Updating . .   

How the decline in COVID-19 testing could blind California to new problems -- As new and more contagious variants of the COVID-19 virus emerge in California at a troubling rate, testing for the pathogen has plummeted, challenging the state’s effort to trace their spread, discover outbreaks or detect whether they are eluding our vaccines. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/12/21

Are herd immunity, California coronavirus variant preventing West Coast spring surge? -- With coronavirus cases and related hospitalizations climbing nationwide, is California also headed for a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic? Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/21

Coronavirus shutdown of jury trials upends California’s federal courts -- Ronald Ware spent five months in a Santa Ana jail awaiting trial after his arrest in Brea last summer on a federal gun charge. Michael Finnegan, Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/21

Health care for $1 a month? Covered California touts massive subsidies from COVID relief -- Covered California — the state’s subsidized private health insurance program under the Affordable Care Act — is about to get a good deal cheaper. Some Californians could wind up paying as little as $1 a month for coverage. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/21

Vaccine  

Vaccine hesitancy could derail California reopening. Here’s the plan to convince skeptics -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said his plan to reopen California for “business as usual” by June 15 banks on a steady supply of COVID-19 vaccine and low hospitalization rates. Hannah Wiley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/21

‘Times are changing’: People seeking normalcy in Sacramento take vaccine rollout in stride -- Even as new coronavirus variants with increased rates of transmission crop up across the state, vaccines are being administered with greater speed, and, as California moves toward eligibility for anyone 16 and older this week, vaccination rates could explode. Already, 14.8 million Californians have gotten their first shot, and 7.4 million have gotten the second dose as well. Vincent Moleski -- 4/12/21

One shot of vaccine may be enough for COVID-19 survivors, studies suggest -- For people who have bared their arms for a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, the message from public health officials has been clear: Get the second shot if you want full protection. Amina Khan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/21

School  

The stark racial disparity among students returning to Sacramento City Unified classrooms -- Li is one of thousands of Asian and Asian American families at Sacramento City Unified schools choosing to keep their children at home as the district begins to reopen its classrooms. Sawsan Morrar and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/21

Excited and stressed, San Diego’s educators prepare for first day of in-person school Monday -- Danny Blas, who teaches middle school history and social science at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, is excited to see his students again. Some students have had their Zoom cameras turned off this school year, so Monday will be the first time he sees their faces. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/12/21

This Northern California school district reopened classrooms five months ago. The results may surprise you -- Since November, thousands of K-12 students in Manteca — a diverse, low-income district — have been back on campus at least two days a week. Students at Sierra are spending full days in biology, algebra, ceramics, social studies, Spanish class or an agricultural biology course, which includes taking care of a half dozen small turkeys housed in a classroom. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/21

L.A. Unified proposes a 2-week school year extension for student learning loss, trauma -- Los Angeles school officials will consider a plan to extend the next school year by adding one week at the start in August and another week in January after winter break to address learning loss and trauma suffered by students during the yearlong pandemic-forced school closures, Supt. Austin Beutner announced Monday. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/21

LAUSD readies campuses for this week’s return of in-person learning -- For the first time in more than a year, some Los Angeles Unified schools will reopen for in-person classes tomorrow, with safety standards and mandatory COVID-19 testing of students in place, although many parents are opting to keep their kids learning from home. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/12/21

Education 

UC explains admissions decisions in a record application year of much heartbreak, some joy -- Surging college applications have been hailed as a sign that the dropping of testing requirements has lowered entry barriers for many students. But the flip side of more applications is more rejections and heartbreak — as well as widespread confusion over what it takes to get that coveted acceptance letter. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/21

California’s community colleges at critical crossroads as more students opt not to attend -- California’s community colleges face a difficult path forward. Across the state, from San Diego to counties on the northern border, enrollments at many community colleges have plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic. Michael Burke and Daniel J. Willis EdSource -- 4/12/21

Why students are not attending California's community colleges -- Here’s how five students wrestled with the dilemma of whether to attend or stay in college during the pandemic. While they all made initial plans to return, only two of the five have done so. Melanie Gerner, Abraham Navarro, Taylor Helmes, Iman Palm and Jasmine Nguyen EdSource -- 4/12/21

Knott’s Berry Farm sets May reopening date after yearlong closure -- Knott’s Berry Farm became the last major California theme park to announce a reopening date that will see the Buena Park theme park return to full operations in May after a yearlong coronavirus closure. Brady MacDonald in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/12/21

Open  

Salesforce to reopen S.F. headquarters in May, starting with vaccinated workers -- The tech company, which is the city’s largest private employer, is taking a different approach than other businesses by requiring proof of vaccination for its first volunteers returning to offices. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/21

Policy & Politics 

Fact check: Did Gavin Newsom exempt wineries he founded from California COVID-19 rules? -- Claim: Newsom exempted the businesses he founded from his pandemic restrictions. Rating: False Newsom’s shutdown orders apply to entire counties, regions and industry sectors. They have not singled out any individual businesses for special treatment. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/21

Skelton: Part of a storied era in California politics, James Mills helped preserve California and its history -- Jim Mills was the type of legislator whom voters would want to represent them in the state Capitol, regardless of party or era. A studious policy wonk but a realist skilled at backroom legislating. Intense internally but laid-back outwardly. Tenacious but not overbearing. Basically ethical. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/21

Border  

Biden to nominate former Bay Area police chief to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency -- President Joe Biden plans to nominate former Richmond police chief Chris Magnus to serve as the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a statement from the White House. Vanessa Arredondo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Annie Sciacca in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/12/21

Street  

The Strong Arm of the Law; San Diego officers, deputies turn to force more often when minorities are involved -- San Diego police were about one and a half times more likely to grab, shoot or use other types of force against Black and Latino residents than they were against White people, an analysis of department data by The San Diego Union-Tribune found. Lyndsay Winkley, Lauryn Schroeder in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/12/21

Also . . .   

San Diego Superior Court gets another extension for arraignments, trials during pandemic -- The San Diego Superior Court will continue to use emergency authorization from the state court leader to extend legal deadlines for holding some arraignments and trials, as it continues to try to bring court operations back to pre-pandemic levels. Greg Moran in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/12/21

Harvey Weinstein indicted on sex assault charges in Los Angeles, faces extradition from N.Y. today -- Harvey Weinstein has been indicted on 11 counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles County and could be extradited here to answer those charges after a hearing in upstate New York on Monday, according to four people with direct knowledge of the situation. James Queally, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/21

California Policy and P  olitics Monday Morning  

Los Angeles County’s daily coronavirus cases continue to decline, as transmissions appear to slow -- Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday recorded 546 new cases of the coronavirus and 10 related deaths amid signs viral transmission was continuing to decrease. Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/21

Vaccinating Monterey County’s vulnerable -- Carmen Quinnie absolutely believed she would benefit from getting a COVID-19 vaccination. She also was absolutely terrified to do so. She’d heard it would hurt, that she’d experience a strong reaction to the vaccine, or get sick. Besides, the Seaside resident had no idea how to get to a vaccination site to receive the shot. Lisa Crawford Watson in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/12/21

Placer County COVID vaccination center to open for ages 16 and older ahead of schedule -- In a news release, Placer County health officials announced that the @the Grounds site in Roseville will be encouraging anyone who lives in the county and is at least 16 years old to schedule a vaccine appointment potentially as early as Monday. Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/21

Alameda County residents 16 and older can now book a COVID vaccine appointment -- Alameda County has quietly expanded its coronavirus vaccine eligility to people age 16 and older, in advance of the formal statewide opening Thursday of vaccinations to all California residents in that age range. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/21

School  

San Francisco students poised to return to classrooms after year at home -- The first wave of students — preschool through fifth graders, special education students and vulnerable older groups — will be returning to schools on Monday. The second and third waves of students will return on April 19 and April 26 respectively. Emma Talley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/21

Policy & Politics 

Walters: California ‘job killer’ list reignites old conflict -- Annually, the California Chamber of Commerce chooses a relative handful of the hundreds of bills pending in the Legislature and labels them “job killers” that would impose new regulatory or taxation burdens. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/12/21

Outraged residents move to recall Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli as brother calls on him to resign -- A group of Windsor residents seeking to recall Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli over allegations of sexual assault said late Sunday that they will launch their effort Monday by filing necessary campaign finance documents. Alexandria Bordas, Cynthia Dizikes, Rachel Swan, Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/21

Street  

White Lives Matter rally ends with large counterprotest, 12 arrests in Huntington Beach -- A crowd of White Lives Matter protesters and antiracism counterprotesters filled the streets near the Huntington Beach pier on Sunday, but quickly dispersed after police declared an unlawful assembly amid increasingly hostile clashes between Donald Trump supporters, those displaying allegiance to white supremacist groups and their opponents. Hayley Smith, Ruben Vives, Priscella Vega, Alex Wigglesworth, Hannah Fry, Matt Szabo in the Los Angeles Times$ Josh Cain, Sean Emery, Eric Licas and Susan Christian Goulding in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 4/12/21

Protesters march to San Jose State president’s home over 2008 death of Black student -- In a standoff with police Sunday evening, dozens of activists gathered near the home of San Jose State President Mary Papazian, protesting what they consider a cover-up of the 2008 death of Black student Gregory Johnson, Jr., found hanging in a fraternity basement. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/12/21

Memorial service honors 3 homeless men killed when hit by car in downtown San Diego -- Dozens of community members gathered Sunday at an interfaith memorial service for three men who were killed when a driver plowed through a homeless encampment in downtown San Diego during a rainy morning last month. David Hernandez in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/12/21

Guards hired by anti-abortion group charged with tear-gassing Planned Parenthood supporters -- Two private security guards hired by an anti-abortion group face charges of battery and illegal possession of tear gas after an October 2020 confrontation outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Walnut Creek, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office announced. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/21

A truck driver was trying to park his car for the night. He wound up ending a high-speed chase -- A murder suspect was on the run. The 36-year-old was in a black pickup truck last week leading authorities on a high-speed chase that stretched across three California counties. Lateshia Beachum in the Washington Post$ -- 4/12/21

Homeless  

California converts hotels, vacant buildings - they now house 8,000 homeless people -- A six-month sprint to convert hotels, motels and other vacant buildings into homeless housing has created shelter for more than 8,000 people at a fraction of the cost of new construction, state officials said Friday. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/21

Also . . .   

Ex-49er Phillip Adams' family, friends seek answers in murder-suicide -- Even among those who knew Phillip Adams best, the former 49ers and Raiders cornerback was never an easy read. Megan Cassidy, Ron Kroichick in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/12/21