In CA: It's showtime as the biggest U.S. county starts reopening. Is L.A. ready?
Los Angeles County gets the go-ahead to reopen restaurants, barbershops and hair salons, even as it remains the center of the state's coronavirus deaths and cases. And to help ease the state's budget woes, two lawmakers offer a help in two words: sports betting. Plus, bike riding is having a moment.
Arlene Martinez here. Let's end this week off right.
But first, we got robbed when California made surfing our state sport, a point I make as often as I can (just ask my coworkers). So I hope you enjoy this rad video about what it's been like to skate (our true sport) the empty streets of beautiful NYC.
They're living out a fantasy I just realized I had.
In Calfornia brings you top news from across the USA TODAY Network and beyond. Sign up for free delivery right to your inbox.
Well, L.A. County, let's see how this goes
As this newsletter goes out, restaurants in Los Angeles County have started seating diners for the first time since mid-March. They, along with barbershops and hair salons were given a variance by the governor's office to open on Friday.
The move comes even as Los Angeles remains the epicenter of the pandemic in the state. More than half of the state's deaths have occurred here (2,241 of 4,068), along with nearly half the total number of cases (49,861 of 103,886). But L.A. county only makes up about a quarter of the state's population.
See stats from your county here.
Experts have expressed concern places are reopening too soon, particularly since people can spread the disease without knowing they have it or showing any symptoms.
Across the state and beyond, faith leaders weigh the risk to hold in-person services heading into the first weekend they're allowed to.
ALSO: Will the extra $600 per week in unemployment be extended? Expect the debate to intensify.
Changes to airports, STVRs, hotels and hospitals
Palm Springs and Santa Barbara are among the airports that could see their services cut as airlines scramble to make up lost revenue.
Riverside County will once again allow short-term rentals, officials announce.
Hotels are promising new levels of sanitation, but how do you know your room is really clean?
Anxiety over what a trip to the hospital has led to people delaying emergency treatment for problems not related to coronavirus, and for some, it may have proved fatal.
I got tested for COVID-19 antibodies in the Coachella Valley. Here's what to expect.
Sports betting — a longshot or odds-on favorite?
Two state lawmakers say adding legal sports betting could eventually bring in up to $700 million per year, money that could be used to infuse a struggling economy.
State Sen. Bill Dodd of Napa and Assemblyman Adam Gray of Merced want to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would allow horse racetracks and the Las Vegas-style casinos run by American Indian tribes to also offer sports wagering, both at their locations and through mobile devices.
Two-thirds of the legislature would need to agree to put the measure on the ballot, which a majority of voters would need to approve.
The proposal immediately drew criticism from powerful gambling interests.
Nearly two dozen states allow sports betting. See a state-by-state list here.
Worm gold, the catch of the day, Samberg's latest and Kylie Jenner is poor (not really)
Turn kitchen waste to garden gold and create lasting memories: How to vermicompost in your home.
The big one that didn't get away: An angler caught one of the largest rainbow trout in the state in recent years just below the Oroville Dam.
Andy Samberg's newest film, "Palm Springs," is set to premiere July 10 on Hulu and at drive-in theaters. Samberg has an encounter with the maid of honor (Cristin Milioti); in the morning, the two find they can't leave the venue or each other.
Forbes takes away Kylie Jenner's billionaire status, saying the family provided misleading information about her true net worth.
No, a Bay Area hospital has not seen ‘a year’s worth’ of suicides from coronavirus
The Bay Area doctor said he'd seen a year's worth of suicides since shelter-in-place orders went into effect. But that was “more of a figure of speech,” a representative for his workplace said.
In reality, John Muir Health’s Walnut Creek Medical Center has not seen many more attempted or completed suicides since the stay-at-home order took effect in March, the Redding Record Searchlight has learned.
While many experts agree the pandemic could leave long-lingering economic, mental, emotional and other impacts, it's just too soon whether that's translated into more people ending their lives.
Considering suicide? There are resources for you here and people to talk to: 800-273-TALK (8255). Please reach out.
What else we're talking about
Protesters enraged by the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police blocked lanes on Highway 101 in San Jose on Friday afternoon.
Medicare scams are already common. Now add the coronavirus to the mix.
Twitter's CEO explains why the company fact-checked President Trump's erroneous claims about California's vote-by-mail processes.
When it comes to maps, how can you tell what’s real and what’s a distortion?
San Francisco-based Uber angered a lot of people when news got out it destroyed hundreds of e-bikes rather than donating them.
And speaking of bikes, their popularity has soared in recent weeks, reminding shop owners of the "original bike boom" of the '70s and '80s.
See you next week.
In California is a roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms. Also contributing: Associated Press, ESPN, TechCrunch, New York Times, California Health Report, CityLab, San Francisco Chronicle, Grist.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California, L.A., sports betting, cycling, Uber, Forbes: Fri news
