Health

American Red Cross encouraging African-Americans to donate blood

In honor of Black History Month, the American Red Cross is commemorating the development of modern-day blood banking, pioneered by an African-American surgeon—Dr. Charles Drew. They have organized more than a dozen blood donation opportunities throughout February in the East Bay. “We need people of all ethnicities to donate,” said Sara O’Brien, the external communications manager of the American Red Cross for the Northern California region. The Northern California branch will be part a nationwide effort to encourage a diverse…

Measles outbreak reaches East Bay

By January 26, 73 cases of measles had been confirmed among California residents, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Among those cases, 50 have been linked to an initial exposure at a Disney park.

Quan announces plan to stop sexual exploitation of children in Oakland

In one of her last organizing projects as mayor of Oakland, Jean Quan announced last week a new effort to stop the sexual exploitation of children along a stretch of East Oakland. The city began putting more police officers on the streets late last month in order to discourage pimps, as well as adult males seeking to buy sex, from preying on victims and minors at risk.