Newsletter: Essential California Week in Review: New shots for kids, but boosters lag

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Nov. 6.

Here’s a look at the top stories of the last week

Shots for kids. The next chapter of COVID-19 vaccinations started Wednesday, as 5- to 11-year-olds began rolling up their sleeves — a long-awaited phase of the state’s inoculation campaign that officials hope will stave off another winter surge.

But boosters lag. Demand for COVID-19 booster shots in California has been slower than some health officials anticipated, according to data obtained by The Times, sparking concerns of at-risk populations losing immunity as the risky holiday season approaches.

The staff who refused. Two teachers, a teaching assistant and a cafeteria manager — all were opposed to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Los Angeles school employees. Here’s what happened as they refused to get the shot.

Helicopter crash settlement. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $2.5-million settlement for two families suing over the unauthorized sharing of photos of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and their loved ones.

Gut solar incentives? State officials have been laying the groundwork to slash a key solar incentive program. Critics insist net metering is fundamentally inequitable, widening the gap between rich and poor, but solar companies and many climate activists disagree.

Goodbye, AI. In a major shift, Facebook said Tuesday that it will shut down its facial recognition system and delete the faceprints of more than 1 billion people amid growing concerns about the technology and its misuse by governments, police and others.

A ‘jetpack man’ theory. Multiple sightings of what some pilots said looked like a man flying with a jet pack in the skies of Los Angeles prompted a federal investigation. This week authorities offered some details about the probe, suggesting it may have been a balloon.

Carson smell declared emergency. A noxious smell that continues to sicken residents in Carson was declared a local emergency Tuesday. Still, residents have grown concerned that an investigation has failed to get to the bottom of the environmental mystery.

Fires probed again. In yet another investigation into Pacific Gas & Electric’s role in California’s worsening wildfires, the company said the U.S. attorney’s office is seeking documents related to the Dixie fire. The utility expected to take a loss of at least $1.15 billion from the blaze.

Climate change fuels fires. In a finding that scientists believed was decades away from becoming reality, climate change is now the overwhelming cause of conditions driving extreme wildfire behavior in the western United States, California researchers say.

Changing approach to homelessness. The city of Los Angeles has undertaken a major shift in its approach to homelessness, one that puts a priority on clearing unsightly street encampments even when there is insufficient permanent housing for the people being moved. Is it about politics?

L.A. may lose a Black seat. Rep. Karen Bass’ congressional district encompasses some of the most historically important Black communities in the western United States. But a confluence of factors means the district may no longer be represented by a Black representative.

ICYMI, here are this week’s great reads

Investigating Marilyn Manson. For three decades, the goth rock singer reveled in his image as the ultimate villain. Court records and emails reviewed by The Times, along with nearly two dozen accounts from former partners and colleagues, portray Manson as someone who used his reputation as a transgressive artist to mistreat and isolate women.

High time for the feds to catch up. California paved the way for medical marijuana 25 years ago this week. But an enduring federal prohibition of the drug continues to undermine scientists eager to put it to use bringing comfort to the chronically ill people in whose name the legalization movement was launched.

Dear UC Santa Barbara: Don’t let a petulant billionaire build a prison dorm on your campus. Culture columnist Carolina Miranda writes: “There is dumb. There is dumber. And then there is whatever is happening at UC Santa Barbara.”

‘What the f— just happened?’ Alec Baldwin repeated the words with growing urgency as the sound of the shot reverberated throughout the wooden church. A Los Angeles Times reconstruction has uncovered new details about the day Baldwin shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza.

Today’s week-in-review newsletter was curated by Laura Blasey. Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.