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Latest California Healthline Stories

Some Experts Warn Against Eating High-Risk Foods During Shutdown, But Others Say Safety Doesn’t Hinge Completely On FDA

“The FDA made it really clear that the responsibility for food safety lies with the companies,” said Catherine Donnelly, a professor at the University of Vermont. “They just have responsibility for oversight and determining whether there are violations.” But other experts say that especially pregnant women or children with an immune deficiency might want to avoid taking any risks.

Drug Pricing Firmly At Center Stage On Capitol Hill As Divided Congress Kicks Off New Session

There’s been a flurry of movement and discussions this week about the issue, which many say will be one of the few bipartisan issues that the divided Congress can tackle in the next two years.

Skid Row Housing Trust Tackles Food Insecurity By Teaching Residents How To Cook

Healthful food is a “real tool to keep people stable, keep people housed, help people thrive and to be able to reintegrate into the community,” said Jack Lahey, director of resident programs and part of the Skid Row Housing Trust’s food insecurity task force.

The Fountain Of Youth? Company Purports To Fight Aging By Injecting Consumers With Young People’s Blood

The sticker price, though, is quite steep at $8,000 for a liter. UC Berkeley researchers have described the procedure as “dangerous,” because transfusions always carry with them a high probability of risk.

More Families Sue Dental Clinic Over Bacterial Infections Contracted Following Children’s Root Canals

The bacterial outbreak, which occurred in 2016, sickened dozens of children, some of whom lost permanent teeth because of the infections. There are now 113 plaintiffs in a series of lawsuits against the Children’s Dental Group, and lawyers expect that number to grow.

California Has 14 New Laws Geared Toward Curbing The Opioid Epidemic. Here’s What They Are.

The legislation touches on oversight of rehab facilities, an opioid database, curbing prescriptions, increasing naloxone access and more.

Documents Reveal Just How Involved Sackler Family Was In Aggressive OxyContin Marketing Techniques

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has drawn blame for its role in igniting the opioid crisis in the country. Now new documents show how the family that owns the company was involved with the decisions to aggressively push opioids on to patients in the years leading up to the epidemic, even though Purdue seeks to portray the family members as removed from day-to-day operations.

‘This Is A Crisis Like We’ve Never Seen’: Shutdown Jeopardizes Tribe Members’ Access To Life-Saving Medication

Native American tribes are facing food and drug shortages as the shutdown stretches on. The tribes are hit harder than others because they rely on federal funding for many of their basic services. In other news, the FDA has restarted some food inspections, and lettuce farmers are anxious to have the agency back on the job for growing season.

Election Will Determine If Healthcare Workers’ Union At USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Is Dissolved

Opponents of the union say it has failed to fulfill pay raise promises. “What the union was telling us was lies,” says surgical buyer Andrew Brown, who has been fighting to dissolve the union.