January 13, 2022 Media Brief
Orange County
Voice of OC: The County’s fourth COVID wave is threatening public services
Some workers at the county’s Social Services Agency – one of the county’s largest departments, which administers assistance programs for disabled, poor, and elderly residents – say there is indeed a problem. The story includes quotes from OCEA Gen. Mgr. Charles Barfield.
KCBS: Shipping issues causing delays of COVID-19 test results In Orange County
County Health officials said increased demand for testing and vaccines, sick employees and winter storms are causing delays throughout every step of the process. This story includes perspective from OC Supervisor Katrina Foley’s office and OCEA Asst. Gen. Mgr. Tim Steed.
Voice of OC: Classroom or online learning? Orange County debates how to teach students during Omnicron spike
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state public health officials have repeatedly said online learning isn’t going to be an option anytime soon. Instead, efforts have been made to get more testing and masks to school districts throughout the state, although the efforts to get tests to OC experienced delays.
Voice of OC: How did so much lead get into the ground in Santa Ana and what can be done about it?
Today, the national nonprofit environmental newsroom, Grist, is launching a series with collaboration from Voice of OC looking into the hidden history of how lead contaminated Santa Ana’s soil and the stark implications for community members and officials attempting to address the impacts today.
Voice of OC: Months before public vote, Anaheim politicians secretly decided to sell Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim politicians secretly conspired to sell off Angel Stadium to the team owner months before they told the public, according to a lawsuit’s opening brief filed Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court.
Labor
Bloomberg: Delta airlines’ pilot shortage prompts cuts to regional service
Delta Air Lines has trimmed regional flying by as much as 25% for the first half of this year because of a pilot shortage, a lingering effect for several carriers from the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
California
Sacramento Bee: California’s new workplace COVID rules take effect on Friday
The Department of Industrial Relations said in a statement that employers are free to offer self-read, self-administered COVID-19 tests in addition to the testing which must be offered under the proposed regulation.
Calmatters: EDD wants its unemployment money back. Some could owe $30,000 or more
The clawback program requires some 1.4 million people who got unemployment assistance to prove they were working or seeking work.
Nation
Associated Press: Supreme Court halts vaccine mandate that covered 80 million workers
At the same time, the court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate for most health care workers in the U.S. The court’s orders Thursday during a spike in coronavirus cases was a mixed bag for the administration’s efforts to boost the vaccination rate among Americans.
Publication Date: January 13, 2022
