Updating . .   

Mutant coronavirus variants are a growing threat. Vaccinations, mask wearing are essential -- While emerging coronavirus variants remain a threat, health experts said they are hopeful that rising vaccination rates and continued wearing of masks can blunt the potential new waves. Rong-Gong Lin II, Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

‘Tremendous heartbreak’: L.A. Latinos still dying at high rates, even as COVID-19 eases -- Even as the daily toll of COVID-19 deaths declines, Latino residents of Los Angeles County are still dying at three times the rate of white residents, according to data released Wednesday. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

Your place in the COVID-19 vaccine line depends on where you live -- When the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out in the United States, the choice of who should receive them was fairly obvious — and widely accepted. Soumya Karlamangla, Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

Real or fake? Forged documents add another headache to COVID-19 vaccine rollout -- When Christine Yano got in line at the COVID-19 vaccination site at the Forum earlier this month, she came armed with proof of her eligibility. Though only 33 years old, Yano qualified because she is the mother of 15-month-old triplets with chronic lung disease. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

All grade levels at Livermore schools to return to in-person classes next month -- Students in all grade levels at the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District will be able to return to in-person classes next month to the relief of many parents who have pushed for that to happen. Angela Ruggiero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

California is offering stimulus checks to undocumented households. Here’s how to qualify -- In order to provide relief to immigrant communities financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic, California is making available stimulus checks to those who file taxes with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, also known as ITINs. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/21

Californians speak more than 200 languages. Not everybody gets the COVID facts they need -- Ivy Zhou, a single mother of two children who speaks limited English, struggled to find COVID-related information in her native language after she was furloughed last March. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/21

California Northstate halts 400-bed Elk Grove hospital project to ‘consider all options’ -- California Northstate University halted its plans to build a medical center on the west side of Elk Grove this week — only days after the project was rejected by the city’s planning commission. Michael Finch II in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/21

Policy & Politics 

Fact check: Is the French Laundry lobbyist swaying Newsom’s stance on a proposed water plant? -- An ad running in Sacramento media funded by an environmental group starts with a provocative question about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s now infamous attendance at a party held at a swanky restaurant. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/21

Garcetti denies witnessing any improper behavior by former aide Rick Jacobs -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has denied allegations that he witnessed his onetime political aide Rick Jacobs inappropriately touch the mayor’s longtime bodyguard, and denied that he heard Jacobs talk explicitly about sex, saying such behavior would be “completely out of character” for Jacobs. Dakota Smith, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

COVID stimulus: GOP ridicules money for ‘Nancy Pelosi’s subway’ -- The long-awaited project extending BART service through downtown San Jose is being roped into the battle over the $1.9 trillion COVID stimulus package in Washington. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

Author of radical California bill requiring direct payments to players: ‘The goal is to compensate the athletes for their work’ -- If AB-609 were to become law, it would transform college sports in the state, and the Pac-12. Jon Wilner in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

Street  

LAPD probes whether violent heist of Lady Gaga’s dogs was targeted attack -- A violent Hollywood street heist of two French bulldogs attracted international intrigue Thursday after it was revealed the two purebreds belonged to global megastar Lady Gaga, with fans and the Los Angeles police wondering if the animals were targeted because of their doting owner’s deep pockets. Kevin Rector, Christi Carras, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

Develop  

A's plan to build a new waterfront stadium at Oakland's Jack London Square takes big step forward -- Oakland released a key environmental document Friday for the A’s proposed baseball stadium at Howard Terminal in Jack London Square — a big step in the multi-year effort to build a 35,000-seat waterfront ballpark, 3,000 units of housing, 1.5 million square feet of offices and 270,000 square feet of retail space. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/21

Quake Fault  

Danger posed by earthquake fault will lead to tighter San Diego building restrictions -- It will soon become harder to develop many properties in San Diego due to growing evidence that the Rose Canyon earthquake fault, which runs beneath the city, is larger and more active than scientists once thought. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/26/21

Also . . .   

Arellano: A community garden hopes its cash crop is a hot sauce called Los Angeles -- For nearly all of its 20 years, La Madera Community Garden in El Monte functioned like the vast majority of similar spaces in Southern California. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

Will anyone pay $75 to visit Disney California Adventure with no rides open? You bet -- Here is one thing the pandemic has not changed: No one ever lost a buck overestimating the devotion of Disney Park fans. Mary McNamara in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

Driver used realistic mannequin to sneak into carpool lane, CHP says -- He had wrinkles on his face, horn-rimmed glasses perched on his nose and wisps of gray hair poking out from underneath his Cleveland Indians baseball cap. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

California Policy and P  olitics Friday Morning  

California pushing teachers to front of vaccine line as supply increases -- California will release about 75,000 vaccine doses every week for counties to administer to teachers and other education workers, under a plan announced by the governor’s office Thursday that further prioritizes educators to quickly get schools reopened. Aidin Vaziri, Michael Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Janie Har and Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press MacKenzie Mays Politico Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 2/26/21

Oakland public schools could reopen in weeks: 'Students are really suffering' -- Oakland students could start heading back to classrooms within weeks, with district officials informing parents this week that it’s critical to reopen schools, starting with the youngest children and most at-risk students across all grades. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

The largest school district in the Sacramento region is returning to campus -- The Elk Grove Unified School District, the largest public school district in Northern California, has set several target dates to bring its more than 60,000 students back into classrooms in March and April. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/21

Urban school parents start speaking out for reopening -- On Thursday, Crescenciano joined other San Jose public school parents, doctors from a community health clinic and Mayor Sam Liccardo in urging schools to find a way to reopen more quickly. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

Most California parents worry about their young children's education amid pandemic -- Almost three out of four California parents with children 5 and under are worried their education and development will suffer because of the pandemic, according to a survey released Thursday. Karen D'Souza EdSource -- 2/26/21

Dedicated dose supply gives UC workers a vaccination advantage -- Essential workers at UC San Diego are not waiting in the same vaccination lines as their off-campus peers, university officials confirmed this week. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/26/21

Kaiser opens to 65-plus; California hits 8 million shots -- California is continuing to get back on track in its campaign to mass vaccinate against COVID-19 after weather-related supply issues across the U.S. dealt a setback last week. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/21

L.A. County COVID-19 hospitalizations hit three-month low while MIS-C cases climb -- COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County are at their lowest point since Thanksgiving, authorities said Thursday. Hayley Smith, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

Do coronavirus tests work on variants? -- Most tests used to diagnose coronavirus infections are able to detect all currently circulating forms of the virus, including variants that have developed concerning mutations. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/21

California Ends Coronavirus Testing Contract With Verily -- The state of California has ended its coronavirus testing contract with Verily. The life sciences company, based in South San Francisco, is a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. Polly Stryker KQED Rachel Lerman in the Washington Post$ -- 2/26/21

I’m fully vaccinated. Can I hug a friend? Eat indoors? See a movie? Here are answers -- With about 5% of Americans having received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, many are wondering: What activities are safe? Some experts weigh in. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

COVID-19 vaccine tiers may disappear as supply chain ramps up, Garcetti says -- After setbacks and shipment delays tied to winter weather, the supply of COVID-19 vaccines in Los Angeles is ramping up again, officials said. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

Valley ag, advocacy groups tell Newsom that vaccines for farm labor a ‘moral imperative’ -- A wide-ranging coalition of community, farm and advocacy organizations in Fresno and across the central San Joaquin Valley is urging California Gov. Gavin Newsom to prioritize COVID-19 vaccines for agricultural workers. Tim Sheehan in the Merced Sun Star -- 2/26/21

Reopening  

Santa Clara County relaxes health directives -- Officials on Thursday said they are loosening restrictions on outdoor activities, including youth sports, and when the county is moved to the state’s Red Tier, possibly as soon as Wednesday, indoor gatherings and indoor dining will be allowed again. Jason Green, Laurence Miedema in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

Judge Denies Request To Reopen In Lawsuit Brought By 25 Gyms -- A federal judge Thursday denied a request from 25 San Diego County gyms and fitness centers who sued the state and county to resume indoor operations amid COVID-19 restrictions. KPBS -- 2/26/21

Three Cinemark theaters to reopen in the Bay Area this weekend -- Three movie theaters are scheduled to reopen to the public Friday in Bay Area counties that are now in the red tier for coronavirus restrictions. Cinemark announced Feb. 26 openings for its theaters in downtown Redwood City, at Tanforan mall in San Bruno and at Northgate mall in San Rafael. The item is in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

Anti-Asian Violence  

‘Nobody came, nobody helped’: Fears of anti-Asian violence rattle the community -- They gather almost every night at San Francisco’s Dragon Gate, the ornately decorated entrance to the nation’s oldest Chinatown. Armed with only whistles and pamphlets, the volunteer neighborhood patrol roams the streets, checking out ATMs and mom-and-pop shops in areas where Asian residents have experienced attacks that have left this neighborhood on edge. Marian Liu, Rachel Hatzipanagos in the Washington Post$ -- 2/26/21

Bay Area Asian residents say hostility against them isn’t new — or going away -- It began with Kelly Yang’s three children, who started fielding questions about whether they had COVID-19 because they’re Chinese. Coronavirus tag ensued, and her son was somehow always “it.” Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/21

Policy & Politics 

California to spend up to $28 million to help asylum seekers who can again enter U.S. -- In a memo Thursday, the state Department of Finance said it would make the money available to pay for hotels where migrants entering through the San Ysidro port of entry near San Diego will quarantine for seven to 10 days upon arrival to protect against spread of the coronavirus. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/21

Amendment would ban ‘servitude’ by California prison inmates -- California relies on thousands of inmates to fight massive wildfires, churn out vehicle license plates, mop prison floors and myriad other tasks — all for wages that rarely top a few dollars a day. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 2/26/21

BART, Muni, Caltrain would be big winners in Democrats' COVID stimulus bill -- Congressional Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill includes money for transit agencies reeling from lost revenue, and that could mean a major boost for BART, Muni and Caltrain. Tal Kopan, Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/21

California congressman’s bill seeks to keep white supremacists out of military -- Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-San Bernardino, has introduced a bill with seven recommendations to prevent white nationalists from infiltrating the U.S. military — something a new Pentagon report says is already happening and is a continued threat. Ryan Hagen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

Capitol Siege  

Riverside man arrested in Capitol riot after employer identifies him in news photo -- Andrew Alan Hernandez, 44, was shouting and carrying an American flag at the moment when Capitol security video captured him and fellow rioters violently pushing their way into the building, according to an FBI statement. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian Rokos in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 2/26/21

Covid Workplace  

Hotel workers allege luxury Santa Monica hotel violates COVID-19 safety rules -- Housekeeping workers at a luxury Santa Monica hotel filed a complaint Thursday with the California agency responsible for enforcing workplace health and safety protections, underscoring the continued challenge for businesses, workers and officials in tamping down the spread of COVID-19 on the job. Suhauna Hussain, Hugo MartÍn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

Court upholds California’s COVID-19 workplace rules requiring testing, sick pay -- Saying the state has wide authority to create rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a San Francisco Superior Court judge on Thursday upheld California’s COVID-19 emergency workplace regulations in place. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/21

Business Recovery   

Why Six Flags isn’t worried about losing nearly 4 million members and passholders in 2020 -- Six Flags officials aren’t concerned about losing half their passholders and members because they expect their most loyal fans to return when the pandemic subsides. Brady MacDonald in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

Street  

SF Mayor Breed Unveils Plan for Reinvesting $120 Million From Police Into Black Communities -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Thursday announced a plan for how the city will spend $120 million over the next two years, pulled from law enforcement budgets, to reinvest in the city's long-underserved Black communities. Matthew Green KQED -- 2/26/21

Sacramento County Proposes Taking Some Emergency Calls Away From Law Enforcement -- The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is considering taking some emergency calls away from armed law enforcement officers. The tricky questions are: exactly which calls are better solved with social workers and how big to begin this pilot program. Ed Fletcher Capital Public Radio -- 2/26/21

Sacramento sheriff sued over shooting death of man carrying Airsoft pistol -- The wife of a man shot in Herald in October 2019 after allegedly reaching toward a replica handgun in his waistband filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court Thursday against the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the unnamed deputy who shot him. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/21

Education 

Despite concerns over increasing student stress, standardized testing to go on with some limits -- Despite deep concerns over elevating student stress just as children are returning to school, standardized testing will take place this spring for about 4.3 million California students. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

CSU will keep tuition flat for 2021-22 -- On the heels of declaring a plan to return to in-person classes on CSU campuses, new chancellor Joseph Castro announced at the bimonthly CSU Board of Trustees meeting in January that the CSU system won’t raise tuition for 2021-22. Greg Mellen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

California education official who authored articles espousing conspiracy theories put on paid leave -- An administrator at the California Department of Education was put on paid leave Thursday while department officials investigate allegations that he authored books and articles about conspiracy theories and used anti-Semitic rhetoric. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 2/26/21

Homeless  

Mexican cultural center faces off with city of Santa Ana over homeless encampment -- A Mexican cultural center in Santa Ana is butting heads with the city over a homeless encampment in its parking lots. Ben Brazil in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/21

'A Beacon of Light': Unhoused Youth Move Into Oakland's New Tiny House Village -- The tiny house is part of a new village of tiny homes for unhoused youth that welcomed Sandobal and 10 other residents on Feb. 19. The village will eventually house a total of 22 young residents from Oakland and Berkeley who are experiencing homelessness. MJ Johnson KQED -- 2/26/21

Housing  

Community of new single-family homes to be built on San Jose school district property -- An underutilized property owned by San Jose’s Cambrian School District will soon be transformed into a site for new community with state-of-the-art single-family homes and accompanying granny units. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

Sacramento Could Be One Of First Cities To Reform Single-Family Home Zoning -- For years, California state lawmakers have pushed ideas that would allow developers to build small apartment buildings, duplexes and triplexes in neighborhoods zoned almost exclusively for single family homes. Chris Nichols Capital Public Radio -- 2/26/21

Guns 

9th Circuit eyes California ban on high-capacity magazines -- A federal appeals court said Thursday that it will reconsider a three-judge court’s split ruling last year throwing out California’s ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, a decision with potential impact in other states. Don Thompson Associated Press Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/26/21

Environment   

Air board tells San Joaquin Valley growers to phase out burns by 2025 -- Valley residents have waited more than a decade for the end of burns at vineyards and groves that spew smoke. Several board members pushed for quicker action, but the board voted to grant four more years. Rachel Becker CalMatters -- 2/26/21

Lawsuit looks to block dismantlement of San Onofre nuclear plant -- An advocacy group based in Del Mar is taking the California Coastal Commission to court, looking to stop the dismantlement work underway at the now-shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/26/21

Tiger

Tiger Woods transferred to LA hospital after surgery -- Harbor-UCLA Medical Center said Woods was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for “continuing orthopedic care and recovery.” The hospital didn’t provide any other details, saying it was respecting patient confidentiality. Associated Press -- 2/26/21

Also . . .   

Lady Gaga’s dog walker shot, French bulldogs stolen in LA -- Lady Gaga’s dog walker was shot and two of the singer’s French bulldogs were stolen in Hollywood during an armed robbery, police said. The singer is offering a $500,000 reward. Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 2/26/21

The same coyote has bitten 5 people since July in the Moraga and Lafayette areas: 'It came quietly from behind and pounced' -- Callie doesn’t feel comfortable going outside. The 3-year-old hovers close to her mother and ventures out into her family’s small front courtyard, but only if the metal gate is locked. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/21

Highway 1 washout near Big Sur expected to be fixed by summer -- Caltrans is estimating it can reopen Highway 1 — and reconnect Southern California with Big Sur and points beyond — by early summer. The highway closed Jan. 28 after a 150-foot section at Rat Creek was washed out by heavy rains that caused debris flow at the creek in Monterey County. Christopher Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/21

POTUS 46  

Capitol Police chief says extremists have discussed attack on Congress during Biden’s first joint address -- The acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police warned lawmakers Thursday that militia members involved in the Jan. 6 riot “want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible” during President Biden’s first congressional address. Karoun Demirjian in the Washington Post$ Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/21