The number of congenital syphilis cases has ballooned to rates not seen in two decades. Public health workers say the increase coincides with a decline in funding for public health and a drop in the rate of women accessing prenatal care.

https://calmatters.org/health/2022/10/congenital-syphilis/

Californians will soon have a new end-of-life burial option: human composting.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Sunday that creates a state regulatory process for "natural organic reduction," or transforming human remains into soil. The law will go into effect in 2027.

https://phys.org/news/2022-09-nature-california-legalizes-human-composting.html

Art Laboe, the pioneering DJ credited with helping end segregation in southern California, has died. He was 97.

Laboe died on Friday night after catching pneumonia, said Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for Laboe’s production company, Dart Entertainment.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/10/art-laboe-dies-pioneering-dj-oldies-california

California has witnessed its three driest years on record and the drought shows no signs of abating, officials said on Monday. The dry spell set the stage for catastrophic wildfires and has strained water resources and caused conflicts over usage.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/04/california-record-drought-climate-crisis-la-nina

California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) looks set to no longer require companies to conduct “fish kill tests” to prove the non-toxic nature of their materials.

https://plantbasednews.org/news/science/aquatic-toxicity-testing-california/

"Am I a water hog? Here’s what could land you on California’s list of homes using too much water"

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/california-water-supply-17473884.php

Column: Every burned town is tragic. But Newsom needs to lead with science, not sentiment

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-29/gavin-newsom-science-land-use-rebuild-wildfire-burned-california-towns

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-their-government-september-2022/