Los Angeles and Ventura counties violated the constitutional right to keep and bear arms when they shut down gun stores in the early days of the pandemic, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. Judge Lawrence VanDyke noted that local officials had deemed the gun stores “nonessential” even as bike shops were allowed to stay open. “Neither pandemic nor even war wipes away the Constitution,” a concurring judge wrote. A.P. | Reuters

Record numbers of Americans have been quitting their jobs, with many citing a newfound belief that life is too short for unrewarding work. Rep. Mark Takano, of Riverside, calls it the “Great Realization,” and he’s pushing a solution in Congress: reducing the federally recognized workweek from 40 hours to 32. “There’s a great sort of opening for people to see it as part of a new normal, a new normal that they’d like to build,” he said. Business Insider | New Yorker

Coronavirus roundup:

Julia Morgan was born on this week in 1872. The first woman to receive an architect’s license in California, Morgan is best known for designing Hearst Castle, but she left her mark throughout the state — from Grass Valley to Los Angeles. The architect Julia Donoho said Morgan was a true engineer, pioneering the aesthetic use of reinforced concrete. “Frank Lloyd Wright’s concrete sags because he didn’t really understand engineering,” Donoho said. “But not hers. Hers is very strong and true. To this day a lot of her buildings are still standing.” The fantastic podcast “99% Invisible” shared Morgan’s story.

On this week’s California Sun Podcast, host Jeff Schechtman chatted with Dr. Marty Nemko, a leading career coach in the Bay Area. He talked about the inevitability of remote work as employees embrace more freedom and companies realize fewer costs. “This is not a pendulum,” he said. “This is a trend that is going to be with us at least as far I can see.”

Police officers fatally shot a man they said was brandishing two handguns in San Francisco International Airport early Thursday. The confrontation unfolded in the BART station entrance to the airport’s international terminal, where authorities said the man advanced toward responding officers in a threatening manner, prompting them to open fire. A police spokeswoman said investigators don’t believe the suspect, described only as a man in his 20s, was a terrorist. S.F. Chronicle | A.P.

“When I’m in the U.S., I’m American. When I’m in China, I’m Chinese.”

Eileen Gu, 18, was born and raised in the Bay Area and trained on the slopes of Tahoe, but the skiing phenom chose to compete for China in the 2022 Olympics. Her decision has attracted scrutiny at time when relations between China and the West could hardly be more tense. It’s also raised questions about her citizenship. China does not allow dual nationality. The Wall Street Journal asked Gu’s sponsor Red Bull, her agent, and Chinese officials whether she renounced her American citizenship. All declined to answer. Time | South China Morning Post

Flashback: Some of the world’s most talented surfers descend upon Mavericks each winter, when storms in the Gulf of Alaska send monster swells toward the shore near Half Moon Bay. Jaw-dropping rides are the norm. Still, many could hardly believe their eyes during an epic set last January when Chuck Patterson slid down one of the watery slopes wearing skis — poles in each hand. Patterson, an adventure sport junkie, later explained what he was thinking: “It’s all about doing out of the ordinary things that put a smile on your face.” Surfer Today

See Patterson’s ride. 👉 @chuckpatterson

“I can tell you this much: my time for sitting on my hands waiting for help is over.”

A reporter followed one man’s journey off the streets as part of California’s ambitious Project Roomkey initiative, which gave hotel rooms to homeless people during the pandemic. For Fernando Maya, a 58-year-old Navy veteran, setbacks came one after another: a violent hit-and-run, a relapse, voices chattering in his head. Jackie Botts produced a beautifully written and important read. 👉 CalMatters

“This is nothing but highway robbery using badges.”

Since November, San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies have seized more than $1 million from armored cars contracted by licensed marijuana businesses, according to a new lawsuit. The deputies issued no citations and filed no criminal charges. Cannabis companies rely on cash because banks remain leery of doing business with them. That’s made them vulnerable to law enforcement agencies wielding federal civil forfeiture laws, lawyers say. Press-Enterprise

After a decade of planning, work has finally begun on one of the world’s largest wildlife crossings in Los Angeles County. The Liberty Canyon bridge will span an entire acre across 10 traffic lanes of the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, linking precious mountain lion habitat. The scheduled completion date: sometime in 2023. Beth Pratt, a conservationist, said adding more corridors shouldn’t be hard. “We don’t necessarily need a Yosemite on every block, but we do need to connect these parcels of open space,” she said. “We need these everywhere.” Curbed

Five items that got big views over the past week: