The California Report | Wednesday, Apr 10, 2013, 8:50 AM

Strawberry Growers Struggle to Replace Methyl Bromide

After scientific research at UC Irvine tied certain chemicals to the loss of ozone in the earth's atmosphere, nearly 200 nations pledged to phase out their use with the signing of the Montreal Protocol. But in California, where the state's $2.3 billion strawberry industry has come to rely on the chemical methyl bromide, a new report by the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation suggests strawberry growers will be using it for years to come.

Forum | Wednesday, Apr 03, 2013, 9:00 AM

Obama Invests in Brain-Mapping Project

On Tuesday, President Obama unveiled a new initiative to map the human brain. The plan is to invest $100 million starting in 2014, so scientists can create a "road map" of the brain's circuits, similar to the documentation done for the Human Genome Project. The initiative could develop tools to help treat diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and it's being co-led by a Stanford scientist. But critics say there are no clear end goals and no set deadline, and that the money could be better used elsewhere.

The California Report | Wednesday, Apr 03, 2013, 8:50 AM

Study Examines Good Outcomes for Undocumented HIV Patients

A new study from Texas finds undocumented Latinos who are HIV-positive tend to seek care late in their illness, yet they have good health outcomes. California health officials have taken notice.

Forum | Thursday, Mar 28, 2013, 10:00 AM

Memory Triage and Other Secrets of Sleep

When you go to sleep, your brain doesn't take a nap. According to a recent study, it keeps working: organizing memories by what's important and what isn't, in a form of "memory triage." One of the researchers, UC Berkeley professor of psychology Matthew Walker, joins us to discuss his findings, and to answer questions on sleep and memory.

Wilmington | Jul 23, 2012

Starting a New Life and Putting a Stop to Health Problems

Posted by Anabell Romero

“Good morning!” says Silvia Cruz as she greets women who enter her nutrition center. “It’s five dollars for a shake and the zumba class, or three dollars for the zumba class only,” she says as she’s collecting the money and putting it into a metal box. Five years ago when Cruz and her husband Roberto Garcia came to the United States, they never imagined they would have their own business. The couple has been married for 25 years. After living a comfortable and stable life in Mexico, Roberto abruptly lost his job.

San Bernardino | Jun 13, 2012

Unmet Need of Homeless Youth in San Bernardino

Posted by Bobbi Albano

Although they are difficult to count, Terrance Stone, CEO of Young Visionaries homeless youth shelter estimates there are 25,000 homeless kids in San Bernardino County at any given time. The California Homeless Youth Project agrees. "Homeless youth are highly mobile and often try hard to avoid detection and contact with adults. ... This means they are often not counted during annual homeless surveys." During 2008-09, 81,000 services were provided by federally-funded runaway and homeless youth programs in California. While these services ranged from beds to street outreach contacts, it isn't known how many homeless kids received no services. There are only two shelters in San Bernardino County for kids who have run away from home, have been kicked out or are living on the streets. Young Visionaries, which has space available to house just four children at any time, is located in the city of San Bernardino. The other shelter, Our House, is in Redlands and has room for twelve homeless youth.

Greater Oroville | Jun 12, 2012

BEC Investigates Dioxin in Oroville Eggs

Posted by Marley Zalay

In July of 2011, Community Correspondent Rachelle Parker wrote about Butte Environmental Council's (BEC) fascinating study assessing dioxin levels in backyard chicken eggs around Oroville. She outlined the history of the Koppers fire which caused dioxin contamination in surrounding soil and the original study by the former California Department of Health Services (CDHS). Dioxin is known for its toxicity and persistence in the environment. BEC recently held a workshop in Oroville about dioxin to educate community members about this issue. The intention of BEC's study was to gain a better understanding of the public's exposure to dioxin by eating backyard chicken eggs. Julia Murphy, Education and Outreach Assistant at BEC, explained that dioxin is linked to a myriad of negative health effects, "from hormone disruption and immune system dysfunction, to birth defects and cancer." But because we are exposed to dioxin from a variety of sources, it is difficult to draw a straight cause-and-effect line from the source to adverse health effects.