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Racism’s Relentless Toll on Black Health in America

On most warm days, Stephanie McWoods catches the California breeze with the bubble wand she keeps on her patio. Sometimes, the bubbles float, then burst midair. Other times, when they don’t pop, it is unclear how many miles they travel. A captivating mystery. 

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The story of the COVID-19 vaccine, from the lab to millions of arms

A typical vaccine takes five to 10 years to develop. When the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine launched in December 2020, the U.S. had been shut down for just 9 months. How did the time to create a vaccine for the novel coronavirus get reduced as much as tenfold?

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U.S. Life Expectancy Falls Behind That of Other Developed Nations. Why?

Life expectancy rates in the United States have been falling for some time even though the country has one of the highest standards of living on the planet.  According to a recent column in the Financial Times, what’s really mind blowing is how those declines compare with other industrialized nations like Britain.

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How Logan Airport almost destroyed East Boston — and how East Boston is still fighting back

East Boston residents are desperately trying to find answers to the alarming health disparities, and patterns of cancer rampant in this community.  In the article, Iton shares some of his research from Building Healthy Communities and reinforces that "zip codes can be more important than genetic codes when it comes to health."

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The pandemic laid bare existing inequalities. California’s kids felt the pain.

On a breezy late May afternoon, members of Madison Park Academy’s senior class donned shimmery white gowns and tasseled caps decorated with fabric flowers and celebratory messages. For most, it was the first and last time in more than a year they had set foot on their East Oakland campus.

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'Whose lives matter most?': California's vaccine rollout faces tough questions of equity

It’s bad enough that this baby boomer will never see the world of flying cars he was promised over a bowl of Fruit Loops and The Jetsons on Saturday mornings. But now here we are in 2020, and the best minds of our generation have seen the near-future of American life after the coronavirus or, unbelievably, still coping with it — and it turns out that it’s Connecticut.

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That ‘life after coronavirus’ is a recipe for mass shooters, climate disaster. We can do better. | Will Bunch

It’s bad enough that this baby boomer will never see the world of flying cars he was promised over a bowl of Fruit Loops and The Jetsons on Saturday mornings. But now here we are in 2020, and the best minds of our generation have seen the near-future of American life after the coronavirus or, unbelievably, still coping with it — and it turns out that it’s Connecticut.

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The Other COVID Risks: How Race, Income, ZIP Code Influence Who Lives Or Dies

It started with a headache in late March. Then came the body aches. At first, Shalondra Rollins’ doctor thought it was the flu. By April 7, three days after she was finally diagnosed with COVID-19, the 38-year-old teaching assistant told her mom she was feeling winded.

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Pandemic: Preparing for a new normal

As the first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine arrive in California, officials are facing intense pressure to prioritize vulnerable communities and promote equity and racial justice in the state’s distribution scheme.

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Coronavirus: America’s Public Health Fail

Find out how the erosion of America’s public health system undermined our response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic. In this first of a podcast series, Dr. Tony Iton, senior vice president for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment, explains how having a patchwork health insurance system, along with a weakened public health system, has left America even more vulnerable during the crisis.

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Oakland Forms Task Force To Address Racial Disparities Of Coronavirus Pandemic

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and other regional leaders announced Friday that they’ve formed an emergency task force to address what they say are the racialized impacts of the COVID-19 coronavirus and create state legislation to reduce health disparities for people of color.

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Socially Determined - Political Power and Public Health in California

Dr. Gabriel Kaplan, NACDD Board President, interviews Dr. Anthony Iton, Senior Vice President at the California Endowment, about how political power, or lack of it, impacts the health of the public.

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How Local Health Care Systems Are Responding to COVID-19

All nine Bay Area counties announced a "shelter in place" order this week, dramatically changing life for Bay Area residents. Still on the frontlines, though, are health workers who fear greater risk of exposure to COVID-19 as clinics and hospitals face protective gear shortages. 

 In an age of sophisticated healthcare technologies and research tools, the doctors you see or hospitals you visit are only a small part of what determines your health. 

"If you tell Dr. Anthony Iton where you live and how much money you make, he'll tell you how long you're likely to live.

The public health director for Alameda County said he was startled by the results"

Study shows shocking crisis of ‘white death’ in Valley

"When we see a building consumed by flames, a horrible vehicle accident or any other tragedy unfold, we immediately call the proper authorities. The vast majority of us doesn’t stand idly by and let these incidents go unreported. We can’t. It's not how we're wired."

A year after the Erskine Fire, kids are still grappling with trauma

"Reba Dimeglio picked up a crayon and colored in the traumatic parts of her life. The chaos of that day — the one where her family nearly lost everything — left the details hazy, but she recalled the broad contours.She remembered her mother defying evacuation orders..."

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