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COVID-19 restrictions protected California’s economy. Now it’s poised for a ‘euphoric’ rebound -- California’s strict public health measures during the pandemic protected its economy, setting the stage for an even faster recovery in the state than nationwide, UCLA economists reported. Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Rural Northern California is falling behind in vaccinations, and COVID-19 cases are rising -- Counties in rural Northern California and the greater Sacramento area fared worst, while Southern California and the Bay Area have fared best in terms of higher rates of vaccination and lower daily case rates, the analysis found. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

California won't closely track every breakthrough case. Some experts call that smart -- California is telling counties to report post-vaccination cases of COVID-19 only in people who are hospitalized or have died, a shift from earlier surveillance that included all so-called breakthrough infections regardless of severity. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/2/21

More California counties allowed to reopen their economies as COVID-19 fades -- In the penultimate weekly update of the state’s COVID-19 reopening roadmap, four more counties — Marin, Monterey, San Benito and Ventura — moved into the least restrictive yellow tier. Counties within that category, of which there are now 19, can allow most businesses to operate indoors with some safeguards. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

California wasted 31,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine -- California has wasted more than 31,000 doses of the vaccine since December, just a fraction of the more than 39 million doses delivered to residents of the country’s most populous state since the vaccine rollout began. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

Parents frustrated by pandemic education launch activist group to raise their voices -- The group OpenSchoolsCA coalesced around parent anger over how long it was taking to reopen California campuses that were closed for a year or more amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

McManus: Are rewards for getting COVID-19 vaccinations really such a great idea? -- At first, getting vaccinated against COVID-19 seemed like enough of a reward. You got the satisfaction of protecting your health and that of the people around you, and the knowledge that soon you would be able to socialize with other vaccinated people without wearing masks. Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Policy & Politics 

Top California Democrats push Newsom to spend more on health, citing rosy tax projections -- Top Democratic lawmakers announced Tuesday they want to rely on high tax revenue estimates to spend more on public health, undocumented immigrant health care, early learning and child care than Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

Four things to know about the California budget deal -- California Assembly and Senate budget leaders announce a budget deal that includes stimulus checks, more in-state students at UC campuses and more money for public health and undocumented immigrants. Laurel Rosenhall CalMatters -- 6/2/21

Bears, Fox News and ‘Houdini’: Newsom escaping as Republicans fail to break momentum -- One California gubernatorial candidate, desperate for attention, hit the trail with a 1,000-pound bear. Another Republican with serious policy ideas is competing against a YouTuber and former porn star for campaign coverage. And reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner continues to land national interviews but is struggling to move beyond her status as the fourth-place GOP contender. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 6/2/21

How another California train project went off track. Latest delay: lead-tainted water -- In September 2012, California’s transportation agency announced it was leading a multi-state partnership to buy more than 100 new passenger railcars, each one assembled on American soil. Funded in part by the Obama administration’s economic stimulus plan, the cars would start arriving in late 2015. Instead, the project has gone badly off the rails. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

Arellano: A long-shelved film about California’s 2003 governor recall is ready for its close-up -- In the summer of 2003, Jayson Haedrich, Nick Regalbuto and Robbie Stauder took a flight from New York to Los Angeles with hand-held cameras in their luggage and hopes of big-screen glory. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Street  

Gunman in Agua Dulce shooting had disputes with fellow firefighters, sources say -- Fire officials and the community mourned the killing of a Los Angeles County firefighter at a station in Agua Dulce on Tuesday as investigators searched for answers in an attack that left a fire captain wounded and the gunman, also a firefighter, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Richard Winton, Hayley Smith, Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 6/2/21

Mayor Schaaf: Two dozen Oakland officers disciplined over response to George Floyd protest -- More than two dozen Oakland police officers have been disciplined for tactics used against protesters during a George Floyd demonstration last year, Mayor Libby Schaaf told KTVU Wednesday morning. David DeBolt in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/2/21

Former L.A. Councilman Mitchell Englander begins serving prison sentence -- Former Los Angeles City Councilman Mitchell Englander, convicted in a sprawling City Hall corruption case last year, has begun serving his 14-month sentence at the U.S. penitentiary in Arizona, prison records show. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Environment  

California wants to buy nonlethal bear traps and pay ranchers when wolves kill their cows -- Freeway overpasses for nomadic animals. More water for coho salmon to survive. Humane traps to relocate bears and mountain lions to safe ground. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

Landmark Marin County deal with Hog Island will preserve land for oysters, agriculture -- Oysters grow in saltwater, but they’re processed and packed on land. That’s where Leali Ranch comes in. The 250-acre parcel of Marin County ranchland will be preserved under a conservation deal that for the first time will include aquaculture. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/2/21

Landlords and Tenants  

Sacramento apartment rental market more expensive than New York and D.C., report says -- The typical apartment in the four-county Sacramento region rented for $1,760 in May, a 14% increase over May 2020, according to new estimates from Apartment List. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

California Policy and Politics Wednesday Morning  

Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz resigns, citing personal attacks -- Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz has resigned his position, citing an onslaught of public attacks on his character and a fear for the safety of his family. Hannah Fry, Leila Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ Susan Christian Goulding in the Orange County Register -- 6/2/21

Major labor unions back California governor in likely recall -- California labor unions representing workers in manufacturing, retail, grocery stores, hospitality, health care and other businesses announced their support Tuesday for Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom as he faces a likely recall election. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 6/2/21

New California union leader tries to block $1 million donation to Newsom recall defense -- Richard Louis Brown, president-elect of SEIU Local 1000, doesn’t yet have power to hold up the union’s support for Newsom. Brown isn’t scheduled to take office until the end of June. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

California governor, lawmakers disagree on revenue estimates -- Democrats in the California Legislature said Tuesday they think the state will have about $20 billion more to spend over the next four years, highlighting a disagreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom about the trajectory of the state’s finances as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Adam Beam Associated Press -- 6/2/21

California lawmakers urge more help for schools, businesses in budget talks with Newsom -- Democratic leaders of the California Legislature unveiled a state budget blueprint on Tuesday that would boost public schools and small businesses beyond the proposal made last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a move that is likely to set the stage for friendly but detailed negotiations before the June 15 constitutional deadline for action. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

California’s slavery reparations task force is convening. Here’s what happens next -- A historic California task force met for the first time Tuesday with the ultimate goal of recommending reparations for descendants of enslaved people and those affected by slavery. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Janelle Salanga Capital Public Radio Janie Har Associated Press -- 6/2/21

California Supreme Court to hear case that could lead to death penalty reversals -- As part of an automatic appeal for Donte McDaniel, who has been convicted and sentenced to death for two 2004 murders, the defense is asking the court whether the procedure in California capital punishment cases has allowed prosecutors to bypass state laws that requires a unanimous jury vote to decide whether the evidence supports a death sentence. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

Walters: California’s tribal casinos now want sports betting -- When retired lobbyist Jay Michael and I wrote a book about political power shifts two decades ago, we devoted one chapter to the dramatic evolution of California’s Indian tribes from repression and abject poverty to having a legal monopoly on casino gambling. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 6/2/21

Biden proposes rest of money to fix flood-risky Whittier Narrows Dam -- President Joe Biden has included more than $219 million in his budget proposal to make what the government has described as urgent repairs on the Whittier Narrows Dam, enough money to complete the project. Mike Sprague in the Orange County Register -- 6/2/21

Barabak: Why Newsom may prefer early California recall election vote -- Late summer brings many splendors to California. Sultry nights. Pennant drives. Leaves flaming crimson and yellow in the Sierra. It might also bring just the second vote ever to oust a governor before his term is ended. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Hiltzik: The California recall is fascinating — especially if you’re an East Coast TV anchor -- To begin with, almost all the fascination with the recall election seems to be taking place outside California’s borders. The state’s voters haven’t shown much enthusiasm for the recall at all. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Street  

Firefighter fatally shot, captain injured by colleague at Agua Dulce fire station -- Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl L. Osby has dealt with the loss of many lives over the years, “but none as tragic as today,” he said Tuesday. Richard Winton, Hayley Smith, Lila Seidman, Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ Stefanie Dazio Associated Press -- 6/2/21

‘I got the subject’: Body camera footage reveals final moments of VTA shooting -- New body camera footage released Tuesday reveals the final eerie minutes of last week’s mass shooting at a light rail yard, showing law enforcement swarmed a building where a disgruntled employee of Valley Transportation Authority opened fire on his colleagues before killing himself. Fiona Kelliher, Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/2/21

Santa Clara officials release body cam footage of San Jose massacre -- Law enforcement officers who responded to the mass shooting in San Jose last week entered a building while the shooter was still firing his weapon — and eventually found him slumped over with a gun in his hand, according to body camera footage released Tuesday. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/2/21

Return of VTA light rail will take ‘weeks or months’ -- The Guadalupe Yard, which functions as the nerve center of the light rail network, is a crime scene. Traumatized VTA workers who survived the shooting have funerals to attend — and beyond that may be reluctant to return to the buildings where their friends were killed and they fled the sounds of gunfire. Nico Savidge in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/2/21

California saw more active shooters than any other state over past 20 years, FBI data shows -- California, the most populous state in the nation and home to some of its strictest gun laws, was also the site of the most active shooter incidents over the past two decades, according to a new FBI report. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/2/21

Man charged in BB gun shooting case is suspected in six more cases, authorities say -- Authorities have expanded their investigation of an Anaheim man charged with attempted murder in the firing of a BB gun at a Tesla in Norco last week, saying the man is now a suspect in at least six other similar cases and possibly more. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

San Jose: Protesters take to the streets, freeway after latest police killing -- Activists took to the streets, and a freeway, Tuesday evening to march in protest of the Memorial Day shooting of 31-year-old Demetrius Stanley by a police officer who authorities said was “gathering information” about Stanley for a criminal investigation, but ended up killing him in an armed confrontation. Jason Green and Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/2/21

Sacramento City Council adopts new police use-of-force policy -- The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday adopted a new use of deadly force policy for police, replacing the one it adopted less than a month ago. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

SDPD adopts news rules on interactions with transgender, nonbinary individuals -- Rules say police will refer to people by their pronouns, book transgender and nonbinary individuals into jail facility that aligns with identity. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/2/21

Water  

Amid Historic Drought, a New Water War in the West -- A drought crisis has erupted in the Klamath Basin along the California-Oregon border, with fish dying en masse and farmers infuriated that they have been cut off from their main water source. Mike Baker in the New York Times$ -- 6/2/21

Vaccine  

70% of adult Californians are partially vaccinated against COVID-19 -- One month ahead of the target date set by the Biden administration, California has now at least partially vaccinated 70% of its adult residents against COVID-19. Clearing that hurdle is a vital development as the state prepares to fully reopen later this month. Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Some U.S. states have higher vaccination rates inside prisons than outside -- While most of the United States’ prison systems have struggled to vaccinate inmates, those in California and some other states have outperformed vaccination rates among the general public. And experts say their success may offer clues about how to persuade skeptical people outside correctional facilities to get vaccinated. Ann Hinga Klein in the New York Times$ -- 6/2/21

Open  

‘Hamilton’ to return to S.F. with ‘100% capacity’ audiences -- The theater plans to offer tickets to all its more than 2,200 seats, which makes the Orpheum the first major indoor San Francisco theater venue to operate without audience capacity restrictions. Lily Janiak in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jim Harrington in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/2/21

Sacramento, San Joaquin Counties Move Into Orange COVID-19 Tier -- In the orange tier, restaurants and movie theaters can increase indoor capacity to 50%, while gyms rise to 25%. Bars can also reopen outdoors with modifications in the orange tier, and capacity restrictions loosen for indoor and outdoor events if all attendees are vaccinated or have a recent negative COVID-19 test. Chris Hagan Capital Public Radio -- 6/2/21

EDD Fraud  

Bank of America must provide more proof of fraud before freezing EDD accounts, court orders -- A federal judge on Tuesday prohibited Bank of America from freezing accounts for California unemployment benefits based solely on an automated fraud filter and required it to do a better job of responding when jobless people say their benefits were stolen. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Education  

Senate and Assembly cut, then add, billions to Gov. Newsom's budget for K-12 -- The Assembly and Senate budget committees Tuesday jointly recommended billions of dollars of both spending cuts and additions for K-12 in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2021-22 state budget. The additions include hundreds of millions more in funding for special education and billions in defraying districts’ payments for teacher and staff pensions. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 6/2/21

More help for struggling California child care sector -- The California Legislature took steps Tuesday to respond to the calls of the state’s child care sector to increase what the state pays to support the system. They emerged with a new early learning and care package that doubles the number of subsidized child care slots proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and changes in how child care centers are paid in an effort to rescue the fragile system. Karen D'Souza EdSource -- 6/2/21

Legislature looks to expand financial aid at California's colleges -- California’s financial aid programs would be expanded, and fewer out-of-state students would be able to attend the University of California, under a budget proposal announced Tuesday by state legislators. Michael Burke EdSource -- 6/2/21

Scripps  

Scripps begins notifying more than 147,000 people of ransomware records breach -- Scripps Health announced Tuesday that it has begun notifying nearly 150,000 individuals that their personal information was stolen by hackers during the ransomware attack that hit the local health care giant on May 1. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/2/21

COVID Economy  

Kauai beat COVID-19. Now the Hawaiian island faces a new challenge: Rebuilding the economy -- Homeless people here on Hawaii’s northern island got an unusual invitation last year: Come set up camp at a spectacular beach, with showers, toilets and electricity, and meals delivered by the local food bank. The offer was part of an aggressive plan by Kauai’s leaders to contain the coronavirus. Richard Read in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Landlords and Tenants  

Is 'pandemic rent pricing' already over? Here's where S.F. stands now -- For renters in San Francisco and across the U.S., “pandemic pricing” is increasingly a thing of the past, a new report says — though the Bay Area isn’t rebounding quite as quickly as many other parts of the country. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/2/21

Immigration  

Supreme Court overturns 9th Circuit’s rule that favors those seeking asylum -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a rule used by the 9th Circuit Court in California that presumed immigrants seeking asylum were telling the truth unless an immigration judge had made an “explicit” finding that they were not credible. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

Guns  

California handgun sales surged during pandemic lockdowns -- Californians bought about 920,000 handguns from March 2020 through April 2021, a 66% increase from the previous 14 months, according to estimates from thetrace.org, a nonprofit journalism organization. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/2/21

Also . . .   

Verbal jujitsu, disarming and other tips for dealing with microaggressions -- “I was wondering why you don’t have an accent,” U.S. figure skater Mirai Nagasu recalled a parent asking her at a recent meet-and-greet, after asking if she was from California. Nagasu froze, unsure how to respond. Jennifer Lu, Ada Tseng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

In rural Northern California town, officials vote to rename Jim Crow Road -- A Northern California county has voted to rename Jim Crow Road after a debate over the racist implications of the name and accusations of “woke cancel culture.” Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/2/21

San Francisco man returns Bob Dylan album to library - 48 years overdue -- Recently retired and with some extra time on his hands, Howard Simon sat in his Sunset District home flipping through his collection of about 3,000 vinyl albums when he stopped in the Bob Dylan section and noticed a copy of “Self Portrait,” which he had checked out from the University Heights Library in Ohio in 1973 and never returned. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/2/21