Latest California Healthline Stories
As Temperatures Climb, A New Push To Keep Workers Safe
Over the past decade, more than 350 workers nationwide have died from heat-related illness, and tens of thousands have had heat-related problems serious enough that they missed at least one day of work. Proposed federal legislation, modeled on California regulations, would create the first national standards for protecting workers from heat-related stress.
Heat And Violence Pose Twin Threats For Asylum-Seekers Waiting At Border
For Central American migrants who follow U.S. government rules for pursuing asylum, conditions on the Mexican side of the border are sweltering, filled with anxiety and illness. Few people have a clear timetable for when it will get any better.
State Bans Pesticide Linked To Developmental Problems
California officials announced a ban on chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide that has been linked to lower IQs, lower birth weights and other developmental issues in children, even as the federal government fights to protect it.
Booker’s Argument For Environmental Justice Stays Within The Lines
He didn’t overstate the relationship between hazardous waste sites and birth defects and autism.
States Weigh Banning A Widely Used Pesticide Even Though EPA Won’t
The pesticide chlorpyrifos has been linked to developmental problems in children. Some state and federal lawmakers want the chemical banned, but federal regulators are fighting to keep it on the market.
Popular Weed Killer’s Alleged Link To Cancer Spreads Concern
The main ingredient in numerous popular herbicides has been implicated by two juries in the cancers of frequent users, but major public health agencies disagree over whether it is a carcinogen. Can you use it safely in your garden? Here are some answers to questions you may have about the weed killer glyphosate.
Readers And Tweeters Demand Action On Gun Violence, Mental Health Care Options
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Smoke-Filled Snapshot: California Wildfire Generates Dangerous Air Quality For Millions
Smoke from the deadly and destructive Camp Fire has caused air quality readings to spike into “hazardous” and “unhealthy” levels for millions of people far outside of the burn zones. Is smoky air the new normal for California?
Dirty Air And Disasters Sending Kids To The ER For Asthma
Children in some California counties visit emergency rooms for asthma at nearly double the statewide rate, which experts attribute largely to air pollution that is likely to worsen as wildfires and other environmental disasters increase in severity.
Bad Air And Inadequate Data Prove An Unhealthy Mix
San Joaquin Valley residents breathe some of the dirtiest air in the country, but it can be a challenge for them to find accurate and timely information on the air quality in their neighborhoods. This summer, nonprofit organizations began distributing 20 small air monitors to hard-hit families, and next year, the state is expected to install monitoring systems in some communities.