First Edition: June 16, 2021

KHN: Collecting FEMA Funeral Money Takes Some Tenacity — And Help
As a funeral director at Ingold Funeral and Cremation in Fontana, California, Jessica Rodriguez helps families say goodbye to their loved ones. “We serve predominantly Latino families, most of them second- and third-generation” residents, said Rodriguez. “We do have quite a few that are first-generation, that don’t speak any English.” Most are unaware of a federal program that offers up to $9,000, she said. And even when they know about the aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the process is daunting and the bureaucracy confusing. The lack of English skills hinders some families of people who died of covid from receiving reimbursement from FEMA for funeral expenses, so her office offers them help in Spanish. (de Marco, 6/16)

KHN: For Toddlers, Pandemic Shapes Development During Formative Years
Lucretia Wilks, who runs a small day care out of her home in north St. Louis County, is used to watching young children embrace, hold hands and play together in close quarters. But the covid-19 pandemic made such normal toddler behavior potentially unsafe. “It’s weird that they now live in a time where they’re expected to not hug and touch,” said Wilks, founder of Their Future’s Bright Child Development Center, which cares for about a dozen children ranging from infants to 7 years old. “They’re making bonds, friendships, and that’s how they show affection.” (Gullet, 6/16)

NPR: The U.S. Has Hit 600,000 COVID Deaths, More Than Any Other Country
More than 15 months since the first confirmed death due to COVID-19 in the U.S., the coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 600,000 lives across the country. But that trend has slowed from thousands to hundreds per day in recent weeks, thanks largely to the ready availability of vaccines. Over the winter, the nation was adding about 100,000 deaths each month. But as more and more people were vaccinated — particularly older Americans — the death rate fell precipitously. There are now about 375 deaths per day on average — down from more than 3,000 per day in January. (Neuman, 6/15)

AP: US COVID-19 Deaths Hit 600,000, Equal To Yearly Cancer Toll
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 600,000 on Tuesday, even as the vaccination drive has drastically brought down daily cases and fatalities and allowed the country to emerge from the gloom and look forward to summer. The number of lives lost, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Baltimore or Milwaukee. It is about equal to the number of Americans who died of cancer in 2019. Worldwide, the COVID-19 death toll stands at about 3.8 million. (Har and Kunzelman, 6/15)

AP: More Evidence Suggests COVID-19 Was In US By Christmas 2019
A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year is the latest and largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped up in the U.S. in December 2019 — weeks before cases were first recognized by health officials. The analysis is not definitive, and some experts remain skeptical, but federal health officials are increasingly accepting a timeline in which small numbers of COVID-19 infections may have occurred in the U.S. before the world ever became aware of a dangerous new virus erupting in China. (Stobbe, 6/15)

The Washington Post: NIH Study Suggests Coronavirus May Have Been In U.S. As Early As December 2019
A research study run by the National Institutes of Health has turned up evidence of possible coronavirus infections in the United States as early as December 2019, weeks before the first documented infection in this country. The new report, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, bolsters earlier studies indicating that the virus entered the country under the radar and may have been spreading in the first two months of 2020, well in advance of warnings to that effect from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Achenbach, 6/15)

The New York Times: Scientists Report Earliest Known Coronavirus Cases In Five US States 
But the new study is flawed, some experts said: It did not adequately address the possibility that the antibodies were to coronaviruses that cause common colds, and the results could be a quirk of the tests used. In addition, the researchers also did not have travel information for any of the patients, which might have helped explain the test results. “This is an interesting paper because it raises the idea that everyone thinks is true, that there were infections that were going undiagnosed,” said Scott Hensley, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania. (Mandavilli, 6/15)

USA Today: Delta Variant Accounts For 10% Of US Cases As CDC Signals Concerns
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have now classified the delta variant of the coronavirus, first discovered in India, as a “variant of "concern" as it now accounts for 10% of cases in the U.S. The classification comes as the variant has increased transmissibility and potential reduction in post-vaccine immunity. The variant previously raged in India and is currently making its way through the U.K., prompting a delay in reopening. "It's doubling every two weeks," former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said on "Face the Nation" Tuesday.  "That doesn't mean that we're going to see a sharp uptick in infections, but it does mean that this is going to take over," he added. "And I think the risk is really to the fall that this could spike a new epidemic heading into the fall." (Aspegren, 6/16)

The New York Times: The C.D.C. Says The Delta Virus Variant Is Now A ‘Variant Of Concern.’
Federal health officials have classified the Delta variant of the coronavirus now circulating in the United States as a “variant of concern,” sounding the alarm because it spreads rapidly and may partially sidestep certain antibody treatments. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday emphasized that the authorized vaccines are highly effective against the variant, however, and urged all Americans who have not yet been inoculated to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible. (Rabin, 6/16)

CNN: Cases Of Delta Variant Are 'Rapidly Increasing' In US, Expert Says 
As US states lift more coronavirus restrictions, experts are worried people who aren't fully vaccinated could contribute to further spread of the virus. The Delta variant, first reported in India, currently accounts for nearly 10% of coronavirus cases in the US, according to the CDC. With concerns it could become the dominant strain soon, medical experts are underscoring the importance of full vaccination. (Elamroussi, 6/16)

Fox News: US Delivers 1.35M Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccines To Mexico
A White House official confirmed on Tuesday that 1.35 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine had arrived in Mexico. FedEx Express moved the vaccine shipment from Memphis, Tenn., to Toluca, Mexico, via FedEx International Freight in coordination with Direct Relief and the two countries' governments. Earlier this month, the Biden administration had announced that it had planned to share 80 million vaccine doses globally by the end of June, including 6 million earmarked for allies and partners which includes Mexico, Canada and about a dozen others as well as U.N. frontline workers. (Hein, 6/15)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Authorizes More Covid-19 Vaccine Doses From Troubled Baltimore Plant
The Food and Drug Administration cleared an additional batch of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine doses Tuesday from a troubled production plant in Baltimore. The agency cleared 15 million doses, bringing the total doses authorized for export to 25 million, according to a senior U.S. official. The FDA on Friday cleared about 10 million doses for export. (Burton, 6/15)

Roll Call: CDC Issues Guidance For Treating ‘Long COVID’ Patients 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released much-anticipated guidance for physicians treating patients struggling with lingering and complicated problems after COVID-19, often called “long COVID.” The guidance, which was posted online late Monday, offers initial recommendations for physicians treating patients who are experiencing illness at least four weeks after an acute infection of the virus that causes COVID-19. The interim guidance acknowledges much is unknown about post-COVID conditions, although the National Institutes of Health launched a research effort last week. (McIntire, 6/15)

The New York Times: Covid News: Study Finds Health Problems Can Persist Long After Infection, Even Among The Asymptomatic 
Hundreds of thousands of Americans have sought medical care for post-Covid health problems that they had not been diagnosed with before becoming infected with the coronavirus, according to the largest study to date of long-term symptoms in Covid-19 patients. The study, tracking the health insurance records of nearly 2 million people in the United States who contracted the coronavirus last year, found that one month or more after their infection, 23 percent of them sought medical treatment for new conditions. (Belluck, 6/16)

The Hill: Large Study Says Nearly 25 Percent Of COVID-19 Patients Have Long-Lasting Symptoms 
A detailed new report suggests that nearly one quarter of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 continued to struggle with side effects at least one month after their initial diagnosis, adding to the burgeoning knowledge about the coronavirus that took over the world in 2020. Researchers looked at more than 1.9 million patients without serious comorbidities like cancer, kidney disease, and hepatitis. This makes it one of the largest comprehensive COVID-19 surveillance studies so far. (Kelley, 6/15)

Modern Healthcare: One-Fifth Of Asymptomatic COVID Patients Developed Long-Haul Symptoms
Almost one-fifth of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients later developed conditions associated with long-haulers, according to a new white paper from FAIR Health. The healthcare transparency not-for-profit studied private insurance claims associated with 1.9 million patients who had a COVID-19 test, and then and looked at any health issues 30 days or more after their initial diagnosis. The analysis found 19% of asymptomatic individuals had at least one long-haul symptom, but the number is likely larger. (Gillespie, 6/15)

The New York Times: Distorted, Bizarre Food Smells Haunt Covid Survivors
Marcel Kuttab first sensed something was awry while brushing her teeth a year ago, several months after recovering from Covid-19.Her toothbrush tasted dirty, so she threw it out and got a new one. Then she realized the toothpaste was at fault. Onions and garlic and meat tasted putrid, and coffee smelled like gasoline — all symptoms of the once little-known condition called parosmia that distorts the senses of smell and taste. (Schoch, 6/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Regeneron’s Antibody Drug Cuts Risk Of Death In Some Covid-19 Patients 
An antibody treatment developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. has been shown to significantly cut the risk of death among certain hospitalized Covid-19 patients, raising hopes for a valuable new tool for tackling severe cases. A large U.K. trial involving nearly 10,000 patients showed that administering REGEN-COV on top of usual care reduced the risk of dying by a fifth among hospitalized coronavirus patients who hadn’t produced antibodies to the virus. The drug had no effect among patients who had already produced antibodies. (Roland, 6/16)

Bloomberg: Regeneron Drug Reduces Covid Patient Deaths In Large Study
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s antibody cocktail reduced the risk of death by 20% among hospitalized Covid-19 patients who don’t have a natural antibody response of their own, according to a large study by University of Oxford researchers. The results suggest there would be six fewer deaths over 28 days for every 100 patients given the company’s casirivimab and imdevimab combination of monoclonal antibodies. Patients who got the cocktail also spent four days fewer in the hospital on average, and had less of a need for a ventilator. (Gemmell, Langreth and Chen, 6/16)

Stat: Amazon Has Made Its Covid-19 Test Available Online 
Amazon has made its FDA-cleared Covid-19 test available to consumers online, alongside a consumer diagnostics website where people can view their results. The consumer diagnostics website, AmazonDx.com, was previously only available to Amazon employees. As of Tuesday, however, it appears any customer can sign into the site using the same login information they use to access the shopping portion of the tech giant’s website. (Brodwin, 6/15)

The New York Times: ‘A Momentous Day’: New York and California Lift Most Virus Restrictions
The governors of New York and California, the states hit earliest and hardest by the pandemic, triumphantly announced on Tuesday that they had lifted virtually all coronavirus restrictions on businesses and social gatherings as both states hit milestones in vaccinating their residents. In New York, where 70 percent of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, the order from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo means that restaurants will no longer be forced to space tables six feet apart; movie theaters will be allowed to pack their auditoriums without spacing seats apart; and entering commercial buildings won’t require a temperature check. (Ferre-Sadurni and Hubler, 6/15)

AP: California Marks Reopening With Jackpots, Hollywood Flair
Welcome back, California. San Francisco announced the return of its iconic cable cars. Disneyland threw open its doors to out-of-state tourists. And Gov. Gavin Newsom marked the day with Hollywood flair, visiting Universal Studios to celebrate the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions and what he called the “full reopening” of the Golden State’s economy Tuesday. (Gecker and Dazio, 6/15)

AP: 10 California Residents Get $1.5M Richer Via Vaccine Jackpot
Gov. Gavin Newsom doled out $1.5 million each to 10 vaccinated winners at Universal Studios on Tuesday to mark the end of the state’s coronavirus restrictions. The $15 million total was the final part of Newsom’s $116.5 million so-called “Vax for the Win” program, an effort to encourage residents to get vaccinated and hasten California’s recovery in the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed 3.8 million globally and 600,000 nationwide. (Dazio, 6/15)

Politico: Cuomo Lifts Pandemic-Era Restrictions As State Hits 70 Percent Vax Goal
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is ending New York's Covid-related restrictions, as the Empire State reached the governor's goal of 70 percent partially vaccinated. Cuomo told a shoulder-to-shoulder, unmasked crowd at One World Trade Center on Tuesday that the state’s pandemic-era restrictions are no longer in effect "across commercial and social settings." The announcement, which did not include press questions, came weeks ahead of the July 4th vaccination goal set by the Biden Administration. (Young, 6/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Newsom Says Vaccine Verification Is Coming In California, But 'It's Not A Passport'
As California reopened this week, freeing people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 from most pandemic restrictions, Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled again that the state would soon introduce an electronic vaccination verification program. Such digital health certificates, also referred to as “vaccine passports,” have become a hotly debated issue. Opponents raise privacy and equity concerns, while supporters say the digital certificates will enhance public safety and speed economic recovery. (Hwang, 6/15)

Los Angeles Times: San Francisco To Require COVID-19 Vaccine For Some Workers
San Francisco will eventually require workers in hospitals, nursing homes and jails to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with limited exceptions. The order is notable as some companies have internally debated whether to impose vaccination requirements for workers. Many companies have generally avoided requiring workers to be vaccinated. But the University of California and California State University systems have announced they will eventually require COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff on campus properties. (Lin II, 6/15)

NBC News: Iowa Man Convicted Of Assault Over Mask Fight Sentenced To 10 Years
An Iowa man convicted of assaulting a man who told him to pull his mask up last year was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison, according to a court representative. Shane Michael, 42, was convicted last month to willful injury causing serious injury — a Class C forcible felony, according to court records — which has a mandatory 10-year prison term. (Fieldstadt, 6/15)

CBS News: Arizona Governor Issues Executive Order Prohibiting Universities From Mandating COVID-19 Tests, Vaccines And Masks 
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order Tuesday that prohibits public universities and community colleges from mandating COVID-19 tests, vaccines and masks for students to participate in learning. The decision comes days after Ducey criticized a recent announcement from Arizona State University that outlined COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming school year. (Powell, 6/15)

AP: Wisconsin Bill Would Forbid Proof Of COVID-19 Vaccination
The Wisconsin Assembly planned to vote Wednesday on a Republican-backed bill that would prohibit businesses, colleges and universities, governments and anyone else in the state from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The measure must also pass the Senate and be signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers before becoming law. Evers has signaled that he will veto the bill. (6/16)

Houston Chronicle: Unvaccinated Houston Methodist Employees Appeal Judge's Ruling On COVID Vaccine Mandate
A group of Houston Methodist employees who sued the hospital system over its COVID-19 vaccine requirement have appealed a ruling dismissing the case. Over the weekend, U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes tossed the lawsuit, calling it “reprehensible” to compare the vaccine requirement to Nazi Germany’s medical experiments. “Equating the injection requirement to medical experimentation in concentration camps is reprehensible,” Hughes said. “Nazi doctors conducted medical experiments on victims that caused pain, mutilation, permanent disability, and in many cases, death.” (Wu and Banks, 6/15)

CNN: Royal Caribbean Postpones Inaugural Sailing After 8 Crew Members Test Positive For Covid-19
Royal Caribbean postponed the inaugural sailing of its cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas after eight vaccinated crew members tested positive for Covid-19, the company's CEO said. The positive tests come as major cruises lines are finally starting to set sail for the first time since the pandemic halted their movements. The eight positive cases were identified during routine testing, Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley said in a statement posted on Facebook. (Elamroussi, 6/16)

CBS News: Vaccinated Visitors Can Take Off Masks At Disney World 
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is making it easier to see smiles again, but guests still can't hug the characters. Starting Tuesday, face masks will be optional for visitors to the theme park resort who are vaccinated, though Disney workers won't require proof of vaccination, the company said on its website. Visitors who aren't fully vaccinated still will need to wear face masks indoors and on all rides and attractions. Because vaccines aren't yet available for children under age 12, they too will have to mask up still. (6/14)

Stat: Sewage Sleuths Helped An Arizona Town Beat Back Covid-19 
Valerie Molina anxiously searched the desert sky, scanning the horizon for any clouds dark with rain. But all was blue and bright. Today, the weather wasn’t going to be on her side. It was March 20, 2020, and Guadalupe, over which Molina presides as mayor, was preparing for what should have been the third of six Friday ceremonies in the run-up to Easter. (Molteni, 6/16)

Fox News: Robert Redfield: Some Biolab Researchers Show 'Arrogance' That 'Nothing Can Go Wrong'
In an exclusive interview with Fox News' Dr. Marc Siegel, former CDC Director Robert R. Redfield Jr. warned scientists against expressing "arrogance" in their work that could lead to dangerous pitfalls due to their haste. During a larger discussion on the dangers of gain-of-function research, and the potential for lab-leak scenarios as posited by many Americans following the coronavirus pandemic, Redfield warned against too much self-confidence in the scientific community. Redfield said that some scientists and researchers tend to show "arrogance" toward the infallibility of their work, believing that nothing can or will go wrong. (Creitz, 6/15)

Modern Healthcare: Aetna Lumbar Surgery Lawsuit Reaches Class Action Status
A California federal judge last week granted class status certification to a lawsuit filed against Aetna that claims the insurer broke federal law by denying coverage for lumbar artificial disc replacement surgery. The class action suit alleges that Aetna classifies the spinal surgery as "experimental" and "investigational" and in many cases would not pay for beneficiaries' procedures. According to the lawsuit, more than 200 patients have been denied coverage for the procedure on the same grounds. (Devereaux, 6/15)

Stat: Advocacy Group Urges HHS To Boot FDA Officials Over Biogen Approval
Reacting to the controversial approval of the Biogen (BIIB) Alzheimer’s drug, a leading advocacy group is urging the Biden administration to request resignations from or remove three top Food and Drug Administration officials, including acting agency commissioner Janet Woodcock. The approval “showed a stunning disregard for science, eviscerated the agency’s standards for approving new drugs, and ranks as one of the most irresponsible and egregious decisions in the history of the agency,” Public Citizen wrote in a June 16 letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. (Silverman, 6/16)

Stat: Q&A: The CEO Of The Alzheimer’s Association On The Approval Of Aduhelm
Harry Johns is ready to stop talking about whether or not the Food and Drug Administration should have approved Aduhelm, the divisive new Alzheimer’s treatment that got the green light last week. “Dwelling on the approval at this point is not productive for those who can benefit from the treatment,” said Johns, the CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association. The “negative voices” focused on criticizing the decision, he said, are “not pro-patient.” (Joseph, 6/16)

Modern Healthcare: AMA Opposes 'Excited Delirium' As A Diagnosis
The American Medical Association on Tuesday said it oppose the use of "excited delirium syndrome" as a clinical diagnosis, contending the term too often inappropriately justifies excessive police force and the forced sedation of individuals for no legitimate medical reason during encounters with law enforcement. The new policy adopted this week during the AMA's special meeting of its house of delegates opposes using "excited delirium" as the sole basis behind the use of excessive force by police officers. A controversial concept among many in healthcare, excited delirium is often described as being in a state of extreme agitation, with symptoms that include extreme physical strength, aggressive behavioral, usually caused by use of a drug stimulant. (Ross Johnson, 6/15)

Modern Healthcare: Trump Rule On Community Health Center Insulin, Epi-Pen Discounts May End
The Biden administration wants to eliminate a rule targeting community health clinics in the 340B program. The rule, which was issued by the Trump administration but never took effect, would have required community health centers pass the 340B discounts they get for insulin and Epi-Pens to patients. The Biden administration argued Tuesday the rule would put "undue administrative costs and burdens" on health centers. (Hellmann, 6/15)

Stat: Former FDA Chief Hahn Defends His Jump To Flagship Pioneering
When biotech investor Flagship Pioneering announced that it had hired former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, more than a few eyebrows rose. “It would not be a good look for our industry if the person who approved the vaccine went to work for an affiliated company,” tweeted Brad Loncar, a respected investor. “That would be a TERRIBLE look for both him and Flagship,” one biotech editor tweeted. (Sheridan, 6/15)

Modern Healthcare: Senators Advocate For Pay Models That Integrate Primary, Mental Healthcare
Promising results from a federal demonstration has spurred a bipartisan group of senators to push for new pay models that support integrating primary care and behavioral health. It comes at a time when demand for mental health servcies have spiked due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted—and exacerbated—the mental and behavioral health challenges we continue to confront," Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday. "Loss of loved ones, increased isolation and delayed treatment prompted a spike in anxiety, depression and other debilitating conditions. While many are returning to their pre-pandemic lives, we should not be content to allow our mental health care delivery system to revert to its pre-pandemic ways." (Gellman, 6/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Apple Struggles In Push To Make Healthcare Its Greatest Legacy
Apple has envisioned an audacious plan for healthcare, offering its own primary-care medical service with Apple-employed doctors at its own clinics, according to people familiar with the plan and documents. To test that and other bold healthcare ideas, it took over clinics that catered to its employees and built a team with scores of clinicians, engineers, product designers and others. Today those ambitions, which aren’t widely known, have largely stalled as Apple has shifted the focus of its health unit to something it knows well: Selling devices, specifically the Apple Watch, according to people familiar with its strategy. (Winkler, 6/16)

The Boston Globe: ‘We Will Not Be Broken:’ Nurses Strike In Worcester Reaches 100 Days
Five mornings a week, Denise Scotia can be found in front of Saint Vincent Hospital flying the bright blue Massachusetts Nurses Union flag with a sign draped around her neck proudly stating, “I’ve been a nurse for 26 years.” On Tuesday, the 100th day of an unrelenting nurses’ strike at the hospital, the scene was no different. Scotia is one of about 750 nurses who began striking on March 8 after failed attempts to negotiate an increase in nursing staff. After 32 negotiation sessions, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Tenet Healthcare, a Dallas-based for-profit that owns and operates the Worcester hospital, remain at a standstill. (Lusignan, 6/15)

Modern Healthcare: MedPAC Wants To End Skilled Nursing Facility Incentive Program
A panel advising Congress on Medicare policy recommended Tuesday eliminating and replacing the skilled nursing facility value-based purchasing program, arguing it is fundamentally flawed. Congress passed the VBP program in 2014 to improve quality in skilled nursing facilities, but the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission says the program's single measure of performance — hospital readmissions — doesn't fully capture healthcare quality or address variations between facilities in patient populations. Under the program, MedPAC found that SNFs treating higher shares of dual-eligible beneficiaries or facilities with more medically complex patients were more likely to be penalized under the program. (Hellmann, 6/15)

Stat: Sage Antidepressant Achieves Goals Of Study, But Questions Linger
Sage Therapeutics said Tuesday that an experimental pill designed to alleviate depression with a two-week course of therapy was successful in a large clinical trial involving patients with major depressive disorder. The Sage drug, called zuranolone, demonstrated a statistically significant, anti-depressive benefit compared to a placebo. The positive results are a comeback win for Sage and its efforts to develop zuranolone for several different depressive disorders. The drug failed a similar study in December 2019. (Feuerstein, 6/15)

The Boston Globe: Life Sciences Is Poised To Be Boston’s Dominant Industry. Has The Area Become The Silicon Valley Of Biotech?
The Boston area has long been famous for its elite universities, top tier hospitals, passionate sports fans, and deep history. But over the past year, the biggest buzz has been about biotechnology, from Moderna receiving emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine in December to Biogen winning approval for its Alzheimer’s drug last week. There has also been a massive amount of investment, acquisitions, public offerings, and laboratory construction during a time when many businesses struggled to keep the lights on. The biotech sector seems poised to emerge from the pandemic as the city’s dominant and most visible industry. Might it finally be time to say that the Boston area has become the Silicon Valley of biotech? (Kirsner, 6/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes’s 100 Questions For Jurors Are Scrapped
A federal judge blocked Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes’s proposal to ask potential jurors more than 100 questions before her criminal-fraud trial, saying she could get a fair hearing without making inquiries that prosecutors called deeply intrusive. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila countered Tuesday with a slimmed-down questionnaire to send to jurors ahead of the late-August trial, which will determine whether Ms. Holmes defrauded investors, patients and doctors about her now-defunct blood-testing company. (Randazzo, 6/15)

AP: Judge OKs $15M Settlement Over Rape Of Incapacitated Woman
A judge has approved a $15 million settlement against a doctor in a lawsuit by the parents of an incapacitated woman who was sexually assaulted and later gave birth at a Phoenix long-term care center, marking the last of several deals to resolve legal claims over the rape. The settlement made on behalf of Dr. Phillip Gear, who cared for the woman for 26 years while she lived at Hacienda Healthcare, was deemed reasonable last week by a judge. But the insurer for Gear, who died late last year, said in court papers it has no obligation to pay the amount, arguing the doctor’s policy didn’t cover claims arising from a sexual act. (Billeaud, 6/16)

AP: Study: Half Of US Cosmetics Contain Toxic Chemicals
More than half the cosmetics sold in the United States and Canada are awash with a toxic industrial compound associated with serious health conditions, including cancer and reduced birth weight, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame tested more than 230 commonly used cosmetics and found that 56% of foundations and eye products, 48% of lip products and 47% of mascaras contained fluorine — an indicator of PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals” that are used in nonstick frying pans, rugs and countless other consumer products. (Daly, 6/15)

The Washington Post: Senate Bill Would Ban Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Makeup, Which New Study Found Are Often Unlabeled
Cosmetics distributed in the United States and Canada are rife with a class of chemicals that have been associated with a number of diseases, including cancer, and frequently aren’t labeled accurately, according to a new study. Over the last three years, researchers tested 231 cosmetics products in North America for fluorine, an indicator of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The study found fluorine in 56 percent of foundations and eye products, 48 percent of lip products and 47 percent of mascaras. (Root, 6/15)

CNN: Children Who Eat More Ultra-Processed Food Gain Weight More Quickly, Study Suggests 
Children who eat more ultra-processed food are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults, a new 17-year study of more than 9,000 British children born in the 1990s suggests. The researchers also found that ultra-processed foods -- including frozen pizzas, fizzy drinks, mass-produced bread and some ready-to-eat meals -- accounted for a very high proportion of children's diets -- more than 60% of calories on average. (Hunt, 6/15)

USA Today: STD Rates Reach All-Time High In US. Which States Have The Most Cases?
In 2019 alone, there were more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This marks the sixth consecutive year of record-breaking cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. The CDC's data looked at states with the highest cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and congenital syphilis. The following numbers were collected from cases in 2019, the most recent data on file, and show a large increase from the reported 1.4 million cases in 2014. (Miranda, 6/15)

The Marshall Project: Biden Could Have Taken The War On Drugs Down A Notch. He Didn’t. 
Last month, President Biden quietly extended a policy that critics call a betrayal of his campaign promise to end mandatory minimum sentences. The new law concerns “class-wide scheduling of fentanyl analogues.” It may sound like a wonky snooze-fest, but the measure could land more low-level drug dealers in prison for longer and with less proof than is usually required — while kingpins and chemists who manufacture and distribute these new drugs don’t tend to get caught. (Schwartzapfel, 6/16)

NBC News: Ohio Senate Budget Includes Provision To Restrict Abortions
Ohio medical professionals would be allowed to refuse to perform abortions if it’s against their religious beliefs, according to a subtle, last-minute amendment tucked away in the $75 billion budget adopted by the state Senate. The measure, which was tacked onto the spending bill, is being hailed by anti-abortion rights groups that say it would allow doctors to abide by their moral standards. (Hampton, 6/15)

AP: ACLU Asks Judge To Block Arkansas Trans Youth Treatment Ban
The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday asked a federal judge to prevent Arkansas from enforcing its ban on gender confirming treatments for transgender youth while a lawsuit challenging the prohibition proceeds. The ACLU requested a preliminary injunction against the new law, which is set to take effect on July 28. It will prohibit doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18 years old, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment. (DeMillo, 6/15)

AP: Colorado Governor To Let Go Of Pandemic Executive Powers
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he will begin phasing out the executive authority he has been granted during the coronavirus pandemic after creating, amending and extending about 400 orders since March 2020. The Democrat told The Denver Post that he’s now ready to let go of his unprecedented authority. (6/15)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Ozone Health Warnings Issued For New Orleans, Baton Rouge On Wednesday
Expected high levels of ground level ozone on Wednesday in New Orleans and Baton Rouge have prompted the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to alert individuals most sensitive to the air pollutant in both cities. The agency blamed a ridge of upper atmosphere high pressure that will reduce atmospheric mixing and is producing extremely hot temperatures under sunny skies - the perfect conditions for ozone formation. Lingering smoke from western wildfires is adding to the conditions ripe for ozone formation, as are light winds during most of Tuesday. (Schleifstein, 6/15)

The Washington Post: A Groundbreaking Connecticut Law Would Give A $3,200 Bond To Every Child Born Into Poverty
Connecticut is set to become the first state in the nation to grant children of low-income parents “baby bonds” — individual trusts paid for by the state, which children can access once they turn 18. Under the law, any infant born to parents who rely on Medicaid insurance will receive $3,200 in a special savings account. By the time they are able to access the fund, it will be worth nearly $11,000, according to the Hartford Courant. (Branigin, 6/15)

Bloomberg: Myanmar Reports First Detection Of New Covid Variants: Ministry
Myanmar announced on Tuesday the first detection of three new variants of Covid-19 in five cities across the nation, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports. Laboratory tests conducted by the Defence Service Medical Research Center under the Ministry of Defence reported 11 cases of new Covid variants including one in commercial capital Yangon, four in its second biggest city Mandalay, three in southern Myeik, two in northwestern Tamu and one in Kalay near the Myanmar-India border. (Lin Kyaw, 6/15)

Reuters: Japan To Decide Soon On Domestic Spectators At Olympics 
Japan will decide this month on whether to allow domestic spectators at the Tokyo Olympics, the government's chief spokesman said on Wednesday, after experts signed off on a plan to allow crowds of up to 10,000 people at events. The final call on attendance at the Games will be made taking into account coronavirus infection conditions and the prevalence of variants, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters. (Swift and Park, 6/16)