Updating . .   

Coronavirus death toll tops 3,500 as more than two-thirds of California moves to reopen -- The sobering statistic illustrates that while this week has seen glints of optimism that the state is turning the tide in its fight against COVID-19, the disease is still here, and the danger is still real. Luke Money, Hannah Fry, Leila Miller, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Could Bay Area’s early shelter-in-place order have saved thousands of lives? -- There has been much attention paid to the reasons why, up and down the West Coast, the impact of COVID-19 has lower compared to other hot spots. Was it a different strain of the virus? What about our relative lack of density, or reliance on cars over crowded public transit? Did we simply get lucky? A new study out of Columbia University gives weight to one theory — and cautions against reopening the country without adequate ability to control new outbreaks. Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/21/20

L.A. County achieves major coronavirus win as transmission rate hits lowest level -- The transmission rate in the nation’s most populous county, home to 56% of COVID-19 deaths in California, is now in its best position since the magnitude of the outbreak became clear in March. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Virus cases spike in California county on Mexican border -- As much of California begins reopening businesses amid improved coronavirus conditions, a farming region on the state’s border with Mexico is experiencing a spike in hospitalizations that some believe is driven by American citizens who live in Mexico coming to the U.S. for care. Elliot Spagat and Gregory Bull Associated Press -- 5/21/20

Policy & Politics 

Republicans move to disown California candidate over social media posts -- Republican leaders are frantically backpedaling away from the party’s candidate in a key Central Valley congressional race in reaction to a second report that his social media accounts formerly contained anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and conspiracy theory messages. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Details Remain Scant On Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Plan To Spend $750 Million On Hotels For Homeless Residents -- Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend over half a billion dollars in federal money to purchase hotels and convert them into permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 5/21/20

State Sen. Hueso introduces bill to address California’s digital divide -- Friday morning at Chula Vista’s Hilltop High School, Hueso announced a bill that would require internet service providers to file emergency operation plans that identify how they’ll ensure reliable communications during a disaster emergency, and deploy resources and technology to ensure that communications remain reliable. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/21/20

University of California campuses will open in the fall, Napolitano says -- Hybrid style of learning expected to become the normal system-wide. Jon Wilner in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/21/20

New UC Merced chancellor is a farmworker’s son and UC alum -- Juan Sánchez Muñoz, president of the University of Houston Downtown, grew up hearing stories about the San Joaquin Valley from his father, who landed there from Mexico to pick grapes in the 1950s. Muñoz, 53, will be heading there himself in July — as the new chancellor of UC Merced. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Lockdowns crippled his ‘bouncy house’ business. Nearly bankrupt, he’s pushing back -- Without work, Edmonds, like many others, is fighting through empty and anxious days. Increasingly desperate but feeling powerless, he has turned to political activism, “a world that I know nothing about,” he said, but one that in just a few weeks has shifted from a radical thought to the only reasonable path he sees. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Fox: Federal Money for State and Local Governments Could Stop Tax Increases -- Political tensions over a federal subsidy to state and local governments—some Republicans label it a bailout—have held up Washington assistance to the states, but the odds are some form of federal help eventually will come. The federal funds could thwart efforts by state and local governments to raise taxes, especially on businesses. Raising taxes would quash the economic recovery. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/21/20

Reopen     

40 of California’s 58 counties get OK for more robust reopening -- More than two-thirds of Southern California counties have received approval to more quickly reopen their economies as the state continues to loosen coronavirus-related restrictions. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Orange County extends beach hours for Memorial Day weekend, reopens some parking lots -- Coastal access in Orange County will be easier over the Memorial Day weekend, as several coastal cities expanded their beach hours and plan to open more parking lots connected to the shoreline. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

‘People still want treats’: Bay Area bakeries surprised at success during coronavirus -- On Mother’s Day, a line starting at Boichik Bagels stretched down College Avenue, just north of Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood, past all the other businesses and into residential Berkeley. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Staying afloat  

California is reopening, but anxious customers are slow to come back -- From restaurants to shopping malls, the California economy is grinding back to life after months of coronavirus closures. But one question looms over the reopening cheers: Do consumers feel safe enough to come back? California should know the answer soon enough. Leila Miller, Maura Dolan, Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Pulling dollar bills off the wall to keep going in rural California -- This is a time of year that many rural towns in the Owens Valley usually celebrate — rodeo and fishing season. Normally, tourists from Southern California would be swarming into the eastern Sierra Nevada range, streaming into Old West facades and making cash registers sing. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Pandemic steals most from immigrant working women -- Researchers at the UC Merced Community and Labor Center find non-citizen women have experienced the deepest job losses. The study is an early signal of how the coronavirus recession is widening California’s economic inequities. Jackie Botts Calmatters -- 5/21/20

Also . . .   

Full House actress Lori Loughlin, husband to plead guilty in college admissions scandal -- Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in connection to a sweeping college admissions scandal that exposed dozens of parents — including some in the Bay Area — who were passing bribes to get their children admitted to elite colleges and universities, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Alejandro Serrano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Lori Loughlin always insisted she was innocent in admissions scandal. Why change now? -- From the beginning of the college admissions scandal, actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have maintained they did nothing wrong. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Online child sex abuse reports surge as kids spend more time on computers amid coronavirus -- Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles and across the country have been overwhelmed in recent months by a surge in tips about online child sex abuse, with social media platforms and other service providers flagging explicit content and suspicious interactions at an alarming rate. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Mexico City’s coronavirus death toll may be 3 times higher than official count, report says -- At least three times as many people in Mexico City may have died of complications from COVID-19 than have been officially reported, a new report by a Mexican activist group suggests. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

 

California Policy & Politics Thursday Morning  

Coronavirus cases soar in SF’s residential hotels as supervisors move to protect residents -- San Francisco supervisors passed an emergency ordinance Tuesday aimed at protecting residents of single-room occupancy hotels from further spread of the potentially deadly coronavirus as cases spike in the hotels’ close quarters. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Policy & Politics 

Nearly 124,000 sign up through Covered California; plans include free coronavirus testing -- Nearly 124,000 people have signed up for medical insurance through Covered California since March 20 as the state grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and startling unemployment numbers. Rusty Simmons in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Child vaccinations drop more than 40% in California, thanks to coronavirus fears -- The number of vaccinations for kids in California dropped nearly in half this April compared to last April, following a worrying national trend as parents avoid doctors’ offices during the coronavirus pandemic, public health numbers show. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Newsom raises record $26M in donations for Covid-19, some from companies lobbying state -- Prominent social media, broadcasting and other major interests have poured nearly $26 million into Covid-19 ßefforts at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request, a record amount that came as some of the companies lobbied the governor's office on data privacy and other thorny regulatory matters, state disclosures show. Katy Murphy and Carla Marinucci Politico -- 5/21/20

San Diego official who took show tickets, home improvements, other gifts from contractors remains on the job -- “Killer seats!!” a San Diego city official emailed the company executive who paid for the pair of $170 tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s “O” at the Bellagio Las Vegas. After the same vendor paid for home improvements at the city official’s house, the unnamed employee was quick to express his satisfaction with the quality of work. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/21/20

State Senate leader endorses package of bills to boost housing construction -- The state Senate leader endorsed five bills Wednesday to address California’s housing shortage by boosting construction of duplexes, small apartments and affordable units, even as an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic has dried up public funding for new projects. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/21/20

California secretary of state slams Trump tweets on mail voting as effort to 'undermine confidence' in elections -- California Secretary of State Alex Padilla condemned President Donald Trump’s latest tweetstorm threatening to pull federal funding to Nevada and Michigan if they proceed with vote-by-mail drives, calling it Trump's "clearest example yet of using disinformation to try and influence the November election." Carla Marinucci Politico -- 5/21/20

Skelton: Newsom wise to end one-man rule on coronavirus, giving local leaders more discretion -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has entered his own Phase 2 of the virus war: relinquishing one-man control over the state’s battle against the bug. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Walters: California population may be peaking -- When California, with 17 million residents, surpassed New York to become the nation’s most populous state in 1962, it was a cause for celebration. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 5/21/20

Valid assumptions or “tacky bluffs” — the econ forecast shaping Newsom’s budget -- Ten out of ten economists agree: COVID-19 is absolutely lousy for the California economy. Forecasters across the state have run the numbers and found that — at least in the next three months — overall economic activity will decline and the joblessness rate will remain at an historic high. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 5/21/20

California election result means same for Dems, GOP: Time to ask for money -- Mike Garcia was sworn in Tuesday as the first Republican to flip a Democratic-held congressional seat in California in more than 20 years. But for both parties, his election means far more than the single GOP vote he’ll bring to the House for the next six months. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

As California beaches reopen, seawall construction becomes legislative battleground -- California’s beaches may feel off-limits right now, but the coronavirus has not stopped the sea from rising. With every tide and storm, this slow-moving disaster continues to creep closer to shore — toppling bluffs, eroding our beaches and threatening homes and major infrastructure. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

L.A. sheriff will defy subpoena from oversight commission on jail conditions -- Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva plans to defy a subpoena from a civilian oversight board to testify about coronavirus in the jails, escalating a battle with county officials and testing a system designed to keep his powers in check. Cindy Chang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

California Republican Ted Howze loses GOP help after ‘disturbing’ social media posts -- California Republican Ted Howze on Wednesday was removed from a GOP website that promotes 2020 congressional candidates and rebuked by House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy after a second batch of “disturbing” social media posts on his accounts was uncovered. Kate Irby in the Fresno Bee -- 5/21/20

Head of troubled $2.2 billion Transbay transit center resigning in September -- The man who got the Transbay transit center opened only to have to lead an extensive investigation and repair job will leave the agency that built and operates the center in September. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Capitol Weekly Podcast: Rose Kapolczynski -- Rose, the president of the American Association of Political Consultants, is best known for running former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer’s campaigns, from Boxer’s initial upset victory in 1992 in the “Year of the Woman” to her final race against Carly Fiorina in 2010. Link Here -- 5/21/20

Covid-19 Snapshot  

Other side of the curve? Chart shows change in Bay Area coronavirus cases vs. other metro areas -- While the Bay Area has made significant progress in curbing the coronavirus’ spread, the daily number of new cases has remained steady. How does that trajectory compare with what other metro areas have seen, including those that weren’t as quick to flatten the curve? Kellie Hwang and Mike Massa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

How the Bay Area’s coronavirus death rate compares with other U.S. regions -- While there have been deadly clusters in certain Bay Area communities, the region’s overall COVID-19 mortality rate currently is among the lowest of major U.S. metropolitan areas. Los Angeles’ mortality rate is nearly four times higher. The national average is five times higher. And New York’s mortality rate is nearly 49 times that of the Bay Area. Kellie Hwang and Mike Massa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Front Lines  

A breath away from death: After weeks on a ventilator SF man walks away from ICU, and COVID-19 -- It started with a cough. It was just a little one, but Ron Temko tended to cough sometimes, so the family wasn’t worried. By all accounts, everything was normal. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

‘All systems shutting down’: Bay Area coronavirus patient details horrors of infection -- The first thing Stacy Allegro wants you to know: COVID-19 is definitely not just a really bad flu. The Novato resident, 58, had a horrible fever for nine straight days — and that’s before she was admitted to the hospital, and the real physical punishment began. Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

California prisons to begin accepting inmates as coronavirus deaths mount in Chino -- The Chino facility has one of the largest outbreaks of COVID-19 cases among state prisons, with nearly two-thirds of the more than 900 inmates testing positive, according to Department of Corrections data. Of those, 130 have recovered. In addition, 53 of the prison staff have tested positive and 32 have recovered and returned to work. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

How Early Did COVID-19 Actually Hit California? Full Picture May Never Come -- Public health officials across California have begun a search to identify deaths from COVID-19 that occurred before widespread awareness of the disease. But the review could fall short because of inadequate state guidelines and stringent federal testing protocols, experts say, calling into question the effort to understand when and how the disease spread and how many people it killed. Julie Small KQED -- 5/21/20

Stanford researcher says coronavirus isn’t as fatal as we thought; critics say he’s missing the point -- A Stanford statistician says COVID-19 isn’t as deadly as we thought — but his calculations in a new study are already under attack from critics who say it overlooks the actual body count. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/21/20

San Jose: Actor Sean Penn helps launch free, walk-up COVID-19 testing site -- As Santa Clara County struggles to reach its COVID-19 testing goals, the region is getting some extra support from actor and humanitarian Sean Penn and his nonprofit organization, Community Organized Relief Effort. The organization, known as CORE, has partnered with Roots Community Health Center to open a free walk-up COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot of the Antioch Baptist Church at 268 E. Julian Street in San Jose. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/21/20

Cruise ship crew members disembarking in San Diego to fly to Barbados -- The Celebrity Millennium and Eclipse cruise ships, which have been in San Diego since late March, were to disembark more than 340 crew members Wednesday so that they can take private chartered flights to the Caribbean as part of an effort to return them to their homes. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/21/20

Stanford Medicine to test drug on less serious COVID-19 cases -- A team of Stanford Medicine scientists is trying to determine if a drug previously given to hepatitis patients can keep people who’ve just tested positive for the coronavirus out of the hospital. Mike Moffitt in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Apple, Google Unveil Technology for Covid-19 Exposure Alerts -- Apple Inc. and Google released technology Wednesday to help governments track the spread of Covid-19 through apps that notify users if they have been exposed to someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Patience Haggin in the Wall Street Journal$ Mohana Ravindranath and Steven Overly Politico -- 5/21/20

Amazon imposes sweeping warehouse reforms in response to coronavirus complaints -- In response to employee complaints and fears of coronavirus outbreaks at Amazon Fulfillment Centers, the online retailer has imposed more than 150 industry-wide safety protocols, including mandatory social distancing, mask wearing and cleanliness standards. Joe Nelson in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 5/21/20

Bolinas, California, the Town That Tested Itself for the Coronavirus -- Bolinas, California, is not a place one finds oneself by accident, in part because it is a place that must be found. Nathan Heller in The New Yorker -- 5/21/20

Cross-Border Surge

Ambulance brigade helps Imperial hospitals regain their footings after COVID-19 surge -- A brigade of ambulances, in the air and on the ground, worked through the day Wednesday to take the pressure off of El Centro Regional Medical Center, which has found itself at ground zero in a cross-border surge of COVID-19 patients that threatened to overwhelm the inland region’s two main hospitals. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/21/20

Fragile Economy   

SF economy taking baby steps, but don’t expect full recovery until 2023 or 2024, top economist says -- Bay Bridge traffic is up and the plywood is coming down around San Francisco’s fashionable Union Square, but it could be a slow recovery — the city’s chief economist is warning that we may not see employment return to pre-pandemic levels for two years or more. Phil Matier in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Devastated SoMa restaurant told to pay full rent starting in July. Its landlord? The city of SF -- There are no more clear bowls of pho, crispy imperial rolls or garlicky wok-fried noodles at Green Papaya, a San Francisco restaurant owned by Thai Van. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

L.A. moves to cap fees charged by Uber Eats, Postmates and other food delivery services -- Los Angeles is pushing forward with plans to limit how much delivery services such as Postmates, Grubhub and Uber Eats can charge restaurants, capping delivery fees at 15% of the purchase price for orders during the COVID-19 crisis. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Fragile Local Budgets  

Coronavirus forces deep cuts at San Francisco city departments to close deficit -- The staggering economic fallout set in motion by the coronavirus pandemic will force San Francisco city departments to slash their budgets by 10% in the upcoming fiscal year to help close an anticipated $1.7 billion deficit. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

The Food Lines  

How coronavirus created the Bay Area’s new mile-long breadlines -- The line of cars stretches a mile through city streets. Windows are rolled up. Trunks are open. And with no questions asked, boxes and bags of free food are loaded in. Through their windshields, drivers flash homemade “thank you” signs. The gratitude, the humility runs deep. The coronavirus crisis has created the breadline of 2020, and in every vehicle, one after the other, is a story of despair. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/21/20

Staying afloat  

California’s coronavirus relief program for unemployed immigrant workers gets off to a rocky start -- Locked out of state unemployment benefits, hundreds of thousands of out-of-work immigrants are facing additional hurdles to tap into a new California program offering a $500 one-time payment during the COVID-19 pandemic to those without legal status. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Despair among immigrants: With phone lines swamped, state pandemic aid is out of reach -- For two days, thousands of undocumented immigrants in California have been unable to reach the non-profit organizations that distribute $500 in aid from the state’s new disaster relief fund. Araceli Martinez Ortega Calmatters -- 5/21/20

Day laborer centers close due to coronavirus, lack of work -- Employment for these workers is now scarce, and they are among populations most exposed to the virus. Araceli Martinez Ortega Calmatters -- 5/21/20

Mass Masking  

Santa Clara County now requires that you wear a face covering. San Jose wants to go further -- As Santa Clara County joins the rest of the Bay Area in beginning to reopen on Friday, face masks will become a bigger part of everyone’s daily lives. But the county’s largest city, San Jose, wants to go even further, requiring its residents to wear them most of the time they’re out in public — never mind that police won’t be looking to cite those who don’t. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/21/20

California education chief says schools can’t open without masks -- California has a major goal to meet before schools can reopen: acquiring masks for teachers and more than 6 million students. MacKenzie Mays Politico -- 5/21/20

Reopen     

Gov. Newsom to issue guidelines for film, TV production to resume -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom told a panel of filmmakers on Wednesday that the state hopes to roll out by next Monday some sectoral guidelines aimed at eventually getting cameras rolling again. Chuck Barney in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/21/20

San Diego County gets the OK from state to resume dining-in at restaurants -- San Diego County received word Wednesday night that its request to allow dining at restaurants and in-store shopping was approved, setting the stage for a rapid reopening, although with social distancing restrictions. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/21/20

Most California counties get state OK for faster reopening -- As California moves through its methodical four-step process for reopening, some counties are pushing the boundaries by bypassing the state’s orders or refusing to enforce rules against businesses that reopen without state permission. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 5/21/20

Many Napa Valley restaurants (but not French Laundry) reopen. Customers slow to return -- Restaurants slowly reopened in Napa for in-house dining on Wednesday, but some restaurateurs worried that customers might still be too afraid to come back. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Yosemite plans to reopen soon — but you might need a reservation -- As National Park Service officials contemplate reopening Yosemite as early as June, they appear intent on implementing new wrinkles to visitation rules: day-use reservations and a limit on daily car traffic. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Coronado begins to lift some COVID-19 restrictions -- Hours after San Diego County supervisors moved forward with its Stage 2 reopening plans, Coronado’s City Council approved a series of measures to life some of the pandemic-related restrictions in town. Gustavo Solis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/21/20

Want to leave Sacramento for the holiday weekend? Here’s why Lake Tahoe isn’t the answer -- In any year other than 2020, holiday weekend plans would be a no-brainer. Hop on U.S. Highway 50 and point the car toward Lake Tahoe. But stay-at-home orders and phased reopenings have complicated matters for would-be travelers. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/21/20

The Protesters  

Defying state coronavirus order, a thousand pastors plan to hold in-person services for Pentecost -- More than 1,200 pastors have vowed to hold in-person services on May 31, Pentecost Sunday, defying a state moratorium on religious gatherings that Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Beam Associated Press -- 5/21/20

Education 

San Diego schools can’t reopen without more money, officials say -- San Diego Unified, the state’s second-largest district with about 102,000 students, may need 20 to 30 percent more funding than it is getting now to reopen next school year, said Richard Barrera, vice president of the San Diego Unified school board. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/21/20

SF public schools will be back in session on Aug. 17 — but questions remain -- San Francisco public schools will be back in session on Aug. 17, San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews said Wednesday. But how that will look is not yet known — although a decision is expected by mid-July. Michael Cabanatuan, Alejandro Serrano and Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Legal skirmish erupts in wake of high school AP exam snafu -- The College Board is battling back against a class-action lawsuit that accuses the nonprofit organization of breach of contract, gross negligence and other violations in its handling of the online Advanced Placement exams for high school students administered last week. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Students are failing AP tests because the College Board can’t handle iPhone photos -- Nick Bryner, a high school senior in Los Angeles, had just completed his AP English Literature and Composition test last week. But when he snapped a photo of a written answer with his iPhone and attempted to upload it to the testing portal, it stopped responding. The website got stuck on the loading screen until Bryner’s time ran out. Bryner failed the test. He’s retaking it in a few weeks. Monica Chin The Verge -- 5/21/20

Last Student Standing? A Coronavirus Diary -- California college students cancelled their housing contracts and left their dorms en masse following the shift to online classes and statewide lockdown caused by the coronavirus. But at the University of California at Berkeley, several hundred stayed on campus, either because they couldn’t afford to make it home, did not have a home to go to or were afraid of exposing themselves or loved ones to the virus. I was one of them. Vanessa Arredondo Calmatters -- 5/21/20

California’s smallest districts plan ‘socially distant’ in-person graduations this spring -- Many California high school seniors will be tossing their grad caps up in the air via webcams this spring. But at Lucerne Valley High in San Bernardino County’s rural high desert, nearly 50 seniors, many of whom have gone to school together for 13 years, will walk the stage in person at their commencement ceremony. Sydney Johnson EdSource -- 5/21/20

UC may allow partial campus reopenings in the fall -- The University of California on Wednesday adopted a health roadmap that could allow some or all of its 10 campuses to partly reopen in the fall if widespread testing and tracing for the coronavirus gets underway, all students and faculty wear face coverings and physical distancing is kept. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 5/21/20

California’s college class of 2020 prepares for a shrinking job market -- Just a few short months ago, the Class of 2020 was graduating into one of the best economies the country had seen in decades. Unemployment was at a record low, and college students had their pick of jobs and internships. But not anymore. Ashley A. Smith EdSource -- 5/21/20

Environment   

State requires U.S. Department of Energy to remove 10 buildings at contaminated Santa Susana Field Lab -- The U.S. Department of Energy agreed on Tuesday, May 20, to remove 10 contaminated buildings at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory tucked away in the hills above the San Fernando and Simi valleys and used during the Cold War-era to test rocket systems and nuclear reactors. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 5/21/20

Cleaner air, the pandemic and fighting the EPA -- Not everything’s been “doom and gloom” on social media during the coronavirus pandemic as trending posts have shown “Los Angeles without smog,” clear skies in India’s often-polluted airspace and dolphins swimming through the canals of Venice. Ryan Kaika Capitol Weekly -- 5/21/20

Also . . .   

Larry Aubry, black activist icon and ‘godfather of South Central Los Angeles,’ dies -- Aubry, 86, died May 16 after a short illness, writer Erin Aubry Kaplan, one of his five children, said. A writer as well as an activist, he composed more than 1,700 hard-hitting columns over 33 years for the Los Angeles Sentinel and served two terms on the Inglewood School Board. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Suspects arrested in kidnapping, slaying of Bay Area tech executive Tushar Atre -- Several suspects have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and killing of a Santa Cruz tech executive last year, officials said. The arrests were made on Tuesday in the killing of 50-year-old Tushar Atre, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Officials did not identify the suspects or say where they were arrested. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/21/20

Court orders Koreatown business to stop advertising radish paste as coronavirus treatment -- A judge granted an injunction Wednesday that prohibits a nutritional supplement store in Koreatown from billing radish paste as a treatment capable of warding off the novel coronavirus. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

POTUS 45  

Trump uses coronavirus crisis to visit swing states --President Trump will fly to Michigan on Thursday to visit a Ford Motor Co. factory that launched a crash program last month to build ventilators and personal protective gear for the coronavirus crisis. Eli Stokols in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/21/20

Trump’s Vaccine Chief Has Vast Ties to Drug Industry, Posing Possible Conflicts -- Moncef Slaoui, a former pharmaceutical executive, is now overseeing the U.S. initiative to development coronavirus treatments and vaccines. His financial interests and corporate roles have come under scrutiny. Sheila Kaplan, Matthew Goldstein and Alexandra Stevenson in the New York Times$ -- 5/21/20

Beltway   

Lockdown Delays Cost at Least 36,000 Lives, Data Show -- If the United States had begun imposing social distancing measures one week earlier than it did in March, about 36,000 fewer people would have died in the coronavirus outbreak, according to new estimates from Columbia University disease modelers. James Glanz and Campbell Robertson in the New York Times$ -- 5/21/20

 

-- Wednesday Updates   

A new high for coronavirus deaths in California as counties push ahead with reopening -- California recorded 132 new coronavirus-related fatalities Tuesday — the most in a single day since the pandemic began — as counties across the state continue cementing plans to reopen their economies. Hannah Fry, Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

California is finally winning coronavirus battle, even as deaths keep rising -- Three months into California’s battle with the coronavirus, there are growing signs that the outbreak is ebbing even as the state death toll continues to climb past 3,400. Rong-Gong Lin II, Iris Lee, Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

Inside the Trump fight with California over opening churches amid coronavirus -- California’s stay-at-home order, which is credited with slowing the spread of the coronavirus, has upended the economy and changed the lives of millions. But it has also caused special pain for people of faith, who no longer can worship in person as churches and other religious institutions have been closed. Matthew Ormseth, Alex Wigglesworth, Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

Why has coronavirus taken such a toll on SF’s Asian American community? Experts perplexed over high death rate -- The coronavirus has taken a grim toll on San Francisco’s Asian American community, which accounts for half of the fatalities from COVID-19 and has a high death rate among those who have tested positive for the disease. Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/20/20

Orange County will direct $75 million in federal aid to small businesses -- Small businesses in Orange County may soon be able to apply for aid in reopening from a county program paid for with $75 million in federal funding. Details of the program are still being worked out, including a key issue: what would be considered small businesses. Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register -- 5/20/20

During the pandemic, sequestered SDG&E grid operators living at work to keep the lights on -- To make sure the electrical grid stays up and running during the COVID-19 pandemic, Adams works a 12-hour shift for 14 consecutive days. And instead of going to his home in Normal Heights at the end of his workday, the 36-year-old heads to a recreational vehicle in a parking lot at SDG&E to get some rest before heading back to Mission Control the next day. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/20/20

49ers hopeful of training camp return to Santa Clara -- San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk is encouraged by how productive the team’s virtual offseason has been. He believes players are able to get even more time learning the intricacies of the offense without the pressure of going out on the field to practice each day and he has enjoyed the banter and bonding across the video screen. There’s one aspect that can’t be replicated. Josh Dubow Associated Press -- 5/20/20

San Diego County revives human relations commission in wake of racist incidents in Santee -- Earlier this month, a male shopper at a Vons store in Santee wore a Ku Klux Klan hood. The following week, at a Santee Food 4 Less, a man and a woman wore masks with Nazi swastika flags. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/20/20

Lopez: Column: I got tested for COVID-19. Should you? -- The last time I traveled along Stadium Way I was headed to a Dodger game, but on Monday afternoon I drove to the fire training center near the ballpark for a much less enjoyable experience. A COVID-19 test. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

Reopen    

Despite many coronavirus deaths, Tulare County vows to defy Newsom and further reopen -- Despite having one of the highest coronavirus death rates in California, Tulare County officials have voted to reopen more businesses before meeting the health criteria set by the state. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

Most California school districts plan to open in the fall. Here’s how it would work -- Most public school districts in California are planning to reopen campuses on their regular start dates in late August and September — but the new normal amid the coronavirus outbreak will likely include masks, daily school sanitation and smaller class sizes to maintain six feet of distance, state Supt. of Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday. Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

Napa County becomes first in Bay Area where restaurants, retail can reopen -- Restaurants reopened for dine-in service and businesses welcomed shoppers back into their stores Wednesday in one Bay Area county. Napa became the first county in the region to have its local variance attestation approved, enabling it to move forward into the advanced stage of Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan. Evan Webeck in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/20/20

San Diego County OKs in-person dining, retail; asks governor to approve pilot program -- With unemployment hitting nearly 25 percent and weekly protests decrying the state stay-at-home order, California’s second-most-populous county is pushing to reopen quicker. Charles T. Clark in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/20/20

San Diego restaurants, shops poised to reopen but who will be ready this week? -- Workers need to be rehired and trained under new sanitation protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the interiors of stores and restaurants have to be redesigned to allow for adequate social distancing, menus need to be retooled and inventory purchased. Lori Weisberg, Brittany Meiling, Pam Kragen in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/20/20

A big push to reopen restaurants, malls, even gyms ASAP. But it’s not that simple -- Faced with unemployment rates that in many places top 20%, California counties are eager to reopen their economies as quickly as they can. Luke Money, Kailyn Brown, Sarah Parvini, Charles T. Carter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

Seal Beach opens its beaches on weekends, expand hours ahead of holiday weekend -- A last piece of the coastal re-opening puzzle is complete, with Seal Beach opting to open up on weekends and expand hours to allow the public greater access to the sand and surf. Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register -- 5/20/20

Yosemite National Park aims to reopen in early June, with limits -- Yosemite National Park may finally reopen as early as June, but with major changes: Visitors who want to spend the day at the famed Sierra Nevada destination would need a reservation and crowds would be limited to roughly half of normal. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/20/20

Joshua Tree National Park reopening with limitations -- Park entrances, roads, parking lots, trails, individual campsites and most restrooms are open. Visitor centers and group campsites remain closed and all campsite reservations made through the recreation.gov are canceled. The park says all campsites are first-come, first-served until Sept. 4, and campers must pay as normal at each campground. Associated Press -- 5/20/20

Also . . .   

L.A. is uneasy about order to move homeless people from freeways. ‘There’s ethical issues’ -- A federal judge’s sweeping order to move thousands of homeless people away from freeways in Los Angeles is drawing objections from advocates and Mayor Eric Garcetti who fear it could lead to confrontations with police and endanger the health of those living on the streets during the coronavirus outbreak. Benjamin Oreskes, David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

What can airlines do if people take off their masks in flight? Not much, actually -- Wearing a face mask has become as much a part of flying on commercial planes as cramming too much in the overhead bin, wrestling your seatmate for the armrest and trying to charm an extra bag of peanuts from the flight attendant. Hugo Martín in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

Body of former pro wrestler Shad Gaspard found near Venice Pier -- Gaspard, 39, had been missing since Sunday afternoon, when he was swept out to sea at Venice Beach. His 10-year-old son, Aryeh, was rescued, and several other swimmers made it out of the water safely after they were caught in a rip current, authorities said. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

L.A. Fire Department to inspect vape and smoke shops after downtown explosion -- The Los Angeles Fire Department will launch a citywide review of the way certain businesses store volatile materials after an explosion seriously injured several firefighters in a downtown corridor that some consider a haven for supplies used in the creation of unlicensed cannabis products. Richard Winton, James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

ICE said a 74-year-old was too dangerous to release. He died of apparent suicide -- The way Choung Woong Ahn’s family sees it, the 74-year-old South Korean immigrant should not have been in the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center when he took his last breath. Lawyers for Ahn had submitted three requests for his release amid the coronavirus pandemic. All were rejected, the most recent by a U.S. district judge on May 13. On Sunday, he died by suicide. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20

Here’s a closer look at the ex-deputy mayor enmeshed in City Hall corruption probe -- Raymond Chan earned praise at City Hall for his eagerness to smooth out city bureaucracy for developers, both as the head of Los Angeles’ building department and later as a deputy mayor focused on economic development. Emily Alpert Reyes, Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/20/20