Court: Tennessee Can Enforce Down Syndrome Abortion Ban

The Hill: Court Rules Tennessee Can Deny Abortions Over Down Syndrome, Race Or Gender 
A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that Tennessee can deny abortions due to race, gender or if there has been a diagnosis of Down syndrome, The Associated Press reports. The ban was part of sweeping legislation enacted in July that would prohibit abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which could take place as early as six weeks. The law was in effect for less than an hour before being blocked by a lower court. (Williams, 11/21)

In news from New York —

ProPublica: New York Court Officials Complete Rare Review Of Cases Handled By Judge Forced Into Retirement By Dementia
In August, New York court officials made a sad and surprising announcement: ShawnDya Simpson, a 54-year-old judge, was retiring because of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. It was both a tragedy and a dilemma: How would anyone know whether the judge’s illness had affected her handling of cases in the months, maybe years before she was forced from the bench? n October, court officials announced they would do something rare: conduct a review of scores of the judge’s orders and decisions to see if there were obvious examples of mistakes or misguided judgments. This week, court officials announced the results of the review. Officials said a State Supreme Court justice had reviewed 40 of the judge’s decisions and orders, as well as 1,000 status conference orders on routine issues. (Sexton, 11/20)

AP: Black Clergy, United Way To Launch Anti-Coronavirus Effort
Black clergy leaders are joining forces with the United Way of New York City for a new initiative designed to combat the coronavirus’ outsized toll on African Americans through ramped-up testing, contact tracing and treatment management. Details of the new effort, shared with The Associated Press in advance of its Monday launch, rest on harnessing the on-the-ground influence of church leaders to circulate resources that can better equip Black Americans in safeguarding against and treating the virus. Its rollout will begin in five major cities with initial seven-figure funding, focusing on expanded testing and public health education, with a goal of further expansion and ultimately reaching several hundred thousand underinsured or uninsured Black Americans. (Schor, 11/22)

The New York Times: Party At A Queens Sex Club With 80 People Is Shut Down By Sheriff 
By midnight on Saturday, about 80 guests had crowded into a sex club in Queens to drink and party. At around the same time, another group that grew to about 120 revelers was just starting to gather and dance at an illegal club in Manhattan. City sheriffs broke up both parties early on Sunday — the latest crackdown as officials try to rein in behavior that could fuel the second wave of the coronavirus. Seven people and one business face a range of charges in connection with the parties, including a failure to protect health and safety in violation of the city’s health code, the authorities said. (Closson, 11/22)

In news from North Carolina and Ohio —

North Carolina Health News: Manager Of NC’s Veterans Nursing Homes Gets Extension 
For the first time, a significant public body had a discussion of North Carolina’s deal with the company that runs the NC State Veterans Homes, at which 38 residents contracted COVID-19 and died. In all, 87 veterans were diagnosed as having contracted the virus. (Goldsmith, 11/20)

North Carolina Health News: Task Force: Offer Discounted Clean Water For Poor Residents 
The Pittsboro Drinking Water Task Force wants the town to provide deeply discounted reverse osmosis filtration systems to low-income residents while it continues to explore permanent solutions for a community rocked by contaminated drinking water. The task force, which formed in November 2019, issued its final report in October on the avenues it recommends the town take to resolve problems with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — known as PFAS — and another potential carcinogen called 1,4 dioxane. (Barnes, 11/23)

The Hill: Cleveland Coronavirus Cases Up 1,200 Percent Since Early October 
The Cleveland area has seen its number of coronavirus cases skyrocket by 1,259 percent in the past seven weeks according to the Ohio Department of Health, as cases across the country continue to climb. On Oct. 1, when Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) released an advisory alert map, the Cleveland/Akron area was reporting an average of 83 cases a day, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Now, the area is averaging 1,134 cases a day. (Choi, 11/22)

In news from South Dakota, Minnesota, California and Alaska —

The Hill: Sturgis Rally Blamed For COVID-19 Spread In Minnesota 
A South Dakota motorcycle rally attended by nearly half a million people earlier this year resulted in at least 86 cases of COVID-19 among residents of Minnesota, including one death, according to a report released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, which looked to find the impact of the rally on a neighboring state, found that of the 86 identified cases among Minnesotans, 35 had not gone to the event but were contacts of people who did. (Hellmann, 11/20)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Sees Racial Shift In Coronavirus: Positive Tests Down For Latinos, Up For Whites
For the first time since the pandemic hit in full force, coronavirus cases among Latino residents — who for many months have borne the brunt of COVID-19 — are decreasing, while cases among white residents are increasing in parts of the Bay Area. The trend is emerging weeks after counties began easing restrictions in many places, including reopening indoor dining and increasing capacity at gyms and places of worship. That prompted many residents to let their guard down and expand their social bubbles, county health officials said. (Sanchez, Ho and Allday, 11/22)

KHN: California Law Banning Toxic Chemicals In Cosmetics Will Transform Industry
A toxic chemical ban signed into law in California will change the composition of cosmetics, shampoos, hair straighteners and other personal care products used by consumers across the country, industry officials and activists say. The ban, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom at the end of September, covers 24 chemicals, including mercury, formaldehyde and several types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. All the chemicals are carcinogenic or otherwise toxic — and advocates argue they have no place in beauty products. (Green, 11/23)

KHN: Surging LA 
On a Monday afternoon in March, four days after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some of Southern California’s most famous landmarks were deserted and few cars traveled the region’s notoriously congested freeways. Eight months later, businesses are open, traffic is back — and COVID-19 cases in the state are surging. (de Marco, 11/23)

Anchorage Daily News: Majority Of Alaska Adults Are Susceptible To A Severe COVID-19 Infection, State Health Experts Say
Two out of three Alaska adults have at least one risk factor that heath officials link with a higher chance of a severe COVID-19 infection, a new analysis from the state health department shows. The findings show that most adults in Alaska are at an increased risk for hospitalization or worse if they contract COVID-19, the state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, said in an interview. (Krakow, 11/21)