Morning Briefing: Pressure On Our ICUs And The 'Spirit Of California'

We wish the news was brighter and we believe that in the (hopefully) not so distant future it will be. But here's the deal: Yesterday was yet another day of escalating confirmed COVID-19 cases, rising hospitalizations and more deaths.

So it's no real surprise that the message from local leaders remained steady: Stay home. Stay safe.

There were also signs of progress and hope.

Gov. Gavin Newsom toured a Bay-area fuel cell plant that made a fast pivot to refurbishing critically needed ventilators. That's where 170 non-functioning ventilators that came out of the national stockpile had just been sent.

• Confirmed cases in the U.S. continued to grow throughout the day, hitting more than 120,000 by late Saturday night.
• Newsom had some eye-opening news about ICU hospitalizations more than doubling overnight to 410. He noted the numbers were still relatively low, but the percentage change was alarming.
• L.A. County reported 344 new confirmed cases, including six new COVID-19 related deaths. In all, there have now been more than 1,800 cases in the county with 22% of patients requiring hospitalization.
• After a marathon session Friday, L.A.'s City Council passed a round of emergency measures intended to add protections for renters and workers at large businesses struggling during the pandemic. They also passed new rules to protect grocery store workers and delivery drivers
• We also had the story (courtesy of our friends at CalMatters) looking at the state of science in the Golden State. While some labs have shifted gears to battle this new coronavirus, other researchers have had to walk away from critical work to shelter at home like their fellow Californians.
• In case you were wondering, we have some advice on how many swipes you can count on with your disinfectant wipes.

Here’s what we’re covering today:

• Josie Huang looks at reports of bullying of Asian American children and what is, and isn't, being done about it.
• We'll look at the question of whether the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread through the air — and why there's some disagreement on the answer.
• There's been another delay for in-person canvassing for the 2020 Census.
• Itxy Quintanilla got some pro-tips from rangers on what we can learn from mountain lions about social distancing.
• And, of course, we'll be on the lookout for new numbers and new press conferences.

And now, your moment of Zen:

A California poppy blooms last Spring in the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve.

Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

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The news cycle moves fast. Some stories don't pan out. Others get added. Consider this today's first draft.

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