Updating . .   

Newsom praises 'extraordinary' Elon Musk despite Tesla HQ move to Texas -- Gov. Gavin Newsom lavished praise Friday on Elon Musk despite the Tesla CEO announcing one day earlier he plans to move his company's headquarters from California to Texas, though the governor asserted that California had helped make the electric automaker what it is today. Jeremy B. White and Carla Marinucci Politico -- 10/8/21

COVID  

San Francisco rolls out yet another vaccine mandate -- San Francisco will require all city contractors who work alongside employees on a regular basis in city-run facilities to get vaccinated under a new order issued by Mayor London Breed Friday. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

California's COVID cases are lower than in other states that are more vaccinated. Why? -- Experts say natural immunity from the winter surge and current high vaccination rates are helping keep cases low here. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

COVID Vaccine  

Going out? Here are the L.A. businesses that require proof of COVID-19 vaccine -- The new requirements, which officially went into effect just before midnight Friday, mean that Angelenos will need to make sure they have some kind of inoculation record handy before heading out for a night on the town. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

Oil  

Investigators probe whether damage to oil pipeline occurred weeks before spill -- Damage to a pipeline that sent up to 131,000 gallons of oil into the waters off the Orange County coast could have occurred weeks or months before the spill, two sources familiar with the investigation told The Times on Friday. Richard Winton, Laura J. Nelson, Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

Oil spill: More beaches reopened, Newport and Dana Point harbors to follow soon -- As oil spill cleanup efforts progress and the oil plume in the ocean moves south, Orange County officials announced Friday that several coounty-run beaches in Laguna Beach have reopened. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 10/8/21

O.C. oil spill leaves many clues, but so far, few answers -- Nearly a week after a 13-inch tear in an undersea pipeline resulted in a massive oil spill off the Southern California coast, the clues keep piling up, but the mystery of what caused the rupture and who is ultimately responsible remains unsolved. Thomas Curwen, Anita Chabria, Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ Matthew Brown, Brian Melley, and Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 10/8/21

Coast Guard significantly downgrades amount of oil spilled off Orange County coast -- Officials say the amount of oil that leaked from a pipeline off the Orange County coast, fouling stretches of sand and threatening ecologically sensitive areas from Huntington Beach to San Diego County, may be smaller than originally projected. Hannah Fry, Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

Wildfire   

Judge strikes down envisioned Otay Ranch housing project, citing wildfire, climate change -- The Sierra Club and a host of other environmental groups, backed by the California attorney general, have notched their latest victory against a spate of rural housing developments proposed in high-fire areas of San Diego County. Joshua Emerson Smith, Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/8/21

Is California's wildfire season already winding down? -- The nation’s firefighters spent a record 69 days this year at their highest level of alert, the dreaded level 5, rushing from one drought-driven wildfire to the next. Now they’re finally getting at least somewhat of a break. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

Impact of forest thinning on wildfires creates divisions -- Firefighters and numerous studies credit intensive forest thinning projects with helping save communities like those recently threatened near Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada, but dissent from some environmental advocacy groups is roiling the scientific community. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 10/8/21

An Expert on the Criminal Mind, Now He’s Suspected in an Arson Spree -- Amid a series of arson incidents across Northern California this year, a criminology professor was charged with setting a patch of the Sierra Nevada forest ablaze. Thomas Fuller and Livia Albeck-Ripka in the New York Times$ -- 10/8/21

Water  

California drought: Which cities in Santa Clara County are saving the most and the least water -- Only one city, Mountain View, met the 15% countywide water conservation goal in August. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/8/21

Policy and Politics  

California senator insists immigration reform still possible despite budget setback -- One of Congress’ fiercest advocates for immigration reform says protections for undocumented people will be included in a sweeping year-end budget bill despite a decision from a Senate official who found the proposals don’t belong in the spending package. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/8/21

High Speed Rail  

Cost overruns hit California bullet train again amid a new financial crunch -- The California bullet train is facing at least another billion dollars of proposed cost increases from its contractors, following a history of sharp cost growth on construction work over the last eight years, The Times has learned. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

Cannabis  

Paperwork is holding up California’s marijuana industry -- As thousands of provisional marijuana license holders in California struggle to secure a full annual license, the state is kicking in $100 million to help cities and counties to address the backlog. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/8/21

Education  

SJSU president’s departure in wake of sex misconduct scandal draws mixed reaction -- Mary Papazian’s impending departure from San Jose State University drew mixed reaction as word that the college president would resign at the end of the fall term swept through campus and beyond Thursday. Emily DeRuy, Summer Lin, Linda Zavoral in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/8/21

Chips  

‘We’re in a Hurry.’ A New CEO Scrambles to Cope With a Global Chip Crisis -- Cristiano Amon is the new boss of Qualcomm Inc., a U.S. tech giant that designs semiconductors. His first task: Convince companies to make more chips for him—and fast. Asa Fitch in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/8/21

Tesla TX  

Are Tesla and Texas a Perfect Match? It’s Questionable -- While its C.E.O., Elon Musk, and the state’s conservative lawmakers share libertarian sensibilities, they differ greatly on climate change and renewable energy. NIRAj Chokshi, Clifford Krauss and Ivan Penn in the New York Times$ -- 10/8/21

Also . . .   

Threatened by climate change, a California winemaker switches to carbon farming and hopes more vineyards join -- The history of Napa Valley wine courses through Robin Lail’s veins. Her great-granduncle, Gustave Niebaum, founded Inglenook Vineyards in 1879 and helped establish Napa Valley’s reputation for quality wine. Dave McIntyre in the Washington Post$ -- 10/8/21

Cruise ships to return to San Francisco after 18-month pandemic pause -- But officials are touting the comeback of cruises as more than symbolic — they say it’s crucial to San Francisco’s economic recovery. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

Collisions jump sharply on one of Sacramento’s busiest stretches of freeway -- Driving on westbound Highway 50 near downtown Sacramento has always been stressful. Some cars need to exit Highway 50 to the right toward downtown, I-5 or the Capital City Freeway, even as cars from the Capital City Freeway try to merge left to get onto U.S. 50. A huge construction project, Fix 50, has created even more challenges. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/8/21

Apple plans big office expansion in Los Angeles area as it adds employees -- In a sign that competition among streaming entertainment providers will stay heated in the years ahead, Apple announced Friday that it will roughly double its office presence in the Culver City area where Apple TV+ is based. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

A fraud conviction ended his battles for civil rights. 14 years later, Stephen Yagman is back -- The once-prominent civil rights lawyer Steve Yagman did not deserve prison, his numerous supporters told a federal court judge — even as they recited his manifest flaws: self-righteousness, arrogance and a messianic adherence to ideals others were too weak to live by. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

Stem cell agency seeks to weaken conflict-of-interest rules -- Directors of the $12 billion California stem cell agency have moved to weaken conflict of interest provisions affecting its governing board — eliminating “leave-the-room” requirements that are used by most private nonprofits to assure the integrity of their operations. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 10/8/21

L.A. wants your leftover takeout utensils and sauce packets. Here’s where to donate them -- It’s approximately month 1,000 of the pandemic. By this point, a lot of us probably have a mountain of leftover takeout utensils and sauce packets gathering dust in a drawer somewhere. Great news: They can be put to good use. Jessica Roy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

California Policy and Politics Friday Morning  

Tesla moving its HQ to Texas, but California plant will expand -- “We’re moving our headquarters to Austin, Texas,“ Musk said, to cheers and loud applause, during the electric car maker’s annual shareholders meeting at its under-construction new auto factory outside Austin. Ethan Baron in the Orange County Register Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ Niraj Chokshi in the New York Times$ Rebecca Elliott and Rob Copeland in the Wall Street Journal$ Alex Veiga Associated Press -- 10/8/21

Policy and Politics  

Proposed California Ballot Measure Could Spark Court Challenges to Teacher Protections -- Education reform advocates have proposed a ballot initiative in California that could allow them to use the courts to challenge teacher-tenure laws and other policies they believe are harming public school students. Christine Mai-Duc in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/8/21

Newsom vetoes bill giving California prisoners a right to visitation -- Legislation to give prisoners in California a legal right to visits from family and friends, and limit state officials’ authority to restrict visitation, was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said the bill went too far. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

Lawmakers talked of overhauling the state’s embattled medical board. Did they? -- Amid increasing criticism that the state’s medical board is failing to discipline bad doctors, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday with a handful of long-sought reforms approved by lawmakers. But critics say those changes don’t address their main concern — that the Medical Board of California is too lenient in its punishment of negligent doctors. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

New California law enhances punishment for spousal rape, ends legal distinction -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Thursday that eliminates the legal distinction between “spousal rape” and rape and enforces punishment for the crime in the state’s penal code. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/8/21

Big change to California hair salons: New law eases training requirements for stylists -- California’s beauty industry is bracing for a big change after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that significantly cuts the number of hours of training required to be a barber or cosmetologist. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/8/21

Removing a condom without consent is now a violation of California’s civil code under new law -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a bill that expands the definition of sexual battery to include the intentional removal of a condom without verbal consent, an act commonly referred to as “stealthing.” Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/8/21

Barabak: Here’s something important most people in California are totally ignoring. (No, not Arnold) -- In a windowless room, in a boxy state office building a block from the Capitol, 14 individuals are busy mapping the political future of California. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

Workplace   

California bans nondisclosure agreements in workplace harassment, discrimination cases -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a law that aims to block California companies from using nondisclosure settlement agreements to silence workers on workplace harassment and discrimination cases. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ Adam Beam Associated Press Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/8/21

Oil   

Tarballs found along San Diego coastline, Orange County oil spill suspected -- San Diego beaches will remain open as experts track down the origin of tarballs that washed up in Oceanside and Carlsbad. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/8/21

Oil spill: Laguna Beach homeowners sue Amplify Energy Corp. -- A couple who own an oceanfront condominium in Laguna Beach have filed a federal lawsuit against the energy company at the center of a massive oil leak in the waters off of Orange County, alleging that poor maintenance of an underwater pipeline resulted in polluted public beaches and damage to private property along the coast. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register -- 10/8/21

Mystery lingers around cause of California oil pipeline leak -- Investigators searching for the cause of an oil pipeline break off the Southern California coast have pointed to the possibility that a ship anchor dragged the line across the seabed and cracked it, but two videos released so far provide only tantalizing clues about what might have happened 100 feet (30 meters) below the ocean surface. Matthew Brown, Brian Melley, and Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 10/8/21

Explainer: What’s Happening With the California Oil Spill? -- The spill fouled the famed sands of Huntington Beach, known as Surf City USA, and could keep the ocean and shoreline closed there and in some other communities to the south for weeks. Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 10/8/21

Wildfire   

Hundreds of giant sequoias may have burned to death in KNP Complex, Windy fires -- Hundreds of giant sequoias may have been killed after high-intensity flames from the KNP Complex fire tore through several groves of the massive trees in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ Robert Jablon Associated Press -- 10/8/21

Fire weather watch issued for Northern California next week -- Dry and windy conditions forecast for early next week have prompted a fire weather watch for a large part of Northern California, including much of the Bay Area. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

Newsom signs ‘monumental’ law paving way for more prescribed burns -- Less than a month after prescribed burns were credited with saving California’s giant sequoia trees from the KNP Complex fire, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed legislation that will promote more of the practice in California. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

Judge blocks big California development over wildfire danger -- A California judge on Thursday blocked portions of the largest proposed residential housing development in San Diego County’s history after the state attorney general and others objected that it would be too prone to wildfires. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 10/8/21

Water  

California drought: Water conservation improving, but still below goal, in Santa Clara County -- Four months after Silicon Valley’s largest water provider, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, declared a drought emergency and asked residents in Santa Clara County to cut water use 15% compared to 2019 levels, they are still falling short. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/8/21

A California Law Meant to Reduce the Exploitation of Aquifers Could Transform the Central Valley -- California's agricultural empire is facing a shakeup, as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) comes into effect that will limit many farmers' access to water. The seven-year-old law is supposed to stop the over-pumping from depleted aquifers, and some farmers — the largest users of that water — concede the limits are overdue. Dan Charles KQED -- 10/8/21

COVID  

Here's where each Bay Area county stands on meeting mask rollback benchmarks -- The plan outlined Thursday by eight Bay Area counties to lift their universal indoor mask mandates hinges on meeting several benchmarks tied to COVID case rates, hospitalizations and vaccinations. Kellie Hwang, Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

In coronavirus milestone, San Francisco set to lift some indoor mask rules -- In a sign of improving COVID-19 conditions, San Francisco is set to lift mask requirements in indoor gyms and offices next week — but only if everyone inside is vaccinated. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/8/21

Facebook, Google don't plan mask policy changes despite S.F.'s plans to loosen mandate -- Two of the Bay Area’s biggest employers, Facebook and Google, aren’t planning any mask mandate changes despite San Francisco’s move to lift part of its requirements next week. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

Unemployment  

California unemployment claims drop, but are one-fourth of U.S. total -- California unemployment claims dropped last week, but the filings represented an unhealthy share of the nationwide total and were far worse than the typical levels seen amid the state’s robust pre-coronavirus economy. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/8/21

Capitol Siege  

Coronado man expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor in Capitol riot -- Jeffrey Alexander Smith, also known as Alex Smith, confirmed to a federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that he plans to appear virtually for a guilty plea hearing on Oct. 28. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/8/21

A woman charged in the Capitol riot claimed she stole Pelosi’s beer. The feds say there’s no evidence -- When Cara Hentschel and Mahailya Pryer traveled from Missouri to D.C. to attend the Jan. 6. rally in support of President Donald Trump, one of Hentschel’s Facebook friends messaged her to ask if she had made it to the Capitol during the insurrection that followed, prosecutors said. Andrea Salcedo in the Washington Post$ -- 10/8/21

Education  

S.F. school board faces more legal costs with appeal of lawsuit over controversial mural decision -- The San Francisco school board will appeal a Superior Court judge’s ruling involving the district’s effort to cover a controversial mural depicting the life of George Washington, continuing to pay outside counsel to fight the legal battle despite the school system’s perilous financial situation. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

California independent study sparks equity concerns for students with disabilities -- California’s independent study framework shuts out thousands of disabled students who need special in-person services to learn, according to a civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 10/8/21

Climate  

Google, YouTube to prohibit ads and monetization on climate denial content -- Google and YouTube on Thursday announced a new policy that prohibits climate deniers from being able to monetize their content on its platforms via ads or creator payments. Sara Fischer Axios -- 10/8/21

Also . . .   

Arcata Oks Shrooms! City Council Unanimously Passes Resolution Decriminalizing the Use of Psychedelic Plants and Fungi -- Arcata residents 21 and older can now use magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, mescaline and other psychedelic plants or mushrooms without fears of legal repercussions. During its Wednesday night meeting, the Arcata City Council unanimously and enthusiastically passed a resolution that decriminalizes the use of entheogenic plants and fungi in the city. Stephanie McGeary in the Lost Coast Outpost -- 10/8/21

Unions, environmental groups endorse proposal to repeal San Diego’s free trash pick-up law -- The law, which dates back to 1919, provides free trash pickup for people living in single-family homes, but businesses and people in most condos and apartments in the city must pay private haulers to pick up their trash. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/8/21

Dodgers-Giants playoff series puts some California politicians in a bind -- When two of the fiercest rivals in all of professional sports — teams 400 miles apart in California — face off in a dramatic playoff series, what’s a politician to do? For some, the choice between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers is easy. Seema Mehta in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21

‘It’s all about same-day service’: Amazon is building a second giant warehouse in Otay Mesa -- Amazon already built one of the largest buildings in Southern California in Otay Mesa. Now, they are back for more. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/8/21

Pushback against warehouses in the Inland Empire gains momentum -- From the semi-rural communities of color to the upper-income White residents of San Bernardino County, and from government halls in Riverside to Sacramento comes a growing pushback against mega-warehouses and truck traffic in the Inland Empire. Steve Scauzillo in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 10/8/21

As a kid, he'd find the tallest garage in S.F. to watch the Blue Angels. Now, he's in the cockpit -- U.S. Marine Corps Major Rick Rose is ready for a different kind of “zoom” this weekend — much louder and faster than the popular videoconferencing platform allows for. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/8/21