California’s commute times are getting worse. See which city has the longest trip to work
From SacBee's PHILLIP REESE: "Commute times are rising in the vast majority of California cities, with workers statewide now averaging about a 30-minute trip each way, new census estimates show."
"In the Sacramento region, commute times rose the most in the semi-rural community of Galt, which also had the region’s longest commute times at about 33 minutes one way. Average one-way commute times rose by about 100 seconds in the city of Sacramento, to 25.6 minutes."
"Statewide, the average commute time has increased in about 265 of the top 300 California communities as ranked by the number of workers in those cities. The increase — which compares commute times measured between 2009-13 and then 2014-18 — was large enough to be statistically significant in about 195 of those cities."
Nine earthquakes in less than 24 hours hit California on Christmas eve, early morning
From the SacBee's CHARLES DUNCAN: "A series of earthquakes on Christmas Eve and before dawn Christmas morning hit around California, and a much bigger 6.3 quake shook off Vancouver."
"At least nine earthquakes in 24 hours reaching up to 3.2 magnitude shook California from the Los Angeles area north to Chico, the U.S. Geological Survey reports."
"The other quakes in the swarm ranged from 2.5 to 3.0 magnitude and stretched the length of the state, according to the USGS."
UCSF leads national research on ‘deprescribing’ patients taking too many meds
From the Chronicle's ERIN ALLDAY: "Here’s a familiar sight in many doctors’ offices after the holidays: Someone shows up with an older family member and dumps the contents of a paper bag filled with medications onto the exam table — drugs they’ve found in their parent’s or grandparent’s medicine cabinet during a Christmas visit."
"There may be 10 or more medications in that bag — blood pressure and diabetes meds, prescription pain pills and sleep aids, over-the-counter drugs for heartburn, constipation, headaches and allergies. Patients may have no idea what some of the pills are for, or when they started taking them."
"Polypharmacy is a widespread problem that’s gained national attention. But resolving it, a practice known as deprescribing, can be tricky."
Americans are retiring to Vietnam, for cheap healthcare and a decent living standard
From the LAT's RALPH JENNINGS: "When John Rockhold drew a low number, No. 12, in the 1971 draft lottery, his adolescence in the San Fernando Valley forever changed. Seeking to avoid the Army, he signed up for the Navy just after graduating from Granada Hills High School. As an enlisted petty officer, he spent months operating boats that dropped off SEALs at night along long and humid Vietnamese shorelines where American troops were trying to stop the communist north from taking over the south."
More than 58,000 U.S. service members died in the war, and since it ended in 1975, innumerable American veterans have returned to Vietnam, seeking understanding, forgiveness or reconciliation. Now some are coming for more mundane reasons: inexpensive housing, cheap healthcare and a rising standard of living."
"After his military career, Rockhold worked as a defense contractor, operating mostly in Africa. He first returned to Vietnam in 1992 to work on a program to help economic refugees. He settled in Vietnam in 1995, the same year the United States and Vietnam normalized relations. He married a Vietnamese woman in 2009."
Woman treated at UCSF for major injuries from skin cream, officials say
From ERIN ALLDAY, S.F Chronicle: "A Sacramento woman was seriously and permanently injured by using a skin-lightening cream from Mexico that was tainted with an extremely toxic form of mercury, public health officials say."
"Her case is the first poisoning with methylmercury — a chemical compound created when mercury reacts to certain bacteria in the environment — in the United States in 50 years, according to a team of doctors who treated her at UCSF. One other person also was exposed to methylmercury from the same skin cream, but her symptoms were much less severe."
"Though no other exposures have been reported, public health officials said the Sacramento case raises concerns that similarly tainted products could be entering the state."
Solar panels now required on new California homes. Why that’s so controversial in Sacramento
TONY BIZJAK, SacBee: "Pacific Gas & Electric, now notorious for wildfires, blackouts and bankruptcy, isn’t the only major Northern California utility suddenly facing criticism and an uncertain financial future."
"Sacramento County’s own electricity provider, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, finds itself heading into the new year locked in a fight with much of the state’s solar energy industry over a controversial new state policy that could dramatically alter residents’ relationships with their utility companies."
"The focus of the fight: Whether new houses in Sacramento and the rest of the state will automatically include solar panels on their roofs when constructed."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski ‘disturbed’ by McConnell’s vow of ‘total coordination’ with White House over impeachment
From WaPo's KATIE METTLER and DEANNA PAUL: "Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — a key potential Republican swing vote — told an Anchorage TV station that she was “disturbed” by the Senate majority leader’s statement last week that the verdict in President Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial was already determined."
"Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called the House’s case for impeachment “so darn weak” and said there was “zero chance” Trump would be removed from office. The majority leader also promised “total coordination” with the White House and Trump’s defense team."
"Murkowski told NBC affiliate KTUU that she believes there should be distance between the Senate, which will serve as the jury for Trump’s impeachment trial, and the White House. McConnell’s comments, she said, have “further confused the process.”
