Posts Tagged: medicine

Opinion

Political leaders must lead fight against organized retail crime

A shoplifter puts a pair of jeans under his jacket. (Photo: Fotosenmeer, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: It’s no secret that California is facing an epidemic of retail theft and crime. Organized retail crime has a detrimental effect on our neighborhood stores and retailers. Oftentimes, stores find themselves the repeat victim of theft. Not only do the financial losses of stolen goods pile up, but they are often left with shattered windows and broken locks.

News

State stem cell agency’s first royalties: $15 million from Stanford

Stanford University, where major stem cell research is being conducted.(Photo: yhelfman, via Shutterstock)

The California stem cell agency says it has received $15.6 million in royalties from Stanford University, the largest such payment by far in the 17-year history of the state research agency. Until the announcement, the agency, officially known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), had received only $557,292 in royalties.

News

Coronavirus devastates California farm workers

Farm workers with masks pick strawberries near Carlsbad, San Diego County. (Photo: Simone Hogan, via Shutterstock)

Back in April, when the lockdown was first beginning, a California Farm Bureau study reported that the agriculture sector had lost more than 2.4 million jobs directly attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, along with the financial hit, farm workers are suffering through increased risk of deadly infection.

Opinion

Need to keep a sharp eye on school vision tests

An eye chart seen through a pair of glasses. (Photo: Coprid, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: With all that we do to try to help our children succeed at school, we are failing to properly screen students for correctable vision problems that can hinder learning.

News

Stem cell agency: No giveaways in $150 million plan

A high-resolution image of human egg cells. (Jezper, via Shutterstock)

The president of the California stem cell agency, Randy Mills, yesterday said that the firms that responded to an ambitious proposal to create a $150 million public/private partnership were seeking to make a “better deal” than the agency had offered. Mills said that the agency was “not going to give away something that is not in the best interests of the people of California.”

News

CIRM eyes final $800 million for stem cell research

A liquid nitrogen bank containing a suspension of stem cells. (Photo: Elena Pavlovich)

If you are interested in how the state of California is going to spend its final $800 million or so on stem cell research, you should catch a key meeting next Tuesday in Oakland, which also can be heard online. The session involves the 29-member, governing board of the $3 billion California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), as the state stem cell agency is formally known.

News

Stem cell agency to begin review of human genetic changes

A depiction of human genetics. (Image: Crystal Image Photo, via Shutterstock)

California’s stem cell agency has embarked on what is likely to be an exhaustive review of genetic alteration of human embryos with likely recommendations for changes in the $3 billion research effort. The 11-year-old agency plans to examine a host of issues ranging from inadvertent, inheritable changes in the human race to informed consent on the part of patients.

News

California stem cell agency eyes human gene editing

A digital illustration of DNA structure. (Image by Matha Graphics, via Shutterstock)

The $3 billion California stem cell agency next Thursday will convene a day-long examination of human gene editing, a field that could be a “gold mine for biotechnology” and perhaps alter the human race permanently. “Easy DNA Editing Will Remake the World. Buckle Up.” is the way Wired magazine put it in a headline on a lengthy overview article last July.

News

Stem cell agency’s key meetings going live on the Internet

A simulated view through a microscope of bacterias in the shape of California. (Illustration: Pat Bengtsson, via Shutterstock)

With no fanfare, California’s $3 billion stem cell agency is making a significant step forward in openness and transparency regarding the dealings of its governing board, which operates outside of the control of the governor and Legislature. Tuesday’s meeting of the directors’ Science Subcommittee will be available live for the first time — for all practical purposes — on the Internet and as an audiocast, including access to presentations that are used at the meeting.

News

Drug-cost disclosure hits obstacle

Pharmaceuticals and money -- elements in the debate over a cost-disclosure bill. (Photo: O.S. Fisher, Shutterstock)

An attempt to force drug makers to disclose their costs and profits for drugs that sell wholesale for more than $10,000 annually was derailed in the Legislature, facing strong opposition from an industry targeting similar measures in other states. The forces battling over the bill include some of the most powerful in California.

Support for Capitol Weekly is Provided by: