Updating . .   

Here’s what’s changed as California’s new COVID workplace rules go into effect -- Today, as COVID-19 case rates in California have jumped to their highest levels yet — more than six times the peak of the delta variant wave — updated workplace rules are kicking in to better help protect workers vaccinated against COVID-19. Grace Gedye CalMatters -- 1/14/22

Free tests? As COVID surges, rapid results cost up to $300 -- With the explosion of the highly transmissible omicron variant, more Californians find themselves seeking tests wherever they can find them. State and local testing sites offer free COVID-19 tests but they are swamped, forcing people to seek private pop-up clinics. Quick results often come with hefty upfront costs: Some clinics charge nearly $300 for a rapid PCR test. Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters -- 1/14/22

COVID-19 deaths rise in L.A. County, but officials blame Delta more than Omicron -- Los Angeles County has recently noted an increase in coronavirus deaths, but officials think they are mainly tied to the Delta variant, rather than the prolific Omicron strain that has fueled record-high infections in the county and across the state. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

California on track for worst COVID surge yet -- State public health officials project that in this California COVID surge, more than 70,000 will be hospitalized at the end of January. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 1/14/22

California hospitals add surge beds; cases soaring at nursing homes -- While some experts and health officials’ projections suggest the state will reach a peak within the next few weeks, California’s COVID-19 infection rate continues its steep climb in mid-January, placing ever-increasing strain on hospitals, schools, businesses, prisons, jails, nursing homes and more. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/22

Are more Californians getting a first vaccine dose as COVID surges? What the data shows -- Just over 80% of Californians ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to date, according to the state health department. For the state’s roughly 31 million adults, the rate is about 87%. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/22

COVID Q&A: What to know about San Jose’s booster-or-test mandate -- San Jose this week approved a new ordinance mandating that anyone entering city-owned facilities such as the SAP Center for large events must prove they received a booster shot or tested negative for COVID-19. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/14/22

Hiltzik: A new study calculates the incredible cost of ivermectin stupidity -- A couple of things are known about ivermectin, the anti-parasitic treatment being promoted by a clutch of conspiracy-mongering mountebanks as a COVID-19 treatment. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

COVID School  

Culver City Unified to close next week so all can ‘recoup and recover’ amid Omicron surge -- The Culver City Unified School District, the first K-12 public school system in the nation to issue a coronavirus student vaccination mandate, announced Friday that due to the spike in coronavirus cases, it will close all its schools next week to give students and staff time to “recoup and recover,” the superintendent said. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Campus COVID Falloff    

California’s undergraduate enrollment dropped by about 250,000 during pandemic years -- The report from the National Student Clearinghouse shows that California saw an overall decline of more than 99,000 — or 4.3% — in undergraduate enrollment from fall 2020 to fall 2021, driven largely by a 9.9% drop in community colleges.

No Strings     

California’s next attempt at universal basic income could be on college campuses -- California could send $500 a month with no strings attached to college students from low-income families as part of the Legislature’s latest approach to a guaranteed basic income plan. Mackenzie Mays in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

L.A. County homeless count postponed due to Omicron -- The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority announced Friday that it was delaying its annual homeless census by a month because of the risks posed by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Benjamin Oreskes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Policy and Politics  

CHP wants more security at California Capitol to protect lawmakers -- The California Legislature’s temporary move to a state office building last month created a new security problem in downtown Sacramento: How to keep lawmakers and their staff safe as they walk back and forth between the Capitol and their offices on O Street. Rosalio Ahumada and Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/22

Mayor Breed vents frustration with supervisors, jokes about getting rid of board -- Mayor London Breed criticized the Board of Supervisors this week as “obstructionist” and suggested some supervisors were hypocrites for calling for more homeless services and housing while rejecting hundreds of homes and delaying the approval of a new shelter. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Street  

Fugitives accused of running illegal L.A.-area operation to move money from China to U.S. -- According to the indictment, Wang and Song told their customers to make deposits into Chinese bank accounts the men controlled or had access to, and agreed to deposit the equivalent amount of U.S. dollars, minus a fee, in American bank accounts set up by the customers. Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Housing  

Diamond Heights condo project will proceed after neighborhood group withdraws opposition -- Developer Marc Babsin said the parties reached a settlement last weekend on the 24-unit condo project at 1900 Diamond St. after he agreed to save 10 Monterey Cypress trees, set back the buildings and create a parklet with a public viewing platform offering 180 degree views from the downtown skyline to Mt. Diablo and south along the bay. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Sewage  

Imperial Beach is polluted with Tijuana sewage even in summer, study says -- A new report out of UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Stanford University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now confirms what many have suspected: A crumbling wastewater plant south of the border is daily discharging millions of gallons of raw sewage into the ocean that routinely carry pathogens up the coast. Joshua Emerson Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Also . . .   

Lopez: Two years of the pandemic, and we’re still not in the clear. But there’s room for optimism -- When the nation’s second-largest school district reopens for business despite tens of thousands of positive coronavirus tests among students and staff, things have changed. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Here’s how much of California is owned by different government agencies and why that matters -- California is the third largest state in the country in terms of land area, with a total of more than 104 million acres. It’s also among the states where the U.S. government owns the highest percentage of land. Yoohyun Jung in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

This woman got charged $10,000 for a 1-mile cab ride in S.F. When she disputed the bill, things got even more outrageous -- One evening this past September, Margarita Bekker and husband Chris Schlesinger hopped into a San Francisco taxi. Their 1.1-mile Yellow Cab ride to a rooftop birthday dinner took 11 minutes. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

California Policy and Politics Friday Morning  

Infant dies of COVID, Riverside County’s youngest death from the virus -- A Riverside County infant died this week after contracting COVID-19, the youngest person to die in the county after contracting the virus since the pandemic began nearly two years ago, health officials said Thursday. Christian Martinez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

California hospitals predict COVID crisis will last 4-6 weeks -- California hospitals are expecting COVID-19-infected patients to triple by the end of January, with the surge expected to last until the end of February. Kristen Hwang CalMatters Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/22

California allowing COVID-positive health care workers to treat patients -- With the highly infectious omicron variant continuing to surge, California is taking an unprecedented step to try to avoid an overwhelmed health care system: allowing doctors and nurses who test positive for the virus to return to treating patients immediately, so long as they are asymptomatic and masked up. Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/14/22

Has omicron crested in the Bay Area? Sewage samples seem to suggest so -- If sewage from Santa Clara County is any indication, a hopeful trend for omicron in the Bay Area may be on the horizon — even as hospitals prepare for a surge of patients that is not expected to crest for at least a few more weeks. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Sheriff to release 203 inmates to halt outbreak as COVID cases quadruple at Sacramento jails -- The move is necessary, the Sheriff’s Office says, to make adequate space in the facilities to place those with or at-risk of COVID in quarantine pods to stop further spread of the virus. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/22

Court upholds California’s COVID workplace protection rules -- A state appeals court has upheld California’s emergency workplace rules for COVID-19, which require employers to have prevention programs, provide protective equipment and provide paid leave to employees who have been exposed to the virus. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Labor unions, essential workers call on state to bring back COVID-19 paid sick leave -- Labor unions and essential workers are urging lawmakers to once again provide COVID-19 paid sick leave. Advocates argue without it, people who have the virus may be going to work too early. Matt Hoffman KPBS Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

LA County will devise plan to stamp out fake COVID-19 testing sites -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors wants to prevent phony COVID-19 testing sites from harvesting personal information from people or charging them for what should be a free service. Eric Licas in the Orange County Register -- 1/14/22

Here’s one critical thing to check before you buy or use a rapid home COVID test -- If you’re among those fortunate enough to have gotten your hands on an at-home COVID-19 test during the omicron surge, pharmacists say it’s a good idea to check the expiration date. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

COVID School  

S.F. school district, unions reach deal on COVID-19 safety measures -- School district officials will provide an additional 10 days of sick leave for employees to be taken for “COVID-19 related reasons,” will continue offering weekly coronavirus testing for students and staff at all sites, and provide “high quality face masks,” such as N95, KN95 or KF94 masks to students and staff, the school district announced in a statement Thursday evening. Lauren Hernández in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

School stress explodes as COVID-19 cases soar -- With winter break over and classes reopened, the current surge of COVID-19 is leading to soaring absenteeism — along with frustration and anxiety — in schools throughout Orange County. While student absences are problematic, schools also are hurt by big numbers of teachers and other staff calling in sick because they’ve got the virus or been exposed to it. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 1/14/22

Lake Tahoe Unified School District closes all 8 campuses due to COVID surge -- Lake Tahoe Unified School District closed all eight of its campuses Thursday and Friday due to widespread COVID-19 infections among students and staff. The district plans to return to in-person instruction Tuesday, after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/14/22

Oakland Unified likely to push back student vaccine mandate to summer -- More than 6,000 Oakland school district students are still not fully vaccinated despite a requirement that would remove them from in-person instruction at the end of the month. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Sirhan Sirhan   

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$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ Don Thompson Associated Press Jeremy B. White Politico Tom Jackman in the Washington Post$ Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Policy and Politics  

California Is Doubling Efforts to Preserve Film and TV Production -- “Veep.” “You.” “Miracle Workers.” “American Horror Story.” “Lucifer.” “Good Girls.” These TV shows have one thing in common: They originally filmed outside of California — in New York, Louisiana, Vancouver, even the Czech Republic — but were coaxed back here at least in part because of tax credits from the state. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 1/14/22

The nation’s immigration court system is a mess. Rep. Lofgren is teeing up an effort to overhaul it -- South Bay Rep. Zoe Lofgren will convene a congressional hearing on the immigration courts next week, The Chronicle has learned, likely laying the groundwork for the introduction of her bill to overhaul the troubled system. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Lawmakers move to tighten restrictions on sex-offending doctors -- Doctors who are convicted of sexually abusing patients would be permanently banned from practicing medicine in California under a bill introduced this week by state legislators. Jack Dolan, Brittny Mejia, Kim Christensen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

High Speed Rail  

Newsom doubles down on high-speed rail funding, pledges $4.2B to finish Central Valley segment -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest budget proposal doubles down on billions of dollars in contentious funding for the San Joaquin Valley segment of the high-speed rail project and expands the state’s initiative to replace gas-powered vehicles with zero-emission. Eliyahu Kamisher in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/14/22

Moving On  

Much-loved San Francisco Bay Area company announces move to Utah -- Mrs. Grossman's Paper Company, credited with spawning the sticker craze of the 1980s, is shutting down its Petaluma headquarters and factory, citing the high cost of doing business in California as one reason for leaving the state, a letter posted online at the start of 2022 said. The company said it has purchased a new building in Utah. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/14/22

Supply Chain  

Plan to charge shippers for abandoning empty containers is on hold at Port of L.A. -- The Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest for container traffic, has deferred a plan to charge ocean carriers that fail to clear empty containers off the docks and is consulting with the logistics industry about alternatives on how to cut the backlogs. Laura Curtis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

PG&E   

PG&E can be held responsible for contamination from former gas plant, judge rules -- A federal judge says Pacific Gas and Electric Co. can be held responsible for any contamination caused since the early 1900s by a manufactured gas plant that the utility’s predecessor company operated near San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Muir Health  

Former doctor for John Muir Health claims hospitals put money ahead of patient safety, cites child’s death -- A former doctor at John Muir Health alleges in a lawsuit that the nonprofit group, which operates hospitals in Walnut Creek and Concord, put money ahead of patient safety and ignored her warnings of surgical dangers which led to illnesses and deaths. Hospital officials denied the allegations made by Dr. Alicia Kalamas in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Contra Costa County Superior Court. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

EDD Scams   

California suspends some disability claims, citing fraud -- After stealing the identities of death row inmates and even a sitting U.S. senator to make off with billions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment benefits during the pandemic, scammers have now moved on to impersonating doctors to dupe California officials into giving them disability checks. Adam Beam Associated Press Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Street  

Federal prosecutors charge alleged gang members with killing off-duty LAPD officer -- Federal prosecutors charged four people Thursday in the fatal shooting of an off-duty Los Angeles police officer, alleging they are members and an associate of a street gang who killed the officer while trying to rob him. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Sheriff’s Department recruit loses gun in area of Castaic jail -- A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recruit’s gun has gone missing in Castaic, authorities confirmed Thursday. The recruit “misplaced a firearm in the area of Pitchess Detention Center,” the department said in a statement. Gregory Yee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Garcetti questions LAPD discipline for out-of-policy police shootings, orders review -- Garcetti said that “quite often,” stiff penalties supported by elected officials and police leaders never materialize in such cases because discipline panels hand down lesser penalties — sometimes leaving officers who officials want to fire on the force. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Deputy alleges Sheriff Villanueva’s wife derailed her career -- A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has filed a lawsuit alleging that her career was thwarted after she decided a close friend of Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s wife was unfit to serve as a deputy. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

Antisemitic fliers found at Santa Monica elementary and middle schools, prompting investigation -- Antisemitic fliers that appear to link Jewish people with the anti-vaccine movement were discovered at several elementary and middle schools in Santa Monica on Thursday morning, the latest in a spate of similar incidents across Los Angeles County, authorities said. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22

San Quentin inmate podcast host among California clemencies -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision will allow Rahsaan “New York” Thomas, 51, to immediately go before the state parole board, which will decide if he should be released on parole. The board already recommended the clemency grant. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 1/14/22

Education  

California schools get off to a shaky start after holiday break -- The return to California classrooms after the winter holiday break has been rocky, as Covid infection rates continue to climb, schools run out of substitutes to take over classrooms for ill and quarantined teachers, and district officials and staff wrangle over safety protocols. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 1/14/22

Why Covid disruptions at California colleges and universities differ from March 2020 -- Officials at UC and CSU campuses optimistic that pause on in-person classes won't last. Michael Burke and Ashley A. Smith EdSource -- 1/14/22

Water  

Charts show vividly how winter storms have eased — but not erased — California drought -- After a strong start to the water year, all of the Bay Area and California have moved out of the exceptional drought category, with most of the state now in the lesser extreme or severe drought categories, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data posted Thursday. Danielle Echeverria, Yoohyun Jung in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/14/22

Also . . .   

L.A. County files suit over warehouse fire that led to sickening odor in Dominguez Channel -- Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing property owners and tenants of negligence in connection with a warehouse fire that sent discharge into the Dominguez Channel last year, causing a sickening odor to linger in the Carson area for weeks and displacing thousands of residents. Christian Martinez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/14/22