In CA: It's mixed messages when it comes to reopening what, where and how
There's no clear consensus on when the state should fully reopen its economy or schools, but some businesses are done waiting. And a former California police chief, one of the few African African women in the position, talks about what it felt like to watch the video of George Floyd dying.
It's Arlene Martínez with news to know.
But first, three mountain lion babies were just born in the Santa Monica Mountains. Paternity tests will determine the kitties' father, and whether he is, as researchers hope, a male brought in to help increase genetic diversity in the region.
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Hit by a rubber bullet, the geography of protests, curfews and proposed LAPD budget cuts
A Simi Valley man describes his experience being struck in the head by a rubber bullet during a protest Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. The military veteran was hospitalized after a clash with police.
It resembled a "war zone" during the riots of 1992, but South L.A. has been largely untouched in the demonstrations following the death of George Floyd. That's by design.
“We want to go to places of white affluence so that the pain and outrage that we feel can be put right in their faces,” said Melina Abdullah, one of the leaders of Black Lives Matter.
Hastily implemented curfews in California and beyond have left essential workers stranded and most give police total discretion on how to enforce them.
Three Los Angeles City Council members call for $150 million in cuts to the LAPD, putting the money into mental health support, housing and other social services.
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Travel, eat, change the world
Three ways to travel while social distancing.
All delicious-sounding, these frozen treats have just three ingredients.
And if baking and cooking weren't just early pandemic fads for you, here's what to use in place of oil, eggs, mayonnaise and many other ingredients.
Donate money, volunteer time, speak up in the workplace and schools: Here are 100 actions you can take against racism right now.
One of the country's few black police chiefs hopes Floyd's death changes cop life
Oxnard-turned Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams, one of the nation's few black chiefs and mother of two boys, says seeing video of George Floyd's death was "unbelievably, disgustingly horrific. It hurt my heart."
She believes it could change the way officers do their jobs.
A woman was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of pepper-spraying a 16-year-old Thousand Oaks protester demonstrating in response to the death of George Floyd by police, according to witnesses and video of the incident.
See photos from Thousand Oaks from Tuesday, the fifth straight day of protests.
'My biggest motivation is food'
While many Americans have worried during the coronavirus pandemic about the flow and availability of food — or whether touching a grocery store freezer door and buying apples are safe — families like the Salvadors worry about affording food at all.
The household of six in North Salinas has one income, that of Meliton Salvador, who is a maintenance worker at a mushroom company. The company laid off 15 of its 60 employees, he said, and he fears his job could be next.
Many residents already were struggling with food insecurity in Monterey County, where many jobs are in the low-paying agricultural sector. With the addition of the coronavirus and the ensuing economic fallout, the threat has grown.
“We were one of the hungriest counties in the nation going into this pandemic," says Melissa Kendrick, director of the Food Bank For Monterey County.
On COVID-19, it's too fast or too slow. And what state order?
Some doctors say a COVID-19 uptick is "inevitable" in wake of a too-soon reopening; others say a mask and distance will greatly help.
Meanwhile, the Southern California chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics says kids, less likely to get the coronavirus, could suffer worse if schools remain closed.
A health club and water park are reopening in Shasta County in defiance of state orders. County leaders wish they wouldn't but they won't, like, fine them or anything.
In November, vote by mail OR in person
The state plans to establish hundreds of locations where voters can cast a ballot in person in the November election, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.
The news follows his announcement last month to send every registered voter a mail-in ballot for the November election to minimize the potential spread from the coronavirus. Newsom said the in-person locations take into account that some people can't vote by mail or don't want to.
"We are committed to protecting the hard-fought right for Californians to make their voices heard this November, even in the face of a pandemic," Newsom said in a statement.
Though President Trump in response claimed mail-in voting was full of fraud, extensive research shows that isn't the case.
A study of one billion ballots found fewer than 40 deemed possibly fraudulent; another of 135 million found four such incidents, Newsom said last month during a news briefing.
What else we're talking about
Why's a New York investment firm buying up land along the Colorado River? Locals want to know.
Three people were killed Tuesday when a helicopter contracted by PG&E struck one of the utility's power lines and crashed into a Solano County hillside.
A 4-year-old boy fell down a 70-foot cliff on the banks of the Sacramento River. He was OK but his parents now face charges of child endangerment.
He was a Charger before he was a Saint, and the NFL quarterback still disagrees with taking a knee during the National Anthem. (Opinion)
In California is a roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms. Also contributing: LAist, Los Angeles Times, Aspen Journalism and KUNC News, Vice, Associated Press.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California, George Floyd, voting, mountain lion, COVID-19: Wed news
