This was a ‘prime weekend’ for COVID spread in California. Why experts see a ‘real risk’ ahead
LAT's RONG-GONG LIN II: "With COVID remaining at stubbornly high levels in California, some doctors are warning that transmission could again accelerate following the busy Labor Day holiday weekend — potentially prolonging a summer wave that has already proved more intense and enduring than some experts had anticipated.
Doctors will be closely monitoring the data for any signs of a post-holiday bump, which could materialize due to a few factors. First, Americans were expected to hit the road or take to the skies in potentially record-breaking numbers this year and, with COVID transmission elevated across most of the country, there’s a not-insignificant risk of exposure."
What Californians have at stake in the Trump-Harris election when it comes to health care
CALMatters's ANA B. IBARRA: "Donald Trump and Kamala Harris stand far apart on most issues, and health care is no exception. The November election carries major implications for Californians’ access to health care and the cost they pay for it.
While neither candidate has put forth a comprehensive health care agenda, both have track records from their respective time in the White House or previous posts that offer a glimpse on where they might stand on key health issues."
California Democrats strike back against local conservative rebellions on LGBTQ rights, abortion
CALMatters's ALEXEI KOSEFF: "Like many new political candidates at the time, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan first ran for the state Assembly in 2018 because she was troubled by the election of then-President Donald Trump and wanted California to fight back against his administration.
Six years later, that dynamic has flipped on its head. In the just-concluded regular legislative session, the San Ramon Democrat and her colleagues instead battled a surging rebellion from conservative California communities against the state’s liberal governance."
Republican anti-Trump group to launch new swing state ads
LAT's NOAH BIERMAN: "A Republican group opposing former President Trump is launching a “swing state ad blitz” Tuesday, spending $11.5 million on billboards and television advertisements featuring former Trump voters who support Vice President Kamala Harris.
The campaign will run through the month of September in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and in Nebraska’s second congressional district. Nebraska is one of two states, along with Maine, that splits its electoral votes based on congressional districts, awarding bonus votes to the overall winner of the state."
Column: Does Trump know how babies are made?
LAT's ANITA CHABRIA: "Hello, and happy Tuesday. There are 62 days until the election, and I’m starting to wonder if Donald Trump knows how babies are made.
The former president has made no secret of his pride in appointing enough conservative Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe vs. Wade in 2022, repeatedly calling the ruling “beautiful,” a brag that puts him closer to Taliban leaders than to average Americans."
Which of these 2024 California bills will Gavin Newsom sign into law?
CALMatters' STAFF: "For California laws, the buck does really stop at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
While the Legislature approved hundreds of bills before ending its regular session on Aug. 31, Newsom decides whether they become law."
S.F. nonprofit scandals: This is Mayor Breed’s plan to boost oversight
The Chronicle's MICHAEL BARBA: "San Francisco is moving to tighten controls on city contractors after a series of recent scandals involving misuse of taxpayer dollars by nonprofit organizations.
Mayor London Breed and City Attorney David Chiu announced an executive directive and proposed legislation Tuesday that seek to “strengthen the public trust and improve accountability in how our government operates,” Breed said in a statement."
Has a UC Berkeley chemistry lab discovered the holy grail of plastic recycling?
LAT's SUSANNE RUST: "Despite the planet’s growing plastic pollution crisis, petroleum-based polymers have become an integral part of modern life. They make cars and airplanes lighter and more energy efficient. They constitute a core material of modern medicine by helping to keep equipment sterile, deliver medicines and build prosthetics, among many other things. And they are a critical component of the wiring and hardware that underlies our technology-driven civilization.
The trouble is, when they outlive their usefulness, they become waste and end up polluting our oceans, rivers, soils and bodies."
What will it take to implement the English Learner Roadmap in all California schools?
EdSource's ZAIDEE STAVELY: "California published a guide for how districts should serve English learners seven years ago. It’s called the English Learner Roadmap Policy, and it’s largely seen as groundbreaking.
But many districts still haven’t used that road map to change their practices, advocates say."
Breed ‘is going to get blamed’: How Ricky Pearsall shooting complicates S.F. mayor’s race
The Chronicle's J.D. MORRIS: "Even before San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery on Saturday afternoon, Mayor London Breed was walking a political tightrope on public safety.
Breed often points to declining crime reports as evidence that her administration is making progress on the city’s toughest challenges, even as she acknowledges that “if people feel a certain way, the numbers don’t matter.”"
READ MORE -- Ricky Pearsall shooting: Here’s what data shows about Union Square crime trends -- The Chronicle's SUSIE NEILSON
Here’s how San Francisco crime is different from other California cities
The Chronicle's DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "Public safety in San Francisco is under a microscope. Ever since the pandemic upended crime patterns and emptied downtown, local leaders have struggled to combat widespread beliefs it is an unsafe place to live and work. Recent high-profile incidents — including the shooting of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall — have contributed to the general malaise, and as the mayoral election nears, polling data shows crime is the top issue for San Francisco’s voters.
But the reality of crime in S.F. is more nuanced. Compared with other major California cities, property crime rates are generally high in San Francisco. But for violent crimes, rates are unusually low in some categories and high in others. Reported crime overall in San Francisco so far this year is down — a trend seen across the country."
Hot, dirty and dangerous: Aerial firefighting is a labor of love
LAT's JACK DOLAN: "Diving toward a burning hillside in his first season flying an air tanker for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Jeff Reynolds realized he was doing just about everything his early flight instructors warned him not to.
With the airplane’s hollow wings full of fuel and the belly full of fire retardant, he was “flying heavy” in hot, thin air. He was also going low and slow, simultaneously reducing the plane’s maneuverability while giving himself a razor-thin margin for error. And he was deliberately diving into smoke so thick he couldn’t see other aircraft or the terrain around him."