health

A customer looks at make-up products at a CVS store in Pasadena on Sept. 21, 2020. Photo by Mario Anzuoni, Reuters

Economy

California bans cosmetics chemicals, following EU (again)

A new California law will ban over two dozen chemicals from fragrances and cosmetics. It’s another first-in-the-nation law — and another instance of California following European Union regulators.

By

Levi Sumagaysay

• October 10, 2023

A vendor bags psilocybin mushrooms at a cannabis marketplace in Los Angeles on May 24, 2019. Photo by Richard Vogel, AP Photo

Commentary

California is rushing to decriminalize psychedelics. Start with safer therapies first

Before decriminalizing psychedelic substances for personal use, California should allow them for therapeutic use, argues the founder of a community clinic in San Francisco.

By

Guest Commentary

• October 4, 2023

Peeps Marshmallow Chicks on display at a store in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 5, 2023. Photo by Sam Wasson, Sipa USA via Reuters

Health

New California law bans 4 food additives used in common sweets. What to know

The European Union has banned certain additives that are used in American candies and baked goods. A new California law prohibits their sale by 2027.

By

Shreya Agrawal

• October 3, 2023

A guard tower at the California Health Care Facility prison in Stockton on March 2, 2022. Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Commentary

Coercion for the mentally ill in California can also be a form of compassion

A Sacramento woman with bipolar disorder reflects on her own experience with involuntary hospitalization and the potentially fatal alternative she faced.

By

Guest Commentary

• September 19, 2023

Emergency room doctor Jim Keany treats patient a in the Emergency room at Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo on Jan. 27, 2022. Photo by Shannon Stapleton, Reuters

Health

Thousands of Californians are losing Medi-Cal every month. What to do if you lose coverage

About 300,000 Californians have lost Medi-Cal coverage since the state resumed eligibility checks. You have options if you get a notice about your coverage.

By

Shreya Agrawal

• September 18, 2023

A person stands next to tents on a sidewalk in San Francisco on April 21, 2020. Photo by Jeff Chiu, AP Photo

Mental Health

‘We are horrified’: Late changes to Newsom’s $6 billion mental health bond surprise advocates

California voters likely will see a mental health ballot measure on the March 2024 election. One would issue a $6 billion bond to create housing for people with mental illnesses.

By

Kristen Hwang

• September 14, 2023

This photo provided by the city of Reedley on March 16, 2023, shows refrigerators and other medical lab equipment inside a now-shuttered medical lab with Chinese owners that officials say was operating illegally. The discovery in December of the lab producing pregnancy and COVID-19 tests to be sold online. Photo Courtesy of City of Reedley via AP Photo

Commentary

How California can improve safety and transparency of privately run bio labs

Laboratories working with potentially dangerous pathogens are not required to share information about their work with their local communities, which heightens mistrust and leads to blanket restrictions, as California saw this summer. Reporting requirements could improve safety and increase oversight.

By

Guest Commentary

• September 13, 2023

A shopper walks past mannequins donning face masks in Los Angeles in 2020. California's COVID-19 emergency declaration ended on Feb. 28, 2023, but there's been a recent uptick in cases across the state. Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP Photo

Health

California COVID cases are increasing, again. Here’s the latest on boosters and more

It’s a confusing time in the COVID pandemic. A new booster is on the way, but cases are rising and you might want more protection now.

By

Kristen Hwang

• September 1, 2023

A bag of psilocybin mushrooms at a pop-up cannabis market in Los Angeles on May 6, 2019. Photo by Richard Vogel, AP Photo

Health

Psychedelic therapies show promise. Is California ready to bring them into the mainstream?

Psychedelics like mushrooms and mescaline could be decriminalized in California as advocates tout their therapeutic potential.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• August 30, 2023

Commentary

Psychedelic therapies could be transformative for California’s ailing first responders

The California Assembly is considering a bill that would decriminalize naturally occurring psychedelic substances, which research has increasingly shown has a variety of therapeutic benefits. A retired New York firefighter, who uses psilocybin, says first responders in particular have a lot to gain from this legislation.

By

Guest Commentary

• August 29, 2023