No extra $300 jobless benefits, no $1200 stimulus checks -- at least any time soon
Sac Bee's DAVID LIGHTMAN: "Millions of unemployed California residents will have to wait at least another month — and probably longer — before an extra $300 a week or more is available in supplemental jobless benefits from the federal government.
There will also be no new federal help for state government or local governments struggling with red ink in the recession induced by the coronavirus outbreak. Nor will there be any further $1,200 per taxpayer stimulus payments for awhile.
That’s because Washington talks aimed at reaching a trillion dollar-plus economic relief package are off. President Donald Trump on Tuesday tweeted that he’s no longer going to negotiate on a plan with Democrats until after the Nov. 3 election."
California Democrats may stampede Republicans in early mail voting
The Chronicle's JOHN WILDERMUTH: "Republicans’ traditional edge in early mail voting returns could disappear in California this year as Democrats rush to cast ballots against President Trump, a voter expert believes.
While the first batch of mail ballots arriving at local election offices typically comes from older, Republican-leaning voters, that’s likely to be very different in 2020, said Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., which provides information on voting and voters.
“This election cycle there are Democrats who will use an early vote as ‘virtue signaling,’ saying that the vote shows they believe in the safety of voting by mail,” Mitchell said."
READ MORE related to Election Day: Who's on your California ballot and what do they stand for? Find out in our voter guide -- Sac Bee's AMY CHANCE; 2020 Voter Guide -- The Chronicle's STAFF; Some 2100 LA County voters got ballots missing one thing: a way to vote for president -- LA Times's ANDREW J. CAMPA
Hundreds protest outside LA Times over coverage of Armenian conflict
LA Times's ANDREW J. CAMPA: "Hundreds of protesters blocked streets near the Los Angeles Times headquarters in El Segundo on Tuesday evening, the latest in a series of demonstrations by Armenians over the deadly conflict in the southern Caucasus region known as Nagorno-Karabakh and referred to as Artsakh by Armenians.
The protesters shut down Imperial Highway and Douglas Street about 6 p.m. Tuesday, with some chanting, “Shame on the L.A. Times.”
One called out The Times for its lack of empathy toward the Armenian people and for “publishing disinformation."
Glass Fire firefighter in hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms, Cal Fire says
Sac Bee's ROSALIO AHUMADA: "A Cal Fire firefighter helping about 2,700 others corral the Glass Fire was hospitalized Tuesday in the Santa Rosa area with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, the state agency said.
The firefighter was one of 16 Cal Fire firefighters who were examined late Tuesday morning at Base Camp at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, said Scott McLean, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire.
McLean said the other 15 firefighters were medically cleared and sent back to work along the fire lines. The other firefighter was taken to the hospital to determine whether carbon monoxide poisoning occurred."
READ MORE related to Wildfire Season: On tap to help those hit by the Glass Fire: building officials, food banks, Buddhist monks -- The Chronicle's JK DINEEN
Health experts outraged by Trump's response to contracting COVID-19
The Chronicle's AIDIN VAZIRI/CATHERINE HO: "President Trump’s cavalier attitude toward his COVID-19 diagnosis has alarmed infectious disease experts, who fear that the president is spreading false and dangerous information about the illness that has killed more than 210,000 Americans and infected over 7 million.
On Tuesday, just a day after returning to the White House from a military hospital where he received a mixture of experimental treatments over the weekend, Trump fired off a series of social media posts that downplayed the severity of COVID-19. He wrongfully repeated the claim that the disease is less lethal than the seasonal flu.
“It’s very real. It’s very concerning. Giving a message that says ‘Don’t worry about this’ is just wrong,” Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the department of medicine at UCSF, said during a roundtable discussion conducted virtually on Tuesday afternoon."
READ MORE related to Pandemic: So far, so good. California school openings aren't driving COVID-19 spread -- Sac Bee's ANDREW SHEELER; Trump struggles with coronavirus message in campaign's final month -- LA Times's ELI STOKOLS/NOAH BIERMAN/CHRIS MEGERIAN
California unprepared for brutal 'heat storm' that caused blackouts, officials tell Newsom
Sac Bee's DALE KASLER: "The managers of California’s electricity network Tuesday blamed a pileup of poor planning and bad luck for the two nights of rolling blackouts in August that plunged hundreds of thousands of residents into darkness during an oppressive heat wave.
Three separate agencies that oversee the state’s troubled power system, in a 121-page “root cause analysis” found no single reason for the blackouts of Aug. 14 and Aug. 15, which affected a total of more than 800,000 homes and businesses.
Instead, they cited unusually hot weather, which left some areas sweltering at 110 degrees or worse; unexpected shutoffs of power plants at critical moments; and forecasting errors by major utilities."
READ MORE related to Blackouts/Electricity/Power Grid: California energy leaders say planning failures led to August blackouts -- The Chronicle's J.D. MORRIS
Rain could fall on the Bay Area this week. Will it help out the Glass Fire?
The Chronicle's KELLIE HWANG: "The Bay Area is welcoming predictions that rain might fall by the end of the week — but will it help snuff out the wildfires plaguing Northern California in a record-busting season that has scorched more than 4 million acres so far?
The expected period of wet weather may benefit firefighters in the short term, fire officials and weather experts said. But it’s likely not late enough in the season for this amount of rainfall to have a long-term impact.
Precipitation would provide immediate aid for crews battling the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties, which was 30% contained as of Monday, said Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity accompanying the weather system would “make a significant difference,” he said."
READ MORE related to Air/Climate/Environment: Is rain still on the way for the Bay Area? Here's the latest forecast -- The Chronicle's ANNA BUCHMANN; Air quality worsens in parts of Bay Area as wind spreads Glass Fire smoke -- The Chronicle's KELLIE HWANG
Furloughed EDD workers could have processed thousands more California unemployment claims
Sac Bee's WES VENTEICHER: "As desperate Californians sought help with unemployment insurance claims over the summer, hundreds of employees who could fix their problems were missing work under a state-imposed leave program, according to payroll data.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature instituted a furlough-like leave program for all state civil service employees in July to help address a projected $54 billion deficit caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The leave program generally reduces workers’ pay in exchange for two days off per month.
The furloughs hit the Employment Development Department as its workforce, facing a historic number of unemployment claims, was already hobbled by inadequate technology and staffing missteps. The department during the pandemic accumulated a backlog of more than 1.6 million unemployment claims this year that it does not expect to work through until January."
Biden says cancel next debate if Trump remains sick with COVID-19
LA Times's MICHAEL FINNEGAN: "As the coronavirus outbreak at the White House spun further out of control Tuesday, Joe Biden suggested that the presidential debate next week in Miami should be canceled if President Trump is still sick with COVID-19.
The Democratic nominee’s remarks came as medical experts questioned whether Trump could participate without endangering Biden, the moderator and the audience at the town-hall-style debate scheduled for Oct. 15.
Based on limited and at times misleading medical information released by the White House, they said, it’s possible the Republican president might still be contagious next week. There’s also a chance Trump could take a turn for the worse and wind up back in the hospital, they said."
LA D.A. to review allegation that Villanueva made false report
LA Times's ALENE TCHEKMEDYIAN: "The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office on Tuesday said it is reviewing allegations that Sheriff Alex Villanueva falsely reported a crime when he accused the county’s former chief executive of violating conflict of interest laws in a referral to the state attorney general’s office.
County lawyers disputed Villanueva’s claim against former Chief Executive Sachi Hamai and threatened legal action.
In an Aug. 10 letter obtained by The Times, Lawrence S. Middleton, an attorney representing L.A. County, asked Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey to investigate, alleging that Villanueva knew his accusations were false."
Road to all-electric cars is as steep as a SF hill -- but the alternative is costly
The Chronicle's TAYLOR KATE BROWN: "Writing a twice-a-month newsletter can be tough when the news moves fast. A day after I discussed with reporter Dustin Gardiner what Gov. Gavin Newsom is and isn’t doing on climate, the governor made a splashy executive order: banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035.
Newsom will leave the governor’s office well before that date rolls around, and the road to get there is very steep: Electric and other zero emissions vehicles make up about 6% of new car sales in the state right now.
Sacramento State retains record number of students during coronavirus pandemic
Sac Bee's SAWSAN MORRAR: "California State University, Sacramento, announced Tuesday its reached a record enrollment for the fall semester of more than 31,500 registered students, despite closing classrooms and moving all courses online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s 354 more students, or a 1% increase, compared with last year.
The university said it retained 84% of its first-year students, and more than 90% of its transfer students, according to a news release from Sacramento State officials."
San Joaquin jailer facing inmate rape charge accused numerous times in past, sheriff says
Sac Bee's DARRELL SMITH: "The San Joaquin County correctional officer arraigned Tuesday on charges of raping a woman in sheriff’s custody had been accused numerous times in the past of sexually abusing female inmates at the county’s jail before an August sting led to his arrest this week.
“We knew there had been numerous accusations made before my administration, but each time there was no ability to make the accusation hold up,” San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said Tuesday. Withrow took office in January 2019.
Zachary Simmons, the 34-year-old correctional officer facing six charges against women in custody including felony rape and illegal sex acts, was moved to Stanislaus County Jail on Monday. Simmons’ scheduled Wednesday arraignment in Stockton was moved to Tuesday."
Supreme Court nominee could reshape California's gig economy law and unions. Here's how
Sac Bee's JEONG PARK: "Gig workers already lost once under Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In her August opinion for the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Barrett ruled against Grubhub food delivery drivers who proposed a class action claim against the company demanding minimum wage and overtime pay. Instead, she said the drivers must go through arbitration, which tends to drive more favorable results for employers.
Barrett has only been on the Chicago-based circuit court for three years and has yet to voice her views on many labor issues. But legal experts said Barrett’s decision on the Grubhub case may foreshadow the Supreme Court ruling against gig workers and leaving a sizable conservative imprint on other labor and employment issues."
READ MORE related to SCOTUS: SCOTUS landmark's same-sex marriage ruling safe for now, observers say, but could be narrowed -- The Chronicle's BOB EGELKO
Guitar rock god Eddie Van Halen dies of cancer at 65
The Chronicle's MARK KENNEDY in SF Datebook: "Eddie Van Halen, the guitar virtuoso whose blinding speed, control and innovation propelled his band Van Halen into one of hard rock’s biggest groups, fueled the unmistakable fiery solo in Michael Jackson’s hit “Beat It” and became elevated to the status of rock god, has died. He was 65.
His son, Wolfgang Van Halen, confirmed that the rocker died Tuesday, Oct. 6, due to cancer.
“Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift,” said the younger Van Halen, who has played bass for his dad’s band since 2006. “My heart is broken, and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss.”"
Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Trump, tests positive for coronavirus
AP: "Stephen Miller, President Trump’s senior advisor and speechwriter, tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday.
A senior administration official said Miller had previously tested negative as White House officials have tried to contain an outbreak on the complex that has infected Trump, the first lady and more than a dozen other aides and associates.
Miller is an architect of the president’s “America first” foreign policy and restrictive immigration measures."
