Updating . .   

14 kids get wrong dose of vaccine at Sutter clinic -- Children 5 to 11 years old, the latest age group eligible to get the shots, are supposed to get a 10-microgram dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The children at the Antioch clinic who were given the incorrect dosage received a roughly 20-microgram dose. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/21

Do I have to lie to get a COVID-19 booster shot? No, and here’s why -- Eligibility questions have still thwarted people when trying to snag an appointment at major pharmacy chains. Others say the state’s own online platform is telling them they can’t get the shots. Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

California students can get vaccinated. When will the state let them take off their masks? -- California schools next month will wrap up their fourth semester amid the coronavirus pandemic. Children ages 5 to 11 soon will have to get vaccines to attend. Lara Korte in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Delta variant didn’t hit Placer County as hard as 2020’s winter surge, new data show -- The delta variant didn’t hit Placer County quite as hard as anticipated, new data show, falling short of the impacts of 2020’s winter COVID-19 surge. According to the county’s epidemiology report, cases and deaths peaked in August but showed signs of decline by September. Molly Sullivan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Mobile van offers COVID-19 vaccinations at San Diego Unified schools -- A UC San Diego van is offering free COVID-19 vaccinations to students, staff, families and community members at five San Diego Unified schools in the coming weeks as the school district aims to get more people vaccinated by its deadline next month. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/16/21

Pfizer asks US officials to OK promising COVID-19 pill -- Pfizer said Tuesday it is asking U.S. regulators to authorize its experimental pill for COVID-19, setting the stage for a likely launch of the promising therapy in the coming weeks. Matthew Perrone Associated Press -- 11/16/21

Biden administration to announce purchase of 10 million courses of Pfizer anti-covid pill -- The Biden administration is expected to announce this week that it is purchasing 10 million courses of Pfizer’s covid pill, a multibillion-dollar investment in a medication that officials hope will help change the trajectory of the pandemic by staving off many hospitalizations and deaths, according to two people with knowledge of the transaction. Tyler Pager and Laurie McGinley in the Washington Post$ -- 11/16/21

Policy and Politics  

Rep. Jackie Speier announces she won’t run for re-election -- The news comes amid mounting retirements among House Democrats, with many political analysts projecting the party could face steep losses in the 2022 midterm elections, including control of the House of Representatives. At least nine Democrats in the House have said they will retire from their positions rather than seek re-election next year. Summer Lin, Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Tal Kopan, Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ Amy B Wang in the Washington Post$ Guy Marzorati KQED Jennifer Haberkorn, Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Latino voting rights groups say proposed district maps don’t reflect California -- California Latino advocacy and voting rights groups are opposing the state’s preliminary redistricting maps, claiming the proposed lines do not reflect the state’s growing Latino population. Kim Bojórquez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Orange County hasn’t had a Latino supervisor in more than a decade. Will redistricting change that? -- Nearly a third of Orange County residents are Latino, but the powerful Board of Supervisors has not had a Latino member in 15 years. One reason is the way the district boundaries have been drawn. An east-west line divides Santa Ana and heavily Latino sections of Anaheim into two different districts. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Workplace   

Kaiser faces huge hit in Northern California as 60,000+ workers plan strike Thursday, Friday -- You’ve probably read reports that Kaiser Permanente averted a major strike in California. While that’s true, it won’t feel like it on Thursday and Friday when more than 60,000 nurses, psychologists and other health care workers walk off the job all around Northern California. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

UC lecturers will strike Wednesday, halting instruction for thousands of students -- The lecturer union and UC have made some progress in their multi-year impasse over a new contract, but many issues remain unsolved. This week’s planned strike is over various alleged UC unfair labor practices. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 11/16/21

How your employer can keep track of your work at home -- Employers say they’re tracking workers’ activity mainly for two reasons: to promote security and to boost productivity. What monitoring tools they use and how aggressively they use them vary widely. But the practice has alarmed unions and privacy advocates. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Will California labor shortage lift warehouse union drive? Dollar General workers call for vote -- More than 40 workers at a Dollar General warehouse in West Sacramento could be among the first in the company to join a union, representing a significant milestone in organizing one of the biggest employers and industries in the country. Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Staying Afloat  

‘Everything’s skyrocketing’: Record-high California gas prices add to holiday sticker shock -- Brian Sproule squinted against the sun on Monday as he examined the price board at a Chevron station in downtown Los Angeles, where a regular gallon of gas was $6.05. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

CalPERS   

Many California public employees to pay more for pensions as CalPERS lowers earnings target -- Public employees in California will bear the brunt of an investment policy change the CalPERS board made Monday, contributing more toward their pensions while their employers enjoy a short-term reprieve thanks to last year’s stock market boom. Wes Venteicher in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Gas   

As California gas prices rise, here’s what you can expect for Thanksgiving week travel -- As California average gas prices hit record highs, Thanksgiving travel is expected to surpass last year — bringing it within 5% of pre-pandemic levels. Brianna Taylor in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Facebook  

Facebook struggled with disinformation targeted at Latinos, leaked documents show -- It was October 2020, election conspiracy theories threatened to pull America apart at its seams, and Jessica González was trying to get one of the most powerful companies in the world to listen to her. It wasn’t going well. Brian Contreras, Maloy Moore in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Street  

Police seized laptops, camera as they searched former Windsor mayor's home for photos of women in sexual assault probe -- Details have emerged of what was taken from former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli’s home during a raid by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office last week, according to a partially sealed search warrant. Julie Johnson, Alexandria Bordas, Cynthia Dizikes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/21

Sheriff Villanueva says he ‘encouraged’ destruction of Kobe Bryant crash scene photos -- Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told attorneys for Vanessa Bryant under oath that he encouraged deputies to delete photos taken at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, the couple’s 13-year-old daughter and seven others, a court filing obtained Tuesday shows. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 11/16/21

Jurors find California man guilty of 2017 murder that prosecutor says was over presidential election -- A Corona man was convicted of murder this week for shooting to death a woman inside her North Long Beach home in January 2017 after a dispute a prosecutor said centered on who he voted for in the 2016 presidential election. Jurors found that John Kevin McVoy, Jr., 40, intentionally used a firearm in the killing of 33-year-old Susan Garcia, Deputy District Attorney Irene Lee said. Nathaniel Percy in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/16/21

ACLU sues Sacramento sheriff over ‘illegal’ transfer of inmates to immigration authorities -- The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, alleging his office skirts state law by using secretive policies to transfer immigrants from his jails to federal immigration authorities. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Husband and wife fugitives who helped run $18-million COVID relief fraud ring get years in prison -- When convicted Tarzana swindlers Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian sliced off their electronic monitoring bracelets and vanished in August, the couple left a note for the three teenage children they abandoned. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Also . . .   

Born Black and poor in Stockton, he was mayor by 26. Michael Tubbs’ memoir tells the tale -- When Tubbs was 6, his father was sentenced to at least 32 years in prison for kidnapping, robbery and a drug violation. His mother, Racole Dixon, was 23. She raised him with help from Tubbs’ aunt and grandmother — his “three mothers.” They lived in poverty, and he knew the odds were stacked against him. Dorany Pineda in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

California Policy and Politics Tuesday Morning  

70% of Californians have gotten at least one COVID vaccine dose -- Seven out of 10 Californians have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, a promising milestone that comes as state officials continue to urge more residents to roll up their sleeves for the first, second or even third time to ward off a feared coronavirus resurgence over the winter. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

California wants all adults to get booster shots. Here's why making an appointment is a challenge -- Health officials in California want everyone 18 and older to get COVID-19 booster shots ahead of the holiday season. But there is still widespread confusion about who can book an appointment and how. Aidin Vaziri, Kellie Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/21

'I want to take them to an indoor movie' - but shots still months away for littlest kids -- For Angelica LaCour, getting her 3-year-old vaccinated against the coronavirus in April made it possible to take her on touristy day trips around the Bay Area, on a flight to Hawaii, and even to see “Hamilton,” where the toddler knew every word to every song. LaCour’s daughter, Eloise, as a participant in a vaccine research trial at Stanford, got a leg up on young peers not yet eligible for shots. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/21

Southern California families participate in school walkouts to protest vaccine mandates -- Several gatherings included shoe displays to represent the number of families willing to pull their kids out of school, or employees prepared to quit, if COVID-19 vaccine requirements go into effect, organizers said. Linh Tat, Allyson Escobar and Susan Christian Goulding in the Orange County Register -- 11/16/21

Where will the next pandemic begin? The Amazon rainforest offers troubling clues -- From palm oil cultivation in Malaysia to mining in Africa or cattle ranching in Brazil, as people demolish forest, they not only accelerate global warming but also dramatically increase their risk of exposure to disease. Lurking in mammals and birds are about 1.6 million viruses, some of which will be deadly when they leap to humans. Kate Linthicum, Emily Baumgaertner, Ana Ionova, Luis Sinco in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Infrastructure

$1.2 trillion infrastructure bill could supercharge San Diego’s envisioned rail expansion -- Over the past three years, top transportation officials for the region have drafted a $160 billion blueprint that would, among other things, expand transit, improve cross-border goods movement and relocate train tracks threatened by coastal erosion. Joshua Emerson Smith in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/16/21

OC mayors eager for the projects the new federal infrastructure bill could fund -- Orange County mayors on Monday gathered in front of Irvine City Hall to laud the passage of the $1.2 trillion federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and discuss where their city’s portion of the funding could be spent over the five years of the program. Lou Ponsi in the Orange County Register -- 11/16/21

Bipartisan infrastructure bill passes: Here's what California will get -- Billions of dollars will be poured into California's roads, pipes and wires, among other infrastructure projects, after President Joe Biden signed the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Tuesday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris at his side. Joshua Bote in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/16/21

Policy and Politics  

Recall effort against Councilman Kevin de León is withdrawn -- A petition for the recall of Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León was terminated at the request of its leading proponent, but the effort could begin anew in January. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Walters: How long will Newsom govern by decree? -- Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom extended two of his pandemic decrees until March 31, indicating that he has no present intention of withdrawing the emergency declaration he issued 20 months ago. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 11/16/21

CalPERS  

Retirement Fund Giant Calpers Votes to Use Leverage, More Alternative Assets -- The board of the nation’s largest pension fund voted Monday to use borrowed money and alternative assets to meet its investment-return target, even after lowering that target just a few months ago. Heather Gillers in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/16/21

Workplace   

Looking for work? What Biden’s infrastructure bill could mean for California job seekers -- California could see hundreds of thousands of highway and transit-related jobs over the next five years because of the new federal infrastructure plan President Joe Biden signed on Monday. David Lightman and Jeong Park in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Street  

Trans woman beaten after being jailed with men, lawsuit against San Diego Sheriff’s Department alleges -- San Diego sheriff’s deputies placed a transgender woman into a cell with three men, one of whom beat her so severely that her jaw was fractured, according to a new lawsuit filed against the Sheriff’s Department. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/16/21

Colton paying family of man killed by police $5.4 million, attorney says -- The city of Colton has agreed to pay $5.4 million to the family of an unarmed man who was shot to death by police in 2016 after the driver of the stolen vehicle in which he was riding crashed into a patrol car at the end of a pursuit. Brian Rokos in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 11/16/21

Vanessa Bryant must turn over therapy records in Kobe crash case, judge rules -- Vanessa Bryant must turn over her therapy records to Los Angeles County in her lawsuit claiming she suffered severe emotional distress after learning that deputies and firefighters had shared images of a helicopter crash scene where her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter died. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Homeless  

He’s no Dr. Drew, but Andy Bales could shake up L.A.’s homeless advocacy establishment -- After her first nominee of a celebrity doctor was met with fierce moral outrage, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is trying again to bring a contrarian voice to the 10-member Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority commission. This time, it might actually work. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Chris Nichols Capital Public Radio -- 11/16/21

Sacramento mayor proposes city clear homeless camps where campers offered 2 types of shelter -- The proposed ordinance, which the City Council will discuss Tuesday, is called “a right to housing with a parallel obligation to accept it.” Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/16/21

Housing  

New incentives for landlords could help low-income renters in San Joaquin County -- Affordable housing is not easy to find in San Joaquin County, but new incentives for landlords could help low-income renters. The incentives range from guaranteed rental income to paying bonuses for leasing. Rich Ibarra Capital Public Radio -- 11/16/21

Oakland will send monthly payments to landlords of residents at risk of losing housing -- Oakland is starting an experiment to send monthly payments to the landlords of 200 struggling households at-risk of losing their housing with the hope of keeping them out of homelessness. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/21

Inside the quest to rewrite racist housing laws in a Silicon Valley town where homes go for $3 million -- When Sonoo Thadaney-Israni and her husband signed the paperwork for their home in the hills above Silicon Valley in 1991, they were assured that the red flag in the fine print didn’t really matter. Lauren Hepler in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/21

Education  

University of California braces for disruptions as lecturers plan 2-day strike this week -- More than 6,000 University of California lecturers plan to walk off the job at nine UC campuses Wednesday and Thursday, a move that will leave thousands of students across the state with empty classrooms during much of the strike. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/16/21

School board in Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified will consider ban on critical race theory -- A concept developed by legal scholars that examines racism as systemic in America’s institutions, critical race theory is typically taught at the graduate level and to some law students, not in K-12 schools. In the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, curriculum on the theory doesn’t exist and schools aren’t teaching it, spokeswoman Alyssa Griffiths said. Tess Sheets in the Orange County Register -- 11/16/21

California community college system urged to do more to help students complete college -- Amid declining enrollment, California’s community colleges should do more to help students in the system stay enrolled once they get there and complete their college goals, faculty and members of the statewide board of governors said Monday. Michael Burke EdSource -- 11/16/21

A Bay Area school district's plan to reduce violence through nonviolent means -- West Contra Costa Unified is looking at the sources of conflict and misbehavior on campus, then teaching students the social and emotional skills they may need to avoid violence. Ali Tadayon EdSource -- 11/16/21

Develop  

Miranda: Way better than a parking lot: Smart reuse revives Julia Morgan’s Herald Examiner building -- For historic architecture in Los Angeles, death can come in one of various ways: fire, earthquake or slow decay ... followed by redevelopment schemes that involve bland luxury condos. But none is quite as ignoble as being razed to make way for a parking lot. Carolina A. Miranda in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Climate  

'A Blueprint for Other Cities': Richmond Bans Coal Storage by 2027 -- The settlement, reached Friday, gives the companies until Dec. 31, 2026, to end the storage and handling of coal at the facility. During that period the companies must follow enhanced dust control measures. The City Council must approve the settlement by next February for its provisions to take effect. Kathleen Ronayne Associated Press -- 11/16/21

Environment  

Rare Sierra Nevada red foxes survive massive Dixie fire that burned habitat -- There might be something to the adage “clever as a fox.” When the monstrous Dixie fire scorched a northeastern California expanse that the elusive Sierra Nevada red fox calls home, wildlife officials were worried. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Also . . .   

Wheelchair users can face hefty costs not covered by insurance -- Beth Smith dreads the day when her wheelchair finally gives out. The aging chair has functioned as an extension of her body for roughly a decade, ferrying the 62-year-old to the transit station near her Albany, Calif., home; to the office where she works; and to medical appointments and other errands. When things break, she and her partner have tried to make cheap fixes with duct tape and screws. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Getting takeout? You have to ask for plastic utensils and napkins in L.A. now -- A line of takeout orders sat near the kitchen Monday afternoon at Langer’s Deli. Customers and food delivery drivers streamed in and out an hour before closing, grabbing bags in a rush. Some may not have realized that their takeout sacks no longer included plastic utensils or paper napkins. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/16/21

Amazon Fresh to unveil ‘Just Walk Out’ technology in Cerritos – a first for California -- The technology, at the Amazon Fresh store at 11340 South St. in Cerritos, will allow shoppers to enter the store, grab what they need and leave without going through a checkout line or self-serve kiosk. Kevin Smith in the Orange County Register -- 11/16/21