Sierra Club distances itself from John Muir, apologizes for 'perpetuating white supremacy'
The Chronicle's JOHN WILDERMUTH: "The executive director of the Sierra Club apologized Wednesday for its “substantial role in perpetuating white supremacy,” and said John Muir, the club’s founder and an icon of the environmentalist movement, was a racist.
In a post on the organization’s website, Michael Brune said that just as Black Lives Matter activists are pulling down monuments to Confederate leaders, the club must re-examine its past and “take down some of our own monuments.”
That includes Muir, who Brune admitted was beloved by many of the club’s members and whose writings “taught generations of people to see the sacredness of nature.”
READ MORE related to Climate/Environment: Strong evidence quake faults run through site of Hollywood skyscrapers, state says -- LA Times's RONG-GONG LIN II/LORENA INIGUEZ ELEBEE; China launcheds Mars rover in quest for signs of water -- and maybe ancient life -- AP
Violence breaks out at the Azerbaijan Consulate in Brentwood as protesters clash
LA Times's ALEJANDRA REYES-VELARDE: "One person was arrested and an officer was injured after a peaceful protest turned violent at the Azerbaijan Consulate in Brentwood on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The protest, organized by the Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region, started about 2 p.m. with hundreds of Armenian American protesters marching to the consulate near the 11700 block of Wilshire Boulevard.
Video shows the group chanting “Armenians demand justice” and “Justice for Tavush.” They were protesting against a violence in Tavush, a northern province of Armenia near the border of Azerbaijan."
California is short 1 million laptops and hot spots for kids as it prepares for online school
Sac Bee's MACKENZIE HAWKINS: "Most California schools are now required to start online this fall. They need another 1 million technology devices to help kids learn.
When COVID-19 forced schools to close across California in March, state education officials estimated that 1.2 million students — 20 percent of the total K-12 population — didn’t have the technology necessary to participate in distance learning.
To solve that problem, California needs to procure over 700,000 computers and more than 300,000 WiFi hot spots, according to the most recent results from the California Department of Education’s school district survey."
California reports record daily cases, passes New York for most in U.S.
The Chronicle's MALLORY MOENCH: "It was a bad day for California’s fight against the coronavirus.
First, the state surpassed New York for the highest number of aggregate cases in the country. Then, Gov. Gavin Newsom reported a record number of new daily cases, with 12,807 Californians testing positive, according to Wednesday’s latest figures.
“It’s another reminder, if I need to remind anybody, of the magnitude of the impact the virus continues to have,” Newsom said during a news conference Wednesday. “It’s a sober reminder of why we are taking things as serious as we are. A sober reminder of why we put in that mask mandate in the state of California. A reminder of why we modified our openings as it relates to moving activities into outdoor spaces."
READ MORE related to Pandemic: California nursing facility devastated by 17 coronavirus deaths will close permanently -- Sac Bee's MICHAEL MCGOUGH/JASON POHL; California to obtain more masks, gear as it becomes state with most COVID-19 cases -- LA Times's PATRICK MCGREEVY
Newsom extends California's medical-mask deal with BYD
The Chronicle's ALEXEI KOSEFF: "California extended its contract this week to buy medical masks from Chinese manufacturer BYD, a move that Gov. Gavin Newsom said was necessary because U.S. companies are not producing enough personal protective equipment.
Newsom revealed the deal at a news conference Wednesday. The $316 million contract was signed Monday, according to a copy posted online, and will lower the per-unit cost by more than half for 300 million surgical masks and about a third for 120 million N95 respirators that the state is purchasing.
“When you’re burning through 46 million masks every month, you start to do the math,” Newsom said. “We need to go big and continue to be bold in our procurement."
Judicial panel says judges may attend demonstrations, but need to monitor participation
The Chronicle's BOB EGELKO: "Judges are not required to remain silent on turbulent issues, such as racial justice and police killings. But a California judicial ethics panel had some advice Wednesday for any judges who may be considering attending a protest demonstration or a similar political event: Don’t go, unless you’re sure it won’t raise questions about your impartiality.
Judges and judicial candidates “are not required to surrender their rights or opinions as citizens,” the state Supreme Court’s Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions said, quoting from California’s ethical standards for judges. “They shall, however, not engage in political activity that may create the appearance of political bias or impropriety.”
The protest may involve an issue that is likely to reach the judge’s court, or participation may imply endorsement of a “political candidate or organization,” the committee said. Or it may result in lawbreaking, like violating a curfew, or involve confrontations between demonstrators and police that could wind up in court."
Trump's threat to send fed forces to Oakland draws California pushback
The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI: "President Trump threatened Monday to send federal law enforcement forces to Oakland, similar to his deployment of Homeland Security agents in camouflage uniforms in Portland — a move that’s been loudly criticized by officials in Oregon and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“We’re going to have more federal law enforcement — that I can tell you,” Trump said Monday. “Because we’re not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these (cities) — Oakland is a mess. We’re not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats.”
Trump sent federal law enforcement officers to Portland in early July, with the initial mission of protecting federal office buildings and statues after protesters removed edifices of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson."
READ MORE related to Flirting With Martial Law: Sacramento mayor, councilman tell Trump: Do not send federal agents to our city -- Sac Bee's THERESA CLIFT; Portland mayor jeered by crowd, tear-gassed by feds as protests rage -- AP; A judge considers limiting feds in Portland as protesters brace for another night of tear gas -- LA Times's RICHARD READ/MELISSA ETEHAD/JUSTIN YAU; Legal analysis: Is Trump stretching the law to deploy federal police power in cities? -- LA Times's DAVID G SAVAGE
How does Biden's lead over Trump with undecided voters in the polls compare to 2016's numbers?
Sac Bee's SUMMER LIN: "Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is leading President Trump among both registered voters overall — and undecided or third-party registered voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Biden is leading Trump by eight percentage points, with 46% of registered voters backing Biden and 38% supporting Trump, according to the poll.
Among undecided or third-party voters, 61% said, if given an option between the two, they would vote for Biden and 39% said they would vote for Trump, the poll shows."
CSU approves ehtnic studies, social justice course requirement
The Chronicle's ANNA BAUMAN: "Students in the California State University system will be required to take a course in ethnic studies or social justice under a new general education requirement approved Wednesday by the Board of Trustees.
The rule marks the first major change to the 23-campus university system’s general education requirements in 40 years. It will go into effect in the 2023-24 academic school year to give faculty time to plan, officials said.
“It will empower our students to meet this moment in our nation’s history, giving them the knowledge, broad perspectives and skills needed to solve society’s most pressing problems. And it will further strengthen the value of a CSU degree,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy White in a statement."
READ MORE related to Education: SF supes take an interest in preserving WPA murals at UCSF Parnassus campus -- The Chronicle's JK DINEEN
Is traffic on Bay Area highways and bridges returning to 'normal'? Here's how close we are
The Chronicle's KELLIE HWANG: "The Bay Area’s notoriously clogged highways and bridges suddenly cleared out when coronavirus shelter-in-place orders began in mid-March. But as the region has started to reopen, many drivers are noticing more traffic — and sometimes even the dreaded backups so common during pre-pandemic days.
But how much has highway traffic actually increased in the Bay Area since reopening began in May?
The short answer: We’re nearly three-quarters back to normal, depending on how you look at the data."
READ MORE related to Transportation: Ridership's down, revenues are down, but salaries are up for BART workers -- The Chronicle's PHIL MATIER; Caltrain's future in limbo as SF, South Bay leaders join forces in tax measure -- The Chronicle's MICHAEL CABANATUAN/RACHEL SWAN
Stimulus check or unemployment boost? What's the best way to support coronavirus economy?
Sac Bee's DAVID LIGHTMAN: "The best way the government can help the millions of people out of work right away? Keep giving them that extra $600 a week, or at least some emergency payment, as unemployment benefits.
That’s the loose consensus of economists and many Washington lawmakers contacted by McClatchy, as President Donald Trump and Congress engage in tense closed-door negotiations on the next federal economic relief package.
Trump wants a payroll tax cut. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is a booster of sending stimulus checks to low and moderate income consumers. Democrats are eager to continue the $600 benefit, which ends next week, and many Republicans appear willing to at least continue some partial payment."
Apple co-founder Wozniak sues YouTube, Google over Bitcoin scam
The Chronicle's CHNASE DIFELICIANTONIO: "Lawyers for Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, announced a lawsuit against YouTube and parent company Google on Wednesday, alleging the companies failed to take down videos that used Wozniak’s likenesses in a Bitcoin scam.
“The allegations paint a picture of an algorithm-driven tech giant that does not respond to victims and that YouTube has allowed scammers to use me, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and others to defraud innocent people out of their cryptocurrency,” Wozniak said in a statement.
The suit filed in San Mateo Superior court alleges the videos used images and videos of Wozniak and other tech celebrities to deceive YouTube users into thinking if they sent cryptocurrency to an account they would receive twice as much back. The schemes are reminiscent of a scam that rocked Twitter earlier this month, when that website was hacked and celebrity accounts tweeted similar messages."
READ MORE related to Economy: Child care is on the verge of collapse in the Bay Area. Can parents go back to work? -- The Chronicle's RACHEL SWAN; Racism in Trader Joe's products? How a Bay Area teen fired up the nation -- The Chronicle's SOLEIL HO; More Sacramento Target workers have tested positive for coronavirus -- Sac Bee's ALEXANDRA YOON-HENDRICKS
San Quentin: Eighth Death Row inmate dies of suspected COVID-19 infection
The Chronicle's ANNA BAUMAN: "Condemned inmate John Beames died on Tuesday from a suspected case of COVID-19, marking the latest death in a coronavirus outbreak at San Quentin State Prison, officials said.
Beames, a 67-year-old convicted child killer, died at a hospital outside the prison from “what appears to be complications related to COVID-19,” according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Beames is the eighth Death Row inmate to die from a suspected case of COVID-19. Fourteen inmates at San Quentin have died and more than 2,000 were infected as of Wednesday."
Obama, Biden sit down to discuss Trump's presidency, handling of COVID-19 in new video
Sac Bee's SUMMER LIN: "Former President Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden sat down for a “socially distant” discussion in a new video, talking about Biden’s bid for president, as well as President Trump’s time in office and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pair released a short teaser video, with the full footage coming out on Thursday.
“Can you imagine standing up when you were president and saying ‘it’s not my responsibility. I take no responsibility.’ Literally. Literally,” Biden said in a teaser video of the conversation."
Former Nazi concentration camp guard, now 93, convicted in Germany
AP: "A German court Thursday convicted a 93-year-old former SS private of being an accessory to murder at the Stutthof concentration camp, where he served as a guard in the final months of World War II. He was given a two-year suspended sentence.
Bruno Dey was convicted of 5,232 counts of accessory to murder by the Hamburg state court, the German news agency DPA reported. That is equal to the number of people believed to have been killed at Stutthof during his service there in 1944 and 1945. He also was convicted of one count of accessory to attempted murder.
“How could you get used to the horror?” presiding judge Anne Meier-Goering asked as she announced the verdict."