Newsom sued by California residents demanding end to stay-at-home rules
LA Times's PHIL WILLON: "Two Sacramento County residents on Monday filed a federal lawsuit challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping stay-at-home order that is credited with helping slow the spread of coronavirus.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Ron Givens of the Sacramento Gun Club and Christine “Chris” Bish, a real estate agent and a Republican candidate for Congress running against Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), alleges that the California Highway Patrol unconstitutionally denied their requests for permits to hold a protest outside the state Capitol.
Givens wants to protest the state’s failure to process background checks for people buying firearms, and Bish hopes to protest the stay-at-home order, according to the lawsuit."
READ MORE on lawsuit: CHP ban on protests over coronavirus sparks lawsuit by gun advocate, GOP candidate -- SAM STANTON, Sacramento Bee
At UC, standardized testing gets critical look
From AKEMI TAMANAHA, Capitol Weekly: "The University of California, grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, will make academic testing — such as the SAT and ACT — optional for the Fall 2020 admissions cycle.
But that policy may be short-lived: Next month, the Board of Regents will meet to decide the future of standardized testing in UC admissions beyond 2020.
For years, educators and civil rights organizations have criticized the value of the standardized Scholastic Aptitude Test and American College Testing in UC admissions. They argue that the tests are a measure of privilege and have a disproportionately negative impact on low-income students of color."
California suspends bar exam this summer
The Chronicle's BOB EGELKO: "The California Supreme Court postponed the scheduled July bar exam Monday for about 8,000 law school graduates hoping to begin their legal careers but refused to cancel it, saying it would try instead to conduct a first-ever online exam in September.
The two-day exam, administered to about 75,000 aspiring lawyers nationwide, has been conducted in-person in group settings that are now off-limits because of the coronavirus. The next exam had been scheduled to begin July 28, and states that administer the test are looking for alternatives. One state, Utah, will allow graduates of its leading law schools to practice law in the state, supervised by an attorney for the first few months, without taking the exam. Wisconsin has used that alternative for more than a century.
Some legal educators in California had urged the State Bar and the court to allow new law graduates to practice law under an experienced attorney’s supervision for the next year or two until a traditional bar exam is available. But the court, which oversees the State Bar, decided instead to reschedule the exam to Sept. 9-10 and said it would make ”every effort possible” to conduct the test online."
What will coronavirus mean for highway projects?
Sac Bee's DAVID LIGHTMAN: "California voters two years ago emphatically endorsed a plan to speed highway and transportation projects when they supported at the ballot box a package of gas taxes and vehicles fees.
But the cororonavirus outbreak looks likely to jeopardize those plans.
Traffic volume on state highways has plunged dramatically in California since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order last month. As a result, Californians are buying much less gas and paying less tax. Suddenly the state’s ambitious program to improve those roadsfaces an uncertain future."
READ MORE related to Transportation: On the open road, US truck drivers face the coronavirus and new risks -- LA Times's MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE
California issues more details on unemployment for the self-employed
The Chronicle's KATHLEEN PENDER: "Starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, self-employed Californians who lost work because of the coronavirus can begin applying for pandemic unemployment assistance, a new program funded by the federal government under the Cares Act.
The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency on Monday posted some additional FAQs about the program. It provides up to 39 weeks of federally funded benefits for people who can’t get regular state benefits, including those who are self-employed, didn’t work long enough to get them or already ran out of them.
Out of California’s 19 million civilian workers, an estimated 2.2 million are self-employed."
READ MORE related to Economy: Quirk in coronavirus relief law gives full $600/week even to workers facing only cut hours -- LA Times's SARAH D WIRE; Small business loan program resumes with new funding as the Lakers return money received in first tranche -- LA Times's JENNIFER HABERKORN
Why do some people refuse to social distance? Experts have a few ideas
Sac Bee's KATIE CAMERO: "In the last few months, everyone’s worlds have been flipped upside down because of the coronavirus pandemic. Guidelines say we should wear masks in public, stand 6 feet apart and stay inside until further notice.
But social media posts and press interviews indicate people are still blatantly ignoring social distancing rules despite scientific evidence that says it’s needed to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the disease the virus causes.
The reasons can be found in psychology textbooks."
READ MORE related to Pandemic: CDC adds new symptoms to its list of possible COVID-19 signs -- NYT's PAM BELLUCK; Where is California's coronavirus equipoment going? Newsom aides give details -- The Chronicle's DUSTIN GARDINER; Marin County discovers 'cluster' of asymptomatic cases -- The Chronicle's ALEJANDRO SERRANO; 6 Bay Area counties extend stay-at-home orders through May -- LA Times's RONG-GONG LIN II; What's a city to do when half its population is in the crosshairs of coronavirus? -- LA Times's MARIA L LA GANGA; Garcetti says some LA stay-at-home rules could be eased in weeks -- LA Times's JAMES QUEALLY/COLLEEN SHALBY; LA turned to Silicon Valley for a streamlined coronavirus test. It brings potential risks and rewards -- LA Times's MAYA LAU/MELODY PETERSEN; Coronavirus worsens in LA County as hopes of an early reopening fade -- LA Times's RONG-GONG LIN II/JOE MOZINGO/MELANIE MASON
Vallejo planning commissioner who tossed cat resigns
The Chronicle's MATT KAWAHARA: "The Vallejo planning commissioner who tossed his cat and appeared to drink from an alcoholic beverage during a virtual commission meeting last week has resigned, a city spokesperson said Monday.
Former commissioner Chris Platzer submitted his resignation by email Monday afternoon after several city officials, including Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan, had called for his removal, city spokesperson Christina Lee said.
In the resignation email, text of which was provided by Lee, Platzer wrote that he served “at the pleasure of the (City) Council and no longer have that trust and backing."
Sutter Roseville opens $178M ER early to make more room for coronavirus patients
Sac Bee's CATHIE ANDERSON: "In the past six weeks, as the new coronavirus spread across the Sacramento region, leaders at Sutter Roseville Medical Center moved to open their expanded emergency and critical care units long before the planned May 27 date.
“Late February, when we saw what was happening in the world and thought about how we would be prepared for that — not just Sutter Roseville but all of Sutter Health — one of the many actions was: ‘Joan, get this building open early,’” said Joan Touloukian, the master planning project director at Sutter Roseville. “At the same time, all of our (Sutter Health) leadership was working on: Where do we get more ventilators? How are we managing these patients? Where are we going to put them?”
Touloukian said it was natural that the Sutter Roseville project would become part of that effort. She will see the $178 million project she’s shepherded for about four years open its doors on Tuesday, a month ahead of schedule."
READ MORE related to Health: Coronavirus is boosting health insurance profits. So should firms get US help? -- KHN's JULIE APPLEBY/STEVEN FINDLAY; Stanford hospital system to cut pay 20%, furlough workers during pandemic -- The Chronicle's RUSTY SIMMONS
Will national parks reopen by summer? States, feds are working on a coronavirus plan
Sac Bee's CHARLES DUNCAN: "As much of the country shut down and people were instructed to stay home to put the brakes on the coronavirus pandemic, many national parks locked their gates.
Now the U.S. Department of the Interior is “working to reopen the American people’s national parks as rapidly as possible,” according to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.
In a statement released over the weekend, Bernhardt said, “The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers and partners continues to be paramount."
READ MORE related to Environment/Climate: See what Yosemite National Park looked like in April amid coronavirus closure -- Yosemite National Park; Ready for more heat? Sacramento could top 90 degrees for 3rd time in 5 days, forecast shows -- Sac Bee's MICHAEL MCGOUGH
Coronavirus closed Bay Area libraries, but digital checkouts are booming
The Chronicle's SAM WHITING: "On the March day that her school closed for the year, Albany fifth-grader Rory Schroeder walked home with her friends, said goodbye, picked up her blue iPod and ordered the 10-volume e-audiobook children’s adventure series “The 39 Clues” from the Berkeley Public Library.
Each volume is due in 21 days so she is stretching out the series to the max.
“I listen to each one as many times as I can manage in these days,” said Schroeder, 11, who prefers audio books to e-books because she can draw and paint while she listens. “I don’t really have anything else to do since I am stuck at home."