Leads:
- The San Francisco 49ers collapsed late in the NFC championship game yesterday and fell to then Los Angeles Rams, 20-to-17. The Rams will now have a rare advantage when they meet the Cincinnati Bengals for the Super Bowl February 13th -- home field. Los Angeles opened as a four-point favorite over the Bengals -- although betting on the Super Bowl is illegal in California.
- California State University trustees have strongly indicated that they will permanently drop SAT and ACT testing requirements for admission. The move would align the CSU system with the UC system, which dropped standardized exams. The recommendation to drop the tests came from a CSU admission advisory council and at a recent board meeting no one on the 12-member educational policy committee voiced opposition to the recommendation. The full board will vote on the proposal in March.
- Assembly members this afternoon will vote on Assembly Bill 1400, which that would eliminate private healthcare in California and replace it with a state-owned single payer system. If enacted, the changes would make California the only state in the nation with a single-payer health care system. The specifics of the system, Like financing, will be introduced in a separate bill in the coming months. A legislative analysis estimates the cost of single-payer could be between $314 billion and $391 billion each year. If no vote is reached today, the bill dies.
- California health officials say it appears the Omicron peak has passed. Dr Monica Gandi is an infectious disease expert at UCSF and says between vaccinations and natural immunity with so many people having had Omicron, that she says it's time to reduce the rules.
- The head of California's Employment Development Department Rita Saenz is leaving the job. An internal document confirms her resignation, and Governor Gavin Newsom appointing Nancy Farias to replace Saenz. Farias currently works as the EDD's chief deputy director of external affairs - she is set to be sworn in on Tuesday. Saenz took the director's chair in December 2020 with the expectation of
Links:
- Border patrol agents in Laredo, Texas who got into a heated exchange with Chief Raul Ortiz during Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas’ visit last week.
- The Federal Reserve is indicating it could start raising interest rates as soon as March. Market Watch has some insight on how to plan for the coming months.
- Joe Rogan shares his thoughts on the latest controversy with Spotify.
- Dr. Scott Gottlieb says Omicron immunity should be "backstop" against new variant.