Down the middle

Jul 27, 2021

Likely California voters now almost evenly split on Newsom recall, poll finds

 

LA Times, PHIL WILON: "Californians who say they expect to vote in the September recall election are almost evenly divided over whether to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, evidence of how pivotal voter turnout will be in deciding the governor’s political fate, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times.

 

The findings dispel the notion that California’s solid Democratic voter majority will provide an impenetrable shield for Newsom, and reveal a vulnerability created by a recall effort that has energized Republicans and been met with indifference by many Democrats and independent voters.

 

The poll found that 47% of likely California voters supported recalling the Democratic governor, compared with 50% who opposed removing Newsom from office — a difference just shy of the survey’s margin of error."

 

Former Sen. Barbara Boxer assaulted, robbed in Oakland's Jack London neighborhood, her office says

 

MICHELLE ROBERTSON, SF Gate: "Former Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., was assaulted and robbed in Oakland's Jack London neighborhood on Monday, her office said in a tweet.

 

Boxer, 80, was assaulted by an assailant who "pushed her in the back, stole her cell phone and jumped in a waiting car," the tweet said.

 

The former senator was not seriously injured in the confrontation, according to the tweet."

 

READ MORE ON BOXER: Former US Sen. Barbara Boxer assaulted, robbed in California -- AP

 

The California GOP's endorsement process may do harm -- to Republicans

 

The Chronicle, JOE GAROFOLI: "Some people are ticked off that the California Republican Party has decided to endorse a candidate in the Sept. 14 recall election.

 

At least one of them is among the top Republican candidates seeking to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, should voters choose to recall him.

 

 

California to require COVID vaccines for health care workers, state employees in Newsom order

 

Sac Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "California state workers and health care employees must demonstrate proof of vaccination or else continue to wear masks and undergo regular COVID-19 testing, under new rules announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration Monday morning.

 

The rules come into effect as the state continues to see a growing number of Delta variant cases. The Delta variant of COVID-19, while not more dangerous, is much more contagious than other variants of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

California is recording an average of 7,500 new COVID-19 cases per day, according to the Department of Public Health. The Delta variant accounts for 83%

of new cases across the country, the CDC reported last week."

 

READ MORE VACCINE NEWS --- What highly vaccinated Signapore's 75% breakthrough rate might mean for Bay Area -- The Chronicle, KELLIE HWANG, LA politicians want COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers -- LA Times, EMILY ALPERT REYES/CHRIS KUO

 

California teachers' pension fund reports record-high investment gains

 

Sac Bee, WES VENTEICHER: "CalSTRS on Monday reported a 27.2% return on its investments for the fiscal year that ended in June, a record high driven by a booming stock market and private equity gains, according to a news release.

 

The return drove the total value of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System’s investment fund to $308.6 billion, according to the release, up from $246 billion a year earlier.

 

“We’ve built our portfolio for long-term performance, but this year’s results were nothing short of spectacular,” Chief Investment Officer Christopher Ailman said in the release. “These are record-breaking numbers — the highest returns we’ve seen since the late 1980s.”"

 

California is failing to meet demand for UC admission. Why it's a crisis

 

LA Times, TERESA WATANABE: "A troubling undercurrent belies the University of California’s celebratory news that it has admitted the largest and most diverse class ever for fall 2021: There are not enough seats for qualified students at most campuses, a worsening capacity crisis that threatens to break the California promise of a UC education for them.

 

The space crunch is projected to intensify in the coming years just as the state needs more skilled talent, prompting the new UC Board of Regents chair to announce last week that increasing student enrollment would be one of the board’s top priorities.

 

UC admitted 132,353 freshman applicants for this fall, an 11% increase over last year. But it was harder to get in at seven of the nine undergraduate campuses compared with last year. More than 71,000 freshman applicants were denied admission, including nearly 44,000 Californians, the overwhelming majority of them eligible for UC admission if past trends are a guide."

 

Free school meals for all here to stay in California

 

EdSource, ALI TADAYON: "With 1 in every 6 children facing hunger in the U.S., California is the first state to promise every public school student — all 6 million of them — free school meals.

 

The universal school meals program, which will launch in the 2022-2023 school year, is part of the landmark state budget agreement reached between Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature last month. Days later, Maine became the second state to commit to offering a universal school meals program with the signing of its budget.

 

The program ensures that all students will be offered breakfast and lunch at their school, which state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, said is “essential to learning.” Skinner has led the effort to establish a universal school meal program."

 

Thousands of patients scramble to avoid huge bills amid Anthem, Dignity contract dispute

 

Sac Bee, CATHIE ANDERSON: "Thousands of Californians are learning that they will have to foot a bigger portion of their medical bills if they want to continue seeing their doctor since Dignity Health severed its contract with Anthem Blue Cross of California on July 15.

 

The two health care giants are locked in a dispute over rate increases, but many patients had no knowledge of that until they received letters last week through the U.S. Postal Service.

 

Dated July 16, the letter let patients know that the coverage change had gone into effect a day earlier. It stated: “Unfortunately, Anthem would not agree to a new contract that would ensure we can sustain the services our patients and communities depend on. As a result, Dignity Health hospitals and physician offices are no longer considered in-network health care providers for Anthem PPO members effective July 15, 2021.”"

 

Satellite images of wildfires are saving lives. The Pentagon might let the program expire

 

LA Times, JENNIFER HABERKORN/ANNA M PHILLIPS: "When a brush fire trapped more than 100 hikers and campers last year in the Sierra National Forest, California firefighters needed to know precisely where the blaze was — and they needed to know fast.

 

They turned to a little-known program called FireGuard, which gave them access to video and images captured by a U.S. military drone. The aerial view of the fire’s exact location allowed for a faster evacuation, likely saving lives.

 

Since 2019, the nascent FireGuard program has relied on temporary permission from the Pentagon to review classified data collected from a variety of government sources, including U.S. military satellites that search the skies for enemy missiles."

 

See dramatic video as remote wildfire camera is engulfed by flames from Dixie Fiore

 

The Chronicle, KELLIE HWANG: "A remote Sierra wildfire camera this weekend captured the moment when it was engulfed by the Dixie Fire, now the 15th-largest wildfire in California history and still growing.

 

The camera from the Alert Wildfire network is stationed at Indian Ridge, which is on the northeastern edge of the Dixie Fire, about 15 miles southeast of Lake Almanor.