• U.S. District Judge William Alsup questioned a PG&E troubleshooter for over two hours on Monday about the beginnings of the Dixie Fire. The worker, known as a troubleman, was the first to observe the fire, and he said he tried to extinguish it himself with two small fire extinguishers. [Associated Press]
• QAnon believers have glommed on to the California recall, and many are chattering about it being rigged. Candidate Larry Elder has ramped up his own rhetoric about election fraud as polls have flipped in Newsom's favor. [SFGate]
• The city of Pleasanton ended its outdoor dining program, called Weekend on Main, as of Labor Day, reopening a two-thirds-of-a-mile stretch of Main Street back up to cars. Restaurants with sidewalk seating and parklets are allowed to keep those setups through the end of the year. [Bay Area News Group]
• An inmate was found dead in his cell at the Marin County Jail on Monday night. [CBS SF]
• Human skeletal remains were found in a remote part of the Point Reyes National Seashore, away from any trails, and they are being investigated. [Bay Area News Group]
• There is a chance some parts of the North Bay might see some rain this weekend. [Chronicle]
• Dr. Fauci now says he would support a vaccine mandate for all air travel. [ABC News]
• A Southern California couple, Daniel and Davy Macias, both unvaccinated, both died of COVID-19 within weeks of each other, leaving behind five young children including a newborn. [CNN]
• The San Francisco Giants became the first team in the major leagues to clinch a playoff berth on Monday with a 9-1 win over the Padres. [Chronicle]
• Despite the many obstacles to getting an accurate count, the 2020 Census has received a vote of confidence in its over all state and national count numbers from a panel of eminent statisticians. [New York Times]

Photo: Alexis Marts