Good morning. It’s Wednesday, June 10.
• | Worrying surge of coronavirus infections in nine counties. |
• | Los Angeles police officer charged with felony assault. |
• | And photos of San Francisco’s last authentic neighborhood. |
Coronavirus
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Protesters crowded a street in Hollywood on Sunday despite coronavirus dangers.
David McNew/Getty Images
Coronavirus infections are surging in California, and health officials have placed nine counties on a watch list for potential reinstatement of lockdown orders. Home to nearly half of all Californians, the counties include: Sacramento, Fresno Imperial, Kings, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, and Tulare County. “Many of the cases that are showing up in hospitals are linked to gatherings that are taking place in homes — birthday parties and funerals,” one public health official said. Reuters | A.P.
Here are the latest coronavirus totals, according to tallies by the S.F. Chronicle and N.Y. Times:
Confirmed cases:
1,990,000 in U.S.
136,846 in California
16,064 in Bay Area
107,705 in Southern California
Deaths:
112,000 in U.S.
4,746 in California
Sources: California Department of Public Health; SF Chronicle
See trackers of cases in California, the U.S., and worldwide.
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A study published in Nature and conducted by UC Berkeley researchers estimated that stay-at-home measures helped avert nearly 1.7 million infections in California. “This allows us to see and understand what it is we’re getting in return for the tremendous sacrifices everyone is making,” the paper’s lead author said. S.F. Chronicle | Business Insider
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A mask-wearer in Huntington Beach, where safety regulations have been contentious.
Allen J. Schaben/L.A. Times via Getty Images
Last month, Orange County’s chief health officer, Dr. Nichole Quick, ordered residents to wear masks when going out to shop or work. It didn’t go over well. The county sheriff declared that he wouldn’t enforce the rule. People demonstrated outside Quick’s home. She faced death threats. On Monday, she resigned. “It was too much for her,” a county official said. O.C. Register | Voice of OC
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Demand for real estate is rocketing in outer suburbs of the Bay Area — places like Napa, Marin, and further afield in Carmel. Why? Agents say the coronavirus has propelled wealthy buyers to flee urban centers in search of more spacious living. “I’ve never seen the demand higher for Marin County real estate than when Covid-19 hit,” one agent said. Bloomberg | SFGate.com
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Other coronavirus developments:
• | Last month, Tesla defied county orders so it could restart production at its Fremont factory. Days later, several workers tested positive for the coronavirus. Washington Post | recode |
• | A gene study revealed that the coronavirus entered California from a mix of foreign and domestic arrivals. One source played a major role: the Grand Princess cruise ship. CNN | L.A. Times |
Police reform
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San Diego police officers blocked a road during protests on May 31 over the killing of George Floyd.
Ariana Drehsler/AFP via Getty Images
As calls to defund police departments gained momentum across the state, San Francisco’s police chief and Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed openness to the idea. San Diego leaders went another way. After more than 4,400 city residents flooded City Hall with phone calls and emails demanding cuts, the City Council voted instead to enlarge the city’s police budget by $27 million. S.D. Union-Tribune | NBC 7
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Local leaders in cities across California have been getting in trouble for their public comments on the George Floyd protests. For the mayor of Healdsburg, it was her seeming suggestion that the city was free of racism. Irvine’s mayor declared that she would not allow “expression of anger and hate against my residents and my stellar police force.” And in Simi Valley, a councilman promoted a Facebook post that called for unleashing a septic hose on “the riots.” Each case, including others in Mill Valley and Temecula, was followed by calls to resign. SFist | Voice of OC | Ventura County Star
In Yucaipa, an elected official faced demands to step down after he brought a rifle to a protest. “I would do it again in a heartbeat,” he said. San Gabriel Valley Tribune
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UCLA said it was investigating the conduct of Gordon Klein, a lecturer in accounting.
Lee/Adobe
Students asked a UCLA lecturer, Gordon Klein, to postpone a final exam because of the George Floyd protests. His response in part: “Thanks for your suggestion in your email below that I give black students special treatment, given the tragedy in Minnesota. … Remember that MLK famously said that people should not be evaluated based on the ‘color of their skin.’ Do you think that your request would run afoul of MLK’s admonition?” Klein has now been removed. A petition calling for his firing has more than 20,000 signatures. NBC News | Daily Bruin
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A Los Angeles police officer was charged with felony assault in connection with the pummeling of a trespassing suspect on April 27. Cellphone video of the beating by Officer Frank Hernandez was shared widely and sparked outrage. “This is a disturbing case of the illegal use of force at the hands of a police officer,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. L.A. Times | LAist
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Rep. Tom McClintock on Capitol Hill in December.
Matt McClain/Washington Post via Getty Images
Rep. Tom McClintock, a Republican who represents a wide swath of the Sierra, is one of Congress’ most conservative members. Yet he has joined with some of the chamber’s most outspoken liberals in an effort to overturn qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that often shields police from lawsuits. Referring to Derek Chauvin, he said, “Whatever his motive, the killer of George Floyd had 18 complaints for misconduct, and one of his accomplices had six. Why is such misconduct tolerated by big city police departments?” Sacramento Bee
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Other developments:
• | The Paramount Network cancelled the long-running reality TV show “Cops.” The shift came after accusations that the show glorifies the police. Hollywood Reporter | N.Y. Times |
• | Riverside County’s sheriff on an effort to force his department to review its policies: “Politics is killing our country, and this is an example.” Desert Sun | NBC Palm Springs |
California culture
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Travis Jensen
San Francisco, it is often said, isn’t what it used to be. Yet tucked along Mission Street in the city’s southeast is one neighborhood that appears to have largely withstood the steamroller of gentrification. The photographer Travis Jensen spent seven years documenting the Excelsior District, a place he calls San Francisco’s “last working class neighborhood.” See 25 of his images. California Sun
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