In California: People ages 16-64 with ailments, disabilities can get vaccine in March
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 Friday's headlines.
But first, don't forget Sunday is Valentine's Day. If scaring your significant other is your style (weird, IMHO), a business in Turlock will bring spooky clowns right to your loved one's door. ABC7 News reports that Ranch of Horror has clowns "on standby 365 days a year. Heather May, marketing coordinator for the ranch, called it a "good social distancing gift" because the clowns ring the doorbell and scare the recipient through the doorbell cam and then leave the gifts at the door.
To my honey, if you're reading this: Don't get me this! But I'm sure you already knew that...
In other news...
State will open vaccine to individuals with disabilities, underlying conditions in March
California has given the green light to COVID-19 vaccine providers to offer shots to residents age 16 to 64 with developmental disabilities or severe underlying health conditions, starting March 15, The Desert Sun reports.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's health and human services secretary, announced the change on a call with reporters Friday afternoon. The move comes after outcry from disability advocates, who were dismayed last month when California abruptly pivoted to age as the primary eligibility criteria to simplify and speed up a widely criticized and chaotic vaccine rollout.
Ghaly said the change would not be made until next month to allow enough time to plan for the new rollout and due to continued scarcity of the vaccines. "Equity is front of mind," Ghaly said.
Some of the severe health conditions listed by the state in an advisory for providers include:
- Cancer, current with debilitated or immunocompromised state
- Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above
- Chronic pulmonary disease, oxygen dependent
- Down syndrome
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (excludes hypertension)
- Severe obesity (body mass index ≥ 40 kg/m2)
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%
But in a discouraging sign, Los Angeles sites ran out of COVID-19 vaccine early and were forced to close, the L.A. Times reports.
Republican National Committee funds Newsom recall effort
After sitting on the sidelines, national Republicans are jumping into the effort to recall Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The Republican National Committee is pumping $250,000 into the recall campaign, Politico reports, launching a digital and text program encouraging Californians to sign a petition that could qualify the recall for a vote this year.
The national party had heretofore stayed out of the recall effort. Two state-based groups that have been helping to lead the push, the California Patriot Coalition and Rescue California, say they have more than 1.5 million signatures.
Organizers must submit 1.5 million valid signatures to the secretary of state by March 17 to qualify the recall for the ballot. But because election officials inevitably deem some invalid, they will need to collect more.
And end to 'wait in Mexico'?
Border officials are set next week to start processing asylum seekers in California and Texas who were forced back across the border under a controversial Trump-era policy that President Biden pledged to end, advocates and officials told the L.A. Times.
U.S. officials will begin next Friday allowing in and processing immigrants at ports of entry in San Ysidro, Calif., and El Paso and Brownsville, Texas, who were subjected to the “Remain in Mexico” policy, shelter directors and United Nations officials told The Times.
California's first cathedral struggling to hold on
Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, the first cathedral in California and once the tallest building in San Francisco, is struggling for survival, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Two priests have been let go. A pair of church vehicles were sold. About 20 lay staff have been terminated. It’s all the Rev. John Ardis can do to keep the lights on. The outlook is bleak.
Dying Inside: Why some California jails see more deaths than others
Every three days, a Californian dies in the custody of a county jail. In certain counties, it happens more often than others. After finding disparities among death rates in jail custody, Redding Record Searchlight reporter Matt Brannon examined state and local data while interviewing officials, advocates and outside experts.
The reporting led to insights about the shortcomings of jail operations locally and across the state. It highlighted issues that experts say drive jail deaths, and emphasized approaches some jails are taking to improve.
Brannon, who covers criminal justice for the newspaper, focused on 3 issues:
- Why are more deaths happening at the Shasta County Jail?
- Analysis reveals disparities among death rates in California county jails
- With jail deaths on the rise, California counties look to improve
In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: L.A. Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Politico, ABC7 News. We'll pause for President's Day on Monday and be back in your inbox Tuesday with the latest headlines.