COVID PM: A statewide extension for outdoor dining, to-go drinks plus some myth-busting
Hey, everyone — happy Thursday evening.
Straight to the headlines of the day we go...
California extends outdoor dining, to-go drinks through Dec. 31

’I want to say 90% of our customers, they don’t want to dine indoors anymore’: Even as the state prepares to lift coronavirus restrictions on June 15, some changes such as outdoor dining and to-go drinks will likely remain in many California cities. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced extending pandemic extensions through Dec. 31. Here’s more from CalMatters on what it means.
Gov. Newsom says to-go cocktails are here to stay. But there’s a catch. (SF Gate)
Busted: 3 dangerous social-media myths about COVID-19 vaccines

‘Don’t get played’: Some COVID-19 vaccine myths are outrageously false. Yet they spread like wildfire on social media and can play a role in persuading some people to hold off on getting a shot. More from the LA Times here.
Stanford study finds students can’t determine what’s fake on the internet: High school students demonstrated a near-total inability to detect fake news on the internet, researchers at the Stanford Graduate School of Education found in the largest study of its kind. More from EdSource on that here.
Planning a return to the office? Time to rethink your commute.
Planning a return to the office? Time to rethink your commute.

As offices re-open and traffic worsens, an innovative program called GO Santa Cruz offers a more sustainable way to...
Lab-leak origin claim in the news, but still fact-free
Analysis: The “lab leak hypothesis,” as it’s known to virologists, is experiencing a heyday. Long dismissed by many experts, it’s now being taken more seriously as one of two general possibilities for COVID-19’s origin, along with the theory that the virus reached humans through contact with animal hosts. The LA Times’ Michael Hiltzik examines this here.
Can California withstand a teacher retirement boom?

Will there be a looming problem here and elsewhere? California schools could be facing the largest number of teacher retirements ever, but factors like enrollment drops should take the sting out of it. More from CalMatters on that here.
➤ Do you know a retiring teacher in Santa Cruz County? Are you one of them? Lookout would like to know the story behind the retirements. Send us an email to news@lookoutlocal.com
UC Santa Cruz named No. 3 public university for ‘making an impact’
UC Santa Cruz named No. 3 public university for ‘making an impact’
More from here & elsewhere
➤ Millions Of Women Haven’t Rejoined The Workforce — And May Not Anytime Soon (NPR)
➤ Vaccinated Calif. workers may have to wear masks (ABC News)
➤ Millions set to lose jobless benefits as 25 states end federal programs early (ABC News)
➤ Right-wing pastor gets Covid after saying vaccines were part of ‘mass death campaign’ (NBC News)
➤ Dr. Anthony Fauci says publicly released email about lab leak is being misconstrued (CNN)
➤ Biden announces first 25 million vaccine doses going to India, others facing ‘surges’ (ABC News)
➤ This 70-year-old Bay Area burger chain spent $1M in advertising during the pandemic. And it worked. (SF Gate)
➤ Everything to know about catching a cold after not being sick for a year (SF Gate)
Tomorrow’s Friday — see you call then.
Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor