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Faye Flam: Don’t blame medical misinformation for shrinking life spans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

FDA commissioner Robert Califf said in an interview that aired this week that misinformation is killing Americans — contributing to the fact that our life expectancy is three to five years worse than that of people in comparably wealthy countries. He called for better regulation to crack down on misinformation. But would such rules help?I studied medical misinformation as part of a journalism fellowship, and as I’ve written in previous columns, there is a real danger when misinformed people skip lifesaving vaccines or buy into risky, untested treatments. Yet policing misinformation is tricky.The fact-checking industry may even make the problem worse by confusing value judgments with facts, and by portraying science as a set of immutable facts, rather than a system of inquiry that constructs provisional theories based on imperfect data.The advent of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT will only magnify the confusion — the latest version, with GPT-4, is slick,...

How To Find Reliable CBD Products In 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

View the original article about How To Find Reliable CBD Products In 2023 at Real Tested CBD.Finding CBD these days can be easy. But finding high-quality CBD means finding a brand you can trust. Maybe you have seen CBD at the local health foods store or even at a gas station. But how do you know which brands and products you can trust? Read on to learn how to find reliable CBD products with ease.What Is CBD?First, let’s do a little refresher on CBD.CBD, also called cannabidiol, is one of many compounds in hemp and cannabis plants. These naturally occurring compounds are called cannabinoids, and they have the ability to interact with our bodies through the endocannabinoid system. CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, unlike commonly known THC. CBD can affect the brain and body, but it should not have mind-altering capabilities.Cannabidiol can be extracted from hemp plants and turned into a variety of different products. Many people seek out CBD products for their potentially therape...

Local musician returns to Rose Garden for another release show

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

Neighborhood NotesROSE GARDEN>>Nearly seven years after selling out her EP release show at Art Boutiki, Sunnyvale musician Martha Groves Perry is returning to the venue at 44 Race St. for the release of her new album, “Call Out.” The April 22 show will feature her new rhythm section, The MGP Band, with Kevin Kriner on bass and Yuri Selukoff on drums.Perry’s producer Kenny Schick, a former South Bay resident who now lives in Nashville, will open for her. The show marks his first in the Bay Area since he performed at Perry’s 2016 release show.Doors are at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $20 advance at app.gopassage.com/events/mgp-23-01 and $25 at the door.WILLOW GLEN>> The San Jose Garden Club is holding its annual plant sale April 28-29 at 2470 Richland Ave. Everything for sale is grown or made by club members, including vegetable, herb and flowering plants and lots of succulents. Gift items such as watering cans, garden gloves pottery, garden art and...

Cupertino’s Earth and Arbor Day Festival set for April 22

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

Earth and Arbor Day FestCupertino’s Earth and Arbor Day Festival is set for Saturday, April 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Cupertino Library Park field. The event will go on rain or shine.This festival features more than 75 booths hosted by local nonprofits and businesses, hands-on activities, live entertainment and a family tour through Regnart Creek Trail. Resources and activities are aimed at inspiring residents, businesses and community members to take action to reduce their impact on the planet.For more information, visit cupertino.org/earthday.Older adults surveyCupertino is conducting a Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults to better understand the contributions that adults 50 and older make to their communities, as well as the needs they have and challenges they experience. The city will use community feedback to help ensure that policies and programs align with residents’ values.The survey is open through Tuesday, April 25, at polco.us/opencupertino23. It should take 10-1...

New businesses open, old ones reopen in downtown Saratoga

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

Over 500 friends, family and fans gathered to say one last goodbye to former Saratoga High School football coach Benny Pierce. Hugh Roberts, Dan Wilson, Mike Machado and Ryan Iwanaga were among the many former Saratoga High coaches, teachers and players who paid tribute to the man who served as a role model for many. A flower arrangement from the Class of ’68 included a trophy to Pierce for winning the “Super Bowl of Life.” He was one in a million.The corner of Fifth and Big Basin has been the site of many favorite eateries, including The Basin. Just opened is Darla Cafe, a breakfast, lunch and soon-to-be dinner place. Co-owners Nina Summers and Mookie Varunthorn are gracious longtime friends and culinary school graduates. Rave reviews are already coming in for Darla’s French toast, a custard-soaked croissant pudding with fresh fruit and caramel sauce, as well as a duck confit waffle. They looked far and wide for a location and chose Saratoga Village for the friendly people. Darla C...

Latest line: A good week for Rob Bonta, a bad week for Antioch police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

Rob BontaCalifornia attorney general secures a $175 million settlement with electronic cigarette giant Juul for targeting children with ads. The money will fund campaigns to teach young people about the dangers of vaping.    Antioch PoliceNew report that is part of an FBI and DA investigation shows that two dozen Antioch officers sent numerous racist text messages to each other for several years, including using the N-word and other slurs.   Eric EarlyRepublican LA lawyer announces a run for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat next year after she retires. He could finish in the top two in the March primary, but would have little chance of winning the general election in deep-blue California. 

Berkeley prepares to transform its marina — and keep labor relations there ship-shape

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

The Berkeley Marina has long been a bustling destination for residents looking to take in stunning natural views, fly a kite, learn to sail or enjoy an upscale bayside meal.But the area has faced challenges in the last few years, especially around the Berkeley pier, which remains closed in disarray on the San Francisco Bay. Now, as preliminary plans are underway to transform the waterfront, city leaders are working to ensure that future workers are happy and business runs smoothly.On Tuesday, the Berkeley City Council unanimously approved adding a “labor peace policy” to its municipal code, which requires that any hospitality operation which inks a new (or amended) lease on city-owned marina property vow to work in good faith with labor unions and employees that want to request or negotiate benefits.In exchange, employees agree to avoid economic actions like picketing, boycotts and work stoppages while union recognition discussions are underway — a compromise supported by Berkeley’s...

Why do all the new apartment buildings in the Bay Area look the same?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

Walk through the heart of just about any Bay Area city and you can’t miss them: boxy, Lego-like apartment buildings with bright multi-colored paneling rising above downtown streets and suburban thoroughfares.The creeping sameness of the new developments — decried as “ugly” or “soulless” by some and “gentrification buildings” by others — is true for luxury apartment complexes and low-income housing projects alike. And as the region plans for the addition of hundreds of thousands of new multifamily units over the next decade to ease its deepening housing shortage, the bulky designs are likely to become more ubiquitous.“Even the most high-end buildings look the same,” said Mary Comerio, an architecture professor at UC Berkeley. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re designed by the average corporate firm or a more sensitive, well-known architect.”Why do so many new apartment buildings look alike? Housing and arch...

They said it: Tired of racism

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

“I ask everyone for patience, including myself . . . But after reading some of those texts . . . it was personal to me. All I heard was n…er, n…er, n…er. That should be personal to everybody in this room. Every single person. That should be personal to you, too.”— Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe, who is Black, after a heated discussion at a city council meeting last week on revelations of racist text messages among members of the city’s police force.

Highway 17 construction will continue into July: Roadshow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:42:24 GMT

Q: What will it take to force these bumbling bureaucrats to realize that closing a single lane during the afternoon commute hours on Highway 17 is a really dumb idea? For example, traffic was at a standstill in Los Gatos one recent day. It took me 10 minutes to travel two blocks. It was that way for everyone.Terry Swinggi, AptosA: I know this is frustrating. It will be better when work is complete. Just a reminder that Caltrans will close one lane of Highway 17 in each direction from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting Monday, April 17. This is for pavement rehabilitation, highway striping, guardrail repair and highway maintenance from Hebard Road to Highway 9. Work will be completed in July.Q: I agree with your advice to call the police, not contact the business owner, when finding handicap spaces blocked by non-handicap vehicles, especially large trucks. Recently I was at the Walgreens in Scotts Valley and a delivery truck was occupying two handicap spaces. I pointed out to the man unloadi...