Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
No Papers, No Care: Disabled Migrants Seek Help Through Lawsuit, Activism
A class action lawsuit seeks better care for immigrants with physical disabilities or mental illness who were detained after trying to enter the country. Other disabled immigrants without legal status are also finding it difficult to get care. (Heidi de Marco, )
Newsom Will Remain California Governor: After convincingly beating back a recall effort that came to dominate his third year in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom took an understated victory lap Tuesday night, calling for unity following an election that he said had divided California and challenged its values. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. Comprehensive coverage continues, below.
Covid Cases Are Falling In The Golden State: California’s coronavirus transmission rates are dropping, a hopeful sign amid a summer surge fueled by the delta variant, according to new data from the CDC. California’s transmission level has fallen from “high” to “substantial.” As of Tuesday night, California was the only state that has fallen into this category, as has Puerto Rico. Read more from the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle.
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
Los Angeles Times:
COVID Weighs On California Voters In Newsom Recall Election
From Los Angeles to Bakersfield, Fresno to the North Coast, Californians turned out to vote Tuesday — on top of the millions who cast ballots days and weeks ago, driven by starkly different realities of the state and the nation, each side painting the other as an existential threat to its core values. By Tuesday evening, early results showed Newsom on the path to beat the costly effort to remove him. Recall supporters depicted the governor as an arrogant, out-of-touch leader who let homelessness and crime spiral out of control while driving middle-class people away with high taxes that never seem to fix anything. They say he forced small businesses to close while others stayed open, kept millions of children out of school and pushed for vaccine and mask mandates that stripped people of their basic freedoms. (Vives, Vega, Gomez and Mozingo, 9/14)
The New York Times:
Gavin Newsom Survives Recall Election And Will Remain Governor
The vote spoke to the power liberal voters wield in California: No Republican has held statewide office in more than a decade. But it also reflected the state’s recent progress against the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 67,000 lives in California. The state has one of the nation’s highest vaccination rates and one of its lowest rates of new virus cases — which the governor tirelessly argued to voters were the results of his vaccine and mask requirements. (Hubler, 9/14)
ABC News:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Romps Based On Twin Fears Of COVID-19 And Trump
California Gov. Gavin Newsom would probably never have faced a recall election had it not been for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also might not have survived the recall had it not been for that very same reason. But on Tuesday, he did more than survive. Newsom used a powerful pair of somewhat related fears -- of pandemic backsliding, and one of a potential win for Trumpism -- to coast to victory. (Klein, 9/15)
Sacramento Bee:
Gavin Newsom Makes Victory Speech In Sacramento Amid Recall
“No is not the only thing that was expressed tonight,” Newsom said, speaking to dozens of masked reporters in the crowded courtyard of the John L. Burton Democratic Headquarters in Sacramento. “I want to focus on what we said yes to as a state,” he said. “We said yes to science. We said yes to vaccines. We said yes to ending this pandemic. We said yes to all those things that we hold dear as Californians and I would argue as Americans. Economic justice, social justice, racial justice, environmental justice are the values where California has made so much progress — all of those things were on the ballot this evening.” (Bojórquez, 9/14)
CapRadio:
What Sacramento Region Voters Said Was Important As They Cast Their Ballots
Heading into the recall, election experts wondered whether Democrats were energized enough to vote to keep Gov. Gavin Newsom in office. Early polls showed Newsom was in a tough spot, but late polls suggested otherwise. Some voters CapRadio spoke with Tuesday in Sacramento weren’t energized — but chose to vote for Newsom anyway. Others, like Maria Hernandez, were very energized with concerns of California turning into Texas politically. Hernandez was referring to a new Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, which is well before many women even know they are pregnant. (Nichols and Mizes-Tan, 9/14)
Sacramento Bee:
Gavin Newsom Recall Victory Shaped By COVID, Larry Elder
Newsom propelled Democratic turnout with a play to his base and relied on his party’s large registration advantage to avoid becoming the second California governor to lose his job. Recall supporters initially launched the recall effort over Newsom’s liberal policies on immigration and his moratorium on the death penalty, but in the end the race became all about the pandemic. (Bollag, 9/15)
Los Angeles Times:
5 Takeaways From Newsom's California Recall Election Win
A recall campaign that at one point appeared poised to upend Democratic politics in sapphire-blue California concluded Tuesday with the status quo preserved, as Gov. Gavin Newson handily beat back an effort to oust him from office. A strong GOP showing at the polls on election day could not match Democratic dominance in early voting. Concerns among Democrats over the summer that their party’s voters were more apathetic than highly motivated Republican ones resulted in a torrent of spending on television and outreach efforts to every part of the traditional Democratic coalition, including labor, minorities and women. (Mehta and Mason, 9/14)
The Bakersfield Californian:
National Guard Deployed To Kern County Amid Third Coronavirus Surge To Relieve Strain On Local Staff
Kern County Department of Public Health Services Director Brynn Carrigan announced Tuesday at the Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting that the state fulfilled its request for a medical team from the National Guard on Monday amid a third surge in COVID-19 cases. (Desai, 9/14)
Sacramento Bee:
CA COVID Rates Drop In Large Counties, Peak In Rural Areas
Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are trending lower for California as a whole, after the arrival of the delta variant brought the state its third major wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The daily case rate has dropped from about 33 per 100,000 residents in mid-August to 20 per 100,000 as of Tuesday’s update from the California Department of Public Health. Test positivity has fallen from 7.2% to 4.4% since late July. And the statewide total for virus patients has dipped from 8,350 to 6,800 since late August. But the situation varies widely across different regions of the Golden State. (McGough, 9/14)
City Of Alameda:
Delta Variant Threatens Alameda Despite COVID Shots
The COVID-19 delta variant continues to affect our community. The city of Alameda reported 481 cases in August, up from 239 in July. Over the last 19 months, cases were only higher during the winter surge last December (571 cases) and January (762 cases). Today, COVID cases are occurring largely among the unvaccinated, and nearly all cases are the highly contagious delta variant. Vaccines remain the best tool we have to slow transmission and significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths. Here are some numbers from the city of Alameda’s online COVID-19 dashboard (alamedaca.gov/c19) and other sources: (Henry, 9/15)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County Reveals COVID Mortality For Young Adults
The COVID-19 delta variant has infected younger adults more than any other age group, but that segment of the population still accounts for a relatively small proportion of COVID-19 deaths in Stanislaus County. County public health released mortality data by age group for the period in which the delta variant has spread across the county. (Carlson, 9/15)
CapRadio:
Sacramento County Board Considers Resolution Denouncing COVID-19 Misinformation
Sacramento County’s Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider a resolution denouncing health misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, following in the footsteps of a handful of local governments that have recently adopted similar language. Supervisor Phil Serna said the resolution follows lengthy testimony from individuals “committed to disseminating misinformation to disinformation.” (Fletcher, 9/14)
Modesto Bee:
How To Tell The Difference Between COVID And The Flu
COVID-19 and the flu — both illnesses that attack the respiratory system but are caused by different viruses — are expected to spread simultaneously beginning this fall. And yes, you can be infected with both at the same time. It’s difficult to predict how the flu season will fare this year, but some experts say it may be worse and begin earlier than in 2020 when COVID-19 preventive measures kept other respiratory viruses, including the flu, at bay. Flu season typically runs October to May. (Camero, 9/14)
Politico:
Biden's Team Tightens Grip On State Use Of Covid Antibody Treatments
The Biden administration is imposing new limits on states’ ability to access to Covid-19 antibody treatments amid rising demand from GOP governors who have relied on the drug as a primary weapon against the virus. Federal health officials plan to allocate specific amounts to each state under the new approach, in an effort to more evenly distribute the 150,000 doses that the government makes available each week. (Cancryn, 9/14)
Axios:
Pandemic Didn't Lead To Spike In Uninsured
Roughly 8.6% of Americans didn't have health insurance in 2020, a figure that has stayed consistent since 2018, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. Government assistance, in the form of beefed-up Medicaid eligibility and heavily subsidized plans in the Affordable Care Act markets, kept people insured despite the pandemic-fueled recession. (Herman, 9/15)
Military.Com:
Soldiers Have 3 Months To Get COVID Vaccine Or Face Discharge, With Few Waiver Options
Active-duty soldiers have three months to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or face a possible discharge from the force, the Army announced Tuesday. The 485,900 soldiers on active duty must be vaccinated by Dec. 15. But the 336,500 National Guard and 189,800 Reserve troops have until June 30, 2022, to be fully inoculated. As of Tuesday, about 80% of active-duty soldiers had received at least one vaccine dose, according to an Army spokesperson. However, the National Guard and Reserve don’t have accurate numbers for how much of their forces are vaccinated, given many of those troops receive vaccines outside of the military. (Beynon and Kime, 9/14)
Reuters:
U.S. Army Says Soldiers Who Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Dismissed
American army officers who refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus could be suspended from their duties and possibly discharged, the U.S. Army said on Tuesday. ... However, commanders, command sergeants major, first sergeants and officers in Command Select List positions who refuse to be vaccinated and are not pending an exemption request would face suspension and relief if they refuse to comply, the Army said in a statement. (9/15)
CNN:
US Military Branches Set Deadline For Members To Be Vaccinated Against Covid-19
The US Army will require all active-duty military members to he vaccinated by December 15, 2021, and all National Guard soldiers will be required to be vaccinated by June 30, 2022, the Army said in a statement released Tuesday. ... The US Air Force has also set deadlines for when their personnel will need to be vaccinated. The Air Force will require active-duty military members to be fully vaccinated by November 2, 2021. Air Force National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel will need to be vaccinated by December 2, 2021, a release from the Air Force said on September 3. ... The US Navy will require all active-duty service members to be fully vaccinated by November 28, 2021 and all Navy Reserve service members to be vaccinated by December 28, 2021, the Navy said in a release on August 21. The US Marine Corps active-duty members also must be vaccinated by November 28 and reservists must be vaccinated by December 28, a release from the US Marine Corps said. (Kaufman and Liebermann, 9/14)
Los Angeles Times:
Riverside County Sheriff Won't Enforce COVID Vaccine Mandate
As President Biden escalates his administration’s efforts to require Americans to get vaccinated, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco says he will not enforce any vaccine mandates for Sheriff’s Department employees. Describing himself as “the last line of defense from tyrannical government overreach,” Bianco on Monday doubled down on statements he made during a Thursday episode of the department’s podcast, “RSO Roundup,” in which he said he believes vaccines are a personal choice. (Smith, 9/14)
East Bay Times:
Piedmont Council Mandates Vaccinations For All City Workers
At the request of Mayor Teddy Gray King, the City Council has voted to implement a mandatory vaccination policy for all full- and part-time city employees, which may or may not pass legal muster. Brian Gidney, president of Piedmont Firefighters Local 2683, said his bargaining unit does not support a vaccination mandate. Piedmont police Chief Jeremy Bowers said he is not aware of the police officers association registering a formal objection to the policy. (Davis, 9/14)
Los Angeles Times:
Bay Area County Requires COVID Vaccine Or Test To Be Indoors
Another Bay Area county is requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test to enter many indoor establishments. Contra Costa County on Tuesday issued a mandate that customers of indoor restaurants, bars and gyms must show proof of full vaccination or a negative coronavirus test result before entering. (Lin II, 9/14)
Los Angeles Daily News:
More Than 6,000 LA City Workers Plan To Seek Exemptions From COVID Vaccine Mandate
More than 6,000 Los Angeles city employees, or 11% of the total workforce, plan to petition for exemptions from the city’s vaccination mandate, according to data released Tuesday, Sept. 14. About half of the employees seeking exemptions, or more than 3,000, work in the Los Angeles Police Department, according to the data. Those employees make up about a quarter of the police department workforce. (Chou and Cain, 9/14)
VC Star:
COVID-19 Fears Mean Mask Mandate Likely To Stay In Ventura County
Ventura County's masking mandate will "very likely" be extended beyond Sunday when it is scheduled to expire, the county's health officer said Tuesday. (Kisken, 9/14)
Modesto Bee:
Two Oakdale Council Members Continue To Go Mask-Less
Two members of the Oakdale City Council continued Monday night to disregard the Stanislaus County order on wearing masks in public places. The meeting came six days after three council members first failed to comply with the mandate. It took effect Sept. 4 as part of the effort against COVID-19. (Holland, 9/14)
The Washington Post:
NBA Won’t Require Players To Be Vaccinated This Season
The NBA will not require its players to be vaccinated against the coronavirus this season, a person familiar with the situation confirmed Tuesday. As reported earlier in the day by ESPN, the players’ union is opposing a vaccine mandate, the person confirmed. Approximately 85 percent of NBA players are already vaccinated, a spokesman for the league reportedly stated Tuesday. (Bieler, 9/14)
Bay Area News Group:
Santa Clara County Officials Pledge 'Smoother' Vaccine Rollout For Boosters
Santa Clara County health officials on Tuesday promised residents a “smoother” rollout of COVID-19 booster vaccines compared to the initial round of vaccinations, when short supplies and a patchwork sign-up system left many confused and frustrated for months. Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody told supervisors during a board meeting that providing third vaccine doses would be “somewhat less complex” given the wide availability of vaccines, a stark contrast to the unpredictable supply chain earlier this year that twice forced the county to abruptly cancel thousands of appointments for Kaiser Permanente patients. (Kelliher, 9/14)
EdSource:
‘Pool Testing’ To Combat Covid On Campus Grows Popular In California Schools
To simplify the often-confusing Covid testing process in schools, an increasing number of districts in California are turning to “pool testing” as a way to save time, reduce hassles and keep students in school. With pool testing, nasal swabs from up to 25 asymptomatic students are submitted together for a single PCR test. If the test is negative, the entire class is assumed to be Covid-free. If the test is positive, students are given individual rapid tests, and those who test positive are sent home to quarantine. Others in the class can continue attending school as long as they test negative twice a week. (Jones, 9/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Why Some Kids Are Testing Positive For COVID For Weeks And Even Months In The Delta Surge
People who test positive for the coronavirus can continue to do so long after they are no longer contagious, especially if they are not vaccinated — a pandemic wrinkle magnified during the delta surge that has created some confusion and concern for parents of unvaccinated school-age children who have returned to Bay Area classrooms. When an initial test comes back positive, federal and California health guidelines recommend staying home and isolating for 10 days. In cases involving schoolchildren, officials communicate with families on next steps to determine when the child is allowed to return to the classroom — but a subsequent negative test is not among the requirements. (Vainshtein, 9/15)
Modesto Bee:
Plan Laid To Bolster Mental Health Care In Stanislaus Schools
Spanish speakers soon will be placed in Stanislaus County schools as mental health care outreach workers and clinicians to fill what local officials and numerous reports call an urgent service gap. With anticipated federal budget approval at the end of September, Community Project Funding will allow First Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center, a Turlock-based nonprofit providing mental health services in Stanislaus and Merced counties, to hire 13 additional promotoras and five clinicians to be stationed in Stanislaus schools full time. (Briseño, 9/15)
USA Today:
Social Security Could Get Biggest Cost-Of-Living Increase In 40 Years Amid COVID-19-Related Inflation Surge
After years of puny increases in their Social Security checks, older Americans will likely get the equivalent of a big raise next year. The 68 million people -- including retirees, disabled people and others – who rely on the benefits are likely to receive a 6% to 6.1% cost-of-living adjustment next year because of a COVID-19-related spike in inflation, according to the Senior Citizen League. Such a rise would far outpace 1.4% average bumps in Social Security payments since 2010 and amount to the largest increase since 1982, according to the Senior Citizen League. (Davidson, 9/14)
CNBC:
Social Security Cost-Of-Living Adjustment Could Be At Least 6% In 2022
The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 could be 6% to 6.1%, according to the latest estimate from The Senior Citizens League, a no-partisan senior group, based on new consumer price index data released Tuesday. The Social Security Administration typically announces the cost-of-living adjustment for the following year in late October. One more month of CPI data will be released and factored into the final calculation. (Konish, 9/14)
Southern California News Group:
Bill Aims To Improve Work Conditions For California Warehouse Employees
A bill that aims to protect California warehouse workers from claims of abusive quota systems has landed on the governor’s desk. Assembly Bill 701, which recently gained approval in the Assembly and Senate, was authored by Assemblywomen Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego. If signed into law, it would be the nation’s first legislation to make companies disclose the productivity requirements and work-speed metrics they set for employees. It would prohibit workers from being fired for failing to meet a quota that interfered with their ability to use the bathroom or take rest breaks, and it would bar employers from disciplining warehouse employees for being “off-task” when they are complying with health and safety laws. (Smith, 9/15)
Sacramento Bee:
CalPERS Sent Pension Checks To Dead Retirees, Audit Says
CalPERS hadn’t recovered about $42 million in pension overpayments made to about 22,000 dead people by the middle of last year, according to a newly public internal audit report. The audit report, posted to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s website ahead of a Tuesday board meeting, detailed shortcomings in the $490 billion pension fund’s efforts to track retiree deaths and recover overpayments. (Venteicher, 9/15)
The Wall Street Journal:
Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic For Teen Girls, Company Documents Show
About a year ago, teenager Anastasia Vlasova started seeing a therapist. She had developed an eating disorder, and had a clear idea of what led to it: her time on Instagram. She joined the platform at 13, and eventually was spending three hours a day entranced by the seemingly perfect lives and bodies of the fitness influencers who posted on the app. “When I went on Instagram, all I saw were images of chiseled bodies, perfect abs and women doing 100 burpees in 10 minutes,” said Ms. Vlasova, now 18, who lives in Reston, Va. (Wells, Horwitz and Seetharaman, 9/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
Senators Seek Answers From Facebook After WSJ Report On Instagram’s Impact On Young Users
Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn said they would launch a probe into Facebook Inc.’s internal research on the way its Instagram photo- and video-sharing service affects young users, prompted by a Wall Street Journal investigation that showed the company knew the app was harmful to some in that group. The Democratic chairman and ranking Republican on the Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security Subcommittee on Tuesday also said that they were in touch with someone they identified as “a Facebook whistleblower” and “will use every resource at our disposal to investigate what Facebook knew and when they knew it—including seeking further documents and pursuing witness testimony.” In the statement, the senators said, “The Wall Street Journal’s blockbuster reporting may only be the tip of the iceberg.” (Seetharaman, 9/14)
Bay Area News Group:
Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Theranos Used Workers' Blood
Theranos whistleblower Erika Cheung’s first inkling that the company’s technology fell short of founder Elizabeth Holmes’ claims arose because the startup used its workers’ blood to check how well tests performed, the former laboratory assistant testified Tuesday. “Employees would essentially donate their blood to Theranos for cash,” Cheung told jurors on the second day of Holmes criminal trial, without saying how much was paid. When Cheung’s blood was used to “validate” Vitamin D testing on Theranos machines, “it would always come up that I was deficient,” she testified. But her results didn’t show the same problem when her bloodwork was done on another company’s machines that Theranos kept upstairs to conduct tests its own machines couldn’t perform. (Baron, 9/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Theranos Gave Investors Rosy Picture Of Revenue, Witness Says
Theranos Inc. gave investors far rosier revenue projections than what the company’s finance staff expected, jurors heard Tuesday during the second day of witness testimony in Elizabeth Holmes’s criminal fraud trial. The testimony supported one of prosecutors’ key contentions: That Ms. Holmes deliberately lied to investors, business partners and patients to keep afloat a startup she said would change the world by testing for illnesses with just a few drops of blood. (Randazzo, Somerville and Weaver, 9/14)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Tri-City Medical Center Losing Its Baby Business To Palomar
A decision by North County’s largest community clinic to refer its expectant mothers to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido threatens the viability of labor and delivery services at Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, which had been providing the vast majority of such work for decades. Vista Community Clinic, a federally-qualified health center serving the region’s most needy patients, said in a statement Tuesday that it will make the shift starting Oct. 16. The move will reduce revenue at Tri-City and likely require longer trips for some to give birth. (Sisson, 9/14)
Los Angeles Times:
KNP Complex Fire Threatens Sequoias, Forces Evacuations
A pair of lightning-sparked fires raging in Sequoia National Park more than quintupled in 24 hours, burning ever closer to groves of the largest trees on Earth and forcing the evacuations of park employees and nearby residents. The Paradise and Colony fires — collectively called the KNP Complex — exploded to 5,861 acres by Tuesday afternoon, a leap of more than 4,800 acres from the day prior. Flames from the blaze, which has no containment, were lapping a little bit closer to dense areas of towering giant sequoia trees, according to Mark Ruggiero, a spokesperson for the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. (Seidman, 9/14)
NBC News:
Feds Announce New Limits On Chokeholds And 'No-Knock' Warrants, But Don't Ban Them
The Justice Department on Tuesday announced new limits on chokeholds and no-knock warrants, but stopped short of banning the controversial law enforcement tactics that critics say have led to unnecessary deaths. Under the new policy, the department's law enforcement components, including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service, are prohibited from using the tactics except when they believe doing so would save them from death or serious injury. (Dilanian, 9/14)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Is Close To Permanently Legalizing Takeout Cocktails And Parklet Drinking
The pandemic has changed many of the ways that restaurants and bars operate — in some cases, for the better, according to many owners. Bars have found previously untapped revenue streams by serving takeout drinks. City sidewalks are now dotted with parklets, producing an atmosphere that’s often compared to European street life. Those effects may soon become permanent, if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs two bills that aim to legitimize some of the alcohol-related rules that were instated temporarily during the pandemic. (Mobley, 9/14)
The Mercury News:
This Legal Ruling Has Big Implications For California Housing Crisis
A legal victory for housing advocates in the city of San Mateo could have far-reaching implications throughout California as the state continues to battle a major shortage of homes. In a sweeping show of support for the state’s ability to intervene in city planning decisions, an appeals court has sided with a developer attempting to build a 10-unit, four-story condo project — despite San Mateo officials’ claim that the development didn’t comply with their design standards. (Kendall, 9/14)
San Francisco Chronicle:
S.F. 'Safe' Parking Site At Candlestick Point Would Host 150 Homeless People Living In Vehicles
San Francisco wants to open a new secure site for 150 homeless individuals to park RVs and cars in Candlestick Point State Recreation Area to support a growing contingent of people sleeping in vehicles, especially in the city’s southeast. Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton introduced the plan, co-sponsored by Mayor London Breed, at Tuesday’s Board meeting in the wake of neighborhood complaints about homeless people parking their vehicles on the streets. (Moench, 9/14)