In California: 'So now what do our hospitals do?'
Gov. Gavin Newsom sends ventilators out of state to the dismay of some locals who have been asking for hundreds of them. And a meeting to talk fishing's fate in a time of coronavirus erupts into chaos. Plus: Stick around for stories that show us what can happen if we wait for the miracle.
It's Arlene Martínez finding you top news for Thursday.
But first, benefits for unemployed Californians will rise by $600 weekly starting Sunday.
In California brings you stories and information from newsrooms across the Paste BN Network and beyond to keep you safe and informed. Subscribe today for free delivery right to your inbox.
Let's start with some quick headlines:
Hundreds of educators in San Francisco pledge to donate part of their federal stimulus checks to undocumented immigrants who don't qualify for any part of the $2 trillion package. As of Thursday, the effort had received over $100,000 in pledges.
Travelers can't travel, but at least one vacation rental company continues to deny refunds. TurnKey maintains it can't just consider the needs of guests, but the homeowners as well.
The nonprofit Environmental Working Group released an analysis Thursday identifying 2,501 industrial facilities likely releasing a lightly regulated class of toxic chemicals into the environment in Puerto Rico and every state — including about 100 in California.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry surprised an intensive care nurse and her fellow staffers with a FaceTime appearance in which the two-time NBA MVP shared how inspired he was by her dedication as a front-line healthcare worker.
My pay is being cut, can I apply for unemployment? Should I take money out of my 401(k)? Our coronavirus questions, answered.
It's hard enough to get public records. Now, public agencies in nearly three dozen states are using the coronavirus to make it harder.
Golden State coronavirus tracker: 20,064 cases, 542 deaths
'So now what do our hospitals do?'
Gov. Gavin Newsom's generosity in giving 500 respirators to the national stockpile is riling some officials in California who say they are waiting on their own requests for the critical equipment.
Riverside County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries took to Facebook to express his displeasure: "Riverside County is still waiting to receive an order of 1,000 ventilators from the state! So now what do our hospitals do?"
Riverside County health officials project they will run out of ventilators by April 26.
Newsom sought to assuage such concerns. "We have a firm commitment from those states to send them back to the state of California," he said.
'Make fishing great again'
A teleconference with California regulators to discuss a potential limited ban on freshwater sportfishing amid the coronavirus pandemic was abruptly canceled Thursday after it descended into chaos, with some of those who called in branding officials as “fascists” and shouting “make fishing great again.”
Some of the confusion apparently stemmed from misinformation that the fishing season could be canceled.
In a statement released after the meeting, California Fish and Game Commission President Eric Sklar and California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham made clear there are no plans to shut down fishing statewide or locally.
"The decision is to help prepare us to work with counties and tribes to make those decisions based on their requests. We are working on a tailored and surgical approach based on local needs and knowledge," the statement read in part.
It said they understood many members of the public and media had been unable to join the call, and they were looking for a remedy before the call is rescheduled to next week.
Mining the moon, end-of-the-world resources and that simulation
U.S. businesses can mine the moon, Mars and other outer space territories, the Trump administration announced in the middle of a pandemic. And I'm reminded again of Gil Scott-Heron's: "Whitey on the Moon."
A syllabus for the end of the world: What to listen to, read and watch and to make sense of what's going on.
You may have seen that simulation that made running, walking and cycling look awfully dangerous. Turns out, it was faaar from proven research. An actual expert says it's probably OK to exercise outside if you "apply common sense."
At home, but not in home
Ventura County nurse Angie Mireles spent each of her three shifts last week caring for the same patient who tested positive for COVID-19. She wore an N95 mask and other protective gear but still worries about how the disease is spread.
So this week, she moved into an 18-foot RV in her driveway, hoping to create enough space to protect her husband and her two children.
“It’s a very hard situation to be in," she said. "We’re trying to take care of the community, but we can't even take care of the loved ones in our home.”
There are many like Mireles, in driveways, RVs and other ways to distance as best as they can for as long as they need to.
Don't give up before the miracle happens
The Storytellers Project is a series of live events hosted by Paste BN Network newsrooms across the country, including in Ventura County and the Coachella Valley.
The idea is that through our shared experiences, we realize we're more similar than not. The stories are inspiring, and showcase perseverance, family bonds, life-changing decisions, love and new beginnings.
Each Thursday, I'm featuring a playlist of some of the thousands of people who have bravely shared a personal story on one of our stages.
Week 4 shows the many ways we persevere. Take a listen.
A cold move is not the end of the world
At 21, Chad Taylor is online looking for a job when, in a chat room, he meets a Hooters waitress who invites him to Alberta, Canada, to hang out with her and her husband, Cam. Chad goes — why not, right? For the first six weeks, it's fun. Then Cam invites him to drive his rig north of the Arctic Circle and they go, woefully underprepared. They get to the town of Inuvik and Cam drives off suddenly, saying, “Let this be a lesson to you.”
VIDEO: Watch as Chad shares his story.
Don’t let yourself get in the way of your dreams
Paralyzed at age 11 in an accident, Mackenzie Saunders views herself as a burden. During a visit with a friend at Harvard Law School, she meets the man who prosecuted the Boston Marathon bomber. He asks her a question. She thought, “If he thinks I can go to Harvard Law, why can't I.” Mackenzie realizes she is holding back because she thinks her disability disqualifies her from Harvard and other opportunities. She thought wrong.
AUDIO: Listen to Mackenzie Saunders share her story.
Finding her tribe
Growing up in a white community in the back of her parents’ Vietnamese restaurant, Linh Ta is ashamed of her race, her food and her family. Her school is filled with kids who don't understand squid or Pho or other things Linh loves. Things come to a head when, during a birthday lunch at her family's restaurant, a kid asks if egg-drop soup is filled with toilet paper. She vows to never bring a friend home again. But she meets other Asian kids, finally, and feels fully accepted by the “Asian Mafia.”
AUDIO: Listen to Linh Ta's story.
Finding the right fit
Sierra Holmes is a size-acceptance fashion blogger. She talks about all the disappointing shopping trips as a child and young adult, including an experience shopping for a prom dress that led her mom to order her a custom gown, and how refusing to settle led her into a career remaining true to herself and pursuing the things she loves.
VIDEO: Watch Sierra Holmes tell her story.
Why don't you make that phone call?
Bill Krieger returns from military action in Iraq outwardly happy and relieved he is longer being shot at in combat. But back at home and work, building anger and anxiety make him cruel to his kids, and angry and mean at work. One day, he finds himself sitting in his bedroom with a loaded pistol. The phone rings. It's a friend, checking in on him. That's the moment Bill realizes he needs help.
AUDIO: Listen to Bill Krieger share his story.
To hell and back can be a long road
Ryan Kitchell joins the Navy as a war photographer and chronicles savage war crimes. Returning home, he can’t shake the images and starts self-medicating with alcohol. But after putting a gun into his mouth, Ryan realizes he wants to live and needs help. The road is long and bumpy, so many therapists, the time he nearly attacked a fellow student, but progress — along with success and happiness — slowly comes.
AUDIO: Listen to Ryan's story.
In California is a roundup of news from across Paste BN Network newsrooms. Also contributing: Vice, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle.