October 25, 2021 Media Brief
Orange County
Voice of OC: Can energy company afford to pay for oil spill clean-up and local business impacts?
Company officials declined last week to say whether it has enough coverage for all the spill costs. And in past disclosures to investors, Amplify Energy Co. has said it can’t promise its insurance would cover its liabilities.
OC Register: The ‘original’ COVID-19 is essentially gone
“It has been displaced. Elbowed out of the way by the newer, more competitive strains,” said Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist and demographer at UC Irvine who studies infectious diseases. No one can say with 100% certainty that it’s gone, however, he said.
Voice of OC: Cal State Fullerton hosts critical race theory panel amid heated national debate
Academics who are familiar with and teach the theory, say the heated debate has been driven by confusion and misinformation about what critical race theory actually is. Last week, Cal State Fullerton’s politics, administration & justice division hosted a panel discussion on critical race theory featuring people who teach it in an effort to clear up confusion.
OC Register: Housing for mentally ill homeless women draws heated Anaheim response
It seems ideal to Grandma’s House of Hope founder Je’Net Kreitner for a program her organization operates under a contract with the Orange County Health Care Agency to help women with what is described as severe and persistent mental illness. Except, homeowners who live near the two-story house oppose Kreitner’s plan.
Daily Pilot: Costa Mesa Council will look at extending citywide ban on short-term rentals Nov. 2
Officials passed an urgency ordinance in November, prohibiting home rentals for periods of less than 30 days. A proposal on the table could extend the moratorium by another year.
Labor
The One Brief: The Great Resignation – Retaining talent in a job-hopping world
Working remotely has shown many employees — and employers — that there is a broader range of job opportunities out there. Some workers, facing requirements that they return to the workplace, are simply opting out. Others — primarily women — were forced to leave to care for family. And there are some who are burned out and deciding to step away.
California
OC Register: California home prices 10% to 14% too high
California values in spring 2020 were seen by Fitch as “sustainable” and less than 5% overvalued. A 20% price surge in a year is a key reason for the elevated risk warning. Nationally, 11.7% of all homes had prices above economic fundamentals in the second quarter with 43 states overvalued.
Nation
Calmatters: Washington, we need every dollar of housing aid
Housing aid is threatened in Washington as the Build Back Better Act reconciliation package moves toward a vote. The original $327 billion housing portion is by far the largest and most needed investment in affordable housing in decades.
Publication Date: October 25, 2021
