State Highlights: Deadly Riots In Troubled Mississippi Prisons Claim 5 Lives; Seattle Plans To Pull Hundreds Of Unvaccinated Students From Public Schools

The Wall Street Journal: Mississippi Prisons On Lockdown After Violence Leaves Five Dead
Mississippi prisons remained on lockdown Sunday as officials sought to reassert control in the correctional system after eruptions of violence over the past week left five inmates dead. The state corrections department said earlier in the day that one inmate was back in custody after two had been discovered missing from the Parchman prison during an emergency count on Saturday. Pelicia Hall, the corrections commissioner, said Sunday afternoon that conditions in the prisons were stable and that officials were “being very mindful and watchful.” (Campo-Flores, 1/5)

CNN: Hundreds Of Seattle Students Without Updated Vaccinations Records May Be Excluded From School This Week
More than 1,400 Seattle Public Schools students are still at risk of being excluded from school if they don't provide verified vaccination records by Wednesday, school system spokesman Tim Robinson said. That's down from last month when 2,200 needed to update their records. Robinson said he expects the number will keep declining as the January 8 deadline approaches. (Maxouris and Erdman, 1/5)

Arizona Republic: Hacienda Victim And Her Family Are Suing The State Of Arizona
A woman with severe disabilities who was raped and gave birth at a Phoenix health facility late last year has filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona and two of her doctors. The 30-page lawsuit filed by the woman and her parents in Maricopa County Superior Court does not name a dollar amount but it follows the family's $45 million notice of claim filed against the state in May. Gov. Doug Ducey's office is reviewing the lawsuit, but does not comment on pending litigation, spokesman Patrick Ptak wrote in an email. (Innes, 1/3)

KCUR: Kansas City Cancer Patients Pin Hopes On Controversial Proton Beam Therapy 
Cancer survivors and their loved ones who attend meetings of the Prostate Network in Kansas City have talked for years about a radiation treatment called proton beam therapy. They know it’s expensive and controversial. Some doctors and healthcare experts say it’s no more effective than standard X-ray radiation, and costs twice as much. But some of the network’s own members have used proton therapy and swear by the results. (Shelly and Margolies, 1/3)

Kansas City Star: Kansas Governor Describes Problems In State Hospital Unit
Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday that a troubled unit within Osawatomie State Hospital was “not a therapeutic environment” for the seriously mentally ill and promised plans for improvement. The hospital has been plagued by challenges for years, including a decision by federal officials to decertify it – a move that cost the facility of millions of dollars a year. A 60-bed unit in the hospital, called Adair Acute Care, was recertified in 2017. (Shorman, 1/3)

California Healthline: Hospital Known For Glamorous Patients Opens New Doors To Its Neediest
With its deluxe suites, A-list patients and world-class art collection that includes works by Picasso and Chagall, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s nickname is “hospital to the stars.” But starting this year, it is making a change for its poorest patients. Effective Jan. 1, the Los Angeles hospital loosened the income cap for patients to qualify for free or discounted care. Previously, the nonprofit hospital’s financial assistance policy allowed patients with household incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level to qualify for free care, which amounts to $24,980 for an individual or $51,500 for a family of four, based on 2019 figures. (Almendrala and Rowan, 1/3)

Texas Tribune: Greg Abbott Remains Quiet On Whether Texas Will Opt Out Of Refugee Program
A large majority of the country’s governors have told the Trump administration that their states will continue accepting refugees, but with less than three weeks left to make up his mind, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott hasn’t made clear if he’ll add his name to that list. Governors, mayors, county judges and other elected officials have until Jan. 21 to notify the U.S. State Department if they will continue participating in the refugee resettlement program. (Aguilar, 1/6)

Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming Most Dangerous State For Workers (Again)
Wyoming is once again the state with the highest rate of workplace-related deaths according to a new report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Wyoming's Workforce Services. Last year, it was third. 31 workers died on the job in 2018 compared to 20 the year before. (Edwards, 1/3)

Georgia Health News: Piedmont Quitting Georgia Hospital Association
Industry officials told Georgia Health News on Friday that the nonprofit Piedmont system, which is based in Atlanta, isn’t happy about the GHA leadership’s lack of support among key lawmakers and the Governor’s Office. Lobbying state government is a big part of the group’s function.GHA, which now represents more than 170 hospitals in the state, said Piedmont is trying to save money by not renewing its GHA membership for 2020. (Miller, 1/3)

Atlanta Journal- Constitution: Piedmont Healthcare Splits From State Hospital Lobbying Group
The Georgia Hospital Association has split, losing Piedmont Healthcare and its 11 Georgia hospitals. Piedmont’s loss is a significant blow to the association, which lobbies for the state’s hospitals. GHA has been for years their heavyweight fighter in the battle between nonprofit hospitals and for-profit businesses such as Cancer Treatment Centers of America over state protections for the nonprofits. (Hart, 1/6)

The Oregonian: Central City Concern Closes Portland Sobering Station, Ends Associated Van Service 
Nonprofit Central City Concern closed its publicly funded Northeast Portland facility where intoxicated people were brought to sober up as an alternative to jail on Friday and ended its roving van service that transported people there. The agency said the sobering station and the Central City Concern Hopper Inebriate Emergency Response Service, also known as CHIERS, are no longer available. There currently isn’t a plan in place to replace them. (Bailey, 1/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Doctors Target Health Consequences Of Childhood Trauma
A screening tool developed by Bay Area pediatricians to identify adverse childhood experiences, ranging from homelessness and food insecurity to physical and sexual abuse, will now help doctors statewide address trauma affecting patients’ health. The California Department of Health Care Services approved the tool — called PEARLS, for Pediatric ACEs and Related Life-Events Screener — last month. As of Jan. 1, its use is covered by Medi-Cal, and it will be available to pediatricians at 8,800 California clinics. (Allday, 1/5)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Climate, Drinking Water Back In Focus In Home Stretch Of N.H. Primary
Candidates campaigning in the final stretch of the New Hampshire presidential primary are redoubling their focus on environmental issues that have long been priorities for local voters. New Hampshire has its own sense of urgency about climate change – which will threaten coastal communities and the ski industry – and drinking water contamination, from industrial chemicals like PFAS that have affected towns statewide. (Ropeik, 1/3)

Austin American-Statesman: Gov. Greg Abbott On Stabbing Suspect: ‘I Bet You’ll Learn That The Killer Was A Homeless Man’
Hours after a person stabbed a man to death Friday in South Austin, Gov. Greg Abbott speculated on Twitter that the suspect was homeless.“ When all facts are revealed I bet you’ll learn that the killer was a homeless man with prior arrests,” Abbott tweeted. “If so Austin’s reckless homeless policy puts lives in danger to murders like this. Austin leaders must answer for their perilous policies.” Austin police have not publicly confirmed whether the suspect is homeless. (Hall, 1/3)

Texas Tribune: Austin Mayor Calls Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's Tweets On Homeless Demonizing
Twice last year, Gov. Greg Abbott drew ire from Austin city officials when he suggested that crimes were the result of the city's new approach to homelessness, in which it has relaxed ordinances prohibiting camping or otherwise posting up in public spaces.Not only was it an unfair, they said, but neither of the crimes were committed by people experiencing homelessness — and one of them happened before any policy changes took effect. (Garnham, 1/4)

Capitol Beat News Service: Regulating E-Scooters Tough Challenge For Georgia Lawmakers
Electric scooters started showing up on city streets and college campuses in Georgia a year and a half ago, but the General Assembly has yet to figure out how to regulate them. A state Senate study committee has released a report recently on how to approach the issue that is expected to become the starting point for a bill lawmakers will consider during the 2020 session that kicks off Jan. 13. (Williams, 1/3)