June Vargas

Right now, according to COVID-19.ca.gov, more than 41,000 Californians have lost their lives to the pandemic. And, although the numbers of new cases have started to drop slightly, we are still facing an uphill battle with new variants and sporadic vaccination shipments and schedules. But how about some good news?…

The newest tagline on the television news is “[fill in the blank] is going to look different this year…” Well, guess what: Everything looks different this year, thanks to the pandemic. In the fall issue of DCA’s Consumer Connection magazine, the writers take a look at what’s become different in…

The world can be a very scary, unkind place. If you were gone, would anyone notice? Would anyone miss you? You bet they would. And there are people who have been to that dark place and have come back and who fight to stay out of it. Every day. And…

Let’s face it: 2020 hasn’t been the greatest year to date. OK, maybe close to in all of modern history. California has had more than its share of disasters this year: COVID, unemployment, drought, extreme heat, wildfires … everything but locusts, it seems. But we are still here. And we…

Citizens of the Golden State, we have done it—we made it to level 9 in the game called 2020. And, if nothing else, this anything-that-can-go-wrong year has made us think about being prepared. Now it’s time to actually do it. When disaster strikes, emergency crews will be busy; they may…

Hand sanitizer is a big, big deal right now. And a lot of new manufacturers have jumped on the sanitizer bandwagon, hoping to scoop up some of the revenue. Good for them. But in their attempts to claim their piece of the sanitizer gold rush, something they’re doing is poisoning…

It’s August, and it’s hot—way too hot. How hot? This afternoon, the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) issued an Extreme Heat Warning. And the California Independent System Operator (ISO) has issued a statewide Flex Alert from 3–11 p.m. today. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), temperatures will…

Want to keep COVID-19 from darkening your doorstep? In India, you can stand in a circle, clap your hands, and chant “Go Corona Go!” Or drink a glass of cow urine. Either one should help. In Nairobi, knocking back a shot of Henessey will cure it. In Brazil, take a…

“Thanks for giving me your cold!” If you’ve ever had someone say that to you, you know what happens next. You start thinking about 1) if that’s true; and 2) where you got your cold in the first place. That, in a nutshell, is what contact tracing is all about.…

Today was supposed to be the day. The #FreeBritney supporters were at the Los Angeles courthouse waving signs and chanting. The media was ready. The court was ready. But apparently, the princess of pop was not ready. Spears failed to show today for the court hearing that would once again…