California will join a growing number of states that are, once again, lifting mask mandates for fully vaccinated people next week. Health officials in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties will join nine San Francisco Bay Area counties in removing the mandates effective Wednesday, Feb. 16.
Those who have not been fully vaccinated are still required to wear a mask indoors. Businesses may require customers to wear masks. And the state still requires face coverings regardless of vaccination status in public transportation, healthcare settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, long-term care facilities, and in K-12 schools and childcare centers.
The effort to convert the historic American Tin Cannery in Pacific Grove into a 225-room hotel is on hold. The California Coastal Commission halted the development after two of its commissioners appealed the city’s approval of the project. Pacific Grove’s planning commission originally denied a permit to build the hotel, but city council members overruled that decision.
The building originally housed a factory that made tin cans for the sardine industry. It later became an outlet mall. But in recent years, most of the stores and restaurants left and today, the American Tin Cannery is a mostly empty building on a lot with beautiful panoramic views of the harbor.
No date has been set for the Coastal Commission to hear the appeal from the two commissioners.
Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is calling the situation along the Ukraine border “probably one of the most dangerous moments that we've seen in this part of the 21st century.” Panetta, who also served as CIA director, spoke with KAZU’s Suzanne Saunders atThe Panetta Institute for Public Policyon the CSUMB campus.
“The danger of a miscalculation or a misstep that suddenly plunges us into a war in the Ukraine… is very real,” Panetta said.
Suzanne’s interview with Secretary Panetta will air next week on 90.3 KAZU.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, KAZU’s Erika Mahoney returned to a love story that continues to pursue its happily ever after. Salinas couple Lori Long and Mark Contreras have delayed their wedding because of a federal law that would strip Long of her federal disability benefits upon marriage. Now, Congressman Panetta introduced a bill that would help Long and other Americans with disabilities. Find the story here.
Tune into Weekend Edition to hear the story on NPR ahead of Valentine’s Day.
This week, policy makers, scientists and fishermen held a virtually rally in support of a California bill that would help prevent deep-sea mining of the coast. The California Seabed Mining Protection Act would protect 2,500 square miles of California’s sea floor. Oregon and Washington have already passed similar legislation.
Manufacturers are interested in mining the ocean for minerals used in modern electronics, like cellphones and electric vehicles. The bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, is co-sponsored by Assemblymember Mark Stone and Sen. John Laird.
Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, said at the rally that only 20% of the seafloor has been mapped at high resolution, and scientists are still discovering around 2,000 new species per year that depend on fragile deep-sea habitat.
“We obviously need to meet the growing demand for technology in our society. We all depend on it,” she said. “But we need to do it in ways other than damaging extraction of raw materials.”
The State of Pandemic
That’s it for this week! You can sign up to receive the Friday News Roundup from KAZU, right to your inbox. Just visit kazu.org to subscribe.
Until then,
The KAZU Team