Health CareFirst over-the-counter birth control pill now for sale onlineMarch 18, 2024Opill, an over-the-counter birth control pill, goes on sale online today. The pill is expected to be available in stores within a few weeks.
State GovernmentHot Cheetos and other snacks with common food dyes would be banned from California schools under new legislationMarch 12, 2024 | Nicole NixonPopular foods like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Doritos, M&Ms, Skittles, sports drinks, Froot Loops and Cap’n Crunch would be removed from public schools under new legislation.
Health CareProposition 1: Early results show Newsom’s mental health bond too close to callMarch 6, 2024 | Kate WolffeCalifornians are split in early returns over a statewide ballot measure that Gov. Gavin Newson says he needs to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis. Proposition 1 was the only measure on the ballot and was too close to call Wednesday.
Health CareYosemite visitors are told to leave as storm expected to drop up to 10 feet of snowMarch 1, 2024At least nine Lake Tahoe ski resorts are closed and visitors have been told to leave Yosemite National Park as the most powerful Pacific storm of the season bears down on the Sierra Nevada.
Health CareOlder U.S. adults should get another COVID-19 shot, health officials recommendMarch 1, 2024Federal health officials say older U.S. adults who got a COVID-19 shot in the fall should get a booster dose now.
Health CareDeadly restraint: Despite decades of warnings, police continue holding people facedown.February 28, 2024Since the 1990s, law enforcement officials and medical experts have cautioned about the dangers of police-prone restraint, especially when people are high on stimulants or experiencing a mental health crisis.
Health CareThe rate of antidepressants prescribed to young people surged during the pandemicFebruary 27, 2024Researchers analyzed a sample of about 221 million prescriptions from 2016 to 2022, in Americans between the ages of 12 and 25. The increase was prominent among young women and girls.
State GovernmentCalifornia's Proposition 1 is complicated. Here's how it could affect the people most in need.February 22, 2024 | Kate WolffeAmong other things, the proposition would change the terms of the Mental Health Services Act, a law passed by voters in 2004 that uses a 1% tax on high earners to help pay for mental health services.
Health CareA record number of Californians are visiting emergency rooms for dog bitesFebruary 20, 2024There were nearly 50,000 emergency room visits for dog bites in California in 2022. The rate of such visits per capita is up about 70% since 2005.
Health CareThe CDC may be reconsidering its COVID isolation guidanceFebruary 14, 2024The current guidance advises five days of isolation. Unnamed health officials have indicated that this guidance may soon go away, a move that troubles public health experts.
