Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Health Care Unions Defending Newsom From Recall Will Want Single-Payer Payback
If Gov. Gavin Newsom survives Tuesday’s recall election, the health care unions that have campaigned on his behalf intend to pressure him to follow through on his promise to establish a government-run health system in California. (Angela Hart, )
On Eve Of Recall Election, Patience Wearing Thin: As Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and lead Republican candidate Larry Elder made their final pleas to voters across the state, polls strongly suggested that Newsom would prevail in Tuesday's election. Still, a central question lingered: How much more of this can we take? Read more from the Los Angeles Times and The Sacramento Bee. Comprehensive coverage continues, below.
Senators Approve Covid Secrecy Bill: The California State Senate approved a bill late Friday evening that upholds the state’s ability to keep the details of workplace covid outbreaks secret, a win for business groups. The bill, which passed 37-0, contained an urgency clause and would take effect immediately if signed into law by the governor. Read more from the Bay Area News Group.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
AP:
Allegations Fly As Recall Vote Looms For California’s Newsom
In a blitz of TV ads and a last-minute rally, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom urged voters Sunday to turn back a looming recall vote that could remove him from office, while leading Republican Larry Elder broadly criticized the media for what he described as double standards that insulated Newsom from criticism and scrutiny throughout the contest. The sunny, late-summer weekend was a swirl of political activity, as candidates held rallies, continued bus tours and cluttered the TV airwaves with advertising offering their closing arguments in advance of the election that concludes Tuesday. (Blood and Garcia, 9/13)
Sacramento Bee:
Will Biden’s California Trip Win Newsom The Recall Election?
President Joe Biden’s last-minute rally with Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday in Long Beach may not influence the outcome of the California recall election, but offering the Democrat a short-term electoral boost is only part of the president’s calculation. The campaign stop nonetheless has earned fierce criticism from Republicans, who said the president should instead spend his time helping evacuate remaining Americans from Afghanistan. And it comes at a time when Biden’s own approval ratings have dropped, in part due to the withdrawal and a still-pervasive coronavirus pandemic. (Roarty and Chambers, 9/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
California Recall Puts Governor’s Pandemic Leadership To The Test
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday will be the first governor in a recall election to face voters divided over Covid-19 restrictions and collectively angry about a pandemic that continues to upend lives nationwide. State leaders around the U.S. have exercised broad authority to try to safeguard the health and well-being of both their residents and economies over the past 18 months, including decisions that have drawn fire from all sides. (Mai-Duc, 9/12)
The Hill:
On The Trail: California Recall Tests Vaccine Politics
The polls do not look good for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s foes, led by Larry Elder, the conservative Republican radio host who has emerged as the most prominent challenger likely to lead the field of replacements on Tuesday’s ballot. Over the summer, surveys showed Newsom barely surviving the recall attempt. But now, about 60 percent of California voters say they plan to keep him in office. Newsom earned the ire of more than 2 million voters who signed a recall petition in the year after he issued initial lockdown orders. But the governor has taken an improbable path to his current and far more favorable situation: He has doubled down on his calls for vaccine mandates, mask mandates and for the strictest adherence to public health measures that he says are necessary to protect Californians. (Wilson, 9/12)
CapRadio:
Latinos In Woodland Were Hit Hard During The Pandemic. Here’s What They’re Thinking About The Recall
For Alan Contreras, the past year in the COVID-19 pandemic has had its ups and downs. He says he was lucky enough to be able to continue working, but he and his entire family contracted the virus last year. “We all had COVID, we all recovered, but I know it’s real. I saw it with my own eyes, and it affects everyone differently,” Contreras said. But despite the hardships, he still supports Gov. Gavin Newsom and the policies he put in place. (Mizes-Tan, 9/12)
Los Angeles Times:
Most Asian Americans Are Against The Recall, But Some Haven't Forgiven Newsom For His Nail Salon Remark
Phuoc Dam has not forgiven Gov. Gavin Newsom for alleging that the first coronavirus case in California stemmed from a nail salon. Dam, who owns Queen Nails in Brea, is still reeling from months without income after Newsom closed many businesses to stop the virus from spreading. He marked his ballot “yes” on recalling Newsom, putting it in the mail weeks ago. “It’s simple. He cost us our livelihood,” said Dam, 67, a Republican who moved to the U.S. from Vietnam. “We had to shut down for months and months for no clear reason.” (Do, 9/12)
Bay Area News Group:
California Recall Election: Does Newsom Have Anything To Worry About?
What was just a month ago considered a toss-up is now a comfortable double-digit lead for Newsom, according to a running average of polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight. But while the GOP’s chances for success in Tuesday’s election appear to be vanishing, there are still some warning signs that Newsom and his supporters shouldn’t ignore, experts say. So at this 11th hour after weeks of mail-in voting: Is there anything for Newsom to worry about? (DeRuy, 9/12)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom Isn't Dwelling On Mistakes Ahead Of Recall Judgment Day
After a tumultuous year and a half, in which a never-ending pandemic consumed his governorship and landed him in only the second gubernatorial recall election in California history, Gavin Newsom owns up to his mistakes. Well, one of them. His attendance last November at a birthday dinner for a longtime friend and political adviser at the French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley, in violation of his own restrictions at the time on mixing between households, has dogged him ever since. (Koseff, 9/11)
Los Angeles Times:
Californians Want To Change Recall Elections
Though the recall election facing Gov. Gavin Newsom comes to an end Tuesday, its effect on California politics could linger. And for perfectly good reasons. Launched by conservative critics and fueled by anger and fear over the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, the campaign has shined a light on the rules governing recall efforts, with academics and activists alike saying improvements are long overdue. (Myers, 9/13)
Los Angeles Times:
Newsom California Recall Election: What You Need To Know
Voters will decide in California’s Sept. 14 recall election whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will stay in office or be removed. There are just two questions on the ballot: Should Newsom be recalled from office? And, if he is recalled, who among the 46 candidates on the ballot should take his place? As the governor and those who hope to replace him make their cases, here’s what you need to know. (8/26)
Los Angeles Times:
California Recall Ballot Tracking: How To Check Your Status
The gubernatorial recall election is fast approaching, yet most of California’s 22 million registered voters have yet to fill out and return the ballot they received in the mail last month. As of Wednesday, 70% of the ballots were still out in the wild. If you have mailed in or dropped off your ballot but are worried that it has somehow gotten off-track, there’s an easy way to check its status. The state offers a free tool that can tell you instantly whether your ballot has been received. (Healey, 9/11)
Los Angeles Times:
Endorsement: The Many Reasons To Vote No On Recalling Gov. Gavin Newsom
If you are a registered voter in California, you should have received a ballot in the mail for Tuesday’s recall election. You may have filled it out and mailed it back as millions of Californians have already done or cast a ballot in person at one of the early voting centers. Good for you. You can stop reading now. This editorial is for those who haven’t voted yet, especially those who aren’t sure if they will. (9/12)
Los Angeles Times:
Inland Empire Parents Of 5 Die Of COVID-19 Weeks Apart
The family photo of Mom, Dad and four smiling kids, relaxing on the beach in Big Sur in July, gave no hint of the heartbreak that lay ahead. Davy Macias, a 37-year-old registered nurse from Yucaipa, would succumb to COVID-19 on Aug. 26, eight days after delivering a baby girl she never got to hold because she was on a ventilator. (Christensen, 9/12)
The Bakersfield Californian:
CHP Bakersfield Officer Dies Friday From COVID-19 Complications
California Highway Patrol said CHP Bakersfield Officer Scott Merritt died Friday from complications related to the coronavirus. Merritt, 42, is survived by his wife Shannon and two children: Madison and Nolan. He also leaves behind his brother Cody, plus parents Randall and Pattie Merritt. Merritt served Kern County for 11 years. He transferred to Bakersfield from the CHP's Santa Cruz area office. (9/10)
CapRadio:
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg Tests Positive For COVID-19
On Saturday afternoon, Mayor Darrell Steinberg announced on Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. He said he received a positive test on Friday. The mayor, who turns 62 in October, is fully vaccinated. “I am experiencing a fever and cold-like symptoms. I will be fine as I quarantine at home and refrain from public events until doctors tell me it’s safe for me to go out,” Steinberg said on Twitter. "Please everybody get vaccinated. The Delta variant is highly contagious, and if you’re not vaccinated there’s a much higher chance of serious illness or death. Please take good care, Sacramento.” (9/12)
City News Service:
LA County Coronavirus Hospitalizations Drop By Another Few Ticks
The number of coronavirus patients in Los Angeles County hospitals fell slightly Sunday, Sept. 12, declining from 1,226 to 1,218 for its 13th consecutive decrease. The number of those patients in intensive care dropped from 368 to 360, according to state figures. The county is not reporting daily COVID-19 case and death numbers Saturday or Sunday, with officials saying the health department will be working on upgrades to its data processing systems. The data will still be collected, however, and will be reported early this week. (9/12)
The Bakersfield Californian:
High Demand For COVID Tests Coupled With Short Supply Creates Challenges Across Kern County
When Azucena Rosas started feeling labor pains last week, she knew it wouldn't be long until she would be in the delivery room. The Delano resident wanted her fiance by her side when she gave birth, but there was one thing standing in their way: a negative COVID-19 test. Because her fiance is unvaccinated, he had to show a negative test. They figured — wrongly, it turned out — finding a place to get tested would be easy. (Gallegos, 9/11)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Some Bay Area Hospitals Return COVID Tests Results Within An Hour. Here's Why It's Not More Common
Polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests are considered the highest quality coronavirus test. These molecular tests amplify genetic material many times over in order to detect the virus’s presence. This is more accurate than the rapid antigen tests like BinaxNow or Ellume that can be done at home, like a pregnancy test, and detect viral proteins. But normally PCR lab tests take at least a day to return results — a critical window in which an infected person may not take sufficient precautions to protect others, or a COVID-negative person may lose in unnecessary quarantine. (Ho, 9/11)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County Contact Tracers Struggle Amid COVID-19 Surge
Los Angeles County has continued to struggle to reach people infected with the coronavirus as the pandemic drags on, with contract tracers interviewing only around 40% of the people they were tasked with reaching during the last week of August. That number has slumped since last summer, when contact tracers were interviewing as many as 70% of the infected residents whose cases they were assigned per week. (Alpert Reyes, 9/12)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Briefing: More Bay Area Restaurants Closing For Mental Health Breaks
A wave of Bay Area restaurants and pop-ups have closed temporarily in an effort to provide time off for overworked employees. On top of feeling drained by the stresses of the pandemic and concern about the highly infectious delta variant, restaurants are dealing with a shortage of workers that results in limited time off. (Hwang, 9/13)
KQED:
Empty Savings, Damaged Health: For Pandemic Unemployed, Recovery Can Be A Long Road
Rey Garnica is one of as many as 2 million Californians whose federal unemployment benefits expired over Labor Day weekend. People who still haven’t found work are now trying to move forward with less support, but research from previous recessions suggests many may never fully recover. (Harvin, 9/11)
Redlands Daily Facts:
California Apple Farm That Flouts Coronavirus Rules Received $1.2 Million From Feds
“The harvest is better without commie distancing” reads a full-page newspaper ad for an Oak Glen apple farm which has received $1.2 million in federal loans meant to help businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic. The advertisement, which ran in the Aug. 27 edition of a local weekly paper, was placed by Riley’s Farm in Oak Glen, known for defying state and local COVID-19 rules. (Iyer, 9/12)
CBS News:
COVID-19 Vaccines Could Be Approved For Kids 5-11 By End Of October, Gottlieb Says
Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb predicted Sunday that the agency he helmed will authorize Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in children ages 5 to 11 by the end of October. In an interview with "Face the Nation," Gottlieb, who serves on Pfizer's board of directors, said the drug company is expecting to have data on its vaccines in young children before the end of September, which will then be filed with the FDA "very quickly." The agency then has said it will be weeks, rather than months, before determining whether it will authorize the vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11. (Quinn, 9/12)
Los Angeles Times:
Should FDA Move Faster On COVID Vaccines For Young Children?
Whether you’re the parent of a young child, a school employee or just someone who pulls your mask up a little tighter at the sight of an approaching gaggle of kids, you’re probably asking yourself this question with a growing sense of urgency: How soon can the youngest Americans safely get their jab? (Healy, 9/11)
Bay Area News Group:
How The Bay Area Is Prepping For The Big COVID-19 Booster Rollout
Bay Area hospitals, elder care facilities and pharmacies are preparing to offer COVID-19 booster shots later this month, once federal authorities give full approval. The exact date of the long-anticipated rollout remains uncertain — the Biden Administration had originally set the week of Sept. 20 for the launch — but high-risk Americans are likely to be offered the Pfizer shot within the next two weeks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will vote on the shots next Friday. The Centers for Disease Control has not yet set a date. (Krieger, 9/13)
Los Angeles Times:
LAPD Employees Sue City Over Vaccination Mandate
A group of Los Angeles Police Department employees has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the city’s mandate that all L.A. employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. The lawsuit, filed Saturday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, claims the mandate violates the employees’ constitutional rights to privacy and due process, and asks the court to provide immediate and permanent relief from the requirement. (Rector, 9/12)
City News Service:
6 LAPD Officers Sue In Hopes Of Blocking COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Six Los Angeles Police Department officers are demanding in a new lawsuit that a federal judge immediately overturn the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for city employees, claiming there’s no evidence that natural-acquired immunity isn’t as effective as the jab. “The city does not and cannot point to any evidence that vaccinated individuals have longer lasting or more complete immunity than those who have recovered from COVID,” according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court against the city of Los Angeles, its police chief, mayor and administrative officer. (9/12)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Thousands Of San Diego County Health Care Workers Are Seeking Vaccine Exemptions
President Biden’s new coronavirus vaccination mandate requires all federal workers and contractors, including all health care workers in the nation, to receive their shots or lose their jobs. But California’s evolving experience with its own vaccine mandate shows that there is another path to remain unvaccinated. (Sisson, 9/12)
City News Service:
West Hollywood Bans Unvaccinated People From Most Indoor Facilities
West Hollywood has enacted a sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandate requiring people to show proof of vaccination to enter indoor facilities in the city. The executive order, which was issued Friday by City Manager and Director of Emergency Services David Wilson, also requires city officials and contractors to be vaccinated. Unvaccinated people will still be able to occupy outdoor spaces in the city, but are forbidden from entering a “covered space.” The rule applies to both public buildings and private businesses. (9/11)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Why S.F. Bay Area School Districts Aren't Following L.A.'s Lead On Vaccinations, Testing
Inside reopened classrooms in California, most students are back in seats, once again studying the life cycles of frogs, the sonnets of Shakespeare or what x equals in an algebraic equation. Behind the scenes, adults are still debating how to keep schools safe amid a pandemic. Each district has adopted its own policy on masking, vaccination, testing, ventilation or more, making for a dizzying array of rules — many of which have led to community outcry. (Tucker, 9/11)
Los Angeles Times:
Will Others Adopt L.A. School COVID Student Vaccine Mandate?
The assertive move last week by the Los Angeles Unified School District to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for students — the first large school system in the nation to do so — has thrust the issue before education policymakers, especially those who support vaccines as essential to curb the pandemic. If L.A. did it, should they? (Blume and Gomez, 9/13)
EdSource:
Thousands Of UC Students Struggle To Find Housing
Nazrawi Allen is about to begin his fourth year at the University of California, Santa Barbara, but he — like thousands of other students in the UC system — doesn’t yet have a place to live. He is among hundreds of UC Santa Barbara students on the campus dorm waiting list, and as for living off campus, “that option is pretty much out the window,” says Allen. He’s looked for a place in Isla Vista, the neighborhood where the campus is located, but available off-campus housing is virtually nonexistent. The few apartments that are accepting applicants are far out of Allen’s price range. He says he may be forced to live in his car while he attends college. (Burke, 9/13)
Marin Independent Journal:
COVID In Schools: California To Clarify Independent Study Law
Students who are sidelined by the delta variant of COVID-19 might be able to take classes via independent study during quarantine, state officials confirmed. In addition, school districts will not lose state funding over student absences in quarantine, as they would under normal circumstances, the state said Friday. (Brenner, 9/13)
San Francisco Chronicle:
In Wake Of Texas Abortion Law, Benioff Tells Salesforce Employees: 'We'll Help You Exit TX'
Salesforce, the San Francisco cloud-based software giant, has offered to help employees get out of Texas in the wake of state’s recently adopted anti-abortion legislation. Senate Bill 8 prohibits abortions after a woman is six weeks pregnant, before many women know, and allows citizens to sue clinics that perform abortions —and anyone who “aids and abets” — and collect $10,000. The government itself will not enforce the law. (Cabanatuan, 9/11)
San Francisco Chronicle:
What Will Flu Be Like In The Bay Area This Fall? Here's What Experts Say
The severe flu season that experts feared last year during the height of the pandemic fizzled in the face of worldwide lockdowns and masking. But influenza — harsh and sometimes deadly — could loom again this fall now that California schools, restaurants, bars and even conventions are in business again. “Most people are predicting it will be back with a vengeance this year,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF in San Francisco. (Asimov, 9/13)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Families Receive Benefits For Food, Groceries
Families who receive mail from a South Dakota, P.O. box addressed to a student in the home should treat the envelope as though it contains hundreds of dollars. Extra food benefits are being sent to many Modesto-area families starting this month, including all families with children in Modesto City Schools. There was no application for the program, called Pandemic EBT 2.0. All students enrolled in some districts are eligible and will automatically receive a card in the mail regardless of individual family income, said Jason Montiel, a spokesperson for the state social services department. (Isaacman, 9/13)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Post-9/11 Vets Go To Mexico To Treat Trauma With Psychedelic
After Marcus Capone completed seven tours of duty, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, he seemed like “a ticking time bomb,” his wife Amber says. Capone suffered traumatic brain injuries as a specialist in setting explosive charges for U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6. After retiring in 2013, he suffered from depression, anger, debilitating headaches and violent dreams. Brain doctors and psychologists treated him with pills, which he mixed with alcohol. Neither worked. (Fry, 9/11)
Fresno Bee:
Bill Would Ensure Farmworkers Get N95 Masks During Wildfires
Lorena Moreno spent nearly a decade harvesting crops next to her husband in the Central Valley’s fields, bathed in sweat from working in the sweltering heat. In recent years, her husband, who is still laboring in the fields, has also been coming home with symptoms from an increasingly more present hazard — wildfire smoke. He arrives at their Fresno home wheezing and with his head throbbing, Moreno says. He’s often unable to open his itchy, irritated eyes and is congested from inhaling air polluted with poisonous microscopic particles caused by wildfires. It’s a troubling set of symptoms that are growing more common among a workforce that already faces many hazards on the job. (Lopez, 9/13)
Bay Area News Group:
Dixie, Caldor Fires Are Both 65% Contained, But Weather Could Spell Trouble For Crews
The massive Dixie and Caldor fires burning in the Sierra are now about 65% contained, but crews says the threat of spread is increasing as the moisture from recent rainfall dries up, making forest fuels more flammable, and high winds are forecast for the coming days. Firefighters continued to make progress on the Caldor Fire, reaching 65% containment as of this morning, and holding the lines south of the Tahoe Basin and east of the Kirkwood Mountain Resort. (Toledo, 9/12)
KQED:
What The Air Quality Index Actually Means
Over the past five years, as California wildfires increased in both intensity and scope, fall in the Bay Area has meant skies intermittently shrouded in smoke. The number and color flashing to life on my phone, also known as the Air Quality Index, dictates to some extent how I’ll go through the day. It determines if my kid’s school will be open, how long I can take the dog out, and whether I’ll keep my windows sealed. So … what actually is the air quality index? (Klivans, 9/13)
Los Angeles Times:
What Is The Future Of Street Medicine After COVID-19?
For the L.A. County Department of Health Services, COVID-19 marked the beginning of its own street medicine teams venturing into encampments. Their hope is that it won’t be the end. As of late August, health officials said roughly 25,000 homeless people across the county — about 38% — were fully vaccinated, a rate lagging behind the county average. But the virus is just one in a battery of health threats to homeless people, who are nearly three times more likely to die than people of the same age and gender in the general population, according to an L.A. County Department of Public Health analysis. (Alpert Reyes, 9/13)
Sacramento Bee:
How To Help A Homeless Individual In A Mental Health Crisis
As many as 30% of people experiencing homelessness nationwide have serious mental illnesses, the Treatment Advocacy Center estimated in 2016, according to a UCLA Law Review study. That means that on any given day, there are likely more than 1,600 homeless people struggling with a serious mental illness in Sacramento. There are several resources in Sacramento for people to call if they encounter a person having a mental health crisis but don’t want to call the police. (Clift, 9/13)