Among the people still reluctant to get vaccinated — and pushing against mandates — are firefighters, many of whom also respond to medical calls as paramedics and EMTs and have witnessed the ravages of the pandemic firsthand.
Politics
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California is losing a congressional seat. Which one it loses could help the GOP control the House
California will lose a House seat for the first time in its history because of sluggish population growth over the past decade. Which House seat evaporates will be the most important decision made by the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, created by voters 13 years ago.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Californians will vote multiple times in 2022 for the same U.S. Senate seat
New legislation will have the most immediate impact on Sen. Alex Padilla, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom after Kamala Harris left her Senate post to become vice president. Under the new law, Padilla must stand for election to serve out the months remaining on Harris’ term while also vying for his own six-year term in the job.
Posted inEducation
New generation of disabled UC students revives activism
A coalition is calling for the University of California to give disabled students more support and a say in pandemic-era learning plans. COVID-19 has sparked conversations about ableism and best practices for accommodating students, especially as campuses return to in-person classes.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Public health experts ‘flabbergasted’ that Biden still hasn’t picked an FDA chief
The Food and Drug Administration has been mired in controversies related to drug approvals and COVID-19 vaccines, all without a permanent leader. It’s a tough job in normal times, observers say, and at the moment might be the worst top job in Washington.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Self-defense classes help Asian senior citizens fight racist attacks
Violent attacks against older Asians in Oakland and San Francisco Chinatowns have left some senior citizens so fearful that they barely leave the house. “If somebody attacked me, I didn’t know what to do,” one said. “Now, I learned some things. I’m not scared anymore.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
And the winner in the California recall is? ‘None of the above’
While Larry Elder clearly led all replacement candidates in the California recall election, he finished far behind none of the above — by nearly 20% with votes still to be tallied. Millions left that question blank — exactly what Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats wanted.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California’s costly, confusing recall sparks an effort to rethink the rules
California lawmakers agreed to spend at least $276 million in the most recent state budget to cover the costs of the recall, but some elections officials have estimated the final tab will be closer to $300 million.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Arnold Schwarzenegger says voters were right to retain Newsom, calls GOP field ‘disastrous’
Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, who himself won office through a gubernatorial recall, says he’s glad Gov. Gavin Newsom wasn’t ousted, and that the Democrat “was very fortunate he had Larry Elder as the leading candidate on the other side.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Where could Larry Elder’s emergence as a Republican star lead: Politics, TV, radio
Larry Elder became a Republican star while running to replace Gavin Newsom as governor of California in Tuesday’s recall election. Where does he go from here?