Here's when Californians ages 12 and up can make appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine
Sac Bee, CATHIE ANDERSON: "The California Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that parents and guardians will be able to make appointments to get COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 12 to 15 as early as Thursday morning.
“California is ready to safely deliver vaccines to young people age 12 and over,” said Erica Pan, CDPH state epidemiologist. “Our statewide vaccine network has the capacity to administer at least 2.5 million doses a week, and we’ve seen it do more than that. There’s additional capacity with vaccines available at local pharmacies and the federally qualified health centers and other providers that receive vaccine directly from the federal government as well.”
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency, said leading scientists within the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Western Scientific Safety Review Workgroup are expected to sign off on use of the Pfizer vaccine in this age group Wednesday."
READ MORE VACCINE NEWS --- Here's where Bay Area teens will be able to get the COVID vaccine -- The Chronicle, CATHERINE HO; Hundreds in Orange County protest COVID vaccine passports: ‘You’re not going to brand us’ -- HAYLEY SMITH and PRISCELLA VEGA, LA Times
This is how California's water use has changed since the last drought
The Chronicle, YOOHYUN JUNG: "California is in a serious drought. The National Drought Mitigation Center’s drought monitor puts most of the state in extreme drought zones for the first time since 2015.
The latest instance of drought has once again put the state’s water use under the microscope to identify opportunities for conservation, a task that’s expected to become more challenging as the impacts of climate change intensify.
“We’re shifting toward a future where we’re going to be using water more judiciously and having to manage it in a way that still makes it more available during the drought,” said Ellen Hanak, director of the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center."
California DoJ to build racial justice bureau as reports of hate crimes climb
Sac Bee, ASHLEY WONG: "California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the launch of a new racial justice bureau among other initiatives to tackle hate crimes statewide in a press conference Tuesday morning.
The new California Department of Justice bureau plans to bring in six new attorneys as well as a supervising deputy attorney general. The bureau will assist community organizations fighting hate and work with law enforcement to identify best practices for investigating hate crimes.
“Taking on hate crimes will always be one of my top priorities as the people’s attorney,” Bonta said. “No part of California is immune to hate.”"
READ MORE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS --- Could this $36M Central Valley river restoration project help with Caifornia's droughts? -- The Chronicle, TARA DUGGAN
Who's getting a California stimulus check? Here's a look at who qualifies in Newsom plan
Sac Bee, ANDREW SHEELER: "Californians could be poised to receive the largest state tax rebate in American history.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced a $100 billion “California Comeback Plan” that includes stimulus checks for two-thirds of state residents.
If approved by the Legislature, it would result in checks of $600, $1,100 for families and $1,600 for undocumented immigrant families, going out to millions of Californians."
READ MORE NEWSOM STIMULUS DISPERSMENT NEWS --- More Californians would get new $600 stimulus checks from the state under Newsom plan -- Sac Bee, SOPHIA BOLLAG
Research, profits and the 'bubble baby' syndrome
Capitol Weekly, DAVID JENSEN: "Little Evangelina Padilla-Vaccaro is more than a poster girl for the $12 billion California stem cell agency.
She embodies a big bet by the agency that its efforts will conquer at least a few of the terrible diseases that are currently incurable.
In the case of Evie, as the eight-year-old is known, she was born with what has come to be described as the bubble baby syndrome, a rare genetic mutation that crippled her immune system to the point that she would have died if left untreated."
SF proposal would allow paramedics, not jiust police, to order mental health holds
The Chronicle, STEVE RUBENSTEIN: "Paramedics — not just police officers — could impose mental health holds on disturbed people in San Francisco under legislation introduced Tuesday.
The proposal by Supervisor Ahsha Safaí would give about three dozen paramedics the authority to order people they believe are experiencing a mental health crisis and are a danger to themselves or others to be held in confinement for up to 72 hours.
“It’s time to try something different,” Safaí said. “It’s heartbreaking to see people who need help sitting by themselves, talking to themselves, deteriorating. We have a mental health crisis on our streets and we need to show compassion.”"
No more masks/social distancing at work? How California could update COVID rules
Sac Bee, JEONG PARK: "California workers won’t have to physically distance themselves from each other at workplaces starting in August under a proposed update to the state COVID-19 safety rules.
The proposal, which would adjust California workplace regulations adopted in November, also specifies fully vaccinated workers will not have to wear face coverings when they are outdoors and don’t have COVID symptoms.
Workers will also not have to wear face coverings indoors if they and everyone around them in a room are fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms of the coronavirus."
Newsom wants to spend billions to fight homelessness in California. Here's the plan
Sac Bee, HANNAH WILEY: "California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Tuesday a proposal to spend $12 billion on affordable units and prevention services to help solve homelessness as part of his $100 billion COVID-19 economic recovery plan.
Newsom this week is touring the state to unveil elements of his budget proposal that’s due to the Legislature by Friday. Newsom announced on Monday that California should expect to see a $75 billion surplus this year, along with another $27 billion in federal aid.
That jaw-dropping number allows for historic investments in solving California’s most significant problems. The $12 billion investment is 10 times the amount California has spent on homelessness solutions in recent years. The money would help finance 46,000 new units to help get people off the streets and into shelter, Newsom said."
He was injured during BLM protests last spring. Now he's suing the LAPD and his uncle on the force
LA Times, FAITH E PINHO: "Asim Jamal Shakir Jr. could barely hear the chants over the din of sirens and helicopters from his downtown Los Angeles apartment one evening last May, as Black Lives Matter protesters marched through the streets following George Floyd’s death.
Putting away his video games, the 23-year-old went outside to find a line of Los Angeles police officers armed with projectile guns, pressing their way against a swarm of people. Within minutes, he said, police outnumbered protesters.
Shakir focused on the officers who looked like him, approaching every Black officer he saw and urging them to take off their uniforms and join his cause."
Female employee sues California prisons, alleging discrimination
Sac Bee, WES VENTEICHER: "One of the few female maintenance workers at a California prison is suing the corrections department, alleging her former boss repeatedly harassed and undermined her because of her gender.
Pam Payne, 59, of Elk Grove, said in a lawsuit filed Monday that former manager Phil Albee went to great lengths to make her work life miserable, jeopardizing workers’ safety and wasting money in the process.
Concord-based attorney Jon King said he filed a digital copy of Payne’s lawsuit against the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Sacramento County Superior Court on Monday."
MLB gives A's approval to explore moving to another market
The Chronicle, MATT KAWAHARA: "The A’s will begin to explore other markets for possible relocation at the instruction of Major League Baseball as they continue to pursue building a new waterfront ballpark in downtown Oakland, the team said Tuesday.
A new stadium has long been a priority for the A’s, who have proposed a 35,000-seat ballpark at the downtown Howard Terminal location and accompanying mixed-use development, a project with a total budget of $12 billion.
Opening the possibility for relocation could add urgency as the A’s have asked the Oakland City Council to vote on the proposal by July."
Biden struggles to respond to Israeli-Palestinian violence after Trump refused to criticize Israel
LA Times, TRACY WILKINSON: "After four years of President Trump’s refusal to condemn or even mildly critique any Israeli act, the Biden administration faces soaring Israeli-Palestinian violence equipped with fewer options to deescalate tensions than at any time in recent history.
Trump gave carte blanche to the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its right-wing nationalist supporters while sidelining and punishing the Palestinians.
That policy has diminished Washington’s ability to influence either side, at least for now, in part because the Palestinians are wary, and in part because after Trump, any pushback by President Biden will be seen in some circles as an attack on Israel."
