California community colleges sue US for denying COVID-19 funds to undocumented students, others
LA Times's NINA AGRAWAL: "The nation’s largest community college system is suing the federal government for denying coronavirus relief funds to more than a half-million California students, including DACA recipients and many of those from low-income families.
California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley and the system’s board of governors filed suit this week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco against the Department of Education and Secretary Betsy DeVos over eligibility restrictions placed on the use of federal aid money for students, arguing that the restrictions are unconstitutional.
“The Department of Education ignored the intent of the CARES Act to give local colleges discretion to aid students most affected by the pandemic, and instead has arbitrarily excluded as many as 800,000 community college students,” California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said in a statement."
READ MORE related to Education: Many NorCal counties can open schools 'with mods.' It won't happen soon -- Sac Bee's SAWSAN MORRAR; When will California schools reopen? State asks districts to decide -- The Chronicle's RON KROICHICK
California gave $139 million ventilator contract to medical supply firm once raided by FBI
Sac Bee's RYAN SABALOW/JASON POHL/DALE KASLER: "In March 2013, FBI agents raided Heriberto Diaz’s medical supply company in Bakersfield, searching for evidence of Medicare fraud.
Seven years later, Diaz’s company, Ashli Healthcare Inc., holds a $139 million contract to supply ventilators and other equipment to the state — one of the biggest contracts the Newsom administration has signed without going through the usual competitive bidding process as it scrambled to gear up for the coronavirus pandemic.
The FBI’s raid on Ashli’s one-story gray stucco warehouse and offices coincided with searches at two medical offices in Bakersfield. An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that the three businesses were suspected of cooperating on a scheme to bilk the taxpayers out of millions by billing Medicare for devices for patients who didn’t need them — including at least 125 who had already died."
READ MORE related to Mask Controversy: Feds contradict Newsom, say BYD masks denied certification -- Sac Bee's SOPHIA BOLLAG
Perfect budget storm: Virus, joblessness, weak tax receipts
Capitol Weekly's SABRINA ZUNICH: "The rise of unemployment, dwindling tax revenues, emergency spending to fight COVID-19 and renewed fears of wildfires this year are throwing deep strains on the state budget for the new fiscal year that starts just weeks from now.
Gov. Newsom proposed a $222 billion budget for 2020-21, but he has said the document will be rewritten to factor in the new costs of the coronavirus pandemic — estimated thus far at about $7 billion — and the surge in joblessness, which is expected to soon hit at least 12 percent in California, according to the Legislative Analyst. Nationally, unemployment currently is about 14.7 percent.
Before the coronavirus struck, California was not only expecting a strong fiscal year but was on the upswing with a record low in unemployment and paying off debt and covering deferred expenses. The budget reserve stood at about $21 billion. Typically, the draft budget is tweaked in May to reflect income tax receipts."
Reep flips Dem seat in California. What's that mean for November?
Sac Bee's KATE IRBY: "Republicans are taking a victory lap after their candidate in a special election flipped a congressional seat previously held by Democratic Rep. Katie Hill, giving the GOP a sense of momentum after losing seven California seats two years ago.
But Republican Mike Garcia’s win over Democrat Christy Smith might not signal a red wave in November when President Donald Trump will be on the ballot, election experts said.
“As with all special elections, I’d urge caution about projecting the results forward to the fall,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of the nonpartisan political predicting site Sabato’s Crystal Ball. “The format of this election appeared to benefit Republicans; turnout should be much higher in the fall with the presidential race on the ballot."
READ MORE related to Blue to Red: California election blowout boosts GOP confidence about November -- The Chronicle's JOHN WILDERMUTH
Why progressives are angry with Nancy Pelosi
The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI: "The House is scheduled to vote Friday on a $3 trillion coronavirus relief package that Republicans mock as a wish list meant to curry favor with Democrats’ liberal base during campaign season.
But some Democrats are also unhappy with it — and they’re to the left of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, co-author of the bill known as the Heroes Act.
One is Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Pelosi’s proposal did not include Jayapal’s Paycheck Guarantee Act, under which the government would cover all the salaries of workers at financially troubled companies, up to $100,000 a year, to keep them off unemployment."
Immunologist warns of 'darkest winter' if virus rebounds
AP's RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR: "America faces the “darkest winter in modern history” unless leaders act decisively to prevent a rebound of the coronavirus, says a government whistleblower who alleges he was ousted from his job after warning the Trump administration to prepare for the pandemic.
Immunologist Dr. Rick Bright makes his sobering prediction in testimony prepared for his appearance Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Aspects of his complaint about early administration handling of the crisis are expected to be backed up by testimony from an executive of a company that manufactures, respirator masks.
A federal watchdog agency has found “reasonable grounds” that Bright was removed from his post as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority after sounding the alarm at the Department of Health and Human Services. Bright alleged he became a target of criticism when he urged early efforts to invest in vaccine development and stock up on supplies."
READ MORE related to Pandemic: Rise in hate incidents toward Asian Americans during pandemic, head of LA County commission says -- LA Times's MATTHEW ORMSETH; How UCSF is training 10K new pandemic detectives to fight the coronavirus -- The Chronicle's AIDIN VAZIRI
Scared to go back to work because of the pandemic? You could lose unemployment bennies
Sac Bee's DAVID LIGHTMAN: "You got furloughed and are getting unemployment benefits. Now your employer says you should return to work, but you’re reluctant because you’re worried you’ll be exposed to the coronavirus.
Refuse the job, and you could lose those benefits.
There is hope that the benefits could continue, but to find out your fate, you have to navigate a thicket of advice and guidelines. The state’s Employment Development Department, which manages the state unemployment program, posted a new series of questions and answers on its website Wednesday to help."
READ MORE related to Economy: More California counties get OK to start reopening economies -- The Chronicle's DUSTIN GARDINER; Californians who refuse work because of coronavirus may still get unemployment benefits -- The Chronicle's KATHLEEN PENDER
Amid partial reopening, hodge-podge of Bay Area orders leaves residents dazed, confused
LA Times's SUSANNE RUST: "Jason Tripp owns a distillery in this once-surfer-friendly town in San Mateo County. Since mid-March, he’d been selling craft vodka, gin and rum, as well as a commodity in high demand — hand sanitizer — to local patrons from his storefront.
All that ended May 5, when the city’s police chief emailed Tripp and told him to shut it down.
Tripp has since been vocally portraying himself as a victim of geographically arbitrary government edicts, trying to get his story out to anyone who will listen. He sent a tip about his situation to the Los Angeles Times’ tip-line and San Francisco’s ABC-7 aired a story about his plight last week."
Newsom vows to add firefighters despite budget woes, as 'ferocious' summer looms
Sac Bee's DALE KASLER/RYAN SABALOW/JASON POHL: "With a “ferocious and challenging” wildfire season looming, California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to hire hundreds of new firefighters Wednesday — but acknowledged that his new budget will curtail some of his previous funding proposals to help the state respond to emergencies.
As the state falls into a multibillion-dollar budget deficit because of the coronavirus pandemic, Newsom said he’ll work with the Legislature to secure more than $200 million in new funding for Cal Fire and the Office of Emergency Services.
“We are not going to step back despite the economic headwinds,” Newsom said at a press conference at a Cal Fire station in Cameron Park."
Placerville police chief leaves job in 'mutually agreed' separation with city manager
Sac Bee's ROSALIO AHUMADA: "City officials announced Wednesday that Placerville Police Chief James Ortega will be leaving his job after he and the city manager “mutually agreed to a separation.”
The decision to remove Ortega from his job came after a closed-session meeting of the Placerville City Council on Tuesday, officials said in a news release. They also said Ortega and City Manager Cleve Morris agreed to part ways.
Ortega was the Placerville police chief for three years after retiring as a captain with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office in 2017."
FBI serves warrant on senator in investigation of stock sales linked to coronavirus
LA Times's DEL QUENTIN WILBER/JENNIFER HABBERKORN: "Federal agents seized a cellphone belonging to a prominent Republican senator on Wednesday night as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into controversial stock trades he made as the novel coronavirus first struck the U.S., a law enforcement official said.
Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, turned over his phone to agents after they served a search warrant on the lawmaker at his residence in the Washington area, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a law enforcement action.
The seizure represents a significant escalation in the investigation into whether Burr violated a law preventing members of Congress from trading on insider information they have gleaned from their official work."
Singapore enforces social distancing -- with a robot dog
LA Times's SHASHANK BENGALI: "Leaves crunch underfoot as Spot marches through the park, back straight as a tabletop, stride brisk as a soldier’s.
A grassy field encircled by trees beckons. But Spot is focused on the asphalt path ahead, where a few joggers and bicyclists are out for some socially distanced sunshine.
A cyclist in a brimmed hat rides past. Spot pipes up, not with a bark, but with a recorded message."
