Contributed

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Genesis Bank (In Organization), announced today the completion of its oversubscribed initial capital raise of $57.0 million, led by investors Stephen H. Gordon, managing member of Gordon Ventures, and Arkview Capital. The private offering represents the largest de novo capitalization ever in Orange County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County, and the second largest de novo capitalization in Los Angeles County. Stephen H. Gordon has a long-established history of investing his own private capital to found, lead, operate, build, and take public multiple banking institutions on the West Coast. Arkview Capital, founded and led by Joon Chang, Pavel Chernyshov, and Vijay Mehta, is a minority-certified private equity fund focused on investing in diversity-oriented businesses.

WASHINGTON — July 26 Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough announced he will make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for Title 38 VA health care personnel — including physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, registered nurses, physician assistants, expanded-function dental auxiliaries and chiropractors — who work in Veterans Health Administration facilities, visit VHA facilities or provide direct care to those VA serves.

A California doctor is being praised as a hero after he managed to safely deliver a baby, despite being hurt in a car crash on his way to the hospital. Dr. George Alkhouri was badly injured following the crash on July 2 — but that didn't prevent him from going above and beyond to make sure that little Bradley Stanghellini made a safe entrance into the world, according to NBC affiliate KCRA.

Overdose fatalities rose in 2020, with Black people at high risk The isolation, anxiety, and stress of the pandemic has pushed the opioid epidemic to a record-breaking death toll. According to the latest CDC data, drug overdose fatalities rose by almost 30% in 2020, to 93,000 deaths. Opioids such as fentanyl are driving the greatest rise in deaths among Black Americans, while methamphetamine overdoses are more common in American Indians and Alaska Natives than other groups, reports Abby Goodnough for The New York Times.

This newspaper recently reported that 12 members of the state Legislature refused, when asked by The Times, to disclose their vaccination status.