Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The New York Times: Trans Sports Ruling Puts Pressure On States Without Bans
The Supreme Court’s ruling that states can block trans women and girls from competing in female events allows 27 states to keep their bans in place. It does not require any action from the other 23 states, though they’re already feeling pressure from advocates. “Blue states with boys on girls’ podiums … you’re next,” Kristen Waggoner, the president of the Alliance Defending Freedom, posted on social media soon after the court ruled on Tuesday. Her organization defended the laws in Idaho and West Virginia that prompted the decision, and is eager to see similar laws enacted nationwide — whether by lawmakers, judges or voters. (Harmon, 6/30)
KQED: New California Laws Take Effect, Including All-Gender Bathrooms And Food ‘Use-By’ Dates
With the start of the new fiscal year in California on Wednesday, dozens of laws take effect, including a zoning overhaul to boost denser housing development near transit, requirements for an all-gender bathroom in every school and streamlined rules for food labeling. (Bloom, 7/1)
The Sacramento Bee: What California's All-Gender Restroom Law Means For Sacramento Schools This Year
Sacramento-area districts say campuses are ready — or nearly ready — to meet California’s new all-gender restroom requirement. (Chung, 6/27)
CalMatters: Newsom Signs Law Limiting Mental Health Diversion For Defendants
A new California law gives just more flexibility to keep defendants in jail rather than releasing them to community-based mental health treatment programs. (Duara, 6/29)
Bay Area News Group: California Psychiatric Hospitals Close Beds Under New Nursing Staffing Rules
Hospitals say they can't comply with the nurse to patient ratios. Nurses say they're blaming higher standards that protect patients. (Stringer, 6/29)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Psychiatrist Says New UCSD Health Policy Hits Hardest For Working Moms
Requirement mandates contracted psychiatrists spend at least 60% of their work hours seeing university patients. (Sisson, 6/24)
Los Angeles Times: Health Officials Warn Of West Nile Virus In Mosquito In Alhambra, Human Infection In Long Beach
The first human case of West Nile virus in Long Beach and current mosquito-carrying activity in the San Gabriel Valley has been reported this month. (Garcia, 6/30)
Los Angeles Times: Hospital Visits For Smoke Inhalation Spiked During Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire
The weeklong Lineage warehouse fire coincided with a surge in hospital visits from Angelenos concerned about throat pain and breathing problems, The Times has learned. (Smith, 6/30)
Los Angeles Daily News: Impact Of Boyle Heights Fire: Rats, Rotted Food, Strong Odors, Dead Birds In LA River
LA County supervisors took a look ahead Tuesday at what happens next, 14 days after the fire overtook the Lineage warehouse. (Scauzillo, 6/30)
VC Star: Ventura County Lawsuit Accuses Driscoll's Of Ignoring Pesticide Laws
A ex-employee accused berry company Driscoll's of retaliation after he disclosed the company was selling fruit that potentially violated the law. (Huey, 6/26)
CalMatters: Single-Use Vapes May Be Banned In CA After Recycling Fires
California may ban single-use vapes, or e-cigarettes, over concerns about the disposal of lithium batteries. They've caused fires at recycling centers. (La, 6/26)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Heat Advisory Issued With Triple-Digit Temperatures Forecast For San Diego Desert Areas
Beginning Wednesday, desert areas such as Borrego Springs are set to see temperatures between 105 and 110 degrees. (Lunetta, 6/23)
San Francisco Chronicle: States Can Ban Transgender Athletes From Competing, SCOTUS Rules
The court did not bar California and 22 other states from allowing transgender athletes to take part in their chosen sports programs, as their laws provide. (Egelko, 6/30)
CalMatters: California Hospitals, Union Pull Competing Ballot Measures
A last-minute deal removes two healthcare ballot initiatives from the November ballot, but a billionaire tax measure heads to voters. (Hwang, 6/25)
Fierce Healthcare: Kaiser To Pay Hospital $82M Over Insufficient OON Reimbursement
Kaiser Permanente must pay millions to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center over the years of underpayments for out-of-network emergency medical care, according to a Tuesday final judgment ending a battle of appeals between the two. (Muoio, 6/24)
Bay Area News Group: Bay Area Hospitals Race To Rebuild, Facing New Earthquake Standards
Bay Area hospitals are racing to comply with higher earthquake building standards, with high stakes. (Stringer, 6/28)
Fresno Bee: Valley Children's Farming Out Food Services To Idaho Co.; Laid Off Workers To Be Rehired
A WARN notice of impending layoffs was posted, but hospital said no job elimination is planned in transition to food service provider. (Kuwada, 6/26)
Palm Springs Desert Sun: Betty Ford Center's $30M Expansion Starting Years Late. What Happened?
After rising costs halted a planned expansion, the Betty Ford Center is moving forward with a revised $30 million plan. (Sasic, 6/26)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Chula Vista Nurse, Daughter Charged In Alleged Medicare Fraud
The case involving $5.5 million in alleged fraudulent Medicare reimbursements was part of a nationwide crackdown on health care fraud that federal authorities announced Tuesday. (Riggins, 6/23)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: UC San Diego Researchers Land A Pair Of Multimillion-Dollar Grants
Two government agencies, the National Institutes of Health and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, have awarded grants totaling $16 million. (Sisson, 6/23)
Bloomberg: Inventor Of Crispr Is Skeptical About AI’s Impact On Medical Innovation
“I think that innovation is still really in the domain of human beings right now,” Jennifer Doudna, said. “I’m not seeing chatbots coming up with a brand new idea.” (Inampudi and Chang, 6/24)
Bay Area News Group: California Homelessness Spending Restored
Gov. Newsom and California lawmakers agree to $900 million for local homeless services in the new budget, reversing last year's funding freeze. (Stringer, 6/29)
Los Angeles Times: L.A. Homeless Agency Sues The Trump Administration To Stop Cutoff Of Federal Funds
The embattled Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority sued the Trump administration on Monday to stop it from depriving the region of hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, saying the effort is unwarranted and violates federal laws. (Sahniser, 6/29)
CalMatters: What The California Legislature Is Doing About Homelessness
Bills moving through the California Legislature this year address state-funded sober housing, parked RVs and homelessness prevention. (Kendall, 6/25)
San Francisco Chronicle: California Lawmakers Pass $351.7B Budget Deal. Here's What It Does
Gov. Gavin Newsom and California lawmakers approved a $351.7 billion state budget Monday — the last one Newsom will sign as governor — that increases some business and health care taxes and bolsters the state’s reserve funds. (Bollag, 6/29)
Los Angeles Times: Drugs In Water Jug Caused L.A. Juvenile Hall Overdoses, Lawsuit Claims
Several teens overdosed in an L.A. County juvenile hall last year after a teen passed around a water jug spiked with drugs, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit. (Queally, 6/30)
The Fresno Bee: Clovis Launches Autism-Friendly Children’s Gym
“We believe the Central Valley deserves a place like this — where there’s no judgment.” (Anteola, 6/27)
The New York Times: Daveigh Chase, ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Voice Actor, Died Of AIDS, Officials Say
Daveigh Chase, an actress known for voicing the character of Lilo in the hit animated film “Lilo & Stitch,” died in Los Angeles this month of AIDS, the county’s Department of Medical Examiner said on Monday. The case information for Ms. Chase, who was 35 and also known as Daveigh Schwallier, said her death at a hospital on June 16 was natural. It listed AIDS, which is caused by H.I.V., as the cause, and said that “chronic polysubstance use” — repeatedly using more than one drug or substance at the same time or within a short period of time — was a “significant condition.” (Stevens, 6/29)
