State Highlights: Florida Jail Probes Details Of Woman Left Alone In Isolation To Deliver Baby; California Schools Plan Refocus On Sexual Education, Including Transgender Issues

The New York Times: Ordeal Of Woman Who Gave Birth In Florida Jail Cell Prompts Internal Investigation
The ordeal of a woman who gave birth in an isolation cell in a Florida jail has prompted an internal investigation, and has set off a wave of outrage after her lawyers said her repeated cries for help were ignored. The woman, Tammy Jackson, 35, woke up with painful contractions around 3 a.m. on April 10 and started to bang on the door of her Broward County jail cell, screaming for help, said a lawyer representing her, Gordon Weekes Jr. She ended up spending seven hours without medication or seeing a doctor, he said. (Garcia, 5/7)

The Associated Press: California Set To Change Sex Education Guidance For Teachers
California is close to overhauling its guidance for teaching sex education in public schools, offering teachers a framework for talking to kindergarteners about gender identity, discussing masturbation with middle-schoolers and recommending books that teach healthy practices for LGBT high schoolers. The proposal the California State Board of Education is scheduled to consider Wednesday offers advice on teaching health topics including nutrition, injury prevention and alcohol and tobacco use. (5/8)

Sacramento Bee: Gavin Newsom Wants To End CA Sales Taxes On Tampons, Diapers
Californians would no longer pay sales taxes on tampons and diapers under a plan backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. He announced the new policy Tuesday flanked by female lawmakers who have tried to end sales taxes on diapers and tampons for years, arguing they should not be taxed because they are medically necessary. (Bollag, 5/7)

The Associated Press: Proposed Tobacco Ban Sparks Fiery Debate In Beverly Hills
A fiery debate is breaking out across Beverly Hills as people at tony hair salons, gas stations and stores weigh in on whether the city of the rich and famous should become the first in the U.S. to outlaw the sale of tobacco products everywhere except a few cigar lounges. The council decided Tuesday night to make some changes to the proposal, such as allowing guests in the city's luxury hotels to acquire cigarettes through their concierge or room service. (5/7)

Arizona Republic: World Asthma Day: Arizona Schools Can Stock Inhalers; Why That Matters
A law passed in 2017 empowered the state's districts and charter schools to stock inhalers and allow trained staff to administer the medication to children in respiratory distress without a prescription in the case of emergency. "I was just really glad that they have that at the school," she said. "It really seemed to help him." This year, the Legislature is considering a bill to allow private schools to administer medication, including inhalers for asthma. (Altavena, 5/7)

NPR: Denver Considers Telling Law Enforcement To Let 'Magic Mushrooms' Be
Douglas rattles around a collection of glass jars in the storage closet of his Denver apartment. They're filled with sterilized rye grains, covered in a soft white fungus — a mushroom spawn. Soon, he'll transplant it in large plastic bins filled with nutrients such as dried manure and coconut fiber. Over the course of two weeks, a crop of mushrooms that naturally contain psilocybin, a psychoactive ingredient, will sprout. The species he grows include psilocybe cubensis. (Honig, 5/7)

Arizona Republic: 5 Things To Know About The Controversies Surrounding Arizona Prisons
The Arizona Department of Corrections has been hit with several accusations concerning the safety and health of inmates and corrections officers. Critics of the department have held protests and are calling for the director's removal. Now, a judge has issued an order that could cost the state — and taxpayers — millions of dollars. (Castle, 5/7)

The CT Mirror: Auditors: Access Health Handed Out Hefty Severance Payments
Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange, handed out hundreds of thousands of dollars in severance payments to departing employees without board approval, awarded $45 million in no-bid contracts and did not appear to run criminal background checks on workers who handle client information, state auditors wrote in a report released Tuesday. The auditors analyzed financial records, meeting minutes, policies, procedures and other documents for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 fiscal years. (Carlesso and Megan, 5/7)

California Healthline: A Plan To Cover Immigrants Would Divert Public Health Dollars
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants the state to provide health coverage to low-income young adults who are in the country illegally, but his plan would siphon public health dollars from several counties battling surging rates of sexually transmitted diseases and, in some cases, measles outbreaks. Public health officials describe the proposed reallocation of state dollars as a well-meaning initiative that nonetheless would have “dire consequences” to core public health services. (Young, 5/7)

Stat: Third Rock Set To Launch Cancer Diagnostics Company 
Third Rock Ventures is launching a new cancer diagnostics company called Thrive Sciences, according to a new corporation registration filed in Massachusetts last month. The documents are vague about the new company’s specific targets. But the long list of directors listed on the form — many of whom have substantial expertise in liquid biopsy work — send a strong signal that Thrive will be working around that technology. (Sheridan, 5/8)

Georgia Health News: Challenges And Successes: Conference Looks At Rural Health Care
Financial problems have led seven rural Georgia hospitals to close since 2010. That’s the third-highest total among states, trailing only Texas and Tennessee. In addition, large areas of rural Georgia struggle with a scarcity of physicians, notably ob/gyns and pediatricians. Many parts of rural Georgia lack mental health providers as well. (Miller, 5/7)

San Jose Mercury News: County Approves $325 In Bonds To Finance Hospital Purchases
Santa Clara County supervisors on Tuesday approved spending $325 million in bonds to finance the county’s recent purchase of O’Connor Hospital in San Jose, Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy and DePaul Health Center in Morgan Hill and and to pay for upgrades to all three. The county acquired the three medical facilities in March for $235 million after the former owner, nonprofit Verity Health Systems, filed for bankruptcy in August. The county was the only bidder for the two hospitals and urgent care clinic. (Vo, 5/7)

Des Moines Register: State, ISU May Pay $28,000 To Settle Transgender Health Discrimination Claim
A transgender Iowa State University employee will be paid nearly $28,000 to settle a claim that the school discriminated against her because its health insurance policy failed to cover reassignment surgery and other associated care under a proposal state officials are expected to vote on Wednesday. Elyn Fritz-Waters, 34, was assigned with the male gender at birth. She was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2016, legally changed her first name from Eric to Elyn and was shortly thereafter denied care by her employee health insurance though ISU. (Clayworth, 5/7)

The Star Tribune: $10M Gift Will Help Hennepin Healthcare Target Anxiety, Depression Among New Mothers 
The undertreated problem of depression among new mothers is getting intensified focus at Hennepin Healthcare, which is building a center to support women who are suffering, often in silence, and avert the damage it can cause to them and their families. Supported by a $10 million gift from the Lynne & Andrew Redleaf Foundation, the Minneapolis-based health care provider unveiled plans on Tuesday for a center that will offer not only treatment and therapy, but also child care for parents during appointments, classroom space and even a kitchen for cooking classes. (Olson, 5/7)