California’s Autism Epidemic Worse Than Ever
On June 29, 2015, then-governor of California Jerry Brown signed into law California Senate Bill 277. The law, which took effect on July 1, 2016, removed the personal belief/religious exemption to vaccination for children attending public and private schools and daycare centers. SB 277 was followed by SB 276 and its companion bill SB 714 […]
Higher Levels of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Detected in Some Wastewater Sites
In 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with local health departments and launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) to track SARS-CoV-2 virus levels in wastewater around the country. The goal was to help health officials quickly implement policies to mitigate the spread of the virus.1 The CDC recently confirmed […]
Ohio Jury Found Pharmacies Liable for Fueling the Opioid Crisis
On Nov. 23, 2021, a federal jury in Ohio held pharmacies liable for their role in the epidemic of opioid use in America. The jury found that CVS, Walgreens and Walmart were responsible for inappropriately dispensing large amounts of opioid drugs prescribed by doctors that caused hundreds of deaths from overdoses. Rite Aid and Giant […]
More Breakthrough Cases of COVID Ending in Hospitalization or Death
“Breakthrough cases” of people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to increase throughout the United States. In recent weeks, there have been reports of breakthrough cases “rising” or “accelerating” or “spiking” in numerous states. Even though these breakthrough cases are reportedly “rare,” given that 176 million Americans have been “fully” […]
State and Local Governments and Companies Offer Incentives to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19
Story Highlights As the demand for COVID-19 vaccines slows across the country, governments and businesses are offering a wide range of incentives to try to boost vaccination rates. In addition to a variety of cash lotteries, some of the offerings include air travel, college scholarships, state park passes, fishing or hunting licenses and complimentary food […]
California Special Ed Spending Up 20 Percent to $13 Billion
California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has issued a report revealing that public spending on special education students in California has risen by more than 20 percent during the past 10 years, from $10.8 billion to $13 billion. One out of every eight students in California’s public school system now requires special education services, with the […]
