The world as we knew it a few weeks ago — remember handshakes? — is now upside down. The coronavirus has sickened untold numbers of us, claimed thousands of lives, and shaken almost every corner of society. Fear of the virus leaves us hyper-aware of every sniffle and cough, of...
California’s Shelter-In-Place Order, Explained
By Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters As President Donald Trump considers easing national restrictions by Easter, Californians are into their first week of an official shelter-in-place directive to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Californians to stay home except for essential services, leading many to wonder: What’s essential? That’s...
Fresno Is Sicker and Has a Doctor Shortage. So Coronavirus Poses a Huge Threat, Experts Warn.
The central San Joaquin Valley for years has struggled to attract medical doctors, with physician-to-resident ratios well below what medical experts say is needed for adequate healthcare. That was before the coronavirus pandemic. Now the rapid spread of COVID-19 may well expose the Fresno area to even greater risk if...
Where California Stands With Coronavirus Testing Right Now
Coronavirus testing has been plagued by confusion, delays and chaos, with the number of available, usable tests far outstripped by the need. The situation, health care providers and experts say, has impaired their ability to know how many people have the virus — but a significantly larger number, they suspect,...
What You Need to Know About California’s Lockdown of Seniors and the Chronically Ill
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday called for seniors and people with chronic conditions to isolate themselves during the coronavirus pandemic, raising questions about the state’s capacity to ensure delivery of food, medicine and services to some of its most vulnerable residents. Newsom pledged that his office would address specific...
California Adds Online Triage for Coronavirus to Help With Test Shortages
California still does not have enough capacity to test for coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday, despite furious efforts by private, university and government laboratories to scale up to handle thousands of more patients. To help triage the crush of Californians in the Bay Area who want to be tested for...
Quarantine Grandma? California Families Scramble as Coronavirus Hits
“Social distancing.” In this time of coronavirus, it sounds straightforward: Avoid crowds. Don’t shake hands. Shield the elderly and infirm from infection. If necessary, go home and hunker down. In the complex real lives of California families, however, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s policy advice this week looked more like Michelle Cescatti...
Wiener’s New Housing Bill Would Still End Single-Family-Only Zoning — but More 'Gently'
For three straight years, state Sen. Scott Wiener has tried to force California cities to swallow more apartment buildings near public transit, arguing it’s the only way the state can fill its crippling housing shortage and meet its ambitious climate goals. For three straight years, a shifting coalition of local...
Water Is Life. It’s Also a Battle. So What Does the Future Hold for California?
Water plays a lead role in the state’s political theater, with Democrats and Republicans polarized, farmers often fighting environmentalists and cities pitted against rural communities. Rivers are overallocated through sloppy water accounting. Groundwater has dwindled as farmers overdraw aquifers. Many communities lack safe drinking water. Native Americans want almost-extinct salmon...
California Is Taking Aim at Uber and Lyft’s Outsized Climate Consequences
To understand California’s climate change challenge, look no further than its popular ride-hailing companies. Uber, Lyft and other companies make up a tiny piece of the biggest greenhouse gas polluter in the state: transportation. Yet their contribution to climate-warming emissions is outsized, drawing attention from researchers and lawmakers and raising...