Updating . .   

COVID economy: California unemployment claims drop by big amount -- New California unemployment claims fell sharply last week and dropped below 100,000 for only the second time since government-ordered business shutdowns to combat the coronavirus began, the government reported Thursday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/21

Sex, travel, peace of mind. How life is changing for some of the fully vaccinated -- Dating during the pandemic is becoming less complicated and risky for attorney Shelley O’Connor. Luis Parocua Jr. is no longer awakened by COVID-19 nightmares, triggered by the devastation he saw at his former hospital job. Maura Dolan, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Winds again temporarily close mass vaccination site at Disneyland on Thursday -- A forecast for high winds on Thursday, Feb. 25, has prompted county officials to close for the day the mass vaccination site held in the Disneyland parking lot, Orange County Fifth District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett announced in a tweet. Heather McRea in the Orange County Register -- 2/25/21

Educators eligible for vaccine in San Bernardino, Ventura counties -- Educators in San Bernardino and Ventura Counties now qualify for the coronavirus vaccine. San Bernardino County announced Tuesday that teachers, school staff and licensed childcare providers who live or work in the county can sign up to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Jennifer Lu in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

COVID-19 vaccine websites violate disability laws, create inequity for the blind -- Many COVID vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine, a Kaiser Health News investigation has found. Lauren Weber, Hannah Recht in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Election  

Riverside County’s district attorney holds onto ballots in fight with elections officer -- Shortly before Thanksgiving, Riverside County’s registrar of voters received a post-election surprise: The local district attorney had custody of 91 ballots for weeks, and their review wouldn’t wrap up before certification of the Nov. 3 results. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Policy & Politics 

Ethics Commission staff were told to soften their advice on gifts, whistleblower says -- Three years ago, the head of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission gathered a group of staffers for a meeting to discuss city and state gift laws, which determine how much free food, entertainment and other gratuities a politician can legally accept. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Street  

14- and 15-year-olds can't be tried in adult court, California Supreme Court rules -- Fourteen- and 15-year-olds in California cannot be prosecuted in adult court, where they would face sentences of up to life in prison, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday, rejecting prosecutors’ challenge to a 2019 state law. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

California DOJ says it can’t deliver on police shooting reviews without more funds -- The state Department of Justice says it still doesn’t have enough money or agents to fulfill a new law requiring it to investigate deadly shootings by California cops. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/21

‘Caught off guard.’ Sacramento County delays plan for mental health strike teams -- A long-awaited plan to replace law enforcement with a team of counselors to address mental health calls in Sacramento County will be delayed for at least a month while officials discuss the plan with local law enforcement and consider expanding the pilot project. Michael Finch II in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/21

Sheriff’s Department reform in Antelope Valley has lagged for years, court monitors say -- Myesha Lopez does not know whether the L.A. County sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed her father last June is still patrolling Lancaster’s streets. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Black Lives Matter-L.A. launches campaign against law enforcement unions -- Organizers with Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles launched a campaign Wednesday targeting two of Southern California’s biggest police unions, saying they will push to have them ejected from the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and ultimately disbanded. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Environment  

Will California’s desert be transformed into Lithium Valley? -- On the edge of the Salton Sea, state officials and investors are seeking to turn brine into ‘white gold’ that can power electric cars. But will this help solve the Imperial Valley’s troubles — or add to them? Julie Cart CalMatters -- 2/25/21

KCRW  

Uproar at KCRW as former producer accuses public radio giant of ‘blatant racism’ -- The Santa Monica-based public radio station KCRW-FM (89.9) is under fire this week after a former news producer alleged that she experienced a pattern of racist behavior while working there. Randall Roberts, Daniel Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Wildfire  

Burning California to save it: Why one solution to raging wildfires can’t gain traction -- On a crisp, breezy February morning near Lake Tahoe, a crew of five firefighters descended on a snow-covered, heavily-forested park straddling the California-Nevada border. They came to start fires, not put them out. Dale Kasler and Nicole Blanchard in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/21

Also . . .   

A Santa Ana student’s father faced deportation. Her work to free him helped send her to Harvard -- Before Cielo Echegoyén got accepted there last fall, only three Santa Ana High School students ever had been admitted to Harvard University. Soudi Jiménez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Engine failure on a Boeing 777 plane this weekend turned out OK. Here’s why -- Some of the larger commercial jets fly with four engines, and they can continue with only three if needed. But even on two-engine commercial planes, each individual engine has enough thrust to continue flying the whole plane for long distances, according to aviation experts. Hugo MartÍn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

California Policy and P  olitics Thursday Morning  

The ‘nightmare scenario’ for California’s coronavirus strain: Here is what we know -- New research strongly suggests that the coronavirus strain now dominant in California not only spreads more readily than its predecessors, but also has the ability to evade antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines or prior infection. It’s also associated with more severe illness and death. Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

California tops 50,000 virus deaths, including 806 in L.A. -- Los Angeles County on Wednesday reported another 806 deaths from coronavirus during the winter surge, pushing California’s toll above 50,000, or about one-tenth of the U.S. total from the pandemic. Brian Melley Associated Press -- 2/25/21

Orange County reported no new deaths for second day, 325 new cases as of Feb. 24 -- For the second day in a row, the OC Health Care Agency reported no new deaths from the coronavirus. As of Wednesday, Feb. 24, the reported number of people in the county who have died from the virus remains at 3,848. Jeff Goertzen in the Orange County Register -- 2/25/21

LA County discovers 806 additional deaths missing in first record of winter surge -- The deaths that were missed until now came from the large number of fatalities that occurred in December and January as a result of the surge in infections, officials said. During those two months, more than 7,000 deaths occurred as a result of the coronavirus in L.A. County where a total of more than 20,000 people have now died. David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/25/21

West Covina City Council votes to quit L.A. County health department over COVID rules -- Alleging the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has failed its residents and harmed its businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the West Covina City Council in a split decision this week voted to begin the process of forming its own health department. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

How did Orange County spend federal and state coronavirus aid funds? -- Over about nine months of last year, Orange County spent more than $500 million in coronavirus aid money to address the need for COVID-19 testing, food assistance, grants to struggling small businesses, places for the homeless to quarantine, help to prevent or manage nursing home outbreaks, and preparations for county employees to work remotely. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 2/25/21

Vaccine  

3 Bay Area counties halt COVID vaccine supply to One Medical, saying it let people cut the line -- The company, One Medical, is no longer receiving vaccines from San Francisco, San Mateo or Alameda counties, and San Francisco health officials said Wednesday they have directed One Medical to return more than 1,600 doses. Susie Neilson, Meghan Bobrowsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/21

San Diego to offer COVID-19 vaccines to police, teachers, farm workers and others starting Saturday -- Vaccine doses will be prioritized to school staff in districts that are open or plan to open. Within those districts, schools in zip codes hardest hit by the pandemic will be first in line. Jonathan Wosen, Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/25/21

LA County unveils plan to vaccinate teachers, other essential workers, starting March 1 -- Teachers in Los Angeles County can begin receiving the coronavirus vaccine on Monday, March 1 — but just how many doses will be available for educators will depend on supply, which is still just an estimate. David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 2/25/21

Hero Pay  

Irvine finalizes ‘hero pay’ for grocery workers -- It makes Irvine the first Orange County city to adopt a pay-boosting measure that cities including Long Beach, Los Angeles, Montebello, West Hollywood and several Bay Area communities have also put in place. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 2/25/21

L.A. City Council approves ‘hero pay’ wage boost for grocery workers -- The L.A. City Council voted 14 to 1 to require larger grocery stores and drugstores to boost the pay of their workers by $5 an hour for the next 120 days. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Reopen  

Indoor dining, movies and museums could open at reduced capacity in San Francisco next week -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Wednesday she expects the city to enter the less restrictive red tier next week — meaning restaurants, movies and other businesses could open with limits — and exit purple, the most restrictive of California’s four-tier system for reopening the economy. Michael Williams, Aidin Vaziri, Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/21

School  

North County parents sue state to overturn school reopening rules -- Parents from five North County districts — Carlsbad Unified, San Dieguito Union High, Poway Unified, Oceanside Unified and San Marcos Unified — are trying to overturn state rules issued last month that are preventing some districts from reopening their middle and high schools until San Diego County gets out of the most-restrictive, purple tier. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/25/21

Oakley school trustees will discuss replacements on Thursday -- A week after the entire Oakley Union Elementary School board resigned after making disparaging remarks during a virtual meeting, county officials who have temporarily filled the vacant seats are deciding how to replace them. Judith Prieve in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/21

Why some school districts are open for in-person instruction but in some cases, neighboring ones aren’t -- Agrowing number of school districts in California are moving toward reopening campuses, but the process has been complicated, in some cases resulting in districts near each other operating on vastly different reopening schedules. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 2/25/21

School Sports  

Despite improved coronavirus numbers, San Francisco prep sports teams remain sidelined -- Reaction to the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s tough stance on the return of youth and high school sports has been mixed as officials continue to huddle behind the scenes. Mitch Stephens in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/21

Staying Afloat  

How To Apply For Sacramento’s $96-Million Rental Assistance Fund -- With the ever-present fear of mass evictions looming for families financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the city and county of Sacramento are making available roughly $96 million in assistance to help residents pay past-due rent and utility bills. Kris Hooks Capital Public Radio Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/21

Policy & Politics 

A Recall for Newsom in California? Talk Grows as Governors Come Under Attack -- Long before Orrin Heatlie filed papers to recall Gavin Newsom, he knew the odds were against unseating the suave ex-mayor of San Francisco who ascended to become California’s governor. Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 2/25/21

Newsom, lawmakers agree to pay pro-Biden firm for California voter education contract -- California officials have agreed to pay the balance on a $35-million contract for voter outreach due last fall, after months of wrangling over the payment details and Republican criticism of the company that did the work for its close ties to President Biden. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

California’s unemployment crisis, explained -- From days-long waits on hold to months of missing payments, California’s Employment Development Department and its private contractors have come under fire for a wide range of problems while paying out $122 billion in unemployment benefits since last March. Lauren Hepler CalMatters -- 2/25/21

California GOP candidates say they would preserve teachers union rights on reopening -- Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and 2018 GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox are campaigning ahead of a potential Newsom recall election that could occur this year. Mackenzie Mays Politico -- 2/25/21

Becerra confirmation as Health secretary looking likely after smooth hearings -- California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra appeared headed toward confirmation as the nation’s first Latino secretary of Health and Human Services after a pivotal hearing passed Wednesday with few fireworks and no serious blows inflicted by Republicans hoping to derail him. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Tiger  

Bone breaking skin and possible infection are big issues in Tiger Woods’ comeback -- More will be revealed on the condition of Tiger Woods in the coming days and weeks, including his quality of life moving forward, let alone the lesser question of whether he might at some point be able to resume his golf career in the wake of a catastrophic rollover car accident. Sam Farmer, Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Tiger Woods accident sparks new drive to improve safety on road known for dangers -- There is a new push to examine safety issues on Hawthorne Boulevard on the Palos Verdes Peninsula after Tiger Woods was seriously hurt in a rollover crash Tuesday. Hayley Smith, Richard Winton, Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Street  

Mayor Breed, S.F. police and DA Boudin unveil new public safety push in wake of recent violence -- Following intense scrutiny of two fatal crashes and a spate of recent shootings, Mayor London Breed and San Francisco’s law enforcement agencies said Wednesday they’ll improve communication about repeat offenders and gun violence. Trisha Thadani, Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/21

Supreme Court considers giving police greater powers when pursuing suspects -- Only seconds elapsed between a California Highway Patrol officer turning on his blue lights to signal for Arthur Lange to pull over and Lange instead making the turn into his driveway and then his garage. Robert Barnes in the Washington Post$ David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Fourth harassment claim filed against OC district attorney and purported ‘best friend’ -- A fourth sexual harassment claim has been filed against a retired high-level prosecutor in Orange County, alleging that District Attorney Todd Spitzer witnessed the misbehavior but protected and even promoted the offender. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 2/25/21

Santa Ana cop admits taking $128,000 in bribes to protect illegal businesses in city -- Officer Steven Lopez, 29, admitted he took the money from an unnamed crime figure in return for a promise to keep law enforcement officers from inspecting, searching or shutting down the businesses. The man who made the payoffs was seeking protection for Vietnamese gambling operations, according to a person familiar with the matter. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/21

Education 

California moves ahead to pursue flexibility waivers for standardized tests this year -- The State Board of Education in California voted unanimously to prepare to apply for more flexible standardized testing options this year as nearly 80% of students across the state continue with distance learning. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 2/25/21

Border    

Asylum seekers desperate for help set up camp outside Tijuana port of entry -- As of Wednesday morning, there were more than 50 tents pitched in the Chaparral Plaza, where the western pedestrian crossing of the port of entry connects with San Diego’s southern neighbor. Kate Morrissey in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/25/21

Housing  

Berkeley to end single-family residential zoning, citing racist ties -- The same city that was the birthplace of single-family zoning in the early 1900s has now voted to eliminate it by December 2022. Angela Ruggiero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/21

POTUS 46  

Biden aims to distribute masks to millions in ‘equity’ push -- President Joe Biden plans to distribute millions of face masks to Americans in communities hard-hit by the coronavirus beginning next month as part of his efforts to ensure “equity” in the government’s response to the pandemic. Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville Associated Press -- 2/25/21