Updating . .   

Sundowner winds stymie fire crews as Alisal fire grows to more than 14,000 acres -- The Alisal fire in Santa Barbara County swelled to 14,500 acres on Wednesday, threatening the former vacation home of President Ronald Reagan and becoming Southern California’s first major wildfire of the season. Hayley Smith, Lila Seidman, Al Seib in the Los Angeles Times$ Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

Delta mobile home park fire nearing full containment after fierce winds finally abated -- The fire that destroyed more than 40 structures at a mobile home park in Isleton in the southwestern area of Sacramento County is 90% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to fire officials. Mila Jasper in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/21

Why PG&E’s wildfire safety triggers are sparking controversy instead of deadly blazes -- During this tinder-dry wildfire season, a change to Pacific Gas & Electric’s power lines has dramatically reduced the risk of sparking calamitous and killer blazes. But every time a rogue squirrel gets zapped, hundreds of rural residents are suddenly plunged into darkness – for hours, sometimes days. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/13/21

Oil  

Investigators examine role of unprecedented port gridlock in O.C. oil spill -- Investigators are probing possible issues with the way ships are anchoring or drifting off the coast in long lines caused by skyrocketing consumer demand and disrupted supply chains during the pandemic. Hannah Fry, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

COVID  

COVID lungs: Transplants are last resort for many California patients -- Ten percent of people who have undergone transplants this year in California had their lungs wrecked by COVID-19. Doctors worry there are more transplants to come, and that non-COVID patients will be waiting longer for new lungs. Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters -- 10/13/21

Pregnant women were kept out of clinical trials. That left them vulnerable to COVID-19 -- As the fast-spreading Delta variant filled the University of Washington Medical Center with COVID-19 patients this summer, Dr. Linda Eckert was struck by something: More pregnant patients were hospitalized with the disease than at any other time during the pandemic. Amina Khan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

'COVID is never going to go away,' California scientist says, even as case numbers improve -- Even as the rate of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continues trending downward in California, health experts on Tuesday cautioned that the hard times may not be over. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

COVID Vaccine  

Sacramento school district votes to mandate COVID vaccines for students and staff -- The mandate, which requires full vaccination, will go to into effect on Nov. 30, and also includes all dependent charter schools and adult education centers. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/21

Policy and Politics  

Gavin Newsom vetoes bill that sought to promote more diverse California state workers -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week vetoed legislation that would have required the California Department of Human Resources to develop employee “upward mobility goals” that would factor in race, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status and physical and mental disabilities. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/21

California announces changes to ease the thorny problem of fire insurance for vintners, farmers -- As this year’s wildfire season approached, many vintners and farmers in California found themselves unable to secure wildfire insurance for their properties, as private insurers raised their premiums by as much as 300%, or in some cases canceled their policies altogether. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

Workplace   

Leader of California’s largest union resigns amid tax fraud, embezzlement charges -- The executive director of SEIU California, the biggest labor union in the state, is resigning after the attorney general’s office charged her and her husband with multiple counts of tax fraud, embezzlement, perjury and failure to pay unemployment insurance taxes. The office filed its charges against Alma Hernández and her husband, Jose Moscoso, on Oct. 4 in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/21

Hollywood crews say they will strike next week if there is no agreement -- Ratcheting up pressure on the major studios, the union representing Hollywood crews announced Wednesday that its members will go on strike on Monday if they can’t reach agreement on a new contract. Anousha Sakoui in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

Google employees allowed to sue tech giant for bans on talking about wages, working conditions -- The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way Tuesday for current and former Google employees to sue the Mountain View tech giant for allegedly forbidding them to speak to the news media or prospective employers about Google’s wages and working conditions. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

Trans Netflix employees will stage walkout to protest controversial Chappelle special -- Transgender Netflix employees and co-workers will stage a walkout next week protesting the streaming giant’s decision to release Dave Chappelle’s latest comedy special, multiple Netflix staffers have confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

Port truckers win $30 million in wage theft settlements -- One of the world’s largest trucking companies, XPO Logistics, agreed Tuesday to pay $30 million to settle class-action lawsuits filed by hundreds of drivers who said they earned less than minimum wage delivering goods for major retailers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

Street  

No law north of the Klamath.’ Dysfunction, scandal plague California sheriff’s office -- Locals still mention the saying — which dates back to the unruly 19th-century Gold Rush — when they talk about the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office. Ryan Sabalow and Jason Pohl in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/21

Homeless  

This Silicon Valley county is trying to end a 'hidden epidemic' of homeless families. Will it work? -- After years of rent hikes and instability for South Bay families like Castañeda’s, Santa Clara County officials last week launched a new effort to house 1,200 homeless families in the next year. Lauren Hepler in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

Man dies from burns after sleeping bag allegedly was set on fire in San Francisco -- Police responded to a reported “aggravated assault with fire” in the area of 25th Street and South Van Ness Avenue at about 5 a.m. Friday and found a 43-year-old man who said he woke up to find his sleeping bag aflame, according to a police news release. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

Housing  

Are immigrants getting left out of California’s rent relief? -- Non-English speaking immigrants face some of the biggest hurdles to receiving California rent relief. Advocates say informal leases, lack of technology access and language barriers are getting in the way. Manuela Tobias CalMatters -- 10/13/21

Water  

This summer was California's driest on record in more than 100 years - here's what that means -- The effects of the drought can already be seen throughout the Bay Area — this week at Lake Tahoe, for example, the water level is expected to sink below the basin’s natural rim, or the point at which the lake pours into the Truckee River. Parched land and vegetation are also a driving factor in why wildfires across the state are exploding so quickly. Danielle Echeverria, Yoohyun Jung in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

Also . . .   

This Bay Area city plans to ban cars, expand outdoor dining for good along its ‘crown jewel’ -- Even as some Bay Area cities pull dining tables off of streets and reopen their downtown strips to motorists for the first time in 18 months, Mountain View leaders have no intention of doing away with what they see as one of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/13/21

California Policy and Politics Wednesday Morning  

Alisal fire threatens homes and burns more than 13,000 acres. 101 Freeway remains closed -- A fast-moving brush fire that broke out Monday afternoon north of Santa Barbara, burning more than 13,000 acres and shutting down the 101 Freeway, had firefighters on the defensive for much of the day Tuesday. Dubbed the Alisal fire, the blaze has displaced thousands of residents and is threatening roughly 100 homes and ranches, fire officials said. Lila Seidman, Hayley Smith, Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

PG&E warns of another power shut-off affecting up to 29,000 customers; Santa Ana winds continue to pick up -- Cleanup efforts are underway after powerful winds swept through Southern California Monday night, toppling trees, stirring up dust storms and causing power shut-offs for thousands. Laura Anaya-Morga in the Los Angeles Times$ Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/13/21

Photos: Alisal fire burns in Santa Barbara County -- A stretch of Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County remained closed in both directions Tuesday due to the Alisal fire, which broke out Monday. The closure cut off traffic to Los Angeles. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

Exodus Ready   

Vast majority think life in Bay Area getting worse, want to leave, poll finds -- A new poll paints a stark picture of life in the Bay Area and its residents' discontents. Joint Venture Silicon Valley, in partnership with the Bay Area News Group, polled 1,610 registered voters across five Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara. Michelle Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/13/21

COVID  

COVID: Contra Costa supervisors catch flak for declaring misinformation about virus, vaccines a ‘public health crisis’ -- Misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccines developed to protect against it constitutes a “public health crisis,” the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors declared Tuesday, drawing a backlash from numerous residents. Shomik Mukherjee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/13/21

COVID Vaccine  

LAUSD stands firm on staff vaccine mandate -- Los Angeles Unified School District employees who don’t receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Friday won’t be allowed to return to campus on Monday, a district official said during the Tuesday, Oct. 12, school board meeting, where he also urged patience as schools work through staffing issues next week. Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/13/21

University of California issues mandatory flu vaccine order for students and staff -- The 10-campus university is allowing people to opt out of the vaccine by Nov. 19 as well. Anyone opting out must wear face masks on campus through the end of the flu season even if COVID-19 requirements are relaxed by the respective county or university system. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/21

Policy and Politics  

Biden will announce expanded operations at Port of Los Angeles as supply chain crunch continues -- The Port of Los Angeles will begin operating around the clock as the White House pushes to clear supply chain bottlenecks threatening the holiday shopping season and slowing the country’s economic recovery from the global pandemic, senior Biden administration officials said. Chris Megerian, Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

Newsom’s vetoes: Why did the governor block California bills? -- Gov. Newsom had his reasons for blocking California bills passed by the Legislature: cost, duplication and some politics. Overall, he signed 770 bills into law and vetoed 66, or about 8%. Laurel Rosenhall CalMatters -- 10/13/21

Walters: California bullet train funds stalemated -- While Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 770 bills passed by the Legislature this year, he couldn’t approve a big one that he wanted badly — a $4.2 billion appropriation to shore up the state’s much-delayed, increasingly expensive and obviously mismanaged bullet train project. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 10/13/21

Street  

Walgreens closing 5 San Francisco stores due to 'organized retail crime' -- The drugstore chain hopes to relocate employees from closing stores to other nearby locations. “Organized retail crime continues to be a challenge facing retailers across San Francisco, and we are not immune to that,” said Walgreens spokesperson Phil Caruso. Tessa McLean in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/13/21

Education  

LAUSD board approves pandemic-era pact with teachers -- The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 12, to ratify an agreement with the teachers union on matters related to quarantine instruction, COVID-19 health-and-safety measures and employee compensation. Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/13/21

Universal Transitional Kindergarten | Quick Guide -- Championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and many lawmakers, the new $2.7 billion universal transitional kindergarten program is being hailed by many experts as a game-changer for families in a state with almost 3 million children under the age of 5. Karen D'Souza EdSource -- 10/13/21

Border  

US to reopen land borders in November for fully vaccinated -- The U.S. will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the country moves to require all international visitors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Zeke Miller Associated Press -- 10/13/21

Environment  

Mosquito that can carry Zika virus found near south Sacramento park, local officials say -- The mosquito that can carry the Zika virus, dengue fever and other serious illnesses has been detected near Camelia Park in south Sacramento, according to a Tuesday notice from the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/21

Breathe  

Port of San Diego adopts sweeping new clean air plan -- The strategy could lead to all diesel vehicles being replaced by electric-powered vehicles by 2030, five years before the state requires it. Erik Anderson KPBS -- 10/13/21

Chula Vista electric school buses charged to help the environment -- There are 10 new buses rolling out everyday as the first zero-emission, electric-powered buses in the district’s fleet. They were paid for with grant money from the California Energy Commission. M.G. Perez KPBS -- 10/13/21

Develope  

Brookfield, undeterred by city’s missteps, has a new plan for San Diego sports arena site -- “Discover Midway” centers around housing for all income levels, acres of parks and green space, and a reimagined sports arena. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/13/21

Also . . .   

‘Climb immediately’: Santee plane crash investigation underway; friends, family mourn victims -- A federal investigation into what caused a small plane to crash into a Santee neighborhood got underway Tuesday, a day after two people were killed, and two homes and a UPS delivery truck were destroyed. Teri Figueroa, Karen Kucher, Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/13/21

UPS driver killed in Santee plane crash honored with moment of silence -- The UPS driver who was killed when a plane crashed Monday afternoon into a Santee neighborhood was honored with a “moment of silence” observed by UPS employees nationwide, a company spokesman said Tuesday. Karen Kucher, Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/13/21

Plaschke: Never-give-up Dodgers show longtime rival Giants they’re built for elimination games -- A night after they whimpered, they wailed. A game after being blown to the brink of elimination, they gusted and swirled and whipped. Bill Plaschke in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/21

Giants' Game 4 loss sets up the biggest game ever in their rivalry with Dodgers -- Two wins apiece in the series. One hundred and nine wins each on the season. And one game to decide it all. The most epic game in the 132-year history between the two teams. Ann Killion in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

Biotech lab in Tustin takes unusual donations at $75 a poop -- So when Castro saw a promotion on Instagram for a Tustin medical lab collecting — and paying for — stool samples, she signed up. Now she does her daily duty there several times a week for $75 per visit. “It’s my poop dreams come true,” she said. Susan Christian Goulding in the Orange County Register -- 10/13/21

California Hall of Fame inducts Bay Area notables Jerry Garcia, Ruth Asawa, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon -- Three activists and three artists, including rock titan Jerry Garcia, are the latest Californians to be celebrated in Golden State history as new inductees to the California Hall of Fame, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/21

They blazed a trail for gay marriage. Now they’re in California’s Hall of Fame -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom inducted the late lesbian rights activists and married couple Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin into the California Hall of Fame during a virtual Tuesday ceremony honoring six Golden State icons. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/13/21