Updating . .   

Facebook extends Trump ban, with Oversight Board making final decision -- Facebook’s Oversight Board will decide whether to make former President Donald Trump’s ban permanent, an unprecedented move that will take decision-making power away from CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

California Supreme Court rejects petition to force LAUSD to partially reopen for in-person classes -- The state Supreme Court on Wednesday did not issue a written ruling in denying the petition, which alleged that L.A. Unified was violating state law by not offering in-person instruction “to the greatest extent possible.” Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

More than 50 Bay Area restaurants, wineries sue Newsom over dining ban -- A group of more than 50 wineries and restaurants across Napa and Sonoma counties are suing to overturn a state ban on in-person dining, saying their constitutional rights are being trampled as they slip into financial ruin. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

COVID-19 patients struggle to get highly touted yet elusive antibody treatments -- By the time he tested positive for a coronavirus infection, Gary Herritz was feeling pretty sick. His scratchy throat had progressed to a dry cough, headache, joint pain and fever. A liver transplant recipient, he knew his compromised immune system made him vulnerable to a severe case of COVID-19. Jonel Aleccia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

COVID-19 cases, new syndrome on the rise among children, especially Latino children -- As COVID-19 cases increase among adults, they have also increased in children, along with cases of a new inflammatory syndrome. Also like the adult population, Latino kids have borne a disproportionate brunt of the cases. Elizabeth Aguilera CalMatters -- 1/21/21

Chance of dying from COVID-19 in the hospital doubles in L.A. County -- That’s according to an analysis released Wednesday by the county’s Department of Health Services, which found that the chance someone will die from the disease while hospitalized increased from about 1 in 8 in September and October to roughly 1 in 4 since early November. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

Has Florida done better than California in fighting COVID-19? Here are the facts -- Both Pollock and Sohn said they believe California officials have done a better job responding to the pandemic. Overall, Pollock said he thinks California officials’ response to the coronavirus is based more on science, while Florida officials’ pandemic decisions are more political. “I used to live in Florida. I can tell you, I don’t want to be in Florida right now,” he said. Sophia Bollag and Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/21/21

COVID economy: California unemployment claims drop sharply -- Initial unemployment claims in California decreased sharply during the most recent reported week and fell to their lowest level in 10 months, a federal report released Thursday shows, marking a rare bright spot for the state’s economy while the coronavirus rages on. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/21/21

Vaccine  

Newsom promised 1 million COVID-19 vaccinations. California can’t tell if he hit goal -- Gov. Gavin Newsom urged Californians to “hold me accountable” to a goal of administering 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in 10 days, but nearly two weeks later a series of data collection problems have left state officials unable to offer clear evidence of success or failure. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

California is running critically low on COVID-19 vaccines as people vie for shots -- County officials say they have most of the resources — large vaccine centers and personnel to run them — but lack the doses they need. Colleen Shalby, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Melody Gutierrez, Jonathan Wosen, Karen Pearlman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

Eviction  

Time running out to extend California’s eviction moratorium -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders need to reach an agreement by Jan. 31 for California renters to avoid the beginning of a statewide eviction tsunami. Nigel Duara CalMatters -- 1/21/21

DACA  

How Joe Biden’s immigration plan works, and what it would mean for California -- Biden’s proposal would have the biggest impact for recipients of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and temporary protected status (TPS) holders, said Kevin R. Johnson, dean of the UC Davis School of Law. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/21/21

High School Sports  

In open letter to Gov. Newsom, California coaches call for detachment from tiered system -- A collection of coaches from around California requested this week in an open letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom that youth sports be exempted from the state’s tiered reopening system, in a last-ditch effort for there to be any season at all for many sports this spring. Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/21/21

Also . . .   

Two Biden priorities, climate and conservation, collide in the California desert -- The Trump administration left President Biden a dilemma in the California desert: a plan to remove protections from millions of acres of public lands and open vast areas to solar and wind farms. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

Skelton: At a muted inauguration, Biden asks Americans to ‘stop the shouting and lower the temperature’ -- Forty years ago, I watched awestruck as Ronald Reagan moved into the White House amid pageantry that was 180 degrees different from Joe Biden’s subdued arrival. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

Ruth Bader Ginsburg watching over downtown San Jose -- An incredible sight has come together over the past week in downtown San Jose: a towering, five-story mural of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Sal Pizarro in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/21/21

Fingerpointing, outrage after Trump pardons USC father in college admission scandal -- Federal prosecutors had accused Robert Zangrillo, a Miami developer, of a costly and criminal effort to secure his daughter’s entry to USC. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

San Diego scrambling to close $154M deficit, sharply up from $86M estimate in November -- San Diego officials on Wednesday began discussing potential budget cuts and the possibility of burning through city reserves to help close a projected $154 million deficit, which is nearly double the $86 million shortfall projected in November. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/21/21

California Policy and P  olitics Thursday Morning  

Vaccinating Californians 65 and older may last till June, pushing back timetable for others -- Vaccinating Californians 65 and over could take until June to complete, the state’s epidemiologist said Wednesday, raising new concerns about when other groups will be eligible for the vaccine and underscoring the rapidly dwindling COVID-19 vaccine stockpiles. Colleen Shalby, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ Aidin Vaziri, Trisha Thadani, Lauren Hernández, Dominic Fracassa and Rita Beamish in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

San Francisco wants to vaccinate all eligible residents by the end of June. There’s still a long way to go -- San Francisco officials said Wednesday that they hope all eligible residents will be vaccinated by June 30, but meeting that goal will require a massive increase in daily vaccination numbers and a huge jump in available supply. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

S.F. fears of running out of vaccines eased as paused Moderna batch is OKd for use -- California told health care providers on Wednesday that it was safe to resume using the huge lot of Moderna vaccines that had been temporarily shelved last weekend after a spate of allergic reactions in San Diego. Trisha Thadani, Catherine Ho and Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

California will resume using questioned doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine -- California’s top epidemiologist, Dr. Erica Pan, said late Wednesday that an expert panel’s review of apparent allergic reactions believed to be tied to a specific lot of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine found “no scientific basis” for continuing to withhold the doses. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/21/21

‘Educators are ready.’ Alpine teachers are among first in San Diego County to get vaccinated -- Alpine school staff will get shots this week thanks to the Southern Indian Health Council, while San Diego County has yet to provide vaccinations to teachers. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/21/21

Some San Diegans eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine are struggling to schedule appointments -- Knowing it’s your turn to get vaccinated is one challenge. Making an appointment to get the shot is yet another, according to several San Diegans. Jonathan Wosen, Karen Pearlman, Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/21/21

Kaiser Limits Vaccinations for Seniors to Members Over 74 -- Kaiser Permanente says it is not yet able to give COVID-19 vaccinations to all seniors under the age of 75, due to a lack of supply. Polly Stryker and Jon Brooks KQED -- 1/21/21

‘The end is not yet in sight’: Coronavirus danger remains even as some metrics improve, L.A. County says -- Despite some promising signs that the worst wave of the COVID-19 pandemic may finally be receding, a top Los Angeles County health official warned Wednesday that the situation remains precarious, with thousands more people becoming infected every day and an unsustainable number of patients requiring hospital treatment. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

COVID statistics continue small, gradual decline as LA County’s vaccine demand outpaces supply -- Los Angeles County’s top public health official apologized Wednesday, Jan. 20, to county residents who experienced frustration when trying to book appointments for coronavirus vaccines, promising that the county would unveil a new on-line appointment system next week. David Rosenfeld in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/21/21

Could a COVID-19 surge lead to shutdowns at L.A. ports? Officials plead for dockworker vaccines -- Nearly 700 dockworkers at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have contracted COVID-19 and hundreds more are taking virus-related leaves, raising fears of a severe slowdown in the region’s multibillion-dollar logistics economy. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

‘Come with me if you want to live’: Schwarzenegger gets vaccinated -- Schwarzenegger, 73, booked an appointment himself at one of the city’s large-scale vaccination sites Tuesday after county health officials announced that individuals 65 and older could begin receiving vaccines Thursday, according to his spokesperson Daniel Ketchell. Alexander Nieves Politico -- 1/21/21

Has San Francisco reached its COVID peak? -- While California's rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be bumpy amid the deadliest days of the pandemic, the latest numbers on new cases and hospitalizations from the San Francisco Department of Public Health reveal the surge may be easing in the city. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/21/21

OC sheriff loses appeal, still on hook to reduce jail population by half because of COVID-19 -- Appellate justices refuse to reject a lower court order that Don Barnes release hundreds of inmates that he says are dangerous. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 1/21/21

Policy & Politics 

Pro-Trump California GOP leader ousted after losing two Senate seats in November election -- California Senate Republicans ousted Bakersfield Sen. Shannon Grove as their leader on Wednesday, capping a brutal two months for the caucus after it lost two of its 11 seats and Grove echoed conspiracy theories about the November election online. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Beam Associated Press Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

Biden moves to end Trump’s attack on California car, air quality regulations -- President Joe Biden signed an executive order on his first day in office directing his government to revise fuel economy standards, a stark reversal from the Trump administration that for years battled California’s effort to maintain a strict cap on emissions from cars. Michael Wilner and Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/21/21

‘Our democracy still stands’: Bay Area celebrates as Biden and Harris take office in historic inauguration -- Amid the threat of violence and a raging pandemic, Bay Area residents huddled inside Wednesday to watch the historic inauguration of the first female vice president — one of California’s own — and the successful transition of power to a new president. Jill Tucker, Sarah Ravani, Tatiana Sanchez and Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

Skelton: At a muted inauguration, Biden asks Americans to ‘stop the shouting and lower the temperature’ -- Forty years ago, I watched awestruck as Ronald Reagan moved into the White House amid pageantry that was 180 degrees different from Joe Biden’s subdued arrival. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

‘I was crying but out of joy:’ Bay Area residents applaud Biden’s immigration plan -- For the past four years, Vanessa and Enrique Velasco feared they would be deported and separated from their three U.S.-born children. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

‘We made this happen’: Oakland family watches first Black, South Asian female vice president sworn in -- Tony Evans, 67, couldn’t stop laughing and crying. As Evans, a longtime political activist, watched Vice President Kamala Harris being sworn in Wednesday morning, he wiped away tears as she became the first Black and South Asian woman to ever take the position. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

Bay Area lawmakers attend Biden inauguration, outline hopes for next four years -- As light snow turned to sunshine in Washington, D.C., the region’s diverse and proudly progressive congressional delegation watched as one of their own, Oakland native Kamala Harris, took the oath of office to become vice president, shattering a bevy of barriers in the process. First female vice president. First Black vice president. First Indian American vice president. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/21/21

‘We were all waiting for this day’: Bay Area doctors hail Biden’s plan for rapid action on pandemic -- Dr. John Swartzberg watched the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday with tears in his eyes. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

Pro-Trump demonstrators at California Capitol disappointed by small showing -- Pro-Donald Trump demonstrators who gathered at the state Capitol on Wednesday hoping to join a final show of support for the outgoing president instead found themselves far outnumbered by counter-protesters and law enforcement officers. Dustin Gardiner and Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Sam Stanton, Rosalio Ahumada, and Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/21/21

Cesar Chavez’ great-niece ‘honored’ civil rights leaders’ bust part of Biden’s Oval Office -- As President Joe Biden settled into the Oval Office on Wednesday, Rachel Garcia was happy to see a bust of civil rights leader and farm workers’ union organizer Cesar Chavez in a prominent spot right behind the Resolute Desk. Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/21/21

Photos: Historic Inauguration Day | Trump leaves office, Biden becomes 46th president -- Joe Biden swears the oath of office at noon Wednesday to become the 46th president of the United States, taking the helm of a deeply divided nation and inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors. The gallery is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

Evictions  

Eviction cases in California projected to double -- Landlords are expected to file 240,000 new eviction cases — twice what occurs in a typical year, according to estimates by state court officials. The projection takes into account the looming expiration of state eviction protections, which end in late January. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

CalPers Workplace  

Dangerous bacteria detected in CalPERS’ Sacramento headquarters multiple times -- CalPERS has found dangerous bacteria at significant levels in water throughout its headquarters buildings in downtown Sacramento, but has only notified employees about one test result from a year and a half ago, according to emails and reports obtained by The Sacramento Bee. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/21/21

Street  

Orange County rally organizer accused of running over Trump supporters faces new charges -- The organizer of a rally against police brutality who was charged with attempted murder last year after she allegedly plowed her car into counter-protesters, seriously injuring two people, now faces additional felony charges after a months-long review of the case, prosecutors said Wednesday. Hannah Fry, James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

Sacramento police response to violent downtown protests will undergo independent review -- Sacramento’s police watchdogs will review hours of video showing the police handling of demonstrations in recent months and come up with policy recommendations for the City Council. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/21/21

Legal Observers Say Sacramento Police Arrests Unfairly Targeted Activists With Antifa On Eve Of Inauguration -- Amid worries that demonstrations near California’s Capitol could become violent, the Sacramento Police Department arrested three activists aligned with antifa on the eve of Wednesday’s inauguration. Nick Miller Capital Public Radio -- 1/21/21

Housing  

Realtor-backed housing group fights local granny flat restrictions -- A Realtor-backed group behind a housing lawsuit against Huntington Beach is now suing one Southern California city and is threatening to sue another over alleged efforts to block new granny flats, or “accessory dwelling units” (ADU’s). Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 1/21/21

Education 

How California schools can help undocumented middle and high schoolers receive legal aid -- Hazel Piñon, an immigrant who moved to the Bay Area from the Philippines as a child, was 20 when she found out she may have qualified for a visa as a teenager that would have given her a path to permanent U.S. residency. By the time she found out, it was too late to apply. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 1/21/21

In inaugural address, Biden says it is possible to teach children ‘in safe schools’ -- While President Joseph Biden spent most of his inaugural address pleading for unity, he also touched on an issue of deep importance to many American families: getting children back to school during the pandemic. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 1/21/21

More school organizations urge revising Gov. Newsom’s reopening plan -- Five statewide organizations representing school districts and county offices of education that had refrained from commenting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to entice school districts to begin reopening are urging major revisions they say would make the plan feasible. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 1/21/21

Also . . .   

Watch and read L.A. native Amanda Gorman’s inauguration day poem -- Clad in a long yellow coat and crisp white shirt, with a ruby red headband atop her braids, 22-year-old Amanda Gorman took the podium in front of the Capitol building Wednesday morning to read “The Hill We Climb” on the occasion of President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Julia Barajas in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

Here’s what Jennifer Lopez said in Spanish at Biden’s inauguration -- At Wednesday’s inauguration, on the spot where insurrectionists barreled over Capitol Police officers and broke into the seat of representative government two weeks ago, superstar Jennifer Lopez at one point in her musical performance lifted a finger and proclaimed: “Una nación, bajo Dios, indivisible, con libertad y justicia para todos!” Daniel Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/21/21

California shortchanged smaller communities when it doled out COVID relief, audit says -- Small California counties received a disproportionately small share of federal coronavirus assistance distributed by the state last year while larger communities took in far more money per resident, according to a report released by the California State Auditor on Tuesday. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/21/21

Taping phone calls remains off-limits unless both parties agree, under new California ruling -- The California Supreme Court rejected an appeal Wednesday allowing a suit against the business-review company Yelp for secretly recording sales pitches to customers, leaving intact a ruling that bars taping either side of a phone conversation without both parties’ consent. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/21/21

Operator of Queen Mary in Long Beach files for bankruptcy protection -- The real estate investment trust that operates the Queen Mary in Long Beach and owns 26 other hotels filed for bankruptcy protection this week, signaling what could be the start of a wave of bankruptcies in the hospitality industry. Hugo MartÍn in the Los Angeles Times$ Hayley Munguia, Bradley Bermont in the Orange County Register -- 1/21/21

POTUS 46  

Biden takes the helm, appeals for unity to take on crises -- Denouncing a national “uncivil war,” Biden took the oath Wednesday at a U.S. Capitol that had been battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks earlier. Then, taking his place in the White House Oval Office, he plunged into a stack of executive actions that began to undo the heart of his polarizing predecessor ’s agenda on matters from the deadly pandemic to climate change. Jonathan Lemire, Zeke Miller and Alexandra Jaffe Associated Press -- 1/21/21

POTUS 45

Donald Trump leaves as he arrived, minus his microphone --Donald Trump left Washington the same way he came in — flouting traditions, demanding praise and fixated on making himself the center of the story. There was only one difference: The spotlight he so religiously craves was no longer on him. Anita Kumar, Meridith McGraw and Michael Grunwald Politico -- 1/21/21