Updating . .   

As hospitals reel, California tells coronavirus-positive medical workers to stay on the job -- Daylong waits in the emergency room. No one to answer the phones. No one to take out the trash. And more patients arriving each day. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Nurses, doctors sick. Ambulances, blood in short supply. Omicron hits L.A. healthcare hard -- Many healthcare workers, burned out by the pandemic, have quit, and many who remain have tested positive for the virus and are at home isolating. And healthcare facilities are busier this year because there’s more demand for non-COVID care. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Scammers are preying on people desperate for COVID-19 tests. How to protect yourself -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week issued an alert about coronavirus testing and vaccination scams. “Scammers are selling fake and unauthorized at-home COVID-19 test kits in exchange for your personal or medical information,” the department wrote on its website. “Make sure to purchase FDA-approved COVID-19 test kits from legitimate providers.” Christian Martinez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

California teeters on edge of more COVID shutdowns -- Starting today, Sonoma County is banning large gatherings for the next month. Los Angeles County on Tuesday urged residents to postpone nonessential gatherings and avoid some activities. The state prison system on Saturday suspended in-person visits as COVID surges among employees and inmates. A growing number of hospitals are cancelling or postponing certain surgeries. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 1/12/22

Will COVID sick leave return to California? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic leaders in the Legislature and labor unions are negotiating how to bring back extra paid sick leave for COVID. One big issue: Will businesses get state help to offset their costs?. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 1/12/22

Remember COVID-19 phone alerts? California app ignores at-home tests, missing exposures -- Launched over a year ago as a high-tech answer to California’s contact tracing woes, most people who test positive for COVID-19 still are not using the “exposure notifications” smartphone app to warn close contacts of potential infection, data show. Jason Pohl in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/22

Here’s what S.F.’s omicron surge would look like if it followed the trajectories of other major cities -- If San Francisco were to follow the same omicron trajectory of several major cities that started their surges earlier, its coronavirus case rate would almost double over the next two weeks, a Chronicle analysis showed, even though current case rates are already breaking records almost daily. Danielle Echeverria, Nami Sumida in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

Boosters  

San Jose leaders approve new COVID-19 booster shot mandate -- Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant, San Jose is set to become the first city in California to mandate that its employees have a booster shot. City leaders have adopted a new order requiring that visitors of large, indoor events at public facilities like the SAP Center and San Jose Convention Center show proof of a booster shot — or submit a negative COVID-19 test — before they enter. Maggie Angst, Summer Lin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/12/22

COVID Workplace  

California’s new workplace COVID-19 rules take effect this week. Here’s what to know -- One of the biggest changes has to do with employees who have to get a COVID-19 test after exposure in the workplace. Self-administered, self-read tests — in other words, tests taken at home — will no longer be allowed under the new regulations. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/22

COVID School  

Omicron surge anxiety, absences and confusion mark first day new LAUSD semester -- Hundreds of Los Angeles Unified school district employees rushed to campuses to help cover for absent teachers and staff. Students waited in long lines to get on campus after the health screening system sputtered during morning rush. And in many classrooms, empty desks reflected both a massive increase in positive coronavirus cases among students and pandemic-worried families who kept students home. Paloma Esquivel, Colleen Shalby, Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Biden Administration to Offer Schools Millions of Free Covid-19 Tests Each Month -- The Biden administration plans to distribute millions of free Covid-19 tests to schools around the country, part of the federal government’s effort to keep schools open amid a surge in coronavirus cases caused by the Omicron variant. Andrew Restuccia in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/12/22

COVID Campus  

COVID-19 infections begin to decline among UCSD students -- The infection rate on Tuesday was 8.84 percent, down from a peak of 9.69 percent on Jan. 6, according to university data. By comparison, the rate of infection among people countywide who got tested for the virus was 24.46 percent as of Tuesday, health officials said. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/12/22

Policy and Politics  

Police investigate suspicious fire at the home of former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez -- San Diego police are investigating a suspicious fire at the residence of former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and her husband, San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher. “Our entire family is safe. No one is injured. That’s all that matters,” Gonzalez wrote in a Wednesday morning tweet. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/12/22

California Democrats worry Black turnout hinges on voting rights bills. Can Biden deliver? -- Could Black voters in California and across the country sit out this year’s midterm elections if Democrats in Washington can’t strengthen rapidly eroding voting rights protections? That’s the fear some Democratic Party and civil rights leaders are airing as President Joe Biden campaigns this week for voting rights protections. Marcus D. Smith and David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/22

These are California’s tightest US House races in 2022. Here’s who is vulnerable -- Editors for three election-tracking organizations — The Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball and Inside Elections — designate a race as a “toss-up” or rate districts on a diminishing scale from being “safe” to “likely” to “leans” for either Democrats or Republicans. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/22

California state government ending office leases as employees shift to telework -- New budget documents show California’s state government has begun to make progress on one of the promises of telework: saving money on office leases. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/22

California’s overflowing coffers hand Newsom ‘every politician’s dream’ -- Despite early concerns that the pandemic would weaken the state’s economy, another year of gushing tax revenue ensures that the politics of plenty will continue to define his first four years in office. A Legislature teeming with Democrats and his easy defeat of the recall election have made him even more powerful. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Spend the surplus game 2022: Newsom picked his budget priorities. Do you agree? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his budget priorities on Monday, describing how he would like to use that extra cash. But do you agree? Suppose it were up to you: How would you spend California’s budget surplus? This is how you spent it last year. John Osborn D'Agostino CalMatters -- 1/12/22

Senate panel confirms L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti ambassador nomination to India -- The mayor’s approval was expected after his uneventful hearing last month before the congressional panel. His nomination now heads to the Senate, where it requires a simple majority vote. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/12/22

Should undocumented people vote in San Jose elections? Officials vote to study charter change -- The San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to support studying a possible charter amendment that would give undocumented immigrants the right to vote in local elections. Such a charter change would need approval from San Jose voters. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

Single Payer    

California Democrats’ single-payer healthcare plan passes first hurdle -- In any other year, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to add an estimated 700,000 immigrants without legal status to the state’s healthcare program for low-income residents would be a monumental lift. On Tuesday, it was painted as the “status quo” as legislators considered a separate proposal with a much broader reach. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ Adam Beam Associated Press -- 1/12/22

Two big attractions in Golden Gate Park might become free for San Francisco residents -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed wants to make admission to Golden Gate Park’s Conservatory of Flowers and Japanese Tea Garden free for all city residents. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

Street  

More than 800 cases being reviewed after Two Southern California cops accused of falsifying reports -- Approximately 150 active and 725 closed cases involving two police officers, who recently were accused of falsifying a report, are being reviewed, Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert said this week. The officers, Dedier Reyes and David Salcedo, were accused of lying about the circumstances of the recovery of a firearm during an arrest in 2018; police said a surveillance video revealed discrepancies in their report. Emily Rasmussen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/12/22

Inflation  

Bay Area prices rocket higher, inflation grips region: new report -- Food, gasoline, utility costs help to lead surge in Bay Area cost of living. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/12/22

US inflation soared 7% in past year, the most since 1982 -- Inflation jumped at its fastest pace in nearly 40 years last month, a 7% spike from a year earlier that is increasing household expenses, eating into wage gains and heaping pressure on President Joe Biden and the Federal Reserve to address what has become the biggest threat to the U.S. economy. Christopher Rugaber Associated Press -- 1/12/22

Education  

'Grim' outlook for California children's well-being, report finds -- Covid, wildfires, economic uncertainty and persistent racial injustices have upended nearly every aspect of children’s lives in California, according to one of the first comprehensive surveys of young people’s overall well-being since the pandemic began. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 1/12/22

Also . . .   

Meet the San Francisco man with the inside dirt on city’s famously filthy streets -- Vincent Yuen likes to talk trash. He walks around the city every day, picking it up. He keeps trash logs, documenting how much he found and where. He peppers his conversation with words like “garbology,” the study of garbage. His wife calls trash his greatest passion. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

California Policy and Politics Wednesday Morning  

COVID-19 cases continue surging in LAPD, with more than 800 personnel now out -- LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the civilian Police Commission during its morning meeting Tuesday that there were 562 new cases among department personnel in the prior week alone, after 424 new cases the week before. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

San Francisco mayor gives omicron update: 'We are learning to live with COVID' -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed and city officials struck a generally optimistic tone at a Tuesday press conference, announcing a new measure to access testing amid skyrocketing cases and reassuring residents that no new restrictions are coming at this time. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/12/22

L.A. County supervisors move to crack down on COVID-19 testing scams -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion Tuesday to address fraudulent coronavirus test sites and at-home kits as a surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant has many people scrambling to find testing appointments and equipment. Christian Martinez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

L.A. County urges residents to postpone nonessential gatherings, activities as Omicron surges -- As an unprecedented wave of coronavirus infections washes over the region, Los Angeles County health officials are urging residents to postpone nonessential gatherings and avoid some activities — especially those with people who are unmasked, unvaccinated or at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Marissa Evans, Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Federal agencies must test unvaccinated workers weekly starting in February, Biden administration says -- More than 90 percent of 3.5 million federal employees and uniformed armed forces personnel have complied with Biden’s executive order issued in September requiring coronavirus vaccines, but Tuesday’s guidance offers more clear rules for those who have applied for or received exemptions. Eric Yoder in the Washington Post$ -- 1/12/22

Europe Slowly Starts to Consider Treating Covid Like the Flu -- Spain is calling for Covid-19 to be treated as an endemic disease, like the flu, becoming the first major European nation to explicitly suggest that people live with it. Kevin Whitelaw Bloomberg -- 1/12/22

COVID School  

Schools ‘nearing their breaking point’ as Bay Area districts grapple with staffing, testing and masking challenges -- The current COVID-19 surge has pitched many Bay Area schools into disarray, as districts struggle to keep classrooms open amid a record-high number of cases, too few substitutes, a shortage of tests and teacher sickouts, among other challenges. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

30% of students absent as classes resume for LAUSD; district vows to keep kids, staffs safe -- L.A. Unified had identified 78,074 positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff since baseline testing began last week, with 88% of students and 91.3% of employees having submitted their results, the district said Tuesday. Linh Tat, Lisa Jacobs in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/12/22

COVID Workplace  

COVID-positive California nurses fear returning to work without testing or isolation -- Los Angeles County nurses are speaking out against a policy they say will force COVID-positive healthcare workers and others who have been exposed to the virus back to work before they feel it’s safe to return. The county denies adopting such a policy. Kevin Smith in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/12/22

Google is giving employees access to free COVID tests, but a union says access is unequal -- Full-time Google employees have access to at-home COVID-19 tests for themselves and their families, but that’s not the case for thousands of company contractors and temporary workers, according to a Google engineer. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

COVID Prison  

California prisons implement stricter health guidelines amid COVID-19 surge -- California’s state prisons and other correctional facilities were ordered to implement numerous protocol changes Sunday for a period of 15 days in an effort to keep COVID-19 from spreading within facilities and throughout the state amid a staggering surge, officials said. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

Policy and Politics  

Gavin Newsom wants to extend health care to all undocumented immigrants. Will California lead the way or spark a backlash? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s bid to make California the first state to extend health benefits to low-income undocumented residents of all ages is the fulfillment of a long progressive fight to cement the state’s place at the vanguard of immigrant rights. Tal Kopan, Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

DWP board wants to know how much the agency has spent on legal fees amid scandal -- Prosecutors say attorneys working for the city admit they took part in a collusive plan to file and then settle a high-profile class-action lawsuit brought by DWP customers against the city over inflated DWP bills. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Bretón: California politics will be a lot less interesting without Lorena Gonzalez in Sacramento -- Lorena Gonzalez worked the first day of her new job as a titan of California labor on Monday, which is great for her but bad for Sacramento. The former San Diego assemblywoman, who resigned from her seat last week, was one of the most — if not the most — effective California legislators of the last decade. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/12/22

San Jose could move its mayoral election and allow noncitizens to vote -- In a 10-1 vote, the San Jose City Council voted Tuesday night to move forward with a measure on the June 7, 2022 ballot that will ask voters to shift the city’s mayoral races from midterm election years to presidential election years beginning in 2024. The move, which has been a years-in-the-making effort, will help boost voter turnout and improve representation in the city’s mayoral contests, according to advocates. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/12/22

Walters: Newsom bases budget on rosy economic scenario -- The early passages in a 400-page “summary” of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new budget describe the presumably wonderful ways he intends to spend nearly $300 billion in the 2022-23 fiscal year. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/12/22

Supply Chain  

Christmas was saved from the supply-chain bottleneck. The next challenge: Lunar New Year -- Local lawmakers and port officials accompanying U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at the Port of Long Beach on Tuesday acknowledged enduring problems with the shipping, unloading and delivery of goods across the country, including the challenge of getting the local ports — a major chokepoint — to operate around-the-clock. Hugo MartÍn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Southern California Ports Struggle to Trim Cargo Backlog as Omicron Surges -- About 800 dockworkers—roughly 1 in 10 of the daily workforce at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—were unavailable for Covid-related reasons as of Monday, according to the Pacific Maritime Association. Absentees included workers who tested positive for the virus, were quarantining or awaiting test results, or who felt unwell. Paul Berger in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/12/22

Street  

L.A. County to pay $1 million to FBI informant in jail abuse scandal -- An FBI informant whose reports of abuse inside Los Angeles County jails helped set off a federal investigation that led to the convictions of nearly two dozen sheriff’s officials will get a $1-million payout from the county. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Bomb threat shuts down Charles R. Drew medical school in Willowbrook -- The Times obtained a copy of the threat sent from an individual who identified as a white male neo-Nazi who alleges to have planted three titanium nitrite sulfuric bombs around the eastern and northern parts of campus. The bombs were allegedly going to detonate about 1 p.m. Sunday. Marissa Evans in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

After 2021 spike in shootings by officers, LAPD will audit its training on use of deadly force -- Chief Michel Moore said at a meeting of the civilian Police Commission that the LAPD is conducting a “deep dive” into its training program to assess whether it properly outlines existing department policies, which have gotten stricter in recent years, and makes clear to officers “the reverence for human life” that is required of them. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

Wildfire  

Doomed El Dorado firefighter’s last words: trapped in a ‘corner’ -- The U.S. Forest Service plan on the 18th day of the El Dorado fire that would burn 22,680 acres and destroy five homes in San Bernardino and Riverside counties was to cut a fire break that would protect Angelus Oaks and ignite backfires to steer the flames away from Big Bear. Brian Rokos in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/12/22

Tesla DMV   

California DMV to review Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” and other technology to determine software’s future use -- California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has opened a new review into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and other driver-assistance software, as it seeks to determine whether it should consider the features “autonomous,” a spokeswoman said Tuesday night. Faiz Siddiqui in the Washington Post$ -- 1/12/22

Education  

California schools face funding crisis as student population declines -- Gov. Gavin Newsom projected another year of record funding for schools during his budget presentation on Monday but warned that some districts could be in financial trouble as student enrollment continues to decline. Mackenzie Mays in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22

California makes it easier to hire teachers amid shortages -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has signed an executive order to allow schools more flexibility in staffing decisions like giving additional hours to substitute teachers and rehiring recent retirees for short stints. The order expires at the end of March. Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 1/12/22

Here’s what Cal State schools would do with proposed state budget -- The CSU, composed of 23 campuses, and the 10-campus UC systems would both get five years of 5% annual funding increases under Newsom’s proposed budget, which the governor introduced this week, on the condition they make attending more affordable, close equity gaps, improve time-to-degree completion, increase California resident undergraduate enrollment and better prepare students for the workforce. Pierce Singgih in the Orange County Register -- 1/12/22

Water  

After recent wet spell, thoughts turning anew to storage -- The plan, in conjunction with the Pacheco Pass Water District and the San Benito County Water District, is to build a $2.3 billion dollar dam in the hills of southern Santa Clara County. It would be the largest new reservoir constructed in the Bay Area in more than 20 years. Uriel Espinoza-Pacheco Capitol Weekly -- 1/12/22

Guns  

San Diego County Board of Supervisors approves ordinance to outlaw ghost guns -- The county ordinance would make it illegal to possess or distribute gun parts without serial numbers. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/12/22

Point Reyes  

Environmentalists sue Point Reyes National Seashore over cattle ranches -- The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, contends that administrators of the picturesque park along the Marin County coast are prioritizing dairy and beef operations over wildlands and wildlife, including the area’s famous herds of tule elk. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/12/22

Also . . .   

A street musician spent years building a one-of-a-kind drum kit on wheels. Then, one morning, it was gone -- A few minutes before the Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks at the billion-dollar SoFi Stadium on a late December evening, about six football fields away, there’s a party being held in the Target parking lot. Kenan Draughorne in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/12/22