Millions in California coronavirus jobless benefits sent to out-of-state prisoners
ANITA CHABRIA, RICHARD WINTON and PATRICK MCGREEVY, LA Times: "In the latest revelation of potential criminal fraud involving California jobless benefits, an analysis has found that more than $42 million in claims went to out-of-state prison and jail inmates, giving more clarity to what officials now estimate could be $4 billion in scammed coronavirus relief funds.
A large number of Florida inmates, including a man sentenced to 20 years for second-degree murder, are among the thousands of out-of-state prisoners who have allegedly received California pandemic unemployment benefits, according to a December analysis commissioned by the state Employment Development Department and reviewed by The Times.
The analysis compared data on incarcerated individuals nationwide against nearly 10 million people on the state pandemic unemployment rolls, and found that the EDD approved more than 6,000 claims, totaling more than $42 million, involving individuals who were probably incarcerated elsewhere when they were paid by California."
The Chronicle's NORA MISHANEC: "The California Department of Public Health on Tuesday ordered counties with available intensive care capacity to accept transfer patients from overwhelmed regions, a stop-gap measure intended to relieve pressure on facilities buckling under the strain of the latest surge.
The new health order issued Tuesday night comes amid dwindling intensive care availability in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, where hospitals are straining under the influx of new coronavirus cases spurred by holiday gatherings. Both regions report 0% intensive care availability, according to state metrics for counting ICU beds.
“When hospitals are overwhelmed and overflowing, they are no longer able to provide the traditional standards of care we expect, but if health care resources are available elsewhere, we should ensure Californians can receive appropriate care,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, California’s director of public health, said in a statement."
Battered, California GOP struggles to maintain toehold
A.G. BLOCK, Capitol Weekly: "Consider the California Republican Party.
Or, what’s left of it.
Not long ago, California Republicans slugged it out with Democrats in competitive statewide campaigns and threw considerable weight into legislative policy debates. But today, after a quarter-century slide into irrelevancy and dogma, it’s reasonable to consider if the state party still has a pulse and if its future includes a revival. The California party faces obstacles far more challenging than its brethren in other parts of the country, so what might it take for Republicans again to influence California politics and policy?"
Newsom's budget has $4B in help for small businesses, green tech
Sac Bee's SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend an additional $4 billion in the next state budget to help struggling businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic and invest in green technology, he announced Tuesday.
Newsom will ask lawmakers to approve nearly $1 billion of that money immediately once they get back this month. Lawmakers are scheduled to return Monday after they delayed their start date due to the surge in COVID-19 cases across the state.
Newsom says he plans to ask the Legislature to allocate $575 million in grants for small businesses immediately to help them through the pandemic. That will build on $500 million that Newsom and lawmakers allocated for small business grants last year, which can provide up to $25,000 for businesses hurt by the COVID-19 restrictions."
Source of mysterious $500K donation to recall Newsom is revealed
The Chronicle's DUSTIN GARDINER: "An Orange County company that contributed $500,000 to the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom says its sole donor is a man who believes pandemic restrictions on indoor worship services violate religious freedom.
The donor is John Kruger, according to the firm, Prov. 3:9 LLC. In an email, the company’s manager, Thomas Liu, told The Chronicle that the firm is faith-based and funds charitable works “using the proceeds of its single member John Kruger.”
He gave no other details about Kruger but said, “Both Mr. Kruger and I believe that the governor’s executive actions prohibiting religious assembly and worship violated the constitutional rights of Californians to congregate and worship.”"
READ MORE about recall finance: This OC investor is the man backing Newsom recall effort with his money -- LARA KORTE, SacBee.
Here's why Sacramento's COVID vaccine rollout has been so slow
Sac Bee's TONY BIZJAK/ALEXANDRA YOON-HENDRICKS: "Cindy Mallory, a 71-year-old resident of the Pioneer House senior living facility in downtown Sacramento, finally got what she’s wanted more than anything this past month — a coronavirus vaccine shot.
“This is going to be the start to the end of this insanity,” the former Army nurse said Tuesday. “I feel privileged to be getting the vaccination. I have no desire to get this virus.”
So far, though, Mallory is among a tiny minority."
Airbnb is asking guests for new requirement before booking stays in California during pandemic
The Chronicle's GREGORY THOMAS: "Airbnb is imposing a new requirement on travelers throughout California to explain why they are booking rentals through the service during stay-at-home orders.
The move follows a five-day shutdown of new reservations in the Lake Tahoe area by the San Francisco company last week. Officials there had raised concerns about tourists booking short-term rentals through Airbnb and VRBO during the health crisis.
Both of the lodging marketplaces show dozens of Tahoe listings available to book for the coming weekend and beyond. VRBO has not introduced a similar requirement on its listings."
At least 2 California congressmen are objecting to Biden's victory. Will others join them?
Sac Bee's KATE IRBY/DAVID LIGHTMAN: "Republicans in both the House and Senate say they will object to certifying election results in certain swing states on Wednesday, attempting to deny President-elect Joe Biden’s election win — but California GOP House members are so far reluctant to say they’ll go along.
One, Rep. Tom McClintock, says he’ll oppose the effort, even though he was one of the 126 House Republicans who last month supported a lawsuit aimed at overturning the result.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, has signaled his support for debating certain states’ election results. His office did not respond to McClatchy’s questions on additional explanations for why he supports the plan to dispute state results led by Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Alabama, in the House."
These charts show just how extreme the rent declines in SF were in 2020
The Chronicle's KELLIE HWANG: "San Francisco’s housing rental market saw the most dramatic changes among all U.S. cities last year during the coronavirus pandemic, new data shows.
When the pandemic began in March, moving virtually halted across the country. But as job losses rose and workplaces went remote, people started leaving pricey big metro areas in favor of more affordable cities.
The country’s most expensive big city, San Francisco, was the most affected, with rental prices plummeting 26.7% since March, according to 2020 National Rent Report from rental listings website Apartment List. The current median two-bedroom rent is $2,305."
McClatchy names Colleen McCain Nelson as new Sac Bee, California editor
Sac Bee's STAFF: "Colleen McCain Nelson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, is The Sacramento Bee’s new executive editor and will also serve as the regional editor for California, where McClatchy operates five newsrooms.
Nelson, 46, is currently the national opinion editor for McClatchy, The Bee’s parent company, which operates in 30 markets across the country. She also is vice president and opinion editor for The Kansas City Star, and has extensive experience in covering national and local issues, as well as presidential campaigns and the White House.
“Colleen comes to this leadership role with deep and proven experience in creating powerful, mission-driven journalism that is essential to readers,” Kristin Roberts, McClatchy’s senior vice president for news, said in her announcement Tuesday."
Richmond sued over plan to develop site laden with pollutants
The Chronicle's BOB EGELKO: "Richmond’s approval of 4,000 housing units on a site polluted for decades by chemicals and other contaminants was challenged in a lawsuit Tuesday by environmental and community groups, who said the East Bay city ignored scientific evidence of dangers to residents.
The 86-acre project on the Zeneca site in south Richmond, just east of Marina Bay and west of Interstate 580, had been rejected in 2018 by the Richmond City Council, which called instead for a full cleanup of contaminated soil. But after the state Department of Toxic Substances Control opted in 2019 for a partial cleanup plan that included groundwater treatment and barriers to prevent escape of remaining soil pollution, the council voted 4-2 last month to approve the development.
Opponents said the purported cleanup plan would remove less than 2% of the contaminated soils. Because of the hazards, no schools, preschools, health care or senior care facilities will be allowed in the area, but “everyone who lives there will be at risk by living on a toxic site while the health and environmental impacts worsen as sea level rises,” the plaintiff organizations said in a statement."
Warnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority
AP: "Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Wednesday, becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the party's reach.
A pastor who spent the past 15 years leading the Atlanta church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, Warnock defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler. It was a stinging rebuke of outgoing President Donald Trump, who made one of his final trips in office to Georgia to rally his loyal base behind Loeffler and the Republican running for the other seat, David Perdue.
The focus now shifts to the second race between Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff. That contest was too early to call as votes were still being counted."