Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
As Patients Fell Ill With Covid Inside Hospitals, Government Oversight Fell Short
A KHN investigation finds that hospitals with high rates of covid patients who didn’t have the diagnosis when they were admitted have rarely been held accountable due to multiple gaps in government oversight. (Lauren Weber and Christina Jewett, )
Sudden Spike In Covid Cases Causes Alarm: California’s winter covid-19 surge intensified Wednesday, with new overall coronavirus cases likely tied to holiday gatherings spiking up, along with confirmed cases of the omicron strain, which health officials in some parts of the state expect will become dominant within weeks. Read more from the Los Angeles Times, LA Daily News and Orange County Register.
In related news –
California Steps Up Plan To Tackle Omicron: Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new plan Wednesday to expand the hours of operation at strained covid-19 testing sites and provide 6 million rapid tests for K-12 public school students. Read more from Bay Area News Group. Scroll down for continued coverage of the plan.
Note to readers: California Healthline will not be published Dec. 24 through Jan. 3. Look for it again in your inbox on Jan. 4. Happy holidays!
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
Modesto Bee:
Gavin Newsom Expands Testing As Omicron Sweeps Through CA
California will expand hours for state-operated testing sites and will provide at least one rapid test for every public school student as the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads through the state, threatening hospital capacity, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. His announcement comes as Californians scramble to find rapid tests in time for holiday gatherings, which are now in short supply at many pharmacies. Newsom said the rapid tests for students are part of his administration’s commitment to keep schools open through an omicron surge. (Bollag and Korte, 12/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom Says Over Half Of California Cases Are Omicron As He Lays Out Plan For Testing, Boosters
California’s 2 million health care workers will have to get a COVID booster shot by Feb. 1, and those who have yet to be boosted will have to undergo testing twice a week until they do, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. Newsom also announced a state schools testing program that will provide one to two rapid tests for every K-12 student in public schools as they return to classrooms from winter break. The state will also expand operating hours at state-run testing centers that have reached capacity. (Ho, 12/22)
Los Angeles Times:
California To Give COVID Tests To Students As Omicron Spreads
Faced with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus, state officials unveiled plans Wednesday to provide rapid tests for students in K-12 public schools and expand hours at busy screening sites. Those efforts, along with a previously announced requirement that healthcare workers must receive a vaccine booster, are the latest steps aimed at repelling the highly mutated variant, which has spread rapidly nationwide since its arrival in the U.S. was first confirmed in San Francisco three weeks ago. (Money, Blume and Lin II, 12/22)
City News Service:
CORE Expanding COVID-19 Testing Sites In LA Amid Omicron Surge
The nonprofit Community Organized Relief Effort, commonly called CORE, announced on Wednesday, Dec. 22, that it will expand COVID-19 testing capacity in Los Angeles amid surging cases brought on by the Omicron variant. Los Angeles County on Wednesday reported 6,509 new COVID-19 cases, more than double Tuesday’s number and “one of the steepest rises we’ve ever seen over the course of the pandemic,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. Another 16 COVID-related deaths were also reported, and another 162 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant. (12/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
When And How To Use At-Home COVID Tests As Omicron Surges
The omicron variant now has taken hold in the Bay Area, and appears to be causing some outbreaks, doubling case rates in a matter of days, and testing the distribution speed of health systems and labs that are rushing to provide tests to residents. Public health officials and experts anticipate winter holidays and celebrations happening over the next weeks will further fuel omicron’s spread, with increased travel and social gatherings. Many more people in the Bay Area, including vaccinated and boostered people, are about to test positive, and may well be getting those results from at-home COVID tests like Binax Now and QuickVue. (Vainshtein, 12/22)
Politico:
'Nothing's Been Good Enough': Biden Admits Covid Testing Has Fallen Short
President Joe Biden acknowledged Wednesday that the country could have been better prepared as widespread shortages of at-home testing kits continue to hinder efforts to combat Covid-19.Asked in a rare one-to-one interview with ABC News’ David Muir if the testing situation was “good enough,” Biden replied that “No, nothing’s been good enough.” (Thompson, 12/22)
The New York Times:
Biden Promised 500 Million Tests, But Americans Will Have To Wait
President Biden promised Americans he is making 500 million coronavirus tests available free of charge, but help is at least weeks away — if not longer — for anxious Americans facing a surge of new virus cases. Mr. Biden’s administration has not yet signed a contract to buy the tests, and the website to order them will not be up until January. Officials have not said how many tests people will be able to order or how quickly they will be shipped once they begin to be available next month. Manufacturers say they are already producing tests as fast as they can. (Shear and Stolberg, 12/22)
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat:
Hospital Workers In Sonoma County Bracing For ‘Train Wreck’
The coronavirus pandemic, barreling along in its 21st month now, has created or heightened multiple needs in health care settings, from staffing of intensive care units to more elaborate personal protective equipment to mental health counseling. Some of the gaps are more personal in nature. (Barber, 12/22)
Southern California News Group:
Are LA County Hospitals Prepared For A Potential Winter COVID Surge?
This winter, hospitals throughout Southern California are on watch: the Omicron variant of the enduring coronavirus outbreak, combined with an influx of Delta and “traditional” flu cases, could culminate in a worst-case scenario for regional hospitals if preventative measures are not taken, officials warn. (Hutchings, 12/22)
CalMatters:
California COVID: A Bleak Midwinter Due To Omicron
Because of the highly-contagious omicron variant, it’s looking like another long, dark winter. Less than a month after it was discovered, omicron comprised nearly three-fourths of U.S. cases last week. It’s spreading far faster than vaccinations can keep up, forcing pro and college teams to cancel games, Broadway to go dark and officials to consider more mandates and restrictions. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that he plans to announce details today of a requirement that all California healthcare workers get booster shots. (Rhee, 12/22)
Los Angeles Times:
A Holiday Season Overshadowed By A New COVID-19 Threat
With numbers confirming a fifth wave of COVID-19 led by the Omicron variant, the lights of the holiday season have grown suddenly dim. Travel plans, parties and celebrations meant to make up for lost time have been canceled or recalibrated. The disappointment is real, but nature’s rules are often at odds with human intentions. Adapting, modifying, shapeshifting, SARS-CoV-2 is a predator unlike any other, seeking out new hosts with unsentimental efficiency. Its Delta variant kills 1,300 Americans a day and has helped push the death toll over 800,000. In three months, that number is expected to reach a million. (Curwen, 12/23)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Charts Show New York’s Dramatic Omicron Surge, And How California Compares
The first U.S. case of the highly infectious omicron variant was identified in San Francisco, but New York has emerged as the nation’s first major omicron epicenter. As of Saturday, the variant is responsible for 92% of new infections in the New York area, according to state data, with cases already inching past the state’s pandemic high from last winter’s surge. Sunday was the fourth straight day the state broke its single daily record for coronavirus cases. In New York City, daily average cases already surged past that of spring 2020 and last winter’s. (Hwang and Sumida, 12/22)
Sacramento Bee:
COVID Omicron: 42 Cases In Yolo County, 16 Linked To Party
Yolo County, which detected the Sacramento region’s first confirmed case of the COVID-19 omicron variant less than two weeks ago and late last week identified an outbreak of six cases linked to a high school classroom, has discovered 42 additional cases of the highly contagious variant, many of them linked to a different outbreak. The Healthy Davis Together initiative, which tests most positive samples across Yolo County for variants, in a news release Wednesday said it discovered those cases across Davis, El Macero, West Sacramento and Woodland between Dec. 12 and Saturday. The prior seven cases had only been found in West Sacramento. (McGough, 12/22)
The New York Times:
Omicron Infections Seem To Be Milder, Three Research Teams Report
Three separate teams of scientists on two continents have found that Omicron infections more often result in mild illness than earlier variants of the coronavirus, offering hope that the current surge may not be quite as catastrophic as feared despite skyrocketing caseloads. The researchers examined Omicron’s course through populations in South Africa, Scotland and England. The results in each setting, while still preliminary, all suggested that the variant was less likely to send people in hospitals. (Zimmer and Anthes, 12/22)
Los Angeles Times:
What Makes The Omicron Variant Spread So Easily?
The Omicron variant arrived in the United States right around Thanksgiving. Less than a month later, it’s the country’s dominant coronavirus strain, accounting for 73% of new infections last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How did that happen? Infectious disease experts say there are two key factors that determine how quickly a virus will spread: how easily it is transmitted and how well it eludes the body’s defenses. (Healey and Tseng, 12/23)
AP:
Pfizer Pill Becomes 1st US-Authorized Home COVID Treatment
The long-awaited milestone comes as U.S. cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all rising and health officials warn of a tsunami of new infections from the omicron variant that could overwhelm hospitals. The drug, Paxlovid, is a faster way to treat early COVID-19 infections, though initial supplies will be extremely limited. All of the previously authorized drugs against the disease require an IV or an injection. An antiviral pill from Merck also is expected to soon win authorization. But Pfizer’s drug is all but certain to be the preferred option because of its mild side effects and superior effectiveness, including a nearly 90% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients most likely to get severe disease. (Perrone, 12/22)
The Washington Post:
Remdesivir Can Help When Used On An Outpatient Basis
The antiviral drug remdesivir can help keep unvaccinated people at risk of severe covid-19 out of hospitals, according to a study that found the treatment reduced hospitalization and death by 87 percent when given soon after diagnosis. (Goldstein, 12/22)
Pasadena Star-News:
Officials Say Rose Parade And Rose Bowl Are Still Happening, But Will Keep Watch On COVID Changes
As holiday events across the country post cancellations in the wake of surging coronavirus case counts, Pasadena city leaders and Tournament of Roses officials say the 2022 Rose Parade and Rose Bowl will occur on New Year’s Day, but that they are keeping watch on the COVID scenario. The reassurance comes after several notable New Year’s Eve celebrations were canceled or scaled back in recent weeks due to concerns spurred by the new Omicron variant currently spreading in communities throughout Los Angeles County. (Dixson, 12/22)
Chico Enterprise-Record:
Marin County Jail Inmate Died From COVID-19
An inmate found unresponsive in his cell at Marin County Jail in September died from complications related to COVID-19, authorities said. Jail staff found Marin resident Ira Anthony Makes Him First Jr., 57, a native of South Dakota, slumped over in his cell around 8:35 p.m. Sept. 13. He was alone. Jail staff and paramedics attempted lifesaving measures and he was pronounced dead at 9:15 p.m., the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said. (Hanson, 12/23)
Sacramento Bee:
I Got COVID. Now What? California Doctor Answers Questions
After a week of hanging out with family and friends for the holidays, you decide to get tested for COVID-19, out of an abundance of caution or because you have questionable symptoms. What if the results come back positive? Here’s what you need to do next and what you should know. (Truong, 12/23)
NBC News:
You Just Tested Positive For Covid. Here’s What To Do Next.
For those who have Covid, the CDC recommends isolating for 10 days from the onset of symptoms, with the first day of symptoms counting as day zero. People who are asymptomatic should isolate for 10 days from the date they were tested. Isolating means staying home and avoiding others. (Chuck, 12/22)
CIDRAP:
1 In 4 With Metabolic Syndrome And COVID At Risk For Breathing Distress
An international study of 29,040 hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients finds that metabolic syndrome was tied to significantly greater odds of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. While obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are known risk factors for severe COVID-19, the researchers said that little was known about the risk of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure, high blood glucose, excess fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. Metabolic syndrome, a chronic low-grade inflammatory state, is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. (Van Beusekom, 12/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Coronavirus Devastated S.F. Retail. A New Landlord Vacancy Tax Is Still Starting In 2022
The coronavirus pandemic crushed the world’s retailers, unleashing a wave of bankruptcies, empty streets and scared customers who embraced online shopping. The Bay Area, which had the country’s first strict stay-at-home order, banned nonessential indoor shopping and indoor dining for months, and many businesses never reopened. Now, as another new variant threatens to further disrupt business, landlords with empty spaces face a new cost: San Francisco will implement a new retail vacancy tax on Jan. 1, that was overwhelmingly passed by 68% of voters back in March 2020, just two weeks before the city and region shut down. (Li and Narayan, 12/22)
The New York Times:
College Football Playoff Warns Teams Could Forfeit Because Of Virus
Under the policies that playoff officials outlined on Wednesday, a team that is unavailable to play in a semifinal game on Dec. 31 will forfeit, allowing its intended opponent to advance automatically to the national title game, which is scheduled for Jan. 10 in Indianapolis. (Blinder, 12/22)
AP:
High Court To Hold Special Session On Vaccine Requirements
The high court’s announcement Wednesday that it will hear arguments in the cases Jan. 7 comes amid rising coronavirus cases and is an extraordinarily fast timeline. The court had not been scheduled to hear cases again until Jan. 10. A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled 2-1 on Friday that the vaccine or testing regime for workers at larger companies could take effect. The plan requires workers at larger companies to be vaccinated or wear face masks and get tested weekly. The requirement could affect some 84 million U.S. workers. (Gresko, 12/23)
Sacramento Bee:
Here’s Your Guide To California’s COVID-19 Mandates
California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week unveiled the state’s latest mandate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring that all health care workers setting get the COVID-19 vaccine booster by Feb. 1. It’s the latest of several orders Newsom has handed down as part of the state’s effort to grapple with a pandemic that continues to spread, with new variants such as the delta and omicron variants proving particularly contagious. For Californians looking to keep up with the governor’s orders and combat the spread of COVID-19, here’s a rundown of all the state COVID-19 mandates and their current status. (Sheeler, 12/23)
AP:
California Sets Feb. 1 Deadline For Health Worker Boosters
California’s roughly 2.5 million health care workers have until Feb. 1 to get a coronavirus vaccine booster shot or risk losing their jobs, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. Newsom gave more details on the booster mandate during a Wednesday news conference at a vaccine clinic in Oakland. He had initially announced the new rule on Tuesday afternoon. (Beam, 12/23)
KQED:
California To Require Booster Shots For Health Care Workers Amid Omicron Spread
Nearly all of California's roughly 2.5 million frontline health care workers must receive a COVID-19 booster shot by Feb. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday, a measure he said would help prepare hospitals across the state for a surge in new cases brought on by the omicron variant. During a press briefing at the Native American Health Center in Oakland, Newsom said it was imperative for health care workers to be fully protected against the new highly infectious variant and prevent further staffing shortages due to illness. (12/22)
The Wall Street Journal:
Amazon To Require All U.S. Warehouse Workers To Wear Masks Again
Amazon.com Inc. said all workers at its hundreds of U.S. warehouses will have to wear masks again starting Wednesday, a mandate prompted by the rapid spread of the coronavirus’s Omicron variant. (Needleman, 12/22)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Phil, Music Center To Require Booster Proof In January
Come mid-January, when infections from the Omicron variant are expected to be in full swing, patrons of the L.A. Phil will have to show proof of a booster shot to attend indoor performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. It will be the same for folks attending Los Angeles Master Chorale events at Disney Hall and Center Theatre Group performances at Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum. The Music Center has expanded its overall vaccination policy to cover TMC Arts programming and lease events as well. (D'Zurilla, 12/22)
Bay Area News Group:
California Colleges Ordering Boosters Or Online Classes To Mitigate COVID Surge
Many college students and faculty across the region from Santa Cruz to Palo Alto will return to online instruction after the holiday break and have to scramble to get booster vaccine shots after officials at several universities announced the measures in response to growing concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant on campuses. University of California schools on the quarter system are postponing returns to campus next month and requiring booster shots. California State University is requiring boosters at 23 campuses across the state. And other local private schools such as Stanford and Santa Clara University are either making similar temporary campus closures or implementing booster mandates. (Jimenez, 12/22)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
California State University System To Require Students, Faculty To Get COVID-19 Boosters
The California State University system said Wednesday it will require all faculty, staff and students who use the system’s facilities and programs to get a vaccine booster shot to ensure that they are fully immunized against COVID-19. The 23-campus system previously required the same group of people to get the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine before the start of the fall semester, a move that had high compliance. (Robbins, 12/22)
KQED:
California State University Will Require COVID-19 Boosters For Students And Staff
California State University, the nation's largest four-year-public university, said Wednesday that it will require students, faculty and staff at its 23 campuses to get COVID-19 booster shots for the spring semester amid concerns about the highly contagious omicron variant. The mandate, which allows for medical and religious exemptions, requires the boosters by Feb. 28, or six months after the final dose of vaccination. Individual campuses can impose earlier deadlines, the university said in a statement, adding it was still negotiating the requirement with labor unions. (12/22)
The Washington Post:
UCLA, Columbia, Duke Plan Temporary Shift To Virtual Instruction In January
Columbia University, Duke University and the University of California at Los Angeles will start with remote classes in January, part of a growing number of colleges choosing a temporary pivot online as coronavirus cases rise and the omicron variant spreads nationally. (Svrluga, 12/22)
Politico:
Newsom, Unions Commit To Keeping ‘Our Classrooms Open’
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday pledged to keep California schools open in a statement he issued with the state's influential teachers unions the day after President Joe Biden said K-12 classrooms must not close. "As we approach the new year, we reaffirm our shared commitment to one another, to our parents and to our students: to keep each other safe and to keep our classrooms open," the joint statement said. It was signed by unions including the powerful California Teachers Association, one of Sacramento's biggest lobbying forces. (Luthi, 12/22)
AP:
Biden Negative For COVID-19 After Close Contact, VP Exposed
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday following separate incidents in which they were had close contact with aides who later tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House said. The incidents underscore how troublesome the pandemic is becoming inside the White House. (Superville, 12/23)
California Healthline:
‘What The Health?’: Manchin Blows Up Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) dealt a blow to congressional efforts to pass President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda bill, forcing Democrats to regroup starting in 2022. Meanwhile, the omicron covid variant spreads rapidly in the U.S., threatening the stability of the nation’s health care system. Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Rachel Cohrs of Stat and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more, plus a look back at the year in health policy. Also this week, Rovner interviews Ceci Connolly, president and CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans. (12/22)
CBS News:
Potential Breast Cancer Vaccine Undergoing Testing
A potential vaccine that would prevent the most deadly and aggressive type of breast cancer — triple-negative breast cancer — is undergoing testing. The key protein for the vaccine, which would be a "holy grail" of cancer treatment, was found through "a matter of luck and tenacity in going through databases and looking for proteins," Dr. Vincent Tuohy said, almost like finding a needle in a haystack. The vaccine works by jumpstarting the immune system and attacking any tumors that contain a specific protein that should not be present unless a woman is lactating. (Narula, 12/22)
Orange County Register:
Caregivers Use Their Experiences To Help Others Navigate Tough Road
As the lone caregivers for their wives, John Razzano and Ray Stermer navigated their way through an array of emotions: Depression. Isolation. Anger. Wondering “why me.” To support other caregivers, the two men helped start a series of virtual workshops hosted by the Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange. The workshops provide a safe, peer-to-peer space where caregivers can share their experiences with those who can relate, where they can receive clinical information and get their questions answered. (Ponsi, 12/22)
Modesto Bee:
California DUI Deaths Going Up. Don’t Drive Drunk, DAs Warn
DUI-related crashes and deaths are skyrocketing in California, warned district attorneys across the state on Wednesday. The number of people driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is also known to increase over the holidays – a concerning trend that prosecutors hoped to help deter with a news conference organized by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. (Kohlruss, 12/22)
The New York Times:
The Flu Makes an Unwelcome Comeback as Omicron Surges
The flu virus, which all but disappeared in early 2020, is once again circulating in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported about 2,500 cases from clinical tests nationwide for the week that ended Dec. 11. That number is typical for this time of year, but it also represents a level of cases that has not been seen since before the coronavirus pandemic. (12/22)
Bay Area News Group:
For Options Recovery Services, Art Is One Way To Heal From Substance Abuse
Options Recovery Services is a multi-service treatment center for people suffering from addiction. The center provides outpatient drug and alcohol treatment as well as sober housing for people participating in treatment. A team of employees — drug and alcohol counselors, physician assistants, a medical doctor, an acupuncturist and others — foster a holistic treatment center for people with substance-use disorders, said Justin Phillips, executive director of Options. (Sciacca, 12/23)
The Washington Post:
Ted Kaczynski, The 79-Year-Old Unabomber, Transferred To Prison Medical Facility
Theodore Kaczynski — who came to be known as the “Unabomber” for killing three people and injuring many more in a series of mail bombings over 17 years — has been transferred to a federal prison medical facility known for treating inmates with significant health problems, a Federal Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman said Wednesday. ... Kaczynski attacked several sites in California in the 1980s and 1990s. (Zapotosky, 12/22)
Orange County Register:
A Night To Remember Orange County’s Homeless Who Died This Year
One-by-one, 403 names were announced, homeless people who died in the last year in Orange County. For each, a lit candle was placed on a long table draped in black. Volunteers lined a side wall of the sanctuary at the Christ Cathedral, waiting to step forward with their candle to represent those who died “with no fixed abode.” Faith leaders from across the county and religions spoke at the service marking National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, which is always held on the first day of winter – a harsh time of year for the homeless – and the longest night of the year. (Mcrea, 12/22)
CapRadio:
Over 139 Unhoused People Remembered At 8th Annual Sacramento County Homeless Memorial Vigil
Around 50 people gathered for the eighth annual event, held on the longest night of the year to recognize the unhoused neighbors who lost their lives over the past 12 months. The ceremony coincided with National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, with similar ceremonies held across the country. Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, said that holding the memorial was important, in part, because it was a “simple act of dignity” to provide a “dignified remembrance” for unhoused neighbors. (Mizes-Tan and Salanga, 12/22)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County Homeless Vigil Memorializes The Dead
After a hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, community members on Tuesday gathered for the annual Modesto vigil honoring people who died while experiencing homelessness in Stanislaus County. By lighting candles and holding moments of silence at The Salvation Army’s Berberian Shelter, roughly 100 attendees memorialized the lives of 121 unhoused people who died in 2020 and 2021. (Lam, 12/22)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Races To Distribute Housing Vouchers To Homeless People
City and county officials are in a bit of a race against time. Throughout the pandemic, Los Angeles has rented thousands of hotel rooms for homeless people to protect them from the virus. These rooms have been a landing spot as the city conducts outreach in an effort to help people and clear large encampments, such as those in Echo Park Lake and Venice Beach. Nearly 1,400 rooms are still rented, and while plans could still change, they will begin to close to Project Roomkey participants in the New Year. So pairing these vouchers with people has newfound urgency. (Oreskes, 12/22)
AP:
Jurors In The Elizabeth Holmes Trial May Take Next Week Off
The jurors responsible for assessing 11 charges of fraud and conspiracy against former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes are scheduled to begin their third day of deliberations on Thursday. If they haven’t reached a verdict by the end of the day, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila and the attorneys for both sides will discuss the possibility of taking a break until Jan. 3. The jury had originally signaled that it was willing to deliberate during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. (Liedtke, 12/23)
Los Angeles Times:
It’s Time For Vaccination Mandate On U.S. Flights
Over the next week, millions of Americans are expected to board an airplane heading for someplace to spend the holidays — very possibly in the company of the newest and wiliest strain of the coronavirus, Omicron. The invisible hitchhiker will find it difficult to board international flights, as travelers to far-flung destinations are subject to all manner of COVID-19 requirements. But for the thousands of domestic flights taking off between now and the end of 2021, the coronavirus will find easier access. There are no national COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for domestic air travel, just the much-violated mask mandate that’s supposed to keep infections to a minimum as dozens of people are crowded together in a metal tube for hours at a time. (12/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Omicron Is Spreading. Biden Needs To Give Airline Travelers A Vaccine Mandate, Already
Each time President Biden takes off on Air Force One, everyone on board has been fully vaccinated and tested negative for the coronavirus. So why should it be any different for you and me when we’re headed to Pocatello or West Palm Beach? Unlike America’s principal trading partners, such as Canada, Great Britain, the European Union and countries across the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, passengers in this country who board a domestic flight to any state (other than Hawaii) do not have to show proof of vaccination or test negative. (Roger Rapoport, 12/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The End Of The Build Back Better Plan Is A Gut Punch To Kids And Poor Families
The failure to pass the social spending and climate bill is a massive blow to the middle class and the environment. But the consequences, and in particular the continued lack of federally mandated paid family leave, as well as the lack of an extension of the enhanced child tax credit, are especially dire for poor families and their children. (Stephen Seligman, 12/21)
Sacramento Bee:
Build Back Better Failure’s Consequences For California
Just two weeks ago, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was promising to bring home a landmark spending bill addressing climate change and much more by Christmas. Instead Americans have been rudely awakened to stockings full of bituminous West Virginia coal. (12/21)
Sacramento Bee:
California Must Overhaul Its Failing Legal Marijuana Laws
Just as with housing, California’s experiment with local control over legalized cannabis is failing its citizens. It’s been five years since voters approved Proposition 64, allowing adult recreational marijuana use and launching a so-called Green Rush as legal and illicit entrepreneurs jockeyed for position in a now $5 billion statewide industry. In 2020, cannabis rivaled grapes, almonds and milk as one of California’s top agricultural products. (12/22)
Los Angeles Times:
Editorial: If Santa Made A List This Year, There'd Be A Lot Of Stockings With Lumps Of Coal
If Santa was really taking names for his 2021 naughty and nice list, surely the Jan. 6 insurrectionists would fill the top, along with former President Trump and other Republican politicians who have attacked our democracy and continue to peddle the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen. But regrettably, there are plenty of others who also deserve to be added to the dishonorable side of the ledger. Those disappointments are tempered by the heartwarming actions of those who populate the “nice” side of the compilation. Here is our annual tally of the people — and, in some cases, the things — that deserve special recognition this year. (12/23)