Center For Public Integrity: Community Gatherings Offer Healing For Emotional Wounds After Disasters
Convivencia means “coexistence” — or colloquially, “gathering.” Formally speaking, they are therapeutic support groups. Except they aren’t marketed that way. Upon first glance, convivencias can easily be mistaken for a family picnic or potluck. By putting the focus on socializing and sharing personal stories, said Ana Maria Martinez, programs manager at Humanidad, the cultural stigma of mental-health treatment can gradually fade. (Cattel, 8/25)

Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Wildfires In Sonoma County Increase Risk Of Expanded Coronavirus Transmission
As Sonoma County residents continue facing a high risk of coronavirus infection, wildfire evacuations that have scattered thousands could result in further spread of the highly contagious virus, health officials said Monday. Due to the threat of COVID-19, the county limited public shelters for evacuees and most residents displaced by the Walbridge fire in west Sonoma County have found refuge with friends and extended family. County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase said the virus will take advantage of the fire-related community disruption. (Espinoza, 8/24)

Los Angeles Times: California Wildfires Reveal Problems With Emergency Alerts
As fire crews battle a massive system of wildfires sparked by freak lightning storms, emergency officials are learning once again of the technological shortcomings of localized alert systems. Despite heeding much of the emergency management guidance dispensed in the last year from Sacramento, counties dealing with the LNU Lightning Complex fire burning in Northern California have nonetheless encountered issues. (Serna, 8/25)

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘It's Like We're Living On Mars’: Air Pollution Chokes Bay Area Skies, Increasing COVID-19 Concerns 
Air quality across the Bay Area hovered at unhealthy levels Monday, as raging wildfires pumped hazardous smoke into the skies and increased the dangers associated with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The worst places to breathe Monday were spread across the region, including San Pablo, Concord, Redwood City, East Oakland, Pleasanton, Napa and Vallejo, all of which reported dangerous levels of PM2.5, the particulate matter found in wildfire smoke, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. (Moench and Arredondo, 8/24)

Bay Area News Service: How Bay Area Firefighting Has Changed During The Coronavirus Pandemic
Firefighters are used to battling intense heat and unpredictable flames. But this fire season, they’re also grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. And just as COVID-19 has upended daily life for millions of Americans, it’s altered how firefighters are battling the infernos burning across the Bay Area right now. (Deruy, 8/25)

Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Firefighters Shift Into Second Week In Sonoma County Battling Lightning-Sparked Fires
Sonoma County Fire District Chief Mark Heine said some of his crews worked three days or more before getting the opportunity to rest. Cal Fire officials said others worked as many as 96 straight hours in the early days of Sonoma County’s two fires ‒ the Meyers and the larger Walbridge fire, part of the LNU Lightning Complex fires that started last Monday and have burned more than 350,000 acres and destroyed more than 800 structures. (Silvy, 8/24)

The Associated Press: California Wildfires: Prepare To Be Away From Home For Days
California fire officials are cautiously optimistic after dodging a major lightning storm, but they are pleading with residents to stay out of evacuation zones and prepare for days away from home as three massive San Francisco Bay Area wildfires rage on, suffocating the region with smoky air. (Har, 8/25)

San Francisco Chronicle: Masks? Fans? Fresheners? Do's And Don'ts Of Dealing With Smoky Air In Your Bay Area Home And Car 
But even when air quality conditions are moderate, wildfire smoke has become an unpleasant part of life for Bay Area residents, ranging from a nuisance for some to a health risk for others. So how do you lessen the impact in your home, your car and your daily life? Experts say there are a few things you can do. (Vainshtein, 8/24)

Becker's Hospital Review: Healthcare Workers To Rally For PPE Stockpile Legislation
Healthcare workers plan to rally Aug. 25 in 11 California cities to support proposed state legislation that would ensure stockpile of new, unexpired personal protective equipment for use in the event of a pandemic or other health emergency, according to the union that represents them.  (Gooch, 8/17)

Fresno Bee: Fewer COVID-19 Hospitalizations In Fresno As Cases Climb
Hospitalizations are trending downward in the central San Joaquin Valley as counties continue to record cases of COVID-19, according to new coronavirus data published on Monday. Fresno County added 574 cases of coronavirus since Sunday, according to the California Department of Public Health. (Rodriguez-Delgado, 8/24)

Orange County Register: ICU Stays At Levels Not Seen Since Early May, Orange County’s Aug. 24 Update Reports
The Orange County Health Care Agency reported 353 new cases of the coronavirus as of Monday, Aug. 24, bringing the cumulative total of positive tests to 46,307 cases. An estimated 14,673 new cases have been reported in the last 30 days. There were no new deaths reported in Orange County on Monday, keeping the death toll to 897 people. The data on deaths in the county is compiled from death certificates or gathered through the course of case investigations and can take weeks to process, officials say. The most recent deaths were on Aug. 19. (Snibbe, 8/24)

City News Service: San Diego County Reports 291 COVID-19 Cases And Eight Deaths
As San Diego County awaits guidance on the effects of its removal from the state's coronavirus watchlist, public health officials reported 291 new COVID-19 cases and eight additional deaths Saturday, raising the region's totals to 36,203 cases and 660 deaths. Four women and four men died, officials said Saturday. Their ages ranged from mid-40s to mid-90s. All had underlying medical conditions. (8/22)

KPBS: Long Border Wait Times In COVID-19 Era Hinder Essential Workers
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced an adjustment to operations at the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, and Calexico West crossings in an effort to discourage non-essential travel and the further spread of COVID-19. “Non-essential travelers should expect more disruption to their travel, including increased wait times and the potential for secondary inspection,” a CBP spokesperson said.Travelers reported having to wait up to seven hours on Sunday at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry. (Thorne, 8/24)

Ventura County Star: Ventura County Conservation Groups Sue The EPA Over Pollution Plan
Three conservation groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in federal court Monday, alleging that a backup plan the agency accepted for reducing harmful air pollution in Ventura County is too weak. The lawsuit calls for the EPA to make sure the county has a realistic plan if pollution does not decrease enough to meet a national standard for lowering ozone, the main ingredient in smog. (Wilson, 8/25)

Sacramento Bee: California Nursing Home Inspectors Balk At New State Mandate 
California is asking nursing home inspectors to take a more cooperative approach with the hundreds of facilities they regulate — something akin to a consultant role to help the disease-battered industry comply with health and safety laws, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. (Sabalow and Pohl, 8/24)

San Francisco Business Times: As Convalescent Plasma Draws Attention, Stanford Study Looks For Fresh Answers
The 600-person, Stanford-led study of Covid patients who aren't hospitalized could provide more information about convalescent plasma as early as this fall. (Leuty, 8/24)

Stat: Is Convalescent Plasma Safe And Effective? 
The Mayo Clinic study showed that patients who received transfusions within three days of their Covid-19 diagnosis had a seven-day death rate of 8.7%, while patients who received plasma treatment after four or more days had a mortality rate of 11.9% (Facher, 8/23)

Reuters: Exclusive: FDA Commissioner Disputes Trump, Says No 'Deep State' Thwarting Vaccine 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not harbor “deep state” elements, the agency’s head told Reuters on Monday, rejecting criticism from President Donald Trump that staff there were trying to delay a coronavirus vaccine. Dr. Stephen Hahn said he was completely confident that FDA workers were focused solely on the interests of the American people during the coronavirus pandemic. Without evidence, Trump on Saturday accused members of the so-called “deep state” working within the FDA of complicating efforts to test COVID-19 vaccines in order to delay results until after the Nov. 3 presidential election. (Mason, 8/24)

Los Angeles Times: USC Reports 'Alarming Increase' In COVID-19 Cases
Just one week into fall semester, USC is reporting “an alarming increase” in the number of COVID-19 cases in students among the campus community, according to a Student Health notice sent out Monday. In the past seven days 43 cases have been identified and more than 100 students placed in a 14-day quarantine due to exposures, the memorandum from Dr. Sarah Van Orman, chief health officer for USC Student Health, said. (Agrawal, 8/24)

KPBS: SDSU Students Greeted With Near-Empty Campus, Strict Rules On First Day
As San Diego state launched its first new school year amid the pandemic, incoming freshmen weren’t greeted by the usual first-day-of-school fanfare. Campus courtyards and lecture halls were mostly deserted on Monday with 90% of classes online-only and dormitories only filled to half capacity, housing about 3,500 residents. (Hong, 8/24)

San Jose Mercury News: Lack Of Nurses Another Worry For Bay Area Schools
For the first time, the Bay Area’s K-12 students are beginning the school year on computer screens rather than in classrooms. And if students finally return to school this year, the minutes before the morning bell won’t be spent on the playground or chatting with friends. Instead, students will be standing in line for their daily temperature checks. A minor cough that last year would have gone unnoticed will earn a trip to an isolated room, a speedy return home and a mandated test for COVID-19. (Kathan, 8/24)

LA Daily News: Amid Pandemic, Education Comes First For Families Sheltered At LA-Area Motels
More than 100 children who live at motels in Van Nuys and North Hills will receive tutoring, services and extra support under a city program aimed at helping them get through the school year successfully as they struggle with the disruptions of not having a stable place to live. The program, Kids First, was kicked off Monday, Aug. 24, at the Hyland Motel in Van Nuys with a backpack giveaway and visit from Schools on Wheels, a mobile classroom in which tutors helped around 60 children with their school work in an outdoor study area set up in the motel’s plaza. Children and families at the Midtown Inn and Palm Tree motels are also be part of this program. (Chou 8/24)

Fresno Bee: More Fresno Students Absent From Distance Learning Classes
Compared to the previous year, thousands of more Fresno Unified School District students missed class during the first week of distance learning. The official first day of school was last Monday, but instruction began Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday were orientation days. Out of the roughly 73,000 Fresno Unified students, about 85% of students logged in for class on Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday, 90% of students showed up. (Velez, 8/25)

Fresno Bee: Fresno County Supervisor Wants School To Reopen Amid COVID-19
Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau said he is opposed to a lawsuit filed by the county’s health department against the private Christian Immanuel Schools of Reedley. Speaking at a news conference Monday, Brandau cited education organizations who have noted that in-person education is beneficial for students as a reason for supporting Immanuel Schools reopening to children for in-person classes. (Rodriguez-Delgado, 8/24)

The Desert Sun: As Election Nears, Candidates Find New Ways To Engage With Voters Amid Virus
If 2020 were a normal election year, Palm Springs City Councilwoman Lisa Middleton would have been hot on the campaign trail for her re-election bid — knocking on doors, shaking hands and attending house parties. But as California maintains stringent restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic and tens of thousands of new infections are reported every week, politicians like Middleton are grappling with how best to run their campaigns. (Newell, 8/24)

California Healthline and Politifact HealthCheck: Republican Convention, Day 1: A Campaign-Style Trump Speech And More
Republicans kicked off the first day of their convention with a wide-ranging speech by President Donald Trump in Charlotte, North Carolina. (8/25)

AP: Biden, Harris To Get Routine Virus Testing, A Notable Change
In a notable change, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, will now be regularly tested for the coronavirus as the race heats up, a campaign aide confirmed Monday. “This announcement is another step demonstrating Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ commitment to turn the page on Trump’s catastrophic mismanagement during the worst public health crisis in 100 years,” said Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates. (Jaffe, 8/24)

San Francisco Chronicle: Instacart Settles With San Francisco Over Health Care Benefits For Gig Workers 
San Francisco has reached a settlement with grocery-shopping company Instacart to pay almost three-quarters of a million dollars to 985 Instacart gig workers in lieu of health care contributions and paid sick leave benefits that the city requires companies provide for employees — even though Instacart classified the workers as independent contractors. While the case does not set a precedent and Instacart did not admit wrongdoing, it’s still a significant development in the battle over classifying gig workers. (Said, 8/24)

GMA: Fresh Peaches Recalled For Possible Multistate Salmonella Outbreak, FDA Says 
Peaches may be a perfect stone fruit for summer, but one California-based purveyor has pulled its products due to a multistate Salmonella outbreak. Prima Wawona issued a voluntary recall of peaches distributed and sold from June 1 through August 3 as a precaution in connection with a Salmonella outbreak under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is suspected to have caused the illness. (McCarthy, 8/24)

AP: WHO: Children Aged 6-To-11 Should Wear Masks At Times, Too
Just as millions of children are heading back to school, the World Health Organization says those aged 6 to 11 should wear masks in some cases to help fight the spread of coronavirus. The recommendations presented Monday follow the widespread belief that children under 12 are not considered as likely to propagate the virus as much as adults. Children in general face less severe virus symptoms than do adults, with the elderly the most vulnerable to severe infection and death. (Keaten, 8/24)

CNN: While Nationwide Surge May Be Slowing, Officials Warn Of Troubling Covid-19 Signs Across US Heartland 
New Covid-19 cases in the US may be on the decline but some officials across the country's heartland reported worrisome news this week. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday the state had reached an "unfortunate milestone" by reporting at least one case of the virus in every county. The state's infection rate, she said, "continues an alarming trend in the wrong direction." ... In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear warned cases could spike again as the state reported more deaths last week than "in any other week battling the virus." (Maxouris, 8/25)

CNN: Fauci Warns Against Premature Authorization Of Coronavirus Vaccine
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Monday warned against the notion of early emergency use authorization for a potential coronavirus vaccine, explaining that such a step could damage efforts to develop other vaccines. His comments come as White House officials have raised the possibility of an early emergency authorization before late-stage trials are finished, two sources have told CNN. Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services, has denied that there was any effort to fast-track vaccine development for political purposes. (LeBlanc, 8/25)

The Hill: EPA Approves Coronavirus-Killing Product — For Just One Airline 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved what it says is the first long-lasting product to fight surface transmission of the coronavirus, but the special dispensation to use it is primarily going to one company: American Airlines. Monday’s announcement clears the way for the use of SurfaceWise2 by American Airlines in Texas, the first state to apply for an emergency exemption to use the disinfectant, which kills the virus on surfaces for up to seven days. (Beitsch, 8/24)

NBC News: AstraZeneca Begins Early-Stage Trial Of COVID-19 Antibody Treatment
British drugmaker AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had started early testing of an antibody-based treatment for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. In a statement sent to NBC News, the company said a Phase 1 clinical trial has begun for an monoclonal antibody combination, and will include up to 48 healthy participants to evaluate its safety and tolerability in human beings. (Gardiner, Talmazan and Reuters, 8/25)

Modern Healthcare: 2020 Census Holds Fate Of Trillions In Health-Related Spending
For each person that went uncounted in the 2010 Census, Vermont lost more than $2,300 in 2015 federal grants for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, foster care and adoption assistance, and child care for low-income families. It's a similar story for 36 other states.In 2017 alone, census data helped direct $1.1 trillion in Medicaid and CHIP spending, according to the Counting for Dollars initiative at the George Washington University Institute for Public Policy. Another $400 billion was allocated for housing choice vouchers, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, social services block grants, Head Start, school lunch programs and the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. (Brady, 8/25)