Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Haven’t Gotten Your Flu Shot Yet? Don’t Worry, It’s Not Too Late
Health officials say there are benefits to getting your flu shot year-round, and that there isn’t a deadline for when it will be helpful.
California Food Banks Brace For Increased Demand As Shutdown Continues
“There have been a lot of phone calls, a lot of meetings about … how we’re going to absorb more people,” said Mark Seelig, a spokesman for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.
Kaiser Permanente To Purchase Apartment Building As Part Of Aggressive Efforts To Help Homeless
“The idea that someone would have to go to bed on the streets of America as their home is unacceptable,” Kaiser CEO Bernard Tyson said at a news conference in Oakland City Hall.
Some Experts Skeptical That Newsom’s Ambitious Drug Pricing Plan Will Significantly Reduce Spending
Gov. Gavin Newson’s plan involves allowing for negotiations with Medi-Cal, but experts say California might not wield enough leverage to make a difference.
FDA Brings In Furloughed Workers To Resume Safety Inspections For High-Risk Foods
The inspections, which have been halted because of the government shutdown, will focus on risky items like cheeses, produce and infant formula. The FDA oversees about 80 percent of the nation’s food supply. Meanwhile, the shutdown could derail the timetable for some highly anticipated drugs.
As Temperatures Dip, Fremont’s Warming Center For The Homeless Announces It Will Stay Open Nightly
“The winter is miserable for homeless people in general. The temperatures are cold, the weather is miserable, the ground gets wet, and we just have a lot of people sleeping all over the place,” said Suzanne Shenfil, the city’s director of human services.
One Dead, More Than A Dozen Hospitalized In Mass Drug Overdose In California
Chico Fire Department Division Chief Jesse Alexander told the station it was the largest mass casualty incident he had seen in years.
Newsom’s Budget Would Allocate Money Toward Helping Identify Childhood Trauma Victims
Experts in the field of childhood trauma say that screening for adverse experiences early can change the course of these children’s development. Childhood trauma has been shown to affect a person’s health throughout their lives.
VA Setting Stage For Biggest Transformation Of The Veterans’ Medical System In A Generation
The proposed guidelines would allow veterans more choice is seeking care outside the troubled VA system. Although, proponents of the switch say that it can help with wait times, critics say it will strain the private sector and increase costs for taxpayers.
Dwindling Funds Strain Already-Stressed Native American Health System As Shutdown Continues
Native American tribes rely heavily on federal assistance for basic services such as health care, so the shutdown is hitting them harder than others. Tribal members say they can’t get referrals for specialty care from the Indian Health Service if their conditions aren’t life-threatening. Meanwhile, California food banks brace for influx of hungry people affected by shutdown.