State Highlights: Contraband Phones Allowed Inmates To Reveal Mold, Rats In Troubled Mississippi Jails; New York Murder Trial Uncovers Failure Of Child Welfare System

The New York Times: Life In A Troubled Mississippi Prison, Captured On Smuggled Phones
The cellphone rang once before someone picked up. On the other end was an inmate inside Unit 29 of the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. “Hello,” he said. Then, in a steady voice that competed against a cacophony of rowdy conversations and a fuzzy signal, he urgently described to a complete stranger the turmoil he said existed on the inside. Some inmates needed medical attention, he said. All of them could use a hot shower. (Rojas, 1/16)

The New York Times: Trial Of 6-Year-Old’s Killer Exposes Lapses In City’s Child Welfare System
Zymere Perkins limped into his kindergarten class one day in April 2016, his legs so badly beaten he could barely walk, the latest in a series of injuries his teacher had seen. Not for the first time, the school contacted the city’s child welfare agency. Later, a social worker gently coaxed the story from the boy: His mother and her boyfriend had hurt him repeatedly. (Palmer, 1/15)

Texas Tribune: Three More Texans Towns Try To Ban Abortion
Three Texas towns recently voted in favor of anti-abortion ordinances, extending the reach of a campaign to create “sanctuary cities for the unborn” across the state. The city councils of Big Spring and Colorado City — with populations around 28,000 and 4,000, respectively — voted Tuesday for a version of the controversial ordinance, which started popping up in small towns in East Texas last year. (Walters, 1/15)

Sacramento Bee: California Governor Urges Crackdown On Mental Health Parity
Leaders of the National Union of Healthcare Workers applauded Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday for committing to crack down on health care companies that fail to provide patients with mental health care comparable with that they provide for physical illnesses. During his budget address Friday, Newsom said the state’s Department of Managed Health Care was “getting in the business of real enforcement, not tacit enforcement.” He added that he would highlight any company found to show a lack of accountability on parity for mental health patients. (Anderson, 1/15)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Assembly Comes Up Short In Overriding Veto Of Training For Nurse Aides
The Assembly came up short Wednesday of overriding a veto of legislation for nurse aides after three Democrats flipped their stance on the legislation. The failed attempt to override the veto was a victory for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and a setback for Republicans who control the Assembly. (Marley, 1/15)

The Associated Press: Sleep Apnea Company Pays $37.5M To Settle Kickback Lawsuits
ResMed, a San Diego-based company that sells sleep apnea machines, will pay $37.5 million to settle allegations that it provided kickbacks to obtain customer referrals, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday. The settlement covers five whistleblower lawsuits filed on behalf of the federal government. The lawsuits say that the company provided free services and equipment to medical equipment suppliers, sleep labs and other health care providers in violation of the federal False Claims Act. (1/15)

Dallas Morning News: Dallas County Reports 3 More Flu Deaths, Bringing Season Toll To 9
Dallas County reported its seventh, eighth and ninth flu-related deaths of the 2019-20 season on Wednesday. The three victims were 73, 65 and 64 and all had pre-existing medical conditions, according to the county’s Health and Human Services department. All three were Dallas County residents. The victims’ names were not released. (Branham, 1/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘We’re Forced To Turn To The Police:’ SF Advocates, Police Commissioners Want Fewer Officers Responding To Homeless
As the twin crises of homelessness and mental illness grip San Francisco’s streets, nearly every city department — from Public Health to Public Works — has boosted resources and staff to address the issue. Now, a chorus of police commissioners and homeless advocates say officers are spending far too much time responding to people who would be better served by social workers. (Thadani, 1/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: SF Mayor Poised To Meet 1,000-Shelter-Bed Goal With Deal For Navigation Center
San Francisco officials have selected a vacant administrative building once used by City College of San Francisco as the site for a 200-bed Navigation Center that will provide shelter and services for the homeless. Mayor London Breed is expected to announce the city’s intent to lease the site at 33 Gough St. on Wednesday. (Fracassa, 1/15)

The Mercury News: Elizabeth Holmes' Theranos Case: Feds Claim Patient Harms
Federal prosecutors this week attacked in dramatic fashion a move by fallen Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes to quash felony fraud charges related to patients who paid for the company’s blood tests. The bombshell court action by the prosecution came in response to a mid-December motion by Holmes to get a judge to dismiss the four counts in her indictment that concern patients. The other seven counts relate to investors allegedly defrauded of more than $700 million. Holmes is accused of fraud in connection with failed Palo Alto blood-testing startup Theranos, which she founded as a Stanford University dropout in 2003. (Baron, 1/14)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Cleveland No Longer Site For Nonprofit’s Migrant Children Foster Care Program
A federal office that oversees the care of migrant children in the U.S. said a Columbus-based social services nonprofit has scuttled its plans to provide foster care services and up to 40 beds for children it would have sent to Cleveland. National Youth Advocate Program will instead provide services for the children in its care at an additional site in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida suburb of Davie, Florida, according to a statement issued late Tuesday by the Administration for Children and Families. (Heisig, 1/15)

Cincinnati Enquirer: St. Elizabeth Healthcare Clocks In 10,000 CT Scans For Lung Cancer
The St. Elizabeth program uses computed tomography, or CT, to take X-rays of the body from different angles. A person eligible for the scans is between 55 and 77 with a pack-a-day habit for 30 years who smoked within the past 15 years. A patient gets a baseline CT scan and an annual scan for five years. From late 2013 until this spring, the program performed 6,500 CT scans on eligible patients. (Saker, 1/15)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Abuse Of Elderly Is Focus Of DeKalb Initiative
DeKalb County launched an initiative on Wednesday to combat abuse of elderly and disabled adults. The DeKalb At-Risk Adult (DARA) multidisciplinary team, headed by District Attorney Sherry Boston’s office, will try to improve coordination and communication among law enforcement, regulators, advocates and social service agencies to ensure allegations of harm come to light and are investigated. (Schrade, 1/15)

KQED: Fleet Of Cars To Collect Block-By-Block Air Quality Data In Bay Area
A fleet of Toyota Priuses equipped with sensors to detect greenhouse gases, particulate matter and other pollutants is monitoring air quality across the Bay Area. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced this month that the hybrids will collect block-by-block data from all nine Bay Area counties, spanning more than 5,000 square miles of public roads. (Arcuni, 1/15)

Health News Florida: Court Wades Into Marijuana Licensing Dispute
A Tampa-based orchid grower seeking to enter Florida’s highly restricted medical-marijuana market tried to convince a state appeals court Tuesday that health officials erred in granting a handful of medical-marijuana licenses to competing firms last year. Louis Del Favero Orchids, Inc. is challenging a settlement agreement between the Florida Department of Health and what are known within the industry as “one-pointers.” (Kam, 1/15)