First Edition: November 15, 2019

Kaiser Health News: Surgeon General’s Marijuana Warning Omits Crucial Context
Speaking about a recent federal advisory on marijuana, Dr. Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, put a new spin on long-standing admonitions about the drug. “Marijuana has a unique impact on the developing brain. It can prime your brain for addiction to other substances,” Adams said at a Washington, D.C., substance abuse conference held late in August and sponsored by Oxford House, a recovery center network. (Luthra, 11/15)

Kaiser Health News: Nursing Home Safety Violations Put Residents At Risk, Report Finds
As huge swaths of California burned last fall, federal health officials descended on 20 California nursing homes to determine whether they were prepared to protect their vulnerable residents from fires, earthquakes and other disasters. The results of their surprise inspections, which took place from September to December of 2018, were disturbing: Inspectors found hundreds of potentially life-threatening violations of safety and emergency requirements, including blocked emergency exit doors, unsafe use of power strips and extension cords, and inadequate fuel for emergency generators, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. (Ostrov, 11/14)

Kaiser Health News: KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Spending Bill Slowdown
The fiscal year started a month and a half ago, but Congress has still not agreed on an annual spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services – or any of the other annual spending bills that fund the government. Meanwhile, Congress IS moving on efforts to further restrict tobacco and vaping products, particularly to limit their marketing to underage users. The Trump administration has been vowing to use its own authority to crack down on a youth vaping epidemic, but so far has not acted. (11/14)

The New York Times: California School Shooting Is Another Nightmare Made Real
Frantic parents texted with teenagers barricaded in classrooms. Others offered shelter to students fleeing their high school in this sleepy suburb north of Los Angeles on Thursday. It was the latest example of a wrenching sequence that has become a recurring nightmare for families in America. This time it was a little after 7:30 a.m. when a young man opened fire at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., killing two students and wounding three others before turning the gun on himself, authorities said. (Cowan, Harmon and Bogel-Burroughs, 11/14)

The Associated Press: LA Suburb Mourns Student Victims After School Shooting
The gunfire began around 7:30 a.m. at Saugus High School in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita. Authorities estimated that the suspect took just 16 seconds to pull out the weapon, shoot five classmates and turn the gun on himself. At the time, students were “milling around” and greeting each other in an outdoor quad area, sheriff’s homicide Capt. Kent Wegener said. Surveillance video showed the shooter standing still while “everyone is active around him.” (Dazio and Weber, 11/14)

The Washington Post: Santa Clarita Shooting: Two Dead, At Least 4 Injured At Saugus High School
Television footage showed a familiar scene: a campus swarmed with ambulances and police cars, students evacuating school buildings while wounded classmates were wheeled out on gurneys, and worried parents clustered around the school’s perimeter. The shooting is at least the seventh to take place on U.S. school grounds since the start of the academic year, according to a Washington Post analysis, and the first fatal shooting on a campus since students arrived back at school. More than 233,000 schoolchildren have been exposed to gun violence at their own schools since the shooting at Columbine High in 1999. (Monnier, Duan, Balingit and Mattler, 11/14)

Los Angeles Times: Santa Clarita Shooting: 2 Saugus High Students Are Killed, 3 Injured
Some students remained locked in classrooms for more than an hour amid the massive police presence. Eventually, they were led off the school grounds by deputies. Some were in tears. As they walked, one student asked aloud a question on the minds of many others: “What kind of a world is this?” (Fry, Gerber, Queally, Mejia, Winton and Parvini, 11/14)

The Wall Street Journal: School Shooting Leaves Two Dead In Southern California
A 16-year-old female student and 14-year-old male student died after being transported to a nearby hospital, the sheriff said. The three surviving victims were in stable condition, according to the sheriff’s office, and one has been released. Sheriff Villanueva declined to elaborate on the suspect’s motivations but said authorities didn’t believe he worked with anyone else. The suspect used a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun, Capt. Wegener said. (Elinson, Ansari and Caldwell, 11/14)

Los Angeles Times: Santa Clarita Shooting: Students Heard Shots And Ran. ‘When I Go Home, I’m Going To Cry’
The message flashed across the screen on Joy Songcuan’s phone just after 8 a.m., prompting confusion, and then fear. “I’m OK,” the text from his son read, “don’t worry.” At first, Songcuan didn’t know what his son, Karl, a freshman at Saugus High School, was talking about. Then another text came through. “There’s a shooting.” (Gerber, Queally, Vives, Miller and Mejia, 11/14)

Los Angeles Times: ‘How Do We Recover?’: Experts Weigh In On How To Talk To Your Kids About Shootings
The first thing adults should do is make sure their child or adolescent knows they are willing and available to talk with them, said Stephen Brock, a professor of school psychology at Cal State Sacramento. “Help them process whatever they want,” Brock said. “At the same time, especially in the immediate aftermath of an incident like this, [it’s important] not to force the issue. You simply acknowledge the event.” Ask them if they have questions, he said, and let their questions be your guide. (Agrawal, 11/14)

CalMatters: How California Got Tough On Guns
The modern American gun debate began on May 2, 1967, when 30 protesting members of the Black Panther Party marched into the California Capitol with loaded handguns, shotguns and rifles. As photos of gun-toting radicals from Oakland hit front pages across the country, many Americans were shocked to see who was embracing the Second Amendment. In California, as in most states at the time, there were few restrictions on carrying loaded weapons in public. (Christopher, 11/14)

NPR: Good Health Insurance Isn't Enough To Fix Holes In The Social Safety Net
The Democratic debate is less than a week away, and it's likely that health care will once again take center stage. Once again, the candidates will spar over the best way to achieve universal coverage. Once again, the progressives will talk up the benefits of "Medicare For All" while the moderates attack it for its high cost and lack of choice. Just like the last debate. And the one before. But it's not the repetitiveness of the health care debate that bothers me. As a medical student, what bothers me is that the current health care debate is myopically focused on health insurance. (Adams, 11/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Michigan Moderates Sense Jitters On Medicare For All
The Democratic Party’s internal dispute over Medicare for All has reached this battleground state, and so far, supporters of a single-payer health care system are finding a tough audience. Union members in this labor stronghold state have expressed unease with Medicare for All, fearing they would lose health benefits that were hard-won over years of negotiations. A survey of 600 likely voters commissioned by the Detroit Regional Chamber this summer found that a majority opposed a Medicare for All proposal that would eliminate private health insurance, as proposed by Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. (Armour and Jamerson, 11/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Deval Patrick’s Ties To Health-Care Industry Could Be A Liability
Deval Patrick's ties to health-care and drug companies could make him a punching bag for Democratic candidates who support single-payer health care and criticize the pharmaceutical industry. Since leaving the governorship of Massachusetts in 2015, Patrick has served on the boards of American Well Corp., a telemedicine company, and Global Blood Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical firm. Patrick plans to leave both boards. American Well, which is private, has received significant investment from health insurance giants, including a $59.2 million investment from Allianz. It has signed partnerships with others including Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and UnitedHealth Group Inc. (Rubin, 11/15)

The Hill: 2020 Dems Put Focus On Stemming Veteran Suicides 
Top Democrats running for president in 2020 are vowing to reduce veteran suicide rates by improving access to mental health care and making improvements to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The issue has received newfound attention on the campaign trail with former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), as well as South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg all releasing plans in recent weeks to address the issue. (Hellmann, 11/14)

Los Angeles Times: Sen. Kamala Harris Introduces Bill To Boost Towns' Wildfire Preparedness
California Sen. Kamala Harris introduced a bill Thursday that would set aside $1 billion each year to pay for better infrastructure, land-use and evacuation route planning in fire-prone communities. The proposed legislation would benefit cities and towns throughout the country, but especially those in California, where many communities are vulnerable and residents are struggling to adapt to longer and more intense fire seasons. (Phillips, 11/14)

The New York Times: Apple’s Reach Reshapes Medical Research
In 1976, the Harvard School of Public Health and two other major medical institutions started a study on nurses that has become one of the largest and longest research efforts ever conducted on women’s health. They have so far enrolled more than 275,000 participants. On Thursday, the Harvard school announced an even more ambitious women’s health study, one that aims to enroll a million women over a decade. The new ingredients allowing the huge scale: Apple’s iPhones, apps and money. (Singer, 11/14)

Reuters: Apple Launches App To Let Users Enroll In Health Studies
People who download the research app would be able to enroll in studies including Apple Women's Health Study, Apple Heart and Movement Study and Apple Hearing Study, the company said in a study. After enrolling, participants using Apple Watch and iPhone can contribute useful data around movement, heart rate and noise levels, captured during everyday activities, from taking a walk to attending a concert. (11/14)

Stat: In A ‘Wild West’ Environment, Hospitals Differ Sharply In What Patient Data They Give Google
In deals struck across the U.S., hospital systems appear to be adopting starkly different protocols for sharing personal health information with Google (GOOGL), fueling broad concerns about the ability of patients to control the use of their data. In a controversial collaboration with the hospital chain Ascension, Google gained access to millions of patient records, including names and birth dates, so it could use its artificial intelligence tools to analyze the information. The arrangement has triggered a fact-finding review by federal regulators. (Ross, 11/15)

ProPublica/The Times-Picayune/The Advocate: New EPA Rules Aim To Reduce Toxic Emissions. But Many “Cancer Alley” Chemical Plants Won’t Have To Change.
Environmental groups had been waiting nearly three years for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to comply with a federal judge’s orders to update Clean Air Act rules governing emissions of various toxic chemicals. The agency finally proposed those new rules last week, saying they would reduce emissions of ethylene oxide, a carcinogen that the EPA recently determined is more dangerous than the agency once believed. (Schleifstein, 11/14)

The Associated Press: Court Rules Trump EPA Unlawfully Ignored Dangerous Chemicals
The Trump administration unlawfully excluded millions of tons of some of the most dangerous materials in public use from a safety review, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must consider dangers posed by asbestos, lead and other toxins regardless of whether they’re still being manufactured. (Brown, 11/14)

Reuters: U.S. Vaping-Related Deaths Rise To 42, Cases Of Illness To 2,172
U.S. health officials on Thursday reported 2,172 confirmed and probable cases and 3 more deaths from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, taking the death toll to 42, so far this year. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,051 confirmed and probable U.S. lung injury cases and 39 deaths associated with use of e-cigarettes, or vaping products. (11/14)

The Associated Press: US Panel Backs Wider Use Of Fish Oil To Prevent Heart Attack
Government health experts on Thursday recommended broader use of a prescription-strength fish oil drug to help many more patients at risk for heart attack, stroke and related health problems. Currently the drug, Vascepa, is approved for a relatively narrow group of patients with extremely high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood linked to heart disease. (Perrone, 11/14)

The Washington Post: FDA Panel Endorses Wider Use Of Fish-Oil Drug To Protect Against Heart Problems
The 16-0 endorsement of the FDA advisory committee puts Dublin-based Amarin Corp. one step closer to widespread distribution of Vascepa, a drug the company has said could be worth billions of dollars annually. The FDA, which usually follows such guidance, could make a long-awaited final decision next month. “There’s a definite need for additional therapeutic approaches,” said Kenneth D. Burman, chief of the endocrine section at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, who chaired the panel. Despite some side effects, he said, “this seems a very useful new agent for addition to the armamentarium for the treatment of these patients.” (Bernstein, 11/14)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Panel Backs Expanding Use Of Fish-Oil Derived Drug
Sales of Vascepa could surpass $3 billion if the FDA approves a wider label, according to analysts. Last year’s sales of the drug totaled nearly $230 million. Vascepa was approved in 2012 to treat adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia, or very high levels of triglycerides, which are fats that circulate in the blood. High triglyceride levels can signal the presence of metabolic abnormalities that can damage the heart and blood vessels. About four million Americans have severe hypertriglyceridemia, according to Amarin, and 70 million have elevated triglyceride levels. (Hopkins and McKay, 11/14)

Stat: FDA Slams Dollar Tree For Purchasing Drugs From Suppliers With Checkered Safety Records
Amid growing concerns over the pharmaceutical supply chain, regulators sternly warned the Dollar Tree (DLTR), which runs a vast network of stores serving mostly low-income communities, for selling over-the-counter medicines made by companies that failed to ensure the drugs were safely manufactured and tested. In a Nov. 6 warning letter, the Food and Drug Administration noted the retailer purchased medicines from foreign companies that failed to follow manufacturing standards and displayed a pattern of serious violations. (Silverman, 11/14)

The Washington Post: Ohio Lawmakers Propose Bill That Would Totally Ban Abortion, Give Fetuses The Rights Of People
A new bill sponsored by two Republican Ohio lawmakers would completely end the practice of abortion in the state — a sweeping measure one local abortion rights advocate said “would strip every person who can get pregnant of their bodily autonomy.” State Reps. Ron Hood and Candice Keller are the lead sponsors of House Bill 413, which, among other provisions, seeks to legally recognize unborn fetuses as people, according to a news release from the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio dated Thursday and obtained by The Washington Post. Anyone who performs an abortion, according to the release, would be “subject to already existing murder statutes.” (Brice-Saddler and Knowles, 11/14)

The Wall Street Journal: One Problem With Flu Shot? Not Enough People Get It
Each year, influenza sickens millions of people. But typically, too few Americans get the flu shot to shield everyone from the contagious disease. For maximum protection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that 70% of Americans should get the shot. In the last decade, fewer than 50% were vaccinated annually, and sometimes, the level dipped as low as 42%. (McGinty, 11/15)

The New York Times: Infants And Toddlers Eat Too Much Sugar, Researchers Say
Nearly all American toddlers and about two-thirds of infants consume added sugar, despite nutritionists’ recommendations that children avoid the sweetener, according to a government study released this week. Researchers, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that from 2011 to 2016, 98 percent of toddlers ages 12 to 23 months consumed added sugar in fruit drinks, baked goods, candy and ready-to-eat cereals. Black toddlers ate the most added sugar — about eight teaspoons a day — while toddlers of Asian descent consumed the least, about 3.7 teaspoons a day. (Holson, 11/14)

The New York Times: Hibernation Works For Bears. Could It Work For Us, Too?
There are three major seasons in the life of a bear: the active season, beginning in May; a period of intense eating, in late September, and hibernation, from January into spring. Physiologically, the hibernation period is the strangest, and the most compelling, to researchers. When a bear hibernates, its metabolic rate and heart rate drop significantly. It does not defecate or urinate. The amount of nitrogen in its blood rises sharply, without damaging the kidneys or liver. The animal becomes resistant to insulin but doesn’t suffer from fluctuations in its blood sugar levels. (Lockwood, 11/15)

Stat: Exercise Helps Astronauts Cope In Space. Could It Help Cancer Patients Too?
Astronauts go through a lot of training in preparation for spaceflights, including intensive exercise routines to stay fit and stave off the harmful effects of space travel. Researchers writing in a commentary published Thursday in Cell say fitness programs could also have an application in cancer patients, who go through physiological changes that are similar to astronauts. (Chakradhar, 11/14)

The New York Times: Germany Mandates Measles Vaccine
Parents in Germany must vaccinate their children against measles or face fines of several thousand euros under a law passed on Thursday that aims to stop the spread of a disease that has returned in recent years after decades of decline. The law, which is to take effect from March next year, will require all children seeking to attend preschool to prove that they have been immunized or risk losing their placement. (Eddy, 11/14)

The New York Times: New York To Use 18,000 City Workers To Identify And Help Homeless
New York City will direct more than 18,000 of its municipal workers to use 311 to give social service workers real-time information to help them steer the almost 4,000 people who live on the streets into shelters. The effort, known as Outreach NYC, is the latest attempt from Mayor Bill de Blasio to tackle perhaps the most intractable problem his administration has faced: street homelessness. The problem was highlighted in October when a homeless man, Randy Santos, allegedly bludgeoned four other homeless men to death in Chinatown. (Mays, 11/14)

Los Angeles Times: Poll: Homelessness Is L.A.'s Biggest Problem
As people living in tents, RVs and makeshift shelters become a fact of life in neighborhoods far and wide, homelessness is now an all-consuming issue in Los Angeles County, with 95% of voters calling it a serious or very serious problem, according to a new poll conducted for the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Business Council Institute. (Oreskes, Smith and Lauter, 11/14)

The Associated Press: Feds: South Dakota Doc Made Millions On Unneeded Surgeries
A South Dakota neurosurgeon made millions of dollars by performing unnecessary and dangerous surgeries, including one that left a patient partially paralyzed, federal prosecutors contend in a lawsuit against the doctor. Dr. Wilson Asfora enriched himself by using medical devices he invented during surgeries and receiving kickbacks from companies whose devices he used without disclosing the arrangements, the Department of Justice alleges in the lawsuit filed Wednesday. (11/14)

The Associated Press: Doctor Of Incapacitated Woman Who Gave Birth Cedes License
The longtime doctor of an incapacitated woman who was raped and later gave birth at a Phoenix care facility is surrendering his medical license, according to state medical board records. Dr. Phillip Gear agreed to a consent order to voluntarily give up his license and not contest the matter in court. (11/14)