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Kaiser gave 3,900 patients in Walnut Creek low COVID-19 vaccine doses -- Kaiser Permanente has notified 3,900 patients vaccinated with at its Walnut Creek Medical Center last fall they may have received less than a full dose of the Pfizer shot. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/18/22

California surpasses 7 million coronavirus cases, adding 1 million in one week -- California has recorded more than 7 million coronavirus cases, after its fastest accumulation of reported infections in the history of the pandemic. The unprecedented count, recorded in California’s databases late Monday, comes one week after the state tallied its 6 millionth coronavirus case. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

LA County hospital beds continue to fill, topping 4,500 patients, as omicron’s toll widens -- Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 rose on Monday, Jan. 17 to a mark not seen since early February, as the omicron variant of the coronavirus continued its relentless toll on the population. Ryan Carter in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/18/22

Like ‘Tetris’: COVID surge turns staff scheduling at California hospital into a frustrating numbers game -- The 28 patients had camped out for hours and even days in the emergency room of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. With more than 100 COVID-19-positive patients in the hospital, there weren’t enough in-patient beds to put them in. Brittny Mejia, Irfan Khan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/22

Policy and Politics  

California Democrat McNerney won’t seek re-election, opening seat to Rep. Josh Harder -- Rep. Jerry McNerney, the long-time Democratic representative for areas surrounding Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley, will not seek re-election in his home district at the end of his term, his office announced. Gillian Brassil and David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ Jeremy B. White Politico Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

Garcetti names first female fire chief as LAFD faces harassment complaints -- Mayor Eric Garcetti has picked Deputy Chief Kristin Crowley to lead the Los Angeles Fire Department, his office confirmed Tuesday. If confirmed by the City Council, Crowley would become the first woman to lead the city’s fire agency. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/22

State Senate leader Bob Hertzberg to run for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors -- Hertzberg, who serves as the majority leader in the state Senate and was previously the speaker of the state Assembly, told The Times he was motivated to run by new district lines that place much of the Valley inside a single district. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/22

California energy officials plan to slash incentives for rooftop solar -- The promise of lower electricity bills wasn’t the only reason Paul and Kathi O’Leary shelled out roughly $30,000 to put solar panels on their San Francisco home. But it sweetened the deal. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

Spotlight on the Assembly race: David Campos thinks his progressive message meets the moment -- David Campos has been here before — locked in a fiercely competitive race to represent San Francisco in the state Assembly while battling a chief rival whose supporters have deeper pockets. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

Fired OC district attorney’s investigator who accused Todd Spitzer of bribery gets job back in arbitration -- The county also was ordered to pay more than a year in back pay to former supervising investigator Damon Tucker. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register -- 1/18/22

Here’s everything you need to know about San Francisco’s Feb 15 special election -- The election includes two races — the result of shuffling at City Hall — and a recall. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

S.F. native plans move to Mexico after an eviction. Can a new bill keep other renters in the city? -- While many evictions were halted as the pandemic raged last year, cases like Navarro’s moved forward under a 1985 state law called the Ellis Act. The law, long criticized by housing activists, allows landlords to evict tenants if they take their homes off the rental market. Lauren Hepler in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

Native Americans want to ditch the name Squaw Valley. A county supervisor says context matters -- As white settlers made their way west, so did the word “squaw.” Eventually, it took root in nearly 100 California place names, possibly more — Squaw Creek, Squaw Peak, Squaw Hollow, Squaw Flat. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/22

Barabak: Trump and his enablers want to blow up the presidential debates. They shouldn’t get away with it -- Of all political rituals, few are as tiresome and threadbare as the debate over debates. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/22

COVID School  

‘Our schools are crumbling’: How COVID, staffing problems are driving teachers away from a San Diego charter -- High Tech High’s CEO left last month after two years on the job amid teacher burnout, turnover. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/18/22

Should I keep my kid home from school? What to know about youth COVID in Sacramento -- More young children are being admitted with illnesses related to COVID-19 during the omicron surge, Dr. Dean Blumberg, UC Davis Children’s Hospital chief of pediatrics infectious diseases, told The Bee. Brianna Taylor in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/18/22

Palo Alto Schools Stay Open During Omicron Surge Thanks to Parent Volunteers -- With many teachers and staff out because of the Covid-19 variant, hundreds of parents serve as custodians, cafeteria workers and classroom aides. Zusha Elinson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/18/22

Farm Workers  

In familiar refrain, United Farm Workers grapples with how to grow -- When the nation’s high court effectively forbade union representatives from accessing fields and orchards to recruit workers last June, the United Farm Workers union turned to Sacramento for help. Melissa Montalvo and Nigel Duara CalMatters -- 1/18/22

Supply Chain  

Union Pacific thefts another problem for already beleaguered supply chain -- The railroad also blamed the LA County district attorney for not doing enough to prosecute those who are arrested. This weekend's train derailment remains under investigation. Chris Haire, Kristy Hutchings in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/18/22

Homeless  

California homeless crisis takes on new urgency -- With the 2022 primary elections less than six months away, candidates are diving head-first into one of California’s most visible and persistent problems: homelessness. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 1/18/22

California Policy and Politics Tuesday Morning  

Omicron may have peaked in parts of the Bay Area as California COVID surge slows -- For the first time in a month, average daily coronavirus cases have dipped week over week across the Bay Area, suggesting that much of the region may be near — or possibly past — the peak of the winter omicron surge. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

L.A. County logs nearly tenfold increase in coronavirus cases in a month -- Los Angeles County on Monday reported more than 31,500 new coronavirus cases — marking a nearly tenfold increase from the number of new cases tallied a month ago and offering a stark reminder of the lasting power of the highly contagious Omicron variant. Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/22

White House website for free COVID tests launches this week. Here’s how to order yours -- Starting Wednesday, Americans can order free at-home rapid COVID tests through a federal website. The new program follows a federal requirement that took effect Saturday under which private insurers must reimburse people for up to eight rapid home tests per month. Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

California throws more money at COVID-19 contact tracing, but is it too late? -- One expert says that because omicron spreads so quickly, the millions spent on contact tracing could be better spent on more effective masks and more testing. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 1/18/22

COVID School  

Oakland students say they’ll walk out Tuesday unless COVID safety demands are met -- More than 1,200 Oakland students have signed a petition pledging to skip classes this week starting Tuesday, organizers said, in protest of what they say are inadequate safety measures on campuses in the face of a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

EDD  

California freezes 345,000 ‘suspicious’ disability insurance claims -- In the latest battle between California and scammers out to defraud its benefits system, the state said it froze 345,000 disability insurance claims that it suspects were fraudulently filed using stolen credentials of doctors and other medical providers. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/22

Policy and Politics  

‘Folks of all backgrounds coming together.’ Bay Area events honor Martin Luther King Jr. -- Sanaa Bengholam had never before engaged in the hard labor of mixing cement and setting posts, but she had no trouble finding the motivation to volunteer for it Monday, in the interest of building a chicken run at the North Richmond Farm, with a rooster crowing in her ear every time she stooped over her post hole. Sam Whiting, Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

Fight to pass voting rights bills infuses San Diego events honoring Martin Luther King Jr. -- Amid a sputtering federal effort by Democrats to legislate stronger protections for voting access, advocacy groups in San Diego on Monday honored the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., urging leaders and community members to continue the fight for equity and social justice. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/18/22

Banks: What Martin Luther King taught me about ‘good hair’ and Black pride -- Every January, as I read and listen to the tributes to Martin Luther King Jr., I think not only about what Dr. King gave the world, but also about what he gave me personally. Sandy Banks in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/22

Walters: Newsom backs away from single-payer health care pledge -- When he unveiled a new state budget last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom crowed about California becoming the nation’s first state to embrace universal health care coverage. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/18/22

Tonga   

Ship with donated Tonga relief supplies will soon sail from Bay Area. Here’s how to help -- With the Bay Area’s Tongan community still waiting to learn the extent of damage to the Pacific nation two days after a massive undersea volcano erupted and cut off communication, a logistics company that ships from the Bay Area to Tonga is gathering relief supplies to deliver to the archipelago. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

Street  

Michelle Go, woman killed in NYC subway incident, grew up in Bay Area -- Go, who was living in New York and working for Deloitte, was standing on a Times Square station subway platform waiting for her train around 9:40 a.m. Saturday when she was apparently shoved by a man later identified as Simon Martial, 61. Go and Martial had not interacted before the push, according to New York police. Andres Picon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/22

New lawsuit claims Sacramento police handle pro-Trump and racial justice protests differently -- Nicollette Jones has been organizing and attending demonstrations in Sacramento since 2011. Last summer was the first time she felt it was necessary to wear goggles and a helmet, occasionally adding a bulletproof vest. Janelle Salanga Capital Public Radio -- 1/18/22

Education  

Stressed-out parents divided over going back to school amid surge -- Just when it seemed like a little normalcy might be returning to the lives of beleaguered California families at long last, the deep-seated angst and confusion that comes with parenting amid a pandemic has returned. Karen D'Souza EdSource -- 1/18/22

Environment  

New study shows Imperial Beach ocean pollution worse than previously thought -- The study came about because researcher Falk Fennersen kept hearing Imperial Beach surfers say that the water smells funny even when water tests showed it was safe to swim. “What would happen is the surfers would say 'hey … water tastes like laundry detergent or chemical or sometimes like sewage,'” Fennersen said. Gustavo Solis, Carlos Castillo KPBS -- 1/18/22

Also . . .   

For years, bar patrons bought beers for Betty White hoping she’d come claim them. The funds are now going to animal charity -- For several years, people in Mineral Point, Wis., have been buying beers for Betty White at a local pub and tallying them on a chalkboard, in the hope that one day she might stop by and drink them — though not all in one sitting. Sydney Page in the Washington Post$ -- 1/18/22