Updating . .   

Alisal fire explodes to 6,000 acres, closing 101 Freeway, as gusty winds continue -- A brush fire that broke out Monday afternoon north of Santa Barbara has exploded in size, burning 6,000 acres in less than a day and shutting down the 101 Freeway as firefighters struggle to contain the growing blaze. Gregory Yee, Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

PG&E begins restoring power for Bay Area customers -- The utility company said they were given an “all-clear” from meteorologists late Monday to start restoring power in some areas that were impacted by the scheduled public safety power shut-offs — an effort to reduce the chance of their equipment toppling over and potentially sparking a wildfire amid gusty conditions. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

Thousands of California residents will have no power. How the medically vulnerable will be impacted -- Severed from electricity, elderly individuals and people reliant on electrical medical devices — motorized wheelchairs, ventilators, respirators, apnea monitors and more — often experience the worst impacts of these wildfire safety blackouts, which leave thousands scrambling to secure emergency oxygen tanks, find backup generators or conserve dwindling battery power. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/12/21

30 structures destroyed, 20 threatened in wind-driven Delta fire at Isleton mobile home park -- A fire burning in a mobile home park in the Delta town of Isleton destroyed 30 structures and threatens 20 more but is expected to be contained by Tuesday’s end, according to the River Delta Fire Protection District. Mila Jasper in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/12/21

Replanting the Camp Fire burn scar to withstand a changing climate -- Sixteen major wildfires have burned in Butte County over the last two decades, including the 2018 Camp and 2020 North Complex fires, major blazes that together burned more than 470,000 acres. Julie Johnson, Yoohyun Jung in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

Oil  

The O.C. oil spill could have been a much bigger disaster. Here is what went right -- But a combination of luck, favorable weather conditions and aggressive response from officials who had learned from previous oil spills resulted in a less severe crisis than was originally feared. Hannah Fry, Robin Estrin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Photos: A week after oil spill, Huntington Beach reopens -- Visitors were once again taking to the water a week after an oil spill caused beach closures. While cleanup continued near Huntington Beach Pier, both city and state beaches reopened on Oct. 11. Al Seib in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Morrison: You thought the oil spill was bad? In L.A., toxic waste is everywhere -- In a bad way, a very bad way, the Huntington Beach oil spill is the enviro-disaster equivalent of the giant panda. Patt Morrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

COVID Vaccine  

Many Latino Californians waited to get a COVID vaccine. Why they’re rolling up their sleeves -- When COVID-19 hit close to home, infecting her two brothers and sending an acquaintance to the hospital, Gabriela Aguilar made up her mind to finally get a vaccine to protect herself against the virus. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/12/21

Street  

San Jose: Sheriff’s office in standoff involving armed person, hostages -- Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies have been in an overnight standoff with an armed person who reportedly has hostages inside an East San Jose home, authorities said. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ Michael Cabanatuan, Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

Workplace   

How hot is it inside Southern California’s warehouses? Ask the workers at Rite Aid -- When Rite Aid Corp. decided to build a giant warehouse to serve its Southern California stores in 1999, it chose an isolated stretch of the Mojave Desert where the air vibrates with heat in the summer. Anna M. Phillips, Genaro Molina in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

A record number of workers are quitting their jobs, empowered by new leverage -- The phenomenon is being driven in part by workers who are less willing to endure inconvenient hours and poor compensation, quitting instead to find better opportunities. Eli Rosenberg and Abha Bhattarai in the Washington Post$ -- 10/12/21

Policy and Politics  

Confronting the myth: L.A. moves to make amends to Indigenous people -- The city of Los Angeles was founded 240 years ago by a group of 44 settlers who had traveled overland from Mexico, or so the story goes. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Newsom signs new laws to ease California's strict criminal sentencing system -- California’s sentencing laws, which have been among the most severe in the nation, are being relaxed somewhat under the latest legislative measures signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

Bretón: Why would Newsom veto a popular bill to help farm workers organize? His business interests -- But unless one understands the nature of wealthy entitlement in California, it probably seemed surprising that Newsom vetoed a bill that would have enhanced organizing rights for farm workers by allowing them to do what other union workers do — vote by mail in union elections. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/12/21

Tahoe   

Lake Tahoe has fallen to an alarmingly low level. Here's what the impact could be -- This week, a historically dry period in California will come to bear at Lake Tahoe, where the water level is expected to sink below the basin’s natural rim. That’s the point at which the lake pours into its only outflow, the Truckee River. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

Southwest   

Southwest CEO Says Airline Recovering After Slew of Weekend Cancellations -- Southwest canceled 89 flights, or 2% of its schedule, Tuesday morning, according to flight tracking site FlightAware, compared with roughly 1,900 canceled flights over Saturday and Sunday, and another 350 Monday. Jennifer Calfas and Alison Sider in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/12/21

Also . . .   

San Diego lottery for short-term rental licenses should give priority to ‘good actors,’ council insists -- Long-term hosts, Airbnb rail against staff proposal that City Council members say ignored their direction months ago to give preference to San Diego’s most responsible vacation rental operators. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/12/21

McGeorge School of Law receives historic donation, plans to provide scholarships for students of color -- McGeorge School of Law received a $30 million dollar donation from Eglet Adams, a law firm based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The donation comes from Robert T. Eglet, a 1988 graduate of the McGeorge School of Law, and his wife and partner Tracy A. Eglet. Marcus D. Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/12/21

Bell: Maria Shriver takes her Alzheimer’s campaign to unusual venue in San Diego -- When it comes to delaying Alzheimer’s disease, could playing poker be one of the best medicines? Diane Bell in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/12/21

A Big Hollywood Premiere That Was a Long Time Coming -- The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was over budget and years behind schedule, and some feared it would be a flop. Its new director, Bill Kramer, helped get it back on track. Adam Nagourney in the New York Times$ -- 10/12/21

California Policy and Politics Tuesday Morning  

Alisal fire explodes to at least 2,000 acres near Santa Barbara; 101 Freeway closed -- A brush fire north of Santa Barbara exploded in size on Monday, shutting down the 101 Freeway and prompting evacuations as gusty conditions drove flames through rough terrain that hadn’t burned in decades. Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

How much do wildfires really cost California’s economy? -- A preliminary estimate shows that the Caldor Fire cost tens of millions in lost economic activity. Wildfires, and the economic disruption they cause, have a large economic impact. But right now, California has a mostly incomplete picture of how much fires cost the state each year. Grace Gedye CalMatters -- 10/12/21

PG&E  

Hedge funds cash out billions in PG&E stock. Fire survivors suffer and wait -- A KQED/California Newsroom analysis of documents on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, found that 20 Wall Street hedge funds have collectively dumped 250 million PG&E shares ​​— two-thirds of their collective holdings in the company ​​— since PG&E emerged from bankruptcy protection last year. Those hedge funds grossed at least $2 billion dumping the stock, our analysis found. At least seven funds have sold off their entire PG&E stake. Lily Jamali Capital Public Radio -- 10/12/21

Oil  

California attorney general launches investigation into Orange County oil spill -- The U.S. Coast Guard criminal investigations unit and the Orange County district attorney’s office are already conducting criminal investigations into the spill. Robin Estrin, Hannah Fry in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/12/21

After oil spill, each affected OC beach reopens using its own standards -- There is no uniform guideline for deciding when it is safe for people to return to the waters affected by the spill of up to 131,000 gallons of oil in Orange County, leaving each municipality to decide for itself when to reopen beaches, according to state documents. Tony Saavedra, Susan Christian Goulding, Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 10/12/21

California oil spill legal fight likely to last years -- It took little more than 48 hours from the moment a major oil spill was discovered off Southern California until the first lawsuit was filed against the Houston company that owns and operates the ruptured pipeline. Finding the cause, who is to blame and if they will be held accountable will take much longer. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 10/12/21

COVID  

California coronavirus death count tops 70,000 as cases fall -- California’s coronavirus death toll reached another once-unfathomable milestone — 70,000 people — on Monday as the state emerges from the latest infection surge with the lowest rate of new cases among all states. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 10/12/21

Halloween still presents scary COVID-19 risk. How you can celebrate safely -- California’s summertime coronavirus surge is in full retreat — much to the relief of families looking to scare up some Halloween fun in just a few weeks. Sound familiar? Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

COVID Front Line  

'We Are Human Beings': California's Health Care Workers Are Asking For Empathy -- In December 2020, KQED Forum interviewed four health workers experiencing the frontlines of the COVID crisis in California. At the time, cases were surging in California, and no coronavirus vaccines were yet available. Nine months later, Forum’s Mina Kim spoke with the same four health workers about the changes they have seen, and the challenges they have faced in the last year. Marlena Jackson-Retondo, Mina Kim KQED -- 10/12/21

COVID Vaccine  

Facing major campus disruption and firings, LAUSD extends staff COVID-vaccine deadline -- The prior deadline of Oct. 15 — this Friday — has been moved to Nov. 15, when employees must have received the second of two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, according to a brief district statement. The district did not clearly state a timetable for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Policy and Politics  

California lawmakers are done for the year - but explosive fights are on the horizon -- Lawmakers and activists are contemplating reviving debates over vaccine mandates to combat COVID-19, environmental protections related to oil drilling and an overhaul of recall election rules, among other perennial fights. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

770 new laws coming to California -- You’d be forgiven for not knowing Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the largest expansion of California’s college financial aid system in a generation — he did so during the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants’ first playoff game Friday night. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 10/12/21

Walters: Newsom, Legislature push the state leftward -- Before celebrating his 54th birthday Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom closed out the landmark 2021 session of the California Legislature by signing the last of the 770 bills he decided should become law. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 10/12/21

Columbus   

‘We’re sorry’: L.A. moves to make amends for wrongs committed against Indigenous people -- Standing with members of two tribes, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced plans Monday to rename Father Serra Park in downtown Los Angeles — one of several policy initiatives intended to right historical wrongs and rectify the city’s relationship with its Indigenous people. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Italian church is vandalized with anti-colonization graffiti. Police are investigating it as a hate crime -- By noon, a small crowd had gathered at the church on the edge of Chinatown, where detectives said the vandalism appeared to be linked to the day’s holidays, which included Indigenous Peoples Day and the former Columbus Day. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Hundreds gather before dawn to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day on Alcatraz Island -- As the sun rose over San Francisco Monday morning, hundreds of early risers gathered on Alcatraz Island Monday for the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Sunrise Gathering to commemorate the 1969-1971 occupation of Alcatraz by the Indians of All Tribes. Ryce Stoughtenborough in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

On Indigenous Peoples Day, Marin district attorney urged to drop case against 5 accused of toppling statue of a colonizing priest -- One year after activists toppled the statue of 18th century Franciscan priest Junipero Serra outside of a Spanish mission in San Rafael, attorneys and supporters of five people implicated in the act called on the Marin County District Attorney’s Office to drop its criminal prosecution. Deepa Fernandes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

Street  

Newport Beach homeowner who shot intruder cleared by Orange County DA -- Prosecutors have determined that the homeowner was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed 23-year-old Henry Lehr in the early morning hours of Aug. 26, 2021, according to a DA’s office statement released Monday. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register -- 10/12/21

Workplace   

Kaiser Permanente workers vote to authorize strike, citing staffing and safety concerns -- Thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees in Southern California voted to authorize a strike against the healthcare giant, as the workers continue to protest what they describe as severe staffing shortages that put both medical staff and patients at risk. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Accountant applied for 80 jobs, promotions and got zero. Was it racism? -- A long-time employee is suing the City of San Diego alleging it failed to prevent supervisors from engaging in racially discriminatory hiring practices that have repeatedly robbed Black employees, including him, of well-deserved promotions, the lawsuit said. Lyndsay Winkley in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/12/21

Education  

Cal Grant expansion: Newsom vetoes game-changer bill for 150,000 college students -- Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a huge expansion of the Cal Grant, the state’s main financial aid tool. It would have topped off a banner year for legislators who for years sought to reduce the cost of college. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 10/12/21

The S.F. school district has lost 3,500 students in two years, costing it $35 million -- While officials had hoped to see a “bounce back” in student numbers this fall given the reopening of schools, that didn’t happen. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

S.F. plan to build a $400 million elite arts high school and arts center is dealt another blow -- For years, the San Francisco school board has been sitting on $100 million in bond money to overhaul a downtown site for its art-centered high school, but a vote Tuesday could shift nearly all that money to more immediate facilities needs. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

Long wait for students to enroll in some community college nursing programs -- Of the nearly 80 nursing programs offered in the 115 campus community colleges, some use a lottery system to admit applicants. Some students have complained of yearslong waitlists, preventing them from pursuing their major. Ashley A. Smith EdSource -- 10/12/21

Environment  

Invasive Aedes mosquito expands reach in Los Angeles, Orange Counties -- County vector control personnel informed Graham Jenkins and his wife late last month that the itchy bites on their ankles were the work of an insidious mosquito that had invaded their Gardena home — and that there was nothing they could do. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Also . . .   

Revenue surge boosts San Diego finances, turning $38M deficit into $27M surplus -- San Diego’s city finances are significantly improving thanks to an unexpected surge in revenue from sales tax, hotel tax, parking citations and municipal golf course use, according to a new analysis released this week. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/12/21

2 Bay Area researchers share Nobel Prize in economics -- Economists David Card of UC Berkeley and Guido Imbens of Stanford University on Monday won the Nobel Prize in the economic sciences category. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/12/21

Resident sues Folsom over pinhole leaks in copper pipes, says city knew water was corrosive -- A Folsom resident is suing the city of Folsom for damages caused by pinhole leaks in copper water pipes, an issue that has plagued city officials and residents for nearly two years. Molly Sullivan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/12/21

Mountain lion badly burned in Bobcat fire dies nearly a year after release back into wild -- A female mountain lion rescued last year after being badly burned in the Bobcat fire has died, 10 months after her release back into the wild, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said. Laura Anaya-Morga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Hiltzik: Elon Musk’s moving Tesla’s HQ to Texas is mostly about posturing -- Elon Musk’s corps of sycophants, along with promoters of the age-old Texas vs. California competition, cheered and chortled last week when Musk announced he was moving the headquarters of his Tesla electric vehicle company from Silicon Valley to Austin. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/12/21

Two dead after plane crashes into homes near Santana High School in Santee --The UPS driver and the pilot, who was a cardiologist, died at the scene. Neighbors pulled a couple in their 70s from one of the homes, both of which were engulfed in fire. The pair was taken to a hospital in serious condition, officials said. David Hernandez, Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/12/21