -- In addressing a crowd of supporters at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Tuesday evening, possible presidential contender Nikki Haley evoked his name numerous times during her speech. She compared the uncertain times the 40th president faced in his two terms and the current events happening abroad and within the country. Marianne Love in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/6/21

Education  

Former USC campus gynecologist’s accusers call for investigation of top university officials -- In their sprawling sexual assault inquiry focused on USC, Los Angeles police detectives traveled the country to interview scores of people about a campus gynecologist accused of abusing young women for decades, a scandal that eventually cost C.L. Max Nikias the school presidency and the university more than $1.1 billion in legal settlements. Paul Pringle in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Cursing, meltdowns and playground tussles: Bay Area schools grapple with emotional toll of pandemic -- When Carrie Anderson’s second- and third-grade students returned to school this fall, she quickly realized getting back to normal would take awhile. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Housing  

S.F. supes say no to 316 micro-homes in Tenderloin over fear they would become 'tech dorms' -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously rejected a group home development that would have added 316 micro-units in the heart of the Tenderloin, arguing that the project’s micro-units would become “tech dorms” for transient workers rather than homes for families with children who have been increasingly moving into the neighborhood. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Homeless  

San Franciscans agree tent camps aren't humane. But the city still hasn't found a good way to deal with them -- Twenty-three tents filled the southern sidewalk of Stevenson Street on the stretch bounded by beleaguered Sixth Street on one end and the luxury shops of Fifth Street’s Westfield San Francisco Centre on the other. Furniture, rugs, tarps and bicycles filled the area, and clothes hung from hangers on a chain-link fence. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Homeless camp cleared in midtown Sacramento. Most campers move just one block away -- The property, owned by Caltrans, is a dirt lot with trees between the Capital City Freeway and the street. Crews also cleared camps around the corner along G Street under the freeway. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

Also . . .   

Scientist whose key advances were made in La Jolla wins Nobel Prize in chemistry -- Benjamin List, who worked at Scripps Research, will share the prize with David W.C. MacMillan, who worked at Caltech. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/6/21

Why you might not get plastic utensils next time you go to a California restaurant -- The long-running question at many restaurants: “Do you want fries with that?” might soon be joined with a new one: “Do you want plastic with that?” Late Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed nine environmental bills aimed at reducing litter, toxic chemicals and plastic waste. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/6/21

Lazarus: Heads up, California drivers: Your insurer may owe you even more in pandemic refunds -- California’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, determined earlier this year that vehicle insurers had shortchanged policyholders to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars when it came to refunding premiums because of the pandemic. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Map: Fruit quarantine imposed on much of Santa Clara Valley -- Because of the discovery of six oriental fruit flies, a quarantine for homegrown fruits and vegetables has been imposed on about 100 square miles of Santa Clara Valley. The item is in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/6/21

Sacramento is about to rock: How Aftershock has become a major force in live music -- The sounds will thunder near the Sacramento River for the better part of four days, echoing from a major music festival that draws attendees from all 50 states and more than a dozen foreign countries. Chris Macias in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

S.F. bikeshare service raised its rates. Users say it's now the same price as an Uber -- On a recent Sunday evening, Lauren White opened the Bay Wheels app to plan her weekday morning work commute when she received a pop-up alert about pricing changes for the bikeshare service. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

California Policy and Politics Wednesday Morning  

Oil spill: Regulators say alarm sounded 3 hours before workers shut down pipeline -- Federal regulators have found that workers on an oil rig off the coast of Huntington Beach got an alert about low pressure in a pipeline connecting it to the shore early Saturday morning, signaling that thousands of barrels of oil were leaking into the Pacific Ocean, hours before the company notified public officials. Josh Cain in the Orange County Register Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Federal regulation of oil platforms dogged by problems long before O.C. spill -- Government regulators have long failed to effectively oversee energy companies that rely on pipelines to transport large volumes of oil from offshore rigs, according to experts, environmental advocates and even reports by a federal watchdog agency. Connor Sheets, Adam Elmahrek, Robert J. Lopez, Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Orange County oil spill: First federal lawsuit filed as residents take stock of losses -- The list of those affected by the disastrous oil spill off the coast of Orange County is growing as residents of Huntington Beach and nearby seaside communities take stock of the damage. Hayley Smith, Brittny Mejia, Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Newsom ties Orange County oil spill to move away from fossil fuels -- Gov. Gavin Newsom tied the move away from fossil fuel jobs and the need for more transparency regarding an investigation into Friday’s oil spill together at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at Bolsa Chica State Beach. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Despite Friday-night reports, Coast Guard waited until first light Saturday to confirm oil spill -- Coast Guard officials on Tuesday confirmed reporting by The Times that the agency had first been alerted to the possibility of an oil spill off the Orange County coast on Friday evening. Hannah Fry, Richard Winton, Anita Chabria, Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Orange County oil spill renews calls to ban offshore drilling -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference at Bolsa Chica State Beach on Tuesday afternoon that it’s “time once and for all to disabuse ourselves that [oil drilling] has to be part of our future.” Hannah Fry, Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ Erica Werner in the Washington Post$ -- 10/6/21

Wildfire   

Fawn Fire arson suspect ordered to undergo psychological evaluations -- The Palo Alto woman charged with starting the Fawn Fire north of Redding was ordered to undergo psychological evaluations after her attorney cast doubt on her ability to contribute to her own defense in court. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

COVID Vaccine  

Kaiser suspends thousands of employees who shunned vaccine -- In one of the first signs of an escalating showdown between healthcare providers and vaccine-resistant employees, Kaiser Permanente has suspended more than 2,000 workers who have chosen not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Emily DeRuy in the Orange County Register -- 10/6/21

S.F.'s vaccine mandate for employees appears to be working: Nearly 900 workers get shots amid deadline -- San Francisco’s vaccine mandate for certain city workers appears to have prompted nearly 900 employees to get vaccinated during the days surrounding the deadline, as many faced the risk of losing their jobs if they continued to refuse the shot. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

COVID Economy  

How some Bay Area businesses are trying to entice workers to return -- Fast Water Heater in San Jose is offering $1,000 referral bonuses to anyone who can help them find new workers. Bloom Energy is touting mental health counseling benefits and up to a $1,200 signing bonus for new hires as it looks to expand. And in Danville, restaurant owner Darren Matte has eked out a small hourly pay boost to attract workers. Jesse Bedayn in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/6/21

COVID Workplace  

Santa Clara County employees to receive millions of dollars in ‘hero pay’ COVID pandemic checks -- Making use of an infusion of federal money aimed at helping government agencies recover from the devastating economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Clara County plans to dole out a total of $76 million in “hero pay” bonuses to all its employees. Gabriel Greschler in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/6/21

Policy and Politics  

Newsom approves laws to revamp California’s unemployment benefits system -- Faced with criticism from many Californians thrown out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday gave his approval to a package of bills aimed at reducing delays and fraud in the state’s beleaguered unemployment benefits system. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

L.A. takes a step toward launching a city-owned bank -- The City Council voted Tuesday to begin a process to study the viability of forming a city-owned bank and to create a business plan for doing so. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

What can actually be recycled? Californians will have clearer idea under these new laws -- California will attempt to cut down on the amount of plastic that winds up in landfills or as litter by redefining what products can be labeled as recyclable and limiting the availability of single-use utensils and condiment packets at restaurants, among other steps. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

California bans PFAS chemicals from baby products and food packaging -- California on Tuesday became one of the first states to ban a class of harmful chemicals, known as PFAS, from food packaging and from infant and children’s products after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Gavin Newsom has something to say about Fresno: I’ll be back here ‘until they kick me out’ -- Heading into a re-election campaign next year, Newsom may not need California’s central San Joaquin Valley to win, but he said he hopes to bridge political differences. Ashleigh Panoo in the Fresno Bee$ -- 10/6/21

Walters: Will speed traps return to California? -- About 40 years ago, I was driving on a semi-rural road at the northern edge of Sacramento when I was pulled over by a city traffic cop. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 10/6/21

Oath Keepers  

Riverside County sheriff acknowledges he was dues-paying member of Oath Keepers -- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers in 2014, an affiliation he acknowledges and makes no apologies for despite the group’s reputation as a militia of anti-government extremists. Joe Nelson, Scott Schwebke in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 10/6/21

Taxes  

California cities want a slice of Amazon sales tax. Here’s why Fresno calls one plan ‘racist’ -- California cities are fighting over tens of millions of sales tax dollars their residents pay when buying things from Amazon and other large retailers. Brianna Calix in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

Street  

California ends mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB73 on Tuesday without comment, giving judges discretion to hand down probation instead of jail time for offenses such as possessing a small amount of heroin for sale and manufacturing methamphetamine. It takes effect in January. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Workplace   

Amid contract negotiations, Sutter Roseville nurses will protest staffing levels at vigil -- Registered nurses at Sutter Roseville Medical Center will hold a candlelight vigil Thursday evening near the hospital entrance in protest of staffing levels that they say are putting patient care at risk. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

Once shunned, people convicted of felonies find more employers open to hiring them -- In the 25 years that U.S. Rubber Recycling in Colton, Calif., has been grinding up old tires to create new products, its sales have never ballooned so fast as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/6/21

Homeless  

S.F. is buying three sites for homeless housing. Controversial Japantown hotel isn't yet one of them -- San Francisco supervisors are expected to soon approve buying three properties to house more than 300 homeless people across the city — but officials haven’t committed to purchasing a fourth controversial property, and the delay could cost the city a chance to get state money to buy the affordable housing this year. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Housing  

Hispanics led home-buying surge last year. Here’s how Latino first-time buyers closed the deal -- After noticing home prices begin to soar across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, Albanita Erebia and her fiancé Daniel Savala knew they needed to act quickly. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

Eviction  

California’s eviction freeze ended, but you can still get rent help. Check your county -- With the end of the moratorium, landlords who want to evict tenants for unpaid rent via a lawsuit must first apply for rental assistance. There may also be other eviction protections, depending on local laws and special circumstances. Hanh Truong in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

Education  

‘Educators beware!’ TikTok challenge to slap a teacher prompts urgent warning -- Educational leaders throughout the state are urgently warning teachers and school staff about a disturbing TikTok challenge that emerged this month urging students to slap teachers while recording it on a video. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Newsom signs California education budget with universal pre-K, college savings accounts -- Speaking to teachers and students at Fresno’s Sunset Elementary School on Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a trio of bills; part of a $123.9 billion legislative package that delivers record-level investments in public schools. Joshua Tehee and Ashleigh Panoo in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

S.F. schools' financial tailspin prompts state to intervene in face of massive shortfall -- With a $116 million shortfall increasing the likelihood that the San Francisco school district won’t be able to pay its bills, the California education superintendent is stepping in to address its financial tailspin in a move aimed at avoiding a full state takeover. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Emergency response team helps California schools navigate wildfires -- During the height of the wildfire season, Joe Anderson and Jake Wolf met virtually every Thursday morning with exhausted and bewildered school superintendents whose campuses had either been evacuated or destroyed by the wildfires raging through California. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 10/6/21

Water  

Another Bay Area city is poised to declare a drought emergency and mandate water conservation -- Amid California’s worsening drought, Pleasanton city officials on Tuesday are expected to declar.e a local drought and water shortage emergency, and require residents to reduce their water usage by 15%. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

In California, some buy machines that make water out of air -- The machine Ted Bowman helped design can make water out of the air, and in parched California, some homeowners are already buying the pricey devices. Haven Daley Associated Press -- 10/6/21

Also . . .   

Want a ketchup packet at a restaurant? New California law means you’ll have to ask for it -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a bill into law prohibiting restaurants and other food facilities from providing single-use foodware accessories or condiments — such as forks or soy sauce packets — unless they are specifically requested by the customer. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/6/21

Surfers unfazed by great white shark attack off Sonoma coast beach: 'I'm going in' -- Local surfers had already begun to gather on the bluffs overlooking the Sonoma coast on Tuesday morning when a state parks ranger pulled up the beach closure signs posted two days earlier when a shark bit into the leg of a surfer. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/6/21

Surfer describes shark attack in Sonoma County that left him with severe injuries -- Sitting on his surfboard during a lull between waves on Sunday morning off North Salmon Creek Beach, Eric Steinley felt something clamp down on his leg and drag him underwater. Matt Pera in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 10/6/21