September 29, 2021 Media Brief
Orange County
Voice of OC: Millions in no-bid contracts delayed as OC Supervisor questions why there was no competition
The nearly $19 million in federal CDC-funded contracts were up for approval by county supervisors Tuesday, including one that drew conflict of interest questions about OC’s top health official, Dr. Clayton Chau.
Voice of OC: Toll road extension worries emerge as supervisors back new roads for 14,000 South OC homes
It comes as county supervisors – at the urging of Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, who represents South County – are now supporting three projects meant to address traffic issues from the new developments that are already partially built south and east of Ladera Ranch.
Voice of OC: San Clemente council members files police report on colleague after heated argument
San Clemente Councilman Steve Knoblock filed a police report on his colleague Gene James after a heated argument following Tuesday’s council meeting — alleging James put a hand on him. The argument came after Knoblock made a motion to strip James of his position as mayor pro-tem after James got into an argument with a sheriff deputy.
Voice of OC: Public anti-hate group could soon get a boost, track racism at greater level
The Orange County Human Relations Commission could be in line for a significant expansion of resources and funding — boosting its services and scope — to monitor and combat hatred in the county at possibly a greater scale and in new ways.
OC Register: Disneyland drops from 2nd to 11th in worldwide attendance rankings, report shows
The Magic Kingdom held onto the top spot worldwide in 2020, but the pandemic reshuffled the deck below with Disneyland falling from the second to the seventh most-visited Disney theme park in the world.
Labor
OC Register: Walmart stokes hiring rush with plan to add 150,000 jobs
Most of the jobs will be permanent and full-time positions, Walmart said in a statement Wednesday. The hiring goal comes on top of a plan the company announced a month ago to add 20,000 supply-chain workers. Walmart has one of the most aggressive anti-union policies in the U.S.
California
Bay Area News Group: Map: 1 of every 8 acres in California has burned in 10 years, and here are the state’s biggest fires
If it seems like wildfires in California are getting larger, they are. Nine of the state’s 10 largest wildfires since 1932, when modern records began, have occurred in the past decade. And amazingly, the eight largest have all burned since 2017.
Nation
CNN: YouTube is cracking down on anti-vax misinformation
The platform previously introduced a policy prohibiting misinformation related to the coronavirus during the pandemic, including about treatment and prevention. But it said Wednesday that misleading claims have spilled over into other areas of medicine.
Publication Date: September 29, 2021
