SoCalGas To Pay $1.8 Billion Over Gas Leak: It’s been nearly six years since noxious fumes spewed from a failing well in the hills above the San Fernando Valley, sickening thousands with headaches and nosebleeds. On Monday, Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company announced agreements to pay up to $1.8 billion to settle years of legal action. Read more from the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune and LA Daily News.
California Prison Staff Must Be Vaccinated, Judge Rules: A federal judge on Monday ordered that all correctional officers and staff entering California’s prisons be vaccinated. Also, inmates who want in-person visits or who work outside prisons, including inmate firefighters, must also be fully vaccinated. Read more from the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and AP.
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
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Continues To Have Lowest COVID Rates In The Country
California continues to have the lowest levels of coronavirus transmission in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Monday, the agency’s color-coded map showed California as having a “moderate” level of virus transmission, represented by yellow, with 48 other states stuck in the “high” transmission category, labeled red, and Connecticut advancing into the second-worst “substantial” tier, marked orange. (Vaziri, 9/27)
CIDRAP:
US COVID-19 Cases Drop For First Time In 3 Months
The summer surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta (B1617.2) variant may be tapering off after causing the fourth wave of heightened pandemic activity in the United States. The 7-day average of new daily COVID-19 cases is 118,015, with 1,996 deaths, according to the Washington Post tracker. In the past week, new daily cases fell 20%, deaths fell 0.8%, and hospitalizations fell 8.9%. (Soucheray, 9/27)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Few COVID Cases Linked To BottleRock Music Festival, Health Officials Say
Napa County health officials on Monday reported 11 cases of COVID-19 in residents who attended the BottleRock Napa Valley Festival over Labor Day weekend — a figure they said showed the success of measures to reduce the virus’ spread. “In the 14-day period after BottleRock Napa Valley took place, we are pleased to report that Napa County did not experience any material impact on COVID case numbers as a result,” said Dr. Karen Relucio, the county’s public health officer. (Vaziri, 9/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Renters To Get Help When California Eviction Protections End
Some California eviction protections expire this week, but low-income tenants who are behind on their rent can continue to hold on to their housing by applying for a state rent relief program, officials said Monday. State law adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic protects low-income tenants from eviction if they pay at least 25% of their rent, but that safeguard is set to end Thursday. Still, state officials note that a program that pays 100% of back and future rent for low-income tenants will continue accepting applications after Thursday until it doles out all of the $5.2 billion available from the federal government. (McGreevy, 9/27)
San Diego Union-Times:
Mayor Gloria Proposes $5M Legal Aid Fund For Tenants Affected By Pandemic
Mayor Todd Gloria announced Monday a proposal to create a $5 million legal defense fund for tenants, using federal pandemic relief money the city has received. The program, which Gloria will formally propose to the City Council Oct. 5, would provide eviction prevention education and legal assistance to tenants struggling with rent or other issues because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Garrick, 9/27)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
County Reviews Booster Rules As Third Shots Arrive For Many
San Diego County health officials on Monday answered some of the most common questions about the federal government’s recent approval of coronavirus vaccine booster shots for a select group of Americans. Dr. Wilma Wooten, the region’s public health officer, said the booster shots should be readily available to those who qualify. (Sisson, 9/27)
Axios:
Non-Pfizer Recipients Wondering When Their COVID Booster Will Come
A rush of patients — and their questions — followed last week's news that the CDC and FDA would greenlight Pfizer-BioNTech COVID boosters, the Washington Post reported. The recommendation that those older than 65, the immunocompromised and those in high-risk jobs includes a lot of people — but it left out most who received the Moderna shot and all who received Johnson & Johnson. The wait for boosters news is making some non-Pfizer vaccine recipients a bit salty. (Owens, 9/27)
AP:
Biden, McConnell Get COVID-19 Boosters, Encourage Vaccines
Seventy-eight-year-old Joe Biden and 79-year-old Mitch McConnell got their booster shots Monday, the Democratic president and the Republican Senate leader urging Americans across the political spectrum to get vaccinated or plus up with boosters when eligible for the extra dose of protection. The shots, administered just hours apart on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue, came on the first workday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans 65 and older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and high-risk work environments. (Miller, 9/27)
CNBC:
Unvaccinated Americans Falsely Say Need For Boosters Proves Covid Vaccines Don't Work
The divide in attitudes on Covid-19 vaccines between people who’ve gotten or not gotten the shots hasn’t changed with the introduction of booster shots. In fact, vaccinated people say the third dose approved by U.S. regulators last week shows that scientists are trying to make the shots more effective while 71% of unvaccinated Americans say it’s proof the vaccines don’t work, according to a survey released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Rattner, 9/28)
CNN:
Daily Pace Of New Vaccinations Is The Lowest Since The CDC Started Tracking In Mid-January
The daily pace of new Covid-19 vaccinations in the United States is the lowest it has been since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started tracking it in mid-January, data shows. The seven-day average rate of people getting their first shot is 231,695, 31% less than last week, almost half -- 47% -- less than a month earlier -- and a far cry from the millions a day the country saw in April. (Holcombe and Waldrop, 9/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Vaccination Status Is The New Must-Have On Your Resume
Job seekers are considering a new addition to their résumés: Covid-19 vaccination status. As employers make vaccine rules for workers and some limit hiring to the vaccinated, people are starting to volunteer their vaccination status on job applications, in résumés and on their LinkedIn profiles. David Morgan, chief executive of Snorkel-Mart, an online snorkeling gear wholesaler and retailer, started requiring full vaccination for the company’s 20-plus employees in the spring. He says he favors candidates who are candid about their vaccine status on their résumés because it prevents surprises late in the hiring process. (Thomas, 9/27)
The New York Times:
NBA Vaccine Skeptics Speak Out
More than 90 percent of N.B.A. players have been vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the league, and all referees and key team personnel without exemptions will be, too, by the season’s start in three weeks. But a few high-profile players, including the Nets star guard Kyrie Irving, have expressed skepticism about vaccines or been evasive about their vaccination status. Because the Nets are projected to be a top championship contender, and the team is one of just three whose players must be vaccinated to play in their home arenas, Irving’s vaccination status could be as much of a factor in the N.B.A. rankings as his team’s play. (Deb, 9/27)
AP:
Wiggins Says He Will Stick To Beliefs Regarding Vaccine
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is sticking to his beliefs when it comes to staying unvaccinated for COVID-19, even though that decision could soon cost him playing in home games. Wiggins faces the possibility of not being allowed into Golden State’s home building at Chase Center for games come Oct. 13 when the San Francisco Department of Public Health begins requiring proof of vaccination for large indoor events. “Back is definitely against the wall, but I’m just going to keep fighting for what I believe,” Wiggins said at media day Monday. “I’m going to keep fighting for what I believe is right. What’s right to one person isn’t right to the other and vice versa.” (McCauley, 9/27)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Requires Workers With Disabilities To Get Minimum Wage
Workers with disabilities in California must be paid at least the state’s minimum wage by 2025, under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Monday. Senate Bill 639, by Sen. María Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, ends a practice known as 14(c) or sheltered workshops, in which workers with disabilities were paid as little as $2 an hour. The state will join ten other states including Alaska, Oregon and Texas in phasing out the practice. (Park, 9/27)
Sacramento Bee:
California Passes Law Protecting Farmworkers From Fire Smoke
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday aimed at reducing farmworkers’ exposure to wildfire smoke by allowing them access to the state’s stockpile of N93 masks. Assembly Bill 73, authored by Assemblymember Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, also known as the Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Protections Act, would designate agricultural workers as “essential workers” to allow them access to the California Department of Public Health’s stockpile of personal protective equipment, including masks. (Bojorquez, 9/27)
San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
Kaiser Workers To Vote On Strike Authorization In Southern California
A union of 24,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and other workers who say they’re understaffed and facing a revamped pay system that would fuel more shortages announced their bargaining team will vote next month to authorize a strike if needed. The Southern California nurses, pharmacists, rehab therapists, social workers, physician assistants, speech therapists, midwives and optometrists are represented by United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) and are currently in labor negotiations with the healthcare provider. (Smith, 9/27)
The Washington Post:
Senate Republicans Block Measure To Fund Government, Stave Off U.S. Default
Senate Republicans on Monday blocked a bill that would fund the government, provide billions of dollars in hurricane relief and stave off a default in U.S. debts, part of the party’s renewed campaign to undermine President Biden’s broader economic agenda. The GOP’s opposition dealt a death blow to the measure, which had passed the House last week, and now adds to the pressure on Democrats to devise their own path forward ahead of urgent fiscal deadlines. A failure to address the issues could cause severe financial calamity, the White House has warned, potentially plunging the United States into another recession. (Romm, 9/27)
NBC News:
Pelosi Says Biden's Infrastructure Bill Can't Wait For Social Safety Net Bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats on Monday that passage of the $550 billion infrastructure bill must not wait for President Joe Biden's multitrillion-dollar safety net bill, saying the larger package is not yet ready for a vote. In a private caucus meeting, Pelosi, D-Calif., said the party must "make difficult choices," because the dynamics have changed and Democrats have not yet agreed to a spending level, according to a source familiar with the meeting. (Kapur, 9/27)
Politico:
Pelosi Steers Dems Toward Infrastructure Vote, Without Spending Bill In Tow
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reversing a months-long vow to push through the two major planks of Democrats’ domestic agenda in tandem, a huge shift just days before a critical infrastructure vote. Pelosi explained her thinking in a rare Monday night caucus session, saying she and President Joe Biden are continuing to push the Senate on negotiations related to the social spending package, but the House must move ahead on infrastructure this week before surface transportation funding expires Thursday. (Caygle and Ferris, 9/27)
Politico:
Democrats Grapple With Cuts To Health Care Priorities
Top House Democrats are voicing a new willingness to pare down their ambitious health care proposals within the sweeping $3.5 trillion social spending bill as they scramble to build consensus ahead of a potential vote this week. President Joe Biden’s call for $400 billion to boost long-term care services is expected to be sharply trimmed, lawmakers and advocates told POLITICO. And plans to expand Medicaid to more than 2 million people in states that have for a decade refused to do so may also have to be curtailed, said Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), one of Congress’ most enthusiastic supporters of that effort. (Ollstein, 9/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Rise In California Homicides Echoes The Nation, But State Fares Better In Violent Crime, FBI Stats Show
California’s 31% jump in homicides in 2020 reflected a national trend that saw the largest one-year increase since the FBI began collecting numbers in the 1960s, the bureau said Monday. The national increase was 29.4%, according to FBI statistics. The numbers also showed an increase in fatal gun violence. Nationwide, guns accounted for 76% of the weapons used in slayings last year, up from 73% in 2019, according to the FBI report. (Winton, 9/27)
The New York Times:
Murders Spiked In 2020 In Cities Across The United States
There is no simple explanation for the steep rise. A number of key factors are driving the violence, including the economic and social toll taken by the pandemic and a sharp increase in gun purchases. “It is a perfect storm,” said Chief Harold Medina of the Albuquerque Police Department. He cited Covid-19, the fallout from social justice protests and other contributors. “There is not just one factor that we can point at to say why we are where we are,” he said. (MacFarquhar, 9/27)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Lower Death Rates For Black Moms Is Goal Of California Bill
California has among the lowest death rates nationally among pregnant women and new mothers, but the numbers for Black mothers tell a different story. They were six times more likely to die within a year of pregnancy than white women from 2014 to 2016 and had a higher rate of death than Black women nationally from 2014 to 2017, the most recent time frame for which data is available. (Ronayne, 9/27)
The Mercury News:
San Jose To Become Largest California City To Ban Flavored Tobacco
San Jose is poised to become the largest city in California to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products and prohibit all smoking inside apartments. At a rally outside San Jose City Hall on Monday, Mayor Sam Liccardo, city councilmembers and community leaders agreed that it was “far past time” for the city to enact these laws and keep the enticing fruity, minty and candied flavors away from San Jose children. The full 11-member city council will vote Tuesday on the proposed measures. (Angst, 9/27)
Newsweek:
More Than 27,000 Pounds Of DiGiorno Pizza Recalled After Packaging Mix-Up
A packaging mix-up and undeclared allergens have led to the recall of a batch of more than 27,000 pounds of DiGiorno pepperoni pizzas by owner Nestlé USA. Nestlé USA recalled a batch of 26-ounce boxes labeled DiGiorno Crispy Pan Crust Pepperoni Pizzas because instead they contained Three Meat Crispy Pan Crust Pizzas, which have soy protein in them. The protein is in the sausage crumbles and beef toppings, and can be dangerous to people with soy allergies. (Dutton, 9/28)
AP:
Biden To Name African-Born Doctor To Lead HIV/AIDS Response
President Joe Biden said Monday that he intends to nominate Dr. John N. Nkengasong to coordinate the U.S. response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide. Nkengasong, a U.S. citizen born in Cameroon, would be the first person of African descent to hold the position. The Senate must approve his eventual nomination. (9/27)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. County D.A. To Dismiss 60,000 Past Marijuana Convictions
The nation’s largest prosecutor’s office is moving to dismiss roughly 60,000 marijuana convictions, the latest step to undo what some reform advocates consider the damage caused by narcotics enforcement carried out before Californians voted to legalize marijuana, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced Monday. Under previous Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, the office moved last year to dump 66,000 marijuana convictions that took place before voters passed Proposition 64, the state law legalizing recreational marijuana use. But that list was compiled using information collected by the California Department of Justice, and Gascón said his office was able to identify tens of thousands more eligible cases by combing L.A. County court records. (Queally, 9/27)
ABC News:
Marijuana Use Did Not Climb Following Legalization In States: Study
Recreational pot has become legal for more Americans, but despite that ease of access, marijuana use hasn't ignited, a study released Monday found. An article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found there was no increase in cannabis use among the general population or among previous users after their states legalized marijuana. (Pereira, 9/27)
The Washington Post:
With Overdose Deaths Soaring, DEA Warns About Fentanyl-, Meth-Laced Pills
The Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public warning Monday that a growing number of fake pills bought online are laced with potentially lethal amounts of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, and blamed social media sites for not doing more to protect their users. “We decided to do this because the amounts are staggering,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in an interview with The Washington Post. “We are in the midst, in my view, of an overdose crisis, and the counterfeit pills are driving so much of it.” (Barrett and Dwoskin, 9/27)
USA Today:
Opioids Strong Enough To Kill 50 Million People Seized In California
Two Southern California residents were charged in a massive drug bust that resulted in authorities seizing more than 46 pounds of an extremely lethal synthetic opioid. Andres Jesus Morales, 30, and Christine Ponce, 27, were charged with four felony counts each of possession of a controlled substance for sale, the Riverside District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday. (Mendoza, 9/26)