Updating . .   

Gov. Gavin Newsom rejects parole for Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of killing Robert F. Kennedy -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday refused to parole the man convicted of gunning down Robert F. Kennedy in Los Angeles, a brazen assassination of a presidential candidate that scarred the nation and altered the course of American politics during the turbulent 1960s. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/13/22

LA County reports highest daily COVID death toll in nearly 4 months -- Los Angeles County reported 39 deaths on Wednesday, Jan. 12, the highest total in nearly four months while new cases jumped above 40,000 once again — yet another reminder that the current winter surge remains a scourge on the Southland. Chris Haire in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/13/22

LA County COVID hospitalizations surpass 4,000; ICU patients nearing 600 -- The number of Los Angeles County people hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment rose to more then 4,000 on Thursday, Jan. 13, as the winter surge fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant raged on unabated. Kristy Hutchings in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/13/22

Omicron brings fewer serious illnesses, but California hospitals are overwhelmed as cases soar -- California’s healthcare system is expected to face continued stress in coming weeks as the Omicron variant spawns new waves of coronavirus infection, even as new research shows the latest phase of the pandemic is producing significantly less severe illness. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ Emily Hoeven CalMatters Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

COVID Q&A: What to do if you’re exposed to omicron -- What are the symptoms, treatments and when are you most infectious? Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/13/22

Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for US businesses -- The Supreme Court has stopped the Biden administration from enforcing a requirement that employees at large businesses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask on the job. Mark Sherman Associated Press -- 1/13/22

COVID School  

Yuba City school closes campus due to COVID, among first in Sacramento region to do so -- Butte Vista Elementary School in a message posted to its website around 8 p.m. Wednesday said the rate of COVID infections at the campus is “escalating” and “warrant(s) a temporary school closure.” Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

COVID Campus  

COVID surge pushes San Jose State to delay in-person classes -- San Jose State University has joined a growing list of colleges delaying in-person classes until next month in response to the current surge of COVID-19 cases fueled by super-contagious omicron variant of the virus that causes the respiratory disease. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/13/22

COVID Economy  

California businesses expected to pay higher taxes to make up for unemployment shortfall -- California’s unemployment fund is deep in debt to the federal government from money the state borrowed to pay pandemic benefits, and that’s going to cost both the state and private employers billions of dollars over the next few years. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

California unemployment claims soar to three-month high -- California job market starts out 2022 with two weeks of rising jobless claims. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/13/22

EDD wants its jobless money back. But some people can’t pay -- A musician who lost all her unemployment documents when her home burned in a wildfire. An arborist who filed for unemployment assistance a year before the pandemic began. A tattoo artist who can’t prove he was working because he ran a cash operation. These are just a few Californians caught in a state dragnet to recover money from fraudulent unemployment claims. Jesse Bedayn CalMatters -- 1/13/22

California renters could get a big break from state under proposal to expand tax credit -- Dozens of California lawmakers are getting behind a bill that would raise a tax credit for renters by hundreds of dollars, marking the first potential increase in the tax break in decades. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

Without guidance from Sacramento county health officials, restaurants take individual approaches to worker safety amid omicron surge -- On a recent Monday at Binchoyaki in Southside Park, people were lined up under the restaurant’s awning, but they weren’t waiting for food. They were waiting to be tested for COVID-19. Sarah Mizes-Tan Capital Public Radio -- 1/13/22

COVID Street  

Nearly a third of Asians in San Gabriel Valley report experiencing racism during the pandemic -- Nearly a third of Asian Americans in the San Gabriel Valley said they or their family members have experienced anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, with most incidents involving verbal attacks, a new survey found. Anh Do in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Policy and Politics  

California 3rd-person political payments soared in pandemic -- Gov. Gavin Newsom solicited donations totaling nearly $227 million from Facebook, Google, Blue Shield and other private California companies and organizations to combat the coronavirus pandemic and help run parts of his administration, according to a report Thursday by the state’s political watchdog agency. Don Thompson Associated Press Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

How Sacramento mayors Darrell Steinberg and Kevin Johnson raised money for their pet projects -- Sacramento’s last two mayors solicited more than $10 million for area nonprofits and foundations they championed between 2015 and 2020, a new report from the state’s political finance watch dog finds. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

Progressive Working Families Party lands in California, and is targeting moderate Democrats -- To much of the rest of the country, California is the most progressive state in the union. To the Working Families Party, it isn’t as progressive as it could be - and that’s why the national organization has launched a California branch and will announce former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim as its executive director Thursday, The Chronicle has learned. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Year after Trump impeachment vote, this California town believes their Republican congressman ‘stabbed us all in the back’ -- Bad blood runs deep in Hanford over GOP Rep. David Valadao’s infamous vote. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/13/22

Skelton: California single-payer healthcare proposal has even some Democrats skeptical of its survival -- A contentious single-payer universal healthcare bill has cleared its first hurdle — but because of political courtesy, not policy accord. It seems to face a very bumpy road ahead that, at this juncture, looks to be probably impassable. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Newsom rejects claims his homelessness plan isn’t working -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday rejected claims by the sheriff of California’s most populous county that record spending on homelessness initiatives isn’t putting a dent in the problem of people living in the streets and the state isn’t held accountable for where the billions of dollars go. Christopher Weber and Julie Watson Associated Press -- 1/13/22

Difficulties plague Sec State’s hoped-for searchable database -- More than three years after lawmakers unanimously called for it, the Secretary of State has yet to compile a searchable database to help voters get in touch with the people they put in office. Will Shuck Capitol Weekly -- 1/13/22

Student Loans  

Student loan provider wiping out $1.7 billion in debt after California, other states sue -- Californians will get hundreds of millions of dollars in student loan relief as part of a multistate settlement against one of the nation’s largest private lenders. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

Inflation  

What’s driving it, who benefits and when will it end? -- In Los Angeles, consumer prices are up 6.6% from a year ago and up 0.4% in the last month, driven primarily by rising housing and furnishing costs, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Jaimie Ding in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Street  

California was supposed to clear cannabis convictions. Tens of thousands are still languishing -- Nearly two decades ago, on a high desert road in San Bernardino County, Sara Rodriguez was pulled over and arrested with 10 small packets of cannabis in her car. Kiera Feldman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Student loan relief was extended during COVID. Sacramentans brace for payments to restart -- When Amanda Snow graduated in 2014 with a master’s degree in the environmental science field, she immediately signed up for an income-based repayment plan to pay off her federal loans. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

Housing  

Newsom’s latest housing fix: More Californians living downtown -- Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to shift home construction in California away from rural, wildfire-prone areas and toward urban cores as part of his $286.4-billion budget plan that aims to align the state’s housing strategy with its climate goals. Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Also . . .   

Winter crowds overwhelm Big Bear ski areas as Omicron slams workforce. ‘It’s crazy’ -- Mountain resort areas like Big Bear have long been vacation or day-trip destinations for Southern Californians, but during the pandemic and an early winter of healthy snowfall, the number of visitors has spiked, as people seek activities that still allow for social distancing and other safety measures to avoid infection, officials and businesses owners said. Jonah Valdez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Ye a.k.a. Kanye West under investigation after being accused of punching fan -- Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, is being investigated for criminal battery by Los Angeles police after he allegedly punched a fan who asked for his autograph outside a downtown nightclub early Thursday, authorities said. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

California Policy and Politics Thursday Morning  

In omicron battle, S.F. updates mask guidance, vaccination rules for mega-events -- Per the latest California guidelines, starting Saturday, Jan. 15, the threshold for large events in high-risk settings now includes any gathering of 500 people indoors or more than 5,000 people outside. With that change, there will be tougher entry requirements for such mega-events at San Francsico stadiums or arenas like Chase Center. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Omicron causing less severe illness in Southern California patients, study suggests -- New data from Southern California are providing further evidence that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is causing less severe illness than its Delta cousin, the culprit behind last summer’s wave. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Home COVID testing becomes critical part of pandemic response -- With Bay Area coronavirus testing sites facing unprecedented demand and staffing shortages, state and local officials are racing to distribute tens of thousands of home antigen tests to schools, nursing homes and hospitals. Federal officials promise more are on the way. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Families struggle to get COVID tests to visit loved ones in nursing and senior homes -- If Karen Klink wants to see her mother at the Redondo Beach memory care facility where she lives, she needs to hand over a negative test for the virus. But as Klink hunted online for appointments for coronavirus tests last week, she kept coming up empty-handed. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Judge block s new California law limiting vaccine site protests -- A recent state law that prohibits protesters from coming within 30 feet of vaccination clinics to harass or obstruct those seeking to enter has been blocked by a federal magistrate, who said it violates free speech. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

San Diego doctors continue fight against COVID-19 misinformation as omicron surges -- COVID-19 cases are surging like never before and so is misinformation, which is forcing county officials and physicians to continue their frustrating fight to provide people with the facts of the pandemic. Matt Hoffman KPBS -- 1/13/22

20 LAUSD law enforcement employees sue over mandatory vaccine mandate -- Twenty school law enforcement officers are suing Los Angeles Unified, alleging they were either wrongfully fired or face termination despite filing for exemptions to the district’s mandatory employee coronavirus vaccination mandate. The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/13/22

COVID cases triple in California juvenile prisons -- COVID-19 cases among California’s incarcerated youth have tripled since last week, and at least one youth recently was admitted to a community hospital after experiencing serious symptoms, according to an internal agency email obtained by CalMatters. Byrhonda Lyons CalMatters -- 1/13/22

Omicron waves appear to slow in New York City, other major metropolitan areas -- The explosion of omicron cases along the Interstate 95 corridor from the Mid-Atlantic to New England is showing signs of slowing down, according to health officials and epidemiologists, offering reason for cautious optimism that the turning point could be near and that the coronavirus variant’s U.S. trajectory is similar to that of other countries. Fenit Nirappil and Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post -- 1/13/22

COVID School  

California official: Schools can return to distance learning due to staff shortages -- Schools faced with the prospect of closing due to Covid-related staffing shortages and student outbreaks can shift students to temporary remote learning programs, the California Department of Education said Wednesday. Alexander Nieves Politico -- 1/13/22

Oakland schools brace for another teacher sickout as students threaten to walkout next week -- Oakland schools are bracing for another teacher sickout less than a week after a group of teachers forced the closure of 12 campuses by calling in sick to protest working conditions during the region’s omicron surge. The district was already grappling with educators who were out due to COVID and a shortage of substitutes. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

San Diego Unified COVID-19 vaccine mandate on hold until further notice -- At the moment, the district’s attorneys are working on their appeal to last week’s legal setback following a ruling by by a San Diego County judge. The judge reiterated that the district cannot enforce a mandate requiring eligible students 16 and up to be fully vaccinated. M.G. Perez, Nicholas McVicker KPBS -- 1/13/22

Blood   

Blood shortage forced trauma center to close for hours, L.A. County says -- Blood shortages forced the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to shut down one of its trauma centers to new patients for hours earlier this week — a step it had not taken in over three decades, officials at the county department said Wednesday. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Blood shortage reaches crisis levels in San Diego -- Blood supplies at San Diego County’s busiest trauma centers are so critically low that many worry it won’t be long before someone dies because there were not enough units left on the shelf. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/13/22

'Rust" Shooting   

‘Rust’ armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed sues weapons provider on Alec Baldwin film -- “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed has sued the weapons provider on the low-budget western, alleging he supplied a miss-marked box of ammunition containing live rounds to the set, contributing to the deadly accident involving actor Alec Baldwin. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Policy and Politics  

Newsom rejects claims his homelessness plan isn’t working -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday rejected claims by the sheriff of California’s most populous county that record spending on homelessness initiatives isn’t putting a dent in the problem of people living in the streets and the state isn’t held accountable for where the billions of dollars go. Christopher Weber and Julie Watson Associated Press -- 1/13/22

California Republican David Valadao announces campaign for increasingly Democratic district -- Rep. David Valadao, one of few Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, plans to run for election in an increasingly Democratic congressional district that could be one of California’s tightest midterm races. Gillian Brassil in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/13/22

Workplace  

S.F. expects 15% of office workers to stay remote permanently. How much will it affect the economy? -- San Francisco officials predict that around 15% of office workers will stay remote when the economy is expected to stabilize in 2023, a major shift that would permanently hurt business tax revenue, according to a report released Wednesday. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Your boss wants you back in the office despite COVID. Here’s why -- Bosses are recommitting to their company offices even as Omicron is extending the remote working trend that has kept many of their workers laboring at home since COVID-19 erupted in early 2020. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Street  

S.F. police chief slams D.A.’s office for dropping charges against suspect accused of assaulting officers -- San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott on Wednesday criticized the district attorney’s office decision to drop charges against a burglary suspect who allegedly assaulted and injured two police officers, saying the move sends a “dangerous message” to criminals. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Charges dropped against man accused of assaulting officer -- San Francisco prosecutors have dropped all charges against a man who police said assaulted a police officer in plainclothes last year. The man, who was arrested by three police officers, ended up in the hospital with bruises, lacerations and a fractured cheekbone. Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press -- 1/13/22

Four arrested in connection with killing of off-duty LAPD officer in South L.A. -- Four people have been arrested in connection with the killing of off-duty Los Angeles Police Officer Fernando Arroyos during an armed robbery Monday evening in an unincorporated area of South L.A. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Black Lives Matter activists sue L.A. over protest crackdown outside mayor’s home -- Activists with Black Lives Matter Los Angeles have sued the city over the LAPD’s response to a protest outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s home in December 2020, alleging they were brutalized by baton-wielding officers in violation of their constitutional rights. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/13/22

Tenderloin  

A month after S.F. Mayor Breed’s tough talk on the Tenderloin, police staffing and arrests remain flat. That could change soon -- Nearly a month after Mayor London Breed vowed a police crackdown on drug dealing, open-air drug use and other crimes plaguing the Tenderloin, arrests in the neighborhood have remained flat and the Police Department has not sent more officers to patrol the area. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Sharing Health Insurance  

California sues ‘sharing ministry’ health insurance plan -- California on Wednesday sued what the state’s attorney general called a sham health insurance company operating as a “health care sharing ministry” — one the state claims illegally denied members benefits while retaining as much as 84% of their payments. Don Thompson Associated Press Yesenia Amaro in the Fresno Bee -- 1/13/22

Education  

High calculus failure rates thwart students across CSU -- At 8 a.m. in a Salazar Hall classroom, Cal State Los Angeles instructor Jennica Melendez was leading her Calculus 1 class through a lively group discussion about the virtual distance a stationary bicycle rider would cover while changing speed over an hour’s workout. Larry Gordon EdSource -- 1/13/22

Water  

California drought: Santa Clara County residents exceed water conservation targets -- In November, water use countywide fell 20%, beating 15% emergency goal. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/13/22

Satellite images show Mount Shasta’s transformation after an exceptionally dry summer -- After one of its driest summers in years, satellite images show that Mount Shasta is blanketed in its signature snow once again after December storms swept across Northern California. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Guns  

California assault weapon owners face registration deadline -- California gun owners starting Thursday are getting a second chance to register and keep a type of firearm that is now illegal to buy under the state’s expanded definition of assault weapons. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/13/22

Environment  

East Contra Costa city bans oil and gas drilling, producing -- The City Council unanimously agreed on Tuesday to amend its municipal code, removing permitted uses in the city’s southern “heavy industrial” zone and in the designated portion of the nearby Sand Creek Focus Area. There are currently no drilling operations or permitted uses in these areas and the most recent applicant, Sunset Exploration Inc., withdrew its request for a permit in May of 2020. Judith Prieve in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/13/22

Muir Woods is getting a $20 million restoration. Here’s the most ambitious part of it -- As it carves its way through Muir Woods National Monument, Redwood Creek might look to be the way nature intended it. But it isn’t. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Also . . .   

Famed Pliny the Younger beer launch delayed by weeks due to omicron surge -- After Sonoma County issued a 30-day ban on large public gatherings, in addition to a shelter in place advisory on Tuesday, Russian River Brewing Co. decided to postpone its annual Pliny the Younger release. The launch typically draws tens of thousands of fans — more than 23,000 people from 14 countries attended the event in 2020. Jess Lander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/13/22

Damaged and silenced for years, the melodic bells atop Hearst Castle may finally ring again -- Hearst Castle’s bells and the systems that make them ring are getting a vital makeover. Kathe Tanner San Luis Obispo Tribune -- 1/13/22