Author: David Donovan

A range of recalled cucumbers have been assigned a Class I risk level by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On May 23, whole Cucumbers produced by Fresh Start Produce Sales were recalled due to salmonella contamination.  Class I Flickr user The U.S. Food and Drug Administration The recall has now been elevated to the highest risk level, Class I, which is issued when there is a “reasonable probability” that a product’s use or exposure could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” The affected cucumbers were distributed from May 17 to May 21. They are identified by the…

During tense discussions about the November ballot and state budget, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s growing dissatisfaction with a proposed ballot initiative sponsored by leading healthcare groups is spilling out into the public. POLITICO received confirmation on Thursday from Jim DeBoo, a prominent Sacramento consultant and former chief of staff to Newsom, that he has resigned from his leadership position in the campaign to use a tax on some health insurance to fund Medi-Cal enhancements. MCO Tax Measure Wikimedia Commons user Hourick The MCO tax measure, as it’s known, is a significant priority for doctors, hospitals, Planned Parenthood, and health insurers. …

New data indicates that after McDonald’s, Burger King, and In-N-Out Burger raised prices to offset the state’s new $20 minimum wage for workers at limited-service restaurants, foot traffic to those establishments in California appeared to decrease. According to data from Placer.ai, which tracks foot traffic analytics, year-over-year trends in visits to fast food chains in the Golden State have lagged behind national trends since April. Inflated Menu Prices X user RJ_Hottovy The fall in foot traffic reported by the study suggests that diners may be turned off by higher menu prices. In a report, Placer.ai’s head of analytical research, R.J.…

Jared Kushner’s business dealings are receiving a greater degree of scrutiny from Senate Democrats. Ron Wyden, a member of the Senate Finance Committee (D-Ore.) asked Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, for insights regarding its financial backers on Wednesday. Wyden Inquiry Flickr user Joe Frazier Part of Wyden’s inquiry included the $2 billion it got from the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund in 2021. Wyden wrote, “Mr. Kushner’s limited track record as an investor, including his lack of experience in private equity or hedge funds, raise questions about the investment strategy behind the seeding investments and lucrative compensation that Affinity received…

Democrats are making a push for reproductive rights this month, two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, despite almost certain opposition from Republicans.  The Senate is scheduled to vote on a legislative package to protect access to IVF on Thursday afternoon. Alabama Supreme Court Flickr user Jimmy Emerson, DVM After the Alabama Supreme Court decided earlier this year that embryos are regarded as children under state law, providers stopped providing fertility treatments. This brought the issue to the attention of the entire nation although the Legislature later approved legislation to safeguard IVF in the state. Reproductive Rights…

A poll indicates that President Joe Biden’s margin with Donald Trump in Ohio is at its lowest level in the 2024 Election cycle. According to a Marist poll of 1,137 registered voters, Trump leads Ohio by 48% to 41%, a state he won by eight points in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. Smallest Margin Unsplash user Engin Yapici Trump is as of now expected to win the Buckeye State in November, yet his ongoing seven-point lead over Biden is the smallest margin in any Ohio political decision survey tracing back to November 2023, as shown by 538’s survey collection.…

A U.S. bankruptcy judge has approved WeWork’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan, a significant development for the shared office space provider.  WeWork is able to transfer its equity to a group of lenders and the real estate technology company Yardi Systems as a result of this decision, which enables the company to shed a staggering $4 billion in debt. Restructuring Efforts Wikimedia Commons user Alexisrael WeWork’s efforts to restructure were approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Sherwood during a hearing in Newark, New Jersey.  During the hearing, WeWork’s attorney, Steven Serajeddini, confirmed that the company is on track to emerge from…

Trent Staggs, a candidate for the U.S. Senate with the support of Trump, ended his time on stage at a Republican primary debate on Monday night by accusing his opponent, Rep. John Curtis, a Republican from Utah, of insider trading. On March 4, 2020, Abbott Laboratories — a medical device organization — was granted government subsidizing to create a Coronavirus test. Curtis bought stock in the organization that very day, Staggs said. Damning Accusations X user MayorStaggs “This is the problem in Congress at a time when somebody should be looking out for their constituents,” Staggs claimed. “They end up…

Four baby formula recalls reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been flagged for online shoppers as well as individuals in Texas. Concerns about the manufacturing process, ambiguity in labeling, the nutritional value of the products, and the possibility of contamination with the dangerous bacteria Cronobacter sakazakii—which can cause fatal infections in infants—led to the four recalls for the year 2024. FDA Recalls Unsplash user Rainier Ridao Seven FDA recalls are still in effect as of January 1, 2023, including some extensions of previously issued recalls. A list of recalls, starting with the most recent action, can…

In the most recent special election in Ohio, Democrats gained 20 points in a Republican district. The election was to fill the vacancy left by Bill Johnson, who resigned in January after 13 years in Congress to become president of Youngstown State University.  Ohio 6th District X user michaelrulli The election was held on Tuesday in the eastern portion of Ohio’s 6th district. Republican state Senator Michael Rulli defeated Democrat Michael Kripchak to win the election. However, despite the fact that he prevailed with 54.7 percent of the vote to 45.3 percent for Kripchak, his victory indicates a decline in…