Updating . .   

Months before George Floyd, Angel Hernandez died at a downtown train station with a knee to his neck, too -- The similarities between the two cases are striking, as is one difference: no charges were filed in Hernandez’s death at the hands of MTS security. Greg Moran, David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/25/21

Vaccine  

California and Texas took different routes to vaccination. Who's ahead? -- California and Texas, the country’s two most populous states, have taken radically different approaches to the pandemic and the vaccination campaign to end it. Anna Almendrala and Sandy West in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/21

The vaccinated and unvaccinated are mingling, creating a tricky new social landscape -- For Passover last month, Melissa Bondy invited eight people to her home in Menlo Park, and they sat at a table outside for seder, everyone in good spirits and happy to be together. Erin Allday, Meghan Bobrowsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/25/21

Bay Area health officials say providers can resume administering Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- Bay Area health officials will resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed on Friday that its benefits outweigh the risk of rare blood clots linked to the vaccine. Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/25/21

Will lessons learned from this pandemic soften the blow during the next one? -- When the next pandemic hits — and sorry, yes, there will be a next pandemic — what wisdom will we have gleaned from the drama and trauma of COVID-19? Teri Sforza in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/25/21

Policy & Politics 

Newsom may have to decide whether to sanction heroin injection sites -- California could become the first place in the nation where people can inject illicit drugs under medical supervision, pushing legal and ethical boundaries amid an alarming spike in overdose deaths. Victoria Colliver Politico -- 4/25/21

Bass questions whether California Republicans would vote for trans candidate -- Rep. Karen Bass on Sunday criticized the effort to recall Gavin Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, questioning whether Republicans in the state would vote for a transgender candidate given that their party has advanced anti-trans legislation in various state legislatures. Jesse Naranjo Politico -- 4/25/21

Hate Crime  

Doris Matsui was born in an internment camp. At 76, here’s what she wants done about hate crimes -- For most of her life, Doris Matsui didn’t talk much publicly about growing up in a Japanese-American family that was relocated to an internment camp during World War II. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/25/21

Skid Row  

Judge’s order drags Garcetti into center of legal battle over skid row -- It was supposed to be a banner week for Mayor Eric Garcetti. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/21

Judicial overreach? Some say judge went too far in ordering L.A. to clear skid row -- The city and county of Los Angeles may have a strong case as they seek to overturn a sweeping federal judicial order requiring them to offer shelter to everyone on skid row, legal analysts who have followed the case say. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/21

Jail Death  

San Diego Democrats request independent audit of deaths in county jails -- A six-month investigation by The San Diego Union-Tribune published in 2019 found that the 10-year jail-mortality rate was up to twice as high as that in other urban counties, and suicides occurred at a rate up to five times higher. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/25/21

Develop  

San Diego Downtown is being flooded with fancy, new office buildings. So who will fill them? -- After a 20-year quiet period, downtown office building is booming with developers banking on tech and biotech firms coming to town — even while vacancy rates are skyrocketing. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/25/21

Road Repair  

Neighborhood equity, climate resilience will become main criteria for prioritizing San Diego road repairs -- San Diego’s formula for deciding which crumbling streets get repaired first is about to change significantly, with neighborhood equity and climate resiliency becoming the main factors. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/25/21

Also . . .   

Armenian American activists welcome U.S. recognition of genocide but say fight isn’t over -- Sophia Armen spent Friday night refreshing Twitter and Google, waiting to see when the alert would pop up announcing that President Biden had officially recognized the Armenian genocide. There was little sleep. Sarah Parvini, Melissa Gomez, Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/21

Child homicides by caregivers down in LA County, but remain serious problem, report shows -- District Attorney George Gascón paid solemn homage Friday to three young children allegedly killed by their mother earlier this month in Reseda even as he unveiled a new report showing a 73% decrease in child homicides by caretakers in Los Angeles County over three decades. Scott Schwebke in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/25/21

California Policy and P  olitics Sunday Morning  

Anyone 16 and older living in L.A. can get the COVID-19 vaccine this weekend, while supplies last -- The move came as the county also lifted suspension of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration concluded it was safe and effective. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/21

J&J vaccine OKd for use in California, 3 neighboring states after 11-day pause -- Shots of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine can resume in California, officials said Saturday, allowing Bay Area counties to begin administering the shots for the first time in nearly two weeks. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/21

Here’s what LA County is doing about the vaccine hesitant -- While the county has made great strides so far in vaccinating workers and residents, there is a recognition that getting the second half of adults inoculated will not be as easy. David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/24/21

Thousands of dollars being spent on fireworks for July 4th in OC -- As the spread of the coronavirus slows again and more people are vaccinated, some Orange County cities are looking ahead to the Fourth of July and making plans for what they hope will be a return to something closer to “normal.” Erika I. Ritchie in the Orange County Register -- 4/24/21

Policy & Politics 

A churning Golden State on the eve of new population numbers -- As the U.S. Census Bureau prepares to release its first batch of population data next week, California is bracing for the first time to lose one of its 53 congressional seats. The data will probably show that California’s population grew 6.5 percent over the last decade, slightly below the national average. Scott Wilson in the Washington Post$ -- 4/24/21

Walters: As drought hits California, long-term issues loom -- By the time this column is published, Northern California may be receiving some much-needed rain, and possibly some snow. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/25/21

Rusty Hicks re-elected to lead California Democratic Party -- Former union leader Rusty Hicks was re-elected Saturday to lead the California Democratic Party, defeating former state schools Superintendent Delaine Eastin. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/21

Is Caitlyn Jenner the next Arnold Schwarzenegger? Even some in GOP skeptical -- Republicans have a history of turning celebrities into politicians — Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sonny Bono (congressman from Palm Springs) and Clint Eastwood (mayor of Carmel) among them. Does Caitlyn Jenner have the same potential? Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/21

Biden, Newsom recognize Armenian genocide -- The anguish of more than a century was mixed with relief in the local Armenian community following President Joe Biden’s announcement Saturday that America formally recognizes as genocide the deaths of 1.5 million of their ancestors. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/21

Temecula councilmember compares fight against coronavirus mask rules to Rosa Parks’ struggle -- A Temecula councilmember is facing a backlash after comparing the refusal to wear a mask to prevent the coronavirus to civil rights hero Rosa Parks’ fight against racial segregation. Critics said Jessica Alexander’s comments, including “I’m getting pushed to the back of the bus,” were insensitive and historically ignorant. Jeff Horseman, Allyson Escobar in the Riverside Press Enterprise$ -- 4/24/21

Taxes  

Proposition 19 unleashes wave of Marin property transfers -- The passage of Proposition 19 in November has set off an avalanche of Marin residents transferring their estates to their heirs. Critics of the initiative say the transfers illustrate why its implementation should be rolled back, either temporarily or permanently. Richard Halstead in the Marin Independent Journal -- 4/24/21

Street  

Los Angeles police fatally shoot man wearing body armor during bizarre confrontation in Hollywood area -- Officers were responding to a call with their siren and patrol lights on about 2:30 p.m. on Sunset Boulevard near Fairfax Avenue when the suspect pulled his car in front of them, “stopped suddenly & reversed into the police car,” the LAPD tweeted Saturday night. Carlos Lozano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/24/21

Fresno settles lawsuit in police killing of unarmed teen. Second settlement this month -- The city of Fresno has reached a $4.9 million tentative settlement with the family of an unarmed teenager killed when an officer shot him in the back of the head, Councilmember Miguel Arias said Saturday. Thaddeus Miller in the Fresno Bee -- 4/24/21

Homeless  

An Oakland homeless encampment has a health clinic, pizza oven and free store. But it could get torn down -- Deep in West Oakland’s Wood Street homeless encampment, beyond acres of burnt-out cars and heaps of rubbish, an unlikely village center has sprung up over the last few months. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/21

The pandemic is making it even harder to be young and homeless -- From the ages of 23 to 26, Greg Ritzinger mostly lived out of his car in San Francisco. Struggling with substance abuse and estranged from his family, Ritzinger tried to save up enough money to stay at a motel once a week. Shwanika Narayan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/21

Water  

‘There’s just no water to waste:’ Sonoma and Mendocino counties brace for renewed restrictions as drought deepens -- With the region’s reservoirs at record lows for this time of year, local governments and water managers are gearing up to ration dwindling supplies. Their message to customers: Don’t wait; conserve water now. Mary Callahan in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat -- 4/24/21

Fire  

Resilient redwood forest a beacon of hope for California -- Eight months after a lightning siege ignited more than 650 wildfires in Northern California, the state’s oldest park — which was almost entirely ablaze — is doing what nature does best: recovering. Martha Mendoza Associated Press -- 4/24/21

Climate  

Confronting a shifting climate, how will California grow? -- It has for centuries, flames sweeping over the oak-covered hillsides, lighting up grasslands studded with ancient basaltic rock. Now the valley, remote and groomed only by vineyards, is a test for how California will grow its economy and inadequate housing supply in the age of the year-round wildfire. Scott Wilson in the Washington Post$ -- 4/25/21

How Biden’s new U.S. climate target compares with those of California and world -- For years, California has been more ambitious than the United States in fighting climate change. But now that President Biden has proposed slashing the nation’s planet-warming emissions in half by 2030, the roles seem to have flipped. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/25/21

Also . . .   

Grocery shoppers will soon see a new label: upcycled food, an attempt to reduce food waste -- For food, the seal — a simple design of black text with a green leaf — will mark items made with ingredients that otherwise would have gone to waste and have a positive impact on the environment. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/21

North Bay animal activist remembered as 'trailblazer who liked being arrested' -- A man may be dog’s best friend, but dogs would be hard-pressed to find a better friend than Elliot Katz. That goes for most other members of the animal kingdom. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/24/21

Elon Musk to Host ‘Saturday Night Live’ -- There have been some unexpected “Saturday Night Live” hosts over the years. Dave Itzkoff in the New York Times$ -- 4/24/21

Clayton Schenkelberg, who was believed to be the oldest Pearl Harbor survivor, dies at 103 -- Born a year before the Spanish flu swept the country, his final year included a run-in with the current pandemic, COVID-19. He caught it but didn’t get sick, family members said. In between, he experienced one of the most fateful days in modern U.S. history, the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor that led to the United States’ involvement in World War II. John Wilkens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$