California Policy and Politics Monday Morning  

‘Wait for a good time : - ) Don’t fight!’ A guide to help teens persuade parents to let them get vaccinated -- When he has small slices of free time, wedged in between schoolwork and studying for academic quiz competitions, Arin Parsa scrolls through Reddit. Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/22

Amid low COVID vaccine rates, more California children hospitalized in omicron surge -- The number of California children diagnosed with COVID-19 during the omicron variant surge has “skyrocketed,” challenging earlier notions that the coronavirus largely bypassed children. Child vaccination rates are relatively low, and children who contract COVID-19 could be at increased risk for rare conditions and diabetes. Elizabeth Aguilera CalMatters -- 1/17/22

L.A. County sees 10-month high in COVID death rate -- Los Angeles County saw an average of 40 coronavirus deaths a day over the past week, the highest such rate in nearly 10 months, a sign that the prolific Omicron variant may be deadlier than many initially believed. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/22

Some Bay Area companies urging, but not requiring, COVID-19 boosters as omicron surges -- As a sushi chef and restaurant owner who’s a former cancer researcher, Randy Musterer doesn’t take the issue of vaccines lightly. But in the midst of the omicron surge, he said he has to balance health concerns like mandating the shots with having enough people to keep his doors open. Chase DiFeliciantonio in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

COVID cases are rising quickly among S.F. teenagers. What’s going on? -- The omicron COVID-19 wave has overwhelmed San Franciscans of all ages. But positive cases among teenagers are outpacing the city’s overall case rate, a Chronicle analysis found. Susie Neilson, Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

Coronavirus tests, other public service events on MLK Day in L.A. -- Los Angeles’ annual parade honoring Martin Luther King Jr. has been canceled for the second year in a row because of COVID-19 concerns, but numerous other events are planned across the city on Monday to celebrate the legacy of the late civil rights leader. Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/22

California’s rent relief program running short on money as deadlines approach -- California’s $5.2 billion pandemic rental relief fund is running out of money even as the pandemic deepens economic turmoil and tenant protections expire in March. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/17/22

COVID School  

‘A huge strain.’ Sacramento area schools enter another week of a COVID surge -- Sacramento-area school districts are being hit hard by a wave of omicron cases. The Sacramento City Unified School District has 1,366 positive cases and 10,041 students in quarantine, according to its dashboard. The district is hiring substitute teachers to fill gaps left by sick or exposed staff. Molly Sullivan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/17/22

Wildfire   

For PG&E probation judge William Alsup, California’s wildfire crisis is personal -- From his San Francisco seat at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Alsup has been overseeing the five-year probation of Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the long-beleaguered utility whose aging power lines have ignited some of the state’s worst wildfires on record. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

Tsunami   

Will California see more tsunami threats from future submarine volcanoes? -- Volcanologists say the Pacific eruption that triggered tsunami warnings along the West Coast over the weekend appears to be sputtering out — but that doesn’t mean that any one of many submarine volcanoes around the Pacific won’t produce a similar threat in the future. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

Policy and Politics  

California ballot proposal would raise billions for electric cars, charging stations -- Several billion dollars annually for new electric-vehicle incentives and new charging stations could be coming down the pike if a proposed “Clean Cars and Clean Air Act” qualifies for the ballot and gets the thumbs up from voters. Martin Wisckol in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/17/22

Juneteenth would become a paid holiday for California state workers under new proposal -- Jones-Sawyer on Friday introduced the proposal, which would give state workers a 12th paid holiday. California has recognized Juneteenth as a holiday since 2003, but hasn’t given state workers the day off. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/17/22

Worker empowerment or government overreach? California’s fast food bill tests labor laws -- Amid growing awareness of inequality and jobs that don’t pay enough to cover child care and housing, California legislators are considering a radical proposal: Allow the state to negotiate wages, hours and work conditions for an entire industry. Jackie Botts and Jesse Bedayn in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

Buffy Wicks turns her health decisions into legislation -- In her short tenure as an elected official, California Assembly member Buffy Wicks hasn’t been shy about sharing her most intimate health care struggles with the public. Rachel Bluth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

Skelton: Thanks to Newsom, Sirhan will remain where he belongs — prison -- Give Gov. Gavin Newsom credit: Whatever you might think of him on other matters, he got it completely right on Sirhan Sirhan. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/22

Walters: California policies leads, but where is it going? -- Politicians, particularly Gov. Gavin Newsom, are fond of touting California policies and programs as the nation’s first and/or foremost. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/17/22

Homeless  

Kevin de León, working to clear encampments, wages an escalating fight with activists -- For the last year, Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León has focused much of his energy on reducing the number of encampments in his Eastside district, working with city agencies to move people off the streets and into temporary housing or other forms of shelter. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/22

5 challenges in expanding California’s permanent supportive housing — and potential solutions -- As the number of homeless Californians swell, the state is spending unprecedented dollars to build tens of thousands of housing units for people living in shelters, vehicles and encampments. Jackie Botts CalMatters -- 1/17/22

One man’s lonely journey through California’s plan to end homelessness -- The pandemic gave a chronically homeless veteran in Los Angeles a chance at permanent supportive housing, but his experience differed from what state leaders envision. Can California offer the right support as it adds tens of thousands of new units? Jackie Botts CalMatters -- 1/17/22

Housing  

The George opens its doors to offer more middle-income homes in downtown S.F. -- The leasing office at the George technically doesn’t open until Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean that the 302-unit apartment complex at Fifth and Mission isn’t already drawing interest. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

Street  

Bay Area woman’s French bulldog taken at gunpoint — then the robbers came for her car, officers say -- A French bulldog was snatched from his owner in an armed robbery on a Castro Valley street Saturday afternoon, authorities said. The thieves also snatched the victim’s purse, which included her car keys — and four hours later came and stole her vehicle from her driveway, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

Costa Mesa is going after catalytic-converter thieves with bait cars -- Costa Mesa police are upfront with catalytic-converter thieves: We are waiting for you. In the wake of such thefts more than doubling in the city in a year, Costa Mesa police have set out bait cars throughout the city — monitored by undercover officers. Nathaniel Percy in the Orange County Register -- 1/17/22

Owners rejoice as beloved cat, stolen in S.F. smash-and-grab car burglary, is returned -- On a trip to San Francisco last month, Granados and Cardoso parked in a city garage in the Cow Hollow neighborhood to buy some refreshments nearby and left their cat in her carrier, covered by a blanket in the back seat. When they returned to their car, they found a broken window and Minnelusa missing. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

Cannabis  

Double dealing: Legal, illicit blur in California pot market -- But it’s been virtually impossible for the grower to turn a profit in a struggling legal industry where wholesale prices for cannabis buds have plunged as much as 70% from a year ago, taxes approach 50% in some areas and customers find far better deals in the thriving underground marketplace. So the company has two identities — one legal, the other illicit. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 1/17/22

Climate  

Rural California Residents Confront Growing Risks From Extreme Weather -- A huge snowstorm knocked down power lines in a community that also has coped with shut-offs in the summer because of wildfire threats. Jim Carlton, Max Whittaker in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/17/22

Environment  

Bay Area zero-waste stores thrive after wave of pandemic pollution -- When Shanti Jourdan received her first bicycle delivery of laundry detergent, Epsom salt and olive oil from Re-Up Refill Shop in Oakland, she thought she had found the holy grail. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/17/22

A California City Is Overrun by Crows. Could a Laser Be the Answer? -- In a move befitting its Silicon Valley setting, the city of Sunnyvale, Calif., will aim a laser at 1,000 birds that have overwhelmed the downtown area during the pandemic. Alyssa Lukpat in the New York Times$ -- 1/17/22

Also . . .   

Popular talk radio host Michael Jackson dies at 87 -- Michael Jackson, the onetime dean of Los Angeles talk radio whose voice graced Southern California airwaves for more than half a century, died Saturday. He was 87. Jackson, who had Parkinson’s disease, died peacefully at home surrounded by his three children, a family spokesperson said. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/17/22