Confirmed COVID-19 Case in State Legislature Could Derail End of Session
From KATIE ORR, KQED: "A California state lawmaker announced Wednesday on Twitter that he’s tested positive for COVID-19. The office of state Sen. Brian Jones, R-Santee, tweeted, “Jones today, upon his return to Sacramento this week for the end of Session, received news that he has tested positive for COVID-19. He will be taking additional tests to recheck the results and to rule out possibility of a false-positive result.”
Jones said he’s following CDC and CDPH protocols for people who test positive.
Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins said Jones has been in the Capitol this week. As a result she cancelled floor session for today while the Senate conducts contract tracing."
READ MORE about the End of Session: State Senator Brian Jones tests positive for coronavirus, scrambling end-of-session plans -- JEREMY WHITE, Politico; California Senate abruptly halts work due to a new coronavirus case -- TARYN LUNA and MELODY GUTIERREZ, LA TIMES; Lawmaker’s positive virus test delays California Senate work -- ADAM BEAM, Associated Press
California officials oppose CDC over looser coronavirus testing and travel protocols
FROM COLLEEN SHALBY and PHIL WILLON: "New guidance on coronavirus testing and travel issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drew strong pushback from California officials Wednesday.
The CDC is no longer recommending a 14-day quarantine for travelers. After the government issued a mandatory quarantine for travelers arriving in the U.S. from Wuhan, China, in February, the guidance that travelers isolate for two weeks was adopted by several states and encouraged by local officials as a key tool in mitigating the spread of the novel coronavirus — especially among people who may be asymptomatic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said he disagrees with the CDC’s new guidance and insisted that it will not impact California."
Why California spends billions but can’t control its wildfires. ‘No simple or cheap solution’
From DALE KASLER and RYAN SABALOW: "Gavin Newsom had been governor for just one day when he appeared at a Cal Fire station in the Sierra foothills and outlined his plan for protecting California from major wildfires.
More advanced helicopters. Better alert systems. Additional firefighters. Infrared cameras for early detection. In the months that followed, the administration sent out crews with chainsaws and wood chippers to cut brush and trees at dozens of projects near fire-prone communities.
Nineteen months later, wildfire risks seem as bad as ever in California. A series of lightning strikes touched off hundreds of fires that devoured more than 1.3 million acres in barely a week, killing seven people and destroying more than 1,000 homes and other buildings. Despite beefed-up staffing, Cal Fire has been strained to the breaking point."
Column: Newsom proves he’s no deer in headlights while managing several crises ‘of biblical proportions’
GEORGE SKELTON, LA Times: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has been keeping barely one step ahead of being trampled by rampaging disasters.
He has survived on energy and agility — and hasn’t frozen like the proverbial deer in headlights.
Last fall, I wrote it was unlikely that any previous California governor had faced such a simultaneous cannonade of calamities. At the time, there were devastating wildfires and power blackouts in Southern and Northern California."
Hallmark police reform bill faces tough road in California
DON THOMPSON, AP: " One of the hallmark bills of California lawmakers’ policing reform efforts cleared a hurdle Wednesday but faces tough going as the Legislature races to adjourn for the year on Monday.
The bill would allow for permanently stripping away the badges of officers found to have committed serious misconduct and ending what Democratic Sen. Steven Bradford called the “wash, rinse and repeat cycle” of officers moving from department to department even if they have a questionable history.
His bill is among 10 policing reform efforts that Democratic lawmakers promoted as a package on Wednesday and include banning the use of carotid or choke holds and restricting the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful protesters."
READ MORE on Police Reforms: Police reforms face defeat as California Democrats block George Floyd-inspired bills -- Sacramento Bee Editorial Board
It’s a different type of GOP convention, but California Republicans say it’s working
From JOHN WILDERMUTH, SF Chronicle: "Forced to flee from North Carolina and Florida because of concerns about the coronavirus, the nearly audience-free Republican National Convention has taken some time to get used to for the faithful in California.
“It was a little odd at first, even though I knew what to expect after the Democratic convention,” said Matt Cunningham, a GOP political consultant in Orange County. “You didn’t see the delegates or feel the energy.”
The Republicans, like their Democratic counterparts last week, have been forced to reinvent the national convention because of the pandemic. They have had to drop the four-day schmooze-fest featuring thousands of glad-handing politicians and delegates, jam-packed arenas, and hours of speeches into a tight, bright, made-for-TV infomercial, trying to jam a campaign’s worth of partisan messages into a small prime-time window."
More than 100 California schools, districts received waivers to reopen classrooms
From JOHN WOOLFOLK and ERIN WOOD, Mercury News: "California health officials have granted more than 100 waivers to allow districts and schools — mostly in Southern California — to reopen for in-class instruction in counties where only remote online instruction is allowed due to coronavirus outbreaks.
Of the 113 schools and districts that the California Department of Public Health consulted with local authorities on waiver requests, all but four were approved, according to the list the agency posted Wednesday afternoon.
Only two of those were in the Bay Area, both of them in Santa Clara County: Moreland School District, which local officials disclosed last week, and Sunnyvale Christian School, which was cleared to open classrooms on Thursday."
Evacuations ordered in Yolo County as LNU Lightning Complex continues to burn
MICHAEL MCGOUGH, SacBee: "Calmer weather conditions continue to benefit crews battling the LNU Lightning Complex, the most destructive wildfire incident among the hundreds that have sparked in California since mid-August.
But volatile fire activity on Wednesday afternoon caused flames to jump Highway 16 and force mandatory evacuations in the northwest corner of Yolo County, the Winters Police Department announced about 4:30 p.m. on social media. Evacuations were ordered for Yolo County zones 1 and 2, at Cache Creek Regional Park and near Rumsey. Also, an evacuation warning advisory was issued for county zone 3.
The fire complex burning mainly in Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties in the North Bay area has destroyed nearly 980 structures, damaged 256 more and killed at least five people, Cal Fire says. Another 30,000 buildings, many of them homes, are still considered at risk."
More than a dozen California condors missing after wildfire destroys their Big Sur sanctuary
STEVE RUBENSTEIN SF Chronicle: "Iniko, a 4-month old condor chick, is missing.
Wildfire destroyed the 80-acre condor sanctuary in Big Sur that was his home — and the fate of the little raptor and his nest in a redwood tree is unknown. His parents, two rare California condors named Kingpin and Redwood Queen, flew away to seek safety but Iniko was too young to fly and escape with them.
A dozen other condors are also unaccounted for, wildlife officials said Wednesday.
Another bad air day for North State residents; NorCal fires to blame
From MIKE CHAPMAN, Redding Record Searchlight: "North State residents woke up Wednesday to another day of smoky skies and harmful air.
The hazy air was in the unhealthy range Wednesday morning in the Redding and Anderson areas due to smoke continuing to blow in from wildfires in Northern California.
The particulate readings for Redding at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday was 165. For Anderson, it was 160, according to Shasta County's air quality map. The air quality index says air is considered unhealthy to breathe for readings between 151 and 200."
A double threat of coronavirus and wildfire doesn’t stop casino patrons in Lake County
From MICHAEL CABANATUAN: "Moments before Sarah Anderson and her husband strolled into the Twin Pine Casino & Hotel in Middletown on Wednesday night, a 747 flew low overhead, having just dumped a load of fire retardant on the northern edge of the LNU Lightning Complex a few miles away.
The proximity of the fire, which released thick gray smoke into the skies, did not really bother Anderson, who lives in Lower Lake. Nor was Anderson bothered too much by the risk of exposing herself to COVID-19 inside the casino, which is allowed to be open since it is run by a tribal government.
At least with the fires, she’s had experience."
