Scientist performing stem cell research for cancer therapy. Image by ManjurulCalifornia’s $12 billion stem cell experiment turned 20 years old this fall, winning kudos from some patients and scientists but failing to fulfill the expectations of voters who thought they had created an enterprise that would lead quickly to revolutionary cures for cancer, heart disease, stroke and much more.
Panel discussion about the impact of California's budget shortfall. L-R: Kristen Hwang, Calmatters; Jess Bartholow, SEIU California; Scott Graves, California Budget and Policy Center; Beth Capell, Health Access California; Michelle Cabrera, County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California. Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol WeeklyIn a sign of the times, Capitol Weekly’s annual health care conference on Thursday focused broadly on expenses and efficiency, befitting for an American health care system that has become one of the most expensive in the world.
David Vetter, aka "the bubble boy," who died in 1984 from severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Photo by APAnother child has been treated for a deadly affliction known as the “bubble boy” disease. Dr. Moustache and his “magical team” did have a little help, courtesy of the people of California who put tens of millions of dollars into financing his cell and gene therapy.
Emily and Robbie with UCD's Diana Farmer. Photo courtesy of UCDThe California stem cell agency had a $9 million moment last week that involved a “stem cell fairy godmother,” two English bulldogs named Darla and Spanky, four lambs and a baby from Texas named Robbie. While it took the agency only moments to hand out the $9 million, it took the fairy godmother more than 25 years to make it happen.
Image by Maliutina AnnaOPINION – Families across California experienced a decline in violence and poverty in the wake of COVID-19, but according to the Public Policy Institute of California, the rate of poverty has since grown from 11.7% in 2021 to 13.2% in 2023.
Breaking the chain, image by alexmat46OPINION – Being treated as an adult in the ER is where I learned that Sickle Cell Disease is not just a medical battle; it is a fight against the stigma of having a “Black” disease and being labeled as a “drug seeker” for my invisible pain.
Image by GoodIdeas via ShutterstockDirectors of the $12 billion California stem cell agency will face a fundamental question next week that could determine whether its efforts to produce revolutionary treatments for afflictions ranging from heart disease to cancer will live or die.
Via ShutterstockThe Milken Institute recently analyzed gaps in infrastructure funding and policy barriers that ultimately prevent infrastructure development and completion in California. The new report suggests that the state must develop a coordinated approach to prioritize projects and harness innovative financing mechanisms to meet the state’s critical water infrastructure needs.
Students studying in a California classroom. (Photo: GagliardiPhotography, via Shutterstock)OPINION: One of the charges I hold seriously is to ensure every child in California has the resources they need to succeed. As a product of California’s K-12 public schools in the Central Valley, I can still recall the deficiency in resources as well as the knowledge of those that were appointed to secure that my future endeavors were aligned for excellence.
O'Shaughnessy Dam in Hetch Hetchy Valley, Yosemite National Park, is a key source of water to the SF Bay Area. (Photo: SveKo, via Shutterstock)OPINION: We applaud Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature for taking bold action last year to fund climate resilience and related water infrastructure in the fiscal year 2021-’22 state budget. In light of the current budget surplus, funding for climate resilience and water infrastructure should remain a key priority for investment in California.