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Breakthrough COVID risks | Regulators question Joshua tree designation | Californians split on top issues

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Monday, April 18.

Study: People with psychiatric illnesses face higher risk of breakthrough COVID

People with certain psychiatric disorders face a heightened risk of breakthrough COVID infections, according to a new study out Thursday from the University of California, San Francisco

Researchers studied a quarter of a million patients at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Most of them were men and all were vaccinated. They found that seniors who had schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or anxiety faced up to 23% higher risk of breakthrough COVID infections. Lead author Aoife O'Donovan said demographic factors do not explain the disparity and the data suggests these brain disorders impact the immune system.

"There are strong bi-directional links between immune system functioning and nervous system functioning. And they influence each other far more than we ever imagined," O’Donovan said.

O'Donovan said people with psychiatric disorders should be prioritized for boosters and take extra care.

 — April Dembosky (KQED), The California Report

Report: Colleagues question Sen. Feinstein’s mental fitness

According to reporting by San Francisco Chronicle Washington correspondent Tal Kopan, there are instances of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s memory failing. Kopan’s reporting is based on conversations with four U.S. senators, including three Democrats, as well as former Senate staffers and a California Democratic member of Congress. All wished to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue.

“The overriding theme was that Senator Feinstein's short-term memory is increasingly problematic,” Kopan said. “Two of the senators I spoke with say there are times where they get the sense that she doesn't fully place who they are. And her Senate colleagues also all expressed a degree of concern, to different degrees, that it's increasingly difficult for her to be doing the job.”

Kopan said Feinstein's office issued a statement on her behalf, saying in part that the senator is still serving and delivering for the people of California and that she'll put her record up against anyone's. Follow Kopan’s ongoing reporting on Sen. Feinstein’s health.

— Saul Gonzalez and KQED Staff, The California Report 

Regulators recommend Joshua trees not be designated as threatened

The western Joshua tree was given interim protection under the California Endangered Species Act in 2020 after the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition claiming the trees were likely to become endangered due to climate change. But on Wednesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued its own report recommending against listing the trees as endangered. Brendan Cummings is the conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

It reads like a document that was written by lawyers for the fossil fuel industry, rather than the Newsom administration, which purports to be playing a leadership role in climate change,” Cummings said.

Cummings said scientific modeling has shown that if temperature changes continue on the current trajectory, nearly the entire species will be knocked out in its namesake, Joshua tree National Park, by the end of the century. A final decision by the Fish and Game Commission is expected in June.

— Keith Mizuguchi (KQED), The California Report

Interview: California voters divided on top issues

There is a big partisan divide in California when it comes to how we feel about some of the top issues facing the state.

The latest Berkeley IGS Poll asks voters about a wide range of topics, including housing and homelessness, the environment, gas prices, taxes and high-speed rail.

The poll’s director, Mark DiCamillo spoke with CapRadio’s Randol White about what California voters are saying.

You can listen to an interview with DiCamillo in today’s Headlines. 

— CapRadio Staff

Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.

In other news

  • Red Bluff Round-Up crowns champions: “The eyes of the rodeo world were on Red Bluff this past weekend, with the 101st Red Bluff Round-Up taking place.” — Red Bluff Daily News
  • Interim Planning Director resigns: “Lisa Lozier has resigned as interim director of the Planning Department with her last day being Friday, April 15.” — The Trinity Journal
  • DA: 3 of 6 dead in Sacramento shooting were in gang dispute: “Newly filed court documents in the downtown Sacramento shooting that killed six people and wounded a dozen others reveal that three of the dead had been involved in the gang dispute that led to the massive shootout, with at least one of them firing a weapon.” — The Associated Press

In case you missed it

Headlines is published every weekday morning at 8:30 a.m. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and NPR One. Theme song Borough is courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions

A graduate of California State University, Chico, Andre Byik is an award-winning journalist who has reported in Northern California since 2012. He joined North State Public Radio in 2020, following roles at the Chico Enterprise-Record and Chico News & Review.
Angel Huracha has been a part of the journalism field since 2006 and has covered a range of topics. He is a graduate of Chico State with a Bachelor's degree in news-editorial and public relations with a minor in English.
Alec Stutson grew up in Colorado and graduated from the University of Missouri with degrees in Radio Journalism, 20th/21st Century Literature, and a minor in Film Studies. He is a huge podcast junkie, as well as a movie nerd and musician.
Adia White is a broadcast journalist and producer with nearly 10 years of experience. Her work has appeared on WNYC, This American Life, Capital Public Radio and other local and national programs. She started at North State Public Radio as a freelance reporter in 2017 before leaving for a stint at Northern California Public Media in Santa Rosa.