Updating . .   

Yes, you can have COVID-19 but test negative -- Rapid antigen tests may miss detection of COVID-19’s omicron variant during the first early days of infection, according to a new small study. The findings, if confirmed, urge against over-reliance on a tool that has become the cornerstone of reopening in-person businesses, schools and social gatherings. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/6/22

At-home COVID testing just got harder: L.A. County pauses program amid backlog -- As the highly infectious Omicron variant fuels a surge in coronavirus cases — as well as demand for testing — Los Angeles County health officials have paused a home testing program for residents as they contend with an accumulation of kits. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

If you take an at-home coronavirus test, who keeps track of the results? Probably no one -- The wildfire-like spread of the Omicron variant may have inspired you, like many Californians, to snap up a few rapid coronavirus test kits — if you could find them, that is. Jon Healey, Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Big push for Californians to switch to N95 or KN95 masks as Omicron surge worsens -- With the highly infectious Omicron variant spreading rapidly across California, health officials are increasingly urging — and, in some cases, requiring — residents and workers to use higher-quality face masks to give themselves an extra layer of protection. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Orange County hospitals filling up, ambulances delayed amid Omicron surge -- As the Omicron variant continues to sweep through California, hospitals are beginning to feel the strain. Ambulances are waiting longer to offload patients into emergency rooms in Orange County, echoing a similar problem in Los Angeles County as coronavirus infections increase. Gregory Yee, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Daily COVID-19 cases again pass 8,000 as San Diego County warns of testing scams -- Demand for testing remained strong throughout the region as a new wrinkle appeared with the county health department warning the public to avoid fake testing sites. No information was immediately available on whether the county has shut down fake sites, but a statement indicated that “pop up” sites offering free testing are running “potential scams” to harvest personal information. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/6/22

Kelly Ernby stood against vaccine mandates. Her death from COVID made her a symbol -- After Kelly Ernby succumbed to complications related to COVID-19 at age 46, the internet exploded with comments blaming her for her own death. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Garcetti OKs OT funds as LA scrambles to maintain police/fire staffing levels amid COVID surge -- The mayor's briefing arrived as omicron-fueled cases continue to skyrocket across the city and county, driving the daily caseloads to record levels and inspiring concern among medical leaders about a wave of infections that could overwhelm hospitals staffs. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/6/22

Exes and vaxxes: Family courts weigh in on parents being vaccinated -- Flanked by their lawyers, the divorced parents hashed out an agreement outside the Pasadena courtroom and returned to inform the judge: They had agreed their young son would get the COVID-19 vaccine. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Cruise ship docks in S.F. with passengers infected with coronavirus. Here’s what happens next -- Twelve passengers aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship tested positive for a coronavirus infection following a random testing of 25% of the ship’s passengers, according to the Port of San Francisco. A total of 724 passengers disembarked the ship, the port said. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

Israel rolls out Pfizer covid pill, using digital health records to identify those most at risk -- As omicron infections surge, Israel has begun rolling out a newly approved Pfizer drug, using digital health records kept on nearly every citizen to identify those who are at high risk from covid-19 and are likely to benefit most from the treatment even before they become dangerously ill. Steve Hendrix in the Washington Post$ -- 1/6/22

Lifesaving Covid Treatments Face Rationing as Virus Surges Again -- Scarce supplies and surging Covid cases have caused health officials, hospitals, doctors and patients to scramble for pills and infusions. Rebecca Robbins, Noah Weiland and Christina Jewett in the New York Times$ -- 1/6/22

COVID and College   

Cal State Long Beach joins growing number of colleges to delay in-person classes -- Long Beach plans to operate primarily online for its first three weeks starting Jan. 20. At least seven other California State University campuses in the 23-campus system have announced delays to in-person classes. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

COVID School  

Getting Bay Area kids back to classrooms won’t be as easy as keeping them out -- Thousands of kids stayed home from school Wednesday after COVID-19 tests provided over the holidays turned up infections across the state. But how and when those students — and many teachers — will be able to return is a much bigger question. Kayla Jimenez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/6/22

Policy and Politics  

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, others quarantine after senator’s positive COVID test -- Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) had a short message for his members on Monday, the first day of California’s 2022 legislative session: “Let’s get to work.” Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 1/6/22

California Democrat’s plan would raise taxes to fund single-payer health care -- Democratic lawmakers on Thursday announced a plan to fund government-run health care for all Californians, setting up a fight over raising taxes over the next month. The measure would rely on the Legislature passing new taxes on businesses and people making more than $149,000 per year to fund the program. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Skelton: Republicans have next to no power in California. But they do sometimes have good ideas -- Republicans have no power in the state Capitol. But they sometimes have good ideas. Democrats even steal them. GOP legislators in the Senate and Assembly announced their spending priorities for 2022 this week and hardly anyone noticed. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Los Angeles controller Ron Galperin jumps into California state controller race -- What likely will be one of California's most hotly contested statewide races will intensify Thursday when Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin announces he is running for California controller, The Chronicle has learned. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

An airline broke an activist’s wheelchair. Her death months later amplified calls for change -- Flying to Washington, D.C., was supposed to be just another adventure for Engracia Figueroa. Figueroa, 51, had survived getting hit by a train decades ago and made clear her life was far from over. In Los Angeles, she rolled in her wheelchair to acting gigs and vegan restaurants, learned to surf, and pressed for change as an activist. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Capitol Siege  

The battle for the Capitol ended. The war for democracy continues -- There are few clues left at the U.S. Capitol that American democracy hung in the balance a year ago. Shattered windows have been replaced, blood wiped off the marble floors, tear gas residue cleaned from historic art. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

These Bay Area lawmakers were at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Today, they still are reeling: ‘The threat is not gone’ -- An anniversary typically marks an event that happened in the past. But for many of the Bay Area’s lawmakers, the moment feels ongoing even one year removed from the Jan. 6 insurrection. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

Garofoli: A year after Jan. 6 insurrection, California Republicans still can’t quit Donald Trump -- One year after the Jan. 6 insurrection, all but the most conservative California Republicans remain mired in the same patch of no-person’s land when it comes to the riot’s architect, Donald Trump: too afraid to speak out against him for fear of alienating the party’s dwindling base, or too afraid to embrace him at the risk of alienating most California voters. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

How four Bay Area residents wound up accused in the Capitol riot — and where their cases stand now -- On a notorious day of insurrection, Daniel Goodwyn of San Francisco stood inside the U.S. Capitol wearing sunglasses and a MAGA hat, amid a swarm of angry people inspired by Donald Trump’s lie that Joe Biden had stolen the presidential election. One year later, as the country still reckons with the fallout from that breach, Goodwyn’s fate — like that of Trump — remains unclear. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

A year later, 1 guilty plea, 3 pending cases for Sacramento-area suspects in Capitol Riot -- Jorge Aaron Riley made his first trip to Washington, D.C., one year ago, chronicling his activities with more than 150 posts and photos on Facebook, as well as a video interview outside the U.S. Capitol where he described being pepper-sprayed three times as he made his way into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, the FBI says. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/22

Nonprofits that support insurrection would lose tax-exempt status under proposed bill -- Saying organizations are raising huge amounts of money in California to promote the agenda of last year’s Capitol rioters, a Bay Area lawmaker is proposing legislation to revoke the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit that supports an insurrection against the federal or state government or "any effort to overturn democratic election results." Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

POTUS 46  

Biden decries Trump backers’ ‘dagger at throat’ of democracy -- He warned that though it didn’t succeed, the insurrection remains a serious threat to America’s system of government. Biden’s criticism was blistering of the defeated president whom he blamed for the assault that has fundamentally changed Congress and the nation, and raised global concerns about the future of American democracy. Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller Associated Press Ken Thomas and Siobhan Hughes in the Wall Street Journal$ John Wagner, Amy B Wang, Mariana Alfaro, Eugene Scott and Felicia Sonmez in the Washington Post$ Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 1/6/22

Wildfire   

Judge halts mega-resort in California wildfire zone, says residents could die trying to flee -- The Lake County judge’s ruling on the Guenoc Valley Resort could have sweeping ramifications for housing and business developments across a state where fires are growing in severity and local officials are under intense pressure to approve new building projects during a housing crisis. Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/22

Facebook  

New Lawsuit Seeks to Hold Facebook Liable in Shooting Death of Federal Security Guard -- In a complaint against Meta Platforms Inc., FB 2.99% Angela Underwood Jacobs said the alleged murder of her brother, Dave Underwood, by antigovernment extremists was the result of a plot hatched on Facebook. Her brother was shot and killed by a man who had traveled to Oakland, Calif., with an intent to kill federal agents, according to federal prosecutors. Justin Scheck and Zusha Elinson in the Wall Street Journal$ Faiz Siddiqui in the Washington Post$ -- 1/6/22

California Policy and Politics Thursday Morning  

‘Shut the whole system down’: S.F. teachers plan sickout as schools struggle amid omicron surge -- A group of San Francisco teachers has organized a “sickout” Thursday, saying they will skip school because they feel the district failed to adequately protect them during the pandemic. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

California extends indoor mask mandate as Omicron surges -- California will extend its mask mandate for indoor public spaces for another month as an unprecedented wave of coronavirus infections spawned by the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to wash over the state. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/22

Bay Area hospitals struggle with omicron surge and nursing shortage as California extends mask mandate -- The surge is hitting health care workers as hard as any other profession — causing staff shortages just as patient numbers soar. In California, 41% of hospitals say staff shortages will reach a “critical” level next week, up from 36% this week, reports the California Hospitals Association. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

Sacramento restaurants close, go takeout-only as omicron variant spreads rapidly -- Well-known restaurants around Sacramento are temporarily closing, eliminating indoor dining and taking other drastic steps amid the COVID-19 omicron variant’s rapid spread. Benjy Egel in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/6/22

COVID Classroom  

East Bay school district to close classrooms for two days under ‘strain’ of omicron -- After a “challenging” few days back in classrooms and a significant number of teacher absences, West Contra Costa officials announced schools will be closed Friday and Monday to alleviate some of the pressure on district staff. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

Some San Diego schools postpone reopening as Omicron drives up COVID cases -- Helix Charter High, Cathedral Catholic among those changing plans because many staff and students are testing positive. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/6/22

SDSU, Cal State San Marcos temporarily return to online classes due to pandemic -- The campus also is requiring students, faculty and staff to get a COVID-19 booster shot. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/6/22

LA Superbowl  

NFL confident about L.A. Super Bowl amid pandemic, but still has alternate sites -- The NFL is moving ahead full tilt with the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, despite news Wednesday that the Grammy Awards have been postponed because of coronavirus concerns. Sam Farmer in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White Politico -- 1/6/22

Policy and Politics  

Prop. 47 targeted by Dem, GOP lawmakers -- A Democratic bill would reverse a key aspect of Proposition 47 by reducing the felony threshold for petty theft and shoplifting, while a Republican one would overturn Prop. 47 altogether. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 1/6/22

Workplace  

Supreme Court clears the way for thousands in back pay to San Francisco janitors who lost their jobs -- Thirty-three former janitors at a San Francisco apartment complex won the right to thousands of dollars in back pay Wednesday when the state Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a contractor that refused to rehire them after taking over, despite state and local laws protecting those workers. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

Street  

1-mph DUI arrest leads to suspect permanently paralyzed by California cops, lawsuit says -- Gregory Gross was a 64-year-old truck driver from Yuba City when police came to the door of an apartment he was in on April 12, 2020. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/6/22

Sharpton will deliver eulogy for 14-year-old girl killed by LAPD stray bullet -- Along with Sharpton, Refuge Senior Pastor Bishop Noel Jones and attorneys Ben Crump and Rahul Ravipudi, who represent her mother and father, will deliver what they term a “call to justice” in the child’s shooting. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Capitol Siege  

Southern California Democrats on Jan. 6 riot committee say democracy is vulnerable -- Getting to the bottom of what led thousands of Americans to attempt to stop the certification of a presidential election will extend well beyond the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to two Southern California lawmakers on a House committee investigating the events of that day. Ryan Carter, Beau Yarbrough in the Orange County Register -- 1/6/22

Homeless  

San Francisco delays 250-bed homeless shelter in Lower Nob Hill amid neighborhood backlash -- City officials had proposed entering into a two-year, $18.7 million contract with the nonprofit Urban Alchemy to rent and operate the shelter at 711 Post St., a currently vacant hostel building just north of the Tenderloin and a few blocks west of Union Square. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

Education  

California schools risk ‘colossal’ loss of dollars as enrollment drops -- After two years of not being penalized for declining enrollment during the pandemic, school districts are bracing for a sudden drop in revenues next year as their funding gets recalibrated to match current enrollment, which plummeted since COVID-19 first closed California’s schools. Joe Hong CalMatters -- 1/6/22

State seeks to speed credentials for 10,000 direly needed school mental health counselors -- Confronted with a shortage of school mental health counselors, the state Department of Education is seeking to bring 10,000 more professionals to campuses at a time when federal public health officials are calling for action to address the nation’s growing youth mental health crisis. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Elite S.F. private high school plans huge building to replace strip mall in Lower Pacific Heights -- The new building would enclose 47,000 square feet and include six science labs, four to six classrooms and administrative offices. There will also be an indoor basketball court that meets NCAA specifications. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/6/22

Former San Diego State frat member sues university over hazing allegations -- A San Diego State University graduate filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Diego that claims the school wrongly accused him of engaging in hazing while he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, a controversial fraternity that was shut down last year. Gary Robbins in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22

Kid cooks and tasty lunches: One elementary school's recipe for survival -- Fifth and sixth graders make crepes, pozole from scratch daily in one-school town of Davenport. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 1/6/22

Environment  

Coastal residents sue L.A. over massive sewage spill into Santa Monica Bay -- More than 100 people living in and around El Segundo have filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles accusing it of exposing them to toxic hydrogen sulfide gas and other dangers during and after a sewage spill last year at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/6/22