Leads:
- California is monitoring the new COVID-19 variant called omicron. State public health officials say vaccines are still the best way to protect against serious illness caused by COVID-19 and its variants. The variant was first reported by South Africa and is said to be "a variant of concern." President Joe Biden issued travel restrictions to people who visited South Africa and its neighboring countries and regions. Those who have been in the area the last 14 days have to COVID test, quarantine for seven days even if negative, and isolate for ten days if COVID symptoms develop.
- Colleagues are remembering Kevin Nishita, the security guard who died while assigned to protect a news crew covering a story in Oakland. Before working as a security guard, Nishita was a sergeant for the Colma Police Department in San Mateo County. A $32,500 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or people who killed Nishita.
- Anne Rudin, the first woman to be elected mayor of Sacramento, died on Thanksgiving of complications of pneumonia, according to her family. She was 97. Rudin served as the president of both the League of Women Voters of Sacramento and the League of Women Voters of California.
- Police in Lakewood have arrested four suspects in the latest reported incident of a smash-and-grab theft in California. The theft occurred Friday night at a Home Depot when about ten people entered the store and made off with a haul of stolen tools. Four of the suspects -- which included two teenagers -- were arrested this weekend in a car matching the description of a car used in the flash mob theft Friday night. This latest theft comes amid a series of smash-and-grab thefts around the country.
Extra Links:
- Dr. Anthony Fauci shot back at Sen. Ted Cruz, who called for the Justice Department to prosecute Fauci for allegedly lying about funding gain-of-function research.
- Dr Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who first spotted the new Covid variant Omicron, says the patients seen so far have had "extremely mild symptoms" - but more time is needed before we know the seriousness of the disease for vulnerable people.
- Matthew McConaughey has decided to not run for Texas governor after all.