California Policy and Politics Monday Morning  

Horror at the VTA: The unbridled terror, true heroism behind Bay Area’s deadliest mass shooting -- After the shooting stopped and the shouting ended and all his panicked co-workers had fled, Kirk Bertolet rushed through the maze of Building B, at the service yard for Santa Clara County’s light rail system. Julia Prodis Sulek, Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/31/21

With holiday, LAX has heaviest passenger traffic of 2021 so far -- Los Angeles International Airport broke a 2021 record for passenger traffic Friday, with more than 78,000 travelers going through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, the airport announced. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/31/21

Policy & Politics 

A year after George Floyd’s death, San Diego mayor works on police, public safety reforms -- When Mayor Todd Gloria announced a slate of police reforms and “public safety priorities” last month, it was not a direct result of George Floyd’s death last May and the racial and social justice protests that followed. But it was not entirely unrelated, either. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/31/21

Giant plan to fund U.S. tech R&D awaits Senate passage -- Congress is on the cusp of something that doesn’t happen often these days: passing a bill with wide, cross-party support. Its co-author, South Bay Rep. Ro Khanna, said he believes the landmark technology investment legislation would not only have a big impact in his Silicon Valley district, but all over the U.S. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/31/21

Walters: Marin County’s guerrilla war against housing -- Marin County, the suburban enclave north of the Golden Gate bridge, isn’t interested in having riff-raff — meaning ordinary Californians — despoil its bucolic ambience. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 5/31/21

Street  

Reward climbs to $400,000 for information on apparent road-rage killing of 6-year-old in Orange -- A reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman in an apparent road rage shooting that left a 6-year-old dead in Orange climbed to $400,000 on Sunday, as the hunt for the suspect extended into its second week. That figure is up from $310,000 on Wednesday. Eric Licas in the Orange County Register -- 5/31/21

Fan meetup for YouTube creator Austin McBroom shuts down Rodeo Drive; no arrests made -- An impromptu fan meetup for YouTube video creator Austin McBroom drew a crowd of hundreds to Rodeo Drive on Saturday, temporarily shutting down the street best known for its high-end stores and celebrity sightings. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/31/21

Smolens: Trouble in the skies mirrors obstinance to rules on the ground -- Assault on flight attendant on San Diego-bound plane is the latest incident in a disturbing nationwide trend. The passenger has been banned from Southwest flights for life. Michael Smolens in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/31/21

Also . . .   

Lawsuits link lapses at S.D. County Child Welfare Services to child death, injuries -- A toddler named Tyler was not quite 2 when San Diego County deputies found drugs in his family’s home in June 2018. Morgan Cook in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/31/21

Treasure Trove Of Fossils Found In Sierra Nevada Foothills -- Scientists are finding a treasure trove of fossils in the Sierra Nevada Foothills as the remains of prehistoric species dating back five to ten million years have been unearthed. The initial discovery was in July of last year on land owned by the East Bay Municipal Utility District along the Mokelumne River in Calaveras County. Rich Ibarra Capital Public Radio -- 5/31/21