Updating . .   

Gov. Gavin Newsom to face recall election as Republican-led effort hits signature goal -- Propelled by growing voter frustration over California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Republican-led drive to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office collected enough voter signatures to qualify for the ballot, state officials reported Monday, triggering for only the second time in the state’s history a rapid-fire campaign to decide whether to oust a sitting governor. Phil Willon, Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ John Woolfolk, Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/21

The exact date of the Newsom recall election is still unclear. Here’s why -- Critics of Gov. Gavin Newsom are celebrating the announcement that more than enough valid voter signatures have been submitted to trigger a special election in which he could be removed from office. But there’s no certainty on when the recall election will be held, leaving the governor’s supporters and opponents alike in limbo. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

California losing congressional seat for first time -- California, for decades a symbol of boundless growth and opportunity that attracted people from across the country and abroad, has seen its population growth stall and is losing a U.S. House seat for the first time in its 170-year history. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/21

Judge hits pause on request for L.A. to immediately put up $1 billion for homelessness -- A federal judge overseeing a lawsuit over homelessness in Los Angeles says in a new court order that he will give the city 60 days to detail how its planned $1 billion in funding for homelessness will be spent. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

Water  

Wells dry up, crops imperiled, farm workers in limbo as California drought grips San Joaquin Valley -- Renowned for its bounty of dairies, row crops, grapes, almonds, pistachios and fruit trees, this agricultural heartland is still reeling from the effects of the last punishing drought, which left the region geologically depressed and mentally traumatized. Louis Sahagún in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

Major Bay Area water district on brink of declaring stage 1 drought -- After two exceptionally dry California winters, the East Bay Municipal Utility District is on the brink of declaring a stage 1 drought and asking customers to establish a district-wide voluntary water use reduction of 10 percent. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/26/21

Virus  

Bay Area man hospitalized with J&J vaccine clots: Not just a women’s problem? -- The rare blood clots seen after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine might not only be a women’s problem. UC San Francisco is reporting that a Bay Area man in his 30s developed this unusual syndrome – called vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia – after being inoculated with the J&J vaccine on April 8. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

California unpauses J&J, but counties await informational materials -- State health officials over the weekend cleared providers in California to resume giving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, as the state approaches half of its total population at least partially vaccinated against the coronavirus. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/21

‘Long haul’ COVID-19 sufferers take a page from AIDS/HIV activism to be heard -- Early in the pandemic, Fiona Lowenstein knew that the full story of COVID-19 was not being told. Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

Next phase of California’s COVID-19 battle: Vaccinating children, preventing new outbreaks -- California continues to see dramatic progress in the fight against COVID-19, with very low recorded infection rates and vaccine distribution continuing to move forward. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

COVID-19 vaccination site at Disneyland to close Friday as theme park reopens -- More than three months — and over 200,000 shots — later, the mass vaccination site at Disneyland Resort is set to close Friday, just as the Anaheim theme park reopens for visitors. Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

Pandemic baby bust unprecedented in Bay Area, California history -- When the U.S. began shutting down in March 2020, some journalists and Twitter users speculated that the pandemic would lead to a baby boom as people spent more time at home with their partners. But economists, such as those at the Brookings Institution, predicted that such a globally disruptive event would instead cause a baby bust. Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

How much is rent relief helping Californians? -- Complex rules and landlord resistance are limiting the success of an unprecedented effort to help tenants. Advocacy groups are concerned what will happen after a statewide eviction moratorium ends June 30. Manuela Tobias CalMatters -- 4/26/21

Open  

What to expect when Disneyland and Disney California Adventure reopen this week -- Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will return this week with the reimagined Snow White’s Enchanted Wish dark ride, the wildly popular Rise of the Resistance attraction and the soon-to-change Splash Mountain log flume ride after a yearlong coronavirus closure. Brady MacDonald in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

S.F. Symphony to resume live concerts in Davies Symphony Hall -- The San Francisco Symphony is scheduled to return to live, in-person concerts in Davies Symphony Hall on May 6, more than a year after the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to such events, the Symphony announced on Monday, April 26. Joshua Kosman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

Policy & Politics 

California’s new Attorney General pledges to police the police -- Bonta assumes the attorney general’s office at a time of deep mistrust of law enforcement and calls for greater police accountability. One of his first tasks will be establishing a new enforcement division — authorized by legislation he supported — to investigate police shootings of unarmed suspects. Solomon Moore in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

Sacramento DA Anne Marie Schubert says she’s running for state attorney general -- Schubert will challenge incumbent Rob Bonta, who was just sworn in on Friday to succeed Xavier Becerra. Becerra departed to become U.S. Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ Jeremy B. White Politico -- 4/26/21

Could California lose a congressional seat as Census counts unveiled today? -- Californians will find out Monday whether the Golden State has lost a congressional seat. The U.S. Census Bureau was set to release the 2020 population count on Monday afternoon, which could reshape not only the political landscape in the Golden State but the nation as a whole. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

Alex Padilla replaced Kamala Harris in the Senate. Now, he's pushing for an immigration overhaul -- The first Latino to represent California in the Senate is ready to ditch the filibuster in pursuit of progress. Eugene Daniels and Krystal Campos Politico -- 4/26/21

Skelton: California GOP could gain from a Newsom recall election — win or lose — if they play their cards right -- California Republicans have a golden opportunity to strengthen their weakened status during the recall campaign even if they fail to boot Gov. Gavin Newsom. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

Mayor Breed taps City Attorney Herrera to lead agency roiled by S.F. City Hall corruption scandal -- Mayor London Breed nominated City Attorney Dennis Herrera Monday as the general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, a significant decision that will allow her to appoint someone to fill his position until the next election. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

Assemblywoman Akilah Weber’s prescription for pandemic and beyond -- As Assemblywoman Dr. Akilah Weber looks toward the future of the 79th District, she envisions neighborhoods with safe parks, clean air and fresh food. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/26/21

EDD   

Problems persist at California’s unemployment call center -- California’s unemployment agency call center staff was unable to answer thousands of calls to its embattled call center this month, as many claimants remain confused about a lengthening list of program details and requirements. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/21

Workplace  

McDonald’s workers want more say over California labor conditions -- She and other fast-food workers are rallying for a bill that would make California the first state to establish a council setting pay and workplace standards for the entire industry. The bill, which would also hold companies like McDonald’s liable for the acts of their franchisees, cleared a hearing in the Assembly Labor Committee last week. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/21

Remote workers are being paid $20,000 to relocate to America's small towns -- From Maine to Michigan, communities are dangling incentives ranging up to $20,000 in cash and perks for out-of-state folks who relocate and stay at least a year, while continuing their existing jobs from a distance. Besides the money, the main lures are lifestyle amenities — a slower pace, affordable housing, less traffic, access to nature, close-knit communities. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

Jobs  

Apple to expand San Diego engineering hub, boosting workforce to 5,000 over five years -- The iPhone maker laid out its growth blueprint for the region on Monday as part of a commitment to invest $430 billion and add 20,000 new jobs across the U.S. by 2026. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/26/21

Street  

Life took a life-changing turn for a Concord police officer and a 2-year-old girl -- Officer Aaron Khamosh was in the right place at the right time in rescue of toddler last month. Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

California police make quick decisions on pursuits, which can turn deadly -- Forty-one people died from police pursuits in California during 2020 – making it the deadliest year for chases involving law enforcement since 2006 when a state law meant to improve safety took effect. Jonah Valdez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

Man in illuminati car is fatally shot by Los Angeles police -- A man reportedly wearing a bulletproof vest was fatally shot by Los Angeles police after he backed his car — covered in religious statements — into a patrol car on Sunset Boulevard. Though he had his hand hidden behind his back as he emerged from the car, it was reported that no weapon was found. The item in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

Vacaville police under fire for punching special needs teen during arrest -- A day after video surfaced of an autistic teen being manhandled and punched by a Vacaville police officer during an arrest, questions remained regarding the officer, his training and whether the department as a whole knows how to work with individuals with special needs and mental illness. Kim Fu in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

Capitol Siege   

A 61-year-old California man arrested in connection with Jan. 6 Capitol siege -- Kevin Louis Galetto made his first appearance in federal court in Santa Ana late Friday afternoon, hours after FBI agents descended upon his residence. He was released on his own recognizance and ordered to appear before a judge in Washington D.C. later this month. Alma Fausto, Sean Emery in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

COVID Economy  

Two Silicon Valley hotels head for auction block and foreclosure -- Two Silicon Valley hotels are headed for the auction block and foreclosure, fresh evidence that economic ailments unleashed by the coronavirus still sicken the hospitality industry. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

School  

Bay Area schools got extra COVID cash. Here’s how they spent it -- California public schools got a lot of extra money to help them deal with the sudden switch to remote online “distance learning,” and then later reopen safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. So what did they all use it for? Generally, for sanitizing supplies, computer technology to aid remote learning, training and staff pay. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/26/21

Education  

CA legislators propose reforms to prevent another A3 charter school scandal -- The bill, AB 1316, is a sweeping reform measure meant to fix weaknesses in state law that allowed executives from the statewide A3 charter school network to pocket more than $50 million of public funds funneled from charter schools. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/26/21

An East Bay college’s graduating class just had their student debt erased -- The burden of paying off leftover school debt will be lifted from students graduating from Contra Costa College this May, thanks to an effort from the college’s foundation. Annie Sciacca in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/21

San Diego principal connects with troubled kids because he was one -- Hilltop Middle School’s new principal, Luis Aparicio, was kicked out as a high school student. Now he inspires students. Andrea Lopez-Villafaña in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/26/21

Climate  

EPA plans to give California back waiver that allows it to regulate vehicle emissions -- The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that is is planning to reinstate California’s authority to regulate vehicle emissions, a move that combined with actions taken last week by the Transportation Department will give the state back a powerful tool to regulate air pollution. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

 

California Policy and P  olitics Monday Morning  

UCSF reports a Bay Area man got blood clot after receiving Johnson & Johnson vaccination -- Two days after federal regulators lifted the temporary nationwide pause on administering Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, UCSF on Sunday reported the first known case of a male in the United States developing a clot after receiving the shot. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

Los Angeles County continues to report progress in coronavirus fight -- New cases and deaths are often lower on weekends because not all laboratories report results. Even so, the figures continue to indicate that the region has so far avoided the variant-driven surge that has troubled some other states, such as Michigan. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

E.U. Set to Let Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Visit This Summer -- American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to visit the European Union over the summer, the head of the bloc’s executive body said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, more than a year after shutting down nonessential travel from most countries to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Matina Stevis-Gridneff in the New York Times$ -- 4/26/21

Millions Are Skipping Their Second Doses of Covid Vaccines -- More than five million people, or nearly 8 percent of those who got a first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, have missed their second doses, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rebecca Robbins in the New York Times$ -- 4/26/21

Open  

California theme parks can now allow out-of-state visitors - but will they? -- California theme parks can now allow out-of-state visitors as long as they have been fully vaccinated, according to state public health officials — but not all the major parks in the Bay Area and Southern California are on board with the new guidance just yet. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

School  

Will California Lawmakers Allow Distance Learning to Continue Next Year? -- California schools have moved to reopen at a lunch line pace this year. Despite billions of dollars funneled from the state Capitol, the share of districts offering full-time, in-person learning ranks among the lowest in the U.S. Guy Marzorati KQED -- 4/26/21

Sacramento schools bought laptops, PPE with Trump’s stimulus. What’s planned for Biden’s? -- This time, the money can be used for more than hardware and plugging budget holes. Some of it is intended to make up for students’ pandemic learning loss. Sawsan Morrar and David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/26/21

Policy & Politics 

She was terrorized by an ex-boyfriend. Now a California lawmaker wants changes in 911 responses -- State Sen. Sydney Kamlager is pushing legislation that would change the way police respond to nonviolent 911 calls in California. She wrote it, in part, because of an experience she had when she called 911 after an ex-boyfriend showed up at her house unwanted and unannounced. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

Kevin McCarthy, Four Months After Jan. 6, Still on Defensive Over Trump -- But Mr. McCarthy, the House Republican leader who could become speaker after 2022, says he needs to work with Donald Trump, who “goes up and down with his anger.’’ Mark Leibovich in the New York Times$ -- 4/26/21

Walters: Is corporate tax hike too hot to handle? -- Assembly Bill 71 is one of the year’s most contentious pieces of legislation — a hefty increase in corporate and personal income taxes to finance new efforts to end homelessness. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/26/21

Cash payments spread from Congress to Stockton to Brazil — but notion of ‘universal basic income’ far from reality -- When this Central Valley city of 300,000, far removed from the wealth and coastal vibes of the Bay Area, became the first in the country to try out what it called a “guaranteed income” program in 2017, it became a nationwide sensation. Eli Rosenberg, Jeff Stein and Heloisa Traiano in the Washington Post$ -- 4/26/21

Street  

San Francisco Contends With a Different Sort of Epidemic: Drug Deaths -- The drugs killed them in plain view — in front of the public library, at the spot on Powell Street where the cable car used to turn around. Others died alone in single-room apartments or in camping tents pitched on the pavement, each death adding to an overdose crisis that is one of the worst in the nation. Thomas Fuller in the New York Times$ -- 4/26/21

She couldn’t eradicate anti-Asian hate crimes. So she made a handbook on how to fight them -- The COVID-19 pandemic had already left Anna Yao’s grandparents largely confined to their Oakland homes. In March, after a series of violent attacks against elderly Asian Americans in the Bay Area, all four became afraid to venture out even for groceries or haircuts. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

'People need to open their eyes': San Jose rally demands end to anti-Asian violence -- More than 150 people gathered in downtown San Jose on Sunday to demand an end to hate crimes and discrimination against people of Asian descent. Signs reading “Hate is a Virus” and “We Stand Together” were held aloft by the crowd in Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/26/21

Rent  

Federal Aid to Renters Moves Slowly, Leaving Many at Risk -- Four months after Congress approved tens of billions of dollars in emergency rental aid, only a small portion has reached landlords and tenants, and in many places it is impossible even to file an application. Jason DeParle in the New York Times$ -- 4/26/21

Education  

California is offering no-cost rapid Covid testing and staff training to schools -- Encouraged by the results of an 11-district pilot program, the state of California is now expanding access to cover any school district’s or charter school’s cost of rapid diagnostic Covid testing of students and staff through the summer and likely into the fall. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 4/26/21

Environment  

California Has A Recycling Problem -- It’s like magic: Every week, plastics, mixed paper and cans go in a big blue bin, are hauled out to the curb and then — poof! — recycled into something new in some distant facility. In reality, there’s more myth than magic at work. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 4/26/21

Fire  

Wildfire-fighting plane is shut down as fire season begins -- The world’s largest firefighting plane has been shut down just as Western states prepare for a wildfire season that fire officials fear could be worse than the average year. Patty Nieberg Associated Press -- 4/26/21

POTUS 46  

In his first 100 days, ‘Uncle Joe’ Biden combines progressive goals and a reassuring manner -- Throughout the 2020 campaign, pollsters in both parties said Joe Biden was well known, but not known well: Voters knew him as a former vice president and longtime senator but had only a rough sense of what he stood for. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/26/21

 

Sunday Updates   

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