Psychiatrists Testify of Preventable Deaths in Prisons
A ruling is expected soon in a decades-old lawsuit over the psychiatric care of California prisoners. At a recent hearing in Sacramento, a psychiatrist said the staff is too small to meet the needs of 6,000 severely ill patients in the prison system. A judge has said the ruling in the case will favor inmates, and he'll ask a court monitor to investigate staffing levels at the Department of State Hospital's psychiatric units.
One of State's Two Car-Battery Recyclers Reopens
If you've ever had to swap out an old car battery, chances are good it wound up in Southern California. There are just two places in the state licensed to strip lead from old car batteries, both near Los Angeles. State regulators with the Department of Toxic Substances Control forced one of them to shut down in April. The company went to court, and got the go ahead from a judge to restart.
After 40 Years, This Midwife Is Only Getting Busier
Nora McNeill never thought she'd be a midwife. But when a friend asked for assistance with a home birth, she said she would help. Almost 40 years later, McNeill has delivered more than 1,500 babies throughout rural Northern California. Lorraine Dechter of Northstate Public Radio interviewed Nora McNeill, as part of our "What's Your Story" series.