Month: December 2020

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the health and human services department. If confirmed by the Senate, the 62-year-old Becerra will be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra has been one of the most outspokem opponents of the Trump administration having sponsored a wave of legal actions challenging environmental, immigration and Census policies.

Becerra would take on a crucial role in the Biden administration, leading its response to the coronavirus pandemic. As California’s attorney general, Becerra has led the coalition of Democratic states defending “Obamacare” from the Trump administration’s latest effort to overturn it, a legal case awaiting a Supreme Court decision next year.

The Department of Health and Human Services is a $1-trillion-plus agency with 80,000 employees and a portfolio that includes drugs and vaccines, leading-edge medical research and health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans.

Biden will pick California A.G. Xavier Becerra to lead Health and Human Services

Via www.nbcnews.com

The incoming administration has tried to elevate more diverse candidates to front-line positions.

12/06/2020 6:28 PM

 

Editorial credit: Chris Allan / Shutterstock.com

On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a new regional stay-at-home order, this coming just days after he said that most of the state’s intensive care beds could be over capacity within weeks amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

The order will be applied regionally, and will require bars, wineries, hair salons and other nonessential businesses across five areas to close for three weeks once the region’s intensive care capacity falls below 15 percent. Statewide travel will also be temporarily halted, but schools will remain open and the Governor encouraged people to visit parks and exercise. Restaurants can continue to serve takeout and delivery, he said.

Newsom said the effects of Thanksgiving travel and celebrations still haven’t been felt, and that residents should expect a “surge on top of a surge” in cases within weeks. “We really need to step up,” he said. “We need to do everything we can to stem the tide.”

California to impose regional stay-at-home orders amid virus surge

Via www.cbsnews.com

“We are pulling that emergency brake,” Newsom said Thursday.

12/03/2020 5:21 PM

 

Editorial credit: Lando Aviles / Shutterstock.com

A wind-driven brush fire in Orange County, CA forced mandatory evacuations in the area as it burned through 7,200 acres by Thursday afternoon– and officials expect the fires to continue to burn through the weekend.

Dubbed the ‘Bond Fire,’ the wildfire began Wednesday night as a structure fire in the 29000 block of Silverado Canyon Drive, before strong winds pushed the blaze into nearby brush, which spread into the hills. Orange County Fire Authority tweeted video footage of firefighters battling the blaze from the air with an update showing it had grown from 3,643 acres in the morning to 7,200 acres with 0% contained.

The Bond Fire has prompted mandatory evacuations in Silverado Canyon, Williams Canyon, Modjeska Canyon, Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills. 

Southern California wildfire burning out of control — and will for days to come

Via www.nbcnews.com

Flames spread from a house to nearby vegetation, touching off a massive, wind-whipped wildfire…

12/03/2020 3:40 PM

 

Editorial credit: Alex Gakos / Shutterstock.com

The CDC announced new quarantine guidelines for people who were exposed to coronavirus, reducing the length of time from 14 days to 10 days without symptoms or seven days with no symptoms and a negative test. Officials said the shorter time period is intended to encourage more people to quarantine. 

CDC’s COVID-19 Incident Manager, Dr. Henry Walke, told reporters on a call Wednesday that “Reducing the length of quarantine may encourage more people to do so, especially when they may not be able to work during quarantine time.” He said the agency still recommends 14 days, but is now offering two “acceptable alternative quarantine periods.”  According to Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer for the CDC, when quarantine is reduced to 10 days, the “residual risk” of someone exposing someone else after leaving quarantine is only about 1%.

The CDC still advises against unnecessary travel, especially during the winter holiday season when people are together inside more often and virus transmission increases. “The CDC recommends staying home and not travel,” Walke said. “If you do travel, get tested 1-3 days before travel and 3-5 after, and minimize any movement between times.”

U.S. CDC shortens COVID-19 quarantine period

Via www.reuters.com

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday said that it was adding…

12/02/2020 3:21 PM

 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer announced their support behind a $908 billion pandemic relief bill, seeking to end months of deadlock in congress. The $908 billion measure calls for $288 billion in small-business support and $180 billion for extended unemployment insurance, among other fiscal appropriations.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, Pelosi and Schumer backed the plan introduced Tuesday by a group of bipartisan lawmakers “While we made a new offer to [Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell] and [House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy] on Monday, in the spirit of compromise we believe the bipartisan framework. introduced by senators yesterday should be used as the basis for immediate partisan, bicameral negotiations,” they wrote.  In their statement, Pelosi and Schumer also cited surging coronavirus cases and hospitalizations as they called for urgency in passing the bill.

Pelosi, Schumer back bipartisan $908B pandemic relief proposal as basis for talks

Via abcnews.go.com

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are backing a new $908…

12/02/2020 5:32 PM

 

Editorial credit: Michael Candelori / Shutterstock.com