Another California county urges vaccinated people to mask up indoors
The Chronicle, KELLIE HWANG: "The highly transmissible delta variant has prompted Yolo County to urge residents to wear masks indoors again.
“I am erring on the side of caution to slow the spread of the highly infectious delta variant,” said Dr. Aimee Sisson, the health officer for the county, in a press release on Wednesday.
Sisson “strongly recommended” that fully vaccinated people, along with those who are 65 and older or immunocompromised, wear masks in indoor public areas as a “precautionary measure,” according to the press release."
Will California backtrack on masks, reopenings as Delta variant sparks new COVID fears?
Sac Bee, DALE KASLER/KATHERINE SWARTZ: "The show must go on. Unless the Delta variant gets in the way.
After more than 16 months of lockdown, Capital Stage plans to resume live performances in late August with a drama called “Hold These Truths.” Ticket holders will have to show proof that they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently tested negative for the coronavirus. And they’ll have to wear masks.
Capital Stage officials assume those safeguards will be enough. But they also know it’s hard to predict the future with a pandemic that’s showing signs of surging again."
Will your family doctor start giving COVID vaccines? A new California effort encourages it
Sac Bee, HANNAH WILEY/KIM BOJORQUEZ: "For most of California’s seven-month vaccination campaign, the state has largely relied on mass sites and large hospital networks to get tens of millions of shots into arms as quickly as possible.
Initially, it was a race against time as California grappled with a double-digit positivity rate and a strained health care system throughout the winter. In the spring, when more people became eligible to get vaccinated, the larger sites and medical systems had the resources to meet the demand.
Since then, more than 20.6 million people in California have gotten fully vaccinated, and another 3.1 million have received at least one dose. Of all eligible Californians, nearly 70% have protection against a deadly disease that’s infected 3.7 million people and killed 63,508 in the Golden State."
If California workers must disclose COVID-19 vaccination status, why not state lawmakers?
JOHN MYERS, LA Times: "As millions of Californians return to in-person work with a requirement to say whether they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19, legislators who represent some of those residents have refused disclosure, either ignoring the question or insisting their employers — the state’s taxpayers — don’t have the right to know.
In a survey conducted by The Times, 12 members of the California Legislature refused to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status. Eleven of the lawmakers are Republicans, comprising almost 40% of all GOP members.
There are no current requirements that lawmakers get vaccinated, and a number of safety protocols are in place inside the state Capitol. Even so, there are few, if any, repercussions for legislators who choose not to vaccinate. Capitol guidelines advise lawmakers and staff to provide vaccination information to health officials, but members of the state Senate and Assembly have no traditional workplace manager and, for the most part, answer only to their constituents."
In major step, UCSF scientists translate unspoken words of paralyzed man into writing
The Chronicle, ERIN ALLDAY: "A team of UCSF scientists was able to translate the unspoken words of a completely paralyzed man into written speech, a transformative step toward developing implantable brain devices that could allow people no longer able to speak to communicate fluently.
The “neuroprosthetic” technology involved installing a credit-card-sized electrode panel on the surface of a volunteer’s brain, then collecting electrical signals as the person — a man completely paralyzed by a brain-stem stroke 15 years ago — tried to form words.
Over a period of several months, scientists worked with the man to develop a catalog of 50 words that could be translated from his thoughts into hundreds of phrases and sentences, such as “I am thirsty” and “I need my glasses.” The translation produced up to 18 words a minute with 93% accuracy."
Opinion: have great chance to boost broadband access -- but do it right
Capitol Weekly, CAROLYN MCINTYRE: "With a historic investment in broadband on the horizon, Gov. Newsom and the California Legislature have an unprecedented opportunity to bring chronically unserved California households online with high-speed Internet.
Our member companies at the California Cable & Telecommunications Association (CCTA), which comprise some of the state’s largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs), agree with Gov. Newsom and state legislative leaders that the time is now for comprehensive, bold action to achieve the vision of “Broadband for All.”
While enthusiasm is rightfully high around this historic multi-billion dollar broadband investment, the newly released trailer bill – Assembly Bill 156 – should be modified to ensure that Gov. Newsom’s plan will actually connect more Californians."
As costs rise, Bay Area restaurants are adding new fees to bills -- on top of diner tips
The Chronicle, ELENA KADVANY: "Diners who frequent Refuge in San Mateo, a popular pastrami restaurant that opened in late June, might have noticed a new charge on their checks: a 2% “wellness” fee.
At the bottom of the restaurant’s menu is a notice that the fee will be added to all checks to “compensate (for) high labor cost in the Bay.”
Refuge is among restaurants across the Bay Area — and the country — that are tacking on new fees as they come out of the pandemic. They say the fees are needed to pay more to attract workers during an ongoing labor shortage, afford skyrocketing food costs and to generally make restaurant jobs more sustainable."
California’s immigrant crackdown propelled Latinos to Washington. After Trump, could it happen again?
SARAH D. WIRE, LA Times: "Businessman Lou Correa abandoned plans to join the Republican Party. Raul Ruiz, a UCLA student on the cusp of medical school, discovered a passion for public policy. Juan Vargas, who had weighed the seminary, finally found his calling — getting more Latinos to vote and run for office.
The spark behind the seismic shift in each man’s life: California’s infamous Proposition 187, the initiative voters overwhelmingly approved in 1994 to deny services to those residing in the country illegally.
Ruiz, Correa and Vargas all would become members of Congress."
Lawsuit alleges Sacramento police used excessive force in shooting at unarmed man over 20 times
Sac Bee, THERESA CLIFT: "A new federal lawsuit accuses Sacramento police officers of using excessive force in shooting at an unarmed man more than 20 times earlier this year.
In February, Adan Martinez was alerted to come to the house of his children’s mother because his vehicle was on fire and his belongings were being burned, the lawsuit alleged. When he arrived, he found the car in ashes and police waiting for him, and he drove away, the lawsuit alleged.
A police chase took place. When Martinez tried to turn around in an industrial area, police struck the back of his minivan with a police vehicle and then fired more than 20 shots into the windshield, striking him about nine times in the shoulder, arm, chest, pelvic area, stomach, hand and wrist, nearly killing him, the lawsuit alleged."
Homicides are up 36% in Bay Area's biggest cities. Deaths in Oakland are driving the surge
The Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN/SUSIE NEILSON: "Eighteen-year-old Demetrius Fleming-Davis sat in the middle seat of his friend’s truck, riding home through East Oakland when the gunfire started.
Police believe a nearby pedestrian was the intended target. But a bullet flew into the truck as it traveled down International Boulevard, striking the teenager in his head. Panicked, the driver swung around a corner, found patrol officers and requested help. Paramedics arrived and pronounced Fleming-Davis dead at the scene.
It was April 10. The lanky, churchgoing high school student, known for charming teachers and solving math problems in his head, was Oakland’s 41st homicide victim of the year. That toll would climb to 65 by the end of June — and drive a 36% increase in Bay Area homicides through the first six months of 2021."
SF Supes take steps toward making affordable housing available in Sunset District
The Chronicle, J.K. DINEEN: "The city’s contentious push to build affordable housing on San Francisco’s west side got a significant boost Wednesday when a Board of Supervisors committee approved the acquisition of a Sunset District parcel slated for 98 low-income family apartments.
Despite concerns from immediate neighbors about potential toxic substances in the soil, the lack of parking spots and the proposed seven-story building’s sun-blotting impact on the neighboring homes, the three-member committee voted unanimously to recommend that the full board approve a $14.3 million loan to buy 2550 Irving St., currently a San Francisco Police Credit Union branch. The parcel itself will cost $9 million, with the rest of the money going toward pre-development costs.
Supervisor Gordon Mar, who represents the Sunset, initially sought to delay the vote to give the state Department of Toxic Substances Control time to finalize a plan to clean up soil contaminated during the parcel’s previous incarnation as a dry cleaner. But he withdrew the motion to delay the vote after it became clear that the other two committee members, supervisors Matt Haney and Ahsha Safaí, would not support it."
Bay Area doctor arrested for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards
The Chronicle, JESSICA FLORES: "A Napa homeopathic doctor was arrested Wednesday for allegedly selling what she claimed was a COVID-19 antibody treatment and fake vaccination cards, according to federal authorities.
Juli A. Mazi, 41, allegedly sold immunization pellets to patients, claiming it would provide “lifelong immunity to COVID-19,” and give customers fake vaccination cards with instructions on how to falsify they received two shots of the Moderna vaccine, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Federal authorities said Mazi is the first to face criminal charges related to fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and what are known as homeoprophylaxis immunizations. She’s facing charges of wire fraud and false statements related to health."
