Community

When the new school year began in August, Noli Indian School welcomed two new teachers to its high school level staff. The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Reservation school serves 120 students in grades six through 12. The experienced teachers were getting used to the new campus while welcoming their students via distance learning.

The top U.S. public health agency said Monday that the coronavirus can spread more than 6 feet through the air, especially in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces. But agency officials maintained that such spread is uncommon and current social distancing guidelines still make sense.

In the Navajo Nation, called home by almost 200,000 Native Americans, the COVID-19 death rate is one of the highest in the United States. Residents and health workers there say that part of the reason has been inadequate healthcare resources and personnel stemming from years of U.S. government’s underfunding of the Indian Health Service, “the government program that provides health care to the 2.2 million members of the nation’s tribal communities,” writes Mark Walker for The New York Times.

Helen Reddy, who shot to stardom in the 1970s with her rousing feminist anthem “I Am Woman” and recorded a string of other hits, has died.

California is showing signs of a new surge of coronavirus cases, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday, warning of a potential third shutdown of businesses and more delays in school reopenings “if we're not vigilant.”