Updating . .   

Santa Ana winds bring critical fire danger, red flag warning to Southern California -- As the Alisal fire smolders in Santa Barbara County, residents in Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Friday were bracing for the arrival of critical fire weather and the threat of Santa Ana winds. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Oil  

Aging equipment, spills test ties between oil, California -- It’s also raising questions about the soundness of old equipment, limits on government safety oversight, how willing companies are to make needed investments in repairs and whether it makes sense to have drilling rigs and pipelines near one of the world’s busiest port complexes. Michael R. Blood and Matthew Brown Associated Press -- 10/15/21

COVID Vaccine  

FDA panel backs boosters for Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- But the panel, whose recommendations are typically adopted by the FDA, left what is perhaps the more pressing question up in the air: whether J&J recipients should get a Pfizer or Moderna booster instead of a second J&J shot. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/21

Nearly 40% of California state workers are unvaccinated against COVID despite Newsom order -- The COVID-19 vaccination rate is lower among California state workers than among the state’s general population, according to data from the state Human Resources Department. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/15/21

95% of teachers meet COVID-19 vaccination deadline, union says -- The teachers union represents more than 30,000 teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians. The vaccine requirement applies to all Los Angeles Unified employees — about 73,000 — as well as parent volunteers and district contractors who work on campus. Employees of district-authorized charter schools also must comply. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

 

Health experts and fans express concern over Coachella’s new vaccination policy -- Two months ago, concert promoter AEG Presents announced a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for all its shows — including Goldenvoice’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Many fans of music’s marquee live event cheered the decision. August Brown in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

COVID: San Francisco, Marin ease indoor mask rule. Will others? -- Though most Bay Area counties remain far from reaching their own criteria for lifting mask requirements, starting Friday vaccinated people won’t need face coverings in some indoor settings in San Francisco and Marin County. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/15/21

Why used car prices have soared 26% during the pandemic -- Looking for a used car? Get ready for some sticker shock. The microchip shortage has slowed production of new vehicles, funneling buyers instead to pre-owned cars, trucks and SUVs, and prices have risen significantly as a result. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/15/21

Flu  

Officials fear a resurgent flu season as COVID-19 restrictions fade, schools reopen -- The flu season was mild last year thanks in large part to social distancing and other measures taken amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Policy and Politics  

Villaraigosa endorses Karen Bass for L.A. mayor -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Friday his endorsement of Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) in the mayor’s race, arguing that Bass’ nearly half-century of public service makes her the most qualified candidate to lead the city. Seema Mehta, Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Black Angelenos express mix of cynicism, disappointment after Ridley-Thomas indictment -- Michael and Corey Whitted’s juice stand sits on a busy strip of Crenshaw Boulevard directly across from L.A. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas’ former campaign field office. A huge sign proclaiming his candidacy still looms over the block despite the office being closed. Donovan X. Ramsey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

A son’s troubles, financial desperation brought USC dean, Mark Ridley-Thomas together -- They seemed to have little in common. Sebastian Ridley-Thomas was a 30-year-old assemblyman from South Los Angeles trying to find his way out of his father’s towering political shadow. Marilyn Flynn, a widow five decades his senior, was a University of Southern California dean with a national reputation for training social workers. Matt Hamilton, Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Workplace   

Hospitals brace for strikes as California workers protest staff shortages -- Long-simmering disputes with unions over staffing are reaching crisis points. Almost a third of California hospitals report insufficient numbers of critical workers, including nurses, technicians and janitors. Kristen Hwang CalMatters -- 10/15/21

Workers haven’t returned to offices en masse. But companies are leasing more space -- The great post-Labor Day comeback to the office didn’t happen. COVID-19’s summer surge thwarted expectations that fall would be the time to start working side-by-side again, with kids back in school and the pandemic on the wane. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Water  

Water budgets and drought fees coming to 1 million residents in San Jose and neighboring communities -- In the latest fallout from the worsening drought, residents of San Jose — which received the lowest rainfall in its recorded history last year — and surrounding communities are about to be given tougher water conservation rules than any major city in California. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/15/21

Street  

Shootings by LAPD officers rising again after years of decline -- Los Angeles police officers have opened fire more times this year than in all of last year or the year before, according to LAPD data tracked by The Times. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

San Jose: Trio of overnight fires break out at school, homes across city -- Three separate fires broke out across the city late Thursday night and early Friday morning, including two home fires that displaced at least half a dozen people and a school fire that has led to a person being detained and questioned by authorities, according to the San Jose Fire Department. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/15/21

Education  

Another blow to UC admissions tests: Nix SAT alternative exam, faculty recommend -- In another blow to the future of standardized testing for University of California admissions, a faculty group has recommended nixing the use of an alternative assessment to replace the SAT in a new report to UC leaders. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

California ordered this Marin County school district to desegregate. Is it working? -- The Sausalito Marin City School District is undergoing California's first school desegregation order in 50 years. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/21

UC San Diego enrollment hits nearly 43,000, shattering record -- Fall enrollment at UC San Diego has hit 42,875, smashing the record by 2,392 and contributing to a campus housing shortage and crowding problems that have frustrated many students. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/15/21

Develop  

An area of San Diego County bigger than Balboa Park is available for $18.75M -- The nearly 1,300-acre Breezeway Ranch in Jamul features several homes, a vineyard, rifle range, tennis court, a pool, five wells and plenty of space for an adventurous buyer. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/15/21

 

 

California Policy and Politics Friday Morning   

FBI joins investigation of Orange County oil spill as Coast Guard drastically reduces size estimate -- The Coast Guard’s criminal investigative unit, the California attorney general’s office and the Orange County district attorney’s office are all already conducting a criminal inquiry. The FBI is now assisting with the criminal investigation, which among other things is examining whether there was a negligent discharge of oil into navigable waters. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Wildfire   

Battle over California fire insurance policies intensifies -- Massive wildfires are making it harder for some California homeowners to get property insurance, pitting the state’s insurance commissioner against the industry in an escalating conflict that will likely stretch into 2022′s statewide elections. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 10/15/21

‘Self-serving garbage.’ Wildfire experts escalate fight over saving California forests -- As the Caldor Fire roared into the Lake Tahoe basin more than a month ago, Brian Newman took some comfort in the surroundings. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Fresno Bee$ -- 10/15/21

COVID  

New mask rules take effect Friday in S.F. and Marin. Here's what to know -- A limited loosening of COVID-19 mask mandates goes into effect Friday in San Francisco and Marin County, with Contra Costa County joining them Nov. 1. A wider lifting of mask restrictions in most Bay Area counties is further off — though Marin is on track to meet the required coronavirus benchmarks soonest. Gwendolyn Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/15/21

70,000 Californians have died from COVID-19 -- The Golden State’s cumulative pandemic fatality rate — 178.5 deaths for every 100,000 residents — is the 35th-highest. By comparison, rates are 284.4 in New York, 278.2 in Florida, 240.5 in Texas and 235 in Pennsylvania, according to data compiled by The Times. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Can we gather this winter? COVID-19 is slowing in California, but experts still say to be careful -- The toll of the pandemic this winter hinges on a lot of factors, including whether people follow public health recommendations, how soon young children become eligible for vaccination and whether a new variant emerges. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 10/15/21

COVID Vaccine  

All BART employees must get vaccinated by Dec. 13 under new mandate -- All BART employees will have to get vaccinated by Dec. 13 or risk being fired under a mandate approved by the agency’s Board of Directors. BART’s leadership will have to bargain over the mandate’s details with its labor unions, including what exemptions to include. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/21

Policy and Politics  

Ridley-Thomas, ex-USC dean vow they will be cleared of federal conspiracy, bribery charges -- Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, indicted earlier this week on federal conspiracy and bribery charges, declared the allegations “wrong” and vowed to disprove them on Thursday, Oct. 14, via a statement from his attorney, Michael J. Proctor. Ryan Carter, Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 10/15/21

Ridley-Thomas indictment brings fresh uncertainty to an already unsettled City Hall -- In a city where the mayor is partway out the door, one former councilman has been handed a prison sentence and another is awaiting trial, the indictment of Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas delivered yet another blow to the stability of Los Angeles city government. David Zahniser, Julia Wick, Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Many sites bear the name ‘Mark Ridley-Thomas.’ What happens now that he faces charges? -- If you’re wandering Los Angeles County, you might encounter the name “Mark Ridley-Thomas” on a pedestrian bridge spanning La Cienega Boulevard. His name has also decorated a new wellness center, a high school health center, a youth facility, and a “constituent service center” with government offices. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Skelton: Newsom made the right decisions on fishing, ‘ghost guns’ and 3 other simple bills -- Not all Sacramento legislation is complicated, wonky and understandable only by special interests. Some is simple and sensible. Other bills are simple and nutty. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Water  

Water budgets and drought fees coming to 1 million residents in San Jose and neighboring communities -- In the latest fallout from the worsening drought, residents of San Jose — which received the lowest rainfall in its recorded history last year — and surrounding communities are about to be given tougher water conservation rules than any major city in California. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/15/21

Street  

California Attorney General Rob Bonta meets with Sacramento leaders to discuss hate crimes -- Rabbi Mona Alfi of Congregation B’nai Israel was alarmed after learning someone last week left a plastic bag with rice and a leaflet with a printed swastika and the phrase “Aryan Nation” at several homes and an elementary school in a Carmichael neighborhood. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/15/21

Marin County Sheriff sued for sharing license plate photos with ICE, other federal agencies -- Immigrant advocates have sued Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle for sending photos of passing motorists’ license plates, with information on the vehicles’ locations, to federal immigration officials for many years, an action they say violates California privacy and sanctuary laws. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/21

Racial residential segregation has gone down in Sacramento, study finds -- Racial residential segregation has decreased moderately in the city of Sacramento over the last decade, a new report has found, an unexpected bright spot given how pervasive the systemic issue is in the United States. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/15/21

‘Big Mike’ Lerma, reputed Mexican Mafia member, charged with ordering murder at L.A. prison -- Federal prosecutors on Thursday charged a reputed member of the Mexican Mafia with ordering the murder of an inmate at a Los Angeles federal detention center and three associates of the prison-based organization with carrying it out. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

S.F. Mayor Breed is facing pressure to declare the overdose crisis a health emergency. Would it help? -- Amid a dramatic increase in fatal drug overdoses, several supervisors and advocates are pressuring Mayor London Breed to replicate the city’s urgency around the pandemic and declare the drug crisis a local health emergency — just as she did for the coronavirus. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/21

Were others complicit in Champion-Cain’s Ponzi scheme to defraud investors? -- As former restaurateur Gina Champion-Cain spends her days and nights in a federal prison serving a 15-year sentence for securities fraud, others are spending their time looking for anyone else who might have helped her orchestrate San Diego’s single biggest Ponzi scheme. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/15/21

Sacramento paid $11 million settlement after car hit boy, grandmother in crosswalk -- The city of Sacramento quietly paid an $11 million settlement to a family last year — one of the largest payouts in city history — after an elderly woman and her grandson were hit by a car in a crosswalk. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/15/21

Fed up with 'missing white woman syndrome,' activists in Oakland accuse media of bias -- On Tuesday, a crowd of dozens assembled outside a Bay Area TV station’s headquarters to protest the suspension of a longtime anchor who sought to draw attention to “missing white woman syndrome.” Katie Licari-Kozak in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/21

Eviction  

Longtime S.F. housing activist is now facing his own eviction, despite the city's moratorium -- For three decades Fernando Marti has been among the progressive political activists demonstrating outside the homes of families facing evictions. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/21

Education  

Could new Covid testing and vaccine mandates make school staffing shortages in California worse? -- Some California school district superintendents, especially those in rural areas of the state, fear that teachers and other staff members will quit rather than be vaccinated or take weekly Covid tests — a state requirement that began Friday. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 10/15/21

ICE  

ICE held a man in solitary confinement for more than a year. He’s suing under a new California law -- Held in solitary confinement and unable to sleep, Carlos Murillo Vega spent his days pacing around the cell with walls so close he could almost touch them both with arms outstretched. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Supply Chain  

Push to Operate L.A. Port 24/7 Off to Slow Start -- Some terminal operators and port truckers have said it isn’t worth the extra expense of operating around the clock if trucking companies, warehouses and other parts of the supply chain aren’t also working 24/7 to move and store cargo. Freight operators are short on labor and equipment, adding to the strains on domestic logistics capacity. Paul Berger in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/15/21

Lazarus: Supply-chain surcharge? Sherwin-Williams is latest company to add a sneaky fee -- After the purchase, Granadino, 40, took a look at his receipt and was surprised to see a 4% “supply chain charge.” There’d been no advance warning that a surcharge was being imposed — it was just quietly tacked on at the checkout counter. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Heating Bill   

Winter is coming — and heating bills are going up in California -- Be prepared to spend more to heat your home this winter, as the agency that collects and interprets energy data for the federal government has predicted natural gas users in the West will see an average increase of 23.5 percent compared to a year ago. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/15/21

Workplace   

Feds: San Diego drywall company failed to pay overtime to 500-plus workers -- The investigation led to $860,000 in back wages and damages paid to Performance Drywall workers, plus a nearly $50,000 fine. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/15/21

Refugees  

Ameen’s fate in immigration judge’s hands after Sacramento man testifies at hearing -- A U.S. immigration judge will decide in November whether Iraqi refugee Omar Ameen will stay in the United States or be deported three years after FBI agents arrested and accused the Sacramento-area man of being an ISIS terrorist. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/15/21

Guns  

San Diego City attorney starts effort aimed at getting guns out of the hands of domestic abusers -- The City Attorney’s Office has assigned a team of lawyers to assess cases to see if there is a need for a gun violence restraining order, a court order allowing police to strip firearms from someone who poses a threat. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/15/21

Nursing Home Verdict  

Hayward nursing home, parent company must pay almost $20 million for neglecting patients, jury says -- The lawsuit detailed problems it contends began well before COVID-19 devastated nursing homes but were exacerbated by the pandemic, as this news organization documented last year. The problems were rooted in persistent staffing shortages, according to the lawsuit and interviews with patients’ families. Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/15/21

Also . . .   

Dodgers defeat longtime rival Giants in thriller, will play Braves in NLCS rematch -- Cody Bellinger hits a run-scoring single in the ninth inning to lift the Dodgers to a thrilling, 2-1 victory over the Giants in Game 5 of the NLDS. Here’s what you need to know.. in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Giants fail to beat L.A., but one team had to lose greatest Giants-Dodgers game ever -- Under a black October sky, the Giants and the Dodgers marched together, in perfect lockstep, into their destiny. Ann Killion in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/21

Robert Durst sentenced to life in prison for murdering Susan Berman -- As far as Sareb Kaufman is concerned, no punishment Robert Durst could face will equal the suffering Kaufman has already endured. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Former President Clinton hospitalized in Orange County with non-COVID infection -- Clinton’s vital measurements are stable. He is likely to be given IV antibiotics until Friday, when he is expected to receive oral medication, according to a source familiar with the situation. It’s unclear when he will be released. Seema Mehta, Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

Family, colleagues, Santee community remember UPS driver killed in plane crash -- Family members, UPS colleagues and neighbors held a candlelight vigil Thursday night for Steve Krueger, the delivery driver who was killed Monday when a crashing plane slammed into his truck. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/15/21

Cher wants her Sonny & Cher royalties, and she’s suing Sonny Bono’s widow to get them -- Call it a Cher fight. Cher is suing Sonny Bono’s widow over royalties to songs the pop icon made famous with her ex-husband as the musical duo Sonny & Cher. Nardine Saad in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/21

 

 

Thursday Updates   

Heavy smoke from Alisal fire triggers air quality advisory in L.A., Orange counties -- Heavy smoke billowing from the Alisal fire near Santa Barbara prompted an air quality advisory for Los Angeles and several other counties, as flames from the blaze surrounded the former vacation home of President Reagan. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/21

Map: Alisal Fire evacuation expands in Santa Barbara County -- The evacuation area for the Alisal Fire, in Santa Barbara County, was expanded Wednesday evening. The new mandatory evacuations include Gaviota, Gaviota Beach and Las Cruces. The orders imposed Monday to the east remain in effect. The item in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/14/21

PG&E has reduced the scope of potential Bay Area shut-offs. Here's the latest -- Thanks to improving weather conditions, the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. delayed its scheduled power shut-offs Thursday in portions of 11 counties and reduced the number of customers that could be affected in what could be the second round of scheduled outages this week. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/14/21

COVID Vaccine  

More than 100 San Francisco police and firefighters remain unvaccinated and could lose jobs -- Police Chief Bill Scott told the Police Commission Wednesday evening that 118 sworn police officers — 5% of all sworn officers — remain unvaccinated, and 61 are partially vaccinated. Another 31 non-sworn employees are unvaccinated and 11 are partially vaccinated. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/14/21

L.A., San Diego school districts are sued over student vaccination mandate -- California’s two largest school districts — Los Angeles and San Diego — are targeted in lawsuits challenging their student COVID-19 vaccination mandates, alleging the vaccines are too new and that unvaccinated children face discrimination and the denial of their equal right to a public education. Howard Blume, Kristen Taketa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/21

‘Oh my gosh. I’m myself again.’ Growing evidence vaccines prevent, treat long COVID -- Patients from San Diego to London to Paris are saying that lingering COVID-19 symptoms tend to improve after vaccination. Scientists are trying to understand why. Jonathan Wosen in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/14/21

For those who got Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, FDA booster authorization could come this week -- While the millions of Americans who got the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine have been able to start getting booster shots since federal regulators authorized them last month, millions more who got the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been waiting to hear if and when they too can get boosters. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/14/21

Oil  

Officials knew of potential for ‘catastrophe’ when O.C. oil platforms approved in 1970s -- The red flags came early. Selling offshore leases for oil drilling in the middle of shipping lanes seemed reckless. Building a complex of oil platforms just off the Orange County coast was an invitation to disaster. Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/21

Experts to ask Congress for more offshore oil oversight as California cleanup continues -- Nearly two weeks after a pipeline ruptured and leaked as much as 131,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, environmental policy experts will testify before Congress on Thursday, urging lawmakers to require more federal oversight of aging and abandoned offshore oil platforms and pipelines. Anna M. Phillips in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/21

Policy and Politics  

Lopez: Ridley-Thomas, a heavy lifter on homelessness, now carries weight of bribery charges -- As I’ve said before, maybe it’s in the water, or maybe it’s in the air. I’m not sure which, but when it comes to politics in Los Angeles, scandal is in the city’s DNA. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/21

How will diverse voters be represented in California’s new election districts? -- Across the state, organizers are banding together to make sure new congressional, legislative and local districts lead to diverse representation. The track record of the Citizens Redistricting Commission is mixed, according to two recent studies. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 10/14/21

Hiltzik: People talk about the cost of that big federal bill but don’t know what’s in it. So we’ll tell you -- The most glaring flaw in media coverage of Washington is that it focuses heavily on process and seldom on substance. That’s certainly been the case with coverage of the Build Back Better Act, the comprehensive reform package now being dickered over on Capitol Hill. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/21

Street  

LAPD detective wounded in shooting; 14-year-old suspect in custody -- The circumstances that led to the shooting, which occurred shortly after 5 a.m. near South Central Avenue and East 34th Street, were not immediately clear, LAPD Capt. Stacy Spell said. The detective was shot while driving to work on Central Avenue near 28th Street, police said. Richard Winton, Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/21

Oakland is facing a surge in homicides. But young and old don't always agree on how to deal with it -- When Oscar Grant was shot and killed by a BART police officer, Jessica Ramos was only 5. But she said she still remembers wondering why police would kill an innocent man. Now 18, Ramos said she doesn’t want more police, despite a surge in homicides in Oakland. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/14/21

S.F. Mayor Breed is facing pressure to declare the overdose crisis a health emergency. Would it help? -- Amid a dramatic increase in fatal overdoses, several supervisors and advocates are pressuring Mayor London Breed to replicate the city’s urgency around the pandemic and declare the drug crisis a local health emergency — just as she did for the coronavirus. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/14/21

Richmond chief on leave after family member accuses her of violence, death threats in investigation that’s ensnared three Bay Area police departments -- Bisa French and her husband, an Oakland police sergeant, have claimed the family member is being manipulated by her pimp. Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/14/21

Education  

USC to apologize for WWII actions that derailed education of Japanese American students -- In the throes of World War II, weeks after a 1942 presidential executive order forced the removal of all persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast, then-UC Berkeley President Robert G. Sproul sprung into action. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/21

Venture Capital   

In rare twist, San Diego tech startups outmuscle life science firms for top money deals -- Biotech and medical device companies usually dominate venture capital funding in the region. But in the last quarter, software, defense tech, sensing as a service and fleet safety firms led the way. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 10/14/21

Workplace   

4.3 Million Workers Are Missing. Where Did They Go? -- Many economists expected school reopenings, expiring unemployment benefits and the fading Delta variant to help boost labor-force participation this fall. But evidence suggests labor shortages might be deepening: Labor supply declined in September and workers quit at record rates in August. Josh Mitchell, Lauren Weber and Sarah Chaney Cambon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/14/21

Homeless  

Sacramento leaders want to turn a downtown motel into permanent housing for the homeless -- f state officials select the project for funding, the motel will be converted into 92 permanent supportive housing studio units for homeless adults and couples, Jones said. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/14/21

Breathe  

Q&A: How California’s new ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other outdoor equipment affects you -- Buying a new gasoline-powered leaf blower, lawn mower, string trimmer, chain saw or other outdoor gardening tool in California that runs on fossil fuels may soon be a tradition of the past. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/14/21

Also . . .   

“Glad she’s gone”: Los Gatos reels after mom arrested for drunken teen sex parties -- Sitting poolside at a luxury apartment complex in Eagle, Idaho, over the summer, a mom introduced herself to a new neighbor, Shannon O’Connor, who had just moved with her two sons away from the Silicon Valley town of Los Gatos. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/14/21