Latest Morning Briefing Stories
During a government shutdown, agencies that don’t have federal funding can only do work that’s necessary to protect lives or property. Experts suggest that even if the FDA’s reserves run dry, the agency can continue to review drugs because certain medical treatments are necessary to people’s health. In other shutdown news: food insecurity, wildfires, and a possible light at the end of the tunnel.
Why Is January The Deadliest Month For Californians?
More people die in Southern California during January than any other month, and doctors can’t draw a straight line to any one cause.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Was Not Responsible For 2017 Wildfire That Killed 22, Report Finds
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released few details about the source of the Tubbs fire, saying only that it was caused by “a private electrical system adjacent to a residential structure.”
Facebook The Latest Private Company To Pledge Millions To Addressing Housing Crisis In Bay Area
The pledge comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom called on the tech companies in the area to do more to combat the crisis. The money will target housing in Silicon Valley and surrounding areas, where a population boom driven by highly paid tech workers has left housing prices out of reach for many lower-paid employees, including teachers, restaurant staff and nurses.
Pioneering Leader In The Field Of Toxic Stress And Health Tapped As State’s New Surgeon General
The state’s surgeon general position was just created by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom’s office said Nadine Burke Harris’ role will be to urge policymakers and leaders across the state to consider how adverse childhood experiences affect people’s health, and focus on ways to combat the lasting negative effects that can follow kids into adulthood.
It can be hard for clinics geared toward low-income patients to attract doctors, especially amid a shortage. But these physicians at Family Health Centers of San Diego find their reward in helping patients.
Ensuring Access To Mental Health Services Ranks In Top Priorities For Californians In Poll
In the poll, when asked to assess what aspects of health care mattered most to them, survey respondents ranked expanding access to mental health care as most crucial.
Azar Declines House Democrats’ Request To Testify On Trump Administration’s Child Separation Policy
Although HHS offered to have other officials testify, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said Secretary Alex Azar was the best person to testify. “We are going to get him here at some point one way or another,” Pallone said.
The Supreme Court justices lifted injunctions on the restrictions — but that decision does not resolve the underlying legal question about banning many transgender people from the military. The plan, which is working through the lower courts, makes exceptions for about 900 transgender individuals who are already serving openly and for others who say they will serve in accordance with their birth gender.
The American Beverage Association spent $7 million to gather signatures for an initiative on the November 2018 ballot that would have required a two-thirds majority for approval of new California state and local taxes. The association offered to remove the initiative from the ballot if then-Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to sign into law AB1838, which would preemptively ban new or increased taxes on food or nonalcoholic beverages for 13 years.