In California: Golden State surpasses New York in COVID-19 deaths
In California brings you top Golden State stories and commentary from across the Paste BN Network and beyond. Get it free, straight to your inbox. I'm Julie Makinen, California Editor for the USA Today Network, bringing you Thursday's headlines.
California surpasses New York as state with most total COVID-19 deaths
California has reported more COVID-19 deaths than any other state, the first time in 11 months that New York's toll hasn't been the worst.
Through Thursday afternoon, California had reported 45,506 deaths from COVID-19, Johns Hopkins University data shows, topping New York's 45,450 reported losses.
California has about twice as many residents as New York, but the spring 2020 onslaught of coronavirus wreaked havoc in New York, especially within New York City.
New York state had had the worst tally of deaths since March 19, when its 88 deaths topped that of Washington state.
On a per-person basis, New York's tally is far worse than California's. About 1 of every 868 Californians have died, compared to 1 in 428 people in New York, a Paste BN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. New Jersey has the worst rate of deaths, with 1 in 398 people reported dead of COVID-19. Other states where more than 1 in 500 people have died include Massachusetts, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Connecticut. Most states have reported at least 1 of every 1,000 people dead.
Meanwhile, in other COVID-19 related news, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is under scrutiny for attending his son's wedding and not following masking protocols, the L.A. Times reports.
The California Republican on Dec. 5 mockingly alluded on Facebook to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s widely criticized attendance at a party the month before at the exclusive French Laundry restaurant, a maskless gathering that drew accusations of hypocrisy and elitism. But hours after publishing his post, McCarthy attended his son Connor's wedding that afternoon at a venue in San Luis Obispo County. The event appeared to flout longstanding state COVID-19 rules that prohibit wedding receptions and require that masks be worn during wedding ceremonies.
Huge drug and weapons bust in Bay Area
Twenty pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of heroin, 500 grams of fentanyl, more than a dozen firearms, over $200,000 in cash and more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in one of the largest narcotics busts ever in the Bay Area, a sting known as Operation Burnt Orange.
U.S. Attorney David Anderson said Thursday 44 people of been charged with drug, weapons and conspiracy counts in the alleged Mexico-to-San Jose operation.
“I want to explain with 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine is. It’s approximately 80 million doses," said Daniel Como, special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, reported KCBS radio. Busts went down in Newark, Mountain View, San Jose, Santa Clara and San Mateo. The largest took place Jan. 27 in Sunnyvale, according to agents; 11 firearms and 572 pounds of meth were found.
Quick headlines: cocktails to go may become permanent, Britney wins a round, and troubling rainfall totals
- New bill seeks to allow to-go cocktails from California restaurants even after pandemic ends, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- Britney Spears’ battle to remove her father’s conservatorship over her estate continued Thursday as a judge denied her father's objections to how her conservatorship will be delegated, NBC reported.
- California's rainfall is at historic lows. That spells trouble for wildfires and farms, the Guardian says.
'Flying Nun House' can be yours for $729,000
The iconic “Flying Nun House,” which sits on a rocky hillside in the Southern California town of Apple Valley is for sale once again, the Victorville Daily Press reports. Constructed in 1966 by the late businesswoman Berneice Lynn, the historic home on Rimrock Road features a panoramic view of the Victor Valley, as well as a unique design that reminded onlookers of a classic TV show.
As such, decades ago, locals dubbed the home the “Flying Nun House” due to a roofline that resembles the nun’s hat worn by actress Sally Field in the "The Flying Nun" series that originally ran on ABC from 1967 to 1970.
Located on 1.57 acres, the 3,396-square-foot house is listed at $729,000 — $159,100 more than its listed price in 2018 — and features two bedrooms, 2½ baths and a host of upgrades, according to the sales agents.
Low kindergarten attendance creates first-grade problem
Did you know California is one of 32 states where kindergarten is optional? It’s an option that experts have increasingly come to disagree with. Children who skip kindergarten, they argue, arrive in first grade behind their peers in key areas like reading.
Thousands of California families chose to keep their children out of kindergarten this past year, opting instead for other in person programs or no school at all, CalMatters reports.
That means thousands — or potentially tens of thousands — more children than usual will be hitting first grade next school year without having been through kindergarten, putting even more stress on an already strained system.
In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: L.A. Times, CalMatters, KCBS. We'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with the latest headlines.