Updating . .   

California could drop most COVID restrictions on June 15, leaders say -- California is set to end most of its coronavirus safety restrictions on June 15, state officials said Tuesday, as long as vaccinations are widely available and the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in hospitals remains low. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ Lara Korte and Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ Erin Allday, Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ Alicia Robinson in the Orange County Register Victoria Colliver Politico -- 4/6/21

California hits big milestone in vaccination: 4 million shots in state's lowest-income areas -- California hit a key milestone in its coronavirus vaccination rollout Tuesday morning: 4 million doses administered in low-income communities, which triggers an adjustment to the state’s tiered reopening system and may mean four more Bay Area counties will move to the orange tier. Aidin Vaziri, Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Disneyland and California Adventure Park tickets go on sale next week -- With about three weeks to go before Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park reopen, the Anaheim resort announced ticket sales will begin Monday for those who are holding unused tickets and sales for all other California residents will launch April 15. Hugo Martín in the Los Angeles Times$ Brady MacDonald in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/6/21

Vaccinated and eager for normal life, Californians are venturing out. Is it too much too soon? -- The gamblers, donning masks, couldn’t display their best poker faces on Monday at the Bicycle Hotel & Casino. But they were able to play indoors for the first time in more than one year. Priscella Vega, Lila Seidman, Colleen Shalby, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

Virus  

‘Double mutant’ coronavirus variant is found in California -- A possibly worrisome variant of the coronavirus first identified in India — so new that it has no official name — has been found in California by scientists at Stanford University. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

UC Davis detects dangerous, more-contagious coronavirus variant in Yolo County -- The UC Davis Genome Center identified the first known case of the B.1.351 variant of COVID-19 in Yolo County, Healthy Davis Together announced Tuesday. The community’s free COVID-19 test operations identified the patient through a PCR test and have begun contract tracing while the Davis adult isolates. Molly Burke in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/6/21

How much longer can California buck spring COVID-19 surge? There are concerns -- A single botched reopening of a venue could result in a superspreading incident, seeding new infections throughout a community if people stop taking protective measures such as wearing masks and staying away from crowds, officials warned. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

Recovery  

‘Pent-up demand’ could revive Sacramento’s economy in June. What about small business? -- But he and others cautioned that pockets of the economy remain troubled and won’t recover overnight. Sacramento’s unemployment rate is nearly double what it was before the pandemic started; thousands of jobs have disappeared in restaurants, hotels and the small business sector. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/6/21

Vaccine  

Biden to move COVID-19 vaccine eligibility date to April 19 -- President Joe Biden was announcing Tuesday that he’s bumping up his deadline for states to make all adults in the U.S. eligible for coronavirus vaccines. Darlene Superville Associated Press -- 4/6/21

Anyone 16 and up can now register for a vaccination at this Sacramento health system -- In a major step forward, UC Davis Health in Sacramento has announced it will start opening appointments Tuesday for anyone age 16 and older to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine. Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/6/21

What should you do if you lose your vaccine card? -- If you got your shot at a pharmacy such as Walgreens or Costco, you can return to the location and ask for a new card. The same goes for those who got vaccinated directly through a healthcare provider. State health departments also track vaccinations, and you can contact your state's agency for a replacement card, according to the CDC. You can find a contact for all state agencies on the CDC website. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/6/21

Stimulus  

More than 2 million Californians may be leaving stimulus money on the table. Here’s how to get it -- More than 2 million Californians have fallen into a “stimulus gap,” in which they are entitled to money from federal COVID-19 relief programs but haven’t yet received it. And they may be in danger of never collecting the money, according to a new report from the California Policy Lab. Madalyn Amato in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

Workplace  

‘It’s common sense’: Sacramento could require businesses to rehire laid-off employees -- A proposed ordinance would mandate all Sacramento employers with 50 or more workers to hire laid-off former employees back over new applicants when filling positions. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/6/21

Policy & Politics 

Caitlyn Jenner explores run for California governor -- Former reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner is talking with political consultants as she actively explores a run for governor of California, three sources with direct knowledge of her deliberations tell Axios. Jonathan Swan, Alayna Treene Axios -- 4/6/21

Free banking in California? New bill tackles access and racial equity -- Escalating overdraft charges. Minimum balances. High ATM, check-cashing and debit card fees. Banking can be expensive, especially for low-wage workers. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

S.F. might ban city-paid travel to Georgia to protest 'discriminatory' voting law -- San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton wants to ban city-paid employee travel to states with restrictive voting laws to protest Georgia’s controversial new legislation that he calls “discriminatory and segregationist.” Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

School  

Amid ‘huge tension,’ San Francisco set to formally suspend renaming of public schools -- Back in January, the San Francisco Board of Education voted 6 to 1 to rename more than 40 schools as supporters cheered the board for “unapologetically” targeting historical figures they deemed racist, including Abraham Lincoln. Faith E. Pinho, Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

Natomas teachers union files unfair labor charge after district announces 5-day schedule -- Teachers in the Natomas Unified School District are pushing back on the district’s plan to bring elementary school students back to campus five days a week, saying the plan doesn’t give teachers much time to prepare their lessons. Sawsan Morrar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/6/21

Fire  

Lack of rain could produce rare spring wildfire season in greater San Diego -- San Diego County is in the midst of the sixth driest rainy season on record, conditions that could lead to rare and sizable spring wildfires if things stay dry, the National Weather Service said on Tuesday. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/6/21

Environment  

$4.2 million fine upheld for California homeowner’s blocking of beach access -- A $4.2 million fine against a Malibu homeowner for blocking beach access was allowed by an appeals court to stand. The ruling filed Monday concerns the San Flores Beach home owned by Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Warren Lent and his wife, Henny. The Item is in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/6/21

Street  

Yolo D.A. offering up first-in-nation online access to data on criminal prosecutions -- In a bid to make decisions on who is prosecuted for crimes in Yolo County more transparent, District Attorney Jeff Reisig and a criminal justice non-profit group are unveiling a new website Tuesday offering access to a trove of data on race, age, gender and other information related to criminal cases. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/6/21

Victim in alleged anti-Asian attack at S.F. bar was punched by a retired pro boxer, witnesses say -- An 18-year-old man whose family said in a viral TikTok video that he was the victim of an anti-Asian attack in San Francisco was punched in the face by a retired professional heavyweight boxer, a witness told The Chronicle Monday. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

California Policy and P  olitics Tuesday Morning  

Coronavirus infections on the rise in the Bay Area, following national trend -- Coronavirus infections trended up in the Bay Area for the week ending Friday, with the average number of daily new cases at 475, up 8.7% from the prior week ending March 26. Aidin Vaziri, Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

LA County ends mandated quarantines for fully vaccinated travelers -- The county announced new travel guidelines after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week said that as long as coronavirus precautions are taken, including mask wearing, fully vaccinated people can take trips within the United States without getting tested for COVID-19 before or self-quarantining after. Tyler Shaun Evains in the Orange County Register -- 4/6/21

Working age Hispanic immigrants were 11 times more likely to die of Covid in California, study says -- A steady stream of research has shown vulnerable communities across the United States are impacted the most by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new study uncovers a stunningly huge inequity among a specific group in California. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/6/21

San Diego Vaccine Hunters offers tips and tricks on how to secure your shot -- The group, aptly named San Diego Vaccine Hunters, shares tips and tricks on how to secure an appointment at sites run by the county, health systems, local pharmacies and other vaccine providers. Jonathan Wosen in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/6/21

Online scammers traffic in fake COVID vaccination cards, authorities warn -- Fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards are being sold online, and authorities have warned individuals not to buy or make one — which is illegal. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Will Californians get COVID vaccine passports? -- The steady movement toward less restricted pandemic life has many Californians eyeing the prospect of dusting off passports they haven’t used in a year. There’s also emerging buzz about another kind of credential that could come into play: vaccine passports. Meghan Bobrowsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Scripps Health Says If Restrictions Weren’t Relaxed In Summer, 45 Lives Could Have Been Saved -- Scripps Health officials working with Columbia University scientists estimate if some restrictions were not lifted for businesses last summer, they would not have seen an increase in hospitalizations that lead to at least 45 deaths. Matt Hoffman KPBS -- 4/6/21

Hiltzik: Stop grousing about vaccine ‘passports’ — they’re the key to reopening society -- It was a bright yellow booklet I carried everywhere, and at some national borders it was scrutinized even more carefully than my government-issued passport. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

School  

In massive reopening effort at 1,400 L.A. public schools, safety is the priority -- The complex logistics of awakening 1,400 Los Angeles schools are reaching a crescendo this week with officials especially focused on safety — announcing plans to open 25 community vaccination centers and urging all returning families to sign their students up for mandatory coronavirus testing. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

Los Angeles teachers will get child care stipend for young kids -- Los Angeles Unified teachers and other employees with young children will receive a $500 monthly child care stipend as they return to classrooms after a year of campus closures. Mackenzie Mays Politico Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/6/21

As S.F. students grapple with pandemic's emotional toll, mobile mental health team rushes in -- After a year of school closures and isolation, many Bay Area students are suffering. Parents and teachers have reported failing grades and rising depression. Suicide attempts in adolescents are skyrocketing. Emma Talley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

LA’s Roman Catholic schools faced challenges; the pandemic helped shut six of them down -- Falling enrollment, widening educational options in the region and distressed finances were already hurting schools. COVID-19 made them worse, officials said. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/6/21

Opening  

LA County bars warily welcome reopening, with strict rules: ‘It’s better than nothing’ -- On a normal pre-pandemic day, The North End bar in Hollywood would play host to about 200 people. But nothing has been normal in the last year for Camila Perry, the bar’s co-owner, who runs the tavern with two other partners. Olga Grigoryants in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/6/21

Rent  

San Diego city and school officials promote $83 million in rent assistance for low-income families -- San Diego city and school district officials are encouraging families to take advantage of more than $83 million in free rent assistance available to those who are struggling financially due to the pandemic. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/6/21

Policy & Politics 

Kamala Harris promises White House support for Gavin Newsom in recall election -- Vice President Kamala Harris promised White House backing Monday for Gov. Gavin Newsom in his likely recall election, saying she and President Biden “will be supportive as much as we possibly can.” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Kamala Harris: Oakland Coliseum vaccination site will stay open -- Vice President Kamala Harris said the federal government plans to keep a mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum open beyond its scheduled closure Sunday, after local officials expressed concern about the planned shutdown just as demand for inoculations is about to explode. Joe Garofoli, Meghan Bobrowsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

'It's Good to Be Home': Kamala Harris Pays First Visit to Oakland as Vice President -- Kamala Harris visited her hometown of Oakland for the first time since becoming vice president. While love was in the air at speeches made across the Bay Area on Monday, Harris used the backdrop of the working-class East Bay to tout President Biden's $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, the administration's latest "go big" package before Congress. Scott Shafer KQED -- 4/6/21

Chesa Boudin supporters have outraised the recall campaign. Here's who donated the most -- A political action committee created to keep San Francisco top prosecutor Chesa Boudin in office now appears to be financially outpacing a recall effort against him, new campaign finance records show. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

How California Stands to Benefit From the $2.2 Trillion Infrastructure Proposal -- Perhaps more than any other part of the country, California stands to benefit from the $2.2 trillion proposal introduced last week by President Biden. Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 4/6/21

California Republican is donating money from Rep. Matt Gaetz to women’s shelter -- Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, said Friday he would be donating any contributions given to him by Gaetz, R-Florida, to a Fresno organization that supports victims of domestic abuse. Kate Irby in the Fresno Bee$ -- 4/6/21

Walters: James Mills personified a long-past era -- In this era of ideological polarization and perpetual partisan warfare, it’s difficult to grasp the collegial, bipartisan ambience that once prevailed in California’s Senate. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/6/21

Street  

‘It’s absolutely terrifying’: O.C. residents receive onslaught of KKK propaganda -- Huntington Beach residents received an unwelcome surprise on Easter morning: Fliers featuring Ku Klux Klan propaganda peppered a block of 18th Street in downtown. “White Lives Do Matter,” one flier said above an image of the Klan’s emblem. “Say no to cultural genocide.” Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

Orange County man charged with hate crime for throwing rocks at Asian mother’s car -- Orange County officials have charged a man with a hate crime for allegedly throwing rocks at an Asian woman and her 6-year-old son last week as they drove down a street in Fullerton. Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

While investigating a son for threatening his parents, O.C. deputies find gun arsenal -- A man from a prominent conservative family in Orange County faces weapons charges for a cache of guns and rifles discovered by sheriff’s deputies as they were looking into reports he had threatened his parents, according to court records. Hannah Fry, Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

After a decade of fighting human trafficking in Orange County, the lesson is simple: patience -- A new report from the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force indicates that 357 people who had been forced into local sex work or other labor were helped by agencies here in 2019 and 2020, the most recent period surveyed. Theresa Walker in the Orange County Register -- 4/6/21

Video shows Danville police officer shoot homeless Black man -- A video obtained Monday by The Chronicle shows the fatal shooting by a Danville police officer of 32-year-old Tyrell Wilson, a homeless Black man who had been staying near a public parking lot used by carpoolers. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Door Dash  

LA County restaurant owners, operators get $20,000 grants from DoorDash -- Twenty-five Los Angeles County restaurant owners and operators who have struggled to stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic are getting $20,000 grants and business support from DoorDash. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/6/21

On DoorDash, these S.F. sushi spots look like famous restaurants. The real owners say they're fakes -- The owners of Blowfish Sushi to Die For and Wagyumafia in Japan are accusing a San Francisco business of impersonating their restaurants. They plan to take legal action for trademark infringement. Janelle Bitker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Rides  

Uber may stop letting drivers see destinations and name prices -- A year ago, Uber let its California drivers see ride destinations before picking up passengers and let them set pricing in an effort to prove that the drivers were truly independent contractors. It was part of the company’s strategy to block drivers from being reclassified as employees under AB5, California’s gig-work law. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Border 

Long Beach Convention Center tapped to hold 1,000 migrant children -- The Long Beach Convention Center is poised to become the second temporary facility in California to hold migrant children who traveled to the southern U.S. border without their parents or legal guardians. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

Border Patrol agents thwart human smuggling attempt along Imperial Beach coastline -- Border Patrol agents arrested three men and a teenager suspected of swimming around a U.S.-Mexico border wall and two other men accused of picking up the group in Imperial Beach on Sunday, officials said. All were identified as Mexican nationals who were not authorized to be in the U.S. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/6/21

Education 

Did you get federal relief money from December? Depends which college you go to -- While some California colleges and universities began distributing emergency aid to students in February, others are only now pushing out the funds — largely because the federal government only recently gave them access to the relief. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 4/6/21

Housing  

Stonestown development faces unfamiliar S.F. housing criticism: Is it dense enough? -- When the owners of Stonestown Galleria unveiled plans last month to build 2,900 units of housing on the mall’s underutilized parking lots, a few nearby homeowners complained that the project would create traffic jams and overwhelm the adjacent single-family homes. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Landlords and Tenants   

East Oakland tenants sue landlord over living conditions: 'We have pests like rats and roaches' -- A group of tenants living in an East Oakland apartment building filed a lawsuit against their landlord Monday alleging inhumane living conditions and harassment. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Taxes & Fees  

Salesforce paid no federal income tax in 2020 despite $2.6 billion in profit -- Salesforce, San Francisco’s largest private employer, was among 55 major U.S. companies that paid no federal income taxes in 2020, according to a new report. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

Also . . .   

Everyone on the call must agree when cell phone conversations are recorded, court rules -- It is illegal in California to record a cell phone conversation without the consent of everyone on the line, the state Supreme Court says in a unanimous ruling that gives a boost to consumer lawsuits against phone solicitors. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/21

The iconic Hearst estate in Beverly Hills lists at $89.75 million — a deep discount -- As Southern California’s red-hot real estate market sees homes selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars over the asking price, one of the region’s most legendary properties is hitting the market at a massive markdown. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/21

Former CA state assemblyman Gene Mullin dead at 83 -- Mullin, 83, served in the state assembly from 2002-2008 and spent seven years on the South San Francisco city council, including two one-year stints as mayor. His life of public service dates back to the 1960s, when he began teaching and coaching at South San Francisco High School for three decades. Nate Gartrell in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/6/21