London politics
fromwww.bbc.com
1 day agoWhy should we care about housing in the local elections?
Affordable housing is a critical issue in London's local elections, with councils facing significant pressures and responsibilities.
A state judge has ruled that every red-light ticket written to a cyclist under the state's vehicle and traffic law since 2019 is bogus. The city legalized the practice of biking through a red light on a pedestrian 'walk' signal, yet NYPD cops have been wrongly writing tickets for cyclists who go through the 'red' on the walk signal.
The UK medical landscape has moved dramatically in the last twelve months, showing a clear move away from fad diets and toward regulated, injectable treatments. This shift is not staying local; it's already visible across London clinics and private healthcare providers, where demand has accelerated sharply over the past year.
Most people leave doctor visits with prescriptions, but still feel unsure—instructions make sense, but no one asks about their life. In contrast, when a provider knows your name, remembers your story, and explains care in a way that fits you, the experience feels different—and that difference matters.
Campaigner Aysha Hawcutt stated that residents were 'not anti-homes', but believed the Adlington plan was 'the wrong proposal in the wrong place'. She expressed pride in the community's resilience against the development threats.
GOARN, which includes more than 310 national public health agencies, United Nations agencies, academic institutions, and nongovernmental groups, helps identify and manage infectious disease outbreaks worldwide. Since it was established in 2000, GOARN says it has helped manage more than 175 global health emergencies across 114 countries.
A community defibrillator fundraiser has begun to remember a "very friendly and therapeutic" cat named Defib which moved into an ambulance station in east London 18 years ago. Defib lived at Walthamstow Ambulance Station, after being rescued by paramedics as a kitten in 2008 and "adored by them ever since". In 2024, the cat was faced with eviction from his home but this was overturned after more than 62,000 people signed an online petition.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy winter training session begins Feb. 24. This hands-on program teaches community members essential disaster preparedness skills, including fire safety, first aid, search and rescue and emergency response tactics. The CERT Academy includes three in-person evening sessions, one online evening session and one final in-person daytime skills exercise. All in-person sessions will be held at the Campbell Community Center, 1 W. Campbell Ave. To register, visit https://bit.ly/4tsjWNX
Understanding the difference in purpose Unlike private businesses, which exist to make a profit, public institutions are designed to create impact - especially social and economic outcomes that benefit everyone, not just paying customers. A public agency doesn't measure its success in revenue or margins, but in how much it improves lives, builds equity and maintains public trust. This doesn't mean budgets and spending don't matter - they absolutely do - but money is not the goal. It's the tool.
The current issue is whether Fremont controls the road that the Alameda County Board of Supervisors ceded to Christopher George, who has now blocked access with a gate. But it is part of a longer battle that has included the board considering George's request for the land after his company donated $10,000 to Supervisor David Haubert's campaign. The board granted his request ostensibly to save maintenance costs, but at the expense of constituents who have used that section of road recreationally for decades.
I didn't want to get hearing devices because, to me, there was a horrible stigma. People who wore hearing aids were doddering. They didn't listen, they said, 'what, what,' over and over. Worse, the hearing aid would make this squealing sound. I worried that it was the beginning of the end of me.
By creating one of the nation's first state health departments, lawmakers and elected officials in 1901 were taking a leadership role in public health that continues to this day. Take the issue of heart health: Just last month, Governor Hochul unveiled a budget proposal that makes major investments in our fight against cardiovascular disease. Healthy hearts start with healthy diets, which is why Governor Hochul included over $100 million for nutrition programs, food banks and food pantries in the Executive Budget.
If you're based in the United States, you've probably gotten used to government bodies issuing nationwide alerts - including ones that relate to public health. These have, historically, been good ways for health-conscious people to know what to look out for and for regional public health experts to develop strategies to help keep potential outbreaks contained.Unfortunately, now both individuals and institutions are reckoning with a big question: what to do when those warnings are much smaller in number?
If you are choking and are alone, try to get yourself into a high-traffic area, such as a hallway in a building or outside your house. If you pass out, you're way more likely to be found as opposed to being in a room in a building or your house. Call 911 even though you can't speak. Someone will be sent to your location by dispatch.
Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Measles. Measles, measles, measles! After decades of not having to worry much about the most contagious virus on record, it suddenly seems to be everywhere. The outbreak in South Carolina is nearing 1,000 cases, overtaking last year's largest outbreak, in Texas, which ended in August with 762 cases. Twenty states are currently reporting infections. Canada recently lost its measles elimination status.
In many ways, public health can't afford to ignore gamification. Addiction is already gamified-and it's winning. As one example, "smart" vapes now feature screens, rewards, animations, and puff tracking. These high-tech devices have become top-selling products, with 32% of youth and 33% of young adults reporting using vapes with screens, games, or Bluetooth connectivity in the past month. These products are applying the same engagement strategies used in consumer tech to drive repeat use and ultimately sustain addictive behavior.