First Edition: June 25, 2021

KHN: No Vacancy: How A Shortage Of Mental Health Beds Keeps Kids Trapped Inside ERs 
One evening in late March, a mom called 911. Her daughter, she said, was threatening to kill herself. EMTs arrived at the home north of Boston, helped calm the 13-year-old, and took her to an emergency room. Melinda, like a growing number of children during the covid-19 pandemic, had become increasingly anxious and depressed as she spent more time away from in-person contact at school, church and her singing lessons. (Bebinger, 6/25)

KHN: The WHO Didn’t Reverse Its Position On Kids And Covid Vaccines
A social media post circulating on Facebook and Instagram claims that the World Health Organization recently flipped its policy recommendation about children receiving a covid-19 vaccine. “The WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION recently reversed its stance on children getting the Covid vaccine. Sorry to all those dumb parents who rushed out to get their 12 year olds vaccinated. Oops you injected your kids with poison and it’s no longer recommended. Personally no one should but at least save the children!,” the post reads. (Knight, 6/25)

KHN: A Break From Breathlessness: How Singing Helped Me Through Long Covid
Singing was the only time I felt in control of my lungs and, paradoxically, able to forget about them. It was October and my shortness of breath had worsened after weeks of teasing improvement. I felt breathless walking or resting, lying down or sitting, working or watching Netflix, talking or silently meditating. But not while singing. (Zuraw, 6/25)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden, Senators Agree To Roughly $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
President Biden and a group of 10 centrist senators agreed to a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan Thursday, securing a long-sought bipartisan deal that lawmakers and the White House will now attempt to shepherd through Congress alongside a broader package sought by Democrats. Mr. Biden and Democratic leaders said that advancing the deal on transportation, water and broadband infrastructure will hinge on the passage of more elements of Mr. Biden’s $4 trillion economic agenda. The two-track process sets up weeks of delicate negotiations to gather support for both the bipartisan plan and a separate Democratic proposal, a challenging task in the 50-50 Senate and the narrowly Democratic-controlled House. (Duehren, Peterson and Siddiqui, 6/24)

The Washington Post: Biden Announces Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal 
The new spending includes $312 billion for transportation projects, $55 billion for water infrastructure and $65 billion for broadband — figures hashed out by the five Democrats and five Republicans who had negotiated for weeks on the package. That is nowhere near as sweeping as Biden’s own infrastructure measure, which he detailed in April, and it essentially ignores his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, which focuses on social safety-net programs that Biden characterizes as “human infrastructure.” (Kim, DeBonis and Stein, 6/24)

The Hill: Biden Says He Won't Sign Bipartisan Bill Without Reconciliation Bill 
President Biden on Thursday said he won’t sign the bipartisan infrastructure deal if Congress doesn’t also pass a reconciliation bill, committing to a dual track system to get both bills passed. “I expect that in the coming months this summer, before the fiscal year is over, that we will have voted on this bill, the infrastructure bill, as well as voted on the budget resolution. But if only one comes to me, this is the only one that comes to me, I’m not signing it. It’s in tandem,” Biden told reporters at the White House. (Gangitano and Chalfant, 6/24)

Stateline: CDC Extends National Eviction Moratorium
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday extended the national eviction moratorium it first imposed in September to July 31. The eviction ban, designed to help keep people in their homes and thus slow the spread of COVID-19 in crowded settings such as homeless shelters, was set to expire next week. More than 7 million households were behind on rent last month and nearly half are at risk of eviction, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. State leaders are bracing for a potential wave of evictions when the federal moratorium expires. (Quinton and Hernández, 6/24)

Politico: Biden Picks Housing Advocate To Lead FHA
President Joe Biden will nominate housing nonprofit executive Julia Gordon to be the commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration, the White House said Thursday. Gordon is the president of the National Community Stabilization Trust, which facilitates the rehabilitation of homes in underserved markets. She was also the housing director at the Center for American Progress and managed the single-family policy team at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. (O'Donnell, 6/24)

The Hill: House Passes Veterans Contraception, LGBTQ Business Bills Previously Blocked By GOP 
The House passed two bills on Thursday to promote credit fairness for LGBT-owned businesses and ensure that veterans can access contraceptive health care without copays, after both measures failed to advance under an expedited process last week. House Democratic leaders had scheduled votes on the two bills last week under a fast-track process used for bipartisan legislation that requires a two-thirds supermajority for passage, since they were under the impression that Republicans would support them. (Marcos, 6/24)

Modern Healthcare: Democrats Propose $400 Billion Medicaid Boost For Home Care
Congressional Democrats on Thursday unveiled a bill that would significantly expand access to services that help seniors and people with disabilities receive care in their homes and communities, following up on President Joe Biden's demands for such an investment in an infrastructure bill. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and high-ranking House and Senate Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), would offer increased Medicaid funding for states offering home- and community-based services (HCBS) if they agree to certain conditions. Democrats are planning to include the proposal in a forthcoming budget bill that only needs 50 votes to pass the Senate. (Hellmann, 6/24)

Detroit Free Press: Dingell Wants Expanded Home Care For Medicaid Recipients
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, wants Congress to provide states more funding in the future to expand home and community-based care to Medicaid recipients and to make sure the people providing those services are better paid. On Thursday, she introduced legislation that, if enacted, would do that. An identical bill was also introduced in the U.S. Senate. (Spangler, 6/24)

USA Today: Nearly All COVID Deaths In The US Are Among Unvaccinated, Data Shows
“Breakthrough” infections, or COVID cases in those fully vaccinated, accounted for 1,200 of more than 853,000 hospitalizations in the U.S., making it 0.1% of hospitalizations. Data also showed that 150 of more than 18,000 COVID-19 related deaths were fully vaccinated people, which means they accounted for 0.8% of deaths. Although the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only gathers data on breakthrough infections from 45 states that are reporting such cases, it demonstrates how effective the vaccine is at preventing deaths and hospitalizations due to COVID-19. (Aspegren, Yancey-Bragg and Vargas, 6/24)

The Hill: West Virginia Governor Says Unvaccinated 'Entering The Death Drawing' 
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) rebuked people who were choosing not to get the COVID-19 vaccine during a news conference on Thursday, saying they were “entering the death drawing.” “Well when you turn your back and say, nope I’m not doing that — all you’re doing is entering the death drawing. There were six — there were six today. How many is there going to be the next time we sit down? How many is there going to be on next Tuesday?” Justice said. (Vakil, 6/24)

The New York Times: As The Pace Of Vaccinations Slows, Biden Makes A Personal Appeal
President Biden implored Americans on Thursday to “knock on doors and talk to friends and neighbors” about getting vaccinated, as the White House opened a campaign-like blitz to persuade people around the country to get their shots. Mr. Biden’s speech, in North Carolina, came as the government is shifting its strategy from mass vaccination sites to a more localized effort — deploying top officials to local communities, with an eye toward younger Americans who have not had the access or are reluctant to get vaccinated. (Kanno-Youngs, 6/24)

CNBC: Biden Says More Americans Will Die As Delta Variant Spreads: 'You Know It's Going To Happen'
President Joe Biden said Thursday that Covid deaths in the United States will continue to rise due to the spread of the “dangerous” delta variant, calling it a “serious concern.” “Six hundred thousand-plus Americans have died, and with this delta variant you know there’s going to be others as well. You know it’s going to happen. We’ve got to get young people vaccinated,” Biden said at a community center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Mendez, 6/24)

The Hill: White House Deploys Top Officials In Vaccine Blitz
The White House on Thursday engaged in an all-out blitz to urge Americans to get vaccinated, scattering top officials around the country to tout the shots even as the administration has acknowledged it won’t meet its Fourth of July goals for the vaccines. President Biden toured a mobile vaccination unit and helped launch a community canvassing event on Thursday in North Carolina, a state that has seen a slowdown in residents getting their shots. ... First lady Jill Biden was joined by Anthony Fauci on Thursday for two stops in Florida. (Samuels, 6/24)

PBS NewsHour: As U.S. States And Cities Hit Vaccine Goals, Deep Disparities Persist
The United States has made remarkable progress in getting people vaccinated against COVID-19. When President Joe Biden took office, he pledged to dole out 100 million shots during his first 100 days in office, a target he eventually doubled and met a week ahead of schedule. Now, nearly 320 million vaccines have been administered across the country and 53 percent of eligible Americans — more than 150 million people — have completed their vaccination series. But the overarchingly rosy picture at a national scale doesn’t always hold up when put under the microscope. Vaccine distribution varies widely state to state, city to city and community to community. (Isaacs-Thomas, 6/24)

Los Angeles Times: With Delta Variant On The Rise In L.A. County, Vaccinations Urged
Confirmed cases of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus are on the rise in Los Angeles County, prompting renewed calls for residents to take advantage of the available vaccines. While COVID-19 case, hospitalization and death rates remain low countywide, this particular variant — which could be two times as transmissible as the conventional strain — presents particular risk of prolonging the pandemic, which would primarily affect those who have yet to get their shots. “This is a pandemic of unvaccinated people,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a briefing Thursday. (Money and Lin II, 6/24)

Houston Chronicle: Half Of Texas Republicans Say They Won't Get COVID-19 Vaccine, New Poll Finds
Nearly half of Texas Republican voters say they do not plan to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, according to new polling released Thursday by Quinnipiac University. All told, pollsters found, about one-third of Texas adults said they do not plan to get vaccinated, whereas about 70 percent said they have already received or are planning to get inoculated. Pollsters found “sharp differences” in views on vaccines among political parties, with about 30 percent of independents saying they’ll forego vaccines and 13 percent of Democrats saying the same. (Downen, 6/24)

The Boston Globe: State’s Largest Health Care Providers To Require All Employees Get COVID-19 Vaccines
The state’s largest hospital systems on Thursday said they will mandate that all of their employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of a moral imperative to keep patients safe. Leaders of Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Wellforce, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute said requiring vaccination for employees is critical for protecting vulnerable patients, especially those who are immunocompromised. Together, these hospital systems employ more than 135,000 people. All employees, including those who don’t work directly with patients, must get vaccinated, though they can request exemptions for medical or religious reasons. (Dayal McCluskey, 6/24)

Philadelphia Inquirer: How Many People In Pa. Got Vaccinated And Still Got COVID-19? The State Isn’t Counting
Pennsylvania is not tracking all coronavirus cases in vaccinated residents, leaving the state without data that can help demonstrate vaccine efficacy, detect the spread of variants, and fully inform unvaccinated people of the risks they may face. As other states report data that indicate nearly all their cases now are found in unvaccinated residents, the Pennsylvania Department of Health told The Inquirer it could not say what proportion of new coronavirus infections has occurred in those who aren’t immunized or what share of people hospitalized with the virus had been vaccinated. (McDaniel and McCarthy, 6/24)

Reuters: U.S. Approves Roche Drug For Emergency Use Against Severe COVID-19
U.S. health regulators have approved Roche's arthritis drug Actemra for emergency use to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients, giving an extra boost to a medicine that was already allowed to be administered on compassionate grounds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Thursday it had issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Actemra to treat adults and pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19. (6/25)

Axios: Oxford Researchers Say They Developed COVID Vaccine Efficacy Predictor 
Researchers at Oxford University said Thursday they developed a method for predicting the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines by a blood test. The model "can be used to extrapolate efficacy estimates for new vaccines where large efficacy trials cannot be conducted," the researchers said in their paper, which was submitted for peer review for publication in a scientific journal on Thursday. (Chen, 6/24)

Fox News: NIH Study Assessing COVID-19 Vaccine In Pregnant, Postpartum Moms
The National Institutes of Health launched a new observational study to evaluate the immune responses generated by COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and postpartum individuals. The study, dubbed MOMI-VAX, will also assess vaccine safety and the transfer of vaccine-induced antibodies through breast milk. "Tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding people in the United States have chosen to receive the COVID-19 vaccines available under emergency use authorization," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAD), which is funding the study, said in a news release. "However, we lack robust, prospective clinical data on vaccination in these populations. The results of this study will fill gaps in our knowledge and help inform policy recommendations and personal decision-making on COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and in the postpartum period." (Hein, 6/24)

CIDRAP: Study: Skin Reactions Occur In About 2% Of MRNA Vaccine Recipients
A study yesterday in JAMA Dermatology shows that, among 40,000 healthcare employees receiving either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines, only 1.9% reported injection-site skin reactions, including itching, rash, and swelling, after their first dose. (6/24)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Vaccination Tied To Reduced Household Transmission
COVID-19 transmission among household members may be reduced 40% to 50% when a person has been vaccinated 21 days or more, according to a New England Journal of Medicine letter to the editor yesterday. (6/24)

Scientific American: Gut Reactions: Microbes In The Digestive Tract Influence COVID Severity
Research indicates that SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID—can directly attack the epithelial cells that line the GI tract, entering via the molecular doorway of angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). These cells express high levels of ACE2, as do the cells lining the lungs, the primary site of infection. But the gut is not merely a passive target for the virus. Evidence suggests it is also a player in determining the severity of COVID-19. (Legg, 6/24)

NBC News: Covid's Lingering Effects Can Put The Breaks On Elective Surgery
As the number of people who have had Covid-19 grows, medical experts are trying to determine when it’s safe for them to have elective surgery. In addition to concerns about respiratory complications from anesthesia, Covid-19 may affect multiple organs and systems, and clinicians are still learning the implications for surgery. A recent study compared the mortality rate in the 30 days following surgery in patients who had a Covid-19 infection and in those who did not. It found that waiting to undergo surgery for at least seven weeks after a Covid-19 infection reduced the risk of death to that of people who hadn’t been infected in the first place. Patients with lingering Covid-19 symptoms should wait even longer, the study suggested. (6/24)

Bloomberg: Tamiflu-Like Drugs Face Long Odds Against Covid ‘Runaway Train’
The flu fighter Tamiflu is one of the most recognizable antiviral medications in the world -- but its weaknesses suggest that devising a similarly simple treatment for Covid-19 will be challenging. After spending some $20 billion to develop vaccines at top speed, the U.S. is turning its attention to treating Covid-19 after a person is infected. Last week, health officials said the Antiviral Program for Pandemics will use $3.2 billion to target drugs for Covid and other viruses with the potential to foment pandemics. (Torrence, 6/24)

Stat: Pfizer Halts Global Distribution Of Smoking Cessation Pill
After finding potential carcinogens in some lots of Chantix, Pfizer (PFE) late last month halted worldwide distribution of smoking cessation pill. The drug maker, which is now running tests, took this step after finding nitrosamine levels that were above an “acceptable” daily intake, according to the company. Consequently, regulators in Canada and South Korea, for instance, have posted recall notices for the medicine, which is called Champix outside the U.S., is recalled. Pfizer also sent letters to distributors about its actions. (Silverman, 6/24)

Stat: CDC Advisory Panel Backs Use Of Dengue Vaccine In High-Risk Areas
An expert panel voted Thursday to advise that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend use of a controversial dengue vaccine, despite the fact that it can only be given to a small fraction of U.S. children and requires a pre-vaccination test in order to be used safely. The 14-0 vote by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices clears the way for rollout of Sanofi’s three-dose Dengvaxia vaccine, assuming the CDC accepts the advice. The CDC very rarely overrides recommendations from the group, known as ACIP. (Branswell, 6/24)

Stat: In Reversal, Eli Lilly Will Now Seek Fast Approval For Alzheimer's Treatment
Eli Lilly said Thursday that it will seek a fast U.S. approval for its drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease, taking advantage of the unprecedented regulatory path established by Biogen. The pharma giant intends to submit its drug called donanemab to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the year. Lilly will request the agency grant the drug accelerated approval based on its ability to reduce amyloid plaques in the brain. (Feuerstein, 6/24)

Stat: Will FDA Quickly Review A Lilly Drug To Alleviate Cost Concerns For Alzheimer's Treatments? 
In an unexpected move, U.S regulators granted Eli Lilly (LLY) a breakthrough designation for its experimental Alzheimer’s drug, raising intriguing questions about competition and pricing in a quickly evolving marketplace already filled with controversy. This was the second time this week, in fact, that the Food and Drug Administration granted this type of designation to an Alzheimer’s drug being developed, the other bestowed on Biogen (BIIB) and Eisai (ESALY). (Silverman, 6/24)

ABC News: Doctors Face Dilemma On Whether To Recommend New Alzheimer's Treatment 
This month, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease -- the first in nearly 20 years. But the decision was not without controversy, with doctors split on how they feel about the treatment. Since the approval, doctors have faced questions from patients and families desperate for good news, but they are conflicted on whether to recommend and prescribe the new drug, developed by Biogen. (Leyden, 6/24)

The New York Times: New Therapy For Aggressive Prostate Cancer Improves Survival 
An experimental therapy has prolonged life in men with aggressive prostate cancer that has resisted other treatments, offering new hope to patients with advanced illness and opening the door to a promising new form of cancer therapy. Among men who received the new therapy, there was a nearly 40 percent reduction in deaths over the course of the clinical trial, compared with similar patients who received only standard treatment, researchers reported on Wednesday. (Rabin, 6/24)

Albuquerque Journal: 20K Doses Of Opioids Unaccounted For At Peralta Pharmacy
A pharmacy in Valencia County can no longer fill prescriptions after inspections found more than 20,000 doses of opioids unaccounted for. The state Board of Pharmacy reached an agreement with Joe’s Pharmacy, owner Michael Leon Otero and pharmacist-in-charge Shirley Jojola on May 26. The settlement comes after federal Drug Enforcement Agency inspections in 2018 and 2019 found “substantial deficiencies” in the pharmacy’s operations, including the unaccounted for doses of various opioids. The state pharmacy licensing board accepted the surrender of Otero’s board-issued licenses last month. (Grijalva, 6/24)

Modern Healthcare: CVS Wins California Drug Overcharge Trial
CVS Pharmacy on Wednesday was cleared of allegations that it overcharged multiple classes of insured customers by more than $121 million for generic drugs. The individually insured customers representing classes from six states alleged that by not reporting its discounted prices for health savings pass program members as its "usual and customary" prices, CVS was in violation of state consumer protection statutes. However, a federal jury in California unanimously absolved CVS of these claims after less than a day of deliberation. A CVS spokesperson said the company was pleased with the verdict. (Devereaux, 6/24)

Crain's Chicago Business: Chicago County Faces One-Two Punch Of Nurse Strikes
Hundreds of nurses are holding a one-day strike Thursday against Cook County Health, forcing the health system to postpone some surgeries and divert ambulances elsewhere. Around 900 nurses, represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee, are striking over staffing concerns. Another 330 in "essential areas" were prevented from striking after Cook County Health "received a court-ordered injunction Wednesday," according to a statement. (Asplund, 6/24)

Stat: Scientists Grapple With Picking Up Research They Put On Hold During Covid
In the earliest days of the pandemic, it was the small, long-underfunded coterie of dedicated coronavirus researchers answering almost all of the world’s questions about the emerging threat. But as SARS-CoV-2 took off, researchers from other specialties flooded in, drawn by the scale of the emergency, a desire to put their skills to use, and the competitive nature of scientific inquiry. For experts with even marginally relevant expertise, the question became, “What can I do?” (Joseph, 6/25)

The New York Times: Ei-Ichi Negishi, Nobel Prize Winner In Chemistry, Dies At 85 
Ei-ichi Negishi, who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010 for developing techniques now ubiquitous in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, died on June 6 in Indianapolis. He was 85.His death, at a hospital, was announced by Purdue University, where Dr. Negishi was a professor for four decades. No cause was given. (Chang, 6/24)

Scientific American: Gray Hair Can Return To Its Original Color--And Stress Is Involved, Of Course 
Few harbingers of old age are clearer than the sight of gray hair. As we grow older, black, brown, blonde or red strands lose their youthful hue. Although this may seem like a permanent change, new research reveals that the graying process can be undone—at least temporarily. (Kwon, 6/22)

ABC News: Women Provided 3 Times More Child Care Than Men During Pandemic, Analysis Finds 
During the coronavirus pandemic, a working-age woman, on average, provided 173 additional unpaid hours of child care, according to a new analysis. That is nearly three times the amount of additional unpaid hours of child care taken on by a working-age man, according to the analysis from the Center for Global Development, a nonprofit organization that works to reduce global poverty. (Kindelan, 6/25)

NBC News: Under Trump, Gains In Health Care Coverage For Latino Children Mostly Erased
Latino children were disproportionately affected by an overall increase in child uninsured rates between 2016 and 2019 when Donald Trump was president, according to a recent study. More than 1.8 million Latino children lacked health coverage as of 2019, a rate of 9.3 percent, according to the study from the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University released June 8. That is an increase of 354,400 children compared to 2016, when the uninsured rate of Latino children was at 7.7 percent. The uninsured rate of non-Latino children increased from 3.7 percent in 2016 to 4.4 percent in 2019. (Acevedo, 6/23)

The New York Times: Is The Forced Contraception Alleged By Britney Spears Legal?
Among the stunning assertions that the pop star Britney Spears made to a Los Angeles probate judge this week, as she sought to end her protracted conservatorship, was one that shook experts in guardianship law and reproductive rights deeply. She said a team led by her father, who is her conservator, prevented her from having her IUD removed because the team did not want her to have more children. “Forcing someone to be on birth control against their will is a violation of basic human rights and bodily autonomy, just as forcing someone to become or stay pregnant against their will would be,” said Ruth Dawson, a principal policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports reproductive rights. (Hoffman, 6/24)

The Hill: MLB's Astros Offering Free Tickets To Fans Who Get The COVID-19 Vaccine 
The MLB’s Houston Astros are offering fans the opportunity to get free tickets by receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The Astros on Thursday announced a partnership with the Houston Methodist Hospital called “MLB Vaccinate At The Plate,” where fans can receive tickets to two select games if they get vaccinated at the event.  (Oshin, 6/24)

Fox News: Chocolate For Breakfast? Study Suggests Potential Benefits
Starting your day off with chocolate, or even sneaking in a bit before bed may not have the dire effects on weight gain you’d suspect, especially if done correctly among a certain population. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital studied the impact of adding milk chocolate to the diets of postmenopausal women for a paper published in The FASEB Journal. The study analyzed 19 postmenopausal women who were involved in a randomized, controlled cross-over trial. The women consumed 100g of milk chocolate either within one hour of waking up or within one hour of going to bed. The researchers compared weight gain and other measures to women who had no chocolate intake. (Hein, 6/24)

AP: Hawaii To Ease Testing Rules For Travelers Vaccinated In US
Hawaii will drop its testing and quarantine rules for fully vaccinated domestic travelers in two weeks. Gov. David Ige said Thursday the state will drop the current travel restrictions for vaccinated U.S. mainland travelers on July 8. Those using the quarantine exemption must upload their vaccination cards to a state website and also bring a hard copy while traveling. (Jones, 6/24)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Poverty, Air Pollution Cause Cancer Spike In Louisiana Industrial Areas, Tulane Study Says
The combination of air pollution and poverty is triggering higher rates of cancer in Louisiana, according to a new study led by the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. Released this week, the study indicates low-income communities with high levels of toxic air pollution had average cancer rates of about 515 cases per 100,000 residents. That’s statistically higher than the 482-case average statewide and the 487-case average for low-income areas with less air pollution. (Baurick, 6/24)

NBC News: Asylum-Seekers, Attorneys Decry 'Horrendous' Louisiana ICE Detention Center
During his 46 days at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, an asylum-seeker who was detained there said he witnessed “horrible conditions” that were “not suitable for humans.” The recently paroled detainee, who did not want to use his name pending his asylum case, spoke on the phone with NBC News and recounted there was little food, a lack of toilets, no hot water and extremely cold temperatures inside the facility. (Sesin, 6/22)

The Hill: New York Adds Third Gender Option To Birth Certificates, Licenses
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Thursday signed a law that will add a third gender option to birth certificates and licenses in the state. The Gender Recognition Act allows nonbinary individuals to select “X” for their gender on driver’s licenses and there will be an option on birth certificates to select “parent” instead of mother or father, a press release by the governor states. (Lonas, 6/24)

AP: Georgia Sued For Ban On Gender-Affirming Care Under Medicaid
Two transgender women are suing the state of Georgia, saying they’ve been denied access to gender-affirming health care under its Medicaid program. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the federal lawsuit Thursday in Atlanta on behalf of Shon Thomas and Gwendolyn Cheney. The suit says Georgia bans gender-affirming surgeries in violation of the U.S. Constitution, the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid Act. (6/24)

ABC News: Discord Over Whether To Halt South Carolina Abortion Case 
The parties involved in a lawsuit over South Carolina’s new ban on almost all abortions disagree about how the case should be handled while the U.S. Supreme Court considers similar litigation from Mississippi. Those supporting the restrictions argue they should be allowed to collect information for their defense in the coming months. (Kinnard, 6/24)

AP: CDC: HIV Tests Rare In Medical Settings Among WVa Drug Users
Emergency departments and inpatient medical personnel rarely conducted HIV testing on intravenous drug users in a West Virginia county with one of the nation’s highest spikes in such cases, according to a federal investigation released Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented the preliminary findings during a meeting of state and local health officials, the Department of Health and Human Resources said in a news release. (Raby, 6/24)

AP: Most Nevada Workplaces Can Relax Sanitation Procedures
The state agency that oversees workplace safety is relaxing guidelines for businesses, allowing them to wipe down most surfaces with soap or detergent, rather than disinfectants that kill the coronavirus. “When no people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are known to have been in a space, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove viruses that may be on surfaces and help maintain a healthy facility,” according to guidance published Thursday by Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (6/24)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Offers Afghanistan 3 Million J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Doses
The Biden administration plans to deliver three million doses of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine next week to Afghanistan, which is battling its deadliest wave of the pandemic amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation. The White House is offering the single-dose vaccines ahead of President Biden’s Friday meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Afghanistan’s chief peace negotiator, Abdullah Abdullah. They plan to discuss how Washington can continue supporting the embattled Afghan government, which lost large territories to the Taliban this month, once the U.S. military completes its withdrawal. (Lubold and Trofimov, 6/24)

Reuters: Antibodies Triggered By Chinese COVID-19 Shots Less Effective On Delta Variant - Researcher 
Antibodies triggered by two Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are less effective against the Delta variant compared with other strains but the shots still offer protection, a Chinese disease control researcher told state media. (6/25)

Bloomberg: Record Vaccinations May Not Stop Deadly Third Wave In India
Officials in New Delhi rejoiced earlier this week when India hit a single-day record by administering more than 8 million Covid-19 vaccinations. But even this unprecedented pace may not be fast enough for a country just emerging from a devastating second wave to head off a third one, experts say. They also question whether this week’s push averaging about 4.6 million doses a day, up from about 3 million for most of the past month, can be sustained. (Kay, 6/24)

Fox News: Man Believed To Have Longest Coronavirus Infection Had Virus For 300 Days
A 72-year-old man in England is believed to be have had "the longest known PCR confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection" after testing positive for coronavirus some 300 days. Dave Smith, of Bristol, is described in medical papers documenting his case as being immunocompromised and with a history of cancer, which may have put him at an increased risk for prolonged infection. In a preprint paper, released ahead of the July European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference where his case will be presented, doctors noted that the virus did not clear after a 15-day course of Remdesivir. On day 265 of his illness, he was treated with two monoclonal antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, and his health improved "dramatically." Forty-five days after the treatment, the virus was not detected in RT-PCR tests. (Hein, 6/24)

The New York Times: Israel, A World Leader In Vaccinations, Faces A New Outbreak
Israel has been a trailblazer in the post-pandemic world, largely returning to normal in May following one of the world’s fastest vaccination drives. But dozens of new cases recently emerged at schools in two cities, Modiin and Binyamina, leading to hundreds of people being quarantined. Israel has made 12- to 15-year-olds eligible for vaccination, but many have yet to get shots. (6/25)

AP: Russia Mandates Vaccinations For Some As Virus Cases Surge
In light of the surge, at least 14 Russian regions — from Moscow and St. Petersburg to the remote far-eastern region of Sakhalin — made vaccinations mandatory this month for employees in certain sectors, such as government offices, retail, health care, education, restaurants, fitness centers, beauty parlors and other service industries. Moscow authorities said companies should suspend without pay employees unwilling to get vaccinated, and they threatened to temporarily halt operations of businesses that don’t meet the goal of having 60% of staff get at least one shot by July 15 and both shots by Aug. 15. (Litvinova, 6/25)