Health and Science Highlights

October 20, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• California company recalls nearly 245,000 pounds of pasta tied to listeria outbreak (AP)
• Officials confirm first US cases of more severe mpox strain with no travel history
• The CDC says people must consult a health professional before COVID shot (NPR)
• GOP senators urge RFK Jr. to crack down on medication abortion (The Hill)
• Psychiatrists call for RFK Jr. to be replaced as health secretary (NPR)
• RFK Jr. fires NIH vaccine whistleblower Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo (CBS)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Coral reefs become first environmental system on Earth to pass climate "tipping point," report says (CBS)
• Renewables overtake coal as world's biggest source of electricity (BBC)
• California just passed new AI and social media laws. Here's what they mean for Big Tech  (CNBC)
• Amazon's AWS struggles to recover after major outage disrupts apps, services worldwide (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

California company recalls nearly 245,000 pounds of pasta tied to listeria outbreak (AP)

A California company has recalled nearly 245, 000 pounds (111,130.04 kilograms) of pre-cooked pasta linked to a deadly listeria outbreak and potential contamination of dozens of products sold at grocery stores nationwide. (The recall includes products sold at Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, Sprouts and Kroger.)

Officials confirm first US cases of more severe mpox strain with no travel history

All six previous U.S. cases of this version of mpox were among international travelers who were believed to have been infected abroad. California health authorities said that a Long Beach resident had a confirmed case of what is known as "clade I mpox." Los Angeles officials on Thursday reported a second, similar case, according to the Associated Press. 

The CDC says people must consult a health professional before COVID shot (NPR)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Monday accepted controversial new guidelines for the updated COVID-19 vaccines that could make it harder for many people to protect themselves this winter compared with previous years.

GOP senators urge RFK Jr. to crack down on medication abortion (The Hill)

 Almost every Senate Republican on Thursday urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to “reevaluate” wether a newly approved generic version of the abortion drug mifepristone should stay on the market.

Psychiatrists call for RFK Jr. to be replaced as health secretary (NPR)

Psychiatrists have joined other public health groups in calling for the removal of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary. Two psychiatry organizations — the Southern California Psychiatry Society and the recently formed grassroots Committee to Protect Public Mental Health — have released statements saying that the actions of the leader of the Department of Health and Human Services have increased stigma, instilled fear and hurt access to mental health and addiction care.

RFK Jr. fires NIH vaccine whistleblower Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo (CBS)

 Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired a top official with the National Institutes of Health who blew the whistle on internal clashes over vaccine research in the early months of the Trump administration….Marrazzo had been in her role since August 2023, succeeding Dr. Anthony Fauci…. She was put on indefinite leave in March and filed a whistleblower complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel in September, alleging illegal retaliation.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Coral reefs become first environmental system on Earth to pass climate "tipping point," report says (CBS)

Coral reefs around the globe have for years suffered publicly in warming oceans, periodically making headlines when iconic underwater landscapes lose their colors and wither during repeated mass bleaching events caused by climate change. Now, reefs are the first environmental system on Earth to pass a climate "tipping point," according to a new report by climate scientists who call the situation an "unprecedented crisis."

Renewables overtake coal as world's biggest source of electricity (BBC)

Renewable energy overtook coal as the world's leading source of electricity in the first half of this year - a historic first, according to new data from the global energy think tank Ember... However, Ember says the headlines mask a mixed global picture. Developing countries, especially China, led the clean energy charge but richer nations including the US and EU relied more than before on planet-warming fossil fuels for electricity generation.

California just passed new AI and social media laws. Here's what they mean for Big Tech  (CNBC)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a series of bills Monday targeting child online safety as concerns over the risks associated with artificial intelligence and social media use keep mounting.

Amazon's AWS struggles to recover after major outage disrupts apps, services worldwide (Reuters)

Amazon's cloud services unit AWS was struggling to recover on Monday from a widespread outage that knocked out thousands of websites along with some of the world's most popular apps - Snapchat and Reddit - and disrupted businesses globally.