Updating . .   

State appeals court upholds Gov. Newsom’s emergency powers during pandemic -- The three-judge panel of the Sacramento-based 3rd District Court of Appeal said the California Emergency Services Act grants the governor such powers during a crisis. The panel also decided the 1970 emergency services act was constitutional. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 5/5/21

Hope grows for an L.A. summer economic boom as COVID-19 fades, tourists return, businesses recover -- Los Angeles County is seeing new signs of a resurgent economy, with plummeting coronavirus cases allowing for a faster-than-expected reopening of bars and expanded capacity for restaurants and other businesses. Luke Money, Faith E. Pinho, David Zahniser, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

In dramatic shift, California COVID-19 hospitalizations are lowest since pandemic’s start -- In another dramatic sign of how rapidly California is recovering from COVID-19, the state recorded its lowest hospitalization rate since the first few weeks of the pandemic, according to data reviewed by The Times. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

What the biggest L.A. County reopening yet allows you to do -- Los Angeles County and San Francisco County have reached a threshold to enter California’s most lenient yellow COVID-19 tier this week, setting the stage for the economy to be unshackled to the widest extent currently possible. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

How growers had to sidestep county and state programs to vaccinate farmworkers -- As harvest season approached, growers begged county officials to vaccinate their workers. But the state and counties didn’t prioritize vaccine doses for farmworkers in February. So the growers and doctors stepped in and set up their own clinics. Caitlin Antonios CalMatters -- 5/5/21

Hospitality workers celebrate right to return to work -- Hundreds of thousands of California workers are hoping they will benefit from the passage of a hospitality rehiring bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month. This is a great relief, employees say, for them to continue contributing to the state’s economic recovery. Jacqueline Garcia CalMatters -- 5/5/21

Vaccine  

We asked these Bay Area vaccine holdouts what it would take to change their minds -- A 69-year-old UC Berkeley public health graduate who voted for Bernie Sanders. A 28-year-old Fremont digital designer and COVID-19 survivor. An immigrant from India, 26, who fixes phones in a Fairfield mall. Nanette Asimov, Aidin Vaziri, Meghan Bobrowsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

CVS now offering walk-in COVID vaccinations in Bay Area -- The company did not specify how many locations in the Bay Area are offering walk-in appointments, but customers can check which pharmacies near them have vaccines available on the chain’s vaccination webpage. Vanessa Arredondo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

Policy & Politics 

California firefighter union withholds support for Newsom on recall, citing pay cuts -- The president of California’s state firefighter union was notably absent from a press conference Tuesday in Sacramento during which two firefighter labor organizations announced they would support Gov. Gavin Newsom in the upcoming recall election. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

Smith: What a fight over a noose says about the coming clash of red and blue California -- Mike Saunders thought the fight was over. For almost a year, he’d made it his mission to persuade the city of Placerville — perched in the remote Sierra foothills, not far from Lake Tahoe — to change its official logo from a noose swinging from a tree. Erika D. Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

He said a California local health officer should be ‘shot.’ Now he’s back on the air -- Days after reports surfaced that a Yuba-Sutter area podcaster told his listeners that the local health officer “should be set up against a wall and shot,” he appears to have secured a new gig: hosting a talk show on a conservative radio station in Marysville. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

Facebook board upholds Trump ban, just not an indefinite one -- Four months after Facebook suspended Trump’s accounts for inciting violence that led to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the company’s quasi-independent oversight board upheld the bans. Matt O'Brien and Barbara Ortutay Associated Press -- 5/5/21

Knight: Is San Francisco more conservative than Moscow? Top San Francisco official says yes -- Jeffrey Tumlin has worked in cities around the world — from Los Angeles to New York, from Vancouver to Wichita, Kan. He’s worked in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Moscow, too. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

Breathe  

Southern California warehouse boom a huge source of pollution. Regulators are fighting back -- Roxana Barrera realized air pollution was a problem in her San Bernardino neighborhood when her son Leo got really sick just before his first birthday. He was wheezing so much she had to rush him to urgent care. Tony Barboza, Gina Ferazzi in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

Water  

Fish or farmers? Newsom drought declaration would trigger new war over California water -- When a bipartisan group of state legislators held a press conference last week to demand that Gov. Gavin Newsom declare a statewide drought emergency, they assembled at a withered farm field east of Fresno, complete with piles of dead trees in the background. Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

Smolens: Drought-tolerant San Diego won’t go thirsty in the dry stretch ahead -- Years of adding new water sources — and spending a lot to do it — should give the region ample supply. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/5/21

EDD Backup  

California’s jobless claim backlog is growing again, sparking opposition to proposal for new agency -- State lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a proposal by the governor to create a new state agency to improve working conditions in California, with opponents saying the state should first resolve serious problems that have delayed payment of unemployment benefits to many of those left jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

Summer Power  

California blackouts this summer? State offers ‘guarded optimism’ the lights will stay on -- Still reeling from two nights of rolling blackouts during last August’s heatwave, state officials say they’ve fortified the power grid against more outages but acknowledge that another extraordinary surge in temperatures could spell trouble. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

Street  

Sacramento City Council says police shall only use deadly force ‘as a last resort’ -- The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday night adopted new policy language requiring police officers to only use deadly force “as a last resort.” But it’s not the exact language submitted by a citizen oversight group, which will have a chance to weigh-in on the change to its recommendation for police reform. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

Former fugitive accused in 2001 eco-terror case faces arraignment in Sacramento court -- Twenty years after suspected eco-terrorists set fire to a horse corral at a federal facility near Susanville, a one-time international fugitive charged in a case alleging numerous arson attacks nationwide is set to be arraigned Wednesday in Sacramento federal court. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

Who should police California’s troubled jails? State wants more inspectors — with power -- California is moving to strengthen its power over how county sheriffs are running their local jails, amid a national debate over accountability for law enforcement and ending ‘inhumane’ conditions in lockups around the state. Jason Pohl in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

Education  

A Black fifth-grader was falsely accused of stealing at Safeway. His S.F. school is fighting back on his behalf -- Ja’Mari Oliver walked into the Safeway on Market Street to buy a sandwich for his lunch, which he would eat at school for the first time in more than 14 months. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

COVID Stressed Health Care  

Kaiser just laid off hundreds. Are more job cuts coming in the health care industry? -- More than a year into a deadly pandemic that has pushed health care workers to the brink, Kaiser Permanente announced last week it was laying off more than 200 workers. Earlier this year, Sutter Health made similar reductions. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/5/21

Landlords and Tenants  

San Diego County passes strict eviction ban, rent cap to ease strain on renters during pandemic -- The new ordinance takes effect in early June and lasts until sometime in August. Landlords under the new law can no longer evict tenants for “just cause” reasons, such as lease violations, and can only be removed if they are an “imminent health or safety threat.” This makes it one of the strictest anti-eviction laws in the state. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/5/21

Federal judge strikes down CDC’s national moratorium on evictions -- Renters have been protected against eviction by a patchwork of state and federal laws. That means in many places tenants who’ve fallen behind on rent may still be covered by other measures. David Yaffe-Bellany and Noah Buhayar Bloomberg -- 5/5/21

Fire  

Giant sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park still burning from last summer's wildfires -- A giant sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park that caught fire last summer during a wildfire was recently found to be smoldering nine months later. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

 

California Policy and P  olitics Wednesday Morning  

LA, San Francisco lead California business reopening pace -- San Francisco has largely beaten the coronavirus pandemic by avoiding it, while Los Angeles was nearly beaten by it during a deadly winter surge. But both emerged simultaneously Tuesday as the first urban areas in California to reach the least-restrictive tier for businesses to reopen. Brian Melley and Janie Har Associated Press Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

San Diego County records first COVID-19 case with India variant -- San Diego County has recorded its first COVID-19 case caused by the same variant suspected of overwhelming India, according to the region’s top public health official. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/5/21

Here's how close the Bay Area is to reaching Biden's July 4 vaccination goal -- President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a new COVID-19 vaccine goal to deliver at least one dose to 70% of American adults by July 4. Most of the Bay Area has already surpassed that goal, according to county data. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

Here's what to know about California's new mask mandate -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines for outdoor mask use for fully vaccinated Americans last week, and California finally made an official announcement Monday that it's aligning with the federal mandate, expanding the scenarios in which fully vaccinated people can go without a mask in public. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

Tough coronavirus restrictions previously barred sailors from patronizing certain reopened businesses, visiting public beaches -- For the first time since last spring, San Diego sailors will be allowed to visit public beaches, dine at reopened restaurants and patronize local bars, the Navy announced Tuesday, ending some of the strictest pandemic-related restrictions implemented last year. Andrew Dyer in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/5/21

Policy & Politics 

Report: Mayor Garcetti being considered for India ambassador post -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s name has surfaced again as a possible nominee for a position in the administration of President Biden, five months after he said he had turned down a federal post. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

A day in the California recall: A 1,000-pound bear and a Hollywood-worthy campaign video -- The campaign to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom from office in a recall election saw a pair of competing spectacles Tuesday, as one Republican opponent posed for photos with a burly Kodiak bear and another sought to leverage her celebrity status on national television. Phil Willon, John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

California recall brings circus act to town -- Even by California’s quirky political standards, the spectacle of a 1,000-pound Kodiak bear, a multimillionaire businessperson and a 71-year-old reality TV star wrestling for public attention Tuesday was one for the books. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 5/5/21

GOP's Cox trots out ursine pal to underscore campaign for 'beastly changes' -- More than two years after losing to Gov. Gavin Newsom in historic fashion, Republican John Cox bet Tuesday that a four-legged furry giant is his key to a fairy-tale comeback. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

Caitlyn Jenner campaign makes next stop on Fox Hannity show -- The slow unfolding of Caitlyn Jenner’s campaign for California governor will continue with an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, as the Republican who calls herself a “compassionate disrupter” begins to sketch a rough outline of how she would manage the nation’s most populous state. Michael R. Blood and Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 5/5/21

Walters: Offloading two of California’s civic embarrassments -- We human beings are tempted to shirk responsibility when our lapses of judgment result in negative consequences. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 5/5/21

PG&E   

US judge weighs if PG&E violated probation with 2019 fire -- A federal judge is weighing whether Pacific Gas & Electric violated its criminal probation by sparking a wildfire north of San Francisco that destroyed more than 100 homes and injured six firefighters in October 2019. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 5/5/21

Street  

Police arrest man in 'disgusting and horrific' stabbing of two Asian women in San Francisco -- Tenderloin officers located the man, described as a resident of San Francisco, on the 600 block of Eddy Street. San Francisco police spokesman Robert Rueca said charges are pending. Police have not determined if the attack was a hate crime. Vanessa Arredondo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

FBI investigating Sacramento prison plagued by inmate slayings, hazing -- Federal agents are investigating potential wrongdoing by guards at California State Prison, Sacramento, the troubled institution where correctional officers have been accused of conspiring with inmates to orchestrate two murders of other prisoners, sources have told The Sacramento Bee. Sam Stanton and Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

Who should police California’s troubled jails? State wants more inspectors — with power -- California is moving to strengthen its power over how county sheriffs are running their local jails, amid a national debate over accountability for law enforcement and ending ‘inhumane’ conditions in lockups around the state. Jason Pohl in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/21

S.F. looks to dramatically reduce number of sheriff's deputies guarding hospitals, clinics -- The number of sheriff’s deputies who guard public hospitals and clinics in San Francisco would be dramatically reduced under a plan proposed Tuesday by San Francisco health officials who want to hire more psychiatric nurses and non-sworn staff to respond to crises. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

Divided San Diego Board of Supervisors votes to support federal police reform bill -- The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to endorse a sweeping federal police reform bill known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/5/21

Man charged with actions leading to death at Trader Joe’s is found competent to stand trial -- A man accused of engaging in a gun battle with police that led to the accidental death of an assistant manager at a Trader Joe’s market in Silver Lake has been found competent to stand trial. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

Workplace  

Amazon warehouse in Rialto fined $41,000 for coronavirus safety violations -- The California agency that oversees workplace safety fined Amazon.com Inc. $41,000 for failing to record COVID-19 infections among employees at a Rialto facility and to generally protect workers there against potential exposure to the virus. It’s the second round of fines the state agency has levied against the e-commerce giant during the pandemic. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

San Diego County creates labor office to protect workplace pay and safety standards -- The office would tackle unsafe and illegal working conditions that some essential workers faced during and before the pandemic, supervisors say. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/5/21

H-1B  

H-1B visa: Fingerprint requirement putting H-4 holders out of work ‘to be suspended’ -- The administration of President Joe Biden will suspend a requirement that spouses of H-1B visa holders get fingerprinted to renew their visas and work permits after many on the spousal visa were thrown out of work because government fingerprinting services are heavily backlogged, according to a new report. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/5/21

Homeless  

The Bay Area is fed up with homelessness, but interest in housing is flagging -- Homelessness — not COVID, not wildfires and not even the sky-high price of housing — is the problem Bay Area residents are most concerned about, as massive encampments shine a spotlight on the issue in nearly every corner of the region. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/5/21

Education  

Over half of California public school students remain in distance learning -- Although 87% of California’s traditional public schools have reopened for some form of in-person instruction, fewer than half of students have returned either full time or part time in a hybrid model. Daniel J. Willis and John Fensterwald EdSource -- 5/5/21

Orange County School Board perpetuates false idea about mandatory vaccines for students -- A month ago, as many as 200 parents came to a meeting of the Orange County Board of Education to express outrage over what they heard was a mandate to vaccinate their children in schools without their approval. That information was false. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 5/5/21

After High Tech High teachers worked to form a union, the school fired an organizer -- The California Teachers Association filed an unfair labor practice charge Tuesday against the High Tech High charter school network for firing a San Diego-area teacher who has been helping to organize a union throughout the network. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/5/21

S.F. schools have nearly $60 million to help struggling students. How will the district spend money? -- San Francisco’s school district — flush with nearly $60 million to help students catch up from pandemic-related learning loss — plans to use a large chunk of the federal and state funds to offer expanded summer programming this year and next. Emma Talley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

California University Students, Employees Demand Removal Of Campus Police -- At universities across California, students and workers refused to attend class or meetings, answer emails and clock into work Monday as part of a “day of refusal” organized by the group Cops Off Campus Coalition. The work stoppage began Abolition May, a series of actions grounded in a central demand: Remove police from all campuses. Janelle Salanga Capital Public Radio -- 5/5/21

Border  

A mother and son separated by the Trump administration meet again — finally -- More than three years ago, Bryan Chavez hugged his mother inside a U.S. immigration office, terrified that he would never see her again. Kate Morrissey, Cindy Carcamo, Molly O’Toole in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/5/21

San Diego First Border County To Provide Free Legal Aid To People Facing Deportation -- In a 3-2 vote on Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors approved the Immigrant Rights Legal Defense Program, a one-year, $5-million pilot program that will provide free legal counsel for deportation cases. Cristina Kim KPBS -- 5/5/21

Climate  

'New normal' for U.S. climate is officially hotter - and experts see trouble for California -- In California, Diffenbaugh said, trends indicate an increase in frequency of severe heat, intensity of drought, extreme wildfire weather and low snow years. He said the high temperatures will increasingly impact California’s agriculture and the many crops that are grown in the state. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

S.F. wants to ban gas in all buildings. But moving to electric could cost up to $5.9 billion -- San Francisco wants to ban gas appliances and electrify buildings to make a difference in fighting climate change. There’s just one catch — with nine zeroes. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

Also . . .   

Pregnant Theranos founder Holmes’ defense takes shape as she appears in courtroom for first time since COVID pandemic -- Theranos founder and accused felony fraudster Elizabeth Holmes, pregnant and expecting a baby in July, appeared in federal court in San Jose on Tuesday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started last year for a hearing that showed how her defense strategy is taking shape. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ Sara Randazzo in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/5/21

Ferry service from S.F. to Angel Island has an uncertain future. This transit operator could keep it going -- After months of uncertainty over its future, direct ferry service from San Francisco to the Bay Area’s largest island could be here to stay. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/21

Phil Spector’s castle, where he murdered Lana Clarkson, sells in Alhambra -- Alhambra’s most notorious home, a castle-like estate where the late record producer Phil Spector shot Lana Clarkson to death in 2003, just sold for $3.3 million. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/21

 

Tuesday Updates   

Biden weighs posting LA Mayor Garcetti to India -- President Biden is considering naming Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to a high-profile ambassadorship, possibly India, people familiar with the matter tell Axios. Hans Nichols Axios -- 5/4/21

1 million cases to 75,000: California's stunning COVID recovery -- After the winter COVID-19 surge ravaged California and pushed intensive care units to their limits, data shows that the state and the Bay Area have made a dramatic and sustained recovery since the beginning of the year. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/21

L.A. County set for major reopening as it hits yellow tier -- Moving into the yellow tier clears the way for the nation’s most populous county to unshackle its economy to the widest extent currently possible, meaning a swath of businesses and venues — including gyms, movie theaters, amusement parks, stadiums and museums — can operate at higher capacity. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

LA, San Francisco move to California’s loosest COVID tier. Sacramento, Placer stay in red -- California health officials promoted four counties into looser levels of COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday morning due to vast improvement in infection numbers, including two of the state’s major urban hubs. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/21

Biden aims for vaccinating 70% of adult Americans by July 4 -- President Joe Biden is setting a new vaccination goal to deliver at least one dose to 70% of adult Americans by July 4, the White House said Tuesday, as the administration pushes to make it easier for people to get shots and to bring the country closer to normalcy. Zeke Miller Associated Press -- 5/4/21

Despite dwindling demand for COVID-19 vaccines, Bay Area counties plan to ‘double down’ on new strategy -- Community pop-up clinics are getting most of the attention of Bay Area health officials. Maggie Angst, Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/21

STD cases have plunged during COVID - but not because people aren't having sex -- it’s because STD testing was pushed aside while everyone’s attention was on COVID-19. In other words: People were still getting STDs, but many of them didn’t know it. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/21

Hit by higher prices for protective gear, doctors and dentists want insurers to pay -- Treating patients has become more expensive during the pandemic, and doctors and dentists don’t want to be on the hook for all the new costs. Rachel Bluthkaiser Health News in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

San Jose airport passenger traffic rises with more vaccinations -- Passenger trips at San Jose International Airport have begun to rise so far in 2021, offering the hope that the South Bay travel hub can begin to banish a dreadful 2020 travel year that was hobbled by the coronavirus. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/21

Bay Area restaurant hiring crisis: ‘I’ve never seen anything like this’ -- The Bay Area restaurant industry is facing a staffing shortage during the pandemic that its leaders say is unprecedented. Dishwashers are being asked to cook. Bartenders are bussing tables. And on busy nights, left with no other choice, owners are eliminating tables in already reduced-capacity dining rooms because they do not have enough wait staff. Jessica Yadegaran in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/21

School  

Extend the school year? Teachers say no, parents say meh. LAUSD retreats from its plan -- Los Angeles school officials recommend abandoning an effort to extend the next school year by two weeks in the face of opposition from employees and lukewarm parent support. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

Sacramento community colleges announce date for a full return to campus -- The Los Rios Community College District announced on Tuesday that more of its fall classes will be in-person, and the four-campus college will have a full return to campuses by spring 2022. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/21

Policy & Politics 

Recall backers raise more, but Newsom’s side has more cash in the bank -- The campaign to eject Gov. Gavin Newsom got off to an early financial head start, raising gobs of money from high-profile Republican luminaries, SoCal millionaires and irate voters, according to new campaign finance reports. Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 5/4/21

Garofoli: Provocative GOP ad maker tries to transform Gavin Newsom rival John Cox into a 'beast' -- The recall campaign against Gov. Gavin Newsom is about to take its first surreal advertising turn, and not surprisingly, Fred Davis — who once created a U.S. Senate ad in California starring a demonic sheep — is involved. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/21

Gavin Newsom is a ‘pretty boy,’ and California needs a ‘beast,’ GOP recall candidate says -- Hoping to convince voters that he can bring “beastly” solutions to California’s problems, Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox kicked off a three day tour in Sacramento on Tuesday, appearing alongside a live, 1,000-pound California brown bear named Tag. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/21

2 GOP California governor candidates try to impress voters -- California’s recall election now features “the beast” and a “compassionate disruptor.” Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 5/4/21

Caitlyn Jenner positions herself as a ‘compassionate disrupter’ in first recall ad -- Caitlyn Jenner has released the first ad in her campaign to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom, a gauzy, nearly three-minute production that positions her as a “compassionate disrupter” out to unseat the “elitists” who have stolen California’s former glory. Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

Jenner hits California nerve by siding with GOP on transgender athletes -- Caitlyn Jenner improved her national GOP bona fides with weekend comments embracing the party's prevailing view on transgender athletes — but now finds herself firmly at odds with a key California policy as she runs for governor. Carla Marinucci and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 5/4/21

California lawmakers demand: Where’s the COVID data? -- Rarely has the public been so captivated by government statistics as it has since the pandemic. COVID-19 data on infections, hospitalizations and fatalities determine where Californians can go, with whom they can associate and whether their businesses and other institutions can operate. Solomon Moore in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/21

Uber, Lyft have a California playbook to fight proposed U.S. rules on workers -- Uber, Lyft and other gig-economy companies face a new challenge from the Biden administration to their use of contract workers, but as they gear up for a fight in Washington they could turn to a lobbying playbook that helped them score a decisive win against California regulators last year. Tina Bellon Reuters -- 5/4/21

Open  

California Academy of Sciences to resume in-person NightLife after-hours series -- California Academy of Sciences is relaunching NightLife, its in-person after-hours series for people 21 and older, the organization announced Tuesday, May 4. Lily Janiak in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/21

Develop  

A new film studio is coming to Hollywood — and not a moment too soon for eager creators -- Although the pandemic emptied white-collar offices, sound stages have been a hot ticket as entertainment production keeps rising. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

Street  

Startling surge in L.A. bloodshed as COVID-19 fades: ‘Too many guns in too many hands’ -- At Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Dr. Brant Putnam has watched the intense weight of the COVID-19 pandemic finally begin to lift in recent months — only to be replaced by another, relentless stressor. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

Anti-Asian hate crimes have spiked in cities around the U.S., study finds -- Denny Kim was walking to dinner in Koreatown when he was attacked in February. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

After vandalism at Sacramento Vietnamese restaurant, customer tips 1,400% to cover repairs -- Tây Giang, a Vietnamese restaurant in south Sacramento, has allegedly been vandalized repeatedly throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, a customer stepped up to help out. Benjy Egel and Ashley Wong in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/21

Clark: Anti-Asian hate crimes are being understated; here are some of the reasons why -- Kirin Macapugay, a professor of human services and social work for the San Diego Community College District who founded Asian Pacific Islander Community Actions, said some people may not report incidents because they simply do not want to draw attention to themselves, and others may feel reporting it to law enforcement is not going to help and may actually cause more harm. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/4/21

Sacramento police reform panel says it hasn’t ‘been taken seriously’ by City Council -- A Tuesday punctuated by swift change to police brutality in Minnesota turned into a night that exemplified a journey unfulfilled for the Sacramento Community Police Commission. Rosalio Ahumada and Marcus D. Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/4/21

Unstable Ground  

Cat 1pm -- In a major achievement years in the making, the U.S. earthquake early warning system will now be able to issue alerts to cellphone users anywhere on the West Coast of the continental U.S. beginning this morning. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

Arellano: A town known for political fisticuffs is roiled by fight over mobile home parks -- Merli Albizures gripped a megaphone in late April, looked at the 80-plus people in front of her at Biancini Park in Bell, and felt a jolt of déjà vu. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

Homeless  

'I felt like I won the lotto': Homeless veterans start new lives in S.F. apartments -- From her third-floor apartment in Mission Bay Margie Talavera can hear the foghorns blowing early in the morning. As a city native who spent six years in the Navy, the sound is a comfort. It’s as San Francisco as cable car bells ringing or sea lions barking at Pier 39. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/21

Rescue  

When a boat loaded with Mexican migrants sank, Navy men dived into the sea to save them -- In the waters off San Diego, the smuggling boats often cloak their cargoes of migrants under cover of darkness. Only the hum of the panga boat engines signals their approach to slumbering coastal neighborhoods. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

Sharks  

Drones show California’s great white sharks are closer — and more common — than you think -- Carlos Gauna surveys the wind-blown waves off a popular Santa Barbara County beach. It is a cold, gray afternoon and only a few people are in the water: a father teaching his son to surf, a lone man wading in the whitewash. Joe Mozingo, Al Seib, Carlos Gauna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/21

Also . . .   

Bay Area toll collectors drive off into the sunset -- His radio blaring R&B, his disco ball glittering, his body in perpetual motion, toll collector Sonny Hasme danced all day in his small booth as he accepted coins and bills from thousands of drivers crossing the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and the Carquinez Bridge. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/21