Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to reveal a new plan to have California be the first state to sell its own brand of generic prescription drugs, in order to combat rising drug costs.
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The proposal is expected to come Friday as Gov. Newsom unveils a new state budget.
An overview of the still-in-the-works plan says that the state of California could contract with one or more generic drugmakers to manufacture drugs under the state's own label, and make them available for all Californians to purchase, likely for a lower cost. The governor's office said that this would increase competition in the marketplace and help drive down prices.
State lawmakers would have to approve the plan.
Takata recalling 10 million more faulty airbags
Takata is recalling 10 million more front air bag inflators in the final recall agreed to by the company, the latest in a lengthy saga involving the faulty safety devices.
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These 10 million airbag inflators are a part of the 70 million Takata promised to recall as part of its agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The airbags were found to explode with too much force, hurling debris and causing injuries and deaths.
Audi, BMW, Honda, Daimler Vans, Fiat Chrysler, Ferrari, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen vehicles are all affected by this latest recall. Consumers are encouraged to check their car's vehicle identification numbers on the NSTSA website to see if their cars a part of the recall.
The first round of Takata airbag recalls began in 2001, resulting in what would become the largest auto recall in U.S. history.
Perdue Farms debuts dissolvable frozen meat packaging
Perdue Farms is debuting a new online store to allow customers to buy their meat products -- and in very special packaging to boot.
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The company's new online site will deliver frozen meat products, including beef, pork, and lamb, to customers' homes. The deliveries will be packaged in environmentally-friendly foam insulation made out of cornstarch, which Perdue says can be composted or even dissolved in water and rinsed down the drain. The deliveries will also include reusable shopping bags and packets of bee- and butterfly-friendly seeds consumers can use in their gardens.
The company has stated its goal is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions per pound of product sold by 30 percent by 2022. "As a company, Perdue Farms is always striving to be as environmentally friendly as possible," said David Zucker, senior vice president of e-commerce and new ventures for Perdue Farms, in a statement. "We have specific targets that we're constantly working toward... The decision to use recyclable material in our e-commerce shipping materials, including the compostable foam insulation, is one of many steps we're taking throughout our supply chain to help us achieve these targets."
Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.