San Diego Union-Tribune: UCSD Says It's Seeing Significant Bump In Omicron Cases
San Diego County’s most recent public health report lists just six confirmed Omicron cases across the region, but UC San Diego researchers say that the fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus likely already makes up at least 20 percent of all new cases. Dr. David Pride, director of molecular microbiology at UC San Diego Health, said UCSD labs use a specially designed test called an assay that can provide a crucial hint that some positive test results were very likely caused by one of several variants, including Alpha and Omicron. (Sisson, 12/16)

Bay Area News Group: 'A Deluge Of Omicron' Is Coming, Santa Clara County's Health Officer Says
Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said Thursday she expects a “deluge” of omicron cases in the county as the COVID-19 variant begins sweeping across the Bay Area and residents start traveling and gathering for the holidays. “What I see is perhaps one of the most challenging moments we’ve had yet in the pandemic,” Cody said at a news conference. “And I think it’s challenging because it’s not what we’re expecting. We’ve all come to live with COVID over the last two years, and we’re all a bit tired. But I want to let you know, when I look around the corner, I see a lot of COVID, and a lot of omicron.” (Greschler, 12/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Is California Facing The Kind Of ‘Omicron Emergency’ Seen In The U.K.?
The omicron variant of the coronavirus is exploding in the United Kingdom — which might seem particularly foreboding for California, since Britain often has been a pandemic bellwether for the state. Coronavirus infections in the U.K. appear to be doubling every two to three days and hit an all-time high Wednesday, driven by the highly transmissible omicron strain. The country’s health chief, Dr. Jenny Harries, told Parliament members that omicron is “probably the most significant threat we’ve had since the start of the pandemic.” (Hwang, 12/17)

Los Angeles Times: Could Humanity Catch A Break With Omicron? 
In the weeks since the Omicron variant made its presence known, scientists have braced themselves for yet another nasty surprise from a virus that has killed more than 5.3 million and sickened hundreds of millions more. But as they sort through preliminary data on the strain, they’re cautiously considering an unexpected possibility: that with Omicron, the coronavirus may finally be cutting humanity a little slack. There’s still plenty of reason to worry: Omicron has spread to at least 77 countries, found its way to at least 35 U.S. states, and is on track to become the dominant strain in Europe by mid-January. (Healy, 12/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Omicron’s Surge Is Changing The Rules Of Travel
Anyone hoping to comply with the latest Covid-related travel restrictions should start by assuming they are nothing like the ones in the city, state or country next door to their destination. Countries have been swift to impose new travel restrictions due to concerns about the Omicron variant. Each destination sets its own requirements, and the rules are far from consistent, which can cause extra stress and confusion for travelers. The confusion over Omicron is just one of many for travelers. (Pohle, 12/16)

The Hill: Biden Warns Of Winter With 'Severe Illness And Death' For Unvaccinated 
President Biden on Thursday warned of a winter of "severe illness and death" for unvaccinated Americans as coronavirus cases spike across the country. Biden, in a meeting with medical advisers and Vice President Harris to discuss the pandemic, said the country was in a better position to deal with the omicron variant of COVID-19 because of steps taken to limit travel and increase access to boosters. "But it's here now and it’s spreading, and it’s gonna increase," Biden said of the omicron variant, which experts think is more contagious than previous strains. (Samuels, 12/16)

CalMatters: Was California’s $1.7-Billion COVID Test Contract Worth It? 
A patient sample that wasn’t processed for more than 30 days. A test used without proper validation of its accuracy. Patient results changed without notification. Safety and disinfection procedures called into question. These are just a few of the myriad problems at the Valencia Branch Laboratory, a public-private COVID-19 testing lab operated by PerkinElmer that the California Department of Public Health hired in a no-bid, $1.7 billion annual contract. An inspection report released last month by the health department outlines major problems dating back further than a year ago, raising new questions about how the state is spending taxpayer dollars to combat the pandemic. (Hwang and Ibarra, 12/16)

Bay Area News Group: COVID-19 Breakthrough Hospitalizations: Who Gets Sick When Vaccines Don't Work?
As the new omicron variant continues to spread throughout the United States, vaccinated people who are older or sicker are at greatest risk of hospitalization from a COVID-19 breakthrough infection, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. But the shots continue to offer some protection, because these breakthrough illnesses are shorter and milder than sickness in unvaccinated people, the study found. (Krieger, 12/17)

Los Angeles Times: They Tell Us How To Stay Safe. But What Do Experts Do To Avoid COVID As Holidays Loom? 
The Three Kings Day party has been canceled for the second year in a row at Barbara Ferrer’s home in Echo Park. No hilarity, no live music, no 80 or so guests honoring the Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus. Instead, the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is planning a small outdoor Christmas Eve dinner with family and a few close friends. There will be tamales. Arroz con pollo. And COVID-19 tests all around. (La Ganga, 12/17)

AP: NBA, Players Agree To Additional Protocols Through Holidays
The NBA and its players have agreed to enhanced health and safety protocols through the holiday season in response to rising virus numbers, with additional testing coming and a return to mask usage in many situations. The upgraded mask rules will be in place “until agreed otherwise by the NBA and Players Association,” according to a memo shared with teams Thursday night and obtained by The Associated Press. Masks need to be worn again in almost all circumstances during team activities — including travel, when on the bench during games, in meetings and locker room, weight room and training room settings. The exceptions: during on-court basketball activities for players, and for head coaches during games. (Reynolds, 12/16)

CapRadio: Kings Facing Possible COVID-19 Outbreak 
The Sacramento Kings are grappling with a potential COVID-19 outbreak among the team and possibly other staff. An NBA source has confirmed with CapRadio that interim head coach Alvin Gentry tested positive for the virus this week. That source also says there are additional cases and at least two players in what the league refers to as “health and safety protocols.” The team canceled a planned practice Thursday. (12/16)

Orange County Register: Lakers Add Russell Westbrook, Avery Bradley To COVID-19 Protocols 
Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley have entered the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols as of Thursday afternoon, putting the Lakers in a tough spot for upcoming games as positive coronavirus test results continued throughout the league. The team announced that Westbrook, 33, and Bradley, 31, had entered protocols, joining Talen Horton-Tucker and Dwight Howard. (Goon, 12/16)

The Washington Post: NFL Makes Major Protocol Change, While Players’ Union Advocates For Postponements 
The NFL made a significant change Thursday to its coronavirus protocols, allowing a vaccinated player who tests positive for the virus but has no symptoms to test out of isolation in as little as one day. Meanwhile, the players’ union was advocating for the league to consider postponing games involving teams with large numbers of cases. The NFL Players Association believes that “rescheduling games should be an option” related to “any teams with major outbreaks,” according to a person familiar with the NFLPA’s view. (Maske, 12/16)

Southern California News Group: Rams Face More COVID-19 Cases And Questions As Seahawks Game Nears 
The Rams talked with NFL officials about their options for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium as COVID-19 cases continued to rip through their roster, a team spokesman said Thursday. The game seems almost certain to be played, because the league has expressed no inclination to postpone or cancel any of the games involving teams hit with coronavirus outbreaks in the past week. (Modesti, 12/17)

The Washington Post: Why Asymptomatic, Positive Athletes Still Need To Sit Out
Among the rash of players unavailable to play after testing positive, the vast majority are vaccinated and many are asymptomatic. So in a time of widely available vaccines and booster shots, would it be safe for sports leagues to allow vaccinated, asymptomatic players who test positive for the coronavirus to play in games? That day may come, public health experts say, with improved testing capability allowing players to safely return to play sooner, but it is not here yet. (Kilgore, 12/16)

City News Service: COVID-19 Cases Cancel Three ‘A Christmas Carol’ Performances In Downtown LA
Performances of “A Christmas Carol” at the Ahmanson Theatre planned for Friday night and Saturday afternoon were canceled after breakthrough COVID-19 cases detected within the company, the Center Theatre Group announced. Thursday’s planned performance was also canceled “for the wellness and safety of our guests, cast and crew,” according to Jason Martin, the head of publicity for the Center Theatre Group. (12/16)

The New York Times: Affordable Coronavirus Tests Are Out There, if You Look
Your ability to find free tests may depend on where you live and work — and how much time and effort you’re willing to devote. Last week, for instance, Vermont issued its own mandate requiring insurers to cover the cost of at-home tests. The rule is retroactive and will apply to all tests purchased on Dec. 1 or after. Other states may ultimately issue similar rules — another reason to save your receipts. In addition, some employers offer free tests for employees on-site, supply free rapid tests to take home or provide health plans that cover the cost of at-home testing. (Anthes, 12/16)

AP: Justice Department Asks High Court To Allow Vaccine Mandate 
The Biden administration late Thursday asked the Supreme Court to block lower court orders that are keeping President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for health care workers from going into effect in about half of the states. The administration asked the justices to allow the “urgently needed health and safety measure to take effect before the winter spike in COVID-19 cases worsens further.” It said the requirement “will save hundreds or even thousands of lives each month.” (12/17)

AP: EXPLAINER: Must Employers Follow Biden's Vaccine Mandates?
The Biden administration contends its rule-making authority is firm and supersedes any state policies prohibiting vaccine requirements. Recent experience shows that such mandates generally prompt people to get vaccinated: By the time a Biden requirement for federal workers to be vaccinated took effect last month, 92% had received at least their first dose of the shot. Following is a rundown of some of Biden’s most sweeping vaccine requirements and the status of the legal fights over them. (Lieb and Mulvihill, 12/17)

San Diego Union-Tribune: ReOpen San Diego Threatens To Sue City Over Vaccine Mandates 
The organization ReOpen San Diego has threatened to sue the city of San Diego over recently enacted vaccine mandates that require all city employees, elected officials, board or commission members and volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. At a special meeting Nov. 29, the San Diego City Council approved a measure requiring anyone in those positions to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination. It also required full vaccination for the city’s new hires or appointees. The measure took effect Dec. 1. (Brennan, 12/17)

Sacramento Bee: Countries With Mask Policies Had Lower COVID Death Rates: Study 
During the COVID-19 pandemic’s early days, it wasn’t crystal clear how well face masks were preventing coronavirus infections or severe disease among wearers. Now, a new study reveals an association between mask policies and reduced COVID-19 deaths long before vaccines were added to the picture. Research on 44 countries in Asia and Europe including nearly one billion people shows nations that enacted face mask policies at the start of the pandemic had significantly lower COVID-19 deaths per million people than those that did not enforce any mask rules. (Camero, 12/16)

Politico: More Than 100 Marines Kicked Out Of The Service For Refusing Covid Vaccine 
The Marine Corps has booted 103 of its members for refusing the Covid vaccine, the service announced on Thursday, even as all the military branches report that a vast majority of troops have gotten the shots. The news comes the same day the Army announced that it has relieved six leaders — including two commanding officers — over the issue, and that almost 4,000 active-duty soldiers have refused the vaccine. (McLeary, 12/16)

The New York Times: Vaccine Holdouts In Army And Navy Will Be Dismissed, Military Says 
The vast majority of active-duty troops in the Army and the Navy are vaccinated against the coronavirus, and the small number of those still refusing shots will soon be dismissed from the military, officials said on Thursday. In the Army, 468,459 active-duty soldiers, or 98 percent, have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The Navy has inoculated 342,974 members, with roughly 1.7 percent still holding out. (Steinhauer, 12/16)

Bay Area News Group: Stanford Classes To Be Held Online For First Two Weeks Of Winter Quarter, Officials Say
With COVID-19 on the rise again, Stanford University announced Thursday it will return to remote classes for the first two weeks of the winter quarter. The announcement in an email to the campus community comes just weeks after university officials reported a surge in cases among students and faculty following the Thanksgiving weekend. Remote classes will begin on Jan. 3 for most students, and officials expect in-person classes to return on Jan. 18. (Toledo, 12/16)

Sacramento Bee: West Sacramento High School Reports COVID Omicron Outbreak
Five students at a West Sacramento high school have contracted confirmed or likely cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant, school district and Yolo County health officials said Thursday, in what appears to be the Sacramento region’s first known omicron outbreak. The cases were detected at River City High School, Washington Unified School District spokesperson Giorgos Kazanis confirmed to The Sacramento Bee in an emailed response Thursday. Kazanis said the cases “are presumed to be the omicron variant.” (McGough, 12/16)

The Washington Post: CDC Recommends Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines Over Johnson & Johnson, Citing Rare Blood-Clot Issue 
The nation’s top public health official recommended Thursday that people seeking the safest and most effective coronavirus vaccines and boosters go with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots, instead of those made by Johnson & Johnson. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, endorsed the policy several hours after the unanimous vote from the agency’s vaccine advisory panel, which cited concerns over the increased risk of a potentially fatal blood clot issue associated with the Johnson & Johnson shots. (Sun and Sellers, 12/16)

Reuters: Small S.Africa Patient Study Shows Omicron Breaking Through Booster Shots 
A small study of seven COVID-19 cases in South Africa shows the Omicron variant can break through booster vaccine shots, one of the scientists involved said on Thursday. A group of seven German visitors to Cape Town, aged between 25 and 39, were infected at some point in late November or early December with confirmed cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. ... None had reported past infection with COVID-19. The infections occurred between one and two months after receipt of the booster shot. (Cocks, 12/16)

Reuters: Eight Heart Inflammation Cases Among Young Kids Who Got COVID-19 Shot - U.S. CDC
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday it had received reports of eight cases of myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation, in children aged 5-11 years who received Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC had previously said that reporting rates of myocarditis for boys aged 16 to 17 could be more than 69 cases per million second doses administered and around 40 cases per million second doses in boys aged 12-15 years old. (12/16)

The Hill: Pfizer And BioNTech Seek Full Vaccine Approval For Those Ages 12-15 
Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Thursday evening that they had submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking full approval for the administration of their two-dose COVID-19 vaccine in children aged between 12 and 15.The companies said in a release that their application included follow-up data from their Phase 3 clinical trial, which showed that two doses of the vaccine were 100 percent effective against COVID-19 among 12 to 15-year-olds. (Choi, 12/16)

CNN: Flu Vaccines Don't Match The Main Circulating Flu Virus Strain, Researchers Find
One of the main circulating influenza viruses has changed and the current flu vaccines don't match it well any more -- an indication they may not do much to prevent infection, researchers reported Thursday. But they are still likely to prevent severe illness. "From our lab-based studies it looks like a major mismatch," Scott Hensley, a professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania who led the study, told CNN. It's bad news for the vaccine, he said. Influenza vaccines protect against four different strains of the flu: H3N2, H1N1 and two strains of influenza B. Hensley's study only covers H3N2, but that happens to be the main circulating strain. (Fox, 12/16)

KQED: FDA Relaxes Restrictions On Access To Abortion Pill By Mail 
The Food and Drug Administration has announced it will relax controversial restrictions on a heavily regulated medication used to induce abortions — easing access to the drug at a time when abortion rights are being increasingly restricted nationwide. The drug, mifepristone, is approved for use in combination with another medication, misoprostol, to terminate pregnancies up to 10 weeks and is sometimes used to treat patients experiencing miscarriages. (McCammon and Franklin, 12/16)

Roll Call: FDA Loosens Restrictions On Medication Abortion Drug 
Under current regulations, a provider who wishes to prescribe medication abortions must be registered with the drug manufacturer to stock and dispense mifepristone, also known as RU-486. Some providers have criticized these additional steps as limiting access because it can be complicated and because many medical facilities may oppose stocking the drug. ... Medication abortion refers to a nonsurgical procedure that induces an abortion. It involves taking two pills — mifepristone and, 24 to 48 hours later, misoprostol — to cause an abortion or for miscarriage management. (Raman, 12/16)

Stat: FDA Lifts Key Restriction On Abortion Pill, Allowing It To Be Obtained By Mail 
The decision means that medication abortion may become more widely available to women who find it difficult to travel to abortion providers. Going forward, any doctor who is certified to prescribe the pill, which is known as mifepristone, can do so online and have it sent by mail, which will allow pregnancies to be terminated at home, even if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade. “This is a very significant development,” said Daniel Grossman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, who has studied mifepristone dispensing. (Silverman, 12/16)

Los Angeles Times: California Lawmakers Prepare To Protect Abortion Access
Ignited by threats to abortion rights across the country, California lawmakers are preparing countermeasures to expand access for those who live both in and out of the state, focusing first on resurrecting a bill that would eliminate costly copays for services. The added urgency for abortion access legislation comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers overturning Roe vs. Wade, the landmark decision that barred states from banning abortions nearly 50 years ago. Last week, the Supreme Court declined to block a Texas law that banned terminating pregnancies after six weeks. (Gutierrez, 12/17)

Los Angeles Times: Democrats’ Social Spending Bill Falters Ahead Of Holiday Deadline
The approximately $1.75-trillion bill would fortify the nation’s social safety net by expanding tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, expanding Medicare to include hearing aids, and setting up a universal prekindergarten and child-care program, among other plans. It would also fund about $500 billion in programs addressing climate change. (Haberkorn and Stokols, 12/16)

Politico: Biden Concedes Build Back Better Bill Won’t Get Passed This Year
President Joe Biden acknowledged Thursday that negotiations over his Build Back Better bill are poised to drag on into 2022 despite efforts and pledges by Democrats to get it done before Christmas. “It takes time to finalize these agreements, prepare the legislative changes, and finish all the parliamentary and procedural steps needed to enable a Senate vote,” the president said in a statement. He said that he spoke to Democratic leaders in Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, earlier Thursday and they plan to “advance this work together over the days and weeks ahead; Leader Schumer and I are determined to see the bill successfully on the floor as early as possible.” (Thompson, 12/16)

AP: Judge Rejects Purdue Pharma’s Sweeping Opioid Settlement
In a statement Thursday night, the company said that it would appeal the ruling and at the same time try to forge another plan that its creditors will agree to. Purdue said the ruling will not hurt the company’s operations, but it will make it harder for company and Sackler money to be used to fight the opioid crisis as the legal fight continues. “It will delay, and perhaps end, the ability of creditors, communities, and individuals to receive billions in value to abate the opioid crisis,” said Steve Miller, chairman of the Purdue board of directors. (Mulvihill, 12/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Fentanyl Invades More Illicit Pills, With Deadly Consequences 
Zachary Didier took what looked like a prescription pain pill just after Christmas last year, according to his parents. It contained an illicit form of the powerful opioid fentanyl, which they say killed the 17-year-old Californian. His death was one of a record 100,000 fatal overdoses in a year-long period through April that have demonstrated how the nation’s illegal drug supply is becoming more toxic and dangerous. A bootleg version of fentanyl being made mainly by Mexican drug cartels is spreading to more corners of the U.S., increasingly inside fake pills taken by people who in some cases believe they are consuming less-potent drugs. (Kamp and Wernau, 12/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Oracle In Talks To Buy Cerner 
Oracle Corp. is in talks to buy electronic-medical-records company Cerner Corp., according to people familiar with the matter, a deal that could be worth around $30 billion and push the enterprise-software giant further into healthcare. An agreement could be finalized soon, some of the people said, assuming the talks don’t fall apart or drag out. ... Oracle, a Silicon Valley veteran that last year moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, is one of the biggest software providers to other companies and organizations. (Lombardo and Cimilluca, 12/16)

AP: Ex-California Doctor Convicted In Weight-Loss Insurance Scam 
A former Southern California doctor was convicted Thursday of falsely billing military and private insurers $355 million for weight-loss surgeries. Julian Omidi, 53, of West Hollywood and his Beverly Hills-based company, Surgery Center Management LLC, were convicted by a federal jury of three dozen counts of wire and mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and making false statements related to health care matters, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office. A second physician, Dr. Mirali Zarrabi, 59, of Beverly Hills, was acquitted of all charges, prosecutors said. (12/17)

Bay Area News Group: Wish Book: A Pandemic Respite For Weary Caregivers
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Live Oak Adult Day Services provided an oasis for seniors with dementia and their exhausted caregivers. For a few hours a week, seniors went to one of four facilities in Santa Clara County for games, meals, music, art therapy, gentle exercise and conversation. The thriving nonprofit served about 125 clients, including a former nuclear physicist, dentist, church organist, an Air Force pilot and many veterans and immigrants who fled Europe after World War II. But the pandemic shuttered Live Oak through the darkest days of the crisis. Caregivers and their loved ones had few places to turn. (Hansen, 12/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: How The Pandemic Popularized Botox
Hours spent on conference calls mean a boom in business for plastic surgeons. A little injection of neurotoxins to fix your forehead wrinkles, and your pixelated square will look smoother than ever before. The people who got Botox to brighten their Zoom faces don’t want you to knock it until you’ve tried it. In an era where work has largely moved online, many people are more self-conscious than ever before, the result of staring at your screen for hours on end. (Wu, 12/17)

Bay Area News Group: Elizabeth Holmes Trial: In Closing, Lawyer Says Theranos Founder Acted 'In Good Faith'
The criminal fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes hurtled toward its end Thursday as the largest crowd yet of media and spectators watched attorneys from both sides try to persuade jurors to see the case their way. Over 14 weeks — and through 32 witnesses — the proceedings have provided a long-awaited window into the spectacular undoing of a Silicon Valley startup that racked up hundreds of millions of dollars in investments, drew dignitaries such as former U.S. secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and the late George Shultz to its board, and made its charismatic young founder an icon until the enterprise imploded. (Baron, 12/16)

The Wall Street Journal: The Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Prosecution Gets Final Chance To Sway Jurors 
Prosecutors in Elizabeth Holmes’s criminal-fraud trial made their case one more time in closing arguments Thursday as jurors move closer to deciding the fate of the Theranos Inc. founder. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Schenk gave jurors a summation of the government’s case against Ms. Holmes, arguing she knowingly and willfully lied about Theranos’s technology to salvage her startup as it quickly ran low on money. (Somerville, 12/16)

AP: Elizabeth Holmes Jurors Hear Different Takes On Her Downfall
Jurors in the case of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes on Thursday heard starkly different interpretations of her motives and actions as her long-running criminal trial nears the finish line. A federal prosecutor cast Holmes as a desperate con artist who brazenly lied to get rich, while her lawyer depicted her as a well-meaning entrepreneur who never stopped trying to perfect Theranos’ blood-testing technology and deliver on her pledge to improve health care. (Liedtke, 12/17)

The Washington Post: The Fortune Cover Made Elizabeth Holmes A Star And Might Send Her To Prison. 
The story was 5,500 words of pure rapture about a Silicon Valley company few had ever heard of and its intriguing chief executive. Theranos, declared Fortune magazine in 2014, appeared to be on the verge of revolutionizing the health care industry with a wondrous new technology for diagnosing diseases with just a few drops of blood. The magazine’s cover put a human face on the company’s alleged breakthroughs. Theranos’s founder, a young woman named Elizabeth Holmes, stared at readers with serene blue eyes and a Mona Lisa smile. “This CEO Is Out for Blood,” the headline read. (Farhi, 12/16)

Orange County Register: Dept. Of Justice: Orange County Is Now Nation’s Center For Addiction Fraud 
The Dept. of Justice is filing criminal charges against ten people who run drug and alcohol addiction businesses in Orange County, saying the county has overtaken South Florida as the national epicenter for addiction industry fraud. “The problem was heavily concentrated, historically, in Miami and South Florida. But with active prosecutions (in Florida) the problems have migrated to Orange County,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Barron, chief of the Santa Ana Branch Office, said Thursday, Dec. 16. (Sforza, 12/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Still Housed And Cancer-Free, A Napa Resident Looks Forward
Jack Hendrix was just finishing up treatment for esophageal cancer when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. With cheerful optimism, he regards that as perfect timing. “I’m a firm believer in the idea that things happen for a reason,” he says. “I’m glad I had finished my chemo treatment in time, because I wouldn’t have wanted to be floating in and out of the hospital and doctors’ offices at that point.” (Kosman, 12/17)

CapRadio: Sacramento’s Mayor Wanted To Stop Towing Homeless People’s Shelter Vehicles. City Council Rejected That Plan
Sacramento City Council has voted against Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s plan to ban towing cars, RVs and vehicles used by unhoused residents as shelter. Tuesday’s meeting, which lasted several hours, saw contentious debate between advocates for unhoused residents and business owners. Council was also divided, which reflected ongoing conversations about how to best address homelessness and build shelters for unhoused residents. (Salanga, 12/16)

Los Angeles Times: Why The California-Wide Mask Mandate Makes Sense Right Now 
Here we are, feeling as though we’re back to the beginning: The state has now ordered masks be worn in public indoor settings, whether the wearers are vaccinated or not. And to Californians’ credit, so far there have been no big statewide protests, just a bunch of yahoos disrupting business in some stores in Ukiah by refusing to wear masks. There’s also been a lot of muttering on social media. That’s fine. Just mutter behind your mask at the store. And for those holdouts still of the “If you want to wear a mask, fine, but I don’t want to” belief, remember that the primary function of masks is to keep your germs from infecting others, not to protect yourself. No one has a constitutional right to endanger public health. (12/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: Americans Don’t Trust The CDC. Here’s How To Change That With Omicron
On Monday, California announced that it would reimpose its universal indoor mask mandate. The next day, the state granted last-minute exemptions to some counties, including San Francisco, Contra Costa and Marin, allowing their offices and gyms where everyone is fully vaccinated, a reprieve. That policies around COVID change, and can even be reversed, is a reality. But states, including California, and the country at a national level, are not communicating that idea effectively, leading to distrust of public health recommendations and less effective policy implementation. (Junaid, 12/16)

Los Angeles Times: Los Angeles Led The Nation On Measles Vaccination Mandates. Can It Do That For COVID? 
On March 31, 1977, as a measles epidemic swept through Los Angeles, the L.A. County Public Health Department issued an ultimatum to the parents of the county’s 1.6 million schoolchildren: Get your kids vaccinated within a month or keep them home. The “no shots, no school” warning was a novel threat at the time. Since the 1920s, when deadly smallpox was still around, no major city in the United States had locked the unvaccinated out of school. (Arthur Allen, 12/11)

San Diego Union-Tribune: With COVID-19 Variants, Greater Vaccine Distribution Works Better Than Travel Bans
On the surface, restricting travel from a specific region where a variant to a life-threatening virus has been detected seems to make sense. It sounds like a swift, precautionary move, made in an effort to slow the spread of that variant. That’s not really the case, according to researchers and other infectious disease and health policy experts, particularly when considering the travel bans placed on southern African countries after the recent detection and reporting of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. These bans have even been called “unfair and punitive” and a kind of “travel apartheid” by the secretary-general of the United Nations. (Lisa Deaderick, 12/12)

Los Angeles Times: Pandemic Fatigue Has Americans Glossing Over Omicron. But We Can't Give Up
The holidays should be a time for getting together with friends and family, but instead we have a double dose of coronavirus strains — Delta and Omicron. Whether we are exhausted from the pandemic or not, we still need to prevent the spread of infections. Fortunately, we know what works. For indoor gatherings, each person should be fully vaccinated with a booster shot, or, for someone with a confirmed prior COVID infection, at least one vaccine dose. They all should have frequent rapid antigen tests for the days prior to and time of gathering. These tests screen for whether a person is infectious, which is far more important than whether they have been infected but not capable of transmitting the virus. Ideally, all gatherings would be outdoors, but if that’s not possible, maximizing ventilation with windows open or HEPA air filtration with CO2 monitoring provides good air quality. (Eric Topol, 12/16)

The Mercury News: What The Supreme Court Would Gain If It Reverses Roe V. Wade
The high court’s legitimacy is also a main subject of debate in the highest-profile case before it this term: the case about Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks. In 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Supreme Court based much of its argument for reaffirming Roe v. Wade on the theory that reversing itself “under fire” would compromise the public’s perception of its legitimacy and thereby endanger the rule of law. Justice Stephen Breyer echoed this point during the oral arguments over the Mississippi ban. The main counter-arguments are that the justices should reach a legal judgment without trying to head off or even predict a public response, and that Roe itself has undermined the court’s legitimacy by dragging it into a partisan mire. As a longtime critic of Roe, these are the arguments I find persuasive. In the long run, both the court and U.S. politics will be better off if the grave error of 1973 is erased. (Romesh Ponnuru, 12/15)

Los Angeles Times: Newsom's Tit-For-Tat With Texas On Abortion, Guns A Smart Move 
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Texas copycat ploy is less about enacting a vigilante law than playing a poker chip. Either way, it’s a smart move. Yes, the Texas vigilantism is odorous. But Newsom is justified in countering the Lone Star State’s cynical attack on abortion rights while strengthening California’s enforcement of gun laws. (George Skelton, 12/16)

The Mercury News:  Gov. Newsom, Abortion And Guns: Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right
Two wrongs don’t make a right, governor. Three months ago, Gavin Newsom understandably railed against a new Texas law that undermines abortion rights and allows any private citizen to enforce it in court. Yet, on Saturday, Newsom said he would work to create a modified assault weapons law premised on the same despicable legal tactic. It would allow California residents to seek damages of up to $10,000 plus attorney’s fees against anyone who manufactures, distributes or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kit in the state. (12/14)

Sacramento Bee: California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Empty Threat To Gun Rights 
One could look at the Supreme Court’s absurd ratification of Texas’ convoluted abortion ban and foresee the dissolution of our constitutional order. No less an authority than the court’s conservative chief justice, John Roberts — quoting from a decision by his most influential predecessor, John Marshall — warned that endorsing the state’s end run around the court’s holding in Roe v. Wade could reduce the Constitution to a “solemn mockery.” But California Gov. Gavin Newsom considered the court’s chaotic jurisprudence and saw something else: a situation that, to quote no less an authority than Eric “Otter” Stratton of “Animal House,” “absolutely requires a really stupid and futile gesture be done on someone’s part.” And Newsom was just the guy to do it. (Josh Gohlke, 12/17)

Modesto Bee: Improving Dental Care Access In Stanislaus, Merced Counties 
Oral health is one of the greatest unmet healthcare needs of all Americans and rural Americans. California’s Central Valley exemplifies this crisis, including Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Often, children and the elderly suffer from a lack of affordable and easily accessible dental care services. Congress has failed to expand Medicare healthcare coverage to include dental care despite tooth decay being the single most prevalent chronic disease for retirees and the known associations between inflammation from periodontal disease and many chronic systemic diseases. As a result, millions of seniors lack dental insurance and remain at risk for declining oral and systemic health. (Jeffrey Lewis, Elisa Chávez and Geraldine Gerges Gaid, 12/17)

Los Angeles Times: The Met's Decision To Drop The Sackler Name Is A Reminder Donors Aren't Separate From Their Deeds 
It was a supreme moment of addition by subtraction. On Dec. 9, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced an agreement with representatives of the Sackler family to remove the Sackler name from “seven named exhibition spaces in the Museum, including the wing that houses the iconic Temple of Dendur. ”The Sacklers have been one of the best known philanthropic dynasties of the last half-century. Over the last several years, they have also become better known as the owners of a company, Purdue Pharma, that manufactured and vigorously promoted Oxycontin, a painkiller that helped to spark the opioid crisis. (Benjamin Soskis, 12/17)