Health:
*Serious patient errors at California hospitals disclosed in state filings -- 1,002 cases of serious medical harm have been disclosed by California hospitals between July 2007 and May of this year. The disclosures are the first under a state law that requires hospitals to inform health regulators of all substantial injuries to their patients. LA Times 6/30/08
How California budget deadlock affects health care -- A south Sacramento pharmacist says he'll stop accepting new Medi-Cal patients starting Tuesday because the state will begin paying him 10 percent less for their prescriptions – not enough to cover the cost of drugs. Judy Lin in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/29/08
San Diego stem cell efforts awarded $5 million -- The money coming to San Diego includes $48,950 to the first commercial entity to receive institute funding: Novocell, the small company that is developing a method for turning human embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing cells that can be transplanted into diabetics. Terri Somers in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/28/08
Agriculture:
Pajaro Valley farmers must adapt to shortages of water, land, labor and energy, ag leader says -- Escalating fuel costs will force Pajaro Valley farmers to switch from a global to a regional marketing strategy during the next 25 years. Farmers also will pay more for water, and cheap labor from across the border is likely to be harder to come by due to Mexico's dropping birth rate and improving economy. Miles Reiter, chairman and chief executive officer of Driscoll's, offered those predictions for the world the next generation of farmers will face Thursday in a speech at the annual Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau dinner, held this year just north of the county line at Reiter's Año Nuevo Ranch. SJ Mercury 6/28/08
STRAWBERRY GROWERS SET FOR BANNER YEAR -- Despite the local setback, the state's strawberry harvest is on pace to beat last year's record-setting production, according to the California Strawberry Commission. More than 53 million pounds of strawberries have been harvested to date, a 9 percent increase over this time last year. SJ Mercury 6/28/08
*Fuel costs take toll on farmers' bottom lines -- Ghiggeri & Stonebarger Farms used to spend $100 to $200 to grow an acre of the Brentwood sweet corn sold throughout Bay Area supermarkets and prized by chefs at some of the Bay Area's top-rated eateries. But this year's record fuel and fertilizer prices have driven those costs sky-high — up 30 percent to 50 percent from last year — for G&S and other local farmers. Hilary Costa in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/30/08
California meatpacking plants -- A state senator plans new efforts to monitor the meatpacking industry after lawmakers rejected a bill that would have required video surveillance cameras at California slaughterhouses. Senate Bill 200 by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, was aimed at keeping meat from what are known as "downer cows" out of the food supply. E.J. Schultz in the Fresno Bee -- 6/29/08
Tomato 'repacking' vexes salmonella trackers -- A widespread practice of mixing tomatoes from different farms at produce distribution centers has made it impossible so far to trace the source of a nationwide salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds, federal regulators said Friday. Sabin Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/28/08
Food:
*Slow Food Nation comes to San Francisco -- Fifty thousand people, including some of the world's leading food authorities, health care experts, farmers and policymakers, are expected to attend the four-day exhibition in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend - what's being called the largest celebration of American food in history. Their message: Americans need to fix the food system or risk destroying their health and the planet. Stacy Finz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/30/08
Hunger grows, pie shrinks -- Nearly 200,000 children live in San Joaquin County, and according to one recent study, they are diminishing in priority when it comes to federal spending. Every year, billions of dollars are dedicated to more than 100 federal programs that support children's education, nutrition, housing and health - and in real dollar terms, anyway, that amount has been steadily increasing. Jennifer Torres in the Stockton Record -- 6/28/08
*Contra Costa to begin composting program -- The East Bay Municipal Utility District is the first place in the country to turn food waste into electricity and compost through a process similar to what it uses for sewage. And the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority will be the first to try to send food waste directly to the utility district without an extensive cleaning process. San Francisco was the first customer to compost its food waste with the utility district, but it sends the waste through an extensive cleaning process. Contra Costa Times 6/27/08
Immigration and labor:
*Feds probe San Francisco's migrant-offender shield -- San Francisco juvenile probation officials - citing the city's immigrant sanctuary status - are protecting Honduran youths caught dealing crack cocaine from possible federal deportation and have given some offenders a city-paid flight home with carte blanche to return. Jaxon Van Derbeken in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/29/08
Water:
Columbia River has record salmon run -- Ten times as many sockeye salmon are returning to the Columbia River as last year, which could mean the highest return for Idaho's most endangered fish in more than 30 years. McClatchy 6/29/08
*Federal government earmarks $9 million for Bay Area drought-relief projects -- Antioch, Pittsburg and other Bay Area cities pursuing the development of new water sources stand to benefit from $9 million in federal funds earmarked last week for drought-relief projects. Last month, President Bush signed a bill allowing local water and wastewater agencies to work jointly with the federal government to construct pipelines and treatment facilities to develop and expand the use of recycled water in the Bay Area. The bill was authored by Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez. CC Times 6/29/08
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