In CA: As state slowly reopens, there are some re-closings to do first
Hold on, water bound for Central Valley: You're not going anywhere just yet. And restaurants in two counties get ready to seat diners. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's Telsa must shut down, Alameda County orders, but that isn't stopping the billionaire from requesting more state cash for his space ventures.
It's Arlene Martínez, with news for we're-further-into-Phase-2 Tuesday.
But first, the state and nation's largest public school system will hold classes almost entirely online through the fall semester. California State University has 23 campuses and enrolls nearly a half-million students.
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A judge blocks Trump's effort to pump more water to Central Valley
A federal judge has blocked the Trump Administration's efforts to pump more water to the Central Valley, a move critics said would threaten endangered species and salmon runs.
The move would have loosened limitations on how much water can be imported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to the Central Valley. The caps have long bothered the region's farmers, who argue they need more water to sustain the state's important agricultural sector.
President Trump announced the enhanced water flow — following a biological opinion that found minimal environmental impacts resulting from the water transfer —during a visit to California in February. He had promised to get rid of them while running for president in 2016.
The judge's preliminary injunction in two lawsuits brought against the administration by the state and a half-dozen environmental groups bars the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation until May 31 from taking the water.
Re-closings, orders to close and calls to limit re-openings
Days after reopening, Visalia took the advice of the county's health officer and re-closed its playgrounds, skate park and picnic areas.
Tesla workers have been told they will be placed on unpaid leave and have unemployment benefits suspended if they don't report to work, even as the company is violating local stay-at-home orders by being open.
- Alameda County ordered Elon Musk's Tesla on Tuesday to stop manufacturing.
- Also, Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is seeking almost $656,000 in new funding from the state as all this happens. Is this a proper use of "ironic"?
Fourth-of-July-size crowds descend on popular Los Padres National Forest trail, prompting some to call for limiting parking.
Restaurants can seat diners, but first, these things
Screening guests for symptoms, having servers wear masks and keeping diners at least 6 feet apart are part of the state's guidance to restaurants as more begin to serve dine-in patrons.
Customers are also advised to wear masks when not eating or drinking.
But for an establishment to reopen in the first place, it must be in a county cleared by the state to do so. Practically speaking, restaurants in rural areas with few virus cases will open long before ones in denser regions like Los Angeles.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration didn't set a strict limit on the number of diners allowed per establishment but gave suggestions on how to limit crowding such as by using outdoor seating and encouraging take-out where possible.
Restaurants have been walloped by the stay-at-home order in California, which has allowed take-out orders but not in-person dining due to concerns about the virus's spread. Most places are earning a fraction of what they would as full-service restaurants.
Two counties in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Butte and El Dorado, have had little impact from the pandemic, so they've gotten the green light to reopen faster than most, including seating restaurant diners.
Counterfeit masks, relief for landlords/tenants and your stimulus check
Millions of N95 masks, gloves, gowns and other supplies used in hospitals across the country were counterfeit, an AP investigation found.
State senators unveiled a plan that would allow landlords to get tax credits in exchange for missed rent payments and tenants to repay missed rent over 10 years.
You're waiting on a paper check for that federal stimulus money but want direct deposit. You have until noon on Wednesday to give your bank info for potentially faster payment.
What else we're talking about
Replacing Katie Hill. Voters on Tuesday had their chance to say who should fill the 25th Congressional District seat, which straddles the Ventura County-Los Angeles County line. The winner will replace Hill, a Democrat who resigned last year.
The Mamba Sports Academy announced it's taking the Mamba out of its name. The academy added it after partnering in 2018 with Kobe Bryant, who gave himself the nickname, "Black Mamba."
San Diegans get free trash service, but the city will pay $33 million over the next five years to haul it.
San Francisco-based Twitter says employees can work from home "forever."
I finally get to see Hamilton! And so can you, on Disney+, starting July 3.
Surviving a 1% chance of survival; an enzyme; life on the front lines
An enzyme could explain why men may be more vulnerable to the coronavirus than women, new peer-reviewed research shows.
He had a 1% chance of survival after contacting COVID-19 during a trip to Italy back in February. On Friday, he walked out of a Burbank hospital.
Micaela Roldan continues selling frozen treats from her pushcart, to afford to eat and pay rent. Like many undocumented immigrants, the Ventura County resident avoids seeking medical care even though she's part of a high-risk group dying in disproportionately higher numbers from COVID-19.
See you Wednesday.
In California is a roundup of news from across Paste BN Network newsrooms. Also contributing: Associated Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, California Health Report. Orange County Register.