November 18, 2021 Media Brief
Orange County
Voice of OC: OC health director publicly challenged by his bosses over no-bid contracts funded by feds
Orange County’s public health director, Dr. Clayton Chau, faced a rare public grilling session from his bosses this week – with one supervisor raising concerns about a lack of spending transparency and another saying Chau gave contradicting reasons for not seeking competitive bids for a multi-million-dollar contract.
OC Register: Contrary to popular belief, no great migration in pandemic
New figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau show that the proportion of people who moved over the past year fell to its lowest level in the 73 years that it has been tracked.
Daily Pilot: Costa Mesa looks to underused motels to help meet housing goals through Project Homekey
City officials dedicate $3.5 million to help acquire, rehabilitate, and convert two motels into permanent supportive housing complexes for at-risk and homeless individuals.
Voice of OC: Mission Viejo looks to redevelop golf course following controversial Stein Mart purchase
After residents raised various concerns, council members repeatedly emphasized during the Nov. 9 meeting that they have no intention of changing the building and would only consider renovating the YMCA site if the organization independently chooses to leave.
OC Register: Santa Ana to deliver $300 pre-paid cards to 20,000 households using stimulus money
The Revive Santa Ana initiative is financed by Santa Ana’s allocation of $128.3 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, meant to address some of the hardships created by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Associated Press: Gov. Newsom visits LA, Long Beach ports as focus shifts to supply chain fixes
California will have to fight for its share of the $17 billion included for ports and waterways in the infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed this week, Newsom said about will be a competitive grant process for those funds.
OC Register: CSUF supply chain professor: Rethink your holiday shopping
With demand from customers rising and the holidays just weeks away, companies have taken dramatic action. Target is now moving its containers at night and has increased its workforce. Walmart is diverting ships to less congested ports.
Labor
Associated Press: U.S. unemployment claims drop for 7th straight week to 268,000
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the seventh straight week to a pandemic low of 268,000. U.S. jobless claims dipped by 1,000 last week from the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
California
Associated Press: CVS to close hundreds of drug stores
The company said Thursday that it will close about 300 stores a year for the next three years, nearly a tenth of its roughly 10,000 retail locations. as it reduces store count density in some places.
Publication Date: November 18, 2021
