First Edition: July 28, 2021

KHN: Sign-Up Window For Free COBRA Coverage For Many Laid-Off Workers Closes This Week
After being laid off from her job as a systems analyst for a specialty chemicals company in December, Gabriela de Pompignan opted to hang on to her former employer’s insurance coverage under the federal law known as COBRA. Typically, laid-off workers pick up the total cost of premiums under COBRA, but her company paid roughly 75% of the expense for the first six months, leaving de Pompignan with a $659 monthly bill for the family plan covering her, her husband and their 9-year-old son. Since both de Pompignan and her husband, a lawyer, were unemployed, her company’s temporary financial support was crucial to making their premiums affordable. What de Pompignan didn’t realize, however, was that she was eligible for an even better deal. Under the American Rescue Plan Act that President Joe Biden signed in March, COBRA premiums for laid-off workers are covered in full by federal funding for six months from April through September. (Andrews, 7/28)

KHN: Women Say California Insurer Makes It Too Hard To Get Drug For Postpartum Depression
When Miriam McDonald decided she wanted to have another baby at age 44, her doctor told her she had a better chance of winning the lottery. So when she got pregnant right away, she and her husband were thrilled. But within three days of giving birth to their son, in September 2019, everything shifted. “I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, what did I do?’ I just brought this baby into this world and I can barely take care of myself right now,” she recalled. “I feel exhausted. I haven’t slept in three days. I haven’t really eaten in three days.” (Dembosky, 7/28)

KHN: Bye-Bye To Health Insurance ‘Birthday Rule’? Kansas Lawmaker Floats Fix
When Kayla Kjelshus gave birth to her first child, the infant spent seven days in the neonatal intensive care unit, known as the NICU. This stressful medical experience was followed by an equally stressful financial one. Because of an obscure health insurance policy called the “birthday rule,” Kjelshus and her husband, Mikkel, were hit with an unexpected charge of more than $200,000 for the NICU stay. Now, seven months after KHN and NPR published a story about the Kjelshus family’s experience, new parents may be spared this kind of financial uncertainty if lawmakers pass a bill that would give parents more control when it’s time to pick a health insurance policy for their child. (Anthony, 7/27)

CNBC: CDC Reverses Indoor Mask Policy, Saying Fully Vaccinated People And Kids Should Wear Them Indoors
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that fully vaccinated people begin wearing masks indoors again in places with high Covid-19 transmission rates. The agency is also recommending kids wear masks in schools this fall. Federal health officials still believe fully vaccinated individuals represent a very small amount of transmission. Still, some vaccinated people could be carrying higher levels of the virus than previously understood and potentially transmit it to others. (Lovelace Jr., 7/27)

AP: CDC Changes Course On Indoor Masks In Some Parts Of The US
Biden dismissed concerns that the new masking guidance could invite confusion, saying Americans who remain unvaccinated are the ones who are “sowing enormous confusion.” “The more we learn about this virus and the delta variation, the more we have to be worried and concerned. And there’s only one thing we know for sure — if those other 100 million people got vaccinated, we’d be in a very different world,” he said. The White House quickly pivoted on its own masking guidance, asking all staff and reporters to wear masks indoors because the latest CDC data shows that Washington faces a substantial level of coronavirus transmission. (Stobbe, 7/27)

Politico: CDC Wants Vaccinated Americans To Wear Masks Indoors In Covid Hot Spots 
"This weighs heavily on me," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters Tuesday. "Not only are people tired, they are frustrated. We have mental health challenges in this country. We have a lot of sickness and death. Our health systems are being overrun. In the context of all that this, I know this is not welcome news. I just want to convey that this was not a decision that was taken lightly." Tuesday’s policy switch underscores the extent to which the Biden administration is increasingly worried about the highly transmissible Delta variant infecting the unvaccinated population across the country. It also points to a frustrating new reality for the White House — that the country needs to revert to wearing masks at a time when the U.S. was supposed to be returning to normal life. (Banco and Cancryn, 7/27)

NBC News: Experts Back CDC Change On Masks As Delta Variant Spreads
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its masking guidance Tuesday, recommending that everyone, whether they are vaccinated or not, wear a mask indoors in places where the coronavirus is spreading widely. The change was met with relief from experts who said masking up again is essential to combat the highly contagious delta variant. "We know masks work, and they work against every variant that this virus has produced," said Ali Mokdad, a professor of global health at the University of Washington. "If we use them, they will save lives, save livelihoods and prevent us from shutting down our economy." (Chow, 7/27)

Bloomberg: White House Orders Staff To Wear Masks Indoors As Delta Covid Variant Spreads
The White House has told staff that they must again wear masks, a symbolic setback in the fight against Covid-19 as the highly contagious delta variant spreads. The decision came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tightened mask guidelines, advising people wear them indoors in public regardless of vaccination status in places where the virus is rapidly spreading. (Fabian and Epstein, 7/27)

The Hill: House To Resume Mask Mandate After New CDC Guidance
Masks will once again be universally required on the House side of the Capitol amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant, the Capitol physician announced late Tuesday night. The resumption of the House mask mandate — just over a month after it was lifted — comes after new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier Tuesday recommending that vaccinated people should wear masks in high-risk areas. (Marcos, 7/27)

The Washington Post: CDC Urges Everyone In Schools To Wear Masks 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday changed its guidance for schools, recommending everyone over the age of 2 — and not just the unvaccinated — wear masks inside school buildings, a shift that comes in response to rising concerns about the delta variant of the coronavirus. The announcement came as schools across the country weighed how to mitigate the spread of the new variant in classrooms and hallways, a question that has been fiercely debated in school board meetings — where some parents have flung obscenities at school leaders — and statehouses. In many places, politics — not science — is guiding how leaders respond. And the guidance might make little difference for schools in the nine Republican-led states that have outright barred them from enacting mask requirements. (Balingit and Strauss, 7/27)

CNBC: Top U.S. Doctors Say Kids Need Masks And Social Distancing In Schools This Fall
Students should wear masks and practice social distancing at school to ensure safe in-person learning this fall, top U.S. doctors said Tuesday. Just 30% of 12- to 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated in America, and younger kids won’t likely get the shots until well into the school year. That has the American Academy of Pediatrics and other top doctors worried that the delta variant could rip through U.S. schools when kids return to the classroom this fall. (Mendez and Towey, 7/27)

Politico: Biden White House Readies A Vaccine Mandate For Federal Workers 
President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a Covid vaccine mandate for all federal employees is “under consideration right now.” “If you’re not vaccinated, you’re not nearly as smart as I thought you were,” Biden told reporters at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where he addressed the intelligence community in the afternoon. (Ward, Korecki and Owermohle, 7/27)

The New York Times: Biden Weighs Vaccine Mandate For Federal Workers
President Biden, in what would be a significant shift in approach, is considering requiring all civilian federal employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or be forced to submit to regular testing, social distancing, mask requirements and restrictions on most travel, officials said on Tuesday. White House officials said they would reveal more about the president’s plans later this week. Mr. Biden said he would deliver a speech on Thursday about “the next steps in our effort to get more Americans vaccinated.” (Shear and Stolberg, 7/27)

NBC News: As Covid Cases Surge, The Unvaccinated Trigger Scorn, Resentment From The Vaccinated
Keisha Bryan, a psychotherapist near Raleigh, North Carolina, had a slate of activities she wanted to do this summer with her husband and their 5-year-old daughter: attend neighborhood parties, visit a trampoline park and travel to Walt Disney World for a much-needed family vacation. But even something as carefree as the Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo, which they've attended previously, is off the table this year after event organizers announced Monday it was canceled because of the surge of Covid-19 cases in the region. North Carolina, like many states across the country, has been hit by a doubling of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rising due to the highly transmissible delta variant. (Ortiz, 7/28)

AP: Oregon Health Officials Recommend Wearing Masks Indoors
In response to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Oregon and updated national guidance calling for masking measures to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, state health officials announced Tuesday they are recommending that people wear a mask in public indoor settings — including those who are fully vaccinated. The announcement occurred the same day that the Oregon Health Authority reported 1,032 new and presumed COVID-19 cases, the state’s highest daily case count since January based on recent data. (Cline, 7/28)

AP: Nevada Adopts COVID-19 Mask Rule In Line With Federal Advice
Nevada is re-imposing a mask mandate for public indoor settings in places where COVID-19 is surging, including the state’s largest cities, state authorities said Tuesday. Gov. Steve Sisolak’s order, effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, follows an indoor masking recommendation issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier in the day. (Metz and Ritter, 7/28)

AP: No Mask Mandate, But Pennsylvania Urged To Follow Guidance
Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday that he is not considering a statewide mask mandate as coronavirus cases surge in Pennsylvania and across the country, while his administration said it is not requiring masks in schools. Wolf, speaking on KDKA-AM in Pittsburgh, said his strategy to fight the spread of COVID-19 has been the vaccine, and will continue to be. The masking mandate was for when there was no vaccine, Wolf said. (7/27)

The Boston Globe: In Hot Spots Like Boston, Cape Cod, Vaccinated Advised To Mask Up Indoors
In an alarming sign of the pandemic’s resurgence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course Tuesday and recommended that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas of higher transmission, including Boston, Cape Cod and the Islands, and Bristol County. Citing new information about the Delta variant’s ability to spread among vaccinated people, federal health officials also recommended indoor masks for all students and staff at schools nationwide, regardless of vaccination status. (MacQuarrie and Martin, 7/27)

AP: Ducey Keeps Virus Policies Despite New Federal Guidelines
Arizona won’t be making any changes to its COVID-19 polices even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reversed course on some masking guidelines, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said Tuesday. Citing a surge of infections from the delta variant, the CDC recommended that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the country classified as having substantial or high transmission. The agency recommends indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors at schools nationwide regardless of vaccination status. (7/28)

Politico: Newsom Pulls Kids From Summer Camp After Maskless Revelation 
California Gov. Gavin Newsom pulled his children from a summer camp after discovering that other children were attending without masks in violation of state policy, his office confirmed Tuesday. "The Newsoms were concerned to see unvaccinated children unmasked indoors at a camp their children began attending yesterday and after seeing this, removed the kids from the camp," Newsom spokesperson Erin Mellon said in a statement. "The family reviewed communication from the camp and realized that an email was missed saying the camp would not enforce masking guidance. Their kids will no longer be attending this camp." (Bermel, 7/27)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. To Require City Workers To Get COVID Vaccines Or Tested
Los Angeles will require city employees to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing to show they have tested negative, Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council President Nury Martinez announced Tuesday. Garcetti, announcing the new requirements, cited “an alarming spike in cases among our city workforce. ”The plan is expected to be rolled out through a mayoral order issued Wednesday, following a meeting of a city committee focused on employee relations that will discuss how the new requirements will be implemented. (Alpert Reyes, Dolan and Money, 7/27)

Modern Healthcare: Ascension Tells Its Workers To Get Vaccinated
Ascension employees will have to get the COVID-19 vaccine, the 146-hospital system announced Tuesday. Ascension's mandate follows many health systems across the country that have also required employees to get vaccinated. The St. Louis-based chain's new policy applies to all employees, including administrative and remote workers, as well as those employed by Ascension subsidiaries. "As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and new variants of the virus emerge, Ascension continues to focus on ensuring our associates are protected—for the safety of patients and visitors, our associates, our families and loved ones, and the community. Like many health systems across the country, including in many of our markets, we are moving to require our associates to be vaccinated against COVID-19," the health system said in a news release. (Kacik, 7/27)

AP: EXPLAINER: Employers Have Legal Right To Mandate COVID Shots
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The state of California. New York City. Hospitals and nursing homes. Colleges and universities. Employers are putting COVID-19 vaccine mandates into place and it’s getting attention. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said a requirement is under consideration for all federal employees. But what happens if workers refuse? Federal legal guidance out this week suggests the law is on the side of employers. Vaccination can be considered a “condition of employment,” akin to a job qualification. (Anderson and Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/27)

Bloomberg: Vaccine Pressure Grows As Patience Runs Thin For U.S. Employers
As a resurgence in Covid-19 cases prompts more U.S. employers to require vaccinations, workers who object face a common response: Get a shot or get another job. In the past six weeks alone, a federal judge in Texas dismissed a lawsuit by employees who had sued over a Houston Methodist Hospital order, and another in Indiana blocked a challenge to Indiana University’s policy for its students and staff. At the same time, a growing number of private and public employers -- including, on Monday, California and New York City -- are telling workers that they must get vaccinated or face mandatory testing. The alternative is to go the route of more than 150 Houston hospital employees who were fired or resigned as of late June after refusing to get the jab. (Young, 7/27)

AP: Hospital Morgues Fill As Death Count Climbs In Missouri
A Springfield hospital announced Tuesday that it expanded its morgue capacity amid an increase in COVID-19 deaths, while the Kansas City mayor announced he would reinstate a mask mandate for indoor spaces. Missouri has the nation’s fourth-worst COVID-19 diagnosis rate over the past week, with one in every 360 people diagnosed with COVID-19. Its seven-day rolling average of daily deaths has nearly doubled over the past two weeks, according to data from John Hopkins. (Hollingsworth, 7/28)

The Hill: Visitation Suspended At Louisiana Prisons Amid COVID-19 Surge
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections on Tuesday said it would be temporarily suspending visitation and volunteering at all state-run prisons as Louisiana is reporting record surges in COVID-19 infections among its largely unvaccinated population. The corrections agency announced in a press release that the suspension would remain in place until Aug. 16, at which point the department “will review and reconsider the need for these measures.” (Castronuovo, 7/27)

Stat: Covid Shows How Barring Bedside Visitors Deprives Patients Of The Best Care
For Teresa Ciappa, home was other people — and for the people in her life, Teresa Ciappa was home. Teresa hemmed pants, crocheted booties, and decorated wedding cakes for anyone who asked, and many who didn’t. To her five grandchildren, whose teddy bears she lovingly patched up, the sunny Italian emigrant was “Dr. Nonni.” Among her family and friends, Teresa was the one who kept in touch, even from across an ocean, the one who never forgot a birthday or anniversary. When she was hospitalized with Covid-19 in late 2020, Teresa’s tight-knit network watched her decline week after week through a virtual portal. “She would tell us, ‘I want to come home. I miss everybody,’” Michelle Ciappa, her only daughter, told STAT. “As soon as we hung up, we just fell apart.” (Renault, 7/28)

The Hill: Iowa Governor Suggests Immigrants Partially To Blame For Rising COVID-19 Cases 
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) on Tuesday placed partial blame for the recent surge in COVID-19 cases on immigrants crossing into the U.S. from its southern border. "Part of the problem is the southern border is open and we’ve got 88 countries that are coming across the border and they don’t have vaccines so none of them are vaccinated and they’re getting dispersed throughout the country," Reynolds said to reporters, according to the Des Moines Register. (Choi, 7/27)

The Hill: Tennessee GOP State Senators Urge Residents To Get COVID-19 Vaccine Amid Surge 
More than half of the Republican state senators in the Tennessee legislature signed an open letter on Tuesday calling on residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as cases once again surge in the state and across the country. "Although we have made progress, COVID-19 is not over. There has been a recent spike in the number of cases, which includes the virus’s more contagious delta variant. A strong majority of these cases are among those who are not vaccinated. And virtually all of those currently hospitalized with COVID-19 have not been vaccinated," the lawmakers wrote, according to a report in the Tennessean. (Choi, 7/27)

ABC News: Lollapalooza COVID-19 Rules Depend On Vaccination Status 
Organizers of Chicago's Lollapalooza festival have a strict message for music lovers who want to attend all four days of the event: Get vaccinated, or get tested for COVID-19 more than once during the weekend. The outdoor event, which typically draws hundreds of thousands of fans over the course of the festival, runs from July 29 through Aug. 1. To gain entrance to the festival, ticket holders must either show a printed copy of their vaccine card, a vaccine record or a negative COVID-19 test taken in the past 72 hours. (Schumaker, 7/27)

Newsweek: Maryland Man Charged With Threatening To Set Anthony Fauci And His Family On Fire
Legal authorities say that between December 2020 and July 2021, Connally of Greenbelt, Maryland, sent seven death threats to Dr. Fauci. Connally reportedly sent the threats using an encrypted email account. In one email, Connally allegedly said Fauci and his family should be "dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire," WJZ-TV reported. (Villarreal, 7/27)

LiveScience: Nerve Damage In Cornea Could Be Sign Of 'Long COVID,' Study Hints
Nerve damage and a buildup of immune cells in the cornea may be a sign of "long COVID," a long-term syndrome that emerges in some people after COVID-19 infection, a new study suggests. These preliminary results will need to be verified in a larger group of people with long COVID, or COVID-19 long-haulers, as they're known, an expert told Live Science. But the findings do hint at something scientists already suspected: Some symptoms of long COVID emerge due to peripheral nerve damage, she said. (Lanese, 7/27)

Modern Healthcare: Highmark Health Launches Digital Transformation Consultancy
Integrated health system Highmark Health launched a consulting business on Tuesday aimed at helping healthcare companies and others digitize their operations. Named Lumevity, the new subsidiary will focus on helping customers identify automation opportunities, operate under the Agile methodology and help executives and front-line employees alike navigate operational changes. The Pittsburgh-based healthcare company will look inward to inform its customers' strategy—Highmark credits its technology and HR moves for contributing nearly $500 million in profit and freeing 8 million hours of time for its 35,000 payer, provider and IT employees over the past three years. (Tepper, 7/27)

USA Today: US Hospitals Struggle To Reduce Health Disparities: Minority Patients Underrepresented In 4 Of 5 Hospitals
Most U.S. hospitals are still disproportionately treating white patients for common services, a report published Tuesday shows, despite serving racially and ethnically diverse communities. A U.S. News & World Report analysis of federal data from 2015 through 2019 compared more than 1,400 hospitals with the racial or ethnic makeup of each hospital’s surrounding community. Researchers found racial and ethnic minorities were underrepresented among patients in roughly 4 out of 5 hospitals in the country. This is the first time U.S. News included a health equity analysis in its annual Best Hospitals rankings. Although the health equity component was not factored into the rankings, they can be found at the bottom of each hospital's profile. (Rodriguez, 7/27)

Stat: Under Lander, OSTP Will Have An Entire Wing Dedicated To Health
Eric Lander, the renowned genomics researcher, has kept a low profile in his first months as President Biden’s science adviser. He’s given no speeches, issued no reports, and published virtually no public-facing work of any kind. Quietly, though, Lander has been busy reinventing the White House’s science office. He’s building a new wing, exclusively focused on health and life sciences — a dramatic change for OSTP, which even under President Obama counted just two staffers with the word “health” in their titles. Neither worked in life sciences. (Facher, 7/28)

Axios: Biogen Pulled Aduhelm Paper After JAMA Demanded Edits 
Biogen recently submitted a paper to JAMA, a top medical research journal, that analyzed results from the clinical trials of its new Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm. However, Biogen later withdrew the paper because JAMA considered rejecting it unless edits were made, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The FDA's decision to approve Aduhelm has been mired in controversy; experts say there simply isn't strong enough data to show the drug works. And it appears medical journal reviewers also weren't sold on Biogen's interpretation of the data. (Herman, 7/27)

Crain's New York Business: Humana Sues Regeneron Over Pricing Of Macular Degeneration Drug Eylea
Insurance company Humana filed a racketeering and fraud lawsuit against Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on Thursday over a copay assistance scheme for its top-selling drug, Eylea. Humana's suit is based on allegations by the U.S. Department of Justice last year that Regeneron gave a patient-assistance charity kickbacks to boost sales of Eylea, which treats age-related macular degeneration. That case is ongoing in Boston's federal court. Humana accused Regeneron of inflating the drug's price from $1,500 a dose to $1,950 by partnering with the charity, the Chronic Disease Foundation, to cover patients' cost-sharing obligations for Eylea but not for its competitor. The arrangement boosted Eylea sales at the expense of Medicare and health plans, which shouldered the rest of the cost, the insurer said in its complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York. (Kaufman, 7/27)

Stat: Purdue Says Most Creditors Voted In Favor Of Contentious Bankruptcy Plan
In an apparent victory for Purdue Pharma, preliminary voting shows most creditors are in favor of its controversial bankruptcy plan, an outcome that, if confirmed, suggests the company and its infamous owners are closer to resolving sweeping litigation filed over its role in the opioid crisis. More than 95% of the 120,000-plus votes submitted were in favor of the bankruptcy proposal and nearly 97% of almost 5,000 state and local governmental creditors voted to accept the plan, according to a statement issued by the company that cited a court filing. The final tally will be made public by Aug. 2, ahead of a scheduled hearing in a U.S. bankruptcy court to confirm the proposal. (Silverman, 7/27)

Bloomberg: Monsanto Told To Pay Teachers $185 Million Over PCB Exposure
Bayer AG’s Monsanto unit must pay $185 million to three teachers who blamed their brain injuries on exposure to the company’s PCBs at a school in Washington state. A state jury in Seattle awarded $50,150,000 in actual damages, and $135 million in punitive damages to the teachers following a six-week trial, which was broadcast by Courtroom View Network. The jury deliberated 1 1/2 days before reaching the verdict Tuesday afternoon. (Burnson, 7/27)

CBS News: Black Women's Organization Sues Johnson & Johnson Over Talcum-Based Powder
A national Black women's group is suing Johnson & Johnson, claiming the company marketed its baby powder to Black women for decades despite knowing it had ingredients that could cause ovarian cancer. The National Council of Negro Women, or NCNW, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in the Superior Court of New Jersey. The organization claims in the lawsuit that several of its members have used Johnson & Johnson baby powder for years and now have ovarian cancer. (Brooks, 7/27)

NBC News: 2 Dead After Leak At Texas Chemical Plant
Two people were dead and several were injured after a leak at a Texas chemical plant Tuesday night, authorities said. Five people were treated for injuries on the scene, two were transported to the hospital and 31 nearby were assessed, Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen said at a news conference Tuesday night. The chemical company LyondellBasell said in a statement that an acetic acid leaked was to blame in the fatal injuries at its La Porte complex near Houston. (Fitzsimons, 7/28)

AP: Audit: Military Personnel Unprotected From Toxic Chemicals
The Defense Department has dragged its feet on protecting service personnel from “forever chemicals” at military installations and isn’t doing enough to track health effects from exposure to the toxic compounds, according to an internal audit. Officials have taken steps to find and clean groundwater contaminated with firefighting foam containing PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the department’s inspector general found. But its recently released report said the Pentagon has fallen short on dealing with other sources of the chemicals as its rules require. (Flesher, 7/27)

The New York Times: Woman Faces Murder Charge After Man Shaken As Baby Dies At 35
A former babysitter who served a few months in jail for shaking a 5-month-old boy so forcefully 37 years ago that he suffered permanent brain damage now faces a possible life sentence after his death from those injuries in 2019, at age 35, the authorities said. Terry McKirchy, 59, who now lives in Texas, was arrested again on July 2 after a grand jury in Broward County, Fla., indicted her on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Benjamin Dowling, prosecutors said this week. (Vigdor, 7/27)

PBS NewsHour: Wildfires Are Increasing Health Risks Of Already-Polluted Regions Of The U.S., Experts Warn
As wildfires in the western United States pump harmful smoke into the atmosphere, communities with existing air pollution challenges find themselves at an increasingly higher risk of negative health effects. For years, researchers who study the San Joaquin Valley have known the region’s geography poses a severe challenge for its residents. Natural features make the Valley more vulnerable to air pollution because it is surrounded by mountains which restrict air movement and cause a concentration of particle pollution. (Rodriguez-Delgado, 7/27)

The Washington Post: Illegal Cannabis Growers Stealing Water Amid Calif. Drought 
California’s deepening drought is creating another big problem for authorities: water theft. Water thieves, many of them illegal marijuana growers, are tapping into fire hydrants and drilling unauthorized water wells, according to officials, threatening the water supply for residents. (Pannett, 7/28)

AP: High Profile: Cannabis Chemical Delta-8 Gains Fans, Scrutiny
A chemical cousin of pot’s main intoxicating ingredient has rocketed to popularity over the last year, and the cannabis industry and state governments are scrambling to reckon with it amid debate over whether it’s legal. The chemical, called delta-8 THC, is billed as producing a milder high than the better known delta-9 THC, and delta-8 is often marketed as being legal even where marijuana is not. That argument stems from the fact that most delta-8 is synthesized from CBD, a popular non-intoxicating chemical that’s prevalent in hemp, a form of cannabis that Congress legalized in 2018. (Peltz, 7/28)

NPR: Scientists Genetically Alter Lab Mosquitoes So Carriers Of Malaria Self-Destruct
For the first time, scientists have shown that a new kind of genetic engineering can crash populations of malaria-spreading mosquitoes. In the landmark study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications, researchers placed the genetically modified mosquitoes in a special laboratory that simulated the conditions in sub-Saharan Africa, where they spread the deadly disease. The male mosquitoes were engineered with a sequence of DNA known as a "gene drive" that can rapidly transmit a deleterious mutation that essentially wipes out populations of the insects. (Stein, 7/28)

Stat: Activists Get New Ammunition In Their Battle Over A Controversial Animal Test
In what animal rights activists see as a significant development, a pair of U.K. health regulators recently wrote that drug researchers should seek alternatives to a controversial test in rodents that is used for developing antidepressants. At issue is the forced swim test in which mice, rats, guinea pigs, and gerbils are placed in beakers filled with water and forced to swim in order to keep from drowning. The test has been used to gauge the effectiveness of antidepressants based on the theory that an animal will swim longer and spend less time floating after being given one of these pills. (Silverman, 7/27)

AP: Tokyo Sets Another Virus Record Days After Olympics Begin
Tokyo reported 3,177 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, setting an all-time high and exceeding 3,000 for the first time days after the start of the Olympics. The new cases exceeded the earlier record of 2,848 set the previous day and brought the total for the Japanese capital to 206,745 since the pandemic began early last year. (Yamaguchi, 7/28)

ABC News: Simone Biles Withdraws From Individual All-Around Competition 'To Focus On Her Mental Health' 
Following "further medical evaluation," American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics "to focus on her mental health," USA Gymnastics announced Wednesday. "Simone will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participate in next week’s individual event finals," the sport's national governing body said in a statement. "We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many." (Winsor, 7/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Biles And Osaka Lay Bare The Strains Of Tokyo’s Pandemic Olympics 
Biles’s exit followed a stunning defeat for Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka in the third round of the women’s singles tournament. Osaka, who has also cited the mental toll of her profession, was seen as the face of the Tokyo Games and had been chosen to light the Olympic cauldron during last Friday’s opening ceremony. They were just two of the high-profile casualties of the strangest Games in modern history. A combination of the restrictive conditions, absent fans, sweltering heat, and a one-year delay that threw off finely-tuned training cycles has dimmed the star power, in Japan and the U.S., of an Olympics already struggling for global appeal. (Robinson, Radnofsky and Bachman, 7/27)

Houston Chronicle: 'Still Human': Houston Gymnasts Talk Mental Health Amid Simone Biles' Olympics Decision
Practice went on for dozens of scrunchie-wearing girls in leotards at a Houston gymnastic training center as fans learned Tuesday that Simone Biles would be taking a step back because of mental health, leaving her Olympic team to snag the silver without her. But for some, the decision came as a shock. Teen gymnast Sophia Butler — an USA Gymnastics member — was taken aback as she learned the news on her way to practice at Discover Gymnastics. It did not take Butler long to accept why the four-time gold medalist made her fateful decision — which Biles pegged to faltering confidence. “I think it goes to show that even the highest caliber of athletes are still human,” said Butler, 17. (Hensley, 7/27)

AP: Quarantined Olympic Athlete Says Lack Of Fresh Air 'Inhuman'
An Olympic skateboarder who was put in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 called the conditions at the hotel “inhuman” on Wednesday. Candy Jacobs has been in isolation for eight days and missed the street event in skateboarding’s debut as an Olympic sport. She said she had to force officials to allow her a supervised short break for some fresh air away from her room, where the window doesn’t open. “Not having any outside air is so inhuman,” the 31-year-old Jacobs said in a video message posted on Instagram. “It’s mentally super draining ... definitely more than a lot of humans can handle.” (7/28)

AP: Bhutan Fully Vaccinates 90% Of Eligible Adults Within A Week
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has fully vaccinated 90% of its eligible adult population within just seven days, its health ministry said Tuesday. The tiny country, wedged between India and China and home to nearly 800,000 people, began giving out second doses on July 20 in a mass drive that has been hailed by UNICEF as “arguably the fastest vaccination campaign to be executed during a pandemic.” (Hussain and Lekhi, 7/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Saudi Arabia To Impose Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate 
Saudi Arabia is set to impose one of the world’s most sweeping vaccine mandates in an attempt to combat hesitancy toward the Covid-19 shots in the kingdom, as governments globally try to confront a new surge in cases of the Delta variant. People in Saudi Arabia will need to show proof on a mobile app that they have received at least one vaccine dose to enter public and private institutions beginning Sunday, including schools, shops, malls, markets, restaurants, cafes, concert venues and public transportation. From Aug. 9, Saudi citizens will need two doses to travel abroad. (Kalin, 7/27)

Bloomberg: Covid Deaths Surge In U.K. As Officials Warn Pandemic Isn’t Over
The U.K. reported the highest number of Covid-19 deaths since March, prompting a top government health official to warn the pandemic is “not over yet” despite a continued fall in confirmed cases. There were 23,511 new coronavirus cases recorded on Tuesday, down for a seventh day. But the number of deaths jumped to 131, the most since March 17, according to the latest data. An increase is consistent with the lag between infections and serious illness from Covid-19, given the U.K. saw a surge in cases driven by the highly transmissible delta variant in June and earlier this month. (Ashton, 7/27)

Newsweek: COVID Quarantine Rules Lifted For Thousands Of UK Workers Amid Staffing Shortages
Thousands more essential workers in the United Kingdom will have COVID-19 quarantine rules eased in an attempt to end staff shortages and help the economy recover, the British government announced Tuesday. Most Britons are recommended to self-isolate for 10 days if they come into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. The self-isolation system has caused staffing shortages in restaurants and other businesses. (Klapper, 7/27)

The Washington Post: Europeans Increasingly Frustrated As White House Maintains Trump-Era Covid Travel Restrictions 
European lawmakers and business groups voiced mounting criticism of the Biden administration on Tuesday, after the White House said its restrictions on international travel would remain in place for the time being. Whereas vaccinated U.S. tourists have been allowed to return to much of Europe for weeks, most Europeans continue to be unable to travel to the United States under a ban that was first imposed by President Donald Trump in March 2020. (Noack, Thebault and Aries, 7/27)

The New York Times: Want A Vaccine Reservation In South Korea? Try Waiting 111 Hours. 
When South Koreans logged on to a government website this month to book Covid-19 vaccine appointments, a pop-up window told them there was “just a bit” of a delay. “There are 401,032 people waiting in front of you,” read one of the messages that exasperated South Koreans captured in screenshots and shared online. “Your expected waiting time: 111 hours, 23 minutes and 52 seconds.” (San-Hun, 7/28)

The Washington Post: Russia Tightens Vaccine Mandates: Get The Jab Or Put Your Job At Risk 
When Russia's flagging vaccination campaign failed to stem a devastating third pandemic wave, authorities dumped the burden on businesses — and warned workers who refused vaccines that they could be suspended without pay. The strategy reflects officials’ desperation to boost low vaccine rates — about 16 percent — in a country with sufficient supplies of local Sputnik V and other vaccines. But it also points to wider trends globally amid struggles with the delta variant as governments explore mandates that reward the vaccinated and leave the resisters facing consequences. (Dixon, 7/28)