Morning Briefing: California Stays At Home – Chapter 1

In an historic move, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all Californians to stay at home just one hour after L.A County officials, joined by the mayors of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pasadena, gave the same mandate here. L.A. officials also reported the second death from coronavirus in the county, and Newsom requested more help from the feds, estimating that as many as 56% of Californians will get COVID-19 in the next eight weeks.

In other words, s**t just got really, really real. And we’re right there with you; since last week, our newsroom has been working remotely, and our reporters, producers, social media mavens, editors and staff are scrambling to keep their kids fed/entertained, their relationships intact, their pets walked, and to keep from going completely stir crazy.

With that said, we’re committed to continuing to bring you the most updated information as it happens, and to examine what this new lay of the land means in the lives of Angelenos. In that spirit...

Look for these stories later today:

• Josie Huang examines how Chinatown businesses and restaurants are faring in light of the coronavirus.
• Adolfo Guzman-Lopez explains what college students need to know about their financial aid during the coronavirus-related shutdowns.
• Are community clinics transitioning to telemedicine? Alyssa Jeong Perry explores.
• Governor Gavin Newsom has mentioned help for nursing homes in confronting coronavirus. Jackie Fortiér asks, what is that help, exactly?
• David Wagner talks to several businesses that are hiring during the coronavirus.
• Even with the suspension of visitation, there’s a serious threat of illness spreading in jails and prisons. Emily Elena Dugdale talks to a man who spent 30 years in state prison and county jail and tested positive for norovirus during that time.
• Edison has said people won't be cut off if they don't pay their power bills, however the utility company is still going ahead with planned outages. Sharon McNary reports.
• Why are beans difficult to find in many supermarkets? Jacob Margolis looks at the bean supply chain in an effort to explain how our food gets to us.

Here’s what happened in the past 24 hours:

• All Californians have been ordered to stay at home. The mandate came one hour after Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the same restrictions for the city of L.A.
• Don't worry: Weed dispensaries are considered "essential businesses" and will stay open.
• Here’s our guide for seniors on coping in the age of coronavirus.
• A new online reporting center will collect and track incidents of racism or racist attacks against people of Asian or Pacific Island descent.
• Judge David Carter is famous for compelling Orange County cities to shelter their homeless. He’s now overseeing a case against both the city and county of Los Angeles.
• This chart breaks down confirmed cases by state, in states with more than 4.5 million residents. The United States is now sixth in the world for the number of confirmed cases, surpassing South Korea and France.
• A second person in L.A. County has died from the coronavirus, as the FDA takes steps to make experimental drugs more accessible and fast-track anti-viral treatments.
• Big Bear, Mammoth, Truckee and South Lake Tahoe are among the mountain communities asking anyone who is not a resident to keep out of town. Meanwhile, the mayor of West Hollywood has tested positive for coronavirus.
• UCLA announced that it would hold graduation virtually, tweeting that “the day does not define the journey,” and some students are outraged. LAUSD, meanwhile, will continue paying substitute teachers while campuses are shut down.
• Bob Ross. ASMR. Here’s some calming counterprogramming for your self-isolation.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said life-saving surgeries should go forward, but elective surgeries that can be scheduled in advance should be postponed if the patient can wait. Weddings are also being postponed.

And finally, some light reading. While you’re home, why not brush up on your L.A. history?

• Before becoming Chinatown, this area of DTLA was Frenchtown.
• In the 1930’s, the Stanley Rose Book Shop was at the center of bohemian, literary L.A.
• L.A.-based artist Bill Sienkiewicz injected abstract expressionism into the artwork of X-Men comics in the 1980’s, and redefined what was possible in the genre.

Your moment of Zen:

A family enjoys El Segundo beach (Apu Gomes/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.

SOME STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT COVID-19

We're all living through this extraordinary and frightening pandemic. The vast majority of our newsroom has been working from home (here's some advice on that) since March 11 to bring you calm, helpful reporting. We are answering your questions and taking more.

LAist is known for our events listings but now hopefully we'll be known for our non-event listings and tips for parents to try to keep you sane. And we're looking for your nominations for everyday heroes in this time of crisis. We're here to help. And if you can help support that effort financially, we'd be grateful.

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