PALM SPRINGS — Four Palm Springs police officers were placed on quarantine for 10 days after being exposed to COVID-19 by a man who spit on them while being detained. The four responded Saturday night to a report of a man throwing things at vehicles, running in and out of...
Just 1% of Californians Immunized Amid Slow Vaccine Rollout
SACRAMENTO — Distribution hiccups and logistical challenges have slowed the initial coronavirus vaccine rollout in California, setting a pace that’s “not good enough,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said. The state is trying to execute the massive immunization campaign “with a sense of urgency that is required of this moment and the...
Even More Contagious? Here’s What You Need to Know About the Mutating Virus Now in California
As California continues to ride its worst wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials have more unsettling news: Six cases of a worrisome, potentially more infectious new coronavirus variant have been detected in California. The new strain, first detected in the United Kingdom, also has been seen in Colorado...
Virus Spreading Quickly Within Households, Los Angeles Mayor Says
The pandemic is getting worse in Los Angeles as the coronavirus spreads rapidly within households and Californians let their guard down, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said Sunday that the nation's most populous county is recording a new COVID-19 case every six seconds. Garcetti said on the CBS program...
COVID-19 Dominates Annual List of Banished Words, Terms
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — Even as vaccines are being rolled out to battle the coronavirus, wordsmiths at Lake Superior State University in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula say they want to kick any trace of it from the English language. “COVID-19” and “social distancing” are thrown in with “we’re all in...
California Is Third State to Pass 25,000 Coronavirus Deaths
LOS ANGELES — California on Thursday surpassed 25,000 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic, the third state to do so after New York and Texas, health officials said. The grim milestone comes as the nation's most populated state faces a surge of COVID-19 infections that has hospitals stretched...
Race to Vaccinate Millions in Us off to Slow, Messy Start
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Terry Beth Hadler was so eager to get a lifesaving COVID-19 vaccination that the 69-year-old piano teacher stood in line overnight in a parking lot with hundreds of other senior citizens. She wouldn't do it again. Hadler said that she waited 14 hours and that a brawl...
Virus Aid, Police Reform Dominate New US Laws for 2021
Responses to the coronavirus pandemic and police brutality dominated legislative sessions in 2020, leading to scores of new laws that will take effect in the new year. Virus-related laws include those offering help to essential workers, boosting unemployment benefits and requiring time off for sick employees. A resolution in Alabama...
After a Year Like This, Expect a Strange New Year’s Eve
NEW YORK — If ever a year's end seemed like cause for celebration, 2020 might be it. Yet the coronavirus scourge that dominated the year is also looming over New Year's festivities and forcing officials worldwide to tone them down. From New York's Times Square to Sydney Harbor, big public blowouts are...
Raising Backyard Chickens Grows in Popularity During Pandemic
ROSS, Calif. — The coronavirus pandemic is coming home to roost in America’s backyards. Forced to hunker down at home, more people are setting up coops and raising their own chickens, which provide an earthy hobby, animal companionship and a steady supply of fresh eggs. Amateur chicken-keeping has been growing...