Whack And Stack: PG&E’s Toppling Of Trees Creates New HazardsDecember 19, 2020In an attempt to prevent wildfires, the utility is removing vegetation from around power lines. But it’s leaving downed trees on people’s property that are “little fire bombs waiting to ignite,” one expert says.
State GovernmentHigh-Risk Inmates Aren’t Prioritized In State’s Early ReleasesDecember 13, 2020More than 7,500 prisoners sent home in the program — which aims to slow the spread of COVID-19 — would have been released within months anyway. Thousands with health conditions remain in prison, and the virus keeps spreading.
State GovernmentPoor And Diverse Voters Fuel California’s Record Ballots CastDecember 12, 2020California’s decision to mail a ballot to every registered voter resulted in record ballots cast in the general election — but it was poor and diverse communities that fueled the increases.
COVID Tests Lagging: Slower Turnaround Times Creeping Back For CaliforniansDecember 11, 2020The average turnaround time for COVID-19 test results rose 30% in November as people flocked to test sites before Thanksgiving. Pressure on labs is expected to intensify.
State GovernmentPlaygrounds Stay Open: State Backtracks On Outdoor Play Area BanDecember 10, 2020Amid pushback from parents and lawmakers, the state modified its strict new stay-at-home order that had closed outdoor playgrounds to slow coronavirus spread.
Deep Distrust: Why Few Farmworkers Show Up For COVID-19 TestingDecember 5, 2020The rural farmworker communities of Fresno County have been hardest hit by the pandemic. But eight months in, frontline workers and their families in small towns continue to avoid what experts deem a key step in overcoming the virus — testing.
Hope On The Way: Here’s What You Need To Know About California’s COVID-19 Vaccine PlanNovember 29, 2020As California faces a surge in coronavirus cases, vaccines may be weeks away with three drug companies reporting promising results.
As Pandemic Aid Ends, California Families Face Brutal New YearNovember 28, 2020An estimated 750,000 Californians are set to lose federal unemployment benefits the day after Christmas, and 2.1 million could lose their homes weeks later when a statewide eviction moratorium lifts.
How Risky Was That Napa Party Gavin Newsom Attended?November 22, 2020A model calculates a 12% chance that a guest at a small dinner party in Napa Valley is infected with the virus. Whether indoors or outdoors, dining in a restaurant is “amongst the riskiest things we do for COVID,” a UCSF health expert said.
State GovernmentState Mandates Emergency Workplace COVID-19 Protections, Less Crowding For Guest FarmworkersNovember 21, 2020Backed by the state’s attorney general and welcomed by labor advocates as better late than never, California’s new policy will start to hold businesses accountable for protecting their workers and mandate reporting outbreaks.
