Updating . .   

California falls short on COVID contact tracing amid warnings of new wave, audit says -- More than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the state auditor says California’s public health agency is doing just a so-so job on a key element of coronavirus control: finding out whether infected Californians had possibly spread the disease to someone else. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/2/21

California is far from ‘mission accomplished’ on COVID-19 fight. Here is what to worry about -- The fight against COVID-19 has become a race of vaccines versus variants. That’s how many health officials describe the current state of the pandemic, as the circulation of even more infectious coronavirus mutations only heightens the urgency to get the vaccine into as many arms as possible as quickly as possible. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Benching COVID: Baseball fans return to California stadiums -- Long before he watched the windup to the first pitch, even before he entered the Oakland Coliseum, Sergio Santillan of Hayward was already feeling emotional. “I kinda wanna cry. I’m just loving it,” he said, beer in hand, perched on a cement divider in the parking lot. Anne Wernikoff CalMatters -- 4/2/21

Americans who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 can travel, CDC says -- People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely travel within the United States and abroad as long as they continue to take precautions like wearing a mask in public, according to new guidance released Friday by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Costco opens up single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine appointments across the Bay Area -- Costco on Friday opened up appointments for Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine at nearly two dozen stores across the Bay Area, substantially expanding the superstore chain’s vaccination offerings in the region. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/2/21

Opening  

Tadich Grill, San Francisco's oldest restaurant, reopens on Monday after long pandemic break -- Fans of San Francisco classic Tadich Grill can make reservations once again to experience the restaurant’s cioppino overflowing with fresh seafood, cheesy oysters Rockefeller and smooth martinis. After a year of canceled reopenings and fear of permanent closure, 172-year-old Tadich Grill officially reopens for lunch and dinner on Monday. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Experts rate the risk of activities reopening in the Bay Area -- The Bay Area is marching week by week, county by county, through Calfornia’s reopening levels, with increasingly fewer restrictions on what residents and businesses can do. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Outdoor venues like Shoreline, Cal Shakes can reopen in Bay Area. But will they? -- California has finally released guidelines about how outdoor venues can reopen for live events, performances and concerts. But that does not mean Bay Area audiences will be able to return to shows right away. Aidin Vaziri and Lily Janiak in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

When S.F., Bay Area companies are reopening offices: Facebook, Google, Uber and more -- Some of the biggest companies in the Bay Area are reopening their offices after more than a year of shelter in place. The Chronicle is tracking major reopening dates, health policies, real estate decisions and permanent remote work policies. Roland Li , Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

With Cases Increasing, Sacramento Still Weeks From Away From Less-Restrictive Tier Even As Vaccine Eligibility Expands -- Sacramento County is still weeks away from shifting from the state’s red tier for reopening to the less-restrictive orange tier, even as vaccine eligibility expands across the state. The reason: an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Kris Hooks Capital Public Radio -- 4/2/21

Gas  

The Bay Area's gas prices are the highest in the country -- Gas prices in the Bay Area are, on average, the highest in the country — news that comes amid the gradual return of traffic volume in the Bay Area, a likely corollary of the region’s gradual reopening. The average price for a gallon of gas in the Bay Area is $3.94, according to data compiled by the Associated Press. Michael Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Policy & Politics 

Senior aide to Rep. Devin Nunes and attorney face court sanctions in CNN lawsuit -- A federal judge this week sanctioned a senior aide to Rep. Devin Nunes and his attorney, ordering them to pay legal fees in a lawsuit they filed against CNN regarding a news story about the California congressman. Kate Irby in the Fresno Bee -- 4/2/21

Arellano: In recall of governor, is California GOP smoking an exploding cigar? -- It’s election night 1990, and the California Republican Party is ecstatic. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

California college professor tweeted Ku Klux Klan hood photo to Black conservative Candace Owens -- A Democratic candidate for a Riverside County congressional seat said he’s leaving politics and scrapping plans to run for office in 2022 after tweeting a picture of a Ku Klux Klan hood in response to a Black conservative commentator. Jeff Horseman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/2/21

Alison Collins' lawsuit comes amid S.F. school district crisis. The real losers could be the students -- San Francisco’s school district was already juggling a difficult classroom reopening, a departing superintendent, tattered finances and bitter leadership battles when one school board member sued the public agency and her fellow commissioners this week, magnifying the crisis. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Taxes  

California expands tax benefits for seniors, severely disabled, wildfire victims -- Those groups will now be able to transfer the taxable value of their original residence to a replacement residence up to three times during their lifetime anywhere throughout the state, Board officials said in a press release. Richard Bammer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/2/21

Develop  

Wanted: New developer to build homes at Concord Naval Weapons Station -- A major undertaking to redevelop the former naval weapons station in Concord is finding new wings as the city begins its search for another master developer to succeed the one that left the job over a labor dispute. Shomik Mukherjee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/2/21

Street  

Orange shooting gunman knew his victims and how to trap them -- The gunman knew his victims. He knew the office park — and how to trap them. He locked the gates to the complex with bike cables before he slipped inside a manufactured homes business called Unified Homes, backpack slung over his shoulder, gun in hand. Hannah Fry, Ruben Vives, Matthew Ormseth, Joe Mozingo, Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Vest saved officer, Sacramento PD used robot to disarm wounded suspect, videos show -- The Sacramento Police Department on Friday released video and shared new details about a Parkway shootout last month in which a man shot an officer, who then returned fire and wounded the suspect. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/2/21

Water  

Drought is back. But Southern California faces less pain than Northern California -- Drought is returning to California as a second, consecutive parched winter draws to a close in the usually wet north, leaving the state’s major reservoirs half empty. But this latest period of prolonged dryness will probably play out very differently across this vast state. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Homeless  

California took 35,000 homeless people off the street for 1 year. Did the program work? -- It took a pandemic for Bennie Rogers to get healthy, housed and happy. Rogers, 68, was living in a tent along the river in Old Sacramento last summer when he got the chance to go inside with help from a state-run emergency program set up to house vulnerable homeless people during the COVID-19 crisis. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/2/21

Also . . .   

Elon Musk wants to create his own city. Here’s how that could work -- The secluded beachside community of Boca Chica Village was once a haven for retirees, snowbirds and outdoorsy people who enjoyed dirt biking, fishing or lounging near the water. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

California Policy and P  olitics Friday Morning  

30% of Californians have received COVID-19 vaccine dose. ‘It transforms everything’ -- More than 30% of Californians are now at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 — a hopeful milestone that comes as the state dramatically expands who is eligible to receive the shots. Luke Money, Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Gavin Newsom says he’s worried about COVID variants, urges Californians to take precautions -- Nearly a third of Californians have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, but Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he’s still concerned the state could see another coronavirus surge before its population reaches herd immunity. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/2/21

Bay Area expands COVID shots, but virus variants and vaccine shortages alarm experts -- Even with California hitting a major pandemic milestone — opening COVID vaccination appointments to everyone 50 and older — Bay Area health officials painted a sobering picture Thursday as they warned residents about the continued spread of troubling virus variants and vaccine shortages. Marisa Kendall, John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/2/21

Bay Area COVID-19 variants could outpace vaccine distribution, health director warns -- A Bay Area health director warned Thursday that more infectious variants of the coronavirus may be fueling a new spike in cases as numbers throughout the region flatten and even start to tick up. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Mass vaccination site at Cal State L.A. will stay open, managed by the City of L.A. -- A massive COVID-19 vaccination site on the campus of Cal State L.A. that was slated for possible closure next month will stay open with the help of the city of Los Angeles, officials said Thursday. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

As California Sends More Vaccines To Underserved Communities, Local Clinics And Residents Do The Legwork -- Castle Family Health has organized social media campaigns to answer the community’s questions about the vaccine, and to correct misinformation. The health center has been organizing large vaccination pop-ups in the county for teachers and other essential workers, and is doing outreach to area farms. Scott Rodd Capital Public Radio -- 4/2/21

California lifts 120-mile travel advisory but still wants you to stay home -- California on Thursday lifted the statewide advisory that asked leisure travelers to stay within 120 miles of home to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to a news release. Mary Forgione in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Opening  

Eager A's fans return to the Oakland Coliseum: 'a glimpse of normalcy' -- Only the prevalence of green and gold jerseys distinguished Oakland Athletics fans from vaccine-seekers Thursday night as the Oakland Coliseum opened its doors to fans for the first time since 2019. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Policy & Politics 

Facing recall, Newsom’s political future is tied to California vaccine effort -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said he chose to get vaccinated on camera to boost confidence in the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but his long-awaited shot in the arm also symbolizes how mass vaccinations could help inoculate the governor against the pending recall. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Former California cop leads GOP dream of Newsom recall -- Orrin Heatlie was recovering from a back procedure and browsing social media in 2019 when he found a video of California Gov. Gavin Newsom instructing immigrants in the country illegally not to open their doors to law enforcement unless officers had a warrant. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 4/2/21

California’s next attorney general will enter office with a full plate of major challenges -- Few statewide leaders have inherited as many unfinished tasks from their predecessors as incoming California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, whose to-do list includes an ongoing probe of pandemic unemployment fraud, reducing a backlog of guns held by people with felony convictions and resolving a dispute over how to pay for new investigations of fatal police shootings. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

Can California's Legislature, next AG do anything to halt anti-Asian violence? -- Rob Bonta stood before reporters in San Francisco’s International Hotel last week and drew a breath. The nominee for state attorney general had just been asked what he would do to address a stunning rise in violence against Asian Americans. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Chesa Boudin's backers have created a PAC, setting up financial showdown in recall effort -- A group of criminal justice reform advocates has created a committee to beat back a well-heeled effort to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, setting the stage for a financial showdown over one of the nation’s foremost progressive prosecutors. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Judge tosses Devin Nunes’ lawsuit against Trump research firm Fusion GPS, again -- It’s the second time a federal judge has thrown out the case, which centers on Nunes’ allegation that the firm sought to damage his reputation and hinder his ability to investigate its work leading up to Trump’s election. Kate Irby in the Fresno Bee -- 4/2/21

California's rooftop solar program collides with equity concerns -- A pandemic-era backlash against California's yawning wealth gap is taking aim at incentives for rooftop solar panels. Colby Bermel Politico -- 4/2/21

California Lawmaker Says National Privacy Law Is a Priority -- National privacy legislation is a priority in Congress this year, said Rep. Jerry McNerney, a California Democrat and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which helps oversee privacy policy. And, he said, he sees no reason why bipartisan legislation couldn’t happen this year. John McCormick in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/2/21

Street  

Child struck in Orange shooting died in arms of woman trying to save him, authorities say -- Much is still unknown about the mass shooting that left four people dead Wednesday night in Orange. But new details from authorities paint what one official described as a “horrific” series of events, including the fate of a 9-year-old boy who was one of the victims. Hannah Fry, Hayley Smith, Ruben Vives, Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

California office attack that killed 4 wasn’t random -- A gunman who killed four people, including a 9-year-old boy, in a rampage at a Southern California office building knew all the victims and his motive may have involved personal or business relationships, police said. Stefanie Dazio and Amy Taxin Associated Press -- 4/2/21

CAIR demands changes after Muslim woman was deprived of head covering in Santa Clara County jail -- One of the region’s preeminent Muslim-rights groups is demanding immediate policy and training changes based on a woman’s account that her hijab was forcibly removed while she was booked into a Santa Clara County jail, prompting her to resort to using a sweater then a shirt to cover her head after she was deprived of any replacement. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ Lauren Hernández, Michael Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Sovereign citizen duo accused of filing fake liens against judges, federal officials -- Two men affiliated with a sovereign-citizen movement have been charged in San Diego federal court with filing false liens against the properties of federal judges and law enforcement officers in retaliation for a 2019 drug-smuggling case, according to an indictment unsealed this week. Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/2/21

Water  

California's reservoirs at 50% of capacity as drought looms -- After two back-to-back winters marked by abnormally dry conditions, California is once again facing a water supply shortage. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/2/21

Blackouts  

California to Test Whether Big Batteries Can Stop Summer Blackouts -- The state is set to become a global test case in using batteries to back up wind and solar power. David R Baker Bloomberg -- 4/2/21

Border 

Camp Roberts could temporarily house migrant children from Mexican border -- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sent a request to the Department of Defense asking to use “an area of land” at the California Army National Guard base in northern San Luis Obispo County, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma, a spokesman for the California National Guard. Lindsey Holden in the Modesto Bee -- 4/2/21

Education 

Investigation underway into Stanford personal data breach -- Stanford University on Thursday said it is investigating claims hackers stole personal data from the School of Medicine. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/2/21

UCSD will immunize upwards of 1,000 students and check to see if they contract COVID-19 -- COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing people from become gravely ill or dying. But do they broadly prevent recipients from contracting the virus? Gary Robbins, Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/2/21

Half of California bachelor’s degrees are awarded by Cal State, report says -- The California State University, the largest four-year university system in the nation, is showing off the scale of its impact: More than 100,000 job-ready graduates every year, $27 billion of economic activity stimulated annually, and a seven-fold return on every dollar that the state invests. Nina Agrawal in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/21

San Diego State University will hold graduation ceremonies at Petco Park -- San Diego State University said Thursday that it will hold its May graduation ceremonies at Petco Park in downtown San Diego, setting aside the possibility of holding a drive-through “CARmencement” due to the pandemic. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/2/21

Amid pandemic, infants especially need quality child care, reformers say -- Children are born ready to learn. In the first year of life, the brain doubles, with about 90% of brain growth happening before kindergarten. Karen D'Souza EdSource -- 4/2/21

Homeless  

How a stylish Oakland dorm has become much-needed homeless housing -- With its award-winning contemporary design that includes one section shaped like a zinc-clad tube, Clifton Hall stood out when it opened in 2003 at the California College of the Arts in Oakland. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Guns  

California falls behind in seizing guns from people who shouldn't have them -- The list of California gun owners banned from possessing their weapons grew last year to a record size, as the backlog of cases in a state program to seize the firearms surged by 17% during the coronavirus pandemic. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

Also . . .   

It's no April Fool's joke, there really is a wild gray wolf in Monterey County -- A wild gray wolf known as OR-93 that’s been loping around California has now entered Monterey County — the closest it’s been to the Bay Area since it moved south from Modoc County in February, state wildlife officials said Thursday. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21

California court says USA Taekwondo must protect athletes after L.A. sexual abuse case -- The California Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday that pressures Olympic organizations to do more when it comes to protecting young athletes from sexual abuse by coaches. David Wharton in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian Melley Associated Press -- 4/2/21

Chargers not for sale, Dean Spanos and siblings say -- Dean Spanos, the controlling owner of the Chargers, along with siblings Michael Spanos and Alexis Spanos Ruhl, said in a statement Thursday that they’re prepared to buy their sister’s share of the team and that the outcome of her court-filed petition won’t affect control of the NFL franchise. Gilbert Manzano in the Orange County Register -- 4/2/21

Uber drivers refused rides to a blind woman and her guide dog. Now the company must pay up -- Irving took legal action against Uber, resulting in an arbitrator this month awarding her $324,000 in damages plus legal expenses of $805,313, along with a strongly worded statement that Uber had failed in its duty to comply with the ADA. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/21