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Oil and water
Oct 5, 2021 Officials knew about oil off O.C. coast Friday, sparking new questions about response
ANITA CHABRIA, RICHARD WINTON, ROSANNA XIA and CONNOR SHEETS, LA Times: "California and federal officials had strong indications of oil on the water off the Huntington Beach coast Friday evening, records reviewed by The Times show, more than 10 hours before the operator of an oil platform reported it to authorities.
The documents raise more questions about how the massive leak was handled in its first hours, and why authorities did not alert the public and elected officials sooner. Residents have complained about the time it took to alert the public about the scope of the catastrophe and initial claims by government agencies that oil would not reach land.
“We need to get to the ground truth as to when it was reported, to whom it was reported, and why if ... governmental agencies knew there was a spill Friday night or even Saturday morning, they failed to notify those of us who have a responsibility [to the public],” said state Sen. Tom Umberg, who represents a district where beaches have been hit by oil."
READ MORE abou the Oil Spill: How Orange County oil spill compares to those of Santa Barbara, Exxon Valdez and others -- PAUL DUGINSKI,
RONG-GONG LIN II and HANNAH FRY, LA Times; Newsom declares emergency as investigators probe whether anchor caused O.C. oil spill -- HANNAH FRY,
Sacramento Bee, ANDREW SHEELER/PHILLIP REESE: "California Democrats wanted to send a message when they passed a law five years ago banning taxpayer-funded travel to states that allow businesses to deny services to gay and transgender people.
California leaders took a stand, but they didn’t discourage Republican states from adopting those so-called religious freedom laws.
Since then, California has banned state-funded travel to 18 states, with a total population of 117 million people. That’s a little more than a third of the nation’s overall population."
The supply chain crisis has hit the Bay Area -- partly because of epic cargo backlogs in SoCal
The Chronicle, CAROLYN SAID: "Nathan Rundel ordered a new refrigerator for his Orinda home remodel in April. It won’t arrive until January, and he doesn’t even have a delivery date for his new dishwasher.
That aggravation is exponentially higher at his job as president of Build Group, a huge San Francisco contractor. Rebar, drywall, metal studs, appliances, cabinets and HVAC systems “are all severely back-ordered,” he said. “It’s both shortages and delays.”
Mac Harman, CEO of Redwood City’s Balsam Hill, is paying 270% more to import artificial Christmas trees and decorations from overseas factories. “Ocean freight rates have gone up like crazy,” he said."
Capitol Weekly Podcast: Scott Lay, Memorial Edition
Capitol Weekly Staff: Anthony York and Paul Mitchell join Capitol Weekly’s John Howard and Tim Foster to remember Nooner publisher Scott Lay, who died suddenly in September.
California could soon have its own public banking service, under new law signed by Newsom
Sacramento Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "California set a course to offer the nation’s first zero-cost, public option platform for personal financial services, under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Assembly Bill 1177, authored by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, calls for the state to conduct a market analysis of a state-backed program that would give Californians a public option for banking services like debit cards.
The study would aim to determine with that service would be viable within six years. The commission must complete the analysis by July 1, 2024. Then, the Legislature could decide whether to launch a public banking program."
Last remaining evacuation orders lifted for Caldor Fire as crews near full containment
MICHAEL McGOUGH, SacBee: "The last remaining evacuation orders and warnings in place for the Caldor Fire were lifted Monday, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Forest Service said.
Forest Service officials reported the blaze at 221,775 acres with 93% containment as of Monday morning. Full containment is expected by Oct. 16.
Most major evacuation orders, covering the South Lake Tahoe area on the east zone of the fire and the Pollock Pines and Sly Park areas on the west side, were lifted by mid-September."
California's missing and adventurous lone gray wolf likely sighted in Ventura County
The Chronicle, TARA DUGGAN: "An Oregon-born lone gray wolf that made headlines after making his way through California, then disappearing in April when his transponder stopped working, has likely been spotted in Ventura County.
Called OR-93, the male wolf was born in Oregon in 2019 and fitted with a transponder before he traveled into the state in February and then headed south through the Sierra Nevada and eventually made it to San Luis Obispo County.
Last month, the Department of Fish and Wildlife received three separate tips of wolf sightings in northern Ventura County, and then officials found wolf tracks nearby. There’s no definite forensic proof that it’s OR-93, but the recent reports match the wolf’s description, according a statement released by the department Friday."
Here are 5 major allegations whistle-blower Frances Haugen has leveled against FB
The Chronicle, KELLIE HWANG: "The whistle-blower whose revelations about Facebook have set off shock waves from Silicon Valley to Washington stepped into the spotlight this weekend.
Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, revealed her identity Sunday on “60 Minutes” as the person who leaked tens of thousands of internal research documents to lawmakers, regulators and the media. She said they showed the social media giant was concealing information about its risks to users, and about its progress in combating hate and misinformation.
“The thing I saw at Facebook over and over again was there were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public, and what was good for Facebook, and Facebook over and over again chose to optimize for its own interests like making more money,” she said in the interview."
Newsom signs law to help new California moms, prevent infant deaths
Sacramento Bee, KIM BOJORQUEZ: "Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a law aimed at improving maternal and postpartum care for Black California families who have disproportionately suffered pregnancy-related and infant deaths in recent years.
Senate Bill 65, dubbed the “Momnibus Act” and authored by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, aims to close those racial disparities in maternal and infant deaths.
The law would establish a committee to investigate pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity and expands data collection and research into the social factors that cause negative birth outcomes. The bill also increases access to postpartum health care, doula services and midwives for families."
Wildfire smoke is creating some haze in Sacramento. Here's a look at current air quality
Sacramento Bee, MILA JASPER: "If the sky in Sacramento looks a little funky to you right now, it’s not your eyes. The region is dealing with a light haze this afternoon due to smoke from the KNP Complex and Windy fires burning in Tulare County, according to Spare the Air.
That smoke is creating elevated Air Quality Index levels across the region, according to AirNow’s fire and smoke map. Spare the Air forecasts indicate southwesterly winds will start moving smoke out of the region Tuesday, but some may get stuck in the foothills Wednesday. Here’s a current look at air quality throughout the region — and remember, if you can smell smoke, you should stay inside."
Cooler temperatures, chance of rain foreccast for Bay Area
The Chronicle, ANDRES PICON: "A storm system developing over the Gulf of Alaska is expected to swing south this week, bringing to the Bay Area milder temperatures and a slight chance of rain.
In some parts of the region, temperatures could drop nearly 30 degrees from Monday’s highs, as the storm brings cool, northern air and sustained onshore winds, said Brooke Bingaman, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
“What’s interesting is this low pressure system is actually going to kind of linger along the West Coast for the rest of the week, so it will just continually bring in that cooler air,” Bingaman said."
Jury awards $137M to former Tesla employee who was racially harassed in Fremont by co-workers
The Chronicle, BOB EGELKO: "A federal court jury on Monday awarded $136.9 million to a Black former factory worker at Tesla’s Fremont plant who said he was repeatedly called racist names, shown racist cartoons and subjected to abuse during 9½ months of employment at the electric car company, according to the plaintiff and his lawyers.
After a one-week trial and only 3½ hours of deliberation, the eight-member jury in San Francisco found that Tesla had violated Owen Diaz’s right to be free of a racially hostile work environment and awarded him $6.9 million for emotional distress and $130 million in punitive damages, said attorney Larry Organ of the California Civil Rights Law Group.
Diaz, 53, said it was a just verdict."
Flu shots and COVID: Do you need to worry about vaccine timing? What about a 'twindemic'?
The Chronicle, KELLIE HWANG: "Flu vaccinations are rolling out in the Bay Area and nationwide, with experts warning of a potentially strong comeback for an illness that virtually disappeared last year during the coronavirus pandemic.
But with intense focus still on COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, this will be the first time that many people will be juggling inoculations for both respiratory diseases — leading to new questions about the effects, duration and timing of the flu shot
.
Here’s what you should know about getting a flu shot this season."
SF saw just 9 inches of rain this 'water year.' Here's how that compares to normal
The Chronicle, KELLIW HWANG: "The water year has officially come to an end — and once again, the Bay Area has come up dry.
How dry? The region received a little more than a third of normal precipitation from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, according to data from the National Weather Service — a common occurrence for the past several years, which bodes ill for a region already at the worst “exceptional” level on the U.S. Drought Monitor map.
Weather stations in San Francisco recorded 38% of normal rainfall, and Santa Rosa and San Jose each recorded 36% of normal rainfall for the water year, which is defined as Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 of the following year by the U.S. Geological Survey."
How UCSF scientist made one woman's severe depression disappear
The Chronicle, ERIN ALLDAY: "A woman with severe, treatment-resistant depression has been nearly symptom-free for a year after a team of UCSF scientists implanted a device in her brain that senses when she’s having depressive thoughts or impulses and interrupts them with a burst of electrical stimulation.
The case is the first to demonstrate that scientists studying brain activity can identify the exact location of dysfunction in a person with depression and potentially correct it with highly targeted stimulation.
The experimental therapy builds on a foundation of research into using electrical stimulation to treat depression and other mood disorders. But where earlier attempts to treat severe depression with such stimulation mostly have failed, scientists hope the new approach will succeed by providing precise, symptom-specific therapy."
Oakland police chief urges community support in preventing crime following two weekend homicides
The Chronicle, ANDRES PICON: "Oakland officials and community members issued an urgent plea Monday for the city’s residents to become more involved in helping to stem a surge in violent crime amid the police department’s ongoing staffing issues.
The call for increased support from community members came after a weekend marred by two homicides, including the killing of Dirk Tillotson, an Oakland education equity activist who police said was the victim of a violent and apparently targeted home invasion Friday night.
“We need family and friends and loved ones to grab their loved ones and give them the support that they need to to draw on city resources, community-based organizations’ resources ... so that they don’t have to engage in violence,” Oakland police chief LeRonne Armstrong said at a news conference, surrounded by city residents who have been affected by gun violence."
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