Here are a few stories you missed in the California Sun over the last week.

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Washington Post: "A huge shift symbolically and practically for pandemic-weary Americans"

L.A. Times: "A profound sign of America’s progress against Covid-19"

N.Y. Times "The clearest sign yet that the pandemic might be nearing an end in the United States"

Newspapers were effusive in characterizing the significance of the CDC's recommendation Thursday that Americans could stop wearing masks in most settings if fully vaccinated. Caught off guard, California officials noted that state and local governments still had final say over their rules. The state's public health agency said it was reviewing the CDC's advice. Dr. Barbara Ferrer, public health director for Los Angeles County, warned that it would be unwise to "jump the gun." Marin County's public health officer, Dr. Matt Willis, went further: “I think this is early,” he said. S.F. Chronicle | A.P. | L.A. Times

Axios on the fight against the coronavirus: "It’s just really good news. We’re winning. Be happy."

An investigation found that seven Apple suppliers may have used forced labor of Uyghur Muslims and other persecuted groups in China. Apple has insisted that it hasn't found forced labor in its supply chain. But The Information, working with human rights groups, found that one of its factories is next to a detention center with no other way in or out. The Information | The Verge

Alpine County, California's least populous county, has no movie theaters, malls, or McDonald's. But it's overflowing with natural beauty. Along the eastern slope of the Sierra is Hope Valley, a broad forested bowl with a turquoise lake ringed by mountain peaks. The place to stay, regulars say, is Wylder, a nearly 100-year-old resort with yurts, cabins, and campgrounds nestled among aspens and a rolling river. Cocktails are served on a large outdoor patio. Wylder reopened after a renovation last summer. Travel+Leisure recently named it among the best new hotels in the world.

In 1958, the Chronicle described a neighborhood in the middle of San Francisco as "a spectacular bit of nothing," a place where cows grazed and steep slopes kept developers at bay. It was there, in what became known as Diamond Heights, that the architect Joseph Eichler was invited to build 100 tract homes. Eichler's iconic midcentury modern designs helped to define suburban Los Angeles and San Francisco. Intended as starter homes, they now set off bidding wars among the tech rich. Curbed has a look back at how a rare Eichler outpost emerged in the middle of San Francisco.

In 2011, Desert Hot Springs had "$400 in the bank." The city froze salaries, cut programs, and considered filing for bankruptcy. Then it went all-in on cannabis, becoming the first city in Southern California to allow large-scale medical cannabis cultivation. The once sleepy retirement community has now transformed into a marijuana boomtown. It built a new City Hall, library, and roads. Of 29,000 residents, 2,300 work in the pot industry. "It's fun times right now to be the mayor," said Mayor Scott Matas. NBC News

"California is one of the best places to mountain bike, not just in North America, but in the world."

KC Deane, a professional mountain biker, created a short film that showcases California's most epic mountain biking trails. In it, he rips through Dumont Dunes, the Alabama Hills, and Montaña de Oro. It's enough to make you want to take up the hobby. Visit California

Santa Rosa Island is a bit farther off the Southern California coast than its Channel Island siblings, Catalina and Santa Cruz. As a result, it gets fewer visitors. But people don't know what they're missing, according to the outdoors columnist Tom Stienstra, who ranked Santa Rosa as among the 10 most beautiful camping destinations in the state.

This collection of photos from Santa Rosa Island will give you a serious case of wanderlust:  JosiahQRoe.com

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