Economy

New city-issued ID cards expected to benefit Richmonders – but at a price

Richmond residents will be able to apply for the city’s first city-issued identification card as of Oct. 15. Like a similar card issued by the city of Oakland, Richmond’s ID card can also be used as a debit card. “In Richmond, we welcome everyone,” said Mayor Gayle McLaughlin. “This card is an essential step toward greater equity and equality. It is needed to make sure all residents have access to equal services regardless of immigration status. It will help people…

Nonprofit MedShare repurposes unused medical tools by donating to local clinics

Many times a day, in Bay Area operating rooms like those at Kaiser Permanente Oakland, nurses lay out a set of surgical tools from which doctors can choose. Surgeons often pick one or two instruments from the bunch, leaving the rest to be discarded. Rather than clog local landfills, those unused surgical tools now can make their way to Roots Community Health Center in Oakland or Brighter Beginnings Family Health Clinic in Richmond —  thanks to MedShare, a nonprofit with…