In California: Vaccines for everyone 16+ by mid-April. And USC to pay $1B to settle sex abuse suits
Julie MakinenIn California brings you top Golden State stories and commentary from across the USA TODAY Network and beyond. Get it free, straight to your inbox. I'm Julie Makinen, California editor for the USA Today Network, bringing you Thursday's key headlines.
But first, a provocative question: Over 15.8 million square feet of office space — more space than 11 Salesforce Towers — are listed for lease or sublease in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the city still faces a huge housing shortage. So, why not turn empty office spaces into housing? Read this San Francisco Chronicle piece to find out if it's possible.
No joke: Vaccines for people over 50 start April 1
California will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to people age 50 and older on April 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. People age 16 and older will be able to get their shots beginning April 15.
"In just a few weeks, there will be no rules, no limitations in the ability to get a vaccine," Newsom said while speaking at a vaccination site in Orange County. He also said providers now have flexibility to vaccinate family members accompanying those who are currently eligible, regardless of age or preexisting condition.
Key stat: The rate of infection for households making less than $40,000 per year is 84% higher than that of households with an income of $120,000 or more, according to the governor's office. The state's wealthiest residents have received 50% more vaccinations compared to vulnerable populations, his office said.
Newsom had previously set May 1 as the date all Californians age 16 and older would be eligible for a vaccine. States across the nation have been opening up eligibility as vaccine supplies have increased. Florida announced Thursday it will open eligibility to anyone 18 and older on April 5, while New York earlier this week expanded eligibility to anyone age 50 and up.
Meanwhile,the L.A. Times is out with a deep dive on Curative, a tiny start-up run by a 25-year-old. The pandemic turned the company into a testing giant, and it reaped millions of dollars from L.A. and other governments. But can its results be trusted?
USC to pay over $1B to settle sex abuse suits
It's the largest sex abuse payout in higher education history: USC has agreed to pay more than $1.1 billion to former patients of campus gynecologist George Tyndall, a case exposed by investigative journalists at the L.A. Times.
The huge sum was revealed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court as lawyers for a final group of 710 women suing the university told a judge they had settled their claims for $852 million.
USC previously agreed to pay thousands of other alumnae and students $215 million in a 2018 federal class-action settlement. A group of about 50 other cases were settled for an amount that has not been made public.
High court: Judges must way arrestee's ability to pay when setting bail
In a landmark opinion, California's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that judges must consider an arrestee’s ability to pay when setting bail and must enforce a higher standard for jailing someone before trial on public-safety grounds, The Mercury News reported.
The unanimous ruling seeks to ensure that no one is kept behind bars awaiting trial only because they can’t afford to post bond. And it scales back the role of money bail in deciding who gets out of jail by directing judges to more widely consider non-cash conditions, such as ankle bracelets and drug treatment.
The decision was hailed by civil-rights advocates and criminal-justice reformers. Thursday’s decision does not abolish the cash-bail system altogether. But Jeffrey Clayton, executive director of the American Bail Coalition, said the ruling would likely mean fewer defendants will have to post bail and those who do would be required to put up less money.
The Chief Probation Officers of California, whose members stand to see a significantly increased workload as the guardians of pretrial monitoring and supervision for the vast majority of state trial courts, said Thursday it was up to the task. David Ball, a Santa Clara University law professor who specializes in criminal procedure, called the ruling “a gigantic momentous decision.”
Travel news
- A Southwest pilot went on an expletive-laden rant against the Bay Area. Check out the story at SF Gate.
- Speaking of Southwest, the airline is launching Vegas to Palm Springs service in May.
- Burning Man has changed the name of its still-iffy 2021 event. Read why in the Reno Gazette Journal.
TikTok has ideas on where to book your next vacation house, including places in Santa Barbara, San Diego and Alpine, Travel +Leisure reports.
In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: San Francisco Chronicle, L.A. Times, Travel + Leisure, SF Gate.